Sian Parry joins The Brandman Agency

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Global comms agency The Brandman Agency has named Neville McCarthy’s Sian Parry as MD for its London office.

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Sian Parry

Parry will lead the day-to-day operations for The Brandman Agency’s London office, with a brief to drive the growth
of the business in the UK for the US-based global agency.

She has more than 15 years’ experience working on campaigns for a range of clients in the Americas, Asia and Europe, including Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, Karisma Hotels & Resorts, Diageo Reserve, Samsonite, Gleneagles, West Elm, EuroWineGate and PlumpJack Winery.

Before joining the Brandman Agency, she was head of Neville McCarthy Associates’ consumer lifestyle division.

Melanie Brandman, founder of The Brandman Agency, said: “We are very excited to have Sian join the Brandman team. With her strong experience across travel and consumer PR, as well as her knowledge of UK and US markets, she is well positioned to build on our impeccable travel and luxury credentials in our continuing growth strategy.”

Four buys Rain Communications as it moves into retail

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Four Communications Group has acquired Rain Communications for an undisclosed figure, as the business looks to extend into the retail, destination and luxury sectors.

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Delia Hyde

Rain, which was formed over a decade ago and includes New West End Company, McArthurGlen Designer Outlets, Midtown BID, Centre MK, Springboard, Walpole British Luxury and London Luxury Quarter amongst its client roster, billed some £1.6 million in fees in 2015, while Four brought in £21 million in fee income in the same year.

The agency will rebrand as Four Rain, with its founder, Delia Hyde, taking on the role of chief executive. She will also join the board of Four Communications Group.

Hyde said: “Becoming part of Four Communications Group as its retail, destination and luxury specialists provides us with both a bigger stage to operate on and the opportunity to work with other Four services including digital, design and media planning & buying. This will boost our capabilities and help us continue to deliver outstanding service to clients.”

It is anticipated that Four Rain will work closely with many of Four’s other practices, including Four Public Affairs, Four Culture, Four Travel, Four Property and recently launched Four Brand, which is led by MD Sally Hetherington, who joined the agency in June from Edelman where she was head of brand for its London operation.

The acquisition is the fifth since Four secured a £10 million investment of equity finance from BGF (Business Growth Fund).

Nan Williams, chief executive of Four Communications Group, added: “The expertise and experience of the team at Rain strongly complements the existing offering at Four. There is an excellent cultural fit, great potential for cross-working and the immediate opportunity to enhance our offering in the retail, destination and luxury sectors. We’ve long been admirers of Rain’s work and we’re looking forward to welcoming them into Four.”

McFrank promotes Scottish Music Awards

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McFrank, the Glasgow-based consumer PR agency and Scottish arm of Frank PR, has been chosen by the SSE Scottish Music Awards to provide strategic comms activity ahead of the annual event in November.

2015 Best Live Act winner Paolo Nutini

The SSE Scottish Music Awards has been the main fundraising event for Scotland’s only music therapy charity, Nordoff Robbins, since 1996.

Celebrating the great and the good of the Scottish music industry, former winners have included Paolo Nutini, The View, Amy MacDonald, Jimmy Somerville, the Bay City Rollers and Wet Wet Wet.

Claire Morrison, GM of McFrank, said: “The Scottish Music Awards is a stand-out major event here in Scotland and we are incredibly proud to have been awarded such a prestigious piece of work.

“There is both a creative and strategic remit with this brief, so it’s right up our street and we can’t wait to get started.”

The appointment is the latest in a series of major music and event wins for the Scottish agency. McFrank recently delivered the PR for The West End Festival Fiesta – a series of gigs held at Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Bandstand, featuring Billy Ocean, De La Soul and Sister Sledge.

MRM to handle corporate comms for Target Group

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Chris Tuite

Financial services PR consultancy MRM will manage corporate communications for Target Group, a financial services and software company.

Target Group manages lending, investment and insurance portfolios for over 50 financial institutions worth in excess of $24bn (£18m).

Ian Larkin, co-group CEO at Target Group, said: “The team at MRM has shown itself to have the depth of ability and experience across financial services and the enthusiasm to consistently deliver. The blend of senior talent we have access to means that we had no hesitation appointing MRM as our PR and communications consultancy.”

