Destination marketing can be enhanced through collaboration, as demonstrated by the successful Dollywood/Pigeon Forge Co-Op campaign. By utilizing Pigeon Forge's audience, Dollywood aimed to attract more visitors to its seasonal festivals and on-site resort. This blog post will detail this campaign's practical strategies and impressive results.
The objective was clear: capture the attention of potential visitors and motivate them to choose Dollywood. The strategy involved tapping into the target audience already engaged with Pigeon Forge's digital media campaigns, MyPigeonForge.com, and Pigeon Forge mobile ID audience segments. This audience intended to visit, making them ideal candidates for Dollywood's messaging.
“Escalating media costs and segmented audiences are providing a challenge to all marketers. Creating a co-op strategy with a variety of partners sharing the same broad objective has been incredibly helpful in Dollywood expanding its marketing base. Utilizing the talents of SME firms like Orange to assist in strategy development, execution and tracking has shown to be very effective.”- Pete Owens, Vice President Marketing and Public Relations, Dollywood.
To ensure maximum visibility and engagement, the campaign used Video Instream, Mobile Audio, Native, Display, and Search-Based Display tactics. This diverse mix of channels allowed Dollywood to reach the target audience across various platforms and formats, providing a comprehensive brand experience.
The campaign ran for nine months, from March to December, allowing for prolonged exposure to the target audience during their decision-making process. It successfully served 30 million impressions and generated over 137,000 qualified clicks to the landing page. The overall click-through rate (CTR) of 0.44% exceeded industry averages, demonstrating the campaign's effectiveness in capturing attention and driving engagement.
The Dollywood/Pigeon Forge Co-Op campaign showcases the power of collaboration and targeted marketing in the destination marketing landscape. By leveraging their partner's audience and aligning messaging with audience intent, Dollywood increased awareness and consideration among potential visitors. Using diverse tactics across multiple channels, combined with strategic execution, resulted in impressive results.
The success of the Dollywood/Pigeon Forge Co-Op campaign shows how partnerships and targeted marketing can add value to marketing efforts. Destinations and brands can achieve remarkable outcomes by optimizing campaigns and leveraging existing audiences. Collaboration and strategic targeting play a vital role in driving tourism growth and capturing the attention of potential visitors.
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