Freetrain

Freetrain originally made a name for themselves as innovators of the revolutionary running vests. Their USP has been to offer a better solution for storing a phone and other personal belongings when going out for a run, designed mainly with runners in mind. However, users quickly discovered the product’s benefits reached far beyond just running, improving the experience for all sorts of different exercise and sporting activities.

Despite being a relatively young business, Freetrain has seen impressive growth in a short amount of time. After selling nearly 300,000 of their game-changing vests, Freetrain had ambitions to diversify their offerings, expanding into the wider apparel space in May 2022 with an all-new fitness wear range – ‘The Emergence’ collection. The expertly designed range includes Waterproof Windbreakers, Gilets, Seamless Aero Tees, Leggings, Sports Bras, Speed Shorts, Training Pants, and more that are sustainably made for anyone seeking fitness wear that offers both comfort and quality, from casual gym goers to professional athletes.

Freetrain had not publicly told the business story prior to PHA coming on board in July 2020, meaning a key element of the initial PR strategy was to position Freetrain as leaders in the running vest space, educating media as to how they have created a product which revolutionises carrying your belongings hands-free while exercising. This has extended to PHA supporting the announcement of Freetrain’s all-new range of apparel, where we have engaged with key national and higher-level regional business journalists to set up interviews across key titles including The Times, Daily Mirror, and Business Live, providing the platform for Freetrain’s co-founders to discuss the successes of the business to date and growth ambitions.

To ensure Freetrain is front of mind when it comes to consumer purchases, securing inclusion for Freetrain in key product placement slots across national, consumer lifestyle, and sports-specific titles has also been an essential part of our PR strategy. Messaging has evolved throughout the campaign to go from targeting mainly casual runners to a more mass-market audience. Building up strong relationships with consumer media when first introducing them to the Freetrain brand in 2020, to announce the apparel launch, we re-engaged key contacts across the health, fitness, and lifestyle media landscape to secure features in titles such as The Metro, Mail Online, Women’s Health, Men’s Health, GQ, The Independent and more.

In order to drive further brand exposure, we have also engaged with influencers across the running, health & fitness, and sports sectors. These individuals helped to communicate why Freetrain is the most convenient way to carry your personal belongings when you’re going for a run, exercising or playing sport.