Travelex hands global brief to Hotwire

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Travelex has appointed Hotwire its lead global PR, creative and content agency, as the foreign exchange specialist looks to enhance consumer engagement around its brand and products ahead of its 40th anniversary this year.

It appointed Hotwire to work across the UK, Germany, Netherlands and US, with the UK office acting as the central hub for the development of Travelex’s content.

The Hotwire team will also raise the profile of this content across paid, earned, owned and shared channels, as well as launch two major Travelex products this year.

Hotwire won the contract, without a competitive pitch, following its successful work on two projects around Travelex Supercard and Travelex Money App last year.

Megan Landauro, global head of PR at Travelex, said: “We were looking for an agency which could deliver killer, yet strategic and measureable, PR ideas to address our ambitious business objectives for 2016.

“Hotwire’s engaging ideas, super talented team and integrated approach to campaigns made it an easy decision to appoint them as our lead creative PR and content agency.”

Emma Hazan, UK deputy MD at Hotwire, added: “Travelex is a brand that isn’t afraid to push the boundaries and try new things. They are constantly looking at ways they can innovate to improve the customer experience. And this attitude perfectly matches with our own ethos to never rely on tried and tested methods in our approach to comms.

“We‘ll be working closely with the Travelex team to deliver highly targeted integrated campaigns that generate real consumer engagement with the Travelex brand to foster long-term buy-in and loyalty.”

Gorkana meets… Country & Town House

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Lucy Cleland, editor of luxury interiors and lifestyle magazine Country & Town House, talks to Gorkana‘s Ben Spencer about how her readers appreciate the good things in life, the importance and high quality of the magazine’s supplement series and the difference between “good” and “not so good” PRs.

Country & Town House is a luxury interiors and lifestyle magazine coverinTown & Countryeditorg country and town living. What are some of the most popular areas in the UK that you cover?

Fundamentally, because we’re mostly distributed in London, our main editorial content derives from there. But we also cover tourist hotspots like Devon and Cornwall, Hampshire, Sussex and Kent.

Culturally there’s so much going on elsewhere, such as Liverpool, Manchester, Norwich, Glasgow, Edinburgh, and we’d like to include these areas, but our target audience tends to be South and South West.

Our image of our perfect reader is someone who will be getting out and about at the weekend. Not necessarily to their second home, but wanting to explore outside of London, especially in the aspects of culture and countryside, food, or craftsmanship.

You run a series of supplements throughout the year, such as Great British Hotels and Great British Brands. How have these supplements contributed to the success of Country & Town House?

They’re critical, and we see them as having a shelf life of at least a year. Great British Hotels, for example, is the only magazine supplement to exclusively focus on British hotels, and it’s edited by Daily Telegraph regular Fiona Duncan.

We also have School House. It’s published twice a year and is now the biggest independent schools magazine – invaluable for parents and schools alike. It’s edited by Annabel Heseltine and includes Rachel Johnson, Barnaby Lenon, Christina Odone and Josa Young as contributors.

We like to pull in the best of the best when we create these supplements. They’re a great add on and its something extra readers can keep.

How big is the editorial team?

We’re very small. On the editorial team, it’s me and food editor Anastasia Bernhardt. I also coordinate all the freelance editors who work on our various supplements. We also have a new online editor and an intern.

Tell us about your target audience.

They’re intelligent, educated and aspirational, but they’re not blingy or show-offy. They appreciate the good things in life, whether that’s a sunset on a Yorkshire moor or a quality cup of coffee.

Our target audience is about 25 to 55-years-old and leans more towards women, as there’s more fashion and style content that’s geared towards them. That said, our male readers like our property content and our features are targeted at both men and women.

We don’t base our editorial on how much something costs or who’s behind it. It’s about quality and style, and something interesting, quirky and British is very much at the foundation of what we do.

How would you describe your relationship with PRs?

There are great ones and not so great ones. The not so great ones tend not to know who you are, who your audience is or what your magazine is about. So anything that comes through on a mass mail saying ‘hello darling’ is not going to get very far.

That said, PR relationships are critical to everything that we do. Myself or Anastasia will have strong personal relationships with the good ones, and that’s when great content can happen. It’s definitely about the personal touch.

What should PRs keep in mind when making a pitch?

Come up with ideas that I can leap upon straight away, do a bit of research for themes that are coming out throughout the year and try to plan ahead. Doing your homework can go a long way.

Meeting face-to-face is always great but hard due to time constraints, but I know making those personal relationships is very important.

I prefer to be emailed rather than called. You’re welcome to re-email if you’re really determined – I know it’s your job. I don’t mind a follow-up phone call, but you need to know what you want to get out of the conversation.

