Leveraging influencers to tell an authentic brand story and drive return on investment: Case study of Travel Alberta and Expedia Media Solutions

Abstract

Travel Alberta, the official tourism marketing agency of the Province of Alberta, was looking to increase awareness for the region by captivating the imagination of US and Canadian travellers through unique, compelling content. Together with Expedia Media Solutions, it built a campaign that showcased the diverse experiences that Alberta has to offer, increased general awareness for the region and drove consumers to engage and interact with the brand through social media and aspirational videos. The campaign combined high-impact and tactical brand placements on Expedia points of sale in the USA and Canada, a branded Expedia blog, social media outreach, customised video content and influencer engagement. Top travel bloggers were sent to Alberta, where they captured video content around tourist destinations to serve as blog and video ad content. The campaign was a huge success, resulting in more than 81,000 room nights and 22,250 airline tickets booked to and in Alberta. It also drove more than 4.1 million social media impressions across Facebook, Twitter and Google+.