SW Digital Development Project
Case Study 5: PR and marketing
Brief for a PR Consultant/Company
This brief was drawn up to set out the requirements of a campaign to market
the website Gloucestershire Revealed in November 2012 as part of the SW
Digital Development Project funded by Arts Council
England.
Marketing Campaign, Gloucestershire Revealed
Brief for Marketing company/consultant
1. Summary
Gloucestershire Museums Group wishes to further promote its tourism website
www.gloucestershirerevealed.co.uk. This website provides a one stop portal
for information to anyone interested in visiting museums and heritage sites
across Gloucestershire.
We are seeking a company to deliver a significant marketing campaign to
promote this website.
2. Background
2.1 Gloucestershire Museums Group
Who are we?
The Gloucestershire Museums Group is a network of over 20 museums and
heritage organisations within the county of Gloucestershire. It was
established some years ago to bring together representatives of
independent community museums, statutory authorities and individuals
engaged in the provision and support of museums.
How are we organised?
The Gloucestershire Museums Group is a volunteer group that does not
charge for membership, and has no financial support or assets. The regular
activities of the organisation are funded through in-kind support from Arts
Council England’s (ACE) Museum Development Fund and the group
achieves funding for special projects, such as this marketing campaign,
through applications to grant-giving bodies such as ACE and Heritage
Lottery Fund.
Procurement and administrative support are provided by Gloucestershire
County Council.
2.2 Gloucestershire Revealed 2008 – 2012
Gloucestershire Museums Group began developing a joint marketing
brand, Gloucestershire Revealed in 2008. Each year they produce a joint
marketing leaflet under this brand, which is distributed professionally. The
first website to accompany the brand was created in 2008 but this was
significantly overhauled and redesigned in 2011, to feature beautiful new
images, new copy, local itineraries, live events listings, interactive map,
social media accounts, e- newsletter, bed booking links and links to
museum websites beyond the county and it is now a very vibrant website
with high quality visitor information.
Funds to support this project have come from public bodies at different
times and have inevitably led to a piecemeal build of the marketing
brand, with funds being available for certain development areas at
different times.
3. Key Aims of Gloucestershire Revealed website
The website, www.gloucestershirerevealed.co.uk aims to give locals and
tourists in Gloucestershire a one-stop shop for information about the museums
and heritage attractions in the county. We wish to increase visitors’ awareness
of the heritage attractions on offer in the area and give them the tools to
explore it in as flexible a way as possible. Ultimately we wish to bring more
visitors through the doors of our museums and heritage attractions.
4. Marketing to date
When the brand was launched in 2008 we held a promotional launch at
Berkeley Castle and invited individuals involved in the tourist trade along to
the evening event. The new leaflet and then new website were promoted
and individual museums promoted themselves. We produced eco friendly
long life shopping bags to support our brand and gave these out to all who
attended. The event at the castle was featured in Cotswolds Life.
Each subsequent year the brand was promoted through the annual leaflet
and museums continued to use the long life bags to promote Gloucestershire
Revealed. The leaflet has been redesigned each year and vouchers were
offered alternative years for 2 for 1 entry.
The leaflet for 2011-12 heavily promoted the new website which went live in
March 2011. In addition A4 posters and credit card sized literature were
printed and distributed to make visitors aware of the website in the “real
world”. Funds have been limited since April 2011 but we have been able to
engage a consultant to support the generation of e newsletters and social
media communications on a very small scale. Part of this project will see this
marketing support increased and more time will be available for regular
social media communicating, which will also support this marketing
campaign.
Press release sent out in September 2012
Whatever you look for in a day out, you can be sure to find it in
Gloucestershire - from exciting events and interesting artefacts in museums
large and small, to beautiful buildings and amazing galleries. Our county is
full of surprising places to visit. The upgraded website,
www.gloucestershirerevealed.co.uk will help you find your way around,
especially if you are planning a day out and want to see as much as possible.
Whether you like a fine cafe with a museum attached, or open spaces where
little ones can run free, you will find the museums for you here.
Browse your way to a great day out at
www.gloucestershirerevealed.co.uk
Download a useful itinerary for each county district. Each has travel
information, a map, good places for a cuppa and homemade cake plus
easy walking routes.
Sign up to our e-mailing list for all the latest news and
events straight to your inbox – it’s so easy we know you’ll love it.
Share your visits with us on Facebook.
Tweet about your favourite museum and follow us @glosrevealed
5. What’s the problem?
Our product is excellent, but the number of visitors to the website is low. We
need to make many more people aware of our e-product, driving them to
the website, e-newsletter and social media offer, which will ultimately lead to
museum visits.
6. Desired outcomes
We wish to create a range of promotional initiatives to encourage more
visitors and locals alike to:




Visit the Gloucestershire Revealed website
Sign up to our e-newsletter.
Follow our facebook page
Follow us on twitter
We are interested in using a PR company for their expertise in this area and
are willing to be guided by them. However, some of the ideas put forward
by the Gloucestershire Museums Group working party include:
•
•
•
•
A competition, potentially as a way to collect emails for newsletter and
promote group
High quality coverage in relevant press and publications
Flyer/Posters/billboards in public spaces
Press trips
7. Recognised challenges
This is not a new story, the redesigned site went live at the beginning of 2012 in
time for the new 2012 Spring season.
Funding constraints mean we have to deliver this marketing campaign out of
tourist season, when some museums may even be closed.
We need to consider sustainability at all times. Once we achieve the traffic
we desire we must be able to sustain their interest and commitment and
continue to build our following with much more limited resources.
8. Time
Time-Scale
This work will be funded from an external grant which must be spent by mid
March 2013. Therefore we expect the majority of the publicity will take place
between November and March.
9. Fees, Expenses and Payment
The maximum budget for this PR work will be up to £7,000 including Value
Added Tax. Costs should cover all travel and other costs associated with the
project and any print material that you envisage producing.
The fee will be paid in 3 instalments: 50% at the beginning of the project, 25%
mid project and 25% on completion.
10. Contacts
The key contact for the project will be Julie Reynolds, Museums Development
Officer for Gloucestershire, Gloucestershire Archives, Clarence Row, Alvin
Street, Gloucester, GL1 3DW.
12. To express an interest
We need to know the history of your company and see testimonials from your
clients and similar projects you have delivered. We also need your initial ideas
for our marketing campaign, projected costs and projected % increase in
web traffic.
Please send these details and a covering letter to Julie Reynolds, by 2nd
November 2012. If you wish to discuss the brief beforehand please email or
call Julie.