Tag: Tourism

Singapore – The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has unveiled its new global campaign ‘Made in Singapore’, which invites the world to Singapore, where things are made a little unexpected, and where typical tourist experiences are seen in a different light in the country.

‘Made in Singapore’ replaces STB’s ‘SingapoReimagine’ international recovery campaign launched in November 2020 to rekindle passion for travel in Singapore.

Conceptualised alongside Publicis Groupe Singapore, the campaign puts a fresh spin on STB’s Passion Made Possible destination brand by spotlighting quintessentially Singapore experiences, from iconic attractions to hidden gems, that turn ordinary moments into extraordinary ones. 

From ‘forest bathing’ at the unexpected setting of Jewel Changi Airport’s Rain Vortex, to working up a sweat dining at Lau Pa Sat hawker centre and witnessing a colourful ‘air show’ at the all-new Mandai Bird Paradise, Singapore turns imagination into inspiring travel experiences.

Moreover, the campaign also aims to keep Singapore top of mind and in conversations by showcasing the country’s key attributes: an inspiring City in Nature that is not only vibrant and cosmopolitan but also rooted in open, multicultural heritage – a place where unexpected twists on familiar moments are made possible.

The campaign is launched with a film directed by Singaporean filmmaker Martin Hong, best known for his music videos with international artists such as Billie Eilish.

Kenneth Lim, assistant chief executive for marketing group at STB, said, “The Made in Singapore campaign is anchored on our Passion Made Possible destination brand, which embodies the Singapore spirit of fulfilling individual passions and creating new possibilities. Through this latest campaign, we would like to reinforce Singapore as a destination that turns imagination into reality. Our goal is to showcase how everyday ordinary moments are made extraordinary and unforgettable, experienced only in Singapore – to inspire travel here.”

Meanwhile, Janson Choo, executive creative director at BBH Singapore and The Shophouse @ Publicis, commented, “One thing we can proudly say about Singapore is that we make things happen. This spirit has turned us into a rather extraordinary place, never settling for the familiar, constantly pushing to be better and, essentially, making imagination come to life. If we can think it, we can do it. And through this campaign, we hope this passion of making things happen can inspire travellers to want to see our imaginative experiences in the flesh.”

‘Made in Singapore’ will roll out across key markets globally including China, India, Indonesia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States, amongst others. Anchored on the film, the full-funnel campaign incorporates activations, brand partnerships, and always-on paid media. Crucially, collaborations with content creators and influencers will engage interest communities and build talkability about Singapore as an unforgettable destination, while two social-first content series are on the horizon.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Tourism Malaysia and health store chain Guardian have announced a local partnership to promote tourism in the country, as well as create awareness about local travel destinations.

Titled ‘Cuti-Cuti Malaysia Bersama Guardian’, the campaign will also offer up to RM200,000 worth of prizes to be won in a contest held in conjunction with this campaign. Moreover, Guardian will be collaborating with several social media influencers who will also be involved in the production of content to promote this domestic tourism campaign.

Dato’ Dr. Ammar Abd Ghapa, director and general of Tourism Malaysia, said, “This timely promotion campaign with Guardian seeks to highlight the unique cultural and natural beauty that Malaysia has to offer and in turn, help boost the local economy that comes with domestic travel. And since our local travelers need to keep healthy and well during their travels, what better way than to team up with Guardian Malaysia which has stores all over Malaysia at every tourist destination.”

He added, “We are very pleased to be working with Guardian who have all the health and beauty products for every kind of travel such as, for example, beach holidays, family holidays, highland holidays, and foodie holidays.”

Meanwhile, Anna Hull, commercial director for Malaysia & Brunei, and Southeast Asia own brand director of Guardian, commented, “We are extremely excited to be working closely with Tourism Malaysia to help promote domestic tourism in Malaysia. As an expatriate myself, who has stayed in Malaysia for several years, I can vouch that Malaysia has some of the best holiday destinations in the world. There is something for everyone in Malaysia.”

She added, “And we would like all Malaysians to know that wherever you go in Malaysia, Guardian has your back, in terms of all your health and beauty essentials you require for your holidays.”

Hull also stated that it was also very meaningful that this campaign should run in the month of September when Malaysia Day is celebrated.

“It is indeed a good time to celebrate Malaysia Day and show our patriotism, by visiting all the wonderful places of interest that Malaysia has to offer during the holidays. Seek out the wonderful food and cuisine and perhaps at the same time, help the local economy. The more people travel in the country, the more they will spend and help the locals,” she concluded. 

