Charlotte Harris, from Fleet in Hampshire, and Jessica Oliver, from Dowdeswell, near Cheltenham, otherwise known as Team Wild Waves, are two extraordinary women pushing their limits to raise £100K for the charities Shelter and Women’s Aid. No strangers to immense challenges, Charlotte and Jessica had already completed marathons, triathlons and an unbelievable ‘Fight Night’ with the White-Collar Fight Club, raising £8,000 for their efforts. However, their latest challenge was something else.
The Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge involves participants rowing 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean from San Sebastian in La Gomera, Canary Islands, to Nelson’s Dockyard, Antigua and Barbuda. Crossing the ocean in a mere rowing boat is an incredible physical and mental challenge, where rowers need to eat around 4,000 calories a day while battling sleep deprivation, up to 30ft waves, sharks and whales. However, this challenge would be of another level for Wild Waves, as they had no prior ocean or rowing experience. But Charlotte and Jessica knew its completion would provide a massive step towards achieving their fundraising goal.
Our Objectives:
Team Wild Waves contacted HeadOn PR seeking our support in developing and executing a local and national fundraising public awareness campaign though social and traditional media. The objective was to raise Charlotte’s and Jessica’s profile on Team Wild Waves, support sponsors through publicity and drive donations.
Our Campaigns:
Throughout the three month challenge, HeadOn PR developed and managed Team Wild Waves’ social media marketing, creating posts and managing engagement on Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Leveraging our extensive media connections via our Digital PR and Broadcast Services, we secured widespread national and local media coverage, TV and radio interviews for Team Wild Waves before and after the event.
Coverage was secured in high-profile media outlets, including TalkRADIO, Heart West Country – Gloucestershire, Greatest Hits Radio, BBC Radio Gloucestershire and ITV West Country. Team Wild Waves also appeared on Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine Show and in The Times, Telegraph and Mail Online.
When Team Wild Waves completed the challenge in an incredible 45 days, seven hours and 25 minutes, they shattered the world record for female rowing pairs. To capitalise on this success, we adapted our strategy and narrative to reflect this impressive achievement, generating further publicity and attracting even more donations.
