Mason Media recently attended the Wildlife Farms & Estates (WFE) Symposium, hosted by GWCT The Allerton Project in Loddington, Leicestershire, where we were acting as PR and media partner.

The symposium had quickly sold out and brought together a diverse range of landed estates, farms and advisory boards.

The energy in the room was palpable with the day consisting of thought-provoking and inspiring talks, question and answer sessions, networking and a tour of this most innovative and cutting-edge of farms.

Running through the event was the desire of those present not to stand still, the need to continue evolving as farms and estates, learning from others and with a commitment to best practice in everything they do.

Central to the day was the acknowledgment that gaining WFE Level 1 and Level 2 accreditation is a fantastic way of demonstrating proactivity in conservation, land stewardship and biodiversity.

Travel round the country and there is no shortage of estates and farms pursuing a wide range of strategies to ensure they are future-proofed.

In a recent article for Spear’s, the wealth management and luxury lifestyle publication, Idina Glyn, a partner at law firm Mishcon de Reya, highlighted the growing number of younger landowners, some in their 30s and 40s, wanting to put their own stamp on estates. There has also been a rise in the number of self-made business people and celebrities buying and evolving estates.

As Glyn says: “They see the estate’s potential as a destination, selling a lifestyle and not just a selection of tenants’ businesses and let farms.

“Brand, reputation and ESG matter, as does the family’s privacy and defending that in the press.”

Glyn went on to reflect on the changing role of an estate manager and the increasing challenge of finding the wide range of talent needed to support in the running of a modern estate pursuing a multi-faceted diversification strategy.

“Running an estate office needs an understanding of a wider range of sectors than ever before, and the stakes are higher too – estate brands and names are valuable – reputation matters – and the cost of investment in new sectors (for instance, where it needs new plant and machinery) is higher than ever.”

In the same article, Henry Cecil, a partner at Forsters, says: “The bottom line is, diversification on landed estates is on the rise, but there are always challenges when trying to diversify and some uncertainty in emerging markets.”

Glyn, Cecil and the other landed estate lawyers interviewed for the Spear’s article agreed that having the right team of trusted advisers was more critical than ever, to help the landowner and their team navigate the various challenges and opportunities they now face.

This team should include legal, accountancy and wealth management support and a managing agent, but a further consideration in an age of ever greater scrutiny of brand and reputation should be a trusted PR / communications adviser.

This is a role that Mason Media plays for landed estates across the UK, for some providing long-term guidance, while for others managing specific projects in which positioning the estate is of key importance.

A clearly defined strategy of communication, community engagement, partner engagement and the like can make all the difference in terms of how an estate is perceived and the protection of a brand and reputation.

Putting the building blocks in place ahead of any planned diversification initiatives is also advisable to avoid any measures being seen as knee-jerk when concerns start to be raised locally. For some estates, there is also work that needs to be done at the outset to refresh a brand, its values statement and how it presents itself.

You can read the Spear’s article in full here - https://spearswms.com/property/five-factors-shaping-future-landed-estates/

For a confidential discussion about Mason Media’s services for landed estates, contact nick@masonmedia.co.uk, lucy@masonmedia.co.uk or call 0151 239 5050.