Thought Bonaire fans might find this recent blog post to be of interest.
Strategic Marketing Lessons From Paradise
Strategic Marketing Lessons From Paradise
A Big Marketing Lessons From A Tiny Island
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Doctorfish
Contributor
Given that the majority of the market for Bonaire is North America, the island is basically in competition with the Caribbean only.
As has been stated on many other posts, Bonaire is not world class, but does not have to be. As long as the diving is comparable to other Caribbean islands and the unique dive freedom is a factor, there will always be return visitors. The challenge is for the island to maintain it's ecosystem and limit crime, so tourists feel safe.
As has been stated on many other posts, Bonaire is not world class, but does not have to be. As long as the diving is comparable to other Caribbean islands and the unique dive freedom is a factor, there will always be return visitors. The challenge is for the island to maintain it's ecosystem and limit crime, so tourists feel safe.
OP
Not only does your conclusion not follow from your premise, but I think your concept of "competition" is exceedingly narrow.
Are you saying that people from NA only travel to the Caribbean?
Are you saying that only people from NA travel to Bonaire? There seems to be nearly as many KLM and Arke flights into Bonaire each week as there are United and Delta flights from the US. Which would explain the very large number of divers you hear speaking Dutch and German when you're there.
drrich2
Contributor
Brings to mind a t.v. show I watched awhile back talking about a fitness product useful for whole body fitness that bombed...until it got rebranded...as the Thigh Master. Evidently that focus, on a perceived need that resonated with customers, was more effective than the same product marketed for a broader range of usage that could've benefited a broader customer base.
There's not a lot of great shore diving to be had in the Caribbean; mainly Bonaire & Curacao, some Grand Cayman and other Caymans, some St. Croix, Roatan if you stay at CocoView, Reef House Resort or maybe Fantasy Island whatever, but the options taper really fast.
Most Caribbean dive trips involve having to be at the boat by a certain time, going where the staff or group want to go, often following a guide because it's required or (for some of us) you might get lost, and you dive a # of times/day when & where they decide. Bonaire blows all that out of the water.
So once people go, they spread the word.
To me, the major question is not 'Why is Bonaire so successful as a scuba destination?' The question is, why doesn't Curacao leave it in the dust? Cheaper to fly to, more topside attractions, large population, better beaches, easier entries (albeit reputedly with longer swim outs), it sounds like Curacao ought to have it all over Bonaire...but many of us have only set foot on Curacao to change planes to get to/from Bonaire.
Now, why is that?
Curacao doesn't seem to market as aggressively, though I'm seeing it discussed more, in more ads, trips there offered by organizers, trip reports on the forum, etc... So maybe this is changing, but I don't get the sense it's rapidly catching up.
Curacao's coastline-hugging road is inland; you've got to turn off & take a side road to get to your site. Longer drives between sites. People talk about having some trouble finding places. Someone mentioned using a map because of concern over theft preventing taking a GPS. A GPS? Total number of dives crammed into a day & a week seems to be less.
Product confusion. On Bonaire, you load tanks & gear in the truck & go start diving sites. There's no confusion about whether to take tanks or rent them onsite, whether you'll need to pay a fee or tip an onsite business, etc... When I read reports about Curacao, I get the sense there's that need to plan it out, figure out where you're going, do they have onsite facilities or not, will you need to rent tanks there & if so fill out liability disclaimer paperwork, etc...
Some on the forum prefer Curacao. But judging from word of mouth, forum posts, trip reports & organized trip offerings, I get the sense Bonaire is the shore diving king of the Caribbean.
So, riddle me this. Could Curacao change that? Think a different marketing campaign would put them in Bonaire's league?
Conversely, is Bonaire missing opportunity by not more aggressively marketing itself to other interests? Are there kite boarding forums raving about it?
Richard.
There's not a lot of great shore diving to be had in the Caribbean; mainly Bonaire & Curacao, some Grand Cayman and other Caymans, some St. Croix, Roatan if you stay at CocoView, Reef House Resort or maybe Fantasy Island whatever, but the options taper really fast.
Most Caribbean dive trips involve having to be at the boat by a certain time, going where the staff or group want to go, often following a guide because it's required or (for some of us) you might get lost, and you dive a # of times/day when & where they decide. Bonaire blows all that out of the water.
So once people go, they spread the word.
To me, the major question is not 'Why is Bonaire so successful as a scuba destination?' The question is, why doesn't Curacao leave it in the dust? Cheaper to fly to, more topside attractions, large population, better beaches, easier entries (albeit reputedly with longer swim outs), it sounds like Curacao ought to have it all over Bonaire...but many of us have only set foot on Curacao to change planes to get to/from Bonaire.
Now, why is that?
