The new ERBID Brixham in Images Photo Competition is a fantastic opportunity for both amateur and professional photographers to showcase the beauty, charm, and character of Brixham through their own lens.
This is a brilliant way to engage your visitors and encourage them to explore Brixham in a fresh, creative way – with the added incentive of a £500 cash prize!
Why get involved? By promoting the competition to your guests, you’re giving them a chance to connect more deeply with Brixham, share their experiences, and become part of something that celebrates everything the town has to offer. It’s also a great opportunity for your business to attract social media engagement, and help showcase Brixham to a wider audience.
How you can help:
Display the attached A4 poster in a prominent place for guests to see
Share the competition on your website, social media channels, or in guest newsletters
Encourage your visitors to get involved and capture their favourite views of Brixham
Our CEO Carolyn sums it up perfectly: “This competition is a great opportunity for people to capture what makes Brixham unique – from its harbour and marina to its welcoming community and stunning coastline. We’re excited to see images that reflect the town’s true spirit.”
This initiative is part of our wider Marketing Recovery campaign, supported by funding from South West Water.
Let’s show off Brixham at its best – through the eyes of your guests!
Monday 26th May saw the launch of the latest phase of the ERBID’s major new escape your everyday destination marketing campaign.
This multi-channel advertising campaign is aimed specifically at couples aged 50+, mid – mid/high affluence, and living in Bristol, Cardiff and South Wales – with the digital aspect of the campaign also targeting the South West.
It is fun and engaging and speaks directly to the audience. Following the same theme as the families campaign, the concept plays on the juxtaposition between people’s ‘everyday’ lives and their holiday in the English Riviera, showing the wealth of things to do and see in the area.
The campaign comprises:
TV advertising via Sky AdSmart and ITVX. There are 3 TV adverts: you can watch them here:
Paid for digital advertising on Meta, Google, and Trip Advisor – display and video
Organic social media
PR
The campaign is running throughout the year.
This new marketing campaign is being part-funded by South West Water following lost bookings across Devon as a result of the Cryptosporidium outbreak in Brixham last May.
Toolkit for local businesses
There are various creative assets available for you to use in your own marketing until the end of 2026, including videos and photography. This option is open to all levy payers and indeed to ALL businesses based in Brixham, no matter whether you are a tourism business or not.
To obtain the creative assets, you must first sign a licence agreement, agreeing to the terms of use of the imagery and videos. You can only use the assets until the end of 2026 due to the licencing arrangements with the actors, voice-over and soundtrack. Please email alison@englishrivierabid.co.uk to request the assets. She will send a licence agreement. Once she has received the signed agreement, you will receive the assets via a secure download link.
Videos There are three 30-second adverts and one longer video. These have been uploaded to the English Riviera YouTube channel and you can embed the link on to your own website. If you would like to use them for social media you will need the original files which are included in the assets.
Photos There is a selection of photography that was taken on the days when the TV advert was shot. You are welcome to use these in any of your marketing until the end of 2026.
Social Media Escape your everyday and trade in your daily routine for coastal strolls, delicious local cuisine, unforgettable adventures, and incredible sunsets.
The English Riviera in Devon is calling your name. From the charming towns of Brixham, Paignton, and Torquay to the stunning beaches and vibrant local culture, it’s the perfect destination for couples seeking to create memories that will last a lifetime!
Digital There is a dedicated landing page on the English Riviera website which will enable us to track the success of the advertising campaign – www.englishriviera.co.uk/escape
Hashtags The ERBID encourages all of us to use the hashtags #englishriviera and #escapeyoureveryday in any of your social media posts. Encourage your customers to do the same if they are posting their holiday photos and videos on their on social media sites.
To receive images and video files for the Couples Campaign, please email alison@englishrivierabid.co.uk to request the Creative Assets Licensing Agreement form.
COMING SOON! The ERBID will also have furthermarketing resources focused on Brixham – a collection of copyright-free images and a brand-new video, ready for you to use in your own promotions.
On May 14, the ERBID held its annual industry update, bringing together tourism partners to share insights and outline strategic plans.
