Holiday Tourism Marketing Case Study: Reaching New Travelers
How Wheeler Digital helped Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge expand its holiday audience
A successful advertising campaign should do more than generate clicks. It should uncover insights that make the next campaign even stronger.
That is exactly what happened with Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge’s holiday campaign.
Wheeler Digital helped power the campaign through Social Mirror advertising, reaching potential visitors with targeted messages across the websites and apps they use. The campaign directed travelers to holiday content tailored to different interests, including shopping guides and Christmas light displays.
Reaching a New Audience
Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge had traditionally focused much of its marketing on active, outdoor-oriented travelers. The holiday campaign helped the organization recognize another opportunity: older travelers interested in the region’s seasonal attractions, shopping, dining and drive-market accessibility.
The campaign also demonstrated the value of matching different advertising messages with dedicated landing pages. Rather than sending every traveler to the same general page, users could explore content that aligned more closely with their interests.
According to Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge, that approach helped lower both cost per click and cost per engagement.
Building on What Worked
The lessons from the holiday campaign did not end when the decorations came down. Visit Virginia's Blue Ridge continued to focus on travelers within driving distance, particularly in smaller regional markets where Virginia’s Blue Ridge could stand out without competing for attention in larger markets like Washington and Charlotte.
The holiday season is now treated as its own marketing opportunity, helping create a more balanced strategy throughout the year.
Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge expanded the approach for its spring campaign, using multiple creative messages and dedicated content for interests including budget-friendly travel ideas, signature events, and a VBR Bucket List of unique local experiences and attractions.
Wheeler Digital’s Role
Wheeler Digital’s Social Mirror campaign supported the larger holiday strategy by helping Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge reach targeted travelers beyond traditional social media platforms.
Social Mirror takes the look and feel of a social media post and distributes it across thousands of websites and apps. This gives advertisers another way to reach their target audience, reinforce campaign messaging and drive interested consumers to relevant website content.
We are proud to have played a role in a campaign that did more than promote one holiday season. It helped uncover new audiences and influence how the destination approaches its marketing throughout the year.
Build a Campaign That Creates Your Next Opportunity
The right digital campaign can produce more than immediate exposure. It can reveal which audiences respond, which messages generate interest and where your next growth opportunity may be.
Wheeler Digital builds targeted digital campaigns around your audience, goals and budget. Click here to start planning your next campaign with Wheeler Digital.
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