Vibe Israel

Joanna Landau founded Kinetis in November 2009 as a nonprofit, non-political enterprise; she later renamed it Vibe, believing the name would appeal more to Millennials. The organization’s stated aim was to change how people think and feel about Israel and to show international audiences what the country had to offer.[1][2] A 2012 report described Vibe Israel as a Kinetis project that had been working for three years to improve Israel’s image abroad, connect internet professionals from Israel and other countries, and present Israeli creativity and innovation outside the political debate.[3]

Vibe Israel’s later mission statements focused on improving Israel’s image with the next generation by communicating attributes it considered relevant in fields such as business, culture, and lifestyle. Its methods grew to include influencer tours, online campaigns, digital projects, workshops, and training.[4] Landau said the organization emerged from her concern that some Americans pictured Israel as a militarized, religious, and unwelcoming place; she described founding it to enhance Israel’s global reputation.[5]

The organization’s approach sought to reach people through subjects of interest to them rather than making political conflict the primary point of entry. A 2015 profile described its intended audience as English-speaking adults aged 20–45, not necessarily Jewish, who did not identify with either side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Food, fashion, technology, entrepreneurship, and culture were among the subjects used to build tourism, commercial, and emotional connections with Israel.[6] The organization characterized its work as apolitical, although its explicit goal of influencing perceptions of Israel and its choices about which aspects of the country to foreground are part of its stated strategy.[6][7]

Vibe Tours became a signature way of introducing international creators to Israel. The trips were generally weeklong and organized around a subject, with visiting influencers meeting Israelis working in related areas and sharing their experiences with online audiences. Landau described the intent as bringing visitors together with “like-minded counterparts, not dignitaries.”[8] The approach emphasized personal encounters and visitors’ own accounts rather than formal presentations by public figures.[6][8]

Early tours were funded by private donations. Landau said the organization ran about 40 tours and eventually brought participants from 30 countries. One delegation invited “mummy bloggers” from Britain, France, and Spain to experience family life and meet Israeli counterparts, such as mothers with mothers and small-business founders with other founders. The organization assessed success through engagement and social-media mentions.[8] In January 2015, a report said that 13 delegations had already visited Israel; a group of five food bloggers arriving that week formed the 14th delegation and the first of that year. Eight more tours were planned for 2015, including themes such as food and fashion, women’s entrepreneurship, education innovation, and television. The report put the cost of a tour at about $40,000 and said donations funded them, with Landau also contributing personal funds.[6]

The subject-based format broadened over time. A 2017 tour brought five wellness influencers with a combined five million followers to explore areas of Israel’s wellness industry, including healthy nutrition, organic and vegan food, and startups.[9] Another delegation focused on family, children, and parenting, arranging meetings with Israeli women working in journalism, music, and sport.[10] In 2018, tours covered beauty, travel, wellness, vegan food, design, and food; a design tour was conducted in partnership with Jerusalem Design Week.[11] The organization also collaborated with the Gran Fondo Dead Sea Arad Cycling Festival and Muni World Expo, hosting international journalists and other visitors to explore Israeli cycling, urban issues, startups, and innovation.[11]

In 2019, Vibe Israel concentrated its tours on food. Its annual report recorded three trips—vegan food, pastries, and general food—with 16 influencers from six countries and a potential audience reach of 4.5 million followers. It said that it shifted its emphasis from audience size toward engagement, using an updated social-listening system to estimate the value of posts. Each tour included a segment about Israeli breakfast.[12]

Other projects used less conventional ways to attract attention. A “Doggy Vacay” campaign invited people in the United States to apply for an all-expenses-paid trip to Israel with a dog. The planned four-night, five-day itinerary included Jerusalem and Tel Aviv and was designed to reach Millennials through a different angle on Israel. Landau said the aim was to help young people discover the country through a wider lens and build positive connections.[13] In 2016, the organization launched Vibe Inside awards for prominent Israeli online creators, in partnership with the producers of the New York Shorty Awards and Israeli businesses. The ceremony in Tel Aviv honored creators in categories including influential creators in Israel and abroad, an original online creator, and a creator under 18; named recipients included musician Kutiman, filmmaker Vania Heymann, and Roy Adin. Vine creator Thomas Sanders also spoke at the event about building an online career.[14]

