Barry Crow, GreenMetropolis.com – Entrepreneurs and Business PR Case Study

Entrepreneur Barry Crow, launched GreenMetropolis.com in 2005, after being made redundant from his job as an IT consultant. After losing his job, Barry had no choice but to downsize his home, forcing him to give away some of his most prized possessions, including over £2,500 worth of books.

Rather than give his books away, Barry decided to set up a basic book exchange website for his family and friends. As word of mouth spread, Barry realised that there was a gap in the market for a book exchange website where people could upload their used books online for free, and sell them to other book lovers for a reduced price… Green Metropolis was born.

Today Green Metropolis sells over 10,000 books per month and has over 100,000 active members. All books cost just £3.75 to buy, most including free delivery, of which the seller receives £3. Five pence from every sale goes to the Woodland Trust. The site has  also extended to include new charity partners, where £1.00 from the sale of books goes directly to the Woodland Trust or Macmillan Cancer Support.

Client Objectives

• To reach new audiences and encourage new members to join the site.
• To raise awareness of new charity partnerships with Age UK and Macmillan Cancer Support.
• To raise awareness of new online charity book stores.

Strategy and Implementation

• Targeted profile features for founder and Managing Director of Green Metropolis Barry Crow.
• Focus on celebrity endorsements to enhance the credibility and profile of the site.
• Major national campaign developed through using celebrity endorsements to promote  ’sustainable  reading’ on  World Environment Day 2011
• Digital book reviews produced through PHA Media digital facilities and taken to national newspaper websites.
• Generated ‘Best Reads’ and ‘Top Ten Book’ features for calender events such as Father’s Day.

Results

Over a four month period PHA Media delivered:

• A Regular column with My Weekly Magazine.
• Secured nine free celebrity endorsements for the site including Alan Titchmarsh, Kevin McCloud, KT Tunstall, Brian Blessed and Tony Robinson.
• Major national coverage in the Mail on Sunday, Daily Mail and Daily Express.
• Online video book review secured with The Independent.co.uk

Press Coverage

To view Green Metropolis’ video book review with The Independent.co.uk click here

To watch Barry Crow’s video interview with BusinessWings.co.uk click here

For more details on Green Metropolis visit www.greenmetropolis.com

 GreenMetropolis Founder Barry Crow on Starting an Online Business

 GreenMetropolis.com Book Review for The independent.co.uk