Social by Nature
Since 2020, Sproing has partnered with Tourism Vernon on various initiatives, creating visual content through video and photography, and most recently providing social media management support. We also produced a live-streamed virtual tourism conference during COVID, helping Tourism Vernon reassure stakeholders that the industry was preparing for a strong comeback despite the pandemic’s impact.
Our unique advantage as a local supplier to Tourism Vernon lies in our deep connection to the region and its business community, coupled with the privilege of being both residents and tourists in our own town. We take pride in experiencing and sharing the attractions, activities, and amenities that make Vernon a place people love to visit—and, if they’re lucky, a place they may choose to call home. As locals who live, work, and play here, we are not only committed to promoting Vernon but also have a vested interest in its success—a commitment we’ve proudly upheld for over a decade.
The scope of our work with Tourism Vernon included:
- Social media strategic planning
- Channel-specific social media management
- Content creation
- Content publishing and engagement
- Campaign and community management
- Video/Photo production and editing
- Research and analysis
- Live-streamed virtual event production
Details about this project
Challenge
After COVID and two seasons of devastating fires in the Okanagan Valley, the tourism industry was hit hard. A key challenge was shifting the focus of tourists, businesses, and stakeholders away from the busy summer months to the shoulder seasons, aiming to spread tourism more evenly across all four seasons.
Another major hurdle was the lack of updated content. Tourism Vernon had underinvested in content creation, and after two years of minimal activity in the region, much of the existing material had become outdated. Some businesses had closed while new ones emerged, but without fresh content to support their marketing, the Tourism Vernon team faced the need to invest in a comprehensive content creation program.
Solution
In 2022, we created a fresh video and photography content library for Tourism Vernon, capturing a wide range of visuals to support their marketing efforts. This provided them with curated, channel-specific social media content while also giving us valuable insights and connection with the local tourism market and community. Recognizing that tourism marketing begins months in advance for each season, we developed a two-fold strategy: capturing visuals for immediate use and for future campaigns, targeting travelers who plan ahead.
We built a content library that spans all four seasons, offering long-term value, though ongoing updates will always be needed. As the industry began to regain momentum in 2023, Tourism Vernon asked us to take over their social media management. Our team provided channel-specific social media management, content creation, publishing, and engagement, giving Tourism Vernon the resources to meet the growing content demand and allowing their team to focus on strategic implementation.
Results
Through a consistent and strategic social media management program, Tourism Vernon has seen impressive growth across all platforms. In the second quarter of 2024, Instagram gained over 2,300 new followers, marking an 11.4% growth rate, and reached approximately 550,000 unique accounts. Facebook also saw more than double its usual growth rate. Additionally, a two-week contest we developed generated outstanding engagement, attracting around 1,500 new followers and over 11,000 total interactions—including likes, shares, comments, and saves.
We also produced and distributed a variety of digital short-form videos displayed in airports, arenas, and through PPC ads, supporting both local and international campaigns from 2022 to 2024.
