When father and son team Robert and James Ravens bought 96 year old business Bridestowe Lavender in 2010, they were already on the back foot. The business had been struggling, and the family needed to attract a whole new market of visitors to the farm if they were going to restore it to the thriving tourist attraction it had once been.

Robert and James explored their advertising options. “Very early in the piece, when we started to look at how to grow this business, we realised we didn't have money to invest in traditional advertising. So, we started to look at what online communication tools were available,” James says. The family was looking to the Asian tourism market as potential new visitors to the farm, and Google Ads gave them the reach, affordability and quick turnaround they needed to attract that new market in time. “We saw the ability to do paid campaigns online. It was cheaper and gave us instant feedback,” James says. “For a business that wants to grow, global reach is everything. It extends your potential market beyond your imagination.”

For the next two years, the Ravens focused their attention on this overseas market. They optimised their Google Ads campaigns with Google Analytics, and used YouTube to showcase the breathtaking vistas the acreage offers. The results were remarkable. “On December 26th 2018, we had 2,500 people come through our gates. We've boosted tourism numbers into this area. Originally, a few thousand a year, now more than 85,000 visitors come to see Bridestowe Estate every year.” That impact has extended beyond the bounds of Bridestowe Estate and into the Nabowla community. Since 2010, they’ve employed almost 60 new local staff, and the entire community is benefitting from the reinvigoration of this 96 year old business.