Manchester’s Buy Art Fair appoints Rule 5

/in /by

Buy Art Fair has appointed Manchester-based Rule 5 to deliver the event’s 2016 communications strategy.

Rule 5 will look to create “conversation” around the evolving art landscape and engage new and seasoned collectors with a focus on national and broadcast media. A regional campaign will underpin all activity.

Thom Hetherington, CEO at Buy Art Fair, said: “Since its inception in 2008 Buy Art Fair has grown exponentially, bringing quality and international names to the city.  As we embark on our ninth edition and strive to further position Manchester as an art city – not just somewhere where people can see art, but buy it – it’s important we have the right partners in place.”

Julie Wilson, founding director at Rule 5, added: “Buy Art Fair is a pivotal date in the calendar.  We’re incredibly passionate about the event and the significance of it in creating an art market in Manchester.  We’re looking forward to working with the team to deliver what promises to be the best edition yet.”

Gorkana meets… DiscerningGent.com

/in /by

When Amit Chakravarty, co-founder of men’s lifestyle title Elysium Magazine, came up with the idea to create a digital offering dedicated to men’s fashion and style, DiscerningGent.com was born. Six months since its launch, Gorkana’s Jessica Lester caught up with Chakravarty to find out why he’s looking to target a more “Instagram-esque” audience, what the qualities of a “discerning gent” are, and why PRs are often the gatekeepers to great editorial content.

DiscerningGent.com is now six months old. Where did the idea for the website come from?

DiscerningGent1

Amit Chakravarty

It’s been an exciting (and busy!) start to 2016 for sure. The idea for DiscerningGent.com came about via Elysium Magazine. At the heart of everything we do is the audience, our reader – the discerning gent. What became obvious was the growing desire for additional men’s fashion and style content. Today’s man wants to look and feel good, a representation of how the men’s market in general has expanded.

While Elysium Magazine is broad in its approach to men’s lifestyle content across the full spectrum, DiscerningGent.com provides the vehicle to focus specifically on covering men’s fashion (formal, leisure and footwear), style (watches and accessories) and grooming (hair & skincare) in more detail and in greater quantity.

How does the content differ from Elysium Magazine? 

For DiscerningGent.com the content is purely focused around men’s fashion and style. A big difference from Elysium Magazine is how content on DiscerningGent.com is highly visual and the copy is more punchy – reflective of the Instagram-esque society we’re all part of now.

I think the allure of Elysium Magazine and DiscerningGnet.com lies in how well we know our audience – the discerning gent – a man who is aspirational yet incredibly savvy about what he buys, where he goes or how he does things. Since the launch of Elysium Magazine in 2011, and now with DiscerningGent.com, we’re continually investing in really getting to know today’s discerning gent and how he prefers to consume content, which is reflected in the design of both sites – clean and slick. 

Who is the target demographic?

The discerning gent of course! What I mean by that is the 20 to 44-year-old ABC1 aspirational male tuned into the latest in men’s fashion, style and grooming. He likes luxury labels but loves the high street stores and online – especially for everyday staples. He wants to look good in a suit – whether it costs £200 or £2,000. He can effortlessly move between formal and informal wear – and sometimes blurring the lines between them. He takes pride in his appearance and recognises the value in a personal grooming regime no matter the duration. Looking at it from this perspective, the vast majority of men probably fit within this audience.

What has the website’s traffic been like since launch?

Readership figures so far have surpassed even my own lofty and ambitious predictions and continues to grow. Again, this is representative of the healthy men’s market right now – all fuelled by a hunger to look good and a greater desire to inform their thinking than ever before – long may this continue.

What do you think of PRs? Do you enjoy working with them?

A loaded question! In a word, yes. A big part of what I do for DiscerningGent.com and Elysium Magazine is inform our audience about what should be relevant to him in his world. So anyone helping me do this is held in high regard. Since the launch of Elysium Magazine and now DiscerningGent.com, I’ve a great list of PR friends who have provided me with lots of opportunities over the years.

I’m always open to making more of these friends though, and if we can meet for coffee or breakfast/lunch to discuss ideas then even better as it puts a face to a name. This also means it’s much easier for me to spot the names of people I know – and who can provide the content I need – from an ever-expanding inbox!

How best do you like to work with PRs and brands?

PRs are often the gatekeepers to great editorial content – I want this for my readers so I’m happy to work with them. Whether it’s an initial idea that needs developing to suit the DiscerningGent.com reader or one that is fully formed and needs the right platform, collaboration between PRs and myself seem to work the best for our content.

This is not a one-off though, it’s an ongoing need and PRs can prove really helpful by providing the continuous content that keeps my readers engaged and hungry for more. Let’s meet to discuss, or at least have a chat about the opportunity you or your brand has and why it’s relevant to DisceringGent.com and see where it takes us.

Is there a difference in how you work with PRs over the two titles?

There’s no change in how I work with PRs over the two titles – the main difference being that I probably work with a greater number of PRs within one sector (fashion) for DiscerningGent.com, whereas for Elysium Magazine the sectors are more numerous but possibly not as in-depth from a contacts perspective.

