www.lotusevora.com

Client: Lotus Cars

Project: Global press launch for the Lotus Evora

Date: May 2009

Introduction:

Aura PR was appointed by Lotus Cars to help assist with the global press first drive activity of the new Lotus Evora, which launched in the UK in May (2009).
Aura PR was seen as a local, well-connected PR agency, with excellent event management and luxury brand experience and a good eye for detail.

Brief:

To assist Lotus in the delivery of the First Drive activity. The emphasis was very much on high standards, attention to detail and the finishing touches, making the event a special and memorable one for journalists. Particular attention was paid to showcase Lotus as a high-end sporting/lifestyle brand and the Evora as a luxurious, dynamic, modern must-have car.

The event was spread over two weeks, with different journalists attending each day. The format for each day was the same throughout.

Aura PR also contributed to the event outline, prior to being appointed.

Strategy:

Aura PR and Lotus had an existing relationship which made the planning phase a lot easier. We were aware of the brand, its values and the development strategy of Lotus. We had an induction at the factory in Hethel to fully immerse us in the brand.

We had set up a meeting for Lotus to view Cameron House Hotel, as it was nearby the best Scottish driving routes and had all the five-star qualities desired.

Aura PR provided a ‘Concierge’ style service to Lotus guests, from coordinating arrivals and departures, check-in and gifts, to sourcing local partners to add a special element of luxury and creativity to the event. Capitalising on our contacts, we coordinated a press activity for key Scottish media across news, automotive and lifestyle channels.

Results:

All the journalists that attended the First Drive event thoroughly enjoyed themselves and felt well looked after. The location was very much enjoyed and the media coverage following the event was extremely favourable of the car.

Feedback:
Please have a look at our endorsements page for client feedback.

Andrew Muirhead & Son

www.muirhead.co.uk

Coming soon

www.bowleather.co.uk

Client: Bridge of Weir Leather Company, part of Scottish Leather Group

Project: Launch of joint venture, Zibow, in China

Date: September 2009

Introduction:

Aura PR was appointed to work with Bridge of Weir in August 2009. As soon as we had been appointed, we set to work on the launch of a joint venture (JV) company in China, the forming of a partnership between a Scottish and Chinese company.

Brief:

Our brief was to look at ways of obtaining media coverage, including business and trade press, with a view to raising awareness of the JV.

Strategy:

After various meetings and conference calls, there was a firm date for launch in China and we started to work on media lists, briefing documents, question/answer briefs for the directors and we started to form relationships with UKT&I press office.

We found out that Lord Mandelson would be attending a business event in Shanghai a couple of days after the launch so we got to work on ideas for involving him. His team started to organise a signing event in Shanghai which the new JV was invited to attend and have their photo taken with Lord Mandelson.

We got two bites to the cherry! We distributed our press pack to all UK, European and Chinese press and news agencies, spreading our reach as far as possible. We managed interviews with broadcast media and coordinated our media operation fiercely.

Results:

We achieved world-wide press coverage and reached an estimated 17,500,000 people. The coverage lasted over a month, with follow ups from BBC. Websites around the world picked up on the story and a huge buzz was created about the move.

Client: Our Venues Group

Project: Ongoing PR support

Date: December 2008 onwards

Brief:

Aura PR was approached by Alan Tomkins of OurVenues Group to help raise the profile of Gamba, Manna and Urban Bar & Brasserie and to draw attention to the value for money menus available at these venues.

Aura PR was also asked to raise the profile of chef/owner Derek Marshall and to increase footfall in the restaurants.

Strategy:

Aura PR devised a strategy to include expert comment on current business topics, reviews, broadcast, award entries, recipe features and trade press coverage.

Results:

Several business and news articles in the Herald featuring Alan Tomkins on topics including, prospering in the credit crunch, duty on wine and providing customers with value for money in a recession.

A Valentine’s day competition, which ran over a week on STV’s 5.30 Show, inviting people to write in to say why Derek should come to their home and cook a meal as a Valentine surprise. Extensive coverage of Derek cooking with the winner was broadcast.

Review of Gamba by Tam Cowan of the Daily Record resulted in the restaurant and Derek picking up the coveted Hot Plate Award which was covered both in Tam’s column and in the main run of paper with a photograph of Derek being presented with the award.

Aura has also secured a full page ongoing feature in the Daily Record Saturday Magazine for Derek featuring two recipes with photographs and a credit for the restaurants.

Another project relating to the change of a restaurant is currently taking place and we’ll let you know about this project soon

Client: Glasgow School of Art

www.gsa.ac.uk

Project: Product Design Engineering (PDE) Degree Show 2009

Date: 11 June 2009

Introduction:

Glasgow School of Art was referred to Aura PR from an associate in the creative industry. After an initial meeting, a brief was created for Aura PR to design a PR strategy for the PDE Degree Show.