Vibe Israel used perception research to decide which aspects of Israel to highlight and how to communicate them. In a survey described in 2019, people aged 22–38 in 12 countries were asked what first came to mind when they heard “Israel.” Landau said the most common associations concerned safety and security, followed by religion, and that fewer than 5% of respondents identified Israel’s scientific and technological strengths when asked what it excelled at. Bloom Consulting carried out perception research for the organization, which used findings to inform its presentation of Israel.[1]

A 2020 economic-brand analysis commissioned by Vibe Israel combined online-search analysis, a survey of 3,000 global business decision-makers, 24 interviews with Israeli business leaders, and 58 surveys by Israeli economic attaches and diplomats. The analysis reported that 75% of respondents would do business with Israel and that views of Israel as an investment location and of Israeli products were generally positive, with more favorable views among people already familiar with Israel. It also reported that respondents would pay 0.3% less for an Israeli product than the industry average. Its recommendations included strengthening the “country of origin effect,” broadening messaging beyond “Start-Up Nation,” and organizing the effort as private-sector-led with government support.[15]

Landau said in 2020 that Vibe Israel had conducted research with 3,000 business opinion-makers in ten locations around the world. In her account, only 1% named startups as what Israel did best. She argued that marketing should communicate the character and spirit of Israelis along with technological advances.[16] The organization’s 2018 annual report described a strategic shift toward a multi-year international effort to brand and market Israel. It said Vibe Israel worked for six months with Bloom Consulting on global research, an updated “Central Idea” for what Israel represented, and a strategic work plan containing more than 20 projects and plans to engage Israeli stakeholders. Millennials and Gen Z were particular target audiences.[11]

One product of this strategy was The Israel Brand Narratives Book, developed with Israelis from varied backgrounds. It sets out four themes—“Celebrating Life,” “Living Together,” “Getting Things Done,” and “Moving Forward”—and says they were developed through global research, local interviews and workshops, and strategic consultation with Bloom Consulting. The book encourages organizations and individuals to use the narratives in delegations, conferences, media articles, speeches, and presentations, while noting that they need not repeat the wording verbatim.[17] Landau presented an illustrated version of the book, which included guidance and examples of Israeli experiences for tourists and Israelis, to President Reuven Rivlin.[1] The wider Israel Brand Alliance was described as a group of individuals, companies, and organizations working to preserve and improve the narratives; Bloom Consulting was hired to provide country-branding expertise.[1][11]

The organization also developed training and practical communications resources. Its 2019 annual report described the Israel Brand Academy, also called the Vibe Israel Academy, as a program to train people to tell Israel’s story and provide tools suited to different stakeholders. Potential ambassadors included athletes, businesspeople, chefs, and Israel educators. The report said the Israel Brand Narratives book was published in February 2019 and that follow-up research by Bloom Consulting involved 3,710 Millennials and Gen Z respondents across 12 target markets. It also described Search Israel, a search engine for recommended places and speakers that was being beta tested, and Unboxing Israel, a planned collection of photos, infographics, printables, and research highlights.[12]

The organization’s digital work complemented travel-based outreach. A 2016 annual report described VibeBiz, launched that year to help Israeli businesses promote Israel’s image among Millennials in the global workforce. It produced presentations about Israel’s business ecosystem and a free downloadable video translated into multiple languages, for use at conferences, business missions, and chambers of commerce. The report said the materials were used by El Al, the Ministry of Economy, Birthright-Israel’s “State of Mind” visitors’ center, the Israeli Export Institute, and business organizations and companies.[18]

