Stars back GB website launch
An exciting new digital venture for Archant has been launched – www.greatbritishlife.co.uk using content from several different divisions.
In addition to combining the strength of content from all the Archant Life county, regional and city magazines and websites Great British Life provides access to new sites for Archant Regional magazines such as EDP Norfolk, EADT Suffolk and Agenda. Archant Specialist titles such as Heritage provide high quality national coverage.
To enhance the experience and access to information richer national coverage will be provided via innovative partnerships with competitor magazines such as Scottish Field, Cumbria Life and Lincolnshire Life. Further partnerships across the British Isles will be identified during the next year.
Using young Norwich-based development company, Soak, the project was led by publisher Mary Willis and her team Laura Taylor and Laura Stringer who worked with the AIS teams headed by Tony Davison.
Publishing Director Suzanne Heaven said: “launching more than 40 websites on the same day was a huge challenge so we are really proud of how people from across the company have pulled together to achieve this big step.”
Now that the sites are launched the new content management system will empower a new level of self service for all editors and title designers – this access will be developed to include sales, marketing and circulation management to increase the level of service and promotion for advertisers and retailers.
Johnny Hustler, Managing Director, Archant Lifestyle said: “I urge everyone to register onto Great British Life and tell us what you think about improvements and developments that would make it the lifestyle information service that you, your family and your friends throughout the country would want to use. Critical user research is good for all projects – we are treating the launch very much as step one of a long journey of improvement!”
Simply email mary.willis@archant.co.uk with your feedback.
The PR activity is based on some of Britain’s best-loved celebrities leading a countrywide vote to find what’s best of British.
Now everyone will have the chance to join them and take part in the Great British Vote to nominate their favourite local view, place or holiday destination.
The vote, that will be open until February, sees home-grown celebrities, from actors to artists and sports stars to singers, select their favourites in 12 categories, including national hero, sporting event, invention and work of art.
For five-time Olympic champion Sir Steven Redgrave, the perfect day would involve driving to a Scottish golf course in a Jaguar and playing a leisurely 18 holes before retiring to the clubhouse for roast lamb with all the trimmings.
Meanwhile, celebrated chef Marco Pierre White has long been “a massive fan of all things British”.
“I get my hats from Locks of St James, suits from Dougie Davis and drive a Range Rover. It’s a wonderful British car,” he smiles.
“I love to fly the flag for Britain,” says Marco, who refuses to stock foreign beer at his Wheeler’s of St James restaurant, and holidays at home.
“What is the point in flying off somewhere when there is so much to discover here. I love France and Italy, but they are not my home. I love the English countryside, particularly the seaside towns like Scarborough and Whitby.”
You’d expect boxing legends Frank Bruno and Sir Henry Cooper to back Britain, but you may be surprised at Bruno’s choice of the relatively sedate Wimbledon as his favourite sporting event, or amused at the sight of him squeezing into his top British invention – a Morgan sports car. Meanwhile, Sir Henry opts for the fighting spirit of Sir Winston Churchill as his favourite British hero, and loves to holiday in Margate.
Laurence Llewellyn-Bowen, designer and TV presenter, likes nothing better than to holiday at home with his wife Jackie, and loves the British sense of irony.
“I love Great Britain because it's full of so many weirdly successful contrasts, sexy and old fashioned at the same time,” he added.
This Morning presenter Eamonn Holmes is another who likes to holiday in Scotland, no doubt taking in his favourite view at Gleneagles – but not before using his number one British invention, Sky Plus, to make sure he doesn’t miss anything while he’s away.
Meanwhile, Dragon’s Den star Deborah Meaden’s favourite British brand is Marmite, and her top sporting event is certainly one that will divide opinion – the ancient “sport” of tar barrel racing at Ottery St Mary is not for the faint hearted, with men carrying flaming barrels on their backs until the weight or the heat become too much.
The Great British Life portal will be the biggest online lifestyle service in the country, celebrating all that is great about British life. The new service will host more than 15,000 articles and more than 20,000 images from launch, with searchable listings for more than 300,000 events and more than 700 restaurant reviews.
Editor Mary Willis said that Great British Life backed by promotion in more than a million glossy magazines, would “be developed to become the best and simplest source of information about the finer things in life.”
“We will develop the service to be highly interactive for users, who will be able to rate and comment on articles, blogs and images as well as upload their own photographs and save articles to their own profile to view later,” she added.
“We’re really excited about bringing together content from across the country into a one-stop-shop to showcase what’s great about British life.”
Facebook and Twitter communities will be set up to support Great British Life and mobile applications will progress in 2010.
Related Links:
www.greatbritishlife.co.uk
The GB Life team launch the site with a tea party.
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