I'm a freelance PR consultant with 21 years' experience promoting travel and leisure companies.

Having worked with some of the UK’s top specialist travel PR consultancies, for the past seven years I’ve loved working for a variety of select clients from my London base. I’ve directed PR campaigns across many travel sectors including hotels, tour operators, destinations and tourism boards, ferry and cruise operators, villa companies, holiday parks and restaurants with rooms.

And with many years in the industry, I’ve an impressive black book of media contacts. They span national newspapers, consumer, lifestyle and bridal titles as well as websites, freelancers and specialist bloggers. I like to work with my clients as though I’m part of their in-house team. This ensures I know the business well and can extract the relevant news hooks to develop a cost effective PR campaign which tells a story about the brand, achieves coverage and ultimately gets results.

Experience

Case studies

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Goodwood

Background
Inspired by the Goodwood Revival event, The Goodwood Hotel’s ‘Vintage Treasures’ break offers guests the chance to relive the heyday of vintage fashion – by getting dressed up and styled in the era of their choice.

Brief
Create a buzz about the new ‘Vintage Treasures’ hotel stay package. Encourage the product to be bought as a year-round overnight stay, as well as a day experience. Extend year-round exposure of the Goodwood Revival event.

Strategy
Intensive, but strategic media relations campaign to generate news coverage of the package.
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Individual press visits to generate quality coverage in a range of target media.
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Bridal magazine focus to encourage hen groups.
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Extend exposure by incorporating a Mothers’ Day and Valentine’s twist.

Results
20 + feature and news articles in the national media, consumer publications as well as bridal and local lifestyle press.
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Titles: Metro, The Guardian, Daily Express, Sunday Times Travel Magazine, Sainsbury’s Magazine, The Lady, Home and Antiques, Sussex Society Magazine, Sussex Life, Chichester Observer Etc Magazine, Wedding Ideas, You and Your Wedding, Sussex County Weddings, Asiana Bride.
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Twitter/blog feeds from the visiting journalists with follow up from @goodwood_estate; coverage on vintage blog sites.
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Increase in overnight Vintage Treasures packages.
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Sell-out Goodwood Revival event for 2014.

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Visit Chichester

Background
Under the strapline ‘city, coast, country’ Visit Chichester is a regional tourism body comprising a diverse membership of visitor attractions, accommodation providers, pubs and restaurants.

Brief
Working closely with the members, develop a media relations campaign to promote Visit Chichester as a holiday and short break destination bringing together its coastal, city and countryside appeal.

Strategy
Set up press office function and develop a plan of activity to establish Visit Chichester as a must visit destination.

Specific activities
Pitch engaging story ideas focussing on the city, coast and countryside themes; regular one-on-one briefings with journalists; set up targeted individual press visits; drip feed of news including events, festivals and hotel updates; forward feature targeting and late availability; on-going liaison with Visit Chichester members.

Results
Extensive coverage within key national, regional, consumer print and online outlets as well as BBC Antiques Roadshow.
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Successful individual press trip programme with positive coverage in target media.
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Reader events in conjunction with visitor attractions.
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Increase in membership numbers to Visit Chichester tourism body as well as visitors to the website and new Twitter followers.

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Balkan Holidays

Background
Balkan Holidays is a specialist independent tour operator offering summer and winter holidays to Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia and Romania.

Brief
Put Bulgaria on the map as a respectable winter sports destination, highlighting its appeal in terms of value for money, quality of accommodation and top class skiing resorts and facilities in both the trade and consumer media.

Strategy
Trade and consumer PR campaign to raise the profile of Balkan Holidays' UK-wide programme to the Bulgarian ski resorts.

Specific activities
Group press trip to Bansko comprising travel trade, specialist ski and travel writers staying at the 5* Kempinski Hotel; 25+ individual media visits.
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Regular late availability and news releases to national and regional media.
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Travel trade focus including profile-raising key management; targeting features,setting up photo-stories, competitions and familiarisation trips.
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Media meetings at Ski and Snowboard Show and WTM to showcase Bansko as host resort to the World Cup downhill championships.

Results
Over a two season period, more than 30 reviews in national, regional and consumer press and extensive online coverage on key ski websites including Ski Club of Great Britain.
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Increase in bookings to Bulgarian resorts.
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Regular inclusion in national press resort round ups.

Testimonials

Liz Bird
Freelance travel writer
The Times & Express
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Jo is an utter professional. She understands what journalists need, is quick to respond to requests and is extremely personable to deal with.

Judith Speller
Head of Marketing, Venues
The Goodwood Estate
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I have worked with Jo for over four years on a number of travel and lifestyle projects and have found her approach always well thought through and targetted at generating results. Jo responds rapidly to new stories created by the business as well as stimulating new story angles generating productive quality coverage and would recommend her wholeheartedly.

Matthew Beard
Transport Editor
London Evening Standard
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Jo has an excellent grasp of what draws the reader into the travel pages. She has assisted with my articles over several years – from family beach holidays to weekend breaks. She’s a pleasure to work with – speedy, efficient and skilled.