Finally, as we look ahead, what is Country & Town House most looking forward to exploring in 2016?

We’ve got an exciting year ahead. We have a new publisher, Julia Carrick, who founded the FT’s How to Spend It, which is very exciting for us. Online is becoming a big part of what we do and we’re investing more in it. We currently do four supplements at the moment. By this time next year, I’d like it to be up on seven.

Alongside all this, we’ll continue to build the main magazine, which is the mainstay of the business. So it’s exciting, digital, social and all that. It’s going to be a big year.

Lucy was talking to Gorkana’s Ben Spencer

Gorkana Meets…Gilles Marchand and Radio Télévision Suisse (RTS)

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Firstly, could you please sum up your career so far, as well as what keeps you busy professionally at the moment?Gilles Marchand

Originally educated as a sociologist at University of Geneva, I started working as a book publisher and then specialised in studies and analyses of written press, both daily and magazine, readerships.
Afterwards, I managed the Ringier Romandie Press Group (in the French-speaking part of Switzerland) which mainly publishes weekly magazines. I then joined the Télévision Suisse Romande as a director in 2001.
In 2010, we merged the Radio and Télévision Suisse in order to manage two television channels as well as four radio channels in one broadcaster, and provide a lot of interactive platforms. At the same time, I am also a member of the SSR (Swiss Broadcasting Corporation)’s Management  Board and an administrator for TV5Monde and Euronews.

Nowadays, I try to adapt the public broadcasting service model with the new digital environment in mind. To do this we need a total redefinition of the ‘established’ models of broadcasting, within a relatively tense political environment!

Finally, I also preside over the LMFP (Francophone public Media), a very interesting professional association which brings together France Télévisions, Radio France, the RTBF, Radio Canada, the Radio Télévision Suisse, TV5Monde, TV5Québec-Canada, Télé-Québec, France 24 and RFI.

Could you tell us a little bit more about your administrator role for TV5Monde ?

Basically, I contribute to making this international TV channel, to which we are deeply committed, even better known. As I preside over the Boards of Directors’ Programme Committee, I ensure there is a balance to the content – as it comes from France, Belgium, Canada and Switzerland. Multilateralism definitely is in TV5Monde’s DNA. We have a lot of contact, between partners, but also we have a lot of contact with the teams at TV5Monde.

What does a typical working week look like for you ?

My typical working week consists of three parts: the first third is dedicated to managing activities for the RTS, in Lausanne and in Geneva, with the assistance of my different teams. The second part is then dedicated to national activities for the SSR (Swiss Broadcasting Corporation), in Bern or Zurich, and requires me to work in German most of the time. Finally, the remaining third is dedicated to international projects such as TV5Monde and Euronews. But, also the UER (European Union of Radio and Television), which is active throughout all of Europe. In this part of the week, my main language tends to be English. At the same time, I also try to attend as many cultural and sports events, in which our television and radio channels are involved, as I can. Needless to say, I barely find enough time to get bored…

Although they share some common ground, PRs and journalists seem to have a sort of a love-hate relationship. What is, according to you, the key to a healthy relationship between these two sides of the media business?

Each must remain in the place to which he/she has been assigned and provide transparency. It is as simple as that. Both activities are legitimate as long as there is no confusion. PRs carry out a communications role, and it’s absolutely honourable when it’s clear. Journalists carry out an editorial role, which must not serve any other interest, other than the public interest. Problems start when the two activities are mixed and worst of all is when the whole thing gives birth to ‘Infomercials’.

Are you in contact with PRs ? And if yes, how do they contribute to the creation of content?

I am frequently in contact with PRs. Nevertheless, they play no role in the creation of our content. Best case scenario: they provide our journalists with documentation, but they must agree with the principle of the information being checked by us in the first instance.

 What is, for you, the best form of exchange with PRs (in terms of establishing contact and transmitting information)?

Definitely transparency: announce who you are working for and for what purpose. Never dissimulate the context in which the exchange takes place.

Radio remains the most trusted form of media in the eyes of the French, according to TNS Sofres’ 2016 Barometer measuring consumer trust in the media, which it carried out for the French national La Croix. With your background as a sociologist and your media expertise, what are your thoughts on this trend and how would you explain it ? Is the situation similar in Switzerland ?

It is very similar in Switzerland. To my mind, regardless of the quality of the journalistic work, this is mainly due to the fact that the radio does not really stage the information it delivers. Keeping that in mind, the media considered the most credible is, therefore, the one which delivers raw information. In many cases, television’s formal dimension tends to create a little bit of suspicion about the authenticity of the information it provides. Finally, as for the print media, there may be, here and there, some perception problems such as the dependency on brands investing in advertising campaigns and the impression that some superficial issues take on an exaggerated  importance.

