WPR Agency hires consumer director

/in /by

PR and social media consultancy WPR Agency has appointed Rebecca Williams as consumer director.

She will be tasked with expanding the division and devising strategic campaigns that deliver tangible commercial benefits.

Williams previously spent 10 years at McCann Birmingham, where she led accounts including Oxfam, Robert Welch and McCarthy & Stone.

“Rebecca’s broad range of sector experience across consumer accounts fits extremely well with our current portfolio,” said Jane Ainsworth, WPR managing director. “Clients are increasingly looking for channel-neutral strategies that deliver commercial results.

“We are committed to being an agency that goes far beyond media relations, providing an all-encompassing integrated approach, with performance and results at its core.”

Williams added: “WPR has an enviable reputation both in the Midlands and across the UK. It has long been known for creative campaigns that deliver national media coverage and engaging social content for some of the UK’s biggest brands.

“WPR’s status as a Facebook account-managed agency and a Google Partner means the tools available to us to reach consumers are unmatched by many of our competitors.”

Roland Dransfield

Roland Dransfield celebrates 21 years with consumer division launch

/in /by

Manchester-based PR agency Roland Dransfield is launching a new consumer division to coincide with its 21st birthday this summer.

Adam Moss will lead the division in his new role as head of consumer. He joined Roland Dransfield from Brazen, where he spent nine years and was director of news and creative content.

In recent years, Roland Dransfield has repositioned itself from being a property PR specialist to cover a wide range of sectors, including professional services, SMEs, manufacturing and technology.

It has also won several consumer facing accounts, such as Innside Manchester, Sale Sharks, Boodles Tennis and The Offside Trust.

“Strategically it is the right time to launch a fully-rounded consumer division at Roland Dransfield,” said Lisa Morton, Roland Dransfield MD. “We know we have a great reputation for B2B and want to carry this success across to B2C.”

She added: “We took our time to find the right person to lead this new division and we believe we’ve found that in Adam. He’s a leader with award-winning creative credentials and has already enjoyed a hugely successful consumer PR career.”

Moss said: “The chance to launch a consumer arm for one of Manchester’s most successful PR agencies was a challenge that was, frankly, irresistible. And with lots of new business leads already in the process of conversion into accounts, the future looks very bright indeed.”

  • Pictured: (left to right) Roland Dransfield’s head of media, Alex Bell, managing director Lisa Morton, head of consumer Adam Moss, associate director Caroline Aspinall and head of digital Sam Hughes

Opinion: Why today’s consumers demand live content across platforms

/in /by

Nicholas Lazarus, co-founder of Sassy Films, describes the ever-changing nature of broadcast media and how consumers are increasingly migrating towards social networks for “live” content.

Nicholas Lazarus

Nicholas Lazarus

There’s been a clear rise in the popularity of live streaming in recent years. Thanks to the proliferation of social media and smart devices, everyone has become connected.

From Snapchat to Instagram Stories, Facebook Live and Periscope – the world is now full of filmmakers bringing their lives live to the masses. So, understandably, brands and entertainment studios wanted in.

But as the ability to capture, encode and distribute live media becomes simpler, it has become more important than ever for brands and studios to evolve their approaches.

The rise of live streaming

Live streaming production values have increased and audiences have swelled in recent years. No longer is television the bastion of live production values.

As desire to capture bigger and bigger audiences increases, brands now un-shackled from Ofcom regulations are seeking to deliver a new era of multi-camera live shows. Shows that are connected, integrated and immersive.

From the European premiere of xXx: Return of Xander Cage, with its simultaneous feed across 80 Facebook pages that achieved over 8 million views, to the online Transformers Q&A that received a million live viewers – you don’t have to look far to find evidence that this approach is working.

Engage audiences like never before

The strength of live streaming is directly related to its ability to let brands engage with viewers, sometimes well and sometimes less so. Brands can now engage with their target audiences globally, in a more organic, authentic and personable way than ever before.

