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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Province promoting its 'good things' in big way

By: Bruce Owen

Posted: 02/19/2010 1:00 AM | Comments: 0 (including replies)

If you want to be a big dog you've got to bark like one.

That's why Canadians in Hogtown and Cowtown will start seeing ads on CTV during the final week of the Vancouver Winter Olympics trumpeting Manitoba's quality of life.

Manitoba Day is Feb. 25

PREMIER Greg Selinger has his eyes set on the women's hockey gold-medal game Feb. 25.

Not only is that a game Canada is anticipated to win, it's also Manitoba Day at the Vancouver Winter Olympics.

Selinger arrives in British Columbia Feb. 23 and will stay until the closing ceremonies on the 28th.

While in Vancouver, he will attend receptions for the Canadian Museum for Human Rights and Manitoba film and music industries, as well as the Homecoming 2010 social on Feb. 24.

The social is being held at the Commodore Ballroom on Granville Street and features performances by Manitoba's Doc Walker, Streetheart, Eagle & Hawk, Inward Eye and members of Chic Gamine. Ace Burpee hosts the evening.

Selinger is currently in Washington, D.C., with other premiers meeting with U.S. officials on trade and agriculture issues.

Manitoba is spending an estimated $6.4 million to promote the province at the Games, including $2.3 million for a pavilion in downtown Vancouver showcasing the province's eco-friendly initiatives, immigration programs and tourist destinations.

For more on Manitoba at the Olympics, visit www.centreplacemanitoba.ca.

The ads are the latest initiative from the province and its Start Living campaign, said Jim August, who heads up the province's year-old Promotion Council.

The $350,000 ad-buy won't be seen by viewers in Manitoba, as it targets people living in big cities like Toronto and Calgary who are sick of long commutes, expensive houses and too much time spent away from their families.

"Everyone I talk to is just fascinated with the Olympics," August said. "We're all following it. There's a lot of attention. There will be great exposure.

"There's only four provinces that have bought into this. The risk is if you don't buy into it, you're just not out there. You're not a player."

CTV has enjoyed blockbuster ratings during the Winter Games. On Tuesday, some 6.2 million Canadians tuned into watch Team Canada's 8-0 rout over Norway. An average of 3.7 million Canadians watched mid-afternoon Tuesday as B.C.-raised snowboarder Maëlle Ricker took to the slopes and won a gold medal.

"When an opportunity comes along to really tell your story and do it when then Olympics is on when you've got all this people, you can't ignore it," August said.

The trick after the Olympics end is whether anyone remembers Manitoba. Officials will monitor Start Living website www.livingmanitoba.ca to see if the ads generate any interest.

The locally produced ads will be spread out throughout the day during Olympic coverage -- they won't run after viewers have gone to bed.

"We picked the markets that we wanted and that's where they are going to run the ads," August said. "We weren't bottom-feeders on this. We'll get good times."

August also said the 30-second ads aren't intended to get people off the couch, pack up the U-Haul and move to Manitoba right away.

Rather, the ads are geared to put the word Manitoba in peoples' heads.

"It raises awareness," he said. "It really is an opportunity to increase awareness and make people aware about many of the good things about Manitoba."

Premier Greg Selinger has said Manitoba has to promote itself to compete with other jurisdictions who are also looking for new residents.

The Start Living campaign has been somewhat in limbo since last spring when $1.7-million worth of television and newspaper advertising was purchased in other provinces. The province has since provided an additional $750,000 for ongoing promotion.

The campaign was originally launched several years ago under the Spirited Energy banner, but that slogan was met with a mixed reaction.

Manitoba isn't the only province with such a campaign. Alberta launched a $25-million campaign last year, Saskatchewan has a $14-million campaign, Nova Scotia Tourism recently spent $5 million and Toronto spent $4 million.

bruce.owen@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 19, 2010 A10

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