Contact us for your free bespoke features list

Features lists – the annual schedules of planned articles and reviews published by magazines at the start of each year – used to be the bread and butter of publicity agencies in industries like ours.  Straightforward timetables showing what was going to be written, and when, made our lives nice and simple, and enabled us to give our clients plenty of time to pull together material and images.  It also helped the magazines to sell advertising by targeting specific sectors with guarantees of relevant editorial and expectant readers.

Times have changed somewhat, and in this fast-moving age a fair proportion of titles prefer to preserve their flexibility by keeping their lists either under wraps or simply plan on a shorter timescale, but there’s still plenty of information out there, with features planned on communications, water makers, wetsuits and much more in 2009, as well as sections dedicated to shows and events.

Would you like to get involved in a feature relevant to you?  You can submit text and images with a good chance of getting editorial coverage, and of course consider taking advertising space within the feature itself.  It’s high quality, targeted marketing and well worth the effort.  To find out what’s coming up that’s relevant to your sector, just email us at info@clearlinecommunications.co.uk and we’ll be happy to send you a schedule describing which magazines have editorial planned and when, with our compliments!

       

ClearLine client McMurdo reveals brand new PLB

The world’s most compact and affordable range of satellite personal location beacons

 

Marina Johnson of ClearLine was at the Miami Boat Show on 11th February to oversee the unveiling to the press of the ground breaking new FAST FIND Satellite Personal Location Beacon (PLB) range , the most compact, waterproof and versatile  406 MHz emergency location beacon available on the market today.

 

ClearLine has also conceived and built a brand new stand alone website for FAST FIND.  Visit www.fastfindplb.com to have a look.

 

FAST FIND is a potential life saver, weighing in at just 5.3 oz (150g) and with dimensions of D 1.34”(34mm) x  W 1.85” (47mm) x L 4.17”(106mm)  it will  slip into the smallest pocket or back pack compartment.  The user can set off in the most remote locations around the world, on land, at sea or in the air, and be confident of being able to contact the world’s professional search and rescue services directly if they are unlucky enough to encounter life threatening situations.

 

FAST FIND complies with tough federal and international standards.  It operates on the global COSPAS SARSAT 406MHz search and rescue satellite communication system, which is supported by international government search and rescue authorities around the world, so a call for help will be acted upon and fast.  The FAST FIND is subscription free and does not rely on commercial call centres.

 

There are two models in the FAST FIND PLB range, the FAST FIND 200 and the FAST FIND 210.  The 210 has integral 50-channel GPS for additional pinpoint location, further speeding up time of location.

 

All FAST FIND models transmit two signals simultaneously, one to the subscription free global 406 MHz satellite system.  The other (121.5MHz) is a homing signal designed to speed up the local recovery response process . Once activated, FAST FIND’s signals will continue to transmit for at least 24 hours, at a powerful 5 watt output, the 406 MHz transmission ensures that a call for help gets through whatever the conditions.

 

FAST FIND also includes a unique SOS LED flash light facility which is manually activated to further assist in speeding up the users recovery during night time rescues.

 

FAST FIND will operate in temperatures down to -20°c and its integral battery has a user storage life of 5 years,  so there’s no need for constant battery changes and re-charging.  At only £185.00 plus VAT for Model 200 and £225.00 for Model 210 the GPS inclusive model) there’s nothing else to pay – no subscriptions, no network or call charges!

 

FAST FIND is manufactured by McMurdo, who have produced emergency location beacons for more than 20 years.  The company has used the latest developments and improvements in electronic design and manufacturing to produce its latest world beating personal location beacon.

 

Like many other search and rescue agencies around the world, US Coastguard aircraft and ships have long been familiar with McMurdo’s range of emergency location beacons and have the technology to home in on FAST FIND’s signals fast. 

 

Orders are now coming in for FAST FIND and ClearLine has been busy sending information about the new product to the press and providing further information.

Interesting times…

We’ve just sent out the first issue of a planned monthly newsletter.  The aim, like any newsletter, is of course to bring our name and capabilities to the attention of prospective clients – no shame in that – but we have also set out to make it useful to those who read it.

