North East England eNewsletter - March 2007
Welcome to the March update from the North East England campaign with all the latest news on who’s supporting the campaign, events, promotions, where you can see ‘Passionate people. Passionate places’ adverts, and how you can get involved and play your part in raising the profile of our fantastic region.
For further information or to contact the Regional Image team, telephone 0191 229 6861 or visit our website www.northeastengland.co.uk
Enjoy the read...
Contents:
MULTI AWARD WINNING ‘PASSIONATE PEOPLE. PASSIONATE PLACES.’ »
CAMPAIGN MAKES MEGA IMPACT ON CAPITAL »
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT »
PASSIONATE ABOUT THE BRAND »
PASSION ON SHOW IN THE MEDIA »
PASSIONATE ABOUT TRAVEL »
PASSIONATE ABOUT SCIENCE »
CULTURE CLUB »
SPOTTED »
MULTI AWARD WINNING ‘PASSIONATE PEOPLE. PASSIONATE PLACES.’
The ‘Passionate people. Passionate places’ campaign was judged as the Best Integrated PR Campaign in the region by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.
The CIPR Pride Awards recognise and reward best practice in public relations, acknowledging both personal and team achievements at the highest professional level. The Regional Image Campaign will now go on to represent the region in the CIPR National Grand Prix in May.
For more information visit the CIPR website or read the full Awards story on our website.
The news comes hot on the heels of the campaign winning the title of 'World's Leading Regional Marketing Campaign' for the second year running in the World Travel Awards 2006. As a result of this success the World Travel Awards – Europe 2007 will be hosted in North East England at The Sage Gateshead in October 2007. Read more about the World Travel Awards.
PASSIONATE ABOUT MEGA BANNERS
Three huge banners featuring 'Passionate people. Passionate places.' adverts are being erected in Central London. The mega-banners will be on display in prominent business district locations until April at Great Western Street, City Gateway and Mansell Street, near Tower Bridge. They will be seen by an estimated quarter of a million people each day and are a high profile way of raising awareness of North East England as an excellent place to do business, live, work and visit.
Read more about the mega banners.
SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
Over 800 companies and organisations have now signed up to the campaign. Two of them, Ads Direct and Metromail, have come up with their own innovative way to display their passion.
Passionate about posters - Campaign supporter Ads Direct, one of the largest suppliers of outdoor media in North East England, is showing its support by offering a £50 discount to any customers willing to show their support for the campaign by using the North East England and ‘Passionate’ branding on their ad-van posters.
Passionate about mail – Metromail, based in Peterlee, handle all aspects of direct mail for business. As well as using the brand logo on company literature and the website, the company has created a giant Passionate about mail logo in its reception area. The sales reps and directors also make a point of informing customers from outside of the region just how great life is here in North East England.
To see a full list of Regional Image supporters click here.
The region’s sporting teams are getting behind the campaign. Following in the footsteps of Durham County Cricket Club the latest to sign up are the Newcastle Eagles basketball team who now proudly display North East England on their kit and the Mobilx Vipers Ice Hockey team.
Northumbria University’s netball team, Team Northumbria have also signed up displaying a courtside “Passionate about sport” banner at all their Netball Super League games at Gateshead Leisure Centre, including those televised on Sky Sports.
Pic of Team Northumbria from left: Nikki Vanbeek, of Christchurch, New Zealand; Vicky Burgess, of Hartlepool; Jodi Tod, also of Christchurch, New Zealand; Jo Burnham, of Oxford (studying Sports Management at Northumbria University) and team mascot eight-year-old Emerson Tod.
Northumberland's only racecourse in Hexham is also showing its passion for North East England with a "Passionate about racing" banner in the winners' enclosure and North East England branding at the finishing line. This will be seen by up to 3,000 visitors to the course every year and viewers of satellite channel At the Races. The team at Hexham Racecourse were keen to support the campaign as they feel they have something special to add to the development of tourism in the region.
PASSIONATE ABOUT THE BRAND
Responding to popular demand we have devised new ‘brand guidelines’ including the ‘Passionate about‘ straplines as well as the North East England brand itself. Download a copy or send a request to northeastengland@onenortheast.co.uk to receive them by email.
Download a copy of the new brand guidelines here.
PASSION ON SHOW IN THE MEDIA
Adding to the suite of adverts that launched the campaign, you may have seen some new ones appearing in the national press promoting North East England.
Forthcoming insertions to watch out for include:
| Guardian Weekend | 10 March |
| Sunday Times Magazine | 11 March |
| Saturday Times Magazine | 17 March |
| Saturday Times Magazine | 24 March |
| Independent Saturday Magazine | 24 March |
| Sunday Telegraph Seven Magazine | 25 March |
| Guardian Weekend | 31 March |
| BA Business Life | March |
| Management Today | March |
| Guardian Supplement | 21 April |
On British Airways long haul flights until the end of March passengers can also see the new version of the North East England TV advert which is currently airing on regional and national TV.
On 28 January, a supplement entitled ‘North East England – People Who are Shaping its Success’ appeared in the Sunday Times.
The supplement, jointly funded by the Regional Image campaign and Newcastle Science City, was designed to highlight North East England to a national audience and raise awareness of scientific and cultural innovation in the region.
