Marketing and Events

Marketing and Events
Marketing
Destination Guide
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New destination guide launched in January
Shift away from previous guides in terms of its name, look and feel
Launched by Hayley Tamaddon (Dancing on Ice)
Celebrities have been photographed with the guide
Features led
125,000 copies of the guide distributed
Feedback to date has been extremely positive
Internal debrief occurred with suggestions for improvements
for next year’s guide
48-hour Guide
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Team briefed
Visuals developed
Features and advertorial written
– refreshed copy using external freelance writers
New imagery used
Been well received by businesses contacted to ‘buy-in’ to the campaign
Launch date June 2010
Access Guide
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Currently developing an access guide
Many requests for this information
At present a paper version is issued which does not reinforce the brand and is not of the quality we want
associating with both visitBlackpool and the resort
Working with the equalities team in creating this publication
Have also involved wheelchair users to assist with the project
Conference Guide
The joint Lancashire & Blackpool Conferences & Meetings guide has
been produced and distributed. However, for campaigns that are driven
by visitBlackpool a separate guide (consistent with the visitBlackpool brand)
is being created.
A campaign to launch this is to be developed in the forthcoming weeks.
The team continues to attend exhibitions in order to maintain awareness
of the offer.
Marketing and Events
Other Guides
The team is still looking to create new guides to specifically target groups of visitors.
Much work needs to be done in developing these, as the offer has to be substantial
enough to justify the print
Generic Artwork
Generic artwork has been created and is currently being utilised
in the following ways:
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Car parks i.e. West Street
Tram shelters
Bus shelters
Sea wall
Posters on display in other destinations
Leaflets to be distributed
This also has transferred into use for visitBlackpool exhibition
materials including:
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Pop-ups
Nomadic displays
Different colours represent different activity, this will be covered within the departments brand guidelines which
are currently being written.
This artwork will also be issued to partners in the resort to help support their marketing activity.
The resorts town branding is currently being reviewed.
I ‘heart’ BPL
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Campaign for both visitors and residents - Every celebrity that has
visited/ performed in the resort since Switch-On last year has been
given a hoodie in the hope that they will wear them outside of the
resort and be photographed by national media.
Successes to date have included JLS, Mr Hudson and Hayley
Tamaddon (Dancing on Ice)
Celebrities wearing the branded goods are featured on the
visitBlackpool website
Campaign about people having pride in the resort
Artwork on display in West Street car park/ Sea Wall
Merchandise on sale in the Tourist Information Centre (trademark)
Music Trail
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Create and launch a Blackpool Music Map to highlight Blackpool's music heritage through the decades
Printed maps and posters to be produced
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Iconic bands and venues throughout the years will be featured on the map to create a buzz about the
resort's music history
This will appeal to visitors with an interest in music, heritage and architecture
A social history area will also be created for visitors and residents to send in memories, pictures and
memorabilia of concerts through the ages
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Marketing and Events
TM
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The social history project which will be hosted on a Blackpool Music microsite will give the project
longevity and encourage return visits, discussion forums, blogs and keep Blackpool on the agenda.
Majority of content will be on the website
Interviews will be taking place with key artists from Blackpool and from artists and bands that have played
the resort to form part of the historic calendar of music events in the town
Timings for the project is for a launch in summer 2010
New visitBlackpool website
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This is now ‘live’
Work being done to constantly improve the site
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) is being addressed
to help the rankings of the website
Social media
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Use of facebook, twitter and blogging continues
3 social media campaigns/ events are being developed for 2010/11
E-Marketing
Trade and consumer newsletters are sent out frequently
Carnesky’s Ghost Train
Launch Event planned 2nd April 2010 – visitBlackpool asked to launch the attraction.
The following activity is to be co-ordinated.
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Paloma Faith – Celebrity being used to launch the attraction
(she used to be one of the performers)
Radio campaign with Radio Wave
UTV to promote the event
Print materials including fliers, posters etc to be distributed
Business Tourism
Continue to work with the Lancashire & Blackpool Tourist Board however
the team at visitBlackpool are looking to devise plans specifically aimed at
targeting conference organisers to Blackpool, these include:
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PR – A Christmas campaign designed to increase venue enquiries
Radio advertising
Marketing and Events
Leisure Tourism
visitBlackpool continues to target leisure visitors not just through its events programme but
through its works with the groups market.
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Work is being looked at in relation to the development of increasing the appeal to coach
companies with the new facilities being available
New groups and communication channels are being researched
2 x campaigns based around specific groups are to be created;
Attendance at key exhibition to continue
This area is now focusing not only on bringing the visitor into the resort but the services visitors
receive whilst here. Therefore the Travel Trade and Visitor Services teams have merged to
ensure greater connectivity and a more efficient service.
