My Client

Harpenden JKA (HJKA) is a popular and successful karate club based in Harpenden, Hertfordshire. My client is Miranda Giles who took over HJKA in 2018, and she needed a very distinct version of my sports club content and marketing.

Both Sensei Miranda and her club are held in high regard by the JKA to which the club is affiliated. This is a client who understands and embraces relevant big issues – self defence, safeguarding, mental and physical health, and the complicated subject of women and sport.

The Project

I’ve worked with Miranda since she took over HJKA in 2018 and became its chief instructor. Her marketing goals have always been straightforward:

To increase the membership of students: starting at age 5, broadening the appeal to include girls, women and older people, alongside the core membership of boys and men.

As Miranda also has a day job, the plan had to be quick and easy to implement. But then all my work has efficiency and productivity built in, not just my sports club content and marketing.

My first task was to understand exactly what kind of club Miranda had in mind. As a chief instructor and karate student herself, she embodies the ‘karate for all’ ethos. Her vision was (and remains) to build a modern, professional, inclusive karate club offering solid, demonstrable values: self-defence, fitness, confidence-building and the support of a safe, welcoming club culture.

Once we had this ‘brand’ documented, I created a content strategy that targeted the club’s very clear audience segments. Then I recommended a focused set of channels and platforms in order to communicate with the segmented audience.

Activity

With sports club content and marketing for HJKA, I concentrated on four areas: content strategy, visual branding, website and social media:

Content strategy

We created a ‘brand manual’ documenting the club’s aims, values, scope and the audience it seeks to attract.

Visual brand

1. I simplified the logo; continuing to reflect the natural area in which the dojo is based but now instantly recognisable from a distance; everything from the website and social media profiles to karate kit and printed leaflets.
2. I created communication templates for WhatsApp, social media, local advertising and flyers, etc.

New website

Working with Graham from childsdesign, I planned and wrote a new WordPress website that targets precisely the segmented audience to whom HJKA appeals. Visual imagery is a mix of professional photography and in-the-dojo action shots with a smart phone.

Social media

Focused on two social media platforms (Instagram and Facebook), then content consultancy with the sole aim of driving traffic to the website.

Outcomes

Since 2018, the club has grown steadily from around 20 students to a very loyal 90+ representing the segments to whom Miranda wants to introduce the benefits of karate.

HJKA’s excellent ranking on Google is evidence of the success of both the club’s key messages, and the way they are being communicated both online and in person. (Making the website the next best thing to meeting Sensei Miranda was an important goal to achieve.)

In addition to search, interest in the club is generate by referrals – particularly parents – which is testament to Miranda’s understanding of her audience and great skills as a chief instructor.

Miranda Giles says:

“Parachute Communication’s sports club content and marketing helps me target my broad audience very efficiently. Working with Susie, I am able to communicate the values that are important to me. And the feedback from students and parents confirms that what we promise is exactly what they want and get. Job done!”