International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) – ‘System Set to Fail: Prosecuting Wildlife Crime’

BACKGROUND

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) asked ON to highlight its new report ‘System Set to Fail: Prosecuting Wildlife Crime’ revealing the urgent need to tackle wildlife crime and raise awareness of the woefully low prosecution rates across the UK.  The report provided a bleak overview of wildlife crime with inconsistent laws, a chronic shortage of resources and a lack of awareness perpetuating the problem.

OUR THINKING

ON worked closely with the charity to help develop several news angles to appeal to different media and advised on assets needed to make the campaign a success. Armed with the latest crime data, video footage of crimes being committed, and some of the UK’s leading voices in the field – including the Head of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU), a police intelligence unit dedicated to fighting wildlife crime – the team worked from a top-down approach – marrying up the collateral with the relevant media and contacts.

RESULTS

The report and assets stuck a chord with broadcasters – securing almost 30 interviews including the Heart Network, LBC and myriad of regional TV news output – reaching an audience of over 15 million.