The client

Visit Lapland has the world’s largest collection of guided activities, tours and experiences Arctic available across Lapland (Norway, Sweden & Finland) with live availability and bookable online through www.VisitLapland.com

With more than 1200 activities available to book online, Visit Lapland has live availability and instant booking confirmations – whilst working with local tourism authorities and organisations to promote Lapland as a travel destination.

The brief

Sway are briefed to deliver an awareness campaign to increase the visibility of the website and brand through media relations and influencer engagement.

The results

The campaign has seen increased referral traffic to the website as a result of targeted media visits and new product launches. Coverage from the campaign has seen results appear in the Sun, Metro, Express, Times, Lonely Planet, Points Guy, Luxury Travel Mag, and Go Nomad to name a few.

The client

Two-time Triathlon World Champion (2008 & 2011) Helen Jenkins is one of Britain’s most celebrated triathletes having represented Team GB at the Olympic Games (2008, 2012 & 2016) and World Championships (since 2009) and Wales at the Commonwealth Games.

Helen was the British Junior Champion in 2003 and the Elite Champion in 2006, after having been the elite silver medallist in 2005. Jenkins also boasts several prestigious non-International Triathlon Union (ITU) event wins including winning the 2009 London Triathlon.

The brief

Sway were asked to support the sponsorship team in promoting Helen in media across a national and sporting context to deliver value for existing, and help attract new, sponsors for her come back seasons and beyond.

The results

The media relations campaign resulted in a full comeback story published in the Telegraph as well as a raft of coverage through a variety of national regional and sports media supporting sponsor messages and awareness. Since initiating the campaign, Helen has added three additional headline sponsors as well as a raft of additional minor supporters.

The client

Black Opal are a tailor-made travel company developing, exclusive travel experiences, curated by experts who don’t follow the crowd. Their hand-picked team of travel experts have decades of experience when it comes to providing travel services at the highest level where they specialise in sports travel, with a complete experience at any event worldwide.

The brief

Sway were appointed by Black Opal to help launch the business through an effective low budget campaign focusing on the experience behind new cricket experiences in March 2020.

The results

Through a targeted media visit, Sway developed a significant travel writer to travel to Sri Lanka ahead of the England Test Match series to cover his experience in the country and how sport was supporting the regions tourism growth. It resulted in a travel cover story in the Telegraph! Additional coverage in national media including the Mail was secured following interviews with ambassadors ahead of the tour.

The client

Ever since ACME Whistles’ founder, Joseph Hudson, insisted on blowing every whistle personally before he decided that every single one was up to the standards he required; ACME has been dedicated to producing the very best whistles in the World for every conceivable use.

The brief

ACME Whistles asked Sway to support them in developing a media relations campaign around specific areas of their business starting with the celebration around its heritage products and the D-Day celebrations, through to their support of Netball referees and brand advocate Gary Burgess.

The results

Sway developed a two-strand campaign around D-Day, firstly celebrating the lost clickers of D-Day and a campaign to search for the “lost clickers” used by American paratroopers dropped behind enemy lines ahead of the landings. The campaign resulted in TV, radio and print coverage around the world, most notably with a feature in the Times, news in the Telegraph, Daily Mail and Evening Standard; and TV news on the BBC, ITV.

The campaign resulted in a huge increase in awareness around the world with a spike in web traffic and sales of heritage items sold through ACME.

The client

Ian Knapper is a specialist staircase designer who creates stunning bespoke modern designs using natural stone. As a company, the specialist team design and craft beautiful stone staircases, fireplaces and lighting combining design skills, craftsmanship and service to deliver exquisite bespoke products for residential commercial and public spaces.

The brief

The brief for Ian Knapper was to support wider marketing and sales functions with quality coverage to promote and position Ian Knapper as an expert within trade, architect and luxury consumer lifestyle publications.

The results

Through news and feature opportunities, Sway developed a close working relationship with a variety of media across building, design and architecture titles. This quickly resulted in the opportunity to develop regular content for specialist title – Natural Stone Specialist – through which the team were able to drive regular expert led messaging.

The campaign supported other functions to drive enquiries and interest in using stone as a construction medium.

