calgary 2013 marketing plan

strategic marketing plan 2013

table of contents

A MessAge froM the VP MArketing 1

econoMic enVironMent 3

MArketing strAtegy 5

our BrAnD story 11

our tArget trAVellers 13

MeAsureMent 15

strAtegy By MArket 17 • Regional • national • inteRnational

future funDing MoDel 26

MArketing teAM & 27ADVisory coMMittees

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cAlgAry’s new tourisM destination brand “Calgary. Be Part of the Energy”, has brought energy and renewed optimism to the tourism industry in calgary.

not only has the development of this new brand been a collaborative process with key city partners and other industry members, it has also been tested regionally and nationally and resonates positively with our target customers.

our new brand truly captures the essence of what a trip or vacation to calgary is all about. it’s a city that is welcoming, inclusive, ever changing and invites the world to be part of our exuberant and energetic lifestyle. our overall destination marketing voice for calgary is now stronger than ever and more effective at intriguing and creating memorable experiences for visitors and potential visitors alike.

As a destination we offer visitors the opportunity to be a part of something. this speaks loudly to our target travellers, who have the ability to spend, influence and inspire others to travel. they are youthful spirited adventurers, highly connected to technology and in search of experiences they can brag about, share with their friends and remember for a lifetime.

calgary’s unique experiences speak to travellers’ motivations. whether it’s our city’s festivals or events; sports spectaculars; conferences; attractions like our galleries, museums, theatres or concert halls; or our shopping and culinary offerings, our city has what our guests are looking for. the calgary stampede, rocky Mountains, Badlands and royal tyrrell Museum are international icons that anchor our urban destination with the best backyard in the country!

calgary is the only city in canada surrounded by four unesco world heritage sites.

But calgary is not typically perceived to have so many rich experiences or to be a competing leisure destination. Better known as canada’s business capital, our challenge and opportunity is to deepen the breadth and depth of the calgary travel story.

the goal in 2013 is to begin to position calgary as the leading tourism destination regionally, owning the weekend leisure getaway market (Alberta and saskatchewan). in fact, to be the best place for a getaway or trip to shop, dine, escape and be entertained. And nationally and internationally, our strategy for the long-haul traveller is to align our marketing efforts with travel Alberta and the canadian tourism commission to make calgary top of mind for a traveller considering a vacation to the rockies or an Alberta escape.

through our multi-channel strategy, we will capture the excitement and urban vibe in calgary, communicate it to consumers as well as bring it directly to them in their communities via technology or public relations events. these objectives are not going to be accomplished in one year. to position calgary this way will take at least three years of consistent and deliberate investment and effort. Brand perceptions are difficult to shift but can be done over time with strong commitment from our industry and stakeholders.

this marketing strategy is a fully integrated plan connecting direct to consumer advertising, social/digital media, promotions,

public and media relations and travel trade development to our local and global target markets. our marketing strategy has been developed in collaboration with key industry stakeholders to ensure our strategies are aligned and we’re leveraging investments where possible. 2013 will signal a shift for the destination marketing organization; we will put a greater emphasis on brand awareness. this means engaging our customers better in experience-based marketing to raise awareness of calgary as a leisure destination. we will still be driving efforts to close sales online and off-line direct to our partners or directly on visitcalgary.com. we are confident that with a strong brand awareness foundation, sales will follow and our website target of 15 per cent growth in room nights and attraction ticket sales over last year is achievable, albeit a small indicator to the overall effect of our industry’s marketing efforts.

to be successful we must work collaboratively with our industry and know the travellers in our target markets, with a propensity to travel to calgary or Alberta, better than we have ever known them before. resources are too tight to use a shotgun approach to our marketing tactics. when we are communicating with our travellers we must be laser focused; a reflection of our commitment to social media and building a relationship with our travellers and then speaking to them when they want to hear from us and with a message that is relevant to their needs. with this new approach, comes the commitment to invest more in research and results. research that will allow us to confirm or change direction, understand our markets and those of greatest potential

growth. the research will help advance tourism calgary’s marketing in order to remain competitive and ensure our partners are well armed.

