In yesterday’s TDC Marketing Committee officials were all but applauding creative ways to cater to our college friends that spend so much money on our beaches every year. Tourism Director and CEO, Dan Rowe underscored the importance of having a strong spring season in light of last summer’s perilous dip in tourism revenue; this is crucial to be sure that we can recover from any damage to our brand and image from the oil spill that barely touched our shores. Spring Break 2011 is poised to be the best spring season we’ve ever had.
The Tourist Development Council has already mobilized a comprehensive marketing plan to attack this market segment like a banshee to ensure they choose us over the many other spring break markets that hare drooling over their money – such as Mexico, South Florida, Galvaston, the Caribbean.
Here’s what they’re going to do:
- Issue press release targeting the AP, USA Today, NY Times, and national morning shows.
- Include Spring Break 2011 in Lou Hammond Media Event in NYC
- Issue tailored press releases to predetermined markets.
- Organize tweet-ups for spring breakers, incentivizing using vacation giveaways, etc.
- Target cities we have direct flights from such as Baltimore, Nashville, and Houston.
- Target secondary cities that could easily access low air fairs to our area such as Dallas, Austin, Minneapolis, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia and Louisville.
- Target 60 specific schools on Facebook using organic and paid advertising.
- Begin layering out relevant messaging to these markets using Facebook and Twitter.
- Reinforce the sharing of these messages using retweet contests.
Historically, weeks one, four and five are the slowest weeks for spring break in Panama City Beach. This year, the brunt of our marketing efforts will focus on these weeks to help boost those numbers for 2011.
PCBDaily 
Any idea who the 60 schools are?
What does “incinerating” mean in this sentence?
Organize tweet-ups for spring breakers, incinerating using vacation giveaways, etc.
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I thought we were going to spend money targeting the families to PCB. I can’t get rentals for families when they think that the spring breakers will be dominating the beaches. I get calls asking about units that DON’T cater to spring breakers. Most complexes have a 25 year limit, as all mine do. Why are we spending the tax dollars that families give on spring breakers that mainly use the cheaper condo’s. You get less tax dollars for those units and does not make sense when we have to spend a fortune cleaning up and monitoring these kids.
Judy Pelon
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With the new Airport I believe this will be an exceptional year for “Spring Break” fans. Many I think will take to the air to get there quick & maybe just to have a “new” experiance! Thus providing PCB with an outstanding cash flow. I read opposite remarks above but, wasn’t that the BIG plan of having an airport in the first place (to draw more visitors) to PCB? It will work both ways… the younger crowd at Spring Break & the the family crowd the rest of the year.
I’ve already seen several adds about Spring Break PCB here in Nashville and on Facebook……. that’s really good I believe. PCB has (long) been a fantastic Spring Break location & really why would you not want it to be? Do you not realize how much income is generated at that time of year & beside not all “breakers” are disruptive. You actually have to spend money to make money & police monitoring is used at any event you host at the beach… right? You also have people get out of hand…. young or old, that is a proven fact. It is part of the BIG picture, not all people know how to have a good time and not ruin it for others so… all must be monitored.
I think the 25 yr. age limit to rent a condo is wonderful… anything less than that do not rent to… it is always YOUR choice as condo owners or not to rent at all.
Either way….. Spring Break PCB is aproching and very fast. Hope they have a very safe one!
As always in my opinion…..
Cathy/Tennessee
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