Schroders appoints Andy Pearce as institutional PR manager

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Ex-Financial News journalist Andy Pearce has been appointed institutional PR manager at Schroders.

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Estelle Bibby

Pearce will responsible for communicating the businesses’ global institutional developments and key industry trends.

For three years prior, Pearce was Asset Management Correspondent at Financial News, a sister title to the Wall Street Journal.

Estelle Bibby, senior PR manager at Schroders, said: “Andy brings with him in-depth knowledge of institutional strategies and markets, which makes him a strong addition to the Schroders comms team.

“We have lots of exciting campaign activities planned in the global institutional space throughout this year and beyond,  I very much look forward to working with Andy and our team to realise and maximise the opportunities of these campaigns.”

TransPennine Express hires Havas PR

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Havas PR UK has been handed a PR brief by TransPennine Express, the Manchester-based train operating company which runs intercity rail services throughout the North of England and into Scotland.

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TransPennine Express

TransPennine Express is part of FirstGroup, which operates bus companies in the UK and in North America, as well as two other UK train companies, Great Western Railways and Hull Trains.

TransPennine Express’ network is made up of three main routes: North TransPennine, South TransPennine and North West and Scotland. It serves destinations including Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield, Edinburgh and Manchester.

The train operating company says it will invest more than £500m in the network, introducing more seats and introducing free Wi-Fi in new fleets.

Havas has been briefed to support the full refurbishment of TransPennine Express’s existing train fleet, which started in November 2016.

Sarah Ford, head of comms at TransPennine Express, said: “We were really impressed with Havas PR’s previous experience and expertise in the travel industry. The start of the new franchise marks the beginning of an exciting future for everyone at TransPennine Express, as we consolidate our position as a vibrant and modern intercity rail operator for the North and Scotland.”

Jonathan Welsh, associate director at Havas PR UK, will lead the account.

Welsh added: “We are absolutely delighted to be on board as TransPennine Express’s PR agency. We will be working with them on a project by project basis, starting with the refurbishment of their current train fleet.

“This very significant new business win will make a brilliant addition to the Havas client portfolio.”

RBS Group hands media relations brief to BIG Partnership

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RBS Group has brought in BIG Partnership to deliver regional media relations for its NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Lombard and Invoice Finance brands across the UK, following a “highly competitive” pitch.

Sharon Mars, director at BIG Partnership, will act as strategic lead on its new RBS Group account

Sharon Mars

Describing the win as a  “strong start to 2017″, BIG will operate from its local hubs to service the account on a UK-wide remit, with its Scottish offices and Manchester office looking after Scotland and the North of England and Wales, respectively.

BIG will partner with London-based comms agency Luther Pendragon in the south of England.

Overall, BIG’s role will largely involve communicating the work of individuals from the bank’s regional operations, and how they help customers achieve their business goals.

Chris Turner, director of media relations at RBS, said: “It’s great to have BIG Partnership on board and we look forward to working with it to help promote our support for local communities and economies.

“BIG showed real insight and understanding of how we work with our customers to support their growth ambitions and we’re excited about the opportunities this new relationship will bring.”

Sharon Mars (pictured), director at BIG Partnership, will act as strategic lead on the account, working alongside Sarah Lawless, who joined BIG in May last year as head of the North West division.

Mars added: “Securing the NatWest and Royal Bank of Scotland contract came after an extremely competitive tender and pitching process, contested by major players within our industry.

“To win the account with the encouraging feedback we received is a real testament of the calibre of work consistently produced by the team at BIG. It’s a great start to the year for us, and a taster of things to come as we aim for further growth in 2017.”

Ex-Grayling CEO joins Beattie Group

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Alison Clarke, the former UK CEO of Grayling, has joined Beattie Group as chairman of its specialist marketing brand, Only Marketing.

Alison Clarke (right) has joined Beattie Group as chairman of its specialist marketing brand Only Marketing

Laurna Woods and Alison Clarke

Clarke, a former PRCA chair and CIPR president, served as CEO of Grayling UK and Ireland from 2011 to 2015.

Before that, she was Huntsworth Group’s business development director and Asia Pacific president of Weber Shandwick.

Clarke joins Beattie Group as chairman of Only Marketing – the group’s specialist marketing brand.

Her appointment follows hard on the heels of Kevin Roberts, the former global CEO and chairman of Saatchi & Saatchi, joining as  chairman of Beattie Group.

Beattie Group has eight offices in the UK and trades under three headline brands – Beattie, a creative communications consultancy, 11ten, a student recruitment brand, and Only Marketing where specialist boutiques brands include Only Health, Only Retail, Only Tech, Only Student Recruitment and Only Crisis.

