London Press Club appoints four new directors

/in /by

London Press Club has announced the appointment of four new directors: Cheryl Douglas, head of media research (UK/EU) and jobs at Gorkana; Adam Cannon, editorial legal director, The Telegraph Group; Amar Singh, chief content officer of Squawka, a London-based football digital media company, and James Mawson, the founder and editor-in-chief of Mawsonia, a global multimedia publisher.

Doug Wills, chairman of London Press Club and group MD of esi media, said: “I am delighted and proud that the press club has four new directors who are leading executives in the London media scene. Cheryl Douglas, Adam Cannon, Amar Singh and James Mawson each bring a distinctive expertise to the Club as well as the energy and enthusiasm for which they are renowned.

He added: “It is marvellous news for the press club that we are able to continue to attract such outstanding figures from the industry as directors to join our top flight board of editors, journalists and media executives.”

cheryldouglas

Cheryl Douglas

adamcannon

Adam Cannon

Amar Singh. Byline

Amar Singh

James Mawson - Global Corporate Venturing Symposium 2015

James Mawson

 

 

 

 

 

The club has also taken over the organisation of the Cudlipp Lecture, with this year’s lecture being held on 1 March at the Museum of London.

Paul Charman, who has been a leading figure of the Cudlipp Fund for the past ten years, has joined the London Press Club board, Wills has also announced. It has also formed a new events committee. “I am also delighted that press club director broadcast journalist Vikki Cook has taken on a new role on the club board as chairman of a newly-formed events committee,” he said.

According to Wills, the press club had a “tremendous” year in 2015 as it established its calendar of monthly events and social gatherings: “The Press Ball was a superb success raising £30,000 for the Journalists’ Charity. At the prestigious press club awards, the speaker was the head of MI5.”

Other events ranged from headline-making debates on the jailing of journalists to increasing diversity among recruits to sports journalism.

Wills concluded: “It has been a significant year for the media and the press club has worked hard at both celebrating the brilliant journalism and providing a stage to address the many serious issues facing the industry. The appointment of the new directors will ensure the press club’s strong tradition for supporting journalism in London continues.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gorkana meets…Real Business and Business Advice

/in /by

Hunter Ruthven, editor of Real Business and Business Advice talks to Ben Spencer about championing young companies, promoting innovation across the board and asking PRs to cut out the jargon.

Business Advice focuses on providing advice to “micro businesses” in the UK. Why target this market?

While we’d been serving the SME community for nearly 20 years [with Real Business], we felt there was a definite need for a website aimed squarely at micro and small businesses. A lot has been written about the fast-growth business community, commonly referred to as startups, but less so about the millions and millions of self-employed people, sole traders, small family firms and lifestyle companies that are so crucial to the success of our nation’s economy.

We also believe that budding entrepreneurs and early-stage business builders encounter myriad obstacles in those formative years, and we wanted to be able to assist on this journey by providing useful and easy to digest advice-based pieces, looking at topics such as getting funding for your company, hiring a first member of staff, starting to build out a supply chain and sorting out insurance. We’ve had great feedback so far from our readers.

Its sister site Real Business is the most viewed SME web site, according to ABC, in the UK; what are some of the contributing factors to its success?

High-growth businesses and the entrepreneurs behind them are moving so fast that there often isn’t the time to step back and work out what is going on around you – whether it’s competitors or just general trends in the market. I think what our readers like best about our content is we plug that gap. With the pieces we are publishing on a daily basis, and then promoting via social media and newsletters, they can dip into articles on what laws and regulations they need to be aware of as well as any new government initiatives they might be able to take advantage of.Real Business

But I think what we also do well, and has contributed to our success, is that we manage to blend information pieces about subjects such as auto-enrolment with the fun and original content found in our ‘Surreal Business’ section.

What is the criteria for a business to make it onto the sites and how do you aim to help them grow?

