The Assignment:
In 2018, RMCC was entrusted with the task of collaborating with Whitehead Railway Museum (WRM), a renowned tourist destination and haven for railway enthusiasts.
RMCC was tasked with several objectives, including generating buzz around the Lottery Heritage Funded Museum, boosting the visibility of WRM and its offerings for both train aficionados and families, positioning WRM as a must-visit destination in Northern Ireland, fostering social media growth by managing and curating content while increasing followers and engagement, and providing ongoing PR support.
These objectives aimed to drive foot traffic, increase revenue, enhance awareness among locals and tourists, and position WRM as an attractive visitor destination, appealing beyond just train enthusiasts. Originally scheduled from May to August 2018, RMCC’s impactful contributions and rapid achievements within budget led to an extension of the contract for an additional 14 months. Given WRM’s charitable status and limited budget, our strategies needed to yield maximum return on investment while leveraging the museum’s volunteer workforce.
The Strategy:
We adopted a creative approach to engage a diverse audience, epitomised by our campaign theme #ChooChooseWhitehead, designed to ignite imagination across all age groups and accentuate the museum’s unique selling points.
RMCC collaborated closely with WRM to conceive and orchestrate distinctive events such as Steam ‘n’ Tea, offering guests an immersive dining experience aboard a vintage steam train, and commemorating the 100th birthday of the restored Guinness Steam engine, alongside facilitating school trips. Additionally, we facilitated introductions between WRM and key tourism entities, identifying strategic partnerships for the museum’s growth trajectory. Our involvement extended to delivering presentations to these partners and providing creative support for advertising, promotional materials, and internal/external branding.
The Results:
The collaboration between RMCC and WRM yielded significant outcomes, including coverage in 110 media pieces across print, online, and broadcast platforms. Visitor numbers surged by 50% from 2017 to 2018, accompanied by a remarkable 48% growth in Facebook followers. The introduction of the Afternoon ‘Steam n Tea’ event saw sell-out success since its inception in September 2018, underscoring its popularity. Moreover, WRM achieved NI Museums Council Accredited status, underscoring its growing stature in the museum landscape.