2012 Gold Best direct response television or radio advertising

Client Warner Leisure Hotels

How did the campaign make a difference? A clear understanding of potential new guests enabled motivating messaging, efficient targeting and the creation of a perfect journey from engagement to booking. With 48% less spent, this campaign achieved 133% more revenue year on year.

What details of the strategy make this a winning entry? Database analytics and qualitative work showed that the best new guests for Warners are people aged in the seven years between planning to retire and actually retiring (when they’re most likely to experiment with new travel opportunities) who are members of local clubs or societies. The difference in revenue between an average guest and one of these best is £1,300 over five years. Demographic and behavioural definition allowed understanding of their media usage, motivations and locations. Conversion analytics showed that different journeys created different revenue outcomes, leading to the design of an ideal journey: an emotional broadcast engagement, then a rational exploration of the product, followed by a reassuring human interaction. Touchpoints identified the core best new guest audience, enabling tracking of their TV-viewing behaviour by channel, day-part and programme. This allowed creation of a perfect schedule, using a radically different media mix from the previous year. The number of channels was cut from 111 in 2011 to just 50 in 2012, reflecting the tightly defined audience and their specific viewing patterns. Day and day-part profile changed, with less airtime on weekends and after 10pm. Genre mix changed, with less entertainment and more films and documentaries.

How did creativity bring the strategy to life? The journey starts with commercials on a day in the life of current guests, allowing viewers to identify with the guests and see the product. From TV they were driven to call immediately or explore further via web or print (the rational exploration part). The final part of the journey is driving new guests to phone and book, even encouraging web visitors to call rather than book online. The call centre is staffed with a team who’ve been to all the hotels, and can take up to 30 minutes to ensure a new guest starts with the right hotel and experience on their first visit.

Results Warners is a very successful brand, with continuous revenue growth for the last five years. But new guest numbers and repeat bookings had fallen each year. This campaign was a radical departure: between December 2011 and March 2012 Warners spent 48% less, and achieved 133% more revenue; spending 33% less on media while new guests rose by 34%. That’s £2m more income for £500,000 less cost.

Team Mike Colling - Managing Director, Anna Zolkiewicz - Strategic Planner, Jackie Irish - Trading Manager, Nicky Legg - Business Director, John Willacy - Media Director, Katie Dalton - Senior Planner / Buyer, Sacheverell Wall - Head of Insight, Andy Imrie - Creative Director, Claus Larson - Creative Director, Bethany Ryan - Account Handling

Other contributors Lakestar Media - Search, Planning, Buying, SOUK - Creative Agency