News UK’s Sarah Mason joins Wild Card

/in /by

Wild Card has made a brace of senior appointments, including News UK’s former senior comms manager, Sarah Mason, as senior consultant and House of Fraser’s social media manager, Will Vieri, as head of social.

Wild Card

Sarah Mason

Mason spent ten years writing for leading national magazines, before joining The Sun’s Fabulous magazine as assistant editor and food editor.

She then moved across to News UK’s corporate affairs team as senior comms manager, with a brief to help restore the company’s reputation after the phone hacking scandal and Leveson Inquiry.

At House of Fraser, Vieri led the UK department store brand’s social channel strategy, content and community management.

Before leaving the role, he coordinated the #BAFTAstyle campaign, which trended UK-wide on Sunday May 8.

Alongside Mason’s and Vieri’s appointments, Nexus Communications’ former associate director, Lucy Egerton, has joined Wild Card as group account director to lead strategy for The Hain Daniels Group, Arla and other key agency accounts.

At Nexus Communications, she worked on household food accounts including McCain, Lion Eggs and Dorset Cereals.

Tessa Willmott, MD at Wild Card, said: “It’s an exciting time for the agency, and the new additions to the senior team ensure the agency is effectively evolving with the shifting media landscape, and offering a broad range of skills and experience to our clients.”

Just Eat appoints McDonald’s de Koning as first head of corporate comms

/in /by

Just Eat has appointed Joanna de Koning from McDonald’s to a new role as global head of corporate communications.

De Koning will lead the delivery of Just Eat’s brand reputation strategy, financial communications and corporate responsibility programme. She will work closely with Just Eat’s head of investor relations, Adam Kay, and its corporate PR agency, Brunswick.

Currently, De Koning is Europe’s senior manager of communications at McDonald’s, where she leads external communications output, supporting teams in 38 markets for three years.

Barnaby Dawe, CMO at Just Eat, said: “De Koning has fantastic experience, managing many complex reputational issues in Europe. Combining her substantial issues management and reputation management experience with the dynamism required by senior consultancy operators, we are thrilled to have her on board as we continue to drive exponential growth in all our markets.”

De Koning added: “It’s a privilege to join one of the most exciting technology businesses in Europe, especially in a role where I will be able to shape and deliver their ambitious communications and business strategy.”

Prior to her experience with McDonald’s, de Koning worked at corporate communications consultancy Fishburn Hedges for nine years, leading teams and working across flagship accounts such as Barclays and Nestle.

Club operator Deltic Group hires Hudson Sandler

/in /by

Hudson Sandler has been appointed by clubs and bars operator, Deltic Group, following a competitive pitch.

The agency will build the brand’s profile across national, corporate and broadcast media, and promote Bar&Beyond, a new brand.

Hudson Sandler’s team will also design and drive a corporate comms programme to raise Deltic’s profile in business media and trade publications and promote it to potential employees.

Client director Pema Seely and managing director Nick Lyon will lead the account. Working alongside Limegreen Communications, the teams will also support local openings.

Russell Margerrison, CFO at Deltic Group, said: “We were really impressed with Hudson Sandler’s expertise, insights and creative campaigns. We believe this partnership will enable us to take our brand visibility to the next level, both in traditional media and digital channels.”

Lyon added: “We are delighted to be working with such a vibrant and exciting brand. The late night economy is reinventing itself and we are looking forward to helping Deltic Group communicate its growth and innovation story to a broader audience.”

Weekly, more than 125,000 of people visit one of 59 Deltic-owned late night bars and clubs, according to Hudson Sandler.

Spotify hires Red Consultancy

/in /by

Spotify has appointed Red Consultancy as its retained PR agency.

Red Consultancy

 

The agency has been handed a consumer, corporate and B2B comms brief by the digital music streaming brand. It will be part of Red’s consumer tech and entertainment portfolio, which includes Activision, StubHub, Samsung and Twitter.

Alison Bonny, European comms director at Spotify, said: “Red has the right mix of consumer expertise alongside corporate and B2B specialists, and has the perfect team to support us across all disciplines as we continue to expand.  I’m very much looking forward to working with them.

Isobel Coney, MD of consumer (Play) at Red, said: “There’s a daily debate about who is in charge of the Spotify playlist in the Play office, so it’s safe to say we can’t wait to get started on the expanded consumer and corporate remit, working closely with Alison and the broader Spotify team.”

Jericho Chambers offers CIPD-backed work experience

/in , /by

JerichoChambersoffice-240320Communications consultancy Jericho Chambers (offices pictured) is to hold a summer work experience programme in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

The three-week programme, dubbed the Jericho WikiWorkLab, is for people aged 17 to 21 and will revolve around the subject of the future world of work.

It will take six people currently in their final two school years at A level; six currently at university; and six pursuing vocational or non-academic careers.

Participants will be tasked with producing and explaining ideas about the future of work, which will be published in the public domain in a format readily shareable with potential employers.

They will be informed by discussions, lectures and research trips (to organisations including Barclays, the Bank of England and Bounce Back, a social enterprise for ex-offenders).

Jericho describes the programme as “an ideal chance to investigate what work means academically before having to jump in to it”.

