Featured

Chichester950

A landmark anniversary marketing and PR campaign for Chichester Cathedral

The Challenge

Chichester Cathedral’s 950th anniversary was a once-in-a-generation moment that needed to honour nearly a thousand years of faith and heritage while remaining relevant, welcoming and vibrant in the present day. The ambition was not simply to commemorate history, but to:

  • Reaffirm the Cathedral’s role as a living centre of faith, culture and community
  • Engage new audiences who might not typically cross the threshold
  • Strengthen partnerships across the city, diocese and wider region
  • Drive footfall, ticket sales, fundraising and donor support
  • Raise the Cathedral’s regional and national profile – whilst remaining free to enter

BrightWord was appointed as strategic PR and marketing partner to help deliver an ambitious, year-long integrated campaign that would resonate locally, regionally and nationally.

The Idea

Chichester950 was conceived as a shared celebration of past, present and future.

Rather than a single moment or event, BrightWord helped shape a coherent narrative that unfolded over nine months, inviting people to reflect on 950 years of history, celebrate the Cathedral’s role today, and actively contribute to its future legacy.

The campaign framed the Cathedral not as a static monument, but as a place of worship, creativity, learning and belonging – a place deeply rooted in Sussex life.

The Solution

BrightWord delivered a fully integrated, 360° marketing and PR campaign running from February to November 2025, coordinating activity across:

  • PR and media relations
  • Digital and social storytelling
  • Content creation
  • Email marketing
  • Influencer partnerships
  • Editorial content
  • Community engagement
  • City-wide collaborations and major cultural activations

A bespoke Chichester950 visual identity, developed by StudioMoo, ensured the campaign felt contemporary, distinctive and instantly recognisable.

Flagship moments included:

Religion, Rebellion & Reformation – the Cathedral’s first self-curated exhibition, uncovering stories of Christian faith in Sussex from 1075 to today. Its success led to an extension until February 2026.

Together in Unity – a sold-out concert celebrating the Cathedral’s choral heritage and the 60th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, securing BBC Radio 3 coverage and supporting the Cathedral’s music endowment fund.

TrinityFest on the Green – a new free family festival that combined worship, live music, food and creative workshops, delivered with city partners and headline sponsors.

Luxmuralis Chichester950 Light Experience – a spectacular finale transforming the Cathedral with immersive light and sound, exceeding income targets by over 60%.

Alongside these moments, BrightWord supported a rich programme of community-led creative projects – including Draw950, Write950, Fish950 and Sing950 – engaging more than 950 children and ensuring the anniversary belonged to the next generation as much as to long-standing supporters.

Content Creation and Digital Storytelling

A core element of the campaign was creating engaging content to bring history to life for multiple audiences:

Social media: We produced high-engagement video reels, short-form stories and posts, including the St Richard of Wych visits Chichester campaign, which saw the Cathedral’s patron saint visit the modern-day city centre, generating a high level of engagement and shares across Instagram and TikTok.

Editorial content: Monthly articles explored the stories behind exhibitions and artefacts, helping secure PR placements in regional and national media while feeding digital channels with rich storytelling.

Family and school engagement: Campaigns promoted Draw950, Write950, Fish950 and Sing950, ensuring young audiences and families could be involved and feel part of the Cathedral’s story.

This multi-platform content strategy amplified reach, drove footfall to events and exhibitions, and strengthened the Cathedral’s digital presence with over 1.8 million views across channels during the year.

Partnership-led Approach

Partnerships were central to the campaign’s success.

BrightWord helped activate collaborations across culture, education, tourism, faith and the visitor economy – from city dressing with Chichester BID, a sculpture trail created by Chichester College and an outdoor cinema experience on the Cathedral Green with Chichester Cinema, to exhibitions with Pallant House Gallery and Oxmarket Contemporary, a media partnership with Sussex World , and dedicated destination marketing with Experience Sussex and The Great Sussex Way.

This approach transformed Chichester950 into a truly district-wide celebration, extending reach, visibility and shared ownership well beyond the Cathedral itself.

The Results

Chichester950 delivered exceptional cultural and commercial impact:

  • 200,000+ people engaged with anniversary activity
  • £150,000 generated by the Luxmuralis Light Experience (60% above target)
  • £950,000 in match funding unlocked for the Cathedral’s Platinum Endowment Trust for Music
  • 1.8 million+ digital views across platforms
  • Website views up year-on-year (555k Jan–Nov 2025)
  • Instagram reach up 90%, followers up 93%
  • Extensive regional and national media coverage including BBC, The Times, The Independent, BBC Radio 3 and Country Life

The campaign also delivered a measurable boost to Chichester’s visitor economy, increasing footfall and dwell time across the city.

The Legacy

Beyond numbers, Chichester950 strengthened pride, participation and long-term sustainability.

It deepened relationships across Sussex, reinforced the Cathedral’s commitment to access and inclusion, and created a platform for future cultural programming – including major exhibitions in 2026 and beyond.

Most importantly, it repositioned Chichester Cathedral as a place of welcome, creativity and relevance for the next generation.

Recognition

Chichester950 has been shortlisted as a Finalist for Marketing Campaign of the Year at the Cultural Enterprises Awards, recognising the campaign’s creativity, scale and impact.

A fitting accolade for a year that brought 950 years of history vividly to life.

PR Highlights: