Head East for the Arts: Cultural Council of Palm Beach County Targeting Gulf Coast Residents

(Lake Worth/June 10, 2015) When the temperature heats up in South Florida, the art and culture scene does too, and this summer the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County is making sure vacationers know why Palm Beach County is known as Florida’s Cultural Capital. In an unprecedented move, the Cultural Council has launched a million-dollar integrated marketing campaign that aims to spread the word about the hundreds of cultural activities scheduled from June through August. Coupled with exclusive discounts on hotel rooms and free or “buy one, get one” admission to key cultural attractions, the Council’s campaign is targeting arts-lovers on Florida’s Gulf Coast via radio, digital and billboard ads and PR efforts asking them to “head east for the arts.”

On the heels of a highly successful winter ad campaign that focused on cultural consumers in New York and Boston; the summer effort further drives home the point that The Palm Beaches are a hub for sophisticated cultural offerings. “The special URL HeadEastForTheArts.com secured for the campaign provides consumers with a one-stop-shop for planning a unique getaway bursting with culture – courtesy of the more than 200 world-class arts and cultural organizations that call the Palm Beaches home,” says Cultural Council of Palm Beach County Director of Marketing and Government Affairs, Marilyn Bauer. “We are initiating relationships between our cultural organizations and premier hotels and resorts, so that we can create summer travel packages that are not only customized, but are truly exclusive for the cultural traveler.”

“We know the people who live in Naples, Sarasota and the Tampa Bay area are culture-lovers, so we want them to experience the variety and quality of the arts we have to offer. We also want them to know that art does not take a summer break in The Palm Beaches,” says Cultural Council President and CEO, Rena Blades.

When it launches in mid-June, the HeadEastForTheArts.com website will give savvy travelers a convenient way to make educated decisions about their visit to The Palm Beaches and to take advantage of one-of-a-kind discounted hotel rates combined with special vouchers to enjoy art and culture at reduced prices.

The funding for the advertising campaign comes from the recently-enacted sixth cent on Palm Beach County’s hotel bed tax. The county collects six cents on each dollar spent on hotel nights, and that revenue – which was record setting this past winter season – pays for tourism-related projects including advertising that attracts tourists. “The sixth cent is a game-changer,” says Fran Vaccaro, regional vice president of Taglairino Advertising Group, the Cultural Council’s media agency. “Those funds are part of an unprecedented advertising purchase by the Cultural Council that will make it possible for us to reach consumers who may not know about the quality of events available to them if they simply jump in the car and head east. Over the years, the Gulf Coast cultural hubs have spent a great deal of money trying to attract cultural consumers from The Palm Beaches, but this is the first time the Council has made a financial investment of this magnitude trying to attract Gulf Coast culture lovers.”

The imagery in the “Head East for the Arts” campaign is a natural extension of the successful ads the Council launched in January, and was conceived by Palm Beach Gardens-based advertising and digital marketing agency, Levatas. “We are trying to evoke the feelings of the classic summer road trip while still staying connected to the larger campaign with similar colors and tone of voice” says Ray Popp, executive director of marketing for Levatas, “There’s an excitement that comes with exploring new areas and experiencing new culture, even if it’s only a short trip away.”

The campaign – digital, print, broadcast and billboards – runs through September 15.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Digital, radio and video ads can be downloaded at Cultural Council Summer Marketing Campaign. Interviews can be arranged by contacting the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County.

About the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County: The Cultural Council is the official support agency for arts and culture for Palm Beach County serving non-profit organizations, individual artists and arts districts. The Council promotes the county’s cultural experiences through an integrated program of advertising, public relations and marketing activities to both visitors and residents. Each year, the Council administers more than $3.6 million in grants, supports arts and cultural education, provides capacity building training and advocates for funding and arts-friendly policies. Located in the historic Robert M. Montgomery, Jr. building in downtown Lake Worth, the Council mounts a series of group and solo exhibitions featuring Palm Beach County artists and provides other programming.

Connect with the Council at palmbeachculture.com, or (561) 471-2901.