Attercopia Group buys Label PR

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Digital marketing specialist the Attercopia Group has made its first foray into the PR market with the acquisition of Manchester-based PR agency Label PR for an undisclosed sum.

Attercopia is a full-service digital marketing agency with offices in Dundee, Edinburgh, Manchester, Chippenham and London. Its services include digital marketing, web development and design.

Label PR is a specialist PR and content agency working across fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands.

As part of the acquisition, Label will join Attercopia as a sister agency, bringing the group to a 50-strong staff with around 600 clients, which now includes Samsung, Rightmove, Very, TD Direct Investing, Future Fit, Transform and Fragrance Direct.

Label will retain its name and continue to be headquartered in Manchester, with a base in London.

Label founder Lee Bloor remains part of the agency in a consulting role.

Bloor said: “Since opening our doors in 2010 Label PR has successfully specialised in the competitive consumer PR arena. Since then we have evolved in response to the ever-changing landscape of the industry.

“Joining Attercopia will assist the agency in catering to the growing demand from clients looking to incorporate superior technical web/app development, online advertising and SEO with the PR, social and outreach strategies they already benefit from as a Label PR client.

“Attercopia’s acquisition of Label PR means the agency can deliver a truly hybrid service. We can now offer a fully integrated approach across traditional and digital specialisms making us a very powerful agency as part of the Attercopia family.”

Attercopia founder and chairman Steve Harvey-Franklin said: “I can really see the synergy between the Label PR business and what Attercopia currently offers. The service Label PR provides clients is well known within the industry and their specialist consumer PR skillset adds a new dimension to what we as a Group can deliver.

“It’s an exciting time in the evolution of Attercopia and we’re looking forward to a landmark year enabling us to improve on our strategic goals of delivering even greater value for clients and expanding our business.”

This is the fifth Attercopia Group acquisition in the past 13 months. Harvey-Franklin added that he has yet more acquisitions planned for the remainder of 2016, and is looking at a number of specialty areas and locations to target firms in 2017.

FTSE100 TUI Group brings in Maitland

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Travel and tourism multinational TUI Group, which owns the Thomson Airways and Corsair International brands, has appointed Maitland to manage its financial and corporate communications.

Maitland will work on a “wide-ranging” strategic brief for TUI, including CEO thought-leadership, financial calendar results work and wider corporate communications.

Partner David Sturken will lead the Maitland team, which is made up of partner Greg Lawless and analyst Mads Neumann.

TUI Group was created following the 2014 merger of Frankfurt-listed TUI AG and FTSE company TUI Travel. Maitland previously worked with TUI AG from 2008 until 2012, and in 2006 on the combination of its tour operator business – Thomson in the UK – with First Choice to become TUI Travel PLC.

Newgate supports £1.27bn Samsonite deal

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Newgate Communications is supporting luggage brand Samsonite’s US$1.8 billion (£1.27bn) acquisition of North American luxury travel brand Tumi. The deal was announced last Friday.

The transaction sees Samsonite expanding into the premium travel luggage segment. Tumi, which was valued at US$26.74 per share by Samsonite in an all-cash transaction, will remain as a standalone brand under the Samsonite umbrella.

Ramesh Tainwala, Samsonite CEO, said: “We will expand Tumi’s presence in Asia and Europe, while strengthening its business in North America, by leveraging our expertise in global distribution, sourcing, product design and technical innovation, especially in the area of lightweight hardside luggage.”

Newgate is managing the European media relations around the deal and will continue working with Samsonite following the acquisition. Newgate’s Jonathan Clare, Clotilde Gros and Madeleine Palmstierna are managing the brief.

US-based ICR is managing Tumi’s media and investor relations.

Meet Shares’ editor Daniel Coatsworth

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Gorkana has a few final places available at Thursday’s exclusive breakfast briefing with weekly investment magazine Shares‘ editor Daniel Coatsworth.

Shares is a weekly personal finance magazine aimed at private UK Sharesinvestors and stock market professionals.

The title has an audited circulation of some 13,600 and its content often influences the market’s view of individual companies and, even, their underlying share price.

Gorkana‘s breakfast briefing with Shares will take place at Instinctif Partners, 65 Gresham Street, London, EC2V 7NQ on Thursday 10 March at 8:30am (8am arrival).

There are still a few places available, so please email [email protected] if you would like to attend.

DMA appoints group PR head

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Diffusion’s Tim Bond has joined the Direct Marketing Association Group (DMA), a trade association for the marketing industry, as group head of PR.

In the role, Bond will take responsibility for developing the comms strategies for both the DMA and Institute of Direct and Digital Marketing (IDM) brands, which includes both bodies’ special councils and initiatives. The DMA and IDM merged early in May 2015.

Bond has some seven years’ experience working for PR agencies Diffusion and Hotwire, covering corporate PR within the marketing and retail sectors.

He said: “As someone working in the marketing industry, albeit with a focus on PR, I’ve long been a follower of the DMA’s great advice, guides and research. I’m tremendously excited to now be part of the team and continue focus on campaigning, sharing best practice and advocating an approach to marketing based on transparency and trust.”

Rachel Aldighieri, DMA MD and group marketing director, added: “The DMA Group wants to be the leading voice for responsible marketing best practice and training, with PR playing a key role in conveying that message.