It’s aimed at chiefly at smaller companies – those that may have only a handful of major events each year that they’d like publicised – and it also sets out to address the fears of those that have a poor view of public relations agencies.  The number of tales that we hear of firms that have been stung by agencies charging them fixed retainers and seemingly to deliver very little is disconcertingly large.  Monthly fee arrangements do work well for companies that produce a regular flow of announcements and other work, and help with budgeting and cash flow for both sides, but such a set-up is not suitable for the ad hoc projects that are typically generated by a smaller firm.  For that reason we are keen to get the message across that we are delighted to quote fixed prices for individual press releases, copy writing or any other sort of marketing assignment.  Simple as that – you have a job, we’ll give you a price. It doesn’t matter if a task takes longer than expected, once agreed the price holds good.  We think it’ll be a valuable service, and has already seen us work with some innovative smaller companies over the past few months.

We are, as they say, in ‘interesting’ times – and we all need to be adaptable to come through it in one piece.  In fact, times like these can create all sorts of unforeseen opportunities – the trick is to be out there looking for them.  We’re optimistic about the future here at ClearLine, but we recognise that the shape of our business model may be rather different in a year or two’s time.  Interesting times, indeed.

London Boat Show – some thoughts..

Big gaps, wide open spaces, and lots of discounts – it certainly didn’t feel like a normal London Boat Show.  At the time of writing we don’t have the final attendance figure but it has to be well below 100,000, but what was interesting was that, while almost everyone we talked to spoke of a ‘lost’ autumn in terms of sales, most people felt that their individual firms would get through the downturn OK and be ready to push ahead when things pick up again.  That bodes well, and reflects the feedback we had from Earls Court last month where we were surprised by the numbers of exhibitors who reported good sales.

Of course, there’s no doubt that the British marine industry in general is a good deal more gloomy than its European counterparts. At METS in November the atmosphere in the zones inhabited by our mainland compatriots was a good deal more cheerful than those with the Brits.  In part that comes from the far greater publicity given to the dire economic situation in the USA by the UK media than is the case in Europe, and also because of the much lower levels of personal debt that Europeans have compared to the residents of the UK and US, giving their economies better prospects of a faster upturn in consumer spending.  Also countries like Holland and Italy have a far greater exposure to the superyacht sector than the UK which, despite growing reports of cancelled and delayed orders, still has long enough order books at present to see it through the lean years.

So, it’s bad, but it’s not the end of the world.  All we do now is to pray for a fine spring and a hot summer and those gaps at ExCeL may yet become nothing more than an unpleasant memory.

ClearLine in Ft Lauderdale

Marina from ClearLine was at the Ft Lauderdale Boat Show in Florida at the end of October supporting our client McMurdo, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of emergency distress beacons, VHF radios and NAVTEX.  Despite the economic downturn that is being suffered in the USA, there was a good turnout at the show and continuing and growing interest in McMurdo’s products, especially the handheld Personal Location Beacons (PLBs) which can get you rescued anywhere in the world.

 

ClearLine plays an important role in supporting our clients’ distributors through our PR and marketing communications, and one of our key tasks at the show was to liaise closely with McMurdo’s US distributor Revere Supply Inc to discuss future marketing and publicity planning.  ClearLine has a powerful database of press contacts both in printed and online media in the USA, including marine, aviation, commercial maritime activity, outdoor adventurers and other sports, and our international press release programme ensures distributors are thoroughly supported in their key role – to sell products – by a robust and successful PR programme.  

Eco-feature in Boat International

As a business that works largely behind the scenes when it comes to getting words into the press, it’s very nice to see our own names in print once in a while (writes Matt).  This month’s issue of Boat International includes a five-page feature by yours truly describing the various options and technologies currently available to superyachts looking to minimise their impact on the environment. 

70m ECO-yacht from Rainsford Saunders Design

The article was written in cooperation with client Rainsford Saunders Design, which has created an ECO-yacht range that incorporates all the latest green technology, and their 70-metre concept formed the basis for the piece.  It was fascinating to research and write, and followed on from a feature that we wrote for BI earlier on this year on the similarly topical issue of superyacht security.

Historical archive at ClearLine

Something that perhaps we do not make enough of is the fact that at ClearLine we have a modest but growing collection of books and magazines relating to the history of yachting.  This is partly because it’s something that has always interested us, and partly because it’s a useful resource for clients and researchers.  For those interested in the day to day history of our sport, we have every issue of Yachting World from 1927 to the present day in bound volumes, plus the first 7 volumes from its first issue (20 April 1894, price threepence) to October 1897.  (If anyone wants to sell the missing thirty years, give us a call.) 

