Summary:
We were brought in to support the first ever Great British Entrepreneur Awards. The aim was to create a prestigious profile for the Awards that would make them attractive to future sponsors and establish them with entrepreneurs. The resulting PR campaign achieved 129 pieces of coverage with an audience reach of 19 million.
The Brief:
The first ever Great British Entrepreneur Awards were held in November 2013. We were brought in just seven weeks before the Awards ceremony with a brief to create a prestigious profile for the Awards that would make them attractive to future sponsors and establish them with entrepreneurs.
The Idea:
We reviewed all shortlisted entrants and identified the most newsworthy, using them to create compelling stories for the media. At both the Shortlist Event and Awards Ceremony, we ensured that compelling images were taken to extend the news value of the Awards. A hard-working media relations effort ensured winning and shortlisted entry stories were targeted to relevant media.
The Impact:
The Awards ceremony was a sell out with 470 guests and numerous national journalists in attendance. Coverage included Metro, The Times, Daily Telegraph and Huffington Post, firmly establishing the Awards as a key event in the Awards calendar. Such was the status of the Awards that well-known entrepreneurs even tweeted complaining they hadn’t been invited! In total there were 129 pieces of coverage with an audience of 19 million.
“Onyx quickly understood our brief and were immediately engaged and pro-active. They were enthusiastic promoters of the event and, perhaps as importantly, were reassuring and attentive to our shortlisted entrepreneurs, some of whom had little experience in dealing with the media.” Simon Burton, Founder of the Great British Entrepreneur Awards