How content creators are boosting Saskatchewan tourism
Advertising has changed in recent years, and tourism is no exception. More destinations are turning to influencers, using their followings to put cities and experiences directly in front of potential travellers.
In Saskatchewan, both Saskatoon and Regina are leaning heavily into content creators for tourism marketing. Discover Saskatoon collaborates with local and international creators to highlight what makes the city so unique.
“We look at people with bigger audiences, smaller audiences. We have a content creator program in Saskatoon. We kind of look to fill holes in our content already,” says Darby Sutherland, earned media manager for Discover Saskatoon.
Meanwhile, Tourism Regina uses a similar approach to position the province’s capital as a top destination for travel.
“We can reach different cities, different niche audiences, and really expose the idea of economy and planning a wonderful trip to Regina and all the things it has to offer,” says Brad Gore, Regina’s destination marketing director.
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While some still view this as a non-traditional form of advertising, Monica Sarghie, an associate professor of marketing at the Edwards School of Business, says this kind of content helps a destination build a recognizable identity.
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“Think about places like Paris or Amsterdam. They have their own brand. So, if you would think, ‘I want to go there,’ what would you think about? Why would you go there? Well, you have to know certain things about it in order to go,” Sarghie says.
However, getting clicks doesn’t automatically mean a creator has done enough to turn viewers into actual tourists.
“That audience member that views the content, do they actually end up being a customer? How much do they spend and in what period of time? Is it an immediate conversion, or may it be long-term? Is it a one-time customer, or is it a repeat customer?” Sarghie says.
Recently, Discover Saskatoon has put this marketing method to the test, working with Toronto-based travel and food creator Raymond Cua. While in town, Cua interacted with locals to find out their favourite places to grab a bite. After receiving hundreds of suggestions, he visited several top picks and shared his culinary experience online.
“One of the best ways to learn about a destination is through food, because that’s also where you get to learn from the locals, which gives you a better understanding of the overall destination,” Cua explains.
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Reaching an audience of more than 120,000, Discover Saskatoon is hoping Cua’s fresh take on the local food scene will inspire more Canadians to put the Prairies on their travel bucket list.
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