Canadian Tourism Commission unveils Brand Canada program
By Adnews Staff
The Canadian Tourism Commission has undertaken an initiative to rebrand Canada as a tourist destination with the aim of increasing tourism revenues in 11 markets by $7.5 billion over the next five years. The Crown corporation has dubbed its new global business strategy "Brand Canada." According to the commission, the strategy will inspire potential travellers to seek information about and travel within Canada. "For years, the world's image of Canada has been dominated by natural splendor and historic icons," said Michele McKenzie, president of the commission. "Both domestic and international travellers were unsure if Canada would be a rewarding and interesting vacation beyond the sights. What was missing was an emotional connection that would intrigue travellers and trigger the desire to experience the uniqueness Canada has to offer." The marketing programs that will be part of the Brand Canada initiative will use the tagline "Canada. Keep Exploring." The creative will seek to evoke curiosity, and portray Canada as an out-of-the-ordinary travel experience. According to the commission, this effort is an attempt to make Canada more competitive with other, better financed, travel destinations. The program will also work to counter negative publicity from recent events such as the SARS outbreak, the West Nile virus and mad cow disease. The commission spent seven months conducting research into perceptions about Canada from Canadian travel professionals and consumer focus groups in Canada, the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Japan and Mexico. The campaign will begin in late 2005 and continue through 2006. It will include traditional and non-traditional advertising, direct mail, internal communications within the travel industry, public relations, online materials and street-level marketing in Canada and internationally. The Brand Canada initiative was developed by the commission in association with members of the tourism industry and DDB Canada, the CTC's marketing agency of record.