H+K Proposal for Discover Puerto Rico

DISCOVER H+K STRATEGIES

FRIDAY | AUGUST 11, 2023

Call off the Search H+K ready to bring Borinquen-inspired ideas to the world

As a food and coffee lover, it’s been amazing visiting places like Colombia and Vietnam.

Top of my coffee bucket list is Puerto Rico, where there are so many amazing new tastes and experiences to discover!

-Daniel Schwarz

I want to live in Puerto Rico for an extended period of time. After my experience working there, it truly feels like home to me. I love how close the beach and the countryside are to one another.

I love eating in Puerto Rico, going to small bars and restaurants, all the cats, the whole feeling of the place.

-Aida Orozco Jimenez

I would love to take my kids to Puerto Rico to enjoy the bioluminescent bay in Fajardo or Vieques.

This is a unique experience that I am sure they will love and won’t be able to get anywhere else.

-Ruth Villalonga

Table of Contents

ESTIMADOS DISCOVER PUERTO RICO TEAM:

On behalf of the entire H+K Strategies team, I am thrilled to share our credentials with you. We are honored to be considered for this important assignment.

I wanted to share that personally, this RFP hit close to my home.  Puerto Rico became a part of my life thanks to my daughter in 2017.

After Hurricane Maria, my daughter saw the devastation that your beautiful island experienced and felt compelled to help in any way that she could.  As a result, she led a project to adopt a third-grade class at the Juanita Garcia Peraza school in San Juan. She hosted fundraisers, food drives and

awareness through

the media both here and on the ground in Puerto Rico. She and her friends were able to ship school supplies and started a pen pal program. It was a proud moment as a father and our family discovered Puerto Rico’s culture and humanity together.

I appreciate you allowing me to share that story. And more importantly, I believe that H+K is the best partner to help you tell Puerto Rico’s most important and exciting stories. We will inspire travelers across the country to discover Puerto Rico as their next destination.  In turn, they will have their own stories to tell.

The pages that follow help demonstrate our approach. In additional to our deep capabilities, I am particularly proud of our best-in-class approach to client service. We proudly

call ourselves client obsessed – and I can say that as a former H+K client, this is a difference that I could feel. The attention to detail. The deep understanding of the business. The authentic worry about the same things our clients worry about. It is our one true goal to become your most valuable partner and to work beside you every day to achieve what we need to achieve…together.

I hope we have the opportunity to continue sharing our creativity and passion to help travelers…Discover Puerto Rico!

Until then, I thank you again for your consideration. Atentamente,

Craig Buchholz U.S. CEO

Your Team

CORE TEAM

WHAT IS A PUERTO RICO EXPERIENCE YOU’D LIKE TO DISCOVER?

*H+K is committed to ensuring we are fully immersed in your account; we are open to hiring an Account Manager based in PR to work full-time on the business, if that is of interest.

SPECIALISTS

Marine biology has always fascinated me and Puerto Rico’s bioluminescent bays have been on my bucket list for a long time.

Next time I’m in Puerto Rico, I’d love to go on a hike in El Yunque National Forest!

Veronica de los Rios Vila AM, LATAM

Jennifer Mylett EVP, Senior Strategist + Client Counselor

Jamie Tinsley SVP, Senior Day-to-Day Leader

Adrianne Lightbourne SAM, Day-to-Day Leader

Brianna Garcia SAE, Account Support, Media Relations

Belia Mercado SAE, Account Support, Media Relations

Sarah Hampton AE, Account Support

Jamal Hansberry AAE, Account Support

Daniel Schwarz SVP, U.S. Head of Public Affairs

Molly Hourihan SVP, Creative Strategy

Abigail Weaver VP, U.S. Influencer + Partnerships Lead

Sarah Citrenbaum SAM, Consumer Media Specialist

Sarah Mars Bowie VP, Issues + Crisis

Ruth Villalonga VP, DEI Communications

Aida Orozco Jimenez AM, Strategist, Better Impact

Daniel Holmes EVP, Group Creative Director

Natalia Montoya Aguirre SVP, LATAM

My Puerto Rico wish list, as I’ve been to the island a few times already, but never with my kids – is to bring the whole family and explore more outdoor adventures and the

rainforest.

