TalkTalk boosts external comms team

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TalkTalk has enhanced its external comms team with the appointments of Sky’s Coralie Frost as media relations manager, Nickelodeon UK’s Maxine Sackey as consumer PR manager and Bupa’s Lauren Young as CSR lead.

TalkTalk team

Pictured left to right: Coralie Frost, Maxine Sackey and Lauren Young

Frost was previously a PR executive on Sky’s Content PR team, where she was responsible for planning PR strategies across channels and shows, including the Sky Movies Harry Potter and Star Wars channel launches, and building a new strategy for award submissions.

She started on the Sky Corporate Affairs Graduate Programme in 2013, and worked across teams in divisions including Internal Comms, Corporate Social Responsibility, Sky News PR and Product and Brand PR.

Sackey joins TalkTalk as consumer PR manager from Nickelodeon UK, where she was a PR executive. During her four and a half years at Nickelodeon, she worked across Nicktoons, Nick Jr. and Nickelodeon, as well as Viacom Consumer Products.

She was also responsible for delivering PR campaigns for several programme and product launches, including bringing the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles back into popular culture and launching pre-school property Paw Patrol.

Young was previously UK sustainability manager at Bupa, where she was tasked with creating a new approach to community giving and working with colleagues to exceed Bupa’s global 20% carbon reduction target.

Before Bupa, she worked across fundraising, comms and public policy in the charity sector, most notably for Cancer Research UK and Unicef UK.

The PR opportunities at education conferences

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As education conferences kick off for the year, with The Telegraph Festival of Education and the British Education Studies Association (BESA) conference just passed and the British Educational Research Association (BERA) conference to come in September, Mango Marketing’s managing director, Sue Murray, discusses the opportunities for PRs in the education sector.

Over the past two decades the education sector has experienced an unprecedented level of investment, but the marketplace has changed tremendously over that time.

While local authorities used to offer a streamlined route to market for many companies, the picture is very different now. Getting in front of schools is a therefore a priority for most education suppliers, and education events offer the best opportunity to do this. But as the cost of exhibiting is unlikely to be cheap, it is absolutely vital to optimise all opportunities.

While figures vary, the majority of visitors to events research and pre-plan which company stands they are going to visit, leaving time at the end to wander around. This makes pre-event promotion a must, not just to promote the company’s presence but to give people a reason to visit their stand and have that all important conversation.

Working on the Bett PR campaign for the past 12 years, we have seen some companies do this well and others not-so-well. So here are the best bits of advice for getting it right:

Always contact the event’s PR team as soon as you book your stand

Ideally this will be several months before the event, as copy deadlines for magazines previewing the event can fall quite far in advance of the event and early contact will help you understand all the promotional opportunities available. Hopefully, as with Bett, these services are free of charge to exhibitors. The PR team should have already agreed editorial previews with the sector’s media and know the copy deadlines of each title.

Make the most of offers

Although stand costs, accommodation and travel all mount up, you can help boost return on investment by offering discounts that are only available to those booking or purchasing at the event or immediately afterwards. These could be standard ‘buy one, get one free’ offers, or’14 months for the cost of 12’; whatever you decide to offer should then be promoted in your news information, via social media and with the show’s PR team to share this with the target audience. Similarly, free advice and training can also be useful to draw visitors in. Ultimately, if you think about what could help your customers and then offer it, it should stand you in good stead.

Think of what will drive people to your stand

When planning your news message to visitors, always consider what will drive them to your stand. The fact that you are launching version 3.2.1 of your software is of no interest to teachers. However, the fact that your latest update means that teachers can save time and improve results is interesting, particularly if you can prove it. At all times, remember that in today’s digital world, your audience can look at your products online. You need to think about what will make them take a day away from school to come to see you.

Use social media to collaborate with a wider audience

When we interview visitors to Bett and the Education Show each year, we ask them why they come to the show. The most frequently cited response is “to learn”. Many exhibitors at these shows are very experienced at using the time to build relationships with their audience by offering advice and training on stand. In the weeks before the show, we recommend you use social media to position your company as open, helpful and ready to collaborate with its audience for the greater good. It can also be a good tool to strengthen existing relationships; in the case of Bett, tens of thousands of educators attend so it can be useful to arrange for current clients to meet you on your stand and have a free consultation/catch up session.

Catherine Lane, head of PR at Catherine Lane PR says conferences provide one of the best opportunities to influence the sector. She said: “Face-to-face engagement is one of the most powerful ways to influence opinions. The savvy PR person should therefore take full advantage of any conference or exhibition that is a must-attend event in their target audience’s diary.”