Brief:

Aura PR quickly realised that the client just didn’t want some PR around an event, it was much bigger than that. Sponsors were involved and wanted to see a return on their investment. Aura therefore proposed a strategy that was led primarily by media relations and event management.

Strategy:

Aura PR got to work on meeting students, learning about the projects and drafting a press pack.

A media partner was brought on board and in return for covering the event in the annual Degree Show feature, PDE used their logo on the invitations, branding and on the website.

Aura PR knew that the products being designed by the students would be the main hook for the media coverage, so got to work on obtaining case studies, product photos etc and started to sell them into key publications, which had been agreed in advance.

PDE was a tricky subject, particularly because some of the design publications seemed more interested in the main degree show hosted by the School. We focused on technology related publications and included mention where possible of the main sponsor, Teknek.

To encourage people to attend the show, as it was not in the most prominent position, we organised professional cocktail makers to set up a bar and circulate with special cocktails, some of which we managed to secure sponsorship for. Canapes were also offered before the award presentation.

A photographer was hired to record the event and images were distributed with the follow up press release and announcement of award.

Results:

Highlights include:

A double page spread appeared in The Drum, containing all key messages and some great photos of the students and awards.

The Show appeared in numerous ‘What’s On’ guides, and most notably in Design Week.

Industry related magazines and newsletters were interested in the winner and also a more medically involved design which received additional coverage.

The main School press office worked with The Herald, Scotsman and nationals, so we agreed not cross over.

The Partners Restaurants

Project:  To raise awareness of The Partners’ restaurants and the people who make it happen

Date:  January 2009 – June 2011

Brief:   

Aura PR was originally approached by Iain McMaster and Andy Hull, The Partners, to raise the profile of their existing restaurants Partners Bistro in Bearsden, Tattie Macs in Otago Street, and the Italian Bistro and Partners Suite in the west end of Glasgow. The brief was to increase footfall, especially at weekends, raise the profile of the restaurants and to assist in establishing the Partners Suite as a venue for celebrations, events and business meetings. In October 2010 the Partners added a fourth venue to the portfolio, Tapela in Bath Street, Glasgow City centre, which was launched as a Spanish tapas style restaurant catering for a young, hip market.

Strategy: 

Each of the four restaurants has a different personality and a slightly different target market so a “one size fits all” approach was out of the question. We devised a consumer led strategy designed to attract customers to the restaurants but also to encourage loyalty from existing customers. The strategy was designed to help build the Partners brand as well as the individual restaurant identities and included a high profile media campaign, creation of a new website, social media strategy, database development, free glossy magazine, events and reviews. Since the recession hit the strategy was constantly under review to reflect changes in customer spending patterns and highlighting value for money as well as changes within the organisation after the acquisition of the Bath Street premises.

Aura PR also helped set up the social media channels on Facebook and Twitter, training the staff how to use them, examples of relevant content and then integrated this with the rest of the PR and online activity.

Highlights: 

Extensive coverage of each restaurant in a range of Scottish consumer media including European airline magazines and websites, a 4 page feature on The Partners Restaurants in The Extra newspaper.

A regular column in the Daily Record Saturday magazine which has been running for over a year. This featured chefs from Tattie Macs, Italian Bistro and Tapela.

Reviews of the restaurants, including reviews by Tam Cowan, The Glaswegian, Daily Record, No1 magazine and various online review sites resulting in increased footfall and awareness.

Numerous recipes placed in media, including No1 magazine and Foodies, which featured the Chef’s from the Partners Restaurants.

A highly successful glossy A4 magazine written and produced by Aura PR. This was distributed throughout the restaurants and in a door drop in the area immediately surrounding each restaurant, where we introduced branded magazine stands.

We wrote and coordinated a new website with online booking and created video content with food photographer Alan Donaldson.

We re-launched the Partners Bistro in Bearsden and had a launch event for local people and regular customers. This included the design and distribution of invitations, goody bags and contents, photography and follow up media relations.

Slot on the Fred MacAuley show aired on BBC Radio Scotland. This featured Tattie Macs’ chef, Daniel Hollern, speaking about foraging and using wild Scottish ingredients.
Various event nights were held at the restaurants, including Cocktail night and Wild Food Gourmet Night, which saw increased footfall into the restaurants and increased media exposure.

We engaged with Scottish food bloggers to secure reviews of the restaurants, recipes and the magazines. The blogs were all very positive and contained links to the websites which helped increase site visitors.

Numerous competitions were seen in the media, including the Daily Record, Sunday Mail, Extra and Glaswegian, leading to increased brand awareness and footfall into the restaurants.

