Having successfully released the first two episodes of our ‘Know Your Limits’ campaign, starring Derby County star Wayne Rooney and three-time world champion boxer Carl Frampton, Kindred present the third film in the series this week, featuring the Cheltenham Gold Cup-winning jockey Paddy Brennan. The film supports Kindred’s ongoing commitment to utilise sporting stars for good and help us promote responsible gambling behaviour through our marketing activities.
The new episode, released at the beginning of Cheltenham Festival, features Paddy discussing his career. From the highs of winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup to the lows of falling on Cue Card three jumps from home and losing in the 2016 Gold Cup. Brennan highlights how staying in control and knowing your limits was vital to recovering as a sportsperson. With Paddy missing the last three days of this year's Cheltenham Festival due to a fall on Tuesday, the video is a timely reminder of the highs and lows of being a jockey.
Paving the way to responsible gambling
Paddy’s experiences provide an important link to our wider responsible gambling messaging and help us promote it to our audiences. Horse racing has a large following and, particularly during Cheltenham Festival week, the spotlight is very much on the sport. This allows us to use a sporting talent like Paddy to promote healthier gambling behaviour and advocate for control in an impactful way.
The gambling industry has an important role to play in tackling problem gambling. We strongly believe that by utilising our sporting partners through content such as ‘Know Your Limits’, we can continue building a responsible gambling strategy that cuts through. This series shows how companies like Kindred can use marketing responsibly and tackle problem gambling.
Extending the reach
Focusing on horse racing is natural for Kindred. Our recent initiatives were announced through Unibet: they focus on our commitment to our new sports sponsorship model, which benefits both, sporting organisations and their communities. Kindred also partnered with Women in Racing, enhancing our work in empowering diversity by sponsoring “Racing Home”, a Women in Racing UK programme. Women in Racing is a network that provides support to women who wish to secure positions from grassroots through to senior and board level in the sports industry.
Kindred extended our support reach, by investment into another fantastic racing scheme: #GoRacingGreen. The scheme, led by Debbie Matthews, works with racecourses to help introduce small changes and additions around the sites, including staff awareness and training. It also focuses on offering safe and quiet spaces for people to use at the course, to enjoy the racing in a comfortable environment. Kindred's support also enabled Debbie to give free stable tours for people with invisible illnesses. This was done outside of race meetings - giving those who are unable to attend race meetings the opportunity to be involved with the sport and see the horses from the top stables.
Our partnerships with Women in Racing and #GoRacingGreen, combined with our innovative approach to responsible gambling, highlight how a new model for sports sponsorship is possible and Kindred continues to lead the way in becoming a sponsor for a sport and it’s communities.