Yachting World volume 1 page 1

We also have a wide range of books and ephemera covering the histories of yacht design, yacht racing, the America’s Cup, cruising guides and individual voyages, many with fine photographic plates.  Anyone who is undertaking research, planning to rebuild a classic, or has an obscure query on some historical point is welcome to give us a call.

Monaco Yacht Show

Another busy year for ClearLine at the Monaco Yacht Show, which apart from METS is probably our busiest event of the year.  This time around we had four clients taking stands and a long list of contacts with which to touch base and have a chat about plans for 2009.  Preparations in the months before had been intense, with newsletters to be worked on for both Humphreys Yacht Design (printed) and Rainsford Saunders Design (electronic), and press materials for the Natural Mat Company, who were showing for the first time at Monaco.  Navico had also taken a stand, but with no new products to talk about at this point of the year we just had a watching brief there.As usual the atmosphere was great, and the site even more packed than ever with more two-storey stands and an extra pontoon for the yachts.  The superyacht sector, with its long waiting lists at the yards, remains upbeat despite the current financial crisis, and the show hummed with the sound of business being done.

Perhaps the only thing missing this year was a real ’signature’ yacht.  Over the last three shows we had Mirabella V, Maltese Falcon and Alfa Nero.  This year the biggest boat at 88m was Anastasia – certainly impressive, but kind of lacking that wow factor.  All was not lost, however.  On our way back to the airport we ducked into Antibes for a coffee – at the top of the superyacht dock was ‘Dilbar’ – 110-metres of gleaming conspicuous consumption!  That’s what I call a superyacht.

Lymington Homecoming for three Olympic Medallists

 

On Wednesday evening (27^th August) Lymington welcomed its three Olympic Sailing Medallists home.   Gold Medallists Ben Ainslie (Finn) and Pippa Wilson (Yngling), and Silver Medallist Nick Rogers (470) were welcomed by a cheering crowd as they arrived at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club where they are all members, to greet well-wishers and give a few tips to the youngsters training in the river.

 

While there is no shortage of press interest in the success of the British Olympians, it was Marina Johnson of ClearLine Communications who organised and co-ordinated the media presence at the club.  Several local TV stations were present and both South Today and Meridian gave live broadcasts during the day to their local news programmes.  There were also regular news bulletins throughout the day on local radio.

 

Amidst live TV transmissions and clamouring photographers the Olympic stars met dozens of children on the pontoons, who were taking part in the very successful Wednesday Junior Sailing Programme.  They autographed lifejackets and even ventured down the river on the dinghies to demonstrate some of the secrets of their success to the children.  The Olympians then spent half a hour greeting the crowds and signing autographs outside the club.

 

Later the trio were toasted by club members, led by Commodore Geoff Holmes who bestowed  Honorary Life Membership of the Club on Nick and Pippa, along with Adrian Jardine who won Silver in 1968.  Ben had already received that honour following his Gold Medal win in Sydney in 2000.  An honours board was unveiled listing all the club members who have been selected to represent Great Britain at the Olympics over the years.

 

A message of congratulations from the club’s Patron HRH the Princess Royal was read out.

 

The Royal Lymington Yacht Club praised ClearLine’s efforts but for us it’s all part of job and we were pleased to be involved in celebrating such a fantastic achievement.

 

ClearLine at the Farnborough Airshow

The ClearLine team was in action on the opening day of the Farnborough Airshow providing PR support to our client SARBE.  SARBE develops and manufactures personal locator beacons, emergency location transmitters and submarine locator beacons, selling them to armed forces, resue authorities and other professional users around the world.  SARBE is also the sister brand of McMurdo, the leading supplier of PLBs and EPIRBs to the marine sector.  Both are owned by Signature Industries.  With a large number of exhibitors at the show promoting safety gear, navigation electronics, composite materials and more we felt pretty much at home, although the exciting aircraft ’demonstrations’ in the afternoon where a good deal louder than the kind of thing we usually see.  We met a good number of press contacts and delivered the latest news on SARBE’s new products to them, ensuring that we get the best possible publicity across the defence media for our client.

Something for the superyacht market?