2008 marks the fifth year of the ‘Scotland. Welcome to our Life’ Pan-European Touring Campaign which has in previous years represented a return on investment of £23 for every £1 spent.

The 2008 campaign seeks to build on the success of the past four years.  Conversion research on previous year’s activity has confirmed we have delivered well on the key requirements:

1. Motivating and converting through information on how to “do” Scotland
2. Highlighting the experience of social engagement in Scotland
3. Promoting direct and affordable access to Scotland.  

As well as continuing to position Scotland as accessible and affordable and as a quality, unique and authentic product.  The 2008 campaign will address a new focus, namely on Seasonality, addressing one of our levers for growth - Capacity Utilisation

Campaign Objectives:

• Encourage new and repeat travellers to seek further information on touring holidays in Scotland.
• Encourage these to travel to Scotland.
• Increase uptake of touring holidays (short and long) – March – June // September – October.

Timing

• The campaign will run from 28 January 2008 through to September 2008 with slight variations in timings depending on the market.

• Market Focus:
  
  The main markets included in the campaign are: Germany, France, the Netherlands and Spain with e-communications and PR activity also for Italy, Sweden and Belgium.

Online Activity

• The campaign activity will be mainly focus on online which fits well with the growing trend towards planning and booking holidays online. Online advertising will include: banners (+video streaming), key word advertising on key travel and lifestyle portals and acquisition leads buys.  

Online Activity / Retention Activity

• An E-communications plan includes a bespoke 12-month themed E-DM scheduled for dispatch in February 2008 and x4 touring-themed e-newsletters to our online databases (approx. 460,000 contacts across all markets).

Direct Marketing

• A 12 page Direct Mail piece will be sent out to c.100,000 postal contacts on the VisitScotland database covering Netherlands, Germany, France, and Spain. This piece will provide information rich content on 8 months of the year (March – October) signposting the seasonal calendar for more information where all 12 months of the year are displayed.  The mailer will also include a profiling postcard to enable us to find out more about our database.  

Advertorials

• In Germany there will be advertorial placements in regional and pan German magazines including Petra and Abenteuer & Reisen.  Total Circulation = 800,000.  

Info Screens

• In Germany there will be 20 second video streamed info-screens featuring within Dortmund and Munich rail stations, in collaboration with easyJet.  

Competition

• This year we are running a ‘win a Scottish adventure a month for a whole year’ sweepstake; where a couple will win a different adventure every month for a whole year.  Each monthly prize will be roughly based around one of Scotland’s 12 national tourist routes.  

Press and PR

• There is a year round programme of press visits, releases, features and ongoing media relations to support the touring campaign in all the markets. PR activity will push to communicate both long and short touring messages.

Call to Action

• The main call to action for the campaign will be to visit the touring gateway websites and the seasonal calendar.  Competition and price led messages with partners are additional call to actions in those campaigns which also incorporate collaborative marketing activity with carriers / operators.  

Fulfilment

• All activity will drive respondents to visit the euro-gateway websites. The websites will be able to provide a great depth of information about Scotland and will feature: downloadable itineraries, top tips, accommodation and transport deals and much more.  A number of alterations have been made to the touring websites for this campaign, including the refreshment of the downloadable touring itineraries and insider tips.