Table of Contents 6 2012 OVATION Awards Winning Entries

OVATION Awards Winning Entry
Communication Management
Media Relations with budget greater than $100,000
AWARD OF MERIT
Entrant’s Name: Nicole Grant, Account Manager, North Strategic (for Canadian Tire)
Organization’s Name: Canadian Tire Corporation and North Strategic (agency)
Division/Category: Division 1 ‐ Communication Management (4c: Media Relations with budget greater than $100k)
Title of Entry: Bring it on: Canadian Tire’s Winter Driving Preparation Campaign Time Period of Project: September
1, 2011 – December 31, 2011
Brief Description: Canadian Tire created a comprehensive media relations campaign to raise awareness around the
importance of full vehicle preparation for winter driving, and position Canadian Tire as the automotive authority to
help Canadians stay safe on roads this winter. Built on Canadian survey data highlighting winter driving
misconceptions, Canadian Tire Roadside Assistance data showcasing emergency correlations to severe cold
weather, on‐ice winter tire arena media demonstrations, community hero winter vehicle makeovers and a
proactive winter weather expert‐on‐call strategy, the campaign generated over 82 million impressions and
successfully increased share‐of‐mind and awareness around Canadian Tire automotive parts and accessories
versus primary competition.
1. Business Need / Opportunity
With a broad range of products – from winter tires to snowbrushes, batteries, wiper blades and more ‐
and automotive service capabilities, Canadian Tire is uniquely positioned to be the destination for winter
driving preparation in Canada. With a number of retail competitors aggressively pursuing the
automotive category and widespread misconceptions, Canadian Tire needed to be positioned as the
authority and expert source on winter driving preparation.
Each year, a startling number of Canadian drivers head into the winter driving season unprepared. The
majority of cars on the road in Canada do not switch to winter tires during the winter, despite the fact
that safety is a major concern. In a recent study, Aviva Insurance noted a 38% increase in Canadian auto
collision claims during winter months; and according to the Quebec Ministry of Transport, prior to
mandatory tire legislation in Quebec, 10% of vehicles without winter tires were involved in 38% of the
seasonal accidents.
A number of deep rooted winter driving misconceptions could still be found across the country:
Many drivers still believed that all‐season tires are a true four season solution for driving in Canada
Lack of awareness that winter tires should be installed when temperatures drop consistently below
7 degrees Celsius
Belief that two winter tires instead of all four will suffice
Myth that adjusting driving habits can provide enough safety benefit to negate a need for winter
tires
Misconception that urban and city drivers do not need winter‐rated tires
And many more
Winter tire purchases can be an overwhelming process, complicated by the difficulty in assessing which
are the best to suit driver’s needs and how to determine which models will be the right fit for their
vehicle; a relatively new winter‐rated tire category, ‘all‐weather tires’, have further added to the
confusion.