Cannes Lions 2017 opens for entries

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Entries are now open for the 2017 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity as the organisers say a “significant focus” has been placed on simplifying the entry process.

Entries are now open for the 2017 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity

Cannes Lions

The Lions, the global awards that celebrate the best creative work, commend 24 key disciplines, including PR, Creative Effectiveness, Cyber, Health & Wellness, Innovation, Integrated, and Promo & Activation.

This year, its organisers have prioritised the clarity and ease-of-navigation of the online entry process. Improvements include a new 10-point entry checklist which is designed to guide people through the entry system more effectively.

The PR Lions consist of seven categories:

  • Sectors
  • Practice & Specialisms
  • Digital & Social
  • Data & Measurement
  • Geographies
  • Reports
  • Campaign

The Lions are awarded each year at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in the south of France, which this year will take place from 17 to 24 June.

To be eligible to enter, work must have aired, launched or been released to the public for the first time between 1 March 2016 and 30 April 2017. Final deadline for entries is 20 April 2017 (late fee applies from 23 March 2017 / increased late fee applies from 13 April).

For further details on entering work, click here.

Last year, 18 UK PR and ad agencies were nominated for a PR Lion, including The Romans, Freud Communications, Engine London, Pitch and Taylor Herring.

Out of the PR agencies nominated, Weber Shandwick-owned Prime Sweden secured three Lions; one gold, one bronze and one silver, and Edelman and its sister agency Zeno both received bronze Lions.

In the Health & Wellness Lions category, Engine won a Gold Lion for its Missing Type campaign. The campaign also won a bronze Cyber Lion. Weber Shandwick also took home a Health and Wellness Lion, winning Bronze for its work on The Migraine Experience for GSK Consumer Healthcare.

M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment names digital lead

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M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment has appointed Disney’s Maker Studios’ Ellie Reed to its board as head of digital.

M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment has appointed Disney’s Maker Studios’ Ellie Reed to its board as head of digital

Ellie Reed

At Disney’s Maker Studios, Reed headed up the multi-channel network’s branded entertainment division, where she developed original content and video distribution initiatives for clients including Google, PlayStation and HP.

Before that, Reed served as international business director at AOL, running the corporation’s European Commission partnership.

She has held various roles in the digital media industry, specialising in “transitioning” companies from digital start-up through to post-acquisition success, including video distribution company goviral.

Reed joins M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment as head of digital and will work across clients including Samsung, Ballantine’s and NatWest.

Her role will also include helping current clients integrate their digital assets into broader campaigns, while developing the M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment portfolio through “innovative partnerships”.

Steve Martin, CEO at M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, said: “Ellie is such an experienced operator in this critical area of brand marketing and will add real impact to our client campaigns across the sport, entertainment and lifestyle divisions. She has a very strong understanding and connections in the eSports community and will drive this growing offer within the agency too.”

Reed added: “M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment empowers brands to cut through media fatigue through the things people love. As audience behaviours continue to evolve in the context of new digital possibilities we will deliver the best client solutions regardless of discipline, whether they are technologically-led, strategic, creative, data-powered or media-orientated.”

Four Communications acquires Insight Consulting Group

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Independent integrated agency Four Communications Group (Four) has acquired public affairs and corporate communications specialist Insight Consulting Group (ICG).

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John Lehal

ICG, which specialises in corporate policy advice, will rebrand to Four Public Affairs upon its move to Four’s London Bridge headquarters and merge with the existing public affairs team, which specialises in local government, regeneration, property and planning consultancy.

Lehal, who founded ICG in 2006, will become chief executive of the combined public affairs businesses.

Sarah Jones, currently a director at ICG and Ralph Scott, a practice director at Four, will both become deputy MDs of the new combined structure. Karen Alcock, the current public affairs MD at Four, will leave to pursue new opportunities in the spring.

Lehal said: “Insight was established to create innovative campaigns with a purpose and we’ve worked for some of the UK’s leading businesses, charities and pressure groups over the last decade. Our significant growth in revenue and staff numbers has shown that we are not a company that likes to stand still, which is why I am thrilled to be continuing our evolution as part of the Four Communications Group.

“As MD of Insight, I felt a strong sense of responsibility to find a partner agency that provides the best possible fit for our staff and clients. Four is an ambitious agency and we are very excited about what we can achieve together.”

