We Organised Bournemouth’s Biggest Ever Public Street Art Project Reaching Over 4 Million People!

How could we get national coverage for a Bournemouth-based art gallery?

Most independent galleries are lucky to get regional coverage, we weren’t content with that. We wanted to get both regional and national coverage for our client, Ambassadeur Art, as the resident artists are of the calibre to draw collectors from all over the UK. The gallery, which we launched in May 2017, needed some new news to speak to press about since the hubbub of the launch had died down.

That’s when the idea of a giant street art project was born.

The resident artists at Ambassadeur Art found the spot they wanted to paint, one of Bournemouth’s busiest tourist spots, Pier Approach. The first step was to get the council onside, without them this project wouldn’t have been possible as it’s council land we wanted to paint on. As Bournemouth is a family holiday destination, the image of Spiderman holding an ice cream was suggested to tie in with the summer blockbuster.

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Once terms had been agreed with the council we needed to source enough artists to complete the project in record time causing minimum disruption to the thousands of holidaymakers on Bournemouth pier. The team used social media to source these volunteers and also worked with the Arts University Bournemouth inviting their students to work on the project as well.

The project took three days to complete with the third day culminating in ‘The Big Reveal’ where the supersized painting would be officially finished. We organised The Big Reveal to invite the public, local dignitaries and most importantly the media to the site together. To encourage as many people as possible to come down for The Big Reveal, the team arranged free ice creams and face painting to anyone that came down in superhero fancy dress. Paid for social media was also used by the Sunny Bird PR team to promote the event to key demographics ensuring maximum attendance on the big day.

To give media the best assets we arranged for a professional photographer, a time lapse video and drone footage of the Big Reveal. To ensure media attendance on the day, Sunny Bird PR called all the broadcasters and regional press to book them in for the big event. To tie the supersized superhero to the gallery, Sunny Bird PR ordered Ambassadeur Art branded balloons and flyers to be handed out on the day.

The whole event was managed from start to finish without a hitch, the Big Reveal was attended by the Mayor and Mayoress of Bournemouth who shook hands with an artist dressed as Spiderman as he arrived via the pier zip wire to deliver the final flourish to the painting. The supersized superhero was surrounded by families and children all dressed up as superheroes making for great photos and video footage.

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The meticulous execution of this supersized event led to over 20 pieces of coverage in just two days with a reach of over four million people, an advertising value equivalent of over £300,000. This heroic coverage was achieved across the BBC, radio, online and in print – all of which either used our press release or credited Ambassadeur Art for the photography and video footage.

The success of this project relied on the collaboration of so many people and we would like to take this opportunity to thank the following for their help and support on this, Bournemouth’s Biggest Ever Street Art Project: Michael Corica, Matthew Corica, Iain Alexander, Callie Onslow-Bartlett, Miroslav Lucan, Dairo Vargas, Julian Butterworth, Christian Lawson, Grace Lovelass, Sian Ferreira, Nicola Goode, Nick Maguire, Lois Clark, Morven Shortt, Emily Knights, Neil Woodman, Jenny Thorne, Sam Spinks, Thao Nguyen, Alice Burrett, Ibi Azab, Joshua Moseley, Jessica Russell, Jago Cremer-Roberts and Natalie Carr.

Latest Technologies & How They Can Be Used In PR

Attending Greenwood Campbell’s event on Thursday 6th June gave us an insight into the potential of Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in the world of commerce, marketing and PR. These technologies have only recently reached consumers, with Pokémon GO proving to be a hit for AR as the third most downloaded app in 2016. These technologies are also proving popular in the commercial worlds of retail, health, travel and entertainment. 

Bertie Millis from Virtual Umbrella kicked off the evening by introducing everyone to the world of Virtual Reality (VR); computer technology that uses virtual reality headsets to generate realistic images, sounds and other sensations that simulate a user's physical presence in a virtual or imaginary environment.

A person using virtual reality equipment is able to "look around" the artificially generated world and interact with virtual features or items.

Working with Virtual Umbrella, Robinsons, conducted a PR stunt using VR in one of London’s busiest train stations. People were invited to sit in an umpire’s chair at a tennis court in Waterloo station and using a VR headset were able to watch Wimbledon live giving them a 360 degree view of the game. As people queued for the VR experince, they were offered a new Robinsons’ flavoured drink which gave them the chance to win prizes including VIP Wimbledon tickets.

Mikela from Blippar followed Bertie and explained the difference between Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality; VR being a program that takes over your senses by putting on a headset and sometimes headphones, whereas AR superimposes a computer-generated image on a user's view of the real world, on a phone or tablet.

