One of the world’s ‘coolest websites’ has helped generate more than £4.5m worth of visitor spend for the local economy in just six months, as part of a campaign aimed at inspiring visitors to NewcastleGateshead, using the famously friendly Geordie personality.
Delivered by destination management and marketing organisation, NewcastleGateshead Initiative, the integrated national marketing campaign, Have the Tyne of Your Life, is part of VisitEngland’s three-year, Growing Tourism Locally activity, funded by the Government’s Regional Growth Fund (RGF).
Featuring radio advertising, press inserts in national titles, and outdoor advertising the campaign tapped in to the distinctive Geordie tone of voice to appeal to potential domestic visitors, encouraging them to learn more and book a short-break via NewcastleGateshead.com. Profiling the variety of the destination’s cultural offer, alongside shopping and nightlife, it also saw travel features in key national and consumer titles, including The Independent, Cosmopolitan Magazine and The Evening Standard.
In the first six months, from September 2012 to March 2013, it’s estimated this activity created or safeguarded 85 jobs in the tourism industry. Over the course of the full funding period (2012-2015) it’s hoped the campaign will create or safeguard a minimum of 232 jobs across the destination.
Sarah Stewart, chief executive at destination management and marketing organisation, NewcastleGateshead Initiative, said: “These results are really encouraging and demonstrate that when we highlight what makes us different as a place, visitors feel a sense of warmth and excitement about NewcastleGateshead, encouraging them to stay longer, visit again and tell their friends about the experiences they’ve had when they come here.
“Having RGF funding has really helped us reach audiences we wouldn’t have been able to previously. Our work focuses on encouraging visitors from outside of the North East and is usually delivered in the North West, Scotland and Yorkshire, attracting those who can easily drive to the destination. With RGF funding we are also able to promote the place in the South East and London, encouraging visitors to travel via the East Coast mainline. The additional funds have also allowed us to explore new and different marketing channels, including audio advertising via music streaming site, Spotify.”
The three year RGF investment of £500,000 is match funded by NewcastleGateshead Initiative and private sector partners, doubling the size and impact of the Have the Tyne of Your Life campaign. In the first year, NewcastleGateshead Initiative received £166,667 via RGF and matched it with and additional £105,000, for a total pot of more than £207,000.
79% of visitors thought the campaign was a good way to advertise holidays and breaks in NewcastleGateshead, with 63% saying the advertising had encouraged them to take a trip; 85% said NewcastleGateshead.com had influenced their decision to visit.
Sarah added: “All of our marketing and communications activity aims to insert a touch of Geordie humour, from adverts and inserts to our website and social media activity.
“It’s clear this approach has been successful, not just from the positive response we’ve seen from the RGF funded activity, but also in NewcastleGateshead.com being named one of the world’s coolest tourist board websites alongside New York, Ireland and Finland by the Sunday Times earlier this year.”
NewcastleGateshead Initiative’s autumn and winter RGF funded activity as part of VisitEngland’s Growing Tourism Locally campaign premiered a new creative design and slogan, The Tyne is Now; profiling Christmas shopping and the NewcastleGateshead Winter Festival. Activity planned throughout spring and summer 2014 will continue with this design and focus on a cultural theme, highlighting the many unique venues and experiences on offer across the destination throughout the year.
In addition to running this national marketing campaign, NewcastleGateshead Initiative is the only North East destination marketing organisation investing proactively overseas, working with travel partners including DFDS Seaways, Jet2 and Aer Lingus to attract visitors from Belgium, Holland, Germany and Ireland.
Ends.
For media enquiries contact:
Shelley Armstrong
Media & PR Manager
T. +44 (0)191 440 5739
M. +44 (0)7717 631 109
E. shelley.armstrong@ngi.org.uk
Notes to editors:
About NewcastleGateshead Initiative
NewcastleGateshead Initiative is charged with marketing NewcastleGateshead on a national and international stage. Our mission is to inspire people to visit, and to live, learn, work and invest here.
Our focus is economic growth; we work to change perceptions and create positive profile in order to attract visitors, major conferences and events, students, new investment and jobs.
We are a not-for-profit organisation supported by 170 private sector partners, Gateshead Council and Newcastle City Council. To find out more visit: www.NewcastleGateshead.com/corporate
United by seven bridges across a spectacular riverscape, Newcastle (a city on the north bank of the River Tyne) and Gateshead (a town on the south bank) form a single, diverse and extremely vibrant visitor destination. World-class culture, vibrant nightlife, award-winning dining, inspiring heritage, fantastic shopping and acclaimed architecture are combined here like nowhere else, by the famous Geordie spirit which is symbolised by Antony Gormley’s iconic Angel of the North as it welcomes travellers to the area.
About VisitEngland
VisitEngland is the country’s national tourist board. We work in partnership with the industry to develop the visitor experience across England, plan national tourism strategy, grow the value of tourism in England and provide advocacy for the industry and our visitors.
Our work is underpinned by robust research and customer insights. You can access the latest in-depth market intelligence and statistics on www.visitengland.org/insight-statistics
For corporate information see www.visitengland.org and for consumer information see www.visitengland.com
About Growing Tourism Locally – a Regional Growth Fund Tourism Investment Project
In October 2011 VisitEngland’s application to the Government’s Regional Growth Fund was approved by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS). £19.8 million was awarded to deliver a three year partner marketing project entitled ‘Growing Tourism Locally’.
This project aims to stimulate the domestic visitor market to grow local economies through increased tourism activity by UK residents.The project enables VisitEngland to work in partnership to facilitate growth at a local level, further amplifying the second Holidays at Home are GREAT campaign that was launched in March this year.
The project ‘Growing Tourism Locally’ has the potential to create the equivalent of 9,100 full time jobs across England and is focussed on areas suffering economic challenges with tourism growth potential.
The RGF funding is matched with private sector funding at national and local levels to create a project of £41million over 3 years.
About Regional Growth Fund
The Regional Growth Fund is a £3.2 billion fund designed to help companies in England to grow. So far £2.6 billion of funding has been allocated to support projects and programmes committed to deliver sustainable jobs and economic growth. Round 5 will open on 11 October and close on 9 December. For more information, please go to www.bis.gov.uk/rgf