ICG clients include Bristol-Myers Squibb, Learning Disability Voices, Local Government Association, Novartis, Paddy Power-Betfair, Pfizer and Time Inc.

The ICG acquisition is the sixth since Four successfully secured a £10m investment of equity finance from BGF (Business Growth Fund) in 2015 and is its 10th acquisition overall.

Former CYBG comms director launches agency

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Barry Gardner, the former corporate communications and media relations director at banking group CYBG plc, has launched his own consultancy Barry Gardner Communications.

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Barry Gardner

Gardner said: “I provide dedicated strategic advice and support to help companies and organisations develop, grow and transform through first-class communications.

“With 25 years of multi-industry and international experience across internal and external communications, I have a strong track-record of delivering fully integrated communications projects for fast-paced, highly complex and regulated businesses in issues rich environments.”

Gardner worked at holding company CYBG for six years, prior to that, he held a head of external affairs role at the National Australia Bank (NAB) Group, which also incorporates Clydesdale Bank and Yorkshire Bank in the UK.

In 2016, Gardener won a CIPR Excellence award for a external communications strategy in support of CYBG’s 2016 demerger and IPO. He has been a board director for the Scottish Association for Mental Health since 2013.

Harvard makes changes to leadership team

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Chime-owned tech specialist agency Harvard has announced changes to its leadership team, including the promotion of Louie St Claire to group managing director of the newly-created Harvard Group.

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The Harvard team

St Claire will report to Chime specialist group CEO Jo Parker, and will have responsibility for the Harvard PR, marketing and digital engagement divisions, as well as Chime technology.

Chris Satterthwaite, group CEO at Chime, said: “Key to building market-leading agencies is a strong, committed and stable leadership team. Under Louie and his team’s guidance Harvard has gone from strength to strength showing stellar growth.”

In addition, Ellie Thompson has been promoted to managing director of Harvard’s PR and AR division, looking after clients including Fujitsu, Ricoh Europe, Lloyd’s of London, Sennheiser and Linn. Thompson joined Harvard six years ago following stints at Band & Brown and Hill+Knowlton.

Pete Marcus will move into a newly-created planning team as group planning director and Hannah Williams will join the Harvard group in March as a board director. Williams joins from 3 Monkeys Zeno, where she ran the agency’s technology practice. Prior to joining 3 Monkeys Zeno in 2014 she was head of tech at Grayling

Phil Szomszor and Gareth Clark, who head-up the digital engagement and marketing divisions respectively, complete the new group board.

Ian Priest named non-exec chair of Pitch Marketing Group

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Pitch Marketing Group has today appointed Ian Priest, co-founder of ad agency VCCP, as non-executive chairman.

Pitch Marketing Group has appointed Ian Priest, co-founder of ad agency VCCP, as non-executive chairman

Ian Priest

Priest is currently chief executive of global marketing executive search firm Grace Blue.

He co-founded  VCCP in 2002, which was acquired by Chime Communications in 2005 when he was made an executive board member, and worked across the group including Chime Sports Marketing division CSM.

Priest was also president of advertising industry body IPA from 2013 to 2015.

His appointment as non-exec chairman follows the recent rebranding of Pitch Marketing Group as a creative marketing agency in October last year. The independent agency has three specialist divisions across PR, sponsorship and content production.

Priest’s role will be to work with Pitch’s senior management team, led by CEO Henry Chappell, to implement the strategic business progression from sports and entertainment marketing into the creation of mainstream consumer campaigns.

Chappell said: “We are absolutely delighted to have someone of Ian’s reputation and experience join us as non executive chairman.

“We believe that he will greatly help us to develop our proposition as an integrated marketing agency, particularly in regards to wider consumer work beyond sport and entertainment. We are very much looking forward to his positive contribution to the next stage of growth for Pitch, both commercially and culturally.”

Priest added: “I am delighted to be working with Henry and his leadership team to build on their impressive sports marketing heritage and help develop broader skills and perspectives across the marketing services spectrum.”

Sundeep Sehijpal chosen to lead Star PR

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Sundeep Sehijpal, a PR consultant and former reporter at the Worcester News, has been brought in to lead Star Public Relations, the West Midlands agency launched by the Midland News Association last year.

Sundeep Sehijpal, a PR consultant and former reporter at the Worcester News, has been brought in to lead Star Public Relations, the West Midlands agency launched by the Midland News Association

Sundeep Sehijpal

Star PR, which headquarted in Telford, is part of the Midland News Association, which is one of the UK’s largest independent regional media organisations and publisher of the Express & Star and Shropshire Star newspapers.

