Tagged 'travel'

Greek revival: Greek expats take tourism promotion into their own hands

Published by Jessica Vaughn - New York on April 10, 2012 in North America. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

From boosting local retail outlets with Cash Mobs to advocating for an entire national economy, the DIY ethos seems to be coming out in full force lately. Launched in February by a team of Greeks across the globe, Up Greek Tourism is a private grassroots campaign to help boost tourism to the economically ravaged nation. “Governments are trying to find solutions, but we as individuals should not wait. We need to help ourselves,” says one lead fundraiser in a YouTube plea for donations. In just 20 days, the team was able to raise $20,352 on Loudsauce.com from 333 people, surpassing the initial goal of $15,000.

The funds were used to secure an electronic billboard in New York City’s Times Square for 30 days. The ad, designed by Greek designer Charis Tsevis, displays a montage of iconic Greek tourist destinations to tempt passersby into booking a Greek holiday. Just as we saw during the Great Recession, anxiety is stimulating proactive responses among consumers and citizens who are feeling let down by big institutions. Rather than accept defeat, some are taking economic matters into their own hands with the mindset that change is possible and that many small efforts can combine to help turn things around, whether on a local or a global level.

Thomas Cook aims to ease Indians into foreign travel

Published by Marian Berelowitz - New York on March 1, 2012 in North America. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Last year we spotlighted an Axis Bank commercial out of India that addressed the anxiety many Indians feel when traveling abroad. International travel is increasing as India’s middle class expands, but consumers are still adjusting to the idea of leaving their comfort zone. A new Thomas Cook campaign from JWT targets foreign-travel newbies who are less cosmopolitan than residents of international cities like Delhi and Mumbai—the cohort most likely to get stressed out about straying far afield.

The most humorous of three TV spots shows a flummoxed family stumbling into a kinky bar (a sort of modern version of Cabaret’s Kit Kat Club), which turns out to be the lobby of the hotel they’ve booked, Golden Mangoes. “Don’t just book it,” would-be travelers are advised as the Thomas Cook logo pops up along with the words “Travel smooth.” Other spots show some young women getting ripped off by shady money changers and two guys enduring a tour led by a scary-looking guy speaking a foreign language.

JWT’s Tista Sen told Ad Age: “In spite of the perfect planning and online checks and calculations, the Indian traveler usually gets it all wrong. Everybody comes back from exotic locations with some horror story.” By reminding travelers of those stories, Thomas Cook presents itself as an easy solution to travel jitters.

Mexico Taxi Project tackles tourists’ safety concerns

Published by Jessica Vaughn - New York on November 17, 2011 in North America. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

In an effort to counteract the steady stream of news about drug-related violent crime in Mexico, the Mexico Tourism Board is spotlighting real-life American tourists for a campaign termed the Mexico Taxi Project. A series of Web videos that take inspiration from HBO’s hidden-camera series Taxicab Confessions feature American travelers returning from Mexico, answering their driver’s pointed questions about the trip. Some videos address the issue head-on; in one, a driver asks if the travelers felt safe, to which one passenger replies, “Oh, yeah, it was one of our biggest [concerns]. … We almost didn’t go.” His companion chimes in, “I would definitely recommend it. Everything you hear on the news is not what you experience down there.”

The campaign includes a microsite and a Facebook page where users can share photos of their Mexican vacation for a chance to win a free trip to the land of the Mayans and tequila.

We’ve seen a lot of “real people” advertising (the auto category is one we spotlighted), and one reason is that today’s anxious consumers are more apt to respond to authenticity than slick marketing tactics. Believable testimonials—or “real people telling real stories about Mexico,” as the microsite explains—are perhaps the best way to go when targeting skeptical, jaded consumers who are less interested in feel-good images of lovely beaches and sombrero-wearing mariachi bands than in having their concerns addressed.

São Paulo radio station addresses mobility woes with traffic tool

Published by Ana Hernandes - Sao Paulo on July 13, 2011 in Latin America. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Getting around in São Paulo, the world’s fourth largest city, is not an easy task. Public transportation is crowded, insufficient for the millions who depend on it, while some 7 million cars clog the streets. Cars average just 18 kilometers an hour, slower than some remote-controlled cars. Last year residents lost 2 hours and 42 minutes each day in traffic jams, according to research from Ibope/Nossa São Paulo. Traffic jams can also prove dangerous, with “arrastões” (groups who attack and steal cars together) working busy avenues during peak times.