Roberts said of Clarke’s appointment: “We are building strong foundations for expansion at home and abroad and you can only achieve great things if you’ve got great people. Alison is a fantastic addition to our team.”

Laurna Woods, Beattie Group CEO,  (pictured left with Clarke) added: “We’re thrilled to have snapped up a second industry giant in the space of a month. Alison is one of the most respected PR leaders in Britain and her international reputation goes before her.

“We look forward to her working with us to grow the Only Marketing brand and landing some of the most sought after PR, creative, digital, content, media and data marketing accounts out there.”

Clarke added: “I’m excited about joining Beattie Group at a time when we are expanding across the UK and targeting English-speaking countries around the world.

“Beattie is a business with so much potential and I look forward to playing my part in growing the Only Marketing brand across specialist industry sectors including health, retail and technology.”

Ten top tips on how to succeed in luxury PR

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Last week, Maria Boyle, founder of MB Communications, was recognised as one of the world’s 25 smartest women working in luxury this year, according to Luxury Daily’s Luxury Women to Watch 2017. Here, she offers ten top tips on how to succeed in the luxury sector, advocating the need for aspiring luxury PRs to “get the basics right”. 

Last week, Maria Boyle, founder of MB Communications, was recognised as one of the world’s 25 smartest women working in luxury in 2017

Maria Boyle

Luxury brands are planning to be more proactive on marketing and advertising to engage consumers in 2017, according to a new report released this week.

Overall, half of those surveyed plan to spend more in 2017 than in 2016, a significant shift from last year. And only five per cent said that they plan to spend less.

This bodes well for PR companies working with luxury clients.

But, the world is a different place than it was this time last year, with Brexit, Trump, geopolitical issues, media and marketing shifts and changing consumer consumption patterns.

For any PR working in this highly discerning sector, it’s important to get the basics right. With 25 years’ experience and a few awards under my belt, here’s some tips from someone working day in, day out in the industry, about how to hit the ground running:

Learn the art of storytelling

Luxury brands tend to be very story rich and PR campaigns can make engaging content if you ask the right questions at the outset to get these gems of wisdom. Finding these golden nuggets are essential in today’s cluttered media spaces.

Get clued up

Read around the subject you are promoting. Be your client’s eyes and ears. It shows you are passionate about their brand and gives you essential talking points when at events or meeting media. Never stop reading, watching films, interesting documentaries, visiting exhibitions and listening to others who work in the industry. It’s amazing what you will pick up.

Ditch the email and pick up the phone

Emails are great but we’re all inundated with them. Only last week was I speaking to a journalist about an idea I had and she was saying how she had 2,092 unread emails in her inbox. I regularly media train PRs and I’m constantly surprised how many avoid phoning a journalists at all costs and hide behind their email.

Get out and about

It’s very easy to be desk bound in PR, but even after 25 years in the business I push myself to meet new journalists, go to interesting talks and network with people – and it pays dividend. One of my great contacts is a senior executive at a leading Sunday broadsheet. I met her at an industry event, found out she was a huge fan of one of my clients, set up a lunch with them both and our relationships has blossomed ever since. She recently told me I was one of only two PRs whose emails she opens and replies to.

Be a digital stalker

Well, not quite, but with the advent of journalists and other third party influencers being on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Facebook, it’s quite easy to get to know a lot more useful information about them and what makes them tick before you even call them with a pitch. From my experience, a journalist will always give you time of day if you sound like you know your stuff and are in tune with where they are coming from.

Don’t dumb down

Experience counts. Luxury clients are highly discerning and sophisticated. They demand seniority, experience, quality thinking and the ability for their PR to navigate and manage any situation carefully. Each member of my team has a minimum of 15 years’ PR experience. It is a model that has worked extremely well for the last 10 years of running my business and it is one I won’t be changing any time soon.

Look the part

Working with luxury brands requires a well thought through wardrobe. I often rely on a very smart coat; well-tailored trousers or dresses; sassy shoes and a bag that looks the business.

Listen and learn

Luxury brands have managed to obtain their prestige by being market leaders in their industry for many, many decades. Their teams are often staffed with the best of the best and the insights they provide are fascinating. It’s a wonderful opportunity to work in this sector and a real privilege so keep your eyes and ears open at all times.

Presentation is everything

PR for luxury brands has to reflect the prestigious products we are entrusted to promote. I’m very careful about how information is presented – even down to the paperclips I use. Attention to detail is everything.

A thank-you goes a long way

I regularly say thank-you to clients for their business – where would I be without them? And I never forget to say thank you to a journalist for a wonderfully written article or beautifully produced broadcast piece – it’s surprising how many PRs forget their manners. Do so at your peril!

Google tops most valuable brands list

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The Brand Finance Global 500 report shows that Google is the world’s most valuable brand with a financial value of $109.4 (£86.58) billion.

