sport pr case study

raising the profile of the premier women’s regatta

Henley Women’s Regatta attracts over 1700 athletes each year including international entries from the US, Canada, Australia and several European countries.  Despite this, it runs just two weeks before Henley Royal Regatta and, as such, is often overshadowed.

We came in at a week’s notice before the 2009 regatta to build reputation, maximise publicity and pull in as many spectators as possible from the surrounding Oxfordshire and Berkshire area.  We were able to generate interest in this, the ‘other’ Henley, from identifying a number of stories: it was the event’s 21st anniversary; former Olympic rower and world champion Sarah Winckless was coming out of recent retirement to race and raise money for charity; Sarah was on course to meet former Olympic crewmate and world champion Debbie Flood in the final of their event; and the British under-23 squad were in the event and up against some tough opposition.

The human interest and sporting angles secured extensive coverage in The Henley Standard, with several radio interviews on BBC Radios Oxford and Berkshire, and Oxford station Jack FM, with associated online coverage.  Meridian TV also ran a four-minute preview of the event including interviews with several athletes on the early evening news.

The website was kept updated with news as it broke; results were ‘Twittered’ live over the weekend and journalists received final results within a couple of hours of the event finishing.