Marketing Activities

Visit Exeter undertakes a year round campaign of themed marketing activities. See below for an update on the latest activities.

Visit Exeter Annual Update 2020

As we begin 2021, we’d like to thank you for your support over the past year. In what has been a very difficult past 10 months for many of you due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have appreciated you keeping in touch and letting us know what you have been doing. We’ve been extremely proud of the way our members have adapted to the situation, worked really hard to be Covid-safe and supported the local community.

We wanted to give you an update on Visit Exeter’s activities over the past 10 months to let you know what we’ve been doing to try and support you. We’re currently working on our 2021-22 marketing plan for the city from April onwards, which we will share with you at a later date. As always we appreciate members’ input into our plans.

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Business support

We have been here to support you in interpreting the latest government guidelines, how to access relevant financial support and training, and have provided an easily accessible channel through to DCMS.

We also worked with Cosmic to provide a series of free of charge digital training workshops for Visit Exeter members, funded by the ERDF, as well as providing information on the Be the Business campaign.

Following feedback from you and members of the Exeter Visitor Economy Recovery Group, we provided a set of asks and actions for the visitor economy, published in the wider Building Exeter Back Better city recovery plan

We hope we have been able to provide you with a swift and accurate response to all of your queries, or just a listening ear during this difficult time.

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Membership

We have put on hold all membership renewals during the periods of lockdown, and membership periods will be extended if you have been closed for business. We also offered a 25% discount on renewals in 2020.

We will be in touch over the next few months regarding your membership, if it is due for renewal.

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Website

We have launched several new digital developments recently, with the aim of further supporting our members:

• Additional polling options set up on www.visitexeter.com allowing members to show their availability without having to go through OTAs
• New events feed integration with The List launched, providing a comprehensive list of events in Exeter on the Visit Exeter website
• Signed up to TXGB, a business-to-business platform connecting tourism suppliers to a diverse range of domestic and international distributors
• New Visit Exeter App launched, on a platform provided through Geoguide. All members included free of charge

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Marketing

Our marketing activities have remained highly flexible and adaptable throughout the pandemic. During the periods of lockdown we promoted stay at home content, and as restrictions started to lift we launched our ‘Exetercation’ campaign, with the aim of encouraging locals to explore what’s on their doorstep. We also launched the ‘Know Before You Go’ campaign, which has been continually updated with the latest government guidance on travel.

Here are some of the activities we have undertaken over the past 10 months:

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Spring 2020

• Shared good news and community support stories on our website and social media
• Launched the Exetercation campaign, targeted at locals within Exeter and Devon, to explore what’s on their doorstep alongside virtual, ‘stay at home’ content. Content included blog posts, local recipes and takeaway services, interviews, quizzes and colouring sheets, and virtual journeys through Exeter on Instagram

Summer 2020

• Promoted Exeter as a conference destination at MeetGB Virtual, a two-day event aimed at meetings and event organisers from North America and Europe
• Supported businesses with reopening from 4th July with the creation of Exeter-themed social distancing visuals, and promotion of the Good to Go accreditation
• Created new themed itineraries, highlighting unique experiences in Exeter
• The South West region was successful in receiving funding from VisitBritain for the ‘Enjoy Summer Safely’ campaign, a short-term intense media programme to encourage visitors back with confidence
• Worked with online travel platforms to provide content on Exeter, including Triptipedia, VisitEngland, Outdoor Active, Stagecoach, Skyscanner and Ordnance Survey

Autumn/Winter 2020

• Printed Visit Exeter fold-out map, with our largest distribution campaign to-date for the South-West including Devon, Cornwall, Somerset, Dorset, Bristol, Bath, Gloucester, Swindon, Wiltshire and Bournemouth. 60k copies printed as part of a split print-run, allowing us to update copy in response to the latest Covid situation in early 2021
• Produced a new Visit Exeter destination video
• Co-ordinated press visits with Family Traveller blogger and Vegan Living magazine
• Launched #EscapeTheEveryday campaign
• Worked with the Council’s events team on delivering Heritage Open Days, with a programme of virtual events new for 2020
• Attended the virtual Meetings Show, alongside VisitBritain, to promote Exeter as a destination to meetings and event buyers
• Launched Exeter’s first Virtual Christmas Market to support local businesses during the lockdown, ranked in the top 5 of virtual Christmas markets around the country by VisitEngland
• Attending Meet England Virtual 2021 in February 2021, as one of 30 destinations invited by VisitBritain to promote the area to the European, Chinese & North American business events market           

Activity throughout the year has been promoted on the Visit Exeter website, through our social media channels, press contacts, and through regular emails to our database, which has grown to 13,000 subscribers.

