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Destination USA: marketing the United States as an international travel destination

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Destination USA: marketing the United States as an international travel destination

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Content DESTINATION USA: MARKETING THE UNITED STATES AS AN INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL DESTINATION by Ashley Owen A Thesis Presented to the FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF ARTS (STRATEGIC PUBLIC RELATIONS) May 2012 Copyright 2012 Ashley Owen ii Acknowledgements First and foremost I must thank my family for supporting me no matter what crazy challenges I take on, whether it be a thesis or a marathon…or both at the same time. Mom, Dad, Diane, Whitney and Jorge, you are the best group of cheerleaders I could ever ask for and I am eternally grateful. I would also like to thank my thesis committee chair, Jennifer Floto for guiding me through this process, being hard on me when I needed it, and also giving me the boost of confidence I needed to complete this thesis. To my committee members, Burghart Tenderich and Nicholas Cull, thank you for providing me guidance and feeback in the very beginning and end of this journey. I would also like to thank my co-‐workers for getting me across the finish line again and again. Lastly, I send many thanks and congratulations to my fellow SPR 2012 graduates who were always there to remind me that I wasn’t alone. We did it! iii Table of Contents Acknowledgements ii List of Figures v Abstract vi Introduction 1 Chapter One: The United States’ Travel and Tourism Industry 3 Chapter Two: Efforts to Boost the Travel and Tourism Industry 6 Chapter Three: The Travel Promotion Act 9 Chapter Four: The “Discover America” Campaign 12 Chapter Five: America the Brand – The Beginning 15 Chapter Six: America the Brand – Post September 11 th 20 Chapter Seven: Failed Attempts at Promoting the U.S. 25 Chapter Eight: Obama’s Effect on the Brand 29 Chapter Nine: Simon Anholt’s Nation Brands Index 32 Chapter Ten: Nation vs. Corporate Branding 35 Chapter Eleven: Citizens Questioning Brand USA 37 Chapter Twelve: Brand USA Moving Forward 39 iv Chapter Thirteen: The “3E Trap” 41 Chapter Fourteen: Internal Audience Neglect 45 Chapter Fifteen: Lack of Long Term Strategy 49 Conclusions 51 Glossary 53 Bibliography 54 Appendix A: Aaron Wodin-‐Schwartz Interview Transcript 61 Appendix B: Jay Wang Interview Transcript 64 Appendix C: Remarks by the President Unveiling a Strategy to Help Boost Travel and Tourism 66 v List of Figures Figure 1: U.S. Travel and Tourism Industries: A Year in Review: 2009 4 Figure 2: “I Want You” Poster 18 Figure 3: Major Reasons for Disliking the U.S. 23 Figure 4: Major Reasons for Liking the U.S. 23 Figure 5: Comparison of Global Confidence in Presidents Bush and Obama re: World Affairs 29 Figure 6: Muslim Confidence in Presidents Obama and Bush and Osama bin Laden 30 Figure 7: Simon Anholt’s Nation Brand Hexagon 33 Figure 8: American Reaction to the “Discover America” Campaign 37 vi Abstract This paper examines the challenges of marketing a world nation. More specifically, it delves into the current efforts taking place to market the United States abroad as an international travel destination. It provides an overview of the present state of the U.S. travel and tourism industry and the reasons for such a campaign. Additionally, an examination of the history of the United States brand is included in an effort to convey the complexity of the communication challenge. The key element is an analysis of the “Discover America” campaign in terms of its strategic approach. Results reveal that based on the increase in international travel, a campaign to keep the United States competitive with other nations is necessary and relevant. They also reveal that there are potential flaws in Brand USA’s strategy. The three main areas where improvements can be made are in the scope of the campaign, communication with internal audiences and development of a long-‐term strategy. The principal conclusion is that an international campaign promoting travel to the United States has the potential for success, but not without a succinct, targeted and fully developed strategy. 1 Introduction The global travel market is projected to increase by 40% between now and 2020 and as a result, nations are competing more than ever before for the business of international travelers ("Introducing Brand USA"). Changes in the global economy have had an effect on not just the number of travelers, but also their countries of origin. Additionally, an increasingly connected world has made international travel more accessible than ever. With these changes, it is crucial that a nation establishes itself as a place that is welcoming, accessible and worthy of visiting. The practice of destination marketing can be traced back as far as 982 AD to the naming of Greenland. Upon discovering the country, explorer Erik the Red returned to Iceland telling stories of the “green land” in an effort to encourage settlement (“Erik the Red”). More recently, numerous countries such as Mexico, Canada, and Australia have developed more elaborate communication strategies in an attempt to market themselves as international tourist destinations. The campaigns use a combination of public diplomacy and communication tactics to convey a sense of their brands as not just nations, but also destinations. The United States, despite being a world superpower, has never actively created a global strategy to market itself as a unified “brand” to the rest of the world. To maintain a competitive stance with other travel destinations, a non-‐profit corporation made up of members from the public and private travel and tourism sectors has been established to market the United States as an international tourist destination. 2 This paper will examine the first-‐ever national communication strategy being launched for the United States of America. It will dissect the identity of the U.S. and the strategies and tactics that are being implemented to position it in the international travel market. It will focus on the significance of a nation’s brand to not just its international constituents, but also to the citizens, who in and of themselves contribute to the brand identity. Lastly, it will identify impending challenges facing the campaign and offer suggestions for improvement in relation to those challenges. 3 Chapter One: The United States’ Travel and Tourism Industry “Tourism is the number one service that we export. Number one. That means jobs” (Obama). President Obama began his speech at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL on January 19, 2012 with a reminder of the impact that the travel and tourism industry has on the United States economy. Approximately 6% of the U.S. population is employed by the travel and tourism industry and with a global travel market that is expected to increase by 40% between now and 2020; there is an opportunity for that percentage to increase as well ("Introducing Brand USA"). According to the World Travel and Tourism Council’s 2011 Annual Review, the travel and tourism industry will create 21 million new jobs in the next decade as a result of the rise of new middle classes around the globe (“Travel and Tourism 2011”). The current emphasis on the industry is partially due to these impending opportunities, but it’s also fueled in part by the state of flux that the industry has been in since the country sank into recession in the latter part of 2008. In 2009, the United States may have remained the world’s top tourist destination based on dollar value, but foreign visitor spending dropped a record 15% (see figure 1) ("Introducing Brand USA"). That same year, international visitation decreased in eight of the top ten markets, with just Brazil and Australia enjoying a higher number of visitors coming to the U.S. than in 2008 ("Introducing Brand USA"). These visitation drops led to a loss of approximately 400,000 jobs, which is about the 4 same as the number lost as a result of the September 11 th terrorist attacks from 2001 (Doherty and Moore 1). Figure 1: U.S. Travel and Tourism Industries: A Year in Review: 2009 Source: International Trade Administration, Office of Travel and Tourism Industries By 2010, the U.S. saw an increase of 10% in international visitor spending and visitation from nine of the top ten markets (France was the lone decrease with a 1% decline) ("Travel Promotion Act -‐ Detailed Summary of Key Points"). The number that has the private sector, the government and all tourism-‐related businesses paying even closer attention to where the industry is headed, is the total number of global long-‐haul arrivals. That number increased from approximately 200 million to 213 million from 5 2009 to 2010 and is projected to reach approximately 300 million by 2020 ("Introducing Brand USA"). While more people internationally are traveling abroad, the U.S. is remaining somewhat stagnant. The market is becoming more competitive with countries such as China and Brazil experiencing economic growth, and the United States is putting more effort than ever into becoming the “number one travel destination in the world” (Obama). 6 Chapter Two: Efforts to Boost the Travel and Tourism Industry A variety of programs, policies and committees have been put in place to help stimulate economic growth through travel and tourism. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board “The U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board serves as the advisory body to the Secretary of Commerce on matters relating to the travel and tourism industry in the United States” ("U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board"). The thirty-‐member board was originally chartered in 2003 and is composed of a variety of professionals from the travel and tourism industry. To date, the board has been responsible for marketing efforts to improve relations in the United Kingdom and Japan. Most recently, members were asked to advise the Secretary on creating a national strategy to promote United States travel abroad. Visa Waiver Program (VWP) Congress passed the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) into legislation in 1986 to “eliminate unnecessary barriers to travel, stimulate the tourism industry, and permit the Department of State to focus consular resources in other areas” ("Visa Waiver Program (VWP)"). The program began with just the United Kingdom and Japan and now includes 36 countries from which visitors can come to the United States without having to obtain a visa. The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) was created in 2007 to be used by travelers coming from the countries included in the VWP. With the ESTA in place, visitors can input information online prior to their trips to expedite the process of 7 entry into the U.S. ("Electronic System for Travel Authorization"). In January 2012, Obama called for the VWP to include China and Brazil in an effort to increase travel from those two countries to the United States (Obama). Global Entry Program Global Entry is a program housed under U.S. Customs and Border Protection that was organized to expedite the travel process for low-‐risk, frequent travelers such as those who travel for business ("What Is Global Entry?"). It allows people from pre-‐ approved countries to fill out an application that includes a section where they provide their fingerprints. Once approved, they can use Global Entry kiosks to scan their fingerprints, provide a machine-‐readable passport and make their customs declaration ("What Is Global Entry?"). Currently, the Global Entry Program is only available in a handful of U.S. airports, but Obama recently announced the expansion of the program that would place kiosks in more airports and open it up to almost all international travelers around the world (Obama). A Missing Piece With the industry experiencing a lack in growth, there has been a rising push from the private sector for a comprehensive communications plan to promote the United States to international visitors. Despite being the second most popular travel destination in the world and the country with the largest tourism sector, there has never been a committee dedicated to increasing visits from international travelers. 