Orchard Media & Events Group was tasked with providing experiential activities at service stations to generate awareness, interest and engagement and ultimately increase visitor numbers to both the website, social media sites and destinations themselves. The purpose of the activity was to make people aware of Cognation by installing a temporary Bike Track to attract attention and act as a hook to engage in further discussion.

Build awareness of the Cognation Trail Centres and gain trial amongst the target audience.

Two sites were chosen with high footfall and regional proximity to the trail centres and two weekends were selected (one extended Bank Holiday period) to reach as many people as possible. Pens were given out with the flyers to people walking into or out of the service station building. The team would explain Cognation and the bike trials, refer to the website address and that the track was there to try out. Cognation certainly had a large presence for both weekends. Public were watching and getting information rather than actually having a go themselves.

Approx 95,600 people estimated to have visited Strensham Services during the activity period, and 162,680 people estimated to have visited Magor Services, so a total 258,283 visitors to the service stations potentially saw and were aware of Cognation. 1,200 people (or 0.5% of footfall) were spoken with about Cognation and approx 300 people were spoken to at length about specific details of Cognation.

The team had very positive feedback from the all those they met. The individuals they spoke to at the track side were very interested and positive and likely to be future visitors and advocates for Cognation. The track concept worked, in so far as it acted as a great hook to engage with individuals. There were very large numbers of people aware of the activities through visiting the services, and the large on site presence undoubtedly created impact and interest with lots of people beyond those actually spoken with.