The Case of Athens The destination marketing strategy & the city break product

The Case of Athens The destination marketing strategy & the city break product

The Case of Athens The destination marketing strategy & the city break product Guilty of city product development?

I LOVE ATHENS

TURNING ATHENS INTO A LOVEBRAND

A CASE FOR ATHENS

CURRENT OVERKILL OF MESSAGES COMPETITION & STAKEHOLDERS

ATHENS BRAND TO STAND OUT WHAT TO CHOOSE AND WHY MULTIPLE OFFERING STRATEGIES CHANNELS OF COMMUNICATION

ATHENS PRODUCT Let s not kill the goose that lays the golden egg

PRODUCT VS STORY LET S FOCUS ON THE BRAND STORY

AN INSPIRING STORY AUTHENTIC & LOVABLE

TRUE BRAND LOVE INSPIRING VS ADVERTISING

DIFFERENTIATE THROUGH OUR UNIQUE IDENTITY

VALUE PROPOSITION

MOST TRAVEL PORTALS ARE TELLING THE REAL STORY OF ATHENS

THE CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION While the city is renowned for its laid back lifestyle, friendly locals and lively atmosphere, what Athens is really famous for is its history. Short breaks to Athens offer the chance to take in thousands of years of heritage and culture, from the majestic Parthenon to the Temple of Poseidon overlooking the sea. Athens also houses some of the world's best museums, such as the National Archaeological Museum.

SURROUNDED BY BEACHES The crystal sand beach or take dip in the fine blue clean waters. Athens is still so much more than all these ancient treasures. If you pick the right time of year for your Athens short break or weekend break, you can take a tram or taxi to the beach and enjoy the full benefit of mild early spring or late autumn weather to help you really relax at the end of a hectic week.

YEAR ROUND SUNSHINE Perfect for those seeking a bit of sun. If relaxing in the sunshine is more your thing, why not chill out in the beautiful National Gardens, catch a train to the top of Mount Lycabettus or take a day trip to one of the neighbouring beaches? With so much to see and do, a city break in Athens is the perfect choice for your 2014 break as it has something for everyone.

COSMOPOLITAN Cosmopolitan capital ensures there are plenty of restaurants, bars and nightclubs to keep you entertained once the sun goes down. Food-lovers will find a Athens city break the ideal choice, with tavernas and restaurants making the most of local produce to serve up delicious and distinctive Greek cuisine.

THE CASE OF ATHENS IS STRATEGY THE ISSUE?

CITY BREAK PRODUCT GROWTH STRATEGY To Expand the tourism period to maximize utilization of dormant capacity

CORE VALUE PROPOSITION A 2 TIER STRATEGY TO SHAPE USPs

1 DEVELOP THEMATIC WALKS INTEGRATING & PROMOTING DISTINCT OFFERINGS 1. The Museum route 2. Athens across the centuries 3. The Athens neighborhoods 4. Nightlife/lifestyle 5. Athens Riviera Climate Culture Nightlife Seafront Gastronomy City life

2 CREATE AN EVENTS BASED CITY VALUE PROPOSITION Develop a comprehensive events calendar spearheaded by 3-4 Flagship, annually repeating events, acting as a hook for visitors

2 FLAGSHIP EVENTS Athens Classic marathon Athens Festival Culinary week (Wine and Dine festival) Rally Acropolis

TARGETTED EVENTS SMALLER SCALE CALENDAR EVENTS Shopping festival Ancient theatre festival Museum week Music festival Sports tournament

MARKET STRATEGY Focus on markets with direct flight connectivity, with flight duration <3-4 hours Core EU markets & Middle East

SEGMENT STRATEGY VISITORS IN TRANSITION: EXPLORE Quick Win: Focus on visitors in transition to another destination, aiming at prolonging their stay before moving to their end destination, in order to explore key elements of the city brand or attend events

SEGMENT STRATEGY CITY BREAKERS: VALUE PROPOSITION Target pure City breakers based on a compelling event based value proposition

CITY BREAKERS: VALUE PROPOSITION Our key aim is to swiftly enhance the value proposition of the city creating thematic hooks, as well as diversify the Athens brand

and a lot more

ATHENS COASTLINE LEVERAGED AS A UNIQUE SELLING POINT & VALUE PROPOSITION The Athens coastline could be leveraged as a unique selling point and value proposition for the city in the mid-long term, especially once major planned and ongoing infrastructure works are concluded.

Discovergreece.com Athens Product Experience Offering based on existing knowledge

High level & quality digital content

Why aren t we all sharing them?

A CASE FOR ATHENS COLLABORATION

MARKETING GREECE CONTRIBUTING IN SHOWCASING & BRANDED STORY TELLING FOR ATHENS

SHOWCASING THROUGH PR NETWORK In close collaboration with Athens Hotels Association

SHOWCASING VIA DISCOVERGREECE.COM

A TASK FORCE FOR ATHENS

ESTABLISH A STEERING MECHANISM For the coordination of all City Break related activities among key stakeholders with distinct responsibilities

COORDINATION & PLANNING A comprehensive plan for city events with international appeal throughout the year Events that span across a variety of themes and activities (e.g. music, theatre, film, gastronomy, sports, shopping, religion, folk tradition, history) Calendar built through the addition of alternating one-off events around recurring Flagship events

STRATEGIC PRIORITIES GOING FORWARD SHORT MID TERM Target the utilization of dormant capacity during shoulder periods Align timing of aggressive coastline marketing and promotion ( Athens Riviera concept) Highlight among the unique selling points for Athens that it is a gateway to the Argosaronic islands and promote a City & Islands bundle Leveraging fair weather vs. other EU capitals

PROMOTION STRATEGY MAXIMIZING EFFECT 1. Shape distinct product propositions OR creative story telling that integrate value adding elements from the other product categories (e.g., culture, gastrotourism) 2. Launch City break specific promotional campaigns across platforms to promote product in a consistent and targeted manner 3. Integrate with overall Tourism umbrella-type campaigns

BUILD UPON EXISTING PROJECTS NOT REINVENTING THE WHEEL

BUILD UPON THE ATHENS SPOTLIGHTED FRAMEWORK (AIA) Increase awareness, familiarity, and consideration from potential visitors by showcasing the card offerings as a portfolio of potential attractions, facilities, and experiences Promote and cross-fertilize with other city break elements (e.g. information about thematic walks, events, beach trips, cruise discounts) Expand the distribution network so that cards are widely available, museums and sites, maps with thematic walk and key landmarks illustration)

#ATHENS. STAY CONNECTED. THANK YOU.