8 Congress has previously voted to fund programs to promote the U.S. only to pull back later because they lacked a way to measure the effectiveness. While a number of states and major cities in the U.S. have enacted strategies to entice visitors, there is an argument that there is a need for an umbrella strategy for the country as a whole. Countries such as Mexico and Greece spend millions of dollars annually on communications strategies. During a time where countries and the world are on sale, the U.S. is at a distinct competitive disadvantage because of this lack of strategy (Doherty and Moore 79). 9 Chapter Three: The Travel Promotion Act In March 2010, Congress passed and President Obama signed into law the Travel Promotion Act. It called for the creation of a nonprofit corporation made up of influential members of the public and private travel and tourism sectors. The corporation will receive up to $100 million annually in matched federal funds through 2014 to market the United States as an international travel destination. This is the first time in U.S. history that such a committee has been formed and such substantial funding has been allocated to strategize about marketing the U.S. internationally. The formation of this committee sent a statement that the government is beginning to specifically focus on tourism as an economic development strategy. The underlying goal of the Travel Promotion Act is to create jobs in travel, tourism and hospitality. It is one of the many measures being taken to achieve economic stability in the industry and eventually positively stimulate the U.S. economy. Since September 11 th , a negative perception has developed overseas that the U.S. is unwelcoming to international travelers. Due to these perceptions, the act was created to focus specifically on promoting the U.S. abroad as a more welcoming place. The approach will augment public diplomacy efforts that have been widespread and growing since September 11 th . The hope is that the strategy will provide a platform for the individual states and cities within the U.S. to leverage with their marketing efforts. 10 The program elements are: 1. Make it easier for people to visit by balancing hospitality with security 2. Ask people to visit us with a nationally coordinated marketing program. 3. Demonstrate the value of travel and tourism The Corporation for Travel Promotion (CTP)’s board consists of luminaries from a wide array of travel and tourism entities including Amtrak, Disney, Diamond Resorts and United Airlines ("Board of Directors"). The committee’s funding comes from a combination of the public and private sectors, but not from American tax dollars (Wodin-‐Schwartz). According to the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, For FY 2010, the Secretary of the Treasury will transfer up to $10 million to the Corporation from amounts deposited in the general fund from fees collection under Section 217(h)(3)(B)(i)(I) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. For 2011, the Corporation must provide matching amounts from non-‐ Federal sources equal to 50 percent or more of the amount transferred to the Fund. For subsequent years, the Corporation will receive an amount equal to the amount collected from non-‐Federal sources, not to exceed $100 million ("Travel Promotion Act -‐ Detailed Summary of Key Points"). Funds collected from the government will come from processing fees added to international travelers coming into the U.S. under the Immigration and Nationality Act ("Travel Promotion Act -‐ Detailed Summary of Key Points"). The fee was originally set to be $10 per travel authorization, but was increased to $14 soon after. The CTP received enough support from the private sector to make the budget for the inaugural year a substantial $200 million. 11 J Walter Thompson (JWT), a global marketing agency, was appointed to work alongside the CTP in September 2011 ("Corporation for Travel Promotion Appoints JWT as Global Marketing Agency of Record"). Working in conjunction with sister agencies Mediacom, The Brand Union and Hill & Knowlton, JWT won the business against two undisclosed global agencies. JWT staffers quickly delved into research about the United States as a brand, utilizing research firms across the world. Among some of the more traditional research methods, postcards were distributed to people in 50 different countries asking those who had and had not visited the U.S. to define the “American Dream” in their own language ("Introducing Brand USA”). Some of the most useful information resulted from these postcards that were received from around the world. The data showed that the United States brand is internationally perceived as “too familiar, middle aged, brash, arrogant, and not welcoming” ("Introducing Brand USA”). More so than the negative feedback, it was the positive feedback that intrigued the CTP. The organizers learned that pop culture, diversity, friendliness, freedom and possibilities were the major motives for travelers to visit the U.S. ("Introducing Brand USA”). Similarly, they discovered that of the people who had previously visited the United States, the majority had positive reactions to the brand and planned to return. With this knowledge and an extensive analysis of all of the research, the Corporation for Travel Promotion became Brand USA, Inc. and the “Discover America” campaign was born. 12 Chapter Four: The “Discover America” Campaign Collectively, Brand USA organizers and the JWT team decided that the solution to America’s brand problem was something “fresh, unexpected, welcoming, and filled with boundless possibilities” ("Introducing Brand USA”). With that in mind, they created the aforementioned “Discover America” campaign. They began by deciding upon ‘USA’ as the name to be used in the logo for the campaign. The design that followed is comprised of a number of dots in varying colors spelling the letters ‘USA’ with the call to action, “DiscoverAmerica.com,” underneath. The logo colors are not the traditional red, white and blue. In fact, organizers decided that they would purposely distance the brand from previous negative stigmas. The logo appears in a variety of color combinations that have no real relevance. Representatives from Brand USA noted in a press release that the logo “creates a ‘21st-‐century brand’ which symboliz[es] the boundless possibilities of the U.S., as well as representing America's ‘diversity’” (Roth). While the campaign would not officially launch until March 2012, the strategy was announced on November 7 th , 2011 in London at the World Travel Market ("Chairman of the Corporation for Travel Promotion Rallies America for Brand USA"). For the first time, the world was introduced to the home base of the campaign, DiscoverAmerica.com. This website contains two separate portals, one for people living within the United States who plan to travel domestically, and one for those living in countries outside of the U.S. It can be viewed in Canadian English, French, British English, Spanish, German and Chinese. The site offers options to discover parts of the 13 United States not generally sought after for travel and provides detailed information for traveling to the United States including cultural norms and laws of which to be aware. According to Brand USA Chief Marketing Officer, Chris Perkins, DiscoverAmerica.com will “reach audiences around the world by showcasing the best of America and spreading the message that we welcome visitors with open arms” (Parekh). In addition to unveiling the website for the campaign, Brand USA also used the World Travel Market as the outlet to announce the slogan to be used in all efforts beginning in March 2012. “The United States of Awesome Possibilities” was explained using a video containing a series of images depicting U.S. culture. It is described on DiscoverAmerica.com as: America is more than a destination. It's a land where everything is possible, so anything is possible. Where imagination becomes reality, and nothing is too new, too big or too far away to actually happen. Whether you're exploring a larger-‐than-‐life city, or wandering way off the beaten path. It's not about seeing and doing -‐ it's about experiencing and feeling: the exciting contrasts… the diversity of people… a collective culture that is only as robust as the stories and personalities that contribute to it. Brand USA hopes to rekindle the world's love affair with America the Place, America the Spirit, and America the Dream. We want to remind the world that this country is filled with boundless possibilities that open up even more possibilities within ourselves. The United States of Awesome Possibilities Welcomes Everyone ("About Us"). Brand USA already has plans beyond content creation and social media. “The United States of Awesome Possibilities” will be seen in the form of a global advertising campaign, co-‐op marketing partnerships, trade shows and sales missions, as well as 14 educational campaigns regarding U.S. entry policies ("Introducing Brand USA”). The strategy focuses on four experience pillars: the great outdoors, urban excitement, indulgence, and culture. It will rely heavily on brand ambassadors. These are a group of over 215 million of people across key markets who “identify with American culture, admire America’s can-‐do attitude, encourage their friends and family to come, they feel like there is a little bit of America in them, and a bit of them in America” ("About Us"). The idea is that these brand ambassadors will help spread the message that the United States is a place with endless possibilities worthy of visiting from anywhere in the world. During the November 7 th board of directors meeting and conference call, an attendee asked Brand USA’s Chief Executive Officer, Jim Evans, how the “Discover America” campaign will be