Virginia Beach has miles of beautiful resort beach, a bustling boardwalk, shopping, outdoor adventure, blah, blah, blah, and more stuff you’d expect to find in a summer beach destination. The problem is, so does its competition.
So how did we help Virginia Beach stand out in the sea of same-sies when our comp set has a similar product? Simple. We focused on their culture, not their stuff. We leveraged Virginia Beach’s powerful Live the Life brand to execute an idea that sets the new standard for East Coast beach destinations. One that was true to who they are as a culture, shared their way of life with visitors, created a product differentiator and supported the fact that they’re the largest city in Virginia– a coastal city. The answer was literally under our toes– Virginia Beach doesn’t have one beach; they have three, each with their own unique vibe and culture.
The Three Beaches. One Vacation. campaign deployed in March 2015 behind a targeted mix of television, digital, ooh and public relations efforts. Using Virginia Beach’s Live the Life brand as our guiding light, Three Beaches instantly created a true competitive advantage, allowing Virginia Beach’s three distinct beaches to become the backdrop for its local way of life to shine.
By leveraging both Virginia Beach’s strong brand and unique beach experiences, we were able to extend Virginia Beach’s messaging beyond the Resort Area and laid the foundation for positioning Virginia Beach as a year-round, vibrant coastal city, not a summer resort beach town. The campaign not only resonated with visitors, but also with travel writers, stakeholders and residents, positioning Virginia Beach for another record setting year.
