|
The Skye & Lochalsh Marketing Group evolved from a need recognised among
the business and tourism fraternity of the area to collectively promote the
image of the area as a quality, world-class destination. With funding from
LEADER+ , SALE and the Highland Council, and private investment from Caledonian
MacBrayne, the group now contracts a professional marketing adviser and a PR
agent, and employs two local people on a part time basis to undertake
administration.
Rod Stenson has run the visitor centre at Eilean Donan Castle since its
opening in 1998, and is a Director of the Marketing Group. He sees his role very
much as supporting the PR work done by the group. “I spend my entire day
networking, and am able to use this opportunities to promote not only the
castle, but the whole area of Skye & Lochalsh” says Rod. “It is so important
that we encourage businesses in the area to lose the negative, parochial image
of the area and use our imperfections and eccentricities as a selling
point.”
The production of a brand identity was one of the Group’s first and foremost
activities. When it came to choosing the successful applicant, the decision was
unanimous. Many of the designs were thought to be indifferent to the images used
in the past. “Hills and Eagles have been done” says Rod. “Red Cell’s ‘pebble’
design is both innovative and simple, it is touchy-feely – I mean everyone will
pick up a pebble from the beach.”
By purchasing a CD-rom for £25, each business is given the tools to
incorporate the ‘Skye the Island and Lochalsh’ brand into their products and
promotional material. Since its introduction, the brand has been ‘signed up’ to
by over 80 organisations to date.
But isn’t the brand image ‘biased’ in its design, giving more emphasis to
Skye rather than the entire area of Skye and Lochalsh? Rod insists that this is
now most definitely not the case, and that a whole new twist has come about.
“The pebble image has now become the ‘stepping stone,’ or ‘a stone’s throw’ from
Lochalsh to Skye.” The idea of associating Skye & Lochalsh with an image as
simple and clean as a pebble seems to be working.
The brand has been adopted and expanded on in other ways. Recently printed
‘pebble trails’ booklets giving information on locally available arts and crafts
has built on the ‘stepping stone’ scenario as a way of getting people to explore
Skye & Lochalsh in greater depth. A merchandising deal with a local firm has
almost been finalised, which will see a wide variety of merchandising, including
T-shirts, mugs and other gifts, carrying the now famous brand.
Despite the eagerness and motivation of members of the group, there is only
so much members can afford to put into the project on a voluntary basis.
Caroline Keith now has a contract to raise the profile of Skye & Lochalsh
among the media. Along with Rod, she has encouraged subscribers to come up with
interesting and wacky stories of the day to day business, and is using these as
a selling point to add an abstract quality to the area. Caroline was responsible
for the highly successful, high profile launch of the ‘Skye the Island and
Lochalsh’ brand in Aros, Portree in February 2003, an event which drew a great
deal of interest from the UK media, and culminated in coverage on television,
radio and in the national press. Caroline happily informs me that the launch
attracted the attention of around 3.5 million people, which represents the
equivalent of £28,000 worth of advertising. “On the morning of the launch, Aros
received a phone call from a Dutch business, wishing us every success. That just
shows the power of the press”.
Caroline intends to take full advantage of this power, by providing the right
information to the right sources at the right time. “Skye is already well
represented in the Media, as one of the main Scottish icons. What we are doing
is taking it one step further, positioning Skye & Lochalsh with a brand
image, to add value and identity to what is already there”.
“This sort of thing takes time” adds Caroline, “it doesn’t happen
overnight.”
Looking to the future, it is important that the good work already done by The
Marketing Group continues. The Group was set up with a considerable input of
public and private funding. So what will happen when the money runs out?
Calum MacPherson, Skye & Lochalsh Enterprise’s Head of Business
Development, explains. “The project was set up as an initial pilot, and in order
to attract money from LEADER+ it was essential that sustainability was
demonstrated. What the group is looking at is attracting long term sponsorship
from the larger businesses in the area. Already, CalMac, Diageo and the Skye
Bridge Company have pledged their support. In-kind contributions from smaller
businesses have provided prizes, and the group is looking to sell advertising
space on its website.”
Rod Stenson also believes that the Group must continue to explore the
viability and sustainability of the project. “If we can encourage individual
businesses to sponsor the Brand, it will prove the viability. In return,
sponsors will gain the power of direct marketing under the ‘Skye the Island and
Lochalsh’ umbrella. We must accept that we will only get out of it what we put
in.”
|
