i love new york
The governor of New York and his PR director said it was very simple: do a new campaign for the anniversary of their I Love NY theme…just like it’s always been done. Hey, just do as I’m told, collect the commissions, and be happy, right? Not if it’s wrong for the success of the client…
“We had no idea the I Love New York campaign was actually hurting regions outside the City… Zlotnick had the guts to stand up to conventional wisdom and show us how to do it smarter and better, which we needed to hear.”
– Neville Bugwadia, Empire State Business Development
Exec Summary
Category Thinking: I love New York is about the city, not the state.
New Insight: Ten of the 11 regions of NY State were not seeing an ROI from the I Love NY campaign. There were deeper truths driving the market. To change the conversation, we needed to show that it is the State, not the City, that has surprisingly more to offer. And, ah, by the way, do consumers really care about the original objective: to tout the anniversary of the “ILNY” campaign? (Answer: No.)
New Position: New York State is everything to love. (and like nothing you ever expected)
Result: Standing ovation for the Governor at the campaign’s preview at The Egg Center for Performing Arts in Albany, and a nod to me, by the previously disenfranchised 10 “other” regional directors of tourism. Hotel occupancy rose from 65.6% to 71%. Travel expenditures 35% to $32 billion. The only Northeast state in double digits for awareness.
Full Case Study
Situation: A legendary “untouchable” theme and song in its 25th anniversary year. It brought back the city from a recession in the ‘70s when New York was hurting and in trouble financially. Yet, for complicated political and economic reasons, New York, the State, was not experiencing success in travel and tourism. What do you do for a 25th encore that would be meaningful to this changed market?
Category Thinking: I love New York is about the city, not the state.
New Insight: Ten of the 11 regions of NY State were not seeing an ROI from the I Love NY campaign. There were deeper truths driving the market. To change the conversation, we needed to show that it is the State, not the City, that has surprisingly more to offer and is worthy of being loved. New York, known first and foremost as The City, had a great unappreciated, uncommunicated secret: It’s The State, not NYC, that offers some of the country’s premiere whitewater rafting (class 5), fishing, skiing, hiking (the largest state park in the country), canal barging, antiquing, and, with 115 vineyards, world-class winery touring. The legendary “I Love NY” communicated “Come to NYC” when it needed to say “Come to New York State.” Just how meaningful and effective anymore was the “I Love NY” theme and song? Why were the 10 other regions of New York State, other than New York City, not realizing revenue from travelers in their own and neighboring states? And, by the way, who among consumers really care about the original objective to tout the anniversary of the “ILNY” theme song? (Answer: Nobody)
Solution: Associate “I Love NY” with the State, including, but not intuitively pandering to the City. Challenge travelers’ perceptions and surprise them, memorably, with all the perceived “far-away” adventures that the State offers them, affordably, conveniently closer to home. Rethink and repurpose the role of the “I Love NY” theme song within each communication. Add that New York edge and attitude in an original tag line, to further underscore the new idea of a necessary new message, “Hey, what did you expect? This is New York.
New Position: New York State is everything to love. (and like nothing you ever expected)
Result: Standing ovation for the Governor at the campaign’s preview at The Egg Center for Performing Arts in Albany, and a nod to me, by the previously disenfranchised 10 “other” regional directors of tourism. Hotel occupancy rose from 65.6% to 71%. Travel expenditures 35% to $32 billion. The only Northeast state in double digits for awareness.
