Millions dream about a New Zealand (NZ) “bucket-list” vacation. Independent professionals, pre/post children, they have likely travelled to Australia or maybe South Africa and they have heard many positive stories about New Zealand, its landscapes and its people. At the same time, air capacity to New Zealand is at an all-time high with increasing direct North American and Middle- East connectivity and prices at an all-time low. Tourism arrivals to NZ have been steadily increasing and whilst previous campaigns have successfully shifted dreamers to planners (2017 National Geographic and Bryce Dallas Howard North America campaign had a 16% conversions rate from dream to plan as a result of the campaign) they want to accelerate this mindset shift further to get dreamers booking their trip.

Having validated that the right media partner and the right story can impact the target audience behaviour therefore, the core communication challenge remains to inspire people to move New Zealand off their bucket list and on to their “next trip” list in order to optomise the growth in air capacity.

Objectives

• Funnel Acceleration: To accelerate conversion of our target audience through the visitor consideration funnel > 20%
• Message Outtake: Shift dreamers of New Zealand from thinking that NZ is all about epic landscapes to feeling that the friendly and welcoming people and their connection with these landscapes is what will make a vacation
• Campaign Performance Indicators :
• Campaign Motivation: the effectiveness of the integrated campaign’s ability to create strong short-term motivation and long-term brand memories (brand building and tactical conversion effectiveness)
• Content Engagement in Media Channels: 50% video completion rate 75% engagement rate on 5% engagement rate in social.
• Efficient Market and Channel Expansion: Extend campaign content and com media buy to distribute in TNZ’s owned, earned, paid, and trade channels globally.

TNZ recognized it needed to further strengthen active considerers’ emotional connection with New Zealand if they were to accelerate people’s purchasing decisions. Proprietary research indicated that “friendly locals” is a strong motivator in destination choice at the top of the consumer funnel amongst active considerers of New Zealand in all markets.

With its uniquely warm way of welcoming people, inspired by the indigenous Māori concept Manaakitanga and representing a unique style of hospitality, generosity and kindness, this is an authentic brand truth for New Zealand . Previous visitors to New Zealand share that it is not just the epic landscapes that stay with you, it’s the way you feel when you’re in New Zealand . The warm way that New Zealanders embrace you, look after you, and invite you into their place and culture and these are the stories visitors share when they return home.

Using market -level insights about active considerers trip motivations, TNZ created storyboards of activities (wildlife, Maori culture, hiking, and nature) and regions (Nelson and Abel Tasman, Bay of Plenty and Kaikoura) to ensure the content would strongly resonate and engage with independent professionals from across the globe. Together, NG and TNZ selected authentic storytellers who would be excited to experience these places and whose creative talents would bring the people and culture to life through a plethora of mediums – Erika Larsen, an American-Norwegian photographer, Heather Greenwood-Davis, a Canadian journalist, and Christop Niemann – a German artist and instagrammer @abstractsunday.

Collaborating with local tourism offices and operators, each storyteller was matched with a local protaganist who shared similar passions and were known locally for epitomizing manaakitanga in their daily lives. Over an 8-day period, our storytellers travelled through New Zealand, meeting with artisans, park guides, chefs, wine makers and Maori leaders to name a few . They first met on camera in an unscripted, documentary style, capturing the spirit of the land and people in the moment. This was the secret sauce that led to warm conversations and emotional moments that can be felt throughout the content produced.

Videos, portraits and beautiful photography were created for use in the main campaign, but the storytellers shared their real-time reflections on social media, using Facebook live for experiences such as dolphin swimming and geysers blowing, and lnstagram for over-night reveals of Christoph Niemann’s illustrations.