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SOCIAL STRATEGY

Summary

I led the evolution of Henley Royal Regatta’s (HRR's) social media from a campaign-led, agency-supported model into a fully in-house operation. Prior to the transition, I established a social-first strategy that significantly expanded HRR’s global reach, modernised its tone of voice and demonstrated the commercial and reputational value of social media. Building on this success, I then brought the operation in-house to increase agility, creative control and strategic alignment, enabling sustained growth and a more mature, performance-led social presence.

Objectives

(1) Modernise Social Presence: Shift HRR’s social channels from reactive coverage to a strategic, social-first storytelling platform

(2) Prove Impact & Value: Demonstrate that social could materially support audience growth, ticket sales and brand relevance.

(3) Build for Scale: Create the foundations, confidence and capability required to transition social media in-house.

Approach & Delivery

 

Phase 1: Strategy & Growth (Agency-Supported)

  • Developed a social-first content strategy aligned to ticketing, broadcast and brand objectives

  • Introduced new content pillars focused on racing, behind-the-scenes access, humour, and human storytelling

  • Launched HRR’s TikTok channel, establishing a lighter, more accessible tone of voice

  • Delivered platform-specific optimisation across Instagram, Reels, TikTok, X/Twitter and YouTube

  • Used social listening and competitor analysis to refine content and stay ahead of sector trends

  • Delivered major global reach and engagement, validating social as a core growth channel

 

Phase 2: Transition In-House

  • Used performance data and campaign results to secure Committee support for bringing social in-house

  • Recruited and onboarded an internal social team, supported by specialist production partners

  • Defined clear channel roles and objectives, moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach

  • Embedded performance tracking, social listening and reporting into day-to-day workflows

  • Delivered the first fully in-house social operation during the 2025 Regatta, increasing responsiveness and output

  • Established scalable processes to sustain engagement year-round, not just during the event window

  • Commissioned innovative production and candid interviews to support diversity and inclusion narratives

  • Introduced an AI-enabled content library, reducing time sinks and enabling faster, more efficient content production

Outcomes & Impact

  • Witnessed substantial audience growth in key markets, including the USA, Netherlands, Australia and Germany

  • Grew the follower base by ~25K across all channels, noting a commendable uptick in younger female followers

  • Shortlisted for a Sports Broadcast Award for best social media campaign - see nomination

  • Following the transition to an in-house social operation:

    • Instagram unique reach increased by 22% year-round YoY

    • Instagram unique reach grew by 75% YoY during the event period

    • Facebook unique reach grew by 53% YoY during the event period

    • Livestream views from social channels increased by over 520% YoY

    • Total livestream views increased by 37% YoY

    • Engagement rate on X/Twitter grew by 82% YoY

  • Built a significantly larger and higher-quality bank of visual assets, improving quality of year-round content creation

  • Established a more agile, data-led social operation capable of responding quickly to insights, trends & behaviour

© 2026 by Madeleine Portwain

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