DOT Hopeful Super Bowl 50-Timed Marketing Translates To US West Coast Bookings To Philippines

The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Monday expressed hope that its Super Bowl 50-timed marketing and communications activities will eventually translate to actual bookings to the Philippines from the US West Coast and other international gateways.

DOT Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. made the statement after the Super Bowl 50, the US National Football League’s (NFL) championship game for American Football now on its 50th year last Feb. 7.

During the Super Bowl 50, DOT’s San Francisco office introduced four key activities which consisted of a four-week pre-season, a seventeen-week regular season (each team plays 16 games), and a twelve-team single-elimination playoff.

Philippine tourism-Super Bowl 50 activities included out-of-home (OOH) advertising media, covering San Francisco, US Highway 101, Santa Clara and San Jose; kick-off ceremony with media launch of “Visit the Philippines Again 2016” campaign at the Philippine Consulate General along Sutter Street last Feb. 3.

It also consisted of on-site promotions with sports bar and restaurant partners; and publicity through print, on-line and social media of travel promotion packages to the Philippines by tour consolidators as well as Filipino- American organization leaders, who extended help to these activities.

DOT Undersecretary Benito Bengzon Jr. said that special tour package promotions, public relations launch, retail tie-ups, sports bar and restaurant partnerships, among others helped complement the OOH ads.

“With more than a million people attending the Super Bowl 50 ancillary events in the San Francisco Bay area and about 167 million television viewers, we hope our Super Bowl 50-timed marketing and communications activities will translate to actual bookings to the Philippines from the US West Coast and other international gateways,” Bengzon said.

The “Visit the Philippines Again 2016” (VPA 2016) campaign had a kick-off ceremony with a media launch at the Philippine Consulate General along Sutter Street in San Francisco.

Philippine Consul General Henry Bensurto, Jr. meanwhile welcomed Philippine Airlines (PAL) and media partners, tour consolidators, Filipino community leaders and sports bar and restaurant partners as well as special guests retired Ambassador Romeo Arguelles. (PNA) RMA/ANP