The Regional Image and Newcastle Science City teams worked alongside the Sunday Times editorial team to agree objectives and desired content, with final editorial decisions resting with the paper.
If you would like a copy of the supplement, please call a member of the Regional Image team on: 0191 229 6861.
North East England has featured in a range of editorial features across a wide range of national and international media over the past few months – here is just a small selection encouraging more tourists to come to our region…
- In Boom Uitgevers – (a Dutch newspaper) on 11 Dec 06 the travel section featured Alnwick Castle, Bamburgh Castle, Durham Castle and Hartlepool Maritime Museum, highlighting the DFDS ferry route as an easy way to get to North East England.
- In January The Telegraph (6 Jan 07) encouraged its readers to take a trip to the region to see Woodhorn – the new attraction in Northumberland, describing it as “a fascinating place … evocative in the truest sense.”
- On two US websites (The Maine Edge.com & Ha-life.com) an American travel writer has written encouragingly about her trip to Beamish, stating “It took some planning for my husband and me to finally get here. But it was well worth it.”
- A visit from The Independent’s cycling correspondent resulted in two features on 13 Feb 07 and 20 Feb 07 in which James Daley wrote “If you fancy a change from your regular outings to Wales or Scotland, North East England has more to offer than you might expect. I’ll be going back.”
- A four page feature in Cycling Weekly (28 Feb 07) on cycling in the Tees Valley directs readers to www.visitnortheastengland.co.uk for more cycle routes in the region.
- In a piece to commemorate the centenary of WH Auden in The Independent on 24 Feb 07 readers are encouraged to follow in the poet’s footsteps and visit Weardale and the North Pennines. It states “The North Pennines remains one of England's few unplundered treasures…. Auden was clearly on to something: in 1988, the region was declared an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty by Unesco, becoming Britain's first Geopark.”
PASSIONATE ABOUT TRAVEL
Famous regional landmarks including Hadrian’s Wall, Roseberry Topping, Durham Cathedral and the NewcastleGateshead Quayside are on show around the country as part of a joint promotion between the Regional Image and Tourism Marketing teams and GNER. The campaign includes posters on the London Underground and at selected roadside sites in Yorkshire as well as a series of national press advertorials, all of which aims to encourage people from Yorkshire and the South East to take the train and discover the region’s stunning landscapes, history and culture. To find out more about the range of discounted fares on offer go to www.gner.co.uk
GNER is also demonstrating its passion for the region after unveiling a ‘North East England – Passionate People, Passionate Places’ logo on the side of a ‘Mallard’ electric train on Valentine's Day. John Holmes from One NorthEast and opera singer Suzannah Clarke were present to mark the occassion and Suzannah serenaded passengers in Newcastle and Darlington as the train headed South. The ‘North East England - Passionate People, Passionate Places’ GNER train will be seen along hundreds of miles of railway, promoting the region in London, the East Midlands, Yorkshire, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Read more about the Passionate branded GNER train.
The campaign is also flying high with a new partnership with Eastern Airways helping to raise the region’s profile across the UK and into Europe. Thousands of air travellers flying to and from 17 UK and European airports, including London City, and Brussels will see the liveried aircraft. Read more about the Passionate branded aircraft.
PASSIONATE ABOUT SCIENCE
The Newcastle Science Festival 10-18 March 2007
The organisers of this year’s Newcastle Science Festival are encouraging people to get ‘Passionate about science’ by using campaign branding during a nine day festival which brings a wide range of topical science issues to life in a range of workshops, lectures, debates and family activities. There are over 50 events to choose from between 10 – 18 March covering topics as diverse as astronomy; Ancient Egypt; health; wildlife; chocolate and the science behind the world’s funniest joke.
For a full list of topics, times and venues visit: www.newcastlesciencefestival.co.uk
CULTURE CLUB
The campaign has joined forces with The Journal's Culture Club to raise awareness right across North East England of the region's wealth of highly valued natural and cultural assets.
Culture Club is a unique initiative designed to help members make the most of North East England culture. Also supported by the Arts Council it covers the best of what the region has to offer. As a member of Culture Club you can enjoy money saving offers, exclusive competitions, money can't buy opportunities and the chance to attend special events. An annual membership costs only £10. You can apply online or alternatively call 0191 201 6369 for an application form.
For more information, visit www.thejournalcultureclub.co.uk
SPOTTED
Photographer and campaign supporter David Glen Walker took his passion to the other side of the world recently and wore a North East England t-shirt while photographing a SCOPE sponsored trek along the Great Wall of China. Find out more at www.davidglenwalker.com
How far has your passion travelled? Send your pictures to northeastengland@onenortheast.co.uk
For further information or to contact the Regional Image team please email us by clicking here.
Please feel free to tell friends, family and associates who you believe will be interested in the campaign about this webpage.
If you would like to receive regular information on the campaign, please click here to subscribe.
Thank you,
The Regional Image team:
Julia Banks 0191 229 6719
Debbie Sharratt 0191 229 6485
Karen Fitzgerald 0191 229 6858
Iain Ramsay 0191 229 6861
Hayley Beattie 0191 229 6852