As well as the group’s day to day communications, MRM also handled the comms around the recent transaction which saw private equity firm Pollen Street Capital sell Target Group to Indian IT provider Tech Mahindra (May 2016).

Chris Tuite, associate director at MRM, added: “Target Group is going from strength to strength. The acquisition by Tech Mahindra will help the dedicated management team there to build on a number of years of strong growth and continue with its expansion plans. The senior team at Target has put its faith in MRM to assist with this phase of the company’s development and we couldn’t be more pleased to be able to play our part in that process.”

Porter Novelli hires ITV News’ former deputy editor

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ITV News’ former deputy editor, Richard Zackheim, has been appointed as Porter Novelli (PN) London’s media director.

RichardZ 1Zackheim will join PN London’s creative, digital and strategy team, which is led by head of strategic planning Jo Patterson.

He will also work closely with creative content director Ruby Quince and newly-appointed associate director for digital and content strategy Simon Sanett.

Fenella Grey, MD of PN London, said: “Having joined us straight from ITN, Richard powers up our burgeoning team to tell visual stories.

“There is huge opportunity for rapid response visual storytelling as well as for slower, beautifully polished content around key launches and moments in time.”

The new hire coincides with PN’s announcement that it will be relocating from Bayswater to Bankside in August 2016. Porter Novelli is part of the Omnicom Group, and its new office will be located at the London base on Southwark Street.

Opinion: The five essential ingredients for a good CEO-communications director relationship

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A good relationship with the CEO is essential for communications directors who want to make themselves heard within their organisation. Kate McFerran, partner at Westbourne Communications, offers her advice for getting comms represented in the boardroom. 

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Kate McFerran

Recently I was asked for advice on a professional challenge that is common to many people who work in corporate communications – how can I forge a good relationship with my CEO?

Let’s face it, for any ambitious communications director with an eye on progressing to the boardroom, a good relationship with the CEO is a major advantage.

When it comes to turning this important relationship into a dream team, what are the critical factors that make a difference?

It’s about a lot more than just technical skill. From my own personal experience, I believe there are a few essential ingredients for communications directors looking to forge a good relationship with their CEO, along with some quick win suggestions to get the ball rolling in the right direction.

A finger on the pulse of the business

CEOs receive an abundance of information through management reports, meetings, emails and phone calls, and much of it will have been filtered to make it ‘CEO ready’. Providing insight and understanding of issues occurring internally as well in the external environment that the CEO might not hear about through regular channels can be extremely valuable, and a communications director is in the ideal position to be a sound conduit of reliable, unbiased information within and about the business.

  • Quick win: Have regular meetings – ideally daily and no less than once a week – to provide formal and informal updates on the major issues of the day along with management priorities on big picture issues.

Two seats in the cone of silence

CEOs will sometimes confide in communications directors about issues that they won’t discuss with anyone else. They must have confidence that the conversation goes no further, and feel secure in confiding the worries and concerns that keep them awake at night. A good communications director will take time to listen, and offer their considered perspective on the CEO’s situation. There are times when the CEO needs a person with whom they can voice their thoughts out loud to help them talk through options and to clarify and test their thinking. Being a sounding board – and possibly playing devil’s advocate – in these situations is a valuable skill to offer any CEO.

  • Quick win: Be accessible for unscheduled conversations, no matter how inconvenient. However don’t rush in with offers to ‘fix’ problems – offer an opinion and talk through the options as a source of good advice.

Exchange of trust and respect

Trust will develop gradually over time in a stable environment, and likewise when times are tough or a crisis hits it will be forged quite quickly. In the absence of a crisis (mercifully), a communications director can still build trust at pace by being available when needed – often around the clock – providing essential input to decisions and steering strategies on issues that need to be fronted by the CEO. It will be difficult to ever build a good relationship if the CEO doesn’t trust the communications director to always be straight with them, and openness and honesty of opinion supports the development of mutual respect.

  • Quick win: We all enjoy praise when we do well, and providing positive reinforcement is key when the CEO does something that contributes to, say, improvement to the corporate reputation or increased employee engagement.

