Challenge:

• To generate endorsement and interest amongst key national media for the launch of the third annual NatWest International Personal Banking (NWIPB) Quality of Life Index - at a time when the press was heavily focused on negative banking issues and news space was dominated by the General Election
• To reinforce NWIPB's brand position as a leading commentator on expatriate issues and provider of banking services for British expatriates living and working abroad
• To be mindful and supportive of the relationship between NWIPB and its parent company, RBS, and therefore ensuring that the Quality of Life Index wouldn't be interpreted by the media as being anti-UK

Solution:

• To develop and launch a tracking index over the last three years, examining the key aspects that UK expatriates enjoy about life abroad
• The PR team worked closely with NWIPB and with think tank Centre for Future Studies to devise the research campaign for 2010 that surveyed UK expatriates across the globe in 12 countries
• Expatriates’ lives abroad were rated on assessments of lifestyle indicators such as the availability of consumer goods, entertainment, law enforcement, education, retirement, the strength of family relationships and financial confidence
  

Implementation:

• Lansons briefed the Centre for Future Studies to create themed reports, which the PR team used as collateral to draft press releases
• For the launch campaign, we focused on a three year trend to show that expatriates had achieved a better quality of life. A good indication of the level of satisfaction with the quality of life abroad is that the number of expatriates saying they will return to the UK at some point in the future has declined from 26% in 2008 to 19% in 2010
• The launch story for 2010 was strategically timed and sold in to the national consumer and social affairs correspondents, as well as broadcast correspondents and expatriate media
  

Outcome:

• The launch release for the first tranche of the 2010 report secured 41 pieces of coverage including five pieces of national coverage in core ‘Middle England’ media: The Daily Express, The Daily Mail, The Daily Telegraph, The Scotsman and The Metro. The launch release was also covered by Press Association and picked up by key regionals The Herald and The Scottish Daily Record. In our core expatriate media we secured coverage in the Weekly Telegraph. Online hits included The Daily Mail online, Daily Telegraph online, The Daily Express online, GMTV, International Adviser. The team also secured a broadcast interview on CNBC
• The key messaging was visible throughout the coverage where a quote was used: “The dream shared by many Brits of living a happy life abroad is alive and kicking, despite the global economic factors which have to some extent affected British expatriates”