Destination marketing

Case Vaasa, Finland

Heidi Hellström

Senior Lecturer, marketing

Vaasa university of applied sciences

http://animoto.com/play/cHrUUvsOD49gchWQMEN09g

Vaasa

• 65 000 people

• 110 000 in the whole area

• 12 000 students

• City is over 400 yrs old

• 25 % swedish speking residents

• People from 100 different countries

Write down 3 words that describes Vaasa

Agenda

• Vaasa city logo

• 10 000 workers -campaign

• Jackpot -campaign

• Energy week

• Energy ambassador

• Kvarken

STAGE 1 THE IMAGE

26 different logos

SWOT and current image

Wanted image Segments Strategy Tactics

GOAL 1

Modern image that differentiates

GOAL 2

Combined external marketing messages and

visuals

New image objectives

Combined with city´s strengths:

Unique

Energetic

Sunny

Next step Development of region

communication

Background

• Started 2009 with VASEK

• Company partners were chosen

• Challenge: Vaasa region was not know nationwide

• Vision and strategy was formed

ENERGY,

NATURE AND

HAPPINESS

”Vaasa region: thousands of happy stoories”

Main targeted segments

• All Finns

• Companies in the energy cluster globally and locally

EnergyVaasa

• Most significant energy cluster in Scandinavia

• 140 companies

• Over 10 000 employees

• Turnover 4,4 billion €

• Global solutions

• 70% produced for export

Campaigns

Jackpot

• Internal analysis:

–7 different university level schools in Vaasa

–12000 students

–3 different languages and 30 different degrees

Jackpot

• Objectives

–Rise the awarenss

–Get more applicants to schools

–Gain activities to campaign

• Segment:

–15-24 yrs old, wanna be students

http://www.vaasaonjackpot.fi/

Energy week

• Objectives:

–Strengthen the nationwide and global image of energy cluster knowhow in Vaasa

• Tactics (www-pages, YouTube, banner, newsletter), print, EnergyWeek App, outdoor ads, social media

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OeMLQuqDQk

Energy ambassador campaign

• Segment: energy industry´s students, all finns + companies

• Goal

– Make the region attractive and the energy cluster well known

– Inform about places to work

– Raise the awareness of studying possibilities

Energy ambassador campaign

• Tactics: one paid newspaper advertisement + social media

• Results:

– 1624 applicants

– Region marketing winner 2012 at recruitment category

http://energialahettilas.fi/

Unesco heritage - Kvarken

• From 2006

• Unique scenery shaped by ice age

• The fastest rising of land in the world (9 mm annually)

• Area expands 150 football fields / year

• Tactics – National geograpic

– Other nature magazines

• Global market´s number 1 product in Vaasa

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnf03kC9f-U

THANK YOU !