Sniffari

National Dog Day falls on the 26th of August - and it gave us the perfect moment to shine a light on some lovely work with one of our clients.

We work with Headlam Hall and its sister pub, the Rose and Crown in Romaldkirk.

Now, ahead of National Dog Day, we wanted to do something that celebrated the four-legged visitors who love exploring the Durham Dales countryside around the pub.

So the idea we landed on was a "Sniffari" trail - a dog-friendly walking route designed to let dogs do what they do best, which is stop and sniff to their heart's content.           

So, we brought in a dog behaviourist to add expert commentary on why sniffing is so important, explaining that pulling dogs away from a good sniff is actually a common mistake owners make when out on a walk.

That combination of a charming local trail and genuinely useful advice gave the story two ways in - one rooted in the destination itself, and one built around a helpful warning for dog owners everywhere.

And it really took off. The trail launch landed regionally in the Darlington and Stockton Times and the Northern Echo, before going national via Yahoo! News.

The behaviourist angle then went even wider, with the "pull mistake" warning picked up across a huge array of titles including Wales Online, MSN, the Bristol Post, Nottingham Post, Yorkshire Live and many more, right across the country.

On top of that, it drew big numbers on social too, and there are magazines lined up to feature the trail in the coming weeks.

A brilliant bit of PR for the Rose and Crown that put it in front of a national audience.

And that's our Pic of the Week!