CASE STUDY
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RIBEX 2010 – An adrenaline-pumping campaign
RIBEX is the world’s only boat show dedicated solely to Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBS). It is held annually at Cowes Yacht Haven on the Isle of Wight and runs over three days.
In its 11th year it expanded considerably, with the addition of a live music festival – RIBFEST – headlined by Seth Lakeman, and the addition of a celebrity to open the event.
The Aim
To devise and implement a local and regional PR strategy to create and sustain interest in the rib show and music festival to potential visitors and exhibitors.
The Approach
CG challenged TV survivor, Bear Grylls, to race RIBEX organiser Hugo Montgomery-Swan from Portsmouth to the show site in a RIB and then to open the show. This resulted in the launch gaining publicity in mainland and island media, creating a bigger buzz than a traditional ribbon cutting.
CG set up a partnership deal with The Coast 106 FM, whose listenership tied into the RIBFEST visitor demographic, securing a page dedicated to RIBFEST on The Coast’s website, 24 minutes of airplay ahead of and during the event and The Coast’s breakfast presenters compering the RIBFEST concert.
CG organised a ‘battle of the bands’ style music competition in conjunction with the Isle of Wight County Press, to find a local band to support headliner Seth Lakeman.
The competition resulted in sustained and heavy coverage in the County Press’s music pages.
CG targeted a series of releases on different aspects of the show to different media and genres to gain a consistent flow of press coverage. These included business, sponsorship, partnership, product launch and announcement stories as well as celebrity and organiser interviews.
CG utilised social media to promote RIBEX and RIBFEST directly to potential visitors. This was achieved through live photo blogging from RIBFEST, the set up of a facebook event page, filming and distribution of the show opening and engaging with Seth Lakeman fans through Twitter.
CG set up a partnership with Red Funnel, which runs ferries to and from the Isle of Wight, securing half price travel tickets for anyone visiting RIBEX, a page dedicated to RIBEX on the website, video advertisement of RIBEX broadcast on TV screens on the ferries and posters in the ferry terminals.
The Results
Throughout the five-month campaign 23 stories featured online, 33 stories featured in print, approximately 35 minutes of radio coverage was broadcast and three external websites set up their own pages dedicated to news from RIBEX.
The media coverage reached a total estimated editorial value of £113,008.09.
Hugo Montgomery-Swan said: “We have been truly delighted with the degree of coverage that the Carswell Gould team secured both the 2010 RIBEX Powerboat Show and its associated event, RIBFEST. As specialist event organisers operating in a highly competitive market, the challenge of attaining key media coverage across all mediums can be a great challenge.
“Nevertheless, via their contacts and liaisons within the media coupled to their creative and diligent efforts, Carswell Gould delivered on every front, achieving a huge amount of media coverage both pre and post event. The success of the promotion has resulted in our extending RIBFEST to two days next year and assisting us to grow the event overall.”
