15 minutes with WWT

Tell us about yourself

Adam Freeman, Senior Designer: Experience. I help support sites with 2D interpretation and creative approaches at engaging with our visitors. WWT is the UK's leading wetland conservation charity. We restore, create and protect wetlands for wildlife and people.

What’s been the most heart-warming success story for WWT from the last year?

Our Wetlands and Wellbeing campaign. It reached so many people and showed how mental health and wellbeing can be improved with simple interactions with wetlands - the landscapes, the sounds, the wildlife…

Read more about this here.

What’s been your biggest challenge during the pandemic?

You can turn the "challenge" into looking at new creative ways to keep engaged with WWT's lovely supporters. When sites were closed we still engaged with people via social platforms and our website, with some sites recording video diaries. When we re-opened we needed new flexible templates to work with changing guidelines and welcoming visitors back. Our BrandStencil platform was key in this to help deliver easy to use, re-active, clear and accessible messaging to visitors.

How have you worked to overcome these challenges?

Always approaching these "challenges" with an open mind, viewing it as a new creative opportunity.

What has been the greatest campaign over the last 12 months?

Our Wetlands and Wellbeing campaign. We’re using our wetland centres to evaluate the effects spending time in wetlands has on individual and societal health. Our research at WWT Slimbridge has shown for the first time that nature-based interventions in a wetland environment can contribute significantly to the treatment of anxiety and depression.

Read more about this here.

Did using BrandStencil help with this campaign?

Our sites will have used BrandStencil to help embed this core message, locating key areas where they can communicate the wetlands benefits of their surrounding.

How has BrandStencil helped your brand governance and comms reach?

BrandStencil at WWT is used in many ways. It helps sites deliver our core message and gives them the opportunity to add their own unique angle or story to it. Allowing our visitors to engage more deeply with their own experience. We also use it to help promote events on site and social platforms, as well as key advisory messaging around sites such as hand-washing, path closures etc.