Case study from EME2001 - Sodexo and Open Golf "best use of email"

The Open Golf Championship Case study on email marketing

Steve KemishDirector, Cyance

Chair of IDM Digital Council, UK

Selection of clients

© Cyance Limited 2011

Winner: Best use of email


Why?


About Sodexo Prestige

Sodexo Prestige, part of Sodexo, is the UK’s

leading specialist event caterer and provider of

corporate hospitality packages.

They provide catering and event logistics

services at prestigious events such as:

• RHS Chelsea Flower Show

• Open Golf Championship

• Royal Ascot© Cyance Limited 2011

About the Open

• The economic climate has meant that providers of corporate hospitality have seen a huge decline in sales.

• This has been an area that many client organisations have cut back on entertaining, leaving the market in tough times.

• Packages range from €250 upwards. • Traditionally packages have always sold well to London/SE England, regardless

of the event location.• 2010 venue was St. Andrew’s, Scotland.

With this in mind, Sodexo Prestige approached Cyance to look for help in selling

hospitality to businesses in Scotland and Northern England to try and nurture and

convert hard-to-reach prospects into paying customers.



The objectives

• Drive website traffic to build awareness.• Increase the Sodexo prospect database for

ongoing relationships.• Prove positive ROI.• Develop a new hospitality market - executive

golf fanatics in North England and Scotland.



“And I am not doing email. It doesn’t work”



Timescales

The timescales were tight for this project. • From initial proposal (26th Jan) to first

email wave (Feb 19th) was just three weeks.

• The email waves continued through March and April.

• Last activity took place in mid April, after the Masters tournament.© Cyance Limited 2011

Where to start? - data

Previous purchase history data from Sodexo showed that the

role/industry/region of a customer can vary enormously.

However, the project targeted key decision makers and segmented

according to:

• MDs/Business Owners and Finance Directors.

• Management roles within business of certain size/turnover. (Finance or non-finance led)

• Businesses located within certain postcodes (local, Scottish, and NW England).

• NW England was settled upon due to its airport links (Leeds Bradford and Manchester) with the nearest airport to St. Andrew’s – Edinburgh.


Data selections/cells



Emails –testing

Subject lines: • Golf is coming home to St Andrew’s. Will you be there?• Celebrate the 150th Open Golf Championship with a very special

event.• The perfect hospitality event for the golf lovers at <company

name>• Walk the Old Course at St. Andrews & dine in style at the 150th

Open Championship


“Hands up…”


Email stats

• Avg. opens 8%-10%– Video 13%

• Avg click – 1.5%-2.3% – Video 2.8%

• Avg unsubscribe – 0.5%-1%

• And…online orders… €0© Cyance Limited 2011


Fear not…“telemail” was the proposal not email




So, final the results

• Online traffic increased by up to 250% following emails.

• Over 500 leads resulted from the campaign, many with national companies who are now also looking to book Open Golf hospitality at future events.

• Total revenue from campaign was €245k, delivering a x24 ROI



So, the results

• Online traffic increased by up to 250% following emails.

• Over 500 leads resulted from the campaign, many with national companies who are now also looking to book Open Golf hospitality at Sandwich 2011.

• Total revenue from campaign meant a x24 ROI


Where does that leave us?

• Email acquisition doesn’t work…on its own

• Data is the cornerstone of any campaign

• Longer-term reporting is essential to show ROI

• Multi-channel nurturing is key to modern life.

• Benchmarking is not theft…

• …And testing is king!© Cyance Limited 2011

Frågor? | Spørsmål? | Questions?| Spørgsmål? | Kysymyksiä?

[email protected]

twitter.com/skemmo
