The CPKC Women’s Open has been running since 1973 and is the only Canadian stop on the LPGA Tour. In 2022, the tournament saw record-breaking crowds and ticket sales for their post-pandemic return at the local club of Ottawa's hometown hero, Brooke Henderson. In 2023, the event was hosted by Vancouver’s very own Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club, and needed to continue growing with an ambitious goal of 15% increased ticket sales.
The Challenge
With Vancouver’s jam-packed summer calendar of world-class events, the CPKC Women’s Open needed to stand out from the pack and reach a local population that probably already had plans. The 2023 tournament also lacked 2022’s ace in the hole. While Brooke Henderson returned for the event, in Vancouver, she wouldn’t be the homegrown star who drew huge Ottawa crowds in 2022. To keep growing, the event needed another approach.
The Solution
Major Tom’s strategy began with an insight: Vancouver sports fans were hungry for post-lockdown events, but overloaded with choice. To stand out from a wealth of other options and get Vancouverites to buy in, we’d have to make the CPKC Women’s Open feel like the biggest game in town. That would take high-impact placements above and beyond typical banner ads, including busy commuter transit routes throughout the city, in gyms, and at golf courses and stores.
Partnerships with the city’s major broadcasters helped us build anticipation for the event, leveraging the impact of classic mass media. Secondary placements targeted golfers at both golf courses and stores, as well as fans following the latest golf news. To better allocate our budget to the right channels at the right time, we closely tracked ticket sales against media and other promotional activity. When the initial wave of sales slowed, we bolstered the campaign with conversion-driving digital media to drive sales and reach all potential ticket buyers.
The Results
With a combination of digital and OOH efforts, the CPKC Women’s Open drove efficient revenue growth for the event, with:
43%
INCREASE IN TICKET SALES YOY
32%
DECREASE IN CPA ON DIGITAL CHANNELS
46%
OF WEBSITE TRAFFIC DRIVEN FROM PAID MEDIA
The great thinking and strategic work of the Major Tom team made sure that golf fans knew we were in town and helped us sell out the event.
Tim McLaughlin, Golf Canada
Chief Marketing Officer
Major Tom's understanding of brand integrity and expertise in paid media greatly improved cost per acquisition, customer reach and transactions, all while lowering digital marketing costs.
Lucinda Betteridge, Loeffler Randall
Ecommerce Manager
Working with them is working with a top-notch company that is committed to your success.
Graeme Byrd, Hootsuite
Partner Manager
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