Suriname Tourism Foundation Public Relations Plan

1 Go Suriname Travel the Unexplored

Public Relations Proposal for Suriname Tourism Foundation Showcasing the Hidden Gem that is Suriname

Go Suriname

Travel the Unexplored

May 4, 2016

The Red Rain Boots Agency

Laura Amato

Lenna Daniels

Jenny Mak

Renée Schweizer

Lucas Silberman


Table of Contents Executive Summary 3

Situational Analysis 4

Current Situation 4

Content Audit 4

Primary Research 6

Competitors 6

Industry Trends 7

SWOT Analysis 9

Research Conclusions 10

Objectives 11

Target Audiences 12

Target Market Profiles 12

Strategies 15

Tactics 16

Measurement and Evaluation 24

Timetable 26

About the Agency 27

Meet the Team 27

Appendix 29

Survey Questions 29

Survey Results 30

Example Groupon Travel Package Promotion 31

Example Social Media Posts 31

Example #GoSuriname Sweepstakes Post 32

References 33


Executive Summary “The Hidden Gem of South America”

The Red Rain Boots Agency will be working with the Suriname Tourism Foundation in order

to establish Suriname as a top tropical vacation destination in South America. Through our

primary research, we have discovered that Millennials as a whole are completely unaware

of Suriname and its existence as a country. Our secondary research confirmed this notion,

however, industry trends have revealed that Suriname attractions align with Millennial

travelers’ interests. Discovering this alignment launched our public relations plan “Go

Suriname: Travel the Unexplored.” The Red Rain Boots Agency believes that Suriname is a

hidden gem in South America with significant tourism potential. In addition to its tourism

activities such as jungle excursions, boat tours, museums, and nightlife, the country is rich

in cultural diversity. This presents a unique opportunity for us to position Suriname as a top

of mind travel experience in South America by capturing the unexplored beauty of the

country.

This campaign is targeting Millennials, men and women ages 18-34 in the United States.

Our strategies and tactics will separate our target market into two audiences: working

Millennials (men and women, ages 23-34), and college age Millennials (ages 18-22). Our

proposal includes a situation analysis of Suriname, outlining the country’s current

situation, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Using this information, we

then go into the objectives and goals for the Go Suriname campaign. The overall goal of

this campaign is to educate our audiences about Suriname’s tourism opportunities by

increasing tourism with travel packages, boosting awareness through social media

platforms, developing a cohesive media relations campaign strategy, and establishing a

partnership with a corporate brand. The execution of these strategies will not only

increase awareness of Suriname, but generate continued tourism success for the country.


Situational Analysis

Current Situation The country of Suriname is located on the northern South American coast. Suriname is a

secret to the international tourist industry but is making significant strides to gain a

presence within it. The recently founded Suriname Tourism Foundation is focused on

marketing Suriname as “A Colorful Experience.” Suriname is rich in cultural diversity and

activities for tourists. The dense rainforests provide opportunities for touring companies

to appeal to adventure seeking tourists while the coastal cities offer diverse restaurants,

museums, casinos, and historical sites like the Sugar Trail. Although the experiences

Suriname offers are diverse they are faced with significant challenges. The threat of

political instability, disease, dangerous animals, and social injustice, prevents many

tourists from travelling to the country. Suriname’s nonexistent share of the highly

competitive Caribbean and South American travel market also presents a challenge in its

current situation.

Although Suriname’s tourism is struggling, there are sources of opportunity. The recent

terrorist attacks in Europe have led international travelers to search for alternative

vacation destinations, shifting tourism demand away from large cities. Another source of

opportunity is Suriname’s dry season. The dry season stretches from February to April

which aligns with college students’ spring breaks. Tapping into the market of college

students is a strong area of opportunity not only through spring break packages but also

through study abroad programs. This demographic (Millennials) would also be inclined to

participate in many of the adventurous excursions Suriname has to offer. Another

opportunity for Suriname is creating travel packages. Partnering with neighboring

countries to provide a multiple country trip experience or with cruise liners may increase

Suriname’s awareness and increase travelers of all ages to the country.

Content Audit Although a beautiful country, Suriname faces some challenges in the tourism industry, as

it is a relatively unknown country. Suriname, a Dutch-speaking country in South America is

culturally affiliated with the Caribbean. The country has a strong unique culture with a wide

range of African, Indian, Chinese, and Indonesian roots. Caribbean News Now, reports that

Suriname is an attractive tourist spot for its lush rainforest, multi-ethnic capital, historical

architecture, and low crime rate (Chickrie, 2013).

In researching the country in recent years, the largest scandal that comes to light is the

controversy surrounding Suriname’s president Desi Bouterse. In December of 1982, 15

prominent opponents of Suriname’s military dictatorship were tortured and executed

against the wall of Fort Zeelandia. The event has become referred to as the December


Murders and has become one of the largest political events in Suriname. Fort Zeelandia is

also one of the biggest tourist attractions in the country, although those involved in the

murders are still living. In fact, the prime suspect for the murders is Desi Bouterse, “coup

leader, military dictator, drug runner, and, since 2010 the hugely popular, democratically

elected president of Suriname” (Youkee, 2015).

