Conquering New Markets

Eurostar’s communications had always focussed on its key consumer base in the London/South East. However, the move to St Pancras International station opened up much more of the country. 

Eurostar had to battle against 13 years worth of experience of the brand being ‘just for people in the south’, and in the final six months of the year get them to make 1 million journeys. 

Rather than waiting for people in Northern cities to discover Eurostar we would bring Eurostar to them. We would dominate their city’s media and arrive in their shopping centres with a Eurostar pop up experience. 

At the heart of the campaign sat a replica train carriage so that people could experience the comfort of travelling by Eurostar, incorporating an interactive Eurostar map and a French stylist to offer a makeover to interested shoppers. 

Line by line geo-targeted media on and offline announced the arrival of the experience in each city, and capture the demand and interest created by the arrival of the train via search and response media. 

Over 1.4 million ticket sales were generated from travellers in the new northern catchments, smashing the 1m target for 2008. This represents 33% of total UK leisure volume (vs. the target of 25%). 

A clear piece of evidence that shows that to hit tough business targets, often the best way to create demand is to deliver experiences that engage people on their own terms.