Every year Brand Finance values the brands of thousands of the world’s biggest companies. Brands are first evaluated to determine their power / strength which are based on factors such as marketing investment, familiarity, loyalty, staff satisfaction and corporate reputation.

Brand strength is used to determine what proportion of a business’s revenue is contributed by the brand, which is “projected into perpetuity” to determine the brand’s overall value. The results of this analysis are ranked and the world’s 500 most valuable brands feature in the Brand Finance Global 500.

Here are the top 10 most valuable brands according to Brand Finance:

  1. Google – worth $109.4 (£86.58) billion
  2. Apple – worth $107.1 (£84.76) billion
  3. Amazon – worth $106.3 (£84.13) billion
  4. Direct TV – worth $87 (£68.85) billion
  5. Microsoft – worth $76.2 (£60.30) billion
  6. Samsung – worth $66.2 (£52.39) billion
  7. Verizon – worth $65.8 (£52.07) billion
  8. Walmart – worth $62.4 (£49.38) billion
  9. Facebook – worth $61.9 (£48.99) billion
  10. ICBC – worth $47.8 (£37.83) billion

Google’s brand value rose by 24% during 2016 (from US$88.2bn to US$109.4bn) and Apple’s declined from $145.9bn to $107.1bn, according to the latest Brand Finance Global 500 report. Google last occupied the position of the world’s most valuable brand in 2011.

David Haigh, CEO of Brand Finance, said: “Apple has struggled to maintain its technological advantage, with new iterations of the iPhone delivering diminishing returns, while the Chinese market is now crowded with local competitors. Apple has been living on borrowed time for several years by exploiting its accumulated brand equity. This underlines one of the many benefits of a strong brand, but Apple has finally taken it too far.”

Edelman opens up grad scheme to non-graduates

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Edelman has opened its UK grad scheme to non-graduates and encourages applicants to take a series of online challenges.

Edelman Beta will be open to anyone aged 16 and over and wants to be open to school leavers, return-to-workers, those changing careers, and those from creative rather than only to those in academic backgrounds.

The change reflects Edelman’s commitment to searching for the best talent to better solve clients’ business challenges in the ‘ever-changing communications landscape’.

A specially created website shows UK CEO Ed Williams (pictured) urging those who would like to apply to go on an online hunt. The hunt takes respondents through a series of challenges across multiple social media platforms and apps, as well as popular websites to find a code that allows them to apply and be considered for the scheme.

The entire journey for applicants was created and produced in-house.

On assessment day, candidates will take part in an immersive workshop and skills-based tasks, testing their courage to do the right thing and pursuit of excellence.  Successful candidates will join a bespoke rotational scheme taking in Edelman’s range of creative, brand, corporate reputation and production capabilities.

Williams said: “In today’s interconnected world, businesses simply cannot afford to simply follow the status-quo and that includes how they attract the best talent. We are therefore bringing the job hunt to life by calling on our newest applicants to find the job – literally. By challenging candidates to apply in such a creative and digitally-led way, we are giving them the opportunity to show they understand the changing world of communications – setting them up for success from the moment they walk through our doors.”

He added: “Brands and businesses recognise the multiformity of their customer base, and as a communications agency, we need to reflect this. We want to attract a more diverse set of applicants who will help us think differently and originally, and ensure we’re even better equipped to solve our clients’ business challenges. We called the scheme Beta for a reason. It’s a label usually given to software in testing, and just as Edelman is testing the candidates, they’ll also be testing and challenging us.”

Opinion: Why we’re offering an insider view on PR

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Push PR and The London Fashion Agency have launched a series of PR workshops to examine and evaluate practical questions and issues across the whole PR sector; from the constantly evolving media landscape, to budgets, managing client expectations and campaign activation, this meeting of minds aims to inspire and educate the future generation of media consultants. Rebecca Evans, EA at Push PR, tells us why.

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Rebecca Evans

At Push PR we are passionate about immersing ourselves in the wider communications and media industry and throughout last year, my boss Emma – Emma Hart, Push founder and creative director – attended a number of conferences where it became clear that some aspects of PR are still a bit of a mystery – even to many of those who work in it.

Knowledge about the broader aspects of the communications industry are clearly important, but it’s equally clear that there is a hunger for an insider’s view – people want informative inside knowledge on how a campaign comes to life and remains relevant.

Everyone knows that the media has changed considerably, even in the last 12 months. Influencers continue to gain traction for brands; how do you collaborate with influencers and what impact do they have? How much should you pay for PR and what results can you expect? How do you build both a short-term and long-term strategy? How do you future-proof your brand?

Emma has always been an advocate of women in business and so we saw the opportunity for an event where we could share her passion and industry insight with a wider audience; unofficial mentoring and guidance.

