Tourism PR Skills shine for PR Moment finalist

Fylde Coast-based PR agency, Catapult PR, is a finalist for two awards in the PR Moment Awards (Manchester and the North), taking place on April 3, in Manchester.

Competing against agencies and in-house marketing teams from across the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, Catapult PR will contest the categories of Culture, Media, Sport and Travel Campaign of the Year and Low Budget Campaign of the Year.

 The categories reflect Catapult PR’s expertise in travel and tourism PR and its ability to craft award-winning campaigns with just a very modest budget.  

Despite focusing on a real niche, in terms of PR for a heritage visitor attraction, the ideas that have underpinned the campaigns, and the phenomenal results achieved, have shone through.

 Naturally, a lot of tenacity and hard work has also been involved, whether that has involved solid media relations work or copywriting that has provided value-added assets for the client’s website.  

This particular campaign also involved some French translation, as part of the research work, and an initiative that worked internationally, generating online exposure in France and Italy.

 The PR agency behind all this, based in the Blackpool Technology Centre and in Poulton-le-Fylde, will be hoping to add to the 67 awards that have already made it the most award-winning agency of its size in the UK.

 Having travel PR judged against sports-related campaigns, which typically have lots of budget behind them, is not ideal but the agency will hope to win the judges over with its demonstration of impacts.

The campaign generated a 64x return on investment, 314 pieces of media coverage and 1,256 brand mentions.  

It also resulted in national TV coverage on ITV News and 10 regional TV channels and generated broadcast coverage on BBC Radio 4 and regional stations. It even resulted in overseas coverage, in France, Italy, Germany and the USA and around 300 podcast downloads.

 The news of the finalist positions comes hot on the heels of Catapult PR becoming supplier partner members of Marketing Lancashire.  

The decision to join the organisation responsible for promoting all things tourism within the Red Rose County came after Catapult recognised it was hiding its tourism PR and travel PR skills away from view.  

No fewer than 37 of its 67 awards have been won for travel marketing campaigns, with the rest being based around thought leadership and B2B campaigns and campaigns for insurance and financial services brands, as well as retailers.

 To also cease being a hidden gem of the travel marketing sector, Catapult PR has also produced a new leaflet to highlight its skills in the visitor attraction and accommodation sectors.

Videos to provide tips and advice to the sector are also available on its YouTube channel, where podcasts that support some of its clients are also available through its Poodling Around show.  This travel and leisure themed show can also be accessed on popular channels such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

 Managing director, Jane Hunt, said: “We are delighted to, once again, be shortlisted for PR Moment Awards and to have another means to spread word of our experience in the travel, heritage and tourism sectors.

"It is hard to compete with big brands and big budgets at such awards but being shortlisted should signal that we can work wonders with the spend put at our disposal.  We hope to nudge our tally of award towards 70 this year and this could be a great start.

 “However, I am working hard to try to provide clients who are not big-budget tourism operators with strategies that will work for them, either directly by representing them, or indirectly through our YouTube channel videos.  

"That is also hugely important and I hope to be able to offer inspiration to many more Lancashire-based tourism and hospitality sector operators this year.  Being part of Marketing Lancashire should help with that ambition.”

 Marketing collateral that can assist tourism operators can be found at its YouTube channel and also at the Catapult PR website.