How a Birthday Party Turned Into Regional Media Coverage

How we led a digital campaign for The Queens Arms in Coleraine

Good campaigns don’t start with content calendars.
They start with something real happening in the world.

On 20 January 2025, the owner of The Queens Arms marked his birthday in a way only a proper local pub can. The bar hosted a joint celebration that also coincided with the second inauguration of Donald J Trump. It was informal, lively, and unapologetically itself.

That mattered.

Not because of politics.
Because people showed up.

Start With What’s Already Interesting

The best stories don’t need manufacturing. This one already had everything going for it:

• A well-known local pub

• A birthday celebration

• A moment on the global stage

• A room full of people enjoying themselves

Our job at Triovia wasn’t to dress it up. It was to recognise that this was a story people would want to hear if it was presented clearly and simply.

Make It Easy for the Media

Too many businesses talk at journalists. We didn’t.

We contacted regional broadcasters and local media with a straightforward pitch:
“This is what’s happening. This is why it’s different. This is where you can see it.”

That approach led to coverage across UTV, BBC, local newspapers, and radio. Not because it was forced. Because it was timely, visual, and rooted in a local story with wider interest.

Journalists don’t need hype.
They need clarity.

Let the Story Do the Work

Once coverage landed, everything else followed naturally.

Clips were shared. Photos circulated. Conversations started online and in the town. People who weren’t there suddenly felt like they were part of it. That’s how real reach happens, not through chasing virality, but by being present in moments that already matter to people.

No gimmicks.
No overthinking.

The Bigger Lesson

This campaign worked because it respected three simple truths:

• Local stories travel when they’re genuine

• Media responds to clarity, not noise

• Real moments beat manufactured campaigns every time

The Queens Arms didn’t try to “do marketing.”
They hosted a day/night their customers enjoyed.

We simply helped make sure the right people saw it.

That’s often all that’s needed.