Case Study

Discover

The State of Sonora, Mexico was looking to increase tourism from western United States to the cities of Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo, Puerto Penasco, San Carlos, Guaymas, and Hermosillo. As we are a bilingual firm with deep roots in both the American Southwest and the state of Sonora, the Secretary of Tourism for the government of Mexico felt confident that we were the right firm for the job.

Define

The key to marketing the state of Sonora in Arizona was education, so to speak. We needed to conduct intense market research to find the best way to appeal to the target demographics. A side benefit of the pre-marketing research is that we discovered that there was a viable market in Canada for Sonoran tourism.

What we discovered is that Sonora was a closer and infinitely less expensive option than California for a beach vacation for many Americans in the Southwest, but with all of the comforts and amenities of the best resorts in San Diego. This, of course, is in addition to the rich cultural history in cities like Hermosillo.

Design

We were really looking to sell the resort and beach front vacationing in Sonora. Sun, warm water, scuba diving, fresh seafood, entertainment; Sonora was truly “Arizona’s Beachfront.” We developed a complete multi media campaign including brochures, flyers, mailers, TV and radio broadcasts, and internet ads.

Deliver

The agency did all outreach campaigns to selected U.S. cities and parts of Canada including family trips, conventions, spas, restaurants, golf courses, and hotels.

In addition, we developed a working relationship with the largest hotel developer in Sonora, Grupo Situr/Grupo Sidek, as they were beginning to open up the Plaza las Glorias Resorts, Marinas, and Convention Centers throughout northern Mexico.

Review

We worked with the State of Sonora for over 10 years and in that time the coastal towns, resorts, and central cities saw a drastic increase in Arizona tourism.