Scaling Success from the Ground Up: GEC Tours
EXTERNAL MARKETING PLAN CASE STUDY
From Zero to 5,000 Leads: Building a Strong Foundation for GEC Tours
Custom International Tours for Educators. GEC Tours is a division of a well-established organization that specializes in custom educational tours abroad. While the parent company has longstanding success in its sector, GEC Tours was launched as a brand-new product line aimed at providing unforgettable travel experiences for teachers and their students. Their core audience: teachers and administrators looking for immersive, safe, and educational travel programs worldwide.
When GEC Tours launched, they were starting entirely from scratch. Despite having a reputable parent brand, this new division had zero social media presence, no ad accounts, and no audience awareness. The challenge wasn’t just to promote existing products—it was to build the entire digital ecosystem: setting up platforms, developing brand identity online, and identifying the right messages that would resonate with their niche audience of teachers and educators. In a world where brands often hope for overnight virality, GEC Tours needed a partner who understood that real, sustainable growth comes from thoughtful, consistent effort.
The Challenge
Building a brand from the ground up with no existing digital footprint.
Our task was to transform GEC Tours from an idea into a recognizable, engaging, and lead-generating brand. With zero existing infrastructure, we had to set up everything—from Meta and TikTok accounts to Google Ads campaigns—and create a full-funnel strategy that would attract, engage, and convert teachers and administrators. The challenge was amplified by the need to learn and tap into the culture of educators: their humor, interests, and pain points, all while ensuring creative consistency and strategic growth.
Why GEC Tours Chose Aligned
GEC Tours recognized early that they didn’t just need a marketer—they needed a partner who could think holistically about their business. Aligned Marketing brought not only tactical expertise in ads and social media management but also a strategic, curious approach to understanding the education sector. Our team’s ability to handle every aspect—from deep-dive audience research to creative content production and hands-on community management—made us the right fit for building GEC Tours’ presence from scratch and supporting them through each phase of their growth.
A true partner for the long haul, not a one-and-done vendor.
The Process
Part One: Building the Brand Foundation
We established all necessary ad accounts and social profiles, ensuring brand alignment across platforms. We created style guides, messaging frameworks, and initial creative assets to lay a strong groundwork.
Part Two: Audience Discovery and Research
Our team conducted in-depth research into the educator community, diving into what resonates with teachers and administrators. We explored trends, humor, and share-worthy content to ensure our messaging wasn’t just seen but felt.
Part Three: Strategic Campaign Launch
We launched Google and Meta ad campaigns with carefully crafted creative, focusing on both reach and lead generation. Our campaigns were optimized in real-time based on performance data, driving steady improvements and cost-efficiency.
Part Four: Ongoing Growth & Engagement
Beyond ads, we delivered full-service organic social media management—developing posts, reels, and stories that balanced humor, destination highlights, and sales messaging. We actively engaged with the audience, fostering community and trust while continually refining our strategy.
The Results
Within the first season of running ads, GEC Tours achieved 5,000+ verified leads—real teachers and educators who opted in to learn more.
Their reach grew to over 1.1 million accounts, and their Instagram following skyrocketed from zero to 900 in just a few months, with continued growth across TikTok and Facebook.
These numbers tell only part of the story: GEC Tours now has a robust digital presence and an engaged audience base that will serve as a foundation for sustainable long-term growth. And perhaps most importantly, the GEC team has peace of mind, knowing that their marketing is in expert hands.
Sample creative from our lead-generating ad campaigns, designed to engage and convert educators
Organic Instagram post showcasing our blend of humor and educational content, crafted to foster community engagement.
Sample creative from our custom designed catalogs, enrollment guides, and lead magnets to capture leads meaningfully.
Kelly Moynihan, Director of Operations