on behalf of the marketing team at tourism calgary, we thank our Marketing Advisory committee (see page 28), as well as our industry at large for their support, input and direction that is clearly reflected in this 2013 Marketing Plan. we are confident we will contribute to growing calgary’s tourism economy together.

a message from the VP Marketing

– Gisèle Danis, VP Marketing,tourism calgary

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cAnADA

the canadian economy is moving into a period of softer economic growth, with growth forecasts of 2 per cent for 2012 and 2013. Alberta and saskatchewan are forecast to do slightly better at 3 per cent growth in 2013. this bodes well for sustaining regional tourism, although the weak u.s. dollar and strong marketing push from Brand usA may spur some to take their vacation time and travel dollars south of the border. in an outlook on canada’s air transportation industry, the conference Board of canada noted that canadians overall are trying to pay down debt and have become more cautious about spending. As a result, we should expect that canadian consumers and businesses will be more cautious about their travel spending.

uniteD stAtes

“increased downside risk” is the phrase used most often in current economic forecasts. the united states is facing increased uncertainty around higher taxes and lower spending that may come into effect in 2013, and the november elections will delay the implementation of any reforms to address this “fiscal cliff”. this uncertainty along with continued high unemployment will continue to suppress consumer and business confidence and keep discretionary spending down.

oVerseAs

the eurozone problems are intensifying (gDP growth is forecast at 0.2 per cent in 2013), and should a breakup of the monetary union occur it would destabilize global financial systems, leading to a global recession. this uncertainty and instability in europe will impact consumer and business confidence and weigh heavily on travel decisions. the slowdown in emerging market economies (including china and Brazil) appears to be greater than expected due to declining trade as a result of the deteriorating situation in europe and the tightening in domestic policies to reduce inflation pressures. while growth is still expected in the emerging markets, it will be at a slower rate than in recent years.

economic environment

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As the official destination marketing organization mandated with the promotion of calgary, tourism calgary develops and executes initiatives focused on growing and developing the visitor economy.

the goal of the marketing strategy is to position calgary as the destination of choice for our regional markets and as a hub for exceptional experiences to our national and international markets.

to meet this goal, our marketing strategy aims to deliver on four strategic priorities aligned with tourism calgary’s strategic Plan.

1. Expand the refreshed Calgary brand as the vehicle to educate target audiences about the new calgary as a tourist destination.

2. Enhance customer relevancy by marketing ‘experiences’ vs. products to align with our target’s path to purchase process.

3. Drive weekend visitation and hotel stays with the leisure market while maintaining a necessary presence with key partners to enhance blended travel (business and leisure).

4. Maximize ROI by leveraging research insight and allocating investment to fewer markets for greater impact. (regional: edmonton, regina, saskatoon. long haul national: Vancouver, toronto. international: u.s., u.k., china).

marketing strategy

Tourism Calgary’s mission is to bring more people to Calgary for memorable experiences.

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here is to ensure the brand is rolled out consistently across all channels and with all partners. travel trade continues to play a vital role in long-haul market visitation; therefore tourism calgary will maintain a focused presence in our key international markets and continue to collaborate with partners including travel Alberta and the canadian tourism commission (ctc). of the 12 markets these two organizations focus on, tourism calgary will support primarily the top three, u.s., u.k., and china. our marketing activities will support this key strategy by communicating dynamic itinerary options to strengthen calgary’s positioning and garner incremental room nights for our top performing operators.

we will continue to invest in trade partnership programs that target urban and niche experiences. this will include:

• Supporting a unified tourism brand that differentiates calgary through all trade materials and initiatives.

• Driving awareness and sales by differentiating calgary through the identification of 10-25 signature experiences and events.

• Driving visitation from international markets that deliver a higher spending visitor to calgary via key account strategy.

tourism calgary will embark on an industry-wide collaborative effort to continue to identify and build its collection of signature travel experiences unique to calgary. this database of travel moments will form the foundation for all media activity including story pitches, press events, promotions and hosting top broadcasters for live remotes.

compelling stories will also shape our media visit trip itineraries and programs. Media stories that differentiate our city from the competition and create urgency to visit are vital to converting travellers. our public relations team will:

• Work closer with multiple groups (attractions, festivals, culinary, events etc.) in order to pitch compelling and unique calgary stories that will increase our collective voice in the marketplace.