60 seconds with Joe Mitton, PLMR

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Following a special advisor role at the Office of the Mayor of London, Joe Mitton has taken up a senior consultant position at political lobbying specialist, PLMR. Mitton divulges the motivation behind his move agency-side, the differences between British and Australian political communications and he reveals his favourite city.

Joe Mitton 1Which news outlets do you regularly read?

I devour my copy of The Economist each week. My morning online routine includes BBC News, The Times, New York Times and Sydney Morning Herald. After that, we have a good media monitoring system at PLMR so I keep up to date by email, including reports in regional papers and tabloids.

What are you most looking forward to in your new role with PLMR?

I am interested in working with clients to achieve their goals. I have my own perspective on public affairs and corporate interests, but it is fascinating to see how different companies analyse their interests and set their own goals. Understanding what motivates a client can be a real insight.

You moved from Australian to English politics, what was the biggest difference?

The biggest surprise was how similar the two systems are. Australian politicians are generally more loyal to their party lines but leadership challenges are more common. The relationship between politicians and journalists is more cautious and formal in Australia. I was surprised at how many journalists go into politics in the UK, and how many MPs socialise with journalists.

What do you like most about working in political communications?

I enjoy the practical application of my experience. As the Business and Science adviser in the Mayor of London’s office I was approached by so many businesses, and I got to see which approaches work best. Applying that experience in my new role to benefit clients is very rewarding.

What’s most challenging?

I have not encountered any major challenges yet. I am one month into this role so give me time!

Which is your favourite sector to work in? Why?

I love science and technology. The advances are fascinating, the people are enthusiastic and positive and the sector is growing rapidly. Infrastructure is also so interesting. I love the complexity and detail of a major infrastructure project.

What is your favourite city and why?

My favourite cities are all in Italy – they have perfected urban living to a fine art. In the UK I am an enthusiastic Londoner because of its diversity and pace. Outside London I would choose Edinburgh for its architecture, beauty and vibrant politics.

  • Are you working in one of the more interesting, or unusual, roles in PR? Or, do you have some strong views on the industry you want to share? If so, please drop Emily Andrews a line.

Onyx Health announces three new hires

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Healthcare marketing comms agency Onyx Health has boosted its team in the North East through the appointment of three new hires.

Onyx Health 1

From left to right: Ryan Gibson, Trevor Pill and Alex Gandhi

Trevor Pill, formerly marketing and design manager at nutrition brand Pharma Nord, joins as client campaign manager, Alex Gandhi, who joins from London-based Red Door Unlimited, takes up the role of client account manager and Ryan Gibson joins as graduate designer.

Onyx health director, Karen Winterhalter, said: “With Trevor, Alex and Ryan on board, Onyx Health is better placed to reach out across the UK and offer specialist marketing communications services for consumer healthcare brands, as well as niche pharmaceutical, medical devices and diagnostics companies.”

The new team members will join Onyx Health at its Hoults Yard headquarters near Newcastle’s quayside. Onyx Health has recently grown its North East client base through working with brands such as Quantum Pharma , PolyPhotonix and Quality Hospital Solutions.

W launches influencer marketing division

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W Communications has this week launched a new agency division, W Influencer, as it looks to bring the benefits of “earned advocacy” to a wider range of brands.

W Influencer will focus on recruiting unpaid support from influencers, believing that “influence” derives W Warren Johnson1from authority in context and not just popularity and total reach. The agency argues that too much influencer marketing is ineffective because it is paid for.

The new division will look to help brands apply influencer marketing to marketing and comms challenges, with activity including beta testing, qualitative research, promotions and activation, trade marketing, loyalty programmes and brand building.

W Influencer will be led by Sinead Nelson, who joined W from Reebok in 2014 and has since led influencer programmes for clients including Levi’s, Lynx, and the Pig Luxury hotel group.

She will report to W founder and CEO Warren Johnson (pictured).

Johnson said: “Although some brands define influencer marketing narrowly as a paid channel – writing cheques to YouTubers and Instgrammers to simply endorse their products over social media – W believes this compromises the authenticity and integrity of the message and therefore reduces its value.”

“Today’s highly media literate consumers are shunning commercial messaging and shallow endorsement, instead craving engaging, relevant stories and useful, interesting content shared by people who look, behave, and transact as they do.”

Yellow Jersey selected by Canadian Overseas Petroleum

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Yellow Jersey has been appointed by Canadian Overseas Petroleum (COPL), a junior oil and gas company, to deliver financial PR services, with a focus on driving awareness and investment.
Offshore drilling 1
The account team will be led by Yellow Jersey director, Dominic Barretto, who will be supported by consultant, Harriet Jackson.

