Professor Catherine Johnson says “After lockdown was relaxed, it was streaming that retained its uplift, while time spent watching broadcast TV gradually declined back to normal levels.
The Nielsen Total Audience Report (US) found video streaming increased from 19% in fourth-quarter 2019 to 25% in second-quarter 2020. The TOP 3 streaming service providers were Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu in 2020.
Meanwhile, we watch:
- 1 billion hours of videos on YouTube,
- 1,2 billion people use Facebook Watch every month,
- 18 hours online videos in a week.
The usage of online video is a great way to show brand personality, the country’s image (in this case: the island of Ireland), and create a personal connection with your audience.
I have listed these just to show how challenging it is to present a country (e.g. Ireland) as a golf tourism destination while we are not yet completely beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
The other reason I mentioned it is because a series is being made now to attract more golf tourists to the island of Ireland. It will be on Sky Sports.
Sky Sports Golf has got
- on average 2 million viewers in a month.
- Its YouTube channel has got 26,400 subscribers and
- its Facebook page has got 43,348 followers.
Unfortunately, Sky Sports is not available outside the UK without premium VPN services (e.g. Express VPN). If they want to attract British golfers as Julie Wakley, Tourism Ireland’s head of Great Britain said before then this is not a solution to be discarded.
The world-class golfing destination of Ireland will be showcased in a new golf show hosted by former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley and broadcaster Chris Hollins that is set to reach more than 500 million households in 189 countries in the coming years.
The episodes broadcast on Sky Sports to 25 million households were filmed earlier this year, when McGinley and Hollins traveled the length and breadth of the island playing iconic courses including Royal County Down, The K Club, Portmarnock, Druids Glen, Royal Portrush, Adare Manor, Lahinch, Enniscrone, Rosapenna and Mount Juliet, to name just a few.
Recommendations
Let’s not rely on TV watching habits statistics and reports’ findings.
- In March 2020, 56% of U.S. and U.K. live streamers planned to consume live video after the coronavirus outbreak (Source: GWI coronavirus Research March 2020).
- 23% of consumers plan to continue watching more videos post-outbreak. (GWI Flagship Report 2020).
- Live streamers are more interactive with brands and want greater influence over them. (GWI 2020 Live Streaming Trends)
Therefore I would utilize Sky Sports Golf:
- YouTube Channel,
- Facebook Page,
- Sky Sports live streaming service in parallel to the classic TV channel.
In addition, I would take advantage of the live video boom too. To make the golf experience on the island of Ireland more personal and build trust, I would hire local golfers to show their favorite golf clubs in vlogs. People love watching how other people are living, their behavior, habits, etc.
According to Think with Google, travel vlogs get 4x more social engagement than any other type of travel content on YouTube.
If you need any help in golf tourism marketing, then drop me an email: mikibreitner@gmail.com or visit https://app-6165ce12c1ac18c16c9d2d09.closte.com/work-with-me