Golin appoints Cohn & Wolfe’s Neera Chaudhary as global president of healthcare

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Golin has appointed Neera Chaudhary as the global president of healthcare where she will work with both Golin Health and Virgo Health departments.

Neera Chaudary

Chaudhary will report to Matt Neale, CEO + Vision, and will work closely with Jon Hughes, CEO+ International, to operationalise Golin’s healthcare services around the world.

She will also work alongside Sarah Matthew, current global president of Golin’s Healthcare Practice and Virgo Health, who now moves to the role of chair.

Chaudhary will also join the agency’s executive board, the group responsible for developing the long-term vision for Golin.

Neale said: “Neera’s experience in designing and implementing complex global healthcare campaigns was a huge draw for us. Our clients will benefit from her compelling mix of strategic counsel and creative flair. Ultimately, after meeting many exceptional candidates, we felt excited about Neera’s ability to spearhead innovation within the healthcare industry on behalf of our clients.”

Rhizome Media hires LBC’s Rupert Bhatia

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Rhizome Media, an SME-focused PR, content and social media agency based in central London, has appointed award-winning senior broadcast journalist Rupert Bhatia as account manager.

Rupert Bhatia

Rupert Bhatia

Bhatia joins from LBC. He has also worked across Classic FM, Smooth Radio and Gold.

He was at LBC for six years in an on-air capacity. He anchored coverage of the Manchester bombing, the Westminster terror attack, the EU referendum, the Paris terror attacks, the Brussels attacks, the General Election 2015 and the London riots.

Bhatia has interviewed countless political personalities including former Prime Minister David Cameron, Boris Johnson and Sadiq Khan.

Dominic Hiatt, CEO of Rhizome Media, said: “In our experience, journalists make the best PRs because they have a nose for a story, can write and, importantly, know how to work with the media. So with all his experience, Rupert will fit right in. Give it a week and he’ll be pitching stories to his old colleagues and have them, ahem, eating out of his hands.”

Bhatia said: “I am extremely proud to be joining such an ambitious, creative and powerful team. Working in PR is a natural progression from journalism, and I’m looking forward to contributing to the Rhizome team at such a pivotal time for the company. And, former colleagues, be warned.”

Energy PR wins Moshulu brief

Moshulu hands consumer brief to Energy PR

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British shoe retailer Moshulu has appointed Energy PR to raise awareness of its brand and encourage younger generations to re-evaluate its offering.

Lead by Susannah Morgan, the agency will manage Moshulu’s creative programme, incorporating media relations, content creation and influencer engagement. It will also help the retailer celebrate its 20-year anniversary.

“Moshulu is a fun and colourful family brand that fits neatly with our expertise,” said Morgan. “We’re full of enthusiasm for the campaigns that will be implemented over the coming months and look forward to helping the brand reach new heights.”

Kate James, Moshulu’s head of marketing, added: “We wanted a creative and strategic agency that would come forward with a set of ideas that fulfilled our business objectives and told the story about who we are as a business. The campaigns Energy PR presented hit the nail on the head.”

Opinion: How to prove your creativity during interviews

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Juliet Cameron, Launch’s planning & people director, gives her top tips on proving you have the best creative ideas during the interview process.

Juliet Cameron

So, you reckon you’re pretty good at coming up with ideas and consider yourself a strong creative influence in your current role? The real challenge is, demonstrating this in the interview process, which let’s face it can be quite formulaic.

At Launch our approach centres around what we call real ideas™, meaning sky high ambition of thinking, exacting delivery and brilliant people.  Real ideas are insightful, brave, progressive and defining. Most importantly, they deliver game changing results.

To deliver this we need really special people at every level. So spotting candidates that truly understand our creative cultural blend and ever-constant ambition is essential.

Here are a few pointers that work for me in the hunt for creative talent.

The anatomy of a great idea

  • Demonstrate you have the intellectual ability to understand the creative process and what makes a good idea by talking through your own campaigns. Start with the insight and explain where the idea came from, why it worked and what value it delivered. Never forget that. A good idea is pretty useless if it doesn’t deliver value!
  • If you get to the presentation stage this is when you can really stretch your creative muscles. But don’t hedge your bets with 20 different ideas. Show conviction and belief in your ideas. Choose a couple, or even just one, but bring it to life and route it in real insight. And sell it with passion!

No experience doesn’t mean no ideas

  • If you’re a grad with no specific PR experience, take a great campaign you’ve seen recently and give an intelligent, insightful opinion on it. Or, draw from your own experience, whether during a bar job, or at the student paper and explain how you came up with a creative solution to a problem. Make it relevant, articulate it well and demonstrate lateral thinking.

Listen

  • In an interview you’re going to do lots of the talking – but always listen. I start an interview giving candidates a great feel for what Launch is about and what we’re looking for. LISTEN. If I’ve told you that as the Real Ideas agency we look for ambitious thinking, then tell me about campaigns that you think are genuinely brave and progressive.

Creativity in your blood

  • At Launch we talk about intellectual curiosity. That’s because to come up with brilliant real ideas again and again, you need constant inspiration as well as a hunger for knowledge and learning. The best ideas come out of a process of pure obsession (with a touch of madness.)
  • Talk about what inspires you. What was the last exhibition you went to, book you read, event you took part in and how they inspired your latest content idea for a client.
  • Show us how you live and breathe ideas, brands, trends and creativity. And have passion.

