Fully integrating digital and traditional marketing tripled sales despite a recession.

The Challenge

• How hard is a recession on the travel industry? Sandestin found out firsthand. Sales fell for two full years as the economy slowed—despite running a digital campaign from a leading interactive agency.
• So how does a resort face rising operational costs with falling revenue and zero industry growth in a down economy? By calling GodwinGroup.

The Solution

• After analyzing Sandestin’s existing online strategies and the overall competitive landscape, WebMetro/Godwin proposed a solution to boost sales:
  • Pull market share from competitors with an aggressive digital campaign fueled by the momentum of traditional marketing efforts.
• Since GodwinGroup handled Sandestin’s traditional marketing, we were in a perfect position to fully integrate all digital and traditional elements to intensify the effectiveness of the whole campaign.

The Strategy

• To gain market share, WebMetro/Godwin tightly integrated search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click advertising (PPC) with all traditional marketing and PR efforts—from direct mail to press releases.
• For both SEO and PPC, emphasis was placed on reaching both new customers that had never heard of Sandestin as well as undecided shoppers considering Sandestin.
• PPC was especially valuable for attracting new customers by increasing brand awareness.

The Results

• Spring Break Sales Tripled compared to the previous year.
• The Paid-Search Campaign Doubled ROI.
• Market Share Grew—the volume of bookings from new guests tripled.
• Spring Break Bookings Reached Record Success.
  • For the first time, the resort ran out of rental bikes.
  • Beach-side parking remained at capacity.
  • 2,200 more room nights booked than in the same month during the previous year.

The Results

Even when the travel industry isn’t dealing with flatline growth, an outcome this successful is hard to achieve. But it is possible—with a solid strategy and a team experienced enough to integrate every effort for maximum impact.

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