CASE STUDY 3: WWW.TRAVELSHARE.CO.UK

Objective:

To launch this new journey sharing website (aimed primarily at the Forth Road Bridge to Edinburgh route) to the Scottish media, maximising the topicality of the subject matter at a time of intense media interest in Forth Road Bridge longevity and tolling issues. Also to encourage commuters to sign up to the service. To promote the two entrepreneurs behind the company, to put a positive human interest element into the story. With a relatively small budget, the company could not have covered the cost of advertising the service in the national press and so gaining prominent editorial coverage was vital for them.

What was done:

The timing of www.travelshare.co.uk's launch to the media was topical as there had recently been a great deal of coverage on the proposed new Forth Road Bridge Tolls. As well as capitalising on this, Advantage PR wanted to take a very positive line and present the company as a local Fife based company fighting back and trying to make something positive out of a negative - thereby encouraging commuters to do something positive with their journeys to work. Having compiled a press pack with launch press release and facts and figures on how much could be saved by car sharing on typical journeys, it was decided to hold the launch photocall at the Road Bridge itself with travelshare director Matthew; some early users of the service and a branded car with a huge travelshare poster. Advantage PR offered the story to a number of local newspapers and also offered interviews with the service users as well as Matthew himself. Following a strong turnout at the photocall, the story received widespread coverage and was only forced off the Edinburgh Evening News front page because of a breaking story on Torness Power Station. A few days after the launch Kingdom FM ran a live intervew with Matthew Lanham.

Coverage achieved in EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS, SCOTTISH DAILY MAIL, DUNDEE COURIER (with Opinion piece), DUNFERMLINE PRESS, DUNFERMLINE, EDINBURGH and WEST LOTHIAN HERALD AND POST SERIES, FIFE FREE PRESS and EAST FIFE MAIL.. Also live interview on KINGDOM FM. Coverage also generated the backing of the Scottish Green Party.