Winter Campaign
Foothills Tourism Association
industry
tourism and culture
contributions
SEO Audit
Strategic Brand Story
Campaign Concepts & Design
Website
Social Media Strategy & Schedule
Social & Google Ads
Social Media Posts
Monthly Blogs
the ask
The Foothills Tourism Association (FTA), founded in 2019, was struggling to build their capacity with a small budget. They are predominantly funded through grants, which leaves the organization at the mercy of parameters set by Travel Alberta. FTA is run by a volunteer board with limited time to give to administrative tasks and growing the organization.
What the Foothills Tourism Association really needs is a full-time employee, but without proper funding in place, this remains a future goal. Short-term, the FTA was searching for a marketing partner to execute a grant funded winter tourism campaign designed to:
Draw tourists – boosting visitation in the Foothills during the off-season was a top priority.
Engage local business – Gaining the support and trust of local businesses was imperative. Communicating, promoting and collaborating with Foothills businesses is the true undercurrent of the campaign goals.
Build the FTA Explore Foothills brand – Unify and elevate the Explore Foothills branding to build up recognition and trust. We were challenged to make Explore Foothills and the Foothills Tourism Association a household.
Lend credibility to the FTA as an organization – The FTA needs to create a reputation within the community and with travellers. Building strong relationships with the seven municipalities that make up the region is also crucial.
Pursue future funding – Building a funding model that does not rely so heavily on government grants will ensure the FTA has a strong future. Gaining trust and recognition within the Foothills will go a long way towards a sustainable funding model.
the solution
The foundation of a successful winter marketing campaign was essential for the Foothills Tourism Association (FTA) to achieve its goals. We developed the "Winter is Better in the Foothills" campaign, leveraging the power of suggestion and comparison to evoke individual interpretations and past experiences. The campaign highlights the beauty of the Foothills in winter, emphasizing activities, dining, shopping, and exploration. With a target market of over one million people in nearby Calgary, focusing advertising efforts there was a strategic decision.
Key campaign components included:
SEO audit
campaign concepts & design
social media strategy & schedule
strategic brand story
social & google ads
website
monthly blogs
social media posts
The initial phase of the campaign involved designing a distinct brand identity, developing an eye-catching campaign landing page on the FTA website, and implementing a comprehensive social media strategy.
landing page
social media posts and google ads
Engaging posts and ads featuring popular local businesses, along with monthly performance reports.
blog posts
SEO-optimized and editorial content highlighting winter activities, dining, accommodations, and attractions in the Foothills.
winter is better giveaway
A giveaway designed to increase online visibility and attract visitors to the Foothills, providing a valuable list of potential customers for participating businesses.
Through effective communication and exceptional storytelling, we have successfully highlighted the best of the Foothills region and built brand recognition and trust for the FTA. The "Winter is Better" campaign, a simple yet comprehensive concept, has proven highly effective in exceeding goals for exposure, impressions, and conversions.
Freshly Pressed is proud to have played a key role in bringing this vision to fruition.
Its scalability and adaptability make it a strong foundation for future seasonal campaigns. The FTA and its visitor-facing brand, Explore Foothills, are well-positioned to continue growing the Foothills region as a premier tourism destination.