SodaStream hands brand repositioning brief to Alfred

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SodaStream, the ‘sparkling water maker’, has chosen Alfred as its lead UK comms consultancy to drive brand repositioning and UK expansion.

SodaStream

With operations in 45 countries, SodaStream enables consumers to turn tap water into sparkling water, flavoured sparkling water and cocktail tonics.

Alfred has been briefed to increase brand awareness and market growth, with a particular focus on the family audience.

As well as PR activity, the brief includes social media and an influencer relations strategy.

Alfred’s remit will also include establishing the brand as a key driver behind the prevention of plastic waste, aligning SodaStream with leading charities and government initiatives, as well as a focus on the brand as a healthier choice for the whole family.

Gemma Pears, Alfred’s co-founder, will lead the account and the team will report to SodaStream’s UK brand manager, Helen Amiss.

Amiss said: “Alfred has been appointed as a strategic partner tasked with helping us to further develop brand awareness, loyalty and recognition with both new and existing audiences.

“Its response to our brief was all encompassing; strategic, creative and thoroughly based on audience insight. The integrated approach provided clear tangible results and we believe it will catapult us to the heart of our core consumer.”

Pears added: “SodaStream is a heritage brand that has transcended over a century of innovation. As genuine brand advocates during our childhood through to now, to say we’re delighted to have it on board as a client, is an understatement.

“We’re joining a brilliant internal team that is steeped in passion for the brand and rich in creative license. SodaStream’s commitment to raising awareness of the plastic waste crisis, as well as its health and wellbeing approach, provides us with a solid platform to tell many compelling stories.”

Ketchum’s global corporate lead Rod Cartwright exits agency

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Rod Cartwright, Ketchum’s global corporate lead is set to leave the agency in May.

Rod Cartwright

Cartwright took on his role with the agency in 2011, succeeding Rob Flaherty and was made partner in 2012. There is currently no replacement for his role.

Cartwright said: “Moving forward, I’m looking forward to pinpointing the right opportunity to do what I love – to lead, to counsel and to create.”

Denise Kaufmann, CEO of Ketchum London, said: “As our global corporate practice continues to grow and evolve, Rod Cartwright has made the decision to pursue the next stage of his career outside of Ketchum. He has made an exceptional contribution to Ketchum over the last nine years. We are grateful for all his work and wish him the very best for the future.”

Cheshire legal firm appoints No Brainer

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No Brainer has added legal specialists from Aaron & Partners LLP to its client roster after an eight-way pitch.

Left to right: Lee Cullen and Jonathan Edwards

The agency takes on the account on a retained basis and will start work on strengthening the Aaron & Partners brand across Cheshire, North Wales and Shropshire.

No Brainer will also support the firm to reinforce its company’s position as a provider of bespoke legal services for businesses and individuals with complex issues.

Lee Cullen, director and co-founder at No Brainer, said: “We’re delighted to be working alongside Aaron & Partners. The bespoke nature of the brand and how the team works fits in perfectly with our ethos. We want to build on the fantastic work that Jonathan and the team have already done and help establish them as the region’s brightest and best law firm. It’s an incredibly exciting time for all of us at No Brainer and we’re all keen to continue building on this success throughout 2017 and beyond.”

Jonathan Edwards, marketing manager at Aaron & Partners, said: “The No Brainer team really impressed us all with their enthusiasm and ideas for taking the brand forward. We know we’ve got so many compelling stories to tell from right across the business and we’re confident that No Brainer is the perfect partner to help us.”

Trampoline park Flip Out hires Ready10

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Flip Out, the UK’s largest trampoline park operator, has appointed Ready10 to manage the launch of its newest London site at Brent Cross.

Flip Out

Founded in Australia in 2012, Flip Out has more than 50 sites in seven countries. The Brent Cross Flip Out, located in Staples Corner Retail Park, will include a Ninja Skills Centre, meditation room and a designated under-5s area.

Ready10 will support the brand through a national, local and influencer campaign. A media launch event will take place on 26 April, which will be attended by Bryony Page, Olympic medallist in the trampoline.