Personally, what information resource do you trust the most ?

I make extensive use of our live information platforms (RTSINFO), whether via the website or mobile apps. I also use my tablet to watch replays of our news programmes and always wake up with our first radio channel’s morning information show. In addition, I still take a quick look at the newspapers, as well as their websites each morning. Finally, I save the weekly publications for the weekends.

The internet and digital transformation are creating new challenges in media. Is this an ‘evolution’ or a ‘revolution’? How does the RTS embrace this change?

We are clearly talking about a powerful revolution which is, in my opinion, as siginificant as Gutenberg’s was. It is changing everything – from media production to the way information is distributed and not forgetting the public’s expectations and behaviour. Having the opportunity to experience and be part of such a mutation in professional life is both stunning and fascinating!
We, at the RTS, are of course also impacted and shaken by this phenomenon. But we have been bracing ourselves for this situation since the beginning of the 2000s. So, we now have experience and the public has perfectly identified our interactive offers. Nowadays, we bet on mobility and recommendation and we are lucky to be able to rely on quality content both in terms of radio and television, which is our property and which we can then re-offer through all our digital platforms. I believe the public service has a real responsibility on that front: to accompany the audience in this great digital switchover while preserving the central values of independence and transparency. What an extraordinary challenge!

Gilles was interviewed by Gorkana’s Anthony Saison.

Weber Shandwick launches GFP Index

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Global PR firm, Weber Shandwick, has launched the Gender Forward Pioneer (GFP) Index which reveals that 10.9 per cent of senior executives in the world’s 500 largest companies are women.

The GFP report aims to measure the percentage of women in senior management positions at Fortune Global 500 companies. None of these top companies has an equal representation of men and women on their senior management teams. Nearly four in 10 companies have an all-male senior leadership team.

However, Weber Shandwick found that companies with the “most admired” reputation from industry peers have a higher proportion of female leaders.

Gail Heimann, president at Weber Shandwick, said: “Reputational advantage accrues to companies with more women in senior executive positions. This is great news for companies and great news for women. But despite a strong business case for improving women’s access to C-level positions, as confirmed by countless research studies, our GFP Index magnifies a harsh reality where few women are represented in the highest corporate ranks.”

The GFI report evaluated 8,600 executives across 36 countries. It audited the Fortune Global 500 companies and identified top-level executives and their gender.

FSB appoints BBC’s Louise Stewart

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Louise StewartThe Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has appointed BBC political journalist, Louise Stewart, as head of its media and communications.

Stewart joins FSB as the organisation creates a new senior staff line-up. In addition, Craig Beaumont has been promoted to head of external affairs, UK and will report to COO Julie Lilley.

Mike Cherry, policy director at FSB, said: “We are tremendously fortunate to welcome Louise to FSB at this critical time for our members. We need to make sure the small business voice is heard. To achieve this, we sought an impressive media operator to join the team – and I’m delighted we found Louise.”

Stewart said: “I’m excited to join FSB at such a crucial time for small businesses. It’s great opportunity to join a dynamic organisation and make sure members views are heard in broadcast, press and online and the EU referendum, living wage and pensions. FSB is at the forefront of representing small businesses and I look forward to helping to get its message to where it needs to be.”

Stewart has spent five years as political editor for BBC South East. Formerly, she has also worked as political correspondent for BBC Scotland and for BBC national network news.

The Champagne Tour Co. calls in Turtle PR

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The Champagne Tour Co. has appointed travel and lifestyle agency Turtle to launch the brand to UK media.

The Champagne Tour Co. wants to attract more British clients to the Champagne region of France, where it offers bespoke planned private visits to artisan grower-producers, as well as access to cellars not open to the general public.

Larry Davis, the brand’s owner, has been offering tailored trips in the Champagne region and Paris, for more than 12 years. He personally plans all private tours, as well as trips to celebrate special occasions, including birthdays, anniversaries, proposals and honeymoons.

The Champagne Tour Co. has been promoted in the US for many years and has now called in Turtle to raise its profile among UK national and consumer media.

Davis said: “After a decade of developing a fantastic network of welcoming Champagne producers, I feel we are ready to share our knowledge and expertise to a larger market and am delighted to appoint Turtle as our PR agency.”

Leila Stocker, director of Turtle PR, said: “We are hugely excited to be working with The Champagne Tour Company – a firm that prides itself on its unrivalled knowledge of the Champagne region and finest producers. We look forward to showcasing its tours to the UK press in 2016.”

Digital agency Manifesto appoints Rostrum

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jim-square London-based creative technology agency Manifesto has appointed corporate PR agency, Rostrum, to help raise the agency’s profile within the health, technology and third sectors.