The power of “live” hasn’t stopped there though. From a comms perspective, maximising live infrastructure allows brands to deliver engaging viewing to mass audiences. With the right strategic approach, you can quickly maximise your coverage potential – creating content from singular moments in time for earned, shared and owned channels.

Broadcasters are developing omni-channel experiences

Naturally, broadcasters aren’t far behind. Dual screening is already adding an extra layer to the interactive viewing experience.

For example, contextual TV commercials in programmes like First Dates on C4, supported by time-specific tweets from brands like Carphone Warehouse, encourage people to engage with the dating conversation in real-time.

But even with the growing volume of live TV ads like Cancer Research’s ‘Live from Inside the Human Body’, we’re not actually integrated yet.

The future for live streaming and comms

As traditional audiences migrate and change their viewing habits, perhaps it’s actually separation that media professionals should be concerned about. Streaming and high-end broadcasting should both pull up a stool and play at the same game. Sharing across TV and social media platforms can only attract greater audiences for everyone involved.

TV broadcasters should be less fearful that audiences will dissipate and instead see the opportunity to embrace those they can no longer reach. Next time I go live, I’d like to have my TV and iPad showing me the same thing. The audiences are there just waiting to be engaged.

  • Pictured: A live streamed Transformers event
Carswell Gould

Carswell Gould makes senior PR appointments

/in /by

Integrated communications agency Carswell Gould has hired Ian Murray and Jen Humm as associate director of media and PR account director, respectively.

Murray joins the agency from the Southern Daily Echo, where he enjoyed a 19-year stint as editor, overseeing its print and online editions.

He will enhance the agency’s media and influencer connections and provide decades of experience in how to maximise media opportunities.

Murray is also the deputy executive at the Society of Editors, an organisation with over 400 members that promotes freedom of expression and highlights the vital role news plays in modern Britain.

Humm will head the Carswell Gould’s PR team and set direction for all clients to achieve maximum impact. She joins the agency after four and a half years working in P&O Cruises’ PR team and five years as an account director at Citrus PR.

Murray said: “I look forward to using my experience in the newsroom to help Carswell Gould’s clients secure high impact coverage in print and online media.”

Humm added: “This is an exciting time to be joining award-winning Carswell Gould. I relish the challenge of working closely with our growing client base – including recent wins Rinkit.com and Events in the Sky – to deliver the best results for them.”

Gareth Miller, Carswell Gould managing director, concluded: “We are delighted to welcome Ian and Jen to the team. The agency is extremely ambitious and prides itself on delivering measureable results for our clients and helping them grow.

“These appointments will add to the strength of our team and ensure that we build on our reputation as the most effective agency in the south.”

  • Pictured: Ian Murray and Jen Humm
Tatton Asset Management

Powerscourt advises on Tatton Asset Management IPO

/in /by

Powerscourt advised Tatton Asset Management on its recent admission to AIM, which raised £51.6 million in an oversubscribed institutional placing.

Tatton Asset Management was the first financial services firm to float since June’s general election. Its current market capitalisation is £105 million.

The Powerscourt team was led by Justin Griffiths, head of financial services, and supported by Mazar Masud, Roddi Vaughan-Thomas and Chloe Rutland.

Paul Hogarth, Tatton Asset Management’s CEO, said: “Powerscourt provided us with first class communications advice and implementation around our successful IPO. The team was highly engaged and worked side by side with us throughout the whole process. I was seriously impressed with the outcomes they delivered.”

  • Pictured: Paul Hogarth

Hotwire promotes Emma Hazan to global head of consumer

/in /by

Hotwire PR has promoted Emma Hazan from managing director to the newly created role of global head of consumer.

Working with the consumer teams across the Hotwire offices in EMEA and the US, she will help develop the agency’s consumer business and grow existing clients both locally and internationally.

She will also provide strategic support to Hotwire’s key global accounts, such as HomeAway, SpareRoom, Deliveroo, Tinder, eBay and Twitter.

