Gloucester Hat Festival

Background

apt marketing & pr was engaged by Gloucester Hat Festival to promote the first city festival of its kind. The festival was a wonderful collaboration of diversity to celebrate the creative arts and intricate craft of milinery. Located through out the city, the events suited all ages and interests and included Mad Hatter Tea Parties, exhibitions, music competitions, workshops, parade and Black and White Hat Masquerade Ball.

Objectives

To create Festival branding and marketing and pr communications that demonstrate the inclusive ethos of the Festival, drive website enquiries, event attendance, generate community support and raise individual event sponsorship. It was important to get awareness levels as high as possible during the Festival’s launch year, to ensure its ongoing support and longeivity.

Actions 

The first task was to create a Festival brand, develop a logo, build the brand hat icons, tone of voice and core messaging. Once agreed, the website was developed and soon became the main information hub with downloadable festival brochure and social media feeds. PR communications to local and national press and trade titles supported the awareness campaign with radio interviews on the event launch day rounding up the festival support.  

As well as co-ordinating the communications activity, apt marketing & pr created a sponsorship pack to raise awareness of the sponsorship packages amongst the local business community and helped bring in sponsors for individual Festival events. 

Results  

The festival was deemed a success, created a vibrant buzz amongst the city and garnered community and business support.