This document discusses marketing strategies for Edinburgh's festivals over the period of 2007-2012. It begins by providing historical context on the festivals. It then discusses research conducted on audiences, markets, and motivations. Focus groups were held with potential attendees from various regions. The document outlines marketing strategies for digital campaigns, PR, partnerships, and the travel trade. It analyzes lessons learned, including understanding audiences, prioritizing markets, using data for constant communication, and the importance of partnerships and collaboration. The overall summary is that the document outlines market research and evolving marketing strategies used from 2007-2012 to promote Edinburgh's cultural festivals internationally.

1. Marketing Edinburgh’s Festivals:
Cultural Tourism

2. History and
Context

3. History and Context

4. History and Context
1947 1950 1978 1983 1988 1990 1994 1995

5. Positioning: Research
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
• First definition of our
cultural, social and
environmental impacts
• Scale & comprehensiveness
of the study is unique
• Festivals have consistently
positive impacts
• Festivals offer is truly
distinctive
• Economic impact of the
Festivals continues to grow

6. Research:
The Market

7. Research: Audience
Audience Profiling
• Demographic
• Socio-economic
• Motivations & behaviour

8. Research: Focus Groups
• Target markets
– Northern UK Cities
– South East of England
– Germany
– USA & Canada
• Aims to appeal to typical
festival audiences
– Mosaic Group A:Alpha Territory
– Mosaic Group B:Professional
Rewards
– Mosaic Group O:Liberal Opinions
• Focus groups
– Recent Attendees
– Potential Attendees

10. Decision making journey
6 months
3 months
The Sunday Supplements
are great when you have I read a review about a play at the
time to browse – you can Traverse Theatre in the Guardian and
have a good look through so I booked it.
them. (Non attender 35+)

11. Motivations
• Have friends in Edinburgh or friends are going
• Late night clubs, partying, non stop fun!
• Diversity of cultural experiences
• The beautiful city of Edinburgh
• Friendly people
• The atmosphere, great buzz
• Its cost effective – many events are free
• Small city so easy to walk around, all contained
• The city is the backdrop for the festival
• It’s unique
• General low awareness of more than Fringe
• Perceptions are of a busy city that is hard to navigate
• Just ‘not got round to it’
• Put off by the hustle and bustle and the expense

12. German Market
• Keep language simple or translate it
• Make sure it translates well
• Don’t assume Germans know a lot about the
festivals
• Must work well online
• Transport magazines (rail)
• Consider Cologne and Bavaria region
• Cologne has a reciprocal state agreement with Scotland so there
will be marketing opportunities
• Bavaria region, they are really into Scotland
• Baden-Wurttemberg is a wealthy untapped region

13. USA market
• Online will be key for this market
– The message must be communicated quickly
• The US family market will not be likely to consider
the Edinburgh Festivals
• Key NYC venues to promote festivals through
– Brooklyn Academy of Music
– Lincoln Centre
• New York magazine online (promotes other places
to visit at certain times of the year)
• Partner with airlines and tour operators

14. Marketing
Strategy

15. Marketing Strategy
Local [navigation] UK Europe Long Haul
Digital
Campaigns
Travel Trade
PR
Partnerships

16. 1. Digital: Website
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
• From this....
– Static
– Only fit for purpose
in summer
– Listings but no
ticket purchase

17. 1. Digital: Website
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
• To this...
– Year round offering
clear
– Dynamic elements:
social media
integration
– ‘Evergreen’ magazine
content
– Itinerary planning
– Cross festival ticketing
– Festival showcase

18. 1. Digital: Content
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
• From basic content on
website to:
– Year round ‘magazine content’:
planning, booking, top tips
– Digital magazines showcase
year round offering
– Video to add value and create
interest
– All content used to power
other channels, e.g. Facebook
and Twitter
– Social tools announce key
programme dates, tickets on
sale etc
– Facebook planning app allows
users to tell friends which
shows they will be going to

19. 1. Digital: Partnerships
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
• From internal focus with
limited external partnerships
to:
– Working with key partners on
Festival coverage, Festivals
promotions and key new
developments [eg Skyscanner]
– Organic (unpaid) support for
Festival digital initiatives
– Integration with value added
partners who provide content
and/or services (eg Blipfoto)

