Surf Air hires W for European expansion

/in /by

US company Surf Air, the world’s first all-you-can-fly membership airline, has retained W Communications to publicise its European expansion.  

Surf Air’s subscription model gives members access to private airplanes and terminals on scheduled flights. The brand was founded in the US in 2013 and serves 17 destinations from hubs in California and Texas.

Its European roll-out will allow members to fly between London and key continental destinations, set to include Ibiza, Cannes, Zurich, Geneva, and Milan – with reservations made via the Surf Air app, for a monthly subscription starting from £1,750.

Targeting high-frequency business and leisure travellers, W will amplify Surf Air’s launch across business, luxury and lifestyle media, and build the profile of Surf Air Europe CEO Simon Talling-Smith this side of the Atlantic.

Talling-Smith said: “Our model is the future of premium air travel. We are very excited to have found in W an agency that shares our passion for the proposition, and that has proven expertise of working with ambitious businesses in the high-end travel and luxury industries.”

The appointment widens W’s luxury portfolio and builds on the agency’s strong presence in the superyacht sector, with clients including Princess Yachts Ltd, Y.CO and BOAT International.

Live social content agency Live & Wired launches

/in /by

Sophie Kostrowski and Sian Hainsworth have launched Live & Wired, an agency set up to help brands produce live social content.   

Kostrowski, who has worked in television for 22 years and has been a videographer for the NME, is head of creative. Hainsworth, who has worked in live television and radio for 10 years and is a specialist in global syndication and audience interaction, is head of production.

The agency is connected with Primark’s first large-scale Facebook Live campaign, ‘Go Get & Gift Live’, which ran in December. Impero created the campaign. The agency – like Live & Wired – is backed by entrepreneur Michael Scantlebury. In addition, Kowstrowski was one of the presenters.

Scantlebury said: “The biggest challenge for brands right now is relevance; consumers are adapting to platforms and features so much quicker than brands, which means that brands are struggling to inspire young consumers and stay relevant to them. In fact, the opposite is happening, they’re coming off lame.

“Live is no exception, brands on the whole aren’t nailing it and I can see massive opportunities for them to succeed in this space. So, when I met Sian and Sophie, it wasn’t even a consideration of ‘if’, it was ‘how soon can we do this’. With their combined level of production and creative experience in this field, I doubt their experience can currently be matched in the UK at this time.”

Hainsworth said: “Live & Wired is a response to audiences, who now demand that brands create exciting and entertaining content, rather than adverts which they just skip through. Live video is the best way to create dynamic entertainment, and social media is the perfect platform for an audience to engage in real time, hence the birth of Live & Wired.”

  • Pictured: Sian Hainsworth (left) and Sophie Kostrowski

Hotwire promotes Alex MacLaverty to global COO

/in , /by

Consumer and corporate PR agency Hotwire has promoted Alex MacLaverty from EMEA and ANZ managing director to global chief operating officer.  

She will report to Barbara Bates, who was appointed group CEO in May following the resignation of Brendon Craigie in March.

MacLaverty retains oversight of the company’s EMEA and ANZ offices and remains a key member of its global leadership team.

Bates said: “The next three years are going to be pivotal for Hotwire as we seek to expand our reach even further in terms of our offering, client base and operations. It is essential for us to be intelligent and strategic about the way we achieve this growth, and Alex’s strong vision for the business and proven leadership skills, combined with her experience and expertise in driving our performance above and beyond will be critical in achieving our goals.”

MacLaverty added: “We have some big, bold plans for the business and to achieve them we need the best people and technology at our fingertips as well as providing a seamless and world-class experience for everyone that works with or for us.

“To be the best takes a real appetite for constant improvement and I am excited to be leading the charge on this globally in my new role.”

  • Pictured: Alex MacLaverty

Chivas Brothers awards global PR brief to Cirkle

/in , /by

Chivas Brothers, the whisky and gin business from Pernod Ricard, has appointed Cirkle to drive fame for its Scotch whisky brand, Royal Salute, ahead of a festive gift pack release later this year.

Royal Salute, blended Scotch whisky

Led by Kate Gibson, Cirkle’s senior director, consumer, Cirkle will spearhead the brand’s global influencer outreach to attract whisky aficionados and consumers looking for premium, unique gifts.

As well as tailoring content to resonate with local markets, the campaign will bring the new gift pack to life through “immersive moments” that align with Royal Salute’s new positioning.

Ruth Allchurch, Cirkle MD, said: “We have worked with Pernod Ricard UK for a number of years, and what better mark of our success than to have this extended to a global remit through Pernod Ricard’s global Scotch whisky business, Chivas Brothers.”