Individual Facebook pages were set up but it due to lack of resource in the restaurants to update the pages, we made one central Partners page and gave everyone admin rights. Images of the restaurants, menus and pictures of cocktails and parties have been uploaded as well as special offers and events. The page has seen a major increase in ‘likes’ and the interactions have increased to an average of one per three posts. Now the ball is rolling, The Partners now manage this page and Twitter themselves.

Friends of the Beatson

Project: Cheque presentation and Annual Sporting Dinner

Date: 27th-28th April

Introduction

Laura Sutherland, Managing Director, Aura PR, has worked with Friends of the Beatson since the launch of the Friends of the Beatson Centre in 2007.  Laura has handled the PR for the Friends of the Beatson Annual Sporting Dinner ever since. The dinner raises essential funds for the Centre, a unique and ground-breaking facility designed to make the lives of patients more tolerable when in hospital having treatment.

Brief:

Aura PR was briefed about this year’s Dinner and was also informed of a £25,000 donation that was to be made to the Centre by the Tommy Burns Skin Cancer Trust, a charity set up in remembrance of the Celtic football legend, who lost his battle with skin cancer in 2008.

The emphasis was on raising awareness of Friends of the Beatson and how they are helping cancer sufferers throughout the country.  Aura PR was also required to encourage interest and donation to the centre as well as crediting the trust for the donation.

Strategy:

Aura PR devised a strategy to raise further awareness of both the cheque presentation and Annual Sporting Dinner.

Aura PR organised a photo opportunity to take place at Celtic Park as Tommy Burns’ daughters presented a large cheque to Ian Dickson, Chairman and Tracey Hardie, Centre Manager at Friends of the Beatson.  The Scottish national and regional press and STV were invited to attend.

A press release was drafted and distributed at the photocall.

The Evening Times were invited to attend the Annual Sporting Dinner for their ‘Big Night Out’ feature.

A press release was drafted for the Dinner, announcing total funds raised and highlights from the event. This was distributed that evening to the Scottish national and regional press.

Results:

Coverage was secured in the Scottish national papers including a page and a half spread in The Scottish Sun as well as an article online.

A page coverage was secured in the Evening Times, which was also followed by online coverage.

Extensive coverage was secured with STV including a three minute news bulletin on the 6 o’clock and evening news, followed by online coverage with a video.

The Evening Times Big Night Out was present for the VIP drinks reception prior to the Annual Sporting Dinner at the Hilton Hotel, Glasgow.  Notable sporting names including Bob Champion were in attendance as key speakers for the dinner. Coverage still to be published.

Funds raised at the Annual Sporting Dinner topped £87,000 which brought the total raised to-date to just over £2million.

Client: Crossroads Caring Scotland

Project: First national charity event, ‘A Question of Scottish Sport’ at Mar Hall, Renfrewshire

Date: June-August 2011

Introduction: 

In May 2011, Aura PR was approached to work with Crossroads Caring Scotland on the PR activity surrounding their first national charity event, ‘A Question of Scottish Sport’.  At this time, there was little or no awareness of the charity and there was no long-term marketing/PR strategy in place.

Established in 1978, Crossroads Caring Scotland is recognised as Scotland’s leading voluntary sector provider of domiciliary support for carers. 

Brief:

The brief was originally centred around media coverage, however on discussion with the charity, Aura PR worked hard to convey the fundamental argument that although media coverage was part of the PR activity, some of the fundraising activities should be centred round engagement with current supporters and people already taking advantage of the services on offer.

Key objectives were to help promote ticket sales for the event as well as raise awareness of the charity and the work they do in Scotland.

Strategy:

When working with charities it is difficult to gain coverage purely from an event angle, as there are many charity events taking place each week, all with fundraising objectives. We had to create a point of difference in order for the charity to be newsworthy.

In order to include the event in our PR activity,

1. A media pack was drafted and a request for relevant and current case studies was made to the charity, in order for us to have some meaty hooks for journalists.

2. Aura PR worked with the charity to develop a campaign launch, to ensure there was a news angle. Celebrities helping a charity were not enough of an opportunity to use in the press.  Aura PR set up a photo opportunity for the launch of a £250,000 Bereavement Support campaign which offers some 250 carers around three months of support to alleviate the stress of losing a loved one.

The photocall took place at the Scottish Football Museum at Hampden Park with Gordon Smith (former CEO Scottish Football Association, director of football at Rangers FC), Dougie Donnelly (international sports commentator and presenter), Walter Smith OBE (former football manager of Rangers Football Club) and Alison Walker (Scottish sports presenter and reporter), who sat on a panel like the BBC’s ‘A Question of Sport’ holding props.  The Scottish national, local print and broadcast press were invited to attend.

We know that the media have limited time and resources to allocate to photocalls so we had ensured wide distribution of the press pack and photos after the morning press call.
This opportunity raised awareness of the sporting dinner, the high level of celebrity involvement and marked the launch of an appeal for funds. 

