Archive Story, Fall 2007:
2010 may still seem like a distant goal, however now is the time to put your brand on the map.
That’s why Tourism Vancouver Island (TVI) started early with the formation of a special task force that will hone Vancouver Island’s brand of outdoor adventure and culinary delights and work closely with Tourism BC to maximize its return through the 2010 Olympic Games cycle.
“This is really exciting. We will seize this opportunity to show the world what an amazing place Vancouver Island is,” says Karen Bonell, Director of Sales and Marketing at Mount Washington Alpine Resort and chair of TVI’s 2010 Winter Olympics Task Force. “We told Tourism BC that we want to be in loop. We don’t want to overlap, we want to complement what they’re doing.”
When TVI launched its task force in September 2005, it joined others such as Tourism Whistler and Tourism Vancouver in developing a 2010 marketing strategy.
“There is already a buzz with the media, travel trade and consumers that the Olympics are heading to British Columbia. We believe that there will be opportunities to further position the Vancouver Island region as a premier all-seasons destination – before, during and most importantly post the 2010 Games,” said Dave Petryk, President and CEO of Tourism Vancouver Island.
Petryk added that TVI is coordinating meetings with the Spirit Committees on Vancouver Island to ensure that everyone is “on the same page and leveraging off of each other’s efforts.”
So far, Bonell and the rest of her eight-member team have been busy. They highlight a number of specific marketing opportunities where Vancouver Island will be able to leverage the most exposure from the Games. These include:
- Media relations targeting non-accredited media
- Ensuring Vancouver Island is on the high profile Olympic Torch relay route
- Networking with travel trade and tour operators now so that Vancouver Island is on the radar screen when the torch is lit.
In addition, TVI wants to build a strong presence in Vancouver during 2010 using marketing booths and other promotions that capitalize on Vancouver Island’s unique appeal. The group is also working hard to forge and strengthen relationships with corporate partners on Vancouver Island and the mainland that will help them offer a wide range of top-shelf familiarization trips for visiting media.
“There are going to be hundreds of non-accredited media here and they’re all going to be looking for stories. We want to be ready for them,” Bonell explains.
Being ready means having your own media program up to world-class standards before rolling out the red carpet, Bonell says. That’s why TVI is busy updating its bank of Vancouver Island images and broadcast-ready footage that can be farmed out to international media on demand well before the Games begin.
The task force is also refining a media strategy for the Games focussing on the Island’s natural attributes. For example, “The Taste of Vancouver Island” could be a potent marketing brand to showcase the Island’s culinary bounty, from fresh Baynes Sound oysters to organic Cowichan Valley cider. Outdoor adventure is another key area and one idea TVI is considering is converting a Volkswagen van, with surfboards strapped to the roof, into a mobile media centre.
For Mount Washington Alpine Resort, having a pro-active approach to the Games has already paid dividends. The Swedish nordic ski team has expressed interest in using the resort’s facilities as a training site. In addition, Canada’s junior and senior cross country ski teams will return next spring for more training. It’s just the kind of success TVI’s 2010 Olympics Task Force hopes to repeat up and down the Island.
“We realized that the Games opportunities were way too big to be lumped in with other marketing programs. We are determined to be pro-active and ready for the challenge,” Bonell says.