Well,
both were recently advertised in distinctive window displays at the
world-famous Harrods store in London. As Harrods Media Director, Guy Cheston,
says "Harrods' iconic exhibition
windows are one of the most sought after and visited retail display areas in
the world,” so it is refreshing to see marketers of South Carolina reach
out to potential international travelers in such an innovative fashion. The
initiative was partly funded by Brand USA,
the organization established by the 2009 Travel Promotion Act to spearhead the
nation’s first global marketing effort to promote the US as a premier travel
destination. Brand USA is funded through a fee on tourists from the 37
countries whose citizens don’t require a visa to visit the US (called the
Electronic System for Travel Authorization – ESTA - program). The organization
is allowed to use up to $100 million a year, provided it obtains matching
contributions from its private partners in the travel and tourism industry. In
addition to the window displays, South Carolina was also promoted on the
store’s multi-media video displays, in its 500,000 circulation publication, and
on the side of its trademark green double decker buses. If you would like to
know more about Brand USA, I published a white paper recently in the Journal of
Destination Management & Marketing that digs a little deeper:
