The Client:

Milners of Leyburn are a 5th generation family business based in Leyburn, North Yorkshire. They are known as ‘The Department Store in the Dales’ and for generations have been a landmark in the Leyburn marketplace. The store sells clothing and accessories from premium brands such as White Stuff, Seasalt and Crew Clothing. Their second floor interiors department is also a destination for homeowners looking for stunning interiors with fabric, paints, wallpapers and flooring from brands such as Little Greene Paint, Sandersons, William Morris and Karndean.

The Brief:

In the summer of 2023, Milners of Leyburn began preparations to mark their 140th anniversary. This milestone is a huge accomplishment and one that they wanted to celebrate and share with their customers. They also saw this as an opportunity to recognise the success and longevity of the business despite the challenging market conditions for retail and the turbulence of the last few years caused by the pandemic and the cost of living crisis. 

We were engaged to help generate press and backlinks for the in-store event and to help coordinate their in-house marketing to gain the highest visibility for their anniversary.

What We Did:

Working with the in-house marketing team we developed a strong press release, focusing on the unique characteristics of the business and the family ties. The press release was used to raise awareness for the anniversary and also share some of the history of the business. It also played an important role in advertising the in-store event.

We drafted the copy and helped the Directors to add well written quotes to support the narrative of the piece before sending it to key press contacts.

Outcome:

We were delighted with the response from both regional and national outlets. The story was picked up by local media outlets such as the Northern Echo as well as regional press at the Yorkshire Post and Radio York. Our outreach to the BBC also resulted in a visit from the BBC Look North team who filmed a segment in store. The press around this unlocked further opportunities with fashion outlet Drapers. Their television and radio appearance correlated with a spike in website traffic of 351.9%!

'I was impressed how PCS attracted so much interest from the media about our 140th business anniversary. Scarlett wrote a great press release that captured the attention of the BBC Look North, Yorkshire Post and Radio York who interviewed us and gave some wide reaching exposure.' - Keith Garrard - Managing Director