How BEM Drove a 33X Return on Ad Spend for Renfro Valley Shows
In case you missed it, the expert squad at Bauer Entertainment Marketing helped Renfro Valley Entertainment Center achieve 5 Sold-Out Shows in Just 6 weeks. And now we’re stoked to update you on our progress!
In the heart of Kentucky lives a true oasis for music and culture. More than just a venue, Renfro Valley has served as a magnet for concert fans over the past 85 years. This rich tradition, paired with BEM’s marketing pros, generated one of the venue’s most profitable years EVER. In fact, we helped them produce a positive return on investment from 72 out of 74 shows, with some events experiencing as high as a 33X return on ad spend.
We know you’re asking yourself, “How did they do it?” Read on, friends…
Challenge: Given Renfro Valley’s small population and remote location, it can be tough to stand out in a landscape dominated by nearby major markets and corporate venues. Sustaining profitability while competing against events with bigger budgets is quite an uphill battle! 😬
Solution: In true Renfro Valley form, BEM helped cater marketing to the loyal concert-goers that have fostered the venue’s historic 85-year run as Kentucky’s country and bluegrass music epicenter. We focused on fan bases that consistently showed a willingness to purchase tickets — AKA Renfro’s biggest fans!
We also introduced Renfro Valley to new buyers by targeting ads to four key interest groups — Classic Rock, Pop Country, Outlaw Country, and Nostalgia Country. This helped produce exceptional cost-per-click and conversion rates.
By combining Top of Funnel interest targeting with Bottom of Funnel retargeting of fans who previously engaged with the venue or artist, BEM’s ads generated far more clicks at a much lower cost than the industry standard, which resulted in way more profit!
Additionally, instead of running ads non-stop from the show announcement through the show date, we strategically allocated our budgets to run ads for 2 weeks after the on-sale, followed by a period of dormancy, and then picking back up within 8 weeks of the show date. This approach proved to be a highly efficient use of advertising budgets.
Results: Some standout performances from our campaigns include Scotty McCreery and Dillon Carmichael achieving an impressive 16X ROAS each, while Twitty & Lynn and Emmy Lou Harris earned a 12X and 33X return. And let’s not forget about Chicks With Hits, Travis Tritt, and the Kentucky Headhunters, who all boasted ROAS numbers of 18X, 19X, and 19X. Finally, Aaron Lewis and Crowder both experienced over a 23X ROAS for their sold-out, 2-night runs.
We couldn’t be more proud that our partnership with Renfro Valley helped them sell out 24% of their shows. Moreover, Renfro Valley Entertainment Center was voted as the Best Bluegrass Venue in Kentucky by the readers of Southern Living. It truly was a triumphant season! In an era where most independent venues are struggling to turn a profit, Renfro Valley is thriving.
Looking to achieve similar success for your events, but not sure where to start? Contact us to get 3 free growth ideas!