Blue Ridge Scenic Railway
Challenge
The Blue Ridge Scenic Railway is a charming passenger railway located in the mountains of North Georgia. Think small town America with a historical take on adventure. The attraction has always been a fan favorite due to its unique offering and location but this historic railroad was in dire need of an updated appearance and a digital advertising strategy. As a North Georgia staple, the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway was able to sell tickets in spite of its dated presence. However, to truly take their brand to the next level and increase sales, the BRSR team needed to update their online strategy and brand. The existing website was cluttered with information and the path to purchase was cumbersome, causing an increase in customer calls and potentially lost sales. Outside of aesthetics, the real problem of the website was the fact that it was incapable of driving organic traffic through SEO. The existing website lacked a lot of things, but the two major concerns were the absence of an SEO strategy and an exhaustive customer pathway to purchase. A redeveloped website, brand refresh, and the addition of a robust digital marketing strategy proved to be valuable; revenue growth was the goal, and that’s what we achieved.
Solution
Our approach with this project, and every project we take on, is to begin by defining the critical path of a project and communicating that path to the client to control scope creep and save the client time, money and stress. We planned from the result backward and never began work until we vetted every micro-task of the project. A couple of things were very important to the decision makers at the BRSR: 1. Prove to executive management that the marketing efforts directly contributed to revenue growth. 2. Provide professional marketing guidance with a great deal of autonomy. Web Development Branch Architecture Social Media Mgmt Social Media Ads Generations of riders have enjoyed the historic Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. Our goal for the BRSR brand was to refresh it for the next generation of riders while maintaining its legacy as a North Georgia staple. Our team refined elements of the existing branding, then incorporated new touches packaged within an easy to reference style guide. We didn't want to overwhelm long-time patrons. However, it was important that those engaging for the first time experience a seamless look across all marketing channels.
Results
The infusion of Fable Heart Media’s creative and strategic planning has proven to be a revenue growth driver for the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. This increase is not only affecting the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway’s native state of Georgia. Surrounding states Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, and North Carolina are all posting improved visitor traffic at a near or above 50 percent clip. These visitors are not only learning about the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway – they’re converting. Check out the Stats to get deeper insight as to the impact Fable Heart Media has made on the growth of the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway. Stats +27% Online Ticket Sale Revenue Growth 2019 vs. 2018 +22% Facebook Followers. 8,000 in only seven months +270% Instagram Followers. 2,800 in only seven months +299% New website visitors 1,578 Average daily visitors vs. 543 prior to site launch
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