More Bookings, More Impact: Blueberry Supercharges Lead Generation for Creative Arts & Learning Centres

Our client runs four exceptional residential centres that offer immersive learning and valuable educational experiences for schools and colleges. Their inclusive teacher-led programmes offer attendees a range of centre-based and outdoor activities on day trips or multi-night residential stays. Looking to expand its reach, the council-owned service partnered with Blueberry to generate more leads and secure more school bookings.

What They Needed

Previously reliant on council funding and partnerships with local authority schools, the business faced financial issues when its funding was withdrawn. As more schools transitioned to academy status, bookings from local authority schools declined even further. To remain financially stable, they had to commercialise their offering, attract schools beyond their traditional base, and embed a sales-driven culture within their organisation. The organisation aimed to increase awareness and drive residential bookings by securing appointments with key school decision-makers. They needed an effective outreach strategy targeting schools in Birmingham, the West Midlands, Leicestershire, and beyond.

What We Did

Blueberry developed a lead generation plan, identifying schools and regions with the highest booking potential. We prioritised areas with limited local provision and used the organisation’s customer data to connect with any lapsed customers. Our comprehensive lead nurture strategy engaged key decision-makers through email marketing, telemarketing, direct mail, and event data. Timing was key, as schools operate on long buying cycles and tight budgets. We strategically reached out ahead of budget allocations to maximise engagement.

As the education sector became increasingly outcome-driven and many schools faced financial hardships, we emphasised the proven educational value of residential trips. Tailored messaging highlighted real-life success stories from nearby schools, reinforcing the benefits and encouraging new bookings.

We executed a highly targeted 43-day calling campaign in two phases:

• Phase 1: Focused on primary and secondary schools in Birmingham and surrounding areas with a strong awareness of the business.
• Phase 2: Expanded outreach to Leicestershire, Cheshire, and independent schools, testing new markets for future growth.

This involved careful planning, effective communication, and a deep understanding of schools’ needs and pain points.

Phase 1: Building on Strong Awareness

We focused on schools in the Birmingham area, using existing awareness of the organisation to engage with primary and secondary schools. Blueberry actively cleansed and enhanced our client’s customer database, finding key decision-makers over time. During our outreach, we gained valuable insights into school booking patterns and preferences. Our team also explored potential in Walsall, Lewisham, and Greenwich, targeting areas where a competitor had recently left the market. Our approach saw us secure 49 appointments in Birmingham. We identified lower engagement in Lewisham and Greenwich but strong potential in Walsall.

Phase 2: Testing New Markets

Based on early interest, we ran a test campaign with 100 schools in Leicestershire while continuing to nurture leads in Birmingham. We also targeted independent schools, which typically have more flexible trip budgets. Our analysts profiled records for East Cheshire but paused activity there to focus on other areas where engagement was stronger.

We secured four appointments in Leicestershire after just four days of calling. Similarly, our outreach to independent schools was fruitful, resulting in three appointments after only 2.5 days of calling. These quick results helped to build awareness of the company in new regions and laid a solid foundation for follow-up activity. We discovered 1,521 untouched records and 101 warm leads, with 33 longer-term opportunities ready to be nurtured.

What We Achieved

• High Engagement: We identified spoke to 271 relevant decision-makers, converting almost decision makers including Headteachers, Heads of Key Stages, Trip Coordinators, and School Business Managers.
• 50% of which converted into warm leads or future opportunities.
• Our dedicated team secured appointments and bookings with more than 100 schools and played a pivotal role in shaping our client’s sales and marketing strategies.
• Capturing 947 verified decision-maker email addresses for ongoing engagement
• Birmingham’s Engagement: With a 25.73% appointment conversion rate, schools in this region were highly receptive.
• New Market Interest: Despite lower initial awareness, Leicestershire schools amassed an 11.11% appointment conversion rate and a 55.56% warm lead conversion rate.
• Independent Schools’ Interest: We recorded a 15% appointment conversion rate and a 45% warm lead conversion rate.

Following the success of our campaign, they made some significant changes based on our suggestions. They’re now using a new CRM system that gives them clear visibility of their leads. They have also strengthened their internal sales team by hiring a dedicated Business Development Manager. This role is key for fine-tuning their sales efforts and handling the strong pipeline of prospects we helped set up.

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