If Carlsberg did Christmas trees…

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Facebook at Work, the professional version of the social network, is expected to launch in the coming months, after spending a year in tests. The new service, geared towards workplace collaboration, is nearly identical to its ubiquitous social network, with a scrolling news “feed”, “likes” and a chat service. However, it was underlined that there will be minor restrictions to the social network for work such as users not being able to play the popular game Candy Crush.

Meanwhile, it was highlighted that Twitter‘s main priority next year will be to monetise the 500 million logged-off audiences who visit the website but don’t have an account. It was reported that the company will run ads in tweets that appear in Google searches or when they are shared in a text or email. These ads will be targeted based on the context in which the person comes across a tweet, rather than the interest data used for logged-in users.

In the latest ‘Best job in the world’ PR effort, Scottish firm Mackies recruited for a “chief chocolate taster” for its new Aberdeenshire factory, with payment listed as seven bars of chocolate per week. More than 2,000 people applied for the job and the winner will receive free chocolate for them and “quarterly additional payments of chocolate to share with friends”.

Meanwhile, Carlsberg unveiled a Christmas tree dispensing beer, with glass shaped bottles for passers by to drink from. It was reported that the stunt follows on the company looking to kick start the ‘if Carlsberg did…’ campaigns again with ‘If Carlsberg did Christmas Trees’.

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Lloyds Bankwas also spotted to be getting into the Christmas spirit as the company unveiled a 12m tall interactive Christmas tree which will light up the London skyline over the holidays. A microsite will mirror the spectacle online for those unable to make it to the South Bank with people being encouraged to share their appreciation of Christmas on social media using the#loveyoutothestars hashtag.

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Londoners were left stunned as a 9ft Iron man Hulbuster was spotted strolling around the capital. The stunt is an attempt to promote the Sky Studios Christmas Experience, which was launched in the beginning of December at the O2 with a huge installation that brings to life some of the biggest scenes from the years biggest blockbusters, most impressively the Battle for Avengers Tower.

This blog post was written by Valerie Arnaudova.

Behind the Headlines with Exposure’s Raoul Shah

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Raoul Shah, founder and CEO of Exposure, on his marker for campaign success, his penchant for Japanese food and wanting to learn to fly hawks.

Before I reach the office in the morning, I’ve already…
Had breakfast with the kids and our new canine addition called Summer, checked Instagram (@raouls), read BBC News & Sport, and walked across both Primrose Hill and Regents Park keeping my phone firmly in my pocket. The morning walk to work is the most incredible opportunity to reflect, plan, and dream with no distractions.

You’ll mostly find emails about…in my inbox.
Fixing meetings with clients, re-connecting with a variety of people from the early days of Exposure (circa 1993) and, occasionally, even before that, when I was marketing manager at Pepe Jeans.

I know I’ve had a good day if…
There’s less than 50 ‘read’ emails in my inbox. I’m a little obsessive about reading everything and answering most. The ‘read’ emails are always my work in progress. A really good day would end with a glass of red wine and friends at home.

My first job was…
Working in the Agnes B store in Les Halles, Paris. I thought I’d learn French but I actually looked after all the Japanese customers so my manners improved considerably!

I can tell a campaign is succeeding when…
It reaches you via your friends and different parts of the agency. Since we are arranged across three buildings on Little Portland Street with four agencies, it’s important to keep close and connected to the whole UK team, which is approximately 200 people. They work within Exposure (consumer PR, fashion, brand experience, digital and social), Beauty Seen, THRSXTY or The Gild.

The minute a campaign has gone live and reached a different part of our team via earned media, we know it’s working. It’s funny to think how news travels today – it leaves the second floor and, via a series of channels around the world, it reaches the third floor later that day.

I eat…when nobody is watching.
London is currently the best place in the world for new restaurants, great chefs and people trying new things. The quality of Japanese food is particularly good. As a result, if nobody is watching, I love to go for a quick Japanese lunch near the office including the sushi counters at Chisou, Roka and Sakana-Tei.

The first time I pitched to a journalist…
It was the first campaign we shot with Roger Charity for Hardcore Jeans featuring Barry Kamen (RIP). That was in 1991 and it ended up in Arena. Those images are as strong today as they were back then. We worked with a truly iconic team of image makers, stylists and artists.

The worst thing anyone has said to me is…
“You’re not going to work dressed like that, are you?” My wife is the ultimate barometer of style in our house and when she picks up on a small detail that needs fixing, she makes no apology for a blunt comment like this. She’s generally right, so a quick change of jacket or shoes and the problem is fixed. I can handle constructive feedback!

