BUCKINGHAM

BRANDING

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BUCKINGHAM BRANDING

WE ARE A FULL SERVICE COMMUNICATIONS AND

MARKETING SOLUTIONS AGENCY OUT OF
MADISON, WISCONSIN COMMITTED TO
QUALITY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
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56

SITUATION ANALYSIS
BRAND ANALYSIS
CAMPAIGN STRATEGY
PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN
MEDIA PLAN
CREATIVE PLAN
APPENDIX

SPENCER ECKSTEIN ACCOUNT DIRECTOR

REBECCA MILLER RESEARCH DIRECTOR
JAKE BUJNOWSKI MEDIA DIRECTOR
JARED BORISLOW PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR
ABBEY SCHNEIDER CREATIVE DIRECTOR
MEKEA LARSON COPY EDITOR

SITUATION ANALYSIS
COMPANY ANALYSIS
In the 1960s Mexico was not ranked among
the top tourist destinations. Starting in the
mid-1990s tourism started to boom, with
20 million tourists visiting Mexico annually.
Mexico did not rise quickly to the top of the
tourism industry. It has taken time for the
Mexican government to understand how to
promote and increase tourism. In 1927, the
Mexican government built the Highway
of the Sun linking Mexico City with the
latest seaside resort, Acapulco [1]. This was
intended to drive tourism towards the Pacific
coast. After World War II, Mexico slowly
grew as an international tourism destination.
Since Europe was impaired during the war,
Mexico became a substitute vacation spot for
affluent people [1].
The first tourism resorts in Mexico changed
the countrys economic foundation as
increased tourism led to income growth.
In the 1970s many places in Mexico were
under pressure because of the unplanned
and uncontrolled development [1]. The
government stepped in to regulate the
development before it became completely
unmanageable.

SITUATION ANALYSIS

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The Mexican government created PRONAF

(English: National Border Program) in 1961.
They worked to make the border towns more
attractive tourist destinations. [1]. This caused
the Bank of Mexico to create INFRATUR
(English: National Fund for Promoting
Tourism Infrastructure), a study that called
for new resorts and intensive international
marketing strategies [1].
PRONAF and INFRATUR led to a new
government agency, FONATUR (English:
National Fund for the Development of
Tourism), which developed and managed the
resorts ensure that they would be successful
tourism destinations. Five main tourism
territories were created: Cancun, Ixtapa, Los
Cabos, Huatulco Bay, and Loreto [1]. In the
1980s the Mayan Route was built to be a
scenic area for international tourists.
In the mid-2000s, Carnival and Royal
Caribbean cruises helped fund the
construction of a deep sea dock that could
dock up to four cruise ships at the same
time. The dock was destroyed in a hurricane
[1]. The government is currently working
alongside the Mexico Tourism Board to
improve this and other aspects of tourism in
Mexico.

The Mexico Tourism Board was created in

1999 to promote tourism in Mexico in the
international arena. Using federal, state
and local governments along with private
companies, the Mexico Tourism Board
endorses attractions and travel destinations
in Mexico. The Mexico Tourism Board
competitively markets on the domestic and
international levels in order to become a
leading corporation in the tourism industry
through stakeholder involvement [2]. Eight
offices for the Mexico Tourism Board exist in
the United States allowing for relationships
between the Mexico Tourism Board and
private companies such as wholesalers,
travel agents, airlines and hotel chains that
are important in serving Mexico tourism
[3]. Recently, issues of drug trafficking have
driven tourism away from Mexico, threatening
its position as one of the top tourism
destinations worldwide.
The most recent campaign, Live It to Believe
It (2013), has received a large amount of
media attention [4]. The campaign focuses
on Mexicos beauty and natural attractions.
The campaign seeks to connect these
attractive images with the idea of traveling to
Mexico in the mind of the consumer.

GLOBAL INDUSTRY TOURISM TRENDS

Tourism is an important part of the worlds
economy. Changes are constantly being
made to enhance and update the tourism
industry. The increased use of technology,
increased use social media channels,
introduction of non-traditional demographic
groups and new business models and are all
emerging trends in the tourism industry [1].
In 2013, reports projected that the global
economy would to grow 3.1% [2]. Increased
demand from new emerging tourism
markets are expected to be important
between 2012-2017 in continuing global
tourist arrivals and inbound spending [3].
The use of online travel agencies is
becoming more important as technology
and mobile travel bookings are becoming
a global trend. Online sale shares reached
double digits in 2012. In 2012, online travel
sales grew by 8.4% globally, reaching $524
billion and 25% of the total global travel
and tourism value sales [5].

Mobile devices are a new revolution for the

tourism industry, allowing a new channel for
reservations and customer communications.
This technology creates a path for a better
relationship between the customer and the
travel industry. In addition, trends show that
the tourism industry as a whole is moving
towards an increasingly technology-based
platform. By 2017, the mobile channel
is projected to account for over 30% of
online travel value sales. In order to keep
up within the industry, travel competitors
will need to implement mobile concierge
services [7].
New demographic groups are creating new
target markets for tourism. An example of
this is PANKs that stands for Professional
Aunt, No Kids. These women have close
relationships with children who they are
related to or the children of friends [8]. This
group of women spends about $9 billion
annually on children. Travel is one way to
strengthen such close relationships that
fall outside of the traditional nuclear family
structure. [9].

Businesses are implementing new models

that both accommodate and embody these
emerging trends.
The growth of tourism is vital to the
economy must be supported by businesses
in order to continue said growth.
MEXICO INDUSTRY TRENDS
The tourism industry is currently the third
largest monetary contributor in Mexico and
it continues to increase. The United States
remains Mexicos most prominent market
for outbound tourism. The constant drive
of tourism to Mexico means that major
hotel chains are growing. Arrivals from
other countries to Mexico are expected to
grow 2.1% in 2014 and reach 2.7% by 2015.
Arrivals from North America are expected
to grow by 1.5% in 2014 and 2015 [1].
Growth in hotels is expected to be on the
rise from an estimated 18,050 in 2013 to an
anticipated 19,890 by 2018. Overnight stays
are expected to grow from an estimated
52.9 mn in 2013 to an expected 57.7mn in
2018 [2].

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SITUATION ANALYSIS

[MEXICOS]
PROXIMITY MAKES
IT EASY TO ACCESS
FROM ALMOST
ANYWHERE IN THE
UNITED STATES.
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
The Bahamas and Jamaica are considered to be
Mexicos top competitors in the tourism market.
Jamaica is positioned within the industry as a
romantic travel destination. It focuses on the
beauty of its tropical setting and its active and
relaxing features, rather than its cultural offerings.
The Bahamas position is based on the activities
unique to each unique location within the
islands, positioning it as a culturally rich vacation
destination. It focuses on beaches, history and
architecture and encourages visitors to enjoy the
culture and land. It does not market itself as a
romantic location. Mexicos biggest competitive
advantage is that it is less expensive and close
by, making it easier to travel to. It is inexpensive
for American tourists to travel to Mexico and its
proximity makes it easy to access from almost
anywhere in the United States. Mexicos biggest
disadvantage is that both the Bahamas and
Jamaica are considered safe travel destinations.
Mexico is seen as dangerous, a perception
encouraged by the recent travel warnings issued
by the United States Government. The warnings
pertain to increased danger of safety and security
because of violent organized criminal groups [24].

SITUATION ANALYSIS

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RACE

TYPE OF VACATION

VACATION PRICE
7+ NIGHTS IN A
HOTEL
REGION TRAVELERS
COME FROM
WHAT THEY OFFER

AIRPORTS/
POPULAR AIRLINES

JAMAICA

MEXICO

30-49, 55-59

35-54, 70-74

30-34, 40-44, 50-54

White, African American

White, African American

White

[7] Cruise, Wedding,

Family Getaway,
Romantic Getaway

[10] Honeymoon, Wedding, Adventure

[13] Adventure, Wedding, Heritage, Family, Honeymoon

[1] $1000-$1300 per

person

[3] $1,500-$2,000 per

person

[5] $1,200-$2,000 per

person

South

South

Mostly from the West

and South

[6] Beaches, Boating,

Diving, Ecotourism, Fishing,
Honeymoon, Pampering,
Private Flying

[9] Adventures, Beaches,

Golf, Tours, Shopping, Nightlife

[13] Golfing, Nature

Hikes, History Tours, Mayan
World, Beaches, Tennis

[14] Has an Airport on all

29 Islands, Delta, American
Airlines, US Airways

[16] Airports in Montego

Bay (most popular) & Kingston, Delta, American Airlines,
US Airways

[18] 50+ different national/

international airports, American,
United, Delta Aeromexico, US
Airways, Alaska Airlines, Inter-

COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS

AGE

BAHAMAS

jet & Southwest

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SITUATION ANALYSIS

AGE

EDUCATION
RACE

RELATIONSHIP
STATUS
OCCUPATION

INCOME

CHILDREN
1

REGION

SECONDARY
CONSUMERS

The New Neighbors

The Griswolds

Dick and Donna

40-44

50-54

College degree or
higher

College Degree or
higher

White

White

30-34

College degree or
higher

White

Married

Married

Building and Ground

Maintenance

Management/Business and Financial

Operations, Professional/Technical, Protective Services/Food Preparation

$150,000-$249,000

$100,000-$149,000

No children

$100,000-$149,000
2 or 3 children, ages
3-5, 10-11, 13-17

Midwest, West and

South: Chicago, Dallas,
Houston, Los Angeles, Miami,
San Francisco

West and South:

Houston

Married or not married

Management Positions in Business

and Financial Operations, Office & Administrative Support, Professional or Technical
Operations, Building and Ground Maintenance or Construction Occupations

$100,000-$149,000

$100,000-$149,000
2 children or no
children

West and South:

San Antonio

CONSUMER ANALYSIS

CONSUMER NAME

TERTIARY
CONSUMERS

PRIMARY
CONSUMERS

WHY THESE TARGETS?