Hazan has been with the company for 12 years and has spearheaded campaigns for brands including O2, BlackBerry, Shazam, Hotels.com, Vodafone, Google and GoPro.

“Emma has an incredible track record in creating and delivering award-winning consumer campaigns and has been instrumental in bringing in some of the hottest brands in the last year,” said Alex MacLaverty, Hotwire COO. “We’re excited to have her leading consumer globally as we look to increase our footprint across all our markets.”

Hazan added: “You don’t stay at an agency for 12 years unless it offers something truly special. For me, what Hotwire offers is massive opportunity – whether that is challenging our clients to break away from the norm, launching into new markets like health tech or taking on a global role.

“I’m excited to take this next opportunity and really drive our consumer proposition forward on a global scale.”

60 Seconds with Ketchum’s Steph McDonald

/in /by

Steph McDonald, Ketchum’s sports and entertainment practice director, gives her views on why brands should invest in women’s sports, how PRs can shape the sports conversation – and who will win the UEFA Women’s Euro 2017.

Steph McDonald

Steph McDonald

Earlier this month, Toni Duggan became the first English footballer to sign for Barcelona since Gary Lineker in 1986. Is this a sign the women’s game is catching up with the men’s in the UK?

Duggan’s move to Barcelona does feel like a landmark moment for the women’s game and it’s certainly a good sign of the quality of the women’s game in the UK – we’re producing world-class players.

It’s always nice to see a female footballer trending on Twitter – the buzz around Toni’s signing screams progression. No longer is the women’s game in Europe dominated by a handful of clubs, and the trend of clubs with established male teams investing in senior full-time women’s sides is testament to this progression.

Do you feel women’s sport is fairly represented in the media? What can communications professionals do to increase its prominence?

Representation of women’s sport in the media improves during big events, particularly when sportswomen are performing well – the Rio Olympic Games and 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup are two good examples. However, these events do not lead to continuous long-term exposure for women’s sport, and it’s not enough.

Communications can play a pivotal role in increasing the prominence of women’s sport. Look at BNY Mellon’s sponsorship of the Women’s Boat Race and their integral involvement in pushing for the race to be televised. The communications alone delivered an ROI on their comparatively small investment and showed their business partners and employees they are an organisation focused on equality.

Do you think investing in women’s sport should be a priority for brands?

Absolutely. Aside from a couple of focused campaigns I really think it’s still an untapped opportunity in the UK.

A Sportswise study from a few years back showed 50% of women surveyed watch more than three hours of sport a week, and nearly half of women under 50 declared themselves either interested or very interested in sport. While the numbers may not be as high as men, women do watch sport. Women play sport. They represent a sizeable audience group that is underrepresented, and swept up in male-centric campaigns or added as a bolt-on.

What’s more, in an increasingly crowded environment, everyone is looking for cut-through. The opportunity for brands to get behind smart and tailored campaigns can really have impact and deliver ROI.

Sport England’s ‘This Girl Can’ stands out as a truly great PR campaign. But what’s your favourite sports campaign, and why?

Undoubtedly, ‘This Girl Can’ was a great campaign. But it’s a shame it’s still the one example we rely on as a female-focused sport campaign. Under Amour’s Gisele ‘I Will What I Want’ struck a chord with me. It tackled perceptions – and ‘haters’ – head on with a simple, impactful campaign.

Also, when it comes to simplicity and impact, Captain Morgan’s partnership with Leicester City’s Captain Wes Morgan showed how a great PR campaign doesn’t always need to involve the world’s biggest superstars or high end content if you’re reactive, focused and tonally spot on.

Of all the sports campaigns you’ve worked on to date, which are you most proud of?

The P&G ‘Thank You Mum’ campaign leveraging P&G’s IOC sponsorship, which I’ve had the pleasure of working on since its inception, is probably the standout. It used sports sponsorship to focus on reaching a totally different target audience than the norm and celebrated the person behind every great Olympian – mum.

