Our Reconnections marketing campaign aimed to build brand consideration for Halifax this year and inspire travellers to visit Halifax in 2022. Here's a closer look at Reconnections.
The chance to rediscover, reunite, and reconnect was what many people craved as summer 2021 approached. And Halifax's vast outdoor spaces and urban core offered the perfect (and safe) destination to do just that. In July, Discover Halifax launched its Reconnections marketing campaign, positioning Halifax as the 'elixir' to the lockdown, and encouraging people to come to Halifax for a breath of fresh air.
Forging a new path
Reconnections marked two important milestones for Discover Halifax: it was the most significant marketing investment in our history and the first time conducting mass advertising in Urban Alberta (Calgary and Edmonton) and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The campaign extends from summer and fall into spring 2022 to align with the campaign goals of building brand consideration for Halifax this year and inspiring travellers to act and come to Halifax in 2022.
Discover Halifax worked with agency partner Trampoline to bring the campaign to life. Campaign advertising included traditional mass media, including high impact out-of-home (in locations like Union Station and Dundas Square) and nationwide VIP cinema coverage. In addition, the campaign's digital component included a YouTube video, programmatic display, and social media.
Collectively, the campaign had an estimated 328 million impressions with more than 446,000 website visits and more than 2.16 million views on YouTube.
Results
The awareness phase of Reconnections aimed to get on the consideration set for domestic travel for summer 2021 and beyond. To gather as many learnings as possible from the campaign, we conducted research (pre- and post-campaign) focusing on intent, perceptions, and travel motivations. Our results show that interest from Urban Alberta and the GTA have significantly increased.
A few notable highlights:
- 8% increase in people in Urban Alberta and the GTA who have added Halifax to their destination-of-choice lists
- 5% increase in people who intend to travel to Halifax
- A 5-point increase in Halifax's reputation score.
Bringing Haligonians into the mix
A small piece of Reconnections was targeted at Haligonians. Pre-stamped postcards were sent to 35,000 homes in HRM, encouraging Haligonians to invite their friends and family to reconnect in Halifax when the time was right. In partnership with the Halifax Chamber of Commerce and the Halifax Partnership, the postcards also aimed to help build consumer confidence at home and encourage a change in sentiment amongst locals related to the risks of welcoming travellers.
