Powerscourt hires European Commission media specialist

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Powerscourt has brought in David D’Arcy, former international press and comms manager at the European Commission, as a senior consultant.

D’Arcy has some ten years’ experience with the EC, including a stint asDavid D'Arcy senior press officer in London. His last 12 months included a sabbatical with the United Nations.

His experience spans comms, diplomacy, policy and advocacy across industry sectors including financial services, digital, data protection, climate change and energy. Before joining the European Commission, David worked in a variety of journalism, private sector communication and TV production roles.

He will be based in Powerscourt’s Dublin office.

Rory Godson, chief executive, said: “David has an ideal background for a Powerscourt colleague: journalism, international experience, working at the Commission. He offers a rare combination of cool-headed analysis and passionate advocacy. He will offer our clients great insight into the workings of Brussels.

“While David will work across our firm’s client base, he will be based with our Dublin team. Our distinctive proposition to Irish and international clients is that we can offer the same quality of service in Dublin as in London but with a perfect cultural affinity.”

Harris Tweed briefs Portas

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The Harris Tweed Authority has appointed creative comms agency Portas to work on a project for the Milan Design Triennale, which runs from 31 March to 12 September 2016.

Portas will provide comms strategy, designer liaison and PR support for the organisation.

Lorna Macaulay, chief executive of The Harris Tweed Authority, said: “The Harris Tweed Authority is collaborating with the V&A Dundee and Jaguar Land Rover on this exciting project. We are very pleased to have the extensive fashion knowledge and contacts of Portas Agency on the team as we take it forward.”

Caireen Wackett, MD at Portas, added: “Harris Tweed is a gloriously unique British brand and we’re delighted to be working with them on such a prestigious project.”

Citigate appoints James Bishop to corporate team

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Citigate Dewe Rogerson has hired Weber Shandwick’s James Bishop as a director in its corporate team.

Bishop will work primarily with Citigate’s banking, JB picinsurance, pensions and investment clients.

He joins following a stint in the United Arab Emirates working with Weber and H&K Strategies. Before moving to the Middle East, Bishop was based in London working with clients including Alliance Trust Asset Management, Barclays and Henderson Global Investors.

Jonathan Flint, Citigate MD, said: “We are delighted to welcome James to the Corporate team. His financial and professional services experience means he is the perfect fit for us and will support our continued growth and success.”

Bishop added: “Citigate Dewe Rogerson’s reputation speaks for itself as one of the leading financial and professional services communications specialists, with a quality portfolio of long-standing, industry-leading clients. In addition, the skills and energy demonstrated by the entire team presented an opportunity that I could not turn down and I look forward to playing a part in the agency’s ongoing success.”

Future of the press – Amar Singh of Squawka on sports journalism

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Kicking off a series of Q&As with board members of the London Press Club, Amar Singh, chief content officer of Squawka, the multi-platform football news and data business, outlines his views on the future of sports journalism, how the changing role of newspapers is affecting this, and what PRs can do to get involved with Squawka’s content and audience, writes Gorkana’s Ronan George.

The internet is filled with football sites from around the world. What is yours about? What sets it apart?Squawka

At Squawka, our editorial mission is to give football fans ‘More than the Score’. This guiding principle underpins our entire offering across the website, social media platforms, podcasts, video and our app. We utilise a wealth of Opta data to delve deeper into the game and go beyond simply reporting on what happened. But in order to make it truly resonate, our journalists are also expected to have a strong understanding of the themes and topics that are fuelling the conversations and debates around the game. Data-driven analysis seems aloof and meaningless without relating to the zeitgeist and we look to bridge the two every day, whether it’s settling a debate over who is Manchester United’s most effective midfielder or providing insight into an Arsenal transfer target.

We also have pretty innovative proprietary products on the site such as the Comparison Matrix (which allows football fans to compare players and teams across a range of stats and has an average dwell time of 25 minutes) and our Live Match Centre which includes fantastic real time visualisations like heat maps to help tell the story of the game.

A lot of football fans are no longer satisfied with analysis that simply regurgitates what they have seen with their own eyes. How does your site cater for these supporters?

You’re absolutely right. A simple match report doesn’t cut the mustard anymore, and football fans today crave deeper analysis. We feel we have struck a chord with a new generation of supporters by presenting data-driven analysis in an accessible way. We’re also flexible so we take our message to where football fans are online whether that be social platforms like Facebook or video platforms like YouTube and tweak our content to meet the needs of that audience.

