Greensboro Science Center 2021 Winter Wonderlights

Greensboro Science Center 2021 Winter Wonderlights

Media Planning Case Study

The Challenge:

Since opening their doors 65 years ago, Greensboro Science Center has become a magnet for visitors to Greensboro, attracting families from all over the state to the area. Although most know of them because of their variety of wildlife and seemingly innumerable activities, one of their most popular events is a seasonal light show—Winter Wonderlights. In 2021, Winter Wonderlights expanded to immerse Revolution Ridge, the GSC’s 11-acre zoo expansion, making this the largest event to date, and as such, the GSC team wanted to build upon the awareness and excitement generated both in the Triad and throughout North Carolina during 2020.

The Strategy:

Our approach to broadening statewide awareness of Winter Wonderlights was two-fold. First, we expanded geotargeting efforts to include major metros in the state, including Raleigh/Durham and Charlotte. Also, considering the exponential increase in digital media consumption during the pandemic, we increased digital spend and tactics to reach the target where they are—regardless of device or platform.

In the Triad, we implemented a multi-touchpoint and platform campaign, encompassing traditional media and the mass reach of broadcast and cable television, local radio, magazine, and out-of-home. We coupled these campaigns with digital tactics, including social media, streaming audio, connected television, eNews, and banner ads.

Major Takeaways

Web traffic increases from previous two months:

92k users (+155.56%)

146k sessions (+183.5%)

$5k revenue (+233.33%)

300k pageviews (+120.59%)

Final Impression Numbers For Each Medium

agsdi-video-play

TV/Video:

8,494,284

agsdi-microphone

Audio:

15,376,809

agsdi-billboard

Digital Display:

4,568,780

agsdi-book

Print:

696,000

agsdi-image

Truck/Out of Home:

9,171,210
agsdi-analysis

Total:

38,307,083

Greensboro Science Center

Greensboro Science Center

 

Media Planning Case Study

Founded in 1957, the Greensboro Science Center (GSC) has created and maintained their reputation as an innovator. They use technology to bring a new joy and interest to museums by bringing together a science museum, zoological park and an aquarium—all at one central location. In addition to their not-so-traditional take on science-based exhibits, they’ve added other attractions like SKYWILD and the OmniSphere Theater.  Learn more about the challenges they presented to Bouvier Kelly and how we helped solve them.

The Challenge:

Throughout their 60+ years of existence, GSC has continued to grow their attendance to impressive levels. But as with any successful enterprise, it’s imperative to never rest on your laurels: there is always room to grow and share the wonders that GSC offers. Their team came to us to help devise a way to continue building their visitor numbers with both new visitors and previous guests. There is always more to see and experience at GSC, and our task was to demonstrate those offerings all while making the most of their budget. Maximizing their reach within their media budget was, and continues to be, a top priority.

The Strategy:

First and foremost, we dove into GSC’s existing strategy and found that they were already on the right track. Our job would be to add bandwidth, strategic thinking and refine their existing strategies to make them even more successful. To do this, we analyzed their visitor data from the previous three years, examining geography and other patterns. We reallocated budget by geography to maximize reach in areas with the largest opportunity for quick growth at first, slowly building growth from other target areas afterwards. Then we focused on rebalancing their media mix to ensure they had a wide range of placement types. Any existing advertising outlets that remained were evaluated to ensure the placement was as high impact and visual as possible.

The Strategy:

First and foremost, we dove into GSC’s existing strategy and found that they were already on the right track. Our job would be to add bandwidth, strategic thinking and refine their existing strategies to make them even more successful. To do this, we analyzed their visitor data from the previous three years, examining geography and other patterns. We reallocated budget by geography to maximize reach in areas with the largest opportunity for quick growth at first, slowly building growth from other target areas afterwards. Then we focused on rebalancing their media mix to ensure they had a wide range of placement types. Any existing advertising outlets that remained were evaluated to ensure the placement was as high impact and visual as possible.
Next, we wanted to learn more about the cycle of visits the center experienced in the course of the year. In order to best allocate their budget, we needed to know which months typically yielded higher volumes of traffic. This was to strategically use those funds to create an even larger push during these high traffic months, as well as prioritize times when they had a big announcement, exhibit opening or event. Finally, we implemented greater usage of Facebook advertising. We began delivering a series of targeted campaigns to different audiences with specific CTAs throughout the year. These campaigns were aimed at increasing traffic to specific events and exhibits, while also raising awareness and driving more visits to their website.
Next, we wanted to learn more about the cycle of visits the center experienced in the course of the year. In order to best allocate their budget, we needed to know which months typically yielded higher volumes of traffic. This was to strategically use those funds to create an even larger push during these high traffic months, as well as prioritize times when they had a big announcement, exhibit opening or event. Finally, we implemented greater usage of Facebook advertising. We began delivering a series of targeted campaigns to different audiences with specific CTAs throughout the year. These campaigns were aimed at increasing traffic to specific events and exhibits, while also raising awareness and driving more visits to their website.
The Results
Overall, refining GSC’s strategy and reallocating their budget was successful, and the use of Facebook advertising helped the GSC reach a 7% increase in visitors for the year. Listed below are the total number of ad impressions each tactic produced:

