PR News in Brief

This week’s PR news in brief (6-10 November)

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Here’s our round-up of essential PR news stories and features from the past week, including the winners of the PRCA National awards, Ketchum’s new London CEO and an interview with City A.M. editor Christian May.

Opinion

Paul Hender, Cision’s head of insight, examines whether Fake News is actually real or whether it comes from collective groupthink.

Barbara Watson, Launch’s director of brand and content, discusses the limitations of using silos and argues that training can overcome the difficulties associated with them.

Interviews

Christian May, editor of City A.M., reflects on the success of the newspaper on the day of its 3,000th issue, discusses his transition from PR to journalism and imagines what the 6,000th issue might look like.

Jill Coomber and Sue Grant, co-founders and directors of OneChocolate, discuss their PRCA National Awards nomination, founding the agency and their favourite chocolate brands.

Account wins

Australian apartment hotel operator Quest Apartment Hotels has appointed Launch to unveil its UK growth plans. The agency will operate a B2B media relations campaign to showcase Quest to potential UK partners.

Bounce Foods has appointed Mischief PR on retainer to manage its PR and influencer activity. Mischief’s Lifestyle division will create campaigns to promote Bounce’s brand and handle the launch of first-to-market products.

Digital agency the tree is to partner with natural healthcare product manufacturer Nelsons. The agency will run a number of digital campaigns to further establish the company’s RESCUE brand.

The Ondine Restaurant has appointed Seven Dials PR to handle its comms. The agency will handle all media relations for the Edinburgh restaurant and its chef patron Roy Brett.

Health and wellness management system My iDDNA has appointed RKM Communications. The consultancy will handle the brand’s UK launch, as well as ongoing PR and comms.

Consilium Strategic Communications is advising Ablynx on its comms strategy. The agency was part of a syndicate which worked on the company’s initial public offering.

Agency news

Charity, Inspiring Girls International is to partner with W Enterprise to establish its profile and secure sponsorship for a global campaign. The agency will look to elevate the charity’s profile among major global businesses with a view for  sponsorship and launching media partnerships, events and research over the course of the year.

The Hoffman Agency has opened a new office in Jakarta, its seventh in the Asia Pacific region. It will aim to apply its global approach to help companies in south-east Asia’s largest economy build their public profiles.

Specialist international cyber security PR network Code Red Security has partnered with Korean agency Chayun Public Relations. The partnership allows the network to establish itself in Korea

Integrated comms firm NATIONAL Public Relations has launched a new corporate platform called AVENIR GLOBAL. The holding company will manage the firm’s five brands, which include healthcare specialists AXON Communications and strategic comms consultancy Madano.

People news

Ketchum has promoted Jo-ann Robertson to CEO of Ketchum London. She replaces current CEO Denise Kaufmann, who is returning to the US to become the agency’s director of client development for North America.

Strategic comms consultancy GK Strategy has appointed Christine Quigley, Rebecca Lury and Martin Summers as associate directors. The trio will help drive the consultancy’s plans to strengthen its transport, infrastructure and financial services capabilities, as well as bolstering its health team.

Ogilvy PR has appointed Rahul Titus as its head of influencer marketing. He will use his experience in influencer marketing to oversee the agency’s development of its ADAM influencer identification tool.

Yellow Jersey has hired Julia Kalcheva as associate director. Kalcheva has over 15 years’ experience in financial and corporate comms, including heading international media and corporate comms at ENRC Plc.

The Church of England has appointed Tashi Lassalle as its director of communications. She will oversee the work of the Church’s comms department, working across traditional media, digital platforms and publishing.

Hanover has appointed Aurélie Marchand as its EU health account director. Based in Brussels, Marchand will oversee the agency’s growing portfolio of health clients, including Sanofi Pasteur, Gilead Sciences and Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

Consilium Strategic Communications has made three new appointments to its London office. Nicholas Brown joins as a consultant, while Elizabeth Seeley and Katherine Murphy have both been hired as executive consultants.

