Flanders organized a blog trip called "#fiaf12" to promote Flanders as a festival destination. 94 influencers from 13 countries participated and wrote 273 blog posts reaching over 12 million unique visitors. This generated over 7,300 mentions of #fiaf12 on Twitter. Lessons learned include selecting influencers based on their network and engagement, clearly communicating expectations to bloggers, and involving local stakeholders to further promote Flanders festivals. The campaign was deemed a success based on the large reach and engagement generated by influencers.

1. Flanders is a festival
08/11/2012 WTM
Frank Cuypers

2. Flanders?

3. Flanders: Art cities
Bruges, Brussels, Ghent, Antwerp, Leuven, Mechelen

4. Flanders: Belgian Beer

5. Flanders: Fashion

6. Flanders: Belgian Chocolate

7. #fiaf12

8. Why this action?
 ‘Symbolic Actions’ (Simon Anholt)
 ‘Put your product in your branding’ (Seth Godin)
 Festivals fit our branding

9. Why storytellers?
 ‘ It’s the strategy, stupid !’
 ‘ Not the content but the community is king’

10. Permission marketing

11. We spread the good news bottom up

12. We recommend rather than
persuade

13. Why festivals?
 ‘Cutting edge craftmanship’
 Highest density in the world !

19. Goal #fiaf12:
Increase awareness of Flanders as a festival destination
Bring online influencers to Flanders to experience the
festival scene & stimulate conversation about Flanders

20. Target markets
Denmark en Sweden
UK The Netherlands
USA
Germany
Austria
France
Russia
China
Spain
Japan Italy
India

21. • Biggest ‘blogtrip’ in the world
• Flanders festival express

22. THINK SOCIAL MEDIA (Canada
& The Netherlands)

23. Biggest ‘blogtrip’ in the world
 94 “Bloggers” from 13 countries
 Key influencers in music, travel, lifestyle, social
media
 Personal program for every blogger: a unique
festival experience + touristic tips

24. Biggest blogtrip in the world
Selection ‘key influencers’ based on:
 Online reach and audience
 Used networks (Twitter, Instagram, Blog,
Facebook, mix, …)
 Match #fiaf12
 Personality & passion
 Location and language

25. Biggest blogtrip in the world: effort

26. Flanders festival express

27. Flanders festival express

28. Flanders festival express
Flanders is a Festival
@fiafexpress

29. Festival game:www.flandersisafestival.com

30. Results

31. Flanders festival express: return
 FB > 10.000 fans: with a reach of 5 million other
FB users
 Engagement rate > 3,5 times the average
engagement on facebook.
 Fans are engaged :
New ambassadors for Flanders

32. Biggest blogtrip in the world: return
 Connection with bloggers as festival buddies
 Authentic stories about festivals & destination
 Happy bloggers & inspiration for their followers

33. Biggest blogtrip in the world: colateral
 Print
 Radio
 Corporate communication (Tv, papers…)
 Enhances online competences of your staff
(KPI: Kloutscore 30 for 30%)

36. http://www.brain-magazine.com/article/reportages/10817-Blog-Trip-en-Flandre

42. Some numbers (at this moment)
 Number of written blogposts: 273 (300…)
 Number of unique visitors: > 12.000.000
 Average potential reader per blogpost: 75.000
 Number of Facebook fans of all bloggers: > 300.000
 Number of Twitter fans of all bloggers: > 550.000

43. Some numbers (at this moment)
 Total Cost : about 300.000 €
 Project manager + 3,9 FTE (6 months)
 Conversation Value:>30.000.000 € (stakeholders !)

44. Top three Story Tellers (at this moment)
 Elco Roos (NL) 14.711.945 €
 Marcello Arrambide (USA) 5.024.347 €
 Tim Griffin (USA) 3.433.912 €

45. Top three Keywords (at this moment)
 Ghent : 921
 Antwerp : 691
 Bruges : 325

46. Total #fiaf12 : 7363 mentions

48. Every day > 140.000 tweeps received a
tweet with #fiaf12 in their twitter feed. That is
a potential reach of 13.000.000

49. Lessons learned

50. Lessons learned : selection of bloggers
 Selection of influencers: it’s not only about
numbers but….
 Place in the network
 Mix and make them meet each other…

51. Lessons learned : treatment of bloggers
 Different approach from a journalist ….
 Wifi is their bloodstream…
 It’s not about the money (we didn’t pay) but
about the cost (zero#)…

52. Lessons learned: relation with bloggers
 Start inviting them earlier: catch some big fish
 Clearly talk about expectations:
 What can they expect in the destination
 What return do we expect: articles,
backlinks, conversation

53. Lessons learned:evangelize your stakeholders
 Evaluation > action itself
 Provide ROI, even if it does not say anything
about the ‘real value’
 Involve them in the conversation as early as
possible

54. Involve our Flemish bloggers / geeks /
ambassadors

55. Lessons learned: roles for our offices
Denmark en Sweden
USA
Russia
UK The Netherlands
China
Japan
Germany
India
Austria
France
Spain
Italy
• Connect with local bloggers
• Activate local media

56. Bring everything together on our site: trafic!
Make it visible for everyone (not only people who
follow blogs and use twitter)

57. Follow up and stimulate conversation

58. 2013: Flanders is a tour

59. 2014: Flanders Fields

60. CONCLUSION (MARKETING POW)
BLOGGERS EAT JOURNALISTS FOR BREAKFAST !


61. Thank you!
Frank Cuypers @FCuypers
Visitflanders @visitflanders