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Campaign
Content
Events
Media relations
PR strategy
Charity
Community & Activity Village
Unhooked Communications supported the launch of the YMCA Community & Activity Village in Newark with a PR strategy and community engagement.
YMCA Newark & Sherwood
The brief
YMCA Newark & Sherwood was planning the launch of its landmark new Community & Activity Village, with a huge investment into the brand new facility. As well as a business zone, cafe and nursery, the village included a vast new gym, climbing centre and football pitches.
YMCA Newark & Sherwood wanted to raise awareness of the YMCA Village within the local community and position the facility as a fantastic new asset for the area, shining a light on the positive impact the charity has on the region, as well as managing any negative news. When completed, the aim was to drive memberships to the new gym, use of the events space and business zone and enquiries for the purpose-built nursery.
YMCA Newark & Sherwood
Our solution
During the months leading up to the launch, we planned a sustained PR campaign to release positive news at each stage of the construction of the Village, helping to build interest in the site and communicate the positive impact it would have on the region. This included:
- Press releases at each key milestone
- Media relations and inviting key contacts for hard-hat tours of the site
- Positive news stories about the number of jobs being created and investment made
- People news
- Community engagement
- Press releases, media briefings and thought leadership features
To soft-launch the Village at its first phase of completion, we worked with the events and marketing team to host a family fun day which was attended by regional media. Our activity included:
- Securing regional media attendance at the fun day, including BBC TV and local radio
- Briefing a photographer to attend and capture content from the day
- Press releases before, during and after the fun day to communicate its success
- Crisis management and preparations for any protests or negative news
- Media tours of the first phase of the Village
After its completion, we continued to publish positive news stories about the Village and invited local media and members of the community to the facility. Our activity included:
- Press releases to communicate each milestone and next phase of the Village
- Special offers and promotions to drive membership at the gym
- Business-focussed news releases to raise awareness of the business zone and events space
- Championing the team working at the Village and key spokespeople for the charity
- Support with fundraising activities and events
Gallery
YMCA Newark & Sherwood
The results
Our PR campaign results from seven months of activity included media coverage in regional and national media, including the Metro and BBC Midlands Today.
Testimonials
What our client said
“Unhooked played an instrumental role in driving positive news stories around the launch of the YMCA Community & Activity Village. Their team integrated into our ongoing efforts, quickly grasping the challenges we faced and contributing to amplifying the Village’s positive impact through strategic PR. They were great to work with, brought tremendous value to our PR approach and were an absolute pleasure throughout.”
Caroline Cartwright
YMCA Newark & Sherwood
“Unhooked played an instrumental role in driving positive news stories around the launch of the YMCA Community & Activity Village. Their team integrated into our ongoing efforts, quickly grasping the challenges we faced and contributing to amplifying the Village’s positive impact through strategic PR. They were great to work with, brought tremendous value to our PR approach and were an absolute pleasure throughout.”
Caroline Cartwright
YMCA Newark & Sherwood
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