The Chicago Office of Tourism (COT), a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, received a 2010 Communicator Award of Excellence for Marketing Effectiveness – Social Media Marketing – by the International Academy of Visual Arts. This year’s awards competition included multiple categories and received more than 7,000 total applications. Only 6 winners were named in the Marketing Effectiveness category.
The award recognized COT’s social media efforts in the summer of 2009, including the launch of @explorechicago, the city’s Twitter concierge service; two new Flash games on www.ExploreChicago.org, the City’s official tourism website; the Life by the Lake series of Flickr photo journals; Explore Chicago Facebook page and more.
“We are proud to be recognized as an innovator in utilizing social media to effectively market Chicago around the globe,” said Office of Tourism Director Dorothy Coyle. “These emerging technologies are especially important because they allow us to showcase Chicago’s unique assets, including our vibrant neighborhoods and cultural traditions, at a minimal cost, while also providing a highly personalized level of service to visitors and residents alike.”
Most recently, COT has launched a new partnership with Foursquare, the location-based, social networking application for mobile phones. COT is the first tourism office to use Foursquare to promote citywide neighborhoods, restaurants and attractions.
About the Communicator Awards
The Communicator Awards are judged and overseen by the International Academy of the Visual Arts (IAVA), a 550+ member organization of leading professionals from various disciplines of the visual arts dedicated to embracing progress and the evolving nature of traditional and interactive media. Current IAVA membership represents a “Who’s Who” of acclaimed media, advertising, and marketing firms including: Condè Nast, Coach, Disney, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Estee Lauder, HBO, Keller Crescent, Monster.com, MTV, Polo Ralph Lauren, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, Tribal DDB, Victoria’s Secret, Wired, Yahoo!, and many others. See www.iavisarts.org for more information.
About the Chicago Office of Tourism
The Chicago Office of Tourism, a division of the Department of Cultural Affairs, is the official City agency dedicated to promoting Chicago to domestic and international visitors and to providing innovative visitor programs and services.
Visitors and Chicagoans planning to entertain out-of-town guests can receive Chicago brochures, reserve hotel accommodations and receive trip-planning assistance by calling toll-free 1.877.CHICAGO (1.877.244.2246), or visiting www.explorechicago.org. Brochures and information on Chicago’s exciting events and activities are also available at the Visitor Information Centers. The centers are located at Chicago Water Works, 163 East Pearson Street at Michigan Avenue and the Chicago Cultural Center, 77 East Randolph Street.
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