HBAA appoints Clareville to implement PR campaign

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HBAA, the trade association for the hotel booking agency, apartment and venue community, has appointed Clareville to develop and implement a PR programme for the association and to support agent engagement in HBAA activities.

suzi johnson BC

Suzi Johnson

The campaign is designed to raise the profile of the Association, its members and its new committee within the industry and among potential customers and members. In particular, it will highlight the HBAA’s Code of Practice and the benefits and services the HBAA provides to its members.

Suzi Johnson, marketing chair of the HBAA, said: “Following a competitive pitch we’re delighted to have appointed Clareville. Its knowledge and expertise within the industry gave us the confidence that they will support us in meeting our strategic objectives through content delivery and engagement in our HBAA activities – ultimately raising the profile of the Association.”

John Starr, managing director of Clareville, added: “It’s great to be chosen to work with such an important and influential industry organisation as the HBAA, and, using our industry expertise, we look forward to developing the programme and delivering results for the Association.”

Most read people news on Gorkana News

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

Graeme Wilson 2Tulchan Communications has hired David Cameron’s former press secretary, Graeme Wilson, as a partner.

Wilson recently worked as press secretary at 10 Downing Street, for PM David Cameron. Prior to that, he was deputy political editor of The Sun. He has also worked for the Daily Mail and the Daily Telegraph.

Channel 4 2Channel 4 has enhanced its press and publicity team with the internal appointments of Donna Mathews to group PR lead for content and programmes and Victoria Wawman to group PR lead for corporate and commercial.

Mathews is currently group publicity manager for Drama, Comedy and Acquisitions at Channel 4. Wawman has worked on corporate comms at Channel 4 since 2012, leading PR for the corporation’s ad sales and commercial divisions.

Golin 2Golin has brought in Razorfish’s Alex Brittain to lead its specialist digital design and build team.

Brittain was previously head of business development at Publicis Groupe-owned Razorfish, where he oversaw the digital agency’s Unilever relationship.

 

BM 2Kelly Teasdale has joined Burson-Marsteller’s healthcare team as senior director, following two years as global brand comms director at pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca.

At AstraZeneca, Teasdale developed global comms strategies for oncology and cardiovascular-focused products, supported global corporate brand comms and led patient advocacy and patient-centric strategy.

James Morris BCEdelman has brought in Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research’s James Morris as senior director of corporate reputation.

As a director in Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research’s European division, Morris advised leaders from international business and politics on reputation management. He will join Edelman in early January.

peopleperhour 2PeoplePerHour, a UK-based digital marketplace for freelance talent, has brought in former Perowne International account director Caroline O’Grady as its new PR director.

Before Perowne International, O’Grady was a junior account director at Perowne Charles Communications (PCC). The agency’s co-founder, Julia Perowne, split from the agency to form Perowne International earlier this year.

pexels-photo-140123Publicis Health UK has appointed Victoria Wright as MD of Publicis LifeBrands, Publicis LifeBrands Resolute and Real Science Communications. Alister Sansum has been named director of scientific and medical services across Publicis Health UK.

 

Nexus hires W to launch first AR-powered greetings card from the White House

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Animation studio Nexus has appointed W to bring the White House’s first augmented reality (AR) greetings card to life in the UK, marking the end of President Obama’s administration.

W White House

The White House has launched its first augmented reality (AR) greetings card this year.

Created by Nexus Studios’ Interactive Arts division, this year’s White House greeting card tells its story through free mobile app 1600 and is narrated by Josh Earnest, press secretary at the White House.

The app takes the user on a journey through an animation celebrating the traditional events that unfold each year at the White House, and continues President Obama’s legacy of using digital innovation to increase accessibility to the presidential residence.

As well as promoting the AR greetings card in the UK, W has been briefed to enhance Nexus’ profile in the UK market and elevate the animation studio’s international credentials as a leader in innovation and digital storytelling.

Nexus MD James Tomkinson said: “The W team impressed us from our very first meeting together, showcasing a dynamic and creative approach and an ability to move and react very quickly as the project developed.

“We think this digitally innovative experience is the ideal way to mark the end of President Obama’s legacy, and W was the clear choice in helping us tell that story here in the UK market.”

Becky Charles, head of media and corporate at W, added: “This is an incredible and pioneering project from the White House, at an historic time for the US, and we are very excited to be working with the enormously talented team at Nexus to bring it to life for audiences in the UK.”

The 1600 app will be available on the iOS store, with users able to unveil a number of secret moments throughout their experience. Users can tap on the roof of the White House and the Secret Service will arrive, or tap the Oval Office to see President Obama at work.

Beckii Cruel joins Social Circle

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Social influencer marketing platform Social Circle has brought in Rebecca Flint, AKA fashion and beauty influencer Beckii Cruel, as its new creator liaison.

