Brand USA Appoints Regional Director to Manage its Travel Marketing in Canada
Brand USA, the destination-marketing organization for the United States, has named Karly Melo regional director to manage the strategic travel trade and marketing efforts for Brand USA in Canada. In her new role, Melo will collaborate with the Toronto office of TimeZoneOne, a global creative-services and communications agency. Brand USA's appointment of Melo culminates an extensive international representation firm review process that began last September.
"We recognize the ongoing importance of Canada as a vital and primary market for travel to the United States," said Christopher L. Thompson, president and CEO of Brand USA. "This new approach will allow Brand USA to be more focused and effective in Canada as we build upon and expand a fully integrated program of global trade development, consumer marketing, and cooperative marketing platforms and programs."
Melo is a public relations professional with experience in destination marketing, corporate, and not-for-profit settings. She has successfully managed public relations campaigns that increased media exposure and developed positive brand reputation for her clients. Prior to her affiliation with TimeZoneOne, Melo helped to develop Toronto’s expanding stature in the international tourism market while working with Tourism Toronto.
"As experts in the traveler journey, we are thrilled to add the Brand USA-Canada partnership to our roster of 25 tourism clients across the globe," said Daniel Thomas, CEO of TimeZoneOne. "We look forward to amplifying Brand USA’s in-country travel marketing efforts, while showcasing unique U.S. travel experiences and increasing the level of tourism to points south of the border."
Brand USA's Thompson added, "Through our partnership with Karly and the team at TimeZoneOne, we are reinforcing the strong ties we have with our northern neighbor. Together, we will accelerate our efforts to inspire Canadian travelers to explore the diverse array of experiences and destinations that await them in the United States."
With approximately 19.3 million Canadians travelers visiting the United States in 2016, Canada retained its ranking as the number-one source market for inbound U.S. travel and supplied millions of more visitors to the United States than the entire European continent.
Among the first campaigns that Melo will work with is the upcoming international release of Brand USA's second IMAX® and giant-screen documentary, America's Musical Journey. For the second time, Brand USA partnered with the award-winning, independent filmmaker, MacGillivray Freeman, to produce the film.America's Musical Journey is narrated by Morgan Freeman and follows singer/songwriter writer Aloe Blacc as he traces the vast musical heritage of the United States – from jazz to blues to country to rock and roll.
About TimeZoneOne:
TimeZoneOne integrates brand building, public relations, website development, digital marketing, social media management, content creation and experiential activations. This integrated approach delivers more effective communications, stronger results and better ROI. Founded in New Zealand in 1994, TimeZoneOne’s global headquarters is in downtown Chicago, with an office in Christchurch, New Zealand and Toronto, Canada; strategic partners in the UK, Japan, Germany and Australia; and clients in United States, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Industry recognition includes an Effie, Mercury Award, W3 Awards, Communicator Awards and Davey Award. For more information, visit TimeZoneOne.com.
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About Brand USA
Brand USA is the nation’s destination marketing organization, dedicated to attracting legitimate international inbound travel to strengthen the U.S. economy, increase exports, create quality jobs, and promote community prosperity. By running data-driven campaigns and unifying messaging across industry and government, Brand USA positions the United States as a top global destination while providing current visa and entry information.
Since 2012 Brand USA, in collaboration with travel industry partners, has been responsible for attracting an additional 10.3 million visitors who spent nearly $35 billion in the United States, generating $76 billion in economic output, and sustaining nearly 40,000 jobs per year. Without any cost to taxpayers, these efforts have generated $10 billion in tax receipts and returned $20 to the U.S. economy for every dollar spent.