Promotion of the launch of the Icelandair’s new twice weekly flights from Manchester to Reykjavik.

Brief

To promote the launch of the airline’s new twice weekly flights from Manchester to Reykjavik in 2007 to catchment area from Birmingham north to Newcastle.

Action

  • Work closely with tour operator partners including Discover the World, Scantours, Original Travel and Exodus – while concurrently working with in-house Icelandair Holidays.
  • Establish links with bodies such as Marketing Manchester to explore affinity projects.
  • Secure Greater Manchester media attendance at launch party attended by travel trade and local dignitaries.
  • Ensure key media and local figures visit Iceland to generate coverage and also to create ‘Iceland advocates’.
  • Seek out affinity partners: clothing, culture, cuisine – and maximise exposure.
  • Support sales and marketing initiatives including advertising and agent training.

Results

  • Coverage of destination – with airline factbox – in local and regional media (Manchester Evening News, Yorkshire Post, Northern Echo, Hull Daily Mail, THE Magazine, Living Edge).
  • News item and follow up stories re; agent training visits carried in national trade titles (TTG, Travel Weekly, Selling Short Breaks & Holidays, e-Tid).
  • Electronic coverage including BBC Manchester, Radio WM, BBC Radio Stoke & Staffordshire.
  • Icelandair an integral part of four week Nordic celebration forming a cornerstone of Liverpool European Capital of Culture 2008.
  • Icelandair sponsorship of Tatton Park Picnic in the Park2007, exposing the brand to 20,000 ABC1s in northwest.

What others say about Rob

“Rob organised a fantasically informative trip to Minneapolis - he catered for the individual needs of each journalist resulting in a double page spread in a best-selling national weekly magazine from me. He has arranged several spa visits for me, reviewed in the Daily Express.”Debbi Marco, freelance writer and editor:
“We were thrilled to work with Rob. He was superb in analyzing and setting a strategy for generating media coverage of our destination, scheduling and facilitating an in-country media mission and putting a creative spin on our materials and outreach. His savvy and tenure in this business was vital to the successful branding of Monterey in the U.K. market.”Koleen C. Hamblin, Principal, KOLI Communications, Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau
“Gets the right story, in the right paper, with the right journalist, and always manages the balance between honouring client messaging with the needs of the industry partners. Smooth and measurable encapsulate his way of working.”Karen Tippett, Head of PR & Promotions, Virgin Holidays
  
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