• grow the city’s image and reputation by developing and placing stories to top tier media and bloggers that reflect calgary’s energy and vibrancy.

• Create impactful regional in-market events.

1 2expand the refreshed Calgary brand

our refresheD BrAnD is the product of a collaborative process we undertook in 2012. in 2013 we will continue the brand roll out on a full scale to help the market understand the new calgary and to build stronger market perceptions around our key attributes.

our brand promise is: “Calgary exudes a youthful vitality. Bold, energetic Calgarians have created a dynamic city with an ever-changing list of ‘must-see’ attractions.

Today’s Calgary will surprise and inspire visitors. Calgary is not the city they used to know or the city they imagined. Every visit offers new experiences, adventures and memories.

Although Calgary is constantly evolving, Calgarians remain true to their western roots. We’re warm and down to earth. We’re eager to welcome the world to our city. And we invite everyone to be part of the energy.”

our marketing strategy seeks to reflect this pride we have in our city and the respect we have for our tourism assets. it requires us to be innovative and creative in our portrayal of these experiences in order to stand out in a crowded and competitive marketplace. these experiences are deep and diverse, and it is the mandate of the calgary brand to convey them vividly to our audience and invite them to be part of that energy. in order to expand the refreshed calgary brand, we plan to continue to invest in our brand assets: differentiating our imagery and enhancing our video library in order to capture calgary’s unique ambience, and create a recognizable, coherent visual language for our brand. utilizing these assets to the fullest is the next step, and our priority

enhance customer relevancy

effectiVe DestinAtion MArketing will offer potential travellers the right products and experiences to meet their wants and needs. our destination offering must be relevant and work to promote authentic experiences that reinforce our “calgary” brand. these experiences will help increase awareness of calgary as a must see destination and assist in evolving travel perceptions of calgary.

the imagery and messaging of the calgary brand must create a movie in travellers’ minds about what could be and then inspire them to buy. today we are conversing with our customers continuously through social media – we know the importance of this powerful medium and how it can help us tell our story interactively. finally, we know that our marketing tactics must convey a united and consistent brand promise that is authentic, believable and achievable.

the ctc leads in international markets with awareness creation for canada. Keep Exploring. travel Alberta leads in national and American markets with Alberta. Remember to Breathe. tourism calgary leads in regional markets with Be Part of the Energy. together, we all work under each other’s leadership to grow our market share.

Public relations activities will be critical in communicating our refreshed brand, which will increase awareness and ultimately lead to greater sales. earning positive headlines is the most credible and fastest way to have people listen to our message. the key to influencing behaviour with public relations lies in creative campaign execution based on front-end research that identifies the true drivers of behavioural change.

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• enhance package development with greater and more differentiating ad-value.

• Deepen the digital relationship with one key leading online booking travel agent (otA) to drive greater conversion and revenue to visitcalgary.com and partners. (e.g. affiliate program with expedia)

our research investment will be geared towards strengthening calgary’s leisure market competitiveness.

• Focus research efforts on better understanding our destination brand awareness, perceptions and key travel motivators.

• identify market potential in each of our regional markets in order to better target messages to consumers.

• Understanding traveller satisfaction and behaviour patterns on visitcalgary.com.

3drive weekend visitation

DestinAtion ProMotion is highly coMPetitiVe in all of our markets. to grow market share from our competitors we need to combine our scarce financial resources in the execution of efficient and effective marketing strategies.

calgary’s best opportunities to grow the visitor economy are with the leisure market. the gap between supply and demand in calgary is greatest in leisure travel periods (especially weekends).

As a priority, we must optimize our brand experiences to take advantage of this opportunity.

• Develop a customer relationship management strategy.

• identify market of origin, segment community engagement platforms and develop a strategy to increase opt-ins to database from regional and national markets of greatest growth.

