• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, November 1, 2015

It happens here in the States and it happens in Canada as well. Every once in a while the powers that be at various tourism organizations determine that they can't find what they're looking for within the very region they are trying to promote and, instead, look to external geographies for talent. That scenario was just imposed upon a Halifax, Nova Scotia agency, Extreme Group, which lost the Nova Scotia Tourism account to Toronto, Ontario-based DDB Canada. 

Yup, the Tourism group went with one of the big boys and Extreme Group Founder and CEO Paul LeBLanc is not happy. Of the loss, he said , “We were very unhappy, as anyone would be. The difficult part about this is that the last cornerstone big accounts in the region are tourism accounts and when that revenue leaves the region like everything else has left the region, it continues to disable our advertising industry.” 

DDB Canada will work on the $12 million, two-year contract along with Halifax-based Trampoline though all of the creative work is said to occur in the Toronto office of DDB. As a result of the account loss, Extreme Group has had to lay off 8 people. 

Despite the loss, LeBlanc is quick to point out his agency did some admirable work while it handled the account, saying, “When we came into it, the numbers were in a decade of decline in this region and, of course, we’re not suggesting we were the only reason why tourism numbers have been up, but I’d like to think that the imaging and the branding of the province had a lot to do with the reversal of that decline.” 

Of the accounts exodus, Phil Otto, CEO of Revolve Branding & Marketing, one of 20 agencies that bid on the account, said, I’m very, very upset that it didn’t stay within the province. This just feels like government saying ‘We don’t have the talent around here and it’s got to come from away,’ and I think it’s scandalous. I can’t imagine a Bay Street (Toronto) ad agency trying to define and communicate and advertise an authentic Nova Scotia experience from Bay Street.” 

Explaining the selection of Toronto-based DDB, Tourism Nova Scotia Spokesman Mike MacKenzie said, “The process identified DDB Canada as the organization whose submission had the best plan to aggressively market our province so Nova Scotia can meet the goal of doubling tourism revenues. It’s also important to note that DDB is partnering with Halifax’s Trampoline on the account, so there will continue to be a local component to the contract. We’re confident this mix of international and local expertise is a winning combination.” 

In February, Santa Fe New Mexico awarded its $900,000 tourism account to Boston-based Fuseideas. Of the cold shoulder given to New Mexico agencies, Santa Fe Tourism Executive Director Randy Randall said, “None of the three [agency finalists] had capabilities that were as good as what we could find by going outside the state. Could we have settled? Could we have picked the best of the in-state agencies? Absolutely. But would that have been the best thing for Santa Fe? I don’t think so.” 

In a Halifax Herald opinion column, an understandably upset Gail Lethbridge writes of the area's famed donair, a variation of a traditional Middle Eastern kebab, "Halifax is considering making this messy, late-night delectable its official food. This is where you have to pity the poor Toronto Mad Men. Have you ever witnessed the -- I daresay -- spectacle of a late-night reveler doing battle with a donair on Pizza Corner? Have you even seen the face and shirt of a drunk post-donair? Have the Toronto Mad Men actually eaten a Halifax donair, or know that Pizza Corner is more famous for donairs than pizza?" 

While Nova Scotia might be Canada's Rhode Island, one should never forget that when it comes to tourism, truly understanding the essence of a place usually requires spending a great deal of time in that place. Can a few visits by DDB Canada staffers allow for the capture of Nova Scotia's essence? Time will tell.