The client

New Zealand In Depth are an award winning travel specialist who have been creating itineraries to New Zealand since 2003, and named Best Specialist Tour Operator at the Telegraph Travel Awards 2019.

Planning the perfect trip requires more than just good destination knowledge; it is all about listening to clients to understand your interests and the kind of experiences they are looking for. Tailor-made and bespoke are words often bandied around; however New Zealand In Depth holidays truly are. They are individually created and we have no templates or preset itineraries.

The brief

Sway was asked by New Zealand In Depth to develop a media relations campaign to support and build the NZID brand, whilst promoting it’s personalised travel services to an active, yet affluent, demographic in the UK and US.

The results

Initially launching the campaign in the UK, Sway arranged two high profile media visits with the Financial Times and the Sunday Telegraph which resulted in front covers of the travel section, significant coverage and drove sales both in the UK and internationally.

A further press office led media relations campaign promoting new experiences and itineraries has underpinned the media activity creating a regular stream of national coverage in key markets.

The client

Off the Map Travel is a tour company that specialises in organising tailor-made Soft Adventure holidays in stunning destinations that are off the regular travel routes and adventurous with a luxurious touch.

The brief

Sway was simply tasked with increasing awareness of Northern Lights travel through Off the Map Travel and increase sale inquiries.

The result

Starting in August 2012, Sway delivered a media relations campaign focused on positioning Off the Map Travel as the expert for a selection of their hero destinations. By November this had already led to features in BBC’s Lonely Planet Magazine, AOL Travel and expert positioning on ITV’s Alan Titchmarsh show.

To date, as a direct result of Sway’s media relations campaign, Off the Map Travel has grown by more than 50% each year securing a reputation as one of the leading Northern Lights travel specialists globally.

Global coverage has been achieved through Sway’s international media relations network driving awareness and sales predominantly from Asia, USA and Europe.

Having been in the UK for two years with no real traction on the market, Strider, innovators in children’s no pedal balance bikes, asked Sway Communications to build the profile of the brand in the minds of parents and children across the UK.

Sway organised and implemented the first ever series of balance bike races in the UK, the Strider Cup Series, Sway grew the series to 15 events in the first year generating national coverage on BBC breakfast, the Telegraph, the Times and the Metro, and regional coverage across the UK including quality regional radio, TV and print coverage.

Since the start of the campaign, Strider has amassed a sizable community of riders across the UK who regularly engage with the brand.

Sway started working with Worsley Park Marriott Hotel and Country Club in 2012 where the team quickly built awareness of the hotel and it’s golf, leisure, F&B and Spa facilities across the region.

From community engagement campaigns engaging the community through events and projects, to media partnerships with regional golf experts and national golf websites, media visits and news generation, the campaign was hailed a huge success across the property which has seen Sway be recommended to a number of other properties within the Marriott chain regionally.

The brief for Heavenly Desserts was threefold. Firstly to run a brand session to clarify the brand values that could then be communicated across the company; secondly to plan and support a store launch programme for new franchise stores; and thirdly to support existing stores with media relations to drive awareness and interest in the Heavenly Deserts concept.

Sway brought together the senior team within Heavenly Desserts for a brand development day which has already informed key decisions within the business. Our team developed a launch ‘play book’ which laid out the framework of the marketing around a launch which allowed for local flexibility, yet gave a structure and clear actions for a new store launch plan. Finally, through media relations, sway worked with bloggers and regional newspapers to test and review product, launched new product ranges and created a PR stunt to drive interest and news coverage around National Chocolate day, all of which drove awareness of the brand and footfall into key stores.

Sway were briefed to support MEC’s social media campaign for MIND encouraging members of the public to share something that worries them to highlight the triggers of mental health challenges in the UK.

Sway engaged it’s media and celebrity network to directly encourage engagement from high profile influencers including TV actors to musicians to take the #takeoffthetape challenge and share it through their social media feeds. Celebrities taking up the challenge included Hayley McQueen – Sky Sports News, Matt Johnson – TV Presenter This Morning, Hannah Spearritt – S Club 7, Mike Toolan – Radio Presenter Key 103, Frankie Cocozza – X Factor, Concept – Band members, Room 94 – Band members, Nicholas Pinnock – Actor (Captain America), Stuart Semple – Artist, Ben Shires – TV Presenter CBBC, Ian Royce – Comedian, Cheeky Houssein – Blogger, and Jake Clemmence – Blogger.

