Shortlist for PRCA National Awards 2016 announced

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Mischief has been shortlisted for eight PRCA National Awards this year, with Brands2Life nominated seven times, The Romans and Tin Man in the running for six each, and MHP and Hope&Glory in with a chance to pick up five each.

Mischief - Frankie Cory

Mischief’s Frankie Cory is up for Consultancy Head of the Year

Mischief has been shortlisted for Broadcast, Consumer (High Budget), Consumer (Low Budget), Digital and New Media, Media Relations, Not-For-Profit and Charity, Consultancy Head of the Year, and Medium Consultancy of the Year.

Also in the running for Medium Consultancy of the Year are Cirkle, Harvard and Hope&Glory.

Weber Shandwick, Instinctif Partners, Golin and Brands2Life are all in with a chance to be named Large Consultancy of the Year, while Alfred, Capella, The Romans or Tin Man could be named Small Consultancy of the Year.

Brands2Life has also been named in the B2B, Consumer (High Budget), Corporate, Financial and Investor Relations, Employee Engagement, International Campaign and Technology categories.

As well as Small Consultancy of the Year, The Romans could also pick up the New Consultancy of the Year, B2B, Consumer (Low Budget), Corporate, Financial and Investor Relations and Consultancy Head of the Year awards.

Tin Man could also win Automotive, Consumer (Low Budget), Digital and New Media, Media Relations, Not-for-Profit and Charity, as well as Small Consultancy of the Year.

MHP has been named in the Consumer (High Budget), Digital and New Media, Health and Wellbeing, International Campaign, and Public Sector, Value for Money categories.

Alongside its nomination for Medium Consultancy of the Year, Hope&Glory is also in with a chance to win the Corporate, Financial and Investor Relations, Digital and New Media, Media Relations, and Technology awards.

This year’s shortlist for Young Communicator of the Year includes AxiCom’s Michael Rennett, Cultural Communications’ Hannah Mensah Kane, Hotwire’s Paul Stollery and Cirkle’s Jessica Kirby.

Last month, Kirby talked to Gorkana about her experience as  one of the first people to take part in the PRCA’s year-long PR Apprentice scheme and how it led to her role at Cirkle PR.

This year’s PRCA National Awards will take place on Tuesday 8 November October at the at the London Hilton on Park Lane, London.

The full shortlist can be viewed here.

Hotwire enters Latin America market with VIANEWS partnership

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Hotwire PR is entering the Latin America market through an exclusive, co-branded partnership with VIANEWS, a Sao Paulo-based comms agency.

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Pedro Cadina and Brendon Craigie

The partnership is the latest addition to Hotwire’s global network. In the past 12 months, Hotwire has announced similar partnerships in the Middle East (with Active) and in the Netherlands ( with Yellow Communications).

Headquartered in Sao Paulo, Brazil, VIANEWS is an independently owned agency specialising in the technology sector.

The agency expanded through partnerships across Latin America 16 years ago, and now serves clients in Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Colombia and Peru. VIANEWS first partnered with Hotwire on an informal, non-exclusive basis in 2011, and, since then, it has represented clients including Rakuten, BMC, Intralinks and LogMeIn.

Pedro Cadina, founder and managing director of VIANEWS, said: “We started working closely with Hotwire in 2011 and very quickly realised that we share similar values and a common approach to the work we do. We’ve seen tremendous value from our affiliation with Hotwire in recent years in terms of new business and knowledge sharing, so it is a natural next step to move even closer to the business. We’re looking forward to being part of the Hotwire family and to sharing knowledge, ideas, client contacts and staff over the coming years.”

Hotwire’s new, international network, is intended as an alternative to the major owned PR networks.

Andy West, group chief development office at Hotwire, said: “We have clients looking for something different when buying international communications support. They have been burnt by the large networks but still require consistency, sector knowledge, coordination and team collaboration. Our partnership with VIANEWS over the past five years has shown that we can deliver this in Brazil and the wider Latin American market, so we’re delighted to bring VIANEWS´ team more closely into the Hotwire family.”

Brendon Craigie, group CEO at Hotwire, added: “We are building a true alternative to the established global PR order. In today’s global interconnected economy it is vital we can support our clients where ever their business growth takes them. We are passionate about working with partners to build the very best global communications network of likeminded service providers we can for our clients. Deepening our relationship with great partners such as VIANEWS represents significant step forward in realising this ambition.”

