Local delivery in

Ayrshire & Arran

02 VISITSCOTLAND

How we deliverfor Ayrshire & Arran

Burns country, world-class golf, stunning coastal landscapes and Arran’s ‘Scotland in miniature’ credentials combine to make Ayrshire & Arran a formidable tourism proposition, and VisitScotland has the structure in place to capitalise on that proposition for optimum growth in the local industry.

Our Ayrshire & Arran team includes specialists in marketing, public relations, business tourism and business engagement, plus a team of local experts who deliver information and inspiration in three VisitScotland Information Centres in Ayr, Brodick and Largs.

Our strategy for success is based on fostering partnerships and co-ordinating effort at every level, from elected council members and MSPs through to Chambers of Commerce, industry groups and individual businesses. VisitScotland’s local team is at all the right tables, providing leadership, sharing expertise and working hard to create the environment for tourism to grow.

Chief among these partnerships are those with the three local authorities –North, South and East Ayrshire Councils –working together to ensure a coordinated approach to tourism activity that will deliver best results for Ayrshire & Arran.

In partnership with South Ayrshire Council, for example, we booked stands at the Open Championship and Seniors Open in 2008, promoting the area as a prime golfing break destination. As the birthplace of both Robert Burns and the Open Championship, the area is ideally placed to reap the benefits of the year-long Homecoming Scotland 2009 celebrations, and the 2009 Open will again cement the area’s reputation as the home of golf.

An exciting new development is the recently established Ayrshire Business Forum. The Forum brings VisitScotland together with partners including Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce, all three local authorities, VisitArran, Scottish Enterprise, the Clydesdale Bank and industry representatives to shape the future of Ayrshire & Arran through an action-based approach to tourism strategy.

Bard publicity: making

the most of Homecoming

The tide of media coverage on Robert Burns witnessed in January 2009 at the launch of Homecoming Scotland was partly due to the scale of affection for the Bard around the world, but it was in no small measure down to the work of the team behind Homecoming at VisitScotland and EventScotland. Working alongside industry groups and the local authorities, we promoted the year-long calendar of events in Ayrshire.

In a coordinated effort with South Ayrshire Council, we pitched launch weekend coverage for Iconic Burns in Alloway for TV shows such as Blue Peter and Something for the Weekend, as well as The Scotsman, The Herald, Evening Times, Courier & Advertiser and Woman’s Weekly. In North America, a double-page feature in Destination Magazine (circulation: 6 million) and an article in Toronto Sun (1.4 million) were just two of the highlights.

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01 AYRSHIRE & ARRAN ACCOMMODATION GUIDELed with editorial features by celebrities including Nick Nairn, Hazel Irvine and Alex Hay, the guide provides information on the full range of places to stay, together with stunning images and insights into hidden gems. The 80,000 print run is distributed via VICs, VisitScotland.com, Ayrshire-Arran.com, direct mail campaigns and exhibitions.

02 ICONIC BURNS Marketing of Iconic Burns and the Homecoming Scotland launch weekend included distribution of a flyer at Highland Games in Australia and North America, 250,000 copies of an international events guide, and 200,000 copies of the full 48 page events guide distributed across Scotland and North West England.

03 HOMECOMING ‘CALEDONIA’ TV CAMPAIGN The Westin Turnberry is the backdrop for Sam Torrance’s appearance in the ‘Caledonia’ TV advert created to generate awareness of the Homecoming Scotland 2009. More than 60% of the Scottish population had seen the ad by Burns Night, and a US satellite run brought it to 100 million Americans.

04 ISLE OF ARRAN VISITOR GUIDEComplementing the Accommodation Guide, the main on-arrival publication for Arran is packed with information on what to see and do in the area, as well as eating out and other useful information. Print run of 40,000 copies is mainly distributed via Information Centres.

05 AYRSHIRE & THE ISLE OF CUMBRAE BEDROOM PACKThe bedroom pack promotes local businesses – visitor attractions, eating out establishments, shopping, crafts, leisure, arts and culture – in guest bedrooms, self-catering units and camping/caravan parks throughout Ayrshire and the Isle of Cumbrae.

06 ‘DRIVE IT HOME’ GOLF CAMPAIGNVisitScotland’s biggest ever international golf promotion was launched in October 2008, encouraging golfers to take their clubs to the Home of Golf in 2009. At one stage, golfers were registering for a four-ball every five minutes, pointing to a potential return of £14 million. Courses include Royal Troon, Girvan, Maybole and Shiskine.

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04 VISITSCOTLAND

Our marketing strategyfor Ayrshire & Arran

VisitScotland’s marketing strategy is based on the kinds of experiences consumers want from a Scottish holiday. Ayrshire & Arran offers almost all of the experiences identified by our in-depth research as the basis for our activity: world-class golf, natural beauty, rich heritage, wildlife, quality food and drink and outdoor pursuits.

