Experience Makers met on a recent summer’s eve to enjoy a fabled Monday Night series at The Royal Windsor Racecourse. Apart from the opportunity to get together and network, we were joined by David Fraser and members of the the RCA Raceday Experience Group, to see what we could learn from the racing industry, which is strides ahead in CX.
Experience Makers Producer, Harriet, describes how it went.
It’s impossible to stand around aimlessly at Windsor Racecourse. Even while waiting at the entrance for guests to arrive. The variety of visitors is great for people watching and the staff are the most attentive you will ever meet. John, the grounds manager, an elderly gentleman in a smart jacket and woven Panama hat, shakes my hand and introduces himself. He knows the site inside out and gives directions with precision. We talk pleasantries, he tells me a bit about the site, and before the conversation becomes staid or overbearing, he wishes me an enjoyable evening and flutters off. I feel immediately at ease.
I later find out from expert brand strategist David Fraser that John, whilst being no less genuine, did not appear at the entrance to Windsor by accident. Fraser, who has been responsible for reframing the racing industry over the last 10 years, lets us in to the little secrets that have made a trip to the races ‘a world class day out’.
10 years ago, like the property industry today, British Racing was suffering from an identity crisis. Public perception outside of racing circles was low and visitor numbers were flagging. The Racecourse Association knew something needed to be done. They contacted Fraser to develop a strategy that would attract and retain a more diverse audience and safeguard the future of the industry, through a more customer centric approach.
Now over half of visitors who attend the race do so as a social, not a purely sporting event.
Repositioning an industry takes the following front runners:
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