Salmon Arm council is chipping in $5,000 to help fund what’s being described as a unique advertising opportunity.
On Aug. 8, Maclean’s magazine published its Canada’s Best Communities 2019 rankings, with Salmon Arm coming in first in B.C., sixth in Canada.
The Salmon Arm Economic Development Society (SAEDS) was informed of the placement ahead of time, as was city council.
Economic development manager Lana Fitt came to a special meeting of council on Aug. 1 to ask for $5,000 from the city.
She explained the total cost of the one-page ad in the national magazine (which she did not name because Best Communities had not yet been published) was $11,500. She said it would exceed SAEDS’ marketing budget for 2019 by $5,000.
“This national advertising includes a print circulation of 199,000 and combined print and digital readership of 3.5 million. The reader demographics align very well with the target demographics identified within our marketing strategy of young families and millennials. We feel this national exposure will provide a high return on investment back to the community in the form of talent attraction,” wrote Fitt to council.
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Council checked with staff to see how much money was left in the council initiatives fund and was told $8,963.
“I really support this, I think it’s incredible exposure for the money we’re spending,” said Coun. Debbie Cannon. “Just look at the circulation of this magazine; I think it’s great.”
Coun. Kevin Flynn agreed.
“We haven’t spent a lot of money to introduce our branding to the world… I think this is a unique and positive one-time opportunity.”
Couns. Tim Lavery, Flynn and Cannon voted for the expenditure. Coun. Chad Eliason voting against, explaining later that he thought perhaps the money could be used more wisely with targeted social media advertising.
Couns. Sylvia Lindgren and Louise Wallace Richmond were absent.
Fitt explains that the full-page ad in Mclean’s will run on Aug. 15, with the idea of capitalizing on the exposure in the Best Communities publication by directing readers to community portals where the interest can be kept alive.
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