filmSTC.ca
As the Film & Television industry in Ontario continues to have unprecedented levels of business year over year, St. Catharines is working to capitalize on this opportunity. Through the development a dedicated website, www.filmstc.ca, St. Catharines will continue to grow as a location of choice for film, TV, and streaming industries.
Purpose of Project (including anticipated outcomes)
Based on this burgeoning opportunity, the City focused on its marketing efforts to attract film productions to St. Catharines and identified its web presence was no longer meeting the needs of industry.
The website, www.filmSTC.ca was developed to promote St. Catharines as a viable film destination, to enhance City film services’ digital presence and showcase the diverse amenities in St. Catharines for film production. Highlighting the concierge service offered to productions choosing St. Catharines for location filming, the website makes information about the City’s film policy, permit applications, incentives and other resources accessible.
Challenges
St. Catharines Economic Development’s existing InvestinSTC website is a resource for wide-ranging information relating to seven key sectors of focus which include the film industry. The information on film was high level and did not provide the level of detail to support film professionals who may have been interested in filming in St. Catharines. Featuring a bold and vibrant design, the new website elaborates need-to-know information and helpful resources specific to the film industry with clear messages to target audiences.
A key challenge the filmSTC website addresses is the lack of awareness about St. Catharines as a destination for film production. A key priority in marketing this new website is to boost the number of private locations available on the Ontario Creates Digital Location Library which is the first resource used by the industry when sourcing locations to develop the production schedule To bolster the inventory of film-friendly properties in St. Catharines and showcase as many different location types as possible, the new website, filmSTC.ca, provides information to property owners who want to make their land and buildings available as potential film locations.
Target Audience (demographics)
- Film professionals looking for information, contacts, and locations in St. Catharines.
- Film professionals wanting to collaborate with City staff.
- Private property owners in St. Catharines interested in registering their property to be a film location
- St. Catharines-based businesses offering services to support film productions or wanting more information on supporting this sector.
Specifics
The City partnered with a local digital marketing agency to produce an introductory video and develop the website with a robust and easy-to-use content management system to keep filmstc.ca up to date.
Marketing of the site has been directed at target audiences which enables the City to apply a hub-and-spoke strategy to link back to filmSTC.ca as a one-stop shop for information about film in St. Catharines. City staff are notified by email when applications and inquiries are submitted through filmSTC.ca and respond swiftly.
Gaining more exposure for St. Catharines as a film destination through the enhanced web presence and improved user experience will create more opportunities for existing companies in a variety of sectors, including food and beverage, accommodation and equipment rental, as well as opportunities for business development, such as attracting investment for production facilities, post-production services, talent agencies and more.
