Visit Huntington Beach plans to promote Surf City USA under the phrase, “The Soul of SoCal.”
The organization markets Huntington Beach as a business and leisure destination.
“We committed to a deep dive” of research that showed the city was about “endless summer, flawless waves, laid-back luxury and an unhurried, welcoming culture full of life,” said Kelly Miller, the group’s chief executive.
Visit Huntington Beach spent about $35,000 on research, $30,000 developing the marketing plan, and expects about $500,000 in media buying in the first year of the project.
The plan includes broadcast streaming and video, a surf culture and history app, and a music channel called Soulful Journey, said Susan Thomas, chief marketing officer of Visit Huntington Beach.
The new program replaces the “Endless Summer” marketing theme for the city and will be “used more deeply and broadly” with efforts in business and leisure, domestically and internationally, the group said.
Visit Huntington Beach worked with Texas-based Atkins Group, a travel and tourism marketing and advertising agency on the project.
It introduced the new approach at its annual meeting today at Paséa Hotel & Spa, a 250-room resort that opened in the city on Memorial Day weekend.
