Tourism B.C.

Tourism British Columbia wanted to move the province further up the consideration list of the “outdoor enthusiast” seeking extreme, activity-based destination travel. San Francisco was identified due to its proximity to B.C. and its relatively large target population, who were also more likely to travel outside of the U.S.

For this target, every wild ride is a step towards mastery of their sport and a licence to brag about their skills and accomplishments – especially when it comes to the adrenaline rush of extreme adventure activities. Cossette’s media strategy built off the insight that the adventure-seeker target couldn’t pass up a challenge.

They were also digital junkies: the hottest destinations were the ones they discovered for themselves. The agency needed to differentiate British Columbia from its competitors by providing consumers with relevant, unexpected content to ignite their cravings.

Using spectacular imagery, Cossette challenged thrill-seekers to come to B.C. to test their mettle and “earn their bragging rights.” Massive OOH building placements were strategically posted within hot zones of retail activity in San Francisco.

When the audience sought to learn more, Cossette made sure high-octane content was available online. Relevant social media elements included a YouTube brand channel with video overlay ads on travel, hyper-targeted ads on MySpace, viral seeding on Facebook and integration of content within key vertical activity sites and publications.

Campaign success was defined by the number of online requests for Tourism B.C.’s Outdoor Adventure Guide. Without a significant increase in budget from the previous year, positive outcomes for the campaign included a 56% increase in acquisitions over 2007, 20,000 views of the UGM content and a 120% search lift on outdoor-related keywords.