Whether it was sharing with consumers the elation that mums feel when their child wins an Olympic medal, or the anguish they go through when athletes have to pick themselves back up, we have been able to build trust in P&G and its portfolio of brands and show that they really understand mums.

Will you be watching the UEFA Women’s Euros this month? Which team do you think will walk away with the trophy?

Germany’s team are heading into the Euros as the defending champions and record winners, having won it eight times. Despite having several key players out with injuries and some recent high-profile retirements, expectations are still high for this squad – and we all know the Germans seem to turn it on at tournaments!

France will go into the Euros confident from their SheBelieves Cup win, and expecting to do better than they have previously on the big stage.

But the English side has shown it can compete with and beat the best. Mark Sampson has built a confident squad who will be disappointed to come out of this tournament with anything less than the trophy. It’s going to be an interesting competition – there is so much quality across Europe!

  • Pictured: Jessica Ennis-Hill poses with her mum for P&G’s ‘Thank You Mum’ campaign
Gary Berman

Ex-Microsoft strategist joins Text100 London as head of PR

/in /by

Marketing communications agency Text100 has appointed Gary Berman as its head of PR in London, with a brief to enhance the company’s public relations credentials.

Berman joins Text100 from Fearlessly Frank, where he was PR and partnerships director. He has more than 17 years of consumer brand experience, specialising in media and influencer relations, experiential marketing and integrated communications.

As associate director at Speed Communications, Berman managed the consumer division for Heinz, Virgin and Virgin Media. He has led consumer and technology accounts including Sony Mobile, BT, American Express, EA Games, Nike and Adidas.

Berman has also worked in-house at Microsoft and was instrumental in developing and implementing Xbox’s UK PR strategy, including the launch campaign for Xbox One.

“We are thrilled to welcome Gary, who is a very well respected and exceptionally talented PR professional,” said Tara O’Donnell, Text100’s UK managing director. “He brings with him a range of innovative PR practices which will provide a fresh approach.”

Berman added: “As communications continues to evolve to meet the ever-changing habits of consumers, it’s vital to be able to develop dynamic campaigns that bring together earned, owned, paid and social media to cut through the clutter.

“I’m excited to be part of Text100, a global leader that embraces integrated campaigns and creates inspiring work for some of the world’s biggest brands.”

Yellow Jersey lands Angling Direct brief following IPO success

/in /by

Angling Direct, the UK’s largest fishing tackle and equipment retailer, has retained Yellow Jersey PR after the agency advised on its successful IPO and admission to AIM.

The fishing company raised £9 million to facilitate store and online expansion, raise its corporate profile and increase brand awareness.

The Yellow Jersey team includes directors Charles Goodwin and Adam Wurf, account manager Harriet Jackson and account executive Katie Bairsto.

Goodwin said: “We are delighted to have advised on such a successful IPO and now look forward to supporting Angling Direct on the next phase of its growth as a public company.”

MCG wins Northern

Northern railway appoints MCG to showcase the north of England

/in /by

Rail franchise Northern has appointed MCG PR to promote its ‘We Are Northern’ campaign, which highlights the opportunities for days out from its railway stations.

After delivering a successful one-off project for the campaign last year, the agency has now been retained to create engaging content and to execute a series of media and blogger campaigns, stunts and experiential activities.

The integrated marketing campaign comprises digital, content creation, employee engagement, PR and experiential activity.

Joanne Morley, Northern’s Head of brand and business development, said: “The team at MCG has impressed us with their understanding of the brief, their results-driven attitude and creative ideas, which will amplify the campaign during the coming months.”

Kate Gray, MCG director, added: “MCG was founded in the north of England and we are extremely proud of the region in which we live and work. It’s great to have the opportunity to showcase it in this way and have the creative scope to explore ideas which encourage people to discover everything this diverse area has to offer.”

  • Pictured: TV host and rambler Andrew White partnering with Northern to create We Are Northern Train Trails