Launch director Niki Wheeler

Opinion: The PR industry is (finally) striding towards gender parity

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Launch director Niki Wheeler looks back on some of the great women she’s encountered over the course of her career and considers how industry attitudes are changing for the better.

So, it’s International Women’s Day. During my career, I’m proud to have profiled female CEOs, service personnel, entrepreneurs and authors.

I’ve worked on a UN Foundation project exploring the changing role of the family. I’ve promoted ‘Women at the Top’ events for a large media group. And I’ve worked on many HR PR programmes designed to attract stellar female leadership for retailers, recruiters and trade unions alike – all demonstrating the key role comms can play in promoting girl power.

I’ve seen amazing women like Arianna Huffington, Christine Lagarde and Jacqueline Gold tell their stories at conferences. (Being a woman wasn’t the sole focus of their speeches.) I’ve been seriously impressed at how Princess Anne works a room. I’ve attended networking events where senior women share their experiences. (We’re fully paid up members of Women in PR at Launch.) And of course, I bought Lean In for a number of friends in our industry and outside it.

But like many others, I have found myself in situations which would not be deemed acceptable today – whether it was being taken to the Windmill Theatre and other such establishments by a client (early 00s) or dealing with the odd tricky situation at parties and on business trips as a young exec.

However, I know male colleagues have faced similar issues. And awareness and attitudes to mixing business with pleasure have certainly evolved over time in our industry for the better.

As a woman on a board which is nearly 70% female, with hugely impressive women (and men) coming through the ranks and where the majority of my powerful CMO and head of comms clients are XX chromosome – strides towards gender parity in our industry seem to be on the way.

It’s great to work in an industry where we can actively raise the profile of great talent – in client organisations and our own.

60 Seconds with LFA and PR Dispatch founder Rosie Davies

60 Seconds with LFA and PR Dispatch founder Rosie Davies

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Rosie Davies, founder of the Lifestyle & Fashion Agency and PR Dispatch, talks about her experiences as a young female entrepreneur in PR and the future of her agencies. 

What made you want to go into PR?

I fell into PR by accident. I studied Fashion and Textiles to MA level and then started doing PR in-house through an internship with a brand where I focused on product placement in online and print magazines.

Being in such a small team I was able to see first-hand the results that press coverage had on sales and website traffic – I loved making a difference in a small business. At the end of the internship I asked the brand to pay me to do their PR one day a week – they were our first client and are still with us today.

Why did you decide to launch your own agency at such a young age?

I was freelancing for a few brands and I kept hearing the same three problems:

  • I don’t know what a PR agency does
  • PR is so expensive
  • I’ve had a bad experience with PR

Brands were frustrated with PR agencies because they didn’t understand the process and were often paying for services that weren’t right for their business. I realised that the industry needed an agency that was transparent with pricing and process.

I already had a few clients on my books that were gaining great coverage at a fraction of the cost because I didn’t have the expensive showroom or press days. I decided to start an agency with almost no overheads and that’s reflected in the price of our monthly retainers. We specialise in product placement, influencer placement and social media. I put all of our costs online… I remember people telling me I was crazy.

In 2017 I launched PR Dispatch, which allows brands to DIY their PR for £39 per month. We provide subscribers with advice, support and contacts which has enabled them to get coverage in the Evening Standard, Observer and Metro. Again people said I was crazy and that I would put LFA out of business, but both businesses are still going strong (thankfully!).

What’s the biggest challenge you faced in launching your own company?

Changing people’s perception of PR has been pretty difficult. We’ve made the industry less secretive by talking to brands about how PR works and why their investment is important but it has been hard work, especially if they’ve had a bad experience in the past.

We’re good at what we do, we get great results for our clients and we are transparent from the start – trying to get that across to other people can be challenging.

You’ve been recognised as one of the best young female entrepreneurs by the likes of Elle, PRWeek and the London Evening Standard. What has been the secret to your success?

Thank you – I think there are two different things here. One is exposure and one is success. I wouldn’t say I am successful, far from it.

