CMO for Discover Puerto Rico takes the sunny side of storytelling

As told to Diane Schwartz, CEO of Ragan Communications.

The source material for Leah Chandler’s work is lush: beautiful beaches, resplendent mountains, a vibrant culture and the beloved piña colada. As the CMO for Discover Puerto Rico, a nonprofit destination marketing organization, Chandler has infused emotional storytelling into her marketing and media campaigns and forged compelling brand partnerships that attract vacationers, business travelers and media to the island.

Since joining Discover Puerto Rico, she and her marketing and comms teams have continued to break records in travel and tourism, positively impacting local communities and jobs. Last year marked the strongest booking year in meetings and events on the island in nearly a decade.

I caught up with Chandler at the Cannes Lions Festival of Innovation this summer where she shared her success around storytelling on panel discussions, in particular the “Live Boricua” campaign which showcases real stories from local residents. The campaign resulted in $9.8 billion in tourism revenue in 2023.

Like the campaign, the Indiana native is passionate and relatable. Read on to learn how Chandler approaches destination marketing and leadership, all while heeding her mother’s favorite piece of advice.

Origin Story

DIANE: How’d you get here? Share some significant stops along your journey to CMO of Discover Puerto Rico.

LEAH: Since a young age, I’ve been enamored with travel, but I accidentally fell into working in travel by way of marketing and public relations. I began my career at small agencies in Indianapolis, working on travel-related accounts, which eventually brought me to lead the Indiana Tourism business at their agency of record.

From there, I made several moves to other agencies and eventually transitioned to the client side in 2013.  I led Missouri Tourism’s brand repositioning effort in 2013, introducing a new brand identity and corresponding campaign featuring “Enjoy the Show.”  I was the chief marketing officer for Explore Branson (Missouri), where I led the growth of the community’s tourism industry for five years, repositioning the destination’s brand and posting back-to-back years of record ROI for the organization’s marketing program.

Since May 2018, I’ve served as the chief marketing officer of Discover Puerto Rico, spearheading initiatives to showcase the island’s beauty and culture.

DIANE: What was the transition like for you from agency comms to CMO?

LEAH: The transition was easier than I thought it would be. Having spent more than 10 years working at agencies, I had a keen understanding of how consumer research and data drive strategy, which informs marketing and communications plans and ultimately, how those are measured to determine success.

The biggest difference between the agency side and the client side for me was that I was no longer making recommendations and suggestions. I was now in a position to drive those strategic decisions from the inside out. Nonetheless, there is no doubt that my time spent at agencies helped shape my approach to building agency partnerships that drive meaningful results.

Leadership

DIANE: What’s the most important quality a marketing leader must possess?

LEAH: As a communications leader, the most crucial quality is adaptability. The media landscape and consumer behaviors are constantly evolving, and a successful leader must be agile and able to pivot strategies and messages in response to new trends, challenges and opportunities.

Transparency and trust are extremely important. Once trust is lost, it is very difficult to regain. Readers, followers, consumers and clients demand transparency today, and internal teams are no different. Leaders in marketing must represent the truth and ensure clarity in their messaging – no matter the audience.

DIANE: How do you inspire your team?

LEAH: This will sound cheesy, but honestly, I think my team inspires me more than I inspire them. I am filled-to-the-brim inspired every single day by the people I work with. Our team at Discover Puerto Rico is the most brilliant, talented, passionate, funny, curious and caring group of people I’ve ever known. They have the biggest heart for Puerto Rico and show it in the love they put into every project, every post, every email, every tradeshow and every meeting they take on.

I hope that my team would tell you they’re inspired by my commitment to belonging and inclusion. I focus a lot on team integration and creating a culture where people feel valued and appreciated.

DIANE: At Discover Puerto Rico, more than 70% of your staff are women and a similar percentage are in managerial or senior level roles. That’s rather impressive. What are some ways businesswomen can rise to leadership roles?

LEAH: To improve the numbers on a bigger scale, we need to create environments that foster adaptability and flexibility. This involves providing mentorship opportunities, promoting work-life balance, and implementing policies that support women at all career stages. Encouraging women to feel confident adding to the conversation will help them grow into leadership positions, driving further progress, and ensuring that our organizations benefit from diverse perspectives and experiences.

Culture

DIANE: And Puerto Rican culture – how would you describe it?