• Create a fully integrated spring campaign (driving visitation six weeks post stampede – July to end of August) and fall/winter campaign (driving Jan-March visitation) by leveraging our primary destination drivers.

• Put into action key-observations from the 2012 third party digital analysis on visitcalgary.com and any new observations in 2013 from online analytics and research in order to move travellers quicker down the path to purchase.

4maximizing ROI

tourisM cAlgAry is tArgeting MArkets that are most apt to respond to our brand and experiences. we will drive return on investment by applying a disciplined marketing strategy to focused, key, and measurable objectives and by fully engaging industry. tourism calgary has identified the following markets as our greatest opportunity for actual or potential growth opportunities: Alberta, British columbia, saskatchewan and ontario within canada, as well as the u.s., u.k. and china. the strategy will be executed through individual channel strategies or a combination of consumer campaigns, work with the travel trade as well as media and public relations activities.

in 2013, a greater emphasis will be put on understanding visitor patterns and perceptions of our destination in order to maximize the marketing effectiveness and return on investment.

research is the foundation, the building blocks to effective marketing execution. our research budget over the last three years was approximately one per cent of our organization’s overall budget. with this investment, we have initiated a behaviour study in our regional market, advertising effectiveness review and an exit survey to determine value perception and spend of our visitors. But more needs to be done in primary research to provide a solid knowledge base. in 2013, we will quadruple our research investment providing intelligence on our markets that will serve for years to come. this research will be shared with our industry and partners leveraging further effectiveness through their marketing campaigns.

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our brand story

our DestinAtion BrAnD conveys consistent and salient messages to our target audiences. our brand story informs and inspires. it conveys the themes and feelings our marketing activities will elicit.

well beyond the status quo, it’s the catalyst for our partners and prospective visitors to uncover our city’s new, dynamic and highly attractive modern personality. calgary has far more to offer than most people think. it’s a vibrant centre that combines the best of all worlds: cosmopolitan with casual, outdoorsy with urban. All of which adds up to more than enough secrets and surprises to keep its population of over 1.1 million people busy all year.

in fact, most people are stunned by the range of cultural attractions, festivals, restaurants, live performance spaces, specialty shops and trendy nightspots that thrive in our city. with wide-open blue skies and a moderate climate, calgary’s ever-evolving list of attractions beckon outdoor enthusiasts year-round with anything from golf to skateboarding and fishing to skiing.

this is largely due to our youthful vitality. today’s calgary delivers a bold, welcoming energy that generates an ever-changing list of “must-see” attractions. every visit is loaded with new experiences, adventures and memories. But no matter how much we evolve, calgary remains rooted within our western hospitality. we haven’t lost our sense of wonder or our sense of humour, which is why people here still believe there’s always time to have a good time. warm and down to earth, our people enthusiastically invite the world to Be Part of the energy.

A GOOD TIME In CAlGARy is whatever you want it to be – and more than you imagined. no matter who you are or what you like to do, Calgary will surprise you. Inspire you. Welcome you. And invite you to be part of the energy.

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our target traveller

EQ™ SEGMEnTATIOn

tourism calgary and travel Alberta have adopted the canadian tourism commission (ctc) eQ™ tool, to match consumers with the tourism experiences based on their individual travel values and motivations. By making use of eQ™, tourism calgary can align its marketing strategies and tactics with industry partners, travel Alberta and the canadian tourism commission.

tourism calgary will use this visitor segmentation tool to drive increased visitation by matching the right product to the right audience.

one of the most important ways we will achieve this matching is through our website, visitcalgary.com, as most vacation planners are now relying on the internet to plan their vacations.

tourism calgary will get to know our customers by understanding their interests, needs and preferences. eQ™ provides tourism calgary a deeper understanding of consumers who may stay longer and spend more money in calgary. from visuals to copy, down to the right package and offer, eQ™ ensures that we deliver the right message to compel our target consumer to travel to calgary.

tourism calgary will focus on the Free Spirit and Cultural Explorer eQ™ segments. our brand promise resonates with these two segments the most and they are significantly more likely to say they will visit. they are also most likely to tell others about their travel

FREE SPIRITS

As travellers, free spirits are primarily defined by their constant search for opportunities for fun and excitement and desire for top-notch and hedonistic experiences with groups of friends. this segment of travellers aspires to be extravagant, seeking out luxury, exclusivity and premium amenities and services and are unwilling to settle for anything less than the best they can afford. free spirits tend to be samplers of their destinations, preferring to visit the famous, must-see sites.

