THINK : DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

THINK AGAIN

“Dominican Republic has it all”

* “DR has it all” : Official country brand slogan endorsed by the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism.

True. Known for the warm and hospitable people, DR is a destination like no other; featuring astounding nature, intriguing history and rich culture. Dominican Republic is the second largest and most diverse Caribbean country. This lush tropical island paradise boasts nearly 1,000 miles of coastline, 250 miles of the world's top beaches, magnificent resorts and hotels, and a variety of sports, recreation and entertainment options.

However, through the years the country has focused exclusively in the sun and beach tourism, specifically in the East Region (Punta Cana) under the “all inclusive” model.

much remains undiscovered

city brand marketing plan

•CABARETE

Puerto Plata is one of the northern provinces of the Dominican Republic. The area has become an increasingly popular tourist attraction since the late 1990s mainly due to its fine beaches.

Cabarete is a town in the Puerto Plata province noted for its tourism and beaches. This is a world-class kiteboarding, windsurfing and laser sailing destination due to its warm waters and per fect wind conditions. Cabarete is very popular among the young and adventurous because of the aquatic sports offered on its beach, its famous annual jazz festival each fall and its e c l e c t i c b a r s , c a f e s , restaurants and shops.

Cabarete Bay has been the location of professional kitesurfing competitions (e.g. "WorldCup/Copa Mundial", Master of the Ocean), and nearby Playa Encuentro is among the most popular surfing beaches in the Caribbean.

Cabarete is currently positioned as the ideal place to practice water sports such as wind, kite & surfing in the Dominican Republic.

This one-time fishing and farming hamlet is now the adventure-sports capital of the country, booming with condos and new development. You’ll find a flourishing, grown-up beach town, with top-notch hotels, and a beach dining experience second to none, bars and tourists from around the world, especially young people. Cabarete is an ideal spot to base yourself for exploring the area – you’re within two hours’ drive of the best that the coast has to offer, you don’t even need to leave town. You’ll hear a babble of five or six languages as you walk Cabarete’s single street, where the majority of the hotels, restaurants and shops are located.

(not to mention the best winds and waves on the island)

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>Beaches: Cabarete offers white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters perfect for windsurfing and kitesurfing , the most popular sports around which several championships have been held . Playa Cabarete : Main beach in front of town. Ideal for watching windsurfing, though the very best windsurfers are well offshore at the reef line. Look for them performing huge high-speed jumps and even end-over-end flips.Kite Beach : Two kilometres west of town. A sight to behold on windy days, when scores of kiters of all skill levels negotiate huge sails and 30m lines amid the waves and traffic. On those days there’s no swimming here, as you’re liable to get run over. Playa Encuentro : Four kilometres west of town. The place to go for surfing, though top windsurfers and kite-surfers sometimes come to take advantage of the larger waves. The beach itself is a long, narrow stretch of sand backed by lush tropical vegetation; strong tides and rocky shallows make swimming here difficult.

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>Sports: Surfing, Kite Surfing, and Wind Surfing, Diving, Snorkeling, Paddle

>Nightlife: Cabarete is full of life , both day and night. bars located on the seaside, open 24hrs. (i.e. LaX Cabarete, Onno’s, Emerald Beach Club, etc).

>Highest seasonality: Spring Break - thousands of locals and tourists come to Cabarete for this season.

>Accomodations : In Cabarete there’s more than 50 options for lodging that go from 5 star resorts to several surfer’s hostels.

>Gastronomy : Cabarete offers a wide variety of seafood gastronomy as well as German and Italian cuisine, due to the broad amount of people from these nationalities living there. In addition, it offers local dishes for people who want to try the authentic Dominican Republic’s flavours. Ranging from fine dine to street vendors.>Weather: all year long, the weather in

Cabarete is warm and sunny, with temperatures between 25 - 32 degrees Celcius.

>Other activities: Jazz Festival: yearly festivals with national and international artists, celebrated for a whole week during the month of November.

