Dr Jenny Lee joins Abchurch as consultant

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Abchurch is boosting its life sciences, pharmaceutical and biotechnology offer with the recruitment of Dr Jenny Lee, who is joining the business as a consultant.

Abchurch

Dr Jenny Lee

Dr Lee has gained first-hand medical knowledge during a year as an intern doctor in Singapore, which included daily analysis of clinical and laboratory results.

She holds an MSc in Strategic Marketing from Imperial College Business School and prior to her master’s degree Jenny studied Bachelor in Medicine, Bachelor in Surgery and Bachelor in Obstetrics at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, gaining an MB, BCh, BAO (NUI) and historical LRCP & SI.

Dr Lee was awarded first place in ‘The Zachary Johnson Prize’ for Population and International Health, as well as being published in an Irish medical journal.

Jenny is a native Mandarin speaker and brings her skills to Abchurch’s life sciences, pharmaceuticals & biotechnology clients.

Tim Thompson, Abchurch senior partner, said: “I am delighted that someone of such calibre has joined our life sciences team and will strengthen our strategic consultancy offering.’’

Hain Daniels hands six-figure PR brief to Aduro

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Aduro has won a six-figure PR brief from food and drink manufacturer the Hain Daniels Group to deliver projects for Sun-Pat peanut butter, Hartley’s 10-Cal Jelly Pots and dairy free milk alternative Dream.

Hain Daniels Group

Hain Daniels Group

Aduro will kick off with a campaign for peanut butter brand Sun-Pat in October, targeting secondary school children and mums.

Key elements of the ‘Spread the Energy: Fuel Your Dreams’ campaign, created by Aduro, will include Olympic ambassadors and photography and video assets, all with a clear consumer call to action driven by social media activity.

Aduro will then deliver a January launch campaign to support Hartley’s 10-Cal Jelly Pots at a key sales period, leading with a celebrity ambassador to deliver key messages through creative assets and supported with a social influencer campaign.

For Hain Daniels’ Dream brand, Aduro will deliver a strategic campaign with a strong influencer element to drive awareness of the dairy free milk alternative.

David Atkinson, MD of Grocery for the Hain Daniels Group, said: “We are delighted to have Aduro on board to support the marketing strategy and hard work of our internal team. We feel confident they will deliver results against promises.”

Two wins for Spider PR

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Spider PR has won two new UK PR briefs from event and hospitality group Camm & Hooper and La Donaira eco-retreat.

la donaira

La Donaira

Spider PR has been appointed by Camm & Hooper to handle the UK PR for the launch of its fifth site, Six Storeys, which is located in London’s Soho Square and due to open in December.

The agency plans to generate widespread awareness, targeting national and regional newspapers, consumer magazines, online, trade and broadcast media, as well as influential partnerships and third party opportunities to drive business for the event space.

Clemmie Mason-Pearson, director of lifestyle at Spider PR, will lead the account with the support of account manager Claire Morrissey.

The team will report to Darren Hart, director of sales at Camm & Hooper.

Mason-Pearson said: “We are so excited to be working with such an esteemed brand as Camm & Hooper and with the launch of their fifth site, which will invigorate the West End’s F&B offerings.”

Spider PR has also been briefed to handle the UK PR for luxury eco-retreat La Donaira, which is located in the Andalusian mountains.

La Donaira features eight individually designed suites in a farmhouse, as well as five traditional yurts and a new spa, which will open October 1.

Spider’s brief is to enhance awareness for the hotel and what makes it different. According to Spider, the farm is based largely on a concept known as regenerative agriculture, whereby they increase the fertility of the soil by the process of integrated farming, permaculture and organic management.

The account will also be led by Mason-Pearson, with support from Morrissey.

Mason-Pearson said: “We are so excited to be working with such a unique property as this. There is much to promote, from the eco-tourism story to the focus on equestrian life, the new spa and distinctive design and interiors.”

Clarion expands to Scotland

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London-based Clarion Communications has opened a new Scotland branch, which will be based in the offices of WPP sister agency MediaCom in Edinburgh.

Clarion

Amanda Meyrick

Clarion’s expansion into Scotland aims to take advantage of the opportunities to work with food, drink and family businesses in the country, as well as Scottish brands looking for both national and local exposure, delivered with the expertise of a London PR consultancy, according to the agency.

