Ingenious Eastern Influence
In case you haven’t heard, a mass exodus has been brewing in the U.S. in correlation with the success of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. Following his Super Tuesday victories this week, Google searches for “how to move to Canada” jumped 350%.
I, like many of us, find this situation both amusing and slightly disturbing. The notion of Mr. Trump as president is indeed bizarre, as I believe that his success is largely based on the celebrity worship culture that is so prevalent in our southern neighbouring country. I’m amazed that they’ve let it get this far. Kim Kardashian should throw her hat in the ring, just for laughs.
However, as with everything that goes on in the U.S., there really isn’t anything we can do to affect change, so all we can do is watch with bemusement.
The best marketing tactics capitalize on emotions, and that’s exactly what one Canadian island is doing. A local Cape Breton radio personality conceived of the idea of using the U.S. residents’ discontent to the advantage of the island, hoping to entice tourists and permanent residents alike. He created an awesome website aptly named, “Cape Breton If Donald Trump Wins”.
Representatives for Cape Breton Tourism indicated that website traffic has increased by 975% and the exposure is equal to a $12M advertising spend - not too shabby for a mostly tongue-in-cheek marketing effort!
This promotion is serious, but I think it started out largely as a lark…much like we all thought Donald Trump’s candidacy would be. The presidential candidacy has been a marketing push for many years now, this is not new.
Marketing is all about captivating audiences, capturing their attention via education or entertainment, and amassing a following. To say that any recent presidents have achieved the presidency by way of their extensive knowledge of foreign policy would be inaccurate – it’s marketing through and through!
That’s why we really can’t fault The Donald for doing what he’s doing. But in all marketing messaging, you have to be able to disseminate information and decide if it’s really helpful and applicable to you. That’s why I wish nothing but great success to Cape Breton in their promotion. I’d prefer that the success come as a result of affection as opposed to defection, but I suppose at this point, whatever will be, will be.
The good news is we get to witness the magic of marketing at play in the coming months and see what they all come up with to increase their perceived value.
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