Case Studies
CIPR West of England PRide Awards 2007 - Gold Award
Category: 10. Best use of Media Relations
Name of Entry: Russian Maps
Organisation entering: Trimedia
Trimedia Harrison Cowley was appointed in January 2005 by Landmark Information Group, which provides digital mapping and environmental risk products and services to the property industry and purchasers, including homebuyers, surveyors, architects, developers, lawyers, consultants and government.
Core to its business is the 'Legend' database – the largest of its type in Europe, holding 400m mapping and historical features from 150 sources. The integration of all this data enables Landmark to produce the most detailed mapping and environmental risk reports for any property or plot of land in the UK.
A recent set of maps acquired by Landmark included maps of the UK which were produced by Russia since 1950.
Campaign brief:Create and deliver a media relations campaign around the Russian maps to reinforce Landmark's reputation as the authority on digital mapping and environmental risk data.
Planning:
Initially perceived as unremarkable, background research revealed that the maps were created by Russian military intelligence in order to ascertain how key cities and strategic points could be overcome during a time of war. Each map was originally hand drawn and included both military and non-military information, such as the location of UK military sites, power stations etc – even the widths of roads and bridges to ascertain which routes a tank could take!
This discovery led us to develop a 'Spy' theme to the campaign to bring a potentially dry subject to life and grab the media's attention. We sourced a Russian mapping expert, John Davies, to add credibility to the campaign and be available for quotes and interviews.
We decided to 'launch' the maps to the public – making a selection of maps available on the Landmark website for download – to generate national coverage and help reinforce Landmark's reputation with their customers. With maps available for many major cities, we also planned a regional media relations campaign to be run in parallel with the national campaign. These public-facing campaigns would be supported with a trade campaign emphasising Landmark's key services and a spy-themed launch event for clients and key media.
Implementation:
Spy tease:
To kick off the media activity we compiled a list of priority national journalists to target with a teaser campaign – sending them branded dictaphones with a post-it note attached saying 'play me'. The message, read in a man's Russian accent, said:
Comrade
Listen very closely to what I am about to say.
I have in my possession top secret Russian Maps of the UK that must be revealed.
These maps, drawn up by Russian military and KGB spies, have been concealed from the public since the cold war and reveal environmental features of utmost importance.
Should these maps get into the wrong hands, the hidden environmental risks may never be known.
A drop will be made to you with further details of your mission.
Be vigilant. The country needs to know.
This message will NOT self-destruct in 5 seconds.
The 'drop' took place several days later with journalists receiving an invite to the launch event. The invite included individual codenames for each journalist that could only be read under UV light.
The journalists also received a spy kit that consisted of an invisible ink pen, UV light and an 'ear spy' – a device that allows you to hear conversations across the room. This was all sent with a covering note:
Confidential – your country needs you:
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to witness the MI6 interrogation of a captured KGB operative, in an attempt to reveal the whereabouts of top secret Russian maps of the UK (concealed from the public since the COLD WAR).
Should these maps get into the wrong hands, the hidden environmental risks may never be known.
The country needs to know.
We followed up the teaser with a phone call to ask if they 'accepted their mission' and would like to attend the launch.
Launch:
On 21 February 2007, the launch event took place at Absolut Ice Bar in London – continuing the Russian theme. Professional actors were booked for the event to put on a role play of an MI6 agent interrogating a Russian spy until he revealed that the maps had been acquired by Landmark Information Group. One-to-one interviews with Richard Pawlyn, MD of Landmark's Property and Environment division were conducted at the event, followed by drinks in the Ice Bar.
The following day, tailored press releases were sold in to national, trade and regional media with a selection of the Russian maps, including London and, where relevant, the particular city being targeted. Interviews were also set up with John Davies and Richard Pawlyn.
Evaluation & Measurement:
The campaign generated over 100 pieces of coverage across national and regional TV, radio and press and even created a buzz in New York and Sydney.
National and international highlights:
- The Times
- Daily Telegraph
- The Sun
- Radio 4 'Today' programme
- Russian TV
- Sydney Morning Herald
- New York Sun
- CNN online
Extensive regional TV and radio included:
- ITV News Central
- BBC TV Oxford
- BBC TV Manchester
- BBC Points West
- BBC Radio Leeds (28 February)
- BBC Radio Swindon (27 February)
- BBC Radio Lancashire (26 February 2007)
- Heart FM, Birmingham (23 February)
- BBC Radio Merseyside (22 February)
- BBC WM Birmingham (22 February)
- BBC Radio Sheffield (1 March)
There were also over 50 pieces of regional newspaper coverage, an overwhelming number of which ran the story as a whole page or double page spreads, plus 30 pieces of trade and online coverage.
The longevity of the story has also been remarkable. We were receiving calls regularly each week even three months after the launch. Coverage is also still trickling through – in June just last month we still had cuttings coming through!