We’ve worked with Reprezent London on and off over recent years, so we were ecstatic when they brought us in to help deliver Reprezent Essex - a sister station to the capital's leading youth-led radio station - in collaboration with the NHS. The aim? To broaden awareness of mental health in young people, most of which were unsure of how to get support and learn more about the topic. Working with Reprezent’s head of partnerships and content Kate Jaggers, project manager Alex Mashti, and some of the London-based presenters, we immersed ourselves within the county’s youth ecosystem, using relevant culture, language and insight, we engaged influencers to help us launch the station, recruited young people for 3 radio production training courses across the county, and delivered a series of events. Reprezent Essex was launched as a space where the county’s young people could campaign on important social matters in their own way, often leading the conversation by themselves setting the agenda and broadcasting packages exploring mental health and its facets on air.

1. CASE STUDY: REPREZENT X NHS

2. REPREZENT ESSEX WAS LAUNCHED IN COLLABORATION WITH
THE NHS AS PART OF THEIR TRANSFORMATIONAL ‘EMOTIONAL
WELLBEING & MENTAL HEALTH SERVICE’ PROGRAMME.
WE LAID THE FOUNDATIONS OF A VITAL OUTLET WHERE MUSIC
AND ENTERTAINMENT CAN SIT ALONGSIDE IMPORTANT SOCIAL
ISSUES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE.

3. THE ISSUES
Healthwatch Essex YEAH (Young Essex Attitudes on Health & Social Care) found:
8/10 YOUNG PEOPLE DON’T KNOW HOW TO GET MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT
9/10 WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH
“There is still a stigma attached to mental health.
Services in more familiar and friendlier places would help”
“People don’t know enough about mental health or the services available”
Responses from young people to mental health:
Reprezent Essex would become a multi-faceted destination for the county’s young people.

4. OUR AIMS & OBJECTIVES
AUTHENTICITY WAS KEY
By engaging London’s Reprezent FM and launching an independent Essex station, the NHS was to remain invisible,
yet deeply embedded within its target audience of 13 – 24 year olds. Using Reprezent as a conduit it would be
possible to achieve regular engagement, build resilience in the county’s community of young people, develop
relationships, and provide a voice for them to campaign in their own way.
We had to engage and harness the power of Essex’s tribe of young people by immersing ourselves in the space
both culturally and physically, talking in their language, understanding the complexities, successes and issues of the
scene, and working with them to build this from the grassroots up…
Reprezent Essex had to be the most credible new music destination
Recruit a free weekly radio training scheme
Drive downloads of the Reprezent Essex app as a platform for support
The diversity of the station’s music, conversation and personality was key to transmit
Positive conversations around mental health had to be introduced carefully and naturally

5. HOW WE INFILTRATED ESSEX’S YOUTH ECOSYSTEM
THE AMBASSADOR PROGRAMME
RESEARCH KNOWLEDGE ENGAGEMENT
EVENTS TRAINING SOCIALS
COLLABORATION
“Reprezent Essex have done this exactly the right way, doing
the research, getting to know us and the area, and finding out
how they can add to the scene, not just take from it.”
- KIRBY T, DJ & AMBASSADOR
Field trips, meetings and wider research shaped our insight into the county
Identified specific needs, behaviours and musical tastes from each territory
Engaged with local heroes to onboard as brand advocates
Curated talent for events, utilising their social networks to disseminate Reprezent Essex messaging
Developed original social content around programming and talent, positioning Reprezent Essex
within our audience’s ecosystem and as conversation starters

6. AMBASSADOR PROFILES
KIRBY T
Central to Essex grime scene & supporter of homegrown talent
Hosts weekly specialist shows on Radar Radio, Westside FM,
Funky SX
His ‘Grime Sessions’ brand positions him as an influencer
amongst emerging MCs
By engaging such a central figure of the scene, we tapped into
his network which was invaluable for social support & talent
SONNY GREEN
Southend grime & spoken word artist
Supported by BBC Introducing & previously performed
at House of Commons
Music focuses on social issues, media manipulation,
global agendas and street culture
Fans include Clash Magazine, NME & Fred Perry

