What if improving your communication skills could change your career—or even your life? That’s exactly what we showcased with our Toastmasters awareness campaign on the London Underground!
A Campaign that created a buzz (10 Mar – 23 Mar)
This initiative started as a challenge—to explore new and innovative marketing ideas. From 10th March to 23rd March, our TFL Tube Campaign showcased Toastmasters across Bank, Brixton, Chiswick Park, Edgware Road, Holborn, Turnpike Lane, Waterloo, and Westminster stations. With my background in media, I had always been curious about advertising on the Tube but wasn’t sure if it was feasible within our limited budget. But here’s the thing about Toastmasters—we make things happen!
Our Goals:
1️⃣ Raise awareness about Toastmasters—a global organisation with 270,000 members worldwide and 175 clubs in the South of the UK.
2️⃣ Encourage more people to join and experience the life-changing skills Toastmasters offers—whether for acing a job interview, becoming a stronger leader, or speaking confidently.
3️⃣ Make our members proud of their journey through a Tube Selfie Contest!
How It All Came Together
To reach a larger audience and spread the word about Toastmasters, we created a small action team:
🔹 Hephzibah Emereole & Ramesh Halai from the club growth team led the groundwork, researching options and engaging vendors. I finalised station locations and negotiated a taster campaign with Dami from Global, securing first-time client discounts and ad extensions beyond 23March. It’s still there on the Bank Station if you’d like to take some more selfies.
🔹 Steve Vear believed in the vision and approved the budget, making this dream a reality!
🔹 Janet Alkema, Rob Dewing & I collaborated on the engaging webpage DitchTheNerves.com.
🔹 Diane Richardson designed eye-catching visuals.
🔹 Allen Paul crafted contest messaging and drove engagement on social media.
The Results: A Resounding Success!
📸 Districts across the world noticed the campaign and reached out to collaborate with us on the #DitchTheNerves initiative.
🌟 Our district members enthusiastically participated, taking Tube selfies and spreading the word.
📈 Sign-ups from non-Toastmaster members surged, and we kept them engaged with five emailers, sharing videos and interview tips collated by Janet.
What’s Next? DitchTheNerves-Live Webinar on 16th April & 14th May!
Our team is now working on DitchTheNerves-Live, a webinar designed for non-Toastmasters who engaged with us through the Tube Campaign and the Jobs Fair campaigns.
🎤 Hosted by experienced Toastmasters, HR professionals, and corporate club members, this panel discussion will:
✅ Share personal growth stories.
✅ Discuss interview do’s and don’ts.
✅ Provide strong takeaways to inspire attendees to join Toastmasters for their communication and leadership journey.
Look out for the social media campaign reaching out to wider audiences beyond London. Details will follow soon.
This campaign is a testament to what we can achieve together—helping more people find their voice and unlock their potential.
Announcements & Incentives
👥 Bring a Friend Initiative – Introduce four guests to your club and earn an exciting incentive from the district when they join the club!
🏆 Early Bird Renewal Winners Announced! Congratulations to our winners who renewed their membership early! Your commitment to growth is inspiring.
Warm regards,
Seema Menon, DTM
D91 Club Growth Director 2024-25
Last Updated on 31st March 2025 by Allen Paul