Hanover Launches Overseas Advertising Campaign (Nov. 21, 2013)

Through newspaper inserts and other marketing activities, Hannover Marketing und Tourismus GmbH (HMTG) is now promoting visits to the Hannover vacation region abroad. The advertising campaign will continue next year.
The Christmas market in Hanover’s Old Town, with its festively lit stalls and snow-covered Marktkirche; the world’s largest exhibition grounds, featuring its famous Convention Center; and the magnificent New City Hall, whose stately reflection glistens on the Maschteich: Hannover Marketing und Tourismus GmbH is currently promoting Lower Saxony’s state capital abroad with three different cover designs. With a total circulation of over 1.1 million, the campaign appears in several newspaper supplements in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Poland (for example, in the British *Daily Telegraph Magazine* or the Dutch *De Telegraaf*) as well as on trains operated by the Austrian Federal Railways, whetting readers’ appetite for a visit to the Hannover vacation region. The topics range from visitor tips on shopping, nightlife, and culture to attractions such as the Hannover Adventure Zoo, the Herrenhausen Gardens, the Christmas markets, and Marienburg Castle, as well as information on the region as a venue for trade shows, conventions, and the healthcare industry.

"Readers get a sense of just how diverse the Hannover vacation region is," says Hans Christian Nolte, managing director of HMTG. "We establish a connection between Hannover and the respective countries and, in this way, specifically target readers," he adds. With corresponding references on the supplement covers, readers’ attention is drawn to the city partnership between Hanover and Poznań and to the trade fair partnerships between the United Kingdom and CeBIT, as well as between the Netherlands and the Hanover Fair.
"“Our trade fair partnerships for 2014 provide a great opportunity to showcase in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands the numerous opportunities that Hanover offers to both business travelers and private visitors,” adds trade fair director Wolfram von Fritsch.
To mark the 35th anniversary of the city partnership between Poznań and Hannover next year, the HMTG is promoting the Polish city not only through the insert but also with large-scale advertising on public buses and so-called “Citylights” (illuminated billboards). “I am delighted that HMTG’s campaign is also drawing attention to Hannover’s successful city partnership with Poznań, and I hope that many guests from Poznań and all over Poland will come to Hannover—not only in the 35th year of this friendship. Serdecznie witamy!” says Hannover’s Mayor Stefan Schostok.

The current international activities are the first part of a large-scale promotional campaign that will continue next year. In cooperation with the airline Germanwings, HMTG is planning a billboard campaign in London early next year, joint online activities, features in airport magazines, and another newspaper insert. The focus will be on the “British Year” in Hanover, featuring the state exhibition “When the Royals Came from Hanover,” CeBIT with the UK as the partner country, and the International Fireworks Competition in Herrenhausen with the English team “1st Galaxy Fireworks.” In addition, at the start of the year, HMTG will also be focusing on Switzerland alongside the United Kingdom: Through posters in Zurich’s public transit system, online advertising, public relations efforts, and other promotional measures, the goal is to get the Swiss excited about Lower Saxony’s state capital.

International Marketing All Year Round: HMTG International

Hannover Marketing und Tourismus GmbH is constantly working to attract international visitors to Hannover—for example, through trade show appearances, advertising campaigns, brochures, press trips, and international public relations efforts, as well as through features in international publications such as airport magazines, partnerships, and fam trips. In addition, HMTG specifically targets international guests through online portals. Through HMTG’s own portal, www.visit-hannover.com, visitors from around the world can access information in 19 languages. Websites such as www.arrivalguides.com, www.europeanbestdestinations.org, and www.germany.travel/magic-cities also
offer comprehensive information in multiple languages.   
The latest international brochures are available for download at www.visit-hannover.com. Images for editorial use can be found at www.hannover.de/fotodownload