Tank has hired six new employees following a number of international client wins. Addie Kenogbon joins as an account manager, Dexter Reeds has been appointed digital executive and Damian Summers, Eileen Pegg, Molly Bingham and Ed Sheldon are new account executives.

Aisle 8 has appointed Siobhan D’Abreu-Hayling as junior beauty and lifestyle PR assistant. She will report to beauty PR executive Hannah Chapman and support the agency’s growing beauty and lifestyle divisions.

John Greaves, brand director at HomeServe, has been awarded an honorary MBA by the University of Chester for his contribution to supporting the UK’s business, education and charitable communities.

Awards news

The Co-op‘s in-house comms team and Weber Shandwick both picked up four awards at this week’s PRCA National Awards 2017. The mutual’s Trapped in a bubble campaign brought it three awards, while the agency’s #BrutalCut campaign also saw it pick up three honours. The full list of winners can be found here.

PR events

Maitland took home a cheque for £500 after winning Cision’s exclusive 5th annual city quiz at Factory House on Tuesday. The financial, corporate and political comms agency came out on top as 12 teams battled to win the prize for a charity of their choice.

The Maitland team donated the money to Ebony Horse Club, a stables in Brixton designed to offer a new experience to people in one of the UK’s most disadvantaged inner city neighbourhoods.

Maitland’s Seda Ambartsumian said: “We’d like to give a HUGE thank you from all of us at Maitland for last night. Cision were so accommodating and made sure we all had such a good time!

“In terms of the winning team – they couldn’t be more delighted! We were all hoping to win money for one specific charity which a team member has been supporting for many years, so the win couldn’t have been more special for her! Thank you for the great organisation, delicious food, and the hi-tech nature of the event! It was all very impressive.”

Maitland wins Cision city quiz

Maitland winning the cheque for £500

The 3 key ways music can help your ad to resonate

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The purpose of all advertising is to drive sales. Advertisers use many tactics for this, and one of these tactics is the use of music.

Katriona Music in the Music Studio
Music is used to connect with consumers on an emotional level, and this is very effective in influencing a purchase. According to a study, emotion is the basis of most of our decisions and greatly influences a consumer’s decision on whether to buy a product. In one study, it was found that retailers could make more sales by selecting the right music.

Consumer brands being linked to unique music started in the 1920s and 1930s by FMCG advertisers. The use of original music in TV advertising was pioneered by Coca-Cola, who effectively conveyed powerful human emotions in one of its advertising campaigns.

Its use of the song I’d Like To Teach The World To Sing in 1971 as its “Buy the World a Coke” advertising campaign told the story of love, hope and togetherness.

So with this in mind, how can you effectively resonate with consumers through your ad?

1. Be clear on how you want your audience to feel
The importance of music and its emotional connection can be demonstrated using a John Lewis Christmas advert, which triggers an emotional response. The visuals take on a completely different meaning without the music.

Turn down the volume and see how you feel about the advert without the music. The use of music, especially the style of music used, changes our perception.

2. Be clear on the type of behaviour you want to elicit from your customers
In order for adverts to be successful, the responses and behaviours of consumers need to be considered. Consider how you want people to perceive and experience your brand, as music can shape this significantly. For example, a study was conducted which found that a wine store had bigger sales of its expensive wines when it played classical music in the background, rather than top-40 music. Of course, you will have done your research and discovered the right music for your brand.

3. Make everything work coherently
Successful ads are created when the target market is identified, the type of behaviour the brand wants to elicit from their customers is clear, and the right music is chosen. It all has to work together coherently in order to elicit positive feelings and intended behaviours from consumers.

For example, brands can be seen in a positive light when they align themselves with new and appealing artists. This plays in with the fact that, according to research, the release of dopamine in the brain is increased by up to 21% by listening to your favourite music.

However, it is necessary to use music from an artist that is loved by your consumers and accurately represents your brand, rather than choosing any well-known or up-and-coming music act just because you like that particular act or because they’re popular.

