Why I love the Apple Pie Trail....

When the Trail first started I thought – wow!! What an idea and how can I participate? For Grey Heron, it all started with colour. How can I use apple colours and colours of wool to create a product that could possibly become a non-culinary offering. After my promotion to the APT group, they liked it and I thought OK – we’re off… I’ve never looked back.

Last year I had a visit from two Australian journalists who had taken the opportunity for a side trip to apple country before heading to a family wedding in the area. They wanted to take pictures inside my shop with an interest in my Apple Pie Trail Sock kits. Before I knew it, they had wonderful photos of my basket of apples surrounded by my sock yarn kits (McIntosh, Red Delicious, Golden Delicious). We chatted about the area and it soon became evident they were sold on all we had to offer. They did follow up with an article in their home newspaper about the APT and area.Oh, and Grey Heron Apple Pie sock kits left with them too... with love from one wool lover to another - on another continent no less...

Then I had a visit from a writer from Ming Pao Toronto newspaper. She took pictures here with an interest in my hand crafted apple wood buttons. She wrote a wonderful article with many references to Collingwood businesses.A few weeks later in came a lady looking for the applewood buttons she saw a picture of in?? you guessed it...

Over the last year I’ve had visitors from Ohio, Michigan, California, Kentucky, New York, Pennsylvania,  who all received my Welcome to the Apple Pie Trail. The three knitters from Kentucky were shopping, dining and planning their spa visit in Collingwood while their husbands were golfing for the day. The couple from Ohio had plans to bike the trails and enjoy yarn shopping searching for local yarns.  Many of the other visitors were knitters who had searched for yarn shops using knitmap.com before arriving in the area. They wanted a recommendation for a nice place for lunch, so of course I refer to my APT members list. 

Then I have the couple from Victoria, AUS who found me through google browsing at their kitchen table. That's right!! They were coming to Canada for a holiday. Where were they going to stay outside of Toronto? Southern Georgian Bay.... all found  via the Apple Pie Trail website.

I write on Facebook about the APT. I tweet about the APT. I use the APT logo in ALL my adverts. 

I leverage the fame of the APT to my best advantage. My advertising budget could not come close to advertising in the venues the APT has promoted this fabulous experience. For Grey Heron, the Apple Pie Trail experience has been one of excitement and opportunity.

Working with Patti Kendall and Kristin Ellis (two experts in the field of promotion and marketing) has taught me to follow the leaders – Ontario Tourism Culinary Experience 2011 award winner

Look at the write ups the trail has received - http://www.applepietrail.ca/media-press Look at the promotion of the Trail – website, brochure, magazines, Ontario Tourism partnerships, trade show and media event promotions and on and on…..

So, you are asking what has the trail done for Collingwood… take a look around and see the promotion of this town!! 

The question to ask here is?? How has the Town of Collingwood leveraged their dollars spent? I don't see any promo materials for businesses to hand out the tourists. I don't see town website support for the Apple Pie Trail... some buried link somewhere.... Where's the BIA business/map listing brochure to hand out the tourists? How is the BIA advertising to tourists outside of this area? 

So the moral of this question is - The Apple Pie Trail wins the arm wrestle... hands down!!