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September 21, 2010Town of Fort Smith Branding & Marketing Workshop

November 23, 2011

Town of Fort Smith Branding & Marketing Workshop

November 23, 2011

WORKSHOP AGENDA

Branding Overview Market Overview Target Audiences We’re off to a Good Start It’s Your Show

GOALS OF OUR STRATEGY

Increase interest and visitation to the Town of Fort Smith through the development and marketing of our Town to: - Leisure Travellers- Organized Sport Participants- Business Travellers- College Students- New Residents- New Businesses and/or Investors

BRANDS WORK

WHO BENEFITS FROM A STRONG BRAND

Any person or organization (public, private and non-profit) that relies on the image of the place and its attractiveness!

START WITH A VISION

A vision inspires and unites. A vision places the community ahead of individual self-interest.

A vision is something to build toward. By contrast, a brand is something to build on.

A vision for Fort Smith:

Fort Smith is one of the greatest natural playgrounds in the world. The Town offers unique experiences through adventure, sports and the arts; all accompanied by the rush of adrenaline. It is a place where the past comes alive in traditional culture, where northern pioneering stories abound, where the thrill of adventure and competition fill the days and the inspiration from the adjacent natural attractions lifts the heart.An independent spirit and the talent for innovation drive the welcoming and friendly people of Fort Smith. This is a vibrant town rooted in a rich history and standing on the threshold of one of the last untamed places on earth.

BUILD THE BRAND

Key to the exercise of Destination Branding is identifying the most unique and compelling benefits that the Town can deliver to its target audiences.

A brand fails when it tries to adapt to a large number of audiences and succeeds when it targets a small number of carefully selected audiences.

The community delivers on the promise because it’s who they really are.

Perhaps the most visible element of the brand is the tagline.

MARKET OVERVIEW

WHO AND HOW MANY

Visitor Numbers

Purpose of Travel: 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11

Aurora Viewing 5,500 5,400 6,800

Fishing 7,300 6,400 5,400

General Touring 14,800 14,500 12,000

Hunting 900 800 400

Outdoor Adventure 2,100 1,900 1,900 Visiting Friends & Relatives 9,300 12,900 13,700

Total Leisure Travellers 39,900 41,900 40,200

Total Business Travellers 33,600 26,200 24,800

TOTAL 73,500 68,100 65,000

2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 -

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000 WHY AND HOW MANY

Num

ber o

f Vis

itors

Visiting Friends & Relatives

General Touring

Aurora Viewing

Fishing

Outdoor Adven-tureHunting

Province of Origin

General Touring

VFR Fishing

Outdoor Adventure

Alberta 66% 38% 69% 49%

British Columbia

15% 17% 9% 16%

Manitoba 1% 3% 2% 1%

Maritimes 1% 12% - 1%

Ontario 9% 18% 12% 27%

Quebec 2% 2% 2% 6%

Saskatchewan 3% 5% 5% -

Yukon 1% - - -

WHERE THEY’RE FROM

Gender

• 43% Female• 57% Male

Age

• 17% Seniors• 76% Adults• 6% Children

Education

• 20% High school or less• 66% College/University• 14% Masters/PhD

WHO THEY ARE

Occupation

• 38% Professional• 23% Retired• 10% Self-employed• 28% Other

Household Income

• 30% $49,999 or less• 34% $50,000 - $89,999• 36% $90,000 or higher

Travelling Companions

• 32% As a couple• 25% Alone• 24% With friends• 19% As a family

WHO THEY ARE

1. Word of Mouth2. Been here before3. Travel Guide Books4. Brochures/Posters/Maps5. Travel Website6. Tourism Business/Operator7. NWT Explorers' Guide8. SpectacularNWT.com9. The Milepost10. Auto Club

HOW THEY FIND OUT ABOUT US

Hotel/Motel

Friends' House

Camped Lodge B'n'B Other0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

WHERE THEY STAY

WHAT WE OFFER Accommodations Transportation Food & Beverage Services Attractions Visitor Services

WHAT WE NEED TO WORK ON

Unique / Interesting Attractions

Interesting Events and Festivals

Interesting Things to Do and See

Limited Numbers of People Interested in

Hosting Tourists

Transportation Services

Funding to Develop / Market Products

Availability of Packaged Tours

Marketing of the Town

Variety of Restau-rants and Food

Services

Good Accommo-dations

14%

13%

8%

8%

12%

6%

4%

4%

3%

3%

3%

6%

3%

20%

4%

17%

15%

7%

3%

1%

58%

55%

56%

31%

38%

28%

29%

22%

24%

16%

26%

26%

33%

41%

46%

50%

52%

67%

69%

80%

How Much Improvement Is Needed to Bring More Vis-itors / Tourists to Fort Smith?

No Improvement Needed Unsure Some Improvement Needed

WE CAN OFFER MORE

Arts/Film Festival Kayaking School Art Kiosk Community Themeing Rapids Run River Rentals Run Wild Zipline over Rapids Paddlefest Enhancements

LET’S TALK

WHO WE SHOULD TARGET

The Detour change the plans of people who have already

embarked on a NWT vacation

Base Camp target car/truck traffic, RV and camping

The Players draw hyper-active outdoor enthusiasts

WHO WE SHOULD TARGET

The Good Sports traditional and predominantly team sports participants

The Work Hard, Play Hard Crowd business travel, tradesperson

The Art of Winter Enthusiasts winter film/art festival

WE’RE OFF TO A GOOD START

Town Council and TTAB have accomplished the following:

1. Development of a brand (logo and tagline)2. Identification of target audiences3. Creation of sample marketing materials4. Development of potential marketing campaigns

Now it’s time to get down to business . . .

IT’S YOUR SHOW

Break into groups to discuss business and resident involvement

Discuss how we can work together to build a visitor destination

Take a priority/activity already identified (or come up with a new one) and map out a plan for implementation

Powepoint Title PageSubhead that supports the title would go here.

September 21, 2010Town of Fort Smith Branding & Marketing Workshop

November 23, 2011

Town of Fort Smith Branding & Marketing Workshop

November 23, 2011