Situation
Costa Rica has been at the forefront of developing environmental initiatives around tourism for decades, establishing the long-running Certification for Sustainable Tourism program in 1997. These initiatives are born from a deep-rooted commitment to the land – Costa Rica produces 99% of its energy from renewable sources and conserves 26% of its national territory and 30% of its marine areas.
Action
Welcoming an average of 1.7 million tourists a year according to the Embassy of Costa Rica, this country that’s about the size of West Virginia estimates that 80% of visitors come to participate in some form of ecotourism. To further support the country’s sustainability efforts while reaching eco-conscious travelers, MMGY collaborated with Matador, the Leave No Trace organization, and influencer and biologist Ashley Diedenhofen to create a video amplifying Costa Rica’s sustainability initiatives and to encourage responsible tourism everywhere. The resulting long-form video (5:40) and two short-form cutdowns (:15 and :30) were distributed across Matador’s and Leave No Trace’s social media channels, Diedenhofen’s platforms, the Hearst network and Visit Costa Rica’s channels.
The video followed Diedenhofen as she explored sustainable spots in Costa Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula – she went scuba diving and whale watching and participated in beach cleanups and conversations with local sustainable restaurant owners, all the while showcasing how to embrace Leave No Trace principles.
- 24.4 Million Total Impressions
- 21,500 Clicks
- 656,00 Video Completions
- 7.09 Years' time engaged
Results
Total impressions reached 24.3 million, surpassing the goal by 18%, and clicks exceeded goals by 46%, reaching 21,500. Video completions soared 72% above expectations to 656,000, meaning viewers spent over seven years’ time engaging with Visit Costa Rica’s sustainability content, solidly demonstrating that our audience didn’t just like the video – they truly connected with its message. Despite its length, the long-form video generated a combined VCR of 16.08% over our 15% benchmark, with the highest being 47% on YouTube. And the video drove 22% more clicks to Costa Rica’s website than the industry average.
The ROI based on the advertising spend compared to reported visitation numbers and average spend per visitor was a solid $6.31:$1. The beautiful and inspiring videos, b-roll and photography were also of significant value to Visit Costa Rica to further its messaging and promotion of sustainable travel.
