Experiencias PR Campaign: Promoting Love for and the Enviornment

Categories: Green PR and On a Shoestring Campaign Key contact: Andy Hopson, Executive Director of The Agency at the University of Florida Email: [email protected] Phone: 352-392-0835 Submitted by: Experiencias Xcaret and The Agency at the University of Florida Team Members: Xcaret: Iliana Rodriguez, Paola Fuentes Chavez The Agency: Andy Hopson, Nathan King, Erica Oakvic, Paige Butz Background: Experiencias Xcaret (esh-ka-ret, meaning “small cove” in Mayan) is a privately-owned company with six ecotourism parks and two tours located outside Cancun, Mexico, with attractions available for visitors of all ages. Through its environmental programs, Experiencias Xcaret sponsors everything from the reforestation of plants to the conservation of species by setting them free into their natural habitat. In 2015, the macaw population in Mexico increased by 55 percent thanks to Experiencias Xcaret’s reintroduction projects for the species in Chiapas and Veracruz, along with an 18 percent increase in the reproduction of native plants. Additionally, more than 10 million baby turtles have been released in the area since 1993, along with 5,000 others on the beaches of Xcaret Park in the last 25 years. This activity has become an annual tradition and a major attraction for locals. Experiencias Xcaret’s consistency and impact have promoted good practices such as sustainability programs including environmental education programs, chemical-free sunscreen use, integral management of solid waste, integral water management, solar heater use, composting and beach cleaning program. In spite of its noble mission and its award-winning parks recognized for exceptional guest experiences and flawless corporate responsibility efforts, Experiencias Xcaret has seen declining market share in the United States since 2012. As the U.S. is one of the company’s largest business markets, this created a major challenge for Experiencias Xcaret to overcome. Research:  Experimentation in marketing strategies, surveys and focus groups performed with U.S. residents revealed the general public perceived the Experiencias Xcaret product to be more of a zoo than an eco-park.  Experiencias Xcaret had no control over the public relations campaign budget assigned by the Cancun and ’s tourism offices, so the company lacked a strategy focused on the the U.S. market.  Xcaret Park is the company’s most popular destination, hosting 44 percent of Experiencias Xcaret’s total annual guests.  Visitors from Mexico represent 25 percent of the annual attendance (equally important as U.S. visitors).  U.S. visits to Xcaret’s website increased by 21 percent in 2013. However, market share was still decreasing, suggesting that American residents were not sufficiently motivated to visit the parks.  The analysis of Xcaret’s YouTube channel underscores its value, with posts receiving as many as 1.7 million views as of 2014. This makes YouTube a key element of any potential public relations campaign.  96 percent of Xcaret’s online following comes from Facebook, Google+ and Twitter. However, Instagram was the fastest growing social media site in the world in 2014. This proposes the challenge of increasing Xcaret’s Instagram followers, which accounts for only 1.2 percent of the total online following. Budget:  $75,000 dedicated to the general U.S. strategies.  50 percent of total budget delegated to The Agency ($26,000 fee, $11,000 expenses) Objectives:  Increase market share in the U.S. by 1.5 percent for Experiencias Xcaret at the Cancun and Riviera Maya destination.  Increase U.S. market share by 1 percent (exclusively for tour takers).  Increase the number of visitors from the U.S. by 10 percent for the Xcaret Park.  Maintain number of visitors from Mexico.  Reach 25 million impressions throughout 2015 in all forms of U.S. media.