It is therefore through these ‘products’ that you will see Ayrshire & Arran brought to life in the full spectrum of marketing materials, campaigns and initiatives, from brochures and websites through to our diverse UK and international marketing campaigns.

Our UK marketing strategy is structured around the four ‘warm’ customer groups: the ‘affluent southern explorers’, ‘younger domestic explorers’, ‘mature devotees’ and ‘affluent active devotees’ – you’ll find an overview of each of the groups under ‘Who are we targeting?’ on page 10 of the main Strategy Review brochure. Promotion of Ayrshire & Arran therefore appears strongly in marketing campaigns aimed at those segments.

Take for example our spring Perfect Day campaign, which features things to see and do across Ayrshire & Arran and extensive promotion of golf. The campaign is designed to reach all four warm groups, and therefore the Perfect Day website was promoted through PR activity with media we know are used by each customer group, including a month-long TV advertising schedule during the shows that are popular with our potential visitors.

The exceptional quality of our golf is a major attraction for some of these warm customers, particularly the high-spending ‘affluent active devotees’. Other activity to target them in the last year has included advertorials in Bunkered magazine, direct mail to potential golf visitors and attendance at the Irish Open, The Open at Southport and the Seniors Open.

Ayrshire also benefits from the extensive marketing activity in support of the cities. Proximity to Glasgow – and the distinct advantage of an international airport at Prestwick – makes Ayrshire easily accessible, an attractive day trip or an additional night’s stay for city breakers.

In the case of our 2008/2009 European Cities campaign, which promotes Glasgow and Edinburgh to our biggest European markets on the strength of low-cost air access, the Glasgow part of the campaign focused on four key winter events, each paired with an experience outside the city; so the Burns Supper Event in Glasgow was twinned with a visit to Burns Cottage in Alloway. This ‘city plus’ approach is designed to stimulate and surprise potential visitors with ideas for quintessentially Scottish experiences that are right on their doorstep when they take a Scottish city break.

The application of technology to our understanding of the UK customer groups allows us to keep in touch with them on a monthly basis by sending them e-newsletters that only contain information likely to interest them. That means that when we want to reach potential visitors with promotional messages on, for example, Halloween at Culzean, we know we are sending it to all the best prospects.

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07 WINTER WHITEDesigned to stimulate visits during the traditionally quiet months, the Winter White 07/08 campaign generated £46 million for Scotland, and was relaunched in November 2008. The area is promoted on the campaign website with deals at some of the best accommodation, plus ‘white’-themed things to see and do.

08 AYRSHIRE & ARRAN RELATIONSHIP MARKETING PROGRAMMELeading with an image of Turnberry, information on golf was mailed direct to almost 44,000 prospective visitors in early 2009, resulting in 700 requests for the Ayrshire & Arran Golf Guide. It’s part of our personalised relationship marketing programme designed to drive customers up the loyalty ladder and encourage repeat visits.

09 AYRSHIRE & ARRAN SPRING DIRECT MAILPart of the Relationship Marketing Programme, two direct mail pieces were developed to prompt spring breaks; one for Ayrshire & Arran sent to 40,000 and the other for Arran sent to around 26,000 UK consumer contacts. Both profile what to see and do in the area with special offers from businesses.

10 CONSUMER E-ZINESAs part of the Relationship Marketing programme, monthly e-zines – electronic magazines – are sent to over 400,000 UK consumer contacts, personalised according to interests. Ayrshire & Arran events promoted through the e-zines include Victorian Christmas at Brodick Castle, Ayr Jazz Festival and Halloween at Culzean Castle.

11 BUNKEREDFull-page adverts promoting Ayrshire & Arran were placed in the Winter Golf edition (December 08 to February 09) of Bunkered magazine – the edition used by many golf groups to plan their holidays – and in the Official Guide to Golf in Scotland.

12 APPETITE FOR AYRSHIREExtensive marketing and PR campaign on the quality of Ayrshire produce including distribution of information via The Herald and The List, door-drop to 100,000 west coast addresses, a feature on Ayrshire-Arran.com and national media coverage. The 2009 campaign took place in March to support Easter breaks in the area.

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06 VISITSCOTLAND

Across the international markets, over half a million e-newsletters are issued every month to Scotland aficionados who have ‘opted-in’ to receive information from us. Issued in nine languages, international newsletters are based on themes, carefully chosen to spark interest in Scottish holidays at the right times of year.

This supports our European Touring campaign, which features Ayrshire & Arran as part of a themed calendar and a range of touring itineraries aimed at potential first-time and repeat visitors from Germany, France, Sweden, Italy and Spain. For example, Burns National Heritage Park is an essential part of the ‘Literary Scotland’ itinerary, while Arran is a major feature in the ‘Island Adventures’ tour.

