Top jockey Ruby Walsh lends his voice to Racing UK multimedia campaign
Leading horseracing broadcaster Racing UK has employed Ruby Walsh as the focus of a far-reaching multimedia subscription campaign, including an automated outbound call from the legendary jockey himself.
The TV channel (on Sky/Virgin/UPC) currently numbers more than 43,000 residential subscriptions, and is employing Irishman Walsh in a bid to further increase awareness and subscriptions in the lead-up to the world’s most famous Jumps meeting, the Cheltenham Festival (March 15 to 18).
The campaign is based around the promotion, 'Ruby Tuesday' (racinguk.com/rubytuesday) and will be communicated via direct marketing, a digital campaign and newspaper adverts.
The promotion will see Racing UK refund all new Sky annual subscriptions (worth £240/€300) taken out before midday on March 15 – providing Walsh finishes the first day of the Festival as outright leading jockey (based on number of wins). Bookmakers rate Walsh a 3-1 chance to do just that.
And potential subscribers will hear from Walsh himself via an automated outbound call from the jockey, outlining the promotion and prompting the customer to press a number to connect to the call centre to subscribe.
In another innovative move, the campaign will feature an excerpt from a mocked-up email (attached below) between Ruby and Racing UK’s Marketing Director Clive Cottrell, discussing the Ruby Tuesday promotion.
Racing UK will also be launching the ‘100 % Cheltenham’ campaign, which conveys Racing UK’s undivided commitment to the four-day showpiece meeting. TV adverts will be aired on Channel 4, UPC and Virgin Media.
Walsh, who is on a one-year contract to wear branded Racing UK clothing and also act as the channel’s ambassador, said of the promotion: “I’m anticipating some great rides on Tuesday to set me up nicely for the week. Quevega is justifiably a short-priced favourite and Paul Nicholls and Willie Mullins will have a host of good chances on the day.”
Racing UK has also embarked on a concerted pre-Cheltenham campaign aimed at more than 36,000 pubs and clubs, including DM, telemarketing and industry print adverts.
Racing UK broadcasts horseracing from 30 of the leading British racecourses and is shown on Sky 432 (UK, NI, ROI), Virgin 536 (UK, NI) or UPC 411 (ROI).
