April 14, 2021 In Tinsley Blog

The Florida Keys experience epic comeback after the COVID shutdown.

by Dorn Martell

On the morning of March 24, 2020 a roadblock went up on the only road leading into The Florida Keys. The lifeblood of The Keys, the tourism industry, was completely shut down. The roadblocks were up for over two months and places like world-famous Duval Street were completely void of travelers. It was predicted that it would take years to get back to the occupancy and room rates of the pre COVID world. But Tinsley had a plan to keep The Florida Keys & Key West top-of-mind during the lock-down in anticipation of meeting pent-up demand after travel restrictions were lifted.

It is now one year later, so how are The Keys doing?

According to The Miami Herald, “A year after the Keys did what no other place in Florida could do — put up barriers to keep people out — the lifeblood of tourism has returned. The crowds are back. Tax revenues are up.” “In October 2019, for instance, the county collected about $1.8 million in tourist development taxes. In October 2020, that rose to nearly $2.6 million, by July it shot up to 3.2 million” according to data provided by the tax collector’s office.

“We’re busier now than in 2019,” said Richard Strickland, Director Key West Airport.

Smith Travel Research reported that the Florida Keys led the nation in occupancy at 95% and led the rest of Florida in both room rate and RevPar.

Our strategy of “Keeping our distance. Remaining connected.” really worked. We created digital post cards so the tourism industry could reach out to past guests. We ran “PSA” messaging during the lockdown to encourage wearing masks, hand washing and social distancing instead of going silent. We wanted people to know that The Keys have safety protocols in place and that The Keys have plenty of open spaces and room to spread out. And as The Keys reopened in June, we announced the re-opening in all media while continuing to encourage responsible behavior, in-county, on pole banners, digital billboards and signage at the airport.

It’s been a tough year and our hearts go out to those who have suffered, but the future looks bright and we are honored to be an integral part of the recovery of The Florida Keys & Key West.

November 24, 2020 In Tinsley Blog

THE BEST TOURISM MARKETING IN THE STATE – AGAIN

by John Underwood

Once again, Tinsley Advertising dominated the Annual Governor’s Conference on Tourism. Held in Tampa, Florida on Thursday, November 19, 2020, the Agency walked away with five (5) Flagler Awards for our creative work produced in 2019 (pre-Covid advertising efforts) for The Florida Keys & Key West. The multiple awards won were more than any other DMO or tourism-related business received in the state.

The Flagler awards included three (3) Henrys (the top honor) for our thirty-second “Twisted” television spot promoting direct flights to the destination, a print campaign promoting the variety of fishing in the Florida Keys & Key West and for our out-of-home taxi promotion in the UK. The agency also took home two (2) more Flagler awards in the Local Marketing and Direct Marketing categories.

The annual Flagler Awards are named after developer and railroad pioneer Henry Flagler and were established by Visit Florida in 2000 to recognize excellence in the Florida tourism marketing industry. To date, no agency has won more awards for a Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) than Tinsley.

We continue to be thankful for our long-standing partnership with the Monroe County Tourist Development Council that has allowed us to create award-winning work that has been extremely successful for this remarkable travel destination.

May 20, 2020 In Tinsley Blog

Holy Cross – Keeping the Faith in the Time of Corona

By Dorn Martell

During this unprecedented time, in the COVID-19 Pandemic, it is extremely difficult to find the right information and someone to trust. Holy Cross Hospital has risen to the challenge and has become a beacon of hope in our community.

Holy Cross Hospital was founded in 1955, by The Sisters of Mercy, as a non-profit hospital. Their mission was and is to be a healing ministry that improves the health of the whole community. The cornerstone of this mission is faith. Science confirms the fact that faith speeds healing time and helps create better outcomes. And never has our faith been put to the test like in this latest crisis.

As part of our on-going campaign promoting faith and safety, “Faith is a Powerful Ally” was featured in print, outdoor and digital to reach Holy Cross’ Greater Ft. Lauderdale market and the ad below was created specifically to honor Holy Cross’ nurses and staff during these challenging times.

