Advertising

It Starts At The Beach Activities Guide

Advertise your business where residents and visitors look for local things to do!

The official activities guide of the Greater Grand Bend Area serves and covers Arkona, Bayfield, Dashwood, Exeter, Forest, Grand Bend, Hensall, Ipperwash, Kettle Point, Northville, Parkhill, Port Franks, St. Joseph, Thedford, Zurich and all points in between.

  • 53% of travellers still use print publications as an information source when travel planning.
  • 79% of visitors use a visitor guide to make specific planning and booking decisions about activities and attractions on their trip, 54% use the guide to decide where to eat, and 21% use the guide to decide where to stay.

Print, Web & Digital – Reinforce the message across channels

It may seem as if screens control our daily lives, but research shows (MilesPartnership.com) print remains strong and complements digital and omni-channel marketing efforts. Gen Y, Gen X and Baby Boomers use print publications in travel decisions at similar levels. Print ads are the most trusted advertising channel, according to 82% of consumers.

Advertising dollars spent in It Starts At The Beach visitor activities guide make it possible to tell our stories, to develop original editorial content of people and place, and use in-situ photography. We get specific and name names! No generic text. No canned stock photography!

This advertising opportunity is OPEN TO ALL LOCAL BUSINESSES (you don’t need to be a Grand Bend & Area Chamber Member). Plus – we extend Chamber Member discounts to members of local BIAs and sister Chambers (Exeter BIA, Forest BIA, Bayfield Chamber, South Huron Chamber & Zurich Chamber).

Native Advertising

Add $100 to the cost of your full page ad

Native Advertising ExampleNative advertising is a display ad that looks and feels like the publication’s design and format. This type of advertising connects an ad’s creative with the colour scheme, layout and font of the editorial content to provide a more natural reading experience. When buying a FULL PAGE AD you “own” the page, so leverage the publication’s style for your brand.

  1. Send us your editorial text (up to 175 words for the body copy) and high-resolution images (300 dpi). Include phone, email, website and social media addresses.
  2. Our editor will contact you to discuss the ad’s creative and editorial direction. You receive the prepared content to review, with two rounds of revisions.

Own the Town Map & Pull-Out Map Ads

Pull-Out Map Has a Double Life!

Second only to the guide itself, maps are the most asked for pieces of information. The annually updated Lambton Shores street map includes an index of 398 businesses with phone numbers and mapped locations.

In addition to being handed out at the Welcome Centre, 1,000 copies are distributed by Lambton Shores Nature Trailblazers at trade and consumer shows and at trail heads.

Own The Town Map: $125

Display your logo and website address on the town of your choice, with a minimum half page ad purchase. There are only 9 town map spots!: Arkona, Bayfield, Exeter, Forest, Grand Bend, Hensall, Thedford, Zurich and the Regional map. (Note: last year’s advertisers get first right of refusal)

Pull-Out Map’s Back Panel: $1,500+

Half page ad for $1,500* or own the full back cover panel for $3,000*

Pull-Out Map’s Front Cover Logo Placement: $500*

Your logo prominently placed on the map’s front cover!

Get Listed on THIS WEBSITE

ItStartsAtTheBeach.ca is a trusted source for online travel-planning information, including editorial content, business listings, Google maps and area events. Operating on the World’s leading website platform – WordPress – our website is mobile-friendly and responsive to any device. Being listed on the tourism-facing website is normally reserved for Chamber Members only, BUT as a visitor guide advertiser you enjoy a special opportunity to add an online listing on the guide’s brand-matching website.

Business Listing: $125

Your business name, address, phone number(s), email address(es), social media sites, description, photograph and interactive Google map. With a minimum sixth page ad buy, you have the opportunity to be listed on the area’s go-to website for area information for one year.

Web Advertising

This website offers run-of-site banner advertising at the top of the main content area (directly below the header branding area). For Grand Bend & Area Chamber members, simply let us know how many months of web advertising you would like. For non-members, a minimum sixth page ad buy you can select any number of months of web advertising. Save 10% on the cost of web banner advertising with the purchase of a visitor guide ad.

