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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 means. Its title is an acronym, with PWR representing “objective, welfare and accountability”, and the marketing campaign includes a brand new web site with info concerning the sport, plus posters with easy messaging round welfare.
“The HorsePWR marketing campaign sees the game take a brand new method in the case of speaking about welfare,” mentioned 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 info to coach and reassure.”
The primary stage, which launched publicly on 4 April, is aimed toward getting the {industry} engaged first, to offer “racing folks and supporters the instruments with which to share their pleasure in racing, selling the game’s welfare requirements and rebutting unfavourable or deceptive info”. The longer-term ambition is to have interaction with wider audiences.
In a media briefing forward of the launch, Mr Mounsey added that the opposite purpose 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 individuals get from the game,” he mentioned.
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, quite a lot of messaging has centered on how a lot racing cares for its horses. Whereas that is likely one of the seven goals of this new marketing campaign, it isn’t the singular focus.
“Folks know that horses are properly cared for in racing,” he mentioned. “Even those that are wildly against the game acknowledge that racehorses are properly cared for, however that’s not what they’re involved about. They’re involved about horses falling, horses being injured, what occurs to horses once 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 comparable 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 just a few questions on their rapid perceptions of racing, together with what quantity of horses they imagine are severely injured or die as a consequence of racing (the present five-year rolling deadly damage fee 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 slightly below 12% thought that it was fewer than 1%.
“That reveals why schooling round a few of these points is so essential,” mentioned Mr Mounsey, including that additionally they discovered the final view on welfare is restricted, and that individuals wish to know what’s taking place 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 shaped in spring 2023 to assist counter misinformation and unfavourable 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,” mentioned Mr Hoiles. “That is about offering credible information and data, in the appropriate context, so that individuals could make knowledgeable opinions.”
Two-time Grand Nationwide-winning coach Lucinda Russell mentioned that “that is simply what racing wants”.
“We should present the info, assist educate, and confront the powerful questions head-on,” she mentioned. “The info matter. We perceive our accountability and respect our horses, and we wish to ensure that the general public know this too. It’s good to see us taking a brand new method, displaying pleasure within the lives we give our horses, and difficult and correcting inaccurate info which is put into the general public area by those that are against the game.”
BHA chief government Julie Harrington mentioned 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 mentioned.
“We intentionally took a daring and revolutionary method to tackling welfare issues totally conscious that it carried a threat of a unfavourable response in some quarters.
“However the best way the game has readily embraced this new idea reveals simply how a lot everybody in it recognises that perceptions round welfare are a important subject for our future.
“It additionally reveals that we recognise the must be open, clear and to deal with welfare issues head-on.
“We should always believe in what we do and perceive that it’s by means of schooling and data that we are going to construct belief within the sport.”
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Credit score: Future
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