February 5, GLOBAL – Hill+Knowlton Strategies (H+K), international public relations consultancy, has won the Azerbaijan Tourism Board (ATB) as a global account for 2019. H+K will ramp up promotion of Azerbaijan across 12 markets on behalf of the tourism board.
“We are excited to use our expertise and reach to tell the world about the ancient culture of this incredible destination located between Turkey, Iran, Russia, and Georgia,” said Myron Wasylyk, CEO of PBN H+K Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and CIS. “Azerbaijan is one of the fastest-growing tourist destinations in the world, and because H+K works around the clock and around the world we can raise the country’s profile on a global scale.”
H+K will work with the ATB to create curated experiences to help visitors uncover the hidden gems of Azerbaijan by activating a robust digital and traditional media campaign across markets. Inspired by the new brand strategy to present a new portrait of the country, enhance its destination value and double tourists by 2023, H+K executed the launch of the ‘Take Another Look’ campaign at London’s World Travel Market in November. The campaign highlighted Azerbaijan’s exceptional combination of antiquity and novelty and H+K engaged a vast array of global travel media and influencers to view the country from a unique perspective.
“Situated at the crossroads of Eastern Europe and Western Asia, Azerbaijan has nine of the world’s eleven climate zones, offering travellers several sites of interest,” said Florian Sengstschmid, CEO of Azerbaijan Tourism Board. “‘Take Another Look’ unlocks Azerbaijan’s unique stories and secrets and the people are excited to share their culture, cuisine and country with visitors.”
“We look forward to working closely with H+K to enhance our tourism proposition and become a leading destination brand in the world, as we continue to provide tourists with unique, authentic experiences that will leave them with lasting memories for a lifetime.”
H+K has created two hubs for targeting ATB’s focus markets. The Moscow hub covers markets throughout Europe and the Mediterranean while the Dubai hub covers the Middle East, China, as well as Central and Southeast Asia. These hubs will be used to target international visitors seeking city breaks, unique cultural experiences, nature and adventure getaways, as well as those in search for holistic health and wellness retreats.
H+K has offices in more than 40 countries worldwide, delivering award winning campaigns to clients across all sectors and disciplines and with a focus on continued innovation for the industry. Recent innovations include Flight School +, a crisis communications training and simulation tool, Better Impact™, a new approach to brand purpose and CSR, and H+K Smarter™, a behavioral science unit.
The ATB is a national promotion body established under the State Tourism Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Its main objectives are to support the growth of Azerbaijan’s tourism industry and encourage visitors to explore the country’s rich cultural offering and experience its ancient heritage.
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About Hill+Knowlton Strategies
Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Inc. is an international communications consultancy, providing services to local, multinational and global clients. The firm is headquartered in New York, with over 80 offices in more than 40 markets, as well as an extensive associate network. The agency is part of WPP, one of the world’s largest communications services groups.