20. 1. Digital: Traffic Drivers
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
• From SEO/PPC in 2008 to:
– broadening into social spaces
such as Youtube and Facebook
– targeting international and
London South East audiences
– digital integration into major
consumer campaigns

21. 1. Digital: CRM
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
• From no database/messaging
to:
– Using the website and major
campaigns to acquire data
– Tailored communications
based on user interest and
preference
– Analytics links emails to ticket
purchase, tracking
effectiveness -2012

22. 2. PR
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
• From Agency model
• To Freelance model
• To in-house operation
• Travel/lifestyle press
– Not arts or news
– Not reviews
• Media events
• Support agencies media
visit programmes
• Creation of content
• Long term strategy and
planning

23. 2. PR: Media Pitching
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
MARKET PUBLICATION/OUTLET
NYT, USA Today, Washington Post, Marie Claire,
NORTH AMERICA
Village Voice, Toronto Star, Globe & Mail, National
- Primary
Post
GERMANY Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Der Spiegel, Der
- Primary Tagiesspiegel, Grazia
FRANCE/ITALY/SPAIN Le Monde, Le Figaro, L’Espresso, La Repubblica, El
- Secondary Pais, El Mundo
Aftonbladet, Expressen, SVT Sweden, De Telegraaf,
SWEDEN/NETHERLANDS - Secondary
Metro
EMERGING MARKETS Target primarily China & India depending on location
- Tertiary of festival activity.

24. 2. PR: Media Pitching
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
Which arguments ticks boxes with
international media?
• Affordable (e.g. Opera tickets start at £13)
• Equalitarian (for everyone)
• Non-language specific
• Global names of tomorrow
• Incredibly visual
Some of the generic travel pitches:
• Ten reasons to come to Edinburgh Festivals
• 48 hours in Edinburgh
• Programme highlights
• See the hidden city through the festivals
• How to do the festivals for free
• Match best restaurants to best performances

25. 2. PR: Events
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
• Domestic - London Launch
Event and Broadcast
• International - Events in
Berlin, NYC, Washington,
China and Sydney
• Hosted media events in
New York and Toronto,
visited key travel writers
and journalists
• Use of Ambassadors
• Broadcasting Strategy –
Commissioners Lunch

26. 3. Campaigns: Domestic
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
• VisitScotland/British
Airways campaign
– Tube and Rail
• Time Out Partnership

27. 3. Campaigns: International
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
• VisitScotland/New York Visit Scotland campaign - 2011
Times competition - 2010

28. 4. Travel Trade: Research
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
• To maximise features with tour operators. Info needed in June
previous year for subsequent summer product (price & info)
• Longer the lead, easier the sell (Expo)
• Longer runs useful - more worthwhile
• Unnamed show – need the “confidence “ in Festival/ Operator
• “ The only way to sell unnamed shows is via a pass”
• Specific shows – can be more tricky to sell to customer base
• Can we develop long runs – thematic / via an event?
• Product development of a pass?

29. 4. Travel Trade: Product
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
• Trade exclusive product
• 3 shows in a day [9am-midnight
• From £42 net; freesale product
• Flexibility for operators to add
margin
• Fixed price, fixed itinerary
• In the know: tickets taken from
Critics Pick selections
• Hassle-free: no time-consuming
ploughing through brochures,
with fixed itinerary
• Ideal for short itineraries

30. Lessons
Learnt

31. Lessons Learnt
1. Divided by a common language
2. Creation of evidence base
3. Prioritise audiences
4. Understand audience - behaviours, motivations and journeys
5. Prioritise markets
6. Understand markets – behaviours, motivations and tailor messaging
7. Promote on basis of brands not programmes [evergreen content]
8. Content is king
9. Constant communication – data acquisition and CRM
10. Ambassadors as communication – relevance to markets
11. Importance of digital and mobile [death of the app?]
12. Development of collateral – for use by partners [open up content]
13. Importance of partnership campaigns – greater use of limited resources
14. Piloting new approaches to developing mutual beneficial cross-sectoral
relationships [London 2012 & Glasgow 2014]
15. Collaboration is hard work and takes time [eg sign off]
16. Success breeds ambition and evolution of innovation

32. Marketing Edinburgh’s Festivals:
Cultural Tourism
Questions and Answers