Manila, Philippines – AirAsia Philippines has teamed up with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to bring local Filipino goods to passengers in-flight. This was done via DTI’s ‘Go Lokal!’ program.

Present during the signing of the agreement include AirAsia Philippines Ancillary Manager Pax Paloma; DTI Bureau of Domestic Trade Promotion Director Marievic Bonoan; AirAsia Philippines CEO Ricky Isla; and DTI Assistant Secretary Glenn Peñaranda.

Other homegrown brands available to guests flying with AirAsia Philippines include hand-made accessories from Tala by Kyla, handcrafted earrings and accessories from Boho Manila, Filipino-brand watches Ibarra Manila, and Team Manila Lifestyle apparel.

The partnership between AirAsia Philippines and DTI aims to proudly carry world-class Filipino talent and products throughout Asia and beyond. This also fulfills Capital A President and CEO Tony Fernandes‘ vow to promote Filipino brands all over ASEAN.

Steve Dailisan, country head for communications and public affairs and spokesperson at AirAsia Philippines, said, “AirAsia Philippines joins the government in showcasing proudly Filipino products. Now that all domestic destinations have recovered and returned to normalcy, our focus is now centered on helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and giving them a new platform for growth. We value their role in creating jobs and contributing to our economic development.”

Bangkok, Thailand – Online food and grocery delivery platform foodpanda and influencer hiring automation platform Tellscore have teamed up with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to bring Thai soft power to the world as part of the ‘Amazing Thailand’ campaign. 

The ‘Amazing Thailand’ campaign brings together three renowned influencers of different nationalities and aims to invite travelers to discover Thailand’s upcountry charm with new itineraries while satisfying their taste buds with local Thai food and giving them easy access to daily essentials through the delivery service offered by the foodpanda app. 

The campaign aims to reaffirm Thailand’s status as one of the world’s top destinations. The collaboration will power the ‘Amazing Thailand’ campaign with the “Soft Power Tourism” concept that highlights tourism experiences based on the 5Fs of Thai soft power: food, film, fashion, fight, and festival. These areas of focus are being promoted along with enhancements to the country’s offerings in wellness, ecological, and sustainable tourism. 

Moreover, fresh and engaging perspectives will be presented to underline Thailand as a top world destination, whereas collaboration will be expanded to more partners who can make an impact on international target audiences.

The ‘Amazing Thailand’ campaign activity, joined by foodpanda, was a cultural trip held in Chiang Rai. With TAT’s curated trip, the influencers were brought to experience the Thai way of life, including appreciation of Thai sculpture at the White Temple, a culinary experience in local cooking, rice and vegetable harvesting at Ahsa Farmstay, an excursion on the nature trail of Doi Pha Mee, and the opportunity to observe the lives of elephants kept in natural surroundings.

foodpanda and Tellscore engaged three famous influencers of three different cultures: loktitha, a foreign influencer captivated by the Thai way of life; egendd, a highly acclaimed Asian influencer; and peeweebkk, also known as “Pee Wee”, an influencer from Europe whose adoration for Thailand led to relocation to the country.

Foodpanda played a role in promoting Thailand’s local food by providing international influencers with an easy, quick, and convenient  way to enjoy local flavors from local restaurants through their delivery service. Furthermore, the delivery platform offers a way for the guests to satisfy their cravings from their home countries with its partner restaurants that serve international cuisine.

TAT’s collaboration with foodpanda and Tellscore in its ‘Amazing Thailand’ campaign will expectedly energize Thai tourism, placing it in the hearts and minds of travelers and resulting in greater income distribution to local communities.

Singapore – GrabAds, the advertising arm of regional super-app Grab, has teamed up with Japanese digital marketing solution provider Media Bank to bring its tourism campaign into Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. 

Designed for the Japan Tourism Agency (JTA), the campaign aims to create awareness for travellers in Southeast Asia to ‘Discover Another Side of Japan’, going beyond the traditional tourist spots.

The campaign will be featured in the Grab app and across the Grab fleet, using various online and offline touchpoints, including in-app ads, branded challenges, and fleet activation. The campaign will showcase another side of Japan, from scenic hiking trails to historical samurai districts. 

