Marketing Objectives:
Clearly state your marketing goals.
What did your company strive to achieve using this piece or program?
The primary objectives of The CAT Breakfast video were to:
• Garner positive opinions of the ferry service
• To educate the community on the impact The CAT has had on Nova Scotia
• Increase positive brand awareness of the service with potential passengers
Target Audience:
Who was/is the target audience?
Characterize the composition, size, and location of your target audience.
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 was focused 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 and secure ongoing government support, our target audiences included:
The provincial government of Nova Scotia—specifically decision-makers who play a direct role in the ongoing health of the ferry service
The municipal government in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia—specifically the Mayor who can be influential in spreading positive messages about the ferry service
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
Research, Planning, and Implementation:
What market research was conducted prior to planning the piece/campaign? Describe how you planned and produced the creative asseets with the mobile canvas in mind.
We know that through The CAT Ferry service, Bay Ferries Limited currently provides an invaluable service to Nova Scotians. To counteract any negative feedback, the company knew they needed to proactively position Bay Ferries in a more positive light, by authentically and modestly celebrating their contribution to the economy.
To support this effort, a 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, government representatives, and the Mayor of Yarmouth, the video zeroed in on the personal, societal, and economic impact of The CAT Ferry on the local community and beyond.
Message:
What is the key message intended for the piece/campaign?
What differentiates your piece/campaign in the marketplace?
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.
Results:
Which of your original goals did you achieve and how?
How did you measure the effectiveness of the piece or campaign? Entrants should provide quantifiable results of their tactics or campaigns.
• The video has been viewed over 164,434 times
• The total watch time is over 212,472 minutes
• The average view time was 1:28 or 85% of the video viewed
Situational Analysis
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.
And a general public wary of investing taxpayer dollars in ferry service. How could we begin to bridge this 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, local businesses, and local government representatives 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.