Holy Cross isn’t resting on their laurels; they are on the cutting edge of treatments for COVID-19. Recently, the hospital employed ECMO Therapy (Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation) to save a man’s life who was suffering from the effects of the virus. He could not breathe and was placed in an induced coma and on a ventilator.

“There is no doubt Alberto would have died within the hour,” said Dr. Irving David from Holy Cross Hospital.

ECMO is a machine that has an oxygenator for the lungs and a pump to cycle a patient’s blood.

In layman’s terms, cardiothoracic surgeons at the hospital say it can be considered a lung and heart machine.

Alberto is on the mend now because the machine kept him alive long enough to receive antibody serum or the blood from a different patient who has recovered from the virus.

The treatment is rarely used, as only 21 lives in the entire world have been saved by it. Alberto is the first such patient in South Florida. At Holy Cross science and faith go hand-in-hand and we could not be more proud to be part of the team.

To see the whole story: https://www.local10.com/news/local/2020/04/30/holy-cross-hospital-uses-new-technology-to-save-live-of-man-with-covid-19/

To donate to the COVID-19 Response Fund or the Sr. Catherine McAuley Fund go to: https://www.holycrossdonations.com/

 

May 13, 2020 In Tinsley Blog

HERE’S TO THE GAME CHANGERS.

Winners change the game.

Don Shula knew a little something about winning, racking up a record 347 wins in his 33-year career…17 of them back-to-back in The Perfect Season of 1972.

Along the way, he earned a reputation for discipline, integrity and character that remains the gold standard in professional sports 25 years after his retirement. 

All that winning makes the loss of this Miami Dolphins legend that much greater.

In many ways, it’s a symbolic bookend to a year where we also lost our Founder, Sandy Tinsley.

Sandy and Shula made history together, reinventing the rules of advertising with a handshake deal that launched the Tinsley Sports Network, and led to the longest running coach’s show in television history. 

While Coach Shula presided over the least penalized teams in NFL history, Sandy conquered a male-dominated field by making her own rules. Granite jaw versus iron will. She launched Tinsley Advertising with a single client in 1974, and chalked up a string of victories of her own over the years. When she learned that The Don Shula Show had lost its sponsorship, she instantly recognized the value of Don Shula’s reputation and loyal audience, and took a leap of faith to buy the airtime, produce the show and sell the advertising. 

Today, anyone can own a YouTube channel, blog or podcast. You can shoot a feature-length film on your phone. And edit the entire thing on an iPad. But back then, content generation was a revolutionary idea…with enormous risks. Turns out, everyone wanted to be associated with Shula, and the show was sold out right up to the end, when Coach Shula retired in 1995.

The lesson to be learned from Don Shula and Sandy Tinsley is that you always have to keep the ball moving forward. They both assembled winning teams. Instilled an unbreakable work ethic. And left behind a playbook for how to win at life. 

Rest in peace.

January 10, 2020 In Tinsley Blog

NEW ADS ARE LURING VISITORS TO THE FLORIDA KEYS

NEW ADS ARE LURING VISITORS TO THE FLORIDA KEYS

This week in Keys Weekly, Mandy Miles featured Tinsley Advertising and our latest work for The Florida Keys & Key West. The article included new photography and print ad examples currently being utilized to promote the destination.

See the full story and new images here: KeysWeekly.com

Thank you Mandy and The Florida Keys for the collaborative partnership we’ve shared for more than thirty years allowing all of us to do great work… that works!

October 2, 2019 In Tinsley Blog

Today marks the end of a legend, but not the end of a dream.

Our heads hang low and our hearts are overflowing with sadness as we announce the passing of our founder and CEO, Sandy Tinsley who died on October 1st of a heart attack.  But, in typical Sandy style, she was surrounded by family and close friends in her final hours.  

