”“Having worked together for seven years, Midnight knows our business well and produced an effective PR strategy with new ways to reach our target audiences.
Darren MiltonCMO at Boundless
Their creative ideas generated some fantastic coverage in the national media. The PR campaign played an instrumental role in moving the dial for us in 2024, helping to increase our reach around the UK and boost brand awareness and web traffic.
With a great network of journalists and a diverse set of tactics they helped us achieve growth.”
The challenge
Growing an experiences-led business during a cost-of-living crisis is a significant challenge – especially when those experiences are niche, exclusive to public servants, and competing for tighter household budgets.
Midnight was tasked with amplifying Boundless, a 100-year-old membership club, and positioning it as the champion of its members’ free time.
To achieve this, we implemented a Digital PR campaign that secured 140 media placements, including 46 in national publications. The campaign contributed to a 63% increase in unprompted brand awareness, a 36% rise in website traffic and a 6% boost in member sales.
Strategy and research
Boundless is a membership club for public and civil service workers and retirees, offering 160,000 members exclusive deals on unique experiences, events and activities. Founded as the Civil Service Motoring Association in 1923, Boundless has grown into a trusted organisation providing value-driven experiences for its members.
As Boundless is not a union and avoids political PR, our campaign needed to focus on the ‘fun side of the fence,’ showcasing membership benefits without engaging in commentary on public sector working conditions. Additionally, securing press coverage for an offer that isn’t available to everyone presented an inherent challenge.
To navigate these obstacles, we worked with personal finance journalists to develop a targeted media relations strategy. Our objectives were to:
- Increase brand awareness of Boundless as a membership club for public servants.
- Position Boundless as a champion of public sector and civil servants’ free time amid the cost-of-living crisis.
- Support Boundless’ marketing efforts to enhance both prompted and unprompted brand recall and encourage new member sign-ups.
- Increase backlinks to Boundless’ website to strengthen SEO performance.
Our strategy included:
- Recommending a brand ambassador programme with a money-saving expert to provide practical advice on budget-friendly experiences.
- Creating case studies to showcase how Boundless members save money.
- Launching a summer research campaign on the best UK days out, as rated by parents.
- Developing seasonal content on things to do and ways to save with Boundless.
- Running a mini-campaign to introduce a new tiered membership package with national and regional press stories highlighting new benefits.
Creativity
Recognising the cost-of-living crisis as a dominant media theme, we positioned Boundless as a solution provider for financially conscious consumers. Our tactics focused on securing national newspaper and consumer magazine coverage, particularly in media titles popular with women. Research showed that women remain the primary decision-makers for household budgeting, and Boundless’ SEO agency confirmed they drive most of the website traffic.
We developed a brand ambassador programme featuring a well-known money-saving expert who shared exclusive tips on cost-effective ways to enjoy holidays throughout the year. This initiative aligned with the Google algorithm update prioritising content from human experts, reinforcing Boundless’ credibility.
Our summer research story on the best family experiences in the UK, supported by expert savings tips, resulted in extensive national and regional digital media coverage. Half of our 2024 press coverage featured insights from our money-saving expert, totalling 68 items.
To create an emotional connection with potential members, we worked with Boundless members to share real-life savings stories. This approach secured features in The Sun, The Scottish Sun and retirement-focused publication SAGA, with anecdotal evidence suggesting direct new member sign-ups from the coverage.
Execution
Our tactical approach included:
- Pitching exclusive money-saving tips from expert Mrs Mummypenny to national personal finance editors.
- Interviewing Boundless members and pitching their savings stories as case studies.
- Partnering with market research agency Ginger Comms to develop a press story on the best family experiences in the UK, integrating expert savings advice.
- Supporting the launch of Boundless’ new tiered membership package with targeted national and regional media stories.
- Delivering seasonal press content highlighting ways to save and enjoy experiences with Boundless.
Results
- 140 items of press coverage in 2024 (a 165% increase from 2023).
- 46 national media placements (a 33% increase from 2023) in outlets such as The Sun, Mail on Sunday, Sunday Mirror, Independent, Good Housekeeping, and Prima.
- 850 million total potential audience reach (up 32% from 2023).
- 580 brand mentions (up 153% from 2023).
- 55 backlinks to the Boundless website (up 90% from 2023).
- Achieved an average domain authority of 58 (against a target of 50).
As a result of collaborative efforts between Boundless’ marketing team, Midnight, and partner agencies Our Media (content), AIP (digital), and Search Seven (SEO):
- Unprompted brand awareness increased by 63%.
- Prompted brand recall rose by 65%.
- New users to the website increased by 36%.
- Member sales grew by 6%.
SEO Impact
Gavin Willis, founder and CEO of Search Seven, added:
“The placements Midnight secured have been excellent, helping to support SEO efforts by driving quality backlinks to the website, to build authority and trust around the Boundless brand.”
Conclusion
Our strategic, research-led and creative approach successfully boosted Boundless’ brand presence, strengthened its credibility and contributed to measurable growth in membership and engagement.
Through targeted media placements, expert-led storytelling and audience-focused messaging, we positioned Boundless as the go-to membership club for public servants seeking affordable ways to enjoy their free time—even during a challenging economic climate.
