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« Walloon Destinations of Excellence - Belgium»
Innovation in communication EDEN
Innovation Prize
September 2014
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Introduction
Since 2007, Wallonia is participating in EDEN project with enthusiasm. This Walloon participation on behalf of Belgium, is made in agreement with other federal entities in the country.
To support EDEN in Belgium and better showcase the project so comprehensive and the winners / finalists gathered in Walloon Network EDEN +, the Commissariat général au Tourisme has decided to answer the new call for projects by launching a promotional campaign EDEN.
1. Aims of the projet
Currently, EDEN is, despite the campaign of 2012, still unknown to the Belgian and foreign audiences. Although 6 destinations have earned the title of Tourist Destination of Excellence (Durbuy, Ath, Viroinval, The Lakes of Eau d'Heure, Marche-en-Famenne and Ottignies-Louvain-Neuve), no real communication was conducted on their appointment if not through their own promotional material.
The winners / finalists have realized that a policy of communication and joint promotion will allow them to better develop as a destination EDEN and will also raise awareness of the EDEN philosophy to the general public but also among tourism stakeholders.
For this reason, they have joined the network in 2012, thereby creating, at the instigation of the Commissariat général au Tourisme, the EDEN+ network.
By partnering with the official promotional organization Wallonie-Bruxelles Tourisme (WBT) for this project, the Commissariat général au Tourisme (CGT) would like to raise awareness of the destinations of excellence (both winning and runners up). The target of the campaign are touristic operators of the Walloon EDEN destinations but also to the general public.
In order to achieve this mission, the CGT and WBT are working with 20something (communication agency), established in Brussels, working under contract with WBT for several months for promotion campaigns of Wallonia and Brussels.
Before the creation of promotional material and the launching of the promotional campaign, the agency conducted a strategic analysis of the concept EDEN.
Also, the communication agency has been working on the "materialization" of EDEN before starting the design of media and communication.
Two strategic areas have been recommended:
Axe 1 : B2B
Creating a stronger, more concrete EDEN image for tourism providers related EDEN destinations (winners + runners up). The goal in creating this powerful image is to generate a sense of pride in belonging to a territory of Excellence.
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Axe 2 : B2C
Communication with the general public as soon as the materialization of the mark has been achieved and that touristic operators fell the sense of pride in belonging to a destination EDEN.
The concept of "Hidden Treasures of Europe" will be privileged to develop both axes.
The strategy of "I know - I like - I share" will be set up:
1) We must first make known EDEN so that both tourism providers and tourists can say "I know what EDEN is - I know EDEN"
2) Once the brand developed and known, touristic operators can take ownership of the concept and say "I am proud to belong to a destination EDEN - I love EDEN"
3) Finally, the mark may be shared by these same customers "I went to a destination EDEN, it was great, go ahead."
2. Detailed description of activities - methodology and tools
a. A more attractive logo
The European EDEN logo and EDEN Belgium logo created in 2012 is not readable because too conceptual. The 20something agency has been working on a "materialized" logo which highlights the idea of Prize. This logo is different according to the destinations (winners or finalists) and will be declined in different languages.
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(See wetransfer to obtain this logo in best quality)
b. Promotional video
A video to promote tourism of the EDEN Network+ was created. The 20something agency advised to keep consistency with the promotion policy of Wallonia implemented by WBT.
Sophie Pendeville, wellknown TV presenter in Wallonia, which has also been selected to represent the region in the films of WBT, is also the central character in this video EDEN
The strong point of the EDEN destinations are presented with humor, as it’s a well known character of the Belgian spirit.
(See the link wetransfer to access to the last version of the video)
This video is only available in French. However, to enable its use in foreign markets, two capsules without sound (only with images of the destinations) with subtitles in English and Dutch are in preparation.
These videos will be used by EDEN destinations, tourist offices, WBT and CGT to promote EDEN in Belgium and abroad. They will also used for the tourist promotion in the airports (Charleroi and Brussels).
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c. Creating key supports
Various promotional materials will also be created based on the graphic chart EDEN. This EDEN kit will be made available to providers of tourist destinations.
This key visual is consistent with the graphic chart of promotion that WBT is using to promote Wallonia.
This key visual will be used for inclusion in brochures promoting tourism in Wallonia: Escapades (WBT guide), brochures of destinations, tourist offices, ...
It will be declined in different languages.
(See link wetranfer to see this visual in best quality)
b. Updating the Website
Rather than updating the website specially dedicated to the European project EDEN, it was decided to create web pages on different sites managed by WBT. These pages will be created for any future large-scale campaign.
The various promotion agencies in Wallonia at various territorial levels, will be solicited to put a link to these pages on their own communication tools.
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The pages will be available in French, Dutch and English. They are almost finished. They will be presented at the EDEN+ network on October 2nd
Il can send you a link as soon as possible.
d. Communication with the medias
The promotion of the winners / runners up will be a cornerstone to build the network, extending it to other members and to raise awareness of the EDEN philosophy.
Wallonie-Bruxelles Tourisme is responsible for promotion of Wallonia in specific markets. Major tourist markets are Belgium, France and the Netherlands.
Wallonie-Bruxelles Tourisme will give visibility to the EDEN network, as well as strengths of destinations to its press contacts in Belgium and abroad (Flanders, France, Netherlands, Germany and Britain - priority markets for the tourism) to to reach a maximum potential tourists from these countries and regions.
A press kit is being created. The winners / runners up have contributed to its content (text and pictures).
This document will also be given to the Department of Tourism Products of CGT which will relay to the Belgian press contacts to raise the Walloons, who represent about 30% of tourists visiting Wallonia.
e. Communication with E newsletters
Wallonie-Bruxelles Tourisme will also communicate on the EDEN network via their newsletters (using large database of subscriber data: Flanders 35.000 subscribers, the Netherlands 30.000 subscribers and France 20.000 subscribers).
The emailing campaign will begin as soon as the campaign material is finalized.
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3. Conclusion
The communication campaign in 2012 was well done, but included only a few communication tools without any real strategic thinking. Today, with the help of the communication agency 20something, a new approach of the EDEN project was released.
With this strategy, we believe that communication and promoting EDEN network and will provide access to a much better visibility and understanding of the concept.
But this strategy and design of various communication tools take time. Some are still under development and will be used to prepare for the 2015 tourist season. Some tools have been finished yesterday.
It is therefore difficult to present concrete tool used in situation today. They will be also presented to the members of the EDEN+ network this October 2nd.
