Building awareness & trust through PR
The Challenge
Ahead of Burns Night on 25 January, Scottish family-favourite brand McIntosh entrusted Represent with raising awareness of its much-loved haggis, neeps and tatties dish (RRP £1.70) – a quintessential part of the Burns Supper! With a focus on quality and value, the family-owned firm needed help spreading the word about this promotional SKU and the product’s offering as one of the most economical Burns Suppers around.
McIntosh worked with Represent on a short PR campaign aimed primarily at Scottish press in January 2023. Operating within a limited timeframe and budget, the objectives for this campaign were to:
- Increase awareness of McIntosh and its key meals among target audiences, specifically its haggis, neeps, and tatties product in meat and vegetarian variations
- Highlight that both taste and nutrition can be achieved on a budget, demonstrating both quality and value.
The Solution:
Represent implemented a PR campaign that included:
- Media segmentation – broadcast, national, regional, local, trade
- Key message and angle development
- Photography briefing & creative execution
- Media targeting and public relations
- Account management and regular reporting.
Tactics included:
- Commissioning a strong set of photography to bring the story to life
- Photography briefing, working with photographer, attending shoot, image selection
- Researching and briefing Robert Burns impersonator
- Finalising shots and captions for press
- Drafting targeted consumer and trade press communications
- Pitching picture desks, key editors and food and drink writers (national and regional)
- Social posts were drafted to support the campaign and extend the reach of its messaging.
The Impact:
13 x pieces of coverage appeared in the following consumer and trade titles:
- The Week
- Daily Mail+
- Scottish Daily Express
- Press and Journal
- The Scotsman (web)
- The Scotsman Food & Drink
- Wholesale Manager
- Grocery Trader
- The NEN – North Edinburgh News
- Angus World
Estimated combined reach = 2.8 million
A coverage book with all press clippings can be viewed here.