CASE STUDY
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An award-winning campaign with a 2000% return on investment
Southampton City College is a vibrant institution in the centre of the city. With a £38m building scheme underway, student achievement is consistently improving. This campaign – which won the 2009 Wessex CIPR PRide award for Best Use of Media Relations – aimed to transform the college’s image.
The Aim
To raise awareness of the college through achieving consistent, targeted coverage in the local, regional and specialist print, online and broadcast media.
Despite its good work, the college was rarely in the media and the aim was to turn it from a shrinking media violet into a venus fly trap.
The aim was to raise awareness among people of how vibrant and high-achieving the college was and how it was a great place to learn.
The Approach
CG immediately embarked on improving relationships with local media, speaking regularly
with journalists and finding out individual interest areas.
CG took a multi-pronged approach with each outlet, delivering stories that fitted into different categories, such as childcare, food, health and entertainment, as well as standard areas such as news and education. This meant CG spread its releases among different reporters.
CG engaged lecturers and described the stories needed, worked as journalists to unearth success stories and offered up tutors for comment on national issues. The college’s head of media and students filmed events and CG fed the footage into regional and national outlets. Award ceremonies were given high-profile speakers to make them newsworthy.
CG transformed open days into interactive events called CityEx, to capture the imagination of young people and give them a chance to try a range of activities.
The relationship with John Denham, a local MP and then Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, was maximised. This led to Prime Minister Gordon Brown visiting the college.
CG targeted glossy magazines with photo spreads to help raise the reputation with decision makers, something that was enhanced by HRH Princess Royal being the key speaker at the City Training Awards.
The lighter stories were backed up with hard-hitting releases for the business press, focusing on the redevelopment programme.
The Results
Research undertaken before CG got to work showed a low awareness of the college and what it did. Early research indicates that that perception and awareness of the college’s work and achievements have greatly improved.
The results speak for themselves. In the seven months from November 2008 to June 2009, the campaign resulted in 133 stories published, with an estimated editorial value of £208,496 – a 2,000% return on investment.
This successful campaign resulted in Carswell Gould winning the 2009 Wessex CIPR PRide award for Best Use of Media Relations.