Sandy Tinsley was a pioneer in the advertising industry, starting an ad agency in 1974 when there were but just a few women in the business.  After working in radio and as the marketing director for Holsum Bakers, she decided she could do it on her own, opened her own agency, and took Holsum on as her first client.  The agency quickly acquired many national and international accounts transforming brands like The Florida Keys & Key West and SuperClubs Resorts.  She saw great successes with her Tinsley Yellow Pages division as well as the launchings of SilverSea Cruises and The Yachts of Seabourn. On nothing more than a hand shake with the “coach” himself, Sandy created the Don Shula Show, the first and longest-running coach’s television show in NFL history.

Sandy enjoyed great success and was able to entertain family and close friends at her vacation homes in both The Florida Keys and North Carolina. Better than that, she was able to share her talents and rewards with others including her charitable work with the Boys & Girls Club, Easter Seals, The Leukemia Society, the Deering Estate and Kids in Crisis.  

But, her greatest gift was how she made us all feel  – valued and special.  Often calling those she cared about, “kid”, she was always interested in our families and our children’s latest accomplishments.  It was not uncommon for her to recognize accomplishments with a hearty “outstanding!” or a “fannnntastic!”

Although it will never be the same without her smiling face, contagious laugh and positive outlook on life, her dream and passion will live on through all of us who cared so much for her.

We will miss you “kid” ––  a lot.

Services will be held at Van Orsdel Funeral Homes at 4600  SW 8th Street, Coral Gables, FL on this Saturday, October 5, 2019 from 1:30 pm to 3 pm.  In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that you make donations to the following charities that were near and dear to Sandy’s heart:


Thank you,
John Underwood

June 26, 2019 In Tinsley Blog

How long-form videos fit into a short attention span world.

By Dorn Martell

There is no doubt that the average person’s attention span has decreased (are you still with me?). Four-hour political speeches and three-hour operas were once considered the norm a hundred years ago. Now people exist in a constant state of restlessness swiping and clicking their way to the Promised Land of interesting content. But, does this mean that all video must be cut down to nanoseconds, and that anything over 30 seconds will never be seen?

Simply put, no.

Our experience and research has shown that long-form videos enjoy great viewership and engagement, but the challenge is putting the most engaging content on the right platform. And there is a difference between the platforms and the state-of-mind of the viewer.

YouTube and your Website
The difference between these platforms and other Social Media Platforms is the search/opt-in dimension. For example, our 2-minute video for the Rustic Inn at Jackson Hole generated more views and had greater engagement than any video the company had ever produced. And over 85% of viewers watched the whole film. It wasn’t just because it was a really high quality film; viewers who were interested in visiting Wyoming sought it out. The sweet spot for length appears to be between 2 and 3 minutes, but videos between 6 and 15 minutes can garner a 50% engagement rate! This demonstrates that relevant content can hold the viewers attention for much longer than predicted.

Facebook
Videos on Facebook are viewed differently than videos on YouTube or your website. The videos may appear in your newsfeed, as posted organically by friends, or you may see videos posted in groups that you belong to. Then, there are sponsored posts with videos. These videos are supposed to be targeted to your interests but experience shows they are quite random. The optimal length of a video on Facebook is 60 seconds. If a viewer has a connection to the content they will invest a minute of their lives to watch it. This 60-second video was part of a very successful fundraising campaign for the Coral Restoration Foundation: If a tree falls.

Instagram
The popularity of Instagram is quite amazing, from its beginning as a photo filter app to its current dominant position in Social Media. Millennials and Gen Z flock to Instagram mainly because their Mom is on Facebook and you can “follow” celebrities instead of having to “friend” people. The videos that got the most comments on Instagram averaged 26 seconds. So, the prediction of the “death of the 30-second spot” has proven to be over-hyped as the 30-second video is alive and well on Instagram. Here is an example of The Florida Keys & Key West’s sponsored post.