Squawka’s content was viewed two billion times in 2015 across all these platforms, so we’re definitely filling a gap in the market.

How many people make up your team and what are their roles?

I have 15 full-time staff and a further 12 freelancers working in the editorial team. They range from feature writers/analysts to social media producers to video editors.

It’s interesting because roles like ‘social media producer’ didn’t exist five years ago, so this content team – and roles which have been formed within it – has grown organically according to what our audience likes.

Next season, we’ll be reporting from the games, so will be hiring more reporters.

What do you think about the evolution of newspapers and their coverage of football and other sports and what this means for the future of sports journalists?

Newspapers have to offer truly exceptional content to convince people to part with their cash. It’s important that sports journalists working on newspapers have the freedom and support from their editors to cultivate contacts, rather than simply regurgitate the generally bland press conference quotes. Sports journalists on newspapers should also take steps to be as digitally-savvy as possible.

What will sports journalism look like in five years time?

I expect sports journalism to continue to evolve to meet the needs of a younger audience and the technology they use to access their content.

Social networks, like Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat, have provided journalists with new platforms to communicate on, and present the industry with an opportunity to find new ways of story telling.

What is your advice to someone who wants to become a sports journalist?

Network as much as you can. It’s vital in journalism to get out and meet people. Organisations such as the London Press Club hold several events each year which offer aspiring journalists the chance to make connections and get sound advice.

Practice writing match reports, player ratings, interviews and other staples of the genre. Seek training in video, audio and Google analytics. Email your local lower league sports club and ask if you can interview someone for your blog. Make yourself the most employable candidate in your field.

Offer media organisations some of your time for free to get your foot in the door, develop valuable experience, expand your contacts book and impress potential employers. When you get your chance make it count. Work hard, be polite and go out of your way to deliver more than you need to.

Your sites and app feature news and data. How can PRs help with content?

We’re always keen to hear from PRs who have strong propositions and understand what we are about. Player access is always welcome and we usually leverage those opportunities to create innovative content. Working with brands to help amplify their partnerships is a big part of digital sports media and can often lead to really refreshing content. Earlier this month we sent a journalist and video producer to Greece to work with Heineken and interview the former Barcelona star Deco. We created a series of short video clips which went out on our social media platforms during the Arsenal v Barcelona game, which led to a lot of engagement and interaction. Before pitching, I would advise to just be familiar with our content and areas of interest by looking at the site before getting in touch.

What are your ambitions for Squawka and what do you envisage for the future of the online football sector?

The ambition here is to become the world’s largest media and entertainment business in the world’s largest sport – football. It’s an exciting time because digital technology is transforming football. The leagues, clubs and players are embracing online like never before with the rise in use of tech like smartphones giving them a direct route to their fans. This gives journalists working in digital sports content a unique opportunity because fans want more than just the official, sanitised content from the club channels.

Amar Singh is a director of The London Press Club. The Club provides opportunities for journalists and others interested in the media to meet and learn of new developments, debate the latest issues and explore our collective past as communicators. It runs a range of regular events from networking drinks, sponsored by Gorkana, to discussions on matters of importance not only to journalism, but to the furtherance and protection of free speech throughout the world.

Amar was talking to Gorkana’s Ronan George.

Next 15 acquires marketing agency Twogether

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Communications business Next 15 has acquired the B2B creative technology marketing agency Twogether for £6.6m.

The acquisition forms part of Next 15’s strategy to act less like a parent company to its host of agencies including Lexis, Beyond and The OutCast Agency, and more like a venture capital firm. It specialises in acquiring, incubating and growing data-driven digital agencies with a diverse range of services.

Tim Dyson, CEO at Next 15, said: “Twogether is a great addition to the group. Its digital offerings, software platform and client base make it very complementary to our other agencies. It is also a business that is looking to expand its US customer base, something we are well placed to help with. Of equal importance, however, is the strong cultural fit between Twogether and our other businesses. It will enable the group to get full value out of these investments through natural organic collaboration.”