Rostrum will handle Manifesto’s media relations and push the agency as a leading voice on industry issues, including digital disruption and customer engagement.

Manifesto has expertise in the charity, technology and health sectors and current clients include Marie Curie, The Children’s Society and Diabetes UK.

Jim Bowes, CEO at Manifesto, said: “We’re incredibly excited to be working alongside Rostrum as we build a new breed of digital agency. We knew this task would require a PR agency that could truly get close to everything that Manifesto does, the difference we strive to make and share our message of building deep partnerships with our clients to deliver strategic creative, content and technology experiences. We wanted the same kind of relationship with our PR agency that we aim to build with our clients and, in Rostrum, we believe we have that.”

Mark Houlding, CEO at Rostrum, added: “Manifesto is an award-winning agency working with great brands including Vodafone, The National Trust and Cancer Research UK. I’m confident Rostrum will be able to build a strong media profile for Manifesto and help the agency achieve its ambitions.”

 

Dayuse.com hands brief to Golley Slater PR

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Dayuse.com, a French website offering hotel rooms by the hour during the day, has brought in Golley Slater PR to handle its UK consumer and corporate PR.

MD Eileen Stretton will head up the Golley Slater team, which has been briefed to raise the profile of the business and promote the concept of out-of-hours room booking.

The agency plans to create positive brand building comms campaign, working closely with Dayuse.com’s internal marketing team. Golley Slater’s team will report to Déborah Laskart, head of comms for Dayuse.com.

Laskart said: “This is a really exciting time for our ever-expanding, international business and so we wanted to bring in a British PR team with creative ideas and media clout which could bring our disruptive business concept to the UK media – raising consumer and corporate awareness of a new service in the right way.

“The team at Golley Slater impressed us with their strong PR backgrounds, understanding of our unique business opportunities and their positive, creative energy. We really felt that they brought a fun and unique perspective to our challenges that, combined with their sound grasp of the British media agenda, would help us take our brand forward in this country.”

Stretton added: “It’s great to be handed a brief with clear challenges, but fun to work with a really new approach to doing business within the UK hotel industry. We are excited to help the Dayuse brand strengthen its grip on and educate the UK media and hotel industry. It’s a brilliant win for the Golley team on the back of a really successful quarter.”

Aspectus opens Aberdeen office

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Aspectus, a global communications agency serving the energy, engineering, financial and services sectors, has opened an office in Aberdeen to support its growing oil and gas client base.

Laura Illey will lead the Aberdeen team as head of oil and gas. Illey has been promoted from her former role as account director of oil and gas.

Meghan Buchan has been appointed as account manager for the company’s Aberdeen operation. Buchan was previously a client of Aspectus and now joins the company from ProSep, an oil, gas and produced water specialist.

Aspectus says it offers clients a transparent view of how its communications increase audience engagement, which can be benchmarked against competitors and the wider market.

Alastair Turner, CEO at Aspectus, said: “We understand that in today’s challenging environment, justifying spend on communications is incredibly tough. That’s why at Aspectus we don’t bill for time, we sell business outcomes and charge for the results achieved. Furthermore, we take the risk out of investment in PR by offering performance-related campaigns. We believe we can make a measurable difference to our clients’ businesses; so much so that we’re willing to put our money where our mouth is.”

Illey added: “We’re thrilled to be taking our unique approach to a wider market. We’re committed to the future of the sector and immersed in its challenges, which is why we’ve recruited our team of sector specialists from within the industry. This experience, combined with our creative approach to communications, is what enables us to deliver measurable business outcomes.”

Aspectus has been active in the oil and gas industry for a number of years and has offices in London, Houston and Singapore.

Golin to handle UK launch of razor brand Dorco

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Golin has been chosen to handle the UK launch of razor manufacturer Dorco and promote its new subscription service.Golin Dorco

Dorco, which launched in South Korea in 1955, provides shaving products to customers in more than 130 countries. Razors by Dorco launched in the UK market in July 2015. It uses the UK as its European hub.

Golin has been briefed to develop a PR strategy to raise brand awareness of Dorco in the UK, and promote its “easy to use” online store, as well as its razor subscription service.

Ken Kwak, sales director for Dorco, said: “We were impressed with Golin’s understanding of our brand and audience, including rigorous insights and a clear strategy. We’re excited to start working with Golin to launch Dorco in the UK, where we see huge potential for our business to flourish.”

Charlie Coney, head of creative, EMEA, at Golin, added: “Dorco is a fantastic win for Golin. Launching its innovative business model and great products present an amazing opportunity for us both strategically and creatively. We want Brits to share the same enthusiasm for Dorco razors that other markets have had for the last 60 years.”