Amanda Kakembo, Flip Out director, said: “It was clear from Ready10’s approach that it had a thorough understanding of our requirements and that it is well-rehearsed in site openings, national and local outreach and influencer strategy.

“We were impressed with the teams’ experience and their creative approach. We are very happy to be working with them from during the all-important launch phase.”

David Fraser, Ready10 MD, added: “We are delighted to be working with Flip Out this spring – pun intended – and it’s incredibly exciting to be working with such a dynamic brand.  With a number of our staff living in north London, we are able to combine both national PR experience and local knowledge to hopefully deliver a memorable launch for Flip Out.”

Health-tech platform Cera chooses W to help “disrupt social care sector”

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Cera, a new health-tech platform which enables family members to book carers for elderly relatives, has appointed W as its retained PR agency, following a launch project in November last year.

Cera

The new venture – backed by former and current heads of JustEat, Standard Chartered bank, UBS and the World Health Organisation – was co-founded by health-tech leader Dr Ben Maruthappu and internet entrepreneur Marek Sacha to help meet the UK’s growing demand for quick, reliable, and transparent social care.

Cera, which is regulated by the CQC, matches, assigns and delivers carers to clients within four hours.

W’s brief is to position Cera among consumer audiences as a leading provider of fast, reliable, transparent and safe social care.

The agency will also support Cera on a number of strategic partnerships with retailers, councils, hospital and technology companies, and boost its visibility among investor, healthcare and tech audiences.

As part of the ongoing activity, W will lead on a thought leadership, executive profiling and media engagement programme designed to strengthen the co-founders’ status as “go-to experts” on social care and health technology globally.

Becky Charles, head of media and corporate at W, said: “Cera has an impressive vision – to completely revolutionise social care through technology – and Marek and Ben couldn’t be better placed to take on this worthwhile challenge. The company is growing at a phenomenal rate, and we’re looking forward to being part of their journey as they rejuvenate and modernise a sector in real need of overhaul.”

ICCO to induct Lord Bell into Hall of Fame

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The International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) will induct Lord Tim Bell into the ICCO Hall of Fame this evening.

Lord Tim Bell

Bell, who is known for his advisory role in Margaret Thatcher’s three successful general election campaigns, launched Lowe Bell Communications in 1989, and became chairman of Chime Communications – which included the Bell Pottinger Group – in 1994.

Lord Bell resigned as chairman of Bell Pottinger in August 2016.

The ICCO Hall of Fame was established in 2003 at the ICCO Global Summit in Berlin. It recognises those who have contributed to the internationalisation of the PR industry.

Francis Ingham, chief executive at ICCO, said: “Tim Bell created modern PR. He elevated our work from the peripheral to the very heart of every organisation’s endeavours. So we are incredibly proud that he today joins the ICCO Hall of Fame.”

last year, Karen Van Gergen, CEO at Omnicom Public Relations Group; Jack Martin, global chairman and CEO at Hill+Knowlton Strategies and David Gallagher, president, growth and development at International Omnicom Public Relations Group, were inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The awards will take place this  evening (13 April 2017) at the Ellwood Atfield Gallery. PRCA members and partners are welcome to attend.

This week’s top people news on Gorkana News

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Your bite-sized update on the people news and moves featured on Gorkana News this week.

Ruder Finn UK appoints Shelley Facius as head of technology
Juice PR founder Shelley Facius has joined Ruder Finn as its new head of technology. She will be responsible for growing the practice, working with the agency’s UK and global teams and providing senior counsel to clients.

The Climate Group makes two senior comms hires
International not-for-profit, The Climate Group, has hired Luke Herbert as director of international communications and Nazneen Nawaz as head of media and corporate communications.

Culture Trip appoints PR managers from Sky and Buzzfeed
Global media-tech startup Culture Trip has brought in Sky’s Maddy Chambers as a UK-based PR manager, and BuzzFeed’s Stephanie Kennard as a PR manager in the US.

Finsbury makes Sara Evans partner
Finsbury has named Sara Evans as partner in the company’s growing capital markets and transaction communications practice in the United States.