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culture Fortaleza San Felipe: Built by the Spaniards in the 16th century to defend the north coast against English, Dutch and French pirates, San Felipe Fort is considered one of the most important colonial military structures in the Caribbean.

adventureDamajagua Falls - located 45 minutes away from Cabarete: The adventure consists in hiking a mountain for about an hour and jumping the 27 waterfalls located on said mountain. For shy adventurers, there’s the option of hiking only the first 7 waterfalls.

eco Cayo Arena: Popular excursion to a sandbar in the middle of the ocean with a reef where tourists can have encounters with tame fish in their natural habitat. On the return trip, tourists get a ride through mangrove forests.

tranquility Sosúa - located 30 minutes away by car from Cabarete, Sosúa possesses long and quiet beaches, hotels, hostels, and bars.

>Airport: Aeropuerto Internacional Gregorio Luperón (POP), Puerto Plata. Located in the province of Puerto Plata, located 30 minutes away by car from Cabarete.

>Land Transportation: by car or bus from and to major cities. Taxi service available 24hrs a day.

accessibility

>Seaport: Amber Cove seaport, located in the province of Puerto Plata, opened on November 2nd, 2015.

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strengths resources • Natural, historical and cultural assets• Friendly relaxed local people• Easy access through air and sea• Diversified economy • Perfect warm weather all year round• Lots of young entrepreneurs people• Affordable prices in accommodations, meals and nightlife• Incentive law : exemption of taxes for tourism investment • DR : prime worldwide sun-sand destination • Proximity to North American markets

weaknesses investment • Poor ground access : poor roads and ineffective public

transportation• High cost of excursions organised by tour operators• Culture is not integrated with tourism • Lack of national planning during the height of development

has resulted in low product diversification in the country• Lack of complementary offer besides “sun and sea”

• Lack of certifications and international quality regulations• Lack of social awareness therefore commitment to preserve

the natural resources

opportunitiesuntapped potential • Improve road network, domestic assess• Product diversification into more active tourism• Human resource development• Supply chains for handcrafts, foods• Development of cultural and historical tourism • Interest of investors (local and global)• Product diversification (besides all-inclusive)• Great potential for ecotourism• Wide range of accommodations options

threats saturation • Monochromatic product line : all-inclusive resorts • Strong reliance on the all-inclusive resort market which is

tightly controlled by international tour operators• Insecurity because of burglars• Monopolistic domination by of tour operators

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international tourists investorsKite and windsurfing academy owners Hotels and surfing hostels Nightclub, bar owners Surf shops Restaurateurs

water sports :young amateurs aficionados beginners

Brands Sports events sponsors

23 y.o . Australian / Single Graphic design student / freelancer Surf-aficionado and backpacker His work fits around his alternative lifestyleHe cares about the environment Lives and breathes “the surf culture”F r e q u e n t l y u s e s s o c i a l m e d i a t o communicate with the friends he’s met worldwide, traveling Highest value : Independence Doesn’t live more than a mile from the ocean, practices 4 times a week On weekends he takes off with friends to nearby beaches in other cities but once a year they choose an exotic kitesurfing destination for a 10 day-trip Main brands : Quicksilver, O’neill, Red Bull, Billabong / Music : Alt-J, Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, Bob Marley

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>locationThe DR is located in the Caribbean. It’s one of the few places where you can escape the tourist hordes, while still enjoying world-class tourism infrastructure.

>price Compared to local destinations, Cabarete offers lodging, meals and nightlife, for a price that's significantly lower than you think.

>weather The perfect, crystalline beaches are complemented with a tropical weather the whole year = warm waters and perfect wind.

>hospitalityAttribute that’s considered as a deal-breaking factor when it comes to choosing the DR as a travel destination. Astute travellers and tourism professionals recognised the country not only for its diverse destinations and unique splendours, but also for its signature hospitality.

Cape Town, South Africa It is known as one of the top destinations for kite and wind surfing in the world. The weather and wind is perfect for this activities and travelers can have the luxurious advantages of a big city with great night life. Lots of professionals of kite and wind surfing spend several months in this city for training for the competitions of the next season. The coastline of the city also has grat landscapes and it also offer other beaches perfect for relaxation. This destination is located not too far from the main target and it has the main advantages of a big city: the infraestructures allows travelers to arrive there in an easy way, also has several types of acommodations and the trasportation is easy to access.