Lastly…
Your choice of music is just as important as the visuals and even the product or service you are offering. Emotion is a key factor in purchase decisions, and music definitely helps to drive emotions.
Happy creating!

Katriona Weekes is a music producer, composer and songwriter at katrionamusic.com.

City AM's Christian May

Meet the Journalist: City A.M.’s Christian May

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Christian May, editor of City A.M., reflects on the success of the newspaper on the day of its 3,000th issue, discusses his transition from PR to journalism and imagines what the 6,000th issue might look like.

City A.M. published its 3,000th edition today. Given that some industry experts thought it would only last six months, what has been the key to it reaching the milestone?

In the early days, the paper’s late deadline was a real advantage as it meant we could carry the latest lines coming out of Wall Street during the financial crisis. It made the paper a morning must-read in the City. That late deadline (we go to print at 1am) is still something we value, and it’s not unusual to change the front page after midnight. More broadly, I think the founding principles of the paper earned it a loyal following – a belief in the benefits of free-markets, punchy comment pages, snappy and digestible stories, an interest in people and personalities and an understanding of what makes business tick.

Your appointment as editor was your first newspaper role. What were the challenges of moving from PR and comms into a high-profile journalism role?

It was a busy summer, I’ll say that. Unlike other jobs there’s no bedding-in period: I came in on Sunday August 17 2015 to do Monday’s paper, and then Tuesday’s, and then Wednesday’s… there’s a lot of learning on the job and I had the support of a fantastic team. More importantly I had the trust of the proprietors and the freedom to do what I wanted: tabloid-style front pages, robust commentary, more politics, fresh columnists and a sense of fun alongside the serious, financial journalism. The main challenge, and I say this in hindsight, was getting to grips with the managerial side of a far bigger team and far bigger operation than I’d previously been in charge of. The editorial side of things seemed to just fall into place.

Because you’ve not come from the traditional newspaper editing route, do you think you’ve done things differently as editor than others who have followed the more traditional route?

It’s possible I was more interested in the perception and reputation of the paper, having come from a PR background. Of course, the best way to manage and improve that reputation is through quality journalism and commentary. I was keen to raise the paper’s profile, which explains the emergence of fun, poster-style front pages and the introduction of the leader column on page 2. I do a lot of events and broadcast interviews, which I’ve always enjoyed but which are also good for the paper’s brand.

How does City A.M. distinguish itself from other publications focusing on the City and financial markets?

We have a real eye on London, which is important. Of course, London is a global city and so our patch can be pretty international in its scope, but we like to cover the people and the businesses that people know about – and report on the new ventures coming through. We cover start-ups and entrepreneurs as much as we do the international banks and multinationals. We also enjoy success: deals, sales, acquisitions, innovation, progress – and don’t shy away from that in our editorial tone. Alongside everything you’d expect us to cover, we also like good news.

Which stories do you find readers are most interested in and best respond to?

Right now it’s Brexit, Brexit, Brexit. There’s a huge appetite for the latest analysis or the latest reactions from markets or corporates. That means we have a lot of political coverage, but it doesn’t mean we lose sight of what we love doing: breaking corporate and financial stories. I think people value our economics coverage, as well as the fact that we’ve widened our scope beyond banking. We’re just as likely to cover mining, media, tech, leisure and cyber-security as we are investment management, hedge funds and deal-making.

Are there differences in the stories you look to run for the print publication and the website?

The website has a news team on duty from 6am, which is a good few hours before we start to think about the next day’s paper, so the online team deal with a lot of breaking news, and we can take a slightly wider look at the story for print. The economics of this industry mean that digital is increasingly a focus for development and revenue generation, and we have a great online team, but I believe there is enduring value in a curated, quality print product – and there always will be.

City A.M. also publishes a number of magazines. How are these different to the daily print publication and what sort of content is featured?