Blippar works with brands and businesses to create exciting and innovative campaigns where consumers can scan products using the Blippar app to explore offers, recipes, games and much more.

Blippar has worked with Coca Cola enabling Blippar app users to scan a branded bottle or can. The scan pops up with a juke box playing the top tracks in the UK on Spotify, giving the user an incentive to use the app.

A fantastic event from Greenwood Campbell, giving us an insight into what is currently being used by big brands such as Coca Cola and Robinsons to keep them ahead of the game. Campaigns such as Robinson’s Waterloo VR Wimbledon stunt is a great example of how VR can support a PR stunt and Coca Cola’s campaign with Spotify shows how AR can be used to enhance the consumer experience and extend their journey.

The event has got us thinking about how we can use these exciting technologies for our clients.

If you think they could work for your business get in touch with the Sunny Bird PR team and we’ll wow you with some ideas on how you can harness this fun, new technology. Give us a call on 01202 293095 or email hello@sunnybirdpr.com.

How We Got 70 VIPs to The Launch Night of Las Iguanas

Las Iguanas came to us in advance of opening its first Bournemouth restaurant asking for support on the all-important launch event. Our regional knowledge was required for a marketing strategy, regional media relations and most importantly, getting VIP guests to the launch event.

To source the most appropriate marketing solutions based on the core demographic of Las Iguanas as well as sourcing VIP guests.

To obtain the best advertising for the launch we researched the demographic for Las Iguanas, approached all suitable media outlets including print and radio, sourced media packs, listening figures, advertising packages and advised on where best to place the marketing budget.

Las Iguanas targeted the Sunny Bird PR team with securing 40 VIP attendees from a select group of local journalists, local bloggers, local businesses, local tourist attractions and the Bournemouth University journalists. The team thoroughly researched the guest list and sourced contact details to invite each guest personally. These invitations were managed, followed up, confirmed with table bookings and reminder emails to ensure attendance.

Photos by Event Photographer Paul Underhill

Photos by Event Photographer Paul Underhill

To enable first class coverage, the Sunny Bird PR team researched local event photographers and recommended the best to Las Iguanas. This photography could then be used for press, bloggers, by the Las Iguanas team as well as by Sunny Bird PR to promote the launch afterwards.

The Sunny Bird PR team also liaised with local press to secure coverage in advance of the launch.

We were originally tasked with a target of 40 VIPs, the team smashed this and had 70 VIPs attend on the night!

The evening was a great success, we had our VIP bloggers posting photos on their social media channels all evening showcasing the food, cocktails and entertainment. The Sunny Bird PR team followed up with each guest individually the next day, thanking them for attending and sharing the post-event press release and photography to secure post-event blogs or coverage. Coverage appeared in the local paper, local magazines, online as well as on the blogs and social media channels of Bournemouth’s best bloggers.

The Brand Communications Manager for the Las Iguanas group commented: “Thank you ever so much for everything it really was a brilliant evening and I’m just so happy with how everything went.”

How We Improved Our Social Media

We work on social media for most of our clients and the only way we can keep ahead of the game in this ever-evolving world is to fully immerse ourselves in it and become social media gurus. We make it our business to know the ins and outs of industry favourites Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. One of the best ways for us to be the best is to make the Sunny Bird PR channels an example. As the channels change the way they do things, we need to change with them so here we have outlined the changes we’ve made to our own channels as we adapt to achieve the best results.

Instagram

What wasn’t working

The company Instagram channel was treated in the same way as Facebook and Twitter with the same content duplicated across the platforms. At times it was treated as an after-thought with content posted ‘as and when’ rather than being scheduled. We didn’t invest as much time in the platform when it was first set up as this was before Instagram became the fastest-growing social media channel.

How we made it work

As Instagram grew in popularity, we invested more time in our content and improved the quality of the images. There are now a plethora of photography apps that give photos a professional edge, create collages, videos and animations which we are constantly experimenting with. We update our Instagram a minimum of once a day and try to ensure that it’s a mix of team activity, work achievements and PR advice. The company recently underwent a rebrand so our brand colours have now become an integral part of our instagram colour scheme and we often use post as a way of leading followers to our website.

Facebook

What wasn’t working

Facebook is a necessary platform for people to use as a way to suss out a new business before deciding to make contact. It’s easy for a business to think ‘social media = free advertising for my business’ but it isn’t all about that. It’s about starting a narrative and creating an online personality for your business that is relatable. 

What we discovered through our monthly analytics was that it was mainly all our friends that engaged with us on the Sunny Bird PR Facebook page rather than potential clients. We have existing clients, previous clients, other companies that we work with and our friends as our main audience.

