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Sports Sector
University of Surrey - The Allan Wells Sports Lecture
March, 2007
The University of Surrey is currently launching a campaign to build a £33 million-pound sports development at its Guildford site. The launch event of this appeal was to be a high profile lecture at the University, the first event of its kind by the University. CBC was brought in to promote the event with the brief of creating and implementing a local PR and advertising campaign with the primary aim of selling all the 400 tickets for the lecture, and the secondary aim of beginning to raise the profile of the Surrey Centre for Sport by using the brand image of Allan Wells. Allan Wells won the 100m sprint at the Moscow Olympics of 1980, and remains the only Briton to win two individual sprint medals at the same Olympics. The inaugural lecture was given by the five-times Olympiad rower, Sir Steve Redgrave.
CBC fulfilled and exceeded the aims of the project by arranging a media interview and photo shoot of Allan. This is the first local interview that Allan Wells has given in a quarter of a century at Surrey University. This resulted in a three-quarter page profile of Allan Wells and the lecture in the Surrey Advertiser. CBC followed up this coverage by placing a Reader Offer competition in the "What's On" section of the Surrey Advertiser, where the winners attended the lecture and had their photographs taken with Allan Wells and Sir Steve Redgrave. CBC also secured a prime-time interview slot for Allan Wells on Eagle Radio. Subsequent to the major coverage in the Surrey Advertiser, the ticket sales for the event rocketed and sold out within three days of the article appearing. CBC also obtained media coverage for the corporate sponsor of the event.
CBC had advised the University to hold-off from the planned advertising campaign until the results of the publicity were known, and by advising this it was possible to save this anticipated budget as the tickets had already sold. CBC also secured corporate sponsorship in the form of advertising for the event programme.
The major media results of the campaign were:
Surrey Advertiser -- Profile of Allan Wells and promotion of the lecture
Surrey Advertiser -- Reader Competition (with front page photo)
Eagle Radio - Interview with Allan Wells and follow-up piece from event
The Guildford Times - Front page story with photo caption
Comments from Fiona Blair, Event organiser at the University of Surrey:
"Chaz, I like this idea and this it would be a worthwhile move - in placing the competition could we also add info about how to buy tickets? Fiona"
"Had another good chat with Allan this morning - he is pleased with the way things are going re. the press side."
"Just showed Greg - he REALLY liked the Allan piece!!"
"Fingers crossed and thanks again. I've really appreciated having an all knowing brain to pick!"
"It was great - thanks so much - I missed the post interview plug as a visitor arrived in our office (how dare they)! But all good otherwise - I thought Allan came across really well."
"Thanks for everything! Although I did not listen myself, just in the space of walking from my car to my office 4 people had commented that they'd just heard my name mentioned on the radio!!"
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