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Southern Discoveries
Plotting the course together
We kicked things off in signature collaborative Maverick style – getting everyone in the same room and digging deep into the opportunities and threats facing Southern Discoveries. Through an in-depth discovery session, we mapped out their products, audiences and goals – laying the groundwork for a solid partnership. From there, we created a multi-layered strategy to match tactics to results.
From curiosity to a click to a cruise
Our paid media approach is designed to build, nurture, and convert demand throughout a guest’s journey – whether they’ve just started their research, scrolling through options on social, or ready to hit the book button.
By blending jaw-dropping visuals with compelling copy, Meta has been our space to create awareness and convert that into sales – with a layered Dream, Plan, Book strategy. Each product from their Milford Sound cruises to Farm Tours and Wine Tours has carefully-designed audience buckets, optimised regularly with the expertise of our in-house performance pros.
Our always-on ads maintain visibility and capture intent year-round, while seasonal promotional campaigns create urgency during key booking windows, allowing us to maximise every dollar of the marketing budget. This approach has uncorked some seriously impressive results – seeing Meta ROI soaring as high as 43:1, up 190% year-on-year.
Over on Google, our Paid Search strategy works to protect brand keywords, generate direct bookings over OTAs, and catch users as they’re comparing competitors and different products. We’ve already seen promising results of 13:1 ROI on Google Ads, up 5% year-on-year – steady, sustainable growth that keeps the bookings flowing, domestically and internationally.
Testing, learning, and fine-tuning the engine
Just like Stirling Falls, we don’t stand still. Creative formats get put through their paces – stills vs. video vs. carousels – to understand what stops the scroll and what seals the click. We’ve experimented with a variety of messaging angles to see which triggers emotion and action, while the team at SD optimise their landing pages and on-site UX to suit. And audiences consistently get refined as targeting options change, or new AI-enhanced opportunities arise.
Rolling out new experiences into market
When Southern Discoveries introduced new products like their Cascade Lounge and in-depth Discover More Cruise, we were armed and ready to bring these to market with a proven digital playbook – cutting through the noise with fresh and fun hooks to spread the word, build traction, and capture demand as it grows.
Our strategy was all about expanding, not cannibalising; so through nuanced keyword research, we identified fresh search opportunities that wouldn’t compete with their flagship Milford Sound cruises. We deployed savvy audience segmentation and retargeting to connect each product with its ideal customer, sharing audiences across campaigns at times when it was practical and efficient. And on the organic social front, we created exciting teaser content to expand reach beyond just their existing followers. The result? Growing the overall pie rather than just slicing it differently.
Sharing stories and cultivating connections on social
We’ve also taken over the captain’s wheel on Southern Discoveries’ social media presence, across Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. From educational image posts, to aesthetically-designed creatives, to on-trend Reels created in-house – we’re all about maintaining brand momentum and boosting the metrics that matter. Our daily community management keeps conversations flowing and questions answered, and collabs with key combo partners and content creators ensure we’re active and noticed.
With Facebook content interactions up 145% YoY, Instagram saves and shares on the rise, and over 100k TikTok video views in a year – we’re off to a strong start.
Collaborating, experimenting, celebrating
Regular emails, fortnightly check-ins, monthly report meetings, and periodic deep-dive sessions – this is a partnership built on solid two-way communication. Whether it’s promoting a last-minute special or jumping on a hot new social trend, Maverick is always just a message away. We’ve also worked seamlessly with their other agency partners – knowing the best mahi happens when we come together, not in silos.
With transparency, trust, and results at our core – we’re all about bringing the client on the journey with us, and contributing our part towards their broader business challenges and opportunities. Here’s to new horizons and continued growth ahead!
Get in touch with us to explore our marketing retainer options.
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