case studies
Del Mar Racetrack
click to view portfolio work“We've enjoyed a long relationship with BG and they are an intricate part of our marketing mix. We look to them to keep us fresh, on target and reaching our goals.”- Craig Dado, Senior VP of Marketing
challenge:
In an industry that’s in serious decline with multiple tracks closing and severely reduced attendance and betting, make Del Mar Racetrack an increasingly successful national summertime destination.
strategy:
Integrate three key marketing disciplines – a national and local public relations campaign, a highly targeted online advertising campaign and a strategic social media plan – to create a buzz on and offline, ultimately increasing attendance. Public relations would garner attention online, in print and in broadcast to increase recognition leading up to and during Del Mar’s July to September horseracing season. Online advertising would combine network and local media buys with discounting programs, including Groupon, to fit Del Mar’s coveted twenty to thirty-something demographic with expendable income and a local interest. Social media would cover Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Foursquare and QR codes to increase brand loyalty by encouraging and rewarding interactions with the brand. Across all mediums, reinforce the racetrack’s “Cool As Ever” lifestyle brand.
results:
Del Mar Racetrack’s 2010 Opening Day crowd of 45,309 shattered attendance records and visitors continued coming to maintain a record 17,900 people per day average over the track’s seven-week meet. That’s an increase of 4.2 percent over 2009 and Del Mar’s sixth straight year of increased attendance on Opening Day.
Unprecedented media coverage. Highlights include: features in HBO’s Entourage, ABC’s Bachelor; covers of San Diego Magazine, 944, Riviera and Ranch & Coast; stories in Vanity Fair, Stuff, Maxim, Alaska Airlines Magazine, Sunset Magazine, The Los Angeles Times, Playboy and many more.
Visits to the lifestyle focused website, delmarscene.com increased 33 percent over 2009, with 30,000 visits resulting from the advertising campaign. Facebook fans increased by 110 percent with an average of 12,000 active fans per month. More than 1,000 people redeemed tickets received via social networks and Del Mar’s Groupon deal sold 2,537 two for one admission tickets. Overall, the online campaign delivered 6.6 million impressions from the advertising campaign and 1.8 million impressions via social networks over 7 weeks.