Published by Sue Johns-Chapman
Published Date 13.06.2022 
About Represent
Represent Comms is an award-winning PR and digital communications agency located in Edinburgh. With a history of driving business growth and creating impactful campaigns, Represent has a proven track record of successfully planning and executing intelligent, integrated strategies that deliver across a wide range of sectors.
One of Represent’s longstanding clients is the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society Scotland (RHASS), a membership organisation of over 16000 members representing the food, farming, and rural sectors in Scotland.
Each year the organisation hosts the Royal Highland Show, Scotland’s largest agricultural event.
The 2021 Royal Highland Showcase
In June 2021 and during Covid-19, Represent was tasked with delivering an effective PR and digital marketing campaign for a wholly new kind of Show – a hybrid event with ‘live competitors’ televised and broadcast online to the wider public.
The aim was to reach a global audience, spanning multiple sectors including agriculture, trade, tourism and food and drink.
Using an integrated marketing strategy encompassing PR, digital marketing, and social media, Represent focused on a content strategy that spoke to these diverse groups. We also developed a trade campaign designed to encourage exhibitors to attend and show their animals. The messaging focused on countering any health concerns around the pandemic and highlighting the business benefit of attending. This was hugely successful with over 3,000 livestock competitors attending over the show week, creating a wonderful spectacle of food, farming and rural life which was broadcast across the world.
The results speak for themselves. The Royal Highland Show’s website received 49k direct referrals from organic social media content, while over 350 pieces of coverage were secured, including 3 national newspaper front covers. Surveys from the event found that 69% of virtual attendees rated the experience above other Shows.
RHS Showcase 2021 Dairy judging. Credit – Phil Wilkinson .
Being Shortlisted
We are thrilled to have been shortlisted for the Not-for-Profit/Charity Content Campaign of the Year Award. The 2021 Royal Highland Showcase was a ground-breaking project as one of the first, if not the first of the UK’s agricultural shows to be broadcast live to a global audience. During a hugely challenging time for both society and Scotland’s rural communities, we were able to bring people together and celebrate the best of Scotland’s food, farming, and lifestyle.
The 2021 Royal Highland Showcase was by every measure a huge success, reaching close to 100 countries around the world, and gaining millions of engagements on social media. It is wonderful to be recognised for our hard work on this fantastic project.
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