Belize is a small Central American country that markets itself to "Inspired Explorers," travelers who seek out authentic experiences and are open to adventure. Faced with the task of being heard over the clatter created by bigger-budget rivals like Mexico, Costa Rica and the Bahamas, Belize has managed to consistently connect with this group through a series of culturally relevant, opportunistic activations linked to everything from being used as a synonym for murder on AMC's Breaking Bad to a rock star's vacation there. The country is always looking for opportunities to connect with this "up for anything" consumer target, particularly around holidays when travel is top of mind. Valentine's Day, smack in the middle of beach-vacation season, is one of those holidays.
Noting a surge in chatter about the risqué dating-site Tinder in the publications and social circles favored by Inspired Explorers, we wondered: What if Belize itself joined Tinder, and sent three lucky "matches" on an all-expenses-paid trip to Belize?
Joining Tinder is free, so we created a profile noting the country's actual age, 33 (based on the country's year of independence), and outlook ("some days I like to chill on the beach, some days I'm feeling more spontaneous … Swipe right if you're friendly and adventurous and like to travel."). Not surprisingly, that drew more than a few swipes of interest. One came from Marsha, 37, whose profile picture showed her doing a headstand on a paddleboard – an "Inspired Explorer" if ever there was one. So, via the app's chat feature, Belize asked Marsha if she'd like to try a headstand like that in Belize.
When she said yes, we extended the free trip offer, and told media we had two more to give away for folks who swiped right on our profile.
Marsha was understandably thrilled, and so were the huge media outlets we shared the news with. "You could swipe right on Tinder and win a trip to Belize," shouted an MTV.com headline. Yahoo! Travel announced that "the entire country of Belize is on Tinder -- and it's swiping right. Seriously." All told, the Tinder stunt netted more than 142 million media impressions, and those stories were shared online more than 2,200 times, adding an additional seven million impressions of social reach.
The only out-of-pocket costs to the program were plane tickets and discounted hotel rooms (less than $3,000 overall), equating to a CPM of approximately $0.02 – cheap reach that was overwhelmingly concentrated in outlets relevant to Belize's target audience, at the exact mid-winter moment they're dreaming of a tropical getaway.
