The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-03-23
FLORIDA FIRST" ADVERTISING

A tourist bureau at Orlando kept an
accurate record of answers to the
question. What led you TO come TO
Florida" asked of all persons who
registered between January 9th and
March 9th. The registrations in this
period were 713, and of this number
262 persons specifically stated that
they were directly influenced to visit
the state by the advertising OF the
Florida First Commission. Sales
of Florida property were made to q
Of the 262.
The Miami Chamber of Com
merce and the Fort Myers Board OF
Trade each has reported total OF
more than five hundred inquiries re-
ceived directly result of the Flor
Ida First" advertising. The other
boards of trade and chambers of COM
merce which participated in the cam
paign received from $50 to 500 in
quiries each, according to reports
made to the Commission at its meet
ing in Orlando a few days ago.
Most of the inquiries that the adj
vertising produced were from people
interested in Florida as place of
permanent residence. The advertis-
ing of the Commission was not de-
signed primarily to attract this class
of inquiries, but rather to induce peo-
pie to come to Florida for the winter.
The advertising appeared between De-
cember Goth and January 31st, at the
time when weather conditions at the
north were most suggestive of visit
to warmer chimes.
In view of the record of the Or
lando tourist bureau and of the crowds
that have taxed the accommodations
of all sections of Florida which were
represented in the advertising, it can
be readily seen that there is good
foundation for the estimate of prom
inent railroad officials of more than
visitors to the state, and in excess
of one-third of these influenced to
come by the activities of the FLORIDA
First" Commission.
AS it has been pretty well estab-
lished that the average period be-
tween the writing of letter for in
formation about Florida and the pur-
chase of property here by the persons
who have located in the past, is
about one year, the direct requests
for information OH other subjects
than winter resort facilities, sent to
the trade bodies participating in the
FLORIDA First advertising will be
worth following up with vigor for
number of months.
Already some very substantial sales
have been reported as traceable spe-
officially to the advertising One
prominent citizen of Minneapolis who
came to Florida instead of going to
California as he had intended because
he was attracted by hiseadvertising,
purchased $500 worth of Polk coun-
ty property while he was here. Sew
eral communities have found that win
ter visitors whom they have enter
tanned in consequence of the FLORIDA
First" campaign, have been more than
ordinarily liberal purchasers of real
estate.
1t would appear that there is very
little room for doubts as to whether
or not the Florida First" advertis-
ing paid. In Orlando, it has been
estimated that the 262 persons, who
were brought to the city by this adj
vertsing. remained for an average of
ten days and spent on an average of
not less than 500 in the town. If
these figures are correct, the city had
left gin it over $4,000 by winter visi-
tors alone, as the results of its con.
tribution of less than $500 to the ex
pense of Florida First" aside from
the amounts invested by the q buy.
ers of real estate. The inquiries may
be later turned into purchasers of
property or investments of other char
acter.
With the facts and figures before
them, there is little wonder that the
towns and cities which went into this
campaign are more than enthusiastic
in favor of its repetition. The chair
man of the commission is quoted as
sayingn that from present indica-
tons, it is safe to estimate that be-
tween two and three times as many
places will take part in next seasons
campaign. This has been planned to
devote great deal more attention to
jnuI