TOURISM MARKETING AGENCY IN JAPAN

The Saudi Tourism Authority partnered with RealCRO, a Tourism marketing agency in Tokyo, to enhance their digital presence and localize their messaging across six key APAC markets: Japan, Korea, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Malaysia.
The project aimed to introduce Saudi Arabia’s tourism offerings and build brand awareness in a rapidly expanding tourism market. Over the course of a year, RealCRO developed a comprehensive strategy focused on social media marketing and localized content creation.

Client: Saudi Tourism Authority

Collaboration date: 2023-2024

Nature of collaboration: Retained collaboration

Type of Projects Delivered:

RealCRO executed a range of digital marketing activities, including local market research, social media account management, content production, on-the-ground event activation, and strategic consulting. The primary objective was to grow awareness and engagement across key social media channels, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

Client Objective:

The Saudi Tourism Authority sought to expand their presence in the APAC region by localizing the Saudi experience to resonate with diverse cultures. Initially, they aimed to open new social media channels on platforms like KakaoTalk, Line, and Moj, but after consulting with local market leaders, the focus shifted to building awareness on experiential channels like Instagram before moving to more personalized, conversational platforms. RealCRO’s role was to guide this strategy, taking market dynamics into account, and create a roadmap for achieving a strong digital presence in the region.

RealCRO’s Contribution:

As a Tourism marketing agency in Tokyo, RealCRO provided strategic guidance and practical implementation to support the Saudi Tourism Authority’s objectives in APAC. Our expertise in local market dynamics and digital content production allowed us to effectively localize Saudi Arabia’s tourism offerings, build a solid social media presence, and collaborate with on-the-ground teams for event success. RealCRO’s focus on cultural relevance and engaging experiences helped lay the foundation for a long-term strategy to increase Saudi Arabia’s appeal as a tourist destination in the region.

Results Achieved:

RealCRO helped the Saudi Tourism Authority establish a strong social media presence across six APAC markets. Our efforts at the Tourism Expo in Osaka led to a significant increase in followers, and the localized content strategy resonated with local audiences. Despite challenges, RealCRO’s work helped boost brand awareness and engagement, positioning Saudi Arabia as a growing destination in the APAC tourism market.

MARKET RESEARCH AND
STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS

RealCRO conducted in-depth research to understand local preferences and market nuances across the six target countries. Through this research, we provided strategic recommendations to the Tourism Minister’s team in Riyadh.

We assessed the potential for various social media platforms, helping the Saudi Tourism Authority decide to prioritize experiential channels for their first year of digital marketing efforts.

This approach was designed to build awareness and lay the groundwork for more personalized engagement on platforms like KakaoTalk and Line.

SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGY AND
ACCOUNT MANAGEMENTS

As a multilingual tourism marketing agency in Tokyo, RealCRO successfully launched and managed social media accounts for the Saudi Tourism Authority in six APAC markets, including Japan.
We tailored content for each market, incorporating local language, imagery, and cultural references.
Our approach emphasized building an Meta & Instagram presence first, focusing on visually appealing content that could attract users and generate excitement about visiting Saudi Arabia.

EVENT ACTIVATION AND COLLABORATION

At the 2023 Tourism Expo in Osaka, RealCRO helped the Saudi Tourism Authority grow their Japan Facebook account from zero to close to three thousands followers in just two days by leveraging event foot traffic. We created postcards with QR codes linking to social media channels, and and designed and managed an on-ground giveaway campaign to drive engagement with visitors.

Despite this success, our collaboration with local partners was limited due to strategic decisions to divide marketing and trade efforts and KPIs making it challenging to replicate these results across markets.

FAMILIARISATION TRIP & EXPERIENCE LOCALIZATION

RealCRO’s team traveled to Saudi Arabia to experience firsthand the hospitality and unique offerings of the Kingdom. This journey provided valuable insights, enabling us to craft culturally relevant content for each market. By localizing our content, we ensured it resonated with audiences in Japan, Korea, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, and Malaysia.

LOGO ANIMATION

RealCRO created a captivating logo animation to bring a dynamic edge to Saudi Arabia’s digital content, elevating its online presence and creating a more engaging and visually impactful experience for audiences.

REPORTING

RealCRO compiled detailed project reports that tracked progress, key insights, and the effectiveness of strategies. These reports provided actionable recommendations to help the Saudi Tourism Authority strengthen its presence in APAC markets and continue driving growth.