The Need
Winter Glow is the West Midlands’ biggest consumer Christmas event. But, as the show entered its third year, it remained relatively unknown amongst many local communities. With more competition than ever before, this was a major challenge.
To boost ticket sales and lay solid foundations for future events, the show needed to increase brand awareness amongst local families and couples and build its reputation as the ultimate festive experience in the region.
How We Helped
We devised a three-strand approach to increase reach amongst local audiences, build the show’s reputation, and drive high-quality traffic to the event’s website for conversion into ticket sales.
- Local event listing and directories
We capitalised on high search volume for family Christmas activities by securing Winter Glow in the highest-ranking local and national ‘What’s On’ lists and directories.
- Maximising event news
Getting the local media on-side and sharing news to the show’s catchment area was key. We executed a calendar of news stories about the event to local media in the build-up to the show. The stories built excitement around the event, put it on the audience’s radar before the event opened and delivered backlinks and traffic to the website. We announced new attractions, set up a photo story offering a ‘first look’ at the event, and did the show’s first ever Santa’s Elves Auditions.
- Influencer endorsements
Local influencers are an important source of trusted information for Winter Glow’s customers. So, we partnered with the 100 family and lifestyle content creators with the highest engagement rates in the show catchment area to build awareness amongst their followers and endorse the event. The influencers hosted ticket giveaways on their channels throughout October and November to maximise exposure in this key sales period. We then created an exclusive VIP reception on opening night, hosting the influencers and their families, followed by complimentary access to Winter low’s main attractions. In return, they promoted the show across their channels and posted reviews to help boost the event’s score on trusted platforms.