The last book I read was…
H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald. An incredible and captivating read. In fact, I read it twice and then contacted Helen on Twitter. I impatiently await her next book.

I’ve never really understood why…
People who once worked at Exposure have chosen to omit this detail from their CV or LinkedIn page. There’s a couple of them out there and none of them left under a cloud or difficult circumstances. Some have started their own agencies yet their staff have no idea where they cut their teeth. That’s always amusing in interviews. Learning from others and getting help along the way is actually a good thing.

If I could go back and talk to my 10-year-old self, I’d say…
Buy shares in Apple and start a social networking site called Facebook.

This time next year, I’ll be…
Running more, learning to fly hawks and starting a social dining club.

Fancy featuring in a Behind the Headlines interview? Please email [email protected].

 

Make tea, not war!

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On Thursday, HBO released a 40 second spot for season 6 of Game Of Thrones which will debut in April. The teaser, featuring Jon Snow whose fate remains unknown, reignited the rumours that he might be alive. Game of Thrones enthusiasts have long suspected and hoped that Snow’s death at the end of season 5 was not meant to be permanent. The video has been viewed almost 3 million times in less than 24 hours on YouTube. Everyone is excitedly awaiting April!

#terroristsympathiser was the most used hashtag in the UK on Wednesday, appearing
times on Twitter before 10am, driven by opponents of military action in Syria. Many users used the hashtag ironically to criticise the Prime Minister, who called those against military action, including Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, ‘terrorist sympathisers’. Protests against Syria airstrikes took place this week in London with the aim to discourage violence. Protesters held signs saying: ‘Make tea not war’ and ‘Don’t bomb Syria’.

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A campaign in Brazil called ‘Virtual racism, real consequences’ was launched with the aim prevent and stop racist comments towards Afro-Brazilians online. This was triggered by an incident where racially abusive comments were aimed at a picture posted on Facebook by Maria Julia Coutinho. As a result, those who post racist abuse on social media may see their comments up on billboards near their homes. The campaign has received positive reactions. One Facebook user said: “Be careful how you comment, you might be the next one to have your words on a billboard”.

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A controversial Christmas ad launched by German supermarket chain Edeka tells the old man who spends the holidays alone every year because his children are too busy to visit him. He decides to trick them into thinking he is dead, causing them to gather together only to find that their dad is alive. This might not be an ordinary Christmas ad  – the plot is somewhat twisted – but it is warm-hearted and emotional, and reminds us to think of our loved ones during the festive season. The spot has become a viral hit with over 30 million views onYouTube and another 18 million views on Facebook.

Adweek’s top 12 digital marketing stats from the past week revealed that online orders
this year’s US Cyber Monday totalled nearly $3.1 billion, a one-day internet record, with Amazon snaring 36 percent of all sales. Meanwhile, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan have announced plans to donate 99 percent of their Facebook shares over the course of their lives, revealed alongside news of the birth of their daughter Max.

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This blog post was written by Dani Doroftei.

COP21: What brands can do to stay on the right side of climate crisis coverage

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As world leaders meet at COP21 in Paris over the next two weeks to discuss how to tackle the global climate change crisis, the media’s increased focus on the environment presents an opportunity for brands. However, they need to be genuine and cautious, comms experts warn.

Big business has found it hard to get a positive reaction when addressing issues around the environment in 2015. COP21, this year’s UN Climate Change Conference, takes place in Paris from 30 November to 11 December, presents a chance to change this but should be approached with caution by companies that feel like they have something to prove in the sustainability stakes, according to three leading comms experts.

They recommend that brands looking to secure news coverage around sensitive consumer issues, such as the environment, should consider where they stand on three key points: substance, leadership and timing.

Substance – have a strong and genuine story to tell

“I don’t believe companies should be looking to “hijack” news around the Paris conference unless they have a very strong, genuine and well-established story to tell”, says Mike Sergeant, director at Headland Consultancy and the account lead for the David Attenborough-backed renewable energy investment campaign Global Apollo Initiative.

“In designing the Global Apollo campaign, we deliberately chose not to court big energy companies as partners, as this wasn’t a platform for advancing narrow commercial interests. Nor did we look for the support of any corporates hoping to use David Attenborough’s campaign to “green wash” their image and buy a positive association.”

Brands looking to speak with sincerity around environmental issues should avoid appearing self-serving, explains *Andy Last, founder of Salt Communications**. “The golden rule for brands and companies in relation to communicating around climate change is to make sure their actions match their words.”

