Marketing Manchester Appoints RAPP as Lead Agency

Charged with promoting Manchester on a national and international stage, Marketing Manchester, coupled with VisitBritain and Virgin Atlantic Airways, have appointed RAPP to work on its creative campaign, following a competitive pitch. This is the first time that the travel and leisure companies will work together with the single objective of driving US citizens to visit Manchester and the north of England.

RAPP UK and RAPP US will collaborate to raise awareness of Manchester and the north of England as a holiday destination, talking to aspirational and adventurous travellers with a millennial mind-set - representing around 11.9 million Americans. Due to launch in January, the first campaign will also highlight Virgin Atlantic’s new direct routes to Manchester from San Francisco and Boston with the intention to increase interest to visit, escalate visitor numbers and bolster spend in the region. Running on digital and outdoor media across the US, the campaign will also involve a series of PR initiatives.

Sheona Southern, Managing Director at Marketing Manchester said: "RAPP has shown lots of energy, confidence and passion for the project from the initial pitch and we are confident that they have the experience to produce a strong campaign. We’re excited to work in partnership with Virgin Atlantic and VisitBritain to launch the campaign."

VisitBritain Marketing Director Robin Johnson said: “By highlighting the diversity of experiences on offer in Manchester and the north of England, this campaign will inspire more visitors from the US, our most valuable inbound market, to book a trip to come and explore this vibrant area, spreading the economic benefits of tourism across the region.”

 Ben Golik, Executive Creative Director at RAPP UK, said: "Manchester is a city with swagger. We created a campaign with equal confidence - showing the city as the gateway to the north of England and how starting there begins an adventure that ends in the most unexpected ways.”