Agency Nears Century of Excellence, Shows No Signs of Stopping

BIENVENIDO AL MUNDO DE H+K STRATEGIES!

Founded in 1927, we are one of the world’s oldest and most globally recognized communications companies, partnering with clients across more than 70 offices globally and in more than 40 markets. In September of 2022, Jeffrey Group, one of the most respected public relations consultancy firms in Latin America, was acquired by H+K and incorporated into our network. The combined strength of our two teams allows us to provide unparalleled market experience, insights and an international perspective that will inform our work with Discover Puerto Rico.

Our heritage is unmatched. Our creativity, fueled by passion. And our drive for innovation allows us to redefine what’s possible for legacy brands and niche companies alike.

Our mission: powering your growth, safeguarding your reputation, and conquering today’s unpredictable landscape.

Through the perfect fusion of art and science, we captivate diverse audiences and drive performance. With our expertise in owned, earned, and shared media, we create dynamic, purpose-driven campaigns that breathe life into your stories and make measurable impact in an always-on world.

We’d love to unlock the potential of Discover Puerto Rico and show the world what the island can offer.

We are powered by a “breadth and depth” model that allows us to bring together the best expertise and specialisms from across the industry. Our approach is a blend of strategy, creativity, and innovation underpinned with data + analytics.

We bring together a range of core service specialists, including media specialists, former journalists, award-winning screenwriters, speechwriters, public policy advisors, animators, creatives, and content and publishing strategists.

Working in a sector-based model means H+K matches people to the industries they are passionate about with specialists that can help deliver true value to our clients.

Our focus is to build one H+K team as an extension of yours.

Services

• Behavioral ScienceSMARTER™

• Brand Building + Integrated Comms

• Change + Internal Comms

• Content + Publishing

• Corporate Advisory

• Data + Analytics

• Experiential

• Influencer Engagement

• Issues + Crisis Management

• Partnerships

• Public Affairs

• Leadership Communications

• Purpose Consultancy

• Sustainability + Social Impact– Better Impact™

• The Studio + Creative Strategy

We focus on purpose and performance; through an approach we call 3P Communications™.

Our belief is that those brands with a clear, authentic purpose, and performance strategies aligned to business objectives are most likely to succeed.

Sectors

• Financial + Professional Services

• Technology

• Energy + Industrials

• Mobility + Transportation

• Consumer Markets

• Healthcare

Languages spoken by our colleagues

Trusted advisors and subject matter experts

2023 SABRE Award Winner Year established

We’ll Create

BUZZ

Ticket in hand, suitcase at the ready. There is no better feeling than when you book a vacation! But how do we make Puerto Rico THE destination at the top of peoples’ minds—and feeds. That’s where H+K comes in.

Our team has an unparalleled understanding of consumer behavior and the travel and tourism industry. After years of success, the opportunity to draw travelers to the island would be a matter of business and pleasure.

We will amplify the spirit of Boricua through our:

• Data-driven creative brilliance, grounded in real insights and consumer beliefs

• Earned media experts with influential connections, landing coverage in the most coveted outlets from lifestyle to music to travel

• Strategically minded, experienced team members in key markets, ready to build deep stories about the island and its experiences

Puerto Rico is a destination with a lot to give — from historical grandeur, to exciting cuisine, to beautiful landscapes and unforgettable nightlife. The data tells us Puerto Rico’s attractions and experiences are of interest to those planning future travel, so we’ll weave art and science into high-impact campaigns and make the island a premier destination by reputation.

We have all the experience you need, and our capable team is currently conflict free!

for Your Island

As the corporate agency of record for Royal Caribbean Group, H+K provides strategic counsel and executional support for earnings, executive visibility programs, sustainability initiatives, corporate branding and media relations.

As ANA’s trusted advisor for the last 10 years, we support all communications and reputational activities including increasing brand awareness and preference in the U.S. and Asia.

H+K worked with MSC Cruises to support the launch of their largest ship yet with onboard media events in each market, and dispelling myths about tourism in South Africa through a 4-night journalist cruise in the region.

For more than a decade, we supported the airport across issues and crisis communications, developed and executed several domestic integrated communications campaigns to promote the airport, and influencer campaigns to highlight their international routes.

Since 2018, H+K has supported IAG Cargo across a wide range of campaigns and activities including global media relations in Spain, India, and the U.S., sustainability strategy, corporate communications, and issues and crisis.