Show true blue loyalty

This doesn’t mean always agreeing and just saying yes, but rather being prepared to back the CEO on their decisions and strategic plans and giving them 100% support. A CEO needs to have confidence that their vision is being communicated effectively throughout the organisation, and that the person in charge of making this happen will do so faithfully. Loyalty works best when it works both ways – a communications director must feel able to provide a challenge to the CEO and to say, “I think you’re wrong”, without fear of negative repercussions.

  • Quick win: When disagreeing with your CEO, discuss the pros and cons of alternative approaches and make your best recommendation. You may both still disagree, but demonstrating you want to identify a winning solution shows you are loyal to the achievement of the CEO’s priorities.

Take in the big picture

Adding value to the CEO’s decision-making process means giving insight and counsel that takes in the view of the whole organisation, not just the communications function. In order to do this, it is essential to first fully understand the CEO’s priorities and work out how to support their attainment. Keep the big picture part of regular discussions to provide context to strategic considerations by asking the question: how will this get us closer to achieving our plans?

  • Quick win: Provide a steady diet of food for thought. Look beyond market competitors by providing insight on how organisations in other sectors have tackled similar challenges to those the CEO is facing.

A strong relationship between a CEO and communications director sets the right foundation for a high performance mini team. This rarely happens quickly, however when it does develop it can create an enriching working relationship that lasts for years and continues across organisations.

Kate McFerran is partner and head of reputation practice at Westbourne Communications

Behind the Headlines with Clarion’s Shelley Wyatt

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Shelley Wyatt, managing partner at Clarion, on why trade comms shouldn’t be seen as the “poor relation” of consumer PR, her most memorable pitch to a journalist and working with TEAM GB ahead of the Rio Olympics.

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Shelley Wyatt

Before I reach the office in the morning, I’ve already…
Had a coffee, gone for a run and caught up with social media. I also use my travel time to catch up on emails and read through client documents.

You’ll mostly find emails about…in my inbox.
Everything! New business briefs, client updates and actions, meeting requests, management actions and staffing info and internal banter (including which local pub we’re visiting on a Friday night) – it’s all there!

I know I’ve had a good day if…
I don’t realise what time it is and I’ve laughed a lot along the way.

My first job was…
An office junior at a PR firm in Soho where I learnt the ropes from the ground up and made some amazing life-long friends. Back then, we didn’t even have email..!

I can tell a campaign is succeeding when…
From a trade perspective it’s amazing when I’m out meeting retailers and they want to talk about our campaigns and how they can get involved.

Ultimately successful campaigns breed a sense of excitement, pride and passion in the office and I love that feeling when the whole team is pulling together to make something land. And when those results come in – coverage emails flying around the agency, online conversation and sales increases – you know it’s a good job, well done.

I eat….when nobody is watching.
Why is nobody watching? Eat what you want, when you want and don’t feel guilty about it!

The first time I pitched to a journalist…
It wasn’t the first time, but I’ll never forget having a great story, phoning someone and being greeted with a very grumpy: “‘hold the front page, we’ve got another survey.” I persevered and it made quite a few nationals including a half page in the Daily Mail and I got the spokesperson on TV.

The worst thing anyone has said to me is…
It’s got to be the ‘close, but not close enough’ call. When you’ve put your heart and soul into a new business pitch, and the client phones to say that you came a very close second. Thankfully, I don’t take those calls too often!

The last book I read was…
The Commonwealth Games – Extraordinary Stories behind the Medals written by sports journalist (and dear friend) Brian Oliver. Brian gave me a copy when we worked together at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. It’s a fascinating look at some of the amazing athletes who have competed over the years. If you ever bump into Brian, ask him about the weightlifter Precious McKenzie… he can talk on this subject for hours!

I’ve never really understood why…
Some think that trade comms is a poor relation compared to consumer. At Clarion we ensure all staff work across a good mix of consumer and B2B accounts so they can fully understand and appreciate a product’s route to market. For example, why invest budget in a consumer PR campaign that’s going to drive consumers to a shop if the product isn’t available when you get there?

