The Independent announces digital-only future

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The Independent has announced that it is to become a digital-only title, with the last print editions of The Independent and Independent on Sunday to be published on Saturday 26 March and Sunday 20 March, respectively.The Independent

ESI Media, the commercial division of The Independent, i, the London Evening Standard, and London Live, has also confirmed that it will sell i newspaper to Johnston Press, subject to Johnston Press shareholder approval.

As a result of the move to digital-only, ESI Media will create 25 new digital content roles and launch a new subscription mobile app. New editorial bureaux will open in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and the US operation will be expanded.

Website i100.co.uk, described as the “news source for millennials”, will become indy100.com.

Evgeny Lebedev, owner of The Independent, said: “The newspaper industry is changing, and that change is being driven by readers. They’re showing us that the future is digital. This decision preserves the Independent brand and allows us to continue to invest in the high quality editorial content that is attracting more and more readers to our online platforms.

“The Independent has always been a pioneering newspaper with a track record of innovation. It has a proud heritage as Britain’s first truly independent national quality title. My family bought and invested heavily in The Independent because we believe in world-class quality journalism, and this move secures the future of these vitally important editorial values.”

In a statement released today, ESI Media said there will be some redundancies among editorial employees. The number of roles affected will be confirmed following a consultation period.

This move will not affect the status of the London Evening Standard, which has a daily readership of 1.9 million, according to the NRS.

The sale of the i newspaper follows the news of talks between ESI Media and Johnston Press this week. Johnston Press, which owns The Scotsman, said that it was in talks to buy the i newspaper for around £24 million, in a deal it says would make it the UK’s fourth largest print publisher.

Under the ownership of Evgeny Lebedev, ESI Media bought the London Evening Standard in 2009. Last year, the Standard made a profit of £5 million. In 2014, ESI launched London Live, the first local London television channel.

Kabuto hands brand building brief to Aduro

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Instant noodle brand Kabuto has brought in Aduro to handle its PR as it looks to boost the profile of its pot snacks.

Kabuto’s range includes Chicken Ramen, Beef Pho, and Chilli Chicken Ramen, and want to appeal to consumers looking for “quick and easy meal solutions”.

The company hopes that Aduro’s PR support, which will span consumer, trade and business press, as well as blogger outreach, will increase awareness around its noodle ranges. It has launched its biggest ATL campaign to date, which Aduro will also support.

Crispin Busk, Kabuto founder, said: “From the start Aduro took the time to get under the skin of who we are and what we are looking to achieve. We wanted to find an agency that felt like an extension of our own team and Aduro is just that. We’re looking forward to working with it and raising our profile in the market.”

Natalie Luke, founder and MD of Aduro, said: “Kabuto is a young and exciting challenger brand changing the shape of the pot snack category and we are looking forward to using our experience in working directly with owner-managed brands to help it grow its brand and achieve key business objectives with increased awareness.”

Speyside launches Inside Iran service

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Emerging markets consultancy Speyside has launched a dedicated counselling service called ‘Inside Iran’ to assess business risks and opportunities in the country.

Speyside says there has been a “spike in corporate interest” in the country following the recent easing of nuclear sanctions. International sanctions on Iran were lifted last month after the country accepted a production freeze on nuclear weapons.

The Inside Iran support team will be made up of a combination of Tehran-based consultants and Speyside’s core emerging markets team. It will provide clients with insight into how potential Western investors and market entrants are viewed by the local commercial, bureaucratic, regulatory and political communities on the ground in Tehran.

Michael Wyatt, Speyside’s senior consultant in Istanbul, leads the division.

Chris Dobson, Speyside president, said: “Media, diplomats and investors, however, remain cautious and rightly so. If the rapprochement is to be sustained, many more complex obstacles must be overcome. The forthcoming Iranian local parliamentary elections will be an interesting indicator of how sustainable recent engagement might be. But whatever the outcome, potential investors need insight beyond the media headlines. With its vast, highly-educated, and mostly urbanite population, Iran offers enormous commercial potential as it looks to re-connect with the global community.

“The complexity around Iran is of course immense, which is why the inclusion of our internationally-educated but locally-immersed Iranian consultants based in Tehran has been essential. This insight can help our clients and partners assess potential future opportunities in a much more informed and nuanced manner.”

Blue Marlin Ibiza chooses The Lifestyle Agency

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The Lifestyle Agency has been chosen to represent the Blue Marlin Ibiza group.

