Widgit
Widgit Symbols is a powerful visual language that helps adults and children with special needs and disabilities to communicate, read and learn by using pictures instead of words.
Widgit has been on a mission to make family days out more accessible to people with additional needs and provide guides and signage that help individuals navigate a day at the zoo, theatre or amusement park.
When Widgit partnered with Woburn Safari Park to help autistic and pre-verbal children prepare for their visit, they asked us to secure publicity for the collaboration. The aim was to highlight the great work Woburn Safari Park are doing so other businesses in the leisure sector would see the benefits of using the Widgit resources.
“To have the BBC talking about Widgit Symbols on breakfast television is the dream. Many more families, schools and organisations know about us now because of this campaign.”Sue White
We know the best way to make the story relevant to the media is to create an event for them to cover. The more unusual the event, the more likely journalists would be to cover the story.
We worked with the safari park to find a hook that the media would find interesting. When we heard Wednesday the one-eyed camel had an upcoming birthday, we knew this was a story the press would pick up. We suggested the park invited pupils from a local special educational needs school to celebrate the camel’s birthday and we used the Widgit symbols to help the children prepare for the day.
Journalists and reporters want access to experts, so we lined up a series of relevant interviewees who could explain how these visuals help the children understand what will happen on the day so they do not become overwhelmed.
Interviewees included parents and carers of autistic children, a speech and language therapist, a safari park ranger and a Widgit spokesperson.
Thanks to the unique nature of our event, we secured coverage on the coveted BBC Breakfast slot plus BBC lunch time and evening news bulletins, BBC Look East and BBC online.
Heart Radio interviewed Widgit and Woburn Safari Park and aired the news multiple times on the day of the event.
We also generated great coverage in the regional, education and special educational needs press.
From this small campaign, 17 pieces of coverage were published or aired in total.
Scroll down for the full results and impact of this campaign 👇
17 pieces of coverage in total across national, regional and education sectors
5 pieces of broadcast coverage including BBC Breakfast and Heart Radio
10,000 views on social media
Raised awareness of how Widgit symbols can widen access to leisure activities for autistic children
