CHICAGO (February 19, 2007) — The Illinois Bureau of Tourism’s Hispanic campaign, “Vive la emocion!” has been named a winner in the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Adrian Awards.
The campaign, developed and executed by IBOT’s Hispanic agency of record, The San Jose Group (SJG), won a Bronze Adrian Award for the “image” category. Selected from more than 1,200 entries from 36 countries, the award honors the success of IBOT’s campaign in positioning Illinois as a compelling travel destination among its Hispanic targets. IBOT has worked with The San Jose Group since 2001 to reach Hispanic travelers in Illinois and encourage them to explore the diverse activities throughout the state.
The integrated campaign consists of various advertising and public relations elements and is culturally relevant and fully customized to the interests, behaviors, and attitudes of the Hispanic traveler. Key components include customized travel packages, a culturally relevant tagline, and setting up an infrastructure comprised of a Spanish microsite and toll-free number staffed by bilingual travel professionals. This year also marked the creation of a new Spanish-language brochure which, in addition to the website and phone number, serves as a tool to easily provide relevant and interesting information to Hispanic travelers in their own language.
“We are proud of this award because it honors a campaign that is truly culturally purposed to reach the Hispanic market,” said George L. San Jose, president and COO of SJG. “Furthermore, it marks an integrated effort that involved all our departments, from advertising and media to public relations, to develop a successful and comprehensive marketing program.”
As the largest travel-related marketing competition of its kind, the Adrian Awards honors creative brilliance and best practices in hospitality, travel, and tourism-related marketing. In its 50th year, the Adrian Awards are presented by HSMAI, an international organization of sales and marketing professionals representing all segments of the hospitality, travel, and tourism industries.
About The San Jose Group
Incorporated in 1981, The San Jose Group is a consortium of marketing communications companies specializing in reaching the Spanish-speaking Americas. Headquartered in Chicago, the Group’s expertise, services, and resources transcend domestic and international markets. The San Jose Group can be found at https://thesanjosegroup.com.