seen within the United States. His response, “It won’t be seen in the U.S.” made it clear that Brand USA has no intentions of promoting the campaign internally (theBrandUSA.com). Thus far, the only element of the campaign directed toward people who already live within the United States is a separate portal of the website called “See America.” This portion of the site appears in English and displays a different logo than the one created for the international markets. “See America” lends itself to traditional American culture with stars, stripes and red, white and blue, but carries the same information that can be found in the “Discover America” site. 15 Chapter Five: America the Brand – The Beginning “The United States of America has 100% brand awareness,” said Brand USA’s Deputy Director of Strategic Outreach, Aaron Wodin-‐Schwartz in an interview in January 2012. It is recognizable worldwide by a multitude of names (USA, United States, America, the U.S., etc.) and images. Like other powerful brands, it has seen many changes over the years. One of the challenges facing Brand USA organizers as they move forward in promoting the U.S. abroad as an international tourist destination is understanding America as a brand and identifying how that brand fits into its image as a destination. Elements of the American brand can be traced even further back than its proclamation in 1776. A combination of political pressures, economic incentives and religious convictions motivated Europeans to travel to North America (“Why the Europeans Came”). While they were not necessarily seeking a “New World,” the prospect of liberty and possibilities that awaited them were ideas already developed in the imaginations of these earlier settlers. Years later, without necessarily realizing it, the founding fathers laid out the details of the brand that would stand for America for decades to follow. There was an understanding among them that there had to be union within the country regarding these ideas in order to hopefully allow them to spread. Between Benjamin Franklin’s campaign to unite the 13 independent colonies, a multitude of events (Sugar Act, Stamp Act, etc.) and the movement away from Britain, the use of American symbols (flags) 16 increased by 55% (Anholt and Hildreth 32). Interestingly, even though work was being done to unify the U.S. internally, America and American actions were identified by the British before anyone else, even Americans, knew what America truly was. As the word spread about the New World, the American brand was developed overseas. People were flocking to the U.S. to escape the old world, despite not knowing what they would find. There was something fresh and exciting about the U.S. The image was driven by hope and opportunity. One settler, J. Hector St John de Crevecoeur describes America in his Letters from an American Farmer: We are the most perfect society now existing in the world… Here individuals of all nations are melted into a new race of men, whose labours and posterity will one day cause great changes in the world…Here a man is free as he ought to be… An American is a new man, who acts upon new principles; he must therefore entertain new ideas, and form new opinions (Anholt and Hildreth 39-‐40). Although this brand built on freedom and opportunity was strong, it did not continue without challenges. As the U.S. continued to grow, sub brands formed, similar to the way they do in large corporations. One of the most difficult divides occurred during the Civil War with the creation of the Confederacy brand. While this was a dividing of the country, the idea that they had a right to be free, even from America, drew on elements of the U.S. brand. But it was after the Civil War, when the regions united, that the American brand fully began to form (Anholt and Hildreth 43). The U.S. went on to become a powerful nation around the world by influence rather than force. According to political scientist and dean of Harvard University’s School of Government, 17 Joseph Nye, the United States utilized a great amount of “soft power” which he defines as a country obtaining the “outcomes it wants in world politics because other countries want to follow it, admiring its values, emulating its example, aspiring to its level of prosperity and openness” (Nye). The Wild West shaped America’s brand during much of the 19 th century at home and abroad. The dreams, visions and stories of the western half of the United States and the idea of Manifest Destiny brought ideas of possibilities and new life. Western culture encompassed cowboys, Indians and vast amounts of land filled with gold. Elements of this time in American culture still exist today with people coming to the U.S. to follow their dreams and discover the place where anything is possible ("Introducing Brand USA”). Propaganda, advertising and radio played major roles during World War I and World War II in instilling the American brand internally. Advertisements such the “I Want You” poster shown below created a sense of pride and unity across the nation while the world was at war (see figure 2). Again, without necessarily realizing it, U.S. leaders knew that the brand they were trying to convey externally would not be effective until their internal audience was on board. With large corporations today still making the mistake of forgetting their internal audiences in their branding and marketing efforts, these aspects of America’s history pay tribute to the importance of internal buying for nations and corporations alike (Anholt and Hildreth 53-‐55). 18 Figure 2: “I Want You” Poster Source: Library of Congress, loc.gov/exhibits/ “The entertainment industry and the media play a particularly important role in shaping people’s perceptions of place,” especially abroad ("Note on Nation Branding"). Throughout the 20 th Century and well into this one, the glamour of Hollywood and pop culture that emits from it is one of America’s top exports. From the release of the first motion picture to the opening of studios to the iconic images of the Hollywood sign, people around the world have been associating entertainment and pop culture with the United States since the early 1900s. Even during times of turmoil and negativity, the U.S. entertainment industry has remained well respected and enjoyed internationally. In fact, in 2009 when the country was suffering from an economic downturn, the “industry 19 had a positive services trade surplus of $11.9 billion in 2009, or 8% of the total U.S. private-‐sector trade surplus in services” ("The Economic Contribution of the Motion Picture & Television Industry to the United States"). Despite three centuries of changes and developments, the U.S. is still a country that is both admired and questioned. The brand is just as recognizable as ever and has some of the most distinct imaging to date. Where the country has experienced the most change is in how it is perceived internationally. While the brand may be just as large and recognizable as it ever was, the U.S. has shifted from its original position as a country of opportunities to something quite different (Anholt and Hildreth 13). 20 Chapter Six: America the Brand – Post September 11 th Internal: Immediately following September 11 th , America the brand was reshaped internally. There was a message of strength, unity and patriotism that was visible through American flags flying proudly from houses, cars, businesses, etc. President Bush encouraged patriotism in a nation that was scarred, and instilled a feeling of hope during a time when the American brand wasn’t at its strongest. Unfortunately, the decisions that followed internally changed the country’s brand. Americans were seemingly embarrassed by the actions taking place and messages being sent overseas. The Bush Administration that had once promoted strength, unity and the power of the American society, was now more focused on military action. The “mission accomplished” message was bold and struck chords with many. The distinctive pride that came along with being an American was suddenly less pronounced and with that, the brand was once again re-‐established among U.S. citizens, which contributed to the unstable image being spread abroad (Tomorrow). External: Following the terrorist attacks of September 11 th , conclusions were made that America was disliked in the Middle East because they didn’t understand the U.S. and its freedoms. Extensive research in the Middle East has shown that the anger lies more in that the freedoms seem to exist for Americans alone, not that they don’t understand or agree with the concept. 21 Additionally, a shift took place in the messages America was sending abroad when the focus on personal safety and national security took on immense proportions. After the September 11 th attacks, security precautions were heightened for domestic and, more specifically, international travel. Getting into the United States was more taxing than ever and while the message being portrayed internally was that America was safe, the external message translated into one that was uninviting to international visitors. Business travelers and tourists alike no longer wanted to visit the United States because of the hassle and costs involved with obtaining visas, slogging through customs and simply dealing with the profiling and security measures (Doherty and Moore 2). These decisions, among others, were rebranding America overseas in a way that the administration didn’t realize. In a world where countries are competing for business from international travelers, the U.S. was sending messages that did not welcome visitors, provided a negative first impression once visitors did arrive and simply made people feel as though the U.S. was better off without them visiting. Suddenly, America was seen as a purely self-‐indulgent country. No longer was it about the “American dream” or the land of opportunity, but it was about improving and protecting Americans (Pankhurst). In December 2001, just three months following the September 11 th terrorist attacks, the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press published the first installment of the “Pew Global Attitudes Project.” This survey was conducted to measure public opinion on the “impact of globalization, modernization, rapid 22 technological and cultural change and recent terrorist events on the values and attitudes of 30,000 people in 25 countries worldwide” ("America Admired, Yet Its New Vulnerability Seen As Good Thing, Say Opinion Leaders"). The findings showed that despite decisions that were made post-‐September 11 th , America was still admired among opinion leaders, but that the vulnerability the country was experiencing was a good thing. One aspect of the “Pew Global Attitudes Project” was a question about the reasons why America was liked and disliked. Influential people from around the world with disciplines in politics, media, business, culture and government were polled for their opinions. Interestingly, the survey found that opinion leaders in the U.S. thought the major reason for disliking America was a resentment of power. Globally, the negative opinion was more related to the U.S. creating a gap between rich and poor countries and their support of Israel. Across the board, when asked about reasons to like the United States, it was the idea of it being a land of opportunity that emitted the most positive feelings (see figures 3 & 4). 