Failte Ireland has teamed up with Lovin.ie (part of the Lovin Media Group) to launch a new content hub called Tails and Trails which will showcase Ireland’s walking experiences and encourage Irish people to plan a short break in Ireland’s Ancient East, The Wild Atlantic Way or Ireland’s Hidden Heartlands.
The content hub will include a wide range of feature content, preview videos of the selected trails, guides on accommodation and where to eat as well as a podcast to accompany each particular trail. Podcast guests include Sonia O’Sullivan, Gavin Hennigan, Alison Canavan, Georgie Crawford, Mazer and Philly McMahon amongst others.
According to Lovin Media Group’s CEO, Jamie Crawford: “Tales and Trails is a completely new and innovative concept that we are bringing to the market with Discover Ireland. The Irish are a nation of great story tellers, our stories are embedded in us and our landscape. This initiative allows our audience to experience some of the country’s most spectacular scenery while enjoying great conversation with really interesting people. The dynamic of recording the audio while our guests walked the trails themselves created really open and warm conversations, much different to that you experience face to face in a studio. We are super excited to bring this to our audience now and create memorable experiences for them enjoying the best of our great nation.”
Ali Levins, Head of Marketing Communications at Fáilte Ireland, adds: “Fáilte Ireland, the national tourism development authority, through Discover Ireland is delighted to partner with Lovein.ie on “Tales and Trails” brand new immersive podcast and trail walking experience. Walking offers enormous growth potential, regardless of ability, it provides opportunity for tourists to get closer to our landscape and seascapes. 39% or 2 million overseas holidaymakers engaged in some type of walking in 2018, the highest engagement in any type of outdoor activity. As Ireland’s scenery and natural environment continue to be the main attractor for visitors to Ireland, walking allows people connect with the landscape and seascapes. We hope everyone who listens to the podcasts wherever they are will be inspired to get out there and experience Ireland’s tales and trails for themselves.”
The sponsorship deal was brokered by Mindshare and according to David Ahlstrom, Mindshare’s Head of Invention,” this partnership has been five months in the making with meticulous planning from the client, the agency and the publisher to deliver a very unique campaign. It’s not often that a brand can integrate seamlessly into an editorial project in such a natural way and become the backdrop to the consumers experience, through audio-visual or reading. Each content element has a role in the business objective of encouraging short breaks away; whether the trip was inspired by a podcast guest, location details in the trail article or from the area guide showcasing local amenities. With all partnerships, it is important to support the content with a separate seeding plan to the publisher. We have extended this campaign to social and included programmatic native seeding until November.”