Video Pre-roll
A lot of advertisers will see stats that indicate that viewers will drop off within 3 seconds and therefore try to pump as much info in the beginning of the film as possible. This is a mistake. If your audience taps out before 3 seconds your content is either not relevant, not engaging or they clicked on it by mistake. Our research indicates that the “skip ad” button stimulates viewers to click off regardless of content. So it is important to buy pre-roll that cannot be skipped. 15 and 30 second formats work well for video pre-roll. An engaged viewer will consume up to 30 seconds while waiting for their video to play or continue. Here is an example of 15-second pre-roll for The Florida Keys and Key West.

The bottom line is this: if you create relevant and engaging content your audience will watch it, whether it’s 15 seconds or 15 minutes. Don’t dumb down your videos or assume you have to trick people into interacting with your brand. Be honest. Be creative. And don’t be afraid to go long.

May 22, 2019 In Tinsley Blog

IT’S NOT ALL ABOUT THE NUMBERS. A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO HEALTHCARE MARKETING.

HOLISTIC APPROACH TO HEALTHCARE MARKETING

By Rick Blitman

Okay, so your new website is up and running. Your video went viral. Your CRM is reaching out. And your social media is getting seen. But are you really connecting with consumers?

It’s hard to tell.

That’s probably not the answer anyone expects to hear, but the reality is that despite an unprecedented array of data-measuring technology, there’s still no step-by-step, guaranteed roadmap to instant, quantifiable success in the world of medical marketing. 

Most people just go on about their day-to-day lives not thinking about healthcare at all, until all of a sudden, a medical issue pops up. And then it’s all they can think about. Your primary goal should be to become the first place that people with medical questions think about when they need medical answers. That’s where marketing actually begins.

While there’s no denying the importance of KPIs in a digital world, the first step in the marketing chain still revolves around creating a memorable branding campaign that resonates with consumers. Just as it always has. Because no matter how robust your website is, no matter how extensive your outreach, consumers won’t reach back unless you make them feel something. In other words, you can’t treat your patients like a number.

Think of it as the difference between a doctor who walks in, looks at your chart and instantly diagnoses you, versus one who looks you in the eye and asks how you’re feeling.

When people are at their most vulnerable, they’re likely to remember the confident voice that tells them they’re going to be okay.

And once you’ve established that voice, it’s essential to reinforce it at every touchpoint on your patients’ health care journey. From their initial web search, to the way you answer your phones and respond to inquiries on your web portal, every interaction should be a seamless reflection of the brand. 

At Tinsley Advertising, we weave stories across every platform. Whether it’s creating a compelling emotional story about the healing power of faith for Holy Cross Hospital, or providing the comforting reassurance that nobody understands children better than Miami Children’s Hospital, whether on a 75” tv screen, a 48’ billboard, or a 468 x 60 pixel banner ad on your cellphone, the tone remains the same. And so do the results. Holy Cross Hospital’s web traffic increased by 42%, and Miami Children’s by 50%. And both institutions successfully reversed declining market shares.

 With careful planning, critical attention to detail, consistent follow-through and a little bit of magic, all of your numbers will fall into place, too.

March 6, 2019 In Tinsley Blog

How TECHNOLOGY is Changing the SOCIAL MEDIA Game for Travelers

By Giovanny Gutierrez

Art of Travel Marketing Magazine

We may not have flying cars just yet. And Elon Musk’s hyperloop is still just a pipe dream. But make no mistake: the future of travel marketing has arrived. And today, new technologies are changing not only how people book travel, but also how, where and for how long they go.

Think about it – for many of us, travel planning takes place mostly or entirely within the online social sphere. We learn about cool places to go on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. We research destinations that interest us in on TripAdvisor, Yelp and Google (which now includes social media posts in search results). We book our travel on Trivago, Kayak and Expedia. And then we share our own adventures – you guessed it – right back on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. The irony is, the ultimate goal of using this technology is to turn off our brains for a week or more.

So does all of this mean that uploading an Instagram photo into the ethersphere every day at 2 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST (good times, by the way) is enough to give your travel brand the top of mind awareness it needs? It should only be that easy.