Curacao doesn't seem to market as aggressively, though I'm seeing it discussed more, in more ads, trips there offered by organizers, trip reports on the forum, etc... So maybe this is changing, but I don't get the sense it's rapidly catching up.
Curacao's coastline-hugging road is inland; you've got to turn off & take a side road to get to your site. Longer drives between sites. People talk about having some trouble finding places. Someone mentioned using a map because of concern over theft preventing taking a GPS. A GPS? Total number of dives crammed into a day & a week seems to be less.
Product confusion. On Bonaire, you load tanks & gear in the truck & go start diving sites. There's no confusion about whether to take tanks or rent them onsite, whether you'll need to pay a fee or tip an onsite business, etc... When I read reports about Curacao, I get the sense there's that need to plan it out, figure out where you're going, do they have onsite facilities or not, will you need to rent tanks there & if so fill out liability disclaimer paperwork, etc...
Some on the forum prefer Curacao. But judging from word of mouth, forum posts, trip reports & organized trip offerings, I get the sense Bonaire is the shore diving king of the Caribbean.
So, riddle me this. Could Curacao change that? Think a different marketing campaign would put them in Bonaire's league?
Conversely, is Bonaire missing opportunity by not more aggressively marketing itself to other interests? Are there kite boarding forums raving about it?
Richard.
OP
I bet someone thinks so. And if they go down that route, I hope they understand the delicate nature of brand stewardship. From a brand promise standpoint, they've nailed it with a single-minded focus that is crystal clear. As a marketer and a diver I will shed a tear if I ever see an "It's so much more than just a Diver's Paradise" campaign.
Ok, I'll be honest. As a diver I'd shed a tear. As a marketer I'd laugh out loud and say "Are you ****ing kidding me? Those idiots had it all!"
I doubt Curacao could leave Bonaire in the dust as a diver's paradise, for all the diving reasons you cited in your post. Not the least of which being "the easy button" aspect.
But the fact is there's a very smart opportunity for Curacao.
Consider the fact that I've been to Curacao 50% more often than I've been to Bonaire. And I'm probably twice as likely to go back to Curacao in the future. When I go to Curacao I stay longer but do far, far less diving than I would do on a Bonaire trip. I spend far, far more money during a trip to Curacao than I do on a trip to Bonaire. Far more on food. Far more on lodging. Far more on airfare. Far more on a rental vehicle. Far more on everything. But I probably enjoy a trip to Curacao twice as much as a trip to Bonaire.
Now... why is that?
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drrich2
Contributor
If memory serves from other posts, you go to Bonaire with a dive buddy, and Curacao with your family.
If Curacao could get out a strong reputation for easy access great daycare and kids' clubs (some cynic out there is thinking 'child kennels'), along with beautiful beaches (which judging from posts on the forum many women like walking or sitting on for some reason; I could lay in a lounge chair on a patch of sand in the back yard & play sea sounds on a stereo if I wanted to bake in the sun, but some seem to regard it as recreational), perhaps it could carve out a bigger niche.
Right now the brand may suffer by similarity; someone asks about Curacao, and the answer may be 'A lot like Bonaire, but bigger, sites are farther apart and driving is longer so you do less diving...but there's more other stuff to do.' But it's a dive trip; a lot of people aren't looking for other stuff to do.
Richard.
P.S.: Love the Easy Button.
If Curacao could get out a strong reputation for easy access great daycare and kids' clubs (some cynic out there is thinking 'child kennels'), along with beautiful beaches (which judging from posts on the forum many women like walking or sitting on for some reason; I could lay in a lounge chair on a patch of sand in the back yard & play sea sounds on a stereo if I wanted to bake in the sun, but some seem to regard it as recreational), perhaps it could carve out a bigger niche.
Right now the brand may suffer by similarity; someone asks about Curacao, and the answer may be 'A lot like Bonaire, but bigger, sites are farther apart and driving is longer so you do less diving...but there's more other stuff to do.' But it's a dive trip; a lot of people aren't looking for other stuff to do.
Richard.
P.S.: Love the Easy Button.
Doctorfish
Contributor
I'm saying that North Americans tend to go to the Caribbean because it's close and easy. Dutch people go to ABCs because it's easy to get on a flight in Amsterdam and wake up in Bonaire the next AM.
Caribbean dive islands have an advantage over other locations because of ease of access, not because the diving is that great. No question that the diving is better in lots of other places, but they are harder to get to.
Caribbean dive islands have an advantage over other locations because of ease of access, not because the diving is that great. No question that the diving is better in lots of other places, but they are harder to get to.
OP
drrich2
Contributor
Yes, that Bonaire is where divers go to vacation and Curaçao where vacationers go to dive. Not an exact quote by me here, but that's the gist. I think it's been said before that Curacao's economy is more diverse, which makes sense as it's more populated. I wonder how they identify their target customer base? And reach them?
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