Through a targeted national and regional media relations campaign, Sway also developed a full page feature in the Sun newspaper, space in the Daily Star, Guardian, Time Out and a wide range of regional print, online and broadcast titles. The #takeoffthetape campaign resulted in 42.5 million estimated impressions from 6,919 Twitter mentions by 3,614 users and was recognised at industry awards, which recognised the part media relations had played in its success.

Sway were briefed to launch new products into the consumer bike market with a focus on engaging leisure customers and commuters to enquire about new products in retail partners and through the Batribike website.

Through a regional and and national leisure focused media relations campaign, Sway generated coverage in a number of lifestyle, regional, camping, boating and trade titles increasing traffic and consumer interest in Batribike products as well as engaging a new and existing retailers in its network.

The team were were tasked to support the re-launch of an upgraded B&Q site in the region to drive customers to a re-launch day together with reinforcing ties to the local community and pushing the upgraded eco-elements of the development.

A pre-launch media relations campaign focused on celebrating human interest stories uncovered behind the staff at the renovated store, as well as developing features around the new plans and environmental credentials of the building itself. With print and radio coverage achieved across local and regional media, including key messages agreed, the campaign caused such interest that a 100m queue for the opening of the store on re-launch day was achieved. Further media relations from the launch added to the high footfall in the weeks that followed the relaunch.

The team were engaged for a project to launch a new Starbucks outlet gaining positive and well timed media coverage involving community tie-ins.

Results: Gathering many of the local community groups to the site on launch day we created a patchwork piece of art which was exhibited locally generating a positive reception to the new café and ongoing media coverage. The media relations resulting from the launch event not only drove initial awareness and footfall, but also initiated a wide range of community partnerships and engagement activities that embedded the new cafe within the region.

The team were asked to create a launch event that would bring together notable celebrities, businesses and media, and put the Liverpool Hilton at it’s centre.

We partnered with complementary brands to add value to event and stretch budget whilst engaging further celebrities to the event. With a Liverpool connection, the Sugababes headlined the entertainment at the launch event which attracted a red-carpet guest list that was the envy of the city.

Media coverage covered the regional and national lifestyle and celebrity titles with front pages of OK! and Hello magazine, Daily Mirror, The Sun, The Guardian, Marie Claire. The high-profile event resulted in the venue being booked out for meetings, conferences and day guests.

The team at Sway managed a project for the Football Association to support the Partially Sighted World Championships with pre-event media support and online content management from the games held in Manchester.

Pre-event player interviews generated coverage on all key media with quality match reports uploaded live from the venue engaging both spectators and football fans across the region.

The team were asked to attain sponsorship for, and manage the media relations of the half and full IRONMAN UK Triathlon in regional, national and sports specific media.

Having secured the headline sponsorship of Gatorade, and many other sub sponsors, we drove regional, national and international coverage in print, radio, TV and online formats across many of the key titles identified.

The media relations campaign generated huge national and international interest in the event with with entries reaching capacity within days of opening. Since the initial events in the UK supported by Sway, IRONMAN has introduced new events to cater for the demand generated.

The team were asked to manage the pre-event, event, and post-media relations campaign for the Salford Triathlon ITU World Cup focusing on generating coverage in regional, national and sports specific media for sponsors. We were also tasked with selling Salford as a destination for business and pleasure and to reaffirm Salford as the “home of world class triathlon in the UK”.

Over the years working with the event we won a CIPR industry award for “best use of photography and design in a PR campaign” and hit all KPI’s set. The campaign generated the coverage in a wide range of national and regional titles totalling over 1000 individual pieces of coverage including The Times, The Independent, Daily Telegraph, BBC Radio 1, Metro, Health and Fitness, The Guardian, 220 Triathlon Magazine, Running Fitness; as well as regional titles including Key 103, ITV and BBC TV, Manchester Evening News and Salford Advertiser; as well as many pieces of regional coverage across the UK from Liverpool, to Birmingham. The event and PR was heralded as a huge success on and off the course.

Sway were asked to support and manage a pre-event, event, and post-media relations campaign for the Color Run including the briefing of a team of Getty photographers throughout the event.

