October 26, 2009 -
Wally Daudrich, owner of the Lazy Bear Lodge and DKY client, knows a thing or two about arctic wildlife—and the fierce, global competition for adventure tourism in his hometown of Churchill, Manitoba. Now, thanks to the proliferation of social networks, Wally can leverage his local knowledge and the goodwill of his customers to help spread the word of his remarkable tourism business.
Wally and his wife, Dawn, literally built their business by hand from the ground up. They started hauling logs out of the boreal forest on snowmobile and built a small cafe, continuing over the years to add on and eventually created the Lazy Bear Lodge. Since its completion in 2000, it remains the largest handcrafted log building in Manitoba.
Situated on the southwest shore of the Hudson Bay, Churchill is known as the "Polar Bear Capital of the World," and is also home to thousands of beluga whales that congregate in the warmer waters of the Churchill River estuary during July and August to calf. As a premiere ecotourism destination, the Lazy Bear Lodge offers guests a warm, hospitable stay in what can sometimes be harsh, climate conditions. Guests are treated to an up-close look at polar bears from the comfort of a tundra vehicle and can even snorkel with the belugas in the Hudson Bay during the summer months.
Over the years, DKY has provided marketing support to the Lazy Bear Lodge by designing its brand identity, creating its website and managing search marketing programs. All the marketing efforts are aimed at delivering information about the property, its tour offerings, and the surrounding community of Churchill. Local competitors battling for global tourism business are savvy web marketers. To assist Wally in remaining a market leader, DKY turned to social networking as a complementary component of his marketing program.
To accomplish this, DKY recommended replacing an under-utilized blog with an online journal. His first-person accounts add much credibility to his wildlife knowledge and genuine local experience. Each journal entry now offers one-click sharing through various social networks. In addition, the home page now provides links to the Lazy Bear Lodge Facebook page and YouTube channel.
Integrating the right social networking applications in an appropriate marketing context can make a difference to your bottom line. Even in tiny Churchill, Manitoba, the Lazy Bear Lodge recognizes the power of adding social networking to its marketing toolbox.
