Taking hotel bookings to the next level

Challenge

Tourism Richmond created a promotional partnership with fourteen participating hotels of the Richmond Hotel Association in an effort to boost hotel bookings during the financially challenging shoulder season. Our goal was simple: quickly and significantly improve the number of bookings through the DMO’s online booking engine.

Approach

Although the campaign was specifically focused on bookings, we strongly advocated for a more holistic approach: instead of focusing only on low-funnel tactics, we targeted travellers across multiple stages in their customer journey. We used a variety of linear and digital tactics to educate potential visitors about Richmond and drive awareness of the offer. As awareness of Richmond tends to be highest in short-haul driveable markets, we focused on key markets in BC, Alberta and Washington State (with a particular emphasis on Seattle) where we had the best opportunity to convince a traveller to book a trip.

Social

Digital

Results

Our approach blew expectations out of the water, with total bookings increasing by a whopping 4,900% over the prior year. We calculated an enviable 75% ROAS (return on ad spend) for the campaign—enough to make it one of the most successful campaigns in Tourism Richmond’s history.