In 2011 Orchard was approached to devise a campaign to recruit new foster carers in the island. The Guernsey Foster Care team had set a target of 10 new families, but in 2011, were only receiving one or two enquiries per month.
Standard drinks do? Search me!
When G4S came to us for help organising an event they had booked a room at the OGH so the date, just weeks away, and the venue had already been decided.
The aim of the event was to herald the beginning of a new chapter in G4S history. Having recently acquired Guernsey Air Conditioning the company has reached an impressive size, more than 250 employees, and offers a range of services much wider than the air conditioning and airport security its component parts were best known for. Our job was to inject some personality and take the event from classic corporate to memorable meet-up.
A brainstorm at Orchard Towers yielded two bright ideas to set this event apart. First, there should be no long speeches but instead a short DVD which succinctly explained the vast range of services on offer. Second, a talking point would be created in the form of an airport security arch as an entrance to the event.
Working with ‘the one and only’
We took a call at Orchard Towers a couple of months ago about promoting a production of Joseph that was coming to Guernsey. I thought it sounded an interesting project, and something a bit different to our core client portfolio, but I had no idea that by working on it I’d end up being a tour guide for Chesney Hawkes…
How it happened (aka. The brief):
Orchard was approached by Milton Morrissey Productions (after having helped out with last year’s production of Buddy) and were given two months to get as many people as possible talking about their production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. The show was playing in Guernsey in September it was our job to get islanders to reach for their wallets and buy tickets to see it.
How we did it (aka. The experience):
We quickly set about formulating an action plan, contacting the local media and researching and compiling editorial opportunities.
The campaign was built around the fact that the West End cast was visiting the island for just a week and that the “One and Only”, Chesney Hawkes was taking the lead role, with “Loose Women” presenter Zoe Tyler also starring.
Three awards and five stars for the OGH in Guernsey
Earlier this year the Orchard team was involved in a marketing campaign for one of Guernsey’s best hotels, the Old Government House Hotel. Consultant Emma Anderson and account executive Catherine Le Prevost led the project.
The brief:
Orchard began working with the Old Government House Hotel & Spa in February 2011 following their record breaking win at the Guernsey Awards for Achievement. The OGH was the only business ever to scoop three awards, winning Guernsey Business of the Year, Best Large Business and the Excellence in Training Award.
Orchard PR was approached to maximise the impact of this achievement and to keep up the momentum generated by the awards with PR activity, events and greater profile in the Channel Islands’ media targeting corporate bookers, business customers and holiday makers.
The hotel was also keen to promote their services to islanders with The Governor’s Restaurant and Brasserie a particular focus.
Welcoming Waitrose to the Channel Islands
‘Every pr should spend time working in the press office of a supermarket’, Ed Watson ex-Asda PR, now at Debenhams (as quoted in Corpcomms magazine)
The brief: We began working with Waitrose last summer following their successful purchase of five shops in the Channel Islands. Waitrose displayed a refreshing and honest approach to their knowledge of the Channel Islands; they had undertaken extensive research before purchasing their shops but knew that the Channel Islands could not be treated as another region of England. They understood that to have a successful communications campaign they needed to engage the people that lived and worked in the islands. That is where Orchard came in…
We were taken on to perform a local press office function for the supermarket and to be the company’s eyes and ears in the islands in the lead up to the new branch openings.
Orchard PR was also tasked with the management of two stakeholder events; both to take place the night before the first branch opened in each island. The events were to mark the company’s arrival in the islands, and to celebrate the culmination of all the hard work undertaken to get the branches open. We wanted to get the great and good of the islands to come to the events to meet the movers and shakers of Waitrose.
Guernsey Funds Forum rated a success
Brief
Guernsey Finance regularly hosts industry events in London to promote the island as a finance centre. The delegates are drawn from the City, bringing high level expertise, and high expectations, to proceedings.
Orchard Events was asked to manage the entire organisation and logistics for the Guernsey Funds Forum, the latest in this series of events, at the Grange St Paul’s Hotel in London. This included services such as venue liaison, delegate bookings, catering, speaker briefings, co-ordination of the exhibition, sales of sponsorship packages and liaison with sponsors.