Explore Newnan-Coweta: Scoring Big with a World Cup Marketing Playbook
As Atlanta gears up to host eight matches for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, destinations across Georgia are looking for ways to capitalize on the massive influx of international visitors. For Explore Newnan-Coweta, a destination just 20 minutes south of the Atlanta airport, the opportunity was clear. The challenge was to position themselves not just as a convenient place to stay, but as a desirable, peaceful, and authentic alternative to the crowded Atlanta metro area. Their goal was to introduce their destination, often bypassed by international travelers, to a completely new market. They knew that international visitors would love their area.
| "It's like stepping into a Norman Rockwell painting when you come into our downtowns. We have pastoral farms and the serene Chattahoochee River to idyllic Main Streets and boundless shopping.” - Heather Daniel, TMP, President & CEO at Explore Newnan-Coweta |
Club Cup Targeting – The Stepping Stone to FIFA World Cup
Along with their agency, Explore Newnan-Coweta devised a smart, two-pronged marketing strategy for a preliminary Club Cup tournament based on Zartico's Visitor Intelligence. They started by running four targeted social media ads aimed at countries with announced teams, including Portugal, Miami, England, Mexico, and others. The ads used soccer-specific terminology and highlighted Coweta County's key selling point: an easy, traffic-free ride straight down the interstate to hotels and then back into Atlanta for the matches.
Simultaneously, they launched an aggressive paid search campaign. Search terms focused on proximity to the airport and Atlanta, as well as soccer-related keywords. As the tournament drew closer and last-minute decisions were being made, they shifted their focus, implementing a geo-targeting campaign specifically at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. This micro-campaign was a direct effort to capture visitors as they were arriving.
Examples of targeted social ads showcasing Newnan-Coweta’s easy, traffic-free access to Atlanta for match days.
From Local Gem to International Destination
The results were astonishing, with the campaign becoming their highest-performing ad campaign to date. Paid search website sessions increased by 123%, and paid social sessions went up by 157%. The most dramatic result was the 3,000% increase in website traffic from Spain, captured by Zartico Website Attribution. Other targeted countries, including Sweden, Canada, and Mexico, became the top active users on their website, displacing the usual domestic audience.
| "And we got a whole new international origin market that had probably never even known we were here, which was one of the goals of this campaign. I wanted to grow awareness with these teams in these countries that we know will come back for the World Cup." |
While a direct lift in hotel bookings was not immediately quantifiable, the campaign successfully established a baseline of awareness and engagement that had never existed before. It also provided valuable lessons, particularly in filtering out spam from certain countries, which will inform future marketing efforts.
| "Our board was thrilled to hear that it was our best performing campaign to date." |
Scaling Success for the 2026 FIFA World Cup
With the FIFA World Cup in 2026, Explore Newnan-Coweta is building on this success. The recent team announcements will allow them to create and promote specific hotel packages and itineraries to visitors. They are also working on initiatives aimed to attract visitors to Coweta County and create a full-fledged fan experience. This initial success has paved the way for a much larger, more integrated campaign to truly put Newnan-Coweta on the international map.
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