Leadership – contribute to the solution

COP21 has already been a forum for good brand involvement, with positive coverage for the likes of the HSBC and Tata Steel-backed Indian ‘Solar Alliance’ and the Facebook (amongst others) supported Breakthrough Energy Coalition.

“For a company ready to take a leadership position in their sector and to do something of real substance, it could also be an opportunity to assert their position and identify themselves as contributing to the solution”, explains Gareth Wynn, senior managing director in FTI’s energy practice. “However it is important to keep in mind that the Paris meeting itself is for the negotiators. Business needs to be seen as supportive of the process but not trying to subvert or hijack it.”

Companies with the most to prove and who make the biggest environmental impact can make the biggest material difference, Wynn adds. “Leadership and innovation from these firms could be a real help in positioning them as part of the solution and will do no harm in strengthening their brand among policy makers grappling with how best to address the challenge of climate change.”

Timing – be sensitive and there is no ‘quick fix’

Ultimately though, companies that are a perceived as doing ongoing damage to the environment should think carefully about the timing of their involvement in Paris. Sergeant says: “The climate conference certainly isn’t an opportunity for environmentally detrimental companies to reform their image. Reputation in this area must be painstakingly built over time – supported by positive actions at every level of the business.”

The environment is an emotive issue and COP21, for its high-profile global involvement and far-reaching aims, will continue to generate news coverage. Businesses have an important role to play in addressing the issues of climate change, but brand involvement or ‘hijacking’ news coverage over this two week window should be carefully considered.

Seven top tips for running a successful broadcast campaign

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National TV coverage is sought after by many brands and businesses. Claire Palmer, head of UK broadcast at TVC Group, offers her top tips for gaining that piece of “shiny TV coverage”.

“What I really want for this one is to get national TV.” Sound familiar? As most PRs know, achieving that golden clairepalmerpiece of shiny TV coverage for a brand can often be the key to a successful campaign, not to mention an extremely happy client.

While getting your story the cut through it needs to achieve broadcast is often harder than it looks, there are some tips on what you should think about before your next broadcast campaign.

Is it a story?

First and foremost you need to make sure you have a strong story if you’re going to catch the eye of broadcasters. New stats, figures and topical talking points can often give your story the appeal it needs to stand out to journalists. Make sure you have pulled out the angles that work for different, specific media and look out for news lines on the day that could give your story the springboard it needs.

Can you sum up the story in one sentence?

Journalists are inundated with pitches and story ideas so you need to ensure yours is punchy and understood in a top line – this applies verbally as well as editorially. Many TV and radio outlets have news bulletins as short as 30 seconds, so short and to the point are key when thinking about broadcast.

Do you have the right spokesperson?

Are they relevant to the story and are they going to represent your brand in the right way? Make sure they understand the brand’s key messages and values and the purpose of their role as your ambassador. They don’t have to be a celebrity, but they do have to be authentic and have a direct link to the story.

Are your spokespeople media trained?

Even if your spokesperson is a natural on TV and radio, it is a good idea to encourage media training on a regular basis. This ensures a polished, strong broadcast performance and can help you prepare to bridge any tricky questions that might be thrown at them in a live environment.

Are you in the right location?

It sounds simple, but in order for some broadcast interviews to happen, your spokespeople may be required to physically be there and it is a good idea to prepare for that as much as possible. Do you have a spokesperson who can be available in Salford if needs be? Is there a secondary spokesperson available to attend if there’s interest from London broadcasters? Have you booked a studio to do down-the-line, back-to-back interviews to cover regional/global interest from one location?

The TV/online package

With newsroom resources getting increasingly leaner, it’s a good idea to think about providing A-Roll (edited) or B-Roll (unedited) content to work alongside your story. Having the full package ready for a broadcast journalist ahead of the campaign date can often mean the difference between getting that TV / national online hit or not.

What do you want to achieve?

This question is vital when thinking about planning a broadcast story. What does success look like to you and your brand? If it’s national business TV, do you have facts and figures that are relevant for that audience? If it’s regional consumer online, for example, do you have case studies and moving image to target those areas?

Gorkana meets…Finimize

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Scott Tindle, co-founder of ‘bite-sized’ news service Finimize, on demystifying financial ‘jargon’ for millennials, publishing the two most important pieces of global business news daily and wanting more personal finance content.

What is Finimize and why did you decide now was the right timeScott Tindle, Finimize to launch?

