British racing has launched a brand new marketing campaign focused at proactively constructing public belief round horse welfare.
The HorsePWR initiative takes inspiration from different profitable sporting campaigns that visually have human “stars and athletes proper on the coronary heart”, by selling thoroughbreds in the identical method. Its identify is an acronym, with PWR representing “function, welfare and duty”, and the marketing campaign contains a brand new web site with info in regards to the sport, plus posters with easy messaging round welfare.
“The HorsePWR marketing campaign sees the game take a brand new method relating to speaking about welfare,” stated Robin Mounsey, British Horseracing Authority (BHA) head of communications and member of the game’s Horse Welfare Board.
“It’s about being up-front, open and clear. It’s about tackling head-on the weather of the game that we all know are areas of concern and offering data to coach and reassure.”
The primary stage, which launched publicly on 4 April, is geared toward getting the {industry} engaged first, to present “racing individuals and supporters the instruments with which to share their satisfaction in racing, selling the game’s welfare requirements and rebutting damaging or deceptive data”. The longer-term ambition is to interact with wider audiences.
In a media briefing forward of the launch, Mr Mounsey added that the opposite motive the cross-industry marketing campaign is concentrating on racing supporters and the {industry} first is that simply because somebody is a fan, “doesn’t imply they’re resistant to issues about welfare”.
“We don’t wish to lose followers from the game as a result of these issues begin to override the enjoyment that folks get from the game,” he stated.
Mr Mounsey shared findings of analysis that has knowledgeable the marketing campaign – and defined why the “new method” has been adopted.
He famous that previously, plenty of messaging has targeted on how a lot racing cares for its horses. Whereas that is without doubt one of the seven goals of this new marketing campaign, it isn’t the singular focus.
“Individuals know that horses are effectively cared for in racing,” he stated. “Even those that are wildly against the game acknowledge that racehorses are effectively cared for, however that’s not what they’re involved about. They’re involved about horses falling, horses being injured, what occurs to horses after they’re injured, what occurs to horses who’re bred for the game, what occurs to horses who depart the game, does the whip harm – areas akin to that.
“So we’re tackling these areas head-on, and that’s why the messaging on this marketing campaign is likely to be completely different to what you’ve seen earlier than.”
In creating the marketing campaign, they canvased opinions of 600 respondents aged 18 to 34. They have been requested a number of questions on their instant perceptions of racing, together with what quantity of horses they imagine are severely injured or die resulting from racing (the present five-year rolling deadly damage charge in British racing is 0.2%).
Of these surveyed, 70% believed that between 5 and 20% of racehorses are severely injured or die, 15% thought that quantity was 30% or extra, and just below 12% thought that it was fewer than 1%.
“That exhibits why training round a few of these points is so necessary,” stated Mr Mounsey, including that in addition they discovered the final view on welfare is restricted, and that folks wish to know what’s occurring now concerning welfare.
The primary stage of the marketing campaign has been funded by the BHA, Nice British Racing and the Jockey Membership. It is usually supported by the game’s Horse Welfare Board and developed with enter from these concerned within the Stand Up For Racing, which was fashioned in spring 2023 to assist counter misinformation and damaging scrutiny.
Racing broadcaster Richard Hoiles welcomed the marketing campaign.
“Following the welfare debates round final 12 months’s Grand Nationwide it was felt the game lacked a single supply for correct info about racing, and this marketing campaign fills that vacuum,” stated Mr Hoiles. “That is about offering credible knowledge and data, in the best context, so that folks could make knowledgeable opinions.”
Two-time Grand Nationwide-winning coach Lucinda Russell stated that “that is simply what racing wants”.
“We should present the info, assist educate, and confront the powerful questions head-on,” she stated. “The info matter. We perceive our duty and respect our horses, and we wish to be sure that the general public know this too. It’s good to see us taking a brand new method, displaying satisfaction within the lives we give our horses, and difficult and correcting inaccurate data which is put into the general public area by those that are against the game.”
BHA chief govt Julie Harrington stated that the response to the marketing campaign is “unprecedented for racing”.
“For the {industry} to rally behind this trigger with such full-throated assist is immensely heartening,” she stated.
“We intentionally took a daring and progressive method to tackling welfare issues absolutely conscious that it carried a danger of a damaging response in some quarters.
“However the way in which the game has readily embraced this new idea exhibits simply how a lot everybody in it recognises that perceptions round welfare are a crucial situation for our future.
“It additionally exhibits that we recognise the must be open, clear and to sort out welfare issues head-on.
“We should always trust in what we do and perceive that it’s via training and data that we are going to construct belief within the sport.”
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Credit score: Future
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