The case lay dormant until 2015 with no perpetrators being held accountable. Suriname’s

High Court ruled that the military trial would resume. However, Bouterse, a two-time coup

leader and convicted drug trafficker, was re-elected for the presidency in August 2015

(Maele, 2015). Bouterse’s son however, has not been as lucky. Dino Bouterse was

sentenced in 2015 by U.S. courts to 16 years in prison for offering Suriname as a base for

drug trafficking and terrorist attacks. More recently, Edmund Muntslag, Dino’s right-hand

man, was found guilty in March 2016 of trying to ship large amounts of cocaine to the U.S.

(Raymond, 2016).

Suriname has also made some news in regards to its environmental policies. In February

2016, “the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights declared Suriname responsible

for multiple violations against its indigenous population” (Guidi, 2016). With a lack of

Suriname laws or government institutions regulating the rights of indigenous peoples, for

years the state gave out land titles to non-indigenous individuals. This land was then used

in mining operations, which have resulted in a big boom in bauxite and gold mining

consequently threatening communities and the natural rainforests (Guidi, 2016).

The Inter-American Commission for Human Rights in court rulings have ordered Suriname

to rehabilitate the damages caused by this mining and have passed legal recognition of

the territorial and other rights of indigenous peoples. Due to these decisions, there is

great hope that Suriname will adopt its own legislation in defense of its territories and

indigenous peoples’ rights (Guidi, 2016).

As for travel to Suriname, air travel is limited. According to a report commissioned by the

Inter American Development Bank (IDB), Suriname will not in the near future become an air

hub. The report claims that Suriname’s Johan Penegel airport’s “dimensions and

appearance of facilitates [is] not up to the international accepted level of service”

(Chickrie, 2016). The airport lacks connectivity to any major hubs in the areas and is

expensive for both passengers and airlines due to low volume of origin and destination

traffic. The IDB report calls for Suriname to renegotiate restrictive air agreements with

Brazil and Colombia and to create more air service agreements with South American

neighbors (Chickrie, 2016).

In regards to travel documents, visitors from the US, UK, Australia, Canada, New Zealand,

and Western Europe need to apply for a tourist card. The tourist card is valid for 90 days


and visitors will need to allow approximately one month to receive the document, which is

$25. Those who plan to stay longer or are revisiting the country need to apply for a travel

visa (Lonely Planet, n.d.)

Primary Research Before going into a research project, it is important to first understand how well people

know your topic. Research allows us to direct our focus and find the necessary knowledge

we need to provide information for our target audience. We decided to run a survey on

SurveyMonkey to gauge Ithaca College students’ awareness for the country of Suriname.

We posted our survey on various Ithaca College Facebook pages and sent directly to our

close friends at Ithaca. We received 97 responses to our survey, and for some of our

questions we got very interesting answers. For example, only 35.79% of the people we

surveyed chose that Suriname is located in South America. The other tops answers were

Africa (28.42%) and Asia (25.26%). Questions that had an “I don’t know” or “No idea”

option led the votes that required actual knowledge about Suriname (i.e. when is the best

time of the year to visit Suriname, what’s the largest city, the official language, and what

their main attractions are, etc.). This proves that people do not know much about what

Suriname has to offer, and shows exactly what we bring to people’s attention.

Competitors One of Suriname’s competitors as a tourist attraction country is Mexico. English is widely

spoken in both Suriname and Mexico, making it easy for tourists from the U.S. to feel

comfortable and express themselves as they please. Both Suriname and Mexico have

vibrant cultures with diverse landscapes, nature and wildlife. In addition, they both are

surrounded by the coastline. Mexico has more deserts whereas Suriname has more Forest

Reserves. Due to the fact that Mexico has deserts, there are activity options for tourists

to climb volcanoes, watch whales swim underground and tour tequila farms. On the other

hand, Suriname is more for nature lovers and with some activities offered throughout the

river. As a whole, the activities that tourists can enjoy in Suriname and Mexico definitely

overlap. Everything from hiking, scuba diving, fishing, boating and sailing, kayaking, rafting,

etc. Similarly, both Mexico and Suriname have historic sights where tourists can visit

places like Cathedrals, museums, independence squares, markets, churches and giant

ancient pyramids. Although Suriname does have some transportation options, Mexico has

a remarkably thorough and efficient internal transport system, making it easier for tourists

to get around the city. The costs for dining for both Suriname and Mexico are relatively the

same, both averaging out to a cost of $20 for a two-person meal (2016).

Another competitor is Belize, a bordering country of Suriname. Both countries have

beautiful beaches for tourists to enjoy. According to Travel+Leisure, Belize has a rich

culture, similar to Suriname. While Suriname has an assortment of wildlife to offer, Belize


also has the Belize Barrier Reef, one of the world’s most diverse ecosystems, with

hundreds of coral fish and species. Belize also has The Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary,

giving the tourists just as much of a chance to explore the wildlife here as they can in

Suriname (2016). According to Virtual Tourist, nightlife in Belize is not as big as it is costly.

The nightlife in Suriname offers many dance clubs, an assortment of bars, restaurants,

bowling arcades, casinos and party buses. According to Numbeo, the costs for dining are

also lower in Suriname (2016). A meal for two people at a mid-range restaurant would

average a cost of around $27.50, whereas that cost for Suriname would average to $20

(2016). While Suriname does have some transportation options, Belize is very easy to get

around where it offers buses, boats, horses, cars, etc.

