Represent

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m the marketing manager of William Purves Funeral Directors. 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with Represent?

We needed help with PR and media relations services. 

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

We wanted to raise brand awareness in Edinburgh, not in every location of our 31 branches. We’re in a marketplace that’s being dominated by low-cost providers who challenge the costs of traditional funerals but at the expense of a high standard of service. We wanted to push back on those providers, and we specifically wanted to address low-cost provision versus quality. We also guarantee that our funeral providers will provide embalming, despite others saying they won’t, following the government’s advice in regards to COVID-19.

We’re an informed and equipped client that writes our own stuff. We’re tapping into Represent’s contacts and ability to place our stories, ideas, and narratives to expose them to maximum reach. We had a quite tight brief and knew exactly what we wanted. We didn’t need a full spread of PR services

What is the team composition?

I first met with Judith (Founder and Managing Director) and her colleague. That colleague left, but they were replaced by Grainne (PR Account Director) who’s every bit as good. Erin (Account Executive) also works on our account. They have a tight team that’s flexible and responsive. 

How did you come to work with Represent?

We heard of Represent through our copywriter and our design team. For this project, we invited four companies to speak with us. From those, we shortlisted two and gave them each a comprehensive brief and invited them to pitch their services to us. 

We invited both to pitch on the same day. Represent was invited in the morning, and the other agency was in the afternoon. The other agency, however, got the time wrong and showed up in the morning, much to my horror. They finished their pitch just before Judith and her team arrived, but I still asked Judith to hang back for a little while. She and her team were entirely understanding about that and willing to do that. We couldn’t really judge them on that because what happened was an accident, but they definitely handled the situation how I’d want them to handle the situation, and it made a difference in our final decision.

What is the status of this engagement?

The partnership started in August 2019 and is ongoing.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

It’s difficult to evaluate the success of our efforts. We can measure media broadcast, column coverage, and social media analytics, but we can’t measure the hearts and minds changed nor the funerals purchased as a result of Represent’s work. We’ll really know when our brand coverage increases, but so far, our news releases have been covered widely in the current COVID-19 emergency. 

How did Represent perform from a project management standpoint?

We started off with monthly meetings but have cut it down to every two months, which I prefer: I always know what we were working on and don't need more communication. However, we do appreciate the update we get every week. They rescheduled the meeting for me and changed the report structure to accommodate my preferences.

What did you find most impressive about them?

Represent is very talented and good at what they do. I look forward to where we’ll go together when the COVID-19 crisis is over.

Are there any areas they could improve?

I’m not sure I can provide a helpful answer to that right now.

Any advice for potential customers?

Don’t sit still. Constantly look around and ask what’s next.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Co-Chair of Causeway Ireland Scotland Exchange Ltd

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Membership organisation promoting trade and collaboration across the Irish Sea

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Represent to accomplish?

• Raise the profile and membership of the organisation
• Promote our Gala Annual Awards across Ireland, Scotland and Northern Ireland
• Increase the attendees at our events

SOLUTION

How did you find Represent?

Referral

Why did you select Represent over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me
• Excellent reputation

How many teammates from Represent were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

The Represent team does an excellent job for Causeway going above and beyond the services of a digital Services and PR agency.  They have led the communications and promotion of a range of high profile events and were instrumental in attracting sponsorship, increasing membership and increasing attendance at events.  They are a core part of our team.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Income from sponsorship, 
• membership growth, 
• attendance at events

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The Represent team is very responsive to our needs; they feel like a core part of our team.  They are always clear on deliverables and timescales and never miss a deadline.  They also provide great advice on what we can achieve without our budget and deadlines, maximising our impact.

What was your primary form of communication with Represent?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The people

Are there any areas for improvement or something Represent could have done differently?

None come to mind

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Event Director of an agricultural information company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Our company is the UKs largest agricultural information business.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Represent to accomplish?

• Assist with the marketing and promotion of a new launch event in Scotland

SOLUTION

How did you find Represent?

Online Search

Why did you select Represent over others?

• High ratings
• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

How many teammates from Represent were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

To assist with PR promoting a launch event in Scotland. To get people to hear about the event and to be in as many publications as possible to help spread the word.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

The amount of content delivered into publications.

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

They were very fast to respond and deliver exactly what we asked for, on time. Communication was mainly by teams and emails.

What was your primary form of communication with Represent?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Always willing to go that extra mile to deliver what we needed.

Are there any areas for improvement or something Represent could have done differently?

NA

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

Managing Director of a diversified agri business

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Represent?

On going PR support and launch of a new part of the business

What were your goals for this project?

Increase bottom line

SOLUTION

How did you select Represent?

Been difficult in the past year as the plans had to be shelved and we had to become reactive.

Describe the project in detail.

On going PR support and launch of a new part of the business

What was the team composition?

Me, GM, 3 x represent

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Managed to trade through the past challenges and set up an online shop. We have maintained turnover during a challenging period however bottom line has halved. But this is due to circumstances.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Good, weekly meetings. plus email contact

What did you find most impressive about this company?

The team is reactive, good to work with, and understands our challenges.

Are there any areas for improvement?

understanding of cost benefit could be better. ie would be nice to get questions like what extra turnover does this need to create to be worthwhile doing?