I’m still unsure how you measure success as there’s always the next goal to hit. I think a lot of it is down to having a strong support network and enjoying what you do. The exposure that I’ve been lucky enough to have is down to a great team, clever timing and a good business model.

Men are often seen as the more entrepreneurial, risk-taking members of society. Why do you think this is and do you think this is changing?

I think that women are looked at through a much harsher lens – we don’t get the same opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them.

So maybe it’s that men are seen as more risk-taking because they have more chance to do so without consequence. I do think this is changing, but we still have a way to go.

Do you have any experiences of where being a woman aged under 30 has either helped or hindered you?

I recently turned 30 and I couldn’t wait – mainly so people would take me a little more seriously. In my twenties I founded two PR businesses, both of which produced amazing results for our clients and were profitable year-on-year, but I always felt I had to justify them due to my age.

Industry professionals that had been in the game for years would comment on how young I was and on my experience (or lack thereof). They were mostly kind but I sometimes did feel there was underlying doubt. On the flip side I think lots of clients joined us because they liked our fresh approach to PR.

Finally, what does the future hold for the Lifestyle & Fashion Agency and PR Dispatch?

At LFA we’ve recently opened up our books to lifestyle and homeware brands. We had been working with brands in these markets for years but made it official in January 2018. We’ve already had some great new brands join us and we’re looking to expand the team later this year. I want to ensure we keep getting the same message across… Our PR is transparent, effective and doesn’t cost the earth.

In terms of PR Dispatch our subscribers are growing daily. We are helping small businesses get their products noticed. We’re improving the portal every day and it’s great knowing that our subscribers are really seeing the difference when they get their own coverage.

Cision's Angie Vaux to moderate PRWeek influencer session

Talking the future of women in business with Cision’s Angie Vaux

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We spoke with Angie Vaux, Cision’s VP of sales, about her path to top, the challenges she’s faced – and why the future has never looked brighter for ambitious businesswomen.

Cision is profiling some of the most successful women in PR to mark International Women’s Day. What makes this year’s event particularly symbolic?

International Women’s Day is a time to celebrate and recognise women around the world and their contribution to society. Women make up 47% of the UK workforce and we make a huge contribution to society.

It also recognises the struggles previous generations went through to get to this point, and the milestones we’ve hit along the way. (In February we celebrated 100 years since the first British women got the right to vote, for example.)

The scandals we’ve seen in recent months have really brought women’s empowerment to the fore. There’s still a way to go, but I think this year will mark a turning point for female empowerment. That’s why I’m really excited to see what the future brings.

So, what’s your role at Cision? And what drew you to the company?

I’ve recently joined Cision as the vice president of sales.  This is my fourth week, so it’s still relatively new to me. What’s really struck me is the company’s approach to diversity. It’s great to see different cultures and backgrounds represented in the business.

The recent launch of Cision’s Empower initiative was a particular highlight, for me. I think having a dedicated innovation network for women will prove to be a valuable resource.

I would love to see a lot more women in management as well. And I hope that, with my appointment, I can be a role model for other women in the business – to help them see that there are opportunities for women to smash through the glass ceiling.

Historically, the sales floor has been a male-centric environment. Do you think that’s changing? And what more can be done to promote inclusivity?

Through most of my career I have worked in a male dominated environment. I’ve been in the tech industry for many years, which has been very heavily male dominated – particularly in sales.

I also worked in Asia for more than a decade. And again, it’s a very man oriented and very hierarchical society. So, going into that environment as a much younger woman was actually really challenging. But at the same time, succeeding as a woman in environments like these was also very empowering.

There are changes that are happening, although there is still work to be done. The benefit of being in the media and PR industry is that by its nature there are more female professionals – and I’d love to see that spread into other industries.

What challenges have you personally faced over the course of your career?

Particularly early on in my career, even though I was very fortunate to have a seat at the table, people didn’t necessarily give me a voice. I really had to fight to have that voice, to articulate my position and to make sure that I was actively included in meetings.

I’ve always aspired to have role models and was lucky that I was mentored by the company CEO. At our Empower launch this week, we were fortunate to have the Paralympic silver medallist Lauren Steadman, who spoke about having the confidence to succeed against the odds and in spite of her disability.