Lastly, Brazil is a competitor with its seemingly endless beaches, from Rio’s Copacabana

to the treasures along the northeastern shores. Brazil also offers an exotic wildlife

available to the tourists for adventures. In addition, Brazil shares the same vibrant, rich

culture that Suriname has (Fodor’s Travel, 2016). According to Rough Guides, roughly two-

thirds of Brazil’s population live on or near the Amazon, while Suriname also has the

amazon rainforest (2016). In terms of language, Suriname locals definitely speak and

understand English more than Brazilians do. This could make traveling in Brazil a little more

difficult for those flying from the U.S. A big problem that Brazil faces, that Suriname

doesn’t as much, is the corruption where an inefficient public sector and the reluctance of

the country’s middle class to do anything that might jeopardize its comfortable lifestyle.

Levels of violence that would be considered a public emergency in most countries are

fatalistically accepted in Brazil, which could be of concern for some tourists (Insight Crime,

2016).

Industry Trends The type of vacation that is the most popular is a beach vacation. In 2015, Statista

reported that 42% of men and 44% of women were planning on taking a beach vacation.

Additionally, across all age groups (Millennials, Generation X, and Baby Boomers) the beach

was the most favorable destination for a vacation. Travelers also enjoy vacations that

incorporate adventure, culture, and sightseeing. According to TripAdvisor, some of the top

beach vacation destinations are the Dominican Republic (Caribbean), Playa del Carmen

(Mexico), Maui (Hawaii), Cancun (Mexico), and Puerto Vallarta (Mexico). TripAdvisor also

lists some of the top vacation spots specifically in Mexico, Central, and South America. In

addition to those previously listed, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil), Margarita Island (Venezuela), Mar

del Plata (Argentina), and Vina del Mar (Chile) ranked favorably. Suriname was not featured

on the list (Statista, 2015; TripAdvisor, 2016).

Among the different types of vacations, as mentioned, a beach vacation topped the

charts. Briefly following beach locations are cities, national parks, mountain locations, etc.


Cruises prove to be the most popular among Millennials and North America leads in market

size for the global cruise industry according to Statista (Statista, 2015).

In the tourism industry, the summer is the most popular time to go on a vacation followed

by the spring. Luckily, the best time to visit Suriname is between February and April

because this is the first dry season of the year. The second dry season is August through

November and is hotter than the first. A popular trend in the tourism industry is Groupon.

Groupon offers discounted trips and vacations to consumers looking for a getaway. This

site has yet to feature Suriname as a promotional vacation. (Lonely Planet, 2016).

Another travel trend emerging in the tourism industry is adventure travel. This emerging

adventure travel trends are beginning to rise into relevance in the travelling world. One of

the trends in particular is up and coming demographics that are starting to travel more

frequently: multigenerational family groups, Millennials, and single women (Virtuoso,

2015). South American travel market continues to grow. One of the findings of the annual

ITB World Travel Trends Report conducted by IPK International and commissioned by the

world’s leading travel trade show noted there is “an unabated lust for international travel in

South America” (Zand, 2013). South America continues to be a dynamic driving force of

the global tourism industry. In particular, Brazil, has a lot of shopping tours to offer and has

contributed significantly towards this trend. UNWTO reports a 3.2% increase in inbound

travel to South America (Zand, 2013).


SWOT Analysis

STRENGTHS • Affordable ground transportation throughout

country

• Ethnic diversity in food, drinks and traditions

• Culturally diverse country

• Two favorable dry seasons

• Large variety of activities ranging from

markets to jungle excursions to museums to

casinos and nightlife

• Dense tropical rain forest makes up 94.7%

of country, rich climate

• Multiple touring companies that offer

elaborate adventure experiences

• English is widely spoken throughout the

country

• Tourism profits contribute to rainforest

conservation efforts

WEAKNESSES • Travelling to Suriname is difficult

o It is expensive

o Requires a layover

o Takes 9-29 hours

• Lacks well-known hotel chains which travelers

may prefer

• Yellow Fever, Malaria, Hepatitis B, Dengue

Fever are endemic

• Political instability due to leadership’s drug

involvement, directly affecting the United

States

• Lack of Country Awareness

• Cases of mistreatment against indigenous

peoples’ human rights and land entitlements

• Risk of encountering deadly wildlife

(scorpions, piranhas, etc.)

Opportunities • Recent terrorist attacks have made

travelers wary to visit popular, larger cities

for vacations

• Study abroad programs in Suriname for

college students, cultural richness

• Spring Break destination due to favorable dry

season from February to April

• Travelers enjoy vacations that incorporate

adventure, culture, and sightseeing

• Partner with rainforest and wildlife

preservation partners, share common

message

• Air Travel will be more accessible if tourism

and travel increases

• Potential for Cruise ship destination travel

• Develop travel partnership packages and

excursion experiences with corporate brands

and neighboring countries

THREATS • Global Warming is causing frequent and

extreme weather irregularities which may

affect travel and vacations

• Transshipment point for arms-for-drugs

dealing

• Tier 2 Watch List for Human Trafficking

• Numbers of Dutch Tourists decreasing

• Competitive Travel Market in South

America/Caribbean

o Brazil

o Venezuela

o Belize

o Mexico

• The 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games may

divert attention from smaller South American

countries’ tourism


Research Conclusions From our findings, it can be concluded that Suriname is a warm, dense convergence of

rivers that has lively rhythm of ethnic diversity. From Paramaribo, to the fathomless

jungles of the interior, you’ll get a genuine welcome to this tiny country. Paramaribo is

loaded with interesting shopping venues, party-hard night spots and exceptional

restaurants, while the untamed jungle, just a few hours away by road or boat, is utterly

away from modern development. It’s relatively easy to get around this river-heavy, forest-

dense country. The mix of languages can make communications interesting, but there is

almost always someone around who speaks some English.


