Merlin Entertainment.

Merlin Entertainments first enlisted our help back in 2014, when the group launched its ‘Blackpool’s Back’ campaign. This was geared towards reintroducing the positive image of Blackpool among Merlin’s target audience – families – and driving ticket sales to increase footfall to Merlin’s various Blackpool attractions.

Key objectives

Increase each attraction’s visibility through PPC and SEO.
Create online resources that persuade families to visit Blackpool and the Merlin attractions.
Use various online channels to drive more visitors to the Blackpool resort.

In order to present Blackpool as a prime destination for today’s family market, we knew that it was key for Merlin to come across as a modern and up-to-date brand. This meant devising an all-encompassing digital marketing strategy that spoke to the right people, in the right way, and on the right platforms.

Onsite content optimisation and regular blogging

First, we made sure that the content on the attractions’ sites was as reader-friendly and search-optimised as possible. Then we began to produce fresh content through regular onsite blogs, covering seasonal and evergreen topics.

Collectively, the blogs we wrote for Merlin received more than 25,000 views, and they were shared thousands of times on Facebook.

Conversion-focused PPC campaigns

With a cost-per-acquisition of 4p, and a cost-per-conversion of £2, we secured those all-important ticket sales while maximising the budget and ensuring ROI.

Paid social advertising and organic social posting

Boosting content and sharing it organically ensured that our blogs had as wide a reach as possible. Starting conversations and joining in with them helped us to stay front-of-mind – we received more than 38,000 social interactions, and our content was collectively shared more than 8,000 times.

Our campaigns gave Merlin an additional 400,000 page views, with conversion rates for paid media as high as 30%. We delivered significant social engagement, with over 38,000 interactions. More importantly, we delivered happiness to the client, and European Marketing Director Cassie Forshaw said: “I enjoy working with theEword due to their passion, their commitment, their can-do, solution-focused attitude.”