GRM Marketing have worked with a number of clients taking part in the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge including record-breakers BROAR and HMS Oardacious. In the lead up to this year’s race, we worked with both The Bristol Gulls and Force Genesis, with both teams (at the time of writing) making serious headway across the Atlantic Ocean in the ‘world’s toughest row.’

Alongside these teams, we have also been working closely with the destination management company, SkyeConnect. SkyeConnect provided support when we brought The Bristol Gulls up to the Isle of Skye to circumnavigate the island in a training and PR expedition. In collaboration with SkyeConnect, we branded the team’s rowing boat with the newly launched Isle of Skye flag.

Following the success and interest in this story, SkyeConnect and several island companies and businesses grouped together to fund the Isle of Skye flag once more emblazoning the back of a team’s rowing boat. This time, Force Genesis’s rowing boat was branded with the Isle of Skye flag and is now making its first (known) journey across the Atlantic Ocean.

In our initial planning, a relationship between the Atlantic island of the Isle of Skye, and the Atlantic island of La Gomera (where the race kicks off) was our intention. We had the embassies involved and the tourism board of the Canary Islands and La Gomera ready to support the creation of a new relationship and flag exchange. But… of course... COVID-19.

In our preparations, we had every eventuality thrown at us. We had to cancel the main exchange and instead travel to La Gomera solely to capture the Isle of Skye flag leaving on its journey. The Covid test results were late, the forms were extensive, and it gave us (another) example of how hard it is for all businesses and companies to get anything done during this time.  

We arrived safely in La Gomera and left on the eve of the compulsory quarantine period issued by the UK government right on our arrival. Despite this, we managed to carry out impactful PR for SkyeConnect, all the organisations involved from Skye and for the island as a whole.

Though we as a company have continued to survive through this pandemic, the reality of logistics and planning, particularly regarding travel, has been a constant mountain to climb. All we can do, as with everyone, is watch on as the vaccination program is carried out and hope that regulations and restrictions will enable businesses to rebuild.

Photo Credit : Martina Orsini