Clarion CEO Amanda Meyrick said: “We have a proven track record in producing clever and innovative work that really works for clients and feel confident we can make a really positive contribution to Scottish business.

“We’re also incredibly excited to have a new, permanent home in Edinburgh. This vibrant, cultural city has so much to offer – not just from a client point of view but also from a media and talent perspective.”

Clarion clients include Edinburgh-based firm Genius, as well as Aldi, Unilever, Jägermeister and Nectar.

Trailer Park names UK lead

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Engine has brought in Dave Roberts from M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment to lead the UK arm of its content and entertainment marketing agency Trailer Park.

Dave Roberts Trailer Park

Launched in Hollywood, Trailer Park has a 500-strong US arm, which creates and produces integrated campaigns that include strategic planning, branding, advertising, trailers, TV spots, episodic content, branded entertainment, digital offerings, and social media extensions.

It works with entertainment studios, including Warner Bros, Disney and 20th Century Fox, and a number of well-known brands, such as Apple, Unilever, YouTube, PepsiCo and Intel.

Based in Engine’s Great Portland Street HQ, Trailer Park’s London office opened its doors in February.

A member of this year’s inaugural Cannes Entertainment Lions jury, Roberts’ industry career spans twenty years. Having started his career at content specialist Drum PHD, he joined M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment from BBH in 2008, with a remit to expand the agency’s entertainment and content proposition.

At M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment, Roberts led campaigns for global brands including Orange, Reebok, Samsung, Universal Music, Spotify, Havana Club and Ballantine’s. During this time, the entertainment team grew to represent 40% of the agency’s income.

In his new role, Roberts will be responsible for expanding Trailer Park’s London offering and will report to Engine’s group MD, Simon Peck.

Peck said: “We are thrilled that Dave will be leading Trailer Park London. He has a proven track record of creating game-changing work and an inspiring vision for the future of the business. I have every confidence that he is the right person to lead our talented and rapidly expanding team.”

Roberts added: “Marketers are crying out for a content partner who can bring scale, insight, resource and Hollywood-level creative clout to the table. Trailer Park has the lot and I’m looking forward to working with the team to build this exciting new proposition at such an exciting time.”

Franchise Brands appoints MHP after AIM IPO

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Corporate communications consultancy MHP has been appointed to advise Franchise Brands plc on its financial communications after advising the international, multi-brand franchisor on its AIM listing last month (August 2016).

Nigel Wray & Stephen Hemsley 1

Nigel Wray (right) and Stephen Hemsley (left)

Franchise Brands raised £3.5 million – before expenses – in its market debut as one of only three companies to raise funds via an AIM IPO in August.

Founded in 2008 by ex-CEO Stephen Hemsley (who is now chairman at Domino’s Pizza) and non-executive director Nigel Wray, Franchise Brands has over 350 franchisees in 12 countries under its main brands ChipsAway and Ovenclean. The company intends to increase its portfolio of franchise brands through B2C business acquisitions.

Julia Choudhury, corporate development director at Franchise Brands, said: “We are delighted to have appointed MHP to advise on Franchise Brands’ AIM listing and beyond. Financial communications will play an integral role in updating our new shareholders and the wider market as we build on our success to date and expand through the acquisition of complementary franchise businesses.”

Katie Hunt, a managing director in MHP’s financial team, leads the account team with support from associate director Jade Neal and account manager Hannah Winter.

Hunt added: “Franchise Brands has a strong platform from which to deliver its clear strategy, with the benefit of a highly experienced management team and board. We’re delighted to have been a part of its successful IPO and we look forward to working closely with the Franchise Brands team to support the business through its next stage of development and growth.”

MHP recently won Saga and VPC Speciality Lending investments plc and announced new CEO Alex Bigg in September.

Bell Geospace appoints Pagoda Porter Novelli

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Oil & gas survey business, Bell Geospace, has appointed Edinburgh-based B2B agency Pagoda Porter Novelli to handle its PR activity.

Bell Geospace 1

A Bell Geospace aircraft

Pagoda Porter Novelli will report to Michael Douglas, worldwide business development director at Bell Geospace, and will support sales and marketing through social media, online and SEO services, as well as trade and technical media relations.