23 Figure 3: Major Reasons for Disliking the U.S Source: PEW Global Attitudes Project, 2001 Figure 4: Major Reasons for Liking the U.S. Source: PEW Global Attitudes Project, 2001 24 This research speaks strongly about the country’s brand overseas. Even after a terrorist attack that led to decisions affecting the world, the positive aspects of the country remained present in the minds of those abroad. The land of opportunity and idea of a democratic nation were and still are part of what makes up the identity of the United States of America. 25 Chapter Seven: Failed Attempts at Promoting the U.S. Between 2001 and 2008, the United States saw four different Under Secretaries of Public Diplomacy come in and out of office (Fullman). Each of them was faced with the challenge of promoting American culture and values in Middle Eastern countries. Below the author outlines the initiatives of Charlotte Beers and Karen Hughes. Charlotte Beers: Charlotte Beers, former chairperson of J. Walter Thompson and former head of PR firm, Ogilvy and Mather, was hired by the Bush Administration to help improve the brand image of the U.S. overseas (Kendrick and Fullerton). She was actually appointed as Under Secretary of Public Diplomacy prior to September 11 th , but it wasn’t until after the attacks that the media and the rest of the U.S. looked to her for a strategy. With the knowledge and ideals passed along from the Bush Administration, Beers was given the task of improving the international image of the United States not just abroad, but specifically in the Middle East (Kendrick and Fullerton). When posed with the question, “Why do they hate us?” Bush’s administration concluded that the underlying issue was that they disliked America primarily because they didn’t understand it. This was the foundation of the campaign Beers created for the U.S. Beers immediately went to work applying consumer marketing principles to her challenge (Kendrick and Fullerton). When first introduced, she was greeted with skepticism, especially when she spoke about the task in marketing terms (Tiedman). Many thought leaders were turned off by the use of terminology not commonly heard 26 when speaking of public diplomacy and national reputation. Needless to say, that skepticism followed Beers throughout her efforts. She started by creating and distributing an informational pamphlet with photos from September 11 th that outlined that it was not just an attack on America, but also one on the world (Tiedman). With it, she attempted to make terrorism a global issue. She launched a series of TV advertisements in the Middle East under the collective title, “Shared Values” that depicted Muslim families living in America. It was an attempt to highlight the shared values of family, education and faith among Americans and Muslims (Kendrick and Fullerton). Beers emphasized the importance of targeting the people, specifically the mothers and teachers, of these countries as opposed to the governments (Kendrick and Fullerton). Not surprisingly, Several Middle Eastern stations, including Al Jazeera refused to air the programs. Just five months after the launch of the “Shared Values Initiative” campaign, Beers resigned from her position (Kendrick and Fullerton). Beer’s lack of success can be attributed to the lack of understanding of the problem; misuse of communication tools; limited funding and limited time. Many feel as though the tactics utilized in branding an organization or product cannot also be used in branding a country like the U.S., but if well executed over a long period of time, some can be effective (Tiedman). What should also be considered in analyzing the Charlotte Beers scenario is the task with which she was presented. Under government orders, she was responsible for something that was near impossible: improving the reputation of 27 America in the countries where it is most hated. While in an attempt to protect the U.S., the government was essentially doing everything in its power to keep people out; officials were simultaneously asking Beers to build the relationship. Karen Hughes: In September 2005, Karen Hughes was appointed as the Under Secretary of Public Diplomacy and immediately undertook listening tours in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Indonesia and Malaysia (Fullman). In these tours, Hughes attempted to target the women of these countries and position herself as a woman and mother to whom they could relate (Jones and Turki). Her campaign slogan was "The four E's of diplomacy: Engagement, Exchange, Education and Empowerment" (Goldfarb). She was shown blowing kisses at children, smiling and waving, and not only were her efforts ill received in the Middle East, but she was highly criticized in the U.S. as well (Jones and Turki). People in the Middle East were more concerned with American policies and did not react well to Hughes’ attempt to impose American culture and religion onto them. More skeptical after the failed efforts of Charlotte Beers and her successor Margaret Tutwiler, the western media immediately criticized Hughes for being unqualified for the job. At this point, even westerners realized that encouraging Middle Eastern women that they too would be able to drive someday was not the way to solve America’s public diplomacy problems (Jones and Turki). Hughes’ credibility was quickly lost and in October 2007, she resigned. 28 Her approach and demeanor aside, the major problem with Hughes’ campaign was that her communication efforts did not encompass the real issues that people in the Middle East had with the United States. They were more concerned with American policies than they were with its culture and without any sort of focus on that, her campaign was destined to fail regardless of the approach. Similar to Beers’ case, the communication tactics used to try and improve the U.S.’ image abroad were ineffective, but each time it was and still is an issue much larger than communications. 29 Chapter Eight: Obama’s Effect on the Brand In November 2008, Senator Barack Obama was one of the most well-‐liked American president elects of all time, with an international approval rating of 90%. He alone created an image that somewhat strays from the traditional American brand. Interestingly, even with the popularity of President Obama, the United States has been perceived as being more internationally disliked than ever before during the time of his presidency. The bad feelings toward America’s foreign policy seem to have dampened the perception of the entire country. In 2009, the Pew Global Attitudes Project surveyed people in countries around the world -‐-‐ including various Muslim publics -‐-‐ to test the favorability of President Obama a year into his presidency ("Most Muslim Publics Not So Easily Moved, Confidence in Obama Lifts U.S. Image Around the World"). While disagreement with Figure 5: Comparison of Global Confidence in Presidents Bush and Obama re: World Affairs Source: PEW Global Attitudes Project, 2009 30 policies was still apparent, the study showed that respondents worldwide had a confidence that Obama would do the right thing in world affairs. These numbers were compared to feelings regarding President Bush’s likelihood to do the right thing in world affairs from 2007. Israel was the only country to have less confidence in President Obama than President Bush (see figure 5). Another question included in the Pew Global Attitude survey from 2009 was a comparison of confidence in President Bush, Osama Bin Laden and President Obama from opinion leaders in Muslim countries. In all eight countries except the Palestinian Territory, confidence was highest in President Obama (see figure 6). Figure 6: Muslim Confidence in Presidents Obama and Bush and Osama bin Laden Source: PEW Global Attitudes Project, 2009 31 What this research says about Obama’s effect on America’s brand overseas is that he has personally helped regain some confidence in the country. While there isn’t universal agreement on U.S. policies, the leader of the country is well respected internationally. Obama’s visibility has helped keep the United States present in the media and minds overseas. This serves as a constant reminder to people around the world that the U.S. still has many of the elements that attracted travelers to it so many years ago. The voice of those unhappy with certain aspects of the U.S. is loud, but with the international celebration of Obama’s winning of the election, it is clear that the rest of the world is still looking at America. This positive reception introduced new insights into how people were viewing the U.S. While there exists unhappiness with certain policies, the brand is still getting as much attention as ever. Simon Anholt, “independent policy advisor who helps national regional governments develop and implement strategies for enhanced economic, political and cultural engagement with other countries,” argues that the world is still looking to America to change in order to become the next super power (Anholt and Hildreth 10-‐11). 32 Chapter Nine: Simon Anholt’s Nation Brand Index Beginning in 2008, Simon Anholt, “the leading authority on managing and measuring national identity and reputation,” conducted the Anholt-‐Gfk Roper Nation Brands Index (NBI) for 50 different countries around the world ("Global: America Remains the Most Admired Country Globally in the 2010 Anhold-‐GfK Roper Nation Brands Index"). The index is based on six dimensions outlined in the Nation Brand Hexagon below. “Interviews are conducted among citizens of 20 countries around the world and each of the 50 nations is evaluated by up to 10,000 people” on the basis of the countries’ tourism; exports; governance; investments and immigration; culture and heritage; and people ("The Anholt-‐GfK Roper Nation Brands Index"). His analysis shows how each country perceives the others in regards to the various aspects in the hexagon. An average is taken of all the results for each country to identify which is the most globally admired. Nations included in the index range from six different regions: North America, Western Europe, Central/Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East/Africa. The results are meant to assist nations in “building a strong national image and identity for the government, organizations, regions, and businesses they represent” ("The Anholt-‐GfK Roper Nation Brands Index"). 