Prince Edward Island will have an extraordinary opportunity to build its overall brand when it is featured this summer on one of the most popular talk shows in North America, says Premier Robert Ghiz.
Premier Ghiz, ACOA Minister Ashfield and Island tourism leaders gathered today to hear Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa announce that they will air four shows of LIVE! with Regis and Kelly from July 12 to 15 originating from Confederation Landing Park.
“This partnership is a strategic initiative to build the brand of Prince Edward Island which encompasses tourism, food and culture,” said the Premier. “It is an unprecedented opportunity to build awareness of the Island as a travel and culinary destination.”
“The Government of Canada is pleased to partner in this special initiative that will showcase one of Canada’s four Atlantic provinces,” said the Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of National Revenue, Minister of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and Minister for the Atlantic Gateway. “LIVE! with Regis and Kelly will showcase PEI as a tourist destination while highlighting the best the Island has to offer.”
LIVE! with Regis and Kelly is the top rated morning talk show in the United States. It airs every weekday morning on CTV. The show has a daily audience of nearly four million North American viewers, many of whom are interested in food and travel, the specific demographic that PEI wants to reach.
“Prince Edward Island is one of the most unique destinations in Canada, and it’s a great opportunity for us to be able to broadcast from the province,” said Michael Gelman, Executive Producer, LIVE! with Regis and Kelly. “Charlottetown will provide an extraordinary backdrop for our brand of entertainment talk, celebrity interviews and musical performances, and we’re really looking forward to showing our viewers the island’s special qualities.”
Tourism and Culture Minister Robert Vessey said the partnership builds on the province’s previous success with the Golf Channel which delivered over $12 million in value. “We cannot sell our products without first building a brand. This is an incredible opportunity to build awareness of Prince Edward Island in the high yield American market where awareness of the three Maritime provinces is still very low,” said Minister Vessey. “With direct daily flights to New York and our new mid-Atlantic marketing strategy, this broadcast is a perfect fit for us.”
“The Tourism Advisory Council of PEI (TAC) is committed to the discipline required to build our brand awareness in appropriate markets, but limited budgets mean we have to find more creative, non-traditional opportunities like this one to reach our key growth markets,” said Judy Pye, TAC Acting Chair. “TAC endorsed this strategic approach to brand-building in the 2010 Tourism Plan and in exploring broadcast opportunities, the Department has managed to secure a partnership with a premiere media outlet that enables greater market coverage than any direct marketing or advertising investment could have achieved.”
Ticket information will be made available in the coming weeks. Islanders can attend the taping of the shows. Information can be found on the LIVE website, www.LiveRegisAndKelly.com.