Travel Counsellors awards brief to MC2

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PR and marketing consultancy MC2 has been appointed to develop and implement an integrated communications strategy for travel specialist Travel Counsellors.

Travel Counsellors delivers bespoke travel solutions to both the corporate and leisure markets through a franchise model. With support from private equity backing, and a recent head office move from Bolton to Manchester, the company is set to continue its rapid growth trajectory in the coming years.

MC2’s PR team will focus outreach on consumer and b2b audiences, supported by a content-led video campaign from the agency’s creative team.

Steve Byrne, Travel Counsellors MD, said: “It’s been an incredibly exciting few years for the business;  for example we’ve reached milestones, such as inclusion within the London Stock Exchange’s 1,000 Companies to Inspire Britain. We’re now looking forward to raising our brand awareness with the help of the team at MC2.”

Martha Goodfellow, associate director at MC2, added: “We knew immediately that this was a brief we could really run with; particularly as our in-house expertise spans across so many areas. We can’t wait to build our relationship with the team at Travel Counsellors and help them shout about their amazing work.”

EM hires Rosneft’s Logutenkova

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EM, the financial and corporate communications agency for emerging markets, has appointed Irina Logutenkova to its Moscow-based investor relations advisory practice.

Irina joins from Rosneft, the world’s largest publicly traded oil company, where, during five years in the company’s investor relations team, she was involved in M&A and capital markets transactions including the company’s £39 billion (US$55bn) acquisition and integration of TNK-BP.

Tom Blackwell, EM CEO,  said: “Five years into developing our business in Russia, we have a very clear idea of the kind of experience and skill set that we need to continue providing a premium service to our growing portfolio of Russia’s leading listed businesses. Irina has everything we were looking for and has already proven herself to be an outstanding, and, very welcome, addition the team.”

Irina Logutenkova said: “I am happy to join a team of exceptional professionals and excited to have this opportunity to apply all my knowledge and expertise to the wide range of EM clients. I have heard so many good things about EM and now am looking forward to being part of it.”

At Rosneft, Logutenkova prepared speeches and presentations for different occasions, produced three award-winning annual reports, developed new investor tools and internal analytical materials. She worked across numerous other areas including strategy development and the redesign of its corporate website.

Before joining Rosneft, she worked as a financial analyst at Finam and an editor at Gorod publishing house.

3 Monkeys I Zeno wins Singapore Tourism brief

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3 Monkeys I Zeno has been chosen to handle the UK comms for the Singapore Tourism Board, following a competitive pitch.

The agency has been briefed to enhance awareness of Singapore as an attractive lifestyle destination, highlighting the experiences it has to offer to UK consumer and business travellers.

The account will be led by Steve Earl, MD, Europe, at 3 Monkeys I Zeno, who will report to Jonathan Loh, area director, Northern and Western Europe, for the Singapore Tourism Board.

In January, Zeno Group, sister agency of Edelman, acquired 3 Monkeys Communications for an undisclosed figure.

Golin launches German j-v

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PR agency Golin has formed a joint venture with GGH MullenLowe, its sister agency in Germany, allowing both agencies to bring a “truly integrated” offering to the German market.

Golin is launching its brand in Hamburg under the leadership of Uta Behnke, newly appointed managing director of Golin Germany. Behnke, a former MD of Edelman Germany, is charged with overseeing and growing the new agency – including opening a second office in Munich this summer.

Behnke will report to Matt Neale, president international, Golin and Benedikt Holtappels, CEO GGH MullenLowe (pictured, Neale left, Behnke centre, Holtappels right).

The integrated model is a response to the reality that many traditional, isolated PR and advertising solutions no longer work in the increasingly complex world of communications, according to both agencies.

“It answers our clients’ questions of how companies and brands can earn both attention and credibility,” said Behnke. “It’s exactly this new strategy that attracted me to start at Golin. “GGH MullenLowe and Golin share a common understanding of what makes a successful brand campaign. Our respective expertise complements each other perfectly and I’m really looking forward to this exciting adventure where we will create something new.”

Benedikt Holtappels, CEO of GGH MullenLowe, added: “Our understanding has always been that traditional advertising can be only one element in the communications solution process. To tackle this, we’ve designed CRM and digital concepts for our clients and have been thinking about relevant PR services for quite some time. We are very happy to now, in partnership with Golin, be able to offer a model that is tailored to the German market. Here, PR is not just another building block – but represents an equally entitled part in brand consulting.”

