BOCA RATON, Fla. — We’re tracking efforts from the city of Boca Raton to create a financial hub in South Florida, through wooing companies in the Big Apple.
The billboard, which ran in Times Square in New York City from July to September, directs people to a site called New York to Boca. A Boca Raton city spokesperson told WPTV reporter Victor Jorges that the billboard generated around 2,600 clicks.
“We’ve received a handful of calls and emails generated by the campaign,” Boca Raton public relations specialist Ileana Olmsted said.
Jorges dug into the specific results from the 82-day campaign, which was initiated by the Office of Economic Development, to see if it was worth the $70,000 price tag.
"We didn’t expect a surge in immediate inquiries,” Olmsted said. "As with all branding efforts, the real value is in planting seeds for future relocations and continued interest in our business community."
The ad placed in Times Square, one of the most visited landmarks in the world, wasn’t a one-size-fits-all advertisement.
"It was designed to get on the radar of CEOs and corporate decision-makers in a major market and highlight the advantages of doing business in Boca Raton," Olmsted said.
Jorges asked if the city had more plans to place additional ads in other high-traffic areas.
"Our marketing strategy has consistently included targeted outreach in markets such as New York and Chicago, alongside efforts to strengthen and expand the business community already here,” Olmsted said.
Boca Raton residents WPTV spoke with about the ad say there’s a thin line when it comes to promoting rather than investing.
“I’m from Virginia, so I do understand the reach to try to get people from other places,” said Maya Martinos, a student at Florida Atlantic University. "But I also get Floridians' frustration with the fact that, why would you want people from other states to come down here. And why would you spend so much money on things that you could be improving in your area?”
The Office of Economic Development normally gets to about two economic projects per year. Olmsted said, this quarter alone, the office secured five grant projects totaling an offer to commit $2,643,000 in City funding.