People are often amazed to learn that our daily paper (covering news, comment, sport, features, lifestyle) rolling website and stable of 6 magazines are all produced by a team of around 20 people. It’s a phenomenal amount of content to produce and the team do a great job. The magazines include Living (property and interiors), Bespoke (luxury goods) and Money (personal finance), along with specials on food and travel. I think the magazines are gorgeous – beautifully designed, full of great interviews, photography and features. It’s longer-form content with a longer shelf life.

Given you’re from a PR background, do you find that helps when dealing with PRs? And what’s the best way to pitch to City A.M.?

I do understand the world of PR perhaps more than a journalist who hasn’t worked in it before, and so I know the job that PRs are trying to do. Pitches range from the generic (and hopeless) shotgun approach to the more thoughtful and bespoke requests. Stories and features do emerge from the efforts of PRs, and of course we often go into battle against them when they’re trying to shield their client from our efforts. I always try to be honest – if a pitch isn’t for us, I’ll say so. Provided the email doesn’t start with “Happy Monday!”

Finally, what would you imagine the 6,000th edition of City A.M to be like?

I imagine you’ll be able to read it on your contact lenses but for the traditionalists out there, I can assure you we’ll still be printing.

Deezer appoints Good Relations as retained global agency

Good Relations wins Deezer

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Global streaming company Deezer has appointed Good Relations PR as its retained global consumer PR agency following a four-way pitch.

The agency will work alongside Deezer’s global and UK comms teams to position it as the music streaming service of choice, with particular focus on its “Flow” personalised soundtrack differentiator.

Executive director Lawrence Collis will lead the team, with Good Relations planning on using its PR and influencer capabilities to achieve Deezer’s growth ambitions through more creative activations to music campaigns.

Collis said: “We are thrilled to be brought on board by Deezer to further differentiate the brand within the music streaming market. We will be working closely with Deezer’s brilliant in-house team to make sure we help them achieve even greater success.”

Julia Herd, Deezer’s global VP of comms, added: “We are excited to have appointed Good Relations, at a time when the music streaming market is becoming ever more competitive. With a range of already successful communications programmes in place, we are looking forward to leveraging the agency’s expertise to further amplify these and our position as industry disruptors.

“Throughout the pitch process, the Good Relations team demonstrated its ability to produce creative and integrated ideas that, I am confident, will help us achieve our business and communications goals.”

Inspiring Girls International partners with W Enterprise

W Enterprise partners with Inspiring Girls International

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Charity, Inspiring Girls International is to partner with W Enterprise to establish its profile and secure sponsorship for a global campaign.

The agency will look to elevate the charity’s profile among major global businesses with a view for  sponsorship and launching media partnerships, events and research over the course of the year.

The charity was founded by Miriam González Durántez following the success of the Inspiring Women initiative, which she led. It is committed to offering girls access to inspirational role models to help empower them to realise their potential.

González Durántez said: “We are delighted to be partnering with W Enterprise and are excited at the opportunities this will bring for the charity. Our collaboration will help the campaign to grow; inspiring girls across the world to aim high by exposing them to the full variety of careers and opportunities in life.”

Becky Charles, director of W Enterprise, added: “Inspiring Girls has a vital role in giving tomorrow’s women around the globe access to role models who will inspire them, and in challenging the barriers that can prevent girls from fulfilling their dreams – wherever they live.

“W has always been proud to support important causes, and we are very much looking forward to working alongside the talented team at Inspiring Girls to help supercharge its profile and bring its vision to life.”

  • Pictured: Becky Charles
Barbara Watson Launch

Opinion: How to overcome comms silos

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Barbara Watson, Launch’s director of brand and content, discusses the limitations of using silos and argues that training can overcome the difficulties associated with them.

The world of comms is increasingly becoming a tangled web of departments, titles and time pressed professionals – all with the same business and brand objectives. Yet, all too often it seems that the right hand simply doesn’t know what the left hand is doing.

