Tourism British Columbia

Project

Tourism British Columbia is responsible for marketing the Super, Natural British Columbia? brand to the world. Since becoming a Crown corporation in June 1997, Tourism BC's mandate has been to promote development and growth in the tourism industry, to increase revenues and employment throughout British Columbia, and to increase the economic benefits for all British Columbians. Tourism BC markets British Columbia as a preferred travel destination to consumers and the travel industry through a variety of joint marketing and promotional campaigns in countries around the world.

Objectives

For the past three years, Ruder Finn China has been appointed by Tourism British Columbia as its retainer PR agency, to enhance media, trade and consumer understanding of the multi-faceted nature of this destination; to raise awareness of British Columbia in China, especially before Canada gets Authorized Destination Status (ADS); and to enhance awareness of British Columbia’s tourist attractions amongst Chinese beyond the well-known cities of Vancouver and Victoria.

Ruder Finn developed a comprehensive PR and marketing strategy to help promote British Columbia in China. The activities included creating a strategic communications program to communicate the unique selling points and build awareness and knowledge of and interest in British Columbia, including ongoing press release and editorial placement and distribution; media familiarization trip planning and organization; advertorial development and placement; development and updating of a comprehensive Chinese-language website, management of an affiliate marketing campaign to drive more traffic to the website; and creation of Chinese-language collaterals, including a comprehensive bi-lingual map of British Columbia, Vancouver, Victoria and Whistler and a BC guide.

Ruder Finn also conducted ePR programs to create a buzz online about BC. For the first six months of the ePR program, 136 articles were published. This also caused a sharp increase in the numbers of published articles on business and luxury websites that British Columbia’s target audiences frequently visit. Ruder Finn also managed an affiliate marketing campaign in 2008 to drive traffic to hellobc.com.cn, Total visits increased sharply for the duration of the campaigns.

http://www.hellobc.com.cn