Sehijpal joins Star PR with 14 years of media experience, including over 10 years as a PR consultant, most recently at Birmingham-based WAA Chosen. Prior to his career in PR, Sundeep was a reporter at the Worcester News.

Chris Leggett, marketing and comms director at the Midland News Association, said: “Star Public Relations will complement our popular print and digital offerings. I am sure Sundeep will rise to the challenge of relaunching the agency.

“Local businesses trust the MNA brands to provide high quality news and advertising services. Star Public Relations will add to our portfolio by providing impactful public relations.”

Sehijpal added: “I am really thrilled to be leading Star Public Relations. My aim is to grow the agency and establish it as a high quality, reputable agency, which delivers a first-class PR service for clients. To achieve this, I will be drawing upon my experience of promoting leading national B2B and consumer brands.”

Property consultancy appoints Barques PR

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National commercial property consultancy Naismiths has appointed Barques PR to raise its profile in the Midlands.

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Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter

Mark Bevan, project services director at Naismiths’ Birmingham office, said: “When we were considering appointing a PR partner, it was important that they had a clear understanding of the construction and property sectors.

“Barques has worked alongside many of the leading companies in commercial property for many years and has an excellent reputation for great service and delivering results. Working together, I’m confident that we’ll be seeing the name Naismiths in the media regularly with plenty of positive coverage of our achievements.”

Naismiths offers specialist services and advice to the construction and real estate sectors, including development management, project management, quantity surveying, employer’s agent and funder due diligence.

Paul Skipp, director at Barques PR, added: “Naismiths is a highly ambitious company with some great stories to tell and we’re going to enjoy making sure they get the recognition they deserve.”

Barques is a PR, digital and design agency based at Ludgate Hill in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.

Tin Man wins six-figure PR brief from Monarch

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Monarch, Britain’s oldest surviving airline brand, has handed a six-figure PR brief to creative comms agency Tin Man following a four-way pitch.

Monarch has handed a six-figure PR brief to creative comms agency Tin Man

Monarch

The holiday company, which works under its ‘Our people make us’ strapline, has briefed Tin Man to create an overarching strategic comms theme, as well as a series of creative activations that will take place at key points throughout the year.

David Page, group head of comms at Monarch, said: “Tin Man came in with laser-like focus and creativity. It proposed a spot-on strategic platform that is not only closely aligned to the Monarch brand but also captures the current zeitgeist and news agenda.

“This was underpinned with some exceptional creative thinking – needless to say we’re really excited about working with the team and seeing what 2017 brings.”

Mandy Sharp, Tin Man founder, added: “Monarch is a brand with a rich heritage, a great story and many happy customers. We read the brief and instantly knew it was one for us. Once we nailed our strategy, the creative ideas almost wrote themselves.

“This is literally our dream brief – memorable brand building creativity that feels authentic yet will deliver big impact PR and ensure Monarch is front of mind when booking a flight or holiday.  It seems the New Year is off to a flying start already.”

Meet the 5 News editorial team

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A few places remain at a Gorkana media briefing, where three journalists from 5 News – editor Rachel Corp, planning assistant news editor Emma Greatorex and digital editor Jack Leather – will address a PR audience.

5-news-new-logo5 News is Channel 5’s flagship news programme and is produced by ITN. Since early 2016 Sian Williams has presented the show, when she took over the spot from Emma Crosby.

Corp was appointed editor in November 2016. She was part of the team that launched 5 News in 1997, and replaced Cristina Nicolotti Squires, who left to become director of content at Sky News.

5 News was one of Channel 5’s original programmes when it launched in 1997. In 2005, Sky News took over the news slot, but the contract returned to original provider ITN in 2012. In October 2016, a new look 5 News was aired from a studio at the ITN building.

To attend the event and learn more about the show, its plans for digital and how PR professionals can be involved in its programming, register your interest by emailing [email protected].

The media briefing will take place on Thursday 2 February,  8.00am at the Barbican Centre, and will run until 9.20am.

  • Events are exclusive to Gorkana, Cision and PR Newswire customers, including customers of the Gorkana Media Database, or those who also subscribe to all three of Gorkana’s services: Media Database, Media Monitoring and PR Measurement services.