Global Digital Campaign

Presentation of the "MY WAY" digital campaign 

In 2019, the global digital campaign of the Slovenian Tourist Board which has successfully addressed foreign visitors in recent years with the slogan MAKE NEW MEMORIES will begin using a new messaging and creative concept. The MY WAY concept, which excellently complements the existing logo with the ‘I Feel Slovenia’ slogan, was already introduced to experts at the 2018 Days of Slovenian Tourism, but the final comprehensive graphic design with a communications manual was finalised in January of this year and was be used for the first time in the 2019 Global Digital Campaign.

The 2019 Global Digital Campaign was carried out in 16 countries. In Europe, we were present in key markets, i.e. in Germany, Italy, Austria, the UK and Ireland, France, and Russia and in other European markets, such as Benelux countries, Switzerland, and in the Scandinavian markets (Finland, Denmark, and Sweden). Digital communication took place in overseas markets in the USA and Canada.

The Global Digital Campaign was carried out in six advertising waves, from 4 March 2019 to 15 November 2019, with a break during the high season – from the beginning of June to the end of August. Our intend was to increase the number of visits by tourists before and after the high season, address potential visitors in their decision-making phase regarding where they will spend their holiday, and pursue the goal of balancing tourist flows 365 days a year.

Key focuses of the 2019 Digital Campaign

In accordance with trends, data obtained from studies and a survey carried out on the website www.slovenia.info, digital advertising was based on content marketing, which was carried out in some of the most important media outlets in the world, such as The New York Times, BBC, Krone, Focus, and Le Figaro. We were also present on the social media networks with the widest reach: Facebook, Instagram, VKontakte, and YouTube. Native advertising was carried out on the premium channels of the Outbrain network. Search advertising was carried out through the search engines Google and Yandex, and on the basis of the results of digital media buying in 2018, Gmail advertising will also included in 2019. Banner advertising, which the Slovenian Tourist Board mainly wishes to use to strengthen the awareness phase, was carried out through Google’s dynamic network.

The full financial breakdown of the media buying in the digital campaign was divided into the actual buying of advertising space on all foreseen channels and into implementation costs and commission. Advertising was focused on promoting Slovenia as a tourist destination outside of the main season, and individual products and destinations were  presented in a balanced and reasonable manner depending on the season and the discovered motivation of the users according to individual target market. In this year’s campaign, almost 42% of the entire budget was intended for directly promoting individual leading destinations. The breakdown according to markets is available on the following link:  Financial Breakdown of Digital Media Buying in 2019

The goal of the digital campaign was to raise the recognisability, reputation, and the probability of selecting Slovenia for this year’s tourist destination, strengthen the message of the sustainably oriented Slovenia, and increase the reach, interactions and various forms of conversion.

The target groups were defined on the basis of interests, demographics, and the needs of markets. By means of a planned addressing of selected target groups, we increased Slovenia’s recognisability and increased the probability of a visit to Slovenia.

We addressed the following key target groups:

• Guests who are mainly interested in towns/cities, culture, and gastronomy (i.e. lifestyle guests): they seek ‘live like a local’ authenticity, pleasure (gastronomy, consumption, experience), a diverse experience is important to them. They are extroverted, sociable personas with a wide spectrum of interests: from small towns and capital cities, other tourist places and natural sights. They are also interested in points of interest and events offering social experiences. In this group of personas, there are opportunities in authentic accommodation and ‘in the footsteps of locals’ tours, in less known tourist sights and authentic local points of interest (gastronomy, art, culture). Couples and individuals are predominant in this group. The key personas of Slovenian tourism that belong to this segment are sociable foodies and urban consumers.

• Guests who are attracted by spending their holiday actively (i.e. active guests): they spend their holiday in contact with nature. Couples, individuals, and active nostalgists (50+) seek exceptional nature, a retreat from everyday life, and relaxation in nature – i.e. modern luxury. To them, Slovenia is incredible, almost unique from the perspective of natural features. We are targeting high-end guests seeking unique experiences that differ from mass tourism. They are interested in additional services (so that the guests are not left to their own devices) in the form of products with added (and higher) value, glamping accommodation (not necessarily for the entire length of stay), original adventurous experience (lighter or more intense sports activities – e.g. hiking, cycling, water sports, skiing). Families with children seek experiences for families, they spend their getaways in mountains, by lakes, or at the seaside, they are interested in natural sights, sports activities for the entire family, and fun for children. The key personas of Slovenian tourism that belong to this segment are green explorers, active nostalgists, active families, and adventurers.

• Guests who also wish to take care of their body and well-being during their holiday (i.e. well-being guests): Couples and the forever young (50+) seek an escape from their difficult everyday lives, they wish to do something for their health, while also experiencing something new; culinary pleasures are also an important element in spending their holiday. In this group, there are opportunities in digital detox programmes, local specialities, thermal water pools, selfnessprogrammes, main tourist attractions, and body vitality programmes. In addition to the aforementioned, families with children also seek aquafun. The key personas of Slovenian tourism that belong to this segment are the forever young, beauty and indulgence lovers, and relaxed escapists.