This has seen the following developments:
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New merchandise offer
Greater PR about the Tourist Information Centre
The development of packages (working with partners) being finalised
The Visitor Welcome
The team is working with colleagues the Future Jobs Fund to commission a number of
ambassadors to work as part of the Visitor Services team during the main holiday season.
These ambassadors will be tasked with:
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Providing information about the events programme
Providing visitor information within the Tourist Information Centre
Completing a 2 week work placement within a major tourist attraction
The Tourist Information Centre
The team are also involved in inputting into the new Tourist Information Centre which is being
built as part of the Tower Festival Headland project.
Marketing Plans
For each marketing campaign which visitBlackpool is tasked with the delivery of a marketing
plan is being devised. These cover the following activity
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Destination Guide
48-Hour Guide
Events (all events funded by visitBlackpool)
Marketing and Events
Media Campaigns
As part of the marketing activity the team is looking to attract media partners (i.e. radio, TV) to
work with us in particular on the events programme.
For each event, a brief has been written detailing the benefits and reasons why a media partner
might like to get involved in certain events.
Brand Guidelines
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VisitBlackpool is currently developing brand guidelines for the resort to use when
marketing Blackpool.
Informing these guidelines is the work, which resulted as part of the brand vista project.
The brand guidelines will incorporate the key messages and city on the beach feel.
They will clearly inform partners as to what they are for, how they can be used, when they
should be used and so forth.
General Marketing/ Advertising
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As part of the media partner activity the team are looking to devise radio/ TV campaigns
around events
Place strategic advertisements in key publications
Continue with joint marketing with stakeholders and partners
PR
A PR plan for 2010/11 is currently being written and includes the following activity:
• Secure 3 dedicated features in national, regional and lifestyle magazines (commissioned a
freelance journalist to do this)
• Develop/ commission a couple of planned PR stunts for 2010/11 seasons
• Create a rolling programme of releases around events programme
• Continue celebrity campaigns
• PR support for events
• Continue joint promotions with key TV programmes/networks
• Focus on website in relation to press packs, media info
• Strengthen media relations with key journalist
• Arrange press familiarisation visits
Future Projects
The following future projects are being investigated:
• Heritage trail
• ‘i’phone application
• advagame – An interactive game visitors can play on the visitBlackpool website
• PR stunts Marketing Strategy
A marketing strategy for visitBlackpool is currently being written. The overview template is to
be completed for the Corporate Leadership Team (CLT) to approve, before the full document
can be developed.
Marketing and Events
Events
Events Programme
Programme for 2010/11 confirmed as being:
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Blackpool Pride
Armed Forces Week
National Bike Week
Town Criers
Nocturne
Air Show
UDO
Ride the Lights
Switch On
Illuminations
Tour of Britain
Fireworks
Kite Surfing
Christmas Light’s Switch On
Blackpool’s February-Half Term Festival, featuring Showzam
Events to be confirmed are:
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Wakes Week
Busking Competition
Switch Over event
Winter Wonderland
Programme for 2011/12:
Would include the confirmed list above but also the events currently to be confirmed and in
addition to this sees the return of out2dance. This event has not been programmed in 2010
due to the promenade works taking place.
Should additional funding become available the team would also like to investigate the
possibility of:
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Music Festival
Food and Drink Festival
Urban Festival
Literacy Festival
The arrival of new spaces, which can be utilised for events, will be captured within the strategy
to be written. However, in terms of where we are to date:
Marketing and Events
St John’s
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Looking at a Gazette campaign to encourage resident/ community
feedback as to what they would like to see programmed in the space.
visitBlackpool will look to host a number of its confirmed events in
this area
visitBlackpool also looking to work with colleagues in other directorates/
partners in the resort to look at ways in which these spaces can be
brought to life at low cost (but of high quality)
Events Strategy
An events strategy for visitBlackpool is currently being written. The overview template is to be
completed for the Corporate Leadership Team (CLT) to approve, before the full document can
be developed.
In the absence of the strategy the following is / has been arranged:
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Merger of the Media and Events and 365 Events Teams
Consultant to leave at the end of March 2010
2 Events Executives to remain (these are in addition to Mike Chadwick, who will manage
this team, and Jenny Harvey the 3rd Executive in post)
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Company being appointed to monitor the impact of all confirmed events delivered by visit
Blackpool (previous event monitoring only covered the 365 programme)
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Events board established with major partners in the town being involved in the direction
approach taken for future years - First meeting scheduled to take place in April
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Funding Streams being looked at in order to develop the programme further
Marketing and Events