OBJECTIVES The public relations plan for the Suriname Tourism Foundation is designed to achieve the

following objectives:

1. Increase country awareness of Suriname among Americans by 20% by December

2017

2. Increase the number of tourists travelling to Suriname by 15% by December 2017

3. Improve Suriname’s top of mind awareness among other tropical vacation

destinations

4. Increase followers on Suriname’s social media platforms by 200% by December

2017, specifically targeting Millennials (men and women ages 18-34)


TARGET AUDIENCES The Red Rain Boots Agency has planned to target two audiences. Our primary target

audience is men and women ages 23-34 in the United States: working Millennials. We have

further broken down our primary target audience into four subgroups to specifically target.

Our secondary target audience is college students, men and women ages 18-22 in the

United States, or college aged Millennials.

Primary Audience: Working Millennials (men and women ages 23-34 in the United States)

A. Millennial Hipsters: individuals who take pride in veering from the cultural norm

B. Environmental Conscious Traveler: individuals who choose sustainable options

C. Adventurers: individuals who seek thrilling ‘bucket-list-esque’ adventures

D. Upscale Travelers: individuals who seek unique, culturally enriching experiences

Secondary Audience: College-aged Millennials (men and women ages 18-22 in the United

States)

Target Market Profiles Millennial Hipsters:

While some people try to go with the flow and “keep up with the Jones’,” this group of

Millennials veer from the expected. Whether it’s the music they listen to, their sense of

style, the restaurants they frequent, or the places they travel, these Hipsters are unique

and enjoy things that most people don’t even know exist. Hipsters typically live in cities

like Denver, Seattle, and New York where there is a large eccentric community and

opportunities to go to concerts, art galleries, small business shops, fashion shows, and

bars (Kotkin, 2014). Hipsters often have occupations that cater towards these types of

venues and their income is typically modest. However, they are willing to spend their

money on places that are unknown by the majority of society. Hipsters love experiencing

new places and activities and are willing to go somewhere without being persuaded by

friends, family, and other opinion leaders that may have already been there.

Environmentally Conscious Travelers:

This demographic outlines people who are interested in visiting areas that are rich in

beautiful lands and the promotion of environmental conservation. In everyday life this

demographic is focused on their personal carbon footprint. They are likely to strongly

utilize recycling, composting, and repurposing initiatives in their day-to-day lives. The

demographic is also likely to drive eco-friendly cars, use car-pooling initiatives, or even

bike/walk whenever they can to reach their destinations. Environmentally conscious

people often tend to be vegetarians or vegans, and are active in campaigning for animal


rights and environmental conservation. These individuals enjoy utilizing their activist spirit

in the selection of travel destinations where they can potentially help the causes of that

location. The environmentally conscious traveler’s interest is peaked by exploring areas

that are in need of environmental activism and home to beautiful landscapes.

Adventurers:

This group of people often seek unique or new travel destinations and activities. Although

adventure tourism is recognized as important, primary research has shown that the size

and scope of this market in the U.S. or internationally (Schneider, 2006) has been lacking.

Adventurers are equally likely to be single or married males and females. Adventurers also

have higher levels of household income typically. When planning vacations, they place a

higher importance on exploring new places, time to be in nature, meeting and engaging

with local cultures and pushing their physical limits. Not surprisingly, adventurers are now

turning to the Internet to research their trips. All in all, adventurer travelers represent a

significant, growing market. They look for potentially dangerous but thrilling experiences

that gets their adrenaline pumping and allows them to experience what the world has to

offer.

Upscale Travelers:

This sub-pocket of Millennials thrives in fast-paced urban environments while working

tireless at their jobs, sometimes deemed yuppie DINKs (young urban professionals with

double income and no kids). Many work in competitive job markets such as finance,

business, marketing, and communications for major firms and have a significant amount of

disposable income which they use to cultural enrich their lives. They frequent art exhibits,

museums, and concert series that travel to their home cities. They live lavish lives

spending their money on expensive clothing, restaurants, nightlife, entertainment and

travel. They seek to differentiate from their work colleagues trying to “one-up” each other

and experience the next best thing shared on their glamorous Instagram profiles. They are

very concerned with how others view them and their personal image. They yearn to be the

“coolest” in the office by sharing their extravagant tales from unique vacations and

experiences.

College Students:

College students are the youngest demographic among Millennials but share many of the

same stereotypical traits. College students are heavily involved in social media and are

active across multiple platforms, Snapchat being one of the most popular. College

students lead busy lives from juggling their school work and extracurricular activities to

finding time to enjoy with their friends. College students are always looking for the next

party or adventurous experience to de-stress from their hectic lives while broadcasting

these experiences on their social media profiles. Although college students are looking for

thrilling adventures, they are limited in terms of income and free time. They lack disposable


income and usually have student loan debt. Many make poor personal finance decisions

(impulsive purchases) which worsens their financial situations further. College students

seek bargains and sales when shopping especially on travel and spring break vacations.

College students put a tremendous amount of effort in comparing themselves to their

peers; this comparison is heightened on social media. Finding the perfect spring break

destination is the epitome of their college experience.


