Veikkaus reached more than half a million customers through festival partnerships

"It was a long time since we had been out there among people, and we wanted to really connect with them and leave a mark. We wished to provide experiences you can't necessarily buy with money and also create happy festival memories for visitors," says Ville Peltoniemi, Veikkaus's Manager of Sponsoring and Beneficiary Relations, outlining the brand image-related goals of the partnership.

The target was exceeded threefold

Veikkaus was involved with seven Nelonen Media Live festivals. The partnership included a draw for VIP ticket packages, VIP areas at the festivals, visibility at the entrances, on stage screens and wristbands, a star partnership with Harri Moisio at Rockfest, radio advertising and social media visibility.

Veikkaus had a goal of attracting 200,000 entries for the VIP ticket package draw. That number was tripled as 615,000 people took part in the draws across the seven festivals.

"The 615,000 participants entered our online store and, in addition to taking part in the draw, may have spent a few euros on lottery. The best part was that we built a database of over 500,000 Finns who are interested in music and festivals. When there are gigs anywhere in Finland in the future, we can offer benefits and prizes these people are interested in," Peltoniemi explains.

The level of interest is also reflected in the fact that the open rate of Veikkaus's newsletters announcing the VIP ticket draws exceeded 40%.

"The prize is especially valuable when you're interested in music and festivals but don't have the money to buy a ticket. Through us, you can also get tickets to sold-out festivals."

Veikkaus attached its brand to an exclusive customer experience

Veikkaus's brand found its place in the festivals. In visitor surveys, almost half of the attendees reported having noticed Veikkaus's presence at the venues.

In addition to high visibility, the collaboration succeeded in linking an exclusive customer experience to Veikkaus's brand.

In the VIP areas, Veikkaus reached over 15,000 festival goers and 450,000 viewers through social media.

Veikkaus's presence was particularly well noticed among young adults. In a survey conducted by Sponsor Insight, Rockfest and Suomipop Jyväskylä ranked among the ten best-known Veikkaus partnerships in the young adult target group.

According to Peltoniemi, the collaboration with Sanoma went extremely well.

"On Sanoma's side, we had real experts as teammates. The atmosphere was relaxed and easy-going. We spoke directly and there was no need to beat around the bush. The WhatsApp group was buzzing at every festival, and quick, fast-moving matters were handled through it. The team exceeded all expectations, promises and obligations. Sanoma has a relaxed approach to working and a great spirit that you can't always buy with money," Peltoniemi praises.