This past Monday I received TIAC's Media release entitled Canada's Tourism Sector on the Brink of Crisis. Among other things, the release mentioned that "Governments have traditionally neglected the industry, and have tended to regard tourism as a source of taxation dollars, burdening business with structural costs and compliance measures which impede its price competitiveness. For example: The continuing insistence on charging airport rents, airport security fees, excise tax on aviation fuel, NAVCAN fees, or the abrupt cancellation of the Visitor Rebate Program and its replacement with the onerous and burdensome Foreign Convention and Tour Incentive Program are illustrative of the problem...Canada’s travel deficit has ballooned to 10.3 billion in 2007 and the latest quarterly numbers for 2008 show a continued deterioration."
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Given the ongoing weakness of the American economy and, more importantly, high fuel prices that are affecting air travel demand, it is clear that we're in for a very challenging year for Canadian Tourism. This brings me to suggest a more agressive marketing approach for Canadian Tourism. This is not the time to cut back, on the contrary. This is the time to increase marketing efforts, particularly in the United States. Economic troubles notwithstanding, it is not like America is all of a sudden a poor country. It is still a $14 Trillion economy and with a population of over 300 million people there are surely many millions who will continue to travel and travel in style. But how can we persuade them to come to Canada if most people outside a few major markets in the US do not know anything about this country?
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Here's my pitch. A television and multimedia campaign in the United States beginning in the winter of 2009. My dream campaign is not timid and would cost several million dollars. The key success factor for the campaign is a television spot during SUPER BOWL XLIII (90,000,000 viewers more or less). This, of course would be the most expensive marketing campaign ever attempted by Canada. A 30 second slot during the Super Bowl will cost close to $3,000,000 USD next year and I propose to show the Ad 1 per quarter during the game. That media buy alone would cost about $12,000,000 (assuming of course that the network accepts the ad since Super Bowl slots are highly competitive). I haven't been involved with TV commercial production in a while, but I would guess that my spot idea would cost as much as $4,000,000 to produce (depending on negotiations with talent, a critical element). So far we've spent about $16,000,000. I would also suggest investing an additional $5,000,000 in multimedia marketing (online and print) following the Super Bowl including distribution in all social media in order to take advantage of the long tail of Internet communications. A new website would need to be launched in order to track results and very importantly offer research and booking capabilities. It would require the cooperation of all major DMO's and their constituents in Canada. I am sure that the industry as a whole has enough money to launch this kind of campaign. I am sure that the budgets of all major DMO's in the country (CTC, provinces and cities) combined could afford it.
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What kind of spot would I want to see? Here's a very rough draft of the spot (very rough - after all, I do have to get back to work).
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WHITE TITLES ON BLACK SCREEN.
Music starts – at first not recognizable – as spot continues it becomes clear it’s a rock/hip-hop rendition of O Canada).
Music starts – at first not recognizable – as spot continues it becomes clear it’s a rock/hip-hop rendition of O Canada).
TITLE
Where are you going?
INT. RECORDING STUDIO
Medium shot to Close up of Avril Lavigne
AVRIL LAVIGNE (TO CAMERA)
I’m going to Canada.
EXT. STUDIO BACK LOT.
Close up of Willam Shatner
WILLIAM SHATNER (TO CAMERA)
I’m going to Canada
INT. COULD BE AT A STUDIO OR IN A HOME OR RESTAURANT
Close up of Pamela Anderson
PAMELA ANDERSON (TO CAMERA)
I’m going to Canada.
Quick shots of Canadian destinations and Canadian festivals in all seasons. Lots of action, lots of colour. 5 seconds
EXT. MUSKOKA, ONTARIO
Medium shot of Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. Cut to: Close up of Ms. Hawn
GOLDIE HAWN (TO CAMERA)
Canada
Camera pulls back to Aerial shot of a luxurious cottage in Muskoka, Ontario. Cut to:
WHITE TITLES ON BLACK SCREEN
TITLE
Where are you going?
EXT. TORONTO. DOWNTOWN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT
MAN’S BACK. Camera rolls in as man turns around.
MIKE MYERS (TO CAMERA)
Going to Canada, Baby
More Quick shots of Canadian destinations and Canadian festivals in all seasons. Lots of action, lots of colour, cutting back and forth from cities to nature and back.
EXT. MONTREAL OR QUEBEC CITY. DOWNTOWN OLD MONTREAL
CAMERA moves to reveal CELINE DION – pull back to establish Montreal or Quebec City.
CELINE DION (TO CAMERA)
I am going to Canada
EXT. MOVIE LOCATION IN LA.
Close up of Kiefer Sutherland
KIEFER SUTHERLAND (TO CAMERA)
I’m going to Canada
EXT. SOMEHWERE INN TREMBLANT, QUEBEC.
Med. Two shot up of Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones
MICHAEL DOUGLAS (TO CAMERA)
Going to Canada
More Quick shots of Canadian destinations and Canadian festivals in all seasons. Lots of action, lots of colour, cutting back and forth from cities to nature and back. Music reaches crescendo. 5 seconds
EXT. VANCOUVER SOMEWHERE.
Shot of a mimic on Robson Street performing to the crowd. Camera gets in close as man turns and we realize id Jim Carey
JIM CAREY (TO CAMERA)
Goin’ to Canada. Somebody stop me!
CUT TO---
FULL SCREEN – CANADA.TRAVEL GRAPHICS.
TITLE
Canada. Keep Exploring
URL: GOINGTOCANADA.COM
THE END
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Cheers and good luck this summer,
Jaime
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