SANTA FEAccording to a return-on-investment study commissioned by the New Mexico Tourism Department (NMTD), New Mexico True advertising in Los Angeles influenced an estimated 80,000 leisure trips that generated $107 million in visitor spending in 2021.

New Mexico entered the Los Angeles market in Spring 2021 when NMTD restarted its national advertising efforts. With an advertising investment of $1.9 million in the Los Angeles market, NMTD influenced $56 of visitor spending for every $1 spent on New Mexico True advertising. Overall, New Mexico True advertising boosted visitation from Los Angeles travelers by five percent.

“The New Mexico Tourism Department is tasked with strategically investing our advertising dollars that yield the greatest return for New Mexico, and the results from this study demonstrate how our data-driven approach to advertising is delivering for New Mexicans,” Tourism Secretary Jen Paul Schroer said.

According to the study, travelers rated New Mexico True advertising highly for featuring authentic experiences, highlighting great outdoor adventures, presenting a positive view of New Mexico and making the state seem welcoming to others.

New Mexico True advertising sampled for the study included digital displays, online video and out-of-home displays in Los Angeles International Airport. The purpose of the return-on-investment study was to evaluate the effectiveness of New Mexico True advertising in communicating key messages and inspiring travel among Los Angeles travelers, gauge the influence of New Mexico True advertising on current and future visitation and measure travel spending from Los Angeles travelers in New Mexico. The study was conducted by Strategic Marketing and Research Insights (SMARI).

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Los Angeles was not one of the state’s primary fly markets. NMTD made the decision to target Los Angeles after a market feasibility study suggested Los Angeles could yield a considerable return for New Mexico.

In response to the demonstrated effectiveness of New Mexico True advertising in the Los Angeles market, NMTD will be executing a series of out-of-home displays throughout Los Angeles for Super Bowl LVI. The out-of-home campaign will include 11 placements within a 5-mile radius of SoFi Stadium and will run January 31 through February 13.

“The return on investment we’re seeing from Los Angeles shows us that New Mexico True advertising in the Los Angeles market is incredibly effective at converting trips for the state,” Schroer said. “The opportunity to establish a presence for New Mexico True in Los Angeles during the Super Bowl will allow us to build upon the encouraging response we have already seen and drive future visitation in 2022.”