The Chronicle and Journal, and ChronicleLive (part of Reach plc) have revived the Passionate People, Passionate Places campaign to highlight and celebrate all that is great about the North East.
Passionate People, Passionate Places ran for six years after being launched in 2005 by the regional development agency One NorthEast. It was widely praised around the region for presenting a positive image of the North East to the rest of the country.
In a bid to foster pride in the area, Reach plc has worked with NewcastleGateshead Initiative (NGI), the North East Tourism Alliance and other organisations to revive and update the campaign.
Throughout 2020, The Chronicle and Journal, website ChronicleLive and its sister paper and website in Teesside, will be highlighting some of the best parts of North East life, as well as the people and places that make it so special.
ChronicleLive, Chronicle and Journal editor-in-chief Helen Dalby said: “Too often, the North East is portrayed on the national stage as a place of deprivation and a problem for governments to solve.
“There are many challenges in the North East and we will never shy away from highlighting them or campaigning to improve our communities.
“But everyone who lives in the North East knows that is a special place with stunning scenery, warm and funny people, great businesses and welcoming communities.
“We have five great universities, two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the country’s favourite National Park.
“We host national and international sporting events, lead the country in cultural renewal and know better than anyone how to have a good time.
“From Viz to vegan sausage rolls, from Ant and Dec to the Angel of the North, this is a region of Passionate People and Passionate Places and we should never be afraid to celebrate that.”
Sarah Green, chief executive of destination marketing organisation NGI, said: “Everything we do at NGI is about championing our fantastic region, attracting visitors, conferences and events and new investment to the area through national and international campaigns and partnership activity.
“As a region we have so much to be proud of – from the growing visitor economy and vibrant hospitality sector, through to our thriving business community, world-class centres of excellence and growing reputation in key sectors. There’s a really strong story to tell and the new Passionate People Passionate Places campaign will provide a platform to showcase such success stories here in the region, building local pride and reminding us all why it’s such a great place to be.
“We’ve been pleased to support the work to bring the Passionate People brand back to life and we’re looking forward to working with Reach and partners to maximise this much loved regional campaign.”
Get involved!
People and businesses in the region are encouraged to become part of the campaign by sharing what they love most about the North East.
There’s a new Facebook group for Passionate People, Passionate Places which you can join to share, talk about and celebrate the people, places, sights and scenes you spot which make you proud to be from the North East. You can also follow its Twitter account or on Instagram and use the hashtag #PPPP and share posts or your own examples of what makes the region great.
Finally, the campaign logo and assets are available for organisations to use in an online toolkit which is easy to download and apply to social media profile pictures or websites, as email signatures, or for use in company literature and brochures.
If your company, organisation or social media community group would like to get involved, simply email our regional business editor Graeme Whitfield on graeme.whitfield@reachplc.com and explain who you are and what you’d like to do with the logos.