What advice would you give to a young woman who aspires to holding a leadership position one day?

Think big. There’s never been a better opportunity for women to make a mark in the world. We have a female prime minister. We have a female chancellor in Germany. And the fact is the sky’s the limit for talented, ambitious women.

For me, the key was taking on board people’s comments in meetings and having the confidence to speak up and articulate my opinion. (Now people can’t shut me up!)

Of course, perseverance is equally important. If you encounter someone who wants to hold you back or squash your dreams, don’t let them. You have a right to a voice – and I honestly believe that with enough grit and determination, you can achieve anything.

International Women's Day: Succeeding as a woman in PR

International Women’s Day: Succeeding as a woman in PR

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To celebrate International Women’s Day, Cision spoke to eight industry-leading women, asking them why they went into PR, if they’ve encountered adversity due to their gender, whether the PR landscape is changing for women and what advice they have for women entering the industry.

Sarah Hall

Sarah Hall, PR and marketing agency owner, founder of #FuturePRoof and president of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations for 2018.

Public relations is a great business to work in. I was lucky enough to read French and Media at what is now Leeds Trinity who were early adopters of internships.

As soon as I stepped into agency life I loved it. As an account executive I enjoyed the diversity and challenge of finding creative solutions to client briefs.

Today I’m motivated by working with complex organisations to offer strategic insight and tactical implementation that achieves their objectives and I established my own business for a number of reasons.

Unfortunately, I have had to endure some adversity because I am a woman. Firstly, my salary wasn’t on a par with my male colleagues, despite the same roles and similar qualifications.

Secondly, I felt the opportunity for advancement wasn’t going to happen because a member of the senior management team called me a “ticking time bomb” because I might get pregnant.

Since then, people and time have moved on and I’m confident that attitudes today very different. And who knows, perhaps if I’d been more open about my ambitions to work and have a family, I could have influenced how things were.

I have a heap of examples of adversity as a woman though – you can read them here.

Is the PR landscape changing for women? It certainly feels like a great time to be a woman in public relations. Change is definitely in the air. It’s long overdue but we’ve seen a raft of high profile female appointments to senior roles and there are all kinds of support networks now in place designed to support female talent, such as the Women in PR and PR Week mentoring scheme.

Culturally, we are seeing a huge shift within the world of business where there is finally a recognition that certain behaviours are no longer acceptable. But while the government now requires organisations with more than 250 employees to publish their salary data, this still doesn’t go far enough to close the pay gap.

Businesses should all have to carry out gender and diversity audits and, as per this #FuturePRoof blog, there are steps we can all take to pay the workplace a fairer place to be.

Here are my tips for women entering the industry, based on things that have worked for me and my personal values:

  • Find your own path and choose your own measures of success. For example, I used to be motivated by salary and status, now it’s all about having a fulfilling job that allows me to do great work with great clients and spend family time with my partner and boys.
  • Find solidarity among other like-minded women and hold the line when others need your support. Speak up.
  • Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate. It’s the best way of learning.
  • We’ve all had help at some point in our lives and careers. Pay it back – it feels really good.

Jo-ann Robertson

Jo-ann Robertson, CEO of Ketchum London

I’ve always enjoyed communicating and influencing others. At university I was involved in student politics and spent a year as student president. During this time I devised and executed campaigns locally and nationally.

When I was graduating I knew I wanted to use the same skills, some friends of mine recommended PR and public affairs. I absolutely loved it from day one and never looked back.

I’ve not really encountered adversity because of my gender. There have been times when I have been described as ‘too aggressive’, ‘too ambitious’, ‘too loud’…… things that I don’t believe many men are ever accused of.

But it has been small moments that in all honesty have helped me to grow and develop as both a person and a consultant, so I haven’t let it hold me back, in fact I have tried to use it to my advantage.

We are seeing an increasing number of women in leadership positions across our industry. I am particularly proud that Barri Rafferty was the first global CEO of a top five global agency.

Over 60% of my new London Executive Committee is female and I think seeing a variety of female role-models with different styles and different working patterns allows young women entering the industry to see that leadership is an option and you can do it your own way.