33 Figure 7: Simon Anholt’s Nation Brand Hexagon Source: "The Anholt-‐GfK Roper Nation Brands Index" According to Anholt’s index, the United States was the most admired country worldwide in 2009, 2010 and 2011. While the U.S. regularly scores lower on the way it “governs domestically and behaves globally,” its strengths lie in its “innovation, opportunities and vibrancy” ("America Remains the Most Admired Country Globally in the 2011 Anholt-‐GfK Roper Nation Brands Index"). Anholt attributes the U.S.’ improvements in governance scores to political and economic instability in Europe. He believes that because they are struggling and Obama is being positively received, people are rating America’s governance higher. For the travel and tourism industry specifically, the results of Anholt’s index foretell the steps needed to move forward in promoting the industry. While many 34 people in and outside of the United States are under the impression that the country is negatively perceived worldwide, this study, among others, confirms that people are still associating positive feelings with the U.S. The growing travel and tourism industry provides a distinct opportunity to tap into those feelings already present in the minds of international travelers. 35 Chapter Ten: Nation vs. Corporate Branding Strategic communication and public diplomacy scholar, and associate professor at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, Jay Wang said it best when he clarified “while some aspects of nation and corporate branding are the same, there are some aspects that do not cross over.” In an interview conducted in January 2012, Wang discussed Brand USA, the “Discover America” campaign and the idea of promoting a country as large as the United States as an international tourist destination. In terms of the formation of Brand USA, Wang agreed that the formation of a non-‐profit corporation to promote the U.S. as an international tourist destination is a strong idea considering the growth of the international travel market. “It is important to send a message welcoming everyone,” he said. The challenge for this and any organization attempting to brand a nation internationally is to tap into something that already exists and make something creative and catchy out of it that people will remember and appreciate. A concern regarding Brand USA and the campaign are their lack of focus. “I don’t generally look at nations as large as the U.S. when I discuss nation branding, because they are so diverse,” said Wang, “but if they can identify specific goals and markets to target, they are more likely to be successful.” The main goal of the campaign is to increase international travel to the U.S. which, in turn, should help boost the economy. It is essential that this goal be kept in mind throughout every effort of the campaign. 36 There are differences between marketing a national brand and marketing a corporate brand that impact the way Brand USA should have approached the “Discover America” campaign. For example, when promoting a product, marketers have a certain freedom and control to create the ideas they want consumers to have about the product. The brand in that sense is based on the benefits sought out by consumers, but is then tailored to the aims of the company. “When attempting to market a nation, that control does not exist,” said Wang. With a country as large as the United States, people around the world have preconceived ideas about the nation that together form its brand. It is not so simple to align the marketing with the interests of the consumers and country alike, because they are so varied. 37 Chapter Eleven: Citizens Questioning Brand USA Figure 8: American Reaction to the “Discover America” Campaign Upon the announcement of Brand USA’s strategy to market the U.S. as an international travel destination, an influx of reviews appeared on articles, press releases and Brand USA’s Facebook page. A majority of these comments were negative in nature while the next largest representative was neutral comments that either didn’t relate directly to the campaign or didn’t emit a feeling of positivity or negativity (see figure 8). The positive comments were scarce, representing only 2% of comments. In this particular analysis, Facebook ‘likes’ were counted as neutral because people may ‘like’ the page to gather information, while still not agreeing with the efforts. The above analysis raises questions regarding how effective a communication strategy can be if the country’s citizens aren’t behind it. When posed with the question 53% 2% 45% Content Analysis: American Reaction to the "Discover America" Campaign Negative Positive Neutral 38 about marketing to America internally, Brand USA’s Deputy Director of Strategic Outreach, Aaron Wodin-‐Schwartz emphasized that the mandate of the organization is to focus on international marketing. By removing all traces of traditional American symbolism, Brand USA is making it very clear that they are focusing their efforts abroad. Without conducting any market research within the U.S. and launching a campaign that has a very low approval rating among U.S. citizens, it is difficult to imagine that those outside of the U.S. would buy into the ideas they are attempting to promote. 39 Chapter Twelve: Brand USA Moving Forward Brand USA’s initiatives are happening at a pivotal time. International travel is on the rise, national marketing is becoming increasingly prevalent and the United States economy is still recovering. As Anholt’s study suggests, the people of world nations are still looking to the U.S. to regain its positioning as an international super power. With those considerations, the “Discover America” campaign is one step in the right direction of positioning the U.S. as a viable competitor for valuable travel dollars. One of the most notable aspects of this campaign is the unabashed effort to invite people to visit the United States. The mandate for Brand USA is ambitious and tow-‐fold: bring more international visitors to the U.S. and simultaneously renew enthusiasm from the citizens that America remains the “land of opportunity.” Despite many opportunities, Brand USA and the “Discover America” campaign are faced with an equally long list of challenges. The challenges of marketing are amplified by the sheer size and brand awareness connected with the U.S. The campaign must speak to a wide variety of people, accurately depict the travel benefits of the United States, have enough of a foundation for it to be continued for a long period of time and stand out against the marketing efforts of other nations around the world. The following chapters contain analyses of the three largest challenges Brand USA faces as it moves forward with the “Discover America” campaign. These challenges are based on the research presented above and the strategy already outlined by Brand 40 USA. The author believes that these three challenges will have a direct effect on the success of the campaign. 41 Chapter Thirteen: The “3E Trap” In the “Discover America” video, the narrator describes the United States as “a land where everything is possible, so anything is possible” (About Us”). JWT and Brand USA clearly encountered the challenge of how to take a country that is so vast and all encompassing and a target market equally varied, and narrow it down to a singular idea. The strategy points to a decision to emphasize the idea that the U.S. has the ability to be a variety of things to all types of people. The campaign is setting itself up to fall into what Mckinsey Company calls the “3E trap.” They coined the term as a “warning to marketers – the ’3E trap’ means trying to offer ‘everything to everyone, everywhere’” ("A Marketer’s Multi-‐channel Dilemma: Everything to Everyone, Everywhere"). Brand USA is targeting people in at least six different countries with the “Discover America” campaign. The interests, languages and needs of visitors from each of those countries are so different, it is difficult to imagine that one campaign will be sufficiently tailored to each of those target markets. Beyond having the capability to translate the website to a desired language, each country being targeted will need different messaging. In addition to targeting people from multiple countries, Brand USA is aiming to increase visitation to the less visited areas of the country in addition to its major cities. Discoveramerica.com features vacation recommendations for everything from hiking, shopping and skiing to museums, zoos and theme parks. Instead of narrowing their focus to increasing travel in a few areas of the country, they have broadened the scope 42 in an attempt to encompass everything. As the Mckinsey Company outlines in its description of the “3E Trap,” not only does the lack of focus use up valuable resources, it also can lead to an inconsistency in messaging. While Brand USA’s strategy brings about questions and concerns, it is difficult to imagine what strategy would be appropriate for a country as large as the United States and a mandate as broad as the one that came about as a result of the Travel Promotion Act. In his blog post on the USC Center on Public Diplomacy website, Jay Wang asks, “For a big, complex country such as the U.S., is it better to let a city or a region drive the national brand, or vice versa? This is akin to brand portfolio management in general marketing” ("Advertising USA"). The Brand USA team along with JWT is challenged with developing a campaign that stands out against those for specific cities and states, but also encompasses their benefits. JWT has already conducted a thorough research study on international perceptions of the U.S. and identified a group of brand ambassadors through whom their messages will be funneled. Through their preliminary research, organizers from Brand USA also determined that the U.S.’ share of long-‐haul arrivals from the United Kingdom has decreased ("Introducing Brand USA"). As a result, the United Kingdom is one of the six target countries. Similarly, in President Obama’s speech regarding the travel and tourism industry, he specifically mentioned that tactics were being developed to increase visitation from travelers coming from Brazil and China. While China has been identified as a target country for the “Discover America” campaign, Brand USA has not 43 made it clear whether or not it will specifically target travelers coming out of Brazil. Discoveramerica.com offers the option to translate the website to Spanish, but not to Portuguese, which leads one to believe that Brazil is not a focus of the campaign. Moving forward, the best way to avoid the “3E Trap,” is to narrow the scope of the campaign. One possible solution is to target the three countries mentioned above: the United Kingdom, China and Brazil. The brand ambassador model that has already been created may still be used, but instead of having targets in six or more countries, focus initially only on travelers from three strategically chosen nations. Brand USA would then be able to funnel its resources to those three places and better develop messaging and tactics directed toward those target audiences. In addition to narrowing the target markets, Brand USA could simplify the messaging. Instead of promoting the “endless possibilities” available to those traveling to the United States, Brand USA may consider focusing on a more limited number of destinations. While the main objective is to increase international travel to the United States as a whole, the campaign could pinpoint specific areas where an increase in tourism would benefit not only the U.S. economy, but the local economy as well. For example, instead of prompting travelers all over the world to “Discover America” and its “awesome possibilities,” the call to action could be for Brazilian tourists to travel beyond the theme parks of Florida into Georgia for a slice of southern American living. Regardless of how the strategy is simplified, it is essential that the Brand USA team and JWT address the challenge of the “3E Trap.” With objectives so broad and 44 target audiences so varied, the campaign is likely to be ineffective. Without quantifiable goals, Brand USA will have a challenge even testing the effectiveness of the campaign all together. 