Renoir in Guernsey, 1883 - PR Coverage Roundup

VisitGuernsey identified Renoir, and specifically the exhibition, as our key PR opportunity for 2023 at the end of last year, and started making plans to capitalise on that, primarily through our visiting journalists programme. ‘Renoir in Guernsey, 1883’ is organised by Art for Guernsey in collaboration with Guernsey Museums and the Giverny Museum and we have been delighted with the coverage, to date, which has a PR value, just to the Renoir coverage, of £514,770 - the advertising value equivalent of £171,590. In addition, we arranged a number of Guernsey and London based events targeting art and culture specific journalists in the lead up to the opening of the exhibition.

Last week alone we featured in The Times, including three pages in The Sunday Times and The Guardian, both solus trips earlier last week that VG had arranged the travel, accommodation and itineraries for. Further to that, we hosted a group journalists’ trip last weekend, with coverage still to come.

Some stats, to date, below:

• Number of journalists across lifestyle, travel, art & culture who we have been engaging with and pitching to: 150+
• Total number of pieces of editorial coverage thus far (including Financial Times, The Guardian, Wanderlust and Good Housekeeping: 19
• Number of pieces of editorial interview coverage thus far (Forbes, BBeyond and The Art Newspaper): 3
• Total number of pieces of broadcast coverage thus far: 11 (Phase 1: 9 pieces - weekly reach: 3,110,500 and PR value £66,834) (Phase 2: 2 pieces).  More to follow in Phase 3 at half-term.
• Social coverage from the Renoir painting event: 19 pieces
• Number of journalists attending the exhibition so far (2x individual trips, 1x group trip): 5

In addition to the UK PR, we have also promoted the exhibition via our French PR:

• 6 x visiting journalists (including Ouest France, Le Telegramme, France 24, BFM Normandie)
• Advertising in St Malo, including securing a partnership with the tourist office
• Ongoing journalist engagement and solus additional consumer mailers to our French database

We understand the importance of giving visiting journalists a flawless on-island experience. Here are a few examples of how we’ve gone the extra mile:

• Sourcing texts from The Priaulx library on Renoir and having them ready for The Times journalist in her room at the OGH 
• Creating and hand delivering bespoke press bags for all visiting media showcasing local products including the newly launched Renoir Tea blend from The Renoir Tea Garden and Moulin Huet print from The Hamper Company
• Facilitating a reception for media hosted by Natalia at The Renoir Tea Garden, including bespoke canapes with local seafood
• Working with La Fregate to host a VIP media lunch in The Orangery showcasing local produce
• Sourcing a bespoke dining experience for The Times journalist to enjoy an off menu steak and ale pie, to mirror Renoir’s own dining experience

We have worked in collaboration with both Art for Guernsey and Guernsey Museums in the promotion of the exhibition which taps into VisitGuernsey’s key strategic aims:

• Maintaining a younger and more affluent audience (exhibition provides new and engaging product)
• Extending the duration of the average trip (giving visitors more to do when they are here by adding in supporting events – Le French Festival)
• Extending the season

To further support:

• VG has been working with trade to offer associated packages and deals, expanding the exhibition into more of an on island experience. We then promote via the VG website, social accounts and consumer mailers, with a Renoir specific mailer that went out last Saturday to coincide with the exhibition opening
• Promoted via our social feeds, including a walk around of the exhibition that went out on our feeds this weekend
• Stand out features on the VG site – Renoir features three times on the home page,  a bespoke section in the ‘I’d like to discover’, the lead image in the what’s on and the top highlighted blog post (Exploring Renoir in Guernsey | Visit Guernsey)
• To encourage visitors to extend their stay we organised Le French Festival, offering added value
• Double page spread in both the January and June 2023 brochure