Be confident. Be courageous. Be a force for good for other women.

Laura Sutherland

Laura Sutherland, director of Aura PR and founder of PRFest and the Scottish PR Collective

I actually had no clue what public relations was when I first started out in it over 17 years ago. I fell into it I suppose. When I did get my head around what it was, I really enjoyed the creative side of campaign development and the luxury brands I worked with back then were amazing clients.

In a way, yes, I have encountered adversity because I’m a woman. Sadly, both counts were senior female PR professionals. I think there is less now, but a number of years ago, I felt like it was for their own egos, not letting me grow and develop. I actually used those experiences to shape my own leadership skills – how NOT to act with aspiring practitioners.

I do think 2018 is a big year for women, not just for those in PR, but actually for #womenpower. Across the world women are coming together to help each other and I think it’s brilliant.

Don’t wait for things to happen, make things happen! Up-skill, join a membership organisation such as CIPR or PRCA, get professional and #GetChartered! You need to differentiate yourself from others. If you want the best jobs you need to work for it.

I’d also recommend getting a mentor. If you know of someone who has inspired you, pluck up the courage to ask them. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.

If you work independently as a consultant, make sure you schedule time for online and face-to-face networking. You don’t need to feel alone and the solo PR networks are so supportive. It doesn’t matter if you’re returning to work, or if you work on your own and get lonely, there are thousands of people who will have advice for you or have been there before.

Finally, don’t give up on your dreams. PR can be a hard industry to work in and it can be daunting just now, with so many new skills to learn and new tech to know about. If you want it, you’ll get there!

Kirsty Leighton

Kirsty Leighton, founder of Milk and Honey PR

When I was at uni I had a couple of friends already working in PR and they seemed to truly love their jobs. Every day was different, working with different clients; involved in exciting new projects and campaigns and out meeting people (I think they may have also mentioned free lunches more than once).

It sounded brilliant, so I started to look into PR more and more. It took some pushing and shoving to get interviews but I got my break and have loved the last 24 years in the industry.

I chose to work in technology PR in my early days, in hindsight it was rather misogynistic. Trade shows were littered with scantily dressed women and we did actually sack a client for inappropriate behaviour towards a younger, female team member.

Years ago there were very few organisations that would consider ongoing part-time or varied hour contracts. Which meant you had to be around AD level or above to afford to go back to work full time, even if you wanted to. More family friendly leaders has meant this is now almost a thing of the past and I’m delighted to see that it is so much easier for women to come back into the workplace after family leave.

There is still a palpable confidence difference between men and women in this industry. There are a lot of highly capable, ambitious women but I sense they still feel the need to prove themselves. Be confident ladies. Go after what you want, find the champions around you and keep achieving.

Barbara Bates

Barbara Bates, group CEO of Hotwire

I was a television reporter right out of college but I decided I wanted to settle down in the Silicon Valley where I grew up. I looked for jobs where I could leverage my writing skills and I’ve been in marketing and PR ever since.

I’m sure I have experienced adversity because of my gender, but I’ve never really focused on it. I know for sure I’ve been put in situations where I was discriminated against, but I’m too stubborn to let it affect me.

One example was when I worked in the marketing department for a large medical equipment company. I had to meet with the company’s top execs on a regular basis and when someone would eventually ask for a cup of coffee to no one specific, everyone would look at me as I was the only woman. I never got up.

A couple of things have changed and are continuing to change. More women entrepreneurs mean more women are starting their own businesses, their own agencies and, for the first time ever, a woman is at the helm of one of the world’s three largest firms. More boss ladies!

My advice to is to be brave! You are smart enough, good enough, pretty enough, kind enough, brave enough…

Lizzie Earl

Lizzie Earl, founder of Munch PR

I was on a work placement at a boutique agency in Soho and in my first week I landed coverage for a client in Company magazine. Getting to infiltrate the media, something that seemed so sewn up and authoritative, was such a buzz. From that moment, I was hooked.

PR requires such a multifaceted skillset, which I love – intellect, curiosity, attention to detail, creativity, great copywriting and the ability to multi-task and quickly get up to speed.

