Chelsea Garden Show Coverage Reaches Millions

Chelsea Garden Show Coverage Reaches Millions

Over 2 million people have already been reached by media coverage of the 2006 Chelsea Garden Show, and a lot of the attention is focused on the 100% Pure New Zealand Garden.

“The audience figures for Chelsea coverage are always exceptional, and our aim is to link the garden to New Zealand as a destination to encourage more of our target market to travel here” says Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive George Hickton. “

Xanthe White, designer of the Garden, has documented her build-up to Chelsea in an online daily video diary, www.bbc.co.uk/chelsea. The diary is a up close and personal daily update from Xanthe direct to camera and captures her thoughts, challenges and day to day progress reports as she brings the garden to life.

Hits to the site have already reached 1.5 million in the first week of diary entries. The site traditionally doubles its visitor numbers during the Chelsea show to reach over 3 million people.

Australian television programme ‘Better Homes & Gardens’ will also be broadcasting stories based around the construction of the 100% Pure New Zealand Garden as well as filming stories during Chelsea.

There’s plenty of other coverage planned, including stories on the Ellerslie Flower Show, and a tour of the inspiration for the garden, the West Coast of Auckland, to be featured on BBC1 during Chelsea. The programmes will have with an estimated audience of 3.5 million per show and were filmed with the assistance of Tourism New Zealand’s International Media Programme.

Interactive coverage of Chelsea on the BBC will allow viewers with satellite reception to take a tour of the gardens by pushing a button on their remote control, as well as vote for the People’s Choice Awards.

Many gardening magazines are also planning features. The Garden magazine (UK) will be publishing a November special issue devoted to New Zealand, and Garden’s Illustrated (UK) will feature New Zealand in its August edition. The German magazine ‘Eden’ is also planning stories as a result of New Zealand’s involvement with Chelsea.

Complimenting the media coverage is an extensive advertising campaign which will see New Zealand featured prominently in media, on billboards, buses and in the Sloane Square Underground Station, closest to the Chelsea Flower Show. The campaign will also have an extensive on-line component with the Chelsea Landing Page incorporating information about the 100 % New Zealand Garden, travel information and links to partner sites, an on-line competition for a trip to New Zealand.

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