It’s a novel idea – branding your county as “Curious” in a bid to attract visitors to its quirky attractions. Suffolk tourist bosses have launched a 14-week digital marketing campaign “The Curious County” to get people to take notice of its hidden gems and curious blend of experiences.
They include the UFO Trail at Rendlesham Forest, House in the Clouds in Thorpeness, the Victorian Stumpery at Ickworth House and The Nutshell in Bury St Edmunds, Britain’s smallest pub.
The launch in London (above), attended by more than 50 guests and dignitaries, was held at the Adnams store in Bloomsbury, which was converted into the “Suffolk Embassy” for the event. Suffolk passports were handed out and guests tucked into Deben Oysters and Blythburgh Pork and supped Adnams beers from Southwold.
Amanda Bond from Visit Suffolk, said: “Tourism marketing campaigns have a tendency to follow suit. The idea with The Curious County is to do something that’s never been done for Suffolk before and unlock potential new audiences through social media. Suffolk has a vast variety of places to discover from the distinctive heritage coastline to the beautiful countryside and villages.
“Suffolk is intrinsically curious because it presents visitors with a unique journey, bespoke to their needs and interests. Our offering is so vast that we can cater for all; the discovery of this and the wonderful array of attractions, restaurants, accommodation providers, cafes, delis, shops, heritage sites and landscapes makes a visit so unique”.
The campaign is centred around a dynamic microsite – www.thecuriouscounty.com – and is split into seven themes; History and Heritage, Arts and Culture, Outdoors, Family, Coast, Indulge and Food and Drink.
Ben Gummer, MP for Ipswich, said: “Everyone should be curious about Suffolk – curious as to why it is England’s most beautiful, most delicious, most interesting, and finest county.”
Liz Cobbold, Head of Marketing at Adnams said: “Tourism is vital to the economy in Suffolk – especially for our small towns and villages and their pubs which are welcoming to both locals and tourist visitors. This campaign is a very welcome opportunity to show a slightly different side to Suffolk- things that we as locals sometimes take for granted. We are very excited that new visitors can come and have a taste of our county.”
To find out more about The Curious County visit www.thecuriouscounty.com or connect with the campaign on Twitter @CuriousCounty or www.Facebook.com/TheCuriousCounty