Jennie Norrish, global communications director at Chivas Brothers, added: “The team chemistry impressed us from the outset and they demonstrated their luxury and global consumer credentials which – coupled with their approach – really excited us.”

  • Pictured: Ruth Allchurch, Cirkle MD

60 Seconds with Redleaf Communications’ Guy Smith

/in /by

Guy Smith, a former BBC correspondent who recently joined Redleaf Communications‘ corporate team as an associate director, offers his perspective on journalism and PR.  

What have you learned about the relationship between PR and journalism, having been in the former for two years and the latter profession for more than 20 years?

The relationship has always been portrayed as a love-hate one. And I can certainly remember times as a Home Affairs correspondent when I would despair that someone would call up and say: “Well Guy, I’ve got a client who has a new line in soft furnishings….”

Enough said. So now on the other side, I always try to find the time to research who the journalist is, their interests and what they’ve written recently.

It’s always been a symbiotic relationship. Without excellent PR, many journalists would not get the access to useful information and interviews with industry leaders. I think there is actually a healthy mutual respect between the two, if they’re done well.

Has this relationship changed over the years?

I think the revolution in the media industry has meant many more journalists are embracing PR.

Technological disruption has meant job security is shaky and journalists are looking for other ways to use their craft skills. There are now people on LinkedIn who brand themselves as “PR-journalists” rather than journalists, which five years ago would have been unlikely.

They’re distinct professions but I think there’s been a blurring of roles. Journalists are no longer necessarily gallant knights wielding the sword of truth, trying to uncover things that organisations don’t want you to know. Perhaps we’re in a more pragmatic era, where to survive some journalists are straddling both camps.

I recall being hesitant about announcing my departure to PR in a BBC newsroom in 2014. There was a mixture of slaps on the back and some (only a few) wanting to do the same to my ‘traitorous’ face. Some things will never change.

What do you hope to achieve at Redleaf Communications?

Establish a creative team that is hungry to super-please existing clients, and in the true entrepreneurial spirit of Redleaf, keep winning new, interesting clients.

How should PRs respond to the current uncertainty caused by the latest elections?

Depending on the sector and scale of businesses you’re advising, I’d keep your powder dry for the moment. If you want to engage in government relations, talk to special advisers or engage ministers et al, then it might be worth hanging on for a while longer until we know who will be closest to the ‘throne’.

With so many tragic incidents taking place in the UK this year, what is the appropriate corporate response from brands in this environment?

A tragic incident can hit any organisation, without warning. Redleaf does a significant amount of work in helping corporates to plan for a potential crisis – and it is the planning that is the key to successful management of it because a crisis does not build character, it exposes a company’s character and ethics.

Having as a journalist covered 7/7, 21/7 and most terror incidents in the capital for more than decade, my advice to corporates not involved in an incident would be: never be tempted to take advantage of a tragedy by gratuitously promoting your client/brand on the back of the misfortune of others.

There have been some horrendous examples of this, some of which have been rightly exposed by journalists over Twitter.

In your time as a journalist, what was the best project/story you worked on?

There were so many over 23 years. But the most moving was covering the 7/7 inquests almost every day for five months, for both TV and radio. The most challenging were often foreign assignments whether that was filming gangs in Chicago, people-trafficking in Eastern Europe, or drug mules in West Africa. Whatever the story (policing, education, health, government) though, it was always about the impact on people.

What’s the best PR advice you have received?

Just before I left journalism, a senior director at a well-known PR agency kindly chatted to me over a coffee, and said there were two things I needed to bear in mind to make a successful transition from journalist to PR: nurture relationships (with clients and journalists) and learn fast to be commercial.

Virgin Trains appoints Kaper for PR and social media

/in , /by

Virgin Trains has appointed Kaper to handle its PR and social media work following a competitive pitch consolidating the briefs into one agency for the first time.

Virgin Trains runs the East Coast and West Coast UK rail franchises.

The remit for the new brief spans brand engagement for the Virgin Trains masterbrand, social content and consumer PR campaigns.

Kaper founder Chris McCafferty and deputy MD Nicola Dodd will lead the account.

Richard Scott, executive director, corporate affairs at Virgin Trains, said: “Kaper impressed us with its integrated approach and fresh, insight-driven ideas. Virgin Trains is a brave business with big plans for the future, and the Kaper team demonstrated the commercially-minded creativity we need to deliver fame and success for the business.”

Kaper was set up in 2010 as a joint venture with creative agency Karmarama. In December 2016, the group was acquired by Accenture Interactive.

Gong signs up for B Corp status

/in /by

B2B agency Gong Communications has joined the growing global collection of B Corporations, which have met “rigorous standards” of social and environmental accountability.

B Corporations enter a legally binding commitment to act in the interests of all stakeholders, not just shareholders.

