TOURISM Solomons CEO Jo Tuamoto visited Australia last month to unveil what he described as a “seismic shift” in the destination’s marketing approach. The new “Solomon Is.” branding (pictured) is part of a wide-ranging revamp which has included the renaming of the former Solomon Islands Visitors Bureau as Tourism Solomons.
“We are confident the new branding truly characterises the destination’s identity, message, image and positioning and will provide the platform for the Solomon Islands to optimally market itself in the international arena for the next decade or more,” Tuamoto told travelBulletin.
“Solomon Is.” can be attached to just about anything — an emotion, an action, a noun or an adjective, Tuamoto enthused, making it supremely versatile and able to target specific demographics such as couples, honeymooners, adventure seekers, families and more. He noted that the tag line was also a recognition of the reality of the Solomon Islands. “It is what it is,” he said — beautiful, unspoilt, friendly and raw — rather than providing a false promise that doesn’t accurately reflect the multi-faceted destination.
“Our new branding is unique. It allows every visitor to target or tag their own travel experience, exactly as they want it to be, in the process making it uniquely theirs and uniquely Solomon Islands,” he said.
The brand is also about touching the past through the country’s multitude of traditional lifestyles and cultural icons that still exist in the face of urbanisation and commercialised mass tourism in other parts of the world.
The new marketing approach has received overwhelming endorsement from stakeholders within the Solomon Islands, Tuamoto added. It was unveiled by Prime Minister, the Hon. Rick Hou, and such is the administration’s enthusiasm that it has been mandated to be part of any upcoming international presentations by government officials. An educational program is also planned to ensure locals are able to leverage the brand and understand the importance of tourism and a warm welcome to the country’s economy.
“Solomon Is.” has been developed with a full range of tactical and brand collateral, with Tourism Solomons’ relationships with the Australian trade now overseen by the newly appointed Fiona Teama, replacing the highly respected Stella Lucas who tragically drowned earlier this year alongside another colleague while scouting a new hiking program and locations for photo creative in connection with the new campaign.
