Ken Kelling: Ken Kelling Using PR to promote your destination


List of opening apologies: List of opening apologies You may have heard all this before You know your objectives better than I do You may have different levels of involvement / interest in PR You got me! And just after lunch as well….


What is PR?: What is PR? Public speaking / talks Events Open days Conferences Media Relations


What I’m going to cover: What I’m going to cover Advantages / disadvantages of PR Working with Visit London Five (and a half) tips for working with the media Dead sophisticated Brand PR stuff PR-ing London as a destination


Advantages of PR: Advantages of PR More “valuable” than advertising Opportunities from growth in media channels Can be low cost / low resource Can reach a wider audience More memorable / impactful Not rocket science! (But may be an art….)


Disadvantages of PR: Disadvantages of PR Lots of competition for stories Can’t dictate what’s said about you No guarantees of coverage Lots of effort for little or no reward Difficult to evaluate Everyone’s a PR expert: “We should issue a press release…….”


Difference from VisitBritain (author’s own views!): Difference from VisitBritain (author’s own views!) VisitBritain focus on the whole of the country VisitBritain promotes overseas (and has overseas offices) but not domestically VisitBritain is not a “membership” organisation VisitBritain are keen to get people out of London! VisitBritain’s media work concentrates on travel media and print (not exclusively) VisitBritain do not have a gap between Visit and Britain


The Visit London Team: The Visit London Team


Opportunities with VL: Opportunities with VL What’s New “Round up” releases Press trips Contacts London TV Media interviews


Campaigns: Campaigns PR underpins marketing objectives Marketing / PR team work closely together Promote marketing messages through news and feature stories Dispersal, diversity, lesser known places as well as the traditional


Go Further PR: Go Further PR Kicked off with a survey to provide news hook EPIDEMIC OF APATHY AND LETHARGY SWEEPS THE CAPITAL New research from Visit London reveals a city of unadventurous, stay-at-homes as two thirds of Londoners fail to explore their city Survey reveals the seven deadly excuses for inaction…… Followed up with “solutions” – places to go, things to see Explore what’s on your own doorstep Provided ready made features, with suggestions Listings release, good value itineraries, “lunchtime solutions”


Festival Time PR: Festival Time PR All the world in one city! Covent Garden = Rome South Bank = Australia Richmond = Amazon Brick Lane = Asia Message: London has everything in September


Festival Time PR: Festival Time PR


Maximising PR effectiveness: Maximising PR effectiveness Q: Why do 99.9% of releases end up in the bin? A: The story isn’t good enough


Maximising PR effectiveness: Maximising PR effectiveness Tip 1. Think like a journalist and treat them like colleagues Journalists are people – honestly! Don’t be scared of them, equally don’t shout at them Talk like you’re in the same business Go with it………!


Ozzygate……..: Ozzygate……..


Roll with the punches!: Roll with the punches!


Maximising PR effectiveness: Maximising PR effectiveness Tip 2. Planning: 95% Execution: 5% It doesn’t matter how pretty your press release is if your story’s rubbish! You can spend 4 hours stuffing releases when one email to the Press Association could get more results Make it up! (Sensibly). News is much more random than you think…….. Do you really need to “hold a press event”?


Maximising PR effectiveness: Maximising PR effectiveness Tip 3. Get yourself media trained You’ll gain a better understanding of the media You’ll gain in confidence If you’re good, you’ll get used frequently Be willing to comment on subjects that may be outside your “expertise”


Maximising PR effectiveness: Maximising PR effectiveness Tip 4. Convince yourself / your boss first Would you be interested in the story? Write a brief for yourself – objectives, key messages, headlines. Be specific about what media you are targeting – Trade? Print? TV? Radio? Keep it really simple, but smart – you’re looking for “cut through”. You should be able to summarise it very simply.


Maximising PR effectiveness: Maximising PR effectiveness Tip 5. People are (far) more newsworthy than places What’s the news full of? How come surveys work so well? Your destinations are full of people


People make news: People make news


Maximising PR effectiveness: Maximising PR effectiveness Tip 5 1/2. MYA! Journalists work to deadlines – make sure you meet them The best coverage often comes from being opportunistic


Be opportunistic: Be opportunistic


Destination Brand PR: Destination Brand PR What we are looking to achieve through PR Surprise people and challenge their perceptions about London. Promote London as a city of world firsts As a creative place, our stories should also be creative. We want to create memorable stories that are talked about for a long time. We want to demonstrate ambition. We want to convey real life in London, not a picture postcard world. We want to produce stories that are newsworthy and news is about people. Encourage Londoners to feel pride in their city We are interested in stories that surprise, places that are off the beaten track, and things that never been done before. We want to promote depth, diversity and dispersal.


The brief: The brief Case study Brief: Surprising London Theme: London’s Culture Audience: UK and near Europe Target media: Broadcast


One Amazing Week: One Amazing Week World’s loudest band (Motorhead) play Royal Opera House Giant “paint by numbers” across London, based on Tate masterpieces Jerry Hall sets Guinness record for appearing in 6 musicals in one night Four London buses designed by leading fashion designers International Premiership footballers kickabout with kids in Regent’s Park


One Amazing Week: One Amazing Week


Cabbie Tour: Cabbie Tour


US marketing: US marketing PR Objectives Shift perceptions of London from traditional to contemporary Prompt immediate bookings to London Challenge preconceptions of poor value for money Drive traffic to www.visitlondon.com


PR: Cabbie Tour: PR: Cabbie Tour Execution Recruited five black cab drivers through London Tonight Drove from East to West coast – hitting 12 key target cities Media trained to deliver key messages Partnerships with BA, Hyatt Hotels, Radisson Edwardian Simultaneous with the above-the-line marketing (mainly radio / online)


PR: Cabbie Tour: PR: Cabbie Tour Visual Branding – cabs / cabbies Face to face – rides around town, official welcomes, launch reception Messaging – media interviews Photographs – iconic locations Postcard distribution with competition