STRATEGIES The Red Rain Boots agency will achieve our main strategy of educating target audiences

about Suriname’s tourism opportunities through the following sub-strategies. These

strategies will achieve our previously stated objectives and are as follows:

1. Increase tourism of our target audience by partnering with companion travel

packages

2. Boost awareness of Suriname Tourism Foundation through social media platforms

3. Create an extensive media relations campaign to generate stories in print,

broadcast and online media

4. Establish a partnership with a corporate brand


TACTICS

Tactics to achieve Strategy #1: Increase tourism of our target audience by partnering with companion travel packages

• Plan discounted trips with Groupon and Contiki

To increase tourism of our target audience, we plan to partner with travel websites that

offer travel packages to provide us with further opportunities to reach our target

audiences. Specifically, we plan to use travel deals on third party suppliers such as

Groupon and Contiki. Groupon and Contiki are excellent sites to advertise Suriname as a

destination travel location. Groupon is a leader in experiential deals on the internet and

would be satisfy our Millennial target audience. Contiki is a less mainstream discount

travel package site based out of Australia but appeals to our hipster Millennial target

audience. They offer more adventure experiences which cater to Suriname’s

opportunities. These trips will provide the actual price, and we will “package discounted

price” highlighting discounted difference (see Appendix). We will provide opportunities

specific to Millennials, in order to lead them to visit Suriname. One example a featured

travel package is an all-inclusive 5-day trip to Suriname where they will travel all around the

country and explore its beautiful sites, waterfalls, and culture on adventure activities like

zip lining.

• College students spring break packages and deals

When college students want to take either extended or spring breaks, they seek deals

that will make it cheaper for them to travel. Evidently, we will try to partner up and create

college specific packages and deals to promote Suriname as an affordable option to visit.

An example would be something like “**SPECIAL PROMOTION FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS

18+: SURINAME**.” This could be featured on one of the many college spring break specific

travel websites such as Student City or EF College Break. These packages would

specifically reach the younger half of our target audience.

• Cruise line extension to Suriname

Another tactic to increase tourism to Suriname is to establish relationships with cruise

lines that will connect visits to beautiful Suriname. We plan to partner up with Royal

Caribbean Cruise Line because they have been rated “the best cruise line overall and the

Caribbean” for the past thirteen years according to Travel Weekly Readers’ Choice Award

(Royal Caribbean International, 2016). Our partnership with Royal Caribbean will open many

doors for us to create vacation experiences for Millennials. Our proposed trip, entitled “An


Exotic Expedition” would depart from Florida, and it could extend to port stops in places

like Mexico, Jamaica, and Haiti for one day with the final stop and featured stop being

Suriname. This cruise would be a ten day, nine night getaways for our target audience. Our

port stop would be in our capital, Paramaribo, where guests could stop and be quickly

immersed in Suriname culture for five days. From there they could stay in the capital and

enjoy Paramaribo’s restaurants and nightlife or venture into Suriname’s dense rain forest.

Day-long excursions would include nature, cultural, and adventure tours which guests

would be able to participate in for an additional fee.

Tactics to achieve Strategy #2: Boost awareness of Suriname Tourism Foundation through social media platforms

• Create content and strategies for all social media channels

In order to increase awareness of the Suriname Tourism Foundation amongst social media

users, particularly Millennials, we intend to implement consistent messages across

various online platforms. We will primarily be focusing on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube,

and Snapchat, which are sites heavily used by our primary and secondary target audiences.

We will hold photo and video shoots showcasing Suriname’s natural beauty and appeal

ranging from its lush forest, to tourist activities, to the life of a local. This imagery will be

displayed across various social media sites and posted during times of the day that

Millennials and college students typically check their phones. We will end each

caption/post with the hashtag “#GoSuriname” to make our material more interactive for

interested travelers. Posts will range from general messages to boost awareness, to

images and videos that call to action and encourage the viewer to book that summer

vacation or spring break trip they’ve been dreaming of. For example, a Snapchat Story will

take place in January as college students are looking to finalize their spring break plans.

We will strategically post on our social media accounts to not only increase awareness but

also to maximize tourism to Suriname. This will be achieved by making posts several times

throughout the week during most of the year and increasing our posts to once a day per

channel in the weeks approaching major travel seasons on our Facebook, Twitter, and

Instagram pages. We recommend posting once per week on Instagram and three times per

week for Facebook and Twitter in the slow months. In addition to the Snapchat Story in

January for college students, we will post around the winter holidays (November and

December) and Valentine’s Day for our primary target audience in hopes that they will book

a trip to spend with their loved one. We want to encourage travelers to come between the

months of February and April since the weather is the best in Suriname during this time.

The next best time to travel to Suriname is between August and November, so we plan to

highlight previous travelers’ photos to encourage more people to visit Suriname. This will


also keep previous visitors interested and involved with Suriname even after their time

there (see Appendix for example social media posts).

• Partake in Search Engine Optimization

In addition to independent social media posts, we will create an extensive and vibrant

range of ads to be displayed on these popular sites. Suriname will not be at the front of our

target audiences’ minds at the beginning of our campaign, so advertisements and

sponsored posts on sites like Instagram and Twitter are key in raising awareness of this

hidden gem of a country. Banner advertisements will also be created for websites such as

Travel + Leisure, Entrepreneur Magazine, and Buzzfeed. We will also utilize search engine

optimization in order to get more online traffic to the Suriname Tourism Foundation

website. We will implement search engine optimization through Google Analytics so when

our target audiences search keywords such as “travel,” “vacation,” “trip,” and “rainforest,”

Suriname will be one of the top search results. Our overall goal is to have our target

audiences noticing Suriname more and more through their daily routine of checking social

media and their favorite sites until it becomes a top of mind vacation destination.