Since our partnership with Miami Beach began in 2011, we’ve developed and executed strategic plans that leverage paid, earned, shared and owned channels, to reach key feeder markets in Latin America, Canada, Europe and beyond.

H+K helped Visit Sweden reclaim 21 stunning Swedish locations through the “The Originals” earned media campaign that cut through in crucial national, lifestyle, and travel outlets, to reintroduce these amazing destinations to travelers.

H+K previously worked with Puerto Rico Tourism to support their efforts for sustained economic growth by showcasing the island’s assets through specialized media familiarity trips and exclusive visibility tours for PRTC’s executives.

BREAK THROUGH!

U.S. reporters are pitched hundreds of stories every day, with only the strongest making it to the 8am editorial conference, and the very final selection making it onto the pages.

Earned Media Strategy Revealed, Explained

With the winter season of business and leisure travel upon us, we’ll employ a media strategy that harnesses the vibrancy of your island, shining it brightly in all the right places.

OUR APPROACH TO CUT THROUGH AND DRIVE AWARENESS, AFFINITY AND SALES: HUMAN TRUTHS

DISCOVER PUERTO RICO...TRULY

Uncovering unique human insights that highlight the importance of travel and the positive impact on wellness that new experiences can have on our lives.

CULTURAL  RELEVANCE

Sharing the stories and fun facts that only Discover Puerto Rico has access to and can share with the world.

OUR TACTICAL APPROACH

Our hero hub heartbeat model

We recommend a structured, culturally-aligned, always-on approach to keep communications centered and impactful for Discover Puerto Rico. This approach employs ‘hero’ moments that inspire, underpinned by a continuous ‘hub’ of engagement activities and supported by an always-on ‘heartbeat’ of resources and tools that inform and empower people.

Hero

Major campaign/activation moment, game-changer, significant news moment.

Aim to have one per quarter

Leveraging key cultural moments that connect to Puerto Rican culture (music, food, cinema, etc.) to help inspire travel to Puerto Rico.

TRENDJACKING

Finding creative ways of connecting Puerto Rico to diverse consumer trends and passions.

TRAVEL MOMENTS/ CALENDAR (LOW HANGING FRUIT)

Creating a custom calendar of important travel moments in time where Puerto Rico needs to be in the consideration set of destinations.

AENTT TI ON !

Hub

Planned inflection point, always upleveling to push storytelling further and in more unexpected ways.

Aim to have one per month

Heartbeat

Always-on, keeping it simple and not overthinking/over-investing in the moment.

3-5 per month globally

Influencer Partnerships Capabilities

In the same way we infuse brand values, creativity, and data into captivating stories, we do the same with influencer partnerships. Together with our partners, we craft vibrant, layered social campaigns that stop thumbs in their tracks. Through partnerships with top-tier talent and credible creators, we will showcase Puerto Rico as the ultimate must-visit Caribbean island.

To develop an impactful program that speaks to our audience and reflects the diversity of the Boricua spirit , we’ll utilize the following process:

THE EARNED-FIRST THINKING OF OUR INFLUENCER + PARTNER TEAM FLOWS LIKE THE BEAT OF SALSA, AND OUR INFLUENCER APPROACH DANCES TO THAT SAME RHYTHM. BOR I CUA S TIRIP

Creative Platform / Story Arcs

Build our overarching campaign strategy and align on the timeline

Content + Publishing Strategy Strategy

Identify the role our influencers should play, and on which platform(s)

TRUTHS + INSIGHTS

Creative landscape analysis & research: what’s impacting our brief?

Approach: what’s our strategy for success?

Influencer archetypes & examples

Core content tactics

RECENT EXAMPLE!

OUR PROCESS PARTNERS

From creators like Bad Bunny to top mom-fluencers, H+K can connect you with the right voices to amplify your most important stories.