The main aim is to make financial news more accessible to people. The idea came about because my co-founder, Max [Rofagha], had some money to invest. He’d made a New Year’s resolution to read the financial news so that he was more educated in that area and able to put that money to work in an intelligent way. Pretty quickly he broke that New Year’s resolution because he realised he wouldn’t be able to keep reading the financial news every day. He didn’t find it interesting, he didn’t find it easy to understand and found it, frankly, a bit of a challenge.

So that was where the idea came from. He wanted something that was simple, easy to read, explains the news and doesn’t use financial jargon. Max got in touch with me – we’re old university friends – and he pitched the idea to me and I came on board. That’s the genesis of it. We did that for about six months part-time and realised we were on to something. Our user growth was pretty impressive and we weren’t really putting that much into it and so on the 1 September 2015 we decided to launch full time.

Who is your target audience?

We target millennials (18-35 year olds) because they’re probably the group that’s least accessible, in terms of financial news. A lot of them are still learning about finance, but they’re also most likely to adapt to new ways of consuming news. Having said that, I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the number of older people that read the email because they find it a useful read first thing in the morning as they’re going into their jobs. In London it’s designed for the commute, but in New York it comes out at 10pm, so a lot of people read it at the end of the day.

What is the size of the editorial team, and who covers what?

At the moment, it’s just me writing them. Max co-writes and edits them once I’ve done the first draft. He acts as the average reader: if he doesn’t understand something, we have to change it. That collaborative writing format has worked really well for us. We also have an editor in New York, who has decades of financial news experience. She has a final look at things, as well as some general input. We’ve also got someone who’s an adviser who works at an investment bank who gives us guidance as we go.

What is a typical day for you?

The morning is spent mainly on things that aren’t content related. For me it’s primarily marketing. We’ve been doing it since 1 September and have grown at a strong rate – we want this to continue. After lunch, I really start focusing on the markets, unless something unusual has happened in the morning. From then on it’s basically about compiling a shortlist of the ten or so stories that we might cover, and over the course of the day whittling them down to two and doing some proper research around those stories. Then we write them and get them uploaded. That usually goes on until after the US markets close, partly because most of the time the main news stories break after the US closes (4pm ET), so a lot of work can be done in the late evening.

How do you decide what content makes it on to the newsletter?

If our readers are only going to read two financial stories a day, which two should they read? The answer to that question is the two articles we write up. What we do not do is use an algorithm to see who’s been reading what, and generate an automatic email that we can just fire out; that would be a tech solution to the problem, which doesn’t solve the problem. So I actually spend a vast chunk of my day sifting through all the financial news and deciding in conjunction with the others what people should read. It’s a very manual process. We try to pick one micro-finance story and one macro-finance story: one economic story and one story about a particular business or an M&A story or about results etc. That’s the general, guiding principle.

Are there any particular topics in the finance world that you’d like to hear about?

Personal finance is under-covered. You can understand why; it’s tough because it’s very dependent on people’s individual circumstances. It’s something we hope to pursue in the future – it fits in with our wider aim of educating people on finance.

Can you talk to us about Finimize’s regional focus? What geographical areas are of interest to you and the publication?

The geographical focus is global. We want the two most important financial stories in the world. Simple as that. They tend to have a bit of a US bias naturally, because that’s just where a lot of the big stories come from. Over time we hope to be able to regionalise it, so that if people want more of a focus on Europe, or the UK, or Australia, then that’ll be available to them.

When and how do you prefer to receive press releases?

Email. No preferred time, really.

What are the future plans for the website and newsletter?

Our first priority is to add more content for those that want it. We don’t want to mess with the email for those people who like it as it is. For those that want more, we want there to be more. We’re exploring the idea of regionalisation, again for those that want it. In the long term we want to build up the personal investing component and we want to address the broader problem of how millenials engage with finance. The whole aim is to make finance more accessible. Trouble is there’s a lot of financial websites out there, so how do you do things differently while adding value? That’s the question. We’re trying to disrupt the traditional financial news media and the ways in which they report financial news.

And finally, do you think financial news is too navel-gazing and can become bogged down in its own jargon?

Yes, absolutely! That’s the issue we’re really trying to address. Financial news isn’t really that complicated. You can boil it down to some takeaways. There are ways of making financial news easier to understand. I think a lot of what’s out there is aimed at market professionals and so it uses that jargon because that’s a way to tell the story to them, but that’s true only of a small percentage of the population. You have to try and tell the same story to the man in the street and that’s what we’re trying to do.