Tactics to achieve Strategy #3: Create an extensive media relations campaign to generate stories in print, broadcast and

online media

• Familiarization tours with journalists, travel bloggers, photographers, social

media travel influencers to generate content about Suriname

In order to increase Suriname’s overall country awareness, we will create an extensive

media relations campaign to generate public interest stories about the country across

multiple media platforms including print and online media. Due to Suriname’s cultural and

ecological richness, we believe that capitalizing on Suriname’s natural beauty will appeal to

our target audience. The only true way for journalists to capture the country’s beauty in

writing is to experience it for themselves.

We will be hosting a familiarization tour inviting travel journalists, travel social media

influencers, adventure and travel photographers, and travel bloggers. The trip would

consist of multiple tours around Suriname featuring its many attributes including

Suriname’s rainforest, ecological diversity, adventure activities, and cultural heritage. The

purpose of this tour is to allow the journalists and bloggers to interact in Suriname’s

culture and be able to write authentically from being surrounded within it. Social media

influencers will be able to take video and photo content and share their experiences on

their social channels promoting Suriname to their followers in our target audience.

Photographers and videographers will be able to capture the richness of Suriname’s


ecological paradise to be used in their own installations or serve as visual content for the

journalists and bloggers. We have researched some prospective individuals to invite to our

familiarization tour that would best articulate Suriname in their style and effectively reach

our target audience (Cole, 2015):

1. Scott Eddy @MrScottEddy

Scott Eddy is the second most influential person in #Travel on Klout with over

900,000 followers on Twitter and 150,000 on Instagram. His influence is powerful

and will reach our upper end of our target audience.

2. Megan Jerrard @MappingMegan

Megan Jerrard is adventure travel enthusiast who not only documents her

experiences on her Instagram (30,000 followers) and Twitter (100,000 followers)

channels, but also on her travel blog. Megan has a wealth of information on how to

travel on a budget and particularly targets college students and young grads in her

posts, reaching the lower end of our target audience. A skilled photographer and

writer, Megan’s work has appeared in National Geographic, The Huffington Post,

Elite Daily, My Destination, and more.

3. JD Andrews @earthXplorer

JD Andrews is a distinguished travel photographer and videographer. Although he

only has 40,000 Instagram followers, he has won seven Emmys for his videography

work. He manages the media company earthXplorer media while maintaining a travel

and dad blog.

4. Chris Burkard @chrisburkard

Chris Burkard, self-made photographer and videographer captures the most jaw-

dropping landscapes on his Instagram profile which has 1.5 million followers earning

him certified status. Chris perfectly captures the wonders of the natural world

through his lenses and would appeal to the Millennial market as a Millennial himself.

5. Jay Alvarrez @jayalvarrez

Jay Alvarez is a Millennial model whose Instagram account attracts 3.7 million

followers, giving him certified status. Jay and his model girlfriend globetrot around

the world in the most lavish ways imaginable. His decadent travels and lifestyle

posts would attract our sub-target audience of Yuppie DINKS.

6. Kiersten Rich @theblondeabroad

Kiersten Rich is a travel and style blogger based out of California who left her

corporate job to tour the world. Kiersten provides the inside scoop at the locations

she travels with a twist Millennials crave. With 174,000 followers and certified


status on Instagram, she is quite the influencer. Her travel blog has also been

featured on multiple mediums including The Travel Channel, Lonely Planet, Expedia,

About Travel, Skyscanner, and Travelocity. Kiersten also creates high quality videos

as a GoPro partner and posts them on her YouTube channel.

7. Andrew McCarthy @AndrewTMcCarthy

Andrew McCarthy, past actor turned travel journalist, is quite distinguished for his

change in career path. He has a passion for storytelling and his stories are notable.

He writes for Traveler and serves as the editor at large. He recently won first and

third place for the Destination Travel, Domestic Magazine category at the North

American Travel Journalist Association Awards for his work in the National

Geographic Traveler Magazine and Travel +Leisure.

8. Seth Kugel @sethkugel

Seth Kugel is a freelance journalist and current “Frugal Traveler” columnist for the

New York Times. He is very familiar with Latino culture and writes frequently in

Brazil, Suriname’s neighboring country. Kugel’s column is perfect to reach our target

audience of Millennials while being familiar with South American countries.

After the familiarization tour, we want to preserve strong relationships with these travel

influencers. We will stay in contact with these individuals for future years to come by

sending them new content or special interest stories about Suriname that we think would

best fit their specific followings a few times a year. This will keep Suriname relevant in

these travel influencers minds and perhaps encourage them to return to Suriname on their

own time.

