Our coordinated announcement involved months of planning to ensure maximum interest from local and regional broadcast, online and print media, and vertical publications.
It also included working with a number of key stakeholders to ensure the right messages and people were involved and seen to endorse the plans.
Launch day for the unveiling of the plans at the National Stone Centre was preceded by many conversations with the region's press, as well as journalists in the museums, visitor attraction and mineral products media. These involved detailing the past, present and future of the Centre, to paint a picture and bring to life the opportunity presented by the new plans.
The result was that film crews and presenters from BBC East Midlands Today and ITV Central captured the story for broadcast on prime evening news bulletins, whilst the Derbyshire Times and Derby Telegraph ran the story online and in print.
We also set up a live interview with the President of the Institute of Quarrying (a partner in the National Stone Centre and the organisation behind the plans) on BBC Radio Derby's popular Breakfast Show, with the story running in hourly news bulletins throughout the day. BBC News Online also featured our news on its homepage headlines.
What’s more, minerals, quarrying, museum, and visitor media used our story.
The reinvigorated National Stone Centre will bring new visitors, as well as provide a focal point for engaging the public, schools and colleges in the science, history, present and future of the quarrying and mineral products industry.