H+K expands financial and professional services team

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Hill + Knowlton Strategies (H+K) has appointed Jasper Rosenau as head of content and publishing strategy for its financial and professional services team.

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Jasper Rosenau

Rosenau said: “I am thrilled to be joining H+K, and could not wish to join a better agency or work with a more dynamic, focused and intelligent team. I look forward to helping continue the growth of its content and digital offering for both current and prospective clients.”

Rosenau will lead digital and content strategy for the 30-strong professional services team’s current client base, which includes HSBC, Tata and Visa. He will help its new business push too.

Matt Bright, financial and professional services managing director at H+K, added: “Jasper has a valuable set of skills and fits seamlessly into our team. His expertise will enhance the great work we are already doing for clients and will help us offer an even broader range of consultancy and services.”

Previously, Rosenau was director of digital communications at Spider PR, where, in 2011, he founded its digital division.

Gorkana meets…Mantality

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Earlier this year, Super League and Challenge Cup winning 22-year-old pro rugby league star Stevie Ward launched Mantality, an online male lifestyle, sports and mind title to address the issue of mental health in sport. Three months on, Ward talks to Gorkana‘s Louise Pantani about how his own experiences in professional sport fuelled the idea for Mantality, how it fits in with his time at Leeds Rhinos, the challenge of writing for the “millennial male” and his dream of interviewing Ricky Gervais.

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Stevie Ward

Where did the idea for Mantality come from?

I had a realisation about five months ago. In my rugby career, I have been on quite a unique merry-go-round twice. I would play for a spell and win a major trophy – then I would pick up a serious injury. I would then have a very long stint of rehab and training before returning to play and win something again.

I realised that I didn’t just have to be on the same track all of the time and I could go and do something special on a different path. Something a bit unconventional and out there. In rugby, you can go from ultimate physical prowess competing at Wembley stadium to simply trying to get back walking again…This isn’t healthy! Mantality is an avenue to vent my constant drive. It allows me to grow, learn and help people.

You’re also a professional rugby player for the Leeds Rhinos. How does Mantality fit in with all of the training and games?

I am just on the cusp of returning to playing. But I have been injured for 11 months. So a normal day would be getting treatment on the physio table at around 8am, working in the gym at about 9am, then I undergo rehab for my knee on the field. Then it’s lunch and Mantality straight after! But I love the balance and the new job!

What made you decide to pursue a separate career in media?

It’s different! Being out injured so long means it can be hard to vent your focus on just solely getting your knee better! It can’t work like that. You need something else going on. I feel like I’ve got a good direction for how I want to live and make the most of life, I want to help people, and I love writing! So Mantality seems to be the perfect platform! The opportunity to learn from successful people and meet a set of new and diverse characters is so exciting!

There is such a mix of content on Mantality. How is it different from other sites for men?

Mantality has a massive focus on mindset. To me, this has got to be the first point of call. There is a slow burning appetite for people to discuss mental well-being, but also how to get the most from life. Our category (on the site) of Mind directly addresses that. Some of the articles can feature tips and advice from legacy-leaving athletes, MBE’s, world famous celebrities and ex-SAS sergeants. We also don’t apologise for brutally honest tales of how mental well-being can be in a bad state. Content on Mantality doesn’t scratch the surface. It’s deep and, because that is so rare, it’s riveting.

Who is the target demographic?

This is the millennial male. Let’s say the first point of call is your mind. Then it’s about what you are going to go and do. If you are interested in a conventional, straight forward life then Mantality probably isn’t for you. But if you rate moments over material and want to go out there and “kill it”, we will inform you and do it with you.

I feel like I’ve launched myself into something exciting. I had to reset my dreams as I was so lucky to have accomplished the childhood ones I had. I have managed to win trophies an Old Trafford and Wembley, so now I have had to reset my goals. So I guess we are speaking to people who want to go out there and get it.

What has traffic to the site been like since the launch online?

We have had 205,000 page views since the launch in May. Of course we want to keep growing and growing. For years millennials have been interested in how they look, what gym they use, what they eat. I think ultimately, it’s now time to consider how we feel.

This is obviously a very personal project for you, did you expect the amount of coverage you received? For instance, the article in the Daily Star?

I definitely thought it would have been more of a slow burner. I am in talks with The Sunday Times Magazine regarding a feature at the moment. I have had features with the BBC, Sky Sports and The City Talking. This coverage cannot be bought and I’m so grateful for that, but the main thing is through this I can help people and make a difference.

What is it you are looking for from PRs at this stage?

We do look at uploading content when provided if it’s in alignment with our ethos. We can’t justify stuff just for click bait. We pride ourselves on being a ‘real’ and honest magazine. But then it works great because stuff which we do use, is vouched for by me and Mantality!