LEAH: I’d describe Puerto Rican culture as passionate, vibrant and full of life. A big part of the island’s culture is centered around pride in being Puerto Rican, which is the premise of our campaign, “Live Boricua.” Living Boricua (a word used to describe people who are Puerto Rican or of Puerto Rican descent) is a state of mind, a way of life, an experience travelers can only find one place on earth: Puerto Rico.

We tap into the power of emotional storytelling and highlight unique aspects of the Puerto Rican culture, inspiring people to enjoy all parts of the Island (beyond the amazing beaches) like its natural wonders, El Yunque or the bioluminescent bays.

DIANE: Describe your relationship with your communications, HR and other counterparts.

LEAH: It’s built on adaptability and collaboration. We work closely to align our strategies and ensure a cohesive approach across all functions. By fostering open communication and a flexible mindset, we can pivot quickly to address challenges and seize opportunities.

We have a mutual ambition to transform and position Discover Puerto Rico from a Travel & Hospitality brand into a Lifestyle brand that embeds its “Live Boricua” spirit and culture into the global consumer cultural zeitgeist.

The Work

DIANE: Emotional storytelling is at the core of what you do. What are some ways you’ve been successful with that in marketing Puerto Rico as a top destination?

LEAH: Emotional storytelling and values-based marketing break away from traditional narratives, using bold and innovative content to capture attention and imagination. This unique approach has helped us shatter tourism records and overcome previous challenges by building trust with consumers and fostering a positive image of Puerto Rico as a premier travel destination.

Values-based marketing at Discover Puerto Rico involves aligning our marketing strategies with the core values of the DMO and the cultural heritage of the Island.

A prime example of this is the “Live Boricua” campaign, which highlights the Puerto Rican lifestyle, culture, and spirit by focusing on authentic local stories and experiences. This campaign used videos, social media and collaborations with local artists and influencers to create a genuine connection with the audience.

DIANE: What about Puerto Rico would compel a traveler to choose it over other destinations?

LEAH: People no longer take travel for granted as they have in the past. Travelers want to immerse themselves in new cultures, connect with locals and get off the beaten path. They now gravitate toward places where they can experience more meaningful travel, and Puerto Rico is perfectly positioned for this audience.

Puerto Rico is also rich in festivals, traditions, art, and music. Our culture is one that is both welcoming and enchanting, and that is a strong selling point for travelers. Our main goal at Discover Puerto Rico is to emphasize that everyone can immerse themselves in this culture and “Live Boricua” in their own way, emphasizing all the warmth our island – and our people – have to offer.

Separately, research revealed that one-third of Americans were unaware that Puerto Rico does not require a passport for travel. So, we created an initiative, “No Passport, No Problem,” highlighting the ease of travel to Puerto Rico. The positioning focuses on the accessibility of travel to the Island and utilizes earned and social media channels to spread the message. This messaging has remained a key focus in 2024 as part of the broader “Live Boricua” marketing campaign.

DIANE: How do you plan for the possibility of another major weather event hitting the island?

LEAH: When we are not in hurricane season, we are planning for it. We have 25+ crisis scenarios we have worked through. When the 2017 hurricane hit us, the communications piece was critical to get word out about our story of recovery. Part  of the messaging was that tourism can be a force for good.

DIANE: What are a few major trends and developments facing tourism marketers?

LEAH: One notable trend is wellness and mental health travel, which has seen a 30% increase in interest over the past three years. This includes sleep travel, meditation retreats and nature-based activities aimed at promoting relaxation and rejuvenation.

Another significant trend is the rise of audio marketing. With the surge in podcast listenership, now at 43% of Americans aged 12 and over, we see innovative uses of audio content to engage travelers. For example, collaborations like Spotify and easyJet’s “Listen & Book” use listening habits to personalize travel recommendations.

Lastly, blended travel is on the rise, combining business and leisure trips. Puerto Rico’s appeal for group travel has led to a record $180M in meeting and convention business, a 20% increase from the previous year and 49% above pre-pandemic levels.

DIANE: What are some unique ways you are able to secure media coverage?

LEAH: First, our lifestyle branding approach helps us tap into new B2C and B2B markets and secure earned media coverage by appealing to travelers’ broader interests and lifestyles, beyond just traditional vacation needs. This approach allows us to differentiate Puerto Rico by highlighting its unique attributes and the diverse experiences it offers.