I’m delighted to say that I haven’t encountered adversity because of my gender – not that I’m aware of, anyway. Thankfully I had two very strong female role models in my life growing up, my mother and grandmother, and so from a young age I’ve always held the belief that I could do anything, being a girl didn’t come into it. I still believe this, it helps make things happen in PR!

Before high school I played in a boys’ football team, so I’ve never perceived any rigid boundaries that I couldn’t cross. We need to empower more young women to believe in themselves and have confidence to go after, and occupy, the space that they feel is right for them. I’m currently exploring a schools’ outreach programme to give more young women the confidence to try careers in the creative industries.

The landscape for women seems to be shifting across many industries, PR included. The awareness around women’s rights in general couldn’t be higher at the moment, which can only be a good thing.

I’ve definitely worked at agencies where there’s been a real sense of support for working mothers, and I do agree that this should be an area of focus. Returnships are a great idea, for example, and the fact that remote working is more common and accepted now must be a help for mothers working on a freelance basis.

I would advise other women in the industry to just be the best you can be: The best colleague, boss, consultant, freelancer, PR, friend and person (this applies to everyone of course). Also, find mentors, both male and female – because it’s important that knowledge and skills are shared across genders.

Ali Gee

Ali Gee, deputy CEO of FleishmanHillard Fishburn

I had some vague notion that I would be good at PR. Truthfully, I’m not sure I really knew what it was, so it was a very naïve notion indeed.

I think men and women encounter adversity throughout their careers. Nobody ever had it easy. I’ve seen a lot of bullying in my time. I’ve worked in some hostile places and back in the day (a very long time ago) when I was at the beginning of my career, it’s fair to say office banter and culture pervaded in a way that wouldn’t be acceptable today. But I don’t think I’ve been held back by being a woman. In truth, I’d say it has helped on numerous occasions.

The landscape is changing for everyone in PR, not just women. The industry is (finally) acutely aware of the need to tackle lack of diversity head-on. And the skill-sets required to be deemed ‘good’ or ‘high performing’ have changed – it’s now important to have specialist skills and leadership involves softer skills than it once did.

But as far as women specifically are concerned, I think businesses are becoming much more active in support of women’s paths to the top. I’m on the Committee for Omniwomen – Omnicom’s initiative to support women’s journeys to leadership – and we invest a huge amount of effort in training, inspiration and guidance in this area.

Focus on being good. That’s what really matters. And use your network – for opportunities, for advice, for enjoyment and for reassurance on the way.

Claire Foster

Claire Foster, vice president of Women in PR and deputy head of news at Direct Line Group

Looking back, my path to PR was decided by a combination of skills, fate and nepotism. I chose marketing as a degree because of two reasons; I was good at (and enjoyed) English and Media at A-Level, and my dad worked in marketing.

During my second year, I studied a module on public relations and asked my dad if he knew anyone at a PR agency that could give me work experience. I spent the Easter holidays working for Jardine PR (ex F1 commentator Tony Jardine’s agency in Kingston) and I was hooked.

When I graduated, I was introduced to Wendy Harrison, MD of HSL, and I applied for a role as a junior account executive at her company.

Now I would not want to do anything else, and I am very aware of how fortunate I am that I had great role models and connections to get my foot in the door. Ironically, this is why I campaign against this selection process as we need diversity in our industry – it can’t just be the ‘lucky ones’ like me.

Adversity is a strong word. I attended a fantastic all-girls grammar school, where we were taught from a young age that we can achieve anything, if not more, than boys can. At HSL, if you worked hard, you were rewarded, and it was as simple as that.

Women in this industry do experience adversity, there is proof of this in the recent sexual harassment survey that Women in PR, the PRCA and PRWeek commissioned. It frustrates me when I hear of anyone experiencing inequality or injustice in a place that they should feel safe.

I have an amazing support network of friends and colleagues, but I know that others are not so auspicious. It is not acceptable and we must work together to change this.

I feel like there is no better time to be a woman. Apart from things that still divide us, like the ‘pink tax’ imposed on women from childhood through to pensions, we have more support from male feminists than ever before.

