Farmery Estate Brewery has launched Whiteshell Pack, a beer pack that contains different beer labels covering specific tourism areas of the Whiteshell ranging from Falcon Lake, to the Pine Falls Suspension Bridge.
Using QR technology, patrons can scan a specific QR code printed on the beer label on their smartphone phone using their camera app or a QR scanning app. The scanned QR code is an online link that connects to a specific Whiteshell tourism area webpage that details tourism and shopping options for that area, and also provides links to other sites of interest such as booking resorts, campgrounds and hotel rooms for instance.
“The idea is that a beer label can be seen as a billboard, which we can utilize to market with other local businesses and amplify all of our messages,” said Chris Warwaruk, co-owner of Farmery. “The QR code enhances that billboard capability even more, and connects all the advantages of the information and the interactivity options available online, to that physical beer can, and vice-versa. It’s a perfect marriage of tried-and-true analog strategies, and new digital marketing strategies.”
The Whiteshell Pack and its use of QR codes and online interactive information “visitor booths”, with the availability of the Whiteshell beer can to the general public, solves both the problems of customer reach and accessibility.
“While the pandemic is keeping folks within the province, it’s our job to bring folks out into the nature of the Whiteshell,” said Corley Sweeting, president of the South Whiteshell Chamber of Commerce. Corley is optimistic that the Farmery Whiteshell Pack will help bridge the gap between informing the public about the tourism destinations within the Whiteshell area, and motivating them to actually explore the area. “We’re so excited to see the Farmery Whiteshell Pack be carried in stores and vendors around the province, and help us bring people out to the Whiteshell,” adds Corley.
“Travel Manitoba is very excited to see the launch of the new Whiteshell Pack,” says Colin Ferguson, president and CEO of Travel Manitoba. “We’ve seen throughout the pandemic that Manitobans have realized the importance of supporting local businesses and this new initiative from Farmery Estate Brewery is another reason to do so. It is so vitally important to the recovery of the tourism industry that we explore our own backyard this summer, as regulations allow, and our spectacular Whiteshell Provincial Park is a great place to start.”
In a year where COVID has restricted travel, this initiative allows local Manitobans incentive to support their own backyard and and support local.