45 Chapter Fourteen: Internal Audience Neglect As discussed in Chapter Eleven, there was a substantial amount of skepticism that came from U.S. citizens upon the release of Brand USA’s plans for the “Discover America” campaign. An overwhelming 53% of comments on online articles and Facebook posts were negative in nature and Brand USA has made it clear that they have no intention to market or poll internally because it strays from the goal of the “Discover America” campaign. The main objective of the campaign is to increase travel from international visitors, but Brand USA is potentially making a large mistake in neglecting its internal audiences. Some of the most important, and yet often overlooked resources for corporate communications are a company’s internal audiences. In the midst of brainstorming ways to communicate with those groups directly affecting the aims of the organization, those whose impact is more indirect are forgotten. Internal communication strategies are essential to ensuring that the corporate culture is being upheld among all levels of the organization and that they are being properly conveyed outward as a result. Without a cohesive message among those that make up the foundation of a company, it is likely that the external messaging will lack the focus needed to be truly effective among target audiences. For the purposes of this analysis, Brand USA’s internal audiences are broken into two sub-‐groups: micro and macro level. On a micro level, internal audiences include not just Brand USA employees, but also other groups connected to the efforts to increase 46 international travel to the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security, US Customs and Boarder Protection and the Travel and Tourism Advisory Board represent some of the internal partners essential to the effectiveness of the campaign. U.S. citizens are categorized as the macro level group. Whether or not they are the immediate target audience of the “Discover America” campaign, their connection is relevant to its potential success and failure. In this case, the communication with the micro level internal audiences is having a direct effect on the macro level’s reactions to the “Discover America” campaign. In an interview with Brand USA’s Deputy Director of Strategic Outreach, Aaron Wodin-‐ Schwartz, he simplified the three basic thrusts of Brand USA, “attracting visitors to the U.S., communicating entry policies, and creating a welcoming environment.” JWT was brought in to use its marketing expertise to create a campaign that would effectively address those three aims. Based on the strategy outlined by JWT and Brand USA, it appears as though the aims of the campaign have gotten lost in the challenge of developing an international communication strategy to increase travel to the U.S. The bulk of the problem is not stemming from the tactics and strategy being implemented, it is coming from a lack of communication with internal audiences about “Discover America.” The result is a campaign that appears to be an effort to re-‐brand the United States. As outlined in Chapter Four, extensive work was done to create a logo, a website, social media pages as well as a variety of other materials to represent USA. To a communication industry professional or someone closely connected with 47 Brand USA’s efforts, it is clear why these efforts play a part in developing a successful marketing campaign. Alternatively, it is not surprising that confusion arose among citizens when a new logo, website and tagline suddenly appeared about the country with which they identify. JWT’s decision to refrain from using any imagery traditionally associated with the United States is likely a main factor in the negative response U.S. citizens had to the Discover America unveiling. Interestingly, a blog post on one of JWT’s own websites states that “while keeping a brand’s look fresh and relevant is vital to the brand’s lasting success, so is maintaining those ties to the heritage that brought it there” (Stieber). This idea in particular speaks strongly to the negative sentiments captured in the Yahoo reviews analyzed in Chapter Eleven. But is the look of the logo and lack of “Americanism” really the issue? Will adding some red, white and blue solve the problem? The answer is no. Unless Brand USA is making a point to first communicate within its micro internal audiences the importance of keeping people within the U.S. properly informed, they will still be unhappy with the campaign. A suggested improvement is to ensure that every stakeholder affiliated with the efforts of Brand USA understands the basic purpose of the “Discover America” campaign. This is to take it one step beyond Wodin-‐Schwartz’ quick breakdown of the three main goals and make sure that each stakeholder truly understands and believes in the reasons behind why the campaign is being created. After creating cohesion among the micro level internal audiences, Brand USA could utilize social and traditional media 48 to create an awareness campaign within the U.S. The sole purpose of this campaign would be to educate Americans about what the “Discover America” campaign is, why it’s important and what goals it aims to achieve. With a better understanding of the campaign and its purpose, Americans would be more likely to approve of it and may also take part in the efforts to promote the United States abroad. Whether or not it is explicitly clear how the internal audiences associated with the “Discover America” campaign affect its results, it is imperative that they not be neglected. Brand USA faces a big enough challenge with the task they have been assigned. Unsupportive, uninformed internal audiences are only going to make it more difficult to ensure that “Discover America’s” messages are being well received among its target audiences. 49 Chapter Fifteen: Lack of Long Term Strategy In Chapter Four, an analysis of the “Discover America” campaign highlighted the substantial amounts of time, thought and money that were put into its development. Brand USA and JWT methodically researched, identified target markets, developed messages and set goals. Each of these components is essential in a communication plan, but what seems to be missing is a long-‐term strategy for not only “Discover America,” but also for Brand USA. The decision to begin marketing the United States as a nation is not a short-‐term idea. The time it can take to see the effects of a campaign as large as “Discover America” makes it impossible to implement a strategy that lacks longevity. Beyond plans to launch in March 2012, Brand USA has shown no indication of how it will exist in the future and how it will continue to promote the U.S. as an international travel destination. Because this is the first campaign of its kind for the United States, Brand USA faces a bigger challenge with its planning. It cannot evaluate previous attempts to market the U.S. as a travel destination and instead has only its own efforts to analyze for guidance on the next steps. Despite the lack of previous attempts, Brand USA still must look ahead and strategize as to how the campaign will continue in the future. With no sign of a plan beyond the initial launch, the campaign appears to be a short-‐term tactical approach to a challenge that requires more of a long-‐term strategy. 50 Brand USA’s approach may likely be due in part to the provisions of the Travel Promotion Act. According to the Act, the authorization to collect the visa fee that is helping fund Brand USA and the “Discover America” campaign will expire on September 30, 2014 ("S. 1023, the Travel Promotion Act of 2009"). There are no additional notes on how funding will proceed after that day and similarly, there are no details that discuss if and how Brand USA as a corporation will exist in the future. If there are not substantial results in a short period of time, there is a concern that the government will halt the efforts and disband Brand USA, which will ensure the campaign’s ineffectiveness. The best way for Brand USA to combat this challenge as they proceed with the campaign is to take the time to develop various plans for “Discover America” and its efforts moving forward. Organizers should look at each variable and potential outcome and develop plans for those scenarios. Additionally, they should focus on how Brand USA as a corporation will fit into the bigger picture of the travel and tourism industry in the long run. Even if Brand USA is not the group to continue the efforts of promoting the United States abroad, someone will need to take over the mission in order to maintain a competitive stance among competing nations. 51 Conclusions There is no doubt that the travel and tourism industry has considerable effects on the economy. Visitors spend thousands of dollars traveling to and within the U.S. every year, which creates jobs and opportunities for business growth. With the international travel market growing and more people traveling around the world than ever before, the U.S. is in a position to compete for the business of those potential visitors. It is clear that the U.S. government understands the opportunity at hand. As highlighted in Chapter Two, various efforts have been put into place to boost the industry beyond Brand USA. The Travel Promotion Act and Brand USA came as a result of an increased number of nations around the world using communications to promote themselves abroad. The U.S. is not maintaining its share of the growing travel market and leaders from the public and private sectors looked to the tactics of competitor nations for solutions. While a coordinated effort to market the U.S. as a travel destination is something the U.S. should be working on to remain on par with the other world powers, the United States is far different from the rest of the world. As discussed in Chapters Five, Six and Eight, the United States is rooted in a history that contributes to the brand so well known internationally. Marketing the U.S. is a much bigger challenge than marketing a corporation or even a smaller country. Charlotte Beers and her efforts are an example of just how far the image of the United States spreads beyond solely implementing a communications 52 strategy. So many other factors involved in the perception of the country such as its government, policies and entertainment industry. The Beers case also illustrates how imperative it is that any communications efforts are well thought out focused. With so many other factors involved, it is too easy for a campaign to be ineffective, which is why Brand USA has a lot of work cut out for it with the “Discover America” campaign. The three challenges the author identifies in Chapters Twelve, Thirteen and Fourteen depict common mistakes made in traditional marketing campaigns. Lack of focus on target market, messaging or objectives often leads to campaigns that are difficult to interpret. Similarly, neglecting internal audiences can lead to inconsistency in a campaign and can inadvertently ostracize some of most vital groups to consider. A campaign of this scope takes a substantial amount of time to implement and see results, which is why a long-‐term strategy is imperative. If Brand USA does not have an idea about how it and “Discover America” fit into the long-‐term picture, no one else will be able to conceptualize its role. As Brand USA moves forward with the “Discover America” campaign, it will have to take the time to focus on each of the details mentioned above in order to ensure the success of the campaign. 