THE NEW NEIGHBORS
The New Neighbors are our primary
consumers. The industry trends
are moving towards technologybased tools and these consumers
will be the best to adapt to these
trends. They do not have children
suggesting that they may be able to
vacation during off-peak times of
the year where they can get better
vacation deals. In addition, their
willingness to go to different places
each time they travel allows us to
market a wide variety of different
places within Mexico. The target
Mexico traveler typically has a steady
job with sufficient income to both
support their household and to set
aside small amounts for family use.
These households are most likely
looking for a vacation spot that is
nice but not overly expensive.

THE GRISWOLDS

DICK AND DONNA

The Griswolds are our secondary

consumers. This age group shops
at sports stores more than the
average consumer, which suggests
that they exercising more than other
consumers and are more active than
other consumers. This means the
Mexico Tourism Board can market
adventure and outdoor experience
trips in Mexico to this consumer
group. Their children are more likely
to be older teenagers meaning their
parents may also be looking to take
a trip alone or have more activity
driven vacations if the teenagers
come along. They have an income
that allows them to vacation.

The 50-54 year old consumers make

up our tertiary consumer group. This
group of people is likely to have free
time to spend however they would
like. According to their personality
psycho graphics these consumers
feel an average or far above average
amount of social isolation and life
dissatisfaction. This means they may
be in the market to take a vacation.
They also have an income that allows
them to vacation.

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SITUATION ANALYSIS

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THE NEW NEIGHBORS

CONSUMER BEHAVIORS

CONSUMER ATTITUDES

According to Simmons, these consumers

appreciate shopping at some higher-end
stores such as Banana Republic, New York and
Company and Gap. This implies they have a
somewhat higher income to spend on luxury
items. They are likely to shop at places like
Winn-Dixie and Super Target. However, theyre
also willing to shop at Whole Foods. This
research tells us The New Neighbors:
Are smart shoppers who are money conscious
Know where to spend and where to save
Like to save money on everyday products
Look for high-value products

More than anything The New Neighbors are

the most likely to spend money on travel to
Mexico and in Mexico. With its proximity and
wide variety of activities it is highvalue vacation destination.

According to Simmons research, consumers

ages 30-34 try to vacation somewhere different
every time. They travel inside the United States
to places like California, Florida, Nevada, New
York, Texas, and outside the United States to
Mexico and other Western Hemisphere and
South American countries. This suggests that
our campaign should work on creating loyalty
with these consumers to keep them coming
back. It also means we should differentiate
and brand locations within Mexico to show
the variety of vacation spots. Throughout our
research we found that the New Neighbors:
Love the idea of traveling abroad
Are driven in the workforce
Vacation to remove themselves from

stress of their jobs

the

THE NEW NEIGHBORS ARE THE MOST LIKELY

TO SPEND MONEY ON TRAVEL TO MEXICO,
BECAUSE IT IS A HIGH-VALUE
VACATION DESTINATION.

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SITUATION ANALYSIS

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THE GRISWOLDS
CONSUMER BEHAVIORS

CONSUMER ATTITUDES

According to Simmons, these consumers are likely

to shop at sports stores such as Modells Sporting
Goods, Sports Authority and Dicks Sporting
Goods. They also shop places like Bath and Body
Works and Payless. Their purchasing decisions
often revolve around their children, as they are
more likely to spend money at places like
Build-A-Bear, Justice or GameStop. From all of
this we can conclude that The Griswolds:

According to Simmons, The Griswolds (similar to

The New Neighbors) seek to travel abroad. They
do not necessarily prefer to travel in the United States
as opposed to foreign countries. They are centered
around their family. Throughout our research we found
that The Griswolds:

Are an active group of consumers

Are inclined to active recreation
Respond well to deals
Base their purchasing decisions on

Are looking for a family friendly vacation

Want to go on vacations that offer many activities and

safe adventures

their children

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SITUATION ANALYSIS

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DICK AND DONNA

CONSUMER BEHAVIORS

CONSUMER ATTITUDES

According to Simmons research, these

consumers like to shop at inexpensive chain
and department stores such as Bon-Ton,
Christopher & Banks, Dress Barn and Fashion
Bug. They are looking for a good bargain.
These are mostly womens stores suggesting
that women are the main purchasers in this
consumer category. They are willing to spend
money for more luxurious items, such as
expensive cars like Mercedes Benz or Jeeps,
that dont necessarily cater towards children.
This suggests that these consumers have older
children who are no longer involved in personal
purchasing decisions. From all of this we can
conclude that Dick and Donna:

According to Simmons, these consumers

try to go somewhere different for vacation
every time. These people are more family
oriented and below average work oriented.
They may go on family vacations with their
older children. These consumers have far
below average dominance and authority.
Throughout our research we found that
Dick and Donna:
May go on family vacations with their
children and be more conscious about a
safe destination
May seek advice from travel agencies,
family and friends

Are influenced by others in their social groups

rather than their children
Are smart shoppers that spend on certain
products and save on others
Seek a vacation spot different from their daily
life

KEY INSIGHTS ABOUT TARGET CONSUMERS

1. Consumers are value driven when it comes to purchasing
2. Consumers are smart shoppers who look for quality products and good deals
3. Consumers express that they want to relax at the beach or spa, do activities such as
participating in water sports or hiking and camping and have a cultural experience on vacation.

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SITUATION ANALYSIS

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BRAND ANALYSIS

MEXICOS CURRENT POSITION

According to our research, Mexicos biggest
competitors are Jamaica and the Bahamas. Mexico is
currently positioned between these two competitors.
Jamaica is positioned as a romantic travel destination.
It focuses on the beauty of its tropical setting and its
active and relaxing features, rather than its cultural
offerings.
The Bahamas position is based largely on the
activities unique to each location. It is positioned as
a culturally rich vacation destination. It focuses on
beaches, history, and architecture and encourages
visitors to enjoy the culture and land. It does not
market itself as a romantic location. Consumers
would view it as a safe option as there are no travel
warnings.
We will differentiate Mexico from the competition by
branding it as the most valuable travel option. Our
target markets are smart shoppers who appreciate
the qualities that Mexico has to offer. We want to
maintain Mexicos current position and move it
slightly in the direction that the Bahamas are going.
We also want to:
Emphasize that Mexico offers a wide variety of
travel options at a good price, in comparison to its
more expensive competitors.
Focus on Mexicos culture and active outlets similar
to the Bahamas, rather than on the romantic options
as Jamaica does.
The Live it to Believe it campaign adds elements of
mystery and discovery to Mexicos brand personality.
We want Mexicos brand personality to be more
upbeat and straightforward rather than majestic and
mysterious. In light of the current safety concerns
surrounding the brand, the Mexico Tourism Board
should focus on making people believe in Mexico
before they ask them to live it.

MEXICO OFFERS A WIDE

VARIETY OF TRAVEL OPTIONS
AT A GOOD PRICE,
IN COMPARISON TO ITS MORE
EXPENSIVE
COMPETITORS.

