South West marketing agency launches national campaign to re-engage communities with the trust sector and a free app to help keep the nation active at home

Following the impact of Coronavirus on the leisure industry, South West marketing agency, Bigwave media, have created the ‘Get U Back’ national campaign designed to champion Cultural & Leisure Trusts and engage a positive message to the community to get people back into gyms, libraries, parks, theatres and more. They have also launched ‘Workout@Home’, a free web-based app to keep the nation active during lockdown and self-isolation. 

Bigwave media, with offices in Exeter, Plymouth, and Torbay, has a specialist team working with leisure and cultural facility clients across the UK. With an under-current suggesting that the Leisure Industry may start to re-open facilities in July, Bigwave media has created the ‘Get U Back’ campaign to help the sector bounce back when lockdown restrictions are lifted. The campaign supported by Community Leisure UK, assists to unify Trust operators and re-engage communities to remind them of the value of being part of a safe and local leisure or cultural facility.

Community Active UK represents the Leisure and Cultural Trust market with over 120 Leisure Trusts throughout the UK, Cate Atwater, CEO has been at the forefront of the campaign in readiness for the return and said; “Supporting our members to help them engage and support their communities, is our priority. Having a dedicated campaign like this one created by Bigwave, enables public leisure and cultural services to really articulate their role for communities and their keenness to connect with their customers during and after this current pandemic.”

The campaign will be run through the local network of Trusts with national advertising alongside local engagement. It represents the first unified message to champion the broad range of activities offered by Trusts across the UK and seeks to educate the public on the benefits of the Trust model while delivering a commercial message and return for Trusts within their communities. 

Tom Gozna, Strategic & Partnerships Director – Bigwave media said: “As a leading marketing agency in the South West and being deeply connected to the leisure sector, it was important for us to do something that supported and contributed to the sector during this time of uncertainty. The most important message was to ensure that the Community felt connected with their local facilities and were reassured that they could re-visit and enjoy their participation which is the theme communicated clearly through the “Get U Back” campaign.” He adds: “Our company mission statement is to ‘Make a Difference’ and we couldn’t think of anything better than helping operators and Trusts across the UK to engage with their communities and keep them physically active.”

However, for high-risk members of the community, there will be many needing to take extra precautions to shield themselves and loved ones from the threat of coronavirus even after the lockdown restrictions are lifted, as well as periods when people who have been exposed to the virus may need to self-isolate. Therefore, with Bigwave media’s web-based app ‘Workout at Home’, teams can keep clients engaged virtually through any internet browser on mobile, tablet, or desktop.

Simon Beer, Digital Director – Bigwave media added: “Alongside the Workout@Home initiative we have been supporting clients by pushing out guides on YouTube video production, social media posting, and wider marketing tools, plus delivering online training sessions and acting as remote/on-call marketing teams for businesses that have had to furlough marketing staff.”

With positive feedback from clients, Bigwave media made the decision to hand the portal over to the sector and make it available to any operator across the UK, for free. The tool has since been picked up by a range of operators representing over 150 leisure facilities in the UK. Community Leisure UK has shown support of the portal by promoting it to its member organisations.

To request the free workout@Home tools visit https://bigwavemedia.co.uk/workoutathome2020, or to request a campaign pack please email tomgozna@bigwavemedia.co.uk.