The Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) appointed Whitehouse Communications to build parliamentary support for Record Store Day and to introduce the organisation to parliamentarians ahead of upcoming legislation. The campaign secured visits from more than 7 MPs to local independent record stores on Record Store Day, brought the Chairs of two Select Committees on board, and culminated in an unprecedented cross-government roundtable spanning three departments.
The challenge
The Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) is the UK trade body representing physical and digital retailers and wholesalers across the music, video, and video games industries. Its mission is to foster a fair, competitive and innovative entertainment retail environment, balancing the interests of consumers, creators and retailers through transparency, fair remuneration and the protection of intellectual property.
To strengthen its influence and better serve its members, ERA wanted to enhance its reputation and visibility within Parliament. With key legislation on the horizon, the Association needed to ensure that the voices of independent record stores and online retailers were effectively heard and represented. ERA appointed Whitehouse Communications to develop a targeted parliamentary engagement strategy, using Record Store Day, the annual celebration of independent record shops, as a platform to introduce the organisation to new parliamentarians and build lasting political support.
Our approach
Whitehouse Communications developed a multi-strand parliamentary engagement programme designed to introduce ERA to new parliamentarians, establish long-term relationships, and lay the groundwork for future legislative influence on issues affecting the sector.
The campaign focused on:
- Securing meetings with MPs from across the political spectrum to make the case for record stores’ importance to local high streets, community life, and emerging artists.
- Engaging key civil servants with data and insight to inform upcoming legislation relevant to the sector.
- Working with parliamentarians to table parliamentary and written questions and establish a record of cross-party interest.
- Recruiting MPs to visit local independent record stores on Record Store Day itself, supported by an MP-authored op-ed on the cultural and economic value of record stores for communities and small businesses.
- Amplifying visibility through coordinated social media activity in the run-up to the day.
The outcome
More than 7 MPs participated in local Record Store Day visits, including the Chairs of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee and the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, and the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Culture. The campaign also secured tabled parliamentary and written questions, and generated significant social media momentum, reinforcing the message that independent record stores remain at the heart of local communities.
The most significant policy outcome was an unprecedented, cross-departmental roundtable spanning three government departments, giving ERA a direct platform to shape decision-making across the relevant Whitehall portfolios in a single meeting and laying the groundwork for sustained engagement on issues affecting the sector.
In their words
