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In 2015, Mexia Communications won gold in the Corporate and Business Communications campaign category at the Anglia, Thames and Chiltern regional awards event
The 2016 PRide Awards will take place in nine regions across the UK: Anglia, Thames and Chiltern, Cymru Wales, Midlands, North East, North West, Northern Ireland, Scotland, South of England and Channel Islands and Yorkshire and Lincolnshire.
In Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, agencies shortlisted in the Outstanding Public Relations category are: Aberfield Communications, Acceleris and Finn. Clearbox, JPR, LK Communications, Morrow Communications, Serious PR and Smarts Communicate are shortlisted in the same category for the Northern Ireland region.
More than 1,000 entries from public relations teams, consultancies and individuals across the UK were submitted to the awards. There are more than 300 entries shortlisted.
Paul Mylrea, director of comms at the University of Cambridge, and Sandra Macleod, founder and CEO of Mindful Reputation co-chaired the judging panel of 68.
To view the full shortlist for each regional category, visit the CIPR website.
Ready10, the PR and SEO agency set up last month by David Fraser, Lord Sugar’s former publicist, is handling the UK launch of urban mobility app Ubeeqo, which is part-owned by car hire giant Europcar.
Ready10 will establish Ubeeqo in the UK market, generate traditional PR coverage, and improve SEO
Ubeeqo, which also operates in Paris, Brussels, Berlin and Hamburg, offers users a three-in-one travel proposition, with minicabs provided by Addison Lee, car club use from Matcha and traditional car rental from Europcar.
It is expected that the app will extend to other forms of transportation in the coming year.
Ready10 will run a creative campaign, which aims to establish Ubeeqo in the UK market and generate traditional PR coverage, as well as improve its SEO.
Henrik Jensen, UK CEO of Ubeeqo, said: “We were impressed with the experience, passion and creativity shown by the Ready10 team. We are aiming to take on some established players in the UK market and so it was vital we brought on a partner who understood what we are looking for. We are really looking forward to getting started with Ready10.”
Fraser, MD of Ready10, added: “We are delighted to be working with Ubeeqo. With transport and mobility problems a daily feature of city life, it provides a brand like Ubeeqo with a great opportunity to cut through via creative and insightful campaigns. We are looking forward to driving significant exposure which also increases Ubeeqo’s online visibility over the coming months.”
Fraser, former deputy MD of Frank PR and publicist for Lord Sugar, launched Islington-based PR and SEO agency Ready10 last month. Other clients include the UK’s biggest free-to-enter lottery, Free Postcode Lottery, money-saving website Voucherbox.co.uk and German online retail company Webgears.
The PR Office has promoted Chris Wilson to account director, and Aaron Bass and James Wright to senior account manager positions.
From left to right: Aaron Bass, Chris Wilson and James Wright
Wilson joined the PR Office from City Road Communications where he was head of communications. His previous employers include Citigate Dewe Rogerson and Dice Medical Communications.
Bass and Wright joined the agency in 2014 working, respectively, in the Community & Not-for-Profit and Corporate & Professional Services sectors and in the Corporate & Professional Services team.
Laura Moss, executive director at The PR Office, said: “We have always emphasised the importance of nurturing talent at The PR Office, and being able to promote individuals from within our own organisation is proof of this. Chris, Aaron and James have all worked incredibly hard to earn their promotions and we look forward to seeing their careers progress.”
Barri Friedman Rafferty assumes the title from current Ketchum president and CEO Rob Flaherty, who becomes chairman and CEO.
Barri Rafferty and Rob Flaherty
Rafferty, who joined Ketchum in 1994, has led its North America business since 2012. She will continue to lead in the region, and grow its Ketchum Sports & Entertainment and Ketchum Digital practices. She will also continue to oversee complementary businesses Access Emanate Communications, Capstrat and Harrison & Shriftman.