GrabAds enables advertisers to leverage Grab’s localised insights to reach potential Southeast Asian travellers through the Grab app. This allows brands to connect with consumers at every stage of their travel journey, making it an ideal platform for inspiring interest in popular destinations such as Japan. By tapping into Grab’s deep understanding of local culture and preferences, advertisers can deliver targeted and effective campaigns that resonate with their audience.

Ken Mandel, regional managing director and head of GrabAds and brand insights at Grab, said, “We are honoured that Mediabank chose to partner with GrabAds to connect with a new generation of Southeast Asian travellers in discovering new places and experiences beyond the typical tourist spots. Our latest GrabAds travel data indicates a 1.84x increase in international travel plans this year, with 72% of Grab users planning to travel abroad. Grab users love to travel, and Japan has consistently been named their top international destination.”

He added, “There’s tremendous potential for travel and tourism brands to tap on Grab’s hyperlocal insights in Southeast Asia and create targeted campaigns for a ready-to-travel audience using the Grab app as they eat, commute, and pay. The combination of insights and a strong ecosystem on Grab provides brands with a platform for meaningful reach to build awareness and consideration.”

Meanwhile, Patrick Ngan, director of Media Bank, Inc., said, “Southeast Asia represents a vital market for Japan. We are truly inspired by the robust demand from travellers in this region, which is further reinforced by GrabAds’ insights proving that Japan is the region’s top travel destination. We are confident that leveraging Grab’s hyperlocal insights and their profound grasp of the Southeast Asian market will provide us with the most effective way to encourage potential travellers to discover another side of Japan in creative yet meaningful ways throughout the year.”

Hong Kong – ‘Design District Hong Kong’ (#ddHK), a creative tourism project organised by the Tourism Commission of Hong Kong, will make its return in mid-August 2023. 

Curated by Way of Difference, this year’s event seeks to engage international and local creative units to liven up Hong Kong with their creativity and artistry, revamping a local neighbourhood and bringing new travel experiences to tourists and locals alike.

Under the theme ‘Vivid Tsuen Wan’, this year’s #ddHK will lead visitors to explore Tsuen Wan, a newly emerging destination in Hong Kong with multi-faceted characters evolved in an organic manner.  

Continuing its mission to create new travel experiences through design and creativity, #ddHK will bring together seven internationally and locally renowned creative units to tailor-make unique and colourful time-limited public art installations for Tsuen Wan. 

The participating creative units will be including creative art duo Craig & Karl (USA and UK), painter and illustrator Andy Rementer (USA), textile designer Masaru Suzuki (Japan), painter and sculptor Kila Cheung (Hong Kong), graphic designer Katol Lo (Hong Kong), installation design unit KaCaMa (Hong Kong) and ecological art and design unit Seika Studio (Hong Kong).

The art installations provided by the #ddHK artists aim to introduce the local characteristics of Tsuen Wan through innovations, to attract visitors to venture and experience the diversity and uniqueness of the neighbourhood. Various activities will also be organised through cross-sector collaboration, ranging from free themed tours, live performances to art and cultural workshops, and more.

Manila, Philippines – The Department of Tourism (DOT) has recently announced a new tourism slogan ‘Love the Philippines’, which was met with mixed reactions from the general Filipino community. The slogan, which replaces the old ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’ tagline, was conceptualised by the creative agency DDB Group Philippines, replacing long-time creative agency partner BBDO Guerrero.

Many netizens have pointed out that the new slogan is less appealing, compared to the old tourism slogan, conceptualised by BBDO Guerrero back in 2012.

To learn more about how social media and the rest of the online community reacted to the announcement, MARKETECH APAC‘s deep-dive series Inner State has tapped social insights and analytics solutions provider Meltwater and social media monitoring company Digimind to learn more about the numbers and insights regarding the DOT tourism slogan revamp.

Positive Sentiment, Yet Driven by Influencer Reach

Meltwater noted in its data that social media mentions of the hashtag #lovethephilippines were mentioned over 26.2k times in total from June 26 to June 30. Twitter led the discussion with over 23.2k mentions, followed by Facebook (2.14k mentions), news (356 mentions), Reddit (273 mentions), and Instagram (111 mentions).

Despite the mixed reactions from the general public, Meltwater’s media monitoring data notes that there was an overwhelmingly positive sentiment online, comprising 74.8% of all overall sentiments. Meanwhile, neutral sentiment comprised of 17.1% of overall sentiment, followed by negative sentiment (4.8%) and not rated (3.4%) pertaining to content without definite context.