A press release was also drafted for distribution after the event. We had asked the charity to commission photography from the event in order for us to have supporting imagery. A staged photo was organised prior to the dinner, on the actual set, which enabled us to demonstrate the theme and the people involved.

3. The other part of the strategy involved using case studies of carers who have used Crossroads Caring Scotland and service staff from the charity. By using case studies, we humanised the charity, allowing people to hear directly from the people involved, creating awareness of different services offered as well as placing positive emphasis on the impact of the charity in Scotland, thereby giving reason for people to donate.

4. Whilst the media coverage was an important part of the strategy, Aura PR set up Facebook and Twitter pages for the charity, in order to engage with people who had an interest in the charity and the event. Aura PR provided basic training to the charity’s staff and helped devise simple activity on the pages to ensure regular posts/updates and to try and start discussions with people expressing an interest.

5. The Evening Times and No.1 Magazine were invited to attend ‘A Question of Scottish Sport’ for their ‘Big Night Out’ feature.

Results:

Fourteen pieces of coverage were secured in total.  All of these were positive and included twelve quotes, five of which were from Crossroads Caring Scotland.  Names of the celebrity guests were also featured in five of the articles.
 
Extensive coverage was secured with STV including a two minute news bulletin on STV Aberdeen Scotland Today, where we had secured an interview with a carer in their home, through the case studies we provided, as well as a mention on STV Edinburgh Scotland Today followed by a substantial online piece.

Kingdom FM also featured a two minute piece prior to the dinner, followed by an online article. Kingdom FM interviewed a member of service staff who was happy to talk about the launch of the Bereavement Support campaign.

The Evening Times’ ‘Big Night Out’ attended ‘A Question of Scottish Sport’ at Mar Hall, Renfrewshire.  They published a double page spread of ‘party shots’ at the drinks reception including the celebrities involved and people from the charity.

The Glaswegian covered the success of the dinner both in print and online along with the Paisley Gazette and Paisley Daily Express.  All of the press used images we had provided the following day along with the press release.

Funds raised at ‘A Question of Scottish Sport’ topped £39,000 which will go a long way to supporting carers across Scotland.  The amount raised was mentioned in the Glaswegian, Paisley Daily Express, Paisley Gazette and Evening Times after the event.

Recent Facebook and Twitter activity provides links to all media coverage from ‘A Question of Scottish Sport’.

Client: Surface ID

Project: Restaurant and Bar Design Awards, Canary Wharf, London

Date: July-August 2011

Introduction: 

In July 2011, Aura PR was approached to work with Surface ID on the PR activity surrounding their potential two award wins at the Restaurant and Bar Design Awards, a UK-wide award recognising work from the world’s top architects, designers and hospitality operators.  At this point, the company were known within the Glasgow area but had not used marketing or PR to further their reach.

Surface ID is a small interior design company, based in Glasgow, specialising in commercial interiors, in particular for the licensed trade.  They have worked on both UK-based and international projects, from Glasgow, Birmingham and London to Sydney, Australia and Ibiza, ranging from £100,000 to £7,500,000 in value.

Brief:

The brief was centred round media relations and social media activity in lieu of winning awards in both the ‘Pub’ and ‘Best Bar or Club’ categories.

Emphasis was placed on raising the profile of the company both within Glasgow and throughout the UK in trade publications.  Aura PR was also briefed to position Surface ID within high-end design magazines where possible.

Key objectives were to increase the profile of Surface ID and use the range of projects which they completed and are currently involved in, namely the case studies entered into the awards.

Strategy:

Winning an award alone is not enough to gain significant coverage.  Aura PR therefore created different angles centred round the awards to appeal to varying trade publications. 

Surface Id’s clients also had their own PR strategies, so it was important for Aura PR to work with them and be inclusive where possible, achieving maximum results. It was agreed that Aura PR would target UK trade and select consumer design and interiors magazines and the clients would target daily print and broadcast media.

A press release was written and distributed to our target media the following morning to announce the awards won and included case studies of both the winning projects as well as supporting imagery and design drawings.

Aura PR also set up and maintained both Facebook and Twitter pages for Surface ID in order to better engage with design magazines, online outlets and other publications relevant to the world of interior design.  Aura PR and Surface ID posted regular content which sparked interaction with the desired audience. Images from the award ceremony were posted and the press release was distributed online also.

Results:

Eighteen pieces of coverage were secured in total.  They included two quotes from Surface ID and five mentions of Surface ID Directors, Iain McArthur and Claire Kinna.
With the exception of two pieces of coverage, all referenced the win at the Restaurant and Bar Design Awards, drawing attention to the Grosvenor Cafe and Stravaigin projects.