Kirsty Gilchrist, CEO of Twogether, said: “Next 15’s commitment to the technology sector and passion for creativity and innovation was an obvious fit with our guiding principles at Twogether. Our specialism and expertise in B2B marketing for technology has been a key differentiator for our success over the last three years. It was vital for us to find a group who understood and were aligned with our focus and dedication, but who could also provide the global support and infrastructure we require to accelerate our US growth. We are incredibly excited by the possibilities that will come from being part of the Next 15 group.”

Twogether’s clients include Brocade, Intuit, Symantec and Lenovo.

The acquisition comes less then a month since Next 15 bought Publitek, a specialist technical content marketing business.

April Fool’s Day – don’t trust anything you read…

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Don’t trust anyone today. Don’t trust your neighbour. Don’t trust the news. Expect your yearly lot of pranks, jokes and hoaxes. For today is April Fool’s Day.

It is uncertain how April Fool’ Day originated. What is sure is that it’s become a huge opportunity for brands and celebrities to have the world talk about them, and so far some brands have come up with some pretty creative ideas…

Santander Cycles has launched Santandems, a pay-as-you go tandem bike that lets you ride around London in pair. Believe it or not, some people wish it was not a joke.

https://twitter.com/SantanderCycles/status/715780753787908097

King prankster Google admitted to have “pranked themselves this year“, after the introduction of their April Fool’s Gmail button went wrong. The feature was only supposed to insert a funny Minion GIF dropping the mic in their email and block any replies, ensuring users “have the last word on any email”. But the joke turned sour after many users mistook the prank button for their usual “Send+Archive” button, leaving them in extremely awkward situations!

April Fool’s could also be a great communication opportunity for politicians, at the condition that they do it right!

Nigel Farage probably had us all fall for his joke, when he announced he would campaign for Britain to stay in the EU.

While today might not have been the best day for David Cameron to announce the introduction of the National Living Wage. The news left some rather incredulous.

In other pranks, Twickenham announced that the stadium was going to be turned into a cabbage crop, and a new London start-up started selling Shoreditch air for £19.99… Oh wait, that was not a joke.

shoreditchair.jpg

Whitehouse

Brace of promotions at Whitehouse

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Issues-led comms specialist The Whitehouse Consultancy has strengthened its senior team with the promotion of senior consultants Katarzyna (Kasia) Wilk and Chris Rogers to associate director.

Wilk will continue to lead the agency’s EU public affairs team and Rogers remains as head of Whitehouse’s PR unit.

Wilk joined Whitehouse in 2011 having previously worked in the European Parliament and for a number of law firms specialising in EU and competition law. Rogers joined the agency in 2010, having previously worked at Porta’s Redleaf Communications. He was elected to the PRCA’s 2016 PR Council in October and co-chairs the PRCA’s reputation group.

Carl Thomson, director of The Whitehouse Consultancy, said: “During the last 12 months the Whitehouse business has grown and matured. We’re working with more and higher profile clients than ever before are and running dynamic and exciting campaigns. We’re delighted to promote Kasia and Chris, both of whom have been instrumental to our development for a number of years.

“This is an exciting period for Whitehouse and with the development of a robust senior team we look forward to Kasia and Chris continuing to play an important role supporting our new business and client retention.”

Cognito to support Money 20/20 Europe launch

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Money 20/20, a conference on the future and ‘digitisation’ of money, has brought in Cognito to support the launch of its inaugural Europe event to be held in Copenhagen in April.

As media partner of the inaugural Europe event, taking place from 4-7 April, Cognito will drive media partnerships and manage European media outreach. The event, which expects to draw some 3,000 attendees across the payments, financial services and retail space, will host more than 400 speakers over four days.

Cognito has worked with the conference since 2014, supporting its annual event in Las Vegas. In this capacity it has helped launch a number of clients at its showcase event, as well as giving a platform to established companies.

Pat Patel, content director at Money 20/20, said: “At a time of rapid change in payments and financial services across Europe, Money 20/20 provides industry peers a forum to truly understand the important business implications of today’s profound shifts in commerce.

“As a leading financial services communications consultancy, and proven record of service delivery for our Las Vegas event, Cognito was the desired partner to help us raise our profile in Europe with the launching of Money 20/20 Europe.”

Paul Bowhay, Cognito EMEA associate director, added: “The European FinTech landscape has never been more exciting and with many innovations and technology disruptions coming not just from London, but across Europe, this is the ideal time for Money2020 to be launching their event in Europe and we are very pleased to be a media partner.