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Welcome to Travel.State.Gov. U.S. Department of State. Web. 12 Jan. 2012. <http://travel.state.gov/visa/temp/without/without_1990.html>. "We Can't Wait: President Obama Takes Actions to Increase Travel and Tourism in the United States." The White House. 19 Jan. 2012. Web. 8 Feb. 2012. <http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-‐press-‐office/2012/01/19/we-‐can-‐t-‐wait-‐president-‐ obama-‐takes-‐actions-‐increase-‐travel-‐and-‐tourism-‐>. "What Is Global Entry?" Global Entry. Web. 12 Jan. 2012. <http://www.globalentry.gov/>. "Why the Europeans Came." Mashantucket Museum and Research Center. Web. 27 Mar. 2012. <http://www.pequotmuseum.org/SocietyCulture/WhytheEuropeansCame/>. Witt, Stephen F., and Luiz Moutinho. Tourism Marketing and Management Handbook. New York: Prentice Hall, 1989. Print. 61 Appendix A: Aaron Wodin-‐Schwartz Interview Transcript Interviewee: Aaron Wodin-‐Schwartz; Deputy Director of Strategic Outreach, Brand USA Inc. Interview Date: Friday, January 20, 2012 Interview Setting: Conducted by phone (Start of Interview) Q: Aaron, why don’t you start by giving me an overview of Brand USA and how your job fits into the bigger picture? A: Brand USA has three basic thrusts: to attract visitors to the United States, communicate entry policies, and create a welcoming environment for people visiting the U.S. As the deputy director of strategic outreach, my general focus is the government affairs aspects of Brand USA. Q: I’ve heard Brand USA called a variety of different names, can you give me a quick background on how the committee came to be called “Brand USA?” A: Approximately six months after the Travel Promotion Act was passed in March 2010, the committee was created and called the Corporation for Travel Promotion. Internally, that is technically what we’re called, but we decided to re-‐name ourselves as Brand USA for general use. Q: What about the Travel and Tourism Advisory Board? A: The Travel and Tourism Advisory Board is an entirely different group of people. They are the board that advises Congress on all things travel related. Q: Have there been any other groups in the past who were created and charged with the same mission? A: There have been similar efforts in the past, but this is the first time that a non-‐ profit corporation such at the CPT has been created. Q: I read about some of the marketing efforts that went into place to create the Discover America campaign. I know that Brand USA partnered with JWT to conduct the research and create the strategy for the campaign. Can you tell me a little more about what research methods were used? A: In addition to the postcards, they did focus groups and surveys. Typical marketing stuff. 62 Q: Would you say that Brand USA is rebranding the United States? A: Well, we already know that the United States has 100% brand awareness. The real question is: what is the brand clarity? We are just amplifying the image that people already have. In our research, we asked people about motivators and barriers to coming to the U.S. Based on those, we are playing up its strengths. So, I wouldn’t call it a rebranding strategy. We’re just branding it. Representing it. And we’re not just using the typical gateway cities. Q: Do you know whether or not there was any market research conducted within the United States, among people who live here to determine the strategy for the campaign? A: I’m not sure. Q: The reason I ask is that after Yahoo posted an article online announcing the “Discover America” campaign Brand USA’s strategy, a very negative response came from U.S. citizens. A majority of the reviews that followed the article were negative. Has anyone discussed the negative feedback and is Brand USA considering any internal messaging? A: Our mandate is to focus on international marketing. We are somewhat agnostic on domestic tourism. People will have their opinions. What most of them probably don’t know is that we are not using any tax payer money to fund the campaign. It’s important for us to focus on international travel because it is our number one service export. Q: You mentioned earlier that one of your three main focuses is educating people on the different policies. Can you elaborate a little more on what you’re doing with that? A: We are really excited to do it. We are working with state and international security on educating people about the different polices related to U.S. travel. There are a lot of great programs in place already, it’s just a matter of getting the information out about them. The Department of Homeland Security runs great programs. They focus mostly on domestic travel, but also have them for seven different countries. Q: Are there any lobbying efforts taking place? A: We are prohibited from lobbying. It says so in the Travel Promotion Act. Q: How visible is the campaign going to be in the countries being targeted? 63 A: People are going to really be seeing it. Our main mission is to create demand for U.S. travel and tourism exports. We are aware that the supply chain bottle neck is entry to the U.S., but with a visible, comprehensive campaign I think our return on investment is going to be high. Q: What do you personally think is going to be Brand USA’s biggest challenge moving forward? A: Measuring the results of our activities. That responsibility falls on both the CTP and the Department of Commerce. It is very difficult to narrow down the information and the stats are based mostly on surveys. For example, this requires the Department of Commerce to increase the sample size on the surveys they already do. Right now they can only give stats for 20-‐35 states and we would have more statistically relevant information if they could increase it. But it’s a lot easier said than done. (End of Interview) 64 Appendix B: Jay Wang Interview Transcript Interviewee: Jay Wang; Public Diplomacy Scholar and Associate Professor at the University of Southern California’s Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism Interview Date: Friday, January 20, 2012 Interview Setting: Conducted in person (Start of Interview) Q: How large of a part will nation branding play in boosting the travel and tourism industry? A: I don’t think there is a lack of interest in traveling to the U.S.; it’s the hurdles. The process of getting a visa and going through immigration. As an industry it is important to send an overall message to welcome everyone. Q: How effective can communication efforts alone be in marketing a nation? A: If it’s a sophisticated branding campaign, they have to focus on different countries. The source countries will each have different issues that will need to be addressed in the efforts. But the single most important thing is to welcome, because people already have ideas in their minds. Q: What are your thoughts about this campaign upon first look? A: I see many mistakes. A campaign like this should focus on simple things only, like internal buying. Internal buying is the most important thing in a branding effort. In this case, the internal audience is other players in the industry, like state department, national security. In this instance, they would need to be on the board. I think the immigration people should learn from Disney. No one knows how to welcome people and understands customer service better than they do. For the campaign to be effective, they need to tap into something already existing in a creative way. Something more visual and less about the words. Q: What do you think they should be doing moving forward? A: What they really need to figure out is how to do something with what’s already there. The message is the first step, they have already developed that. What is the next step? It is following up with very specific programs. It needs to be very targeted. They need to be more targeted with the different cities. I understand why they are looking beyond the major hubs where people already want to go. But how do you get second time visitors still interested in the U.S.? 65 Q: What are some of the biggest mistakes you see when companies try to rebrand themselves? Similarly, what are some of the biggest mistakes nations make? A: When branding a product, you look at the benefits consumers would seek and then you can invent or create a lot of the other thoughts. You have a certain amount of freedom. When branding a country, you cannot. You have to look at its history and decide how you can amplify that in a campaign. So during the definition stage, it limits you and then when you move on to implementation, you have much less control than with a product. How do you align everyone’s interests? Q: Any last thoughts on the campaign? A: For a country the size of the U.S., smaller efforts will be more effective than something all encompassing. They need to think less about re-‐branding the U.S. and more about the communication problem at hand. They should look at successful campaigns such as “I Love NY” and even Spain where visually they capture the positive feelings of the masses in a creative way. And they must also realize that branding is never a short-‐term effort. If it’s not sustained, the campaign is in trouble. (End of Interview) 66 Appendix C: Remarks by the President Unveiling a Strategy to Help Boost Travel and Tourism January 19, 2012 Walt Disney World Resort Orlando, Florida 12:40 P.M. EST THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everybody! (Applause.) I am glad to be at Disney World! (Applause.) The Magic Kingdom. This is outstanding. Well, let me begin by thanking Ruben for that extraordinary introduction. And he was too bashful -‐-‐ maybe he’s not supposed to do this. I will do it. His restaurant is called Zaza [Yaya’s]. (Applause.) New Cuban diners. So everybody check it out. And I told him, he was -‐-‐ on the way out, he was wondering, I don’t know, I don’t do this a lot. He’s a natural. (Laughter.) We’re going to have to run him for something. (Laughter.) But