Value Added Travel: Programmatic

Value Added Travel are a UK based tour operator who were looking for new ways to diversify their digital presence…

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Brief

Value Added Travel are a UK based tour operator who were looking for new ways to diversify their digital presence and increase brand awareness.

After running paid marketing campaigns for the client for 3 years, our challenge was to explore innovative approaches to reach their target audience and elevate brand awareness within the UK market. The primary objective remained focused on continually amplifying enquiry volume in a changing consumer landscape.

Challenges & Solutions

Post-pandemic landscape

The shifting consumer habits, diminishing brand loyalty, and the heightened importance of trust posed significant obstacles. Recognising the evolving landscape, we emphasised the importance of omnichannel presence to maintain relevance.

Measuring results

Running awareness campaigns via programmatic can pose measurement issues. We addressed the need for effective measurement by implementing robust conversion tracking and closely monitoring the changes in the brand’s search volume.

Cost-efficiency

We needed to run campaigns to boost awareness but with the ultimate goal to drive leads within our target CPA. To ensure cost-efficiency, we devised a comprehensive plan that allowed for budget allocation to testing and continuous learning without adversely affecting our existing CPA. This also allowed us to scale.

Our Approach

We built out a 3 month plan to give a fair trial to a new platform for Value Added Travel. We launched StackAdapt in July and due to results, after 3 months we had increased the initial budget by over 150%.

We grouped our campaigns into two key segments: exclusive hotel offers and compelling branding ads. Taking it a step further, we meticulously segmented campaigns based on our target audiences. By harnessing StackAdapt’s 3^rd party data capabilities from major travel brands like Booking.com and Kayak, we curated targeting audiences comprising travel enthusiasts, ensuring a pool of highly relevant users with a high likelihood of conversion. Alongside this, we implemented remarketing strategies using the StackAdapt pixel to effectively re-engage previous visitors. Month after month, we continued to refine our approach by testing new audience types and creative elements, adapting our campaigns based on the valuable insights gathered.

Since our launch in July, StackAdapt has consistently delivered high-quality leads at a remarkable cost-per-lead that’s 50% below the set target. The success story doesn’t end there; we also utilised brand uplift as a key metric to gauge campaign effectiveness. After just three months, we witnessed a substantial 20% increase in direct traffic, coupled with a boost in conversions. Additionally, there was a noteworthy 15% uplift in organic searches to the homepage, underscoring significant brand growth and heightened interest from potential customers.