Results: Through a planned media management campaign, the Color Run in Manchester gained regional, and national recognition as the most colourful sporting event in the UK with TV, print, radio and online media covering the event including both BBC and ITV regional news, a photo spread in the MEN with a first person online news post covering her experience; blogs and radio also featuring teh event through striking imagery and interviews.

We were briefed to support the Sainsbury’s brand across the North West across key landmarks and issues including their “no waste to landfill” and “Active Kids” campaigns, and drive PR support locally, and train key staff members, to identify and maximise any store specific stories as they occurred.

Sway drove media coverage in all key titles from print in the MEN to an exclusive feature with ITV news. Local media training and support also resulted coverage across local and regional titles across the region as well as a more proactive internal community relations team who were able to take simple stories to the media themselves.

Sway supported Decathlon with media relations activity in the preparation for, and the launch of, its new Bolton store including community and stakeholder engagement, partnerships with local organisations and community groups and a high profile launch with Robbie Savage, fresh from Strictly Come Dancing fame, challenging shoppers to sports around the store.

The build-up and launch of the store generated a ground-swell of public support with a wide range of community groups, teams and guests helping to give the store a strong initial trading period. Decathlon Bolton has since developed a strong reputation in the region for its product range (70 sports under one roof) its service and value.

The Coca-Cola Christmas Truck is now a festive icon. During Coca-Cola’s experiential tour of the Christmas Truck, three strategic locations were identified through which the team at Coca-Cola wished to drive additional media attention and community engagement.

Sway negotiated and managed a two pronged approach to the campaign – activity designed to drive pre event coverage, and activities focussed on the event itself.

Firstly, we worked with the region’s biggest regional print title, The Echo, to search for and surprise a local community hero. The night before the trucks public event, the team arranged for a very special Christmas delivery for the winner and his local community.

Coverage spanned six different editions and created such a wealth of interest on the public day that people happily waited up to 2 hours to have their picture taken with the Christmas Coca-Cola Truck.

Anticipating crowds, on the day, Sway worked with Regional Radio Capital FM and through its DJs identified a rising musical star from Liverpool who played an impromptu gig on site at the Christmas truck with Capital FM reporters running live and pre-recorded links from the truck throughout the evening.

Mark and the team at Sway managed a regional media relations campaign across the North West and Yorkshire for Camelot and the National Lottery through the Paratus regional media network, including planning and implementing jackpot press conferences; 5 and bonus ball photocalls and new product launches.

Whilst generating widespread coverage, Sway maintained tightly managed events briefing and managing winners who were, in many cases, dealing with media attention for the first time.

Sway were also able to launch the most successful regional new product launch in the history of National Lottery PR up to that date, using their creative campaign and regional knowledge to take a photo call on tour around the North West gaining attention across the North West.

The Narvik region in Norway were looking to position itself as an Arctic destination of choice for visitors. Sway was asked to help position Narvik as a brand and use two new products as a catalyst to generate global media coverage to increase awareness of the region and the travel opportunities it opens up.

Using Sway’s global PR network, Sway were able to organise world class media to visit the new products as well as launching the new products through a targeted media relations campaign. The results reached across the US, the biggest Asian newspapers and websites, in flight titles as well as multi page features in the Telegraph and Guardian, and widespread travel news coverage across the country.

The media dubbed the region “the next big thing” increasing both trade and consumer interest.

The team has worked with some of the biggest names in the world of outdoor pursuits including WL Gore and its partner brands. Concentrating on outdoor clothing Sway director Mark Hayward managed a campaign to maintain the market leading reputation that Gore Tex technologies command in the industry.

Amongst other media relations led projects, the team opened the lab doors to WL Gore’s testing and research facilities giving handpicked media a unique a look behind the scenes.

Tasked with the job of launching a new drive through Costa coffee shop in Chester, the first in the North West, Sway took on the challenge and created a media relations led opportunity that captured the imagination of the regions media.

Working with a regionally renowned horse race trainer and jockey as the first customer through the drive through, the team brought the regions love of flat racing to the launch. The launch project generated coverage in all of the regions key titles resulting in one of the most successful opening weeks of any launch countrywide.