Case Study: Northern BC Tourism Corporate Identity and Website Development
Northern British Columbia is largely comprised of vast wilderness. At approximately 500,000 square kilometers (193,051 square miles) it spans more than half the province and is twice the size of the United Kingdom. In part due its enormous scale, the region is recognized for its natural beauty and ever-present backcountry adventure. It is characterized by racing rivers, pristine lakes, vast valleys, epic mountain ranges, spectacular coastlines, and several expansive nature reserves.
The people at Northern BC Tourism are the ones responsible for telling this region’s stories to the world. Their role is one of enticing people to visit and inject funds into the local economies--particularly by patronizing outfitters and operators working located throughout the area. The organization, its board, and stakeholders, all work together to achieve this mission.
British Columbia is rather odd, in that it is spread over a large area, but the bulk of its population resides in the southwest corner of the province. This leaves people like those at Northern British Columbia Tourism with some challenges. The most present is their staff’s need to do a lot with limited funds. These people are spread thin, with many demands being placed on their time. In between fulfilling requests for publications and documenting the region for promotional purposes, they need to continually travel to reach new audiences, while managing stakeholder requests.
They came to smashLAB looking to enhance the look and functionality of their existing website by better engaging their audience and offering useful tools to site visitors. Additionally, they knew it was important to update their corporate identity to better reflect the region’s offering, and add greater visual impact to their materials. Along the way, they’d need help with everything from a tagline to an ad campaign, to SEM (search engine marketing), and even PowerPoint decks.
Our first task involved performing an evaluation of the existing site to find weaknesses and identify opportunities for enhancement. In doing so, a new direction and approach was established to better reach potential visitors. Their audience? A mix of young families and outdoor enthusiasts; Alaska bound tourists (often referred to as “rubber tire” traffic); families interested in cost effective vacations; and, international travelers. Clearly, a diverse audience with vastly different backgrounds, interests, and needs.
These observations drove everything from that point forward. Large, stunning images took the forefront in all of our efforts. Language took a notably down-to-earth, and sometimes humorous, tone. Even the creation of their logo was informed by people in the region who partook in an online survey aimed at uncovering what they believed to be most iconic about their home.
The association’s redesigned website experienced a ten-fold increase in traffic. The new marketing tools and improved site offered great value to their stakeholders, allowing them to establish a strong online presence and market their tourism product successfully to an international audience. The new member management and publications systems provided the association’s staff with tools that streamlined their workflow, reducing time consuming tasks. The new site also featured rich slideshows, trip planners, and tools aimed at meeting the needs of potential visitors.
Meanwhile, the new tagline, “It’s all in our nature” became central, informing the organization’s new brand identity system. Northern BC’s corporate identity reflects the spirit and experience present in this vast region. A key element in the identity is a pattern containing symbols that represent a cross-section of vegetation and wildlife in the region. The design relies heavily on this decorative element, which symbolizes the concentration of opportunity for adventure, the nature of the landscape, and the complex and unified ecosystems of the area.
Also notable is the advertising campaign created for the organization, which juxtaposed a playful “man in a bear suit” scenario with epic photographs from the region. Here, bear safety tips took on a humorous bent, reminding us that in these spectacular locations, one can truly experience a fun and real experience with their friends and families.
“Not only do I feel that our site is one of the best tourism sites in BC, but it also rivals any tourism site.”
—Clint Fraser, Marketing Director
Northern BC Tourism Association