Uta Behnke brings 20 years of PR experience to Golin. Her clients have included Unilever, Mondelez, Bacardi, Shell, iglo and Beck’s. Behnke’s award-winning work includes campaigns such as “Awaken the Heinz in Me” for Heinz tomato ketchup, “Date a Dog” for Pedigree and “This Is Where Margarine Grows” for Unilever.

Gorkana meets… Lovin Dubai

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Five months after the launch of lifestyle website Lovin Dubai, Gorkana’s Jessica Lester talks to editor Devinder Bains about why the title is “BuzzFeed meets Time Out“, the attributes of a good PR relationship and top tips for catching her eye with a good story.

Lovin Dubai launched in November 2015. How did it come about and what does it cover?Lovin Dubai - Devinder Bains

The website is for anyone living in Dubai and even for people who are thinking about visiting Dubai. It covers everything from news, opinion, food reviews and we’re pretty good at funny lists about life in the Emirate. It’s kind of a BuzzFeed meets Time Out.

Lovin Dubai is the sister site to Lovin Dublin, which does extremely well in Ireland. Lovin Dubai was set up when an expat from Ireland saw a gap in the market here. That expat is my boss Richard… and the rest is history!

What does the title cover?

We specialise in content about food but we’ve moved into hotel reviews this year and we’re looking at travel too. I have a background in women’s lifestyle magazines, I’ve worked at LOOK and The Sun on Sunday’s Fabulous in the UK and, last of all, as editor at STYLIST Arabia here in Dubai, so there is talk about some fashion and beauty content in the very near future too.

How big is your team?

I have one full-time member of staff who works on social media and sales, and a bank of contributors and freelancers who cover reviews and ‘best of’ lists. They all upload their own content for me to edit and many of the contributors compile reviews for free. As there are so many great restaurants and hotels in Dubai, it is a great way for many of them to try out really expensive places for free!

How does working online differ from print media?

I’m probably not reading pages five or six times like I used to at STYLIST Arabia because there just isn’t the time and we need to post things a lot quicker with online. And things can’t wait. If you spot a good story, you need to do it there and then. It keeps you on your toes! It’s different but enjoyable all the same.

Who is your target demographic?

It’s aimed at men and women of all ages, but we have a very wide spectrum of users with the majority being around the 18-to-35 age group.

Describe your relationship with PRs.

PRs are very important when it comes to news pieces and exclusives. I’ve been in Dubai just over a year but have good relationships – friendships even – with many of the PRs out here. This has helped us secure exclusive announcements over some of our bigger competitors. Lovin Dubai is still growing so we are always fighting to get interviews with celebrities and the exclusive first looks at new hotels etc. but we’re doing well because of the trust I developed with PRs in my job at STYLIST Arabia.

What is the deciding factor in working with a PR?

I think it’s trust and flexibility. I’ve been a journalist for more than 15 years and I like to make cheeky requests. I’ll always ask for an exclusive press release before it’s embargoed to go out – even if it’s just ten minutes before. I’ll push to get a picture with a celebrity even after the PR has said no. If a PR is flexible and friendly (and understands that it’s your job to be a bit annoying to get what you need), I’ll always go back to them for other stories I’m working on. And trust me, a PR who says I’m getting an exclusive, but then I see it elsewhere first, can spend a long time in the bad books!

How do you like to be contacted?

I’m happy to have stuff on e-mail, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, a phone call… If it’s a good story, an exciting new video or set of pictures, I want to hear about it. Other than that, if cake is popped in the post that will always grab my attention!

Do you have time to meet up with PRs?

I like meeting PRs for short quick meetings and usually at our offices. I work with a very small team so don’t have much time to attend events during the day – which are very popular here in Dubai. I do try and attend the odd evening event or try and send someone from the team. I think it’s extremely important to have strong relationships with PRs, especially when you’re working on a start-up.

Finally, with more than 15 years working at women’s consumer magazines and the real life sector, how does that experience help you on your current title?

I’m a stickler for well-written copy. I’ve seen so many news sites that have compromised the quality of their content for the speed at which it goes up, I think my background on magazines means I won’t let this happen at Lovin Dubai. I like to check facts, check again and do the same with spellings and grammar. A couple of times our competitors have posted stories quicker but then had to amend them because the information wasn’t quite right. I think we’ve worked on the perfect balance – excellent content that goes up at a very quick speed too.

Devinder was talking to Gorkana’s Jessica Lester

Speed manages global PR for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants

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Speed Communications has been retained to manage the global PR for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, as the brand embarks on its first global tour.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants provides an annual snapshot of the leaders in the global gastronomic scene. It claims to champion the development of gastronomy worldwide, discovering new trends and talents.

