VANOC's Massive Gaff

For many years, I’ve been bothered by something that most people probably don’t think much about. That it infuriates me may seem silly. It is the practice of the American media to refer to every Canadian who has done particularly well south of the border as ‘Canadian-born’. So, for example, Elton John would be referred to as ‘British’, while Sarah McLachlan would be referred to, not as ‘Canadian’, but as ‘Canadian-born’. This is true with every Canadian who has become famous in the US. It’s as if, once a Canadian has succeeded in the US, he becomes American property and will not be acknowledged as Canadian.

It is also particularly galling that members of the American entertainment media regularly shed the rube light on Canada. David Letterman loves it when Canadians talk on his show about how quaint Canadians are, how polite, how unsophisticated. I was flipping through People magazine last week and saw the following: “…whenever rock groups appear in Vancouver.” It’s strange, it’s inexplicable, it’s stupid. And as a former social/entertainment columnist and the person who wrote the copy for the Vancouver edition of Visitor’s Choice, it drives me nuts.

Vancouver has a particular challenge because its compatriots tend to do the same thing. Torontonians and Montrealers also have an inaccurate image of Vancouver. When these people talk about Vancouver in much the same way as New Yorkers talk about Des Moines, it is, to put it mildly, unhelpful. This situation is ignorance-based and that is why Tourism Vancouver should be lauded for doing such a terrific job of selling Vancouver worldwide.

It was with great anticipation that I turned on the TV in February to watch the Turin Olympics closing ceremonies. I was thinking that, finally, all the world would see, in encapsulated form, what Vancouver is all about. Instead, eight minutes later, I felt as if I’d been kicked in the stomach. And my heart ached for the hard-working professionals at Tourism Vancouver.

So much has been written about the disastrous production that I don’t have to recreate it here. Had I been its creator, I would have had Vancouver native Bryan Adams performing, not Ontarian Avril Lavigne. I would have shown people skiing on Grouse Mountain, while other people sailed or windsurfed in the bay below, and other people played golf or tennis. I would have illustrated the different cultures in Vancouver, the huge variety of arts performances available here, and the myriad outdoor activities available to visitors.

I would not have shown ice fishing, igloo-building and aboriginals in full tribal dress. There is no ice fishing in Vancouver—I live on the North Shore, at the precise half-way point between the airport and Whistler. If I leave a bucket of water on my front porch in November, the top layer will freeze—eventually, probably. I have never seen anyone in full tribal dress walking the streets of Vancouver. The closest I ever come to seeing the blocks of ice required for igloo construction is standing beside an ice sculpture at a party.

If you look at the 2010 Olympic Bid Book, under ‘Development of an Icon Olympic Presence (that should be ‘Iconic’, but anyway…), you’ll read:

“The Vancouver 2010 “Sea to Sky Games” offers multiple options for creating an iconic Olympic presence in a visually arresting environment. With its sparkling oceanfront setting, its dramatic mountain backdrop and its impressive skyline of gleaming glass towers, Vancouver presents the IOC and its broadcasters with a variety of opportunities…”

The VANOC web site says this: “Vancouver is a modern, cosmopolitan city on Canada’s west coast, surrounded by a breathtaking waterfront and snow-capped mountains. As Canada’s “Gateway to the Pacific,” cultural exchange and fusion are a part of everyday life in Vancouver….A major tourist destination, visitors to Vancouver enjoy beautiful gardens and world-famous [sic] Stanley Park–one of more than 180 city parks–and a combination of natural forest and parklands near the city centre.”

Was this illustrated in the closing ceremonies production? Nope. Marketing Error #1: conflicting brand images.

John Furlong, CEO of the 2010 Games, said the following: “I am enormously proud of the cultural performance our team produced for the Closing Ceremony...the world saw the diversity and wonder of Canada and our love of winter sport.” Marketing Error #2: forgetting what it is you’re marketing. Canada is not the product, Vancouver is the product.

These errors were made by a fellow named Burke Taylor, VANOC's VP of Culture and Ceremonies. This last job was Director of the Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA) for the City of Vancouver. This is a person who knows his product inside out and yet disseminated the wrong view of it.

This is more than a marketing error. In response to a tsunami of criticism of the ceremonies, VANOC reps have referred to it as a “mis-step”, as if it was a typo in a print ad. But it is not something that can be dismissed by an ‘oops’. This is a marketing error of colossal and damaging proportions. This absurd piece of ‘marketing’ was seen by 500 million people, who received inaccurate and misleading information. Produced by people who are paid with public money. Supporting an event whose success is wholly dependent on public support. And what the public got was a massive waste of money and opportunity that it has left many Canadians seething and many non-Canadians who know Vancouver shaking their heads.

The reason I put off writing about this is because I wanted to see what would happen at VANOC. Burke Taylor should have resigned, or been fired. He’s still there. Had he been working for any other company, that would not be the case.

So back we go, to the days when Americans show up here in August, with their skis. When tourists’ jaws drop as they see that Vancouver has shops with names like Tiffany and Cartier. When every restaurant they step into is nearly perfect. When they see ads for the Vancouver Symphony and the Vancouver Opera. And when, as some will in 2010, they arrive to find that they have to buy umbrellas and that, alas, no one will be wearing furs and snowshoes.