Grey County's new campaign, called “Gather”, is attracting an overwhelmingly positive response in a short period of time.
That's according to Grey County Director of Economic Development, Tourism and Culture Savanna Myers, who told county council that people are viewing and sharing the collection of stories about the hidden gems and vibrant culture that make Grey County such a unique destination.
"It is exactly what we are going for. We're starting to see the pride built and the realization that, oh my goodness, these things are happening in our community," Myers continued. "These people are in our community. We are doing this here in Grey County, and that's exactly what we wanted to do."
She said the videos and booklets were released on Family Day, and the campaign has already reached tens of thousands through social media and digital platforms.
"We had 2,879 views on YouTube, or 117 hours of these videos watched. And we're talking three-minute videos, so that's a lot of watching," explained Myers. "And the impressions were over 4,700. Our social ad campaign reach was 16,000 people and 23,000 views. So we know people are watching them multiple times and sharing them."
The Gather campaign invites everyone to explore the flavours, stories, and experiences that make Grey County a four-season destination.
"So there are two key focus areas that we are driving. One is local, and that is to build that community pride so that we're all talking the same story and all feeling that warmth and that heart that we have for our community in these beautiful videos and booklets that are out about everywhere," Myers added. "And then the second target is going to GTA, specifically focusing on the tourists who come here, so that they can fall in love and become residents one day as well."
The stories feature unique restaurants, the Blue Mountain Ski Resort, a cidery, and the Owen Sound Farmers Market.