Introduction
Cheshire is a historic county in northwest England, known for its scenic countryside, charming market towns, and rich cultural heritage. The Marketing Cheshire team partnered with two rail companies, Avanti West Coast and Transport for Wales, to launch a digital co-op marketing campaign with Sojern. By combining investment and leveraging Sojern’s data-driven approach to target audiences along their rail routes, the partners cut through the noise, reached a wider audience, and drove measurable visitation growth. The campaign not only delivered against ambitious goals but also exceeded expectations, achieving a 27:1 return on ad spend (ROAS) and generating over £817,000 in estimated economic impact.
Objectives
The Marketing Cheshire team sought to showcase the region as a must-visit destination and drive measurable visitor growth, particularly beyond single-day visits to one attraction. To achieve this, they partnered with Avanti and Transport for Wales from June through August 2025, recognizing that a collaborative campaign would amplify their message, extend reach across key rail routes, and cut through the noise in a competitive travel market.
Each partner had clear objectives. Marketing Cheshire was focused on generating in-destination visits that would translate into real economic impact. Avanti set a goal of achieving at least a 5.1 ROAS on a display ad campaign, while Transport for Wales aimed to hit a 2% click-through rate (CTR) on both display and Facebook and Instagram ads to demonstrate strong audience engagement. The combined investment would allow partners to pool resources, maximize visibility, and run a multi-channel campaign. The partnership aimed to prove the value of collaborative marketing while driving tangible results for Cheshire’s tourism economy.
“Cheshire’s benchmarks are quite high, and Sojern exceeded those, as well as the goals of both partners. It’s really powerful for us to go back to the partners and show them the value of working with us on the campaign. That’s ultimately what I wanted to achieve, to have a really strong and powerful story, not just vanity metrics. I now have that thanks to this partnership. 27:1 is the return on investment with the campaign, and a partner putting money into it will have a direct impact on the city and the local economy.”
Solution
Sojern activated a co-op marketing campaign with tailored strategies for each operator while keeping the focus on measurable results for Marketing Cheshire. Avanti’s campaign surpassed the goal of 5.1 ROAS on display advertising with a 5.22 ROAS. Transport for Wales exceeded its ambitious 2% CTR benchmark on META and achieved >19k clicks across their multichannel campaign. They reached a broader audience and gained strong visibility across key rail routes into Cheshire. The overall campaign delivered a 27:1 ROAS, 3,715 confirmed travellers, and an estimated £817,300 in economic impact for the region.
Liam Hartzenberg, head of marketing for Marketing Cheshire, highlighted the value of Sojern’s ability to track footfall and connect marketing activity directly to in-destination visits. The Marketing Cheshire team valued the expertise, flexibility, and responsiveness of Sojern’s team which ensured budgets were fully utilized and campaigns ran smoothly. The team plans to use the data from the campaign to serve as proof of value when engaging with Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and securing future partnerships.
About the Partnership
Host:
“Cheshire’s benchmarks are quite high, and Sojern exceeded those, as well as the goals of both partners. It’s really powerful for us to go back to the partners and show them the value of working with us on the campaign. That’s ultimately what I wanted to achieve, to have a really strong and powerful story, not just vanity metrics. I now have that thanks to this partnership. 27:1 is the return on investment with the campaign, and a partner putting money into it will have a direct impact on the city and the local economy.” – Liam Hartzenberg, Head of Marketing
Agency:
Co-Op Partner:
“We’ve been working with DMO’s like Visit Cheshire for a number of years. The campaigns were always great at delivering marketing metrics, but the missing piece was being able to see the impact on our bottom line. Since working with Sojern, it’s been a gamechanger, allowing us to see direct sales from destination campaigns and also understanding the wider economic impact of our co-op marketing. We can now truly prove the campaigns are win-win!” – Richard Wareing, Head of Commercial Partnerships
Co-Op Partner:
"Collaborating on joint campaigns with Visit Cheshire over the past few years has seen a positive impact on the number of rail travellers into Chester. This year, partnering with Sojern has enhanced the campaign’s trackability, allowing us to see clear results. Not only has this benefited Transport for Wales, but it’s also highlighted the broader economic impact on the Chester region”. – Victoria Leyshon, Partnerships Marketing Manager
Co-Op Partner:
“Cheshire’s benchmarks are quite high, and Sojern exceeded those, as well as the goals of both partners. It’s really powerful for us to go back to the partners and show them the value of working with us on the campaign. That’s ultimately what I wanted to achieve, to have a really strong and powerful story, not just vanity metrics. I now have that thanks to this partnership. 27:1 is the return on investment with the campaign, and a partner putting money into it will have a direct impact on the city and the local economy.”