7. ON THE ROAD WITH REPREZENT
We developed a series of live events that both
responded to gaps in the local music scene and
celebrated music and the opportunities it can
present to young lives.
We raised the profile of Reprezent Essex with a
series of aspirational, inspiring & engaging events
and training at key locations. Roadshows with
local YMCAs and youth centres, an under 18s club
night, school visit and finale event provided an
inclusive vision for a positive future around music.
Seminars exploring careers in music
Radio production workshops & training
Live music performances & DJ sets
Q&A sessions
“I’ve learnt more practically in that
session than I did in my first year at uni!”
- TASTER SESSION PARTICIPANT
& NEWLY SIGNED UP TRAINEE

8. REPREZENT CTRL: SOUTHEND
A climactic 1 day takeover of Southend’s legendary Palace Theatre. Steeped in history, we transformed the space into an
urban music experience with educational and entertaining programming centred around grime’s hottest underground talent.
Stars like Sonny Green, Big Zuu, Dapz On The Map & Jay Sol took to the stage to perform, and we gave Essex’s grassroots MCs
the time of their lives as they were given the opportunity to perform on one of the grandest stages yet.
Attendees took to social media, authentically spreading the Reprezent experience to their network and sparking further
exponential interest in our ongoing activity in the county.
“Last night was a movie.
Thanks for bringing this
opportunity to us Essex MCs.”
- GEO MARTINEZ
“I wasn’t sure what to expect. My daughter loved the
taster session and is signing up. Events like this don’t
often happen round here.”
- LOCAL PARENT

9. SOCIAL MEDIA
BROADCASTING LOUD & CLEAR
Q&As with talent & presenters
User generated live footage
Exclusive tracks
News updates
Behind the scenes footage
Playlists
Original mini-mixes, and more
With the Reprezent Essex brand firmly established amongst the county’s young people, and our founding
presenters feeling a sense of ownership by delivering regular shows, we ramped up promotion of the
station’s broadcast schedule via social media channels.
Amongst cutting edge music programming and a fledgling selection of regular features, mental health
broadcast packages were produced by recruited trainees tackling subjects like exam anxiety, healthy
relationships and how to deal with stress.
We created, curated and executed a social media strategy which saw rich, original content created by us
garner the greatest organic reach of any social post from the entire campaign.
Content sourced from our ambassadors penetrated fresh ready built networks of young people we needed
to engage, driving the profile of Reprezent Essex from peer to peer.

10. THE NOISE

11. Reprezent Essex is now an established youth music brand across Essex
Capacity reached at all radio training centres
Local heroes who were onboarded as brand advocates have cemented an ongoing relationship with the station
Regular mental health programming produced and aired by 13 – 24 year olds Essex-wide & online ambassadors
and artists highly invested with some offered shows on the station
Young people from the county educated about mental health via engaging messaging and activity, with clear
signposts to further help and information
THE RESULTS
Starting with a base of 0 followers across any social media, we achieved:
1M+ 54K+89K 1422632 750+ 3.5K+

12. STEPHEN OAKES – DIRECTOR
stephen@break-comms.com | 07779666725
LOUISE THOMAS – DIRECTOR
louise@break-comms.com | 07968 429301
ARE YOU STRUGGLING TO ENGAGE WITH A YOUTH AUDIENCE?
We work with brands, charities, the public sector, and arts & culture organisations
who can’t engage young people in a way that is genuinely interesting.
By using meaningful, relevant, grassroots/cutting-edge culture, ideas and multi-channel
communications, we can position you in a landscape that means you’re attractive to young people.
You’re within the conversation, tapping into the market you’re struggling to speak to
and connect with, you’re suddenly at its core, redefining your worth.
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