Flaks make it a clean sweep at Summer Sports Day

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The usual sunshine that basks over the Hacks vs Flaks summer sports day was replaced by moody skies and a biting wind at Dulwich Cricket Club this Saturday, writes FTI Consulting’s stratic comms MD, Edward Berry. But it was the Flaks who shone in the wintry conditions, wrestling both the cricket and rounders titles back off the Flaks, during a brilliant day of sporting action, which saw £10,000 raised for children’s hospice Helen and Douglas House.  

Hacks v Flaks

Flaks make it a clean sweep at Summer Sports Day

The weather refused to dampen the heat of the battle, as a venomous cricket pitch added to some early fiery exchanges as the Flaks built a robust total of 179, crafted by Skybet’s Adam Smith (37), Carmarco’s Geoffrey Pelham-Lane (26) and a 50 and man of the match performance from former BBC journalist Dominic Lawrie, now of CNC.

On a deteriorating pitch and facing an accurate bowling attack, the Hacks had their backs against the wall from the word go and when Robert Cole (Reuters Breakingviews) fell to a controversial LBW at the hands of Umpire Mihir Bose, you knew it wasn’t going to be their day.

Despite some resistance from the Evening Standard’s Jamie Nimmo (35) the Hacks were skittled out for 110, with FTI’s James Melville-Ross (and HvF founder), proving he’s still got it, by recording an impressive record haul of four wickets for six runs.

Meanwhile, on the rounders pitch, it was a close affair with the Flaks fighting their way to a 16.5 to 15.5 victory. Aggressive play from both sides saw balls being lost left right and centre and it was Andrew Trotman from Microsoft and The Telegraph’s Marion Dakers, who led from the front for the Hacks.

But it was the canny play from Finsbury’s Angharad Khill, scoring freely from pin point placements into surrounding bushes and the athleticism of player of the game Jessica Liebmann, KPMG that tilted the balance.

An enormous thank you to Matthew Craig at Dulwich Cricket Club, all the players involved and in particular to lead sponsors Shore Capital and co-sponsors MS Amlin, CBRE, Finchatton, Rostrum, EY, KPMG, FTI Consulting, Emperor Design and Vismedia for making the day possible.

Frank launches Festival of Furniture for The Fitzrovia Partnership

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The Fitzrovia Partnership, the Business Improvement District (BID) representing businesses in London’s West End, has appointed Frank to promote the inaugural Festival of Furniture – a four day event across Tottenham Court Road that will celebrate the area’s interiors scene.

Frank Festival of Furniture

The Festival of Furniture

Created by Frank on behalf of the Fitzrovia Partnership, The Festival of Furniture plans to put the spotlight on the retail mix of brands along Tottenham Court Road.

Running from 6 to 9 October, the event will showcase design, interiors and customer exclusives, uniting both international homeware retailers and independent stores along Tottenham Court Road.

Lee Lyons, BID manager for the Fitzrovia Partnership, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with the Frank team on this event. Their passion for, and knowledge of the local area, combined with their experience in delivering creative campaigns has really inspired us and we are excited about putting the very first Festival of Furniture on the map together.”

Graham Goodkind, chairman and founder of Frank, added: “The Festival of Furniture is an exciting initiative and we’re looking forward to helping build it into one of the highlights on the London events calendar.”

Common Industry handles UK comms for Job Today app

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Job Today, a new mobile marketplace that enables employers and job seekers to meet, has handed a retained UK PR brief to independent comms agency Common Industry.

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Job Today

Job Today has more than 1.2 million job seekers and over 100,000 employers using its mobile app in the UK and Spain, giving people the opportunity to get a job within 24 hours.

Partners include national businesses in retail and hospitality including Reiss, Greene King, Nandos and Ann Summers.

Common Industry will be responsible for Job Today’s UK comms strategy, and will handle all consumer and B2B PR for the start-up.

The agency will advise Job Today during its roll-out to cities across the UK, growing from its London base to include Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Brighton, with other cities including Glasgow soon to come.

Nick Warren, head of UK at Job Today, said: “We were impressed by the breadth and depth of experience in the Common Industry team and they took the time to understand the brand. We have great ambitions for the business and Common Industry will be a key partner in driving growth during a time of exciting expansion.”

Liam Fay-Fright, founding partner at Common Industry, added: “Job Today is a genuine game changer in its market. Its mobile first service has exploded into the recruitment sector, completely disrupting the traditional mechanism of getting a job – walking into a restaurant or store and awkwardly handing over your CV is a thing of the past. It is an ambitious brand and the leadership has chutzpah to spare; we’re excited to help them achieve their business goals.”

