Digest prepared by iMARS Communications.
The topic of tourism development in Saudi Arabia has received significant coverage, but the public is skeptical
An analysis by Talkwalker showed that a campaign to promote Saudi Arabia as a travel destination through social media stars could reach over 880 million people. However, comments under some of the most popular posts underline the problem the Kingdom is facing in trying to change its reputation.
Tourism PR experts said using authoritative opinions to improve an ultra-conservative reputation is a smart way to get around traditional media and attract young travelers so they can see the country themselves. A Talkwalker analysis showed that in the last month, the campaign at least provides “potential reach . ”
The hashtag #WelcomeToArabia was mentioned more than 43,000 times, and the engagement rate exceeded the number of 124,000 profiles on social networks.
Here are five of the best Talkwalker materials:
1. Mo Vlogs (engagement: 20,000; potential reach: 460,000)
Twenty-year-old Dubai vlogger with over 8 million followers on YouTube created a video capturing ancient sites in Saudi Arabia. Today it has been watched more than 500 thousand times.
2. Reema Bandar Al-Saud (6000 involvement; potential reach: 287000)
Reema is the Saudi ambassador to the United States and shared a short video on Twitter.
3. Fdeet_alnssr (engagement: 5700; potential reach: 784,400 )
This video tweet shows that Saudi Arabia is not only tents and camels, but also a country rich in cultural and historical values, which is now open to the world.
4. Visit Saudi (involvement: 4000; potential reach: 8200)
A tweet from Saudi Arabia’s official tourist account @VisitSaudiNow reveals that Saudi Arabia is no longer just a place for religious tourism during the holiday season.
5. Saudi Press Agency (2,800 engagement; 4.4 million potential gains)
The Saudi Press Agency publishes the latest news that Saudi Arabia is now open to tourists from all over the world thanks to new tourist e-visas.
A key role in a large-scale marketing campaign to promote the country's tourism potential in the international market is played by several factors: direct advertising, review posts on social networks, as well as some general background, which is formed from “unprofessional” publications in social networks, remarks on tourist forums and them similar resources. Today we observe that, despite all efforts to promote the travel brand, there are skeptical people. This is not surprising, since previously Saudi Arabia was one of the most “closed” countries in the world, accessible for visiting only by businessmen, pilgrims or as part of private visits.
The following messages show the problem the country is facing when trying to change its image:
Halloween-PR: Millennials admit that they buy things only for posts on social networks
In connection with the imminent Halloween approach, CompareCards.com (USA) conducted a consumer survey on spending on holidays. Respondents also talk about how much they spend on Halloween compared to other holidays .
48% of millennials admit that they buy clothes, accessories and other attributes of the holiday, only to take a photo and publish it on social networks. 37% Gen Z and 30% Gen X do the same. Oddly enough, far more men than women admitted that their Halloween expenses were due to social networks.
How Japan Airlines advertising campaigns soared after changing their programming strategy
Japan Airlines (JAL) worked with Adobe on the Demand Side Platform (DSP, an automated purchasing system) to change the way advertising campaigns are conducted . Earlier, JAL had three separate advertising agencies that conducted separate campaigns in different audiences, which meant that people got scattered experience, and because of this, the airline overpaid.
“We needed one platform to ensure the full transparency of our advertising campaigns. With Adobe, we were able to clearly identify the key channels, ads, and ads that contributed to our success. Thanks to greater data transparency, we were able to make informed decisions with our partners to optimize our campaigns, ”said Jonathan Wang, Director of Global Marketing, Media and Social Networks, JAL.Currently, the three agencies use one tool to coordinate JAL campaigns and manage duplication of audiences, which leads to better customer service, lower costs and higher profits. The airline will hope that this is enough to fulfill its dreams of providing greater personalization and attracting new customers.