Potato Peel film promo costs £860 per visitor
INCREASED tourism spending around the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society film meant the equivalent of £860 was spent for each extra person who visited.
In total, £552,000 was given last year, mainly to Visit Guernsey, on the basis that it would boost tourism numbers.
Annual figures showed overall visitor numbers up by just 639 to 420,140, but when cruise passengers and yachtsman are stripped out there was actually a 3% fall – or 9,270 visitors.
Much of the Potato Peel spending targeted the UK market, where overall numbers fell by 2%.
Visit Guernsey has trumpeted the success of its campaign. In mid-January it was shortlisted for two travel marketing awards.
A spokesman said: ‘We expect the visitor number impact to lag following the release of the successful film, and our tour operator partners, who account for over 30% of staying leisure visitors each year, are telling us this is what they appear to be seeing, with bookings to date approaching 20% up on the same period last year, which they believe has been helped by the marketing activity surrounding the launch of the movie.
‘Feedback also from the tourism local industry indicates significant increased enquiries from the US market.’
The UK cinema release was on 20 April.
‘The marketing activity did not kick off until April, the second quarter of 2018 year, traditionally the back end of the main marketing period for the coming tourism season’s marketing activity. However, we believe the activity and increased exposure for Guernsey did help to deliver steady overall visitor numbers for 2018.’
Initially £337,000 was released from central coffers, before another £215,000 was granted ahead of the DVD and digital TV release in the UK, digital TV release in the US and theatrical release in Europe.
‘The objective of the additional funds was to help raise the profile of, and generate interest in Guernsey as a holiday or short-break destination, with the aim of helping the tourism trade and industry generate incremental visitor numbers.
‘The funding was also used to help generate positive off-island PR for all sectors of the Guernsey economy, and to engage the local community and generate goodwill about the release of the film.’
Total day visitors fell by 15%, or 8,295, mainly because of a decline in leisure travellers.
Policy & Resources released the money from the Future Guernsey Economic Fund.
Rules of that fund mean it is only to be used when there are measurable economic and financial benefits.
It declined to say whether value for money has been achieved so far, or how and when that would be assessed.
A spokesman said it was for Economic Development to report back on the benefits.
What the initial money was used for:
‘As a result of the additional funding Marketing and Tourism was able to carry out a significant number of additional marketing and promotional activities leading up to, and following the release of the movie including: The Creation and broadcast of a Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society film themed TV advert, a co-branded national digital display campaign, a dedicated Guernsey film / Occupation themed Microsite, national radio and Cinema advertising campaigns, heavy-weight PR / consumer and Trade Media campaign, pre-cinema release promotional partnerships with major titles and brands, including WH Smiths and Oddbins, promotional partnership with Bloomsbury on the re-launch of the book, off island promotional activities at the World Premiere of the film in London, and facilitating and hosting a special Guernsey film premiere on 12th April etc.’
What Visit Guernsey says it has achieved with that £337,000:
The April TV advertising campaign generated 22 Million impacts, 101 pieces of coverage in UK mainstream media and press in April 2018, with exposure to 82 Million readers/viewers and the equivalent of £1.75 Million of free PR coverage. 1.1 million cinema viewers of the film were exposed to the Guernsey cinema adverts.
What the additional £215,000 was spent on:
‘A co-ordinated TV and digital advertising campaign with Studio Canal in the UK in the lead up to the release of the film on DVD, Promotional partnerships with tour operators, Moshulu Shoes, Bloom and James White Fine Pressed Fruit Juices, facilitating and supporting the production of a documentary video which is on every DVD, an HMV Pure campaign in association with Airways Holidays, commissioning of an expert US PR and Film Tourism agency, with promotional activity supporting the US Netflix release, attendance at key US travel trade events, along with hosting US journalist and blogger visits to Guernsey, trade partner competition in the Telegraph.’
What was achieved:
‘The second tranche of activity helped to deliver a TV campaign achieving 14 million impacts, web traffic from US audiences increased by 297% in the six months ending 8th February 2019, versus the same period the previous year. PR coverage gained included The LA Times, which with combined online and in-print, reached more than 24.5 million people, the New York Post with a circulation of 234,000, the New York Times with a circulation of 540,000, and Town and Country Magazine circulation 181,000.