Travel Values of Free Spirits

• aspire to stay in the most luxurious accommodations and venues.

• Want to see all the main attractions, but do not need to go in-depth.

• High energy to see everything.• Want to be the centre of attention, so

they’re attracted to groups and shared experiences.

• Don’t want to wait at home, constant need to travel. the internet is no substitute.

• Want some structure and planning. Packages should include planned activities.

experiences, both online and off-line.

CulTuRAl ExPlORERS

Avid, open-minded and socially engaged travellers, cultural explorers want to immerse themselves in the people and settings of the places they visit. And once they’re there, they prefer to let things unfold spontaneously. they want their trips to go beyond just seeing the main attractions and are eager to explore. like free spirits, cultural explorers are always excited about their next trip.

Travel Values of Cultural Explorers

• always excited about the next trip.• travel is best experienced with like-

minded companions who want to have fun while learning.

• Feel relaxed and free while travelling.• Seek an authentic experience, and don’t

want to stay in sterile, commercial hotels.

CITy %

Vancouver 24.4

Toronto 13.07

Edmonton 11.0

Saskatoon 8.7

Regina 4.25

Cultural Explorer Households

CITy %

Vancouver 2.55

Toronto 8.64

Edmonton 5.11

Saskatoon 13.14

Regina 11.98

Free Spirit Households

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measurement

Total visits to Calgary no target 5.2 million 5.3 million

Total visitor spending in Calgary no target $1.4 billion $1.5 billion

City occupancy – annual no target 70% 72%

Summer occupancy level • 45 days post Stampede 73.4% 78.2% 79%

Brand Awareness (consumers in key markets aware of calgary as a vacation destination) Brand Perception (consumer’s image of calgary)

no target

no target

no actual

no actual

TBD nov/Dec

Sport/cultural event production • Number of events • Room nights

3235,000

4055,800

4250,000

Online sales on visitcalgary.com • Room revenue/packages • Attractions revenue

$140,000$56,000

$145,000$52,000

$161,000$65,000

Partner revenue(co-operative marketing dollars from industry)

$700K($250K industry)($450K quadrant)



unpaid destination awareness media value

$3 million $4.7 million $5 million

Referrals to industry 11,250 129,000 150,000

Tourism Calgary member satisfaction index

no target 80% 85% (2014)

Web visits 1 million 1.15 million

Social media platforms (Facebook & Twitter)

FB: 13,750Twitter:

7500/5600

FB: 19,700Twitter:

13,600/10,450

Travel trade Room nights(Joint Marketing Agreements)

Incremental 1,170

(24,579)

Incremental 1,200

(27,000)

Key Performance Indicators (Organizational Wide) 2012 Target 2012 Forecast 2013 Target Marketing Additional Metrics 2012 Target 2013 Target

orgAniZAtionAl key PerforMAnce Metrics

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strategies by market

Alberta 42.5%

British Columbia 15.2%

Saskatchewan 8.0%

Ontario 7.6%

Other Canada 5.8%

united States 8.3%

Europe 7.7%

Other Overseas 4.9%

65.7%Regional

79.1%Domestic

8.3% Trans-border

12.6% Overseas

per centage of overnight visits to Calgary

oVerView of our tArget MArkets

Where are the visitors to Calgary from?

regionAl: focus on eDMonton, sAskAtoon & reginA

statistics canada’s most recent visitor profile for the calgary metro area confirms that Albertans make up the largest share of overnight visits to calgary – at 42 per cent of all overnight visits. residents from British columbia, saskatchewan and ontario are the next largest markets for visitors to calgary.

calgary competes with many western canadian cities, with Vancouver, edmonton, kelowna and Victoria mentioned most often as an alternative destination to calgary by travellers in the regional markets. Banff/mountain parks is mentioned most often among travellers from edmonton as their top alternative destination to calgary. the biggest barrier to visiting calgary relates to a lack of motivation, which includes those who say “i have already been” and “there is no reason to go”. this is followed by cost (“too expensive”) and congestion concerns. the main challenge in attracting more visits will be to

overcome a lack of motivation and perceived hassles of cost and congestion.