Organised by media company William Reed, the list has been published since 2002. William Reed is solely responsible for organising the awards around the brand, collating the votes and producing the list.

After 14 years with London as its host city, the 15th edition of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards will be held in New York in June as it embarks on an international tour.

Speed has been the retained agency for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in the UK for the past five years. Following the decision to change the host country for 2016 and onwards, Speed now takes on a global role with the brand.

William Drew, group editor of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, said: “Speed has been instrumental in supporting the growth of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants over the past five years and when it came to appointing a team to manage the comms around the global tour we knew that Speed was best placed to deliver this.

“The team speaks five languages, has superb global contacts in this sector and has delivered thousands of pieces of coverage each year for us, helping us accelerate the growth of the brand beyond our initial expectations. We are incredibly excited to be embarking on this global tour and taking Speed with us.”

Kate Bosomworth, Speed MD,  added: “The World’s 50 Best Restaurant awards is a fantastic brand to look after and we are privileged to have become an integral part of this brand’s incredible journey. Speed will continue to deliver the global media relations programme and with our strong USA network, we can also provide essential in territory support in the US.”

Squads announced for Hacks vs Flaks Spring Sports Day

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The squads for this Sunday’s (10 April) annual football and netball showdown between PRs and journalists have been announced.

Sunday sees the Bank of England Sports Centre in Roehampton open its doors to more than 60 sporting hopefuls as the Flaks look to avenge the “dispiriting white wash of last year”.

The charity event, now in its eleventh year, will raise more than £10,000 for homelessness charity St Mungo’s.

Edward Berry, Managing Director, Strategic Communications, FTI Consulting, said: “For anyone interested in coming down to enjoy what is always a great afternoon out, things get underway on the football pitch at midday and the netball matches start at 12.30pm.”

Berry and the Hacks vs Flaks committee have expressed their thanks to lead sponsors Amazon and Lexis Nexis Risk Solutions and EY, KPMG, FTI Consulting, Rostrum, Galliard and Vismedia for their continued support of the event.

A reception and presentation ceremony will follow in the clubhouse from 2.15pm onwards.

If you would like to donate to St Mungo’s, please click here.

The squad’s for Sunday’s event are as follows:

Football Squads

Hacks

Nick Clark, The Independent/ i
Mark Kleinman, Sky News
Alex Ralph, The Times
Josh Halliday, the Guardian
Matthew Pettipher, Financial Times
Ed Curwen, BBC
Marcus Leroux, The Times
Richard Partington, Bloomberg
Thomas Hale, Financial Times
John Crowley, International Business Times
Stephen Morris, Bloomberg
Tony Halliday, The Sun
Dan Hyde, Daily Mail
Callum Brodie, Money Saving Expert

Flaks

Mark Houlding, Rostrum
Dean Curtis, LexisNexis Risk Solutions
Jamie Ricketts, MHP
Simon Thiel, Milltown Partners
Calum Macdougall, Lansons
Alex Dzedzian, Lloyd’s of London
Rob Allen, Finsbury
James Styles, FTI Consulting
Sam Johnson, BlueRubicon
Martin Robinson, Tulchan
Craig Terrington, Fidelity
Carl-Philip Brandgard, Freshfields
David Quainton, EE
Sam Kane, BlueRubicon
Tom Steiner, Pearson

Netball Squads

Hacks

Anna White, The Telegraph
Rachel Stewart, The Telegraph
Charlotte Braug, The Telegraph
Eleanor Doughty, Freelancer
Victoria Monk, The Telegraph
Ashley Armstrong, The Telegraph
Rebecca Clancy, The Times
Caroline Finucane, NHS
Lauren York, Daily Mail
Emma Craig, Daily Mail
Jo Forster, Femail
Madlen Davies, MailOnline
Larisa Brown, Daily Mail
Sanchez Manning, Mail on Sunday
Lynn Davidson, The Sun
Claire Ellicott, Daily Mail
Emine Sinmaz, Daily Mail
Inderdeep Bains, Daily Mail
Claire Duffin, Daily Mail
Danielle Codd, BBC
Fran Infante, ITN

Flaks

Vicky Conybeer, EY
Sorrelle Cooper, KPMG
Jess Liebmann, KPMG
Bronwyn Huband, KPMG
Margot Cowhig, KPMG
Miriam Boulia, FTI
Alexandra Scott, FTI
Francesca Kilby, Savills
Liz Williams-Bew, Savills
Emily Walden, Savills
Raeesa Chowdhury, Smithfield
Becky Warden-Brown, Four Communications
Alice Lacey, Four Communications
Sophie Church, Lansons
Sarah Penney, Lansons
Emma Walsh, Brunswick
Clarissa Carradine, Finsbury
Sarah Roberts, Finsbury

For any further information please contact Edward Berry at [email protected] or 0203 727 1046.

