POV: A Successful Spring Summer Campaign
The results from Travel Manitoba’s latest leisure campaign marketing spring and summer activities show we hit it out of the park in terms of generating visitor spending and visitation in key areas.
For every dollar we invested in our seasonal campaign, we generated four dollars in hotel and airline bookings, achieving $4.7 million in gross travel revenue throughout the province and including more than 20,900 hotel room nights and 5,800 airline tickets booked during the spring and summer season.
The message for this year’s campaign played on a popular social media trend called “POV” or “Point of View”, which uses videos and photos to share an experience from a first-person perspective. Leveraging this theme and aligning it with our award-winning brand, we developed a compelling series of video, social media and print ads that brought Manitoba’s unique travel experiences to life. From scenic road trips to northern adventures, Indigenous experiences, and vibrant Winnipeg itineraries, these ads immersed audiences in Manitoba’s diverse offerings.
Recognizing the importance of engaging French-speaking audiences, we incorporated a dedicated French-language advertising strategy into our campaign. This included targeted digital, video and social media ads aimed at French-speaking travellers in Manitoba and across Canada, including marketing to Franco-Manitoban and Québecoise and Québecois visitors who travel across the country by recreational vehicle (RV). By ensuring our messaging resonated with this audience, we expanded our reach and reinforced Manitoba as a top destination for Francophone visitors.
Influencers and Media Relations
Through our media and influencer relations efforts, we collaborated with 52 media and influencers to extend our campaign’s reach. Highlights included:
- An international media visit with Lazy Bear Expeditions in Churchill, focusing on northern lights experiences
- A Canadian media and content creator trip highlighting Indigenous tourism
- An international paddling adventure with Wild Loon Adventure Company
Spotlight on Clear Lake
Our focused efforts to promote Clear Lake during a season of watercraft restrictions also delivered strong results. We pivoted our marketing to showcase shopping, dining, hiking, biking and a wide array of things you can see and do in Clear Lake and Riding Mountain National Park, encouraging visitors to continue to visit this world-class destination. This segment of the campaign achieved:
- 2 million impressions
- 1.3 million video views
- 331,000 clicks
- 13,102 webpage visits
New Initiatives: GuideGeek
Summer was also the time when we introduced GuideGeek, an AI travel assistant that can respond to travel questions in many different languages through platforms like WhatsApp and the Travel Manitoba consumer website, helping visitors plan their Manitoba adventures with instant trip information. You can read more about this innovative technology here!
A Winning Formula
By combining creative storytelling, strategic partnerships and cutting-edge technology, our spring summer campaign not only met but exceeded our goals. These efforts showcase the power of collaboration and innovation in driving Manitoba’s tourism success.