The Kootenays is not only a geographical location, it’s a mindset. It’s an appreciation of the surrounding mountains, lakes, valleys, rivers, and communities. It’s an understanding that a healthy work/life balance is pivotal to happiness. It’s the ability to invent, create, and improvise in a changing and diverse environment that includes everything from snow-capped peaks to warm, sandy beaches.
In short, the Kootenays are a way of life. And the “Kootenay Approved” campaign is the perfect way to recognize and promote that way of life. Since its inception, KORE has created a network of innovative outdoor gear makers and creators and we believe there is a fervency and pride here that deserves to be showcased with a regionally-specific campaign that will not only promote the ingenuity of local companies but entice others from outside the area to want to be a part of it all.
Funded by ETSI-BC’s Innovating and Advancing Key Sectors program, “Kootenay Approved” is a branding and attraction initiative and its mission is to raise consumer awareness of the KORE gear maker and creator cluster, increase sales of those products, and attract business growth into the Kootenays.
The “KootenayApproved” initiative is a sector-specific (outdoor rec-tech) business attraction marketing campaign. As part of the initiative, KORE is collaborating with Kootenay economic development offices and tourism destination marketing organizations to promote Kootenay brands, tourism, and municipal and regional development.
Elements of the project include:
- “Kootenay Approved” branding creation (see logos above)
- Banff Mountain Film Festival Attraction Event (November 2023)
- “Make Gear Here” Video Series Pilot
- “Kootenay Approved” Success Stories
- “Kootenay Approved” in-store displays in retail brick and mortars
- “Kootenay Approved” integration into KORE brands
- Podcast Guest Outreach
- “Kootenay Approved” Journalist FAM Trip (Powder Highway)
- Creation of a “Kootenay Approved” promotional toolkit