Scott was talking to Gorkana’s Richard Caldecourt

Behind the Headlines with Way To Blue’s Adam Rubins

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Adam Rubins, CEO of Way To Blue, on the “movement towards mindfulness”, finding success in active social discussions and why there is no reward without risk.

Before I reach the office in the morning, I’ve already…
Kissed the kids good morning, checked email, flicked through daily editions on Flipboard, Pulse and Feedly and meditated. I’m a huge advocate of the movement towards mindfulness.

You’ll mostly find emails about…in my inbox.
A wide range – from client negotiation and new business opportunities to HR-related issues and an increasing amount of unsolicited outreach from people I don’t know.

I know I’ve had a good day if…
My heart rate has remained steady. Running a business is not for the faint hearted!

My first job was…
In the media and marketing team at Buena Vista International, the movie division of the Walt Disney Company. My dream job which I got through persistence and hard work.

I can tell a campaign is succeeding when…
It’s been discussed widely on social channels. It’s the moment it moves from something I think is out there to ‘it’s out there’.

I eat… when nobody is watching.
Nothing. I like people to watch me eat.

The first time I pitched to a journalist…
Not the first time, but I remember trying to convince a journalist that Pirates of the Caribbean would be a success. At the time Johnny Depp wasn’t as big a star, it was based on a theme park ride and it’s fair to say Pirate movies were not a successful genre. They were a little more interested when the sequel was about to launch!

The worst thing anyone has said to me is…
“I was never managed so why should I manage you?” I am a firm believer in building the right culture in an organisation led by talent.

The last book I read was…
Thrive by Arianna Huffington. An incredible read about mindfulness and the importance of disconnecting from digital devices.

I’ve never really understood why…
Marketing and publicity is so held back by fear of change. Without risk there can be no reward.

If I could go back and talk to my ten-year-old self, I’d say…
Sort your hair out. While you still can.

This time next year, I’ll be…
One year into my five-year-plan.

Fancy featuring in a Behind the Headlines interview? Please email [email protected].

 

Word of the year, Lego and an all new Google+

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The Oxford Dictionary Word of the Year 2015 is not actually a word. Instead, for the first time ever, a pictograph has been given the honour. The emoji ‘face with tears of joy’ took the top spot this year, beating competition from words like ‘Brexit’, ‘ad blocker’ and ‘lumbersexual’. Research by Oxford University Press and Swiftkey showed that ‘face with tears of joy’ was the most used emoji globally in 2015, even making up 20% of all emojis used in the UK.

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In a clever marketing move, Lego has introduced specially designed slippers to save parents from the pain of stepping on one of the little bricks. Dubbing the footwear “the ultimate gift for Christmas”, the toy manufacturer is giving away 1,500 pairs at random to people who create a holiday wish list on its website.

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For the third year in a row, India has topped the list of countries making the most censorship demands on  During the first half of the year, India’s government made 15,155 content removal demands, compared to 5,832 requests in the previous six months. Turkey came in second place with 4,496 requests, distantly followed by France who made 295 demands.

Google this week introduced an all new Google+, focusing on the areas of the platform that people use the most: Communities and Collections. Communities now averages around 1.2 million new joiners every day, with Collections growing even faster, according to Google. It has also made the redesigned Google+ more simple and mobile-friendly.

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An advertisement for the limited edition Moschino Barbie became a much-discussed topic on social media this week. For the first time in 56 years, the ad features a little boy playing with the famous doll. The internet praised the move for challenging gender stereotypes. The Moschino Barbie sold out within an hour of its launch, despite the $150 price tag.

This blog post was written by Ilse Brujin.

Case Study: Bee-A-BeeFarmer

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Rowse Honey, in partnership with the Bee Farming Association, created a new apprenticeship scheme to stop the decline of British bee-hives in the UK. Clarion Communications came up with a campaign, led by an army of more than 100 bee farmers, to promote the initiative which involved the take over of the Millennium Bridge in London. It worked – the apprenticeship scheme was massively over-subscribed.

Campaign: Bee-A-BeeFarmer
Client: Rowse Honey
PR Team: Clarion Communications
Timing: July – September 2015

Overview

To stop the decline of British bee-hives and future-proof the British bee farming industry, honey brand Rowse Honey created a new apprenticeship scheme with the Bee Farming Association to train a new generation of British bee farmers.

Rowse Honey briefed Clarion Communications to drive awareness of the apprenticeship scheme and encourage recruitment among 18 to 24-year-olds across the country.

