Introduction
Phoenix is the fifth largest city in the U.S., boasting a thriving community known for its year-round sun and warm temperatures. The sprawling multi-city metropolitan area elevates art, culture, cuisine, nature and outdoor adventures, and has many high-end spa resorts, golf courses, and vibrant nightclubs for travelers to enjoy. Visit Phoenix and their agency, Brkthru, activated a co-op program with Sojern to support their local partners, increase tourism to Phoenix, and drive economic impact.
Objectives
Visit Phoenix and Brkthru sought to activate a co-op program based on feedback from their local partners that there was interest in participating. Though they had run co-ops in the past, they had not activated one that centered on programmatic media. The team started testing programmatic solutions in 2021 in partnership with Sojern and was very satisfied with the results. They wanted to run a test to see if it would be as effective from a co-op member standpoint and due to the success with Sojern on previous programmatic campaigns, they were eager to recommend it to partners. With a target list of key contacts from Visit Phoenix, Sojern led the outreach and secured 12 partners. It was key to deliver fantastic results for their partners that were trackable to prove the value back to them. Customization was important as each partner had different goals for their campaigns based on individual needs, some focused on ROAS and others on brand awareness.
"Whenever people bring up programmatic, I always mention Sojern. The data is great, the results are great, and the ease of use is really what makes it ideal. A lot of the process is hands off, which in the DMO world is such a golden egg to have because we're all so inundated with different responsibilities, low staff, and low budgets. Finding a way to make partnerships truly work for us is always a huge bonus."
Solution
Sojern, Visit Phoenix, and Brkthru teamed up to activate a co-op campaign with 12 local partners including hotels and attractions. The Sojern team coordinated and communicated with the members to save Visit Phoenix and Brkthru time and ensure implementation was easy. Visit Phoenix contributed match funds to the program to support their partners on custom campaigns across display and native channels. The Sojern team also provided ad design support for the participants as needed.
The co-op program resulted in 9,669 confirmed travelers, 3,057 flights and 11,445 hotel post-impression bookings, $5.6 million in estimated economic impact, and a 125:1 ROAS. The Sojern team received positive feedback on performance from the partners. The Visit Phoenix and Brkthru teams were satisfied with the results and signed on for a co-op for fiscal year 2025 to continue driving results for the destination and their partners.
About the Partnership
Host:
"Whenever people bring up programmatic, I always mention Sojern. The data is great, the results are great, and the ease of use is really what makes it ideal. A lot of the process is hands off, which in the DMO world is such a golden egg to have because we're all so inundated with different responsibilities, low staff, and low budgets. Finding a way to make partnerships truly work for us is always a huge bonus."
Steven Totten, Director of Marketing, Visit Phoenix
Agency:
“With your co-op program, we're able to support Visit Phoenix members by leveraging Sojern as an extension of both of both the Visit Phoenix and the Brkthru teams. Sojern has done a beautiful job managing the program. It's a low barrier to entry, and your team has made it that way. We really appreciate the support. What we love about Sojern is that it's trackable, so the results justify the initiative.ˮ
Jordan Barnes, Account Director, Key Accounts, brkthru
Hotel Partner:
“When we first saw campaign details, it was a no-brainer for us. The team at Sojern was great to work with from start to finish while delivering a successful customized campaign. After seeing the ROI results post-campaign, we will definitely be participating next time around!”
Kyle Burry, Director of Sales, Cambria
Attraction Partner:
“With your co-op program, we're able to support Visit Phoenix members by leveraging Sojern as an extension of both of both the Visit Phoenix and the Brkthru teams. Sojern has done a beautiful job managing the program. It's a low barrier to entry, and your team has made it that way. We really appreciate the support. What we love about Sojern is that it's trackable, so the results justify the initiative.ˮ
"Whenever people bring up programmatic, I always mention Sojern. The data is great, the results are great, and the ease of use is really what makes it ideal. A lot of the process is hands off, which in the DMO world is such a golden egg to have because we're all so inundated with different responsibilities, low staff, and low budgets. Finding a way to make partnerships truly work for us is always a huge bonus."