In his opening remarks, ERBID chair Chris Hart addressed the fallout from the cryptosporidium outbreak in Brixham last year.
“The coverage was alarmist, it was inaccurate, and it had a devastating effect,” said Mr Hart. “It set not only the businesses in Brixham and Kingswear back but also businesses right across the Bay and wider Devon.”
A media audit revealed the global reach of coverage on the incident was an estimated 38 billion views. “There are only eight billion people on Earth,” Mr Hart said.
In response, the ERBID Company secured a £1.2 million settlement from South West Water — believed to be a UK first for a destination marketing organisation. It has since launched a new national recovery marketing campaign, including two television adverts.
Ms Custerson said the ERBID’s key strategic aims now include:
rebuilding visitor confidence following the water crisis;
attracting new audiences while retaining loyal ones;
positioning the English Riviera as a year-round destination;
recovering visitor spend, which has been affected by economic pressures;
and expanding the Agatha Christie legacy and UNESCO Global Geopark brand.
“Visitor growth is starting to show through again. Confidence leads to recommendations, and that’s critical,” Ms Custerson said. “We also need to continue extending the season. February used to be very quiet but is now so much busier. You can see the extension happening in October, November, and December too.”
The ERBID’s current marketing strategy is a recovery-focused plan targeting the English Riviera’s two core market audiences: families and couples, particularly couples over the age of 50. But these traditional markets are evolving.
Ms Custerson said: “We’re seeing more multicultural, extended families and ‘cultural couples’ who want to get underneath the skin of a place.’’
Accessibility also emerged as a growing issue, as the 2024 English Riviera Visitor Survey identified 16 per cent of respondents as having access needs – up from nine per cent in the Devon-wide data. If the English Riviera doesn’t meet accessibility requirements, entire groups may choose to holiday elsewhere.
Ms Custerson emphasised how well positioned the English Riviera is to serve a diverse range of additional markets. The ERBID is also targeting groups, business events, cruise tourism and international audiences.
She said: “Covid cost us £420 million in lost business, which combined with the loss from crypto means we’ve lost £460 million worth of visitor economy in the last five years.
“It’s a lot to claw back but we are doing it. We are making inroads and we are being seen at all the major meeting exhibitions and conference events.”
A new business tourism forum, led by Becky Davies of Torbay Council, is also working with Torbay’s hotel operators to develop the area as a conference destination.
The ERBID is also part of an exciting new Visit Britain campaign called Starring GB. There is huge growth in domestic and international tourists wanting to visit media, film, and TV locations. With the English Riviera’s connection to Agatha Christie and the major film The Salt Path coming out at the end of May, the ERBID sees huge opportunity.
Ms Custerson also described the international student market as “the young actives of the future” and said the ERBID is in discussions with language school operators to encourage more students to come to the Bay.
The ERBID’s television marketing campaign — developed with Chalk and Ward — is already seeing results. The “Escape Your Everyday” campaign contrasts visitors’ daily monotony with the excitement of the English Riviera.
Pippa Craddock, chair of the ERBID marketing focus group, said: “We have really developed a great working relationship in a short space of time, but most importantly, we are seeing some great results.”
The families campaign, launched on February 17, focuses on mid to lower-affluence families from Birmingham and the West Midlands — areas identified as key target geographies. It has already generated 10.5 million impressions and a 5.6 per cent increase in consideration for an English Riviera holiday.
A couples campaign, launching on May 26, will focus on scenery, walks and delicious food — targeting mid to higher-affluence couples. It includes coverage on Sky and other platforms and will feature the South West in its planning.
Additional projects include a new promotional video of Brixham and its Pirate Festival, a photography competition and some influencer-led content for social media. Chalk and Ward is also working on a specific campaign targeting TripAdvisor. Postcode analysis has already shown increased bookings from areas including Wolverhampton and Nottingham. The English Riviera website is seeing longer dwell time, and visitor information centre footfall is at a three-year high.
Ms Custerson said: “One of my proudest moments in this job was when we won gold in the tourism awards for the best visitor information service. It’s a huge achievement.”
