Ecuador Places Super Bowl Ad – Barbados?
Ecuador recently went into history by becoming the first foreign country to take a thirty second television commercial which was aired during Super Bowl 2015 at a quoted cost of US$3.8 million to reach an estimated 112 million television audience – see Super Bowl ad. As first thought, any comparison between a country boasting a land mass of 109,484 square miles and a population of 15 million people with tiny Barbados seems almost totally illogical, but then look again.
Ecuador welcomed a record 1,500,241 overseas visitors last year up until 22 December according to the website of their own Ministerio de Tourismo. Of that number the second largest market, the United States, supplied 16.6 per cent of the overall number which was 14 per cent up on the previous year, amounting to 232,868. Colombia, its northern neighbour, produced the single biggest number, 23.8 per cent or 333,197 persons.
Sadly Barbados Statistical Service updates critical tourism statistical information so late, it was almost impossible to compare our 2014 Barbados arrival figures with that of Ecuador for the same year. Up until last Tuesday the most recent posting covered the month of September, with October and November only being added in the first week of February.
So let’s look at 2013, wheen Barbados welcomed 120,584 American long stay visitors which represented over 50 per cent of the US numbers who travelled to Ecuador. Despite the initial geological and demographic disparity, their tourism planners were able to persuade the Government of Ecuador to splash out a staggering BDS$7.6 million, apparently for a single shot 30 second ‘ad’. Only time will tell if the results ultimately justify the huge initial expense, or the placement becomes one of the most wasteful decisions in the country’s tourism history.
Again, nothing is in isolation and various websites indicate that some US$2.2 billion has already been committed to private sector tourism infrastructural investments, including new hotel plant by 2020. Therefore, is this part of the ‘big picture’ with a Government taking some early risk and hoping that any shortfall in direct tourism spending is more than made up in overall investment over the medium to long term?
In an interview with Yahoo Travel, Ecuador’s ambassador to the USA, Nathalie Cely, stated ‘that US tourism has grown 4 per cent a year for the last ten years and the country wants to double that over the next five years. The country says that if it sees just 1 per cent growth in US visitors to Ecuador it will cover the money spent on the ‘ad’. I sent this column to the ambassador personally to check for accuracy and how refreshing that she graciously responded within minutes. What attention to detail.
And the diplomat’s conclusions seem to make a lot of sense. In rough numbers, a one per cent increase each year for five years would generate around an additional 12,000 visitors from the US alone. On a cost-per-conversion basis that US$3.8 million would equate to around US$316 per visitor. My guess is the average Ecuador visitor spends a little less than those to Barbados, but it still is a very plausible equation.
To reinforce destination awareness, Ecuador, as the world largest producer of bananas, exporting over 24 million tonnes each year, will affix a colourful sticker to every single piece of fruit with a QR Code to access a beautifully filmed video, highlighting the country and link to their national tourism website.
Is there a similar opportunity here for our rum bottles?
Barbados Underground 
Placing a Super Bowl ad Adrian? Now that would be some risk taking AND after being informed by a big strategy. But where is the timely stats and analysis?
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The Blogmaster David [BU] said this most eloquently “where is the timely stats and analysis?”
I am going to make a trip down memory lane.
The Barbados Bottling Company and Tiger Malt Bottles.
Wunna remember when you used to collect BBC bottles and peel out the plastic lining in the “stopper” (bottle cover) to find three of something that neveh happened because they never printed the third required item??
Sorta remind wunna of Standard’s annual Million dollar competition of House and Land, dont it?
Fast forward 40 years and Adrain Loveridge we arrive at 2015 and the ability to extrapolate on that advertising concept, remains the same.
Adrian Loveridge I put these observations to you.
One. The necessary connectivity of thought that would link a QR code to a national campaign is an ability that is lost on Minister Richard Sealy and his band of happy marauders euphemism for Ministry of Tourism and BTA.
Two. David [BU] as risky as that antiquated SuperBowl ad is our Ministry STILL doing that scvnt!!
A Super Bowl Ad variant which touches potential visitors, in their homes in ovah and away, monitors their review/subscription to the offer, records their subsequent visit and conversion to becoming visitors is possible
We have ole mens and womens, people like me whose brains have calcified and Like that Hollywood picture TIme Tunnel or Lost in Space, still living in getting brocures printed by them friend Printing Company, and getting a kick back, and flying bout wukking up pun Brazilian women botsies like geriatric patients, while staring up in a corner, watching spirits (Uncle Lookup Richard Sealy)
Loveridge yours is too heavy a dependence on an inept government.