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Website traffic

• 826,940 page views
• 306,794 unique visitors

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Competition entries:

• Gone Wild Festival 523
• Win a 2021 City Break 8,296
• Win a Family Break at Ladram Bay 6,397

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Social media followers

• Facebook 10k
• Twitter 18.9k
• Instagram 3.7k

April / May 2018

• Visit Exeter digital advertising screen now operational at Exeter St Davids railway station. Footfall over 3.6 million passengers a year
• Seasonal web pages/blogs with associated special offers from members created for May Bank Holidays, May Half-Term and the Royal Wedding Weekend. Pushed out on all social media platforms
• Further development of Exeter Food & Drink Trail. Soft launch at the Exeter Festival of SW Food & Drink, with official launch planned for early summer
• Stand at British Tourism & Travel Show 2018 with DATA – 21-22 March, NEC, Birmingham
• Stand at Exeter Festival of South West Food & Drink – 5-7 May, Northernhay Gardens & Exeter Castle with Visit Exeter branding across the site
• Group Buyer Forum event booked for 22 October at The National Arboretum, Staffordshire. (Face to face arranged meetings with coach and tour operators and active GTOs)
• Full-page April advertorial features in Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Salisbury Living Magazines, featuring summer competition. Circulation 10,000 each
• Full page advertorial in Britain Magazine, May-June UK issue & July USA issue (the official magazine of VisitBritain). Circulation 80,000+, global readership of 125,000+, featured in newsletter to 205,000 subscribers
• Full page advert in Discover Britain Magazine in conjunction with Visit Dartmoor and Visit South Devon (Britain’s leading historic travel magazine). Circulation 50,000+ and global readership 10,000+
• Visit Exeter banner adverts on www.exeterfoodanddrinkfestival.co.uk
• Exeter Beats competition went live on site at the end of April and reached 7,342 people
• Stand at Group Leisure & Travel Show, Birmingham NEC booked for 11 October 2018
• Working with Geocast TV Ltd to develop Premium Destination Partnership on TripAdvisor for Exeter and commission a short Exeter film to feature on TripAdvisor and Visit Exeter’s own marketing platforms
• Half-page advertorial in conjunction with RAMM in Guardian Travel Guide, April 2018
• Half Page advert and editorial in ‘Best of British’ Mail on Sunday Travel Supplement (British Days Out & Attractions section, Sunday 8 April). Circulation 250,000 printed copies and 250,000 digital copies with Visit Exeter link

February / March 2018

• Double-page spread advertorial in conjunction with RAMM in Flybe’s ‘Flight Time’ on-board Magazine, reaching up to 700k passengers
• Half-page advert in Crumbs Magazine Devon (March edition) including new Summer Competition. Circulation 12k
• Half-page advert in Crumbs Magazine Bristol & Bath (March edition) including new Summer Competition. Circulation 12k
• Full page advert in ‘Welcome to South Devon’ Bedroom Browser, reaching up to 1 million visitors staying in hotels and guest houses throughout South Devon
• Half-page advert in ‘Holiday Guide Finder 2018’. Printed directory distributed in bulk to every TIC in Britain and to over 50,000 previous household users of service
• Developing TripAdvisor Premium Destination Partnership for Visit Exeter
• Visit Exeter digital advertising screen now operational in Arrivals Hall at Exeter Airport in collaboration with Apple Taxis. Reaching in excess of 1 million passengers annually. New screen at Exeter St David’s Station available soon
• Visit Exeter’s second member’s event was held on 28 February at Sandy Park. Guest speaker Dan Pritchard from Astley Media gave a blogging masterclass – see all presentations from the event here
• Summer competition went live on site at the end of February and will run until end September 2018. Competition running in conjunction with partners Crealy Adventure Park & Resort; Exeter’s Underground Passages and Queen Street Dining
• Seasonal web pages/blogs with associated special offers from members created for Valentine’s Day, Mothering Sunday, Easter and May Bank Holidays. Pushed out on all social media platforms
• Creation of an Exeter Food Trail has begun, to be launched at the Exeter Festival of SW Food & Drink in May
• Stand at South West Group Travel Show – February, Bristol Aerospace
• Stand at English Riviera BID Exhibition & Group Travel Show – March, Riviera Centre
• Stand at British Tourism & Travel Show (BTTS) with DATA –March, NEC
• Half-page advert in Coach Touring Magazine SW feature – April edition
• Coach & Bus Week (Industry leader) – upbeat article published highlighting facilities available for coach parties when Bus Station closes
• Visiting coaches information flyer produced (printed & downloadable version available)

December 2017 / January 2018

• The Visit Exeter Official City Guide 2018 was published in December. 140,000 copies have been printed and will be distributed regionally and nationally over the next 12 months through Westward Marketing and Take One Media, including the national TIC network. View an interactive digital version of the guide here

• Visit Exeter stands have been booked at three Exeter University Open Days in June and September. Expected atttendance for each event is approximately 10,000.