Extensive coverage was secured with Architonic Magazine regarding the Grosvenor Cafe.  This included ten images, provided by Aura PR, consisting the final space, plans and sketches prior to starting the project and an image of both Iain McArthur and Claire Kinna.  Surface ID were also mentioned on the front page of the website as well as on the initial company projects page.

Coverage was also gained in Eat Out Magazine, Drinks International, Despoke, Bar Magazine, Bar Business, Design Week and Scottish Licensed Trade News.

The Evening Times also covered the win along with The Herald, who further featured the Stravaigin project and focused on the concept of ‘upcycling’.

Throughout the duration of the project, links, images and articles of all media coverage were posted on Facebook and Twitter.  87 followers were gained on Twitter, with interactions from design magazines and those related to the Restaurant and Bar Design Awards, which generated coverage.  Surface ID also continues to see a steady increase in the level of Facebook interaction.

Client: Andrew Muirhead & Son and Bridge of Weir Leather

Project: 100% Design exhibition support

Date: September 2011

Introduction: 

Aura PR works with Andrew Muirhead & Son and Bridge of Weir Leather on their business-to-business communications and on this occasion, we were tasked with supporting both companies at 100% Design, London.

This annual exhibition attracts leading designers, interiors experts and architects from around the world so to work from the outset on key messages, branding, product and visuals was essential.

Brief:

It was agreed that both companies shared the common marque ‘Low Carbon Leather’ (LCL) and that the stand would accommodate both companies under the LCL banner.

Aura PR worked with the Group Marketing Director and stand/graphic designer on the initial concept and Aura’s brief was then to come up with a strategy around the two companies, raising awareness of sustainable manufacturing and commitment to education;

• Andrew Muirhead & Son – to launch an iPad case (initial concept) that was made in collaboration with a Product Design student from Glasgow School of Art, Jamie Sunderland. This would outline the company’s involvement with education.
• Bridge of Weir Leather – to raise awareness of the company’s involvement in ‘Leatherlicious’ a competition with Glasgow School of Art Fashion and Textiles students to come up with the best use of leather off cuts. The winner student, Sophie Pitt, displayed her winning work at the show.

Strategy:

The use of social media and media relations was important to use in this exercise, mainly because of the amount of press that cover and attend the event. This would help raise awareness for both companies and importantly gain feedback about the iPad case and generate interest.

Activity undertaken:

• Both companies had full profiles on the exhibition website with editorial, images and press release downloads
• Editorial was submitted for the show previews and the show catalogue
• Aura PR advised the sales directors to inform their relevant customer base of their attendance at the show and invite them on to the stand
• Media packs were put onto branded bamboo USB sticks
• Engagement with media about exhibition and activity on the stand, before the show
• Using Aura PR’s Twitter account, engagement with bloggers and designers to encourage them to visit the stand. Using the hashtag was essential to be included within the exhibition’s followers
• QR Codes were generated for each part of the exhibition in order to direct interest to website pages and for us to monitor/evaluate how effective they were
• Aura PR drafted copy for the new web page for Jamie Sunderland and also the refreshed Low Carbon Leather website
• Press releases were drafted in advance and added to each company website and timed to show on the launch of the exhibition
• A willingness to get involved with videos covering the event was shown to the event organisers and their partner media outlets

Results:

The full communications mix was used to ensure all the key messages were delivered, the relevant way, to the relevant audiences.

As Aura PR attended the show, it enabled us to directly engage with visitors, the media and show organisers, and most importantly, be there to support our clients.

• The Group Chairman was very pleased with the stand and thought it worked well. He would be keen for more written emphasis to be put on the fact that the leather is made in the UK, although this was covered in the feature animation and press material
• Xx hits on websites from QR codes
• Coverage was achieved in the top design and interior titles, using the press releases that were distributed
• The feedback about the iPad case was overwhelming. Visitors to the stand were trying to buy the cases at the show and some even put in orders for personalised cases for Christmas!
• Both students were interviewed and filmed for Despoke (online)
• Photography was taken when the stand was being built and throughout the first two days of the exhibition as a record
• Aura PR took the opportunity to visit all the relevant design and interior media at the show, discussing future opportunities
• Links to the company press releases were added to each company’s Facebook page. They were also added to Aura PR’s where people were already aware of our activity
• After the social media drive on Twitter, an Aura PR tweet was picked up and a wholesaler has now asked for the ‘license’ to sell the current iPad stock on their prestigious e-commerce site – full spec and imagery were provided also

Client: RPM Scotland

Project: Promoting Morgan in Scotland

Date: February - October 2011

Introduction: 

Aura PR worked with RPM Scotland to provide a Morgan car for a Royal thermal energy plant launch in July last year.

Through this, RPM realised that they could have the potential to increase awareness of the Morgan brand in Scotland as well as raise awareness of their business, the only official Morgan dealership in Scotland.

