The approach of this campaign is to create a strong viral momentum that provides a platform for brand messaging, long-term customer acquisition, and tactical messaging to stimulate lead generation. Viral marketing is a marketing trend that encourages people to pass along a marketing message voluntarily.

At the center of any viral effort there must be a core element that consumers are eager to share with their networks. For Invest In Your Love in North America, that core element is a a microsite: investinyourlove.com. The microsite features a video contest which is wrapped with various and multiple tactical offer elements.

The Contest began on April 22, 2009 and will end on January 19, 2010. This campaign consists of six individual contests.

For a better understanding of the campaign, we would like to share with you the timeline  corresponding with each significant step of the campaign to-date.

• February 26 : Funds approved for the Invest In Your Love Campaign
• March 30: Investinyourlove.com is soft launched in North America
• April 22: Official launch of the campaign and contest
• April 27: First online Advertising Blitz was launched
• June 10: End of video submission
• June 11: Beginning of the voting process
• June 15: First Advertising Blitz concludes, resumes Sept. 15th
• June 25: Voting ends for the first contest
• June 26: Judging starts

(To view a full calendar of all 6 contests click here)

There were 28 original videos submitted for the first contest and to-date there have been over 7,000 votes cast.

Social Media

Social Media integration is of paramount importance in this campaign as TTNA delivers messages through multiple channels, raises awareness for the destination and microsite, and thus significantly impacts Tahiti’s visibility. In effect, each site/profile generates new traffic sources for each other.

Additionally each profile helps to promote consumer engagement with the brand while delivering tactical messages and provides an invaluable source of consumer feedback.

Each profile is extensively linked to other profiles and sites; both the microsite and the TTNA website, Tahiti-Tourisme.com feature a “find us on facebook” etc. to drive more traffic to our TTNA.

Through this page, we promote the contest, share updates on the destination, and distributes offers featured on the microsite www.investinyourlove.com. And conversely the TTNA Facebook profile includes links back to both the TTNA site and campaign microsite.

Facebook : TTNA profile launch, March 13. As of June 23rd the profile has 4,200 “fans” 88% of whom are aged 25-55, our key demographic.

Twitter: TTNA also uses a Twitter profile to increase traffic to the ‘invest in your love’ site and to the TTNA website, to share new offers, and to monitor brand tweets. Our typical “followers” are travel writers, editors, travel companies, travel agents, wedding planners and consumers.

Through the function of twitter a message sent to one of our current 1200 followers can easily be “retweeted” to a follower's own group of followers, thus creating an instant viral momentum of an individual message.

Youtube: TTNA is using its own Youtube channel to host videos and as a platform for contest entries. TTNA’s “Tahiti Video Contest: How to Enter” video has received over 7500 views. (link to video)

BDA/Widget: The BDA or ‘Branded Desktop Application’ is a downloadable piece of windows software that lives on a user’s computer desktop and has been a TTNA tool for 2 years.

The Widget technology was added to the campaign to offer additional popular platforms. TTNA launched the new Invest in Your love Widget on May 13th, applicable on facebook, igoogle, Yahoo, Mac Dashboard to name a few.

To date, more than 1007 new Tahiti Widgets have been downloaded. And in the last 30 days, more than a 1000 new BDA users were added.

Advertising Program

SEM: On April 22 we launched a $25,000 USD SEM (Search Engine Marketing) blitz to support the campaign theme and drive traffic. Our keyword strategy focuses on highly searched for terms related to travel, honeymoons, vacations, etc.

Print: Set to run from July through December, TTNA is running a $200,000 USD print media program comprised of 8 full-page print advertisements in the below US magazines: 

• Islands Magazine
• Budget Travel
• Saveur
• Travel + Leisure

Online Advertising:  A $167,000 USD Online Banner Advertising “blitz” ran from April 27- June 15th to launch the contest, generate buzz, accelerate viral growth, and propel lead generation. Media used were PROVEN vehicles for lead generation that provide exceptional tracking and responsiveness.

These sites include:
• Theknot.com
• Thenest.com
• About.com
• Facebook
• Weather.com
• Weddingchannel.com
• Budgettravel.com
• MSN.com

A key measurement of banner advertising is the “Click-thru-rate” (CTR). In terms of industry averages, Average CTR for Tourism Board Online Display Banners is approximately .10% and Average CTR for Travel Industry Online Display Banners is .09%. (Source:DoubleClick, a division of Google 2009). TTNA is pleased to report an average click through rate for its April 27-June 15 blitz of .24%, 120% higher than industry average.

Partner Opportunites: TTNA has provided opportunities for each sector of the Tahiti Tourism industry through this campaign.

