The Customer
Becoming an Extension of the Team Behind One of the UK's Leading Baby Swimming Brands
Since 2019, Fruit Marketing has worked alongside Turtle Tots as their outsourced marketing partner, becoming an integral part of the senior leadership team and helping shape the marketing strategy behind one of the UK's best-known baby swimming franchises.
Today, our role extends far beyond delivering campaigns. We provide strategic marketing leadership across the entire organisation, supporting national brand development, international growth and local franchise success.
The Challenge
Turtle Tots teaches almost 15,000 babies, toddlers and pre-school children to swim every week through a network of more than 50 franchise businesses across the UK, Ireland and the UAE.
As the business continued to grow, so did the complexity of its marketing.
The leadership team needed experienced marketing support that could operate strategically at board level while also delivering practical support across an expanding franchise network.
The challenge wasn't simply attracting more customers.
It was ensuring the Turtle Tots brand remained strong, consistent and relevant across multiple countries, while giving every franchisee the confidence, tools and marketing expertise they needed to grow their own local business.
Like many successful franchisors, Turtle Tots also wanted a marketing partner who could flex around the changing needs of the business—providing strategic direction one day and delivering major marketing projects the next.
That's where Fruit came in.
The Approach
In 2019, Turtle Tots appointed Fruit Marketing to deliver our Outsourced Marketing Management service.
Rather than acting as an external agency, we became an extension of their leadership team—working closely with the owners, PR specialists, social media team and franchise network to lead and coordinate marketing across the business.
Our flexible approach allows Turtle Tots to access senior marketing expertise whenever it's needed.
Whether developing long-term marketing strategy, supporting franchise recruitment, delivering national advertising campaigns or managing major infrastructure projects, we're able to bring together the right skills at the right time.
As the business has evolved, so has our role.
Today, we provide strategic marketing leadership across the entire marketing function while continuing to support individual franchisees with practical, local marketing expertise.
"Fruit Marketing have been able to offer us the experience and knowledge that our franchising business model requires. Not only do they have a vast amount of experience in the sector, they creatively put together and manage our consumer campaigns, and perhaps more importantly are able to produce meaningful statistics showing the ROI of our campaigns.
Last year they attended our annual franchisee conference and were able to help many of our franchisees with their local marketing. On a personal level, it's a pleasure to work with Liz and Rachel, and I would have no hesitation in recommending their expertise and services."
Caroline Sparks
Co-Founder of Turtle Tots
The Process
Every year begins with the same question:
"What does the business want to achieve?"
Working alongside the owners, we develop annual marketing strategies that align with Turtle Tots' wider commercial objectives and support both national and international growth.
From there, we become responsible for helping turn those ambitions into reality.
Protecting and Strengthening the Brand
Franchise businesses succeed when customers enjoy a consistent brand experience wherever they engage.
We work closely with Turtle Tots to develop brand communications, marketing assets and customer journeys that ensure the brand is presented consistently across every market.
As Turtle Tots has expanded internationally, we've helped ensure the brand continues to evolve while remaining true to the values that parents know and trust.
The Outcome
More than six years later, Fruit Marketing has become a trusted part of the Turtle Tots leadership team.
Rather than acting as an external supplier, we're viewed as an extension of the business—contributing to strategic conversations, supporting key commercial decisions and helping shape the future direction of the brand.
Together, we've helped:
- Support the continued growth of one of the UK's leading baby swimming brands.
- Strengthen marketing across the UK, Ireland and the UAE.
- Deliver marketing systems capable of supporting an international franchise network.
- Create national campaigns while empowering local franchisees to grow their own businesses.
- Build marketing processes that support long-term, sustainable growth.
Most importantly, we've built a partnership based on trust.
By combining strategic thinking with practical delivery, Turtle Tots can focus on growing the business with confidence, knowing their marketing function is in safe hands.
