Spring 2019 Marketing Opportunities

FOR THE NEW EASTER PROMOTION, PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK. 

Following five successful previous campaigns, Tourism Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation are again targeting the Republic of Ireland market. Tourism Northern Ireland will deliver TV, outdoor, press, social media, PR and digital advertising.

The Federation will assist the industry in supporting this activity and securing direct business from this market. There are two different ways you can get involved in this campaign, outlined below. The significant investment by TNI will lead to increased website traffic – think about how you can use your offers to capture a sale from this traffic. The targets for this campaign will be Open to Ideas and Open-minded Explorers, as detailed below.

Open to Ideas: The defining characteristic is ‘I am always open to new and energising experiences’. This group covers all ages but leans towards 35+. They are couples who want inspiration for itineraries but like to plan their own activities. They want to find gems that will unlock a great experience.

Open-minded Explorers: The defining characteristic is ‘We’re always interested in unique experiences and discovering new places of beauty & culture’. This group is typically 55+. Like high-quality accommodation, easy to organise short breaks and spa experiences.

Campaign Media Plan
Details are being finalised on the overall media plan but it is proposed to run a series of themed weeks throughout. These are set out below. Participants are encouraged to use these dates to tailor their own activities.

14 Jan – 27 Jan – Armagh & Down
28 Jan – 10 Feb – Derry-Londonderry
11 Feb – 24 Feb – Causeway Coastal Route
25 Feb – 10 Mar – Fermanagh & Tyrone
11 Mar – 17 Mar – Belfast (see below)
18 Mar – 31 Mar – Easter Offers

In recognition of the increased room stock in Belfast and the recovery after the Primark fire, there will be an additional Belfast focus concurrently across all weeks.

1. Online Promotion and Offers

Who: Only Graded hotels, guesthouses, guest accommodation and visitor attractions.
What: Offers on discovernorthernireland.com and promoted by Tourism Northern Ireland.
Cost: Free.

All accommodation participants will be asked to provide a B&B offer and all visitor attractions to provide a single ticket price so that customers can fully understand the value of a break in Northern Ireland.

All accommodation offers must be able to be booked online on your own property website and all are subject to availability. You must provide a live booking link for your rate as part of the application process.

In addition, you will have the opportunity to upload an offer to Tourism Northern Ireland, which gives the visitor a little bit more. This could be added value in terms of meals or spa treatments or even just a bottle of bubbly. This will be optional but recommended, especially for those targeting Open-minded Explorers.

The most successful hotels in previous campaigns have developed bespoke landing pages with visitor information content and itinerary ideas. We encourage you to consider this if possible. A landing page also allows a bespoke offer or experience to be created that is not visible to your regular visitors.

The closing date is 16th December 2018.

Submit your offer now via THIS FORM.

2. Co-operative Marketing Fund

Who: Those taking part in section 1. You must have an online offer.
What: Marketing fund supporting your own activity in the ROI market.
Cost: 60% funding of your costs.

The Co-operative Marketing Fund is designed to support your own advertising in the Republic of Ireland market. If your planned activity meets our criteria, the fund will cover 60% of your costs up to a maximum of £5000 per industry provider.

To take part in the marketing fund you must provide a price in section 1. Those who wish to avail of this fund should note that:

• Activity and spend must happen between 14th January and 31st March 2019.
• You can use any media channel as long as it is clearly aimed at the ROI market.
• You must use a tracking code in your advertising (where possible).
• Once you receive a letter of offer, you may proceed to book your activity, paying the media supplier as normal and then claim 60% from the fund with the appropriate supporting documents.

Important Note: Only apply for what you can spend (ex-VAT). If you don’t spend your allocation, other people lose out. In order to discourage applications that won’t continue through to completion, we have introduced a £250 penalty charge for those that claim less than 90% of their letter of offer.

The closing date is 16th December 2018. 

Submit your application now via THIS FORM.