Barretto said: “We are pleased to be representing a strong management team and brand. Our initial role will be to clarify the investment case and key messaging for City audiences – followed in swift succession with doing what we do best, media relations.

“Our agency has grown from a one-man shop in 2009 to 15 consultants, 50 clients and two offices. We are pleased to be representing companies who see value in our unusual approach to financial PR.”

COPL, headquartered in Calgary, Canada, is focused in Sub-Saharan Africa. It trades on the London Stock Exchange and on the TSX Venture Exchange (a Canadian stock exchange headquartered in Calgary).

The oil and gas company has ongoing operations in Liberia and Nigeria.

Tulchan hosts PR charity football tournament

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Tulchan, the London-based communications agency, has organised a five-a-side charity football tournament for journalists and PR agencies on 11 September 2016.

Tulchan City 1The Engie City Cup is part of Tulchan’s six for 2016 charity initiative, raising money to improve the lives of Burundi street children and will take place at the Bank of England Sport Centre in Roehampton, West London.

Engie, a French multinational electric utility company is supporting the event and to secure a place, email: [email protected].

CribMaster appoints Shooting Star

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Global industrial technology specialist, CribMaster, has enlisted Shooting Star to deliver its PR in the UK and mainland Europe.

Sarah-Jane-Freni 1

Sarah-Jane Freni

Sarah-Jane Freni, PR account director at Shooting Star’s Bristol office, said: “I am delighted to bring CribMaster on board as a new client. The Bristol office has been going from strength to strength since we opened in January and it’s nice to see our business development plan come to fruition.

“We now count a number of international companies among our clients and we are very much looking forward to working with CribMaster on its pan-European media relations programme.”

Shooting Star will manage media relations in English, French and German to increase CribMaster’s profile in the UK and in mainland Europe.

Belgium-based CribMaster provides inventory and asset management solutions for industrial environments. It currently operates in 36 different countries.

Saturday Kitchen regular Olly Smith joins Clarion’s advisory board

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Clarion has added to its advisory board, with the appointments of wine expert, TV personality and Saturday Kitchen regular Olly Smith, Condiment Junkie co-founder Scott King, and Springwise’s editor-in-chief, Chris Kreinczes. The new additions come as part of the agency’s increased investment in creativity.

Smith (pictured) will provide strategic advice on the agency’s drinks accounts, which include Aldi and Clarion Olly Smith 1Jägermeister. He joins a list of “drinks gurus” on Clarion’s Advisory Board, which include Master of Wine Sam Caporn, and beer writer and stand-up comedian Ben McFarland, who is one half of comedy duo ‘The Thinking Drinkers’.

King, a “sensory architect” and co-founder of Condiment Junkie, will give the agency’s food accounts a creative boost.

Kreinczes, who is editor-in-chief of global innovation discovery engine Springwise, has also been brought on board to “keep the company up-to-date with the latest trends, insights and innovations from around the world”.

The trio will sit alongside several long-serving members of the board, which also includes Miranda Gore Brown – food author, blogger and home baker of ‘Great British Bake Off’- and journalist and broadcaster Sam Norman.

Amanda Meyrick, Clarion’s CEO, said: “Our Advisory Board – or ‘Very Clever People’ as we now like to call them – act as consultants to our teams and our clients, and are all experts in their different fields – from sustainability to mobile, media law to nutrition.

“They help us predominantly with strategy and insights from their specific industries, but can also offer invaluable advice on the technicalities and legalities of different campaigns, and help us shape creative ideas. We are very excited to be able to pick their collective brains.”

LEWIS chosen for Exact’s EMEA brief

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LEWIS will provide Exact, a cloud-based business software provider for SMEs, with Europe-wide PR services.

Exact 1

Exact

LEWIS and Exact aim to increase brand awareness across EMEA, with a specific focus on France. As the hub agency across EMEA, LEWIS will provide Exact with consultancy and content services.

The campaign will focus on securing media coverage with accountancy and SME media, and will ensure the efficient and consistent communications across Exact’s existing network of agencies.

Jelle Zuidema, PR and content manager at Exact, said: “We chose LEWIS for its track record of establishing brands in new geographies. LEWIS also demonstrated a solid understanding of our business and our communications goals.”

Exact builds cloud-based software for entrepreneurs and accountants. Headquartered in the Netherlands, the company aims to build awareness in other EMEA markets through a communications strategy that includes ‘compelling and educative content for target audiences’.

Yasmine Boucetta, international associate director at LEWIS, added: “Exact matches the typical profile of companies we love working for. They’re innovative, ambitious and fast-growing. In addition, the company shows a strong vision for their business and communication goals. Exact adds to our growing portfolio of international clients supported by our hub model.”

LEWIS clients include Siemens, NEC and Lutron.