The mobility problem is a long way from being addressed, especially since the government isn’t investing in solutions. In another example of Creative Urban Renewal—one of our 10 Trends for 2011—media company Bandeirantes Group, in partnership with insurance provider SulAmérica, launched SulAmérica Trânsito in 2007, a radio station dedicated to broadcasting traffic news around the clock. During rush hour, it’s the No. 2 station in the city. At the end of 2010, they launched a new system to collect traffic data: Partnering with MapLink, a website specializing in digital mapping, they collect information from GPS systems installed in 1 million cars and identify their location and average speed. The system can also be accessed via mobile apps or online.

This system is proving much more reliable than the government’s. In mega-cities, where mobility issues generate anxiety and decrease quality of life, private-sector tools to ease the pain of traffic jams are more than welcome.

Photo Credits: http://www.sulamerica.com.br/radiotransito/; http://maplink.com.br/

Japanese travel agency HIS gets buzz with special rates for disaster victims

Published by Kazuto Shibayama - Tokyo on July 6, 2011 in Asia Pacific and Japan. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

Thousands of people were left homeless by Japan’s earthquake and tsunami, most of whom struggled with enormous stress living in crammed evacuation sites. To help them escape for a while, HIS, one of Japan’s major travel agencies, began offering disaster victims overseas exclusives in late March. People could travel to destinations around the world for as long as two weeks to a month, paying special low rates ranging from ¥50,000–¥90,000 (about $600–$1,100), which included flight, accommodation and breakfast. HIS took care of all paperwork, including replacing lost passports. By the end of April, all the packages had sold out.

Many companies have done something to help the victims, mostly making donations and sometimes donating a percentage of sales, which enables consumers to help too. HIS’s initiative was unique in asking actual victims to buy the company’s product. Since the prices were so low, however, it was seen as a contribution to recovery efforts that was unique to HIS and the category.

Ever since the Tohoku earthquake, it has became the norm for companies to contribute to disaster-relief efforts, purely as a “social obligation” rather than a branding activity, given the risk that overt marketing around such efforts be seen as “hypocritical commercialism.” But since the HIS plan benefited victims both functionally and emotionally, there was no criticism. Using the company’s core competency and at the same time dealing with its inevitable overstock of vacation packages resulting from the disaster, HIS gained more public recognition than it would have with a typical cash donation. This is a great example of addressing both a business problem and consumer need at the same time.

Photo Credit: http://www.his-j.com/Default.aspx

H.I.S. 被災者向けの海外長期滞在プランを格安で提供

柴山 一人　（東京）

大手旅行会社のエイチ・アイ・エス（以下H.I.S.）は、自宅に留まることができない被災地の多くの人々のために、落ち着くまでの一定期間を海外の地で過ごすという選択肢もあるのではないかと、被災者向けの海外長期滞在プランを提供した。期間は2週間～1か月ほどで、料金は渡航費+宿泊費+朝食込で5万～9万円と格安。また震災に伴うパスポート紛失など各種手続きのフォローも行っており、同プランは4月末に完売した。

被災地のために各企業とも様々な取り組みを行っているが、消費者からの購入金額の一部寄付・もしくは現金寄付の呼びかけが一般的だ。そんな中、同プランの特長は「被災者が購入する」というもので、格安大手旅行会社だからこそできるユニークな支援の形ととらえられた。

また、「ブランディング・アクティビティ」というよりは、もはや「社会的義務」であるという見方が一般的となっている各企業の支援行為は、露骨な方法では売名行為と捉えられがちでイメージダウンにつながるケースもある。しかし今回のH.I.S.のプランは、一般的な寄付行為よりも話題性に富み、かつ自分たちのブランディングを生かした良い例ではないだろうか。

Tourism Vancouver reacts swiftly and smartly to riots

Published by Marian Berelowitz - New York on June 29, 2011 in North America. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

“It’s absolutely disgraceful and shameful and by no means represents the city of Vancouver,” the city’s mayor, Gregor Robertson, said after the recent riots that followed the Vancouver Canucks’ loss in the Stanley Cup finals. To back up that sentiment, Tourism Vancouver reacted quickly, sponsoring the website This Is Our Vancouver. Spotlighting that “The actions of a few aren’t a true reflection of our city,” the site is a dynamic collection of comments, photos and video content pulled from around the Web. People can also post content directly. The site recorded more than 14,000 visits in its first 10 days, according to a release.

This type of swift response is a simple, smart step toward addressing concerns among potential visitors, restoring locals’ faith in the city and providing a platform to express that faith.

