Case Study: San Diego Scottish Highland Games
The Client
Long-established, but wanting to break the plateau
The San Diego Scottish Highland Games are a Scottish cultural festival, founded in 1974. They had already been very well established and respected within their community, however, had been stuck on a plateau. In 2016 Thistle & Rose was contracted to first start by managing their website. By 2019, that role grew to handling their marketing, public relations, and digital/tech matters. The goals were to ultimately increase attendance, but in a way that would be sustainable for future years. In particular, this meant bringing in younger generations and more families.
The Process
Rooted by data, driven by passion
The first
steps involved research and analysis. This
involved creating a survey which was sent to
newsletter subscribers, and followers of the
client's Facebook page. From this, we were given
a better understanding of who our customer is,
what they enjoy, and where we can do better.
Next came analysis and overhaul of the previous
marketing methods and budget, as well as
previous website & sales data.
From
there, a strategy came to light, which has been
all-encompassing: website rebuild, new graphic
assets and branding, social media, Search Engine
Optimization (SEO), paid ads (PPC), in person
events, partnership building, securing
$10,000/month in Google Ad Credit, and beyond.
Data reported from 2018-2022, Including Time Off From The Pandemic
Fiscal Responsibility
100% on budget, 100% of the time! With clearly outlined spending plan and documented records.
Diversified Approach
Built a well rounded marketing plan based on print, web, in-person, and broadcast media.
$120k Grant Award
Applied for and got organization approved for Google for Non-Profits, including $10,000/month in ad credit.
Doubled website Traffic
Increased average website page views from 93,131/year to 194,467/year with Google Analytics tracking.
155% Facebook Increase
Increased Facebook followers 155%, from 3,335 to 8,528, and mostly through organic (free) means.
Effective Facebook Ads
While the Facebook average for Cost Per Click (CPC) ads is $1.86, our campaigns were well below that at $0.21.
Skyrocketed Engagement
Increased engagement averages (things like "likes" and comments on Facebook Posts) from 42,233 actions/year to a whopping 212,797.
Ticket Sales
Increase
Marketing efforts contributed to revenue from Scottish Highland Games ticket sales increasing by 53%.
Beer & Spirits Sales Increase
Marketing efforts contributed to increase of whisky tasting revenue by 160%, and beer sales by 65%.
Doubled Festival Attendance
Estimated increase in attendance, from all sources, of 10,000 over the weekend, to 20,000.
Community Partnering
Established new partnerships with MLB team, local pubs & other businesses -- creating new events and brand exposure opportunities
Revenue Opportunities
Found other opportunities such as educational presentations, merchandise sales, and a fundraising partnership with the San Diego Padres.
Navigating the Covid-19 Pandemic
Effectively kept followers
engaged during 3-year hiatus of
in-person events. Found creative
and innovative ways to offer
digital content and virtual
events.
Despite the lack of traditional
activity, social media presence
continued to increase, and even
found a few opportunities to
make revenue for the
organization still.
Launched aggressive, and
effective 2022 "resurgence"
campaign, blowing previous
numbers out of the water.