Leeds Castle: Launching Luxury Lodges

Ahead of the opening of Leeds Castle’s four new luxury Lakeside Lodges in December 2023, Davies Tanner was briefed on a short-term project to develop a strategy and media relations plan to secure in depth coverage of the lodges in high end media.

Activity
The team created a highly targeted communications plan for the launch, established a media outreach programme to secure suitable press and influencer visits, and created news releases targeted at national travel desks, lifestyle publications and Kent newspapers, magazines and online media outlets.

Sustainability was at the heart of the lodges, both in terms of the design and production and this was a key angle when pitching to media. The first news release focused on the sustainable build of the lodges and the biodiversity and landscape strategy surrounding them. A post-launch release focused on the interior design and facilities in the lodges, with an emphasis on nature and biodiversity, including the design which allows guests to catch glimpses of blue tits, robins and goldcrests darting among the trees, and swans, ducks, and wildfowl in the water.

Competitions were pitched to media titles including BRITAIN, Discover Britain and Country and Town House to extend reach to new target audiences in the UK as well as overseas.

Results
Davies Tanner arranged an exclusive with The Times, which saw journalist Kathy Lette staying overnight in one of the lodges on launch day. Further media visits were arranged with The Sun, Women & Home Feel Good, Women’s Health, The Independent, British Travel Journal and Flying Scots Girl.

Coverage to date has a reach of 6.5 million in titles including iNews, Daily Mail, The Sun, Kent Live, Stylist, Great British Life and Kent Online.