Conservation-minded organization sparks holiday ‘title sales’ through attention-grabbing stunt

Launched to preserve the land on the Glencoe Wood Nature Reserve in Scotland, Highland Titles lets anybody buy a plot of the Reserve’s land—from one square foot (for $46) to 1,000 square feet (which goes for $770). The purchase gets you a gift pack that includes the title certificate and a title—you can call yourself a Lord, Laird or Lady of Glencoe. The purchase ensures the land remains protected. Because the Reserve’s PR agency BML Public Relations achieved results for the organization with a budget of $0, it has won first place in the “PR on a Shoestring” category of Ragan’s 2018 PR Daily Awards.

With a kilt-wearing spokesperson, broadcast coverage was easy to obtain, but the worlds of online and social media proved a tougher nut to crack. BMLPR innovated an attention-getting scheme to overcome that challenge.

They identified a town in Connecticut called Scotland and worked with the local government to gift each of its 1,694 residents a plot of Glencoe land during the holiday season, complete with the title that goes with it.

The story of a town full of lairds and ladies was an easy pitch to features, lifestyle and seasonal writers from the top 100 designated market areas. By targeting writers at national outlets that covered hyperlocal beats, BMLPR secured an article on APNews.com, which was shared by more than 125 outlets throughout the country, including FOXBusiness.com, ABCNews.go.com, CNBC.com, NYTimes.com, BostonGlobe.com and more.

Ultimately, the stunt delivered 268 media placements and close to 1 billion impressions, along with a holiday sales increase of 34%. It’s a great example of taking a typical holiday gift guide pitch to a new level.

Congratulations to Brian Lowe, Michelle LoGuercio and Kelsey Moran.