Head of marketing and brand, director of engagement, customer experience manager, digital director, development director – just a few of the titles sported by comms experts who are all looking to galvanise the same support across desks, departments and disciplines to get their 2018 comms plans delivered.

Yet, a real risk emerges when various departments and disciplines work in silo to deliver against briefs and then their communications get confused.

As deadlines for 2018 loom, it’s that time of year when marketing, comms, digital, sales and ops teams must make the time to agree the same agenda and align visions and views around their brand to ensure they are going in strong for the year ahead (with no mixed messaging). One team, one dream. When every department is looking to create and own content, speak ‘social’ and excite customers via engaging experiences, it’s imperative everyone understands and talks the same comms language.

With this in mind, we’ve said WTF?!  (Want Training Focus?). Listening to the needs of comms professionals and the divisions that can arise when different departments aren’t talking the same talk, we’ve created a programme of perfectly formed, precise comms training sessions to help break down silos in planning.

From creative execution to content creation, best practice on social to staying cool in a crisis, we’ve harnessed our agency experience and expertise to deliver targeted training sessions that ensure everyone is singing from the same comms sheet.

And for us, time is always of the essence. Co-ordinating colleagues for a full day or even a half day training session is an Outlook nightmare. So every training session will be delivered as bite-sized two-hour programmes instead.

As the agency that launched The Creative Shootout – the industry’s first ‘done in a day’ creative awards format – we’ll make every second count.

Co-op and Weber Shandwick win four PRCA National Awards

The Co-op and Weber Shandwick win big at PRCA awards

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The Co-op‘s in-house comms team and Weber Shandwick both picked up four awards at last night’s PRCA National Awards 2017.

The mutual won the Broadcast Award, Corporate Social Responsibility Award and the In-house Campaign of the Year Award for its Trapped in a bubble campaign, as well as picking up the In-house Media Relations Award.

Weber Shandwick claimed the International Consultancy of the Year prize, as well as the Consultancy Campaign of the Year, Not-For-Profit and Charity Award and Digital and New Media Award for its #BrutalCut campaign.

Barclaycard picked up the Private Sector In-house Team of the Year prize, with the Metropolitan Police Service taking the public sector equivalent. Harvard’s Louie St Claire was named Consultancy Head of the Year, with Loughborough University’s Emma Lynch winning In-house Professional of the Year. Jessica Warner, from Lansons, took home the Young Communicator of the Year trophy.

Golin earned the Large Consultancy of the Year Award, sponsored by PR Newswire, while Pegasus was named Specialist Consultancy of the Year and Well Hello was New Consultancy of the Year.

Francis Ingham MPRCA, PRCA director general, said: “I believe that the UK PR industry is the most vibrant, most professional, most ethical in the world. And tonight’s awards are both a demonstration and a celebration of those facts.”

A full list of winners can be found here.

Pictured: The Co-op team

Capcom appoints Hope&Glory

Hope&Glory to launch Monster Hunter: World

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Capcom Europe has appointed Hope&Glory PR to launch its Monster Hunter: World game in the UK in January following a competitive pitch process.

The account will be led by the agency’s director Pieter Graham and senior account director Mike Levaggi. The pair will work alongside Capcom’s in-house team to deliver a launch campaign designed to raise awareness of the game among a wider audience.

Laura Skelly, senior PR manager UK and EMEA at Capcom, said: “We’re really excited to be working with Hope&Glory to bring the latest title in one of our most loved and successful franchises, Monster Hunter, to the UK.

“The team demonstrated they have a wealth of excellent experience in launching gaming titles and this combined with their creative direction and media connections saw them being chosen as the best team for the task at hand. We can’t wait to see them bring Monster Hunter: World to life for launch in January!”

Mike Levaggi added: “Capcom is one of those companies that most people in PR would love to work with. Not only do they have great franchises, but the in-house team is well known for being ambitious, and for creating attention grabbing campaigns. So, we aren’t lying when we say that we’re delighted to be working with them, especially on this.”