Marketing For Success... The Explorer Quotient
It will come as no surprise if I remind you that the business of tourism has profoundly changed over the past several years; what is less clear is how the 'world of the consumer' has profoundly changed the marketing world as well. Increasingly fickle consumers, empowered by technology like the internet and associated CRM tools, increasingly demand that marketers pay attention directly to their unique needs. The tools that built great brands 30 years ago no longer resonate with today's consumer. Brand Canada, too, needs to find new ways of resonating with its consumers to reach through the noise of distracting messages and create an excitement about Canada. New Zealanders were able to do so with the Lord of the Rings production; they branded themselves - and sold their 'new' product around the world with great success - thanks to a clear and consistent position that never wavered from the essence of what they sought to convey.
As part of the first-tier Canada messaging, consumers will be invited to discover 'What type of Explorer are you?'. The Explorer Quotient (EQ) is an online tool that will allow website visitors to input their preferences, expectations and personality type while the EQ software generates a numerical designation of what 'explorer type' they are. Explorers of a certain 'type' will be presented with offers that should appeal to the preferences they just entered. If we understand how our consumers view the world, we will better understand how to sell it to them.
The same tools used to determine a person's 'explorer type' in the EQ will, in turn, provide the CTC and its partners with an accurate profile of the consumer, enabling us to customise the most appealing travel options available. The CTC is working to ensure we are communicating in the most relevant way, with the most relevant message, to our target markets. Greg Klassen is vice-president of marketing with the Canadian Tourism Commission (CTC). He is responsible for all aspects of marketing Canada as a travel destination, domestically and around the world. Since joining the CTC in November of 2001, he has held the positions of executive director, E-marketing and executive director, US leisure marketing. This contribution is published courtesy of the Canadian Tourism Commission, TOURISM Online (January 2006) www.canadatourism.com |
The business of tourism has changed profoundly over the last few years. Today's fickle consumers demand personal attention and service, and it is increasingly hard to reach new audiences through the noise of distracting messages.
The same will be true of Brand Canada; it will affect our way of doing business to the very core. 'Canada. Keep Exploring' connects the curious traveller with everything that is inherently rewarding about a vacation in Canada - our stunning geography, diverse culture and progressive society - and attaches that to the idea of exploration, something fundamental to the joy of travel. To make it work, we must be consistent and clear in our messages to - and interaction with - consumers, regardless of where we find them. In the demand economy, consumers have the ability to get what they want, and quickly; if we are not able to offer them the products they seek, they will simply get them elsewhere.
The EQ model is unique to the industry in that it recognises and operates on social values, not demographics. Commonly held social values are in fact, much better indicators of consumer preferences - including travel consumption preferences - than demographics. For example, social values tell us that a 20 year-old and a 70 year-old may have more in common than the 20 year-old may have with his or her peers. Just try telling some 70 year-olds that they are too old for river rafting; you'll quickly see what I mean!