There is no specific criteria for making it on to Business Advice or Real Business, we are just keen to hear about interesting stories and inspiring growth. While the micro business and SME community in the UK is expansive, it’s also very tight knit and supportive. We hope that by featuring a company on either site it will open the offering up a few new potential customers, an interested partner or even possible acquirer.

Young companies don’t have thousands to spend on flashy advertising campaigns, so we are only too happy to help get the name out there.

How successful does a company have to be before it appears on Real Business?

With the businesses we feature on Real Business, we generally looking for a couple of years trading, some evidence of customer acquisition and growing turnover. They don’t have to be the one every venture capitalist in the country is fighting over, it’s more about us being able to feature an innovative product or approach. We also want people to be sharing their warts and all stories, it can’t only be about the success side of things.

Who are your competitors in this space?

In the B2B digital space there are the likes of BusinessZone.co.uk, Startups.co.uk and SmallBusiness.co.uk. It’s also been interesting to see what the nationals have done to improve their enterprise sections, moving away from just writing about FSTE 100 firms and embracing the growing entrepreneurial community in Britain. However, as Real Business is the most-read site for SMEs in the UK (ABC audit figures), we like to see ourselves as leading the field.

Tell me more about your readership for both titles. How do they differ?

I think the best way to describe the difference between our audience is the level of expertise they are after. While a reader of Business Advice is looking at hiring their first member of staff, a Real Business reader is on the look out for a killer CTO or marketing whizz. While a Business Advice reader is looking to access government grants or open a business account with an overdraft, a Real Business reader is looking to venture capital or asset-based lending. While we cover the same kinds of themes (finance, recruitment, sales and marketing, legal issues and procurement), it is about the level of advice being sought.

So do you see SMEs making the leap from Business Advice to appear on Real Business?

That is one of the great things about what we’ve created. Although Business Advice is only six months old, we can’t wait to see how businesses we’ve interviewed or have accessed our content begin to grow and start looking to what we provide on Real Business. Hearing from an entrepreneur a couple of years down the road, who can tell you all about the important milestones they’ve passed in that timeframe, is one of the most rewarding parts of our job.

What does a typical day look like for the editorial team and how do they work across both titles.

The editorial team begin the day by making a big push on the news front. We want to make sure that both sites are covering the most important stories, whether it’s a government announcement, interesting survey or particular company development. Real Business has two newsletters going out each workday, so there is a constant need to make sure we have quality content for that. In the afternoon, the focus is more on longer interview-type features, thought-provoking opinion pieces and liaising with our resident experts on advice pieces.

We also like to get out of the office whenever we can, getting along to conferences, launches or just managing to meet an entrepreneur in person for a chat.

How do you and the team work with PRs?

PRs are absolutely crucial to what we do. Without them there is no way we’d be able to cover the amount we do in a day. From pitching us press releases that they know will be of interest to us to offering an introduction with a client that they believe has an interesting growth story, there are so many touch points throughout the day. While some are definitely better than others (no names I’m afraid!) I think there is a growing realisation in the B2B media space that both journalists and PRs should be helping each other more to further the cause.

What are your three top tips for PRs when pitching ideas?

(1) You’ve got to find something unique to talk about. Some of the best pitches I’ve had have made me take notice because of something unique in the business or founder’s history. One that particular springs to mind was a US-based company that was set up by a guy who had managed to get feedback from Warren Buffet on his business plan. It had very little to do with what he was up to these days, but it made me sit up and take notice as the Warren Buffett link was what the PR led with.

(2) Cut out the jargon. You have to imagine that you are explaining a business or client to someone that has no idea about that industry. Filling a press release with buzzwords doesn’t make me interested, I just switch off.

(3) At least try to make it look tailored. I’m afraid that blanket emails aren’t going to get a reply, neither will those that don’t address me by name. If you’re pitching the story to other titles, then let me know. It doesn’t mean I won’t be interested, but there’s nothing more annoying than seeing another site covering exactly the same thing that week.

