Brand USA, the government marketing arm pitching America as a travel destination, is getting into the branded entertainment business, with a new website now seeking television programming pitches. But is America lacking for TV shows about America?

“We know how incredible a destination can look on television and that, for many viewers, it’s what may inspire a booking for their next holiday,” commented Jay Gray, VP of Business Development, Brand USA. Continue reading...

Brand USA, a non-profit, public-private partnership, is to launch a global advertising campaign next month, as part of the country’s concerted effort in marketing tourism to the world. As its core mission, the organization, created in 2010, is to “encourage and inspire travelers to explore America’s boundless possibilities.”

While America’s image in the global political imagination has experienced ups and downs over the last decade, the U.S. has remained as a leading destination for international investment, education and, yes, tourism. In 2010, with nearly 60 million international visitors, the U.S. ranked second (only to France) in international tourist arrivals, and first in international tourism receipts. In-bound tourism has seen steady improvement since it hit a low in the aftermath of 9-11 and the ensuing war in Iraq.

Nevertheless, this campaign is important and timely. Symbolic as it may be, it sends an unmistakable signal reaffirming America’s openness and optimism, the very foundation of the country’s soft power.Continue reading...

"Brand USA has arrived, and it is not just a tourism brand,” stated Stephen J. Cloobeck, chairman of Brand USA, at a public unveiling today in London. 

Formerly known as the Corporation for Travel Promotion, Brand USA is the new name for America's tourism body encompassing all 50 states, part of a new national image campaign that has been in the works since last year, when Congress approved the public-private partnership to refresh America's brand with a global campaign pitching the U.S. as a destination to tourists.

As America's national brand, what is Brand USA exactly?Continue reading...