How to Use Authentic Communication in Your PR Strategy
Picture this: A small, seaside community starting to get back on its feet again after the re-introduction of a vital source of employment and tourism revenue.
Now picture a general public wary of investing taxpayer dollars in ferry service. How do you bridge the gap?
In 2016, Bay Ferries Limited reintroduced The CAT Ferry service running between Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and Portland, Maine. Despite two successful seasons that increased growth in tourism revenue across Nova Scotia and provided quality jobs and careers to the local market, Bay Ferries continued to experience negative feedback.
At the launch of the third season, Bay Ferries decided to create a video about the many positive impacts of the ferry service. The video featured employees, and local businesses dining together at a Bay Ferries company breakfast — and its goal was to use authentic communication to show that the ferry service was good for the province of Nova Scotia.
Our primary objectives with the video were to garner positive opinions of the ferry service, to educate the community on the impact The CAT has had on Nova Scotia, and to increase positive brand awareness of the service with potential passengers.
While our marketing and communication channels typically focus on reaching affluent women, 30+, who love travel, food and dining based in Nova Scotia
and Maine, this effort had to focus on a different audience segment.
In order to garner more community support for The CAT, help combat some negative perceptions about investments in the ferry, and work to build pride, our new target audiences included:
- The local community in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia — specifically small business owners who are influential in spreading positive messaging about the ferry
- Ferry employees; we sought to build community pride in the work they do every day
The video was shot in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia during a company breakfast which celebrated the start of the 2018 ferry season. The throughline of the video was a feeling of enthusiasm and excitement around the start of the season, and affection between the entire staff and crew of The CAT and the community of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.
Through interviews with employees, company leadership, local businesses such as The Sip Cafe and The Rodd Grand Hotel, the video zeroed in on the personal, societal, and economic impact of The CAT Ferry on the local community and beyond.
The key message of the video was how The CAT Ferry has truly turned around the community of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia — and year after year, it generates revenue throughout the province.
More than just selling the ferry as a revenue generator and transportation service, this video was also meant to tell a story that shows the value of employees and their role in the community. By celebrating our employees, we humanize Bay Ferries’ presence in the province and highlight the career opportunities we are providing.
The results speak for themselves:
- The video has been viewed over 165,000 times
- The total watch time is over 212,472 minutes
- The average view time was 1:28 or 85% of the video viewed
Curious about how VERB can help your brand? Get in touch here.
VERB Interactive is a leader in digital marketing, specializing in solutions for the travel and hospitality industry. Find out more at www.verbinteractive.com.
