Client Success: Increasing Ticket Sales for Major Entertainment Events

To generate awareness and conversions on a scale large enough to fill their venues, entertainment companies rely on heavy investments into marketing and advertising campaigns targeted to an audience that will be interested in attending specific events.

In many cases, these events will also be advertised to relevant out-of-market audiences that might be inclined to travel for specific entertainment events. This is the unique advertising challenge Cox Media faced in 2019. A Los Angeles-based media buyer approached Cox Media in search of a partner to develop, launch and manage cost-effective campaigns in other markets where residents have shown a willingness to travel for events in the Los Angeles area.

The Goal

Whether in-market or out-of-market, the goal of event advertising remains the same: Generate interest and conversions in the form of ticket sales and attendance at those events. When going out of market to attract audiences, though, entertainment businesses quickly confront new challenges in matching the ROI they’ve enjoyed from their local campaigns.

With unique geographic and demographic profiles, each market has its own characteristics that need to be accounted for when targeting a relevant, high-value audience. Given the scale of these entertainment advertising campaigns, the Los Angeles-based media buyer needed detailed reporting to understand ROI and optimize campaigns for better results.

The Solution

To maximize the relevance and ROI potential of its out-of-market campaigns, Cox Media developed an advertising package that leveraged TV Everywhere to hyper-focus campaigns that invested in premium ad placements for a select TVE audience. ZIP code targeting was also used to focus advertising dollars on the highest-value communities within each respective market.

The campaign’s targeting strategy utilized behavioral data to ensure each entertainment event was being advertised to consumers whose interests aligned with that specific event. This enabled Cox Media to harness the data and high engagement of television while retaining the niche targeting and cost-effectiveness of digital advertising.

The Results

After a successful test run to see how Cox Media’s targeting strategy delivered results in a live campaign, the Los Angeles-based media buyer was pleased with the results and increased their TVE ad buys every month going forward. Eventually, the client’s satisfaction with both the advertising ROI and data-driven insights convinced the buyer to place 100 percent of their out-of-market OTT advertising with Cox Media.

Since its initial trial run, the client has executed 36 consecutive monthly OTT campaigns through Cox Media’s TVE advertising solution. Despite competing ad agencies trying to win over the media buyer’s business with cost-cutting promotions, Cox Media has forged a lasting partnership based on the strength of its campaign results and its overall customer service.

Ready to harness the power of TVE, OTT or other digital ad campaigns? Connect with a partner that can optimize for success both now and in the future. Contact Cox Media today to get started.