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January – April 2008
Background:
Car touring represents the largest leisure tourism market to Scotland from the United States. The spring touring campaign is, therefore, the largest campaign VisitScotland runs in the States.
This market is fuelled increasingly by new direct air routes and emerging low cost carriers, improving Scotland’s accessibility and affordability. This campaign works with some of these carriers (including Continental & Delta)
US spring campaigns in previous years have successfully achieved an ROI of 30:1.
Key features of the campaign include:
- Rich information provision, promoting specific touring opportunities right across the country, in particular via VisitScotland’s new, content-rich website www.cometoscotland.com and downloadable touring maps
- Strong direct access and airline/sea carrier partner price messages
- Partner campaigns with Delta (West coast USA via JFK – Edinburgh) and Continental (NY – Edinburgh and Glasgow) as well as well as key outbound tour operators CIE, BMIT and GCS.
- Touring focus incorporating both rural and city product
| Campaign Objectives |
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- Build awareness and demand for Scotland touring holidays within our target segments.
- Move potential travellers to seek further information on touring holidays in Scotland
- Convert these to travel to Scotland
- Generate visits to the US gateway website, www.cometoscotland.com
- Data capture new prospects and increase e-database
- Increase awareness of direct routes and generate additional sales and leads for campaign partners
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| Online Activity |
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The campaign activity is 100% online focused which fits well with the growing trend towards planning and booking holidays online. - Online advertising will include: interactive banners, video streamed banners and key word advertising on key travel and lifestyle portals. A number of the ads will be promoting a Win a Scottish Island sweepstake. Online advertising is being used to support partner activity for Continental, Delta, CIE and GCS etc.
Research has shown that Interactive advertising formats have 3x higher click through than static banners. E-communications will be used to support partner activity for Continental and Delta. The plan includes Competition: The sweepstake can only be entered via the US website www.cometoscotland.com and will be promoted via e-newsletters and online advertising. The sweepstake is aimed at driving data acquisition and increasing VisitScotland’s database size and has a strong viral focus.
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| Press and PR |
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There is a year-round programme of press visits, releases, features and ongoing media relations to support the touring campaign in all the markets. |
| Call to Action |
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The main call to action for the campaign will be to visit the US website -www.cometoscotland.com which features campaign partners prominently on the homepage. The US website will provide a depth of information about Scotland and will feature: downloadable itineraries; interactive maps; top tips; accommodation and transport deals and much more. It also has a number of added features: - Events engine
- US dollar priced accommodation searches
- Digital versions of the main US awareness guide
- Seasonal calendar
- New downloadable/printable fact sheets
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| Business Opportunities & Deadlines |
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Listings on travel deals section in www.cometoscotland.com are available. This opportunity provides the participating company with potential exposure to a number of hot prospect respondents to the campaign (278k web visits to the US website in 2006/7). There is the opportunity to feature in the e-newsletters that will be sent out to the VisitScotland e-database. This has a reach of c. 122k hot leads who have expressed an interest in visiting Scotland.
Opportunities for inclusion in the campaign (Spring 2008):
- Joint online advertising
- Advertising on and sponsorship of touring itineraries
- Advertising in printed Main Guide
- Advertising in Digital Brochure (Main Guide)
- Inclusion in E-newsletters
- Listing on travel deals section of www.cometoscotland.com
* Please note the above marketing opportunities are available through Industry Engagement (BRMS and BDMs). Information and costs will be available shortly for 2008 Campaign. |
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