What is the best way for PRs to grab your attention?

First and foremost, make the content relevant to Elysium Magazine or DiscerningGent.com. Go one step further and suggest which channel on either site your idea or content is suited to and I’m all ears. Emails are best because it gives me a chance to digest the idea or understand how we can work our angle. I do read all emails but it’s impossible to reply back with the volume I receive. Those that are relevant or key to our audience will generally get a reply back – even if not appropriate right now, there might be scope in the future.

What would you be interested in hearing from PRs in the future?

I’m interested in anything that could be of interest to the savvy and tuned-in male audience. Fashion and style from high street to luxury is a given, but access to shows, collections, and talent interviews are key priorities too. The latter aspect – interviews – is something I have my eye on for the immediate future as I focus in greater detail on personal style, so those PRs with access to male celebrities who are open to discussing their taste in fashion and style habits, please do get in touch. Other than this, take a look through the site and let me know if you have ideas for content or collaboration.

Amit was talking to Gorkana’s Jessica Lester

Italian independent SEC targets UK corporate affairs market

/in /by

SEC, which claims to be the largest independent advocacy, public relations and integrated communications agency in the Italian market, says it is in negotiations with a London corporate and public affairs agency as it aims to raise up to six million Euros with an IPO on the Alternative Investment Market.

The Italian agency which features Nigel Payne, former CEO of Sportingbet plc and David Mathewson, former FD of Playtech plc as non–executive directors and Luigi Roth, a former director of Pirelli as non-executive chairman, plans to expand into new territories and sectors with the funding and build a warchest for acquisitions.

Founded in 1989 by current Chairman Fiorenzo Tagliabue, SEC has operations in Italy, Belgium, Germany and Spain and it supports more than 500 clients in its various operations.

Tagliabue, President and founder of SEC, said: “In the last few years, SEC has experienced important growth in the Italian market, which has been essential in achieving its leading position in the market today. We have undertaken the key process of international growth through acquisitions in Brussels, Spain and Germany.”

He added: “We plan to continue on this path, essential for firms like us, who operate in an inherently global industry. We are in advanced stages of negotiations with a London-based agency with turnover in excess of £3 million, specialising in corporate and public Affairs.”

Cesare Valli, CEO of SEC added: “The decision to list on London’s AIM market is down to two main reasons. The first is to further consolidate the international position of the network in a key market like the UK and the second to enhance our financial strength.”

 

 

Promote PR wins sports event account trio

/in /by

Sports and fitness agency Promote PR has been appointed by three clients including British Triathlon, the Windsor Half Marathon and Running4Women.

British Triathlon has appointed the agency to create and manage a communications campaign that builds on awareness and participation around Team GB’s presence at the Rio Olympics this summer. Promote will be responsible for the creative development of the campaign, establishing partnerships and raising profile through traditional and digital media.

Also, the Windsor Half Marathon has appointed Promote to reinforce its positioning in the local community and generate sponsorship.

In addition, the agency’s focus for Running4Women will be to drive more women to compete in the Windsor 10k which takes place in Windsor Great park on 24 September 2016.

Promote will also provide pro bono support for the Duchenne Dash Max and the Women’s Sport Trust.

Sue Anstiss, MD and agency founder at Promote, said: “After 22 years of specialising in this sector we understandably have a very strong reputation for delivering cost effective results for clients. That said, even we have been surprised – and delighted – by the dramatic increase in the demand for our services this year. Encouraging more people to be physically active is clearly as massive priority for the future, and we’re incredibly proud of the impact we are having with work we deliver.”

eBay appoints Porter Novelli to B2B and corporate brief

/in /by

eBay has appointed Porter Novelli to a Pan-EMEA brief for B2B and corporate external communications.

The brief includes executive profiling, issues management and a series of campaigns to demonstrate the benefits of the eBay platform to both current, and potential, buyers and sellers.

Porter Novelli will report to Deborah Binks-Moore, Senior Director of Communications EMEA, eBay.

She said: “In a competitive pitch situation, Porter Novelli’s notion of ‘corporate creativity’ stood out but just as important was Porter Novelli’s integrated thinking – across traditional and social media – as well as influencer relations and other channels.”

Steve Loynes, Porter Novelli’s  UK head of technology, will lead the eBay account.

He explained: “Our understanding of the business and its marketplace, as well as the relevant industry issues across Europe, enables us to be extremely creative while staying 100 per cent on strategy. We’re absolutely delighted to be working with eBay, as you’d imagine, with a very innovative programme.”

 

AMEC 2016: Numbers bring the summit to life

/in /by

Gorkana has put together an infographic telling the story of last week’s ground-breaking AMEC summit and its impact on social media, following key announcements including the launch of AMEC’s integrated Evaluation Framework.

new-piktochart-conflict-copy

Gorkana meets… Jaimie Kaffash, news editor at Pulse

/in /by
JULIAN CLAXTON PHOTOGRAPHY 2013

Jaimie Kaffash

Jaimie Kaffash, news editor at Pulse and healthcare specialist Cogora, tells Gorkana about his award-winning team, life working on a public sector trade publication and his drive to source exclusive stories. 