Beckii Cruel

Rebecca Flint (AKA fashion and beauty influencer Beckii Cruel)

Flint has been vlogging under the alias Beckii Cruel since 2007 and has extensive experience of working with brands in her social influencer capacity, focusing on Japanese fashion and culture.

According to Social Circle’s platform, her total reach across YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter is 271,663 people, with average views of 30,586 and an average engagement rate of 32,801.

In her new role at Social Circle, Flint will be responsible for liaising with the influencer community and advising the internal team, as well as clients, on best practice when working with social influencers.

Matt Donegan, MD at Social Circle, said: “We’re all very much looking forward to working with Beckii and she will be a key player in Social Circle’s growth plans.When working on influencer campaigns it’s vital to understand both sides’ needs in order to create a relationship that works for all parties. Being an influencer herself, Beckii knows what’s important and how to advise both influencers and brands on their campaigns.”

Flint added: “I’ve been working with Social Circle for a while now to incorporate branded content across my channels. They are by far the best company I have worked with to do this and they really care about hearing an influencer’s perspective.

“Nowadays there’s a lot of interest from brands to use social influencers to engage their audiences. It’s a relatively new area so bringing an influencer point of view to the table will definitely help delivering the best possible result for brands and influencers.”

Gorkana launched a Guide to Influencer Marketing White Paper last month, whGorksWP alertich seeks to find out how an “influencer” is defined, what impact they have on PR, whether an influencer campaign can really be determined as earned media and what PRs need to think about before trying to find the right person who can positively impact their brand.
Download your free copy here.

Publicis Health UK strengthens leadership team

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Publicis Health UK has appointed Victoria Wright as managing director of Publicis LifeBrands, Publicis LifeBrands Resolute and Real Science Communications and Alister Sansum as director of scientific and medical services across Publicis Health UK.

Wright will now oversee the management of all three agencies which cover PR, medical education and advertising. The appointment reflects important strategic changes to the leadership and structure of the three agencies, designed to boost its integrated offering.

Ash Kuchel, global group president at Publicis Health, said: “With her infectious passion and vision, Vic was the perfect person for the job. I’m confident she will help us create an even stronger, more integrated offering. With a 360 view on communications, our offer is simple: no silos, just great communications specialists committed to doing the very best for their clients.”

Alister Sansum, former general manager at Real Science Communications, will look to strengthen ties between scientific communities in the US and EU.

Business unit directors have been appointed for each agency as follows:

  • Katie McMorran: Advertising Business Unit Director, Publicis LifeBrands
  • Ann Hughes: PR Business Unit Director, Publicis LifeBrands Resolute
  • Glen Halliwell: Medical Education Business Unit Director, Publicis LifeBrands Resolute
  • Clare Middleton: Medical Education Business Unit Director, Real Science Communications

Sansum commented: “We have so many talented people across our three agencies – from the colourful creatives to the scientific strategists and gifted PRs. It’s a no-brainer that we’re stronger together.”

Victoria Wright added: “It’s an exciting time for us and I can’t wait to see all the amazing things we can achieve by working more closely as one team. Bring on 2017!”

This week’s top trending features on Gorkana News

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Your bitesize update on the best PR opinion, interviews, events and insights on Gorkana News this week:

The Independent Christian and ZachEvent: Media briefing with The Independent
Editor Christian Broughton and MD, digital at ESI Media, Zach Leonard, told Gorkana‘s briefing event this week how the digital-only title has changed culturally, seen success across social platforms and how it is growing its global audience.

Opinion: Influencer Marketing – it’s a case of PR evolvingHannah Lynch Alfred 2
Last month, Good Relations’ Joe Friel revealed his top tips for PRs when approaching influencers for brand partnerships. Hannah Lynch, senior account director at Alfred, now argues that it isn’t just the approach that PRs should be thinking about – its the ideas and concepts, the core of what PR has to offer, that will lead to influencer marketing success.

Buzzoole 2Interview: 60 Seconds with Buzzoole MD Victoria Luck
Victoria Luck, UK MD of Naples-born influencer marketing platform Buzzoole, talks to Gorkana about moving from international advertising at Hearst Magazines into influencer marketing, why PR and media are merging and which brand she thinks has nailed its Christmas campaign this year.

pexels-photo-40120Insight: Clear objectives are key to PR mentoring success
Mentors can be the external guiding hand that helps many meet a professional or personal challenge and develop their careers. But what’s the best way to find the support you need and take that extra step? Mentors from Women in PR, CharityComms, The Suzy Ferguson Spirit Award and NSPCC discuss.

Gavin Taylor 2Opinion: Is PR a science or an art?
The rise of data has certainly helped PRs get messaging to the right people, in the right place, at the right time, says Splendid Communications’ head of performance, Gavin Taylor. But, he argues, instinct and intuition still have a role to play when creating stories that can really travel.