MCG supports rail operator Northern’s ‘We are Northern’ campaign

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Train company Northern, the largest UK rail operator outside London, has appointed PR and social media agency MCG to support its new £2 million marketing campaign, which seeks to highlight the potential for great days out by train across the Northern region under the strapline ‘We are Northern’.

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Northern’s ‘We are Northern’ campaign

The integrated marketing campaign spans TV, radio, out-of-home, digital, employee engagement, PR and experiential.

MCG’s remit will be to engage consumers and bloggers through a programme of stunts, experiential events and blogger liaison all designed to show the variety and quality of locations, attractions and natural beauty throughout the north of England.

PR activity began in Blackpool with the creation of a pop-up spray tanning booth designed to guarantee visitors to the seaside destination a safe golden tan, whatever the weather.

MCG will continue to work with Northern in the run up to the October half-term, coordinating a campaign of destination-focussed blogger activity and media relations.

Sarah Chadwick, MCG director, said: “MCG was founded in Leeds and we have truly northern DNA as an agency. We’re really excited to be working with Northern on this campaign to promote the fantastic opportunities for a great day out in the region that’s so close to our hearts.

“We’ll be working with bloggers and media across the Northern network to create activity that highlights hidden gems as much as well-known attractions and we’re hoping to distil those special qualities of wit, grit creativity and flair that make it such a great place to live.”

Arriva Rail North Limited operates the Northern franchise, which is the second largest in the UK, and it will run regional and commuter services across the region until March 2025.

Behind the Headlines with UKTV’s Gem Pinkney

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Gem Pinkney, publicity manager for UKTV’s W, Gold and Dave channels, on what marks out campaign success, the TV soap that helped launch her career and why we’ll all be a bit jealous of her plans for next year.

UKTV Gem Pinkney

Gem Pinkney

Before I reach the office in the morning, I’ve already…
Tweeted five times. It’s a bit of a problem.

You’ll mostly find emails about…in my inbox.
They usually contain abuse from colleagues teasing me about my ridiculous amount of holidays.

I know I’ve had a good day if…
I make it to the gym and don’t end up eating a pizza from Sainsbury’s.

My first job was…
Emmerdale assistant publicist and it was amazing.

I can tell a campaign is succeeding when…
My friends talk about a show unprompted.

I eat…when nobody is watching.
Peanut butter out of a jar.

The first time I pitched to a journalist…
Was terrifying!

The worst thing anyone has said to me is…
You were skinnier at uni!

The last book I read was…
 Girl on The Train by Paula Hawkins – brilliantly dark and full of great twists.

I’ve never really understood…
 ‘i before e except after c…but only sometimes’.

If I could go back and talk to my 10-year-old self, I’d say…
Take time every day to decompress, just sit and take everything in.

This time next year, I’ll be…
Fresh back from a five-month sabbatical in LA ready for the next adventure.

60 Seconds with Amanda Cumine, First Utility

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Amanda Cumine, corporate communications director at independent energy supplier First Utility, talks about her passion for the challenger brand and offers advice for PR professionals starting out in the industry.

Amanda Cumine 1

Amanda Cumine

What excited you about working at First Utility?
There are three main reasons I was excited about working at First Utility. It stands out as an innovator in today’s UK energy marketplace – it is bold in its beliefs that it wants to shake up the energy market here in the UK and is making a real and positive difference for customers.

Secondly, what excites me is working for a fast-paced, entrepreneurial and non-hierarchical organisation with ambition, vision and a robust business model behind it. After nine years at lastminute.com, I have a wealth of experience working with fast-growth companies and challenger brands.

Finally, I work alongside some of the most dynamic and challenging leaders I’ve had the pleasure and opportunity to work with – including, for the second time around, CEO, Ian McCaig and UK MD, Ed Kamm (both were my bosses over a period of six years at lastminute.com).

What’s surprised you since you joined the company?
Since joining First Utility, I’ve been most surprised to learn that over half of UK households are overspending on their energy, when on average they could be saving £300 by switching to a fixed tariff deal. A key part of my role is to help get that message out to the vast number of people who could be saving.

What do you like about working in-house, how does it compare to agency-side?
I worked in agencies for over a decade and have spent the last 11 years in-house. Agency-side I relished the breadth of work and having a varied portfolio of clients and projects. It gave me the opportunity to hone a wide range of skills as I was starting out in the comms industry.

