Trentham Monkey Forest

Trentham Monkey Forest offers one of the most unique experiential days out for families and nature lovers alike. 

The park provides excited visitors the extraordinary opportunity to discover the Barbary macaques living similar lives to that in the wild at an accessible price point. Nestled within a stunning 60-acre woodland in Staffordshire, the park allows guests to connect deeply with nature and engage with biodiversity as the monkeys roam freely throughout the forest and exert their incredible natural behaviours.

With ambitious goals of increasing annual visitors well beyond 200,000, our team was also tasked with supporting Monkey Forest in expanding its visitor base, enhancing brand awareness, and collaborating with the internal team to meet growth targets. 

Using targeted paid advertising campaigns and an analytics-driven approach, we worked closely with Monkey Forest’s Head of Marketing to reach audiences most likely to engage with their captivating creative assets. 

The combination of the park’s unique experience—walking among free-roaming monkeys—and authentic, organic-looking creatives sparked strong reactions and conversions, attracting families and tourists seeking an affordable, one-of-a-kind outing.  

// Set up and tracking

// Clear reporting

// Meta campaigns

// Search campaigns

// Creative assets tone feedback 

33% 

Growth in visitors since working with Navigate.

This has led to surpassing all targets and leading to their most successful year in the organisation's 19-year history in terms of footfall.

“In 2024, Trentham Monkey Forest achieved unprecedented success, breaking an eight-year footfall record set in 2016 and surpassing our highest visitor numbers to date.

This remarkable achievement highlights the success of our digital-centric marketing strategy and the dynamic approach developed with our partners at Navigate.

After attending the BIAZA comms conference in 2023, I was incredibly impressed with Navigate and their presentation, as they struck me as an agency with huge expertise in the digital space specifically for wildlife organisations.

As an organisation that funds vital conservation projects, it is so important for us to continue to engage as many visitors as possible with the endangered species we protect, Barbary macaques.

In 2024, Monkey Forest saw a 33% increase in footfall over the previous year—a significant boost in an uncertain market. The impact of our work with Navigate on brand awareness and conversion rates has been substantial.

Working with an agency that truly understands our strategy—particularly around storytelling, unique selling points, and value for money—has been invaluable in driving our sales.

I’m thrilled by the substantial growth in our brand awareness over the past few years, especially as we see the results of the Below-The-Line (BTL) marketing approach we recently prioritised.

When I joined the team in 2021, our long-term goal was 250,000 visitors per season.

Surpassing that milestone by some distance in 2024, just 3 short-years after joining the team, is truly astounding, and I look forward to continuing our successful partnership with Navigate to further strengthen our brand.” 

Head of Marketing, Trentham Monkey Forest