Interviewing Fleet Street Services for a case study.
Museum of Computing, Swindon
​
While running my PR agency Blue Click PR Ltd., I had extraordinary success getting global media coverage for the Museum’s exhibitions.
The extensive collection became so well-known that we became the go-to people for TV producers. BBC’s “Click” technology series filmed an entire episode from the Museum and broadcast it on BBC2 and BBC Worldwide. CNN and Sky TV also asked to film the collection of computers. And when Microsoft launched the new X-Box, the BBC filmed the History of Gaming with our exhibits for national news.
​
Our global reach meant people visited from 42 countries and a group even flew into the UK especially from Japan because they’d seen us on TV and wanted to start a similar museum back home!
Above: Sir Clive Sinclair and his special edition gold calculator, referred to as "World's most blingin' calulator" by T3 magazine.
​
How To Build a Worldwide Reputation?
​
Totally strategically! One of the keys was getting well-known names in the IT Industry to open our exhibitions.
Intel's VP for EMEA, Gordon Graylish, kindly opened one exhibition. HRH The Duke of Kent opened another and after 5 months of gentle persuasion, I finally secured renowned inventor Sir Clive Sinclair to open an exhibition on Calculators.
He invented the micro-processor making pocket calculators affordable and economically viable. As our Keynote speaker, Sir Clive attracted the biggest ever attendance to an exhibition launch party!
​
A bonus was that Sir Clive Sinclair lent us one of only 3 gold calculators ever produced as the exhibition centrepiece. The timeless product design and great studio photography by Ava Photographic made it look absolutely stunning. Men's interest, tech magazines and national media lapped it up and it became a signature photo for most of the exhibition media coverage. NB: a really good photo can get you media coverage that a press release on its own, cannot.
​
Finally, having access to a mailing list of key people in the IT industry and local businesses was a major asset in boosting attendance.
​
Gordon Graylish,
(Intel's VP EMEA)
opening Swindon
Museum of Computing's
exhibition.
​
Seen here with an
original computer chip!
​