16
WWT Report and Financial Statements 2012/13
Visitor services and marketing
Providing a good quality and friendly service to our 800,000 visitors is of great
importance to WWT. During the year we initiated a customer service training
programme for all our staff who work with visitors.
Reaching wider audiences
There was notable success in gaining coverage
of WWT’s work in the media, with several highlights
throughout the year, as well as steady news week
to week. We gained a stronger voice on issues
affecting wetlands, such as plans for a Severn barrage
and the threat of invasive non-native aquatic plants.
Stories which had wide media appeal included
news of the first Madagascar pochard to be bred in
captivity, broadcast extensively within the UK and
throughout the world using WWT footage. A positive
message about WWT’s scientific study of the effects
of lead shot on wildfowl reached around 30 million
people, with highlights including a live broadcast
from Slimbridge on BBC Breakfast, Chief Executive
Martin Spray speaking on Farming Today and
coverage in the national newspapers.
On the day the Parliament’s Energy and Climate
Change Committee sought evidence on the Severn
barrage, The Guardian website featured a WWT film
representing voices of concern from WWT and other
environmental organisations.
The Scott 100 Letters campaign marked the centenary
of Captain Scott’s Antarctic expedition by asking people
to write inspiring letters. It was featured in a film on
BBC’s The One Show and a follow up is scheduled
for 2013.
The spoon-billed sandpiper conservation breeding
programme hatched chicks in the UK for the first time.
WWT footage was used extensively on television and
online. The project also featured in Animal Planet’s
Animal Airport programme.
Responding to developments in how we consume and
produce media, WWT set up a media production team
which produces footage and films of WWT’s work. Being
able to create our own films and show them directly to
the public gives us the chance to show off our stunning
wildlife spectacles and incredibly talented staff and
volunteers – our wetland heroes. As well as providing
footage for broadcast news, WWT edited the feature
length Saving the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, which has
received very positive reviews since going on sale in
summer 2012. The team is also giving cameras and
training to all WWT’s wetland centres, so they can better
engage their local audiences.
The online environment provides an opportunity to engage
a global audience and has become the main outlet for our
video work. WWT’s website continued to be developed,
with an overhaul of design and structure in mid-2012. One
current focus is creating better platforms for communicating
WWT stories, in particular the videos and news content
that we are already producing. Another focus is to create
an active WWT online community to increase support for
the organisation. Over the year April 2012 to March 2013
the website welcomed 840,221 visitors. However, many
supporters like to engage via social media and WWT’s
followers are increasing healthily with Twitter followers now
over 40,000 and Facebook around 10,000.
The new dedicated National Visitor Marketing team is
taking an organisation-wide view, including WWT’s market
positioning, target audiences and key areas of focus, which
enables us to provide support for our wetland centres.
Building on audience segmentation work to date, the team
is developing a clear product with benefits that will appeal
to the specific audiences. Able to take a longer term
view, the team is also looking at national themes so that
WWT’s wetland centres can co-ordinate their offers and
communications. Themes for 2013 are New Life (March to
June) and Migration (October to February).
Membership
Our members are the bedrock of our organisation. From
funding our work to conserve essential wetland habitats, to
saving the rarest of our planet’s species, to giving volume
to our campaigning voice, we could not do what we do
without them. And through their ongoing engagement with
our work, we are able to achieve more every year.
In 2012/13, in tough economic and climatic conditions,
our members have stood firm with us; our retention rate
has increased to 84.7 percent; 10 percent more of our
members have given to our conservation appeals year on
year; adoptions are up by 0.4 percent; 52 percent of centre
visits are made by our members, over 440,000.
We have clear plans to increase dramatically the volume
and value of members and supporters, increase the funds
available for essential conservation projects and increase
engagement with our work.
We will achieve this by putting our members and
supporters at the very heart of everything that we do.
