Butlins: Butlins: how taking a guest-first approach rebuilt a national treasure

Going against best practice is always a risky move. But this paper shows that for the holiday camp operator, Butlin's, it paid off handsomely. It illustrates that in the right circumstances, the precise targeting ad-tech offers can not only drive greater sales more efficiently, but also build brands more effectively, than the traditional broad reach approach. Over the last two years, while marketing investment has fallen, brand and sales performance have risen, enabling Butlin's to achieve a revenue return of 21.96 for every 1 invested. This figure is one of the highest from a holiday brand in the history of the IPA Effectiveness Awards, and the case provides additional insights for an industry offering ever tighter targeting opportunities.