The organization’s reported reach expanded over the years, though the figures in the available material are largely organizational or founder-reported measures. Vibe Israel’s 2016 annual report said that during the first five years of Vibe Tours it had run 27 tours for 135 influencers from more than 20 countries, generating over 50 million positive online conversations about Israel. For 2016, it reported seven tours and 35 opinion leaders, with a potential reach of 13.5 million people; it also said that one former participant later moved to Israel for three months and organized trips for other influencer friends.[18] A 2015 report said the organization assessed 13 delegations using surveys on arrival and before departure, as well as analysis of hundreds of posts and articles. It reported an average reach of 1.145 million people per tour and said 96% of surveyed readers had a very positive attitude toward Israel after reading the content. The report also noted that Vibe Israel could not determine whether the tours increased inbound tourism.[6]

Later accounts gave larger cumulative figures. Landau said in 2020 that the organization had spent the preceding decade specializing in influencer marketing, bringing hundreds of Instagrammers, YouTubers, and bloggers to Israel and generating more than a billion positive online mentions.[5] A 2023 report said that, between 2011 and 2020, Vibe Israel had generated more than a billion positive mentions through digital influencers, according to Landau.[19] Another cumulative account put the total at 256 influencers from 20 countries and a positive online impression for 1.2 billion users.[7] These measures use terms such as “mentions,” “conversations,” “potential reach,” and “online impression”; the cited material presents them as the organization’s or its founder’s results rather than as independently verified estimates.[7][18]

Vibe Israel also worked with other institutions on online and in-person initiatives. The Jewish Agency partnered with Vibe Israel USA on Unboxing Israel 2020, a virtual conference scheduled for August 13, 2020. It was aimed at professionals who engaged young adults with Israel, including Jewish community leaders, educators, marketers, and Israel travel professionals. Other partners included Hillel International, the Israel Consulate General of New York, the Jewish Federations of North America, and the JCC Association of North America.[20] The three-hour program was designed to provide practical guidance and unexpected, enjoyable experiences. Planned topics included communicating Israel’s story to young audiences, research on next-generation perceptions, engagement techniques, and influencer-marketing practices.[20]

The conference was originally planned as a New York event on March 17, 2020, where Vibe Israel intended to introduce the Vibe Israel Academy and the Unboxing Israel digital toolkit. After the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, that event did not take place. The organization shifted the summit, tools, and programs online, intending to make them available to a broader Jewish community and help organizations communicate digitally with the next generation.[20] Becca Hurowitz, then identified as president and CEO of Vibe Israel USA, said the organization wanted to give groups practical tools for communicating Israel’s values and narratives amid competition from family and community sources, campuses, and social media. She said its messaging focused on qualities it believed resonated with young people, including innovation, progressiveness, vibrancy, and resourcefulness.[20]

Because travel was restricted or discouraged during the pandemic, Hurowitz and her team also planned to debut Vibe Live! at the summit. The new product was intended to connect young adults with Israel when they could not visit in person.[20]

Vibe Israel’s branding and outreach work included initiatives beyond tours and digital materials. In February 2019, the organization presented its research and Israel Brand Narratives to President Reuven Rivlin and his team. Its annual report said it was subsequently invited to manage, develop, produce, and maintain a year-long exhibition at Ben Gurion Airport for 2020–2021, based on Rivlin’s “Israeli Hope” program. The report anticipated that 20 million airport travelers would see it, with additional viewers reached through a digital campaign.[12]

The resulting “Hamsa Aleinu” was described by Vibe Israel as a national photography exhibition developed in 2020–2021 through a joint initiative of Beit HaNasi, the President’s Office, and the organization. It presented stories of people, projects, and activities intended to show Israel’s cultural diversity and contributions. The exhibition included communities Vibe Israel called Israel’s “Tribes”: secular, national religious, ultra-Orthodox, Arab, and Jewish communities abroad. It framed their stories as examples of cooperation.[21]

The organization’s activities also intersected with public institutions and government bodies in different ways over time. A 2015 profile said the Foreign Ministry had assisted Vibe Israel in promoting its strategy early on, but that from 2015 it operated independently and without government support.[6] A later description characterized the organization as a nongovernmental organization endorsed by and partnered with the President’s office and other government ministries.[4] These accounts describe different periods and kinds of relationships: early strategic assistance, later independent operations as reported in 2015, and subsequent institutional partnerships or endorsements.[4][6]

