challenge
Located on its own island in the Florida Keys and offering guests a vast range of activities, Hawks Cay Resort had long stood out among the competition. But in 2017 Hurricane Irma struck, forcing most resorts to rebuild. Post-Irma, existing properties began touting beautiful renovations, and a wave of new resorts also hit the market. Hawks Cay could no longer compete with its interior spaces and the outdated tagline that celebrated them: “The Only Key You’ll Need.”
Miles was enlisted to rebrand Hawks Cay as an activity-rich vacation destination (rather than a building full of new hotel rooms) and to create a new campaign highlighting the resort’s most distinctive offering—the incredible experiences it offers, from deep-sea fishing and snorkeling the coral reefs to kayaking and swimming with dolphins.
solution
To refresh the brand colors and distinguish them from the muted coastal hues used in competitors’ marketing, we created an ocean-inspired look featuring rich colors that evoke sunshine and deep diving. The new tagline—“Find What Lures You”—puts the focus on the range of experiences the resort offers by inviting users to explore options. And by integrating the word “lure” and a subtle hook image into the tagline, it also reinforces the resort as the place for anglers.
As USA Today’s #1 family resort, Hawks Cay already had a share of the family market. The new campaign expanded the audience by targeting an outdoorsy, adventure-seeking persona via lifestyle images and playful, active messaging across all channels, from the resort website and signage to email, digital and print ads.
Headlines invite travelers to “Go overboard on your next vacation” or “Dive into adventure.”
results
The results of the Hawks Cay rebranding and new “Find What Lures You” campaign are particularly remarkable given that the campaign launched at the end of April 2020, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, and at a time when Hawks Cay’s combined search and social media budget had been reduced by 57% YOY. Despite these obstacles, there was a 93% YOY increase in online revenue. And from May–October 2020, we saw a return on advertising spend of 56:1 on social and 17:1 on search.