Langley, which is comprised of the Township of Langley and the City of Langley, offers an abundance of diverse and authentic experiences, ranging from agri-tourism to heritage and culture (Fort Langley is the birth place of British Columbia, after all). Tourism Langley, which works to promote both areas to visitors, faces competition from a number of neighboring municipalities. Meanwhile, even some locals seem unaware of the vast number of attractions in their own backyard. To remedy this, the DMO called upon smashLAB to help market the destination online.

To establish a defensible position and effectively differentiate their offering, we encouraged Tourism Langley to embrace a distinctly rural tone. This involved amplifying the rural nature of their product, and using a visual storytelling approach that highlights the rich flavors and textures found there. This is brought to life through country market-style treatments, hand-crafted details, and diverse but somewhat subdued color palettes. We first applied these themes to their core website. With time, the same approaches were adapted to their mobile site, coupon site (Look at Langley), and blog (The Langley Explorer).

While many organizations employ a “branding by repetition” approach, Tourism Langley’s digital properties do something a little trickier: each one acts as a distinct property, aligned not through rigid conventions, but instead through common sensibilities. Built upon user-friendly technologies, Tourism Langley is able to keep site updates in house, and cross-pollinate content between all of the properties. These digital properties work together to present the area as a delightful respite from the hectic city, full of rich, family-friendly experiences—all while enabling Tourism Langley to convey a compelling offer and voice all of its own.