October 1st, 2013

Why Plan B Is Proving Bef’s Best Friend

I am absolutely delighted tonight to know that The Befana Drama Giro-Rama has now extended into five different counties … and that hopefully there are more to come.
Of course, the fact that the most magical children’s book of Christmas 2013  has also trended on a Dubai TV website today and appeared on a site in New Zealand adds to the thrill.  The knowledge that 9-year-old Poppy will be the latest reviewer for a media outlet and the realisation that I’ve publications from Bristol to Dundee about to feature it all helps, but it’s more than that.

The main reason for being ever so slightly smug about the Befana Drama Giro-Rama is that it was Plan B.  Plan A was given every opportunity to get involved and be associated intrinsically with the book and, to be quite frank, messed up through lack of real interest and even a reneging on statements made.  I even went back to give them a second opportunity – met with silence! Even now, I am pretty staggered by this indifference and strange business reasoning, but what can you do?

I can recall being pretty gutted for all of 10 minutes and then did what I’m best at – moving on and developing plan B.  I scribbled and doodled on my pad and came up with the name Befana Drama Giro-Rama, with giro being the Italian word for ‘tour’.  “Damn them”, I thought, it an all too typically feisty way.  No party that couldn’t see the true potential of the project was going to stop me.  And so the germ of the Befana Drama Giro-Rama was born.

Little did I realise, at the time, that it would prove to be potentially the best mix of business strategy of the lot, for various reasons.  It’s suddenly capturing the imagination, attracting those who are entrepreneurs and who can see business advantage and also those who understand marketing and marketing to children and the broader picture.

It’s dovetailing beautifully with all the global, national, regional and local editorials now beginning to appear and also supporting the #befriendBef brand-buildling hashtag and character marketing objectives.  And, best of all, we’re only really halfway down the road of maximising its potential.

I could almost kiss plan A.  Had they not been so blind to the opportunities, the wonderful Giro-Rama would never have been born. I would never have found such engaged, obliging and truly interested partner venues.  I wouldn’t have a fraction of the buzz I’m getting now. What’s that phrase …. out of adversity comes triumph.  What’s that motto I like to abide by … always have a plan B.

The Befana Drama Giro-Rama is so far travelling to:

Ulverston

Penrith

Dalegarth

Lakeside

Preston

Leeds

Lancashire Libraries

Carlisle

Ripon

Leicestershire

Rheged

County Durham