Rafferty said: “I am honoured to assume the role of president from Rob, and I appreciate his confidence in me. Ketchum is filled with amazingly talented people, and I am motivated to unleash their full potential, to continue to champion innovation that anticipates client needs, and to enhance our creative resources and borderless approach to deliver business-building work. It is a great time for our industry and for Ketchum, and I am thrilled to be part of this exciting journey.”
Flaherty added: “An innovator and change agent for the firm for more than 20 years, Barri is distinctly qualified. She has a proven track record of anticipating the next shift in the marketing-communications landscape and blazing a path for new practice areas and divisions to meet our clients’ needs, delivering breakthrough results, and developing and empowering our people to be successful.”
Ketchum is an Omnicom firm and has operations in more than 70 countries across six continents. The US is its most profitable region.
New luxury “home wellbeing” brand TINCTURE has appointed Rain Communications to handle its UK launch, which is set for October 2016.
TINCTURE will launch in October 2016
Founded by sisters Anastasia Brozler and Angelika Davenport, the “all-natural” TINCTURE brand aims to protect against the “harms of modern day living”, with cleaning products including surface cleaners, washing up liquids, hand lotions and room sprays.
Rain’s luxury consumer brand and retail team has been briefed to introduce TINCTURE to related media and help organise the brand’s UK launch in October. Its products will be available both online and with major luxury and natural health stockists in the UK.
The account will be led by Rain’s head of retail and brand, Fiona O’Rorke, who will report to TINCTURE’s commercial director, Jocasta Kelsey.
O’Rorke said: “TINCTURE is an incredibly exciting brand. There is nothing else like it on the market. We are looking forward to seeing the media and consumer reactions to such an innovative concept – the idea that you can actually enjoy cleaning while ‘cleansing’ your home is a huge step forward.”
In 2015, TVC launched GrandFest, a one-day festival for the “older people’s” charity Royal Voluntary Service (RVS), to showcase the craft skills of talented older people. This year, to make the event bigger and better, the agency drafted in a host of volunteers, all aged 70 or more (dubbed ‘GrandMakers’), to host masterclasses for “hipsters” and managed to get Royal approval from the Duchess of Cornwall as well as a thumbs-up from Patricia Routledge, the actress who played Hyacinth Bucket(pronounced “Bouquet”).
Older people’s charity Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) believes you are only as old as you feel and it is on a mission to get the nation to reassess their view of old age. Tasking TVC to come up with a campaign that would turn outdated notions of older people on their head and connect the older generation and the digital generation, last year it launched the inaugural GrandFest, a one-day festival with a difference.
Objectives
Generate national positive press coverage about the work that RVS does to enrich the lives of older people and their families.
Celebrate volunteers as the heroes of RVS and attract new volunteers.
Celebrate the skills older people possess and the importance of passing them on.
Strategy
Tapping into insight that arts and crafts hobbies are fuelled by shows like The Great British Bake Off and The Great British Sewing Bee, TVC designed GrandFest to showcase the craft skills of talented older people. Using older volunteers, all aged 70 plus, dubbed ‘GrandMakers’ to host masterclasses for “hipsters”.
After using Hoxton Square as the hub for last year’s event, the hunt was on for a venue that still had a connection with the younger generation, but with higher footfall for GrandFest 2016.
Spitalfields was chosen as the perfect venue to base the day’s festivities. A total of 11 GrandMakers hosted 23 masterclasses, ranging from breadmaking to crochet and basket weaving to woodturning.
In March, we kicked off the campaign with a research-based story about Brits relishing life in their 70s to create momentum ahead of an April media launch event. The story captured the media’s attention, gaining widespread national coverage and securing 31 pieces of coverage; including five print national newspapers and the front cover of the Daily Express. A radio day with Fiona Longhurst, RVS’ director of marketing and external comms, secured 13 radio interviews, ten of which were BBC stations.
Determined to match the coverage success of the March media blitz, stage two of the campaign saw an event with HRH The Duchess of Cornwall meeting the GrandMakers and getting a sneak preview of the skills they planned to showcase at GrandFest.
