Company: Canadian Tire Corporation
Company Description: Canadian Tire Corporation Limited is a Canadian retail company which operates in the automotive, hardware, sports, leisure and housewares sectors.
Nomination Category: Marketing Campaign Categories - Specialty
Nomination Sub Category: Brand Experience of the Year - Consumer
 Nomination Title: Canadian Tire Christmas Trail
- Which will you submit for this nomination, a video of up to five (5) minutes in length about the nominated campaign or program, OR written answers to the questions for this category? CHOOSE ONE:
Written answers to the questions
- If you are submitting a video of up to five (5) minutes in length, provide the URL of the nominated video here, OR attach it to your entry via the "Add Attachments, Videos, or Links to This Entry" link above, through which you may also upload a copy of your video.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this first question: Specify the date on which this brand experience campaign or program was launched:
The Canadian Tire (CT) Christmas Trail was open to CT’s varying stakeholders from November 4th through December 23rd 2021.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this second question: Describe the genesis of the nominated brand experience campaign or program: the reasons it was initiated, the challenges it was created to address, the problems it was developed to solve, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 248 words used.
Canadian Tire’s (CT) brand purpose is to be there for the jobs and joys of life in Canada – no matter what life looks like. Guests who attended the 2020 Trail were invited to complete a post-event survey. With a +40% response rate, the findings revealed:
- 98% of guests said they would return,
- 65% stated the Trail increased their perception that CT is Canada’s Christmas Store,
- Feedback such as:
- “Canadian Tire’s Christmas Trail was such an amazing experience. In light of everything going on in the world, this was such a silver lining for 2020.”
- “I would be thrilled if we could make it a yearly tradition for our family to attend the Trail.”
This positive response to the 2020 Trail presented the business opportunity to further increase brand affinity amongst valued stakeholders by welcoming them to a bigger and better experience. CT’s goal in 2021 was to show even more Canadians that while the holiday season may not be back to normal, the Christmas magic was still very much alive.
In 2021, CT showed up for its key stakeholders – media, influencers, employees, Triangle loyalty members (Triangle) and consumers – by helping them experience cherished Christmas traditions and safely celebrate new ones. Immediately following the 2020 Trail, CT sprang into action to plan for 2021 with a clear understanding of the need to reach more participants and customers and add new and exciting elements to reach even more hearts and minds than the season before.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this third question: Describe the development of the brand experience campaign or program: the planning process, the goal setting, the creative and media development, the scheduling, etc. (up to 250 words):
Total 235 words used.
CT’s objective was to drive brand affinity and defend its position as Canada’s Christmas Store while reinforcing its brand purpose. The updated activation was designed to offer more internal and external stakeholders a way to preserve beloved Christmas traditions while generating positive word-of-mouth awareness and excitement through traditional and social media channels (including email and employee communications). CT also wanted to contribute financially to Jumpstart Charities (Jumpstart).
CT’s intention was to ensure each stakeholder group who visited the Trail left with the impression that CT is Canada’s Christmas Store. This was done by reinforcing elements that worked and correcting those that did not such as:
- Updating the ticket strategy to release in weekly blocks, providing consumers with more opportunities to secure tickets and sustaining media coverage;
- Inviting top tier local media and influencers to preview the Trail before tickets went live, leveraging organic social content to drive awareness of the Trail and the new ticket strategy;
- Developing a website banner ad that was geotargeted to customers who shop at CT in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA);
- Offering priority access to tickets for Triangle loyalty members through an exclusive access code through geotargeted emails to members in the GTA, expanding to Southern Ontario to meet the demand;
- More days active equated to a larger Jumpstart donation through 100% of ticket proceeds;
- Additional days exclusively for CT employees;
- A comprehensive microsite and email alias for streamlined communication.
- If you are providing written answers to the questions for this category, you must answer this fourth question: Outline the activities and concrete results of this brand experience campaign or program since the beginning of 2020. Even if your initiative started before 2020, limit your response to activities and results since the beginning of 2020 only (up to 250 words):
Total 257 words used. If the word count is more than 25 words over the limit, please deduct one (1) point from your score.
In 2021, CT created new vignettes to appeal to returning guests while maintaining the experience for new customers. Updated designs included:
- Milk and cookies served from a giant gingerbread house;
- Mrs. Claus in a ‘Canadiana Cabin’ reading a classic Christmas story;
- Santa’s Workshop featuring toy-building, painting and wrapping stations complete with North Pole village storefronts;
- 12-foot Christmas snow globes featuring a live ballerina;
- A larger-than-life advent calendar including a matching game; and
- A safe photo moment with Santa and his elves in a new location.
The Trail achieved six weeks of ticket sell-outs, while reaching additional internal and external stakeholders and exceeded objectives as follows:
Drive brand affinity and defend CT’s position as Canada’s Christmas Store:
- 95% would recommend the Trail
- 91% would attend again
- 68% felt the Trail increased their perception of CT as Canada’s Christmas Store
- 99% of employees said the event made them feel proud to be a CT employee
Reach more stakeholders with proceeds going to a good cause:
- 24,000+ guests visited the Trail, including 3,800+ employees,
- 13% increase in total guests and 72% increase in employees YoY
- 1,800+ Triangle loyalty members registered with exclusive early access
- $160,000 donated to Jumpstart from ticket sales
Generate awareness via media and social channels:
- 78% increase in media and influencer attendees YoY
- 199 media stories (87MM impressions)
- 302% increase in media stories and 213% increase in impressions YoY
- 1,100+ pieces of organic influencer content (2.57MM social impressions)
- 885,000 social engagements and views
- You have the option to reference here any attachments of supporting materials throughout this nomination and how they provide evidence of the claims you have made in this nomination (up to 250 words):
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