What is it like reviewing over 400 dogs for the contest?
It’s equal parts fun and impossible! Every single dog is adorable and you can tell how much effort people put into their entries. We go through each submission carefully, looking at photo quality, the write-up and even the overall social account to get a sense of the dog’s personality. For 2024, we added a calendar component, which meant selecting photos that fit different seasons—so that was another layer of consideration. In the end, we chose 12 finalists with one grand prize winner named Manitoba’s Adventure Dog. The best part? The winning dog gets to work with us throughout the year, creating content and showcasing the best pet-friendly spots in Manitoba.
Winner Story
Manitoba'sAdventure Dogby Travel Manitoba
Can you think of anything better than scrolling through photos and videos of adorable dogs? Neither can the team at Travel Manitoba. Their marketing campaign tapped into Instagramers’ love for furry friends to inspire travel throughout the Canadian province — picture adorable Border Collies in the snow or smiling by the campfire. What started as a simple contest grew into a year-round tourism booster that won the 2024 Award of Excellence Marketing Effectiveness – Campaign: Social Media. The real winners, though? The “dog-fluencers.” Read on to hear from the team behind it all.
What’s the team’s favorite part about this campaign every year?
Oh, there are so many things we love about it! First, creating promotional materials is always a blast. We use a mix of content from past winners and sometimes even our own dogs in the office—so that’s a fun day at work! Then, of course, there’s the joy of looking through all the creative and heartwarming entries. There’s nothing better than spending a few hours scrolling through photos and videos of adorable dogs. But one of the best parts is working with the winner throughout the year. We get fresh, dog-friendly content on a regular basis and get to support their adventures—it’s a win-win!
How has the campaign changed over the years?
In the early days, it was more of a simple contest with a calendar. Now, we actually work with the winner as a ‘dog-fluencer’ throughout the year, which has been a game-changer. Not only does it keep the excitement going long after the contest ends, but it also helps us build a library of great user-generated content for us to use in other marketing campaigns. So what started as a fun photo contest has now grown into an ongoing partnership that helps showcase just how pet-friendly Manitoba really is.
This season at The Communicator Awards, we’re celebrating connection. How do you inspire owners to share their pups’ adventures and create a larger community?
Well, we offer a pretty amazing grand prize! This past year, we included a $500 gift card to Lakeview Hotels (which has pet-friendly rooms), $500 to Cabela’s (where dogs are welcome in-store) and a Manitoba Adventure Dog bandana. Being featured in the dog calendar is also a big draw, and for the winner, there’s the chance to work with us on travel projects throughout the year.
We also put out a fun promotional reel showing dogs out exploring Manitoba which sparks ideas and gets people thinking about their own footage they might have from past adventures. Once people see how much fun it is, they want to be part of it!
How does #ManitobaAdventureDog contribute to Travel Manitoba’s mission?
At its core, this campaign is all about encouraging travel which aligns perfectly with what we do at Travel Manitoba. More and more people see their pets as family and want to bring them along on their adventures—so we’re helping highlight great places in the province they can visit. It’s also been a wonderful way to build a real sense of community on Instagram. People love seeing dogs out exploring and the hashtag has become a hub for inspiration. Plus, it helps put Manitoba on the map as a pet-friendly destination, which is a big win for us.
Prove your team is top dog in the 31st Annual Communicator Awards. Enter by this Friday, March 14th before time runs out!