thank you so much for taking the time. It is great to be here. It is rare that I get to do something that Sasha and Malia envy me for. (Laughter.) That doesn’t happen very often. Maybe for once they’ll actually ask me at dinner how my day went. (Laughter.) And I confess, I am excited to see Mickey. It’s always nice to meet a world leader who has bigger ears than me. (Laughter.) I want to acknowledge the presence of one of Florida’s outstanding mayors, the mayor of Orlando -‐-‐ Buddy Dyer is in the house. (Applause.) We’ve got two outstanding members of my Cabinet -‐-‐ Interior Secretary Ken Salazar -‐-‐ (applause) -‐-‐ and Commerce Secretary John Bryson. (Applause.) Because they’re focused on what brings us here today, and that’s creating jobs and boosting tourism. You just heard what a huge difference tourism makes for small businesses like Ruben’s. Every year, tens of millions of tourists all over the world come to visit America. Makes sense. You got the greatest country on Earth -‐-‐ people want to come. As folks in Orlando know, that’s good for our economy. It means people are renting cars and they’re staying in hotels and they’re eating at restaurants and they’re checking out the sights. It means people are doing business here in the United States. In 2010, nearly 60 million international visitors helped the tourism industry generate over $134 billion. Tourism is the number-‐one service that we export. Number one. And that means jobs. 67 More money spent by more tourists means more businesses can hire more workers. This is a pretty simple formula. And that’s why we’re all here today -‐-‐ to tell the world that America is open for business. We want to welcome you, and to take concrete steps to boost America’s tourism industry so that we can keep growing our economy and creating more jobs here in Florida and all across the country. Now, here’s the good news: We’ve got the best product to sell. I mean, look at where we are. We’ve got the most entertaining destinations in the world. This is the land of extraordinary natural wonders -‐– from the Rocky Mountains to the Grand Canyon; from Yellowstone to Yosemite. This is the land where we do big things, and so have incredible landmarks, like the Golden Gate Bridge and the Empire State Building; the Hoover Dam; the Gateway Arch. This is the land of iconic cities and all their sights –-‐ from Independence Hall in Philadelphia to Faneuil Hall in Boston; from the Space Needle in Seattle to the skyline of my hometown in Chicago. It’s a nice skyline, for those of you who have never been there. (Laughter.) All right, a couple of Chicagoans back there. (Laughter.) But I’m here today because I want more tourists here tomorrow. I want America to be the top tourist destination in the world. (Applause.) The top tourist destination in the world. (Applause.) And this is something that we’ve been focused on for some time. Two years ago, I signed a bill into law called the Travel Promotion Act. It had broad support of both Democrats and Republicans. And as you know, that doesn’t always happen. (Laughter.) And it set up a new nonprofit organization called Brand USA. Its job is to pitch America as a travel destination for the rest of the world to come to visit. You guys see advertising for other countries, other destinations, here in the United States, right? Well, we’ve got to do the same thing, so that when people are thinking about where they want to travel, where they want to spend their vacation, we want them to come here. And so that’s already in place, but we’ve got to do more. So today, I directed my administration to send me a new national tourism strategy focused on creating jobs. And some of America’s most successful business leaders – -‐ some who are here today –-‐ have signed up to help. We’re going to see how we can make it easier for foreign tourists to find basic information about visiting America. And we’re going to see how we can attract more tourists to our national parks. We want people visiting not just Epcot Center, but the Everglades, too. The more folks who visit America, the more Americans we get back to work. It’s that simple. 68 Now, just as we do a better job of marketing our tourist destinations, we’ve also got to make it easier for tourists to make the visit. There’s a good reason why it’s not easy for anybody to get a visa to come to America. Obviously, our national security is a top priority. We will always protect our borders and our shores and our tourist destinations from people who want to do us harm. And unfortunately, such people exist, and that’s not going to change. But we also want to get more international tourists coming to America. And there’s no reason why we can’t do both. We can make sure that we’re doing a good job keeping America secure while at the same time maintaining the openness that’s always been the hallmark of America and making sure that we’re welcoming travelers from all around the world. So one step we’re taking is the expansion of something called the Global Entry Program. It’s a program that protects our borders and makes life easier for frequent travelers to and from the United States. Now, getting into the program requires an extensive background check. But once you’re in, once you’ve proven yourself to be a solid individual who is coming here for business or recreation purposes, instead of going through long lines at immigration, we can scan your passport, your fingerprints, and you’re on your way. So it’s a great example of how we’re using new technology to maintain national security and boost tourism at the same time. And we’re now going to make it available to almost all international travelers coming to the United States. If they’re willing to submit themselves to the background checks necessary, we can make sure that we’re facilitating their easy travel into the United States. (Applause.) There are some additional steps, though, that we can take. Right now, there are 36 countries around the world whose citizens can visit America without getting a tourist visa. After they go online they get pre-‐cleared by Homeland Security, and there’s only one thing they have to do and that’s book a flight. And that’s been a great boost for tourism. Over 60 percent of our visitors don’t require a visa, and in most cases that’s because of this program. Today, I’m directing my administration to see if we can add more countries to it. (Applause.) We want more folks to have an easier time coming to the United States. And let’s also realize that in the years ahead, more and more tourists are going to come from countries not currently in this program -‐-‐ countries with rapidly growing economies, huge populations, and emerging middle classes; countries like China and India, and especially important here in Florida, Brazil, a huge population that loves to come to Florida. (Applause.) But we make it too hard for them. More and more of their people can now afford to visit America who couldn’t come before, and in fact, 69 over the next four years, the tourists traveling from those countries we expect to more than double. But we want them coming right here. We want them spending money here, in Orlando, in Florida, in the United States of America, which will boost our businesses and our economy. So today, I’m directing the State Department to accelerate our ability to process visas by 40 percent in China and in Brazil this year. We’re not talking about five years from now or 10 years from now -‐-‐ this year. (Applause.) We’ve already made incredible progress in this area. We’ve better staffed our embassies and our consulates. We’ve streamlined services with better technology. Waiting times for a visa are down. But applications keep on going up -‐-‐ they are skyrocketing. People want to come here. And China and Brazil are the two countries which have some of the biggest backlogs. And these are two of the countries with some of the fastest-‐growing middle classes that want to visit and have disposable income -‐-‐ money that they want to spend at our parks and our monuments and at businesses like Ruben’s. So that’s what this is all about: telling the world that America is open for business; making it as safe and as simple as possible to visit; helping our businesses all across the country grow and create jobs; helping those businesses compete and win. Ultimately, that’s how we’re going to rebuild an economy where hard work pays off, where responsibility is rewarded, and where anybody can make it if they try. That’s what America is all about. That’s part of the reason why people want to come here, because they know our history. They know what the American Dream has been all about. And a place like Disneyland represents that quintessentially American spirit. This image is something that’s recognized all around the world, and this weather -‐-‐ (laughter) -‐-‐ is something that people appreciate all around the world, including the northern parts of this country. (Laughter.) So we want everybody to come. All who are watching, Disney World and Florida are open for business, but we want people all around the world to know the same. And we are going to do everything we can to make sure that we’re continuing to boost tourism for decades to come. Thank you very much, everybody. God bless you. God bless the United States of America. END 12:53 P.M. EST

Abstract (if available)

Abstract This paper examines the challenges of marketing a world nation. More specifically, it delves into the current efforts taking place to market the United States abroad as an international travel destination. It provides an overview of the present state of the U.S. travel and tourism industry and the reasons for such a campaign. Additionally, an examination of the history of the United States brand is included in an effort to convey the complexity of the communication challenge. The key element is an analysis of the “Discover America” campaign in terms of its strategic approach. Results reveal that based on the increase in international travel, a campaign to keep the United States competitive with other nations is necessary and relevant. They also reveal that there are potential flaws in Brand USA’s strategy. The three main areas where improvements can be made are in the scope of the campaign, communication with internal audiences and development of a long-term strategy. The principal conclusion is that an international campaign promoting travel to the United States has the potential for success, but not without a succinct, targeted and fully developed strategy.

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Municipal place branding for economic development

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Crisis communication & natural disasters: communication plan for Rome, Italy in the case of an earthquake

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The revitalization and re-branding of America’s next “It” city: a look into downtown Los Angeles

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Investment or gamble? What brand managers should know about targeting second- and third-generation Hispanics