Brief:

• Raise awareness of Morgan & RPM, the only official dealership in Scotland
• Consider additional cross-branding
• Support sales through consistent presence in media and online
• Develop email campaigns
• Better integrate social media into the communications strategy

Strategy:

RPM Scotland was not a well-known brand amongst consumers and Morgan cars don’t have a particularly strong presence in Scotland. Aura PR proposed that by using Morgan, the brand, as the anchor for the campaign, would allow us more of a hook for the media to encourage them to learn more and get to know Morgan, in Scotland.

Before we started on the PR programme, it was important to know how Russell Paterson Morgan (as the dealership was originally known) works as a business, as it was involved with Morgan racing and other brands, such as Ginetta and was soon to be involved with Norton bikes. Russell Paterson, the owner, was and remains involved in all aspects of the business and to an extent, the business was him. However, in order to raise awareness of a brand that consumers can identify with and so that the brand can incorporate all aspects of its business, we needed to separate the person and the business objectives.

Morgan’s are well-known classic cars, but few know they are still manufactured in the UK today, and new models are still being developed.

Aura PR recommended that RPM Morgan was changed to RPM Scotland, and using a tagline would help explain the link to Morgan cars.

It was also important to know what the priorities of the business were, for example, was it to raise awareness of racing or to help support the sales role in selling Morgan cars?

Once we had identified the objective was to raise awareness of Morgan in Scotland and use the fact that RPM was the only official dealership in Scotland, things became more clear and we were able to embark on a PR programme.

The programme was originally centred round media relations and Aura PR quickly achieved a double page spread in The Herald Magazine and a full page in The Herald Motoring section, using the lifestyle aspect of the cars to draw in journalists. The Magazine feature was about staycations and luxury travel in Scotland, whilst the Herald Motoring page was about the classic car in this modern age.

Media coverage was also achieved through the announcement and launch of the Three Wheeler Morgan, at the Geneva Motorshow.

RPM, for their racing division, also has a showroom at Knockhill Racing Circuit, so it was important we looked at a joint approach with Knockhill, especially given the Scottish Motor Show is held there.

As a business, it was important to ensure the business press were kept up-to-date with the success of the company, so were able to distribute a positive press release about the turnover of RPM Scotland and it was picked up by Scottish daily broadsheets.

Whilst media coverage was important, Aura PR also recommended a social media strategy to engage with Morgan enthusiasts in Scotland. By setting up a Facebook page and Twitter feed, this allowed RPM to talk to their target audiences, including the media, keeping them up-to-date with car sales and new cars in the showroom. By using video, RPM could also engage with people that look after their own Morgan’s as well as demonstrate RPM’s capabilities of refurbishment and maintenance, of which they are well known.

Despite planning to carry out a joint event with leather supplier Andrew Muirhead & Son, around the launch of the Three Wheeler, RPM did not receive their demonstration model, therefore this has been put on hold until the car is delivered.

Aura PR also built databases of hotels/venues, film/production companies, stylists, photographers and visual merchandisers in Scotland so that we could offer loan cars, for photoshoots and events. This was very well received and as such, Scotland on Sunday has used a Morgan in a recent fashion shoot – soon to be published. This will highlight to a younger market, that although Morgan’s are classic cars, they are associated with a cool and classy lifestyle, for anyone. Think of Audrey Hepburn, large rimmed sunglasses and a headscarf!

The final awareness exercise carried out involved Scottish motoring writers. Aura organised a day at Knockhill for journalists to meet the RPM team, talk about the Morgan brand in general and in Scotland and also to drive the cars – the road cars in the surrounding country roads and the racing cars, Russell Paterson took the journalists for a whirl around the track.

Results:

• This all-encompassing communications strategy has meant that RPM can carry on a lot of the strategy themselves, maintain the social networking sites and making connections with people that use the car to help push the brand amongst the consumer in Scotland. Aura PR has given the RPM team some tools that means they don’t have to rely on Aura all the time
• RPM has increased awareness amongst the business and motoring media
• RPM has a well established database of contacts for product placement who now know them
• RPM has the skills to engage with people on and off line
• RPM knows how their business is split and can direct each division accordingly
• Aura PR has achieved good media coverage and has raised awareness through the media and social media about Morgan, in Scotland, and has placed the brand as a must-have
• Aura PR also drafted a strategy for the social media activity including suggested tweets and videos which is now being implemented. RPM has grasped this well and is now increasing their reach online
• Through social media, Aura has helped RPM to gain an average of 70 daily Facebook readers, 100 weekly and 150 monthly. Since launching on Facebook, RPM has increased their likes to 137. Total post views from February to October are 78,560 and 662 post feedbacks

Client: Bridge of Weir Leather Company

Project: Ben Nevis Centenary Challenge Tour

Date: 16-21 May, 2011

Introduction: 

Aura PR handles the PR for Scottish Leather Group subsidiary Bridge of Weir Leather Company and in March 2011, Aura PR was briefed on the upcoming ‘Ben Nevis Centenary Challenge Tour’.  The Model T enthusiasts approached Aura regarding the opportunity for Bridge of Weir Leather Company to sponsor this momentous event. 