Flattery works

  • Finally don’t forget a bit of flattery. OK, I admit it, I love it when candidates talk about one of our Launch campaigns. Do your homework and come prepared.

When it comes down to the crunch we want people who are as passionate and ambitious about ideas as we are. Show us this and we’ll want to hear more from you.

  • Launch is currently recruiting for various roles and wants to hear more from PR community. Get in touch here.
  • For further news on upcoming roles please visit Gorkana Jobs.

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Your bitesize update on the latest People News and Moves featured on Gorkana News:

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Freud Communications hires former Sun journalist Ben Jackson
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Darren Hewitt-McLaren joins Aisle 8
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Jim Chapman appoints Dundas Communications

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Presenter and YouTube star Jim Chapman has appointed Dundas Communications as he looks to grow his brand and reach new audiences.

Jim Chapman

The partnership comes ahead of the release of Chapman’s book ‘147 Things: A Definitive Guide to the Universe, from the Big Bang to Bellybuttons’ in October.

Dundas will work on an retained basis with the vlogger, author, presenter and GQ magazine contributor, managing his personal publicity and overseeing his brand campaigns to increase his presence within UK media.

Dundas also provides corporate PR services to Gleam Futures, Chapman’s management company.

Max Dundas, director at Dundas, said: “It’s an exciting time to be working with Jim and I’m delighted to welcome him to our expanding roster of clients. Representing the UK’s most powerful influencers themselves, as well as consulting brands on the best way to operate this space remains a key focus for the agency.”

Havas PR wins Wynsors shoe store brief

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Wynsors World of Shoes has appointed Havas PR, following a three way pitch.

Wynsors World of Shoes

Wynsors World of Shoes is the trading name of Courtesy Shoes Limited, which comprises a chain of over 40 shoe stores in England.

The agency’s first brief is to highlight Wynsors ‘Back to School’ offer, one of the most competitive trading periods in the retail sector.

Victoria Wood, Havas PR UK’s head of consumer product, will lead the account.

Wynsors’ advertising and merchandising manager, said: “We were impressed by Havas’s unrivalled experience and expertise in retail PR and their creative, but very relevant approach to our brief.”

Wood added: “Parents tend not to buy children’s shoes too early in the summer to make sure that they don’t grow out of them before they go back to school. Some parents actually buy shoes for their children on the way to school on their first day back!

“We’ve got some exciting and innovative plans in place to drive footfall into the stores earlier and to increase spend.”

Three UK hires Headland for corporate communications

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Headland has been appointed by the mobile network Three UK to advise on corporate and financial communications.

The brief spans senior communications advice, press office support, corporate and financial PR and campaigns.

Headland was appointed following a market review and competitive pitch process. Partners Dan Smith and Andy Rivett-Carnac will lead the team.

Justin Bass, director of legal & corporate affairs at Three UK, said: “We have an exciting period ahead of us and we recognised that achieving our ambitions requires a different approach. At every stage, Headland has demonstrated strategic and creative thinking, a depth of experience and an ability to deliver a full-service corporate and financial communications offer.”

Dan Smith, partner at Headland, said: “Being appointed by Three is a significant moment for Headland. In just thirteen years, Three UK has gone from launch to 10 million customers. It is one of the most successful challenger brands in the UK, operating in a highly regulated and scrutinised environment.

“The business is now in a fascinating new stage of growth and we’re delighted they have chosen to work with Headland which, like Three, has been built to challenge the status quo.”

Escapade PR completes management buyout

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Berkshire-based consumer PR agency Escapade PR has completed a management buyout from parent company CCgroup, led by MD Lynne Goddard and associate director Rhianon Williams.

Lynne Goddard and Rhianon Williams

The agency will continue to operate from its office in Reading, Berkshire, servicing brands across food and drink, health and wellbeing, and consumer technology and lifestyle markets.

The existing Escapade PR account team will be transferring across as part of the deal, with Rhianon Williams moving into the role of director. Two new recruits will also join the team: Charlotte Davies as PR assistant and Louise Stevens as accounts manager.

Goddard said:“This summer marks the 10th anniversary for Escapade, so it was a fitting time to think about the next decade for the company and beyond. I have worked for CCgroup for 30 years and have seen it latterly firmly establish itself as a London-based technology PR agency.

“Escapade remains firmly ensconced in the Thames Valley, working with a wide range of consumer brands and services. This diversification in terms of focus and location made a buy-out the perfect way forward for all concerned.

“Our decision to invest in the company not only reflects our passion for the company, and the clients we work with, but also our commitment to making the next part of our own journey and Escapade a huge success!”

Launch wins UN Foundation brief

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The UN Foundation has hired Launch to drive noise around its inaugural Families +SocialGood event this summer.

Launch’s Niki Wheeler

Launch will focus on capitalising on momentum generated by the fifth Moms +SocialGood event held earlier in New York with an influencer and press relations programme.

For the first time outside the US, the UN Foundation and Johnson & Johnson will bring together UN and NGO leaders, policy experts, celebrities, medical professionals and families from all walks of life to explore the question ‘what do you wish were true for every family, everywhere?’.

Launch won a two way pitch and will report into Chrysula Winegar, senior director, communications & special initiatives at the United Nations Foundation. Niki Wheeler, director, will lead the Launch team.

Winegar said: “Launch was put on our radar due to its unbeatable knowledge of the UK media and influencer landscape and its ability to deliver. We were also impressed with the insights and innovation it brought to the table in its response. ”