Goals: Clearly state your marketing goals. What did you strive to achieve using this piece or program?As The Bahamas began to reopen and rebuild in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a shift took place in the approach to tourism promotion and marketing. As a Caribbean nation, the sun, sand and sea would always be a major lure for visitors, however, The Bahamas was primed for deeper more meaningful storytelling, particularly around the country’s people and culture, which is the true beauty that defines this tropical locale. - Market Bahamian culture as a primary tourism product, with cultural ambassadors to promote The Bahamas around the world. - Use Junkanoo, The Bahamas’ national cultural festival, to drive cultural awareness for the destination among U.S. trade and consumer media, and thus consumers. - Promote The Bahamas as the top Caribbean destination for U.S.-based travelers.

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. (for example, click through rates or ad equivalency)BBC Travel was secured to participate in an immersive Junkanoo experience, which would be featured as part of its coveted 50 Reasons to Love the World series in 2021. The curated collection of stories set out to inspire global audiences through elevating extraordinary conversations with everyday people who are making an impact and spotlight the places they adore most. The Bahamas is a destination best defined by its vibrant people and their warm hospitality and willing to share their culture. In particular, Junkanoo, the nation’s cultural festival, is a way of life and to showcase that, the team arranged an interview with Ms. Arlene Nash Ferguson, Bahamas native and founder of Educulture Junkanoo Museum And Resource Centre. As a result, BBC produced multimedia coverage including an in-depth feature story and a six-minute captioned video detailing the centuries-old festival that emerged in the darkness of enslavement, rooted in West African traditions, and has transcended into the proud display of freedom and liberation that it is today. The richness of the story is a true testament to how culture has the power to connect people and ground us back in our shared humanity. Through established and trusted relationships with influential figures and personalities in The Bahamas, the public relations team was able to successfully secure the opportunity with BCC and support the journalist on the ground with the assets needed to go above and beyond in his reporting. As one of the farthest reaching networks, BBC.com is a global digital news site that targets many of the key markets for tourism in The Bahamas, including the U.S. (its highest priority market) with a potential reach of over 71M. The article was also shared to BBC Travel’s Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, which boast a combined reach of 5.1M followers.

Budget: Please include total budget vs. total actual cost. How much revenue has the piece or campaign generated and how does this compare to your goal? What was the return on investment?The fee associated was part of The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, Investments & Aviation’s annual public relations budget and included as part of the ongoing PR efforts.

Objective(s): What problems did the sales, marketing & guest satisfaction, or revenue optimization technology aim to solve?

Innovative use of technology: The extent to which new directions are charted or old challenges are resolved by using the technology in a new way.

Implementation & creativity: How was the technology implemented so that it was easy to use, solved a manpower problem, streamlined a function, or fueled recovery?

Results & Evaluation: How did the technology move the department or business forward to achieve goals, revenue or otherwise?

Goal: How did you demonstrate that you are committed to advancing diversity in your organization through your marketing?

Initiatives: Describe the promotion. What was your organization’s message and how does it foster diversity? How was the target audience channel developed/pursued?

Results: Please describe how your organization was purposeful in advancing diversity through this initiative. Please describe the metrics you used to judge success. What were the forecasted and actual outcomes described in your Key Performance Indicators (KPI)? What impact did the initiative have on your organization and for your customers?

Entry TitleBBC Travel 50 Reasons to Love the World x Bahamas - The Queen of Junkanoo

DivisionPublic Relations/Communications - FEATURE PLACEMENT ONLINE - Consumer Media

CategoryPublic Relations/Communications