In a determined bid to boost visitor figures and raise the national profile of the town, the Council ran several ambitious tourism marketing campaigns over the Summer. Eye-catching advertisements were placed in the Daily Mail, the Independent on Sunday and commuter favourite the Evening Standard to secure readers' attentions and stimulate their imaginations.
By far the most popular and successful of all the marketing activities was the high profile tube campaign which ran in the six week pre-season period throughout May and June. The 16 sheet cross track posters, which carried the strap line `Like the real thing this can't be licked', were seen by hundreds of thousands of passengers in over thirty mainline stations. They were designed to be big and bright enough to compete with posters from major advertising agencies and, by all accounts, they succeeded.
Contrary to popular belief, they were produced in-house by the Council and even made the front cover of the Hastings & St Leonards Observer!
Councillor Mike Bigg, Cabinet Member responsible for Regeneration and Tourism, said:
"In an increasingly competitive market, the Council is constantly having to find new and innovative ways of presenting Hastings & St Leonards to national and international audiences. This year's campaigns were our most ambitious ever. The London Underground is packed with hundreds of posters, all jostling for passenger's attentions. It is a testament to the appeal of the town and our marketing strategy that it more than held its own."
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This page last updated: 15/10/2001