Campaign title: Heroica Ride

Overview:

Working with Ashgate Hospice – a client of MK PR – the team were tasked with some last-minute promotion for a fundraising initiative for the Chesterfield-based hospice.

The ‘Heroica Hospice Ride’ was a cycling sportive taking place in July 2016. When online registrations had closed, the hospice wanted to encourage more cyclists to come down on the day to sign up.

Objectives

• Increase awareness of the event.
• Drive the number of cyclists taking part.
• Increase funds raised as part of the initiative.
• Raise awareness of the Hospice and the work that it does across the region.
• Drive footfall to the event itself.

Strategy

• Liaising directly with key media to make them aware of the event.
• Engaging with what’s on guides, bloggers and forums.
• Engaging with popular cycling communities and well-known cyclists societies to drive social media engagement.

Results

We received an extra piece of feature coverage on the main news website for Chesterfield, who had already covered the event as a ‘What’s On’ listing. The same website sent several tweets encouraging last minute sign ups.

The event was also featured in several new local events guides, such as Made in Derbyshire, Welcome to Chesterfield, and Skiddle, where it received over 1,000 views on the first day.

Cycle Sheffield sent messages out promoting the sportive on its social media channels. The ‘Love To Ride’ Peak District initiative made an announcement for the event on all three of its sites and on social media. Users of its all were also met with the following message upon opening its mobile app:

The result was a successful turnout of over 100 cyclists on the day and over £6,500 raised to support the hospice. Post-event coverage was also received in the Derbyshire Times, the largest newspaper in the hospice’s catchment area.