LCA promotes Alexandra Palace restoration project

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Alexandra Park & Palace Charitable Trust has appointed London Communications Agency on a 12 month contract to raise the profile of its £26 million East Wing Restoration Project.

Alexandra Palace

The strategic brief is focused on the £26 million project to bring the old Victorian Theatre back to life and create a new public and cultural space from the East Court.

Alexandra Palace is one of London’s largest independent venues and has hosted more than 300 events in the last 12 months. Part of LCA’s brief will be to promote this, along with the upcoming events programme, which includes its annual fireworks display and free-to-attend Summer Festival.

The agency won the account following a competitive tender process. Jenna Goldberg, director at LCA, will lead the account team, reporting to Martin Keane, head of comms at Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust.

Goldberg said: “I am lucky enough to be an Ally Pally local, taking advantage of the spectacular park most weekends. This restoration has been talked about for as long as I can remember and we at LCA feel extremely privileged to be part of this long-awaited, once in a lifetime project.

“Ally Pally is a true public asset and we hope to help it take its rightful place among London’s esteemed, world-class cultural institutions.”

Keane said: “This year is hugely exciting for Alexandra Palace. Not only does the East Wing Restoration Project get underway in earnest but we are also working towards our most ambitious events programme to date.

“We selected LCA because of their track record in the sector and their connections across the capital. We think they are the right people to help us engage with audiences who may have heard of Alexandra Palace but who have never before understood just how much we have to offer and what the East Wing transformation really means for London.”

Unity wins six-figure brief to launch STRONG by Zumba

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Unity has won its first health and fitness client – STRONG by Zumba, a music-led fitness programme that combines HIIT (high-intensity interval training), bodyweight exercises and strength training.

STRONG by Zumba

The agency has won a six-figure brief to create campaigns to engage consumers, influencers, trade and stakeholders.

Unity was specifically hired for its “personal connections with influencers”, which has already seen the team enlist Madonna’s ex-personal trainer, Josh Holland, to support its launch.

Dave Sibley, MD for Zumba Fitness Europe, said: “We’re excited to be working with Unity to amplify the launch of a great new addition to our offering.

“As soon as we met the team at Unity, we saw not only great creativity, but a genuine passion for the brand. We’re looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together with the help of Unity’s consumer brand and influencer engagement experience.”

Katy Stolliday, director at Unity, added: “As a self-confessed gym addict, STRONG by Zumba is the dream client. Although this may be our first fitness brand, it has the hallmarks of a great Unity campaign – with a mixture of a creative PR programme to land the brand in contemporary culture and a targeted influencer engagement programme that will help deliver ‘on trend’ status.”

Ruder Finn launches healthtech practice

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Ruder Finn has launched Bloom Health, a new speciality practice focused exclusively on healthtech.

Nicole Pariser

Nicole Pariser, the former director of global PR for Medidata, will support the new practice as senior vice president of health technology.

Bloom Health is a part of Bloom, Ruder Finn’s incubator transmedia agency, which launched in March 2016.

The new practice will support companies at “the intersection of science, healthcare and technology”. It will encompass both B2B and consumer communications to help businesses navigate the highly sensitive and regulated healthcare sector.

Kathy Bloomgarden, CEO at Ruder Finn, said: “The unprecedented convergence is creating new opportunities for patients. With Bloom Health, we’re building a nimble, entrepreneurial team with first-hand experience in dealing with the nuances of both healthcare and technology.”

Pariser joins Bloom from Medidata, the clinical research company, where she was director of global public relations. Prior to that, Pariser worked in corporate communications, managing both internal and external programs, at inVentiv Health, Goldman Sachs and Pfizer.

Pariser added: “Advances in technology and the ability to turn data into actionable insights are enabling more quantitative and continuous measures of people’s health, bringing us closer to the promise of digital medicine. However, to realise this promise, new technologies must be integrated into highly-regulated healthcare processes, a complex undertaking that requires scientific rigor, time and, often, a significant shift in strategy and structure.

“At Bloom, we understand these unique challenges and opportunities, and we’re excited to partner with established and emerging healthtech leaders to tell the stories behind the incredible innovations and life-changing benefits that new technologies deliver, while helping to grow a commercial market around them.”