You see, as consumers become more digitally connected, their purchasing behavior becomes more complicated. Today’s traveler has more touch points with more brands than ever before. So while marketers need to stay on top of the shifting popularity of social platforms to capture and retain their customer’s business, you need to have a deep understanding of their intentions at every stage of the customer lifecycle. Travel companies and marketers have taken notice, and are investing millions of dollars into emerging technologies designed to help them keep up with this hyper-changing, socially interconnected world. The goal? To provide consumers with better recommendations that meet the demand for more personalized online experiences – long after the transaction has been completed.

Enter algorithms and artificial intelligence (AI). Once the stuff of sci-fi cinema (think “Blade Runner”, “War Games” and “The Matrix”), these technologies are real, and absolute game changers for social media planners. While it’s important to realize how algorithms work, it’s vital to understand that the slightest change might affect your marketing efforts. Just when companies thought they had Facebook all figured out, the social media behemoth decided it wanted more relevant user posts and less publisher content in its news feed. By changing its algorithm to “pay to play”, Facebook caught many companies with their pants, well, you know. Instagram’s change from a chronological feed to prioritizing content that receives above average engagement wreaked havoc of its own.

So what can a savvy social media marketer do to game the system? Focus content not on views and reach but engagement instead. Create valuable content that will be boosted, by making it engaging, educational, entertaining and most of all, relevant to your audience.

As the number of social media networks grows, the way consumers interact with them grows as well. Yet despite all this growth and technology, at the end of the day it’s still about people. As essential as artificial intelligence has and will become, human intelligence is still paramount. The legitimacy of your voice and the trust you instill with your message will win the day.

What does the future hold for technology? Which social platforms will reign supreme? While it’s really anyone’s guess, one thing is for sure:

Content is still king.

For more insights on travel marketing, click here for a free download of Tinsley Advertising's "Art of Travel" Magazine
February 13, 2019 In Tinsley Blog

WE DO. Romancing the Bridal Market.

By Danielle Salman

Art of Travel Marketing Magazine

 

Every little girl dreams of her big day. She’s finally engaged to the man of her dreams, and then reality hits: it’s time to plan a wedding. In the days of a never-ending stream of content, where does the bride actually begin to plan her fairytale wedding?

It used to be, you and mom would simply grab dad’s checkbook and pay a visit to Franck the wedding planner…and then just keep paying and paying and paying. But the world has changed a lot in one generation. TV shows like “The Bachelorette” and “Bridezillas” have transformed a once-traditional industry into a virtual free-for-all. We’ve gone from a struggle to keep up with The Jones’ to “Keeping up with The Kardashians”, overnight. Today’s brides are anything but predictable and cookie-cutter. They’re looking for something unlike anything they’ve ever experienced. They want different, exciting, fun…total wow factor. Whether it’s an extravagant soiree, intimate affair or off-the-beaten-path nuptials, the bride and groom want their guests to walk away saying, “wow, that was an amazing wedding.”

Just as today’s bride is untraditional, so, too, should be the marketing approach to reach this niche market. While continuing to place ads in established media like print and television remain important, the approach should also have a heavy focus on mobile and social efforts. After all, the Millennial market is constantly connected to their devices. She may be giving her hand in marriage, but her eyes and ears all belong to Apple and Android. Mobile has become imperative for “on the go” couples. Between lunch breaks, at work and on commutes, brides find any excuse to continue researching via mobile.

When searching for venues, vendors or inspiration for the
big day, brides also turn to social platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest. These accessible resources have replaced the maid-of-honor as the bride’s true BFF, and have dramatically changed how she discovers where to host her wedding or where to find new ideas. According to Pinterest, 81% of engaged Pinners started planning on Pinterest before even getting engaged. Think about that. Today’s brides are confiding with Pinterest more than with their beloved. Crazy.

From venue inspiration to customizable experiences, those brands that properly align their platforms to appeal to the bridal community have the opportunity to be a part of each bride’s journey. Do you accept this rose?

For more insights on travel marketing, click here for a free download of Tinsley Advertising's "Art of Travel" Magazine