“European FinTech is creating a significant wave of competition for the global financial industry and at Money 20/20 Europe will provide the opportunity for innovative companies and startups to come together, share information and collaborate.”

The 2016 Money20/20 Europe conference will take place 4-7 April 2016, at the Bella Center in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Ad-blocking presents PR opportunity

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Last week’s Guardian Changing Media Summit highlighted once again that ad-blocking, the practice of using software to remove banner ads from web pages, desktops and mobile phones when viewing content, is a major challenge for the media industry.

However, the continued rise of ad-blocking could provide the PR industry with new opportunities, according to comms experts from Edelman and Propeller PR.

At the conference, spokespeople from Hailo, Google and media and marketing agencies Mindshare and Neo@Ogilvy said the media challenge is to produce intelligent and interesting content for the consumer, particularly as ads are often low in quality.

This presents the PR industry with an opportunity, say Kieran Kent, MD at Propeller PR and Ben Hooper, senior director of content at Edelman. Here is what they said:

PR should show effectiveness across earned, owned and paid media

Propeller PR, with clients including Trinity Mirror, specialises in PR and content for the media and ad industry.

Kieran Kent, managing director at Propeller PR, said: “While it’s still early days, it’s clear that PR practitioners should be using this moment when marketers are reviewing all options to remind clients what PR can offer. Now is the time for the PR industry to show we can understand and work strategically across earned, owned and paid channels. We need to advance reasons why we should be involved in the early phases of campaign planning and be allowed to present creative concepts to senior decision-makers to deliver the strongest ROI on campaigns.

“As marketers reflect on, and evaluate, the impact of ad-blocking their focus is sure to shift to examine the value of other tactics, such as earned editorial and ‘native advertising’, or advertiser-sponsored content. Marketers want ideas that can work across a number of channels and can underpin an integrated campaign, and PR specialists can deliver when it comes to devising great storytelling content.”

PR helps create ‘people-first’ content

Ben Hooper, Edelman’s senior director of content, makes a case for comms experts to push marketers to raise the bar by ‘engaging genuinely’ with audiences. He added: “At Edelman, we are keeping a close eye on this rapidly evolving space. More clients are coming to us for counsel on how they can maximize budgets that are being jeopardised by ad-blocking. The obsession with new technologies that efficiently deliver a piece of comms en masse has led to the neglect of the most important part of the industry’s existence – audience experience. We must focus on creating people-first content that adds value to their experience instead of interrupting it.”

Put the focus on storytelling with PR

PR can lend a hand at creating great stories for brands. Hooper summed it up: “Edelman is uniquely positioned to help clients facilitate change. We know that positively engaging audiences is about connecting with storytelling and having a conversation rather than shouting a message. Content that tells a strong engaging story has always been at the core of communications. When advertising and communications marketing is done right, consumers won’t want to block it at all.”

 

Merlin hires Diageo’s Crampton as corporate affairs lead

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Merlin Entertainments, which includes visitor attractions Alton Towers, LEGOLAND and Madame Tussauds, has hired Diageo’s James Crampton to the newly created position of corporate affairs director.

Reporting into Alistair Windybank, the group’s IR and Merlincorporate affairs director, Crampton will have primary responsibility for media relations and internal comms across the group. He will also manage wider non-financial stakeholder relationships.

Windybank said: “As Merlin continues to grow and invest, we have to strengthen our corporate affairs capability accordingly. I am delighted James has agreed to join our team.”

“He has more than 15 years in international external communications roles with strong experience in both media relations and wider stakeholder engagement. His experience of working at a Group level in companies which own a range of high-profile consumer brands will prove invaluable as we move forward.”

At Guinness brand-owner Diageo, Crampton held the position of global external communications director and communications and sustainability director, Diageo Africa. Prior to this, he held senior comms positions at both Old Mutual and brewer SAB Miller.

Crampton added: “This is a very exciting time to be joining Merlin; a great British success story which is continuing to expand around the world.

“It’s a great opportunity in this new role to help reinforce Merlin’s leadership position in the entertainment industry and ensure the company, its strategy, its achievements and its ambitions are widely understood. I’m looking forward to working with Alistair and the rest of the team towards the goal of making Merlin one of the most respected companies in its sector.”

Brunswick won Merlin’s financial PR account at the end of last year.