How Tilda Rice Created Queue-Worthy Community Engagement Across Multiple UK Mela Events
Learn how Tilda Rice, the UK's leading rice and grain specialist, transformed their community event presence by utilising FunPro's bespoke branded game hire, creating irresistible crowd engagement that had festival-goers queuing all day long at Mela celebrations across Glasgow, Cardiff, Leicester, and London.
Customer Profile
Tilda Rice operates in the competitive food and beverage industry, specifically within the rice and grain sector. As a household name across the UK, Tilda has built its reputation on quality products and strong community connections. The company recognises the importance of engaging directly with diverse communities, particularly through cultural celebrations that bring families together around food and tradition. Their participation in Mela events across major UK cities demonstrates their commitment to celebrating the cultural heritage of their customer base whilst building meaningful brand relationships within these vibrant communities.
Key Metrics
4 major UK cities covered - Glasgow, Cardiff, Leicester, and London
100% repeat booking rate - Additional community events secured following initial success
All-day engagement - Continuous queues of participants throughout each event
Complete brand customisation - Every element of the game aligned with Tilda's visual identity
Multi-day coverage - Extended 2-day activation for Leicester Mela
Seamless outdoor execution - Professional solutions for challenging marquee environments
About Tilda Rice
Tilda Rice has been a trusted name in British households for decades, bringing premium rice and grain products to families across the UK. The company's journey began with a simple mission: to provide the highest quality rice that enhances family meals and brings people together around the dinner table. Over the years, Tilda has grown from a specialist importer to a comprehensive food brand that understands the cultural significance of rice in diverse communities.
The challenge facing Tilda was how to meaningfully connect with the vibrant multicultural communities that form a significant part of their customer base. Traditional advertising could reach these audiences, but the company recognised that authentic engagement required something more personal and experiential. Mela events, which celebrate South Asian culture through food, music, dance, and community activities, represented the perfect opportunity to connect with families in a natural, celebratory environment.
However, standing out at these bustling community festivals presented its own challenges. With numerous food vendors, cultural displays, and entertainment options competing for attention, Tilda needed something that would draw people to their stand and create lasting positive associations with their brand. The company had previous experience working with FunPro UK several years earlier and remembered the professional service and creative solutions they provided.
When planning their return to community event marketing, Tilda knew they needed an activation event that would reflect their brand values whilst creating genuine excitement. The rice and grain sector isn't traditionally associated with high-energy entertainment, but Tilda understood that connecting with families meant creating moments of joy and shared experience that would resonate long after the festival ended.
The Community Engagement Challenge
As told to FunPro by the Tilda Rice marketing team.
The Mela circuit represents some of the most vibrant and well-attended cultural celebrations in the UK, but these events also present unique marketing challenges. "We needed something that would capture the family-friendly spirit of these festivals whilst clearly connecting back to our brand," explained the Tilda team. "These aren't corporate environments where traditional marketing approaches work. Families come to Mela events to celebrate their culture, enjoy authentic food, and have fun together."
The outdoor nature of these events created additional complexity. Most Mela celebrations take place in parks or open spaces, with vendors operating under marquees that need to accommodate unpredictable British weather. "The ground conditions are rarely ideal," noted the events team. "We needed entertainment that could work effectively on uneven surfaces whilst maintaining safety standards for families with children of all ages."
Tilda's previous experience with FunPro UK several years earlier had left a positive impression, particularly regarding their ability to handle logistical challenges whilst maintaining high standards of presentation. When the company decided to increase their community event presence, they contacted FunPro UK directly to discuss options for creating branded entertainment that would work across multiple locations.
The initial enquiry focused on the Roll and Bowl game, which had proven popular in their previous collaboration. However, this time Tilda wanted to take the branding much further. "We didn't just want our logo on the game," the marketing team explained. "We wanted the entire experience to feel authentically Tilda whilst being genuinely entertaining for festival-goers."
The Bespoke Branding Solution
As told to FunPro by the Tilda Rice brand activation team.
FunPro UK's in-house print team worked closely with Tilda to create a completely customised version of their popular Roll and Bowl game. Every visual element was redesigned to incorporate Tilda's colourful rice bag designs, creating an immediately recognisable brand experience that felt natural within the game's mechanics.
"The transformation was remarkable," recalled the Tilda team. "The well-known colourful Tilda Rice bags became the characters that move across the game as contestants play. It wasn't just branded entertainment; it was entertainment that told our brand story through play." The customisation extended to every component: the rear board featured Tilda's signature colours and messaging, the playing fields incorporated rice-themed graphics, and the front skirt created a cohesive brand environment that drew people in from across the festival grounds.
The technical execution required careful consideration of outdoor conditions. FunPro UK's team addressed the uneven ground challenges by providing professional levelling solutions and ensuring the game remained stable and safe throughout each event. "They understood that our reputation was on the line," noted the marketing team. "If the game didn't work properly or looked unprofessional, it would reflect poorly on our brand."
The logistics of moving this customised setup across four different cities also required careful planning. Each location presented its own access challenges, from narrow park gates to restricted vehicle access times. FunPro UK's experience with nationwide event coverage proved invaluable, with their team coordinating delivery and setup to ensure each event opened with the game fully operational and looking perfect.
Results and Future Community Engagement
The success of Tilda's branded Roll and Bowl activation exceeded all expectations. At each Mela event, the game became a focal point that drew families to the Tilda stand throughout the day. "The queues were constant," reported the events team. "Children would play, then bring their parents back to play again. It created exactly the kind of positive family associations we were hoping for."
The immediate impact was measurable through both engagement levels and subsequent business development. More community events have been booked since the initial successes at Cardiff and Glasgow, with Tilda expanding their Mela presence to include Leicester (extended to two days due to demand) and London. The company has recognised that experiential marketing through properly executed brand activations creates deeper connections than traditional advertising approaches.
"Working with FunPro UK has given us confidence to think bigger about community engagement," explained the marketing team. "They've shown us that our household name status can translate into genuinely entertaining experiences that people remember." The partnership has opened conversations about expanding into other community events and festivals throughout the year.
The success has also influenced Tilda's broader marketing strategy, with the company recognising the value of interactive brand experiences. The visual impact of seeing families queuing to engage with Tilda-branded entertainment has provided compelling content for social media and demonstrated ROI in ways that traditional marketing metrics often struggle to capture.
Looking ahead, Tilda is planning to expand their community event calendar and explore additional customisation options with FunPro UK. The relationship has evolved from a simple game hire arrangement into a strategic partnership for community engagement, with both companies committed to creating even more innovative branded experiences for future events.
FunPro UK Team Spotlight
The success of Tilda's community engagement programme showcases the collaborative expertise of FunPro UK's specialist teams. The in-house print team played a crucial role in bringing Tilda's vision to life, working directly with the client's brand guidelines to ensure every design element maintained consistency whilst enhancing the gaming experience.
FunPro UK's logistics specialists managed the complex coordination required for multi-city events, ensuring seamless delivery and setup across different venues with varying access requirements. The technical team addressed the outdoor challenges, providing professional solutions for uneven ground conditions whilst maintaining safety standards appropriate for family events.
This project demonstrates FunPro UK's ability to combine creative customisation with practical execution, delivering branded entertainment solutions that work reliably in challenging environments whilst creating genuine excitement for event attendees.
Ready to Create Your Own Community Engagement Success?
If you're looking to connect with your audience through memorable branded experiences, FunPro UK's team of community engagement specialists can help you create entertainment solutions that draw crowds and build lasting positive associations with your brand.
Contact our friendly team today to discuss how we can bring your brand to life through interactive entertainment.