Competing for the Customer
Marketing activity in the latter part of 2008/09 was concentrated on the ‘Winning in Recession’ campaign
whilst the core domestic and overseas trade and consumer activity had continued success. The domestic
campaigns returned an additional £3 million of incremental spend, whilst an increased presence in
overseas markets exceeded both funding and visitor targets. Travel Trade activity achieved much greater
engagement with trade operators as well as 28% more income than planned.
Work to improve the provision and quality of information to visitors also developed through Tourist
Information Centre consultancy and contracts.
Winning in recession
ITB exhibition in Berlin. all destination and commercial partners
In October 2008 SEEda allocated a sum of £200,000 to undertake a
involved reported an increase in German trade.
marketing campaign to combat the effects of the downturn in the
economy. It was also envisaged that a further £300,000 in matched
Work continued in collaboration with VisitBritain with trade and media
funding would be raised from partners. at the heart of the campaign
in Belgium with the South East being represented at a ‘Meet the
was a new website – www.southeastoffers.com - that displayed offers,
Media’ event in Brussels. In addition, Thomas cook Travel agents were
discounts and incentives, available as downloadable vouchers, put
provided with tour hotel contacts.
forward by accommodation, attractions, activity providers and eating-
out establishments. The site also encouraged visitors to sign up to
In the French market, Tourism South East worked with Flybe and
receive monthly enewsletters and enabled a database of over 12,000
Brittany Ferries on an e-marketing campaign and a South East micro
consumers to be established.
site was developed as part of EnjoyEngland’s French website. Several
French press trips took place, including 10 media representatives
a media launch for the campaign was held in London in January 2009,
attending the Winchester Group Travel Fair.
hosted by travel broadcaster, Simon calder, and attended by over
40 travel journalists. advertising aimed at raising awareness of the
a dedicated chinese website was launched, supported by a guide and
campaign partners and driving traffic to the website took place in a
cd calendar. The Go! china Partnership continued to grow and now
variety of media including classic FM, heart FM, Magic FM and One
includes 12 partners who were promoted overseas at destination
network radio and websites; poster sites on the South West Trains
Britain in australia, the Olympics in Beijing, cITM in Shanghai and
network; press advertising; monthly enewsletters; a viral campaign
as part of hello Britain’s stand with china holidays. Other activity
and supplements in the Telegraph and Guardian. Tourism South East
included regular meetings with china tour operators and a series of
also had a presence at extra holiday shows and exhibitions in London,
familiarisation visits to the South East.
the Midlands and the north West.
In the US market, Tourism South East worked closely with Visit Kent
domestic Marketing
and England’s hidden heritage, supporting attendance at three
The effectiveness of domestic marketing activity undertaken continued
conferences/Workshops in the US as well as generating press trips to
to improve in 2008/09. With a return on investment of 22:1 against an
the region.
original projection of 10:1, these highly successful campaigns reached
an audience of over 173 million, including 1 million visits to the website.
Travel Trade and Exhibitions
Overall, Travel Trade businesses indicated an increase in business
Ongoing investment in e-marketing communications, including
during the year. Over 1100 visitors attended Tourism South East’s
targeted campaigns to a select database and the introduction of new
travel trade showpiece event, Excursions, a 7.5% increase on 2007/08.
software led to 41% of recipients opening e-communications, some
More coach operators attended and 95% of exhibitors said that they
16% higher than the industry norm.
would book again the following year.
The new ‘Time for Us’ campaign, aimed at the affluent couples market, Three Group Travel Fairs took place at Winchester cathedral, dickens
was launched and included supplements in The Independent and The
World and hatfield house, generating over 750 trade visitors.
Sunday Telegraph with sponsorship by First Great Western. It also
included Tourism South East’s first radio promotion in London with
Tourism South East coordinated a regional presence at the Best of
Magic FM.
Britain and Ireland (BOBI) exhibition, the replacement for British
Travel Trade Fair. Most of the 18 exhibitors from the South East that
The Family Fun campaign continued in popularity and is now in its third
participated reported favourably and are likely to exhibit again in
year. It launched with a Mail on Sunday supplement, jointly funded with
2009/10. The Travel agent Brit awards were sponsored by Tourism
Enjoy England and key sponsor South West Trains. Further coverage
South East in association with arun district council and West Sussex
was achieved in Enjoy England’s daily Telegraph supplement.
county council. direct contact was made with over half of the 250 travel
agents attending and Tourism South East was recognised with a highly
Overseas Marketing
commended UK coach award for its work with the coach Industry.
new for 2008/09 was a Trade Sales Mission in Germany, which
included face-to-face meetings with key German trade operators in
The Group Travel Guide was mailed to over 7,000 contacts and a coach
London, Berlin and hamburg. Follow up meetings took place at the
Operator’s newsletter was sent to over 3,000 contacts. advertising
6
www.industry.visitsoutheastengland.com