Magna Card variants of the Super BBowl Ad concept DO NOT NEED VALIDATION by any government statistical department which is stymied by an outdated Immigration Department and a government that purposely is inflating tourism arrivals.
You issue your “virtual Tourism Loyalty cards” online and provide the rewards to the tourises dem when they arrive, tourises dem like free tings and that served to close the loop relative to your customer validations and client satisfaction surveys
This is not rocket science and there are so many inexpensive variants that can be used to market this cvntry Bulbados.
But where there is no vision, or vision into the Spirit Realm as led by Uncle Lookup Richard and his crew DEM, the peeple WILL PERISH
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The average US citizen can afford to go to Ecuador. They can’t afford to go to Barbados. Here are current prices in Ecuador
http://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/quito
The purpose of the Ecuador add was to alert people to the potential of visiting there. The internet then takes over the potential to turn things into hard facts. We simply cant compete against their cost structure. We need to define our market. Competing against South America is a big challenge.
Our big challenge is to have a competitive base.
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@SITH
The is about alerting potential customers to the existence of Barbados. The lure of Barbados is not only about cost you know.
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@David
That is exactly what I am saying…we need to define our market and I very much doubt if we are going to find it by running a 3.8 million dollar super bowl add competing against destinations where a quart of milk is 95 cents and where the add is carried to a population that is not homogenous. We know where our top arrivals have come from and where we have had declines. Once we know why people have been lured away from Barbados we can begin to address getting them back. For example our plan to gain more tourists from Brazil has seen costs for Brazilians increase by about 80% on currency valuation alone since Gol started flying once a week to Barbados. How do we correct these sort of things?
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I generally support Adrian’s idea’s, however if he’s suggesting Barbados take out a SUPERBOWL AD he’s contacted DLP/BLP Foot In Mouth Disease.
I suspect he’s trying to make a point though—-
IF YOU DON’T ADVERTIZE YOU CANNOT EXPECT TO GET OFFERS/BUSINESS.
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@SITH
Point taken but isn’t Adrian generating other talking points worth of consideration like efficient production of stats, strategic plan etc. It is all about generation of ideas and execution. Something we don’t get enough of.
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@ Wily Coyote
Don’t think Loveridge is saying take out an ad at this ridiculous cost
His is a tangential suggestion embedded in his remark “is there a similar opportunity here for our rum bottles?”
Mount Gay Rum, not to be confused with Alleyne Arthur who is no relationship to Owen Arthur ends up in many a restaurant, supermarket, home or bar. (Some may even say that all three of the former end up in one specific one of the above list)
The QR scan of today is the Frutee stopper of yesterday which, once you have bought said bottle of seethru imbibable, would, on scanning, (i) auto enter you into a competition (ii) secure you a 50% discount on Amaryllis or Sandy Lane or some commensurate loyalty programme.
It could be a “web augmented” campaign which shows a proper virtual experience of Barbados designed with an interactive element to pique the interests of water sports enthusiasts, visiting karate men dem, para-gliders, extreme sportsmen etc etc.
Man you could even raffle a evening with one of our notable personageNo Gear Box, Professor Lah Hah and Boy Chile dead.
Ninja of the Green Leotards doan always bathe, we want class!!
Imagine a programme like “Experience an Evening with Sam Lord and his brigands as you are transported to the time of pirates and theives: and get the unlucky winners spend some time in the company of Fumble Stuart and Michael Carrion at the House of Parliament
Or, for the nerds and mathematical geniuses touriseses DEM, launch a “BeTransported Back to the Age of Mathematical Geniuses – Meet Barbados’ Pythagoras” and then have the visitors spend an “Evening with Chris Stinkliar” and have de minister of fine ants explain how he missed math classes at the Garrison on the day the teacher was teaching decimals!!
Or “Visit Igor the Cretin” and have them spend and evening in Direct Current’s company…whuloss
This Tourism thing is about the generation of ideas – tourists like the strange and outlandish
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A quote from minister Sealy in today’s press refers to increase numbers in the regional market and anticipated increase numbers in cruise ship passengers. This is old school, we need to measure average spend and focus scare resources to measuring and improving this number.
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“Some 180 workers at regional carrier LIAT are headed for the breadline as the airline struggles to cope with high overhead costs and a projected loss of $29.6 million.
Shareholder governments today endorsed the staff cuts –– to be introduced on a voluntary basis in the initial stage –– as well as a plan to shift LIAT’s fleet base to Barbados in a bid to rake in more revenue by targeting the southern Caribbean.”
http://www.barbadostoday.bb/2015/02/14/airline-shift/
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@Exclaimer
Addressing the over staffing at LIAT was long overdue especially the padding at Antigua.
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