Supermarket Sweep - MirrorMePR
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Reading the recent news that a large supermarket has launched an equestrian collection got us wondering why big corporate brands, with all their resources and money, don’t bother to do a little research into how to maximise their chances of getting noticed in the very specialised equestrian marketplace. And, of course, if they did, they would find a simple but effective solution… Yes, you guessed it, employing an equestrian and country PR agency!

If you want to plough ahead in the fashion world, you employ a Fashion PR company who have contacts with the right editors, fashion bloggers and journalists; if you want to make headway in the world of cars, you, well… employ an agent with automobile knowledge and experience! So why would you attempt to launch an equestrian collection and think that your mainstream PR agency can do the job effectively?!

Employing the right PR firm can really make or break your brand/product, but what are the real benefits of choosing a specialist agency?

  • Contacts – Contacts are King. In any competitive marketplace, you need to have “the edge”, and that comes from your agency’s range and depth of contacts. Cold calling editors you don’t know doesn’t work, but calling editors you do know, who also know and trust you, and informing them about a new product that you feel they will love – that does.
  • Lingo – Using appropriate terminology and speaking in the right tone of voice is key, and especially when it comes equestrian products, if you don’t know your numnahs from your stirrups, you will land the brand in hot water! Editors are busy people, so you need to make sure that (should you get the opportunity to sell-in the product/angle) you are talking their language. That’s where us specialists really know our stuff.
  • Release Me – It’s not just about writing great releases, it’s about creating angles that will also appeal to the editors. In this particular case, knowing seasonal horse ownership would have really grabbed the equestrian editor’s imaginations and played into their forward feature plans, securing further media coverage beyond just an announcement release.
  • Profit – The last survey to look at equestrianism (British Equestrian Trade Association National Equestrian Survey 2010 -2011) concluded that in the UK, 3.5 million people had ridden a horse at least once in the past 12 months and that the estimated equine population was just under one million horses. Now factor in that 73% of those riders were found to be female and that back then, the estimated expenditure on keeping a horse per year was £2.8 billion (£3,105 per horse per year)! So, for a large, high profile supermarket to decide to launch a range of clothing targeted specifically at horse riders, it must mean that they know that a “gold mine” of financial gain is still there for the taking in the equestrian market, hidden away and just waiting to be capitalised on! With the cross over of equestrian wear and country clothing also very commonplace again, we are able to target the right media to reach the specific audiences that brands want to reach.

With our past experience of working alongside mainstream agencies and helping them to access the equestrian and country marketplace for their clients, we know we benefit both the agency and ultimately the brand. So isn’t it about time that brands sat down, seriously looked at their budget spends, and decided that we should be part of their PR journey?

Photo credit: David Blackwell via Photopin CC