 Increase number of Instagram followers for Xcaret Park by 30,000.  Increase number of YouTube subscribers by 4,000.  Develop a lasting relationship between Experiencias Xcaret and key U.S. media.  Highlight Experiencias Xcaret’s commitment to sustainability by receiving awards and recognition. Strategies and Tactics:  Strategy: Communicate with journalists and bloggers who work for publications dedicated to topics of environmentalism and sustainability, travel, and Mexican culture to reach Xcaret’s target audiences of U.S tourists interested in environmental issues, adventure seekers and families.  Tactic: Bring journalists and bloggers to Xcaret and associated parks to cover cultural and sustainable events, including the Sacred Mayan Journey, the Day of the Dead Festival and the NFL Sea Turtle Release.  Strategy: Use the Internet (online media, social networks) to reach the millennial demographic within the company’s target audiences to encourage them to spread the word about Xcaret within their community.  Tactic: Implement Instagram as the main strategic social media channel to target U.S. millennials by consistently posting high-quality, engaging content three times a week and responding promptly to comments and concerns expressed on the platform.  Strategy: Promote events that underscore Xcaret’s commitment to sustainability and Mexican culture to demonstrate how Experiencias Xcaret stands out from its competition.  Tactic: Generate press releases covering Xcaret’s activities and events to distribute to journalists and bloggers.  Tactic: Bring social media influencers to Experiencias Xcaret for events highlighting sustainability and Mexican culture. Execution:  Sacred Mayan Journey: Four journalists were invited to spend a week at Xcaret to experience the 9th annual Sacred Mayan Journey. Rafael Palacio (El Sentinel Orlando), Christa Thompson (The Fairytale Traveler Blog), Fran Falkin (Senior Editor for Family Travel Forum), and Keri Allen (The New York Times, Huffington Post) traveled to Quintana Roo to witness this mythical ceremony.  Day of the Dead (Festival of Life & Death): Five journalists who reach out to the target audiences were invited to be a part of the celebrations. Sue and Kevin McCarthy (Travel Planners Radio Show), Jennifer Billock (The New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, Yahoo Travel, and Travel+Leisure), Cacinda Maloney (Points and Travel Blog) and Christa Thompson (The Fairytale Traveler) visited Xcaret Park as well as Xel-Ha Park.  NFL Sea Turtle Release: Six NFL players traveled to Xcaret to participate in the park’s annual Sea Turtle Release Program together with some select fans. The players invited were: Caleb Hanie, Nick Roach, Miles Burris, Joel Dreessen, Vance Mcdonald and Joey Larocque. Leveraging the players’ celebrity status, this Xcaret tradition gained visibility among young audiences, who are most likely to enjoy beach and adventure related destinations.  Mexican Jenga News Kits: Around 250 news kits and gifts were sent to key opinion leaders and influencers in the U.S. As a result, several journalists and bloggers reached out to the communications team at Xcaret thanking them for the gift and information. This not only further promoted Experiencias Xcaret, it also generated curiosity about the Xcaret brand and built the foundation for a lasting relationship between the Xcaret team and important media contacts in the U.S.  Lily & Chloe visit the parks: The sisters grabbed the attention of hundreds of thousands of social media viewers. The two, along with their family, were invited to spend a week at the resort, and their mother, who has 370,000 followers on Instagram and 155,584 subscribers on YouTube, captured every single moment on camera.  Xcaret Environmental Education Program: Children from public and private Mexican elementary schools were invited to spend a day at Xcaret Park to learn about their country’s culture and how to take care of its nature. Through this program, the park welcomes 20,000 children a year.  New York Media Week: The Vice President for Experiencias Xcaret traveled to New York City to network and meet with relevant trade media CEOs such as IHeartMedia, TravAlliance, and Travel+Leisure. Evaluation:  U.S. market share for Experiencias Xcaret increased by 1.9 percent, exceeding the objective of 1.5 percent.  U.S. market share exclusively for tour takers increased by 1.5 percent, exceeding the objective of 1 percent.

 The number of U.S. visitors for Xcaret Park increased by 16 percent (36,170 guests), exceeding the goal of 10 percent.  The number of Mexican visitors increased by 9 percent (29,910 guests), exceeding the objective to maintain the current level.  More than 49 million media impressions were achieved, exceeding the 25 million objective.  Lily & Chloe’s posts and videos received 214,402 Instagram likes and 58,523 YouTube views.  The number of Instagram followers increased by 44,000, exceeding the goal of 30,000.  The number of YouTube subscribers increased by 4,276, exceeding the 4,000 goal.  The parks received multiple awards, including a nomination for the 2016 Travvy Award for Best International Water Park (recognizes the best in international travel), the Earthcheck Social Responsibility Award (recognizes excellent company standards in environmental care) and the TripAdvisor Award for reaching a 5-star rating. Additional results:  The levels of awareness in the U.S. market for Xcaret Park increased by 5.3 percent, which represents an additional achievement.  The overall number of U.S. visitors increased by 22 percent for Experiencias Xcaret (155,465 guests).