Ads are “Leaderboard” type, 728-pixels wide by 90-pixels in height.

3 months6 months9 months12 months
Member$45$84$117$144
Non-Member$50$94$130$164

Get on the Map & Publication Board

The Map & Publication Board is located outside the Tourist Welcome Centre in Grand Bend. It’s a unique opportunity to encourage visits to your business from the thousands of visitors heading to the area’s largest beach. Normally a member perk, this opportunity is open to guide advertisers!

For just $250 for a full year (12 months) your 13-inch x 8-inch display ad will be viewed by thousands of people. Change and swap out your ad as many times as you would like. Think Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer promotions or even more frequently.

Rates, Dates & Discounts

13% Off All Rates If Booked and Paid by August 31, 2022

CENTRE-FOLD falls in the Taste Explorer section and for this reason ads must be food and beverage related.

We are pleased to extend Member pricing to the Forest and Exeter BIA members and the members of our sister Chambers of Commerce – Huron, South Huron, Bayfield, and Zurich. WORKING TOGETHER WE ARE ALL STRONGER!

GUIDE ADCHAMBER / BIA PRICENON-MEMBER PRICE
PREMIUM ADS - NO discounts available
Back Cover$3,500Not available
Inside Covers$2,500Not available
Section Kick-Off Page$1,800$2,000
Centre-Fold Page$1,800$2,000
REGULAR ADS - all discounts available
Full Page$1,500$1,700
Half Page$800$900
Quarter Page$500$600
Sixth Page$350$400
Twelfth Page$225$275
MAP ADS & LOGO SPOTSCHAMBER / BIA PRICENON-MEMBER PRICE
PREMIUM ADS - NO discounts available
Map Ad - FULL Back Panel$3,000
Map Ad - HALF Back Panel$1,500$1,740
Logo Spot - Front Panel$500$700
Own The Town Logo Spot
(requires min. half page ad buy)
$125$125
WEB ADVERTISINGCHAMBER / BIA PRICENON-MEMBER PRICE
3-months$45$50
6-months$84$94
9-months$117$130
12-months$144$164
BUSINESS LISTING ON ItStartsAtTheBeach.ca
Business name, address, phone(s), email(s), website, social media, interactive Google map, photo for 1-year
(requires min. sixth page ad buy)
$125
MAP & PUBLICATION BOARD
13-inch wide x 8-inch tall display ad for 12-months, unlimited ad changes$249

Discounts & Deadlines

Sorry, no discounts on premium placement ads, Own The Town logo spots, website business listings or Map & Publication Board spots.

DISCOUNTDETAILS & DEADLINE
SAVE
10%
EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT: Book & Pay by Aug. 31, 2023
Invoice must be paid by August 31 or discount voided and replacement invoice issued
SAVE
2%
ARTWORK SUBMISSION DISCOUNT:
Use last year’s ad or send us your new ad at time of booking and receive an additional 2% discount.
SAVE
12%
MULTIPLE AD DISCOUNT:
Save 12% on second and succeeding ads (discount applies to smaller ad).
SAVE
20%
GOODWILL DISCOUNT:
Registered charities, service clubs and fundraising events save 20%.

Payment Due

If you are not taking advantage of the Early Bird Discount, a non-refundable 50% deposit is required at time of booking. Final payment due November 5, 2022.

If we do not receive final payment by November 5, 2022 your ad will not run!

Payment Methods

INTERAC E-TRANSFER: Send to info@itstartsatthebeach.ca, use password “sunset”.

CREDIT CARD: Enter invoice amount at grandbendchamber.ca/payment. Transaction completed on PayPal’s secure website.

CHEQUE: Payable to “Grand Bend & Area Chamber of Commerce”. Mail to: 1-81 Crescent St., PO Box 248, Grand Bend, ON, N0M 1T0

CASH: In person at the Welcome Centre.