The #MeToo and #TimesUp movement, as well as Gender Pay Gap reporting, are catalysts for eradicating intolerable behaviour towards women.

Groups like Women in PR work hard to tackle issues like the female talent pipeline, misrepresentation at board level, and the aversion to negotiating pay and bonuses. I can’t pay back the help that I’ve had, which is why I choose to ‘pay it forward’.

I would advise women in the industry to:

  • Join an advocacy group like Women in PR
  • Find a mentor. I was accepted onto the PRWeek Women in PR mentor scheme in its second year, and my mentor, Gay Collins, at Montfort gave me advice that I follow to this day. Now in its fifth year, the scheme is stronger than ever, and preparing for its launch.
  • Find your cheerleaders and cheer-lead for others, your support can be invaluable and give someone the edge they need
  • Go out to schools and careers evenings and encourage pupils from different backgrounds to join our incredible industry. Better representation makes better business sense
  • Do the right thing – even when no-one is watching
  • Be the role model you wish you had
  • Join a board or a committee – you will gain vital experience
  • Network network and network some more. Although the caveat is to always make sure you listen to the people you meet. Don’t just go somewhere to broadcast and boast
  • Keep learning and sharing best practice – CPD is a must
  • Never give up
MRM to promote Shawbrook Bank’s personal loans

Chris Tuite joins MRM board as director and head of consumer finance

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Financial services consultancy MRM has promoted Chris Tuite to the new position of head of consumer finance and made him a director on the agency’s board.

He will be responsible for overseeing MRM’s consumer finance proposition as the agency looks to develop and grow its services in this area.

Joining the agency in 2015 as associate director, Tuite has won and led campaign briefs, and further bolstered MRM’s roster of clients which includes the likes John Lewis Finance, Hometrack and Legg Mason.

Tuite said: “When I joined MRM just over two years ago my aim was to be an integral part of a consultancy that does exciting and interesting work for some of the leading and most innovative brands in financial services. I’m pleased to say that has been my experience from day one.”

He continued: “My focus now is to build on that foundation, growing the team and proposition in line with the overall ambitions of the business.”

Andrew Appleyard, founder director of MRM, added: “Chris is a super-talented operator who has played an important role in making MRM the success it is today.

“This promotion fully recognises that contribution and provides Chris with the necessary platform and support to build on the great work he has done.”

Rooster secures Ras Al Khaimah tourism brief

Rooster secures Ras Al Khaimah tourism brief

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Emirate Ras Al Khaimah’s Tourism Development Authority has appointed Rooster PR as its retained PR agency following a competitive pitch.

Rooster will use creative campaigns and activations as well as media and influencer relations to raise awareness of the region as a destination for adventure, wellness and beach tourism in the Middle East.

The agency will use Jebel Jais, the UAE’s highest mountain, and the recently launched Jebel Jais Flight, the world’s longest zipline, to target adventure seekers. It will also use the region’s rich cultural heritage and its coastal, mangrove and desert landscapes to attract those seeking relaxation and escapism.

Haitham Mattar, CEO of Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority, said: “We were very impressed by Rooster’s travel expertise and creative thinking and look forward to attracting even more visitors and investment to our magical part of the world.”

James Brooke, managing director at Rooster PR, added: “The team got off to a flying start supporting the launch of the Jebel Jais Flight zipline and are excited to help the RAKTDA team propel Ras Al Khaimah into the major league of global adventure tourism destinations with our creative executions and best-in-class travel PR.”

Matthew Peltier joins Brands2Life

Matthew Peltier joins Brands2Life as head of film

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Brands2Life has appointed Matthew Peltier as its head of film, with a brief to develop and grow the agency’s film offering.

Peltier previously helped establish Global Radio’s in-house commercial video team. There, he served brands including AVIVA, British Airways, National Rail and Vodafone.

Before that, he set up branded content teams for start-ups and marketing agencies. He has also worked as a creative producer and director at content agencies and the BBC.

Reporting to Alan Parker, Brands2Life’s digital MD, Peltier will help refine the agency’s film offering, expand the service and advise agency clients.

