Destination BC Helps Washington & California Skiers Discover why “Our Winter is Deeper” in British Columbia
On October 13, after nearly two years out of market in line with COVID-19 health orders and recommendations, Destination BC was thrilled to launch its BC ski campaign into Washington and California.
Running now through February 18, 2022, the campaign leverages a diverse set of tactics including paid, owned, and earned media, and takes a unique joint marketing approach – an innovative collaboration in which BC ski partners will work together to capture leads, keep travellers engaged, and generate bookings – thereby marketing more efficiently.
To help build back awareness for the myriad ski experiences that await families and thrill-seekers alike in all corners of the province, Destination BC is focusing its efforts on travellers from Washington and California, who have historically represented a large portion of US ski visitation to BC. Once consumers move through the awareness and consideration phases of the marketing funnel, they are led by BC ski co-op partners to book their trips.
New this winter, Destination BC is also partnering with Destination Canada, Travel Alberta and Tourism Quebec on a pilot initiative to drive Canada winter and ski awareness in key US states. For BC, the campaign will double-down on ski experience marketing efforts into Washington and California, supported by Destination Canada funding and the ongoing partnership with BC ski co-op partners. In this ‘Team Canada’ approach, each marketing organization will oversee a specific role in the consumer path-to-purchase, thereby reducing overlap and maximizing efficiencies.
Through Destination Canada’s Our Winter is Deeper campaign, Destination BC will leverage the creative concept ‘Two Deep’, which tells the story of Canada’s favourite skiing couple, Stan Rey & Kelsey Serwa, as they set off on a road trip to explore BC’s most iconic ski destinations. This messaging will act as a pre-season ‘stoke’, to get US skiers excited about the upcoming winter and interested in learning more about skiing in BC.
Starting December 1st, creative will be transitioned to a new ‘Go Deeper’ concept for the remainder of the campaign. The shift will target passionate skiers with an adventurous spirit, showcasing BC ski destinations as the ideal place for discovering new terrain, fresh powder, and vibrant ski towns. The content and creative will focus on three key product pillars that set BC apart from the competition: Big Mountains, Resort Skiing, and Mountain Culture.
The paid media strategy is centered around data-sharing and audience transfer between tourism business partners, leveraging a variety of tactics on high-reach platforms including YouTube, DV360, Facebook, and Pinterest. To break through the clutter, the campaign will also leverage several high-impact tactics including out-of-home billboards, digital audio, Hulu video ads and in-flight entertainment.
BC ski content will appear on Expedia’s platform, targeting shoppers who have previously searched for North American ski destinations and complement the efforts of Destination Canada through their overarching campaign.
Links and Resources:
- Discover the 2021-2022 Ski Campaign on HelloBC.com
- Explore Destination Canada’s “Our Winter is Deeper” hub on KeepExploring.com
- Check up-to-date Know Before You Go travel information
- Learn How to Travel Safely and Responsibly in BC
- Sign up for our BC Content Hub for images, videos, b-roll, travel stories, maps and more
- View Destination BC’s COVID-19 tourism industry resources here
