Case Study: Coppercoat

Strategic planning, PR and design to develop awareness of high-performance antifoul

Working right across the marine industry in the superyacht, leisure and commercial sectors to raise Coppercoat’s profile

Produced by Aquarius Marine Coatings Ltd, Coppercoat is the strongest and most effective copper-based antifoul available with a proven lifespan of over 10 years. As a non-leaching antifoul, it is also kinder to the environment than its self-eroding competitors. Saltwater Stone were hired to provide PR, design, media planning and social media activity in order to build a cohesive strategy to communicate the features and benefits of Coppercoat antifoul to target markets across all media and assist its launch into the superyacht sector.

Our work has included:

• PR & media relations
• Editorial content
• Advertising strategy
• Social media channels branding & activity
• Event & launch support
• Print & online advert creation
• Brochure design
• Event banners
• Exhibition stand design
• Corporate communications
• Retail packaging

Saltwater Stone set about creating a strategy to extend the brand’s global reach and raise awareness of Coppercoat’s remarkable longevity and effectiveness, while also achieving consistent coverage of product and company news. Through our contacts in the maritime media Saltwater Stone secured editorial content in a range of publications, promoting the features and benefits of Coppercoat. At the same time, our media planning department’s buying influence enabled it to secure favourable rates for a series of advertising campaigns in target media titles.

To assist its launch into the superyacht market a dedicated brand aimed at this high-end sector, Coppercoat Superyacht, was developed by our design team. Our work on this brand included the creation of print brochures, corporate stationery and exhibition space for the British Marine Federation’s pavilion at the Monaco Yacht Show.

A Coppercoat Superyacht website was established with Saltwater’s assistance, and online presence increased through social media and advertising. The design team also developed digital sales presentations for Coppercoat’s marketing team to use at international boat shows and trade events. In addition, marketing materials for the leisure sector were strengthened and enhanced by our creative team to assist Saltwater’s PR and social media work in this field.

PR work has included publicising Coppercoat’s exceptional track record when used on all yachts competing in the 2017-2018 Clipper Round the World Race. It was so effective that, for the first time in the Clipper’s 22-year history, the boats did not need to be lifted and cleaned off at the race’s halfway point in Sydney. After completing the full 40,000nm circuit, and 16 months continual immersion, the hulls showed almost no loss of coating thickness and only the faintest trace of slime at the waterline.