Unearthing a central strategy

CNP, as VCB’s agency of record for 15 years, participated in, and helped facilitate, a day-long discovery retreat with VCB staff and bureau members. We evaluated past efforts, discussed the competitive context, shared ideas and wrote a campaign brief. The brief required that the right concept accommodate the new amenities of the Central Florida visitor experience while also remaining true to the abundant natural side of the region – outdoor experiences such as boating, fishing, hiking and golfing. In the days that followed, CNP staffers got to work inventing campaign concepts that could be universally applied across the VCB communications platform.

Finding elements for success

CNP developed and presented three prototype concepts for consideration. The unanimous winner borrowed the classical elements of nature from Aristotle – air, water, earth and fire – accompanied by the summary statement “Find your element in Central Florida.” We presented different ads targeted to different audiences, tagging each with one of the four elements in a warm, organic design with stunning environmental photography.

Building on a successful legacy

CNP has developed many campaigns for the VCB, all of which have “put heads in beds and made cash registers ring” while also serving as stepping stones to the 2013 effort. Of the campaign’s virtues, two stand out: 1) Provided a way to curate diverse amenities – figuratively and literally. 2) Implied the idea of “natural” without having to use the word in copy or as a tagline. Numerous Florida regions use the word in their messaging, and it has become a commodity “handle” which offers no differentiation.

The “Find Your Element” ad campaign is appearing in travel and trade publications throughout the eastern U.S. Insertions include QR codes, which when scanned take readers to a branded landing page at the visitcentralflorida.org website. The campaign is also being supported in social media and with promotional gear for visitors.