Marketing Objectives:
Clearly state your marketing goals.
What did your company strive to achieve using this piece or program?
- Grow awareness of Royal Caribbean’s new private island to lead the cruise industry in this category (prior to its relaunch, CocoCay ranked #7 among cruise line destinations)
- Make Perfect Day at CocoCay the Caribbean’s must-visit vacation destination of the year and a sought-after water park, while making the island synonymous with the brand
- Differentiate Royal Caribbean from other cruise lines and beach vacation options
Target Audience:
Who was/is the target audience?
Characterize the composition, size, and location of your target audience.
Royal Caribbean needed to engage first-time cruisers, including families, couples and singles, spanning the ages of 30 to 50 years old.
Research, Planning, and Implementation:
What market research was conducted prior to planning the piece/campaign?
Royal Caribbean needed to change the “formula” for how it typically approaches a new product launch. There would be no equivalent to a preview sailing, where media, influencers and VIPs experience the product before paying guests, and no major “Grand Opening” moment. Instead of one specific date, Royal Caribbean decided to activate throughout the summer – which research showed was a “white space” for cruise line activations – when it could make the destination most culturally relevant.
Through a multifaceted earned media approach, Royal Caribbean gave influential voices across new-to-cruise and industry media verticals unprecedented access to Perfect Day in The Bahamas including:
- A grand opening sailing with select top-tier news and travel media
- Multiple sailings for consumer lifestyle media and influencers
- Strategic partnerships with millennial family and adventure influencers
- Tailored independent trips for priority media all summer long
Message:
What is the key message intended for the piece/campaign?
What differentiates your piece/campaign in the marketplace?
Royal Caribbean’s Perfect Day at CocoCay – the first in the cruise line’s new Perfect Day Island Collection of next-level private destinations around the world – is now open. The $250 million transformation of the line’s private island in The Bahamas debuts a combination of first-of-their-kind thrills and one-of-a-kind ways to chill. From plunging down the tallest waterslide in North America and traveling up to 450 feet in the air in a helium balloon called Up, Up and Away, to conquering the Caribbean’s largest wave pool, thrill seekers can find plenty of ways to put their courage to the test. For those looking to relax, Perfect Day features the Caribbean’s largest freshwater pool, Oasis Lagoon, and pristine, white sand beaches with crystal-clear tropical water, so guests of all ages can create their perfect beach day – no matter what that may look like.
Results:
Which of your original goals did you achieve and how?
How did you measure the effectiveness of the piece or campaign? Entrants should provide quantifiable results of their tactics or campaigns.
Perfect Day at CocoCay captured the attention of seekers and seeker families across the country, inspiring vacation goals for the summer and beyond.
Perfect Day garnered 1.1+ billion impressions from 976 well-messaged earned media placements, which touted the island’s standout superlatives:
- The tallest waterslide in North America (65%)
- The largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean (46%)
- The largest wave pool in the Caribbean (39%)
- The only overwater Cabanas in The Bahamas (26%)
- The highest vantage point in The Bahamas (13%)
Throughout the summer, Royal Caribbean also led industry share of voice at 31%, edging out key competitors, including Carnival (22%), Norwegian (19%), Disney (13%) and Virgin (6%).
Entry Title
Perfect Day at CocoCay: The Ultimate in Thrill and Chill
Category
RE-LAUNCH OF EXISTING PRODUCT