The Proof.
Focusing attention is in our DNA.
We have always produced award winning content, however, it’s how we distribute, collaborate and position it that makes it truly powerful for brands and destinations alike. We work on a five-point system that clearly defines campaign goals and tracks overall effectiveness:
Define the brand
Emotional positioning
Ecosystem thinking
Deliverables
Discoverability
Defining the brand
Our goal here is to meet the destination and define what makes it unique in the world. Here we focus on not just on established strengths and perceptions but any areas we want to build on or redefine to the world. We do this through deep research to understand it’s current perception and then align it with any emerging trends that will make it sought after. We align this fresh creative with any existing brand guidelines to make sure the new content feels organic in the established brand ecosystem like an extended conversation.
Example: Peninsula Hotels
The Peninsula had a problem… they had over years of defining what luxury hospitality means painted themselves in a corner where they had lost touch with their audience. They were determined to reshape their image to be more inclusive and in a word human. They longed for connectivity especially in a world where authenticity and organic connection reigned.
Our team at No Frames helped bring that identy to light contributing to their Perspectives campaign which focused on the individuals that make Peninsula hotels such a magical place. This resonates with us as a collective brand since our goal is always to define a destination with the elements that create it; the people, experiences and offerings that combined create a unique identity. By defining the brand this way they saw a 12% increase in new brand awareness and a 38% increase in social media interaction, all healthy metrics that prove they know who they are.
Emotional Positioning
At the core of all our work both in journalism and advertising is story. Story is key for us and finding the right story to tell is what guarantees a successful campaign. An authentic emotional hook is what audiences crave, so we anchor our stories to real people, places and elements that make destinations special. We don’t sell a place, we tell a story so you can discover where it took place organically. This is what fuels our campaigns.
Example: Quark Expeditions
Quark had a problem… their customer base were 95% 65 years old and above. Anyone in advertising will tell you that’s not a great place to be. How can you appeal to a younger audience while competing against global travel that is far more affordable? The answer for us was an extremely cinematic film that positioned the experience in a new, savvy light. We shot epic footage from aboard one of Quarks expeditions to Antarctica and put the visuals against Sir Ernest Shackleton, one of the greatest explorers of the 19th century.
Voiced by the incredible Chris Sullivan (This is Us/Guardians of the Galaxy) the juxtaposition between Shackleton’s account and modern visuals are striking; sometimes humorous, sometimes awe inspiring. The emotional message is clear; with Quark you get all of the adventure with none of the frostbite. With a new tagline and hashtag system in place the film was rolled out to film festivals and industry awards first as this would generate interest from a non-travel perspective where youth market thrived. After 22 festival wins and multiple industry awards including a Magellan award for best travel film the message was received and Quark gained 42% increase in 25-65 year old demographic.
Ecosystem Thinking
Like we mentioned one article or a handful of posts no longer offer any retaining power in this new media landscape. A well crafted ecosystem that works together is next level action when crafting campaigns. Here we plan how multiple formats work together to build a unified story and destination mythology. Each format, from stills, to motion media, to copywriting and even hashtag creation has its own language and strength, and blending them together properly is what takes a flat, forgettable piece of content to a powerful, evergreen media system.
Example: Visit Brescia
Brescia had a problem… how does a small northern town in Italy compete with other regional destinations like Florence, Venice, Rome and Amalfi that hold 80+% of visitor interest? In a market already controlled by well established destinations it was clear we had to make Brescia a unique experience of its own, separating it from classic tourist destinations in Italy.
Fortunately Brescia is (like most places) unique. Centering around their yearly Festa dell’Opera we positioned the region as a one-stop cornucopia for Italy lovers. From music, to food, to great grape and even a better alternative to played out Lake Como, Brescia went from relatively unknown to the new darling destination for in-the-know travellers. We ensured this by connecting restaurants, resorts, local crafts people, events, museums and regional destinations into one social network so that each published piece of media would cross promote on multiple levels flooding the algorithm. We saw an increase of interest (IOI) of 23% during our strategic roll-out which included a full article in Get Lost Magazine, 7 independent travel films, 1 anthemic festival film, 1 TVC and dozens of social media posts 40 days before the festival, strategically timed to when most people book trips to Italy. It would seem that Brescia was just brescious … which also became a trending hashtag we coined for Enit.it
Deliverables
Each destination requires a unique set of deliverables depending on the goals of the campaign. Some target social media interaction while others on long-form film discovery. In all cases we compile a complete set of deliverables that can be scaled to any demand, which we deliver as a systemized media library that can be used in whatever manner the brand wishes. Fully produced, broadcast quality, print ready and licensed material that can solve your media needs for years not days.
Example: The Gold Hotel
The Gold Hotel had a problem… located in a truly idyllic section of the Ligurian coast you wouldn’t think The Gold Hotel would have any trouble attracting guests, but unfortunately that was not the case. The small town of Bordighera had seen it’s hayday come and go … in the 1800’s. Still charming but relatively forgotten, the city didn’t have the potential to do any substantial marketing to attract foreign visitors. Our work was cut out for us.
Realizing that simply focusing on the hotel wouldn’t be enough to attract new interest to the region, so instead we made the Gold Hotel become the town of Bordighera. We celebrated all the charming aspects of this region, from it’s medieval background, beautiful coastline, and raw wilderness. We positioned the Gold Hotel as the hear of this premiere destination surrounded by classical Italian excellence by delivering a complete media library that included dozens of short subject films, TVC’s, documentaries, social stories and hundreds of photographs. Rolling them out at a constant rate over several months not only put Bordighera back on the map but made The Gold Hotel its most booked destination, and they still have more unused content to release. The gift that keeps on giving.
Discoverability
All of this brilliant work comes down to one word: discoverability. If the work isn’t easily found than what would be the point. We take careful steps to ensure our content gets maximum exposure and organically tickles the algorithm so that it is self-perpetating, autonomously thriving within social media. To do so we go beyond industry standard SEO practices and connect collaborating brands that help create the destination’s identity, so there is a natural network formed between like-minded audiences focused on the campaign.
Example: Marriott Hotels
Marriott had a problem… they are the world’s largest hotel chain. Being the biggest is great, but it also means it is extremely hard for little things to get noticed. Marriott is never one not to innovate, constantly refining services and expanding offerings, so when their new bourbon program came online, they needed a way to get news of it in front of the right audience.
Our answer was to create a series of cinematic videos that were discovery sponges. Partnering with the world’s best known bourbons and celebrity mixologists, we created films that felt like Guy Richey, and performed like memes. Cross promoting them with well established brands and names made them not only discoverable for a huge audience, but extrememely consumable and sharable. The pilot bourbon program which tested 12 nation locations was such a success that they expanded it to nearly 2,500 locations world-wide, making a world of bourbon drinkers very happy.
Specialized results require a special skill set.
From your perspective this all looks like a standard press trip. We require no additional support, no large crews, no additional time. We are able to capture such amazing footage because we are highly skilled, multi-fascited professionals, with a unique robust background in advertizing. It is this perfect storm of professional savvy that allows us to offer this to destinations.
Might as well see it in action…
