We Don’t Hibernate: Driving winter business through cooperative marketing

Destination Toronto’s winter marketing campaign Longer Nights, Brighter Lights is designed to inspire and create a sense of urgency to visit the city this winter. In its second year, the campaign continues to leverage the power of cooperative marketing, partnering with local hospitality and tourism businesses in Toronto.

In-market from January to March in Ontario and Quebec, Longer Nights, Brighter Lights showcases the unique experiences and attractions the city offers during the winter months. Because in Toronto when the nights get longer: We Don’t Hibernate—We Come Alive. 

We’re flipping the script on the traditional stay-at-home-in-winter stereotype to demonstrate the seasonal vibrancy of the city.

Kathy Motton: What is the goal of Longer Nights, Brighter Lights and how does it address the winter need period?

Jeremy Maunder: We want to increase visitation to the city in winter. We know winter is traditionally a slower period for the city, and in particular for the tourism community. Torontonians know that winter offers many entertainment options, culinary delights, cocktail bars, theatre productions, unique attractions, professional sports, and more. The Longer Nights, Brighter Lights campaign shares that story with visitors, inspiring them with all that Toronto has to offer during the winter months. We’re flipping the script on the traditional stay-at-home-in-winter stereotype to demonstrate the seasonal vibrancy of the city.

How is this year’s campaign different from last year's?

This year’s cooperative marketing campaign has been expanded to meet demand, increasing from 6 partners in 2025 to 15 partners in 2026—a three fold increase! The Longer Nights, Brighter Lights winter brand positioning has been in place for a number of years as an editorial winter theme. It’s a creative space that Toronto can—and does—authentically own. We’re continuing to lean into that messaging and for the second year, inviting the tourism community to buy-in to the program through a cooperative marketing model. 

By partnering with businesses and growing the program, we are increasing our presence in regional markets and strengthening our collective marketing impact. The faith our partners put in us and this program last winter and summer allowed us to expand the program for 2026, which I’m very excited about. Community buy-in and collaboration has allowed the program to reach a larger audience and create a greater impact, so we’re very grateful to see it grow so quickly and in such a short period of time. 

While there are many models used in cooperative marketing, we like to keep it simple and efficient, matching partner investments dollar for dollar.

For those who’ve never participated in a cooperative marketing campaign, what are the advantages and how does it work?

Our collective efforts mean participating partners will see their marketing dollars go further. A larger marketing presence will drive stronger results. While there are many models used in cooperative marketing, we like to keep it simple and efficient, matching partner investments dollar for dollar. For this campaign, our partners had the opportunity to buy-in at three levels: $7500, $15K or $50K. So as an example, if a business invests $7500, they will receive $15K in paid media driving to their website or preferred call-to-action. 

Partners who participated had the option to choose their target audience and a higher buy-in gave them deeper engagement strategies. We’ll support all of this with the Longer Nights, Brighter Lights brand campaign, using video, social media and content creator partnerships, to further drive a sense of urgency to travel.

It’s a great reminder that even in winter, Toronto doesn’t slow down—it just glows a little brighter.

What does a day experiencing Longer Nights and Brighter Lights look like for you?

That’s a tough one, there’s so much to do going from day to night!  But I love a good staycation so here it goes: I’d treat it like a reset day in my own city. I’d check into a downtown hotel just to change the pace and see the city from a visitor’s point of view. I’d start the day somewhere warm and immersive like Little Canada, the Royal Ontario Museum, or the Aga Khan Museum, which are perfect winter escapes.

In the afternoon, I’d head to Yorkdale for some indulgent shopping or pop into the Hockey Hall of Fame—things we sometimes forget are right in our own backyard. When the sun goes down, that’s when winter in Toronto really shines. I’d go up the CN Tower at dusk (the view is gorgeous), grab a Winterlicious dinner at one of Toronto’s fabulous restaurants (it’s only on from January 30th to February 12th so the timing is perfect) and I’d finish the night with a cozy cocktail on a heated patio. It’s a great reminder that even in winter, Toronto doesn’t slow down—it just glows a little brighter.

If you're interested in learning more about cooperative marketing for future opportunities, please reach out to Jeremy Maunder.