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BRAND ANALYSIS

15

BRAND ANALYSIS
Mexicos current Live it to Believe it campaign has received a large
amount of media attention. In 2013, Mexico launched a new highly
visual marketing campaign to bring more tourists into the country.
The Mexico, Live it to Believe it campaign aimed to show Mexico
as modern, sophisticated and diverse [1]. It appears that this new
strategy has been somewhat successful:
Mexicos tourism industry is rebounding [2].
Mexico has earned $7 billion from tourism in the first five months
of 2014, a significant increase from previous years [3].
NBC News reported that there was an increase of almost 20% in
foreign travelers [4].
Mexico is expected to invest 13.8 billion dollars in tourism over the
course of the next five years [5].
In addition, according to Virtuoso CEO Matthew Upchurch:
Mexico is at the top of the luxury charts for the coming 2015
tourism season.
54% of US international travel is to Mexico and Canada, an
increase of 15%. [6]
Mexico has a large amount of brand loyalty. Some reasons people
are returning to travel to Mexico include:
It is convenient (close and cost efficient)
In general they receive warm and welcoming service
They want to disconnect and get away
Two of the biggest obstacles that have negatively impacted tourism
are:
Negative perceptions regarding security/safety [7]
Lack of direct flights
Stories of drug cartels and violence in the media have severely
damaged Mexicos brand and have created a misleading brand
narrative that damages Mexicos tourism industry, threatens foreign
investment, and reduces its relationship with the U.S into a security
arrangement[8]. Moreover, A positive country reputation is
essential for building a good nation brand, which can influence the
publics intention to purchase a countrys products or travel to that
country [9].

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BRAND ANALYSIS

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BRAND ANALYSIS

17

CAMPAIGN STRATEGY
Just over the border there is an exotic
world awaiting the American tourist...
We want to showcase the value of a
Mexican getaway. Our ultimate business
objectives are to:
Increase the amount of direct flights to
Mexico.
Safeguard Mexicos most lucrative tourist
areas by individually branding popular and
profitable tourist destinations.
Maintain the upward trend within the
Mexican tourism industry. We want to see
at least another $7 billion during the first
half of 2015.
Mexicos biggest competitive advantage is:
It is less expensive to travel to from
the United States than other similar
destinations.
Therefore, Mexicos unique selling position,
relative to our target markets is:
It is the most proximate and therefore
valuable travel option.
Mexico is cheaper for American tourists
due to its proximity and therein lies its
value. However, we will be clear that
although Mexico may be less expensive, it
is of the same quality as our competition.
When people go on vacation they want to
feel confident that they are going to enjoy

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CAMPAIGN STRATEGY

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the time they spend at their destination.

Our target markets appreciate valuedriven products and we believe they will
also appreciate a value-driven vacation.
Moreover, they appear to appreciate
quality, variety and good deals. Mexico is
diverse and offers a large swath of options
to tourists. Its diversity will allow us to
market towards those who have already
vacationed to Mexico but enjoy trying
new vacation destinations. We want to
emphasize that Mexico has a lot more
to offer beyond the beach, but we must
assure our targets that the Mexico Tourism
Board will guide them to a safe vacation.
We will generate as much positive content
as possible, but just to be safe we strongly
believe Mexico must find a way to protect
its greatest assets. We have selected 7 of
the most lucrative tourist destinations in
Mexico that we want to brand away from
Mexico as a whole. By doing this we are
indirectly addressing safety concerns and
we will safeguard Mexicos most profitable
destinations from the negative press
associated with Mexico as a whole. The
Destinations we have selected include:
Cancun
Riviera Maya
Puerto Vallarta
Matzlan
Cozumel
Los Cabos
Tulum
Each of these destinations has something
different to offer that our target markets
will appreciate. Cancun and Riviera

Maya are more beautiful and relaxing

destinations and are known for their
beaches. Puerto Vallarta offers tourists
the opportunity to play sports and to
be active. Matzlan offers history, culture,
and sophistication. Cozumel is known
for a wide range of aquatic activities and
archaeological adventures. Los Cabos
offers a unique climate, sport fishing, and
golf. All of these activities are exactly what
are target markets want to do while on
vacation. The goal is to show consumers
that Mexico has many safe, attractive
options that are not included in the
travel warnings that concern 14 of the 31
Mexican states.
As of 2013, all seven of these destinations
were within the top 10 most popular
tourist destinations within Mexico. We will
turn these destinations into sub-brands
of Mexico to combat the safety warnings
that our target markets are aware of. We
believe this will have a mild immediate
impact on perceptions of safety, and we
have a developed an impressive PR Plan to
deal with the here and now. People trust
other people when it comes to travel. It
may take awhile for our target markets to
really attach to one of our seven heavens,
but once they do these sub-brands will
have a lasting impact on Mexico tourism
overall.

BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS TARGETS:
AIRLINES
By pairing with airlines we want to create
direct flights from regions that target markets
are from (South, South East, etc.) Ultimately
creating more direct flights to Mexico will
bring in more American tourists overall.
Four airlines stand out as leaders in
facilitating travel to Mexico:
AEROMEXICO
Aeromexico provides flights to and from
every major U.S. city and every major
Mexican city, as well as service to many
regional airports in both countries.
Pairing with a Mexican company with such a
high volume of American passengers creates
a unique tie between the Mexico and the
American travel sector.
AMERICAN AIRLINES
American Airlines offers services between
27 Mexican cities and many major and minor
metropolitan areas in the United States

DELTA
Delta offers services between 53
Mexican cities and many major and minor
metropolitan areas in the United States
Delta has major hubs at Hartsfield-Jackson
in Atlanta and LAX, the metropolitan areas
our campaign is targeting.
UNITED AIRLINES
United Airlines offers service to 71
Mexican cities and many major and minor
metropolitan areas in the United States
United Airlines has major hubs in
Houston and OHare in Chicago, which are
metropolitan areas our campaign is targeting.
We are confident our business-to-business
plan will facilitate increased tourism to
Mexico and our strategy will clearly define
Mexicos position relative to the competition.
Moreover, our creative and public relations
campaigns will resonate with our target
markets, and allow us to create seven subbrands to ensure the prosperity of Mexicos
tourism industry over time.

American Airlines has major hubs in Dallas/

Ft. Worth, LAX in Los Angeles, which are
metropolitan areas our campaign is targeting.

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CAMPAIGN STRATEGY

19

Overall, we will maintain Mexicos current branding strategy of being

Modern, sophisticated, and diverse but we want these adjectives to
be clear and consistent throughout our campaign. In addition we want
consumers to see Mexico as...

DARING

EXCITING
TRENDY

COOL

SPIRITED

YOUNG

UNIQUE

INDEPENDENT
IMAGINATIVE
CONTEMPORARY

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CAMPAIGN STRATEGY

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MEDIA PLAN
The Mexico media plan will focus on
preemptive advertising that surrounds
the consumer by utilizing a variety
of media placement options. There
will be two regional plans to separate
markets and ad timing. This is because
the regional advertising campaigns
will market differently based on the
timing of the specific regions seasonal
vacation preferences.
TIMING
Preemptive advertising to capture
our targets as they plan vacations
during winter months, around the
holiday season, and the summer
months.
Advertising will be scattered
throughout October, November and
December, as target markets are
more likely to vacation as their local
temperatures get colder.
The New Neighbors market will
tend to vacation during downtime
rather than busy holiday seasons such
as Christmas and New Years as they do
not have children and do not have to

plan vacations based on school holiday

schedules.
For regions closer to Mexico, the
South and West, advertisements can be
peppered in as reminders that Mexico
is right next door waiting for them.

LOCATION
Advertisements will be grouped
together by region. Regional focus
will be placed primarily in the South,
West and Southeast, with a more
narrow focus on metropolitan areas like
Atlanta, San Francisco, Houston and
Chicago.

Mobile advertisements targeting

applications such as YouTube and
Facebook. Our target markets,
particularly The New Neighbors, use
mobile devices for web browsing and
video streaming more than average.
With mobile advertising, Mexico is
always in our target markets pocket.
Print ads in sports and health and
fitness magazines that all three markets
read
Outdoor advertisements such as bus
stops, billboards and bus wraps to
surround our markets on-the-go

ALLOCATION
The goal is to be wherever our target
market is, using the following media
mix:
Banner and interactive ads on travel,
movie reviews, news, weather and
sports websites that will reach all three
of our target markets
Strong emphasis on digital
advertising, catching target markets on
the websites they frequent.

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CAMPAIGN STRATEGY

21

CREATIVE BRIEF
The Mexico Tourism Board is
currently facing problems with travel
warnings issued for 14 of the 31
Mexican states.
The Mexico Tourism Boards website
is confusing and disorganized.
It provides information on many
options and opportunities for
tourists, but does not present them
in a clear way. In addition to the
website, Mexico Tourism Board does
not reward people who continually
travel to Mexico, missing out on the
opportunity to build a relationship
with the consumer.
In light of the travel warning threats,
Mexico Tourism Board needs to
build up the currently low levels of
consumer trust by addressing these
threats. At the moment, there are no
options or resources to clearly direct
tourists towards safe destinations.
In addition, Mexico Tourism Board
has done little to noticeably
manage the perception that Mexico
is dangerous. To solve this, our
strategy needs to make it easier
for consumers to find information
on safe travel and activities while
in Mexico and prove that it is an
accessible and proximate travel
destination.

