So, need a few ideas and examples to start the ball rolling? Here you go.

Festival of the Sea Toolkit Examples

We’ll use our Festival of the Sea thematic campaign as an example. This campaign is intended to attract new visits in June and early July. The period includes the Shipwreck Isle Pirate Festival and the Round the Island Yacht Race.

This campaign will aim to shine the spotlight on a wide variety of experiences, products and services that tourists can enjoy on a visit at a particular tricky time of year, after Isle of Wight Festival, but before the main school holidays begin. .Your aim should be to work out how your own product could feature in the Festival of the Sea story we tell.

For example, a small restaurant may focus on local fish dishes during the festival period, an art gallery might showcase coastal art, a theme park may run a pirate weekend, an inn may have shanty singers at the bar. We recognise that these are the sort of things that happen on the island all the time, but our thematic campaigns allow us a focused period to shout about it to the rest of the world.

Perhaps your accommodation has great sea views, or is close to a maritime attraction or popular beach? Can you put together a special offer or package for people to visit during the promotional period (in this case June – early July)? Could you put on special maritime themed walks? What about creating a heritage trail, or just being famous for being a great smuggling inn or harbour cafe?

Can everyone feature? Yes of course. A go-karting track might run “dress as a pirate week (and receive 50% bonus circuit time), a garden centre might showcase coastal plants, a gallery may showcase driftwood sculpture, a local poet may tell rhyming couplets in the village inn…

Don’t panic, we’ll be able to find a great way to feature you in these campaigns. As a WIGHT BID levy payer or voluntary contributor you’ve got opportunities to appear in over £350,000 of Wight BID funded campaigns this year, so take a look at the campaign list now, don’t hold back, get in touch and let’s put our Island on the map.

Still not sure how you can fit in? Ring or email Sue Emmerson or Abi Fox at Visit Isle of Wight HQ to discuss ideas. You can find all our contact details by clicking here

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You may also be interested in:

Campaigns Timetable for 2017
Toolkits explained
Marketing Plan Overview 2017
What campaign toolkits are we working on at the moment
Contact details for Visit Isle of Wight
Forthcoming Industry Events