A travel intentions study conducted by travel Alberta in April 2012 showed calgary and edmonton are the most popular destinations among travellers from British columbia and saskatchewan, indicating that regional travellers are drawn to urban settings and experiences. A majority of regional travellers say the main reason for their trip to Alberta is to visit friends or relatives. saskatchewan was forecast to generate the most trips to Alberta during the summer of 2012, as it had the highest proportion of households planning to travel to Alberta (at 47 per cent) and the highest average number of planned trips to Alberta (1.6 trips per household). Both British columbia and saskatchewan represent good target markets since even among those who were not planning to travel to Alberta this summer, more than one-third (41 per cent in the British columbia interior and 34 per cent in saskatchewan) say they will consider travelling to Alberta in the next two years.

the greatest potential for tourism revenue growth is compelling travellers who have visited calgary previously to return to the city multiple times.

2019

SITuATIOnAl AnAlySIS

2. Increase urgency to visit Calgary.

Actions

• Develop steady seasonal and events/attractions promotions.

• enhance packaging strategy with value added and extended stay discounts based on campaign key drivers.

• feature time bound events on visitcalgary.com home page.

3. Increase advocacy of tourism activities by local Calgarians to increase VFR number of visits and spend.

Actions

• leverage local calgarian’s media channels to drive tourism calgary website visitation.

• enhance features of mobile to be more interactive and transactional to capture out of home research and purchase.

4. Amplify the Calgary brand message through Tourism Calgary partners for greater reach and efficiencies.

Actions

• Provide new calgary brand education to partners and membership.

• Provide convenient access to brand assets to encourage partners to use them in their marketing materials.

• share research findings with partners to help them reach the highest potential audiences.

• Develop full suite of cooperative opportunities which include public relations, social media, online, traditional and business development opportunities.

strAtegic oBJectiVes: regionAl

1. Compel travellers who have visited Calgary previously to return to the city multiple times with emphasis on weekend visitation.

Actions

• Develop and execute a regional advertising campaign leveraging key drivers and industry needs periods (e.g. shopping, culinary, shoulder season).

• Develop messaging that educates regional prospects on what’s new and improved in calgary.

• continue to build e-newsletter distribution list to inform the prospects on upcoming events of note and package specials.

• employ social media channels to strengthen relationships with previous visitors.

5. Reach out to target segments by leveraging their heavy use of peer-to-peer and magazine/newspaper articles for trip inspiration.

Actions

• Build collection of signature brand experience stories to maximize public relations and earned media values.

• enhance local content on visitcalgary.com including ambassadors and video.

• Develop blogger strategy by leveraging current canadian tourism commission and travel Alberta research.

• Strong rubber tire market

• Calgary Stampede

• Shopping, arts & entertainment, events

• Touring to the Rockies and southern Alberta

• Burgeoning dining scene – high profile media exposure

• Industry active and aligned with Tourism Calgary

• Low destination awareness beyond Stampede and Rockies

• Price sensitivity

• Limited marketing resources to combat competition

• Weak product shoulder seasons (spring, winter and fall)

• Travel Alberta multi-million dollar marketing campaign driving attention to Calgary

• Web linkage strategy with industry partners driving traffic to each others’ sites

• Social media activation and engagement

• Increasing fuel costs

• Regional competition

• Strong dollar- makes outside Canada travel more motivating

• Internet allows market to make value comparisons –shop or buy elsewhere

opportunities tHreAts

weAknessesstrengtHs

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• Western culture & dude ranch experiences



