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Katrina Podlewska
Communications Manager
Westonbirt, The National
Arboretum
Creating powerful communications
strategies
About
Westonbirt
• The National Arboretum –
over 16,000 rare &
important trees from
around the world
• Heritage landscape
• Tree conservation
• Managed by the Forestry
Commission
• Supported by the Friends
of Westonbirt Arboretum
• 350,000 visits per year
• 26,000 Friends
Comms strategy
• Covers both
commercial and
arboricultural
aspects
• Foundation for
media relations,
marketing & online
strategic objectives
• End goal of
supporting visitor
number objectives
Developing the comms strategy
• 3 months to research and
formulate
• Timed strategy to fit in with
business plan
• Written to reflect mission
statement:
“To connect people with trees
to improve the quality of
life.”
Research & background
• Previous comms strategy
• Visitor/ member profiles & research
• Current activities
• Spoke with colleagues in comms/ PR/ media
• Similar organisations’ work
Objectives for focus area
• Strategic objective to communicate
Westonbirt as an all-year-round attraction to
25-45 year olds via online/ social media.
• Increase online sign-up to the Friends
• Rise in use of the forum and visits to the blog
• Increase sign up to the enewsletter and click
throughs to the website(s)
• Increase in Facebook & Twitter followers &
interaction
Use of the forum
• Generate and host discussions
• Become a place to discuss experiences
with other members - FAQs
• Competitions to add content
Email newsletter
• Motivation to click to websites
• Incentives to contribute to social
media
• If effective, will help increase
valuable email data
Facebook & Twitter
• Quick, simple messages
• Drive website traffic
• Photography sharing
• Conversation/ reaction
Results...
• Online sign-up up
60%
• Email database up
25%
• Facebook ‘likes’ up
from 1000 to 2,800
• 700+ Twitter
followers after 5
months
• Families up from 33%
to 40 %
Lessons learnt?
• Involve people in ideas – particularly those
who could help deliver content or
champion plans
• Speak to colleagues and search online
networks for advice
• Keep achievable objectives in mind when
finalising strategy