Buy From The Bush

Brand Partnership • Media Training • Public Relations • Sponsorship Support • Website

Grace Brennan launched the hashtag #BuyFromTheBush on October 16, 2019, to encourage Australians in cities to support rural businesses facing drought. Within weeks, it gained 80,000 Instagram followers, breathing new life into struggling businesses and showcasing the resilience of the bush.

Passionate about storytelling, community-driven change, and showcasing the talent and ingenuity of the bush, Grace and the BFTB team have since achieved remarkable impact for rural creators, makers, and small businesses. In 2020, they launched an online marketplace, providing a vital channel to market, and have delivered sell-out pop-ups in Sydney, such as Martin Place and the MCA lawn, connecting rural makers with city dwellers in an effort to help recover income loss to floods.

The Big Break, a social media pitch-fest for bush businesses, spotlighted rural innovation, with winners including a youth mental health app, an online mothers’ group, and a retail store/cafe in a tiny town. It reached 2 million people, attracted 4,000 votes, awarded $60,000 in prizes, and emphasised the ingenuity of bush entrepreneurs. In 2022, BFTB released an Impact Report, showcasing how digital tools and social impact initiatives can create lasting change in rural Australia.

RPR&Co. are delighted to have supported BFTB over the past five years, securing media coverage, facilitating interviews, managing media relationships, and coordinating press opportunities. BFTB’s impact has contributed to shifting perceptions of regional Australia, showcasing the beautiful products and creativity of bush businesses, and connecting them with a broader audience.

BFTB CHRISTMAS POP-UP MARKETS CAMPAIGN DECEMBER 2022

OBJECTIVE

To drive attendance to the markets held on December 9th and 10th in Sydney, while increasing brand awareness of Buy From The Bush. By highlighting the high-quality, unique products offered by rural small businesses, the campaign aimed to encourage more traffic to the BFTB sellers online during the festive season, supporting businesses that had faced recent hardships, including flooding.

HOW

The enduring affection for Buy From The Bush and the hardships faced by regional communities have long resonated with metro media, which has followed the initiative’s journey over the years. Regional PR & Co. tapped into this wellspring of goodwill, re-engaging established media connections while reaching out to new journalists and outlets intrigued by the human stories behind the sellers. By crafting relevant, ownable narratives that highlighted rural makers traveling to Sydney for a two-day market, Regional PR & Co. created a compelling story that captured attention and drove engagement.

OUTCOME

The campaign delivered widespread exposure, achieving 108 broadcast mentions and 471 online mentions. Media coverage included interviews with Ben Fordham on 2GB, TV appearances on The Studio, Channel 10, and The Today Show, as well as features in AAP, Smart Company, and The Financial Review.