Dracula Daneș is the tourist destination in central Transylvania, a few kilometers from the legendary citadel of Sighișoara. Business has been constantly on the rise in the 27 years since it’s been receiving tourists from all over the world.
It’s the partner
For which the Craft Interactive team takes care of the marketing component, ever since the agency was established. We’ve been together for years, in good days and bad, we’ve collaborated in many forms, but last year was truly significant, since the digital component of Dracula Daneș is now vital for the business.
In 2016
We knew that a mobile device revolution was coming, so, in 2017, we decided to change the website and switch to a responsive design technology (mobile device scalability).
Over the years
We’ve identified problems in the attraction and management of the customers. Therefore, in January 2017, we accepted the challenge of automating the online booking process and increasing the reception efficiency by implementing a smart booking system, including the selection and payment of the room desired by the tourists. Unfortunately, we didn’t find the ideal solution in Romania, so we brought it from another country and customized it based on the Dracula Daneș context, with reception training from European developers.
In spring 2017
The new website, with the new booking system, was ready and we were implementing the online marketing plan, with seasonal activations integrated into Social Media. The various experiments from the beginning of the year offered us the data we used to develop the digital strategy in 2017.
And we crafted the digital model
To get bookings at the lowest costs, which makes the fans of the Dracula Daneș brand and its customers want to (re)visit the estate or which people love when it comes to the brand’s online communication.
Digital Marketing Growth
Not only because the entire digital structure that we created increased the efficiency of the processes, but also because the Craft Interactive team works as a remote marketing team, activating the dedicated landing page and campaign, within 3 days of receiving the offer from Dracula Daneș.
In Social Media
We communicate a mix of authentic content from the estate, sometimes using Transylvanian language, a little education with regard to the local traditions and a lot of video content (aerial footage of the estate or riding area) distributed online. We also noticed that, for many interested persons, Social Media is a channel of direct interaction with Dracula Daneș, so we took over the reputation management. Yes, sometimes a good response to Facebook messages or comments can help you get the results you want.
Dracula Daneș
Can now measure growth or decline tendencies in the estate occupation rate, which cities or countries send the most tourists to Daneș, which rooms are most sought-after, which period is the busiest (such as August, when the occupancy rate was 100%) or other information, that we have not thought of yet, in a much more efficient manner. And the best part is that, due to the digital automation developed last year, at the end of 2018, annual comparisons with business figures can be easily made.
At the end of 2017
We counted over 135,000+ visits on website, 4.5 million reach on Social Media, where we got 153,000 video views, totalling over 900 hours watchtime. In addition to the general growth in the online environment – 72% compared to the previous year – when it comes to marketing efficiency, we counted 2850 bookings, with an acquisition cost per customer that we won’t reveal, not only because it’s confidential, but also because it’s so small that it doesn’t seem real.
Taking digital to next level
We are now continuing the development of the Dracula Daneș communication channels and we’ve activated E-mail Marketing with a direction that is organically identified in time. The association of the horse as a central element of the Estate has proven very efficient with regard to the business’ desired positioning.
And because, at Daneș, horseback riding enthusiasts
Get to choose the horse that they want, as this is a personal relationship with an animal that is considered noble, that’s how Craft Interactive believes that the communication with the subscriber should be, since we developed E-mail Marketing automation, with e-mails sent based on what a person’s interests are with regard to Dracula Daneș. Each month, subscribers receive the stories of the horses raised at Daneș or tourism offers, so that they can plan their vacation in Transylvania in advance.
The results
Have exceeded expectations even for us. We know for sure that they are mostly due to the great brand built by the Dracula Daneș owners for close to 3 decades. The figures also confirm this, we’ve managed the online advertising budgets, but the organic channel has contributed more traffic, with a larger conversion rate. When it comes to our relationship? Agency’s proposals are supported, and this only generate positive results for the business’ figures.
Now
The business is about to reposition itself through its price and the marketing shall be refined to support this objective, communicating the new investments made in the Estate in order to increase service quality and brand awareness, that Craft Interactive is happy to work on. You know how it goes… we’ve known each other forever.
Would you like us to build an effective digital strategy for the brand that you’re in charge of? Ask us for an offer and tell us how to help.
