THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ‘Very demure and very mindful’ - this is how one thinks of the promotional works that Kerala Tourism does on social media. Kerala Tourism has mastered the art of staying fresh and relevant on social media, cleverly tapping into pop culture and internet trends to lure global audiences. From rappers to internet slang, series, and movie references, they have found their way to showcase the state’s gems to the world.
At a time when the world is behind rapping and the politics behind it, there is no better way to promote tourism than by jumping on the bandwagon. In a recent reel that they posted, all the favourite rappers like Hanumankind, Vedan, Dabzee, ThirumaLi, Fejo, Think Music India, Baby Jean, Rapkid, ViiBee and Neeraj Madhav were featured to say that ‘Kerala rap is quite the drip, so c’mon, pack up and do the trip’.
Take Hanumankind’s global hit ‘Big Dawgs’, shot in Ponnani’s motordrome. Kerala Tourism grabbed the chance to highlight what Kerala has to offer. With cheeky posts calling this ‘Keralakind’ - a nod to Hanumankind, the team ate it leaving no crumbs!
“The pop culture campaigning has definitely increased engagement in the official handles of Kerala tourism. Moment marketing does its job. The Keralakind video has received much attention and shares. Promotion works are the initial and important steps in tourism. When pop culture references are used, user engagement increases. Today, it is through ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ that many people go in search of places, so good marketing can definitely serve its purpose,” said a marketing department official of Kerala Tourism.
But it’s not just rappers. Movie buffs get their share of attention, too. References to iconic films like ‘La La Land’, ‘Kumbalangi Nights’ and ‘Premam’, transport fans right into the heart of the action. Whether it’s the bioluminescence of Kumbalangi or the famed bridges from these films, tourists are drawn to the locations where their favourite movie moments were filmed. Enter cinema tourism - where your next vacation destination is the place that starred in your favourite scene.
What is Onam without the traditional cuisine? The department has its own ways to place it on the global map. With the help of animated minions and templates of ‘Breaking Bad’, pappadam made its way to the platter.
And not to miss the meme-worthy moment where Homelander casually holds a bowl of payasam - this is the sort of quirky content that keeps the tourism page ahead of the game.
It would be a lie if we don’t admit how social media influences or aids most times when we are packing bags for somewhere. A blog, a vlog or a relatable something like a thread can help guide a tourist to choose a location. Kerala tourism has made use of this by exploring the weaknesses of netizens. The Tourism department knows how to hook a mind on the verge of a doom scroll. All it takes is one calming shot of Kerala’s serene backwaters or coconut-laden landscapes to stop the scroll - a quick pause in the madness, and suddenly, Kerala becomes your next dream escape. That’s how the department stepped into another internet trend of ‘how one invented Excel seeing this’ (referring to how technology took over nature).
Not only did the user engagement increase but also by pulling off an April Fool’s prank with Tom Holland-Zendaya’s photoshopped image of the duo in Munnar, captioned “guess who we spotted far from home”, they invited controversies too. These kinds of stunts make their content scroll-stopping, inviting curious travellers to dive deeper.
Kerala Tourism hence has its pulse on the trends that matter. With each new post, they’re turning internet moments into travel aspirations.
Whether it’s pop culture or a scenic shot that tugs at the wanderlust in all of us, they’re keeping the world hooked.