And finally, which sectors are you most excited to cover in 2016 for Real Business and Business Advice?

I don’t think it’s necessarily sectors – more (like) trends. I think this year is going to be a really exciting one for a number of reasons. Small and micro businesses are finally starting to get the recognition and support each are deserved of, so I think there are only going to be more inspiring entrepreneurial stories coming out of that space. The barriers to entry are dropping by the day and, through campaigns like our Microsoft 30 Digital Champions, I’m looking forward to finding out how companies are thinking differently, adopting digital techniques and competing well against bigger and more established rivals.

Crowdfunding is another topic of interest. The second half of 2015 saw some interesting developments in the exit space, so I’m excited to see what other big success stories emerge there – alongside the inevitable failures and backlash that is going to produce.

Hunter was speaking to Gorkana’s Ben Spencer

CEWE UK hires Alfred

/in /by

Alfred has been chosen to handle press office activity and comms advice by photo printing company CEWE UK.

The agency is to help grow CEWE UK’s CEWE PHOTOBOOK and CEWE Photoworld brands in the UK market.

Alfred will run all UK press office activity, as well as support projects throughout 2016 with the aim to raise the brand’s profile with consumers.

The agency will also advise on the brand’s social media strategy, working closely with CEWE UK’s in-house team and digital agency.

Sarah Brockhurst, marketing manager for CEWE UK, said: ‘When we began the task of recruiting a new PR agency, Alfred came highly recommended and from the first meeting I knew we had to get them on board.

“Its pitch was brimming with brilliant ideas rooted in strong consumer insight, and they’d really got to know and understand our brand. We were looking for an agency that had a strong integrated approach to communications, digital and marketing; Alfred demonstrated its second to none capabilities from the outset. The team is enthusiastic and collaborative and we’re really excited to have them on board.”

Dan Neale, Alfred co-founder, added: “We’re thrilled to be working with CEWE. It’s been an exciting time getting to know the brand and the team as we worked through the briefing process.

“Now it’s time to get cracking as we help them with further growth and expansion in the UK market.”

Flagship wins Royal Navy museum brief

/in /by

The National Museum of the Royal Navy has appointed Flagship Consulting to provide a consumer PR campaign for Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, home to the HMS Victory and Mary Rose.

Flagship, which won the account for a year-long programme following a pitch, will raise the profile of Portsmouth Historic Dockyard as a whole. However, it will promote all 11 attractions within the site, including HMS Victory, Lord Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and Henry VIII’s warship, Mary Rose.

The agency will support Portsmouth Historic Dockyard’s internal PR team to communicate the benefits of its all-attraction ticket to a wider audience, encouraging first time and repeat visits. Aims include growing footfall to reach Portsmouth Historic Dockyard’s target of becoming a one million visitor per annum attraction.

Jacquie Shaw, PR manager at the National Museum of the Royal Navy, said: “We are delighted to have appointed Flagship Consulting as our consumer PR agency of choice for our 2016 programme.

“The team demonstrated clear understanding of the brief, introducing new thinking to deliver a campaign that will take Portsmouth Historic Dockyard in an exciting direction. This, together with their impressive track record in the heritage and domestic tourism space, and the fact that we instantly clicked with the creativity of the account made our decision to work with Flagship an easy one.”

Sophy Norris, regional director at Flagship Consulting, said: “Working with Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is a fantastic win for us.  We have been growing our heritage portfolio over the past 18-months, working with some of the most exciting attractions and locations in the UK, and Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, with its incredible history and huge range of attractions, is another feather in our cap.”

Commonwealth Games England seeks brand partner

/in /by

Commonwealth Games England (CGE) is offering the opportunity for a brand to become the lead partner for England’s Commonwealth Games team for the first time in its 85-year history.

In a statement from Commonwealth Games England, the organisation claimed this is a “unique opportunity” for a brand to align with Team England and support its programme of activity ahead of, during, and after the Games, which takes place in Queensland, Australia, from 4 to 15 April 2018.