Even better, we found support with The London Fashion Agency and have teamed up with them to combine our like-minded outlook on business, the future of PR and a mutual respect between agencies. At the LFA, founder Rosie has a strong focus on providing low cost options for start-up brands.

One brainstorm later and PR Remastered was born; we will be hosting a series of bi-monthly panel conversations that delve into the importance of effective PR and communications.

We started with a “taster” event in December which was hosted at Push PR’s Finsbury Park showroom with more than 50 women attending and it proved that opening up the debate to honest, informed conversation was key to covering all aspects of business.

Our next event is on February 2, where Emma and Rosie will be joined by guest speakers Natalie Lee of lifestyle blog Style Me Sunday and cult jewellery designer Jessica de Lotz creating an interesting dynamic intended to inspire and inform those in attendance.

To secure a place click here.

· Rebecca Evans is executive assistant at Push PR and heads up its events activity.

Walgreens Boots Alliance and WPP announce global comms and marketing partnership

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Pictured left to right: Sir Martin Sorrell, Ornella Barra (Wallgreens Boots Alliance and Stefano Pessina

Walgreens Boots Alliance, owner of Boots pharmacy, has partnered with WPP and selected a team of WPP agencies to operate and develop multiple comms and marketing channels for its retail and wholesale businesses.

WPP has set up a bespoke team – Team WBA – for the business which will provide services including traditional and digital advertising, media investment management, promotion and relationship marketing, public affairs, media relations and communications.

In addition, hub office locations for the team will be created by WPP London, Chicago and New York to support Walgreens Boots Alliance and businesses including Walgreens, Boots and Alliance Healthcare businesses.

Stefano Pessina, executive vice chairman and chief executive officer at Walgreens Boots Alliance, said: “We are very pleased to confirm this new partnership with WPP and the creation of Team WBA. We have grown rapidly, so too have our marketing and communications needs, and this multi dimensional model and new way of working will better support our vision for the company and future growth plans.”

He added: “This more integrated way of working will help us to strengthen brand recognition, while unlocking potential synergies, creating increased efficiencies and helping streamline our activities globally.”

Sir Martin Sorrell, chief executive at WPP, commented: “We look forward to partnering with Walgreens Boots Alliance to help further enhance what are already iconic brands in the health and wellbeing category. Team WBA will be a custom solution that draws together the talent and resources from across WPP to develop effective communications that will differentiate WBA and drive results.”

Emma Padden and Emeka McQuade join M&C Saatchi PR

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M&C Saatchi PR has enhanced its senior management team with the appointments of Emma Padden and Emeka McQuade as directors at its London HQ. Padden will help grow the agency’s global consumer practice, while McQuade takes on key technology and lifestyle accounts.

M&C Saatchi PR has appointed Emeka McQuade and Emma Padden as directors at its London HQ

Emeka McQuade and Emma Padden

Prior to joining M&C Saatchi PR, Padden has had big agency experience working across global consumer strategy and multi-market campaigns for brands including Unilever, Diageo, P&G, British Airways, Tesco and Ford.

Padden has been briefed to grow opportunities for M&C Saatchi PR’s global consumer practice, as well as lead key consumer clients.

She said: “I am excited to join M&C Saatchi PR, and to be a part of their global growth ambitions. It’s refreshing to be able to work with an honest, straightforward and creative team – when they say they deliver impact with Brutal Simplicity of Thought and passion, they mean it.”

McQuade joins from his previous role at Amplify as head of comms, where he worked across brands including AirBnB, Jack Daniels and Activision.

In his new role at M&C Saatchi PR, McQuade will continue his work with innovative, trend-setting brands as he takes on M&C Saatchi PR’s key technology and lifestyle accounts, including Foot Locker.

McQuade commented: “It’s great to be part of the M&C Saatchi PR team. The agency has an amazing track record delivering incredible work for an equally impressive list of clients, as well as a reputation for being driven by passion. With the increasingly global nature of its work and recent investment in the strategic and creative teams, it’s an exciting time to be part of the agency.”

Both Padden and McQuade will report to Kat McGettigan, head of consumer at M&C Saatchi PR.

Molly Aldridge, Global CEO at M&C Saatchi PR, added: “I’m delighted and excited for Emma and Emeka to be joining our consumer practice in London – with both a local and global overview of some of the agency’s biggest and longest standing clients.

“Our consumer practice continues to grow worldwide and we need talented, strategic, multifaceted and creative team leaders to join our passionate band and deliver impact for our clients – with Emma and Emeka – we have found just that.”

Padden and McQuade’s appointments are expected to be the first of several new senior management team appointments as M&C Saatchi PR Worldwide continues to expand its UK client base and international growth.