Singapore, September 13, 2017 – Brand USA launched an initiative to create personalized, welcome messages targeted to international travelers considering trips to the United States and the response to the project has been impressive.

In fact, the messages – the centerpiece of Brand USA's “One Big Welcome” project – are such a big hit that Brand USA is extending the time for submission of the videos until October 31. 

“With over 500 messages submitted from a variety of destination marketing organizations and convention and visitors' bureaus, we are thrilled with the industry response to the 'One Big Welcome' project,” said Brand USA Vice President of Integrated Marketing Tracy Lanza.  “From homeowners to restaurateurs to governors, the stories are personal, unique, and engaging.  The videos and photos we've received truly show the diversity of travel experiences the USA has to offer and the warmth of the American people.”

Brand USA President and CEO Chris Thompson agreed, adding: “These documentary-style messages convey the warmth and authenticity of actual people – not actors – from all parts of our vast and unique country. It's real people telling real stories about their favorite places, and inviting visitors to see and experience what they love about their hometowns. This is the foundation of our 'One Big Welcome' project.”

“Thanks to everyone who has already submitted assets,” Lanza said. “Your enthusiasm is humbling.”

Brand USA launched the project at IPW, a five-day exposition organized by the U.S. Travel Association in Washington, D.C. on June 3-7. That event allowed for more than 1,000 U.S. travel organizations representing destinations, attractions, and accommodations nationwide to interact with 6,400 attendees and 1,300 travel buyers from over 70 countries.

IPW attendees visiting Brand USA's exhibition center created their video welcome messages with the help of an on-site production crew. The videos were made when by responding to a series of five questions tailored for U.S. residents and non-U.S. residents.  Interviewers asked the questions to stimulate responses geared to show the warmth of the American welcome and showcase the unique advantages of a vacation in the USA.  One of the questions asked: “If an international visitor were only here for a day or two [in your town], what is the one thing they should do and why?”

Those making the individual welcome messages were encouraged to share them on their personal social-media feeds, using this hashtag: #VisitTheUSA.

Brand USA then invited destination partners and other travel-industry partners to draw on their own experiences and recommendations to produce additional video messages welcoming prospective travelers to the U.S.  It was this invitation that produced the tremendous response that has caused Brand USA to extend the submission timeframe.

For those planning to share content with Brand USA, please consider two production suggestions:

Interviewees should face forward to the camera.  This provides a more authentic storytelling approach, appearing as if the interviewee is talking to a friend.

Videos should be submitted in segments at least 30 seconds long. Do not worry about cutting the videos down to the most usable segments. Those “not-quite-perfect” takes sometimes produce the most engaging content.

Specific production guidelines are available here.

After the videos are collected, they will be used in earned, owned and paid media beginning January 2018. Brand USA will post them on its online platforms, TheBrandUSA.com and VisitTheUSA.com, along with its social-media outlets. The videos also may be used in promotional material and the closing credits of Brand USA's upcoming, second giant-screen documentary, America's Musical Journey. 

Destination marketing organizations may also use the videos – both complete versions and partial versions with photography and quoted content – to present welcome messages that highlight U.S. regions and travel themes (such as music, cuisine, and outdoor adventures).

If you have any questions regarding the video messages, please contact Tracy Lanza at TLanza@TheBrandUSA.com.

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About Brand USA

Brand USA, the destination marketing organization for the United States, was established by the Travel Promotion Act as the nation's first public-private partnership to promote the United States as a premier travel destination and to communicate U.S. entry/exit policies and procedures to worldwide travelers. The organization's mission is to increase international visitation to the USA in order to fuel the U.S. economy and enhance the image of the United States worldwide. Formed as the Corporation for Travel Promotion in 2010, the public-private entity began operations in May 2011 and does business as Brand USA.

According to studies by Oxford Economics, over the past three years Brand USA's marketing initiatives helped welcome more than 3 million incremental visitors to the USA, benefiting the U.S. economy with nearly $21 billion in total economic impact, which has supported, on average, 50,000 incremental jobs a year.

For industry or partner information about Brand USA, visit TheBrandUSA.com. For information about exceptional and unexpected travel experiences in the United States, please visit Brand USA's consumer website VisitTheUSA.com.