The 139th Lincolnshire Show SERVICES PR, social media 135 press mentions 5.5M estimated reach through media coverage 1.4M impressions on social media 3.9% increase in advance tickets sold After winning a competitive tender process, Carrington was hired to promote the 139th Lincolnshire Show; an annual two-day event with around 60,000 visitors, over 500 exhibitors and almost 3,000 livestock and equine entries. We were tasked with creating and implementing a four-month PR campaign to raise awareness for the Show. The team also requested our support to promote a smaller, more family-oriented event, Countryside Lincs, ahead of the Show. In response to our successful campaign to promote this, the Lincolnshire Agricultural Society (LAS), which runs both events, also hired us to manage and produce social media content for the Show. Our target was to maintain visitor numbers, improve outreach to under 35s, secure widespread media coverage, improve brand identity, build awareness of the Show’s charitable purpose and reinvigorate the Show/Showground’s social media presence. To encourage return visitors, we began our campaign with the first of two press releases designed to drip-feed information on new elements of the Show. Then, with just a month to go until Countryside Lincs, we quickly shifted focus, promoting this event through press releases emphasising its more family-friendly nature. This release was targeted to a younger and more local audience and we liaised with local what’s on and events guides targeting family audiences in and around Lincolnshire. We also secured further coverage through running competitions with target media outlets, which proved very effective in maximising reach to our target audience, and we made sure that coverage for Countryside Lincs also promoted the Lincolnshire Show. Our PR for Countryside Lincs helped the event to attract a record number of visitors, with nearly 7,000 tickets sold. We then returned our focus to the Show, with another press release on a new element; an artificial beach. The team used generative AI to create an accurate impression of the beach and this was widely used by the media, including BBC News. There was a large quantity of information that we needed to convey to stakeholders and participants through social media so we worked with organisers to identify these and designed attractive and informative content to achieve this. Alongside these, we created more promotional content that aimed to provide an enticing glimpse into the Show’s attractions and events. Throughout our social media campaign, we paid particular attention to livestock and agriculture, to demonstrate and improve understanding of the LAS’ goals. We also seized on the Show’s newly created TikTok channel, recognising this as a perfect opportunity to target younger audiences, alongside Instagram. To generate content, we appealed to exhibitors and livestock owners to provide suitable video clips of them preparing for the Show and we sourced quotes from them for use in a press release about the work they put into exhibiting each year. We also ran a number of competitions on the Showground’s social media channels and those of key partners and target media. A member of the team managed social media during the Show itself, responding to comments, filming Reels and TikTok videos. We also forged strong relationships with the Show’s official photographers to enable photos to be processed and shared on social media throughout the Show. In addition, we were actively reaching out to invite journalists, producers, photographers and influencers to the Show, arranging interviews and enabling them to broadcast or produce content. We managed a dedicated press room during the Show itself, which provided space for editing and content creation and we arranged additional interviews and filming opportunities. Over the two days of the Show, we had live inserts and recorded reports on BBC Look North, BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Lincolnshire, Hits Radio and many, many more, while ITV Calendar also broadcast their entire evening news programme from the Show. In total, our PR and social media campaign secured 6.9 million impressions. “Working with Carrington Communications as our media partner for both Countryside Lincs and the Lincolnshire Show has been an exceptional experience from start to finish. From the very first meeting, their team demonstrated a profound understanding of our needs and goals. Their strategic approach to media planning and execution has significantly enhanced the visibility and engagement, especially for Countryside Lincs. “The level of professionalism and expertise they brought to the table was incredible. Carrington Communications seamlessly integrated themselves into our team, offering insightful advice and innovative solutions that were both practical and impactful. Their proactive communication and attention to detail ensured that every campaign was executed flawlessly and delivered on time. “One of the standout aspects of our collaboration was their commitment to understanding our brand’s unique voice and values. They crafted compelling narratives and engaging content that resonated perfectly with our target audience, resulting in measurable increases in our reach and engagement metrics. “Moreover, the transparency and regular updates provided by Carrington Communications kept us informed and confident throughout the entire process. They were always available to answer questions, provide insights, and adjust strategies as needed, making the partnership feel truly collaborative. “In summary, partnering with Carrington Communications has been a game-changer for our media efforts for these two events. Their expertise, dedication, and innovative approach have exceeded our expectations, and we highly recommend their services to any organisation looking to elevate their media presence.” PR and social media for Lincolnshire’s biggest event
“Partnering with Carrington has been a game-changer… Their expertise, dedication, and innovative approach have exceeded our expectations, and we highly recommend their services to any organisation looking to elevate their media presence”
Charlotte Powell
Lincolnshire Showground
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