Case Study: Hurtigruten
HURTIGRUTEN HOME INSTEAD SENIOR CARE ALOHA HOLIDAYS JJ YOUNG & SONS
COOKS ACADEMY ADVANCED RADIOLOGY CENTRE BERMUDA TOURISM BELLAGIO RESTAURANT
Testimonial:
"Project PR helped Hurtigruten make a strong impact in terms of awareness and sales with the public and the media when we first launched in the Irish market. We continued to work together over the next two years. We were impressed with Project PR's level of professionalism, genuine interest and involvement with Hurtigruten as well as their achievements on our behalf. We are happy to recommend Project PR to others considering promotion in Ireland." Kathryn Beadle, Sales & Marketing Director, Hurtigruten Ltd, London
The Challenge
Launch the Hurtigruten coastal voyage company in the Irish market and establish it as a leading provider of Antarctic voyages.
The Results
The difficult looking and weird-sounding name actually worked to great advantage as once people had seen it, even if they couldn't pronounce it, they remembered the company and knew to ask about it!
Project PR started by inviting the leading travel media to visit Hurtigruten's newest ship, the MS Fram, when she visited Ireland on her maiden relocation voyage to her first season in Antarctica. A group of influential journalists made a day trip to Cork to explore the custom-built vessel. Members of the public were also invited to come aboard and Project PR secured local publicity in print and on radio to generate attendance.
To increase relevance for the Irish market, Project PR arranged for Irishman, Jonathan Shackleton - a descendant of the polar explorer, Ernest Shackleton, and Antarctic expert in his own right - to join the group and make a presentation about visiting the White Continent. This event resulted in national radio and newspaper coverage.
High profile opportunities to get the company in-front of potential travellers were taken. These included sponsoring and exhibiting at the Over 50s Show, arranging a competition on The Mooney Show on RTE Radio 1 to win a trip for two to Antarctica, participation at Holiday World, etc.
A press trip to Antarctica was arranged for two leading journalists which resulted in national radio coverage live from Antarctica on the Today with Pat Kenny programme and on Raidió na Gaeltachta. On return further national coverage was achieved in The Irish Times, Travel Extra and other print outlets as well as RTE Radio 1 and the RTE website, which continues to be seen online.
At the end of the first season there had been a notable increase in the number of Irish passengers booking Hurtigruten's Antarctic voyages. In part as a result of this success, Hurtigruten made the decision to extend its focus on the Irish market and promoted its Norwegian and Arctic programme in Ireland with Project PR.