Local Resort and Marketing Agency’s Campaign Receives #1 Integrated Marketing Campaign in Florida

Ariel may be Disney’s princess under the sea, but The Island’s real life mermaid, Misty, reigns queen of Florida. The "Misty the Mermaid" campaign for The Island by Hotel RL proudly received four statewide awards for excellence in marketing, social media and public relations within the past month.

On Aug. 8, the campaign received three awards at the Florida Public Relations Association (FPRA) Golden Image awards, held in connection with the association’s annual conference at the Ritz Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes.  The full campaign was awarded a Golden Image award in the Integrated Marketing category, making it the number one Integrated Campaign in the state of Florida. The Mermaid Tails social media video series, starring Misty, won an Award of Distinction and a Judges Award in the Online Engagement category.

Additionally, the “Misty the Mermaid” campaign was awarded a Bronze Flagler award in the Social Media category from VISIT FLORIDA. Members from The Island by Hotel RL and Sociallee were there to receive the award at the Governor’s Conference held on Sept. 8, at The Diplomat Resort in Hollywood, Florida. The Flagler Awards are a competition among the Florida tourism industry for exceptional Florida marketing. 

The “Misty the Mermaid” campaign was launched April 6, 2020, with weekly stories read by The Island’s real-life mermaid. Each week, a child was picked from the viewers to have the book read shipped to their doorstep. With the coronavirus pandemic just beginning, this was a great way to bring a piece of The Island to families who were unable to travel and missed their vacation.  The videos became so popular that Misty was featured on the cover of VIP Destin Magazine, was interviewed live for shows, and even had numerous retail products and birthday parties created around her.  The videos received a total of over 94,552 views from people all over the nation and even internationally. 

“The campaign really reached its goal - to bring a little sunshine and hope to the loyal guests and followers during a challenging time,” said Whitney Lee, founder and principal of Sociallee. “When the pandemic first started, no one knew what the future held - especially for the tourism industry. We knew it was vital to remind everyone that the Emerald Coast was still here and excited for the world to open up again.”

“This is the first time for The Island to receive an award for our marketing efforts,” said Jackie Blue, Director of Sales & Marketing for The Island by Hotel RL. “We are honored to be recognized amongst some of the biggest destinations and brands across the state of Florida.”