Bespoke ballistic PR challenge

The Challenge

Specialists in the manufacture of bespoke lightweight ballistic and blast protection, ASL GRP is a well-established business based on the Isle of Wight, designing and manufacturing highly innovative security and defence products, including specifically designed solutions for armoured vehicles, marine vessels, and high-risk compound protection. However, there was little known about the company and its capabilities across the media landscape, particularly in the marine, commercial maritime and superyacht sectors. ASL GRP had also recently expanded its marine division and created new roles to develop this side of the business. We were brought onboard to promote these changes and provide support and advice for the brand’s communications across ASL GRP’s own platforms and social media channels.

The Solution

After an on-site visit to the Isle of Wight factory, ADPR developed a full tactical plan to drive awareness of the brand and secure valuable and meaningful earned content. We wanted to maximise knowledge of ASL GRP’s expertise and speciality services through our extensive media contacts, selling in exclusive and expert advice pieces as well as offering an exclusive blast testing site visit for a more in depth feature to a key maritime publication.

 

Partway through our project, the Covid-19 pandemic took the world by shock and so we evolved the project to also support the brand by providing  informative statements and FAQs to be used on the ASL GRP website and social media, to inform and update their following on the changes. Furthermore, ADPR was involved in the support and negotiation of advertising options, provided ongoing client counsel, recommendations and support, as well as conducting a full social media review with recommendations.

The Results

We drafted researched, drafted and sold in articles around ASL GRP’s expansion, new products and exciting projects which resulted in coverage across key B2B marine titles and the Gravity Industries piece was also published  in technology magazine, OxGadgets. An important part of our campaign also included securing expert features in renowned maritime publications. We secured a piece in Maritime Journal around the role of ballistic protection in the sector, another in The Ship Supplier on the importance of ballistic protection onboard, and in Boating Business, on the benefits of polyethylene panels used on superyachts and the threats at sea. An additional feature was secured in Intersec, a security key title, with further details of the new blast container product ASL GRP had launched. We also secured a site visit for ballistic testing with key marine journalist, Michael Howorth – for an article with ONBOARD magazine, including a review of ASL’s bespoke testing procedures, understanding ballistic protection and the benefits of ballistic protection onboard a superyacht.

 

Over the course of the six-month project, ADPR secured media coverage in key publications, including: Hellenic Shipping News, Boating Business, Megayacht News, OxGadgets, Sea Work and Super Yacht News.

 

If you’d like a no-obligation discussion about your marketing communications, please get in touch with us on hello@adpr.co.uk or call 01460241641.