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CAMPAIGN STRATEGY

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[MEXICO HAS] A
VARIETY
OF ACTIVITIES
FROM BEACHES TO
HISTORICAL
DESTINATIONS TO
MEET THE NEEDS
OF ALL
CONSUMERS
INCLUDING
FAMILIES WITH
CHILDREN.

The key words for the Mexican Tourism

Board detail that it is the exotic location
next door for the United States. It is easily
accessible while still being exotic and
exciting. It is not cheap, but rather has
great value, providing a wide variety of
activities at a great price. Mexico Tourism
Board needs to emphasize this image while
creating trust that our services will lead to
great experiences.
Our research has shown that the Mexico
consumer is value-driven in their purchases,
looking for high-quality products and good
deals. They show willingness to travel to a
wide variety of locations.
Mexico is able to meet these values as it
has:
Proximity, particularly to markets in the
West and South
High value with diverse activities at a
reasonable price
Diverse travel options that appeal to the
consumer who looks for variety over the
span of multiple vacations
A variety of activities from beaches to
historical destinations to meet the needs
of all consumers including families with
children
The target should care because they
should see the Mexico Tourism Board as
a trustworthy source during the vacation
planning process and beyond, creating a
relationship with the consumer that adds to
Mexicos value as a travel destination.

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CAMPAIGN STRATEGY

23

CREATIVE BRIEF

CURRENT TAGLINE

The target markets should feel:

Safe
Confident
Trusting
Excited
Empowered

The current tagline, Live it to Believe It, is cheesy

and clich. It is not necessarily or inherently a
positive slogan and allows for negative backlash.
There needs to be something that captures
the attention and has immediately positive
connotations.

They should feel that their vacation was of excellent

value and that Mexico is worth many more visits.
The targets should also feel supported by Mexico
Tourism Board and should view them as a partner.
They should feel that our service is responsive,
caring and supportive and that they put the
customers safety and enjoyment above all else.

ADVERTISING APPEAL
Based on the consumers, a two-part approach
should be used.
First, an emotional approach should be used to
promote adventure and experience and inspire
confidence. It should appeal to those who seek
new places and try new things. This in particular
would appeal to the New Neighbors and would
be an attention-grabbing introduction for the
campaign.
Second, a rational approach would be used
to promote the great value and easy access
Mexico offers. It would highlight the practical and
economic side of traveling to Mexico as well as
showing
the variety Mexico offers. This would be particularly
attractive to the Griswolds and Dick and Donna.

24

CAMPAIGN STRATEGY

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CURRENT COPY TONE/WEBSITE

The Mexico Tourism Board website currently uses
an embellished tone and is overly specific. The
type is small and crowded and does not hold the
attention of the modern consumer. Our target
audience may get bored or may not have time to
read through all of the information.

ART DIRECTION
The current ad-campaign focuses on the visual
appeal of Mexico.
As compared to competitors such as Jamaica and
the Bahamas, Mexico Tourism Boards webpage has
a lot of problems. The website:
Disorganized, dense and cluttered
Contains too many colors and fonts
Difficult to navigate
The webpage needs to have a more cohesive look
and brand across their social media, webpage and
advertising campaigns.

EXTERNAL

INTERNAL

HELPING TO ACHIEVING OBJECTIVE

HARMFUL TO ACHIEVING OBJECTIVE

STRENGTHS

WEAKNESSES

Government has sufficient funding to put

into the Mexico Tourism Board
Affordable vacation spot
Proximity to the United States

Clich advertising doesnt attract people to

vacation in Mexico
Do not address the travel warnings or high
crime rates anywhere in their advertising or
website

OPPORTUNITIES

THREATS

Warm climate and beaches make Mexico

a popular vacation destination
Use social media to help build and maintain long-term consumer relationships

Mexico travel warning from the United States

government on criminal groups participating in
drug trafficking
Hurricanes and extreme weather can damage
popular resorts and vacation spots
Competitors have the same beautiful beaches
and are perceived as much less dangerous

CONCLUSION
Moving forward, Mexico Tourism Board will focus on creating a bond of trust with The New
Neighbors, The Griswolds and Dick and Donna. We will encourage these targets to see the
high value of that traveling to Mexico, highlighting the qualities that make it an exciting, diverse
and proximate travel destination. This will be achieved through a mixed-media campaign as well
as through the support of related business such as airlines and cruise lines. In order to achieve this,
Mexico Tourism Board will create a campaign that reaches the target consumers as they search for
a vacation destination and will partner with them as they plan their trip, enjoy their stay and look
back on the vacation as something to do again soon.

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CAMPAIGN STRATEGY

25

[MEXICOS] CLOSE
PROXIMITY MAKES
IT EASY TO GET TO
FROM ANYWHERE IN
THE UNITED STATES.
PR/PROMOTIONS PLAN
Objectives:
Promote Mexico as a land of safety, variety, and cost
efficiency
Develop an engaging relationship with the media
Interact with current and potential consumers
Increase interest in and buzz about Mexico as a
travel destination

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PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN

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PUBLIC OPINION
Buckingham Branding understands that our targets are primarily
concerned with the issue of safety in Mexico. Mexicos reputation
as an unsafe destination is the main factor preventing it from
gaining a larger share of the North American tourism market. This
reputation is very negative and must be addressed head-on as it is
not unfounded. For example, between the years of 2007 and 2013,
over 10,000 people were murdered in the city of Juarez alone
Furthermore, the United States government has recently issued
travel warnings informing U.S. citizens that they should take extra
caution if they are planning to visit Mexico. While it is only specific
areas of Mexico that garner much of this negative attention, the
corresponding negative media attention is attributed to Mexico as
a whole. Due to this misattribution in the media, safety concerns
must be addressed through the public relations campaign.
We will address the issue of safety head-on by informing our
target consumers of the truth while simultaneously dispelling the
rumors surrounding safety in Mexico. In this manner, Buckingham
Branding will work towards rectifying Mexicos current supposed
shortcomings without drawing attention to them. This method
will foster well-informed target consumers with favorable ideas
of Mexico. We will manage this reputation via informative and
engaging infographics, webpages, and pamphlets.
In order to manage negative attention, the issue of safety will not
appear in advertisements and non-public relations-based media.
We want our consumers to hear about the positive aspects of
Mexico and the joy it can bring into their lives. If they seek more
information regarding their potential visit to Mexico that would
be supplemental to their vacation planning, our informative safety
media will be available and easily accessible. Easy accessibility
when sought out is incredibly important in our public relations
plan with regard to safety, as it allows our consumers to read
about Mexican safety as it relates specifically to their potential
Mexican adventure rather than from a source with less specialized
information.
Furthermore, our target consumers are conscious of their income
and desire maximum cost efficiency in their vacation purchases.
Mexicos proximity to the United States, as well as its attractive
vacation pricing, allow for less expensive travel and board options.
Our lower price is a competitive advantage and we will make it
known that not only will a Mexican vacation not make a dent in
your pocketbook, it will enrich your life. This fits into our World
Next Doorcampaign while creating a positive, value-driven brand
image.

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PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN

27

MEDIA RELATIONS STRATEGIES

The most important facet of our media relations strategy involves
putting ourselves in the shoes of the media as we write, plan and
organize our public relations tactics. Our public relations tactics
mean nothing if they do not reach the public via media.
Our primary method to encouraging media attention for events
and releases will be through the usage of campaigns that reveal
information for the first time to the media. Press conferences will
allow exclusive first-hand information to media outlets and allow
them to be at the forefront of the coverage. An example of one
such PR campaign will be our Seven Heavens campaign (see
Public Relations Tactics section).
All of our public relations events and releases will have a distinct,
prominent and easily identifiable mission, which we will call our
cover story. While its true that you cannot control the media, we
will present our releases and events to in a positive, exciting and
informative manner that will focus on our desired goal while still
addressing all questions.
Our contacts are journalists and reporters at various news outlets in
our target market areas of California, Texas, Atlanta, and Chicago,
as well as various travel bloggers. We have selected these more
specified media outlets as opposed to larger, national media
outlets as they will have more space to write feature stories. In
addition, their our target consumer makes up a large portion of

28

PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN

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their audience, providing major incentive for these media outlets

to provide information on our campaign. We will use advertising
along with public relations to ensure that Mexican tourism reaches
all audiences in our target market.
We have selected these outlets because they are highly specialized.
The viewership of local news outlets is almost exclusively locals
within our target markets. This allows for a high possibility of
resonance due to the direct geographic connection to the viewer.
We selected travel bloggers because they can cater to specific
communities rather than specific geographic locations. For
instance, an LGBT travel blogger will write about Mexican tourism
for a national LGBT audience, and a scuba diving travel blogger
will write for a scuba diving audience. This allows us to reach a
demographic that is interested in what we have to offer despite
living outside of our predominant target markets localities.
Some of our news contacts include Jody Schmal, travel blogger for
the Houston Chronicle, LGBT Travel Expert Andrew Collins, Travel
+ Leisure Magazine, and Ross Werland, travel editor at the Chicago
Tribune.