Our partners and are the core of our storytelling, and as such, we’ll vet rigorously to find ambassadors that meet our objectives and deliver strong content. Partner evaluation criteria may include:

Discovery Outreach

Building a list via our tech platform partner, CreatorIQ

Client collaboration on influencer recommendations and vetting rounds

Contacting influencers, engaging existing relationships and negotiating rates

Contract +

Briefing Review

Securing contracts with legal, and setting up payments

Briefing influencers with our creative vision for the campaign

Working with influencers & brand to assess social content and tell earned media stories

Publish + Measure

Ensuring content is published correctly, with paid amplification Measuring performance iteratively through proprietary made to measure model

• Micro to Mega influencers (10K to 1M+ followers)

• Platform Relevancy: IG, TikTok & YouTube

• Above average engagement: 2% on IG/YT and 5% TT

• Creator Type: Travel, Lifestyle, Food, Parenting

• Diverse in race, ethnicity, age, and disability

– all reflective of Borinquen spirit

• Talent based in U.S. mainland with majority U.S. audience

• Delivers high quality content with a clear point of view

• Can draw earned media attention for priority outlets

• Ability to showcase a real-life immersion in Puerto Rico and engagement with its many attractions

• Puerto Rican relevancy is a bonus – if they have existing connections

STRATEGIC PLANNING PAIRED WITH EARNED STRATEGY IS WHAT H+K DELIVERED TO HELP CELEBRATE ADIDAS’ BIGGEST PARTNER COMING TO THE U.S. MARKET

SURVEY SAYS :

Breaking: Dedicated DE & I Team Here to Support a Diverse Island

Arroz con gandules is a quintessential Puerto Rican dish. It’s synonymous with the island, and yet, blends Spanish, African and Caribbean cuisines.

In the same way, we understand that audience segments are not monoliths and that every group is a mosaic of preferences, interests, and affiliations as diverse and colorful as Borinquen. Our in-house, in-language, and in-culture DE&I team creates innovative strategies to authentically connect our clients to multiple worldviews, diversity dimensions and lived experiences of your target audiences.

Our proprietary 3P’s approach, bolstered by our DE&I principles, will ensure our internal and external communication

strategy reflects Puerto Rico’s rich diversity and the complex audiences whose hearts we seek to capture, We will highlight the island’s inclusivity and sense of belonging, enhanced by tailored campaigns to reach specific groups like Gen Z, U.S. Hispanics, and the LGBTQ community. Through our content and publishing capabilities, we will create relevant and culturally attuned content that supports your overall strategy, reaching and appealing to a wide audience, embracing diverse world views, and connecting with specific audience segments to increase the island’s value proposition as a top travel destination rooted in a sense of belonging and inclusion.

We’ve already begun looking at your key audiences to understand the nuances of what attracts various groups to Puerto Rico. We conducted a proprietary survey of 511 individuals and the results demonstrate how each region of the mainland U.S., and different ethnic groups within those regions, have unique travel preferences and perceptions of the island. Tapping into these insights and leveraging the full capabilities of our Data + Analytics specialism will allow us to build a multi-faceted communications strategy that will reach a wide range of diverse audiences and increase awareness of, and interest in, Puerto Rico as a top destination island.

People from the Northeastern and Western parts of the U.S. are more likely to plan a visit to Puerto Rico than their Mainland counterparts.

Midwesterners are least likely to consider Puerto Rico as a travel destination and would choose destinations like Orlando or Miami instead.

Younger travelers, aged 18-34, are more likely to think of Puerto Rico for its many adventures than its nightlife.

Asian Americans are the least likely group to consider Puerto Rico as being dangerous but do view it as an expensive destination.

WHAT IS DATA + ANALYTICS?

At H+K, we believe data is the heartbeat of our communications.

Our team of analysts, measurement specialists, strategists, film directors, and designers will work together with one goal in mind: Discover Puerto Rico.

We’re all about finding the perfect moment to connect with conference planners eyeing tantalizing island destinations or those with Puerto Rican heritage interested in visiting their home island.

Our Data + Analytics team thrives on grounding our work in data and insights that help you understand your audiences, discover hidden gems, and showcase measurable impact.

OPTIMIZING CAMPAIGNS FROM THE ONSET

Made to MeasureTM, our proprietary measurement solution, ensures our communications plans are optimized for success and easily evaluated.

We start with your business objectives and develop a measurement strategy designed to give you visibility to succeed across all channels. Then, we integrate data from multiple sources to ensure a holistic view of what’s driving impact.

By fusing technology and human insights, our expert team of data analysts bring everything together in one place to look for trends and patterns

and anticipate what this means for performance KPIs as well as your business more broadly.

