Not for profit/community: Edinburgh Mela
Edinburgh Mela
Background
Pagoda PR has worked with the Edinburgh Mela since 2004, managing media relations for Scotland's largest multi-cultural festival.
The objective in 2010 was to raise awareness of the Mela’s new permanent home at Leith Links and position the festival as a platform for collaborative performances with individuals from all over the world, with the Government-funded premiere of CARGO as the programme highlight. As in previous years, Pagoda PR was also tasked with driving footfall to the festival, helping to maximise advance ticket sales.
We won silver at CIPR PRide Awards for our work on the Edinburgh Mela 2010.
What we did:
• Managed all media liaison from the programme launch in June through to the festival in August
• Managed and mediated a media partnership between Edinburgh Mela and B4U Music, including managing a broadcast advertisement on B4U Sky channel 781
• Liaised with the Scottish Government, The City of Edinburgh Council, Festivals Edinburgh and other partners to coordinate announcements
• Worked directly with The Scottish International Storytelling Festival and The Edinburgh International Jazz and Blues Festival
• Secured coverage in print, broadcast and online media including international picture and news agencies and publications such as Reuters, Universal Sport, BBC Scotland, STV, The Independent, Guardian Edinburgh
• Secured interviews for Mela Director Liam Sinclair, including on BBC Radio Scotland’s Fred MacAulay Show
• Distributed listings, programme details, briefings on key acts etc to international, local and specialist media, including ethnic and entertainment, arts/culture, relevant online news and specialist websites, as well as mainstream print and broadcast
• Managed the Mela’s position on contentious issues, such as funding cuts
• Ran an on-site media office during the 3-day festival itself, managing all artist/media liaison and photocalls
What we achieved for the client:
• The 2010 Mela was an unqualified success with a media profile that saw it featured well beyond the Scottish media
• 1,006,381 ‘opportunities to see’ (OTS) in print coverage
• 32 articles were published in print media with a PR value of £361,647
• Over 70 pieces of online coverage and 16 broadcast items
Mela Festival Director, Liam Sinclair said:
“Pagoda’s strong, proactive approach in managing relations across Scottish, UK and international media has proved a success yet again. Their dedication and commitment over the past six years has helped the Mela build its profile and create lasting relationships among relevant stakeholders. Pagoda is keen to see the Mela succeed and approaches their work for us with passion and creativity.”