Maui, Hawaii Tropical island where the weather is warm through the whole year and is favourite destinations for world wide competitions of surfing and kite surfing. Perfect for begginers and professional, the island also offers different types of beaches that can satisfied the needs of other travelers as well. Being in the pacific between south Asia and North America, it is well located for travelers from Australia, south Asia and United States.

Boracay, Philippines One of the best kite and windsurfing places in south Asia. The island also offers a good tropical scenery with great landscapes and perfect nightlife. It is still not a very popular destination so thats why travelers like this place so they can do sports and relax without the inconvenience of a large and mainstream place.

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- Affordability : significant difference in price with other competitors

- “Not your common / average spot”: relatively unknown location to be discovered

cabarete

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product > infrastructure > basics>How to get there? Improvement of the roads leading to Cabarete from the main cities of the country.

>Conservation of natural resources: - Create an institution responsible for preserving the natural resources of the area in order to keep the beaches clean and protect the species that live in Cabarete. - Implement programs designed to educate the local population of Cabarete about the preservation of natural resources and maintain the cleanliness of beaches.

>Regulations: Create and enforce a law that compels constructions to follow certain guidelines for the building of infrastructures nearby the beach, in order to preserve its resources (i.e. tall bulging affect the wind current; without wind, sports like kitesurfing and windsurfing won’t be possible to practice in Cabarete). >Laws: In 2013, Puerto Plata was included in the Incentive Law of the DR which exempts taxes on tourists and foreign investors.

>Human resource: Create a public specialised hospitality and tourism management school in order to train the local population to manage local hotels and provide excellent services to tourists.

>Security: Improve the level of safety of the town, touristic police (Politur).

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product > infrastructure> the beach

>ensure clean and well preserved beaches >security (touristic police) >lifeguards >lockers>natural showers

hydration tiki barsBeach booths installed in several spots on the beach. This will also help local people to have small business. Keeping in mind that the infrastructures of those bars will have to be in harmony to the beach atmosphere, local artists will be invited to decorate these bars. The display of local artists work will be consider an additional attraction.

Maintain the natural environment of the beach. This is what makes it special and d is t ingu ishes us f r o m o t h e r competitors.

improve the beach/spor t exper ience

product > infrastructure > transportationbicing

• Because Cabarete is a small town, we propose to implement bicing as the alternative to move from place to place.

• Bicing stations to be placed outside the main beaches (Playa Cabarete, Sosúa, Playa Encuentro).

• This will be aligned with the proposed eco-friendly concept designed to preserve the area.

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product > infrastructure > complementary productsbootcampWASHED OUT BEACH CAMP [Washed out means when you crash into the waves whilst surfing]

Concept: Water sports academy targeted to beginners and aficionados interested in polishing their skills by practicing with retired water sports professionals who are currently living in Cabarete.

Includes : one-one classes, surf trips, lodging, gear, expendables, workshops, nutrition guides, classes and other complementary disciplines such as gym and yoga. -

add value

product > infrastructure > shoppingIn Cabarete there’s already different supermarkets, beach-clothing stores and water sports equipment stores. These stores are local and don’t offer the wide variety that Cabarete will need to satisfy a large increase in the demand of surfers.

A t t r a c t : i n t e r n a t i o n a l renowned sports brands I.e. : Quicksilver, Billabong, Boz, Ron Jon, Rip Curl, among others.

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product > infrastructure > dinning

Food trucks: Incentive for local people to have new business. The food would be a simple course and would require a low investment. The food trucks will be located in the main street of Cabarete.

Food festivals can be developed with a wide variety of seafood and Dominican traditional dishes. Local organisers of similar events will be contacted in order to make new versions of festivals at the beach. For example, the Bocao Food Fest Cabarete edition. CABARETE

FOOD TRUCKS DISTRICTaffordable - fun - in trend

broaden the culinary offer

add value

about the competition >The most expensive hotels are located in Maui; 88% of lodging prices are over 150 euros per night. >In both, Bocaray and Cape Town, the cost of 57% of lodgings range from 50 - 150 euros per night. >The highest amount of hostels are located in Cape Town, with 49 available options.

