FM Winter 2025 - Flipbook - Page 34
Ocean Outdoor
Ocean Outdoor’s support for my tour came up during a spectacular
summer for the digital out of home specialists.
Ocean Outdoor were already on my tour radar because the
company had joined forces with Hammerson’s shopping centres to
create pop-up Olympic Games fanzones through the summer. I
caught a glimpse of that in action via a diversion on the day when I
ran through Bristol. It was the last day of the Olympic Games and, in
a group of four runners we stopped to see some of the last medals
of the Games being awarded in the laid back zone at Cabot Circus.
However, at the start of the Tour I had no inkling that Ocean
Outdoor might support it, or how useful their support would prove
to be.
But mid-way through the tour I was nudged by Ocean’s head of
development Richard Isom who asked me for some photographs
from the tour so far that he could use in something creative.
I was told to look out for this on my way into Birmingham Bullring
and also when coming to Eldon Square shopping centre in
Newcastle, the planned photo stop straight after crossing my Tour
finish line at Newcastle cathedral.
And wow, it certainly gave the ego a boost to see a massive 22ft
image of me together with ‘keep going’ encouragement unmissably
right down the side of a tower block as I headed into the Bullring
and similarly a massive congratulations digital poster of me to pose
in front of together with all of the people who had come to see my
finish the Tour.
It was extremely exciting. These images drew a lot of interest and
comments when replayed on social media and doubtless the
charity will have benefitted from the consequent donations.
Of course, I had half guessed what Richard and Ocean Outdoor had
in store for me, but I significantly underestimated the uplift it gave
me and the elevated personal and event status that these few hours
of prominence conferred.
It was really special for me and a great advert for this advertising. It
gave my Tour an extra layer of credibility to be shown off so
dramatically in these iconic locations.
Roamler
Roamler is an app-based business that connects its customers –
often brands, brand teams or retailers with a willing workforce of
certified professionals and trained shoppers across Europe.
When the Roamler team came on board to support the Big TOE they
set up a way of signing up to the Big TOE using the app and setting
tasks specific to supporting me on my route.
When Roamler’s International Recruitment and Activation lead,
Lauren Daniel and Community Manager Lieke Vreeburg intercepted
me on the way into the Bullring and handed me some invaluable
energy bars, that was because they had responded to a job that had
been put up on their own app. Big TOE tasks on the app were mostly
unpaid. I forget the app number of the tasks that the Roamler
workforce completed but it was up there in 100s, mostly online
support and cheering. It was great to know that this army of
supporters had been engaged with my story and that of the charity.
Another unpaid job was a link up with Roamler followed at Lichfield
Cathedral where Chief Revenue and Delivery Officer David Viles and
his daughter pooped up with an invitation to dinner! That was a
lovely surprise after what had been a 33-mile day.
For a bit of fun, we did add one paid job onto the Roamler app,
asking some of the workforce to come and grab a finish line photo
with me. That was great fun as the Roamler requests for selfies
triggered intrigue and similar requests from other bystanders. In
doing so, a planning problem of my own making was fixed. I had
started and finished my Big Tour of England in Newcastle, and
whilst that worked in terms of creating highlight weekends en route,
it meant that the final day saw me running into a place that is
challenging to get to for all but local support.
32 Winter 2025