Golf is a powerful draw overseas, and so has featured regularly in international e-newsletters in recent months, including one sent to 17,000 North Americans highlighting Turnberry and Royal Troon; a similar email was sent to 14,000 Swedish golfers last year. In January 2009, Ayrshire & Arran was again in our Swedish golf e-zine, offering readers the opportunity to download our golf guide.

Underpinning the UK and international marketing effort is the work of the consumer PR teams, who secure coverage for Ayrshire & Arran in the travel and lifestyle media. In the last year, these have included a Toronto Star feature covering many of the Ayrshire Homecoming events, which reached an audience of 71,010 people. See page 2 for further examples of media coverage.

Our marketing strategyfor Ayrshire & Arran

17 INTERNATIONAL PR A press trip by a Dallas Morning News journalist to Ayrshire hosted by VisitScotland in mid-2008 resulted in a syndicated feature that reached a combined audience of 1.5 million in October. The story focused on Eisenhower’s connections to the southwest Scotland, including Culzean Castle.

13 MEDIA ADVENTURE CHALLENGE ON ARRAN VisitScotland brought the Media Adventure Challenge 2008 to Arran, where journalists from across the UK and Europe competed in adventure sports, with the aim of showcasing the area’s adventure credentials and the high-quality operators that can facilitate trips. Resultant coverage included a full-page article in The Scotsman and 11 other features.

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16 REAL SCOTLAND – THE LOCALS’ GUIDECampaign and accompanying book highlighting Scotland’s hidden gems, among them Lochranza, Brodick Castle, Machrie Moor Stone Circles, Burns’ Little Town, Alloway, Tibbie’s Brig, the village of Dunure and the Burns Country Smokehouse, Minishant. The guide has been promoted through a radio and poster campaign and media partner Condé Nast Traveller.

18 BURNS AN’ A’ THAT! Some 50,000 people join in the Burns extravaganza in Ayrshire every year, worth around £1 million in local economic benefit. VisitScotland’s regional print, Burns website and Relationship Marketing Programme support promotion of the festival.

19 GOLF IN AYRSHIRE AND THE ISLE OF ARRANA print run of 15,000 copies of the Golf Guide 2008/09 was distributed via VisitScotland.com, the area web site www.ayrshire-arran.com, the Open 2008, the Seniors Open 2008, a golf direct mail campaign and our network of information centres.

20 SCOTTISH CLUB GOLFER VisitScotland sponsored a regional section in Scottish Club Golfer in November 2008, which was distributed to every golf club in both Scotland and Sweden. The promotion features the local web address and a call to action for readers to request the Ayrshire & Arran Golf Guide 2009.

14 TURNBERRY IN RUSSIAThe Westin Turnberry joined 17 of Scotland’s leading tourism businesses on a VisitScotland trade mission to Russia to showcase Scotland and Homecoming. The trip was designed to show some of the best of Scotland to travel agents and outbound tour operators in Russia, which is among Scotland’s highest-spending emerging markets.

15 SCOTTISH SNOWDROP FESTIVAL The Festival has taken place in February/March for the last three years and is an exciting opportunity to promote Scotland’s gardens and encourage visits during the off-peak season. Ayrshire & Arran participants include Caprington Castle, Dumfries House, Blair Estate, Blairquhan Garden and Culzean Castle and Country Park.

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Contact details

Sandi HellowellRegional DirectorTel 01750 23811E-mail: sandi.hellowell@visitscotland.com

Karen SlightStrategic Relations ExecutiveTel 01750 23818E-mail: karen.slight@visitscotland.com

Designed and produced by Tayburn Corporate

22 WALK IN SCOTLAND GUIDEAyrshire & Arran is described as ‘a walker’s dream’ in a full-page feature in the 45,500 copies of this year’s national walking guide, which provides information, advice and route suggestions for visitors planning a walking break in Scotland. The brochure is also digitised and available via visitscotland.com/walking.

23 AYRSHIRE & THE ISLE OF CUMBRAE VISITOR GUIDEVisitor information centres distribute the print run of 40,000 guides, which highlight things to see and do in the area, providing information on attractions, places to eat, sports and leisure activities. The guide encourages visitors to tour the region more widely and increase the length of their stay.

24 SOUTHERN SHOWCASETen businesses from Ayrshire & Arran participated in the second biennial workshop dedicated to the meetings and events sector in the southern region. Buyers from across Scotland attended, resulting in new leads for businesses including Craig Tara Haven Holidays, Geronimo Sailing and Seamill Hydro Hotel & Resort.

21 AREA WEBSITEAyrshire & Arran has its own consumer website www.ayrshire-arran.com. The site provides information on what to see and do, where to stay, golf, short breaks, touring itineraries and events and activities in the region.

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Iconic Burns photo on page 3 by Alan McAteer of McAteer Photograph.

Front cover shows the beach at Brodick Bay, looking towards Goat Fell.