• Burgeoning dining scene – high profile media exposure

• Alignment of marketing activities with Travel Alberta & CTC

• Low destination awareness



• Geography

• Shareholder support to enter this market with public relations

• Internet usage, mobile usage

• Outdoors including skiing, golf


• Economic recovery

• Time/Drive direct through to the Rockies

• Investment levels are minimal to penetrate market effectively

long hAul cAnADA: focus on VAncouVer & toronto

Visiting friends or relatives remains among one of the top intentions for canadians visiting Alberta. Alberta’s travel Activities and Motivation survey (tAMs) discovered that while on recent overnight pleasure trips to calgary, over half of ontarians went to fairs or festivals with about one-third naming fairs/festivals as a trip motivator. About one-fifth say they took a trip to calgary motivated by a spectator sporting event, while close to one-third attended such an event as one of many activities on their trips. Attractions such as casinos, zoos, farmers’ markets, amusement parks, free outdoor performances and botanical gardens are mentioned as activities on calgary trip itineraries for at least 1-in-4 of these ontario-based tourists.

According to the same tAMs, visitors from Vancouver enjoy entertainment-oriented activities, shopping, dining at restaurants offering local cuisine, visiting local outdoor cafés and wine tasting. Vancouver-based tourists are somewhat up-scale travellers, with over one-quarter claiming to have an annual household income of at least $100,000. they describe themselves as tourists who want a break from the day-to-day and a stress-reducing

holiday that makes them feel they have seen and done something new and different.

Vancouver provides 6 per cent of all overnight visits to calgary and toronto provides 4 per cent of all overnight visits. these two markets show great growth potential, especially considering their higher per centages of free spirits (toronto 4.65 per cent, Vancouver 10.24 per cent) and cultural explorers (toronto 13.07 per cent, Vancouver 24.40 per cent). the potential to appeal to the escapist mindset of these audiences makes them a prime focus for tourism calgary. As marketing opportunities grow with available funding, the potential for visits to calgary from other markets will be explored.


strAtegic oBJectiVes: long hAul

1. Strengthen awareness and recognition of the Calgary brand.

Actions

• Develop a collection of new signature brand experience stories to maximize public relations and earned market value relevant to long-haul markets.

• support public relations activity with in-market media events.

2. Capitalize on marketing efforts of our larger partners such as the Calgary Stampede and Travel Alberta for efficiency of spending.

Actions

• target shared priority markets with calgary-specific packages and communication.

• encourage partners to use calgary brand assets in their marketing materials.

3. Increase urgency to visit Calgary.

Actions

• Develop innovative online tactics to encourage people to go to visitcalgary.com where they will discover a full range of events and attractions.

• support public relations or travel Alberta campaigns with enhanced online packaging for long-haul visitors with value added and extended stay discounts.

4. Increase advocacy of tourism activities by local Calgarians to increase VFR number of visits and spend.

Actions

• leverage local calgarian’s channels to drive visitcalgary.com visitation.

• enhance features of mobile to be more interactive and transactional to capture out-of-home research and purchase.


strengtHs weAknesses

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• Western culture


• Heritage Park Historical Village


• Alignment of marketing activities with Travel Alberta & Canadian Tourism Commission

• Low destination awareness



• Growing Chinese market

• Internet usage, mobile usage

• Continued investment in air access (Germany, Asia)


• Continued investment in trade partnership with key accounts

• Slow economic recovery

• Visas (difficulty to obtain – China)

• Time/Drive direct through to the Rockies

• Investment levels are minimal to penetrate market effectively

• Air capacity decreased

A small per centage of our investment is focused internationally, building destination awareness in order to drive conversion. success in these markets relies on communicating dynamic experiences and diverse itineraries.

relationships with key travel trade operators will influence placement and length of stay of the calgary experience, ultimately resulting in additional room nights and revenues to calgary. leveraging the international marketing efforts of major partners like the calgary stampede will also prove valuable.

chinA

china represents a major opportunity. outbound travel from china has risen over the last few years, fuelled by rapid economic growth, a rising middle class, less restrictive travel policies and a desire among chinese to experience other cultures. the impact of gaining Approved Destination status (ADs) will

be enormous; for example, there was a 90 per cent increase in chinese arrivals following ADs approval. Measures are already in place to capitalize on this significant opportunity for increased demand to canada.

