When Ontario first announced that they’re bringing in a #GiantDuck to celebrate Canada‘s 150 at the Harbour Front, it raised many eyebrows.
Ontarians weren’t happy to see their hard earned tax dollars “go down the drain” – as most people believed.
“Massive duck made a massive lineup,” said Tiki Taxi’s Luc Cote . “It was easily three times the amount of business we would have had. ”
I was neutral, but slightly skewed towards the same opinion. But then I realized how massive this stunt became, and the social and economic impact it had.
- The #GiantDuck attracted over 750K people to the Redpath Waterfront Festival
- The waterfront businesses were very happy as the this long weekend turned out to be the busiest day ever – so much so that the Starbucks at the Radisson Hotel were fully sold out on Saturday
- People spent on transportation to get to the Harbour Front (fuel, public transport, taxi)
- Millions of selfies and pictures were taken and shared on social networks
- The event also attracted a massive number of tourists
- It is expected that 2017’s Canada Day festival has probably exceeded the economic impact of $4.2 million that was generated from non-local tourists in 2015
- The event gained a massive amount in earned media and publicity if we were to do the numbers
More often than not, we are obsessed with finding a direct outcome, co-relation, or meaning, in everything we do.
The GiantDuck: What’s in it for me?
The materialism around us has conditioned us to seek direct (and obvious) returns on everything we invest: time, money and even relationships.
The #GiantDuck brought hundreds and thousands of Canadians from different nationalities, race, religions and walks of life, closer.
Together they smiled, enjoyed the #Canadian150 with their family and friends, and celebrated the true essence of being #Canadian.
Verdict: Was the Giant Duck Worth It?
Still not convinced? Would you like to quantify everything? Then, do you think *16 cents per person is such a high price to pay to put a smile on the faces of our community? Check the footnote for the math.
So, did the #GiantDuck help us gain or lose? What’s your perspective?
*$120,000 / 750,000 people who went to the Harbour Front on the Canada Day long weekend