PUBLIC RELATIONS TACTICS

Buckingham Branding will utilize a number of different public
relations tactics and passageways in order to accomplish our
objectives. These include press releases and press conferences
paired with promotional activities.

SEVEN HEAVEN PR CAMPAIGN

Our overarching Seven Heavens PR campaign will be a combination of press releases and press conferences, with the
former serving as an announcement of the latter. We will utilize seven press releases to build hype for seven press conferences,
with each press conference announcing one of our seven featured destination locations in Mexico (Cancun, Riviera Maya, Puerto
Vallarta, Matzlan, Cozumel, Los Cabos, and Tulum). We will send these press releases out to the aforementioned media contacts.
The press releases will not only announce that there will beanother heaven revealed soon, but will also include a running
commentary about the exciting changes taking place via our Mexican tourism industry branding campaign. We will also create
buzz for these press conferences both outside of and within our target demographic media circles through our partnership with
GoPro. This is discussed more in-depth in our Promotional Activities section.
At these press conferences, we will explain what makes these specific destinations a vacation heaven as well as an exciting part
of the world next door, unifying our PR campaign and our advertising campaign. We will discuss key topics such as safety, cost,
weather and activities to give the media information to write a story out of the revamped image of the Mexican tourism industry.
We will place each of the seven press conferences in a different target market city to allow for maximum exposure in our select
desired market locations.
Through the Seven Heavens campaign, we intend to make newsworthy press out of our targeted Mexican vacation destinations by
promoting our value-oriented, adventure-and-variety-based position to the public.

TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE SHOW

The Travel & Adventure Show is a series of travel expos that describe themselves as the largest travel shows in the U.S [2].
The shows take place in seven United States cities every year, five of which (Dallas, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles,
and Chicago) take place in our target markets. The company boasts, over 4 million traveler decisions have been influenced
by the Travel & Adventure shows in the past 11 years.

22

Research compiled by the Travel & Adventure show shows that 63% of attendees are married or in a committed relationship, 85%
hold a college degree, and 85% of consumers are age 35 and up [3]. In addition 91% of attendees are passport holders, 75% are
interested in international travel, and 86% of attendees booked one or more trips based on meeting an exhibitor at the show [4].
With the majority of attendees falling into categories common to all three of our target demographics, a large presence at these five
travel expos will greatly increase visibility both in our target markets and among our target demographics. We will utilize as much
exhibition space as is possible and work on promoting Mexican tourism to Travel & Adventure Show attendees with an emphasis on
value, adventure and variety.

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PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN

29

PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITIES
LATIN NIGHTS SPORTS MARKETING CAMPAIGN

Simmons data has shown that our target demographics are heavily consumers of spectator sports, an activity also enjoyed by
many other non-targeted members of the general public. For this reason, we will partner with the NBA teams in our target markets
that put on Latin Nights. Currently, the Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, and San Antonio Spurs all participate in the Latin
Nights series, games dedicated to celebrating basketballs growing Latino fanbase. These nights are Latin American themed and
include the participating teams wearing jerseys on which their team name is in Spanish.
Our partnership with these teams will include in-game contests and giveaways where winners will win an all-expenses-paid
Mexican vacation to one of our Seven Heavens. We will also have giveaways of apparel and accessories with our logo on
them. Information tables at Latin Nights games will supplement these incentives, where representatives will pitch the value
and adventure of a Mexican getaway to interested game attendees. These events will function as an engaging advertisement
for Mexican tourism to members of our target demographic and market, as well as creating the idea of a Mexican vacation
as a desirable prize amongst all attendees. All in-game and information table marketing materials will match our creative
advertisement materials in order to increase resonance with game attendees.

DOS EQUIS PARTNERSHIP

We will partner with Mexican beer brand Dos Equis and their Most Interesting Man campaign to make a promotion called The
Most Interesting Land. After the success of Dos Equis ad campaign and the brand recognition that brought the company, we want
to use their status as a prominent Mexican figure in advertising to our advantage. This promotion will include Mexican vacation
giveaways as well as digital shorts parodying Dos Equis famous commercials that are pushed through Dos Equis advertisement
channels. We will also design and create Mexico-themed light-up bar displays for Dos Equis to give to bars in our target markets
that are popular with our target demographics. These displays will be given out for free as a wall decoration to these bars. This
campaign fits directly into our campaign strategy as it emphasizes Mexico as an incredibly interesting and exotic location.

2 2
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PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN

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TWITTER CONTEST

1
3

We will hold a retweet giveaway contest through our Twitter account @mexico before each key travel period. The contest will
consist of a tweet that will say Retweet this tweet before (contest end date) for a chance to win a Mexican vacation for 2! Must
follow this account to be eligible. This will increase visibility of Mexico as a travel destination as it will receive a high volume of
retweets (hopefully going viral on Twitter, as it is giving away a luxury vacation for free), will build a favorable image of Mexican
tourism as a giving industry, and will increase our social media following. We will use this influx of followers to refocus our social
media campaign. This new campaign will focus on the fun, beautiful, and exotic nature of Mexico, rather than its current feed of
facts and figures that are uninteresting to those who are looking to Mexico as a travel destination. This contest will reach our target
consumers as well as the general public.
This contest will be built upon by a profile of the winner, with digital video shorts put out over social media where we surprise them
with their free vacation and follow them on their Mexican journey to each of Mexicos Seven Heavens.

GOPRO SIETE CIELOS VIDEO CAMPAIGN

42

We will work with camera company GoPro on a video campaign highlighting all of the fun that can be had at our Seven Heavens
(translated into Spanish as Siete Cielos). We will have the GoPro crew make one promotional video for each of our Seven
Heavens. Each video of a heaven, which will be shown for the first time at the beginning of its respective press conference, will be
professionally shot and edited and will fully encompass the beauty, variety, and enjoyment a vacation in that destination can bring.
We will also include a call to action at the end of the video that will include our logo as well as direct people to our website.
We will promote the videos through our media channels, and GoPro will also promote the videos through its various social media
and video channels for added exposure. The beautiful scenery and video quality will hopefully lead to the video going viral, like
a plethora of videos posted to GoPros channels have in the past. If the video series begins to go viral, this could also increase
interest in our press conferences, as they will serve as the premiere of the videos. We will include the release date of the next video
at the end of each video (before the call to action) in order to create buzz for the video series and our press conferences.

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PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN

31

THE GOAL OF
PREEMPTIVE ADVERTISING
IS TO EXPOSE THE MARKETS
TO THE BRAND RIGHT
BEFORE THEY WOULD START
THINKING ABOUT BOOKING
VACATIONS.
MEDIA PLAN
Buckingham Brandings media strategy for Mexico
will focus on preemptive advertisements geared
toward driving repeat tourists back to Mexico. They
will want to make repeat visits in order to experience
all of the different destinations Mexico has to offer
in such close proximity to the target market regions.
The goal of preemptive advertising is to expose the
markets to the brand right before they would start
thinking about booking vacations. We will begin
the campaign in mid-autumn to expose our markets
who will be traveling most heavily during the winter
months. The target markets for Mexico, particularly
The New Neighbors, tend to be a more active, athletic
audience. Advertisements displaying the active,
adventurous opportunities Mexico has to offer will be
placed according to these trends.

32

MEDIA PLAN

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LOCATION
The campaign will focus on the western, southern, and
southeastern regions of the United States as well as on
metropolitan Chicago. The main metropolitan areas exposed to
the advertisements are to include Atlanta, San Francisco, Houston
and Chicago.
TIMING
The plan will run most heavily just before the winter months
based on a pulsing advertising concept in order to drive interest
in booking a trip to Mexico as temperatures begin to drop. The
campaign will begin with internet banner ads on a collection of
different websites in September followed by one-page magazine
layouts in October and finishing in 30-second television spots that
will begin airing in November. This is to build consumer awareness
of Mexico in the months before the television spots air so that
consumers will have already been exposed to the advertisements
via the internet and magazine advertisements. All of these ads will
be active through March, with Internet banner ads running through
June and spot radio ads running year-long, particularly in the south
and west. The two-part campaign will begin with the emotional
Girl/Boy Next Door campaign followed by the rational appealbased Just Like Home...Only Better campaign.

