PR news round-up (9-13 July)
Here’s a round-up of the week’s top PR news – featuring the CommsCon journalist panel, FleishmanHillard Fishburn’s new division and a new senior hire at FTI Consulting.
CommsCon
Cision is thrilled to confirm its first finalised panel for CommsCon. Leading journalists Francesco Guerrera (Financial News), Eleanor Mills (The Sunday Times), Josh Newis-Smith (Glamour) and Ellen Stewart (PinkNews) will reveal what they want from comms professionals to help them do their jobs, as well as discussing the changes and challenges journalists face.
CommsCon will gather the biggest names in the business at London’s Hawker House on Tuesday 6 November to showcase the revolution sweeping across the comms industry and discuss the unique opportunity PR professionals have to make their mark in a world riven by fake news and falling consumer trust.
Combining art and science in effective communications
Our latest white paper evaluates to what extent communicators need to combine the traditional strength of the more creative and more data-driven approaches to comms.
Does taking one approach necessarily detract from the other? And is the move towards more scientific working practices something to be welcomed or resisted?
Thought leadership
Sean Allen-Moy, senior account director at W, argues that commercial radio in the UK has come of age and offers great brand promotional potential for communicators.
Matt Cross, UK MD of Hotwire Global, shares insight into The Pursuit of GREATNESS report and how brands can go from good to great.
Interviews
Orla Graham, senior client insights manager at Cision, speaks about her role in contributing to a new book: Communicating Causes – Strategic public relations for the non-profit sector.
Account wins
Silverstone has appointed Davies Tanner on a B2B comms brief designed to promote the circuit to the meetings, events, conferences and incentives sectors.
Chinese restaurant and bar China Tang has selected Anteater Communications to boost awareness of the restaurant. The agency will advising on media relations, develop event and partnership opportunities and managing social media and digital output.
Peppermint Soda has won brand awareness development briefs from property developer Select Property Group and packaging manufacturer Duo UK. It has also expanded its work with the Bear Grylls Survival Academy to include PR.
Jonny Wilkinson’s new food brand No.1 Kombucha has appointed Palm PR to manage the PR and social promotion around its market launch.
PE and school sports provider Little Sports Group has appointed Smoking Gun to deliver a comms campaign across the north of England to raise awareness of the benefits of grassroots sport participation.
Augmented reality technology developer Ncam as appointed Bubble Agency to manage its global PR.
Application support platform NGINX has selected Firefly Communications to run its comms programme across the UK, France and Germany. Firefly will handle all media and analyst relations activity.
Liz Lean PR has won PR contracts with pub operator Hall & Woodhouse, hospitality professional services firm Kingfisher Resorts, property and land company Gervis Meyrick Estate, the Dorset County Show, leisure operator the Waterside Holiday Group, care home Fairmile Grange and Poole BID. The agency has also extended the scope of its work with Nuffield Health.
New Knightsbridge-based Central Asian themed restaurant OSH has appointed JPR Media Group to handle its PR.
Unicorn Cosmetics has appointed Kin Communications to lead its UK print and digital PR campaigns.
Criton, a DIY app builder for the hospitality industry, has selected Finn Partners to raise awareness of its app building technology.
Patchology, a cruelty-free masks, patches and gels skincare brand, has appointed Push PR to handle its UK press and PR.
The Clerkenwell Brothers will launch pizza brand Magioni in the UK. The brand will be stocked in Waitrose and Ocado.
Specialist audio and media buying agency Trisonic has appointed Neon Brand Communications to handle its UK media launch.
TimeZoneOne, PR agency for the Illinois Office of Tourism, has selected Hills Balfour to act as the destination’s representative in the UK and Ireland.
People news
FTI Consulting has appointed Elizabeth Adams as managing director in its Energy and Natural Resources Group.
TVC Group has appointed Wayne Nguyen as director of client services (integrated). He joins the agency’s board and will head up its content marketing team.
Third City has appointed Chris Blackwood and Suzie Barrett as joint managing directors. The pair will handle day-to-day running of the agency, allowing its managing partners to focus on its growth strategy.
Hotwire has appointed Ludi Garcia as managing director of its Madrid office.
Grayling has promoted Lee Southen to lead its Birmingham office, responsible for Grayling Birmingham’s day-to-day management, while also providing strategic guidance to the office’s flagship clients.
Andrew Whitaker, former political editor at the Sunday Herald, has become head of strategic communications for Labour shadow chancellor John McDonnell.
Business campaign group London First has appointed Muniya Barua as its corporate affairs director, where she will bring together the group’s campaigns, comms, public affairs and events teams.
Liz Lean PR has appointed Emma Coakley and Ian Murray as consultants following a number of new business wins.
Agency news
FleishmanHillard Fishburn has launched a new “Purposeful Business” practice, which features a team of dedicated consultants to advise brands and businesses on meeting the expectations of millennials. The practice will be headed by Paul Reza Afshar, partner at the agency.
FleishmanHillard Fishburn’s Purposeful Business team
Next 15 Communications has acquired Technical Associates Group (TAG). TAG will now become part of Next 15 owned Publitek Group, with TAG’s managing director Sylvia Laws taking on the COO role at Publitek.
Laura Dennison, founder of blog Not Plant Based, has launched “anti-diet” agency Sugar Content PR. The new agency will specialise in health, food and lifestyle promotion.
Unity is trialling a partnership with artist Freddie Yauner to combine artistic and commercial creativity. Known as Unity Curates, Yauner will become the agency’s “artist in residence”.
