Fortitude Communications appointed by English Greyhound Derby

The world-famous English Greyhound Derby returns to Towcester Racecourse this month and Fortitude has been selected as the historic competition’s official communications partner.

First held in 1927 at the iconic White City Stadium in front of 92,000 spectators, the English Greyhound Derby celebrates its 93^rd running this year and will be staged at Towcester Racecourse in Northamptonshire over six consecutive weekends. Oxford based Fortitude will manage the competition’s strategic communications, social media output, PR and marketing to develop local and national awareness, build brand engagement and drive ticket sales. 

Fortitude’s sports practice will work closely with Towcester’s in-house team and provide a live race night presence at all nine English Greyhound Derby fixtures to upscale the competition’s digital footprint and provide event support. 

It comes almost two years after Fortitude first partnered with Oxford Stadium, which was reopened in April 2022 by businessman and Towcester MD Kevin Boothby who reinstalled greyhound racing, speedway and a boxing academy to the Cowley venue. 

Brand Engagement

Shaun Reynolds, Senior Account Executive at Fortitude Communications, said: ​“The English Greyhound Derby is the jewel in greyhound racing’s crown and we’re proud to be appointed as the competition’s official communications partner.

“We’ve developed an exciting brief which will take the Derby’s online and community engagement to a whole new level and set the standard for future renewals of this great event.

“Greyhound racing has fallen on difficult times in the last decade, with the closures of several major venues including Coventry, Hall Green, Peterborough and Wimbledon. In addition, public campaigns to end the sport for good must be challenged and the Derby presents a fantastic opportunity to showcase everything positive about the sport. ​“We’re pleased to be onboard and look forward to the beginning of Round One on Thursday, May 25.”

Fortitude is a boutique communications agency that provides services including PR, content creation, social media management, marketing, video production and photography. It delivers impactful results spanning traditional media, digital and events. 

The agency represents clients across a range of sectors including professional services, sport, charity, hospitality, tech, healthcare, transport and sustainability. Clients include Oxford Stadium, Oxford Speedway, Mercure Oxford Hawkwell House Hotel, Gusto Italian and Oxford City Football Club.

If you would like to chat about how our team could support you please get in touch here.