Cases

Making Long-Haul Destinations Desirable

Leveraging the country’s natural beauty, and Carnival, which have both made Brazil internationally famous, EMBRATUR, the tourism authority for Brazil, sought to increase the number of American tourists visiting Brazil by 2010. The tourism board wants Brazil to be a strong contender in the consideration set for long-haul travel rather than a once-in-a-lifetime wish.
To increase American travelers’ knowledge of Brazil and its offerings, the team implemented various strategic themes to generate word of mouth and coverage in both traditional and digital media. Each supporting tactic for the agency’s Brazil efforts reflected an element of Brazilian culture, beaches, sport, business or ecotourism, as they are the board’s key communication tenants.

In addition to ongoing media outreach with timely and new information from various destinations within the country, the team executed an online tourism photo contest in coordination with award-winning photojournalist Peter Guttman. Weekend tourists and roaming travelers alike were encouraged to submit an electronic version of their best travel photo and a 100-word essay describing the how the photo exemplifies the beauty and wonder of travel. All entries were judged by Guttman and the top entrant received an all-expense-paid trip for two to Brazil.

The Ogilvy PR team also executes monthly pitches, recommends, coordinates and participates in press familiarization trips, and supports the U.S.-based EMBRATUR team at trade shows and conferences. The photo contest and ongoing news outreach has garnered results throughout the year in outlets such as “The TODAY Show,” Fox New York, Food & Wine, Conde Nast Traveler, Everyday with Rachael Ray and many daily newspapers throughout the U.S. Ultimately, this coverage has led to increased tourism revenue in Brazil from American tourists.