Integrated PR campaign celebrates the return to swimming after six-month closure

THOUSANDS of youngsters began their anticipated return to swimming lessons across Scotland, after a six-month closure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

To celebrate the return, our team of Scottish PR experts worked closely with Scottish Swimming – who are partners with our client Scottish Water – to announce the restart of the national Learn to Swim Framework.

Some impressive highlights included:

• A broadcast feature on STV News at Six, shot live from Aberdeen Sports Village on the first day of lessons
• Regional coverage in the Press & Journal
• A local and regional rollout across the country, with 16 print features across local publications
• Social media buzz with a video planned and coordinated by Holyrood PR
• 4.4k video views across social media
• 24 pieces of coverage creating 161,112 opportunities to see
• More than 165,000 opportunities to see created across print, online and social combined

The news had to be big. After six months of closure and careful planning pools were given the green light to reopen from 31^st August, and one of the first to reopen was Aberdeen Sports Village.

To celebrate the news, we planned an integrated PR campaign covering print, social and digital. We coordinated a live STV sports feature (and interview with Learn to Swim ambassador Toni Shaw), and planned, coordinated and delivered a video for Scottish Water and Scottish Swimming’s website and social channels.

We also crafted a national press release, and coordinated a regional rollout of localised press releases, resulting in country-wide print and online coverage.

Our work involved travelling up to Aberdeen to coordinate the video and STV interviews on the ground, as well as working closely with a photographer to capture the excitement of the children’s first swimming lessons – resulting in an amazing package of photos the press loved.

Local coverage was key to spreading the news of swimming lessons returning to the right targets: parents and children across the country.

Celebrating these stories with an integrated campaign and engaging package of creative social and press content helps to raise awareness of Scottish Water’s key role with Scottish Swimming and Learn to Swim.

The original press release can be read here.

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