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Cayman Brac Tries Nature, Family for Path Away From Grand Cayman

Seeking to attract U.S. families, Cayman Brac will take its first shot at direct mail to position itself as a nature destination.

The flat mailer postcard encourages prospects to enroll in The Cayman Brac Family Escape vacation July 13-20 as Cayman Brac tries to step out of the shadow of its larger, more popular Grand Cayman island sibling.

“The whole notion is to create a little different experience on the vacation islands, and that's the family/nature kind of thing,” said Bob Lawrence, president of Cordiant Communications-owned 141 Worldwide's Atlanta office and the agency on the account.

The 9-by-6-inch mailer drops in mid-April. It shows a family of four surveying a panoramic vista of green landscape jutting out into a blue sea. The headline states, “The sand. The water. The skies. The fish. The birds. The music. The fun. The adventures. The relaxation. The excitement.”

Copy below that says, “More things come together here than any other place on earth. Including your family.”

Prospects are urged to visit www.naturecayman.com or call 866/THE-BRAC for more information. The card touts Cayman Brac's snorkeling and attractions like coves and caves. It notes that the island is linked to the other Caymans through Cayman Airways.

Once online, consumers are shown the itinerary. The family week events include an island tour, birding, shelling, cave and bluff hiking, visits to the local market for handicrafts and a no-shoes-allowed cookout. In addition, children can learn to snorkel and scuba dive.

Targeting was narrow. 141 tapped only 5,000 names on American Express and Travel & Leisure magazine lists. Prospects isolated had incomes of $75,000 and more. They were ages 35 to 54 and showed a high incidence of travel.

The mailer is supported by print ads running March through May in Islands magazine as well as the publications of Audubon Society and Natural History.

“Cayman Brac has done very little marketing in the past,” Lawrence said. “They've relied on the Grand Caymans in the past.”

The third island in the British protectorate is Little Cayman. Part of this package for Cayman Brac is a day trip to Little Cayman. Like Cayman Brac, the island offers a more leisurely pace. Both islands have less glamour compared with Grand Cayman, the choice of many honeymooners and wealthy individuals. Cayman Brac does not even have a Hyatt or Ritz-Carlton.

Marketing Cayman Brac has challenges, such as transportation. Mailers go only to prospects in areas served by Cayman Airways. The markets selected include New York, New Jersey, Tampa and Miami. Flights head direct from New York and the two Florida cities to Georgetown on Grand Cayman. A small prop plane from Island Air will ferry the passengers to Cayman Brac.

As part of this effort, Cayman Airways is running a special family promotion from their gateway cities in the United States. A child flies free for every adult ticket bought.

“We want to acquaint people that Cayman Brac truly is a family-friendly destination and not just another Caribbean island,” Lawrence said.

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