As if to illustrate the problem we sometimes have with awareness of Manchester's long-haul offering...
Excellent observation by Roverman off another forum refeerring to some Hainan marketing, hopefully NOW addressed.
Here here to getting the message out there. MPs, business leader writers take note.
But whose fault is this, should there be a wee bit more table thumping from Olympic House ?
Should we take a lead from Scotland ?
PR up here is sometimes as quiet as a church mouse. I do understand that you don't want banner headlines that attact the tree hugging nutters BUT their are surely subtle ways to "up the anti" in a sophisticated manner that draws in all interested parties.
On a theme Manchester City this week annouced their tours would now be carried in Mandarin in order to attract the Chinese market its precisley what The Trafford Centre, Cheshire Oaks, Manchester United , Chatworth House , Lake District/Yorkshire hotspots and the NWales Castles and the Victorian seaside resorts of Southport and LLandudno need to be doing. As well of course as Hoteliers, Coach operators etc.
It actually made TheDailyMail Online best bit of "national" publicity for months.
The London market is already geared up for mass marketing it need not do anything as all the key components are in place. Manchester nay The North has to try 10 times harder. Is there a level of naivety in our area which needs to be addressed ?
By way of example does the Marketing Manager of Chatsworth know about Hainan/ AirChina and the opportunity presented , maybe they do, what about the others. Do hoteliers in N Wales have any idea that the Chinese absolutely love our Victorian seaside resorts.
Do they get invited to Manchester Airport to understand the offer ?
I just get the impression and hope I am wrong that everybody is looking over their shoulder waiting or assuming something will happen ?
Our tourist hotspots need to be selling themselves to the Chinese tourist trade but all the other constituent elements starting with signage at Manchester Airport , Mandarin Hosts, coach transfers, hotels etc etc all need to be in place.
I feel it needs one agency to drive a cohesive strategy that really capitalises on this opportunity but who is that ?
Marketing Manchester is very "upbeat", they did an excellent job with the Etihad promoting the Chinese connections but they tend to focus purely on Manchester, @Visit Britain are of course beyond useless.
We want these Chinese flights to be a gateway to the whole of the North Of England and indeed N Wales not just Manchester, BUT it needs in your face marketing and workshops etc to drive the message home with all stakeholders.
In the last 3 months some high profile appointments have been made internally at Manchester, excellent news but as the end of January approaches, the strategy/template must be in place.
We now need to see those appts bear fruit with some high visibilty offereing.