Vibe Israel and Bloom Consulting conducted a 2021 U.S. perceptions study focused on Millennials aged 25–44. The study surveyed 2,194 college-educated participants in five states in August and September: 1,112 businesspeople and 1,082 members of the general public. It took place about three months after Operation Guardian of the Walls and during a COVID-19 wave; the study’s context also included Israel’s handling of COVID-19 and a record-breaking year for Israeli high-tech. A media report described separate questionnaires for the two respondent groups and a 3% margin of error.[4][22]

The study reported that 81% of general-public respondents would do business with or buy from an Israeli company or brand, while 34% of business respondents said their willingness to do business with Israel had improved in the prior year. General-public respondents rated their overall perception of Israel 3.23 on a five-point scale; business respondents gave Israel 3.64 as a place to invest. Asked for their first association with Israel, 38.3% of the general public named religion or religious sites and 16.33% named trouble, violence, or warfare.[4] The executive summary said that 6.8% of general-public respondents would refrain from doing business because they did not support Israel, and treated a rating of 3.5 or above as “very good.”[22]

The study’s authors concluded that Operation Guardian of the Walls had not had a long-term adverse effect on Israel’s image and described Israel’s innovation story as a potential “Perception Iron Dome.” These are interpretations in a commissioned study, not conclusions established as independent consensus by the information available here.[22] The numerical results likewise represent the surveyed samples and should be read in light of the study’s stated population, timing, and methods.[4][22]

Other research reported by Vibe Israel similarly linked favorable views with familiarity. The 2020 economic-brand analysis said respondents who knew Israel better viewed its offerings more favorably, while also identifying a small price discount respondents expected for Israeli products relative to the industry average.[15] Together, the studies informed the organization’s efforts to connect technological and business strengths with broader accounts of Israeli people, society, and culture.[15][16]

Vibe Israel’s influencer tours resumed after a three-year interruption related to COVID-19, according to a 2023 report. A tour for six British TikTok creators with a combined following of more than 15 million was organized around Purim and Israeli cultural diversity. The reported itinerary included a Purim event at the Tower of David, a Shabbat dinner hosted by a Tel Aviv family, a visit to a Bedouin farm, kayaking in the Dead Sea, and activities in Tel Aviv.[19] One participant, Callum Ryan, said he had known little about Israel before the trip and left with a better understanding of its cultural diversity.[19]

The tours were presented by Landau as an opportunity for influencers to share Israel through their own eyes, “with no talking points, political agendas or expectations.” She said the organization’s earlier work had generated more than a billion positive mentions and described its next aim as working toward “the next billion.” These statements describe the organization’s intended method and its founder’s account of impact.[19] A 2023 report similarly described the organization as apolitical and said the tour was meant to show Israel through a personal, nonpolitical lens.[23]

In September 2023, Vibe Israel paused Vibe Tours. A Jerusalem Post report said the organization’s newsletter attributed the decision to a political situation that had created a gap between the “product” of Israel and the Israel brand it had promoted; the newsletter also said governmental changes challenged the passion many Israelis felt toward their country and that the organization would consider other ways to continue its work.[7] Ani Wilcenski likewise wrote that the tours were suspended in September 2023, attributing the pause to Israel’s political discord, but her article provided no further detail about the decision or Vibe Israel’s activities beyond the tours.[24]

The question of how influencer trips combine personal storytelling, cultural experience, and advocacy has also been discussed in commentary. Wilcenski argues that creators should be able to share truthful information while showing themselves enjoying Israel’s cultural and spiritual offerings and meeting its people. She cites Vibe Israel’s tours as an example and characterizes the desired style as “less Myths and Facts, and more neshama (soul).” This is her perspective on how such trips should work, rather than a neutral assessment of the organization’s impact.[24]