

Fusing local communities back together
The hard-working campaign that communicated effectively with local audiences & overcame negative perceptions of the brand.
See the results"It’s fantastic to have relaunched Funding the Future for a second year running. Last year, we saw more than 60 sailing and yacht clubs submit incredible initiatives focused on grassroots sailing, upgrading facilities, community outreach, and growing club membership. It was inspiring to read through the entries and see such creative ideas aimed at securing the future of the sport. We’re excited to see what this year’s submissions will bring!"
To revitalise the Funding the Future initiative, we started by developing and pitching an engaging press release to announce its return, generating excitement among sailing clubs and the media.
We created written content for a dedicated landing page on Sunsail’s website, which included application details, top tips for applicants, and the terms and conditions for the contest.
To maintain momentum throughout the campaign, we developed a series of social media posts scheduled over five months, aimed at engaging and informing potential entrants about the deadline for entries, while creating excitement around the announcement of the winners.
Throughout the competition, we built a panel of sailing experts to form the judging panel who would review the entries. Once all the applications had been received, we then organised a meeting to facilitate the judging process and created a summary document to streamline evaluations.
As the announcement date at the Southampton International Boat Show (SIBS) approached, we sourced a cheque for the winner and coordinated attendance with the three shortlisted sailing clubs. We prepared a speech for the winners’ announcement and provided comprehensive support for the Sunsail team during the event, as well as creating press packs for the shows, including the winners’ information (which we shared after the event).
Overall, 20 journalists attended the winner’s announcement at SIBS, enhancing our media engagement. After the announcement, we pitched for additional interviews with the sailing media, which generated positive coverage and interest in the initiative.
The Funding the Future initiative successfully generated significant media interest, resulting in 25 pieces of coverage across key publications such as All At Sea, Sailing World, Yachts and Yachting, RYA, Practical Boat Owner, local media such as the Dorset Echo and Central Somerset Gazette, as well as national titles including Yahoo!.
The campaign achieved an estimated reach of 6.5 million, with 61 entries submitted from grassroots sailing clubs across the country – a new record for Sunsail.
The event sparked additional interest from media outlets keen to be involved in the judging process for the following year.
The hard-working campaign that communicated effectively with local audiences & overcame negative perceptions of the brand.
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