Tag: tourism

Guest blog posts for Chester Growth Partnership

Chester has some real characters — try Calum [pictured above at cigar shop Turmeaus].

I’ve been helping to uncover some of them recently with a series of guest blog posts for the Chester Growth Partnership.

It’s a copywriting job with plenty of journalistic research and a touch of personal blog-post-style experience.

Over autumn I’ve interviewed some key figures from the Chester foodie scene, experts in property and uncovered offbeat ideas for Christmas shopping on a tour of the Rows.

It’s been great, in particular, to celebrate the independent shops and small business that make the city special.

The content is hosted on the blog but also shared through the Marketing Cheshire social channels — look out for my stories on Facebook and LinkedIn.

The full set of guests posts is as follows. Look out for more in the new year.

Eat, drink and be merry: Chester’s foodie revolution

Could the future of Chester be more Blade Runner than black and white

Medieval cellars, an adult creche and German sausages — that’s how to celebrate Christmas in Chester

Copywriting: Your British Journey campaign for Marketing Manchester and Visit Wales

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Manchester and North Wales are two places where I always enjoy spending time.

So, when I was asked recently to do some copywriting work for a tourism project around the theme of ‘Two destinations. One British journey’ (catchy, if I do say so myself), then I was delighted to get involved.

This campaign was aimed at American visitors to the UK, so it was all ‘vacations’ not ‘holidays’.

The brief was to write copy to entice visitors this spring to explore both the essential and less-well-known sites, combining the two locations in a week-long itinerary.

The resulting microsite went live this week and you can read read my copy at Your British Journey. The work will also appear via American Airlines.

Emma Gordon, Marketing Manager at Marketing Manchester, who commissioned the work from me in collaboration with the Visit Wales office in New York, said of my contribution to the project:

“It was great to work with David. He listened to our needs, developed a perfect strapline and delivered inspiring copy for our marketing campaign.”

Do you have a copywriting project and need a professional writer with an eye for a story? Please get in touch. 

Tourism Northwest – a follow up

Blimey. Hit the North must have touched a nerve somewhere with Monday’s post, a wake-up call to readers after my extended hiatus.

Judging by the flurry of phone calls, emails and Twitter messages I fielded on Monday morning, this blog is not about to be consigned to the recycling bin of history anytime soon.

Thanks to everyone who did get in touch. We’re all busy and I appreciate your efforts. But what have we learnt from this – apart from some people are rather touchy about their brand yet reluctant to post a view-by-all comment on the blog?

No much so far. I’m still looking for inspiration from across the region, although an autumn visit to Lancashire is looking increasingly likely. It’s early days but I suspect this idea will turn out to be a good story.

Does anyone remember them?

Personally, I’m not bursting to read yet another top ten round up of catch-all lazy journalism, nor swooning over another nicey-nicey review of a free cream tea the writer scoffed on the way to their spa treatment.

I like reading real stories. Or is that just me?

I still think the best travel stories are not about places but the people who live in them. But they also need a bit of proper journalism, human interaction, research, a timely hook etc.

It’s easy to appear belligerent but I’m trying to be practical. So I’m planning to post some examples of recent assignments I think made good stories over the next few weeks.

Then I’ll shut up.

Waiting for the ferry at Rampside

First stop: Piel Island, Cumbria.

Get those comments ready.