Second, we cultivate consumer-centric partnerships with brands that capture headlines.

We tested this approach with a color we developed in partnership with Pantone called Puerto Rico Sunshine, inspired by the hues of the sun here on the island. We saw the color infused in so many areas of pop culture – from interior paint to the runway at New York Fashion Week.

Collaborations with local talent and initiatives like “United Voices” – which was a Shorty Awards finalist in the Storytelling category – have brought Puerto Rico’s culture to life, creating a compelling narrative that transcends traditional tourism marketing and fosters a deeper connection with our audience. Inspired by the diverse and vibrant voices of Puerto Rico, “United Voices” aimed to showcase the island’s culture through the eyes of its people, highlighting their stories, traditions, and unique perspectives. Partnering with AFAR allowed us to amplify these voices globally, celebrating the Island’s rich cultural tapestry.

DIANE: And we can’t forget the piña colada was invented in Puerto Rico seven decades ago.

LEAH: We are proud of that! Recently, we formed a partnership with Van Leeuwen Ice Cream to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the iconic drink and National Piña Colada Day by introducing a limited-edition piña colada ice cream flavor. This new flavor honored the rich heritage of Puerto Rico.

This collaboration, which included consumer, media and MICE partner activations, presented Discover Puerto Rico with an opportunity to engage Van Leeuwen’s dedicated customer base and ignite enthusiasm among foodies, consumers and media via a branded truck and cart that shared free samples and generated buzz around this limited-edition flavor, which sold out in only two weeks.

We’ve also partnered with Good Morning America, the New York Yankees, Garden & Gun magazine and Tales of the Cocktail over the last few months

Self

DIANE: Take us through a typical workday – what time do you wake up, what’s your morning routine, how many meetings, best part of day? How do you close out the day?

LEAH: I wake up around 5:30 a.m. and usually try to start the day with a workout – I especially love my Peloton bike. Meetings and email consume most of my days when I’m not traveling, and our team and I travel quite a bit for work.

I am definitely a morning person. Starting the day with exercise, coffee and quiet are usually guaranteed to start my day on a positive note. I think those early mornings, before the hustle, the phone calls, and Zooms begin, are the best part of my day. I’m getting a fresh new start and feel super focused in the mornings.

DIANE: Personal habits that work? A habit you want to shed?

LEAH: A habit I’ve just recently started is blocking time on my calendar for focused work that requires strategic thinking and planning. Without doing this, the days easily get booked up with meeting after meeting, and little time is left for my own work. Blocking this time is helping me take back control of my calendar and allowing me to be more intentional with each hour of the day.

Other Tidbits

Hometown & Family:

My mom is my inspiration. In addition to raising three children, she had a strong commitment to her career, starting as an assistant at the Osgood Journal and Versailles Republican newspaper offices and rising to become the publisher, working there for 45 years. Her incredible work ethic, especially as a woman, stood out to me. Witnessing her juggle a demanding career while raising kids was impressive and admirable.

My family loved taking vacations. We took a lot of road trips, but I vividly remember a cruise to the Bahamas that sparked my love for travel. Today, my family is still based in Southeastern Indiana, where my now-retired parents have a strawberry farm and cultivate honey.

Best Advice:

From a personal perspective, the best advice has come from my mom. “What’s popular isn’t always right, and what’s right isn’t always popular.”

Making decisions that are right for the destination and the people living there instead of doing what people of influence want you to do. We have a strong love for data and research that helps guide our decisions even though they may not be popular.

Industry Mentors:

Throughout my career, I’ve had incredible mentors who have profoundly influenced my journey. One of them is Graciela Eleta, a Discover Puerto Rico board member and chair of our Marketing & Sales Committee. Graciela, with her 22 years at P&G, is a powerhouse. Despite knowing little about tourism initially, she immersed herself and quickly became an expert. Her ability to handle tough conversations with grace and her inspirational leadership are qualities I deeply admire.

Another mentor is Brad Dean, our CEO at Discover Puerto Rico. Brad’s servant leadership style is both aspirational and impactful. His compassion is evident in his actions and the way he daily leads and inspires our team. Brad manages with a blend of love and high expectations, driving excellence through his brilliant business acumen.

To all Wonder Women: join Ragan at the Women’s Business Summit & Retreat on Sept 18-20 at Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Carlsbad, CA