• Visit Exeter digital guide feature in University of Exeter's Alumni January e-newsletter (circa 100,000 recipients based in 170 countries around the world). 

• Full-page advert in Jurassic Coast Magazine 2018 (EXE section). 45,000 circulation.

• Full-page Visit Exeter advert in Escape Magazine (GWR on-board magazine) in conjunction with RAMM, including a competition to win 2 nights at the Mercure Rougemont and tickets to an exhibition at RAMM.

• Visit Exeter stand booked at Exeter Festival of South West Food & Drink (5th - 7th May). Visit Exeter member stand share opportunities available.

• Visit Exeter what's on TV screen now operational at Exeter Central Station.

• Visit Exeter Christmas consumer newsletter distributed to over 3,600 recipients. Competition included to win a luxury short break at Southernhay House.

• Quarter-page Visit Exeter advert in annual Budleigh Salterton Visitor Guide.

• 10,000 double-sided tear-off Exeter map pads printed for distribution through Exeter Visitor Information & Tickets. Available to members on request.

October / November 2017

• Visit Exeter's first members event was held on the 4th October at the Rougemont Hotel. Guest speaker Alastair Banks from Optix Solutions spoke about digital trends - see the presentation here.
• 'Welcome to Exeter panels' are being installed at Central Station in November, promoting culture, activities, history, food & drink, and shopping.
• Autumn competition live on site until Jan 2018 with partners Southernhay House Hotel and Princesshay
• Christmas webpage created
• Full page advert in It’s Christmas SW publication
• Half page advertorial in The Guardian ‘Christmas Unwrapped’ feature
• Half page advert + travel feature in Bristol 24/7, in print & online
• Half page advert in Food Mag November edition + competition and feature
• Facebook post promoting Christmas in Exeter to targeted audience

August / September 2017

• Travel & Leisure Magazine - Visit Exeter online feature and solus email campaign, running November 2017
• Visit Exeter feature in Guardian Travel Guide, Saturday 9 September
• Regional theatre programme advertising campaign – September to Christmas. Including Bath Theatre Royal, Bristol Hippodrome, Salisbury Play House, Cheltenham Everyman, London Harold Pinter and London Duke of York’s Theatre
• Visit Exeter advert in Great British Holidays Magazine
• Visit Exeter sponsorship board at Sandy Park
• Visit Exeter branding on new tear-off city maps
• Giant branded Visit Exeter deckchair in Princesshay for selfies and engagement in #LoveExeter campaign
• Visit Exeter business tourism postcard collateral to be taken to Destination Britain North America
• Search marketing campaign including SEO and PPC for business and conferencing pages
• Production and promotion of Visit Exeter experiences videos by Outpost TV
• Visit Exeter advert in Group Leisure & Travel Magazine Devon feature
• Visit Exeter content and images supplied to VisitEngland for their Join the World campaign 

July 2017

• #LoveExeter Facebook campaign to encourage engagement and email sign-ups focusing on culture, food & drink and activities  
• Pop up stand at Exeter Food Festival promoting things to see and do in Exeter
• Stand at the English Riviera BID Exhibition in Torquay
• Consumer e-newsletter sent to a database of 4,000 email sign ups, growing daily
• Advertising campaign with Food magazine, in 5 issues across 2017 including editorial in the publication and online, plus a competition
• Spring festival competition to win tickets to Toby Buckland's Garden Festival, Exeter Food Festival and a stay at the Mercure Southgate Hotel. Promoted on www.visitexeter.com, on our consumer e-newsletter and across social media.
• Adverts in various regional publications, including the Experience Devon Guide, Welcome to South Devon Bedroom Browser, Visit South Devon Visitor Guide, EXE Visitor Magazine and the SW Attractions & Accommodation Guide
• Engaging with local and national bloggers, including Exploring Exeter, Tara's Busy Kitchen, and LifeinourVan
• Regular posts across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, to our 23k social media followers
• Stand at Exeter University Staff Summer Festival
• Stand, match programme, big screen and pitch-side LED advertising at Mitsubishi Motors Exeter 7s, Sandy Park
• Summer Visit Exeter branded over-the-street banner advertising on South Street, Exeter
• Proposed Visit Exeter branding on shop front hoarding in Paris Street, Exeter, during Exeter Bus Station redevelopment 
• Press enquiries and editorial coverage in Exeter Living, Devon Life, Oxford Times and Flush Magazine