“Tim brings with him a wealth of experience across different sectors and industries, but with the passion for the marketing industry that is integral to the role.”

FT hires Sacha Bunatyan to help boost audience reach

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The Financial Times has named Sacha Bunatyan as global B2C marketing director, with a brief to grow its subscriptions business and enhance audience development.

With more than 15 years’ experience, Bunatyan was COO at Amnet, Denstu Aegis’ group programmatic trading desk and has held senior roles at EMAP and AOL.

During her time with AOL, she introduced behavioural targeting for an audience segmentation and targeting solution.

More recently, at Aegis, she oversaw the roll-out of programmatic trading, data and tech-driven solutions for its global client-base.

In her new role at the FT, Bunatyan has been briefed to help the FT reach its strategic business goals of increased audience reach, reader engagement and growth in paid for readership.

She will report to Jon Slade, B2C MD at the FT.

Slade said: “I am delighted to welcome Sacha to the FT’s senior management team. Her extensive knowledge of digital media, passion for innovation and experience of performance marketing and monetisation will prove invaluable for us as we seek to grow our global subscriber base.”

Coffin on Cake PR promotes new Lee Cooper range

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Coffin on Cake PR has been appointed by British denim label Lee Cooper to manage the global launch of the brands’ premium selvedge denim range, ‘MADE IN ENGLAND’.

Produced only in England, the MADE IN ENGLAND collection is made up of three cuts for men and three styles for women, which is being offered to a limited number of leading denim retailers globally.

Coffin on Cake will provide a year-long campaign for Lee Cooper, working with denim influencers, stylists and fashion editors, with an aim to position key editorial content in the lead up to the product launch and associated brand events in October 2016.

The agency will lead on all fashion focused consumer and trade comms activity throughout the UK, whilst directing key territories globally, with launch events planned in London, New York and Paris.

Coffin on Cake will also launch and manage relevant social media channels for the brand.

Danielle Brown, head of marketing at Lee Cooper, said; “We were very impressed with Coffin on Cake’s pitch and strategy concepts to launchMade In England. Their authenticity in this market will be key to the success of this campaign and we’re excited to begin working with them.”

Dean Bennett, Coffin on Cake co-founder and company director,  said: “It’s very encouraging to see a brand such as Lee Cooper, a British institution bringing its production of premium denim to the UK.  We’re delighted to begin rolling-out our 360 degree campaign for them and look forward to a compelling year ahead.”

State Street’s Botbol joins Legal & General IM

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Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), the financial services company’s asset management arm, has hired State Street Corporation’s Nicolette Botbol as a media relations manager.

Reporting to communications consultant Irene Valenkamp, LGIMshe will cover media relations for LGIM’s business lines including its institutional and retail business.

Botbol has some nine years’ experience working in asset management PR. Prior to her PR manager role at State Street, she worked with investment fund Fidelity International.

Costa recruits corporate comms manager

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Coffee chain Costa has appointed Thrive PR’s Esme Knight as corporate communications manager.

Knight takes responsibility for corporate communications, 223b9e4policy development, and crisis and issues management within Costa’s comms team. Reporting to Kerry Parkin, head of CSR and communications, Knight will work with Costa’s retained agencies Another Word, One Green Bean and Carmargue.

Parkin said: “We are delighted that Esme has chosen to join the Costa team, ahead of what is going to be a very exciting year. Esme’s breadth of skills, as well as her multi market experience will be invaluable as the brand grows overseas.”

She was most recently an account director at Thrive PR in Australia working for brands such as TwitterAU, Ubisoft and SquareAU. She has also held a senior management position at education academy sponsor E-ACT.

Knight added: “Costa is a UK success story and I am very proud to work for a company with such incredible brand DNA and heritage. I am looking forward to building my career at Costa and working on some fantastic projects this year.”

Richmond Towers to promote The Postal Museum

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New London heritage attraction The Postal Museum has appointed Richmond Towers to increase consumer awareness in the lead up to its 2017 opening.

When it officially opens in 2017, The Postal Museum will reveal stories from five centuries of Britain’s social history. Mail Rail, a mini underground railway formerly used by Royal Mail to transport letters under the streets of London, will be opened to the public for the first time in its 100 year history, alongside permanent exhibition galleries.

The campaign kicked off last month in February with an official ceremony hosted by historian and TV presenter Dan Snow to mark the beginning of work on Mail Rail and The Postal Museum’s new buildings.

Harry Huskisson, comms manager at The Postal Museum, said. “Our new museum, new name and the opening up of Mail Rail marks a brand new chapter in our history. When looking to appoint an agency, it was clear the Richmond Towers team understood our vision and ambition, and were passionate and excited about the opportunities this new attraction offers.

“Coupled with their highly creative approach and knowledge of the education, museum and lifestyle spaces, it felt like a natural fit. The results so far have been fantastic and we look forward to continuing to drive awareness of the museum through a strategic programme of activity rooted in a clear understanding of our goals.”

Matt de Leon, director at Richmond Towers, said: “This campaign will see us embark on a series of exciting events and initiatives over the coming year that will not only inspire and engage media and future visitors to this new heritage attraction, but also provide an education on the social influence the postal service has had on modern Britain. It’s an incredibly exciting project and we’re delighted to be spearheading this historical journey from the outset.”