The ERBID invests £100,000 each year to assist in event development, including the English Riviera Airshow and Bay of Lights, and newer additions like the South West Sardine Festival and 2026 ICF Stand Up Paddling World Cup. The company also has a contingency for seed funding.
The ERBID has also seen national PR success through its collaboration with Four Marketing Agency, aiming to arrest negative media coverage. Over the past year, the English Riviera has achieved nearly 180 pieces of high-impact media coverage, including features in The Guardian and The Sun.
Four has launched a new ambassador programme, encouraging local businesses to share unique, newsworthy stories — including the UK’s first solar-heated caravan and new accessible tourism offers. The programme is open to tourism and hospitality BID levy payers.
The ERBID has also co-founded the South West Visitor Economy Data Hub (www.swvehub.co.uk), giving businesses access to real-time insights on tourism performance and visitor behaviour.
Social media engagement has increased by 15 per cent since January, with a record 1.2 million views in one week on a single post about Splashdown.
The current ERBID term — its second — will run until December 31, 2026. A recent mid-term survey indicated that there is currently strong support for a third BID term.
Ms Custerson said: “We’ve got your interests at heart. All of us unanimously as a board and company absolutely believe in the English Riviera brand. I am feeling as much positivity as I’ve ever felt in the 15 years I’ve been associated in my different roles.”
Monday 17th February saw the launch of a major new destination marketing campaign aimed at attracting families to holiday in the English Riviera.
Following the appointment of Exeter-based marketing agency, Chalk & Ward, The ERBID Company has developed a multi-channel advertising campaign – ‘escape your everyday’.
The campaign is aimed specifically at low to medium-income families with young children who are looking for fun, and living in the Midlands, specifically Birmingham, Wolverhampton, and Coventry.
Chalk & Ward’s thinking behind the campaign is that these families do not go on multiple holidays, so their holiday needs to be special. They have created a campaign that is fun and engaging and speaks directly to the audience. The concept plays on the juxtaposition between people’s everyday lives and their holiday in the English Riviera. Whilst also showing the wealth of things to do and see in the area, it also highlights the stark difference by relating everyday chores and the monotony of everyday life with the fun and excitement of an English Riviera holiday.
The campaign will comprise:
TV advertising (live and on demand) on Sky AdSmart, ITVx and various other digital channels via ‘connected TV’
Digital out of home (video and static ads) in the central Birmingham area in shopping malls, transit hubs and bus shelters
Paid for digital advertising on Meta, Google, and Trip Advisor – display and video
Organic social media
Influencer marketing
PR
The campaign will run from Monday 17th February until the end of June with the digital out of home running from 17th – 24th February and 14th – 21st April.
There are various creative elements to the campaign:
3 x 30 seconds adverts – using digital TV we can deliver different versions of the advert, so we can really promote all there is to do and see in the area
A longer video
Digital adverts of varying lengths – both display and video – for use online or on digital out of home sites
Those of us located in the English Riviera are not the target audience (which is the Midlands), so we shouldn’t see the campaign on our own TVs or media channels. But you won’t miss out as you can view the adverts below:
The ERBID Company is currently working on a marketing tool kit for all BID Levy Payers which will allow you to use the creative assets of the campaign in your own marketing. Please do look out for an email soon which will give you all the details of how you can obtain these assets.
This new Marketing Recovery campaign is being part-funded by South West Water following lost bookings across Devon as a result of the cryptosporidium outbreak in Brixham last May.
The ERBID Co are delighted to introduce new free workshops for spring 2025, designed for English tourism and hospitality businesses. ‘Grow your Business’ is a new tourism support programme funded by Torbay Council through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), delivered by trusted specialists and in partnership with the ERBID Co.
Designed from businesses’ feedback, this new initiative offers opportunities to gain knowledge, enhance skills, expand networks, to Grow your Business. There are 5 funded workshops to book onto.
Local Partnerships & Collaborations Working ‘Hackathon’ – Studio Zao
Understanding & Using Ai – Insignia Creative
Business Planning, Survival & Tax/Finance – Twigger Solutions
Please note that these workshops are only available to English Riviera tourism and hospitality businesses paying the ERBID levy. Places are free and allocated on a ‘first come first served’ basis.