I guess we are looking for anything exciting. Even better than that, remarkable. Stuff that ties in with the theme of well being, mindset, drive, travel and exploration is really what we are excited about. There are many different things: music is big for us and so is fitness. But don’t send me a press release on how to look like The Rock in 14 days!

You’re holding a launch party on 14 September. How can PRs help you in the run up to that?

Just get in touch with me personally at [email protected]. It should be an interesting guest list with the athletes and celebrities who are supporting it. We are hoping for it to be a very special night! If you have clients or would like to see what it’s all about yourself get in touch! We are holding it at the awesome Banyan in Leeds.

What is the best way for PRs to really get your attention?

I think that travel is really becoming a natural progression for us. Every part about travel works with what we are trying to get across. We have already been to South Tyrol and Switzerland so we are ready to immerse ourselves in the travel field. The reaction we have had to those has been great. We want to be bold and exciting, so anything that is in alignment with that, try me!

Would you ever expand the platform to print, or will you stay online?

Online is working so well at the moment, we are looking at growing this further and evaluating in 6 months time. Print is a big goal which I do have, it will be interesting to look at further down the line.

Finally, if you could interview anyone in the world for Mantality, who would it be?

That is such a hard question. On a personal level I would love to meet and interview Ricky Gervais, but I would also love to dissect the success of someone like Kendrick Lamar or Kanye West. What little things do they do which have made them who they are today and what is ‘fulfilment’ to those guys?

Stevie Ward was talking to Gorkana’s Louise Pantani

Heathrow appoints One Green Bean to its consumer roster

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Heathrow Airport has added One Green Bean to its consumer PR roster following its successful campaign work on the airport’s 70th anniversary in May.

Joanna Lumley celebrates Heathrow’s 70th anniversary

Joanna Lumley celebrates Heathrow’s 70th anniversary

One Green Bean will implement integrated campaigns working alongside its agency partners Havas London and Havas helia, which manages Heathrow’s advertising and customer engagement strategy.

Red, Cow and Hope & Glory are already on Heathrow’s consumer PR roster and One Green Bean will join them.

One Green Bean’s MD Matt Buchanan and executive creative director Kat Thomas will lead the account.

Julia Weir, head of PR for Heathrow, said: “We were extremely impressed by One Green Bean’s integration across our 70th birthday campaign and its expertise in social led campaigns. We’re very excited about the year ahead and look forward to working with One Green Bean to tell the Heathrow story, building on the brand and creating some great content together.”

Buchanan added: “We’re really enjoying working with the team at Heathrow. They share our belief that PR needs to integrate into their content and social strategy to generate strong results. We’re really looking forward to working on some exciting projects, during the airports biggest celebratory year to date.”

Earlier this week, TVC Group won a three-way pitch to lead a summer campaign for Heathrow Express, with the agency involving British Olympic track cyclist Victoria Pendleton to mark the 18th birthday of the service.

Flightworx Aviation appoints 80:20 Communications

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Travel PR specialist, 80:20 Communications, has been appointed by Flightworx Aviation, a provider of worldwide flight support solutions, from flight planning to fuel sourcing.

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Marc Cornelius

80:20 Communications, which specialises in travel, aviation and transport, will promote Flightworx to international corporate and consumer audiences.

Marc Cornelius, founder and managing director at 80:20 Communications, said: “Flightworx’s strong development strategy and unique approach to flight support and fuel sourcing sets them leagues apart. We are really excited about telling this story.”

Flightworx offers a range of services from commercial operations and management to flight planning, permit applications and other areas of aviation management.

Andy Shaw, managing director at Flightworx, added: “We’ve grown from a small company into a significant international operation and we’re very proud of the team we’ve assembled. Our challenge now is to heighten awareness of our unique offerings, including ATOL-protected Travelworx, our neutral fuel comparison service, Flightworx Fuel and our dedicated regulatory compliance solutions for private operators.

“We’re pleased to be working with 80:20 Communications, which understands our industry and will deliver the right messages to the right audience, supporting our ambitious development strategy.”

Clark Communications buys Golley Slater Scotland

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Scottish PR agency Clark Communications has acquired Golley Slater Scotland from parent company Golley Slater Group for an undisclosed sum.

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Lesley Brydon

Clark Communications was launched by Lesley Brydon in 2012. Its clients include the Institute of Directors and business advisers and accountants Scott-Moncrieff.

Golley Slater Scotland is a full-service marketing agency and has been established in Scotland since 2005.  Current clients include Paterson Arran and the People’s Postcode Lottery, alongside a number of public sector bodies.

