Auckland Arts Festival 2024
When the team at Auckland Arts Festival (AAF) were planning their 2024 season, they knew they needed a marketing partner who could not only generate ticket sales but also create a buzz that would resonate across all digital platforms. That's where Pop That came in. We embarked on a six-month campaign starting in October, building momentum all the way through the festival's opening night in March.
Our strategy was simple yet effective: reach as many people as possible while engaging both loyal fans and new audiences. We created and executed ad campaigns across Meta (Facebook and Instagram), Google, YouTube, and TikTok, aiming to boost engagement and introduce AAF to a whole new audience on TikTok. These campaigns were a hit, generating over 14 million impressions and achieving a Return on Ad Spend (ROAS) of almost 14—nearly double the industry average of 8.
Pop That's Data-Driven Magic Boosts AAF 2024
Stockbrokers of the Arts
But here's the secret sauce: data. We worked hand-in-hand with the AAF crew, sharing weekly sales updates and giving them a live dashboard showing their ad spend and results in real-time. Think of us as the stockbrokers of the arts! We used this intel to constantly optimise campaigns, putting more money behind the high-performers and maximising ticket sales. Just like playing the stock market, but way more fun (and with less chance of losing your shirt!).
One of the best parts? Guiding AAF into the wonderful world of TikTok. We crafted campaigns that resonated perfectly with the platform's young and vibrant audience. With over 1 million impressions and a crazy low cost-per-click of 0.31 cents later, it's safe to say AAF's TikTok debut was a success!
AAF2024
Opening Night and Beyond
Opening night was a hit! The Pop That team even caught the electrifying Afrique en Cirque show—a smashing success that soared past its ticket sales target, landing at a jaw-dropping 142%. We took advantage of this by grabbing some killer footage during the media run-through to fuel our ongoing ad campaigns. We also hit the ground running, chatting with the audience and collecting their rave reviews—these testimonials became gold in our ad campaigns, adding fresh content and building even more excitement around the festival.
This entire campaign was a testament to the power of collaboration and data-driven decision-making. By constantly analysing results and working closely with AAF, we were able to create a campaign that not only generated buzz but also drove ticket sales. We're already chomping at the bit to take these learnings and create an even more epic campaign for AAF 2025!
The success of the 2024 campaign has set a high bar, and we’re thrilled to be partnering with AAF again for their 2025 season. With the insights and learnings from this year, we're ready to create even more success for this fantastic organisation.
Stay tuned as we continue to bring the magic of the Auckland Arts Festival to even more people, using innovative digital marketing strategies to keep the excitement alive year after year!