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MEDIA PLAN

33

ALLOCATION
IMPACT ADVERTISEMENTS
OUTDOOR: $700,00
Outdoor advertising will focus on billboards
dispersed in target metropolitan areas. Billboards
will convey the campaign message at a high
frequency with low cost. The New Neighbor
consumer group reports paying a lot of attention
to billboards (index 122) and The Griswold
markets report paying at least a little attention to
billboards (index 114), making billboards a cheap,
viable option to put out our message.
Chicago November-March
Atlanta November-March
San Francisco December-February, May,
June
Houston December-February, May, June

KEYWORDS: $1,053,000
This will allow our message to be advertised at
the top of popular search engines. The New
Neighbors are split between using Google, Yahoo!
and Bing as their most used search engines (122
index for Google and Yahoo!, 123 for Bing). The
Griswolds use Google and Yahoo! (indexes of 118
and 123). Dick and Donna primarily use Bing
(118 index). Yearlong keywords (displayed on page
35) will be bought on each of the following search
engines:
Google
Yahoo!
Bing

34

SITUATION ANALYSIS

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TARGETED SITES- $1,228,500

Particular websites experience heavier traffic flow
than others, some especially to our target market.
A year-long campaign on YouTube will allow us to
place both our commercial spots on YouTube
videos, as well as banner ads on the website. An
extensive list of the targeted sites appears below
the section on banner ads.

NBA BASKETBALL SPONSORSHIPS$1,461,840

Basketball is the most-watched sport among our
target audience with NBA teams present in each
of the metropolitan areas. Court-side banner ads
will expose not only the people at the arenas, but
also those watching on television. Ads will run
November through April, with heavier emphasis in
December and January.

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL TELEVISION

SPOTS- $3,567,400
Monday Night NFL games are among the mostwatched sporting events nationally and they attract
our target consumers. Monday Night Football
games October through January, our message will
be reaching a massive audience, as well as our
target market.

SEARCH ENGINE KEYWORDS

TOURISM
TRAVEL

BEACHES

VACATION

MEXICO SAFETY

CANCUN

PUERTO IMAGINATIVE
VALLARTA
MEXICO TOURISM

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SITUATION ANALYSIS

35

NON-IMPACT MEDIA

NETWORK EARLY EVENING/FRINGE/

PRIMETIME AND CABLE TELEVISION
PRIMETIME: $21,065,381.80
Television offers the ability to create emotional
appeals with both image and sound, exactly what we
need to show our market the adventures awaiting
them in Mexico. This offers mass coverage, high
impact and stopping power for the ad campaign.
Advertisements will run November through March.
Suggested programs with highest indexes for The
New Neighbors:
Network Programs: American Dad (Fox), Americas
Next Top Model (The CW), Bobs Burgers (Fox),
Family Guy (Fox), Modern Family (ABC), New Girl
(Fox), The Simpsons (Fox)
Cable Programs: The Walking Dead (AMC), The
Daily Show with Jon Stewart (Comedy Central),
Tosh.0 (Comedy Central), Mythbusters (Discovery),
Pardon The Interruption (ESPN), SportsCenter
(ESPN), The League (FX), American Horror Story (FX)
Suggested programs with highest indexes for The
Griswolds:

36

Suggested programs with highest indexes for Dick

and Donna:
Network Programs: 60 Minutes (CBS), American
Idol (Fox), Americas Most Wanted (Fox), The
Apprentice (NBC), Bones (Fox), Criminal Minds
(CBS), CSI (CBS), Dancing With The Stars (ABC),
Dateline (NBC)
Cable Programs: Real Housewives (Bravo),
Anderson Cooper 360 (CNN), The Situation Room
(CNN), Chelsea Lately (E!), E! News (E!), Sons of
Anarchy (FX), Tori & Dean (Oxygen), Cake Boss
(TLC), Southland (TNT)

SPOT RADIO (DAYTIME AND DRIVE TIME):

$4,898,926
Radio ads will focus on the target metropolitan
areas. Radio allows the campaign to reach
specialized audiences at a low price point and a low
cost of production.
Suggested programming:
Adult Alternative (151 Index for Dick and Donna)

Network Programs: The Amazing Race (CBS),

Big Brother (CBS), Fringe (Fox), Glee (Fox), Mike &
Molly (CBS), Modern Family (ABC), The Voice (NBC),
Wipeout (ABC)

Adult Contemporary (111 and higher for each

market)

Cable Programs: Real Housewives (Bravo), Pardon

The Interruption (ESPN), SportsCenter (ESPN), The
Big Bang Theory (TBS), 19 Kids and Counting (TLC)

Country (130 Index for New Neighbors, 117 for

Dick and Donna)

CAMPAIGN STRATEGY

BB

Alternative (215 Index for New Neighbors)

News (131 Index for Dick and Donna)

NON-IMPACT MEDIA

INTERNET BANNER ADS: $7,348,389

PANDORA INTERNET RADIO: $1,959,570.40

Internet advertising allows an interactive and

engaging message for target markets. Banner ads
allow access to immediate information as clicking on
the ad will take the consumer to the Travel Mexico
website. The websites listed below have especially
high index ratings for The New Neighbors and
The Griswolds markets. The respective indexes
are listed to the right of the websites in parentheses.
Advertisements will run September through June.

Pandora Radio offers a way for advertisements to be

with the target market everywhere they go, as it is
WEAKNESSES
not
only a website, but a mobile phone application.
Advertisements can run 15 to 30 seconds long, and
Clich
advertising
doesnt
attract people
listeners
must
hear the whole
advertisement,
which to
vacation
in Mexico
allows
the complete
message to get through to the
Do notAdvertisements
address the travel
or high
consumer.
would warnings
run November
to
crime
rates
anywhere
in
their
advertising
or
March, with another pickup in June.

Suggested websites:
CNN.com (N.N. 161) (G. 147)
ESPN.com (N.N. 170) (G. 130)
Expedia.com (N.N. 129) (G. 131)
Hotels.com (N.N. 121) (G. 127)
IMDB.com (N.N. 219) (G. 127)
Priceline.com (N.N. 160) (G. 116)
TMZ.com (N.N. 227) (G. 120)
Tripadvisor.com (N.N. 167) (G. 135)
Weatherbug.com (N.N. 145) (G. 151)

website

BUISNESS-TO-BUISNESS ADVERTISING AND

AIRLINES: $2,511,963
We are partnering with Aeromexico, American
Airlines, Delta and United Airlines in order to
target the sections of our markets that are frequent
travelers. Our budget will be spent both on
wrapping airplanes in skins with our logo as well as
in-flight tray covers so passengers will see our logo
when they let their treys down.

NATIONAL MAGAZINES - $11,052,637.20

National magazine ads have the potential to reach
our target markets and beyond, while offering
a permanent, information-driven medium for
readers to learn about Mexico. Charts show which
magazines will be advertised in, to which target
market, and the index, explaining why we believe it
is a valuable medium to advertise in. Advertisements
will run October through March.

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CAMPAIGN STRATEGY

37

NEW
NEIGHBORS
INDEX

ENTERTAINMENT
WEEKLY
ESPN

113

127

50-54

166

123

143

118

115

ESQUIRE

GQ

MENS HEALTH

ROLLING STONE

122

168

123

112

140

117

115

TRAVEL AND LEISURE

1
GOLF DIGEST

MAGAZINE INDEX

COSMOPOLITAN

DICK AND DONNA

INDEX

GRISWOLDS
INDEX

MEDIA FLOW CHART

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SITUATION ANALYSIS

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MEDIA FLOW CHART

40

SITUATION ANALYSIS

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SITUATION ANALYSIS

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CREATIVE PLAN
INTRODUCTION
Buckingham Branding plans to creatively rebrand Mexico as a safe, exotic and proximate
travel destination with a wide variety of
adventurous activities for families of all types
to enjoy. In order to convey our message,
we are launching two separate campaigns to
appeal to different target demographics. The
first part of our campaign is the Girl/Boy Next
Door advertisements which will capture the
attention of our target market, primarily The
New Neighbors.
The second part of the campaign following
the introductory Girl/Boy Next Door phase
will be the Just Like Home...Only Better
advertisements. This extend the campaigns
reach to couples ages 40-44 with children (The
Griswolds) and couples ages 50-54 with older
children (Dick and Donna).
Although the campaign will have different
appeals amongst the different target
audiences based on the types of activities they
enjoy participating in during their vacation
to Mexico, they will relay the same cohesive
message of safety, proximity and exoticism.
Our brand image will remain consistent
throughout both parts of the campaign. These
entities include

42

CREATIVE PLAN

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Mexico Tourism Boards theme, logo, tagline

and slogan.
CONSISTENT BRAND ENTITIES
THEME
The theme is adventure and proximity.
Although different types of Mexican vacations
appeal to different target audiences, our
main goal is to convey that Mexico is A
proximate, yet exotic vacation. Beyond that,
the campaigns will emphasize that Mexico is
a high-value vacation destination, offering a
wide variety of activities without the need to
travel too far from home. Every aspect of both
campaigns will relate back to this overarching
theme.
LOGO