Objectives

It was essential the campaign clearly communicated that it was a Rowse Honey initiative in order to show how the business continues to support the British bee farming industry and drive consumer preference over competitors.

A key objective of the campaign was to encourage young school leavers and graduates to sign up for the three year apprenticeship scheme. Therefore activity needed to drive broad, nationwide awareness, reaching both the target audience of 18 to 24-year-olds as well as their parents, teachers and educators.

Coverage needed to demonstrate how commercial bee-farming is a rewarding and sustainable long-term career and a valid alternative to more traditional options.

As a new apprenticeship scheme for a very little-known career path, Clarion’s challenge was to ensure the campaign secured maximum exposure to drive a high number of recruits and ensure all apprenticeship roles were filled.

Strategy

Clarion’s approach was to create impactful, inspiring and wide-reaching content – underpinned with strong, in-depth messaging – in order to communicate the benefits of a career in bee farming and persuade young adults to register for the scheme.

A pilot scheme had already been put in place to test the feasibility of the apprenticeship scheme. Clarion’s strategy put the young apprentices who had taken part in the pilot scheme – and who had since committed to the full three year course – at the heart of the campaign, using their stories to educate and inspire their peers.

The Bee-a-Beefarmer campaign had three distinct phases to it:

  • Launch: Announcing Rowse’s commitment to finding a new generation of bee farmers through eye-catching stunt activity.
  • Inspire: Bringing each of the apprentices’ stories to life through interviews and unmissable content in a persuasive manner.
  • Educate: Controlled activity which highlighted the need to future-proof the British bee farming industry with a strong call-to-action to encourage people to sign up to the scheme.

A dedicated Bee-a-Beefarmer URL for apprentice registrations was created using the campaign name as a hook, and with Rowse branding built into the web address to ensure the brand was carried through in all content and coverage.

The campaign was launched with a photo stunt in central London: Over 100 bee farmers, led by four of the young apprentices, took over the city for the day, marching over the Millennium Bridge into the City to demonstrate the importance of safeguarding the future of the British bee farming industry for the economy.

Wearing official, branded bee keeper suits and carrying Bee-A-Beefarmer banners, the activity created stand-out content for national news, broadcast and social media channels.

The four young apprentices at the head of the march were pitched to national media for print and online interviews and profiling opportunities as the pictures were sent out to national media, whilst representatives of the Bee Farmers Association and Rowse Honey conducted a series of interviews across national and regional broadcast media.

To bring the nature of the bee farmer’s world to life through inspirational content, video crew and photographers were sent to capture the young bee-farmer apprentices in their natural working habitats around the country, securing striking imagery for further distribution to print and online media.

The unusual bee farming locations were pitched to media on a one-by-one basis as exclusive opportunities and the Clarion team worked with different media titles and channels to develop tailored content which would bring each of the apprentices’ stories to life.

Building on the awareness and excitement created by these two bursts of activity, a digital educational campaign was run in association with the Guardian, with a combination of advertorials and Apprentice profiles run across the site for six weeks, driving further traffic to the campaign website where potential candidates could register for more information on the scheme.

Results

Editorial coverage generated by the campaign secured a total reach of 29 million across print, online and broadcast media. The apprenticeship scheme was over-subscribed by 85% by the end of the campaign, allowing Rowse Honey and The Bee Farmers Association to select only the best applicants for the scheme.

The campaign activity generated over 60 pieces of national consumer print, online and broadcast coverage, including the Guardian (twice), Metro, BBC Breakfast, BBC News Online, half a page apprentice profile in the London Evening Standard with branded photography and URL, full page in The Independent, Telegraph.co.uk and over 11 BBC radio interviews including BBC Radio 2 and BBC Radio 4 Farming Today.

Ian Ainsworth, MD of Rowse Honey, said: “In order to recruit a whole new generation of young bee farmers and encourage them to consider an unusual but highly rewarding career, it was absolutely essential we cast our net wide to find the right people.

“In order to do this we needed a campaign which had inspiring and persuasive content at its heart, and which resonated on a national level, driving young adults and school leavers to make a three year commitment. With Clarion’s campaign the scheme was over-subscribed by more than 85%, allowing us to ensure we can give these coveted apprenticeship positions to candidates of only the best calibre.”

Anyone fed up with a career in media or PR and would like to work with bees, should visit www.rowsehoney.co.uk/about-us/bee-a-beefarmer/ for more information.

Got a cracking campaign – with impressive results – that you’d like to showcase? Email [email protected].