Recognizing that the combination of an economic downturn and the terrorist attack has created problems for everyone in the New York hospitality industry, Adval Communications, a prominent permission-based e-mail and fax messaging company, and Point Blank Interactive, a marketing firm and eBusiness consultancy for the travel and hospitality verticals, have initiated and sponsored the "America Loves NY" joint marketing campaign, designed to help NY hoteliers promote their best promotions, discounts and deals and in the same time keep the U.S. travel agency community informed of the latest New York City travel promotions and offerings.  

New York hoteliers are beginning to understand that their worst enemy today is not the  competitor across the street, but all those empty rooms, unfilled restaurant seats, and unsold packages. Co-opetition is the right strategy in these difficult times. There has never been a better time to work together.  That is why the "America Loves NY" joint marketing campaign makes so much sense and is a perfect example of such co-opetitive initiatives.   

What is "America Loves NY " campaign?
This is a joint e-mail marketing initiative for New York hoteliers to boost travel to New York City over the next crucial six months. This campaign should become part of any hotelier's proactive strategy that could not only soften the impact of the current crisis, but also allow hoteliers gain market share faster and cheaper. 

Campaign Focus
This campaign is focused on the travel agency community and aims to keep travel agents nationwide informed of the best promotions, discounts and deals New York City has to offer. Travel agents have always contributed tremendously to NYC hotel business and will be pleased by this expression of marketing commitment by NYC hoteliers. More than ever we need them to urge their clients: Now is the time to visit the Big Apple!

Campaign Benefits
This e-mail initiative provides travel suppliers in NY a very cost effective, trackable and measureable media to get their sales message in front of travel agents. Most importantly, this initiative offers shared costs and shared benefits among the participants.
 
Campaign Schedule
This joint marketing initiative will start the beginning of November and will run for six months. Once a week for the next six months over 60,000 permission-based travel agents will receive your sales message. That�s 24 times or 1.4 million e-mails within 6 months. This equates to .0036 cents per e-mail (compared to industry averages of $.35-$.50 per e-mail).  

Participation Cost
The cost for a 12-week campaign is $3000 per participant and for the entire 24-week campaign-  $5,000 per participant. Travel suppliers are required to make an upfront commitment for the 12-week or 24-week campaign to participate. 

How to participate?
The "America Loves NY" campaign is being sponsored by ADVAL Communications and Point Blank Interactive, respected NY-based travel and hospitality service companies, which are offering extremely low campaign rates to assist hoteliers deal with the current situation. 
 

Max Starkov is Chief eBusiness Strategist, Point Blank Interactive in New York Cit. He advises companies in the Travel and Hospitality verticals on their eBusiness and eDistribution strategies. Max also teaches a graduate course on "Hospitality/Tourism eDistribution Systems" at New York University. You can contact Max at [email protected].