Aria Resorts win award for marketing creativity through the pandemic

UK holiday company, Aria Resorts, and its Exeter-based Google Advertising agency, Launch Online, has received a European award for its online advertising strategy through the pandemic.

Aria Resorts and Launch Online won the award for Best PPC Campaign (Pay Per Click), specifically for its work to help guide the hospitality business through the turmoil of the pandemic and secure a vital sell-out summer season.

The European Agency Awards were held on October 22, rewarding digital, marketing and advertising agencies across Europe. The judging panel featured leading names in marketing, advertising and digital from some of Europe’s leading brands. 

Judges said; “We thought this was an impressive campaign during the pandemic demonstrating how the agency has changed their strategy successfully. It’s a brave approach and it’s good to see it paid off so well.”

Simon Pitman, marketing director at Aria Resorts, which has properties in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Yorkshire, Scotland and Isle of Wight, said that as consumers moved almost exclusively online during lockdown, their work with Launch Online became an even more vital part of the business as holiday bookings stopped almost overnight. 

Simon said, “at the start of the pandemic we could have gone one of two ways: pull back, or sail into the storm. We chose the latter. Having worked with the impressive Launch Online team for a few years, we knew we were in expert hands. They delivered stunning results which - in the middle of May - seemed a long, long way away, it just shows what can be achieved if you work together.” 

Jaye Cowle, founder of Launch Online, was delighted to receive the award: “At the onset of the pandemic a huge number of travel and leisure organisations battened down the hatches. Our advice to Aria was to keep marketing, mindful that it was just a moment in time and that UK staycation bookings would eventually skyrocket. This strategy made sure that Aria were sold out through the vital summer holiday period. 

“I’m so pleased for both the Aria and Launch teams who have worked so hard together during such a tough year, this award is for them.”

Simon Pitman, “The results from Launch Online have been nothing short of staggering - Launch has exceeded our already high targets, and helped us deliver record breaking results. These results were achieved during unprecedented times, but they are what the team strives to deliver every day.”