The last phase of our successful Scotland is Calling marketing campaign ran from September 2022 until April 2023. It focussed on connection, showcasing the emotional value and benefit you get from a trip to Scotland. With a paid media focus on the UK and US markets, we ran activity across a number of different platforms. This reached audiences at all stages of the customer journey.
The campaign centred around three key pillars of activity, representing different opportunities. Brand building activity allowed us to drive awareness of Scotland. Content and brand partnerships helped us encourage visitors to find out more. Activity with key online travel agents let us drive bookings and gain invaluable insights.
Designed to drive awareness, we distributed video and image-based content via key platforms. Our video content had an inspirational hook to make people want to go to Scotland. The image-based ads, meanwhile, were user-generated to provide authenticity. Using various lengths and edits of videos for each platform and format, we ensured an optimal performance.
Duration
The activity took place between September and November 2022 and between February and March 2023.
Impressions
During both phases, there were 19.5 million impressions delivered.
Video views
During both phases, our videos had 3.9 million views.
Clickthrough rate
During both phases, 35,800 users clicked on links to visitscotland.com.
This activity distributed videos via paid social media, including Instagram and TikTok. We also shared our videos via the digital channel Teads.
Duration
The activity took place between October and November 2022 and between January and March 2023.
Impressions
During both phases, there were 101.8 million impressions delivered.
Video views
During both phases, our videos had 18.4 million views.
Clickthrough rate
During both phases, 594,200 users clicked on links to visitscotland.com.
This activity distributed videos via paid social media, including Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok (via Matador Network). We also shared our videos via Connected TV.
This activity is designed to make people consider visiting Scotland though the help of our partners. The following are two examples of our recent partnership activities.
We ran our activity on the American broadcasting channel NBC and their daily lifestyle programme, NY Live. This was to coincide with Scotland Week in April 2023. Our activity was in collaboration with Johnnie Walker and the live segment included:
Scottish actor Graham McTavish
Diageo’s Head of Corporate Relations, Ian Smith
Our Head of Brand and Global Marketing, Cat Leaver
Scotland Week is a key event in the US market calendar. Our media outreach lasted six days during that week. It delivered 1.8 million impressions and over 150,000 interactions and views on social media.
For this activity, we worked in partnership with GoPro and content creators @the_adverntureaddicts. Together, we created a suite of reels and stills featuring a range of Scottish locations on an epic adventure itinerary. These were posted across the content creators’ channels, and GoPro's UK and global social media channels.
These online platforms are instrumental in turning lookers into bookers. As part of our Scotland is Calling activity, we worked with Expedia on multiple partnership marketing campaigns. across both the UK and US markets, alongside specific aviation activity in North America and Australia.
Read more about our campaign with Expedia13.4 million impressions online, over 2.7 million impressions on social media, and a ratio of 115:1 of return on ad spend in US dollars.
19.7 million impressions online, over 804.6 million impressions on social media, and a ratio of 80:1 of return on ad spend in US dollars.
Collectively, 6.7 million impressions online, and a ratio of 23:7 of return on ad spend in US dollars.
Through the VisitBritain Gateway Innovation Fund, we worked with London & Partners on a unique campaign in the US. This campaign was also in partnership with Expedia and the Caledonian Sleeper.
It promoted dual visits to London and Scotland under the messaging of "two iconic destinations, one unforgettable trip". Focus in Scotland lay on Glasgow, Edinburgh, Inverness and Aberdeen. Further support was given from respective destination management organisations.
Results for this campaign are expected to be published in September 2023.
Read more about VisitBritain's Innovation FundWe're raising awareness of Scotland through a programme of marketing activities, including partnerships. For 2023/24 activity, paid media investment will continue to focus on UK and US markets.
There will also be some additional activity in France and Germany and wider market coverage via owned and earned channels.
With our future activities, we want to reach "experience seekers" at each stage of the consumer journey.