Local Tahiti Based partners: In late March our local partners were invited to participate in the 401(t)program. This program consists of online, printable, forwardable coupons for restaurants, spas, pearl shops, activities, dive centers and retail centers. Thus far, 38 coupons have been submitted and over 2000 coupons have been printed or emailed to date.

Tiare Agents: To provide leads for our Tiare agents, ALL Special Offer leads are geo-matched to a certified Tiare agent, and sent via email in real-time. Special Offers are found in the following areas:
•Tahiti-tourisme.com on every page
•Investinyourlove.com – “Deal of the Week”
•Investinyourlove.com – Special Offers
•Widget Scrolling offers on all active widgets

Additionally a “Tahiti Specialist Locator” is featured in numerous places in order to help consumers find a Tiare Agent in their local area. The locator is found on:

–Investinyourlove.com

–All pages of Tahiti-Tourisme.com

Tour Operator Partners: All tour operator partners are eligible to post special offers on Tahiti-Tourisme.com. ALL partners who are actively taking advantage of this free opportunity on the TTNA site are eligible to select one offer to be featured on the micro-site, free-of charge. All partners are also free to use a selection of Invest In Your Love partner creative, developed specifically for their use in their own marketing initiatives, by request.

Our North American Tour Operator Partners were also given the opportunity to opt-in to an IIYL co-op program. The co-op portion includes leads from the Planner lead generator featured on the microsite, and as added-value, featured product in the Deal-of the-Week, also on the microsite.

The Co-op was offered in 2 phases, April 27-Sept. 14, and a second phase to coincide with the second advertising push, Sept 15 – Dec. 15. First phase opt-in partners are: Tahiti Legends, Islands Escapes by Goway, and Brendan Vacations.

Across the various lead generation programs for our Tiare Agents and Tour Operators, nearly 3000 leads have been generated and distributed since the advertising began on April 27.

Distribution of press release through several media channels

Many PR actions have been taken to support the campaign and raise awareness for the destination.

On April 22, the invest in your love press release was distributed to several news distribution sites including Marketwire, Social Media marketwire and Travmedia Internal sites.

On June 11th, an additional IIYL press release was shared to announce the beginning of the IIYL voting process.

Several email blasts were also sent to over 3,000 North American journalists, over 91,000 Consumers and to all industry partners and to our Tiare Agent network.

Upcoming Projects

Celebrity Endorsement

We are very delighted to reveal that Tahiti was chosen to participate in the Ellen DeGeneres Show Weekly Games, which aired on May 14, 2009.

Hosted by comedian Ellen Degeneres, this daytime talk show airing Monday through Friday features celebrity interviews, musical performers, audience interaction games and highlights real people with amazing stories and talents.

The show frequently features audience games that can either be played with Ellen, guests, or between members of the audience. Most games involved a prize for all participants, with a larger one being given to the winner.

For this episode, Tahiti Tourisme arranged two luxury trips for two winners (one in-studio and one online).

All travel arrangements included two economy class seats on award-winning international Air Tahiti Nui, inter-island transportation, breakfast and dinner, transfers and first class accommodations for 10 nights visiting the islands of Tahiti, Moorea, Taha'a, and Bora Bora.

On May 14th, The Ellen Degeneres Show generated:

Online Viewership: 2.3 Million
On air viewership: 3.1 Million
Total Viewership: 5.4 Million
The site is #1 or #2 depending on day (in competition with Oprah) for daytime TV
Total AVE: $ 267,500

Please click here to view the segment.

Bloomingdales Cross Promotion and co-branding

From September 1 to October 17, TTNA will run a cross promotion with Bloomingdales, Universal Studios and “Couples Retreat” for the launch of the movie, set for release October 2009.

Taking place at 40 selected Bloomingdales retail stores, the six- week long promotion will publicize three different movies including Couple’s retreat and highlight our Invest In Your Love contest along the way.

TTNA, in partnership with the St Regis Resort Bora Bora, will participate in a cross-promotional, co-branding prize giveaway. This promotion, which will offer one lucky winner a trip for two to the beautiful island of Bora Bora, will include extensive brand and logo exposure.

The IIYL logo will be included on Bloomingdale’s email blasts (to a database of over 2 million consumers), on in-store signage and on the entry page of the sweepstakes.

TTNA is still in discussions with Universal Studios to explore further opportunities to cross-promote the islands of Tahiti with the upcoming release of the “Couples Retreat” film.

Summary of Results

• National Broadcast Segment with Ellen DeGeneres Show
• Marketwire Distribution: More than 365 hits
• Editorial Placements: More than 45 hits
• Total Impressions: 5,388, 300
• Total AVE: $3 Million USD

As mentioned previously a second advertising push will begin in full force on September 15th. Until that begins, we will be focusing on leveraging the viral aspects of the campaign through various PR activities.