Their ranks include FMCG brands Divine Chocolate and Ecover in the UK and outdoor clothing company Patagonia in the US. There are now 2,100 B Corps, from 50 countries and more than 130 industries.

Gong works with B2B clients across the world, particularly in the professional and financial services, agri-business, health, technology and energy sectors. Its specialisms include sustainability communications, corporate purpose and positioning, employee engagement, and diversity and inclusion initiatives.

In order to sign up Gong had to pass an assessment of its governance structures, employee culture and benefits, and its impact on community, the environment and clients.

Narda Shirley, managing director at Gong, said: “Our core business is building reputations and relationships for clients who are doing extraordinary things for people, profit and planet. We are well versed in delivering effective PR with positive impact, but the B Corp process has formalised many of the things we took for granted as an agency in how we do business.”

Katie Hill, executive director of B Lab UK, which promotes the B Corp movement, added: “B2B communications efforts are essential to the growth of the B Corp movement, raising the profile of the certification among the international business community as well as helping businesses to communicate their purpose to the wider world.”

  • Pictured: A B Corp retreat attended by Gong

Opinion: How PR campaigns should represent the LGBTQ community

/in /by

This Pride month, Jeff Ingold, account manager at W Communications, walks us through the “dos” and “don’ts” for representing and engaging the LGBTQ community in PR campaigns.

Jeff Ingold

Jeff Ingold

Each year, the LGBTQ community watches as more and more companies “come out” in support of Pride events and launch campaigns that celebrate diversity and inclusion.

From Burger King’s “Proud Whopper” to Lloyds Bank’s “He Said Yes” TV ad, it’s quite remarkable to see how brands are increasingly recognising the significance of representing the LGBTQ community in their work.

However, we’ve also witnessed numerous businesses like Abercrombie & Fitch and Skittles stumble in their attempts to honour LGBTQ pride.

At its best, diversity comms can genuinely move the dial on a brand’s reputation and bottom line. But at worst, it risks tokenising minority communities and provoking a fierce customer backlash. For PR companies looking to engage with the LGBTQ community, here are three key things to think about.

“LGB… what’s the rest of it?”

If you want to tackle diversity PR and communications, the first step is to understand the differences between each identity. Knowing your audience is essential.

To clarify, T is for transgender. Not transsexual, transvestite or tranny (which I’ve often heard used by the less informed). This is important because brands and agencies still struggle to represent and communicate with the LGBTQ community beyond simply the ‘LG’. Just think, how many campaigns this year featured a bisexual or trans- person?

The consumers we are trying to reach are increasingly diverse and multicultural. It’s our job as communicators to understand these shifting demographics and deliver innovative creative work.

Plan beyond Pride

Of course, Pride is the natural time to activate an LGBTQ campaign with media and consumers. But such one-off, annual initiatives can actually risk alienating a community that wants to be authentically engaged by brands throughout the year – not just in June.

Campaigns like Lynx’s admirable Find Your Magic incorporate diversity and queerness from the outset, rather than being bolted on in June to tick the “Pride” box.

We in the LGBTQ community know brands want our money and so we’ve been raising our expectations. We want to see companies being loud and proud year-round, not just during Pride. We want our everyday experiences represented – not stereotypes.

Finally, take care of your own workforce

To be truly effective at LGBT and diversity communications, agencies and organisations need to take steps to ensure they are an inclusive employer. This means creating a workspace that is safe for LGBTQ people to come out and be themselves.

Whether that’s by starting an in-house LGBTQ network or encouraging employees to join broader industry initiatives like InterComms, it’s important to take steps to actively support LGBTQ individuals in the workplace. A “proud” workforce will deliver more sincere and heartfelt work that will resonate with the broader LGBTQ community.

Tin Man wins Old Pulteney whisky brief

/in /by

Single malt Scotch whisky Old Pulteney has appointed Tin Man as its new consumer PR agency following a competitive pitch.

Tin Man, which recently won Marketing Agency of the Year at The Drum Awards, will be tasked with amplifying the brand’s maritime malt positioning and building brand awareness among global malt enthusiasts.

Old Pulteney’s sister brand anCnoc, another single malt scotch owned by International Beverage, has been a client of Tin Man’s since 2015.

Mandy Sharp, Tin Man founder, said: “It’s fantastic to work with a brand with such a reputation for quality, heritage and provenance. Our job is about maximising this potential and exploring opportunities where Old Pulteney can take creative ownership of the maritime platform to amplify its core values and position.”

Stephanie Allison, Old Pulteney assistant brand manager, added: “Tin Man has a proven track record in delivering results and has been a great agency partner with our award-winning anCnoc campaign.”