EVALUATING PERFORMANCE TO INFORM FUTURE STRATEGY

We understand that measurement needs to do more than tell you what happened – it needs to tell you what to do about it and help you continuously improve.

Our reporting delivers iterative program recommendations, when and where you need it, from mid-strategy communications content shifts to considerations for where to move budget to ensure you hit your targets.

SAMPLE CAMPAIGN DASHBOARD

Pulls through all the metrics outlined on your measurement strategy

OUR APPROACH

Imagine our campaign development approach as a thrilling adventure—say, a guided tour of El Yunque—seeking to connect the right audiences, with the perfect messages, through the most fitting channels, at precisely the right time.

TRUTHS + INSIGHTS

• We kick off with audience mapping – a data-driven exploration of your key stakeholders. But we don’t stop there; we add a touch of expert judgment to unveil unique insights about your brand, clients, sector, and the world around us.

• Next comes the creative magic! Our in-house studio team unleashes their artistic brilliance, conjuring up ownable content like mesmerizing films, captivating print design, and enchanting digital creative. We call upon other specialisms, like digital planning, to add that extra spark for accurate measurement and optimized impact.

• Earned coverage lets your quest be known. This is where creativity becomes an invaluable ally. Our ideas persuade third parties to join the adventure and spread your message far and wide.

OUR CREATIVE MAGIC!

What is it?

It’s factual and positive. What distinguishes Discover Puerto Rico from other brands?

What is it?

It’s an observation informed by data and facts that expresses a fundamental human emotion relevant to this brief. It could be a human desire or a human worry.

• At H+K, we’re all about remarkable results, not just fleeting moments. Our secret recipe combines client knowledge, sector expertise, and data-backed creativity, transforming every adventure into a triumph.

What is it?

It’s factual. It can be positive or negative. It’s a statement that explains the most relevant trends within the category.

What is it?

It’s an observation informed by data and facts that demonstrates an understanding of what’s happening across all target audiences, both broadly and relevant to this brief.

H+K’s Truths + Insights model  takes the outputs from our research, and distils these into four core characteristics internally and externally that help us create a ‘red thread’ or central creative strategy, on which we focus our communications activity.

Brand Reputation Protection and Public Affairs

Your brand needs protecting, as simple as that. For that reason, H+K will provide Discover Puerto Rico with strategic communications counsel—bringing together strategy, creativity and excellence in execution to deliver measurable results in building, protecting and maintaining your reputation.

OUR CLIENTS

Our Depth + Breadth model brings together the best corporate, media, public policy, employee engagement and analytics minds, along with unmatched global reach, to support your business with the collective aim of driving results.

Our seasoned advisors will work with your leaders to advance their corporate strategy, navigate complex situations, and protect and grow Discover Puerto Rico’s reputation. Achieving stakeholder understanding, acceptance and admiration is a key outcome of our work.

We’re all about seeing the bigger picture. We would team up with you to discover solutions and successfully engage with your key policy and regulatory stakeholders, both on the island and in Washington D.C. We understand the unique political challenges you face as a U.S. territory

and have the expertise to not only anticipate potential risks, but to help you navigate sensitive policy and political landscapes.

For us, it’s all about the end result, not just following processes. We empower our clients to ride the wave of public opinion and even shape it.

WE PROVIDE OUR CLIENTS SOLUTIONS TO:

See around corners to anticipate and navigate political and regulatory risks

Account for emerging and changing societal expectations from converging communities

Successfully engage with governments, policy makers and opinion leaders

Proactively address policy-related challenges to business operations and influence change

We will partner with you every step of the way, from crafting ethical public affairs strategies, to articulating complex arguments and delivering compelling solutions to sway political and public sentiment. WHERE

Ay bendito How H K Helps in Times of Crisis

Assessing risk, managing issues, planning for and responding to crises is a core competency of the H+K team. Our Issues + Crisis team has over 100 years combined professional experience.

We’ve worked on everything from natural disasters, accidents, data breaches, product contaminations and recalls, to restructurings and industrial action, bribery and NGO attacks. We specialize in identifying and forecasting potential risk, preparing clients to manage and mitigate contentious issues through planning, stakeholder engagement and training.

