The Gorkana Weekly Industry News Brief: 2 to 8 April 2016
Missed out on this week’s PR News? Get your handy round-up of the essential highlights of PR and media stories, features and events content over the last seven days on Gorkana News.
Pitch Wins
Dutch flower promoter Bloembureau Holland has handed a three-year pan-European PR brief to Weber Shandwick, following a five-way pitch.
Towergate Insurance has appointed Powerscourt as its retained financial and corporate communications adviser.
Tetra Pak has appointed Brands2Life to manage its B2B PR and public affairs in the UK on a three-year contract.
Sailing regatta Cowes Week has appointed luxury boutique agency Gabrielle Shaw Communications to handle its PR as it reaches its 190th year.
Forterra, the second-largest manufacturer of bricks in the UK, is being advised by FTI Consulting as it progresses towards an initial public offering on the London Stock Exchange later this month.
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants has retained Speed Communications to manage its global PR as it embarks on its first global tour.
People News
Blue Rubicon has promoted Peter Fitch to managing director with immediate effect. He replaces Chris Norton, who recently joined Facebook as EMEA director of comms.
The Entertainment Retailers Association, the UK trade body that represents digital and physical retailers of video, music and games, has named Universal Pictures’ Lynn Li as its new director of marketing and comms.
EM, the financial and corporate communications agency for emerging markets, has appointed Irina Logutenkova to its Moscow-based investor relations advisory practice.
Global commercial real estate service Colliers International has appointed Helen O’Reilly to the newly-created role of comms and marketing manager in its Dublin office.
Agency News
GUNG HO Communications has acquired London-based Coffin on Cake PR for an undisclosed figure, in a move that will double the size of the agency’s team.
WE Communications (formerly known as Waggener Edstrom) has acquired a majority stake in Australian communications agency Buchan.
Awards
Tin Man has been shortlisted for eight CIPR Excellence Awards this year, with Brands2Life nominated seven times, Mischief up for six, and Ketchum and MHP in the running for five awards each.
Julie Etchingham of ITV News, Mark Kleinman of Sky News, Simon Walters of The Mail on Sunday and Heidi Blake of BuzzFeed were among the winners at The London Press Club Awards.
News analysis
Pitching in to the modern newsroom
Editorial newsrooms, and newer titles such as Quartz, are moving away from ‘traditional’ ways of working which are commonly focused on set ‘beats’ and key, formal and physical, editorial meetings throughout the day. Comms experts from Mischief, Ketchum and LEWIS discuss what PRs need to know about pitching to journalists who have adopted new, more ‘fluid’ ways of working and have adopted new technologies like Slack.
Journalist News
BIKE, the UK’s first 24-hour broadcast channel completely dedicated to the world of cycling, has launched.
The editorial team at The Sun‘s Bizarre has launched a new column entitled ‘Bizarre TV’ to accompany its music, movie and celebrity gossip pages.
Paul Clarkson is to become The Sun‘s managing editor, succeeding Stig Abell who has been appointed editor at The Times Literary Supplement.
Les Snowdon, editor at The Times – Scottish Edition, has been appointed assistant editor at The Sun and will start in June.
Sara Ward has been appointed editor at Slimming World magazine. She was previously deputy editor at Take a Break.
James Tapsfield has been appointed UK political editor at the MailOnline, moving from his role as political correspondent at the Press Association.
Features
Gorkana meets…Northern & Shell Digital
Jonathan Bown, deputy group director of digital content for Northern & Shell, talks to Gorkana‘s Grace Lee about tripling the number of OK! Online’s unique users, the power of a relevant celebrity, his surfeit of cupcakes and the publisher’s magazine portfolio online.
Media Briefing …Jason Karaian, Quartz
Describing Quartz as one of the ‘new breed’ of business news media, senior European correspondent Jason Karaian says the title aims to produce content for ‘devices that are at hand’ and with respect for its readers’ time.
Five months after the launch of lifestyle website Lovin Dubai, Gorkana’s Jessica Lester talks to editorDevinder Bains about why the title is “BuzzFeed meets Time Out“, the attributes of a good PR relationship and top tips for catching her eye with a good story.
60 seconds with David Shriver, Tulchan
David Shriver, managing partner of Tulchan, on challenges for the PR industry, changes in investor communications and what he looks for in employees.
When Harley-Davidson wanted to tap into its target audience of touring motorcycle riders, Lexis set in motion an evolving ‘Discover More’ competition that would offer one lucky biker, selected from more than 10,000 entries, the chance to create the ultimate European biking adventure.
Behind the headlines with Allison+Partners’ Jim Selman
Jim Selman, London MD at Allison+Partners, on starting off his PR career in LA, what his first boss got so wrong and youthful dreams of becoming a fireman.
60 seconds with Narda Shirley, Gong Communications
Narda Shirley, founder of Gong Communications, on corporate reputation, working for challenger brands and misconceptions about PR.
