On a sunny Monday morning in October, PRG staff eagerly awaited the appearance of ex-EastEnders and Gavin and Stacey star, Larry Lamb, and his son, television presenter George Lamb, to open a press event for AGE Concern Eastbourne’s 65th birthday.
The charity enlisted PRG’s help to raise its local profile and increase footfall to its day centre, and we recommended a celebrity press event to generate a buzz amongst local residents and the media.
PRG has over 30 years’ experience in press event management, so we know the components of a successful media event. Booking a celebrity or other known public figures increases the chance of the media attending your event, and will lend an air of authority to the announcement or message. Non-profit organisations often enlist the support of celebrity figures for their cause, while businesses seek the support of celebrities to endorse products.
Using our journalistic investigation skills, we discovered Larry Lamb’s mum and step-father, George Lamb’s grandparents, are regular visitors of the charity’s day centre. Jackpot! We’d found our celebrity, plus a personal interest story, which would be an additional hook for the media.
Following discussions with Larry Lamb, he was more than happy to support the charity and agreed to attend the event for free, with his son George.
We also negotiated with a local cake baker, who agreed to donate a 100-tall cupcake birthday display, and secured a swing band at a minimum fee for the day’s entertainment.
The PR launch was a huge success. AGE Concern Eastbourne’s day centre was filled to capacity with guests, including journalists from the local press and regional television. George and Larry Lamb were a delight to work with and gave interviews and posed for photos for the media.
PRG continued the excitement by organising a week of birthday events that followed the party, including an arts and crafts day, movie screening of ’40s and ’50s films, and a gardening presentation.
All of the launch week activities were delivered for £5,000. This included organising and managing the party and birthday week, generating pre and post-event media coverage, designing and printing supporting marketing collateral including posters and adverts, and coordinating a direct mail campaign by designing and sending leaflets to targeted neighbourhoods.
The media event secured coverage in local newspapers, on the local radio station and on regional television news, and editorial in a number of regional lifestyle magazines. It also strengthened media relations, which should allow publicity to be more attainable for future PR campaigns.