• Pitch stories to popular travel publications

In addition to the select journalists invited to the familiarization tour, Suriname needs to

generate consistent international media coverage in the travel and tourism industry,

specifically focusing on American markets. First, our team will create a press kit for the

Suriname Tourism Foundation to accompany any press releases. This kit should be

updated every three months. Each month, The Red Rain Boots Agency will develop ten

special interest/tourism press releases to be sent out to distinguished media publications

such as National Geographic Traveler Magazine, National Geographic, The New York Times,

The Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, Travel + Leisure and Lonely Planet. Each pitch should be

slightly modified for the desired medium but all should capture the same essential

message: visit Suriname. Some potential story angles include:

1. Diversity of animals and plants in the Amazon Rainforest in Suriname


2. Interviews with the indigenous people of Suriname featuring their

traditions and culture

3. Suriname’s consistent environmental conservation efforts

4. Food and culture: examination of Suriname’s cultural diversity

5. Spotlight piece on Paramaribo, Suriname’s capital

6. “List” articles on top activities for different types of individuals to do in

Suriname (adventurers, environmentally conscious, culture enthusiasts)

7. Personality profiles of locals in Suriname (tour owners/tour leaders)

8. Related promotional aspects of the Go Suriname campaign

As the campaign progresses, our team will consistently scan the media in the travel and

tourism industry to look for developing leads or opportunities to partner for a story for

mutually beneficial coverage. The Red Rain Boots Agency should be making contacts and

relationships with specific journalists and editors at these publications to ensure our

stories are being printed. If the relationships with these journalists strengthen it may be

beneficial to offer a second familiarization tour inviting these newfound contacts to visit

Suriname in 2018 or later.

Tactics to achieve Strategy #4: Establish a partnership with a corporate brand

• GoPro corporate partnership

To further generate buzz about Suriname as an up and coming tourism location, we will

establish a partnership with action camera line, GoPro. GoPro produces versatile cameras

that allow video recording in action packed situations. The company is committed to

allowing people capture their most important experiences, wherever they are and

whatever they are doing. GoPro’s mission for their cameras directly correlates to the

exotic and adventure filled experiences the country of Suriname allows one to experience.

The Go Suriname campaign will be able to showcase the country’s lush rainforest, beach,

and city excursions through this advantageous partnership. The partnership is also

mutually beneficial, as GoPro will be able to showcase their products in a relatively

unexplored area, further marketing the camera’s capabilities and venturesome streak.

The millennial generation that we are targeting also relates and positively endorses the

GoPro company. Since the company’s debut in 2004, sales have doubled each year. CEO

and founder of GoPro, Nick Woodman, is now one of the newest and youngest American

billionaires (Mac, 2013). Capturing moments has been revolutionized by the small durable

camera. Rather than having others capture extreme or special moments for them,

individuals are now strapping their GoPros onto helmets or bike handles, even taking them


underwater to capture their own point of view moments. For a generation obsessed with

the technology revolution and selfies, we couldn't ask for a better combination.

• GoPro Sponsored Adventure Video

After establishing the partnership, the first tactic for Go Suriname will be to outsource a

GoPro videographer and have them make an adventure video in Suriname. The video will

showcase the beautiful landscapes and the daring adventures tourists can participate in

while staying in Suriname. The video will generate a sense of awe and excitement toward

visiting the country. Once completed, the video will be shared on GoPro’s YouTube channel,

where they routinely upload experience videos. The video will also be showcased and

shared on all of the Suriname Tourism Board’s social media sites and website. The goal is

to have the video become widespread, generating a large social media presence, and thus

alerting our target audiences to Suriname. The video is to be released in March after the

campaign begins.

• Sweepstakes (associated products, trips)

To further enhance and display the partnership with GoPro, a number of sweepstakes will

be created. The sweepstakes will also directly tie into our social media strategy, as the

millennial and young adult group we are attempting to reach are heavily influenced by

these sites. The sweepstakes will take place over GoPro and the Suriname Tourism

Board’s Facebook Instagram pages. It will prompt people to post a GoPro video of

themselves doing something adventurous or noteworthy and have the caption, “This is

cool but I’d rather #Go Suriname.” Submissions will tag GoPro and Suriname, use the

caption, and #GoSuriname (see Appendix). By entering, participants could win GoPro

accessories, a GoPro camera, or a trip to Suriname. The sweepstakes not only promotes

both entities, but continues to drive the social media game to spread the word about the

beauties of Suriname, building hype to travel there. The Sweepstakes will be released one

month after the release of the GoPro Suriname Video to maintain continuity and further

encourage participation.

• Pop-up events across country

Pop-up events will also be used to the advantage of the Go Suriname campaign. We will

sponsor pop-up events across the country with help from GoPro, targeting at least one

main city area in the North, South, East, and West. The event will travel to New York,

Seattle, Denver, and Chicago. The events will be virtual opportunities for participants to

see through the lens of a GoPro. With headsets, participants will be able to virtually look

through the lens of a GoPro and explore Suriname. They will zip line through the rainforest,

snorkel in beautiful waters, and walk through the bustling nightlife in the country’s capital


Paramaribo. While people are waiting for their turn, they will be able to look at beautiful

posters and brochures outlining tourist packages and deals for trips to Suriname. A large

LCD screen will feature the previously made GoPro Suriname video and testimonials

highlighting moving shots of the Suriname landscapes and adventure activities. Members

of the GoPro team will also be present, showing of the GoPro cameras and features. This

event will take place outside in parks in these metropolitan cities. When the pop-up event

travels in the colder months, the tents will be heated to reinforce the Suriname as a

tropical paradise.


Measurement & Evaluation In order to evaluate the success of our public relations plan, The Red Rain Boots Agency

will implement various evaluation tasks.

In terms of increasing country awareness of Suriname among Americans by 20%, we will

be utilizing a number of evaluation tools:

• Our company software will be employed in order to track website traffic and clicks

• The Red Rain Boots Agency will utilize Google to track all the social media likes,

comments and shares

• In order to calculate and monitor press coverage, will use clipping reports

• Lastly, we will use the quantity of articles that are generated from our press

coverage to evaluate the extent of our reach

The next objective is to increase the number of tourists traveling to Suriname by 15% by

December 2017. We will be able to measure this objective by:

• We will track flight purchases and hotel bookings recommended by our company

during the campaign and then compare this to the number of purchases and

bookings at the end of the campaign

• We will be able to receive statistics from our travel packages promoted on Contiki,

Groupon, Student City, and EF College Break to see how many were purchased

In terms of social media engagement, we are aiming to increase followers on Suriname’s

social media platforms by 200% by December 2017, specifically targeting Millennials

(men and women ages 18-34).