Bridge of Weir Leather’s historic involvement with the automotive trade spans back to 1911 when their hides were specified for the interior of the Model T.  The 2011 Ben Nevis Challenge tour saw over 60 Model T cars gather by Britain’s highest peak. 

This event was to culminate with a replica Ford Model T being driven half way up the hill, dismantled and carried to the summit before being reassembled by volunteers.

As the 100th anniversary of the first ever Model T ascending Ben Nevis, this seven day event brought together Model T owners from all over the UK.  It was therefore essential to ensure that Bridge of Weir Leather was well represented in terms of branding, entrant memorabilia and press opportunities.

Brief:

Emphasis was placed on raising awareness of Bridge of Weir Leather Company’s long standing relationship with Ford and the Model T.

After presenting the sponsorship opportunity to Bridge of Weir, it was agreed that they would sponsor the Challenge and fund the commemorative handmade trophies for all those that took part.

Key objectives were to raise awareness of Bridge of Weir Leather’s involvement in the Challenge, ensure branding was prominent and to maximise press coverage.

Strategy:

Aura PR has worked with Bridge of Weir Leather Company for over two years and understands the longstanding relationship between Bridge of Weir Leather and Ford.

Activity undertaken:

• Aura PR negotiated the sponsorship and the benefits on behalf of Bridge of Weir Leather
• We liaised with the organiser at Ford Model T Register about timescales, their activity and requirements for branding
• Continuous liaison with the event organiser and the key participants
• A press release was issued prior to the challenge to inform the press of Bridge of Weir Leather’s sponsorship and historic involvement with both Ford and the Model T. This was issued to the leather trade press, local consumer press and key automotive titles
• After further liaison with all parties, Aura PR draft and issued an invitation to photocall and interview opportunity to the media:
In order to ensure that this was attractive to the media, Aura PR looked to include people from all aspects of the event.  Representatives from Bridge of Weir Leather were in attendance and our research found that the grandson of Henry Alexander (driver at the original ascent) and the owner and driver, of the original Model T to take on the Challenge, were to be present.  Aura’s contact with Ford Heritage found they were also attending and would be filming from the event for their library.
• In addition to the key people present for interview, The Ford Heritage Collection, including the original Model T, a replica of Henry Ford’s first vehicle, the Quadracycle and a 1910 Model T were available to be photographed. 
We know that the media have limited time and resources for photocalls and with this taking place in a fairly remote location, we ensured wide distribution of the press release and images on the afternoon of the event.
• A media pack was drafted and put onto CD for the day of the photocall to include the press release and Bridge of Weir Leather’s background document. 
• Branding was on display at the photocall, in the Heritage Centre and at the celebration dinner
o The Low Carbon Leather (LCL) marque was essential to include as this relays the messages about the sustainability strategy. The LCL logo was included in the branding but also on window stickers that we developed for the windows of all Model T Challenge entrants
• As part of the sponsorship negotiation, Bridge of Weir Leather was invited to attend the celebration dinner
• Social media – regular updates regarding the ascent progress were posted to Bridge of Weir Leather’s Facebook page.  A high level of increased interaction was noted over the course of the week and we took the opportunity to engage with current and potential fans and customers
• The press release was posted on the Aura PR website, Bridge of Weir Leather’s website and both company Facebook pages, along with images from the event
• At Aura PRs suggestion, an internal news e-bulletin was drafted and distributed to members of staff at the company
• Due to the remote location and the (typical Scottish!) bad weather on the day, there was a last minute change of photocall venue. 
As a result of the range of people included and poor phone signals, the coordination was a challenge however with people posted a the original new venue, all press managed to relocate and get their pictures and interviews

Results:

• Coverage was achieved in the UK nationals, including the Scotsman, the Guardian, the Metro and the Daily Mail
• Further coverage was achieved online in the NY Times and countless blogs, forums and newspapers
• The coverage resulted in an increased awareness of Bridge of Weir Leather as an iconic Scottish brand, highlighting its relationship with Ford and the Low Carbon Leather message was successfully conveyed in the branding
• Photography was taken throughout as a record of the challenge
• The Bridge of Weir Leather brand and Low Carbon Leather marque were displayed at every opportunity increasing awareness of the brand identity and associated LCL initiative

Client: Waverley Steam Navigation Co. Limited (WSN)

Project: The Waverley Appeal

Date: September - October 2011 (5 weeks)

Introduction: 

In September 2011, Aura PR was approached to work with WSN on the PR activity surrounding The Waverley Appeal - a final push for emergency funding to secure the future of the Waverley Paddle Steamer. 