Angela Casey, MD at Pagoda Porter Novelli, said: “The oil and gas industry in Scotland is going through difficult times at the moment, but it’s still important to communicate the skills and expertise which have been built up over decades, as well as on-going innovation across the sector.

“The contract with Bell Geospace is important to us and we are pleased to be working with such an innovative and exciting company. Our B2B team is second to none and this contract is testament to our excellence in delivery and expertise.”

Bell Geospace supplies oil, gas and mineral exploration companies with data to help plan cost-effective seismic programmes and model sub-surface geology to find and source natural resources with minimal risk.

Citypress hires director and associate director

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Andy Poole, former deputy managing partner at Weber Shandwick, and Kate Macnamara, Goodyear Dunlop’s communications manager, are joining Citypress as director and associate director, respectively.

Kate Mac 1

Kate Macnamara

Macnamara will also co-head the Birmingham office of Manchester-based Citypress.

She joins from Goodyear Dunlop where she was the UK & Ireland communications manager. She is a former PR director and head of Grayling Midlands.

Poole has been at Weber Shandwick for 12 years, where he headed up the corporate PR team, looking after campaigns for a range of education, energy, property, professional services and retail clients.

Martin Currie, managing director at Citypress, said: “Kate has an ideal mix of integrated communications experience, very relevant sector and regional expertise, as well as that rare vantage point of seeing PR from both agency and client-side. Her appointment will strengthen our leadership team at a time of significant growth for the agency and add value to clients across our network.”

Citypress Birmingham moved to a larger office on Newhall Street last year.

Kate Macnamara added: “Citypress is seeing strong demand for professional communications support from companies and brands in the Midlands. The region is performing well in terms of attracting inward investment and its manufacturing and export sectors are growing. I’m looking forward to helping to build the agency’s presence in the region and working with colleagues across the UK on national campaigns.”

 

Pub17 appoints Fleet Street Communications

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Exhibition Pub17 has appointed Fleet Street Communications (FSC) as its PR agency after a four-way pitch.

Pub16 1

Pub16

A dedicated event for the pub industry, Pub17 is in its third consecutive year, and attracts more than 200 pub suppliers. The show will feature more than 20 free seminars – delivered by industry experts – and a Beer Writers Bar will showcase UK beer and brewers.

Sam Chance, marketing manager at PUB17, said: “We wanted an agency partner that shared our vision for the show and our ambition to make sure PUB17 is the ultimate event for insight, trading opportunities, business advice and networking. We are certain that FSC’s experience and contacts in the sector will help us to ensure this is our biggest and best show yet.”

FSC will help to raise the profile of Pub17, and will communicate ‘the breadth of insight’ revealed at the event.

Mark Stretton, managing director at FSC, added: “We love working with brands that take a slightly different approach and PUB17 is a fantastic show that we have been keeping our eye on since the beginning. We are looking forward to driving this campaign forward and working with the team to highlight new innovations that will be unveiled at the show. We’ll also be running the first on-site press office for the event and can’t wait until show day!”

Mason Williams promotes Portugal’s Amieira Marina

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Mason Williams Communications has been chosen to represent Amieira Marina on the Great Lake Alqueva in Portugal – Europe’s largest man-made stretch of water, situated between Lisbon and Faro.

Mason Williams

Amieira Marina

The Amieira Marina, which opened in 2006, has rarely been visited by guests from the UK and Mason Williams has been briefed to introduce UK families, couples and groups to the marina as a “unique and idyllic” holiday destination.

Eduardo Lucas, CEO of Amieira Marina, said: “We are delighted to be working with Mason Williams Communications, which came personally recommended from our European agencies, to expand our brand and business to the UK market.

“Already we are engaging with our key target media and reaching a new audience who we look forward to welcoming in 2016 and beyond.”

Mason William’s MD, Rita Rowe, added: “The Marina’s key selling feature is that non-skilled visitors can turn up and learn to drive a motor boat in just one hour. We’ve been out and done a recce and it’s amazing.

“The boat is directed throughout this huge lake by a Sat-Nav and a series of buoys so it is literally fool-proof. A family can sleep aboard and you could easily spend a week exploring Lake Alqueva.”