A brilliant new partnership between Red Carpet Creative and international broadcast partner, Travel Africa Network, sets out to reshape the media landscape, leveraging a global audience to reboot the travel and tourism industry throughout SA and Africa.
This collaboration between Red Carpet CREATIVE (RCC) – a PR, marketing and production agency for the luxury travel and hospitality sector, and Maggie Mutangiri, the Founder and Director of Travel Africa Network, was initiated earlier in 2020.
Red Carpet celebrates its 11th year in operation this September 2020, with the global proliferation marking its greatest milestone.
The innovative collab offers a 360-degree inter-continental marketing approach, with real-time audience interactivity. Geared towards local and international travel audiences, the broadcast business model with editorial-digi-commerce integration aims to reboot brands with a stronger bounce-back and global footprint. Their goal being to drive the rise in sustainable tourism, wildlife conservation, and economic SME stabilization.
“Africa has so many stories to tell. A continent rich in natural wildlife, culture, and undiscovered experiences. We will be showcasing the best this beautiful country and continent have to offer, highlighting its people, places, and natural wonders. Giving Africa a platform to tell its story to the world.” Notes RCC Founding Director, Jade Allen.
“With COVID19 becoming a major challenge for the tourism industry in 2020 and halting most, if not all, of this enormous sector of the economy, we believe we must get creative. Shifting our offerings and marketing strategies to stay afloat. There remains uncertainty not only as to how transport and accommodation services are able to implement strategies to facilitate social distancing measures, but also around how the regulations and tests at international borders will operate…
As the tourism industry works hard to recover from the impact of the current pandemic, tourism marketers are responsible for implementing the right marketing strategies to ensure their destinations remain competitive. Generating destination appeal in new and existing markets is essential in determining a city, resort or region’s global competitive position and its overall economic and developmental success.” Explains Matungiri.
The March 2021 launch of the Travel Africa global broadcast TV channel will deliver content to 135+ million homes and hotels across Europe, Middle East, and North Africa; covering everything from African culture, to gastronomy, the best places to travel and stay, and destination documentaries. A subsequent partnership has been forged with DSTV’s Spice TV, covering broadcast throughout SA and Africa with an additional 14 Million daily viewers.
The media impact of this is substantial. “The migration of both editorial and advertorial content with digital commerce from print and online to international broadcast is one of the ways we aim to offer brands a targeted, fast-reaching, and powerful platform for immediate conversions,” says Allen.
Using on-screen QR code integration for immediate ecommerce conversions – brands can now also drive bookings, purchases, and inquiries in real-time whilst watching their favourite 24-hour Africa Travel channel.
Red Carpet Creative’s global media partners, travel bloggers, influencers and photojournalists represent the publicity leg of their media landscape. “Celebrated film and TV presenters have joined us in pioneering yet another platform plugin with broadcast to social media content streaming via IGTV (Instagram TV) for direct engagement with local audiences.”
Long-seeded relationships built up and nurtured over a decade, culminating experience, and trust. Over the past decade Red Carpet has represented a host of bespoke travel, hospitality and lifestyle client brands such as Quoin Rock Wine Estate, La Petite Ferme, Webersburg, Benguela Cove, Haute Cabrière and Pierre Jourdan, Marriott Autograph Collection, RGBC, Blue Amber Resort, Dermalogica, Cape Royale, Shangri-La Nitida and The Grey Hotel.
“Our team of celebrity presenters include Bonnie Mbuli, Jeannie D, Katlego Maboe, Tracey Lange, Harmony Katolundi, Jade (Daniel) Hubner, Josie Eveleigh, Ayanda Dlamini, Mamohau Seasane and Seth Shezi, to name a few. As well as international TV show hosts Ernest White II (Fly Brother PBS) and Jennifer Su, both of whom are US based… All talk-worthy, enticing client content can be propagated across the continent via our plethora of media and social network channels,” she adds.
Calls-to-action for brand ROI will further be driven by social network affiliate programmes and promotions. “Affiliate programmes with #promocodes for booking specials, wildlife conservation and humanitarian donations or online purchases will be available for clients to further drive instant calls-to-action, with incredible offers throughout the travel and tourism sector.”
While Allen joined forces with Mutangiri, establishing local and international media partnerships, production, presenter and content teams for the global broadcast network, Melissa Crous took up the position as Operations Director and Partner at Red Carpet Creative.
Crous will oversee the running of all PR, marketing, and event related client accounts, with Allen playing her part in strategic applications and contribution towards conceptual brand development through TV broadcast and travel experiences.
Through extensive experience and benchmarking tactics, Crous’ experience covers all industry facets, from media relations and marketing, to graphic design, social media, website development, market research and event management.
As Allen, Crous and Mutangiri draw on their team of presenters, production specialists, travel agents, content producers, magazine partners, travel journalists and influencer affiliates, this power trio offers an all-embracing marketing and publicity solution for travel and tourism establishments, enterprises, and industry at large.