While sentiment on the DOT campaign was measured as being ‘positive’, Meltwater also pointed out that a large chunk of the positive sentiment across social media can be attributed to posts made by influencers and local personalities, including of current president Ferdinand “Bong-Bong” Marcos, Jr., actress Ruffa Gutierrez, as well as TV personalities Samantha Bernardo and Joj Agpangan.

For Weldon Fung, area director for client acquisition and expansion for SEA at Meltwater, with DOT pushing for the new slogan’s implementation through influencer messaging, it could be a case of brand recall by repetition and inundation, though lacking in any form of resonance initially.

“This might be a great case study on when not to fix something that’s not broken. The previous ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’ slogan was much loved by the public and really spoke to the hospitality and warmth of the nation, something that everyone could identify with domestically and internationally,” Fung told MARKETECH APAC.

He also added that the new DOT Philippines slogan fiasco could be also likened to the ‘Hello Hong Kong’ campaign.

“While it’s understandable for a new agency to give it a fresh new look, the current ‘Love The Philippines’ slogan has reminiscence of the ‘Hello Hong Kong’ campaign, which offers very little to go by as far as an emotional connection, to the point that some Filipinos online have said that it came off sounding desperate and needy. However, the long-term success of the new branding and slogan is still to be determined.”

Sentiment for Old Slogan Still Evident

Following the launch of the ‘Love The Philippines’ campaign, netizens were quick to draw comparisons with the older ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’ tagline.

This was evident from Digimind’s data, which saw that the old slogan almost had a share of voice (SOV) in the ongoing social media discussion on the ‘Love The Philippines’ tagline. It also noted that the old slogan picked up at least 19% of the mentions.

Discussions between the ‘Love The Philippines’ and ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’ are not far between, with only a ~700,000 reach difference between the two, in favour of the new tagline. 

According to Digimind, netizens appeared to contrast the old slogan against the new one, particularly airing their preference for the former as being the wittier take to attract tourism, while branding ‘love’ into the slogan was seen as being too strong and incongruous from how locals viewed the state of the country.

Considering the huge clamour for the old slogan, Jared Silitonga, marketing lead for Digimind, noted that the tourism department should have dug first into social media insights to check if a tourism campaign revamp was necessary.

“In order to effectively handle critics, it is absolutely essential to make use of social media listening to gather both positive and negative feedback. By doing so, it becomes possible to refine future communications and strike the appropriate tone that accurately reflects people’s current sentiments. With the help of social intelligence, brands and agencies can easily analyze public opinions and create consumer profiles, thereby providing PR and communication professionals with invaluable data that can inform their strategies from a multitude of different perspectives,” Silitonga told MARKETECH APAC.

How The Stock Footage Fiasco Contributed to Discussion

In the days that followed the campaign launch, DOT also came under fire for its video using stock footage from other countries. DDB Group Philippines, the agency behind the new campaign revamp, has apologised for the video released, saying that it was only intended to promote the slogan and no public funds were being used.

Digimind noted that while discussion on the campaign waned after a discussion peak on June 29, a spike in the discussion started from July 1 following the stock footage fiasco. The agency, and the phrases ‘footage of locations’ and ‘non-original’ popped up as some of the mostly-used words across the social media sentiments.

Meanwhile, Meltwater’s keywords also noted several phrases voiced out during the fiasco, such as phrases related to how many times the tourism slogan has changed, and how the concept was ‘lazy’ and ‘without substance’.

“In the media, sensational news can often turn what is believed initially to be a well-meaning concept into a potential crisis, especially as negative news is known to circulate quicker and form groupthink in the masses. While there is no foolproof process, like many public sectors, before launching a statement, the Philippines’ DOT will need to “read the room” and ensure that their messaging has gone through multiple assessment rounds with various stakeholders, including focus groups with locals,” Silitonga added.

Manila, Philippines – DDB Group Philippines, the agency of record for the Department of Tourism (DOT) Philippines, has apologised for the misuse of several stock footage assets as part of its promotional video for the recently unveiled ‘Love The Philippines‘ tourism campaign rebranding. This comes after several netizens have pointed out that several of the scenes on the ad were not based in the Philippines but rather from other countries.

In the days following the campaign launch, netizens took notice of how the video used stock footage that misrepresented various tourist spots in the country. They include a fisherman throwing a net which was actually stock footage of a Thai fisherman; the country’s Rice Terraces which was actually stock footage of a similar structure in Bali, Indonesia; and a dune racing footage which was actually shot in Dubai.

