Playing off the government’s recommendation to stay home, the Town of Collingwood is encouraging people to GO Get Out with a new marketing campaign.
“It all started with the idea of… 'How do we make sure that people continue getting outside and exploring around Collingwood, safely',” said Martin Rydlo, the town’s director of marketing and business development.
Launched last month, GO Get Out was created following a recommendation put forth by the Economic Support & Recovery Task Force. It is the largest, focused campaign approved by council to date.
The campaign exhibits ways to get outside on the land, by the water, at the shops and in the local food and beverage scene.
“We didn’t want to do the simple ‘make sure you shop local’ thing. We wanted to make it more meaningful,” said Rydlo. “Giving people more specific ways to go get out and support our local businesses.”
Collingwood boasts almost 70 kilometres of tree-shouldered trails, as well as an expansive waterfront that can be enjoyed even in the winter months. The downtown's main street is lined with local shops, featuring everything from fashion to jewelry and home decor.
In accordance with the new campaign, the Collingwood Craft Beverage Tour was developed to celebrate Collingwood’s thriving craft beverage scene. With four breweries, three distilleries and one kombucha brewer, Collingwood is quickly becoming one of Ontario’s craft beverage capitals.
“We have some fantastic chefs and beverage makers that are calling Collingwood home,” said Rydlo.
On Nov. 24, the town held a virtual roundtable with the eight local brewers and distillers discussing upcoming seasonal specials and gift ideas. While seating in local restaurants is currently limited, Rydlo hopes the campaign encourages people to order take out instead.
Other aspects of the campaign include the virtual HoHoHoliday five-kilometre run/walk and the recently launched Puzzle Walk — a hands-free scavenger hunt based on a legend of a shipwrecked Collingwood Treasure.
“It’s just about having a little bit of fun in these difficult times,” said Rydlo. “Especially as things are getting tighter... no one has said you can’t go and get outside. You have to do it safely, you have to do it distanced, but you can still go and explore the great things around Collingwood.”
If you get out, use the hashtag #getoutcollingwood to share your experiences.
