Bringing Folks Back After Hurricane Harvey

The Challenge

In August 2017, Hurricane Harvey devastated the Gulf Coast, with Port Aransas and Mustang Island taking the brunt of the blow. It caused over $1 billion in damages and left the island and its tourism business in ruins.

In the months that followed, Texans rallied to help rebuild Port A, but most people wondered what would become of their beloved beach destination. Images in the news painted a dire picture – destroyed homes, sunken boats, entire condominium complexes wiped out. Folks had no idea when, if ever, the island they loved would be open for fun again.

Media Approach

To reach Texans, we focused on high-level awareness and contextual relevancy. TV weather sponsorships and prime-time spots proved key, as well as OOH across the state in high-traffic areas. For print, we ran an attention-getting spread in Texas Monthly’s Coastal Comeback issue that detailed the comeback of beach destinations to drive attention. We targeted those listening to playlists about road trips or beaches in streaming audio and even created a custom-branded playlist featuring classic beach hits and artists performing in Port Aransas. Interactive digital units let consumers see which parts of the island had reopened to demonstrate readiness for beach lovers to return. Lower funnel tactics such as paid search, paid social, and programmatic, including retargeting those who saw our TV spot with a digital ad, helped convert awareness into actual trips.