When Dr Andrew Armour first came to us with the fact that he was selling his Gas company and would no longer be filling his Charter yacht with his company's corporate activity it seemed like it might be a bit of a problem to identify where his new bookings might come from. 3greenlights came up with a strategy that included a wide range of techniques and activities destined to promote the boat and its availability.

Although this was a classic yacht with a very traditional appeal we elected to use some of the most up to date and innovative marketing techniques to bring the project to life. The product was already exceptional in that Andrew had spent a great deal of money on the yacht's refit, she was in exceptional condition, had a superb cruising area and a great reputation for delivering fine wining and dining aboard. The Professional crew would always ensure that customer service was first class and we never had any doubts about how the product would be perceived but it was in danger of being the industry's best kept secret as to that point Andrew had not really needed to do any marketing or advertising as the boat had been fully occupied with his corporate work.

The marketing strategy included a range of innovative techniques which when combined would ensure a very high profile for the boat and a chance for it to be seen by thousands. These included:

• An innovative E-Newsletter which kept the growing client base up to date with offers and news

• Revamping the existing brochure which was increased to A4 in size with double the pages.
• Andrew had been inspired to get the Chef aboard to create a book called Halcyon Days which we then circulated amongst key members of the yachting press and glitterati. It served to highlight the exceptional guest care and cuisine aboard while at the same time promoting the experience aboard.
• We negotiated attendance at a number of key boat shows during the year including Excel London, Dubai International Boat Show and Southampton International Boat Show in some cases assisted by grants and in others as part of a "historic exhibit" and boat show feature.
• We have worked hard on the existing website - increasing the number of hits with Google ad words and maximizing the site fort eh search engines - we have also improved the calls to action on the site to increase outcomes from the visits.
• More recently we have added online presence on some other Internet Portals and a very innovative technique utilizing live interactive screens in a number of locations in our area where the propensity of likely customers is high.
• We have helped to produce exhibition stands, show materials, competitions and data-capture.
• We have organized highly successful VIP Events at the shows to promote increased awareness.
• We have generated Press Releases and focused media interest in the yacht.
• We have organized Media trips to the Boat in Ireland and Scotland and secured articles in National Marine Magazines to help promote the activities of the boat.
• We will be helping to deliver some talks at Yacht Clubs on the history and the refit as she travels.
• We have had a hand in the production of a new DVD for the boat to assist with its promotion.

Halcyon has been one of the most exciting and invigorating projects that we have worked on. With an owner who really appreciates what we are doing for the yacht, a keen and enthusiastic crew who really want the boat to be busy and will do everything they can to help and with a product that is streets ahead of the competition we were onto a winner from the start BUT a comprehensive marketing and PR strategy has helped to ensure that the bookings board stays busy even in these times of recession.

It has been a privilege and a pleasure to work on such a Classic Project and I would very much encourage you to take a look at the website and see what Halcyon Yacht Charter has to offer.

www.halcyonyachtcharter.com