The campaign started with no budget and later continued on a micro-sized budget, which we just allocated to boosting a few of our social media posts. We aimed the campaign at our most loyal fans who have already visited Ljubljana. Our idea was very simple and straightforward. It was to encourage everyone to share the memories with us and everybody else under the hashtag #LjubljanaMemories.

We also put up a page on our website, displaying the best of the memories we received. We will use this content to raise brand awareness in the months to come, effectively encouraging the people to dream about visiting Ljubljana and later, to choose Ljubljana as their destination, based on so many great memories from everybody who have already visited.

The response exceeded all our expectations

We ran the campaign for three weeks, from 30 March to 18 April 2020. We reached out to our followers on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. On Facebook, the response was instantaneous and massive. We received 347 memories on Facebook (by memories we mean meaningful responses shared along with photos). On Instagram, the response was more gradual and constant. We received 413 memories there. The response on Twitter was the smallest, but it was no less inspiring. We received 54 memories.

We chose the most inspiring and interesting ones and asked users for permission to post them on our website. We posted 66 memories on it. The vast majority of users we asked for consent were happy to give it to us and wrote it was an honor for them to be featured.

It was no ordinary campaign. It was an ongoing conversation

We feel the added value of the campaign, as it was happening, was all the positive energy it unleashed. In the time of the COVID-19 crisis, we were engaged in a brilliant conversation with our past and future guests, which was full of hope, comfort, and understanding.

People mostly shared their memories by commenting on our own posts, especially on Facebook and Twitter where that is the easiest way to join a conversation. Many of them did not bother to use the hashtag but we were okay with that. They preferred to keep the conversation going by commenting, tagging us, or contacting us via private messages. We also had to keep at it all the time, as people were eager for our feedback and showed their concern as well, by asking us how we are doing in those lockdown days.

This conversation revealed some of the best things in Ljubljana according to visitors. We also received many responses from people who wish to revisit our city was a positive surprise and a confirmation that our city is a feel-good destination worth revisiting. All of that now helps us to adapt and refine our communication. We feel the prospects for the tourism revival in Ljubljana are good, once the situation permits people to travel again.

Visit the campaign page here.