Marketing and Communications
One of the key aims of Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Ltd is to make Hadrian’s Wall and the corridor a world-class destination – a must-see, must-do place to visit on both domestic and international agendas. This involves changing perceptions of the area and encouraging first time and repeat visitors to take longer holidays, short breaks and day visits here.
In order to do this, HWHL aims to increase visitor numbers, length of stay and spend to improve the economic potential of the corridor. The target increase, 5-8% per annum for the next five to ten years, is ambitious but achievable if the required level of marketing funding is consistently injected into the visitor economy alongside capital and product development over the next few years.
The marketing activities of the last year have been dedicated to building brand awareness and creating a successful visitor economy and so far the results have been extremely encouraging. There has been extensive coverage in the national papers over the past few months, encouraging readers to visit the Wall and surrounding area. Partnering with Enjoy England we have inserted our Essential Map into the Sunday Telegraph and generated a 16 page supplement in The Times which has caused a flurry of visitor interest in Hadrian’s Wall Country.
One of the biggest opportunities to promote Hadrian’s Wall Country comes from ‘Hadrian: Empire and Conflict’; an exhibition at the British Museum which explores the life and times of the man who ruled the Roman Empire when it was at its height. The summer campaign – which sees huge Hadrian’s Wall Country posters displayed throughout the London Tube network – is now in full swing, timed to coincide with the launch of the exhibition and encourage visitors of the exhibition to come and see the biggest exhibit of all here in the north of England. There will also be further coverage in the national papers and the Evening Standard in partnership with Enjoy England, National Express and Marriott Hotels following the summer campaign on the London Tube network.
Other key marketing activities have been diverse and far-reaching; publications including ‘Your Essential Map’, the Where to Stay guide and the Great Days Out timetable have been printed and more recently the re-designed website has been launched. All aim to inspire potential visitors and assist the visitor before and during their visit.
