Media Releases
Thursday, October 4, 2012
#WhistlerUnfiltered is Whistler through the people's lens; tag your photos to share the story
Tourism Whistler media release
For immediate release - October 4, 2012
#WhistlerUnfiltered is
Whistler through the people's lens; tag your photos to share the story
Suggested tweet:
Tag your photos #WhistlerUnfiltered and help tell the Whistler story
through the people’s lens http://bit.ly/PZxMA4
Whistler, B.C. – If the adage that “a picture is worth a thousand words”
holds true, many a conversation will be had about Whistler this winter as
word-of-mouth marketing takes hold with the launch of Tourism Whistler’s
2012/ 2013 winter marketing campaign.
#WhistlerUnfiltered
is an online anthology of Instagram images of Whistler. It is a collection
of unofficial, uncensored, candid snapshots and moments telling the story
of winter in Whistler. It’s unstaged and unfiltered. It’s Whistler, through
the people’s lens.
Tourism Whistler worked with Origin Design + Communications on the
campaign, which launched in October and will utilize consumer-driven
content in various channels including television, print and online, to
showcase Whistler by establishing an emotional connection with the
consumer. People are asked to use the #WhistlerUnfiltered hashtag on their
Instagram images, which could then be featured on the #WhistlerUnfiltered
microsite and in additional marketing materials.
Images will be featured in the opening and closing signature videos as
well as five videos, to be launched monthly throughout the campaign in
October, November, December, January and February, with the themes
of: Anticipation, Rooftop of the World, Dropping In, Snow Play and
Boots Off.
“Word of mouth marketing is key for consumers who are making vacation
decisions,” said Louise Walker, Tourism Whistler’s Vice President of
Marketing Strategy.
“Whistler is a dream destination – a bucket list destination, if you
will. People want to visit here and when they’re making their decisions,
they rely heavily on what their counterparts are saying about their own
experiences,” Walker said.
“People like to share their experiences in the social world and
consumers make purchasing decisions based on the information being shared
by their peers. We need to connect the dots for the consumer, moving that
vacation off the “dream” list and into reality. We want to increase top of
mind awareness of Whistler as a destination by engaging, inspiring and
entertaining the consumer – we want to make an emotional connection so that
people are inspired to visit Whistler.”
The campaign, utilizing the key messages of Whistler, with its genuine,
welcoming and friendly vibe, as “the” place to ski, with reliable and
magical snow conditions and a breadth of experiences that no other place
can live up to, targets the markets of Australia, the United Kingdom,
United States and Canada, focusing on active, outdoor enthusiasts seeking
unique and diverse experiences, core skiers and boarders and the Nordic
market.
Each week, new images from the collection will be sourced and featured
on the campaign microsite:
www.whistler.com/unfiltered with a top-three selection most prominent
on the page.
“The success of the campaign really depends on participation,” added
Walker. “We encourage locals, guests and our Members to participate,” she
said. “Hashtag your photos #WhistlerUnfiltered and be a part of the
Whistler story.”
In support of the campaign and in alignment with the five themes, there
will be five prize packages (Anticipation, Rooftop of the World, Dropping
In, Snow Play and Boots Off) as well as Grand Prize package to be won;
contest launches October 17. Information will be available on www.whistler.com/unfiltered
Book
early and save for winter. Book your winter vacation at www.whistler.com
by November 15 to save up to 39 per cent on stay and ski packages.
Whistler-based travel consultants at whistler.com
can customize vacation packages, taking care of flights, ground
transportation, accommodation and activities. Whistler.com offers the
largest selection with no booking fee for accommodation and activities.
Call 1.800.WHISTLER (1.800.944.7853) to request a no-obligation quote or
visit whistler.com
for more details and offers.
-30-
Whistler is Canada's premier year-round leisure and meeting
destination located in the Coast Mountains 120 kilometres (75 miles) north
of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Consistently rated the top ski
resort in North America, Whistler was the Host Mountain Resort of the 2010
Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The resort offers an extensive range
of accommodations totaling 10,000 bedrooms among 24 hotels as well as
townhomes, condos, B&Bs and chalets. Whistler also boasts more than 100
restaurants and bars, 200 retail shops, 25 spas and countless activity
options from world-renowned skiing and snowboarding, mountain biking and
golf, to hiking, rock climbing, and watersports. The Resort Municipality of
Whistler is home to a diverse community of more than 10,000 permanent
residents.
Tourism Whistler is the member-based marketing and sales organization
representing Whistler, operating the Whistler Conference Centre, Whistler
Golf Club, Whistler Visitor Centre, as well as 1.800.WHISTLER and
whistler.com - Whistler's official source for visitor bookings and
information. As the convention and visitors bureau for the Resort
Municipality of Whistler, Tourism Whistler represents more than 7,000
members who own, manage and operate properties or businesses on resort
lands including hotels, restaurants, activity operators and retail shops.
Media can visit whistler.com/media
for Whistler facts, media releases, story starters, local personality
profiles and access to images and B-roll.
Broadcasters: Whistler now has the capability to take you live
with our enhanced fibre network. The significantly expanded network
of more than 200 kilometres of fibre optic cabling throughout the resort
allows instant transmission of HD signals to any location at any
time. Details on how to access, and book the fibre are available on
our media site. http://media.whistler.com/contact-us/filming-in-whistler/
Media Contact
Patricia Westerholm
Manager, Corporate Communications
T: 604.938.2748
E: pwesterholm@tourismwhistler.com
W: www.whistler.com/media
T: www.twitter.com/mediaTWhistler
F: www.facebook.com/GoWhistler