When we took on Puerto Rico as a client in 2019, the island was recovering from not one, but two hurricanes, Irma and Maria. There was financial uncertainty and lingering Zika fears. Add to that, low levels of awareness and familiarity with the island that sits among many famous Caribbean standouts like Jamaica, St. Martin, Barbados and the Caymans, just to name a few. The likeliness to visit was at the back of the pack. Which was then followed by a 6.4 earthquake and a global pandemic in early 2020.
It’s a lot for one campaign to overcome. So, we did what the people of the island were doing. While they were constantly rebuilding, we rebuilt the brand by developing a new campaign.
“THERE IS NO HURRICANE STRONGER THAN THE PEOPLE OF PUERTO RICO. AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER IT’S DONE, WE WILL STAND BACK UP.”
Governor Ricardo Rosello`
We knew it was important to mirror the island’s unwavering resilience in the branding by staying in constant contact with our potential visitors with emotionally relevant messaging. And we learned about the people of Puerto Rico in the process, which led to the first ever culture-based tourism campaign, Live Boricua.
THEY ARE BORICUA. THEY LIVE BORICUA.
Today, Puerto Rico is one of the top destinations in the Caribbean, up over 50% in demand from when we started, with more than $500 million in economic impact. Bottom line: We live what our clients live – 24/7, 365.
48%
Increase in familiarity above competitors
29%
Increase in likelihood to visit above competition
$6.826+MM
Record arrivals to the island
6.934+MM
Lodging demand growth
$1.8B
Lodging revenue growth
$135MM
Lodging taxes
96.6M
Total leisure & hospitality jobs created
