How East Lothian Council used audio to inspire North East travellers
East Lothian Council wanted to put East Lothian firmly on the map for local tourism in the North East of England.
The team wanted to reach potential short-break travellers, inspire real interest in East Lothian as a destination, and capture data to continue the conversation afterwards.
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Jackie Gardiner, Economic Development & Tourism Projects Officer, East Lothian Council, said:
“The most valuable outcome for us was the level of engagement and the number of people who chose to opt in to hear more, as this indicates genuine interest and gives us the opportunity to continue building relationships with potential visitors.”
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the big idea
Global & East Lothian Council created and captured excitement for local tourism with an on-air and online competition campaign across Heart North East and Capital North East.
Audio lent the campaign trusted brands, strong regional reach and momentum. The competition mechanic then turned that attention into action, inviting audiences to sign up to win a short break in the gorgeous East Lothian landscape.
making it happen
The campaign ran on-air and online in April 2026, with a supporting email send to the heart and capital database to drive traffic into the promotion.
We recorded an enticing audio ad with custom sounds and script: Listen Here
Once on-air, Heart North East and Capital North East invited audiences to enter for the chance to win an East Lothian break. The bespoke ad + landing page brought the destination to life through a prize package that showcased what makes it such an appealing place to visit.
The campaign combined the trust, scale and emotional pull of audio with the immediacy of digital response. Listeners heard about the opportunity in a familiar, engaging environment, then moved online to enter, interact and opt in for future contact.
results
The campaign delivered strong reach, strong engagement and a clear audience response. On-air and online competition results:
- Reach: 448,000
- Impacts: 1,254,000
- Entrant opt-in rate: 27%
The campaign successfully positioned the destination in front of a large, relevant audience and motivated people to respond. More than a quarter of entrants opted in to hear more, confirming reach to a high-intent prospects the client could continue speaking to after the campaign had ended.
That is the commercial advantage of a well-built audio campaign. It can build fame, prompt action and generate real downstream value, all at once.
Jackie Gardiner, Economic Development & Tourism Projects Officer, East Lothian Council, said:
“The campaign delivered strong results in terms of both awareness and engagement within our target audience. It successfully raised the profile of East Lothian in the North East market and generated a high level of interest through the competition.”
