It's not every day you get to set up a media interview in the shadow of a life-size T-Rex, but that's exactly what the team at Sidekick PR got up to, when we were appointed to deliver campaigns in both Newcastle and Leeds for the animatronic dinosaur exhibition, Jurassic Kingdom.
The brief
Sidekick was tasked with delivering a PR campaign to promote the interactive animatronic dinosaur experience, Jurassic Kingdom, which took place at both Newcastle’s Leazes Park and Leeds' Temple Newsam Park.
With a short amount of preparation time, organisers tasked us with engaging local audiences to create a buzz around the impending arrival of the Jurassic Kingdom experience and drive tickets sales to each of the events.
Delivery
This campaign was short, sharp and fast and relied heavily on our media relations skills.
We worked with the local media in both areas, speaking with target journalists to secure interest in each event and set out engaging with bloggers to arrange review visits and giveaways.
Event organisers had already organised for stunts to take place in each location ahead of the events. We ensured blogger and journalist attendance at both, and used social media, too, to reach an even wider audience.
Press Preview days were arranged and we continued to liaise with media and bloggers to secure attendance at each site.
We then attended the press preview days to supervise media in attendance, brief event spokespeople and gather social media content for the event’s channels, too.
Once open, we provided a press office service for inbound enquiries throughout both of the two-week events
The results
More than 45 pieces of relevant coverage were secured in the two months we had to deliver the duo of campaigns – all in on-target publications, including in Newcastle: The Chronicle; The Sunderland Echo; Metro Radio; The Northern Echo; BBC Radio Newcastle – who broadcast their breakfast show from the event; BBC Online; ITV; Capital NE and the Press Association.
In Leeds, we secured coverage in publications including the Yorkshire Post, Made in Leeds TV, BBC Radio Leeds – who also did their breakfast show from the event; the Yorkshire Evening Post and numerous regional titles, from the Sheffield Star to the Whitby Gazette.
Importantly, the coverage translated through above the expected ticket sales, with more than 25,000 people attending the Newcastle event, and 30,000 attending in Leeds.
As a result, we were also taken on to deliver the PR campaigns for a further event in Sheffield.
- 45Pieces of relevant coverage
- 55,000+People attending both events