439,600

Print

2,211,627

Digital

7,015,466

Radio

3,789,081

TV

25,081,703

Out of Home

388,537,537

Total
Pinehurst CVB Campaign

Pinehurst CVB Campaign

CVB Campaign

Pinehurst Golf
Known throughout the country as the Home of American Golf, Pinehurst (and its surrounding communities, Southern Pines and Aberdeen) boasts 40 distinct golf courses in a 15-mile radius. Designed by some of the most renowned golf architects in the business, the courses offer challenges and exciting play for golfers of all skill levels and ages. Pinehurst has always maintained a loyal following among the game’s most passionate and polished players with its lush fairways and charming small-town appeal. From historical treasures to fine dining and shopping, Pinehurst’s appeal rests with more than just legendary golf.

The Challenge:

Though the 40 courses that make up Pinehurst’s world-famous reputation still hold a powerful allure, their CVB knew it was important to stay in touch with both the old and new guard of golf lovers. In an effort to appeal to both older generations and the upcoming wave of new millennial-aged golfers, we helped craft a robust print and digital campaign. Our work campaign would strive to lure returning golfers back to the Home of American Golf as well as entice a younger audience to discover that legacy for the first time. Lucky for us, it’s not hard to reinvigorate a brand promise that has captivated generations of golfers.

The Campaigns:

How do you convey the singular focus and dedication to golf that Pinehurst exudes? How do you make it clear that the city and its residents eat, sleep and breathe the game? First, you have to make sure you’re keeping the Pinehurst brand’s key value propositions foremost in the viewer’s mind. Our first campaign execution, Golf In Mind, does just that. Using double exposure techniques, this series combines close-up portraits of golfers with striking images of the area’s courses inside their silhouette. It’s a visual cue that makes their value proposition perfectly clear: Pinehurst is golf. These standout images needed bold headlines to match, which is why they’re paired with resolute words like legendary and inspiring. The taglines “Golf here is legendary” and “Golf here is inspiring” evolved out of a lengthy dive into the world of Pinehurst golf, working to identify just what made their courses stand out from the pack. Simply put, the reputation of Pinehurst’s golf community is legendary, drawing in players from around the world. It’s inspiring, pushing professionals and amateurs alike to rise to the occasion and play their best. When you’re lucky enough to have nurtured a reputation like Pinehurst’s, it’s crucial that you don’t overcomplicate the message or clutter the basic facts of its appeal and success. In addition to the more emotionally-driven Golf In Mind campaign, we also wanted to highlight the fact the Pinehurst is home to 40 golf courses in just a 15-mile radius—an almost uncanny statistic to comprehend. Unlike more common one-off golf destinations, Pinehurst gives golfers a stunning array of courses to test their mettle, allowing for an unparalleled diversity of challenges and rewarding games. We put the number 40 front and center for this campaign, letting it do most of the talking. When you’ve got an asset like that at your disposal, it’s best not to get in the way.

The Campaigns:

How do you convey the singular focus and dedication to golf that Pinehurst exudes? How do you make it clear that the city and its residents eat, sleep and breathe the game? First, you have to make sure you’re keeping the Pinehurst brand’s key value propositions foremost in the viewer’s mind. Our first campaign execution, Golf In Mind, does just that. Using double exposure techniques, this series combines close-up portraits of golfers with striking images of the area’s courses inside their silhouette. It’s a visual cue that makes their value proposition perfectly clear: Pinehurst is golf. These standout images needed bold headlines to match, which is why they’re paired with resolute words like legendary and inspiring. The taglines “Golf here is legendary” and “Golf here is inspiring” evolved out of a lengthy dive into the world of Pinehurst golf, working to identify just what made their courses stand out from the pack. Simply put, the reputation of Pinehurst’s golf community is legendary, drawing in players from around the world. It’s inspiring, pushing professionals and amateurs alike to rise to the occasion and play their best. When you’re lucky enough to have nurtured a reputation like Pinehurst’s, it’s crucial that you don’t overcomplicate the message or clutter the basic facts of its appeal and success. In addition to the more emotionally-driven Golf In Mind campaign, we also wanted to highlight the fact the Pinehurst is home to 40 golf courses in just a 15-mile radius—an almost uncanny statistic to comprehend. Unlike more common one-off golf destinations, Pinehurst gives golfers a stunning array of courses to test their mettle, allowing for an unparalleled diversity of challenges and rewarding games. We put the number 40 front and center for this campaign, letting it do most of the talking. When you’ve got an asset like that at your disposal, it’s best not to get in the way.