The deal will see ownership of Golley Slater Scotland transfer to Clark Communications. The two teams will combine in offices in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

According to a statement from Clark Communications, Christina Kelly, former MD of Golley Slater Scotland, will leave the business, having given notice prior to the deal being initiated.

David Longden, chief executive of Golley Slater Group, said: “Following the news of Christina Kelly’s departure we considered a number of options in relation to the future of our Scottish business. We were inspired by Clark Communications’ ambition and vision and felt that Lesley was the right person to take the business in a new direction. We look forward to working with Clark Communications over the coming years.”

Angela Hughes, an account director at Golley Slater Scotland, will take on the role of associate director at Clark Communications, with responsibility for leading the Glasgow office.

Brydon said: “By merging two agencies with slightly different offerings, we benefit not only from scale, but also depth of experience. As the boundaries between the different creative disciplines continue to blur, the diverse mix of talent we have created will serve our combined clients as their needs develop and it will boost our engagement with their audiences.

“Whether we are grounded in advertising, design, social, marketing or PR, the team are all communicators at heart and that blend of backgrounds creates an exciting road ahead.”

Women aged 25 to 34 “most likely” to post customer reviews

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Female movie-lovers aged 25 to 34 are most likely to post a customer review about a brand, according to research from ratings and reviews platform Feefo, while men and women in the 18 to 24-year-old demographic are least likely to air their opinions online.

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Findings from Feefo

The research, which analysed more than 446,000 reviews to identify trends about the people most likely to share their thoughts on their experiences, found that women are more likely than men to leave reviews.

It found that 58% of reviews are left by women and women also spend four seconds longer on average on their contributions (two minutes, three seconds), longer than men (one minute 59 seconds).

The study also found that 25 to 34-years-olds are the most vocal when it comes to reviews – 23% of the reviews left by people in that age category. This group is followed by the 35 to 44-year-old age group, accounting for 20% of reviews, and 45 to 44-year-olds contribute 18%.

The youngest group measured, aged 18-24, were least likely to engage, offering just 10% of reviews.

In order to identify more about the personality traits of people most likely to leave reviews, the team split reviewers into the following “personality types”:

1. Movie lovers
2.Travel buffs
3. News junkies and avid readers
4. TV lovers
5. Technophiles

Movie lovers beat travel buffs and news junkies to the top spot as the most likely to air their opinions.

The research also discovered that desktop users (45%) far surpassed mobile (34%) or tablet (21%) users, suggesting that leaving reviews is still handled in a traditional way.

Andrew Mabbutt, CEO at Feefo, said: “This has certainly shed some light on who it is that responds to review requests, and these are the people who will be shaping the future of these businesses.

“By providing feedback, whether good or bad, businesses are able to understand what they are doing well, what needs improvement and what the market wants. The information this demographic is providing is crucial to the running of any successful business.”

Feefo is a ratings and reviews platform. It requests customer reviews  on behalf of clients, providing business insight to they can better understand their customers. Founded in 2010, it has offices in the UK, US, Asia and Australia.

Babel wins NETSCOUT PR brief

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NETSCOUT, a business assurance solutions company, has appointed Babel as its retained UK PR agency.

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Ian Hood

The service assurance and cyber security company aims to grow awareness of its brand in the UK, France and Germany with a multi-market B2B media relations campaign.

Beyond media relations, Babel’s brief is to build the profile of NETSCOUT in the UK through thought leadership, senior executive profiling and event support. It will also promote a joint NETSCOUT and Werner Herzog feature-length documentary, Lo & Behold: Reveries of the Connected World, which is due for cinema release later in the year.

Donna Candelori, director of corporate communications at NETSCOUT, said: “Babel is the ideal partner for us. Its extensive industry expertise and prior knowledge of several other companies that sit under the NETSCOUT umbrella will prove invaluable. Getting the right results in Europe is an important next step for NETSCOUT’s global growth, and we look forward to working with Babel to help tell our story within these markets.”

Babel will act as the hub for all of the company’s European PR activity.

Ian Hood, CEO and co-founder at Babel, added: “NETSCOUT is bucking the trend within the telecoms and enterprise space, taking a novel approach to global marketing and PR. The upcoming release of its feature-length consumer documentary is just one example.”

Celicourt adds two new clients

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Celicourt Communications has been appointed by oil and gas company, SDX Energy, and international law firm, Memery Crystal.

SDX energy 1SDX Energy, an Egypt-focused energy company, is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, and recently completed a London listing.

Celicourt will support Memery Crystal on its corporate positioning following a recent rebrand exercise and the appointment of  its new CEO, Nick Davis.