DESIGN
Our logo reads Mexico in uppercase letters
in Tulum, a font that reflects ancient Aztec
design. The logo can be changed to different
colors, depending on mood we are trying to
convey and the target we are trying to grasp.
We will use the colors blue, green and orange
and change them as necessary. We will use
blue when we are trying to appeal to an
audience who may be traveling to Mexico for
relaxation and as a reward for hard work at a

high powered job (blue also indicates

success). We will use green when appealing to
an audience who may be traveling to Mexico
for a healing, tranquil, and environmentally
friendly experience. Finally, we will use orange
to appeal to an audience that is interested in
adventure and lighthearted fun. To tie these
colors together, they will also be used in
combination throughout the design and
graphics of both parts of the campaign:

VACATION
TYPES

NEW NEIGHBORS

GRISWOLDS

DICK AND DONNA

APPEAL

Relaxation, Experience,
Reward, High Value

LOGO COLOR
-

Adventure, Lighthearted
fun, Variety, Family Time

127

Relaxation, Tranquil,
Healing, Variety, Exercise,
Nature

123

143

The font is inspired by the culture of Mexico. The font is simple

while still reflecting this culture, but does not overwhelm the
purchasers/consumers/influencers with imagery, something
problematic in the current logo. In addition, it is updated to a
thinner font, reflecting the modern design aesthetic. This would
indicate that Mexico is a brand that is constantly updating
itself. That means it is engaged and focused on appealing to
its consumers. The font allows for variety between letters while
remaining cohesive, in an updated version of the variety in the
current logo. This indicates the variety that consumers can expect
from a Mexico vacation.

Blue

Orange

Green
PURPOSE

Our logo grows out of the need to

inspire confidence in anxious travelers
and address safety concerns, a major
problem currently facing the Mexico
Tourism Board. It reinforces Mexico
Tourism Boards current strength of
their visually appealing campaign. The
logo takes advantage of the fact that
Mexico has so many different activities
to offer. We have the opportunity to
market warm climate, beaches, culture,
history and adventure, things that we
convey through the font and color of
our logo.

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TAGLINE: EXPLORE MEXICO

APPEAL

[TRAVELERS] SHOULD LOOK

FORWARD TO VISITING
[MEXICO] MULTIPLE TIMES
AND EXPLORING THE
DIFFERENT AREAS AND TYPES
OF VACATIONS.

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Mexicos current tagline is Visit Mexico. However, we noticed that

our target audiences are often those who would return to Mexico
for multiple vacations. We wanted to recognize that they have some
familiarity with Mexico while encompassing the variety Mexico has
to offer. It would make our target audiences seek to find the new
parts of Mexico that they havent experienced, and consider Mexico
a vacation spot that is exciting and beautiful and worth the multiple
trips - to explore what else Mexico has to offer. Explore Mexico
encompasses Mexicos ability to provide a different, yet positive
vacation experience on every visit, from culture to history to resort
vacations.
People should feel excited about Mexico. They should look forward
to visiting Mexico multiple times and exploring the different areas
and types of vacations. Explore Mexico highlights the strength of
Mexicos wide variety of appealing vacation spots and activities. It
suggests an experience where the visitor is actively engaged and is
in partnership with the Mexico Tourism Board, something that would
subtly address the safety concerns. It takes advantage of the visual
beauty of
Mexico and the association with exploration and discovering new
and beautiful things. It addresses the threat of competitors by saying
we have a lot to offer thanks to Mexicos variety. It is worth more than
one visit - beyond a honeymoon or an active escape like Jamaica
or the Bahamas. It is those vacations and more, and appeals both
across current generations and as each generation ages. The target
markets can come and explore as they transition between being
New Neighbors, Griswolds and Dick and Donnas.

SLOGAN: WORLD NEXT DOOR

APPEAL

World Next Door does a variety of jobs for our

campaign. First of all, it addresses the proximity of
Mexico by using the phrase next door, which is one
of the main goals of our campaign strategy. We want
every target audience to understand that Mexico is a
close destination not only suited for long stays, but
also weekend getaways. The use of the word World
conveys the fact that Mexico is different than the
United States, where our target audience originates, in
many different aspects such as landscape, culture and
architecture. Therefore, traveling to Mexico is a close
destination that will give everyone a unique, culturally
rich experience.
Finally, the overall tone of the phrase welcomes the
target audiences to make associations with safety, due to
the fact that next door neighbors are usually portrayed
as kindhearted people you can count on when you
need a cup of sugar. In addition, next door neighbors
are usually in the same economic class, so the slogan
expresses affordability relating the travel destination to
your neighbors. We want our consumers to believe that
Mexico is a safe place to travel, which is something that
is reflected in our creative campaign.

WE WANT EVERY TARGET

AUDIENCE TO UNDERSTAND
THE MEXICO IS A CLOSE
DESTINATION NOT ONLY
SUITED FOR LONG STAYS,
BUT ALSO WEEKEND
GETAWAYS.

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CREATIVE PLAN

45

CREATIVE CAMPAIGNS
WORLD NEXT DOOR
CAMPAIGN 1
GIRL NEXT DOOR
BOY NEXT DOOR

CAMPAIGN 2
JUST LIKE HOME...ONLY
BETTER

CAMPAIGN 1: GIRL/BOY NEXT DOOR

The purpose of this campaign is to portray Mexico as an adventurous, proximate and safe location for families
with children to travel.

PRINT ADVERTISEMENT

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CREATIVE PLAN

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BILLBOARD ADVERTISEMENT

RADIO ADVERTISEMENTS
Campaign Part 1 Radio Spot 1: The Girl
Next Door

Campaign Part 1 Radio Spot 2: The Boy

Next Door

SOT: She was always beautiful. Always fun.

Always the best part of summer

SOT: He was always full of life. Always an

adventure. Always the best part of summer.

SOT: As the years went by, you grew up with

her. She was a part of your best memories.

SOT: As the years went by, you grew up with

him. He was a part of your best memories.

SOT: She was familiar but surprising. When

you were with her, you were nothing but
smiles.

SOT: He was familiar but exciting. When you

were with him, you were on top of the world.

SOT: And even after all these years, she is

just as wonderful as you remember.
SOT: MEXICO: THE WORLD NEXT DOOR

SOT: And even after all these years, he is

just as wonderful as you remember
SOT: MEXICO: THE WORLD NEXT DOOR

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TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENT
TV SPOT 1: GIRL NEXT DOOR 30-SECOND SPOT
SOT: She was always beautiful. Always fun. Always the best part of summer
[Image of two little kids playing on a distinctively Mexican beach building a
sandcastle. Location: Mexican resort. Girl: Brown hair, ponytail and bangs. Boy,
distinctive tortoiseshell glasses]
SOT: As the years went by, you grew up with her. She was a part of your best
memories.
[Montage of elementary age versions of the children playing in a resort waterpark, pre-teen kids running ahead of parents on a Mexican mountain, Teenage
kids kayaking along Mexican coast]
SOT: She was familiar but surprising. When you were with her, you were nothing
but smiles.
[backlit image of the two around college age with view of Mayan Temple in the
distance]
SOT: And even after all these years, she is just as wonderful as you remember.
[Grown up versions with same distinctive characteristics stepping off a Plane,
camera pans out to show beautiful Mexican landscape]
SOT: MEXICO: THE WORLD NEXT DOOR

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TV SPOT 2: BOY NEXT DOOR 30-SECOND SPOT [SAME IMAGES AND ACTORS]
SOT: He was always full of life. Always an adventure. Always the best part of summer.
[Video of two little kids playing on a distinctively Mexican beach building a sandcastle. Location: Mexican resort.
Girl: Brown hair, ponytail and bangs. Boy, distinctive tortoiseshell glasses]
SOT: As the years went by, you grew up with him. He was a part of your best memories.
[Montage of elementary age versions of the children playing in a resort waterpark, pre-teen kids running ahead of
parents on a Mexican mountain, Teenage kids kayaking along Mexican coast]
SOT: He was familiar but exciting. When you were with him, you were on top of the world.
[backlit video of the two around college age with view of Mayan Temple in the distance]
SOT: And even after all these years, he is just as wonderful as you remember
[Grown up versions with same distinctive characteristics stepping off a Plane, camera pans out to show beautiful
Mexican landscape]
SOT: MEXICO: THE WORLD NEXT DOOR

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CREATIVE PLAN

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CREATIVE CAMPAIGNS
CAMPAIGN 2: JUST LIKE HOME...ONLY BETTER
The purpose of this campaign is to portray Mexico as an adventurous, exciting location that has a variety of
activities to offer along with its beautiful landscapes and eccentric culture.