We offer the most affordable lodging options within the competitors aiming to the same target. This is a key factor of decision among the target.

Even though we are adding value we aim to M A I N T A I N T H I S P R I C E POSITION* *Introduction phase to >offering exclusive special prices and packages through our owned website and mobile app

price

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about us >The least expensive hotels are located in Cabarete; 54% of lodgings range from less than 50 - 100 euros per night. >The lowest amount of hostels are located in Cabarete, with only 5 available options.

offline International tour operators Tourism Ministry of the DR offices located worldwide DR embassies worldwide

online Owned website : www.cab.do Owned mobile app Travel websites: Trip Advisor (website / app) Booking.com (website / app) Expedia.com Lonely Planet

distribution

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leverage on owned distribution channels to create own data base

complement with the most recognised and used channels by the target to ensure availability

promotion > strategy

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> public relations & sponsorships > consumer promotion > advertising

approach360

promotion > public relations

- social networks - blogs - “test product” for influencers - magazines - newspapers - talk shows i ncrease:

pos i t i vement i onsWOM

promotion > sponsorships

all iances with relevant local and international brands in order to leverage on their reputat ion and social networks create attractive packages for locals and tourists to stay in Cabarete for a week in order to enjoy these championships.

dr i ve t raff i cwater sports events

> S E A S S I O N S : m u s i c sess ions wi th local and international artists that appeal to our target group. Events to be held by the seaside once a year, to be sponsored by local and international brands.

Mus ic genres : e lec t ron ic and alternative rock. For example: Alt-J, The 1975, Wild Nothing, WhoMadeWho, Juango Dávalos, Alex Ferreira, 311.

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promotion > sponsorships

alternative music festivals

partnership : leverage on local brand endorsement to enhance nightlife. The One beer Manufactured by Ambev (this means budget)The One has a “soft sensory profile” aimed at young adult consumers.

brand philosophy : “The One is a way of life, a movement, a society, a community, a living philosophy. The power of the One is the collective power of individuals. It's a virus, not a deadly one but one that's full of life. The One is a secret society that operates from the underground.” existing brand that appeals the values and interests of the target

> theme beach bar> seasonal events add value

promotion > sponsorships

promotion > consumer promotion

>online promotion through youtube channel partnership with GoPro “upload your video of Cabarete and win prizes”

>promotion @ airports DESTINATION SWAP story-tell and go viral!

promotion > communication> owned website > social media+ add value to the p ro d u c t t h ro u g h communication mobile app : deliver functionality // users can check out the weather, waves forecast, upcoming e v e n t s , r e c o m m e n d e d places to go, among others.

+ t a k e communication to a n e x t l e v e l : a n experience v i r t u a l r e a l i t y simulators placed at strategic places // “live the experience without going to the place”

> communication strategy

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HIDDEN TREASURE A

caba Dominican Republic

no one knows

logo options

CABa Dominican Republic

no one knows

*NOT FINAL DESIGNS. ONLY FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES.

CABrebrand of the town

new name>renew the image of the place through the name >bring: freshness youthfulnesses modernity >functionality : easier to pronounce and remember >alignment with communication concept >the same name serves as a unique visual element of the brand : therefore the color and font appealing the sea, waves and clouds

*NOT FINAL DESIGNS. ONLY FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES.

CABLIFESTYLE

THEbrand concept adaptation

*NOT FINAL DESIGNS. ONLY FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES.

WOULD YOU DARE?

expectation campaign

?

*NOT FINAL DESIGNS. ONLY FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES.

a dominican republic no one knows CAB

adaptations

*NOT FINAL DESIGNS. ONLY FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES.

a dominican republic no one knows

adaptations

*NOT FINAL DESIGNS. ONLY FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES.

AGAIN

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC?

THANK YOU