Perceptions of the Northwest as a short-break destination did not reflect the region’s wealth of natural and cultural attractions. Ingrained negative associations needed to be overturned.
The Northwest Development Agency commissioned VIVID to fill help encourage more holiday-makers to the region. To showcase the diversity and vibrancy of the Northwest, VIVID devised an editorial-led solution based on storytelling. The Short Stories for Short Breaks book presented captivating first-hand accounts of the region from presenter and journalist Stuart Maconie, whose voice leant credence and credibility to the project. Fresh and spontaneous, the free publication combined features with travel-photo journal entries, interspersed with inspirational short-break offers to capitalise on latent demand.
In May 2009, an independent evaluation revealed that the book had succeeded in generating 11,400 visits to the region. A further 34,000 visits, directly influenced by the publication, were being planned within the next three months. Negative perceptions of the Northwest appear to have been written off.