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SF combats “doom loop” image… The San Francisco Travel Association kicked off its biggest marketing campaign ever on May 30 to promote tourism to the city.
That effort follows a slew of "doom loop” stories about the city being stuck in an irreversible economic and social downward spiral brought on by crime, drugs, homelessness and the hollowing out of its business core.
The upbeat “Always San Francisco” campaign features iconic images (Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street, cable cars) and cameos from San Franciscans such as Lady Camden of RuPaul’s Drag Race fame, Chinatown lion dancers and musicians Mae Powell and Michael O’Konis.
The campaign evokes the emotional joy that visitors experience in the city, said Lynn Bruni-Perkins, SF Travel’s chief marketing officer. Though San Francisco is ever-changing, its “epic beauty, iconic landmarks, diverse people and larger-than-life moments stay with you forever,” she said.
The $6M campaign will run through Oct. 22 in the US, Australia, Asia-Pacific, India, Europe, Canada and Mexico.
The Miles Partnership, a strategic marketing shop that specializes in travel, created the effort.
San Francisco Travel is predicting 23.9M visitors this year, up from 21.9M in 2022. It is looking for a $1B increase in tourism spending.
The Always San Francisco push may juice those numbers upward.
Target comes out on top… The retailer ranks No. 1 in Bospar’s “corporate courage index” ranking of brands that support the LGBTQIA+ community.
Bospar CEO Curtis Sparrer noted the irony in the top ranking, coming at a time of media reports that Target bowed to conservative pressure and removed products from its Pride Collection.
He believes respondents put Target’s long-time support of the LBGTQIA+ community ahead of its current cave-in.
“Target has been supporting pride for a decade, and that commitment has been part of the national consciousness,” said Sparrer. “The long-term challenge for Target boils down to which side they pick.”
We will see.
God help us… Former Vice President Mike Pence is running for the Republican presidential nomination because God told him to do so.
He told Republicans in Iowa that the next president “will hear from heaven, and he’ll heal this land.”
That’s from a guy who stood by Donald Trump’s side as he destroyed America’s reputation throughout the world and fostered divisiveness and hate in the US.
That’s not exactly what Jesus would have done.
Pence’s campaign will “re-introduce” the pre-Trump politico, who served in Congress and was governor of Indiana.
The former VP has as much of a chance to get the GOP nod as Nikki Haley, Asa Hutchinson, Vivek Ramaswamy, Tim Scott, Larry Elder or Doug Burgum. That is zero chance.
Pence should have followed the example of Republican New Hampshire governor Chris Sununu.
The New Englander won’t be running for the 2024 election because he understands the bigger the crowd of pretenders, the more likely it will be for Trump to cinch the prize.
Former governor Chris Christie is the only no-shot GOP presidential candidate who should jump into the race as a public service.
The Jersey bulldog promises to go on the attack and sic Trump for his deceitful conduct and failed presidency.
That’s something the gutless Republican candidates have failed to do.
New York mayor Zohran Mamdani, an outspoken critic of Israel, is more popular among American Jews than prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu... Donald Trump is the first leader since Benito Mussolini in 1934 to intervene publicly in his national team’s favor... It's surprising that JD Vance hardly uses the word "Catholic" in his memoir about his conversion to Catholicism.
President Trump killed much of the positive PR that the US has enjoyed as one of the co-hosts of the World Cup... Pride in the US sinks to 25-year low, Gallup finds... White House trashes Smithsonian's US History Museum as the MAGA version of un-American.
Donald Trump claims we are all profiting from Wall Street's rising prices, but the billion-dollar president sure did a lot better than the rest of us... Venezuela hopes the $300M in US reconstructiion aid will follow the same growth trajectory as the White House's East Wing ballroom project.
Brands need to boost their PR to get noticed in today’s AI-oriented world, according to McKinsey & Co.’s “State of the Consumer 2026” report... Reevemark hits Chambers jackpot. All five of the founding partners of New York strategic communications firm were recognized in the prestigious Chambers and Partners rankings... SpaceX's $25B bond sale on the heels of $86B IPO signals that markets are entering “bubble territory.” 
LLYC has prepared a comprehensive must-read report on the rise of “Rainbow Ghosting” which it defines as the progressive withdrawal of public support for diversity... Success of the US men's World Cup team highlights the benefits of a welcoming immigration policy... Omnicom develops system to help marketers decide which sports fans to connect with.