The Duchess was joined by RVS ambassador and ‘Hyacinth Bucket’ actress Patricia Routledge, ‘Queen of Couture Cakes’ Mich Turner and dancer Wayne Sleep. As RVS has a strict policy of not paying for celebrity support, TVC secured all celebrities without a fee.
RVS Grandmakers gather at Spitalfields market
For the GrandFest event itself at Spitalfields on June 5, a media relations team from TVC was based at Spitalfields hitting the phones and pushing out content as it was produced. The highlight was ITV London attending to film a pre-record broadcast for its early evening news.
Results
GrandFest 2015 was a resounding success, getting the charity noticed, generating unprecedented coverage and changing perceptions about the older generation. The challenge for TVC for GrandFest 2016 was to make this year’s event as fresh and exciting, while expanding coverage and reach.
Media coverage: Total of 214 pieces of coverage with a reach of 159 million. This included 48 print pieces, 26 pieces of TV coverage and 46 pieces of radio coverage. It was an increase of 37% on the 2015 coverage.
Driving bookings: The masterclasses were a sell out with 600 people booking classes ahead of 5 June.
Got a cracking campaign – with impressive results – that you’d like to showcase? If so, please email [email protected].
Tesco has appointed Coca Cola’s Jane Lawrie to its executive committee as group comms director. She will join the retailer on 10 October 2016.
Jane Lawrie
Lawrie has more than 25 years’ experience in corporate, financial, colleague and digital comms.
At Coca Cola, she has been leading European public affairs and comms since 2011, having first joined the soft drink brand in 2007 as European comms director.
Before Coca Cola, she held senior comms roles at Diageo and Boots the Chemist.
Dave Lewis, Tesco chief executive, said: “We’re really pleased to welcome Jane to Tesco. Over the last 18 months we’ve made good progress in restoring trust in our brand and our business, and Jane will help to continue this improvement. She has huge expertise and experience, as well as extremely strong values. We’re really looking forward to having her in the team.”
This year’s findings show that, for instance, while journalists continue to use social media widely, the way they use and think about the role of social in their work is evolving.
It also shows that – in this, the fifth year of the survey conducted by Gorkana and its parent company Cision, in partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University – PR remains the ‘most important’ news source, regardless of social media.
To find out exactly what journalists have to say about social, for details around where to find them online and for greater insight into the way that they work with social, download the White Paper.
Rishi Banerjee, senior account manager at Redleaf Communications, Roy Turner, media relations manager and account executive Sofie Ford will work on the account.
Emma Kane, Chief executive at Redleaf Communications, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed to work with LyteSpark at what is a very exciting time for the business.
“Instead of replicating the current video conferencing tools on the market, LyteSpark has adopted a different approach, focusing on creating an intuitive experience that makes communication easy and effective. We look forward to working with the team to help tell its story as the business grows and evolves.”
The LyteSpark platform connects “remote” teams, clients, customers and suppliers in a video conference. Redleaf Communications specialises in financial communications, investor access and professional and financial services comms.
Smithfield, the financial PR consultancy, supported Dragon Capital, a Vietnam-focused financial institution, as it listed its flagship fund on the London Stock Exchange (LSE).
A three-month campaign involving global road shows led to the fund listing on 5 July.
Dominic Scriven, executive chairman of Dragon Capital Group, said: “In the first week since our listing on the London Stock Exchange, we have seen our share price rise steadily due in part to a wide recognition of our product and the fantastic PR that Smithfield has been able to secure for us.”
John Kiely, managing director of Smithfield, added: “We are extremely pleased to have been able to play a role in the successful launch of VEIL on the LSE. The number of enquiries that Dragon Capital has received since the launch demonstrates the power of effective communication and shows how we can really make a telling contribution to our clients’ commercial objectives. This is another great example from Smithfield showing how hard work, excellent media relations – allied with a creative approach – can secure fantastic results on behalf of our clients.”
Founded in 1995, VEIL has a Net Asset Value (NAV) of approximately US$890 million (£675 million).