Of course, this works both ways. Trade campaigns need to be exciting and creative and perhaps that’s the bigger challenge. That’s why I’m proud that Clarion has won The Grocer MAPs ‘Trade PR Agency of the Year’ more than any other agency – we have proved that it’s possible!

If I could go back and talk to my 10-year-old self, I’d say…
Forget about the spiral perm and don’t stress over West Ham. Instead, enjoy good food, good wine, family and friends and always make sure you find time for a little fun every day.

This time next year, I’ll be…
I never really think that far ahead, but I’m working with Team GB as a press officer at the Rio Olympics, so it’ll be quite a busy summer and I cannot wait!

Fancy featuring in a Behind the Headlines interview? Please email [email protected]

Portland launches Brexit unit

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A month on from the UK’s vote to leave Europe, Portland Communications has launched a dedicated Brexit unit to advise its global client base.

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Radek Sikorski

The team brings together senior advisers with experience across British and European politics, with additional appointments to be announced in the coming months.

The unit will provide counsel on the implications of Brexit for both British businesses and international companies with operations in the UK.

Portland’s manging director, Tim Allan said: “This is a critical time for our clients in the UK, and those who do business here. Already we are working hard to help them understand how we will exit Europe, what this might mean for their business and how they can enter the debate.

“They want to understand where the risk and opportunity lies. They want to know how to engage the debate in the right way. And they want to know how to communicate with their own people and externally as they navigate their way through a period of uncertainty which will last for years.”

Portland’s Brexit Unit includes: Sir Stephen Wall, Portland’s chief adviser on Europe and the UK’s former permanent representative (ambassador) to the European Union in Brussels, Radek Sikorski, a member of Portland’s advisory council and former minister of foreign affairs in Donald Tusk’s Cabinet (2007-14), Michael Portillo, a member of the advisory board and former Conservative Cabinet Minister, Kitty Ussher, Portland’s chief economic adviser and former city minister at the Treasury and Steve Morris, Portland’s managing partner and former adviser to Tony Blair on European issues and spokesperson to EC President Romano Prodi.

The senior advisory group will be supported by Portland consultants that include those based in the New York and Washington offices.

FTI Consulting appoints senior MD David Waller

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Global business advisory firm FTI Consulting has appointed David Waller as a senior managing director in the financial services practice within its strategic communications segment.

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David Waller

Waller, who brings both in-house and agency experience in the financial services sector, will be based in London.

Prior to joining FTI, Waller was director of external affairs for the Association of Financial Markets in Europe (AFME), a professional body for the European investment banking and capital markets industry.

Before AFME, Waller served as head of communications at Man Group, senior consultant at The Maitland Consultancy, head of external relations at Allianz, head of communications at Dresdner Kleinwort, and he founded financial PR company, Chancery Communications.

Earlier on in his career, Waller worked as a journalist for the Financial Times.

Andrew Walton, global head of Financial Services and senior managing director at FTI Consulting, said: “David has both an excellent external reputation in the industry and a very strong contact book, and I am certain he will be a great fit and a huge asset to our team

“In his new role, David will be focusing on a range of retained and transactional projects across the sector, and will bring valuable experience of specific areas including investment banking, asset management and insurance. We are delighted to welcome him to the team.”

International PR network Global One Communication expands

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Public relations network Global One Communication (GOC) has acquired three new member agencies in three separate regions.

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Jacki Vause

Jacki Vause, director of Global One Communication’s UK partner, dimoso, said: “Bringing new global talent on board is a really significant step for GOC. When I co-founded this network it was with the ambition of creating a forum where members could share experience and learnings and really enhance our own offerings.

“GOC isn’t like most agency networks. We have not been formed with the sole ambition of bringing new business to the group. Our ambition is to bring excellence and quality in our service offerings and this is why we are so delighted to be able to welcome our new agency partners who bring a wealth of experience and expertise in their own markets that we can learn from.”

The new members are IMS, which covers the Latin American region, Frontpage, which represents the Nordics and Istanbul-based Savana.

GOC is an invitation only network, which selects, vets and interviews potential members. Clients using the network include Bandai, OVH, Western Digital and AppLovin. The union of independent agencies aims to help deliver local campaigns for international companies.