We responded by delivering a cross-platform digital advertising campaign, using Google Adwords PPC, and organic and paid-for social media, specifically targeting Facebook and Instagram.
We also created a Thomas and Friends personality quiz on Facebook, giving users the chance to find out which locomotive they were most similar to, alongside press and PR activity.
Our advertising campaign was hugely successful and smashed industry standards. Its PPC performance improved by 38% on last year’s results, despite spending approximately the same amount of money on both the 2018 and 2019 campaigns. The click-through rate was also 5% higher year-on-year, increasing from 7.6% to 11.7%.
What’s more, our PR efforts scored impressive numbers before, during and after the event, reaching more than 540,000 readers across print, online and radio, and a total value of £26,937.96. This was 21% and 35% higher than last year’s reach and value, respectively.
Woodies Mountford, Marketing Manager at the Watercress Line, said: “Day Out with Thomas has always been a joyous event for the Watercress Line. We felt a real buzz leading up to and during the event, and cannot wait to see how it will continue to grow in the future.”
Day Out with Thomas will return to the Watercress Line for nine days from 3-11 August 2019.
