2022 Bronze Customer Acquisition

Agency: Smithfield Agency

Client: Ascot Racecourse

Campaign Name: A drama that can never be written

Campaign Overview

Royal Ascot was back to full capacity after two years of the pandemic. Its ambition was to make 2022 the racecourse’s best year ever.

Strategy

The agency developed a phased approach: up-weighting during peak ticket demand and down-weighting during quieter periods to minimise waste. The strategy was designed to create demand at the top of the funnel, then capitalise on latent demand with direct sales tactics at the crucial phase of the ticket purchase journey.

The work was informed and built using analysing previous customer data, through Experian Mosaic and TGI. The team identified two key customer segments: the early birds and the late buyers.

Then it was a case of targeting each audience with the right message at the right time. A full funnel approach was devised, with the early bird segment filtering through each stage of the journey much quicker than the late buyer.

Distinct and unique messaging was delivered to each segment at each stage of their journey, taking account of the characteristics that identified the groups. Early birds were natural planners, tantalised with the drama of planning their outfit in advance of the big day. Late buyers were encouraged to buy before tickets sold out.

A soft launch began by targeting early birds with an omnichannel digital presence, search, social, display, radio and video. The full campaign launched targeting both segments with TV, cinema and out of home from mid-March to mid-May. As the event drew closer, the focus shifted to late buyers.

As the creative approach was about 'drama' the campaign harnessed media channels with the most dramatic impact: cinema and large format out-of-home sites were selected to bring the work to life.

The Waterloo Station digital landscape site was secured as hero placement - perfect for reaching affluent commuters who pass through the station on a daily basis.

Creativity

The theme was 'A drama that can never be written’. It depicted the excitement from the drama of horse racing, but also the drama of the day at Ascot; from the cutting-edge fashion and Michelin-starred cuisine to the excitement of backing on a winner.

The creative approach was centred around portraying a moment that can't be predicted. Like a TV drama, Ascot was about creating an experience that can never be written, because no one knew how it would play out.

Results

All results beat targets and exceeded client expectations. The campaign delivered the highest number of racegoers to Ascot since 2018. ROI from digital media was £7.33 for every £1 spent.

Individual media channel performance included:

• Paid social performance saw a 398% increase in revenue and 137% increase in ROI compared to 2019 activity. This was aided by running 138 ads (79% more than 2019) to fit in with the strategy

• Paid search drove a 73% increase in revenue and 260% increase in ROI compared to 2019

• Programmatic display drove a positive ROI throughout the campaign, reaching highest levels of £50 ROI during the peak demand

• Even though video was predominantly brand-led, it still generated an average ROI of £6

The campaign results enabled the marketing team to secure more budget for 2023.

The Team

Smithfield Agency - Sharyn Minton, Account Director - Despina Argyrides, Account Director - Sarah Coften, Head of Digital - Seb Jacquinot, Digital Performance Manager - Elton Thrusell, Head of Performance - Sean Heneghan, Digital Media Manager

Ascot Racecourse - Ros Robinson, Head of Marketing - Vicky Paton, Marketing Manager