The Brief
As host of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, British Columbia wanted to maximise the province’s return on its Olympic investment. The kickoff for this ROI strategy was the creation of British Columbia-Canada Place, a log cabin pavilion at the 2006 Winter Games in Torino, Italy. Edelman’s objectives were to:
- Generate visits to the pavilion
- Secure coverage by top international news
- Create interview opportunities for key provincial spokesperson to talk about British Columbia as future Olympic host region
Campaign Overview
Edelman showcased key events at B.C. Canada Place (grand opening, tourism night, VIP visits) as media opportunities for all credentialed and unaccredited media at Torino Olympics.
We focused media on “the business” of the house as well as “the cool place to be” events (i.e. street hockey and free 2010 preview) for locals and tourists looking for something new and unusual. Updates, news and photos were posted on the website and blogs.
Results
- More than 100,000 people – “The Crowd of Turin” – visited during 60-day operation
- NBC’s “TODAY” Show and “The Tonight Show” filed stories from the house, and CNBC featured a three-minute segment on B.C.’s economic development strategy
- More than 125 journalists from 30 nations reported on the venue, including several U.S.-based NBC affiliates and just about every Canadian TV station and newspaper. All Canada TV networks broadcast live from B.C. Canada Place several times
- Most Italian national outlets covered grand opening and ongoing crowds
- Earned media valued at $40 million through 45 million impressions
- Project earned a 2006 IABC Blue Wave Award of Excellence