In Glasgow 2014, Team England topped the medal table for the first time in nearly 30 years with 174 medals.

CGE will aim to repeat its performance in Australia in 2018, with the support of a ‘Presenting Partner’.

Paul Blanchard, chief executive at Commonwealth Games England, said: “Team England at the Commonwealth Games is the best, most relevant and positive sports representation of England. Our team is diverse, inclusive, unique and very successful. It is a historic move for CGE to offer a brand the opportunity of being the first Presenting Partner of Team England.

CGE has also appointed Female Sports Group to support its commercial operation and help with the acquisition of partners in the build up to the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018.

John Postlethwaite, Female Sports Group’s chief executive, said: “Team England is a very attractive proposition for companies looking to associate themselves with England’s greatest team. I am confident that brands will recognise the significance of the opportunity to support a truly inclusive team which represents everything that is great about England’s national identity and reflects the growing pride in England and being English.”

Plan to ensure PR Award entries shine

/in /by

In a special Gorkana webinar this week, Red Consultancy MD Emily Morgan and Gorkana’s head of insight Paul Hender explained how to write a prize-winning AMEC Award entry ahead of the final entry deadline on 26 February.

In order to write a ‘killer’ campaign entry for AMEC, Morgan and Hender believe it’s important that PRs don’t leave the process as an afterthought, are sensitive to the needs of the judges, and “ruthless” in campaign selection and execution of the brief.

In the webinar, which was moderated by Barry Leggetter, CEO of AMEC, the panellists also highlighted the importance of context. Entries should define the circumstances under which the campaign was launched – “the judges don’t know your particular marketplace”, explains Morgan. Ideally they should present statistical output against external factors. Hender adds: “You shouldn’t measure PR activity in isolation.”

The discussion highlighted three key points which should be of universal relevance, but especially to AMEC Award entries:

  • Don’t leave your entry as an afterthought
    Hender emphasised the importance of effective “planning and putting resources in” ahead of any award application, citing Gorkana’s internal four month award selection process ahead of the AMEC Awards deadline, called ‘Panning For Gold’. Morgan added that Red’s application for awards typically involves getting several members of the team to write the entry; someone covering the detail of the campaign, the “big picture” edit and “beautification” from the designer.
  • Make the campaign shine
     “I’m not saying fictionalise – add an element of interest to them”, urges Morgan. The judges are typically “ordinary people” who are giving over their spare time to assess entries. It’s the duty of the applicant, says Morgan, to “add emotion, warmth and wit” to the entry, and not let the quality of your campaign work down with a dull application. She also noted the importance of the edit, adding that the more you can cut down and hone, the stronger the entry will be as you “get to the nub of what you want to say”.
  • Be ruthless in your campaign selection
    Both Morgan and Hender emphasised the need to find a good starting point or benchmark to explain why you are championing one campaign other any others. They highlighted AMEC’s own framework for measurement in PR as a good way to assess whether targets were quantifiable and hit. For Hender, an award-winning entry should “demonstrate the value of comms back to business.” Morgan added campaign work should be chosen based on outcomes: “If we can’t prove something real happened then it’s not worth going there.”

 

The 2016 AMEC Awards early bird deadline is 12 February with the final application deadline on 26 February. The AMEC Awards are, CEO Leggetter reminds us, “the only international awards scheme for communications measurement.”

Hume Whitehead wins TruTravels brief

/in /by

TruTravels, a specialist operator offering group experiences for backpackers and young travellers, has briefed travel specialist Hume Whitehead to handle its PR activity in the UK and Ireland.

The agency has been handed a consumer and trade PR brief to raise brand awareness of TuTravels, drive visitation to www.trutravels.com and enhance the operator’s position as a leading provider of trips across countries including Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia.

Its campaign will focus on younger travellers and university students, as well as young professionals, couples, parents with children, and travellers of a wider age range with an interest in niche areas, such as diving and voluntary work.

