2012 Silver Best use of email marketing

Client Tourism Ireland

How did the campaign make a difference? A disruptive out of office email capitalised on the joy of being off work, helping establish Ireland as the ideal destination for an immersive, relaxing holiday packed with authentic and iconic activities. It generated 12,364 unique landing page hits, 22,790 competition page hits and 20,498 entries. A cold email open rate of 12.8% compares to the industry average of 14.5% for warm emails.

What details of the strategy make this a winning entry? Focusing on the disconnected nature of a holiday in rural Ireland pushed thousands of potential holidaymakers from the interest to intent stage, at a time when traveller’s budgets are shrinking and fewer trips are being made. Local history and culture is the second highest reason for choosing a destination and is the most rapidly growing sector of the tourism industry. This work highlighted the wealth of rich and iconic experiences on offer. The other priority for prospects is the chance to disconnect from everyday life while on holiday. The industry is reacting to this trend, with many destinations promoting themselves as disconnected. With its gorgeous rural landscapes, geographic separation from the UK and low population density, Ireland has a legitimate claim to be a leader in this trend.

How did creativity bring the strategy to life? A pared-back creative approach used a simple universal truth to cut through inbox clutter: one of the best things about being on holiday is not being at work. Your job is often the most stressful part of your life and the one thing you would most like to spend some time disconnected from. So prospects received a disarmingly disruptive out of office text email, signed from themselves as if they were already enjoying a brilliant holiday in Ireland. This allowed them to imagine all the wonderful things they could be doing there. Follow-up emails in the same style highlighted authentic Irish experiences on offer and the chance to win a free holiday. The handwritten campaign landing page then brought more authentic Irish experiences to life. All delivered with the trademark Irish wit and charm other destinations could never match.

Results The combination of an intriguing subject line and the emotional tug of being out of the office resonated with the audience, for record open and click rates. All campaigns are measured in terms of increased brand engagement and intent to travel metrics as prospects cannot directly book trips through the Tourism Ireland website.

Team Siyana Hirani,Natalie Ryan, Geraldine Sherriff, Lindsey Menzies, Ian Bates, Ben Whitely, Nick Barthram, Carrie Barrett, David Jones, Mike Taylor

Other contributor Sian Norris – Copywriting