Fidante Partners brings in Montfort Communications

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International investment management business Fidante Partners has appointed Montfort Communications to develop and implement a global communications programme.

Fidante is an Australia-headquartered business that expanded last year with the acquisition of Dexion Capital, the European alternative investments firm .

Earlier this year Dexion was rebranded as Fidante Capital as part of a Fidante brand relaunch supported by Montfort.

Anna Traniello, head of marketing and communications at Fidante Capital, said: “We wanted a PR adviser who really understood our industry, the key players within it and the relevant media.

“We were impressed by Montfort’s grasp of our vision for a newly combined investment management business as well as its understanding of the opportunities and challenges that accompany such an acquisition.”

Gay Collins (pictured), founding partner at Montfort Communications, said: “Dexion Capital and Fidante Partners both have great heritages in their home territories, and the combined business is at a fascinating stage in its development.

“Fidante already has a successful model supporting specialist asset management companies in Australia and we look forward to supporting its growth in the European market.”

 

City AM to allow brands to directly publish content

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Free business newspaper City AM is planning to allow companies to publish their own content on its website in return for a monthly fee.

The CityTalk product is the idea of chief operating officer Charles Yardley, whose previous role was EMEA MD for Forbes, a business publication which has a similar system.

CityTalk, the new service, is expected to go live next month and Yardley is hoping to have three brand partners participating by the end of the year.

Yardley said: “Our decision to let advertisers publish content directly to the site is an exciting move for City AM and will result in an entirely new tenancy revenue-based route for us. The move has been driven by both client demand and the changing landscape surrounding brand journalism.

He added: “City AM is undergoing a period of high growth and transition and part of that is our desire to be among the first to market this advertising proposition – which is already getting a positive response – in the UK.”

 

60 seconds with Narda Shirley, Gong Communications

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Narda Shirley, founder of Gong Communications, on corporate reputation, working for challenger brands and misconceptions about PR. 

narda 1

Narda Shirley

What media are you consuming on your way in to the office?

I listen to Radio 4 in the car on my drive to the station, then I scan Twitter on the train. The amount of video on Twitter now is off the charts, and includes eye witness reports when there’s an international incident. It’s news in the raw. When I’m listening to Radio 4 I can’t help but deconstruct how well spokespeople land their messages – I involuntarily score them for being clunky or natural. I can’t help it.

How did you get into PR?

I was working in the tech sector when a friend asked me to help with their start-up and I just got hooked.  I’ve remained involved with tech through doing PR for several start-ups over the years, particularly when the internet boom happened in 1997. One thing that is both a blessing and a curse is that I have never worked for a huge agency.

How has the comms world changed?

I think corporate comms used to be the dull second cousin of consumer PR, but now it’s where all the interesting decisions are made. Digital and social media have pushed reputation higher up the CEO agenda because of the speed at which corporates can now be brought down by a crisis. The flip side is that articulating higher purpose and communicating values and sustainability present a huge opportunity to create value.

What do you enjoy most about challenger brands?

It’s the licence to invent something new that gets our juices flowing. Interestingly, it’s not only start-ups that take risks and push boundaries, established brands can also be challengers in specific areas. One of the most interesting things we did last year was to develop a Diversity and Inclusion festival for the Lloyd’s insurance market called Dive In. It’s the first time there’s been an industry-wide festival of this nature and I’m really proud of the work Gong’s done here.

What’s the one thing that someone hoping to get into comms should know?

Hone your writing. If you want a job, write your way in. Mount a campaign, blog, tweet, opine. Get yourself noticed. If you are good, it’s irresistible, but take time to know what you are writing about. Read about the world. Comms without context isn’t smart.

If you could change one thing about the industry, what would it be?

I would want to force the best PRs to focus some of their resources on the reputation of PR, almost like compulsory national service to further encourage the flow of top talent in our direction. More Mad Men than Perfect Curve.

What is the greatest misconception of PR?

That PR is populated by hipsters who know where to party. We once got a job from a US client on the basis of looking less polished than they were accustomed to. They said that compared to the NY agencies they were meeting, our level of grooming made us look like we had time to fit in some work!

How do you take your business head off?

By getting down and dirty. I find digging the garden, weeding and pruning very cathartic. If we occasionally get to eat something I’ve grown and it tastes good, then all the better.