The account will be led by Sarah Habicht, PR director of Hume Whitehead.

Mark Pope, co-founder of TruTravels, said: “We were very impressed by Hume Whitehead’s understanding of our objectives and the team’s passion and expertise in the travel industry, particularly in relation to Asia.

“We’re looking forward to reaching new travellers and helping them to see our destinations through the eyes of the people who live there, with our fun-loving tour experts leading them to places that most backpackers and younger travellers don’t usually get to see.”

Habicht said: “We’re thrilled to have been selected to represent TruTravels, one of the hottest new tour operators in the industry. The team is excited to hit the ground running to promote the company’s innovative offering for travellers seeking unique experiences in a region we know and love.”

JCDecaux appoints Propeller for UK PR brief

/in /by

One of the UK’s largest outdoor advertising companies, JCDecaux, has brought in Propeller PR to raise its profile and awareness of its data and digital offering.

After winning the TfL bus shelter concession and launching Dynamic, a digital creative hub, JCDecaux wants to focus on boosting its digital offering.

Dave McEvoy, JCDecaux marketing director,  said: “Having won the London bus shelter contract in 2015, this year will be a landmark year for JCDecaux. Already one of the UK’s most successful media owners, we are investing heavily to digitise our network to push us further ahead of our rivals and transform out of home advertising.

“With digital, and the smart use of our data and technology, we give advertisers the opportunity to create highly-targeted, highly-imaginative outdoor campaigns. Propeller’s deep media industry connections and reputation for results makes the agency the perfect partner to help us tell our story.”

Martin Loat, CEO at Propeller PR, said: “JCDecaux is in the ascendancy and has a long-term vision. Embracing digital to its full potential is the next step on the company’s journey. We are looking forward to working with the market leader and a true disruptor in the sector.”

Man Bites Dog wins SME-focused accountancy brief

/in /by

Accountancy firm Haines Watts has appointed Man Bites Dog to develop a long-term integrated comms and marketing programme focused on SME business owners.

The consultancy completed an in-depth messaging project for Haines Watts in 2015, profiling prospects and current clients to create the company’s audience profile. Man Bites Dog will work with the firm to build brand awareness nationally and regionally with an insight-led campaign. This will include producing thought-leadership pieces, digital content and social media.

Its aim is to position Haines Watts as “the leading adviser to ambitious UK business owners” in both accountancy and day-to-day financial support.

Samantha Davies, group head of marketing for Haines Watts, said: “Man Bites Dog impressed me, from the first time we met, with its strategic approach and the quality of its ideas. It has already proved that it understands our business and our strategic goals. We’re looking forward to working on an exciting new programme that will help us to engage and support business owners across the UK.”

Clare Granville, Man Bites Dog account lead,  added: “Haines Watts has a unique perspective on business issues. We’re thrilled to be working with Sam and her team on a marketing approach that will speak to the hearts and minds of ambitious SME business owners.”

Aspectus hires Mattison PR’s Julian Wadley

/in /by

Aspectus has bolstered its financial services practice with the appointment of Mattison PR’s Julian Wadley as account director.

Wadley will service Aspectus’ existing accounts as well as work on expanding the number of financial services clients. He  joins from Mattison PR.

He said: “I’m excited to join such a successful and forward-thinking agency. Financial services businesses want an agency that gets on with the job at hand and delivers tangible results, without causing confusion with unnecessary buzzwords – this is what Aspectus excels at.

“I look forward to using my experience of the financial services sector to contribute to Aspectus’ expanding financial services practice.”

Katy Galasinski, group director of the FS team at Aspectus, added: “We are delighted to welcome Julian to the team. He brings both a wealth of sector knowledge and an excellent track record of delivering successful PR campaigns both in house and agency side.

“Our combined approach to media, content, and search is attracting increased interest from current and prospective clients in the financial services sector. Julian will be a real asset to the team as the agency continues to expand.”