In a statement, the agency said that they take full responsibility for this matter and that the video was only intended to excite their internal stakeholders regarding the new tourism campaign.

“While the use of stock footage in mood videos is standard practice in the industry, the use of foreign stock footage was an unfortunate oversight on our agency’s part. Proper screening and approval processes should have been strictly followed. The use of foreign stock footage in a campaign promoting the Philippines is highly inappropriate, and contradictory to the DOT’s objectives,” the agency said.

DDB Group Philippines has also stated that the video has been taken down across all channels, and will be working closely together with the DOT in investigating said matter. It also noted that succeeding ad campaigns for the new tourism slogan have yet to be produced.

It has also clarified that no public funds have been used to produce the video and that it was only made by the agency to pitch the slogan to the public. It also hopes that following the fiasco, it would not diminish the public’s reception regarding the campaign.

This was not the first time an agency has been caught under fire for various campaign fiascos alongside the Department of Tourism.

In 2010, DOT released a slogan named ‘Pilipinas Kay Ganda’ alongside agency Campaigns & Grey. However, many pointed out that the slogan’s artistic interpretation resembles Poland’s tourism slogan ‘Polska’. Then in 2017, DOT came under fire as well when it released a promotional campaign titled ‘Sights’ alongside creative agency McCann Worldgroup. Netizens then pointed out that the campaign’s storytelling resembles of South Africa’s tourism campaign back in 2014. As a result, DOT terminated its PHP650m contract with the agency.

UPDATE: As of this writing, the Department of Tourism has terminated its PHP50m contract with DDB Group Philippines following the stock footage misuse fiasco. DOT says that no payments have been made to the agency. This was made in a public statement by Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco.

“As DDB Philippines has publicly apologised, taken full responsibility, and admitted in no uncertain terms, that non-original materials were used in their AVP, reflecting an abject failure to comply with their obligation/s under the contract and a direct contravention with the DOT’s objectives for the enhanced tourism branding, the DOT hereby exercises its right to proceed with termination proceedings against its contract with DDB,” Frasco said.

Manila, Philippines – The Department of Tourism (DOT) has announced a new tourism slogan ‘Love the Philippines’, a departure from the country’s ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’ tagline that was conceptualised back in 2012.

The ‘Love the Philippines’ tagline was conceptualised alongside DDB Group Philippines. According to Marie Adriano, the agency’s brand and strategic planner, the word ‘love’ is the positive theme evident amongst travellers in the country.

https://youtu.be/wKmCscTJFcc

“While fun remains a positive theme and certainly part of the Pinoy DNA, there’s less volume of mentions. Coming from a culture shift, naturally, changes in the consumers follow. Who are they? We call them the ‘changed traveler’ for the very reason that travelling has come to mean more than just leisure,” Adriano told the Philippine News Agency.

Meanwhile, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco commented, “The campaign Love the Philippines is not a mere branding campaign, but rather a call to action to every Filipino citizen to remember the beauty of our country, to honour our past, and to look forward to the future armed with the virtues, (and) values of being a Filipino.”

The previous tagline ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines’ was conceptualised by BBDO Guerrero in 2012. It also renewed its partnership with DOT in 2021 alongside the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) to promote the country’s tourism amidst a new normal.

Australia – Tourism Tasmania, the tourism marketing firm of the Tasmanian Government in Australia, has unveiled ‘Discover Tasmania’ mobile application to let tourists customise and make their own travel experience unique when visiting Tasmania.

In collaboration with creative agencies Clemenger BBDO and Orchard, the application was made with features including real-time, location-specific notifications on insider tips and recommendations, itinerary builder, interactive maps, and other offline features which make it more convenient to use.

Clemenger BBDO led the app’s experience design, whilst Orchard helped in delivering a more connected and efficient digital experience for visitors.

Sarah Clark, CEO at Tourism Tasmania, said that they want the application to become the ultimate travel companion to help visitors explore the tourism offerings available throughout Tasmania.

Dani Bassil, CEO at Clemenger BBDO, added that this has been a truly collaborative project with the tourism marketing firm, and it’s rewarding to see that they made Discover Tasmania app possible.

Moreover, Wai Kwok, CEO at Orchard, added, “The Discover Tasmania App will help bridge the gap between digital connection and Tasmania’s products and experiences, delivering a seamless connected experience that Tasmanian travellers will remember.” 

Discover Tasmania mobile application is now available to download on the App Store.