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Case study: Fantasy Island Resort · SEO, paid search, display, social media and strategy

1324% increase in sales

A multi-channel case study: SEO, paid search, display and social media for Fantasy Island, a UK theme park resort, to lift online wristband sales.

4.8 from 395+ reviews

Which audit?

  • 1324%Increase in sales
  • 100%Increase in conversion rate
  • 260%Increase in sales value
  • 90%Reduction in CPA

About the client

Fantasy Island: a leading UK theme park resort.

Fantasy Island is a leading UK theme park resort in Ingoldmells, near Skegness on the Lincolnshire coast. Its own website describes rides for all ages, attractions including mini golf and 10-pin bowling, live entertainment, holidays, and Europe's largest seven-day market. A resort of that kind sells days out, and the visit starts with a decision made at home, often by a parent weighing up where to take the family.

Seaside attractions work to the rhythm of the calendar. Interest rises around school holidays, bank holidays, special events and good weather, and the best moment to reach a family is when they are choosing how to spend a day. Leisure is also a field with a lot of choice: theme parks, beaches, farms and other attractions all compete for the same weekend, so a resort has to be easy to find and easy to buy from at the moment the plan is made.

Online wristband sales sit at the centre of that. A wristband bought in advance means a decision made before arrival, which is good for the resort and convenient for the family, but it only works if people can find the offer and buy it without friction.

Before DPOM, the resort had relied on more traditional marketing: radio ads, petrol pump ads and advertisements on public transport, alongside some PR and basic online activity such as social media. Those methods build awareness across a wide area, but they are hard to measure and cannot tell a resort which message led to a sale. Online channels can, and that is a large part of why a joined-up plan made sense.

Our CRM records Fantasy Island as a DPOM client from April 2016, with SEO added in January 2018 and Google Ads and paid social advertising in May 2019.

The challenge

Online wristband sales had stopped growing.

Fantasy Island is a leading UK theme park resort that had previously relied on more traditional marketing: radio ads, petrol pump ads and advertisements on public transport, in addition to some PR and basic online activities such as social media.

The resort asked DPOM to create a campaign to increase the level of its online wristband sales. Online sales were stagnating.

What the brief asked for

  • More online wristband salesThe campaign was to increase the level of wristband sales online, where sales had stagnated.
  • Stalled online salesOnline sales were stagnating, so the first job was to get them moving again.
  • Awareness and sales onlineThe approach set out to increase brand awareness as well as online sales.

What we did

One holistic plan across paid search, display, SEO and social.

We developed a holistic, multi-channel approach to increase brand awareness and online sales, using paid search, display, search engine optimisation and social media.

The approach, step by step

  1. Step 1Look at the whole marketing mixThe resort had relied on radio, petrol pump ads and public transport adverts. We developed a holistic, multi-channel plan to increase brand awareness and online sales.
  2. Step 2Paid search and displayPaid search puts ads in front of people searching on Google. Display puts them on websites and apps across Google's network.
  3. Step 3SEO and social mediaSearch engine optimisation and social media worked alongside the paid channels to raise awareness and sales.
    More detail

    Search engine optimisation (SEO) is the work of earning visibility in the unpaid search results. Social media here means the resort's presence on social platforms as well as paid social advertising.

  4. Step 4Make the budget more cost effectiveThe aim throughout was to use the marketing budget more effectively, so that the campaign could be scaled up.

The results

Online sales reached record highs.

Our approach dramatically increased the cost effectiveness of the organisation's marketing budget. Online sales reached record highs, and the budget was used more effectively, resulting in a scalable ad campaign.

Put together, sales are up 1324% and sales value is up 260%, while the conversion rate is up 100% and cost per acquisition is down 90%.

What each figure means

  • Sales up 1324%Online sales grew by 1324%, reaching record highs.
  • Conversion rate up 100%Twice the share of visitors went on to buy.
  • Sales value up 260%Each order was worth more on average, so the extra sales were worth more too.
  • CPA down 90%Each sale cost 90% less to win. CPA is cost per acquisition, the ad cost divided by the number of sales.

What the client said

In Fantasy Island's own words.

“DPOM provides a fantastic, well-tailored service and since working with them we have seen a significant increase in our online sales.”

“DPOMs Senior Marketing Manager, and our account manager is extremely helpful and insightful. Michael and I communicate regularly to ensure Fantasy Island receives the best service achievable. Michael makes sure that our campaigns are tailored to our events and has taken his time to understand our business and the way that we operate, which in turn increases our chances of ROI, DPOMs Online Marketing Specialist is also an asset to our campaigns. Rebecca communicates with me and my team weekly. This regular communication provides both Fantasy Island and DPOM a chance to discuss any changes that may impact the success of our campaigns”

Fantasy Island's testimonial, as published on the previous version of this case study page.

Case study FAQs

Questions about this case study.

About this result

What is CPA?

CPA stands for cost per acquisition: the ad cost divided by the number of sales, or other results, it brought in. On this account it fell by 90%.

Which channels did you use for Fantasy Island?

Paid search, display, search engine optimisation and social media, planned together as one multi-channel approach.

Why use more than one channel?

The page describes a holistic, multi-channel approach to increase brand awareness and online sales. Paid search, display, SEO and social media each reach people in a different way, and the plan treated them as one.

Can you promise the same result for my business?

No. Every account starts from a different place. These figures are what happened for Fantasy Island, not a promise of what will happen for you.

How can I get my own marketing looked at?

Use the Free audit tab in the form at the top of this page, or call 0115 647 0111.

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