Tourism 2010 Resource Centre

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Selling BC as the Place to Ski in 2010

Archive Story, Fall 2009:
Tourism BC is flexing its marketing muscle with the 2009/10 ski marketing campaign using a creative, multi-tiered combination of electronic database marketing, online media and print to convince destination skiers and active individuals that BC is a world class, affordable place to plan a ski vacation this winter and in seasons to come.

“The campaign also features special pricing offers by ski resorts to help get the message out that this is a great year to ski in BC,” says Carol Nelson, Director of North America Marketing for Tourism BC.

“This year we are aiming to attract the long-haul destination skier, as well as active individuals, couples and families from right here in BC. Outside the province, the primary markets are California, Ontario, Alberta and Washington State.”

There is no doubt that as the snow begins to fall this year British Columbia faces a marketing paradox - it is simultaneously one of the best and most challenging tourism marketing opportunities the province will ever encounter.

The 2010 Winter Games provides an unprecedented platform from which to market the province’s ski and snowboarding riches. An estimated 10,000 media on hand for the Games will provide access to a global market numbering in the billions.

At the same time, BC grapples with the so-called Olympic aversion factor. Potential public perceptions of high prices, border congestion and accommodation scarcity, have been exacerbated by a soft global economy, a strong Canadian dollar and new passport requirements for American travellers.

To help counter this, Tourism BC will use strong messaging related to the Games while offering contests, special travel offers and deals the aim of making BC the top choice this season.

Short-term messaging is focused around the fact that Whistler and resorts throughout BC are open for business, affordable and the premier winter destination for excellent snow conditions.

On the long-term marketing side of the equation, Tourism BC continues to reinforce BC’s position as a world-class ski mecca with more than 13 affordable, accessible resorts and unparalleled conditions, terrain and resort experiences.

Internet savvy consumers will be top of mind in this year’s campaign. An iPhone app dubbed “Near Me BC” allows visitors to be just a click away from local restaurants, hotels and attractions.

This electronic outreach will be augmented by daily snow condition reports, general ski information and online ads inviting users to enter contests and pass along information via Facebook, Twitter and other social networks.

Tourism BC online reporters will be in the field, both before and during the Games, posting engaging and enticing YouTube dispatches aimed at getting viewers stoked about BC’s best ever winter.

Contests will be bigger, better and more creative than before, and special offers will be more enticing and valuable.

The Great Mountain Giveaway gives consumers an opportunity to own a mountain for a day, as part of a 5 day, 4 night trip for the winner and 19 of their friends. When consumers arrive at www.greatmountaingiveaway.com to enter the contest, they are able to explore all of the resorts before they select the one they want to win, in turn allowing Tourism BC to enlighten consumers about the variety of resort and winter experiences on offer in BC.

Furthermore, consumers will be able to order the 2009/10 Super, Natural British Columbia Ski Guide, available in both electronic and print format and packed with information on 13 destination resorts.

They’ll also be targeted directly with special offers to motivate them to book a ski vacation this season. Resorts with a listing on HelloBC.com are eligible to identify a promotional offer of their choice, which may include a combination of lift tickets, accommodation, and air packages. The offers will be updated regularly by the resorts as the season progresses at www.hellobc.com/bcskideals

Tourism BC’s ski campaign will also feature local advertising on City TV’s Breakfast Television in Vancouver. During the morning weather report on good snowfall days, a banner will run encouraging viewers to check out the campaign website for the best deals.

Visitors can click through to book an offer, while viewing other deals available at that particular resort. At the same time visitors can sign up to receive e-mail alerts from Tourism BC with new deals and offers.

On the travel media front, Tourism BC has been busy hosting many ski press trips through the Visiting Journalist Program. In September, Tourism BC attended the 2009 Canadian Destination Ski Consortium’s media event in Boulder, Colorado and organized meetings between BC ski resort representatives and editors from top ski magazines.

That was followed up by an October media event in Toronto and another one in November for Seattle-based media.

In addition to continuing its successful Slope Angles initiative, which distributes ski-themed story ideas to 6,000 media via email, Tourism BC has distributed a publication-ready story penned by Vancouver outdoor writer Jack Christie touting BC’s bountiful skiing opportunities to 4,000 editors in its database.

The article reinforces the dual message that Whistler Blackomb is ready to welcome skiers during the Games and that there’s much more in the province to explore beyond the shine of the Olympic Torch.

As Christie writes in the article: “Don't think for a moment that all the action is confined to one of the planet’s most livable metropolises and North America’s top-ranked resort. Many of BC’s ski-and-board destinations have medal-winning plans of their own to bask in the Games’ aura.”

During the month of October, Tourism BC blitzed the eastern Canadian market through a special coordinated campaign with Flight Centre. Sixty-eight Flight Centre outlets were adorned with an eye-catching panel promoting Tourism BC winter products, with nine participating resorts offering three and seven-day holidays.

Tourism BC also purchased a two-page spread in Flight Centre’s Footprints Magazine, which has a print run of 20,000, as well as a banner linking through to HelloBC.com’s skiing microsite on the travel agency’s top-rated, 12 million page views per month website.

Even though the eyes of the world will be on BC this winter during the Games, the marketers at Tourism BC and representatives from resorts around the province are working hard to translate Games exposure into skiers and boarders on the slopes both this season and well into the future.