How we made it work

Having learned this we changed our core messaging, we took away any ‘new business winning’ style posts and focussed instead on team news, business wins and local pieces. This has made our Facebook page friendly, likeable and has reduced the amount of people un-following us due to repetitive salesy posts not suitable for them. Increasing engagement and developing our brand’s personality has resulted in a page that welcomes new visitors and will give them the confidence to get in touch with us.

An example of the top performing posts from one month; the first was a video which always acheives high engagement thanks to Facebook's algorithm so we post at least one video a week. The second post performed well as it was a ‘feel good’ team shot and the third performed well as it was shouting out about the success of one of our clients so our followers and hers liked the post.

 

Twitter

What wasn’t working

Twitter is more conversational than Facebook and Instagram. The Sunny Bird PR Twitter channel had been posting similar content to the Facebook channel. Posting the same imagery and video content was not proving to be popular and we weren’t utilising Twitter’s conversational functions as well as we could have been.

 How we made it work

Recognising that Twitter’s strength is in conversation, we changed our approach and focussed more on starting, joining, commenting on conversations with a mixture of journalists, social media influencers, industry experts and clients.

We found that images and videos weren’t as popular as our PR tips, blog posts or client news so we adapted our posts to reflect this. We post content every day and follow key journalists to make conversation, congratulate them on a promotion or wish them a happy holiday. It keeps us front of mind when speaking to press. Retweeting relevant news and posting work achievements ensures we have a diverse range of content which is appealing to our audience, resulting in an increase in likes, retweets and followers.

If you would like support with your social media, get in touch with the team on

01202 293095 or hello@sunnybirdpr.com

Bye Bye Berliner

Although news in the old fashioned paper format has seen a huge decline over recent years, the demand is very much still there and that's the stance The Guardian took this week when defending its decision to ditch the Berliner (taller than a tabloid, narrower than a broadsheet) sized paper.

The Guardian was the only UK paper to take on the European favoured, mid-size format which appealed to many as it was more manageable while still feeling like an 'occasion' paper to enjoy at leisure. The Guardian will save millions by closing its specialist Berliner presses and will now print in a tabloid format through Trinity Mirror. 

The team (as always) have their own opinions on matter of the news in the news. Here's a  video from Lizzie and Rian sharing theirs...

Top Instagram Updates You Need to Know About

Instagram has continued to roll out a plethora of updates since February. Read on to find out what they are and the pros and cons of each feature.

Shoppable Instagram

Shoppable Instagram features were announced last October and in the last month it is finally filtering out into the mainstream. Most businesses still don’t have access to the function; however the number increases as each week passes. It has been rolled out to a number of beauty, fashion and jewellery brands, as well as influential bloggers.

Pros – This function is one that many Instagram users will welcome with open arms. Being able to shop directly from imagery is a logical step and we can’t wait for it roll out to the masses.

Cons – We can’t see any cons. It’s a great way for businesses to directly reach out to their consumer and encourage them to purchase.

 

Streamlined Disappearing Messages

Instagram has upped its game and created a similar feature to the popular social media app Snapchat. You are now able to send disappearing images/messages to your contacts via the direct message function.

Pros – Will this make Snapchat defunct? Is Instagram taking over the world? We think this may be the case. It is a great way for a business to drive a sense of urgency, for example, you could send information/discount codes to a select number of customers in the hope of encouraging a knee-jerk reaction to purchase quickly.

Cons – Snapchat has a loyal audience and it may take a lot of convincing for them to use Instagram in this way when they are happy with the Snapchat function. They will only be able to replay the message/visual once so they will have to action a discount code or offer relatively quickly.

 

Multiple Image Posts

Multiple image posts (also called “carousel posts”) let you create a single Instagram post with a slideshow of up to 10 images and/or videos. Users can scroll them. You can tag users on individual slides within the post. Many businesses and users have already utilised this function.

Pros – These posts are engaging and dynamic. They enable the account holder to ‘tell a story’. It is also a lot more effective than a collage and less time consuming to create.

Cons – For the account holder or business it means more content creation. If you use multiple images in one single post it means more time is needed to ensure you have enough content for each day.

 

If you'd like to know more about how to get the best out of your Instagram account, get in touch with us via hello@sunnybirdpr.com or 01202 293095.

Why Working By The Sea Can Boost Your Health, Happiness And Productivity

 

The Sunny Bird PR office is literally five minutes from the beautiful Bournemouth sea front. With seven miles of award-winning beach to choose from, its own micro-climate that provides us with smog-free, blue skies and a bustling atmosphere with lots of exciting start-ups. I’m going to try my hardest not to city bash (although a number of us are ex-city dwellers) but living in Dorset truly is a dream.

