This year, we were able to reallocate advertising dollars from our fall campaign and add funds to extend some tactics into winter, with refreshed ad creative aligned with our brand renewal.

While our research shows less intent to travel to Kelowna in winter than in other seasons, we know it’s an important season to support operations in our region. With more businesses staying open year-round, visitors and residents help sustain jobs and improve financial sustainability by supporting local businesses through all seasons. Our primary marketing focus remains on months with higher travel intent matched with availability when our marketing investment is optimized.

Marketing Tactics

While our winter advertising spend is smaller than our spring and fall campaigns, it builds on the momentum and awareness that continue to grow for Kelowna as a four-season destination and outdoor playground.

The winter tactics represent about 15% of our marketing spend (whereas our spring and fall make up closer to 40-45% each), and target outdoor enthusiasts, and food, wine, and culture lovers from Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. We know winter activities like skiing and snowboarding drive interest and visitation to the region, so our paid advertising encourages people to take a bit more time to stay in Kelowna and the Central Okanagan to discover more winter activities.

Our marketing tactics include connected TV (streaming services) like Amazon Prime Video, paid social media advertising, an Expedia marketing partnership to drive bookings, and paid Google search advertising. These tactics are in addition to our earned, owned, and shared content marketing that runs year-round. The winter ads started running in late November.

Creative Concept

^{Example of a carousel ad from the winter campaign.} 

Winter in Kelowna is a season full of life, not of limits. It’s a season of this and that: warmth and chill; quiet and energy; rest and play. In Kelowna, winter is FULL in every sense.

Our creative concept for our winter campaign is simple: Kelowna is Winterfull. With a cozy colour palette and images and video that show the breadth of options available in winter, our ads show that winter is a great time to get away or add a few days onto a ski vacation in Kelowna.

If you have any questions about our marketing and communications plan or tactics, please contact me at chris.shauf@tourismkelowna.com.

Additional Examples of Campaign Assets