“Amazon said Phantom Ranch is one of the most unique places it delivers to customers. It takes about four hours to get to the bottom. The way there is filled with rocky terrain with an elevation change of nearly 5,000 feet.”
– ABC Action News
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Overview
How do you tell a unique human interest story about one of the world’s biggest and most well-known brands? You follow their products as they journey through one of the Seven Wonders of the World!
Our experts in Travel PR services coordinated this special multimedia project with Amazon and Xanterra Travel Collection®, which runs the hotels and concessions in several National Parks including Grand Canyon South Rim and the legendary Phantom Ranch.
Phantom Ranch is located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, one of the two last places in the United States receiving mail via mule. Essential supplies sent to employees living at Phantom Ranch go on a unique and challenging journey, and we followed them nine miles down from the South Rim of the Grand Canyon to their destination.
Client:
Amazon and Xanterra Travel Collection®Industry:
Fortune 100 and Travel & TourismServices:
Script & Talent Coordination, On-Location Shoot, Public RelationsChallenge
We told a synergistic story that highlights Phantom Ranch as a unique travel destination and Amazon as a provider of both essential and delightful goods to employees and guests – from meals to outdoor gear to toilet paper.
Phantom Ranch is a remote and exclusive destination, with employees who live on-site and bookings reserved by lottery up to five years ahead of time. It is located at the bottom of the Grand Canyon on the north side of the Colorado River. Phantom Ranch is the only lodging below the canyon rim and it can only be reached by mule, on foot, or by rafting the Colorado River.
Solution
- Connected Amazon with Xanterra Travel Collection® to collaborate after Amazon became aware of prior earned media coverage of the mule packing team that delivers packages.
- Coordinated buy-in from both companies on this unique story as a digital feature.
- Supplied talent and script, and managed the collaboration while maintaining the privacy of Phantom Ranch employees and guests.
- Provided footage from just below the rim of the Grand Canyon, following mules on the Bright Angel Trail – one of the most remote locations in the United States.
- Conducted post-release PR to gain traditional and digital earned media placements.
Results
- Has reached over 70 million viewers across media placements
- 378 stories secured (357 online; 21 broadcast)
- Top outlets include USA TODAY, Scripps News, Yahoo, and AOL
- Shared by top-level executives, including Amazon’s CEO via X and LinkedIn
- The most coverage received by an Amazon “Deliveries Around the World (DATW)” story to date
- Recognized by The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) as a Silver Winner