As a team, being based in Dorset helps us to achieve that elusive work/life balance, encourages us to get outside and exercise more and nothing beats a sun downer on your doorstop whilst taking in the stunning views of the Purbecks. All of these factors (and many more) contribute to happy, healthy staff members who come into work ready to smash our PR targets.

Being based on the costa del Dorset coastline may make us biased, but recent environmental research has found that living and working by the coast can improve the following:

1. You don’t have to get your feet wet to reap the health benefits – even just a view of the sea can promote reductions in heart rate and improvements in mood

2. You rate your health as significantly better if you live within 5km of the British coastline

3. You are more likely to exercise regularly if you live within 1km of the English coastline

4. You are more likely to have better mental health if you live within 5km of the British coastline

5. The UK economy could benefit to the tune of £176m of healthcare savings per year from water-based recreation alone.

Still not convinced? The team have compiled their favourite places to eat, drink and visit so that next time you consider a weekend away (or perhaps a PR company) Dorset will be front of mind.

 

Sunny (MD & Founder)

Eat: Koh Thai in Boscombe – The best 24hour ribs and they do an amazing Pad Thai. I love that it’s a Dorset company set to take over the world!

Drink: 1812 (Bournemouth) or The Kings Arms (Christchurch) – I love a cocktail or two and I’m completely torn between two places… the drinks in both are incredible.

Visit: The New Forest – Fall in love with the forest’s idyllic glades, ancient woodland and cliff top walks. You may even bump into a few ponies or donkeys that run wild near Lymington.

Why you love living in Dorset: Nothing beats being able to walk on the beach in your lunch break. Being just 2 hours away from London allows us to be able to work with regional, national and international clients without giving up on our wonderful lifestyle.

 

Lizzie  (Account Manager)

Eat: Urban Reef – 5 minutes’ walk from my flat, right on Bosombe’s award-winning beaches and undoubtedly serving the best Eggs Royale and Bloody Mary.

Drink: Chaplin’s – Quirky and cool, an award-winning bar and live music venue in Boscombe.

Visit: Worth Matravers – One of my favourite places in the Purbecks, the Square and Compass serves the best pints and pasties and there’s the beautiful walk down to Winspit caves and the sea. Perfect for any time of year.

Why you love living in Dorset: In my opinion it is the best place to live in the UK, best beaches, best nightlife, best countryside, best climate and the best people!

 

Rian (Senior Account Manager)

Eat: The Stables – Nestled on Weymouth’s harbour side in the old harbour master’s building it has a great atmosphere and a great selection of ciders. The company started in Dorset and now has restaurants in Cardiff, Bristol and London to name a few – definitely worth checking out. http://stablepizza.com/

Drink: The Cove House InnA bevvy at The Cove House Inn on Portland’s Chesil Beach can’t be beaten. In summer it boasts the BEST sunset and in winter you can hunker down by the fire and watch the crashing waves as they pound the pebbles.

Visit: West Bay – The home of Itv’s Broadchurch and not far from Bridport, which is worth a visit too. Stunning sheer cliffs and the perfect place for random celeb spotting (PJ Harvey and Primal Scream’s Bobby Gillespie have both been spotted in the last month).

Why you love living in Dorset: Nothing beats a walk down to the beach and being able to take a deep, breath of fresh sea air. When you hear the phrase “why do you need to go on holiday when you live in a place like this” then you know you’re on to a winner.

 

Lucy (Account Executive)

Eat: Vesuvio – If you take a stroll along the beachfront to get to Vesuvio, it offers a relaxed vibe and a range of pizzas and pastas.

Drink: Aruba – Right on the beachfront, you can walk out onto the balcony with a cocktail and enjoy the amazing views of the pier and beach.

Visit: Durdle Door – no matter if the sun is shining or if it’s slightly overcast, Durdle Door is the most beautiful place on the coast. The water is crystal blue and the views are breath-taking.

Why you love living in Dorset: Originally from Oxford, I’ve always known that I wanted to live near the south coast. The weather is 100 times better and it never takes any longer than 20 minutes to get somewhere. Places to visit and attractions to see are never far and come summer, the beach is just on our doorstep.

 

Darren(In-house Graphic designer)

Eat and Drink: Aruba – I often take clients or have internal meetings in Aruba, I love the fact you can eat and drink and look out on Bournemouth’s amazing beach. When the sun is shining you could be anywhere in the world.

Visit: Mudeford Spit – Is a lovely place to visit with great views of Christchurch on the harbour side. My kids will say “the best part is getting the noddy train” to the beach.

Why you love living in Dorset: I love working in Bournemouth, we are a stone’s throw from the amazing beaches and a 5 minute walk into the heart of Bournemouth town centre.