Mark Antelme, managing director at Celicourt, said: “Memery Crystal and SDX Energy are both leaders in their fields and we are very pleased to have the opportunity to work with them.

“With an ongoing work programme set to materially increase production, and an exploration programme about to get underway, it’s a very exciting time to be working alongside SDX.

“Equally, Memery Crystal is firmly at the heart of much of the current deal flow in the market, and has a great breadth of sector expertise within the partnership, from natural resources to sport, and often with an international dimension.”

Aspectus creates Brexit Unit to urge clients into action

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Aspectus is the latest agency to create a Brexit Unit, following Portland‘s announcement earlier this summer. Aspectus says its unit will help clients deal with communications during the uncertainty caused by the referendum outcome.

It has also published a guide entitled ‘The seven ages of Brexit’, which provides a communications blueprint for businesses from start-up to exit. Offering strategies for dealing with Brexit communications, it makes practical suggestions for where communications teams should concentrate their efforts.

Alastair Turner, global CEO at Aspectus, says that in a climate of uncertainty, its clients’ main worry is whether they should be saying anything at all, but this may be doing more harm than good.

He explains: “They risk adding to that uncertainty by steering clear of the post-Brexit debate altogether, timidly hedging their bets or being so vague on the topic that their real views are unfathomable. The thing is that people want to know.”

How Aspectus is addressing client need

Tim Focas, the agency’s account director of financial services, and its creative lead Dan George, will jointly lead the Brexit team with the aim to ensure comms is an enabler for overcoming challenges and making the most of opportunities caused by Brexit.

The team will use the pool of strategic experts at Aspectus, including its engineering, technology, financial services, energy and oil and gas specialists, to aid the transition.

Turner notes that it is important that clients communicate clearly with stakeholders including customers, investors, employees, partners and distributors to help their businesses, at all stages of growth, stay engaged and connected with their target markets to create business opportunities as departure from the EU is defined.

“Customers want to know how you are going to operate in a post-Brexit economy because they need to feel confident about your strategy, your prospects for growth, your physical presence, your support and your services.”

He adds: “The business world is slowly getting over the shock of the Brexit vote and the mists are clearing around the commercial realities – one of these is that the risk of sitting back. Not engaging in two-way communications around Brexit with your key audiences would not be acceptable to any right thinking shareholder.”

Portland’s Brexit journey so far

Portland was the first agency to announce its Brexit Unit in July and Steven Morris, Portland’s managing partner, says the agency had built strong EU expertise prior to the referendum.

“The history of European referendums is usually that the anti-establishment side wins. Post-Brexit, the scale of the issues the level of demand from clients made it obvious that we would need to organise a permanent team who would focus almost exclusively on this topic,” he says.

Portland’s Brexit team consists of Sir Stephen Wall, who was Britain’s ambassador to the EU and advised four Prime Ministers on Europe. Former foreign minister Radek Sikorski and former treasury minister Kitty Ussher are also on the panel as well as Morris who is former adviser to Tony Blair on European issues.

Morris says so far the unit has been a success since launch: “We had a phenomenal response to our Brexit publication “Britain Votes Leave: What Happens Next?”, and enormous interest from both current and new clients in our Brexit expertise. We have signed up a number of new clients since June 23 specifically to advise on Brexit.”

Henman Communications to launch SPAshell

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Sports and lifestyle PR agency Henman Communications has been appointed by spa design consultancy Spa Creators to launch SPAshell, the UK’s “first pre-built spa using eco modular construction”, at Fishmore Hall in Shropshire in October.

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SPAshell treatment

SPAshell is designed to “help people to relax and unwind”. Henman will work closely with luxury hotels specialist PR agency Perception UK and beauty product house Elemis to launch the facility.

Activity will focus on inviting media to visit Fishmore Hall in October to review the new SPAshell, as well as beauty and wellness treatments and other offerings at the hotel.

Henman Communications will position SPAshell in consumer and trade press, raise awareness through spa and hotel reviews and drive social and digital engagement.

Alistair Johnson, founder and MD of SPAshell, said: “We are delighted to be working with the team at Henman Communications to launch our first SPAshell at Fishmore Hall in the UK this October. Henman Communications has a wealth of experience taking new products to market in the health, fitness and wellness sectors.

“We were looking for a partner agency to help establish our market credibility and build our profile in the national trade media and consumer media in the UK. SPAshell offers a brilliantly simple solution for any boutique hotel or corporate business looking to add spa and wellness treatments to their business mix and provide an additional revenue stream.”

Richard Henman, founder of Henman Communications, added: “We will be building awareness for SPAshell in the national spa, hotel, health and wellness and lifestyle media to drive awareness, engagement and create commercial opportunities for SPAshell across the UK.”