GO Research & Plan Breaks Down Barriers to Bridge
Client:
American Contract Bridge League
As the largest bridge organization in North America, ACBL serves more than 165,000 members and sanctions more than 3.5 million tables of bridge every year. Since 1937, ACBL has sustained the historic game through regular tournaments and online play.
T H E C H A L L E N G E
By the time ACBL approached RedRover, the average age of its members had increased by nearly a decade, with 72 percent of its players being 70 or older. ACBL needed a way to decipher what influences prospective members and to capitalize on those discoveries to generate more leads — a task perfect for RedRover’s GO Research & Plan.
T H E D R E A M
ACBL wanted to raise awareness about the elegance and gratification of bridge by creating a multi-channel foundation that was ripe for attracting and capturing new prospects.
T H E S T R A T E G Y
Investigation
RedRover launched our signature Growth Optimization (GO) Research process to dig into what draws people to bridge or prevents them from engaging. Our Pack completed surveys of current and prospective members, a comprehensive analysis of ACBL’s website and more to create personas and understand motivators. We used our research to develop a highly customized, research-based strategy to unleash ACBL’s growth potential.
Foundation
To attract and capture leads, ACBL first needed a sturdy foundation with messaging that spoke to the target audience. While they overhauled their website, RedRover created a clean, modern microsite for ACBL to get leads immediately and connect people who didn’t play bridge to relevant classes and teachers. Through personalized blogs and videos featuring customer testimonials, RedRover attached real-life people and experiences to ACBL’s cause.
Generation
RedRover leveraged digital marketing channels to increase awareness about the game and capture leads. Our Pack created breakthrough advertising on Facebook and Google, in addition to landing sponsored content in the American Association of Retired Persons to capture new audiences. An email drip campaign nurtured leads and kept them engaged with ACBL.
Infiltration
RedRover infiltrated a new market for ACBL by preparing a large-scale event to promote the game of bridge. Using direct mail, geotargeting, public relations and influencer marketing, RedRover created fresh momentum around ACBL.
T H E R E S U L T S
Armed with analytically inspired creative and strategies powered by intensive research, RedRover crashed the ceilings that were preventing ACBL from expanding into new member bases. The ad campaigns persuaded more than 8,000 people to visit ACBL microsite, and the email drip campaign experienced a 42 percent open rate, exceeding the industry average by 75 percent. Over the course of our lead-generating project, RedRover generated an average of 5 new membership leads per week.