Aruba 2PR Case Study: B2B Case Study: GenMobile
WE Communications and Aruba used a research-based campaign to make the benefits of networking technology clear to a wider business audience. The GenMobile campaign focused on amplifying the advantages of flexible working, mobile devices and maintaining good security practice.

Caroline O’Grady joins PeoplePerHour as PR director

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PeoplePerHour, a UK-based digital marketplace for freelance talent, has brought in former Perowne International account director Caroline O’Grady as its new PR director.

peopleperhour

Caroline O’Grady

Previously an account director at Perowne International, O’Grady was, before that, a junior account director at Perowne Charles Communications (PCC). The agency’s co-founder, Julia Perowne, split from the agency to form Perowne International earlier this year.

Before that, O’Grady did PR stints at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and Harrods after a time spent in journalism and publishing.

In her new role, O’Grady will head up PR, research, content and social media activity at PeoplePerHour, reporting to CEO Xenios Thrasyvoulou.

O’Grady said: “PeoplePerHour is UK’s largest freelancing community. We connect businesses and freelancers, with 1.4 million registered users globally and 412,000 active freelancers using the site, making us an authority on this growing market.

“I’m keen to talk to journalists writing about SMEs, freelancing, the gig economy, startups and flexible working and resourcing solutions. I’ll be pitching stories aimed both at businesses looking for alternative and flexible resourcing of projects, as well as freelancers or people looking to go freelance.

“We also produce great research and analytics on freelancing and the gig economy and would be delighted to share these with media for statistics or trend-led pieces, or collaborate with them to create specific studies using our data.”

Golin names head of digital

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Golin has brought in Razorfish’s Alex Brittain to lead its specialist digital design and build team.

Golin

Alex Brittain

Brittain was previously head of business development at Publicis Groupe-owned Razorfish, where he oversaw the digital agency’s Unilever relationship.

At Golin, Brittain will work alongside head of content and social Neil Kleiner and the agency’s wider leadership team, to enhance its digital offering and drive integration.

He will report to Golin’s London MD, Bibi Hilton.

Hilton said: “Over the past 60 years, Golin’s business has evolved from pure public relations to award-winning communications that integrate PR, social and digital. Alex’s digital and leadership experience make him the perfect person to join us as we continue to transform in our ambition to be the defining agency of this decade.”

Brittain added: “As traditional silos continue to disintegrate in the marketing industry, I’m thrilled to join one of the most prestigious integrated communications agencies out there; offering PR, social, content as well as world-class digital work.”

Pixoneye hires Bite for UK launch

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Israeli startup Pixoneye has chosen Bite to help launch its digital analytics app technology in the UK.

Bite

Ofri Ben Porat

Pixoneye’s algorithms analyse photos and videos on smartphones, providing information on the interests of users that brands can use to improve their customer experience.

Without ‘seeing’ images or moving them to an external server, Pixoneye technology allows a user’s device to scan photos, condense the data, and extract it. This data is then sent to the specific brand in real time.

Bite will raise the profile of Pixoneye’s mobile data analytics and personalisation platform, which the start-up describes as “the Holy Grail” for marketers.

The startup said Bite’s experience and creative ideas fitted with its requirements in terms of the agency’s understanding and cultural fit. Other agencies were involved, but Bite succeeded without a competitive pitch process.

Ofri Ben Porat (pictured), CEO of Pixoneye, said: “We love the fact that Bite already feels like an extended part of Pixoneye. There’s already a great feeling of togetherness. We have great admiration of the energy of every one of our team, and I believe the work we’re doing together will make a huge impact to our business’ success.”

Bite’s deputy MD, Rachel Gilley, added: “It’s a great win for us. Pixoneye is the type of company we at Bite strive to work with because of its tech-driven innovation that’s exciting, has a great story, and will undoubtedly make waves in the consumer analytics world.”

Edelman bolsters corporate with new senior director

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Edelman has appointed James Morris as senior director of corporate reputation.

James Morris BC

James Morris

Morris will join Edelman in early January next year and lead the growth of its corporate narrative and positioning work.

Edelman’s corporate team comprises of 80 people, who provide advisory services, integrated masterbrand campaigns and specialist support, including employee engagement, crisis and litigation and legal affairs consultancy.

Morris joins Edelman from Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research. As director in its European division, he advised leaders from international business and politics on reputation management. A specialist in using data to drive communications strategy, his clients have included British Gas, Virgin Media, McKinsey, Save the Children, Thames Water and Starbucks.

Nick Barron, managing director at Edelman, said: “Increasingly, our clients are asking us to help them articulate and refine their purpose, strategy, and key positions on business-critical issues. James’ experience in business and politics gives him the breadth and depth of thinking that our clients need, while his background in data science will ensure we offer the rigorous approach that their challenges demand.”

Morris said: “I’m excited to be joining a company that has invested so heavily in its research, planning and creative capabilities and on building a sophisticated understanding of trust. It makes it the perfect place to do first-class work at a time of rapid change.”