360O APPROACH

For Discover Puerto Rico, there are numerous internal and external threats that can influence the public’s perception of the island as a tourism destination:

• Airline service

• Crime and perception of safety

• Economic uncertainty

Global destination competition

• Hurricanes and other natural disasters

Identifying key team members and mapping out processes, procedures, approvals in a clear plan ahead of a crisis streamlines response and ensures everyone knows what their role and responsibilities are.

We also believe that practice and training is a crucial part of preparing for a potential crisis.

When the dust has settled, H+K will work with you to define the right strategy for your organization–whether it’s resuming business as usual or adapting to a new normal.

Inflation

• Labor shortages

• Negative press about the government of the island

Our experience has taught us that in a crisis, speed is of the essence. When an issue begins to develop, we sense it, monitor traction, and take action.

H+K will work closely with Discover Puerto Rico to create plans and procedures in case a crisis requires

1. PREPAREDNESS

a response. We build bespoke plans and trainings to ensure teams will be prepared when a crisis breaks. For others, we will monitor and use the information gathered to advise our public relations messaging and strategy.

When an incident or issue escalates to a crisis, the H+K team works as a force multiplier for our clients, helping respond and manage the incident.

Our 360-degree approach focuses heavily on preparation, training and prevention and encompasses all areas essential to risk mitigation and crisis management. These include actions designed to anticipate threats to the reputation, finances and operations of an organization, as well as to limit the impacts of crises.

Our prevention services are designed to help organizations identify and anticipate threats, then develop mitigation strategies to reduce the potential of risks becoming crises.

You can trust H+K to be your partner when disaster strikes–from C-suite advisory to content development, executive coaching, research and analysis, and media and stakeholder management. We are your force multiplier and have you covered.

Account Management

TITLE HOURLY RATE CRISIS RATE

We’re ready to join you in-person whenever you are ready to have us!

We believe that in-person immersion sessions are critical to understanding an organization, inside and out.

Our teams are empowered – and urged –to be onsite early and often with clients to truly immerse with the culture and the business.

Lastly, should H+K be awarded this work, we could hire a full-time team member on the ground to support your organization if desired.

Commercials IN WE PERSON!

A NOTE ON $1 MILLION+ BUDGET PROGRAMS

We service a number of clients both in the U.S. and globally that involve $1M or higher budgets, and work in partnership with clients to actively manage budgets. Together we review fee and cost recommendations on a monthly basis to make decisions on where we can reduce, increase, reallocate, or rephase budget and activities.

Based on what we know from the brief, we recommend a retainer structure to cover H+K monthly fees. We would supplement these fees with project budgets as needed if there are bigger moments, such as an in-person event to support. We also recommend a “pot” of funding to cover hard costs/out-of-pockets.

Keeping Travelers Dreaming of Returning to Japan

H+K developed an influencer campaign to keep jetsetters inspired while Japan’s borders were closed. We named the campaign ‘Dreaming of Japan’, as our research showed that during lockdown people were dreaming of a change of scenery and travelling more than ever. Our films

featured Steve Aoki and other influencers, reminiscing about returning to Japan.

PROJECT SCOPE

Campaign identity / art direction / social media strategy & content / film & animation / influencer engagement

RESULTS

7.56% AVERAGE ENGAGEMENT

Quote graphics supported the films – with everything designed and edited to feel like a travel diary, full of inspiration and insights into what Japan has to offer.

1.1M

REACH

The

P&G "Can't Cancel Pride"

The activation included an inperson and virtual fundraiser for the LGBTQ+ community to celebrate visibility and inclusivity for all.  This year’s theme was “The Future Starts Now,” showcasing the activism that continues to move the LGBTQ+ community forward, as well as messages of hope and resilience.

PROJECT SCOPE

Robust multichannel communications strategy / leverage celebrity talent / activate partner brands and beneficiaries to create awareness and engagement

$2.18

236 2.3X

SOCIAL IMPACT OF CCP 2020

1$

4 MIL L ION R A DESI

100%

POSITIVE/NEUTRAL TONALITY SOCIAL SENTIMENT

four-year partnership with P&G and iHeartRadio has raised over $14 million for LGBTQ+ organizations including:

AN ISLAND AS UNIQUE AND VIBRANT AS PUERTO RICO

DESERVES A PARTNER WHO CAN REFLECT ALL ITS COLORS

Gracias por considerarnos