Back in September, Odin Events asked our marketing team to help them with a new project that they were working on with Cotswold Airport. The Flight Before Christmas is the world's first grotto production held onboard a jumbo jet.
This was the first year that the grotto was being held at Cotswold Airport so we needed to manage a multi-channel marketing campaign to help sell as many tickets as possible.
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Photo taken by Jeanne
Photography- Only one week into her new digital marketing role, Jeanne who recently graduated with a BA in Photography: Editorial & Advertising was tasked with capturing a number of press shots that we could use to build interest in the event and sell tickets. Once the campaign photos had been edited, they were issued to the press and shared on social media to build interest.
Social Media Adverts- To make sure we reach customers who might not have seen the organic social media content, we targeted people in our desired demographics with paid-for social media ads. Using a combination of photos, videos and drone footage we tested a number of ads and then optimised the best-performing combination.
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Print Advertising- We designed and placed adverts in local newspapers across the October payday weekend as we knew this was when people started to think about Christmas events and booking Christmas grottos.
Influencer Marketing- Despite the event being held in the Cotswolds, we had a wide-ranging target audience that we wanted to attract to the event. We initially focused on Wiltshire and Gloucestershire but also needed to expand into Bath, Bristol and Oxfordshire too. We initially relied on UK Adventure Trails and Cotswold Airport's established social media accounts to gain interest and then closer to the launch we engaged with a number of social media influencers who shared similar demographics with those who we wanted to attract to the event. The social media influencers were asked to create content that was shared on their own channels in return for a ticket for their family. The user-generated content could then also be shared on the UK Adventure Trails and Cotswolds Airport channels too. Allowing us to completely manage the influencers, briefing them on what was required, and ensuring they shared lots of the content on their channels meant that the organisers could spend time bringing the event to life.
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A few examples of press coverage
PR and Media- Throughout the campaign, engaging with the media and issuing a number of Press Releases was vital in helping us further spread the word. Prior to the launch of the event, we generated 19 articles across local, national and trade press. We then invited those reporters to the launch night to create follow-up stories. TV reporters were also invited too.
On press night.
On the press launch evening, it was our job to make sure everyone who had been invited was checked in and on the flight at the time dedicated to them. We also joined the last group boarding the Flight, to photograph the experience, meaning the organisers have extra content to use on their social media accounts to further promote the event.
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At the check-in desk. (photo by Jeanne)
We have really enjoyed working on this campaign it has allowed us to demonstrate the diverse range of skills that we have in the marketing team. If you'd like our support to boost your marketing efforts, why not get in touch.