Three-and-a-half million visitors a year agree - no visit to London is complete without a trip on The Merlin Entertainments London Eye. And we’ve been responsible for the London Eye’s digital marketing strategy and implementation since early 2007. Initially we built a solid digital foundation by creating a site that embodies the real world London Eye experience. Our ongoing brief is to ensure digital delivers increased online ticket revenue - turning ‘lookers to bookers’.
We launched a brand new site in November 2007 which in its first month resulted in a doubling of the ‘look to book’ ratio. London Eye’s ongoing strategic digital programme has many strands across multiple digital disciplines. It encompasses onsite promotions, eCRM, social media and online partnerships and we work in partnership with London Eye’s inter-agency group.
Our day-to-day work is routed in responding to the opportunities revealed by comprehensive monthly reporting. For example, by analysing where people leave the site before making a purchase and undertaking on online survey we’ve established that some potential customers are concerned about security and so we have given more prominence to messages stressing that the online booking system is secure. Our analysis also built a business case for adoption of a new ecommerce system which will be implemented across all 57 Merlin Entertainments attractions worldwide.
There are a number of key times in the year when the London Eye has seasonal promotions. These are leveraged on the website and within our social media activity and online partnerships – such as site takeovers and prize competitions. But our social media work continues throughout the year with a Flickr account that is constantly receiving images from visitors and Twitter and Facebook pages keeping fans up-to-date with everything that goes on.
Recently, we’ve supported the launch of the London Eye 4D experience with a multi-channel digital package. A microsite was created which uses parallax motion techniques to create a feeling of moving around the landscape without moving from your PC. Alongside the microsite launch, we ran advertorials with ViewLondon.co.uk, a bespoke fireplace placement with Timeout.com/London and an advertising campaign and competition with TripAdvisor.com. The eCRM programme spread the word, as well as an optimised PPC campaign and social media activity.
In the first month after the site launched in 2007 and with no additional promotion, traffic levels increased by 14% and the ‘look to book’ ratio more than doubled. And the visitor numbers continue to increase with data demonstrating that the site continues to grow at 16.7% year on year. We continue to decrease the number of visitors who drop-off the site without booking and are building on the strong database we have established.
GraphicoDMG ensured that all key functionality conforms to Accessibility A standards as well as including many AA standard features throughout.
We work with a number of other Merlin Entertainments Group companies, including Madame Tussauds, and have experience working for many of the countries top tourist attractions including the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace and the other royal palaces that are part of Historic Royal Palaces. Our experience includes working for the Natural History Museum and Drayton Manor Theme Park. It all proves we know how to have a good time!