Photo Credit: http://thisisourvancouver.com/

Post-disaster Queensland beckons Australians back

Published by Thomas McGillick - Sydney on May 18, 2011 in Asia Pacific. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Following the catastrophic floods at the start of the year, the Queensland tourism board has undertaken a campaign of unprecedented size to draw travelers back to the Australian state, which relies heavily on tourism. The disaster saw a tremendous initial outpouring of public generosity and nationalist pride, but subsequent natural disasters and current events have pushed the floods off the front pages. Six commercials directly address various concerns over the readiness of the natural draw-cards to support tourists once again, presenting a holiday to Queensland as not only a rewarding treat for yourself but a way to help the state get back on its feet. The campaign has also included national TV shows broadcasting live from Queensland venues to amplify the message of “Nothing beats Queensland.”

Indian bank tells travelers not to let worry spoil their holidays

Published by Simone Patrick - Mumbai on May 2, 2011 in Asia Pacific. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

A majority of middle-class Indians are happiest when they’re safe at home, in a familiar environment and surrounded by people who speak their language. Last year we spotlighted a Dulux Paints ad that tapped into Indians’ travel anxiety by suggesting the brand’s “Colours of the World” range as an alternative to leaving the comfort of home, a safe way to get a taste of exotic locales. Now a commercial from a local bank in Mumbai is encouraging Indians to be less worried about venturing from their beloved home.

A young man walks awkwardly with one hand protecting what’s in his pocket. He bumps into a friend, who asks what’s going on. The man whispers that he’s carrying dollars. “If you’re so anxious here, then what will happen on your holiday?” responds the friend, envisioning the man striking concerned poses in his tourist photos. The friend suggests the Axis Bank Travel Currency Card as the safest way to carry foreign currency.

With foreign travel becoming increasingly common among Indians, whether out of curiosity to see the world or the need to visit a child overseas, the message not to let worry and anxiety stop you from enjoying your trip is one we’re likely to see from more brands.

With surprise plane ride, Telmex brings its slogan to life in Colombia

Published by Patrick Sewards - Bogotá on February 16, 2011 in Latin America. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Colombia has one of the highest Internet penetration rates in Latin America and the fastest adoption rate, according to comScore. Yet the majority of Colombians don’t have a high-speed connection at home, instead frequenting Internet cafes to get online. While Colombians can afford computers, most are hesitant to invest in broadband due to the monthly fees, so broadband has yet to become a commodity. In a recent campaign for Telmex, a local Internet provider, JWT Bogotá used this insight to directly address price anxiety surrounding the cost of at-home Internet connections.

One day last October at Colombia’s busiest bus terminal, 35 people boarded a bus for the long journey from Bogotá to Calí. As the trip began, a mystery man boarded and told the passengers that thanks to Telmex broadband service, they would be traveling by plane, an experience most had never had before. An eight-hour bus journey became a 35-minutes plane ride—a tangible demonstration of Telmex’s promise of “high speeds for the price of low speeds.”

By placing real people in a storytelling-based activation, Telmex effectively humanized its service, countering the misconception that high-speed broadband (just like flying on a plane) is an out-of-reach experience for everyday Colombians.

Telmex Airplane Comercial Spot JWT Colombia from Patrick Sewards on Vimeo.

easyJet positions itself as lower risk than BA

Published by James Richardson - London on February 15, 2011 in Europe. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

2010 was not a good year for air travelers in Europe, ratcheting up anxiety around the hassles of flying. As if unprecedented snowfall and an ash cloud from an unpronounceable Icelandic volcano didn’t cause enough disruption, British Airways had to contend with a series of cabin crew strikes, grounding the majority of its fleet and infuriating customers. This all in the context of BA’s ad campaign attacking the experience travelers get on low-cost airlines!

easyjetWith more strikes proposed in the coming months, it doesn’t appear 2011 will be much better for BA, a point that low-cost airline easyJet is only too happy to point out in its latest campaign. With easyJet looking to move away from price-focused messaging, a print ad positions the airline as low risk rather than low cost, ending with the line “Why risk BA? Make a date with us.” The ad depicts four calendar pages, each marked as a potential travel opportunity—half-term, Easter, the royal wedding and bank holidays—all of which potentially coincide with a new wave of BA strikes. The campaign taps into the concerns of consumers whose travel plans have all too often been thrown into turmoil.

Perhaps the shoddy image of cheap airlines in the U.K., spoofed in the BBC’s recent mockumentary Come Fly With Me, is about to change for good. However, whilst offering a differentiator from other low-cost airlines makes sense for easyJet, the challenge will be sustaining a customer experience that reflects the messaging … and hoping their staff doesn’t go on strike!

Photo Credit: Dan Holder