How do you encourage racing punters to keep betting with
Paddy Power during the
Cheltenham Festival on a tight budget?
The Brief
The
Cheltenham Festival is the most prestigious meeting in the National Hunt racing calendar, with race prize money second only to the
Grand National. It is an event in which the best British and Irish trained horses compete for glory, making it the most important meeting of the year.
Paddy Power wanted a device that would encourage as many of the 67,000 race goers and betting shop punters as possible to bet with them. The campaign also had a tight budget, so the solution could not involve major sponsorship or advertising.
The Solution
Racing punters value Racecards and the Racing Post highly because of the advice and expertise they provide. With this in mind,
Marketing Team Direct designed a simple Z-Card, bursting with great odds, helpful advice, fun tips and strong offers. Being fun and easy to carry, Z-Cards were a great way to insure Paddy Power’s brand messages and offers were remembered and retained. They invaded the pockets of as many Cheltenham punters as possible, keeping Paddy Power front-of-mind during the four day festival.
The Results
The Cheltenham Z-Cards were distributed in the
Observer Sport and
Irish Mirror newspapers, mailed to UK and Irish customers, and handed out at the racecourse and in
Paddy Power shops. Excellent levels of penetration were achieved. In the publications, the inserted Z-Cards achieved greater ‘stand-out’ than normal page advertising, making them more cost-effective. Research has also shown that the Z-Cards were widely used and well received by the punters.
