The Bongles
Teaching online safety
through storytelling.
Hot Tin Roof was engaged to promote the launch of The Bongles and The Crafty Crows, a world’s first illustrated book designed to teach 4-7 year olds about cybersecurity. Created by Story Learning in partnership with Education Scotland and the Scottish Government, the book aims to help equip teachers, parents and carers with an engaging resource to teach young children cyber resilience skills.
With every Primary 1 child in Scotland set to receive a free copy of the book in their Book Bug Bag ahead of Scottish Book Week 2023, Hot Tin Roof was tasked with driving awareness of the book and highlighting its educational value through a strategic PR and communications campaign.
20+
Top tier coverage hits
4.2M+
Est. broadcast audience
Challenge
We set clear objectives to maximise awareness and coverage of the cybersecurity book launch. As the first resource of its kind for young children, it was critical to announce this innovative book to national media and spotlight its educational value.
A core goal was to secure widespread media interest across print, online and broadcast outlets read by key target groups like teachers, parents and policymakers. This necessitated tailored pitches highlighting curriculum links, online safety tips and government endorsements. There was also a focus on Scottish outlets, parenting/education titles and Gaelic-speaking platforms to directly engage the right audiences.
Strategy
With nuanced objectives in place, Hot Tin Roof executed a strategic communications campaign to promote the book launch. A multifaceted media relations strategy was developed encompassing a press release, visual assets, and broadcast pitching. The team wrote and distributed an engaging press release announcing the book’s launch and its cybersecurity focus. Securing attendance and a quote from the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Jenny Gilruth MSP, at the unveiling event added profile and weight to broadcast pitches.
Op-ed interviews were also placed on behalf of client spokespeople and partner organisations such as Cyber Scotland to provide different perspectives. Imagery and kids’ quotes were leveraged to create visually compelling materials for the media.
Inputs from all stakeholder groups offered tailored hooks for the diverse mix of broadcast, parental and education outlets targeted. Follow-up calls focused on emphasising key messages around cyber safety and the resource’s curriculum links based on each publication’s readership and interests.
Results
Our campaign produced exceptional media coverage and awareness around the cybersecurity book and its launch. The announcement garnered high-value coverage across leading Scottish media including The Herald, Scotsman, Daily Record and STV Online. This blanket tier 1 coverage marked a huge win in effectively broadcasting news of this novel educational resource nationwide.
Notably, Hot Tin Roof also secured primetime packages on flagship news programmes on national broadcasters STV and BBC Radio Alba. Over 3.6 million Scottish viewers were reached through an insightful STV segment showcasing children exploring cybersecurity activities linked to the book which also captured interviews with key client spokespeople and policymakers. Similarly, an in-depth interview on BBC Radio Alba’s breakfast show offered a Gaelic-language perspective to engage that wider audience.
Beyond broadcast, the 20-plus print and online articles landed across a diverse mix of outlets. From local papers like the Edinburgh Evening News to top national titles like The Scottish Sun and niche publications like TES Magazine, Hot Tin Roof’s tailored pitching secured placements matching core target groups. With an estimated total circulation of 4.4 million+, this coverage enabled impactful awareness-building amongst parents, teachers and education professionals.
Overall, the integrated PR strategy with mass market Scottish coverage combined with targeted outreach to key audience trades generated outstanding visibility for Scotland’s first cybersecurity educational book amongst millions of Hot Tin Roof’s defined targets.
“We were delighted by the success of the campaign Hot Tin Roof curated for us, resulting in fantastic coverage across national media of the launch of our book educating primary children on cybersecurity, The Bongles and the Crafty Crows. The HTR team understood our goals and objectives from the outset, and were quick to distil this into succinct and clear messaging, which was clearly effective by the publicity and awareness generated.
“With twenty media hits, both in print and online, a televised interview with STV, and reaching Gaelic listeners via BBC listeners, HTR expanded our audience to a potential broadcast audience of 4.2 million. The team went above and beyond, even travelling extensively to ensure the content of the articles and televised interviews would be up to a highly professional standard. We cannot recommend Hot Tin Roof highly enough, and would like to thank them for their support and expertise throughout the lead-up to the launch.”
Frances O’Neill, Creative Director at Story Learning
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