VISIT PHILADELPHIA Launches Homesick Philly Initiative

Vizite Filadelfi^® today announced the official launch of Dezire lakay Philly^®, a $1.3 million nostalgia marketing initiative that draws former residents and students back to the region to reconnect with and rediscover the neighborhoods, food, arts, culture, history and sports they adored when they lived, worked or went to school here. The integrated program, running through 2018, uses advertising, social media, media relations, special events, a hotel package and a strong web presence to encourage people to visit and revisit Philadelphia over and over again.

“We hear so often how much people love and miss Philadelphia,” said Meryl Levitz, president and CEO, VISIT PHILADELPHIA. “That’s why we’ve formalized an initiative to reach them, to remind them of their strong Philly ties and to invite them to stay over in a hotel to reconnect with a city they have so much affection for.”

The Research:

All new VISIT PHILADELPHIA initiatives begin with research, and Dezire lakay Philly is no exception. The team took a multipronged approach to gathering the data necessary to inform the marketing plan, using multiple online surveys, IRS and census information and in-person think tanks to get a greater sense of the nostalgia that surrounds Philadelphia. So what do people miss? The neighborhoods and walkability, the seasons, the authenticity and the arts and culture rated highest. Also coming up over and over again: love for the city’s iconic foods (cheesesteaks, soft pretzels, Tastykakes, Wawa hoagies, etc.) and sports teams. And what would entice them to come back? Festivals and special events, family or friend reunions and a great hotel package.

The Audience:

• Philadelphia Residents: Particularly those who host friends and relatives
• Former Residents: Those who loved living here, but moved away for work, school or other reasons
• College Alumni: Those who have fond memories of their college experience here in Philly
• Visitors: Those who have visited and just can’t get enough of the city
• Media: Those who have visited often, those who haven’t visited in a long time and those who have yet to experience Philadelphia

The Marketing:

• Advertising: For the eighth year running, VISIT PHILADELPHIA has taken over New York City’s Penn Station with 260 ads—many of which sport a Homesick Philly message, inviting people back to enjoy the food and sights they miss so much. Lines include: “Home is where the cheesesteak is” and “Even better than you remember.” Similar messages appear in Washington, DC this summer as well. On July 18, the company will begin running a paid post featuring the stories of three Philadelphia residents who chose to move back home on La New York Times’ The content is guaranteed to drive a minimum of 41,000 page views.
• Visitphilly.com and uwishunu.com: The team will distribute existing and newly created content to the initiative’s target audience on Facebook and other digital platforms to remind them of the many reasons Philly is worth revisiting.
• Social Media: The social media team will create themed geofilters for special events, work with influencers to extend the messaging and continue to surprise and delight homesick fans, sending them care packages of Philly favorites—cheesesteaks, Wawa iced tea, Tastykakes and more.
• Media Relations: The media relations team is working to find real Philadelphia voices among the media and to give them tools for sharing their nostalgia for the region and their delight in how it’s grown. The team is developing content—press releases and imagery—that media can use to tell their Homesick Philly stories. First up: a Homesick Philly video that features three homesick Philadelphians reflecting on what they miss about the city. The video will be distributed through Visit Philly’s vast social media network.
• Activations:
  • Homesick Philly Tour: Kicking off in Philadelphia on July 31 before heading to major cities along the East Coast, the experiential tour—a roving food truck—will encourage festival and eventgoers to reminisce about their time in Philly by enjoying creations from top Philadelphia chefs: Jennifer Carroll and Billy Riddle of the new Spice Finch; Marcie Turney of Lolita, Barbuzzo, Bud & Marilyn’s, Little Nonna’s and Jamonera; and Kurt Evans of SOUTH Kitchen & Jazz Parlor. The tour will appear:
    • Thursday, August 2, 5:30 p.m. – WTMD’s First Thursday Festival, Canton Waterfront Park, Baltimore
    • Wednesday, August 8, 11 a.m. – LIVE! Concert Series, Woodrow Wilson Plaza, Washington, DC
    • Thursday, August 16, 5 p.m. – Boston Calling Block Party, Dewey Square, Boston
  • iHeartMedia’s Broadway in Bryant Park: By sponsoring this popular event in Bryant Park on six consecutive Thursdays beginning on July 12, VISIT PHILADELPHIA will spread the Homesick message to 10,000 attendees each week. The sponsorship includes onsite branding, program ads, stage announcements, giveaways, a contest and an activation space that Mural Arts Philadelphia artist Felix St. Fort will use each week to paint a What You’ve Been Missing mural. The completed piece will be installed temporarily at Philadelphia’s Cherry Street Pier, opening in fall 2018. Nearly 400 on-air spots will run on New York City’s Lite FM to promote the six-week promotion.
• Hotel Package: The fall version of the popular Vizite Pake Otèl Philly pou yon Nwit will include perks that appeal to homesick Philadelphians. It will be available at 47 hotels beginning on September 4, 2018.
• College Outreach: The VISIT PHILADELPHIA team is working with Temple University, Drexel University, the University of Pennsylvania and other schools to ensure that Philadelphia is highly visible in alumni magazines, newsletters, eblasts and social media communications. Ads and editorial content will encourage former students to revisit their college hometowns.

Vizite Filadelfi^® Se non nou ak misyon nou. Kòm ajans ofisyèl maketing touris rejyon an, nou bati imaj Greater Philadelphia, nou ankouraje vizit epi nou ranfòse ekonomi an.

Sou sit entènèt ofisyèl ak blòg Greater Philadelphia pou vizitè yo, visitphilly.com epi ou swete nou.com, vizitè yo ka eksplore bagay pou fè, evènman k ap vini, itinerè tèm ak pake otèl. Foto ak videyo atiran, kat entèaktif ak enfòmasyon detaye pou vizitè fè sit sa yo tounen zouti efikas pou planifye vwayaj. Ansanm ak chanèl medya sosyal Visit Philly, platfòm sou entènèt yo kominike dirèkteman ak konsomatè yo. Vwayajè yo ka rele tou epi pase nan Sant Vizitè Independence la pou jwenn plis enfòmasyon ak tikè.