Tampa Bay Times drives 260% revenue growth by partnering with Elite Insights for ‘Best of the Best’ campaign

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The Tampa Bay Times has run its highly successful “Best of the Best” campaign for four consecutive years, generating impressive revenue primarily through a winners’ print piece. However, while print advertising was thriving, the campaign was missing out on significant digital opportunities. The Times needed to enhance the digital side of the campaign, particularly through digital display ads during the nomination and voting phases.

The challenge
Although the “Best of the Best” contest had gained local popularity, the Times realized that digital monetization, particularly through display ads, was not being fully leveraged. The campaign was lacking a streamlined, integrated digital strategy to maximize the value from local businesses during the contest’s nomination and voting periods.

The solution
To address this gap, the Tampa Bay Times partnered with Elite Insights, a leading provider of self-service software platforms for media companies. Elite Insights collaborated with the Times’ team, providing a robust strategy, pricing models, and hands-on training to develop a digital monetization strategy. This new approach integrated digital ads into the campaign, using Elite Insights’ software platform to optimize efficiency.

The Tampa Bay Times sales team was able to focus entirely on selling the campaign to local businesses, while Elite Insights handled the creative process, support, and contest logistics. This division of responsibilities ensured that the Times could maximize its sales efforts without being bogged down in operational details.

Benefits & results:

Efficient resource allocation:
With Elite Insights managing the campaign logistics, the Tampa Bay Times sales team was free to focus solely on selling and strategizing. This efficient use of resources allowed the sales reps to generate more leads and close more deals without worrying about creative processes or technical support.

Seamless Software Empowerment:
Elite Insights’ platform provided essential tools for generating leads, managing nominations, and ensuring transparency. Features like inventory control, fraud prevention, and integrated credit card processing made the contest smoother and more reliable for both the Times and its advertisers.

Impressive Results
The partnership between the Tampa Bay Times and Elite Insights led to remarkable year-over-year improvements, including:

  • 260% Revenue Growth
  • Over 3,000 Participating Businesses
  • 425,000 Community Votes Cast

Both teams were thrilled with the results. Bruce Faulmann, former vice president of sales and marketing at the Tampa Bay Times, spoke highly of the collaboration. “We are delighted to be partnered with Elite Insights and utilizing their innovative solutions. The advice given and the process flow we implemented has significantly boosted our revenue and set us up for continued success,” Faulmann shared, reflecting on the positive impact the partnership had on their digital strategy.

Andrea Daly

Andrea Daly, former senior marketing manager at the Tampa Bay Times, echoed Faulmann’s sentiments, emphasizing the importance of communication and reliability throughout the process. “The Elite Insights team was there for us every step of the way. They were reliable and communicative, and we couldn’t have achieved such remarkable results without their help. Their commitment to enhancing operational efficiencies has greatly contributed to our success and helped streamline our efforts,” Daly explained, noting the value of Elite Insights’ hands-on approach.

By leveraging Elite Insights’ technology and expertise, the Tampa Bay Times not only enhanced the digital side of its “Best of the Best” campaign but also set a new standard for community engagement and business partnerships.

About Elite Insights:

Elite Insights is a software company specifically focused on Best of Programs. Our software empowers media companies to run efficient and robust contests that maximize lead generation, revenue opportunities, and community engagement. For more information or a demo, contact sales@eliteinsights.io

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