Despite a stronger economic situation, travel to canada slipped 14.3 per cent in 2009. canada is starting to regain some momentum in the market, with visitation up 11 per cent over the first half of 2010. canada is back on the radar of travellers given its price competitiveness relative to other overseas destinations.

uniteD kingDoM

the u.k. market, which represents half of all trips from the three european markets, fell in 2009 by 18 per cent over 2008. however, the canadian tourism commission’s (ctc) Market Portfolio Analysis ranks the u.k. at number one, suggesting continued strong potential for the future.

uniteD stAtes

since 2009, canada has seen a consecutive year-over-year decline (- 6.1 per cent) with continued economic instability characterized by plummeting housing prices, a weakened currency and record high unemployment, canada continues to see reduced demand from its most valuable international market.



strengtHs weAknesses

internAtionAl: focus on u.s., u.k., chinA

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strAtegic oBJectiVes: internAtionAl

1. Continue to build and strengthen Travel trade relationships to influence placement and length of stay.

Actions

• Provide convenient access to brand assets to encourage partners to use them in their marketing materials and refresh current collateral.

• connect with key accounts in key markets to provide brand training and education to partner reservation agents, sales teams and travel agents to drive visitation.

2. leverage the international marketing efforts of major partners such as Calgary Stampede, Travel Alberta, Canadian Tourism Commission.

Actions

• target shared priority markets with calgary-specific packages and communication.

• execute three joint marketing agreements with key tour operators that drive incremental room nights/length of stay.

• encourage partners to use calgary brand assets in their marketing materials.

3. Strengthen awareness and recognition of the Calgary brand.

Actions

• Attend marketplaces and missions when possible to represent the calgary brand and key calgary messaging abroad.

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marketing team and marketing communications advisory committees

Destination marketing success is built through the participation and collaboration with industry stakeholders.

MArketing teAM

our marketing team is structured to ensure tourism calgary has expertise and resources in the areas that are most critical to marketing calgary as a tourist destination. with a solid plan in place the team is set to work together with industry to move tourism calgary and the new brand to the next level.

• Gisèle Danis – Vice President, Marketing and Communications

• Jeff Hessel – Director, Marketing

• Hala Dehais – Manager, Public Relations

• Rhonda Reid – Manager, Travel Trade

• Sarah Prud’homme – Manager, Marketing/Digital

• Vanessa Gagnon – Specialist, Public Relations

• Janis Cook – Coordinator, Digital Content

• Kay Martin – Executive Assistant, Marketing

MArketing AnD coMMunicAtions coMMittee of the BoArD

tourism calgary’s Board of Directors has three standing committees, including the Marketing and communications committee. the purpose of this committee is to enhance both the governance and marketing strategy through a combination of board and industry expertise.

• Rod McKay – Tourism Calgary, Chair of the Board

• Maureen Payne – Tourism Calgary Director (Committee Chair)

• Larry Ryder – Tourism Calgary Director

• Kurby Court – Tourism Calgary Director

• Simon Scott – Talisman Energy

MArketing ADVisory coMMittee

the Marketing Advisory committee members are appointed volunteers with interest and expertise in marketing, media and digital management. this committee is an invaluable resource in evaluating the organization’s assumptions with respect to strategic planning and research. the committee’s contributions to our marketing plan is one of the critical inputs sought from many individuals and organizations:

• Jeff Eisler – Global TV (Committee Chair)

• Fraser Abbott – Hotel Arts

• Carson Ackroyd – ATCO

• Bruce Cameron – Return On Insight

• Joy Caron – Sheraton Cavalier

• Deb Cummings – RedPoint Media

• Danielle Durand – Hyatt Regency Calgary

• Grant Erickson – Delta Calgary South

• Maureen Henderson – TELUS Spark

• Jon Jackson – Calgary Hotel Association

• Sandra Kam – Heritage Park Historical Village

• Ann Lewis-Luppino – Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra

• Terry Rock – Calgary Arts Development Authority

• Shelley Grollmuss – Travel Alberta

thank you.

200, 238 11 Avenue secalgary, AB t2g 0X8visitcalgary.com

calgary 2013 marketing plan

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