Peltier said: “Brands2Life has an amazing roster of clients and represented an opportunity to do some great work for some truly innovative brands. Alan and I have a very clear vision of how we develop the offering further and I can’t wait to bring this vision to life.”

Parker added: “Matthew’s background in television has given him a great head for storytelling which fits perfectly with the agency’s ‘better stories, bigger impact’ positioning.”

Opinion: Why experiential activity is key for brand engagement

Opinion: Why experiential activity is key for brand engagement

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Jon Carson, partner at Immerse, explores why more brands are creating experiential campaigns to engage potential customers. 

Jon Carson

Emerging technologies are rapidly reshaping the way consumers interact with brands.

With an increase in consumers’ cravings for realness and new experiences, brands are becoming more focused on the customer experience and are engaged in continuous innovation to provide this.

Consumers hunger for new products with enhanced features, and now they expect more engagement from brands with relevant offers. Therefore, marketers need to think outside the box and develop deeper insights on what motivates their audience to achieve this.

Whilst experiential has always been able to deliver powerful brand experiences, in the past an issue has been reach – with campaigns ‘touching’ relatively few people. However digital and social media channels are unlocking the full potential of experiential marketing by extending this reach exponentially.

Creating a digitally interactive experience that educates, entertains and engages an audience will provide the opportunity to create real interactions with consumers, and that’s the real value of experiential marketing campaigns.

The lines separating the mix of marketing platforms are becoming less defined, each being used as a supporting platform for the other. As they each bring their individual and defining strengths, this can only be a good thing.

PR is absolutely no exception, and it’s now more and more the case that experiential agencies are being asked to work in collaboration with a brand’s PR agency, to create impressive and news worthy campaigns, events and product launches.

Immerse has published a white paper examining the effect of experiential campaigns, which can be read here

Former Midas employees blend to form Colour PR

Former Midas employees collaborate to form Colour PR

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Three former members of Midas PR’s senior team have launched Colour PR, a new London-based agency catering for the creative, entertainment and leisure sectors.

Founding directors Daniel Freeman, Zekra Rahman and Liz Mallett will use their combined 30 years’ experience in PR, journalism and marketing to work with consumer and B2B brands in the arts, culture, entertainment, publishing, food and drink, travel and hospitality sectors.

The agency will offer five distinct services to clients: Colour Media, Colour Social, Colour Content, Colour Events and Colour Consult.

Rahman said: “Working at Midas was a formative, enriching and wonderful experience. We feel extremely lucky to have gained so much experience there, but feel the time is right to spread our wings as an independent agency. We have spent a lot of time analysing what a client wants from a PR agency in 2018 and our agency model has been founded with these principles in mind.”

Freeman added: “Aside from the shared ambition to have our own agency and make our own decisions, launching Colour PR will enable us to do our jobs efficiently, effectively and economically, while offering great value to our clients.

”This, coupled with our diverse experience across consumer and B2B brands in a number of different sectors, immediately puts us in a strong position in the industry.”

  • Pictured: (l-r) Liz Mallett, Daniel Freeman and Zekra Rahman
Nicola Howson joins Portland

Former freuds CEO Nicola Howson joins Portland

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Nicola Howson, the former freuds CEO and ITV network comms director, has joined Portland in a consultancy role as a senior adviser.

Howson will use her 25 years’ experience to support and advise the agency’s clients, with a focus on corporate and philanthropy accounts.

She will also act as a mentor to key agency staff and will support Portland’s executive board on a “modernisation review” of its capabilities and services.

Having previously established freuds’ corporate practice, Howson became CEO in 2010. She established her own independent consultancy in 2014, where she still advises corporations, brands and high-profile individuals on their reputations.

Mark Flanagan, Portland’s UK managing director, said: “Nicola has been a leading figure in the communications world for over a quarter of a century and is one of the most respected experts in her field.

“We’re delighted that she will be advising Portland to play a part in the next phase of the agency’s growth and development.”

Howson added: “I have admired Portland since Tim Allan launched the business over a decade ago. The agency has an impressive client base and a great roster of talent and I am delighted to be working with the senior team as the business continues to evolve.”