• We will track how many people we impact with our messages over social media

content by keeping track of statistics on the number of likes, impressions,

followers, views and subscribers, etc.

• The next step is to see if anyone has actually taken action with the messages we

have portrayed to them, and we will account for this by measuring engagement

o We want to create valuable content that inspires people to act so this will

account for the clicks on links in our social media posts, retweets, mentions

and direct messages on Twitter, Shares on Facebook, comments on our

Facebook, ratings on our videos and comments on our blog posts

• Finally, we will use the Suriname Tourism Foundation website as the hub of our

social media content - always linking back to content on our website in our social

networking posts

o The website will offer content upsells and lead generation offers to ‘convert’

anonymous visitors into named leads for our sales process


o This conversion metrics will be measured by the online lead generation form

completions, phone-in leads, online sales and registrations for content

downloads

We are looking to launch our adventure video of Suriname two months after the start of

the campaign and have it become viral, generating a large social media presence. In terms

of evaluation for this the following will be considered:

• We will be looking at the number of views from our target demographics or our

videos percentage of views from that demographic

• We will be looking into how much watch time the video has accumulated, both the

total amount and the average time each viewer is watching

• We will be reviewing the number of subscribers our video is earning, or the

percentage of new subscribers we are picking up compared to the number of views

our video is getting

• We will also be measuring how many clicks we are getting through to our website

• Lastly, to see if our audience is endorsing and sharing our content, we will be looking

into the number of shares and the percentages of shares to views

In terms of our pop-up events that will be running for one-two months in the middle of the

campaign, we will be measuring the event by attendance, participation, and engagement:

• This will depend on how short or long our pop-up event is and will determine dates

and timing for the next time around

• By knowing which date or hours were particularly busy, we will be able to use that

information to plan things like special promotions and giveaways

• Furthermore, we can better track the feelings and desire people have to travel to

Suriname after their experience with the pop-up event by having them fill out

surveys


Timetable


About the Agency The Red Rain Boots Agency is a full-service public relations

agency. The Red Rain Boots Agency is passionate about

fostering relationships with their clients. Positive agency-

client relationships are integral to success and The Red Rain

Boots Agency capitalizes on it. The Red Rain Boots Agency’s

mission is to seek the spark of color in every client’s problem

and transform it into a vibrant solution.

Meet the Team

Laura Amato is a sophomore Integrated Marketing

Communications major with minors in CMD and Psychology from

Syracuse, NY. Laura is passionate about food, travel, movies, and

cats. On campus, she is involved with IC Public Relations Student

Society of America, Students Today Alumni Tomorrow, IC After

Dark, and works as a Student Leadership Consultant. This

summer, Laura will be a Public Relations Intern at Eric Mower &

Associates in Syracuse, NY and will be preparing for her fall

semester abroad in London.

Lenna Daniels is a junior Television-Radio major with a minor in

Integrated Marketing Communications. She is originally from

Branchville, NJ and loves being home because of her family and

two dogs. This summer, she will also be interning at home with

George Segale Films, attending weddings every weekend. On

campus, she has been a Resident Assistant to First-Year

students for the past two years and will be again next semester.

She is also involved with ICTV, Helping Hands, and Students

Today Alumni Tomorrow. Aside from being at home, she loves

Costco, food, Game of Thrones, taking photos, and TOMS shoes.


Jenny Mak is a senior currently pursuing a B.S. in

Communications Management & Design with a concentration

in Corporate Communications. Her passions include traveling,

writing, hanging out with friends, and learning more about the

advertising and marketing industry. On campus, she helped

with coordinating the Interfashional Night Event, assisted with

the advertising campaign for ParkAdvenue and was a member

of IC Women in Communications. Jenny is looking to establish

a full-time position with a media company upon her graduation.

Renée Schweizer is a senior Communication Management

Design major with a minor in Writing from Campbell Hall, NY.

She is a world traveler, and nature and poetry enthusiast. On

campus, Renée is the Vice Executive of Event Planning for IC

After Dark, a member of the Senior Class Cabinet and Senior

Class Gift Committee, and works as a President’s Host Tour

Guide. Following her graduation this May, Renée hopes to find a

job in the event or public relations fields where she can put her

creativity to good use.

Lucas Silberman is a sophomore studying Integrated

Marketing Communications from San Francisco, California. On

campus, Lucas is apart of club basketball, the DKE fraternity,

and a sports blog with two other Park students called

CaliToCuse. His passion is in sports as a writer, broadcaster,

and fan, as he is a die hard Bay Area sports fan, including his

favorite team the Golden State Warriors. This summer Lucas

will be returning back to a summer camp for seven weeks in

Maine he worked at last year called Camp Laurel.


APPENDIX

Survey Questions


Survey Results


Example Groupon Travel Package Promotion

Example Social Media Posts


Example Social Media Posts Continued

Example #GoSuriname Sweepstakes Post


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Suriname Tourism Foundation Public Relations Plan

Marketing

Transcript of Suriname Tourism Foundation Public Relations Plan