Summer is a Big Deal

Visit Peak District & Derbyshire, Visit Derby

“Summer is a Big Deal” delivered exceptional results in a challenging climate of rising living costs. By highlighting Derby and the Peak District as destinations offering big experiences without the big spend, we engaged families and day-trippers with authentic, user-generated content and multichannel storytelling. The campaign exceeded engagement benchmarks across paid social, drove a 20%+ uplift in website visits, and generated an estimated £273,941 in economic value. It not only inspired visitors to stay longer and spend locally, but also reinforced the destinations’ reputation as accessible, affordable, and memorable places to explore.

Website: summersabigdeal.co.uk

Vision

The campaign sought to:

Drive web traffic to dedicated "Summer is a Big Deal" pages.
Raise awareness of the range and value of experiences across Peak District & Derbyshire and Derby.
Increase bookings of short-stay breaks during August - September 2025.
Encourage day trips by promoting travel via public transport.

KPIs were clear and measurable:

+10% accommodation bookings year-on-year.
+10% web traffic during the promotional period (1 July - 9 September).
+1m campaign audience reach.

The budget was carefully allocated across digital and out-of-home channels, with cost-effective creative production leveraging UGC content to maximise impact. A key consideration was ensuring strong ROI for the destinations, making every pound work harder to generate both immediate visitor spend and long-term brand affinity.

Ideas

The campaign targeted families, couples, and groups seeking affordable UK getaways amidst the ongoing cost-of-living squeeze. Insight revealed that people were looking for big value close to home; experiences that felt special without the burden of high travel or accommodation costs.

Our strategy tapped into this sentiment with the message: “You don’t have to travel far or spend a fortune to feel good.” We emphasised both the value of price and value of time spent together.

The creative approach combined authentic storytelling and UGC-style content with a strong “BIG” brand device linking the breadth of offers, from “Big Countryside Escapes” to “Big City Vibes.” Media planning balanced reach and engagement:

Paid social (Meta ads, carousels, reels) to drive clicks and bookings.
Out-of-home and programmatic display for brand awareness.
SEO blogs and email marketing to deepen engagement and inspire planning.
Collaboration posts to establish recognition and campaign consistency.

By reinforcing the idea of “big experiences without the big spend,” the campaign positioned Derby and Derbyshire as the perfect antidote to rising costs, fun, accessible, and rewarding for all.

Execution spanned July - September 2025 with an agile, test-and-learn approach. Key tactics included:

The campaign's iterative rollout allowed for optimisation based on real-time results, ensuring every channel reinforced the central “Big Deal” proposition.