Hyundai hands innovation brief to Launch PR

/1 Comment/in /by

Hyundai Motor UK has appointed Launch PR to reach a “whole new audience” with a brief centred on innovation and technology.

Launch PR

 

The agency, which won the account following a five-way pitch, has been briefed to develop an integrated campaign that will include a major scientific study, customised driving experiences, media and social outreach and a large scale immersive experience.

Juliet Cameron, Launch PR director,  will lead the account and report to Hyundai Motor UK’s head of PR, Natasha Waddington and its senior manager, brand PR, Laura King.

Waddington said: “The Hyundai brand has grown at a rapid pace and is now at a pivotal point, with the challenge being to improve brand reputation with new audiences, and increase visibility. Launch PR has dreamt up a unique campaign that has innovation at its heart but also captures the emotion of the brand.”

Johnny Pitt, founder at Launch PR, added: “We know Hyundai wants to challenge the norm and is willing to be bold, which is the perfect brief for any creative agency.  Our 2016 campaign has a blend of innovation, technology and emotion – dialled to the max.”

Institute of Customer Service awards PR brief to Kindred

/in /by

The Institute of Customer Service, a national professional membership body, has appointed Kindred as its retained PR agency, following a competitive pitch.

 

Working closely with the organisation’s in-house team, Kindred’s remit will include raising the profile of the Institute and establishing it as a key voice in business debates.

The Institute of Customer Service has more than 500 organisational members and 4,000 individual members from a range of sectors, including retail, utilities, financial services, housing and the public sector.

Through the recently launched Institute of Customer Service Academy, it offers accreditation and insight into the state of customer satisfaction across the UK and Europe, with an aim to improve customer experience and business performance.

Sharon Bange, Kindred’s client services director, will lead the PR brief.

Mike Petrook, director of comms and corporate affairs at the Institute of Customer Service, said: “More than 78% of UK GDP is based on the service sector, yet customers are no longer content to be seen as part of an economic transaction. They want ongoing relationships with organisations based on trust, transparency and an ever-growing desire for convenience, speed and value.

“With this in mind, Kindred’s pitch stood out in two key areas: experience and understanding. The team has a wealth of experience in working with membership bodies and delivering tangible results for them, and their understanding of the Institute and what we are trying to achieve through PR channels really impressed us. ”

Bange added: “We’re delighted to be working with the Institute of Customer Service. The importance of customer service in economic growth is, at times, underestimated. Customer service is something we all experience, and has a huge impact on our day to day lives, so the Institute’s work to make it a business priority has an impact on us all.”

Rovio hands Angry Birds consumer PR brief to Mischief

/in /by

Angry Birds creator Rovio Entertainment, one of the world’s biggest mobile gaming publishers, has brought in Mischief as its UK consumer PR agency, following a competitive pitch.

Angry Birds

 

Rovio’s Angry Birds franchise is one of the most successful gaming IPs, which has seen more than three billion downloads of its App and the brand extend into film and theme parks.

The feature film Angry Birds Action! is released globally this month and was produced by Rovio and distributed by Sony Pictures Entertainment. There is also a new partnership with Madame Tussauds for a “first-of-its kind” digital exhibition that will tour the world after opening in London.

The PR brief will see Mischief work on the launch of the new game release in the coming months, as well as a yet-to-be-announced forthcoming title.

Damon Statt, Mischief’s creative director and associate director, Fred Chesher, will lead the account.

Kaisu Karvala, VP, comms and PR, at Rovio, said: “Mischief stood out as the right partner for us, with its gaming and entertainment expertise, smart thinking, creativity and ability to work quickly and with great agility.”

FTI assists Midwich with IPO

/in /by

Specialist AV and document solutions distributor, Midwich Group, has been advised by FTI Consulting on its AIM IPO.

Managing director Oliver Winters lead the FTI Consulting team for the IPO, supported by senior director Alex Beagley and senior consultant Tom Hufton.

FTI has been retained as ongoing corporate and financial PR adviser to Midwich.

Midwich has offices in the UK and Ireland, France, Germany and Australia. The group has relationships with more than 300 blue-chip brands.

Byfield Consultancy sees management changes

/in /by

Legal agency Byfield Consultancy is going through management changes as managing director Gus Sellitto becomes chief executive and majority shareholder.

Byfield’s chairman Richard Elsen is selling part of his shareholding in the business but will remain a board member, shareholder and director at Byfield and act as senior counsel.

Byfield has also appointed the former chairman of Blue Rubicon, Alastair Gornall, in a non-executive role as chairman of the advisory board. Gornall will advise the agency on growing and developing its brand, client service standards and new business offering.

Litigation communications will remain a core specialism for the agency and will continue to be led by account director Lydia Rochelle; a role she has been in for 18 months.

Sellitto said: “Elsen and I first worked together almost 20 years ago and we have remained close friends and colleagues, ever since. We have achieved great things together at Byfield and are very proud of the clients team we’ve built which have helped to make us what we are today.”

Elsen said: “I’m very proud to have co-founded Byfield which has developed such a strong reputation within the legal industry. The agency’s strength in litigation PR is now firmly rooted with the Byfield team and I look forward to continuing to work on high profile and complex cases in my new role.”