In comparison, the main draw of working in-house is the opportunity to be dedicated to one brand. It gives you the opportunity to become a true brand expert, and the scope to develop an in-depth knowledge of industry issues, which directly influences your strategic communications approach.

What makes a comms team effective and strong?
An excellent strategy, hiring top talent, good people management and culture building are my starter for 10 for an effective and strong team. This means cultivating areas of speciality within that team, and building their business acumen. Having a knowledge of how communications and reputation affect the wider business is invaluable.

What’s your favourite part of working in comms?
Working with smart, articulate and creative people who professionally challenge me. I also relish working with brands that I wholeheartedly believe in and helping them to get their story heard.

How would you advise someone starting out in the PR industry?
Take notes, be curious, read, read, read, stay on top of the news (and not just the newspapers – blogs, newsletters etc.), act like a sponge, stay level-headed and above all else learn how to juggle.

How do you like to spend your weekends?
Doing very little! But the reality is that my husband and I are beholden to our two daughters’ active weekend routines. So if we’re not watching them choreograph musical videos we’re sprinting them to tennis, swimming, dance or Scouts groups.

  • Are you working in an interesting or unusual PR role? Do you have strong views on the industry that you want to share with the Gorkana community? If so, please contact Emily Andrews.

Pagefield appointed by data consultancy Ctrl-Shift

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Ctrl-Shift has selected Pagefield to handle the promotion of its Personal Information Economy 2016 conference, an annual event which will take place next week (29 September).

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Personal Information Economy 2015

Pagefield will supply the specialist business consultancy with media relations and social media support.

This year’s Personal Information Economy event will feature the first public speech by new information commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, as well as talks by Facebook (a Ctrl-Shift client), Suncorp, Barclays, the BBC and O2.

The one-day conference will bring together brand innovators and strategists, technology pioneers, entrepreneurs, policy makers and regulators to discuss what it takes to build trust with consumers in the personal data economy.

Jane Fields, chief marketing officer at Ctrl-Shift, said: “While still in its early days, the Personal Information Economy holds huge potential for businesses and consumers, because it is based on trust. Our conference is a must for businesses who want to survive and thrive in the new digital age. We are delighted to have the expertise and experience that Pagefield bring to drive awareness of this important area.”

Oliver Foster, managing partner at Pagefield, added: “With concerns around online privacy increasingly front of mind for consumers, we are excited to help Ctrl-Shift tell its story and celebrate the unique and pioneering work it does. This comes on the back of a number of tech briefs Pagefield has received this year and will enable us to grow our credentials in the digital economy working alongside some of the world’s most dynamic businesses.”

Political comms strategist John McTernan joins Penn Schoen Berland

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Penn Schoen Berland (PSB), a global research-based consultancy, has announced that John McTernan, the political adviser, commentator and strategist, will join the firm as senior vice president.

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John McTernan

London-based McTernan will lead the firm’s international political practice.

Don Baer, chair at PSB and worldwide chair and CEO at Burson-Marsteller, said: “John McTernan is a highly regarded pollster and political communications strategist with decades of experience counselling candidates, party leaders and heads of state. He is an ideal addition to PSB’s team of international political strategists, and our clients will benefit greatly from his experience, steady hand and sound judgment.”

Before joining PSB, McTernan was a columnist and writer for The Daily Telegraph, The Financial Times and The Times. An experienced political strategist, he was director of political operations for the former UK Prime Minister, Tony Blair, director of communications for Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard and chief of staff to Scottish Labour Party Leader Jim Murphy.

Previously, McTernan was thinker in residence for the Government of South Australia and Head of Policy for the Scottish Government.

Curtis Freet, CEO of PSB, to whom McTernan will report, added: “PSB has both historical and recent successes in campaign management and political communications and John brings a rich set of experiences to add to our portfolio. His career’s work providing strategic communications guidance to prime ministers and other political leaders across the globe will help refresh our political brand and serve as a strong complement to our corporate work, which has always been grounded in a political sensibility.”

McTernan will focus on expanding PSB’s political campaign management and polling work around the world and will provide public affairs and political analysis to PSB’s corporate clients. He said: “I relish the chance to build on PSB’s great history and strong brand to create a dynamic and growing international political practice.”

PSB is a member of Young & Rubicam Group and the WPP Group.