Tourism Jasper is looking for a new way to sell Jasper.
To do that, the destination marketing organization has engaged the same consultants who created Travel Alberta’s “Remember to Breathe” campaign to research what Jasper is selling and who it’s selling it to.
Once the consultants—Philip Coppard and Charlie Easton of Stormy Lake Consulting—have that information, they will distill it and hand it off to their colleagues at Copithorne and Blakely, who will come up with a new brand for the community.
Coppard and Easton were in Jasper last week to start their on-the-ground research, speaking with visitors at numerous tourist destinations within the town and park.
“We’ve been to Maligne Canyon, Athabasca Falls, Jasper Park Lodge, Best Western and we’ve been up at Marmot Basin speaking to people. We really want to understand from these people what makes this place unique,” explained Easton during the April 8 committee-of-the-whole meeting.
“We’re really trying to understand what motivates people to come. But, we’re also looking to the internal business group—businesses, operators and every person who is going to be exuding and exhibiting the Jasper brand.
“It’s really important that we understand everyone’s needs and wants so we can start to identify the brand that is going to both represent the town and also be the most appealing to people as they’re planning their vacations.”
As well as speaking with tourists, Coppard and Easton have been reviewing all of the studies that have been done in the past, in hopes of gaining a greater understanding of what Jasper’s all about.
Included in that research is the branding project that was undertaken 12 years ago, when “Jasper. Wonderful. By Nature” was selected as the community’s tagline.
“None of that is being discounted,” said Easton. “It’s all being factored in.”
Also being considered is the community’s input. On May 8, Easton and Coppard will be hosting an open house to discuss what makes Jasper unique and who the destination is trying to attract.
A location and time for the event haven’t yet been selected, but the date is firm and the entire community is invited to take part.
“For that event session we bring as many people as we can together and we facilitate dialogue,” said Easton. “It’s really important at that time to get the buy-in from the community, because engagement is absolutely critical to making sure this brand is lived and successful.”
Coppard said, to make the discussion as successful as possible, he and Easton would like to see everyone from the waiters to the operators to the community leaders at the meeting.
Following that discussion and some more on-the-ground interviews with tourists, Copithorne and Blakely will take all of the information Stormy Lake Consulting has gathered and bring Jasper’s “story madly to life,” said Coppard.
And then the consultants will return to Jasper—hopefully before the summer season is in full swing—to help operators and business owners implement the new brand.
“This can’t be something that only works for Tourism Jasper,” said Coppard. “It has to be something that works hard for the community. Every business needs to be able to say I see how that brand helps what I’m trying to do.”
Leigh Abra of Tourism Jasper agreed.
“Although Tourism Jasper is leading this process, we still have full intention of including as many people as we can.
“We realize that this isn’t going to do any good if we just present something and nobody has any stake in it. This is really for the community, not just Tourism Jasper.”
Abra said some specific invitations will be sent out for the May 8 session, and there will also be advertisements, so that the greater public is aware of the time and location.
Nicole Veerman
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