Cases studies

Abu Dhabi during the Evian Masters – July 2011 : How to launch a promotion to a new target: the golf niche market

• Agencies : Interface Tourism France
• Services : Consumer Promotion - Events - Market Intelligence - Public Relations - Representation
• Clients : Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority

Brief

Abu Dhabi is still emerging as a leisure destination. However, its golf offer is now mature enough to be promoted in French-speaking markets. As a niche target, golfers can be very specifically classified as being upmarket, mostly 40-60 years of age and with high incomes.

Our objective was to launch Abu Dhabi as a golf destination by promoting its wide variety of golf courses.

The Evian Masters was a strategic tournament in which to participate as 90% of the visitors were golfers who regularly travel abroad to play golf.  

Tactics

- A branded tent in the middle of the public village, with customised walls displaying images of some golf courses
- The distribution of a dedicated golf brochure, and other more general brochures on the destination which were available on the booth
- Presence in the daily Gazette, and in the conference room where USB keys were made available.
- Raffle draw for a golf trip to Abu Dhabi, for which an email address had to be provided: a unique opportunity to create a public database, something which is hardly ever possible

Result

- Creation of a database of 200 golf players which can be used whenever we need to send out news concerning golf in Abu Dhabi
- Good overall feedback from this first participation : people were positively surprised to see Abu Dhabi’s golf offer and keen to know more
- Guests and visitors appreciated the quality of the documentation distributed, which provide a highly positive image of Abu Dhabi.