MVA taps Japan chain store to market CNMI

The Marianas Visitors Authority board has approved a joint promotional blitz with Family Mart, one of the biggest stores in Japan, in a move to expand its marketing campaign of the Northern Marianas as a family destination.

Campaign materials of the CNMI as an ideal beach destination where families can relax and enjoy will be posted in the 5,300 Family Mart branches all over Japan which has an estimated number of 118 million shoppers.

Dentsu 10, the Tokyo-based advertising firm, hired by MVA to assist them in promoting the island in Japan, has suggested the joint promotions. The board approved $90,000 for the production of campaign materials to be distributed in the stores.

To complement the family campaign, MVA has introduced a female Sai-panda and the birth of a little Sai-panda character. Dentsu 10 originally created the Sai-panda character, the island’s mascot, as a Japanese male traveler.

However, to address the female and family segments of the market, Dentsu 10 created the two additional characters — Mrs. Sai-panda and little Sai-panda.

As the Sai-panda character and campaign gains ground in Japan, MVA is hoping to take advantage of its unique qualities through corporate merchandising of products, according to Perry Tenorio, MVA managing director.

With meager budget, MVA has limited its campaign to newspapers, magazines, subway stations and other mass transit venues.

In its bid to strengthen the CNMI’s presence in the international travel market, MVA has asked the Legislature for an additional $1.75 million for advertising.

MVA’s budget for fiscal year 2000 was pegged at $5.88 million by the Office of Budget and Management, 16 percent lower than the current appropriation.

In a meeting with members of the House of Representatives, Tenorio appealed for increased funding to allow the tourism office carry out an effective marketing campaign.

During the meeting, the tourism chief emphasized the need for an aggressive marketing to help promote the CNMI as a quality destination.

With the cutthroat competition in the travel industry, an effective marketing campaign will help the Northern Marianas in increasing its market share in Japan, the island’s main source of tourists, Tenorio said.