The Pulse news team won ‘Best Section Team – Business’ at this month’s BSME Rising Stars Awards. What is special about the team?
The reporters all understand news, and what makes a great story. They are all experts in their patches, and frequently find out what is happening with GPs before the British Medical Association does, for example.
We also have a great blend in the team. Whether that be sheer tenacity to get a story as if their life depended on it, building watertight, important investigations or finding superb stories from the most mundane of sources, such as board papers or excel spreadsheets.

What makes a great story or piece of content for Pulse?
Exclusives. We aim for around one exclusive a day. But they must also be important for our readers – it’s all very well finding a story no-one else has, but if it is not of interest to our readers, it is pointless.
For me, there are two types of exclusives – there is beating our rivals to get a story before anyone else, which is always a good feeling. This could be pre-empting an NHS England announcement, or being leaked a report that the authorities did not yet want made public.
But by far the best exclusives are stories that would not have come to light were it not for us. These could be investigations, where we have data showing trends – such as the NHS spending money on holiday homes for patients, or commissioners cutting mental health budgets. They could also be a controversial scheme being buried in board papers, such as when we revealed that GPs were being paid to cut the number of urgent cancer referrals they made.

How is the Pulse team set-up? How do you find news stories?
There are three reporters and me in the news team, although we have help from other members of the features and digital team.
We do write on-diary news, and the reporters are well on top of this (most of the time!).
But again, our big stories are exclusives, and there are a number of sources for this. I tend to find that the more mundane the source (ie, long reports, larger spreadsheets, etc), the less likely other journalists are to plough through them.

How did your background in finance journalism prepare you for your role at Pulse?
They are very different roles. In finance, and other private sector publications, your contacts are desperate to get their name publicised and become known as experts in the field to generate more business. They are also happy to give you negative info about rivals! As a result, you can generate exclusives easily from building up contacts and getting involved in the industry gossip.
In public sector trade publications, people are far more hesitant – the motivation to generate business simply doesn’t exist. Indeed, for the public bodies, many stories are negative, and it can become a case of fire-fighting for PRs.
That said, it has really helped me (and our chief reporter, Sofia Lind, who worked for Legal Week) to have experience of both – being able to bring some of this contacts-based journalism into public sector issues.

Jaimie was talking to Gorkana’s Emily Andrews

Top tips for how to PR a music festival

/1 Comment/in /by

By Sophie Raine, Director at W Communications

With Glastonbury Festival kicking off this week, music lovers across the UK are preparing themselves for yet another season of muddy fields, loud music and sing-a-longs.

But ‘Festival PR’ isn’t about just showbiz and music coverage, far from it. The way we at W approach our festivals is via an inventive strategy that delivers coverage in all the places you’d expect – and particularly those you wouldn’t.

Here are four top tips to help PRs develop festival campaigns that deliver W’s “through-the paper” impact:

1. Treat festivals as brands
Festivals are more than just standalone events. It’s not just “all about the music” these days; they represent a lifestyle brand that consumers buy in to and want to be a part of. The PR strategy should not only tap into the media’s interest in the festival, but also help to elevate the brand’s social and cultural status via a series of creative and tactical partnership alongside stories that deliver against the “through-the-paper” mindset.

Wireless Festival

2. Be resourceful
PRs can rarely rely on headliner talent. Of course, the campaign will lean on their name, but PRs need to think about on-site offerings they can dial up or create, how to craft interesting heritage angles and what gossip / key information can be seeded out to achieve maximum impact. As festivals generally have limited activation budgets, it’s up to PRs to bring in creative partners that offer additional newsworthy initiatives, like W did with the Wireless X BOOM Cycle partnership last year, to take the festival to new parts of the media and talk to new audiences.

3. Insight
Festival organisers hold incredible insights into consumer buying patterns, behaviour and key touch points, so PRs should tap into this knowledge before commenting the campaign. This will help PRs execute big campaign moments in-line with spikes of consumer interest covering everything from when headliners are announced, to when people buy tickets, to deciding what to wear over the festival weekend. By aligning with these consumer touch-points and the media’s calendar, PRs can tell the story of what makes a festival fan tick – and make sure their festival is at the heart of the story.

4. In-house journalists
Thousands of media apply for accreditation, but we know that only around 50 media hold the power to move the dial for the brand. We created a bespoke role to deploy W’s own ‘in-house journalist’. Their job is to make sure they are liaising with these key media targets from three months before the festival until the week after. Their role is to collate and issue back key interviews, stories, gossip and photos in real-time to ensure there is a bespoke story for everyone who matters.

– Follow Sophie on Twitter.

The 2016 AMEC Summit in social media stats

/in /by

London hosted this year’s AMEC Summit which focused on Making Metrics Matter. The event saw hundreds of international delegates and organisations gather to discuss the latest innovations within the media evaluation industry.

The launch of AMEC’s Integrated Measurement Framework and the awards ceremony were key talking points on social media and we have summarised the highlights from the event in the infographic below.