Costa Rica Campaign Creates A Social Network Craze In the U.S.

Photo Courtesy of ICT

  "Costa Rica's Million Dollar Gift of Happiness" has generated a flood of fans in its Facebook profile of the campaign launched by the Costa Rican Board of Tourism (ICT) only six weeks ago.

In this short period, the page went from having 8000 friends to 51000 contacts shortly after the launching.

The media interest this has aroused in the northern country is clear, according to the ICT. Quite renowned programs, such as “Anderson Cooper”, have covered it.

The campaign by the ICT, in conjunction with the advertising agency “22squared”, is part of an international advertising stratagem for the American and Canadian markets.

It has produced early results that have been described as "extremely positive" by the state body. The number of followers on social networks like Facebook and Twitter have increased non-stop.

This campaign was launched on October 6 and, to date, over 60 thousand people have entered the ICT’s Facebook to participate in the promotion.

According to ICT, about 20 people have accepted the "Gift of Happiness" through the page of "Visit Costa Rica" on Facebook. Some North American bloggers and people influencing public opinion that share Costa Rican values have received the "Gift of Happiness" and have begun promoting the news among their followers.

Allan Flores, Minister of Tourism, said that thanks to the support of private enterprise, ICT launched the original and innovative campaign that seeks to generate coverage and exposure of our country in the media and within prestigious programs.

This campaign also wants to increase the feedback and exchange of experiences through social media in order to promote a favorable recommendation of Costa Rica as a destination and a country to return to after the first trip.

“The right mix of traditional media and social networking has allowed us to amplify the impact of media on a tight budget in markets as large as the United States and Canada, thereby reaching a wider audience than the one we would have reached with only an ad.

This allowed us to move beyond traditional approaches and strengthen our uniqueness and diversity by increasing traffic on our Facebook page, and educating and motivating participants to share their experiences in near real time,” he said.

Costa Rica in the Public Eye of the MediaThe New Yorker, USA Today, and Budget Travel are some of the prestigious international media that have included this Costa Rican Campaign in their agenda.

The appearance of Costa Rica in the talk show of the renowned TV personality Anderson Cooper, on November 10, drew an estimated audience of over 4 million people.The Deputy Manager and Marketing Director, Maria Amalia Revelo, said that the bet made by the ICT in traditional media has generated very positive results with media publications such as in the Anderson Cooper TV show.

There, the "Gift of Happiness" was given to the couple comprised of Brittany Hillard and Cameron Humfleet, just after the video where Cameron proposes marriage to Brittany became a YouTube sensation.This TV program was first aired in September 2011; in a few weeks, it has become one of the largest follow-ups of television and social media.

Cooper, with more than 1.7 million followers on Twitter, reported more than 90 thousand fans follow his program through Facebook.

For ICT, participating in programs like this is only the first of many of the achievements to be met in terms of media coverage, according to the objectives outlined at the beginning of the campaign.

"Costa Rica's Million Dollar Gift of Happiness" uses the classification of Costa Rica as the happiest country in the world. From now and until February 5, 2012, the campaign will invite 255 people from the United States and Canada to enjoy their vacations in Costa Rica.

The trips will give visitors the opportunity of experiencing a little of everything the country has to offer, from engaging in adventure activities and visits to national parks, beaches and mountains, to interacting with indigenous communities. 

Costa Rica fans can view videos of each of the five thematic trips in the country's official page on Facebook/VisitCostaRica. 

 Who is Anderson Cooper?Anderson Coopers has a successful career in broadcast news, as a contributor and host of shows like The Mole on ABC, CNN American Morning, and 60 Minutes on CBS and Anderson Cooper 360 ° on CNN.

He has covered national and international events, including tsunami damage in Sri Lanka, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in the United States, the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker, among others.

In 2007, Cooper became the host of "Planet in Peril", a documentary about global warming and deforestation.