Highland aims at Canada

ALDERNEY business Highland Titles is aiming to crack the Canadian market this summer.

Marketing manager Alex Flewitt recently spent a successful month promoting the company in Australia and has now set her sights on the North American market.

Highland Titles sells plots of Scottish land to people who can then call themselves laird, lord or lady. Peter Bevis has run the business in Victoria Street for 10 years but its sales went through the roof after Alex appeared on Australian TV in January.

Now Peter has arranged for student Esme Sutherland, the daughter of Philippa Arditti, to tour Canada for five weeks in an attempt to drum up more interest.

Esme, who will work for the company during her summer break from Bristol University, said: 'My tour will coincide with the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. I'm going to visit Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec and Toronto - all the big cities.

'It will be about generating as much interest as possible. I've found that any publicity is good publicity. Whatever chances we get we must make the most of them and bring in the sales.'

Esme, 21, didn't expect to bag such an exciting summer job when she asked Peter for some work experience.

'I've known Peter for years through my family and told him I had to do something useful with my summer. He said there was some work I could do and that it involved going to Canada.

'I've heard such good things about Canada - everyone says the people are lovely and really polite. I can't wait to go.'

Alex has been busy coaching Esme, who will be accompanied on the trip by boyfriend James.

'It's important to be confident about the product,' said Alex. 'You should also enjoy the experience and not worry about it.

'I've told Esme to do her best, be prepared and go for it. We don't know what's going to happen but if it goes half as well as Australia we'll be very happy.'

Alex, who was interviewed for TV and radio Down Under, as well as being featured in numerous newspapers, said Highland Titles had changed dramatically in 2011. 'It has gone from three people in an office to being incredibly busy. At the moment we're dealing with 70 orders a day from Australia - this time last year it was seven.

'Also, the Australia angle has given people a better idea of what we're about. People now realise we're credible and real. In the past people were surprised to get their documents.'

Alex, who will be in Scotland when Esme tours Canada, is continuing to pinpoint marketing opportunities in the UK.

She said: 'Kate Moss was in the Daily Mirror the other day saying she thought she should be a lady, so I sent her a Highland Titles pack. Hopefully our ladyship will tide her over until the Queen gets round to it. This is an example of how things have changed. Last year I was packing the documents; now I'm in an office phoning up Lorraine Kelly to see if we can come on Daybreak to talk about Kate Moss.'