At this time, although there was awareness of the appeal, there was no PR strategy so it wasn’t delivering the results required. WSN had already been working with another PR agency, without great satisfaction.

Brief:

It was agreed that gaining media coverage was a priority, especially with local publications on the Waverley’s route. Increasing public support and raising awareness of the Appeal was equally important.

Particular features to highlight were the value of the Waverley’s volunteers and the economic contribution she gives. It was also vital to gain support from MPs, MSPs and AMs as WSN was writing to specific councils appealing for donations at the start of the five-week project.

Strategy:

When working with charities it is important to maintain a positive tone and have relevant content, in order to keep stakeholders interested. An initial motion for the Scottish Parliament in support of the Waverley had already been tabled by Drew Smith MSP; this was something to work from.

Activity undertaken:

1. A media pack was drafted and a request for relevant and current case studies was made to the charity, in order for us to have some meaty hooks for journalists.
2. Aura PR worked with the charity to develop a letter of support to be sent to local MPs, MSPs and AMs. Localised letters were then uploaded to the website and Facebook page.
3. A press release was drafted and distributed, highlighting the Waverley Appeal and directing readers towards the letters of support.
4. A business case was drafted and distributed among potentially influential organisations, e.g. the Scottish Entrepreneurial Exchange and companies surrounding the Pacific Quay. Endorsements from A G Barr and Tunnock’s were requested, but left in the hands of the client.
5. Aura PR used its contacts in the PR industry to spread the word of the Appeal. As a result of these discussions, WSN was encouraged to apply for a grant from the People’s Postcode Lottery.
6. PR activities must take a holistic approach. Aura PR, therefore, requested the Waverley’s twitter details and took the opportunity to engage with current and potential stakeholders.
7. Aura PR was able to secure a Civic Drinks Reception for WSN at the Glasgow City Chambers. The invite list included influential names from tourism organisations, significant businesses and the Scottish Parliament. Due to the short nature of the project, it was suggested and subsequently agreed that postponing the event until a later date would prove to be more beneficial to the cause.
8. A main objective of the project was to form new and nurture current relationships with politicians. After securing a sponsoring MSP (Neil Bibby) it was decided that an exhibition in the Scottish Parliament, complete with pop up banners and representatives from WSN, would be a productive way to create dialogue with this particular audience. The exhibition is due to go ahead next month.
A similar exhibition was proposed for the Welsh Assembly; contacts at WSN are waiting for confirmation from potential sponsoring Assembly Members. Resources from the Scottish Exhibition would be used again.
9. Aura PR’s ongoing research found that the Appeal had the support of Welsh Conservative leader, Alan RT Davies, and Liberal Democrat MP Alan Reid, who had tabled a further Early Day Motion for the UK Parliament. A second press release was drafted and distributed highlighting this cross-party support.
10. Aura PR was in talks with ITV West & West Country regarding a feature with a local angle. A briefing document was drafted and forwarded on and it was suggested that a Waverley representative be interviewed. The client then took on the responsibility of finding a worthy candidate.

Results:

Media relations were slightly hindered as WSN was already employing another PR agency and so inaccurate facts had already been released. However, a total of 11 pieces of coverage were secured.

The Glaswegian expanded on our two press releases, both online and in print; the first being a front page, eye-catching feature, using the images provided.

Welsh media relations were encouraged in anticipation of a potential exhibition at the Senedd. The Welsh Daily Post (both online and print), Caernarfon Herald (both online and print) and South Wales Evening Post developed our press releases and covered the Appeal.

Aura PR was in discussion with The Herald regarding volunteer interviews on the final sailing of the season.

Aura PR was in discussion with BBC Scotland regarding a radio feature on the Waverley Appeal’s progress. This content led to a positive article containing our key messages on the ‘For Argyll’ website.

Activity on the Waverley’s twitter account rocketed, going from 0 tweets and 8 followers to around 100 tweets and 120 followers (including politicians, councils and newspapers). The Waverley Appeal hashtag was encouraged whenever possible.

North Ayrshire, Inverclyde, Kent CC, Gloucester CC, Great Yarmouth Borough, Weymouth & Portland Borough and Penarth Town Councils had pledged support at the end of the project. As website content and management remained with the Waverley over the five-week period, Aura PR asked if there were means to track download numbers of the support letters.

Although the Civic Drinks Reception was postponed, Glasgow City Chambers are happy to welcome the Waverley at a later date, and have encouraged them to do so.

Aura PR has been advised that the Waverley has a very good chance of being awarded the maximum £10,000 grant from the People’s Postcode Lottery once their application is complete.