The Register of Exercise Professionals (REPs) has called in PR support from BOTTLE as it seeks to re-affirm itself with the general public.

REPs is part of SkillsActive, the government licensed sector skills council for the active leisure and learning industry. The Register, which has been running for ten years, recognises and regulates exercise professionals who meet the UK’s national standards, to ensure the general public can exercise safely and effectively. The register, which allows members of the public to check if their fitness instructor has the suitable qualifications, currently has over 28,000 exercise professionals listed.

BOTTLE has been tasked with raising consumer awareness of unqualified instructors in the fitness industry, whilst also raising its trade profile and increasing membership levels to the Register. Key to this will  be challenging consumers to check their instructors qualifications before hiring them, thus causing those in the fitness industry to ensure they are included on the Register immediately. BOTTLE will deliver campaigns to support REPs in national, consumer and trade media.

Jean Ann Marnoch, Registrar of REPs, comments: "BOTTLE understood our brief and presented strong, well-informed campaigns which really communicate our core messages. Only 28,000 instructors have been approved by the Register and it is difficult to know just how many instructors there are in the UK who are working without the necessary qualifications. Estimated figures suggest there may be up to 43,000 instructors practicing in the industry which means that 35 per cent may not have relevant qualifications (and are not REPs registered). We need to make a stand against this and are pleased to have BOTTLE on board to raise awareness of this situation."