The Execution:

Once the campaign’s collateral was ready to tee off, it was time to decide just how and where these ads would be seen. Combining traditional print avenues with a digitally-focused campaign allowed the assets to reach both ends of the target spectrum: older, established golfers and their millennial-aged counterparts. In addition to hitting high-traffic destinations for golfers across the internet, ads for this campaign appeared in national publications such as Southern Living, Golf Digest and AARP Magazine, as well as more regionally-focused outlets such as Our State Magazine (NC), VA Golfer and Washingtonian Magazine.

The Execution:

Once the campaign’s collateral was ready to tee off, it was time to decide just how and where these ads would be seen. Combining traditional print avenues with a digitally-focused campaign allowed the assets to reach both ends of the target spectrum: older, established golfers and their millennial-aged counterparts. In addition to hitting high-traffic destinations for golfers across the internet, ads for this campaign appeared in national publications such as Southern Living, Golf Digest and AARP Magazine, as well as more regionally-focused outlets such as Our State Magazine (NC), VA Golfer and Washingtonian Magazine.
Dan River State Crossings

Dan River State Crossings

Media Placement Case Study

Dan River State Crossings

The Dan River State Crossings is the result of an ongoing effort led by the Dan River Basin Implementation Team. This region, which comprises 8 counties and several municipalities, is tied together by the 214 miles of the Dan River.

 

The Challenge:

Our first challenge was to unite the region under one brand, one name. We started with the mantra: “A rising tide lifts all the boats.” Because the cities and towns throughout this region share much of the same natural beauty and tourist attractions, we needed to change the mindset from competition to collaboration.

We started by looking for what connects these places and draws people in—we always came back to the river. The “Dan River Basin” as a name is descriptive, but lacks the charisma of other branded regions such as The Crystal Coast. When we saw that the Dan River weaves in and out of the eight counties, crossing the state border eight times, we found our hook.

The Challenge:

Our first challenge was to unite the region under one brand, one name. We started with the mantra: “A rising tide lifts all the boats.” Because the cities and towns throughout this region share much of the same natural beauty and tourist attractions, we needed to change the mindset from competition to collaboration.

We started by looking for what connects these places and draws people in—we always came back to the river. The “Dan River Basin” as a name is descriptive, but lacks the charisma of other branded regions such as The Crystal Coast. When we saw that the Dan River weaves in and out of the eight counties, crossing the state border eight times, we found our hook.

The Campaign:

Now that we had a name, the Dan River ST8 Crossings, we needed to find the best way to tell the story. We developed a mood board capturing the feeling and atmosphere of the region that would inform the tone of the campaign both visually and verbally.

While developing the campaign, we found a number of words that conveyed the attractions of the area that could also connect back to the name: captiv8, fascin8, navig8, etc. Combined with beautiful photography and videography, these words keyed in on the highlights of visiting the Dan River ST8 Crossings.

 

The media department had their own challenge: the diverse geography and demographics within this region. As our audience ranged from younger, more tech-driven consumers to older residents who might not be as digitally-inclined, we needed a media plan that covered all bases. To start, we designed billboards with high-impact creative located on major highways in and out of the Dan River region.

The media department had their own challenge: the diverse geography and demographics within this region. As our audience ranged from younger, more tech-driven consumers to older residents who might not be as digitally-inclined, we needed a media plan that covered all bases. To start, we designed billboards with high-impact creative located on major highways in and out of the Dan River region.

Second, we constructed a robust TV advertising schedule. Because this region fits into 3 separate media markets, we had to consider whether to concentrate on cable versus broadcast placements.

Whereas broadcast had greater overall penetration, cable would allow us to fine-tune where our ads were shown, reaching our audience on shows that mattered (like outdoor-specific shows that resonated with the sportsmen living in the region).

We decided to use cable placements of :30 video spots showcasing the beauty and potential of the region, knowing that we’d reach the largest majority of our target 18-49-year-old demographic this way.

Third, we programmed cutting-edge native video ads for targeted websites popular with our key demographics (who were, in general, heavy internet and mobile device users). Through geographic, demographic, behavioral and content/contextual targeting, our desktop and mobile banner and video ads would be served throughout the region in a precise fashion.

The Results

Even early on, our native desktop and mobile ad campaign saw high click-through rates of 4.69% and video completion rates of 24%, both of which are above native video benchmarks. Over time, the campaign generated significant traffic to the website and the region.

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