PRINT ADVERTISEMENT
THE NEW NEIGHBORS

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BILLBOARD ADVERTISEMENT

RADIO ADVERTISEMENT
SOT: Biking isnt just exercise its exploration
SOT: History isnt just studied its discovered
SOT: Family time isnt scheduled its documented
SOT: Adventure isnt just an expectation its a reality
SOT: MEXICO: THE WORLD NEXT DOOR

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TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENT
TV SPOT 3: CAMPAIGN 2: JUST LIKE HOME... ONLY BETTER
Note: Main characters adults/parents are same from the next door
campaign; girl with brunette ponytail and bangs, boy with distinctive
glasses
SOT: Biking isnt just exercise its exploration
[Video of person spinning at the gymfades into the same person biking up a mountain in Mexico]

SOT: History isnt just studied its discovered

[Video of a parent and child looking at a Mayan Temple in a textbook
fades into parent and child looking at the actual Mayan Temple]

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SOT: Family time isnt scheduled its documented

[Video of family at an aquariumtransitions to family snorkeling in
Mexico]
SOT: Adventure isnt just an expectation its a reality
[Video of a parent pushing a pre-teen on a tire-swingfades into kid
going on a zipline cheered on by parents]

SOT: MEXICO: THE WORLD NEXT DOOR

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CREATIVE PLAN

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BANNER ADVERTISEMENTS
MOCK-UPS

TULUM

MAZATLAN

PUERTO VALLERTA

LORETO

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CREATIVE PLAN

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WEBSITE
MAIN MENU
SUB-MENU

EXPLORE

DESTINATIONS

ACTIVITIES

TRAVEL

CONNECT

FOOD

CANCUN

FAMILY FUN

CURRENCY

SOCIAL MEDIA

HISTORICAL TOURS

AIRPORT AND
TRAVEL REQS

TOURIST
REVIEWS

WEATHER AND
TIME ZONES

REACH OUT TO US

HOLIDAYS

FAQS

CULTURE

IXTAPA

HISTORY

HUATULCO BAY

BEACHES

RESORTS

LORETO

PHYSICAL
ACTIVITIES

TALUM
PUERTO VALLARTA

ROMANCE

TRAVELING WITH
PETS AND FOOD
THINGS TO KNOW
BEFORE
TRAVELING

MAZATLAN

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CREATIVE PLAN

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APPENDIX
SITUATION ANALYSIS
HISTORY OF TOURISM CITATIONS
[1] Three Generations of International Tourist Resorts in Mexico. Retrieved from http://www.k-state.edu/geography/JSSmith/Mex_Tourism_GRi.pdf
[2] The Center for Association Leadership: Mexico Tourism Board. Retrieved from http://www.asaecenter.org/AboutUs/content.cfm?ItemNumber=35032
[3] Hoovers: Mexico Tourism Board. Retrieved from http://subscriber.hoovers.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/H/company360/newsList.html?companyId=7880193&newsCompanyDuns=007880193
[4] Secretaria De Turismo: Mexico Tourism Board. Retrieved from http://www.cptm.com.mx/
GLOBAL TOURISM INDUSTRY TRENDS CITATIONS
[1-9] WTM: Global Trends Report. Retrieved from http://www.wtmlondon.com/files/wtm_global_trends_2013.pdf
MEXICO TOURISM INDUSTRY TRENDS CITATIONS
[1] Business Monitor International: Mexico Tourism Report. Retrieved from http://web.b.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/bsi/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid
=d0b244b7-dc11-468c-9ec4-2e9ade0f6823%40sessionmgr110&vid=10&hid=106
[2] Business Monitor International: Mexico Tourism Report. Retrieved from http://content.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/ContentServer.asp?T=P&P=AN&K=96867183&S=R&D=bth&EbscoContent=dGJyMMvl7ESep7E4zdnyOLCmr0yep7VSrq64SbCWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMPPt63niset55%2BS5evHf
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS INDUSTRY TREND CITATIONS
Simmons Data
[1] Priceline http://www.priceline.com/deals/vacationpackages/dest-Bahamas_Bahamas-1700323.html
[2] Priceline http://www.priceline.com/vp-web/mostPopularSort.do?jsk=544a200a554a200a20141014234248730021607400&plf=PCLN&fromWaitPage=Y
[3] Priceline http://www.priceline.com/vp-web/mostPopularSort.do?jsk=544a200a554a200a20141014234248730021607400&plf=PCLN&fromWaitPage=Y
[4] Priceline http://www.priceline.com/vp-web/mostPopularSort.do?jsk=544a200a554a200a20141014234248730021607400&plf=PCLN&fromWaitPage=Y
[5] Priceline http://www.priceline.com/vp-web/mostPopularSort.do?jsk=544a200a554a200a20141014234248730021607400&plf=PCLN&fromWaitPage=Y
[6] Bahamas http://www.bahamas.com/things-to-do
[7] Bahamas http://www.bahamas.com/deals-packages
[8] Nevada http://travelnevada.com/discover
[9] Jamaica http://www.visitjamaica.com/things-to-do
[10] Jamaica http://www.visitjamaica.com/weddings-and-honeymoons
[11] Hawaii http://www.gohawaii.com/big-island
[12] Hawaii http://www.gohawaii.com/big-island/experiences
[13] Mexico http://www.visitmexico.com/#
[14] Bahamas http://www.skyscanner.com/flights-to/bs/cheap-flights-to-bahamas.html
[15] Nevada http://www.skyscanner.com/flights-to/las/cheap-flights-to-las-vegas-mccarran-airport.html
[16] Jamaica http://www.skyscanner.com/flights-to/jm/airlines-that-fly-to-jamaica.html
[17] Hawaii http://www.skyscanner.com/flights-to/hawai/airlines-that-fly-to-hawaii.html
[18] Mexico http://www.skyscanner.com/flights-to/mx/airlines-that-fly-to-mexico.htmL
[19] Business Monitor International: Mexico Tourism Report. Retrieved from http://content.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/ContentServer.asp?T=P&P=AN&K=96867183&S=R&D=bth&EbscoContent=dGJyMMvl7ESep7E4zdnyOLCmr0yep7VSrq64SbCWxWXS&ContentCustomer=dGJyMPPt63niset55%2BS5evHf
[20] Bahamas http://www.hotels.com/de1641030-ba/all-hotel-brands-in-nassau-bahamas/
[21] Nevada http://www.hotels.com/de1504033-ba/all-hotel-brands-in-las-vegas-nevada/
[22] Jamaica http://www.hotels.com/de1492822-ba/all-hotel-brands-in-jamaica-new-york/
[23] Hawaii http://www.hotels.com/de1642840-ba/all-hotel-brands-in-hawaii-the-big-island-hawaii/
[24] United States Mexico Travel Warning http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/alertswarnings/mexico-travel-warning.html

BRAND ANALYSIS/STRATEGY
[1] Consejo de Promocion Turistica Dirrecin Regional de Estados Unidos written in Febuary of 2014
http://www.cptm.com.mx/work/models/CPTM/pdf/ContactosOficinasExterior/LuisAugustoGarcia.pdf
[2] http://www.travelagentcentral.com/usa-hawaii/hot-years-caribbean-mexico-hurt-hawaii-tourism-2014-operators-say-luxury-will-restore-it[3] http://www.travelagentcentral.com/usa-hawaii/hot-years-caribbean-mexico-hurt-hawaii-tourism-2014-operators-say-luxury-will-restore-it[4] http://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/summer-no-other-mexico-tourism-hits-record-levels-n193706
[5] http://www.latintimes.com/mexico-tourism-spikes-7-billion-earned-tourists-year-despite-wary-travelers-192014
[6] http://www.travelagentcentral.com/mexico/virtuoso-why-mexico-tops-luxury-wish-list-2015-video-48151
[7] Consejo de Promocion Turistica Dirrecin Regional de Estados Unidos written in Febuary of 2014 http://www.cptm.com.mx/work/models/CPTM/pdf/
ContactosOficinasExterior/LuisAugustoGarcia.pdf
[8] Vianova. How Mexico Can Rescue Its Brand. http://vianovo.com/files/Vianovo_Viewpoint_-_How_Mexico_Can_Rescue_Its_Brand.pdf
[9] De Moya, Maria and Jain, Rajul. When tourists are your friends: Exploring the brand personality of Mexico and Brazil on Facebook. Public Relations
Review issue 39, 2013.
[10] http://www.siimt.com/work/models/siimt/Resource/774b2237-db16-4567-9967-0c883a50f4ef/FACT_SHEET.pdf
PR/PROMOTIONS PLAN
[1] Forbes, http://www.forbes.com/sites/nathanielparishflannery/2014/03/19/is-mexico-safe-to-visit-for-spring-break/
[2] Travel & Adventure Show, http://travelshows.com/Default.aspx?id=a8383584-b8b3-4a9d-8be5-223cd2db9ab2
[3] Travel & Adventure Show http://travelshows.com/files/Infographic/2014_TAS_Infographic.pdf
[4] Travel & Adventure Show http://travelshows.com/files/Infographic/2014_TAS_Infographic.pdf

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