JANUARY 9, 2023

New. Nuevo. Nouveau. Nouvo. Nieuwe. Nobo. However you say it, a new beginning is upon us! Thank you for allowing us to serve you in 2022. We are confident that 2023 will be full of opportunities to achieve great things together. Happy New Year!

Innovation and technology essential to advance Caribbean tourism

In her end-of-year message to members of the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), President Nicola Madden-Greig, OD stressed the need for Caribbean tourism to play a greater role in the economic development of the region’s destinations by “creating new entrepreneurs and providing generational wealth driven by the expansion of micro, small and medium tourism enterprises.”  Madden-Greig also urged tourism industry stakeholders to apply the lessons learned over the past two years by “seeking solutions through innovation and technology and ongoing upskilling and reskilling of our workforce.” The leader of the trade association, which speaks on behalf of private sector tourism and hospitality enterprises, believes the future of the industry is encouraging despite significant headwinds on the horizon such as the lack of air connectivity, labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, the impact of climate change, and the inevitable unknown “external shocks” that still loom. Recalling that Caribbean tourism has historically survived and rebounded from significant challenges in the past, she emphasized the growing importance of collaboration and partnership to ensure that Caribbean tourism not only survives, but also thrives. Madden-Greig thanked Vanessa Ledesma, acting CEO and Director General of CHTA; its executive; the board of directors; national hotel and tourism associations and their boards; and the association’s partners and members for their contributions to strengthening the Caribbean tourism industry. She stressed it was through continuous and active participation with CHTA that the travel and tourism sector was able to advance the region.  Wishing the CHTA family a happy and prosperous new year, Madden-Greig stated, “As we bring down the curtain on 2022, [we] look with renewed hope … that the Caribbean will continue to move past recovery and enter robust growth.”

Communications, the basis for life

Communication is the basis of life. It’s part of our every interaction, both personal and professional. Because of the inherent value of communication, we must endeavor to embrace it in 2023. Good communication skills are necessary, whatever field you’re in, as they ensure you get your point across and avoid misconstrued messages. But they are mission critical in fields such as marketing and public relations, where communication is the foundation of the profession. So what constitutes good communication skills? First, you want to be clear and concise. What is it you’re trying to say? Whether it’s an email, memo, press release or a client’s bio, the goal is the same: communicate the message clearly and in as few words as possible. Imagine having to tell your story to someone in an elevator before they get off at their floor. What’s the heart of the matter? Next, you want to be factually accurate. If you are using quotes from a client, check them against the audio recording or directly with the client. Use a search engine to confirm the names of places and make sure people’s names and job titles are spelled correctly. A good rule of thumb is to use info on their website or LinkedIn profile as opposed to a personal social media page or Wikipedia. Double check dates, times and locations for events. Make sure all the facts in your writing are as accurate as possible. And last, make sure your spelling and grammar are top notch. If these skills don’t come naturally to you, there are tools such as Grammarly to check your writing, and there is great value in getting other people to read your work before it goes out into the world. Reading aloud or using a screen reader is especially helpful for hearing mistakes or redundancies in your writing. Where feasible, hiring a copy editor is also an excellent idea, as they can proofread and tweak your copy to bring it to its best possible form. At MPE, communication is the bedrock of our work, and we see its value play out every day. As we kick off 2023, we’re committing to doing our best comms work ever. What are your communication goals for this year? Let us know.

Irwine Clare, OD Contributed

We kick of this year’s Diaspora profile by featuring none other than Irwine Clare Sr., OD, a Jamaican American radio personality and community organizer. Clare has understood the importance of social responsibility from his youth and has been an accomplished trailblazer in the Caribbean American community, particularly in the New York Tri-State Area, where he has created platforms that foster change, growth and empowerment.  After immigrating to the United States, Clare studied at Adelphi University and later worked in the banking field. Having observed the neglect of the immigrant community in the 1990s, he and attorney-at-law Winston Tucker established Caribbean Immigrant Services, which taught Caribbean immigrants how to obtain legal residency and citizenship and to exercise their right to vote. Graced with numerous awards for his service, Clare has not only provided education to immigrants but helped many with health care and other social services needs. He also founded Team Jamaica Bickle, an organization that has helped Caribbean athletes with their careers and academic exploits.  Clare, who received the Order of Distinction from the Government of Jamaica in 2012, now hosts various segments at IrieJam Radio in New York with compelling and informative content. His mantra? “If you look down on someone, ensure it’s because you’re helping to pick them up.”

Digital Digest

Multiple trend analysis reports emerge every new year but they can be complex and cater to very specific audiences. We want to share a few simple and easy-to-follow digital strategies for your brand in 2023. Listen to your audience: Use the total strength of all digital channels to gather maximum information, insights, and data regarding your audience. Develop a deep understanding of your audience and collect feedback regarding your product, service and communication to craft a fresh marketing comms strategy. Email marketing: No matter how many social networks are created, email marketing remains strong and grows stronger every year. The personalization, tracking and customization that email marketing can provide is tremendous. Just make sure your message length, frequency and content are optimized for your audience.  Pay attention to the website: Websites are graduating to a new level of engagement and deliverability. A well-designed and -developed website can carry your brand’s message beautifully. When integrated with e-commerce, social plug-ins, chatbots and other features, the website can be a powerful engagement and action tool. Personalized communication: Consumers are bombarded with marketing messages, and just like you will hear someone calling your name out in a crowd, personalized communication for consumers can cut through the noise to deliver a clear message.  Experiment: This should be the theme for everyone’s marketing efforts in the new year. There are tactics, ideas and communications that work. And there are some that don’t. Between the two is a vast world of possibilities to explore. Invest in an unconventional idea, start a podcast, start a YouTube channel, or host a live event with your audience. Experiment to grow the list of things that work. Let’s stay excited in 2023!

Medical Moment

World Leprosy Day takes place on January 29, 2023. Leprosy is an infectious disease of the skin and nerves which, if not diagnosed and treated quickly, can result in debilitating disabilities. The effects of leprosy are exacerbated by the negative stigma surrounding the disease. Leprosy, also known as Hansen’s Disease, has been documented in the Caribbean since the mid-17th century and is believed to have arrived with Europeans and Africans during the colonial period. It is caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae. These grow very slowly, and it may take up to 20 years to develop signs of the infection. Transmission may happen when a person with Hansen’s disease coughs or sneezes, and a healthy person breathes in the droplets containing the bacteria. Prolonged, close contact with someone with untreated leprosy over many months is needed to catch the disease. Its appearance in patches of skin may look lighter or darker than normal skin. Sometimes the affected skin areas may be reddish. Loss of feeling in these skin patches is common. Diagnosis is by a skin or nerve biopsy to look for the bacteria. Hansen’s disease can be cured with a combination of antibiotics for one to two years.  Continued commitment to fighting the stigma through education and improving access to treatment will lead to a world free of this treatable disease.

MPE Caribbean Report

In this week’s MPE Caribbean Report, we highlight the importance of diverse markets to the Caribbean tourism industry. Bevan Springer shares the story.

Marketplace Excellence Corporation (MPE) is a global public relations, marketing and media company.