Is anyone listening??? I have a country to promote!!

With the increase in the number of people who can afford to travel, though the current economic climate is likely to dramatically change that, there has been a proliferation of media avenues to access potential tourists. Newspapers don travel sections, while in-flight magazines and TV travel shows, provide the perfect promotional setting to raise awareness about your destination.

Holding the media’s attention is where the real challenge comes in. They can cover only so many trendy restaurants, vibrant clubs and bars, challenging hiking trails and breathtaking views. But that’s what your product is all about- so what do you do?

Well, as in any other area of PR, you need to be innovative. You need to come up with creative ideas in order stand out in a competitive arena filled with noise.

Visuals play an extraordinarily important role in tourism PR. Producing high resolution and visually stunning images are key to encapsulating the beauty and offerings your destination brings to the table. But again, how you do it, is critical to grabbing the attention of the media.

One way to promote a country is to take an alternative angle to the usual ‘describe everything you have’ script. The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB), for example, has embarked on a campaign focusing on the talent of its people across varying sectors including fashion, music, cuisine and sports. The JTB selected ‘ambassadors’ to represent the country and tell its story (and concurrently do its job).

The initial phase of the ‘Genius of Jamaica’ campaign secured coverage on several high profile media outlets including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, FOX News, Travel + Leisure and Architectural Digest. (Ruder Finn, 2009) The second phase, the ‘NextGen’ campaign, featured ambassadors Mark McDermoth and Karl Williams, fashion designers who dressed all the contestants at the 2008 Miss World competition, Orrette Rhoden, who performed a solo recital at New York’s Carnegie Hall and dance group ASHE, which took part in the Folkmoot USA Festival... hhmmm never heard of it either.. they could have probably left that one out of the mix! (Jamaica Tourist Board, 2007)

Additionally, the country is also capitalizing on its success in track & field during the Beijing Olympics. The JTB, with support from the International Sport Press Association, will host the inaugural World Beach Sprint event this year. (Jamaica Information Service, 2008) 9.69 world record.. impressive. But can you do 9.69 in sand Usain??

Stunts are also a sure fire way to get the media talking about your country or city. In 2004, as part of its ‘Here Comes the Sun’ campaign, the city of Fort Lauderdale used a ‘beach on wheels’ to promote itself and garner publicity. The ‘beach on wheels’ was a truck with a glass enclosure featuring live models, sand and beach decor. (HotelExecutive.com, 2005) As seen in the video below, it toured cold cities in the US and certainly got people talking, including the media.

When Easyjet promoted its flight route from London to Helsinki, it decided to focus its campaign on the Finnish city- ‘the sauna capital of Europe’... really, you know you Finns really need to start speaking up, first Nokia now this.

Anyway, they got a bunch of barely clad models to sit in a makeshift ‘sauna’ in the middle of London. (Beattie Communications, 2008) HHHmmmm, sounds familiar Fort Lauderdale!! I know they say ‘imitation is the highest form of flattery’ but my mommy also says ‘stealing is bad’. I’ll leave the marketing gods to deal with that one....

Next post: If all else fails....

References

Beattie Communications, (2008). Beattie Communications Takes Off with EasyJet. [online] Available from: <http://www.beattiegroup.com/prclients/pr-case-studies.aspx> [Accessed 6 January 2009]

HoteExecutive.com, (2005). Greater Ft Lauderdale Convention & Visitors Bureau Wins Two Flagler Awards from Florida Commission on Tourism. [online] Available from: <http://www.hotelexecutive.com/hapa/newswire_article.php?id=1490> [Accessed 6 January 2009]

Jamaica Information Service, (2008). Olympic Champion, Usain Bolt, Backs Jamaica’s World Beach Sprint. [online] Available from: <http://www.jis.gov.jm/information/html/20080818T090000-0500_16374_JIS_OLYMPIC_CHAMPION__USAIN_BOLT__BACKS_JAMAICA_S_WORLD_BEACH_SPRINT.asp> [Accessed 6 January 2009]

Jamaica Tourist Board, (2007). Ruder Finn, Inc. Present ‘Next Generation of Genius’ to Tourism Partners in Jamaica. [online] Available from: <http://www.jtbonline.org/resources/Press%20Releases/JAPEX%20PR%20Presentation.pdf> [Accessed 6 January 2009]

Ruder Finn, (2009). Case Study: Jamaica Tourist Board. [online] Available from:
<http://www.ruderfinn.com/life-style/travel-economic-development/case-studies/jamaica-tourist-board.html> [Accessed 6 January 2009]

YouTube, (2008). EasyJet Helsinki Sauna Travels Around London. [online] Available from: <http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=IYePnUsEmtM> [Accessed 6 January 2009]

YouTube, (2008). Sexy Hot Bikini Models. [online] Available from: <http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNKF38VTsT8> [Accessed 6 January 2009]