Blue Marlin Ibiza is made up of several venues, including a restaurant in the Ibiza Marina port (and one soon to be launched in London), a beach club in Dubai and another one on its way in Mexico, Cabo San Lucas.

It also includes Yemanja beach restaurant and the new Coricancha Peruvian Restaurant, which is soon to be launched in Ibiza.

The Lifestyle Agency has been briefed to co-host Blue Marlin’s Ibiza Pop YOU Up art-meet-music event held at Novikov London on Saturday 20 February during London Fashion week.

The account will be led by The Lifestyle Agency’s head, Charlie Mason Pearson, who will report to Blue Marlin Ibiza’s MD, Mattia Ulivieri, comms director, Olimpia Bellan, and international operations manager, Luca Mazzoncini.

Bellan said: “The Lifestyle Agency comes at a time of global expansion for the Blue Marlin Ibiza brand and we feel the agency has the requirements to take on a demanding PR role with its strong connections in the luxury, travel and food and drink sectors.”

PRs must convey context

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At the end of last year, IPSOS Mori released a piece of research claiming the “average” person’s attention span is eight seconds, down from 12 seconds in 2000. Will Spratt, partner at Pagefield, says this is a massive challenge for communicators and recommends PRs need to provide context around complex corporate issues and cut-through the “information bombardment” to reach modern consumers.

In the Guardian last Saturday (February 6) Will Hutton, in this piece on the current information deluge and what it means, said:

“Instantaneity is the new god – instantaneity of presence, of communication and response….There can’t be challenge, debate and argument because these are time-consuming; at the very least, it will distract you from answering the bombardment of emails.”

Even the platforms that were first thought to be responsible for our decreasing attention spans are adapting to bow further to the new god of instantaneity – tied into Wednesday’s quarterly results was an announcement that Twitter will now put a user’s top Tweets first, rather than their most recent, allowing users to make an instant decision to the question ‘to follow or not to follow’.

Short History of Attention Spans

Source: Ipsos MORI End of Year Review 2015

This problem is not set to ease. Mobiles are getting quicker, as is the production of information. And this has a serious impact on understanding real issues and our decision-making.

It also presents a massive challenge for communicators. Our job – especially in the corporate world – is not just to attract attention, but to hold it. Context – so important in shaping a story, building an argument or navigating a complex issue – must be conveyed.

So how can communicators convey context in this increasingly attention-deficit world?

  • Multi-channel is part of the answer – communicating well and efficiently in various forums, whether it is online, face-to-face or through other marketing disciplines. Donald Trump has mastered this with high-octane 15-second videos that have become a hallmark of his campaign. Although this is focussed on impact, rather than a deeper conversation, this is part of a wider strategy – allowing him to build an online audience.
  • Secondly, the rejuvenation of blogging, through platforms like Medium, are guaranteeing authors the column inches that ‘traditional media’ editors won’t. This excellent piece in Politico illustrates how political leaders and under-fire brands are using the platform, which is run by one of the founders of Twitter, Ev Williams, to convey the bigger picture.
  • Finally, relationships are more important than ever. If you can put two people together, who need to hear each other’s views, you are going a long way to help different audiences understand one another.

Complex issues, such as the upcoming EU referendum, require nuanced thinking and healthy debate. As handheld devices become even quicker and our ability to process complex information less likely, communicators will need to pay more attention to getting the right message onto the right medium.

Kazoo wins Young’s Seafood brief

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Young’s Seafood has handed a retained PR brief to Kazoo Communications, which competed against three rival agencies in a two-stage process.

The seafood brand, which is part of the Findus group, produces a range of frozen, fresh, and chilled seafood. Work kicks off this month and will focus on promoting the brand as a leading frozen and chilled seafood manufacturer.

This will include press office activity, media relations and product placement. Kazoo will also support TV advertising, digital and social media initiatives.

Yvonne Adam, marketing director at Young’s Seafood, said: “The Kazoo pitch was full of enthusiasm and great ideas – we could tell from the get-go that the team is passionate about the brands they work with, and thrive on achieving results. We’re looking forward to developing our media strategy with them, and have already seen some fantastic results from the agency.”

Jessica Owen, Kazoo managing partner,  said: “We are thrilled to be working with Young’s to grow its presence within the consumer sphere. Young’s is a brand with fabulous heritage and one that we are proud to have on our roster at Kazoo. We’re looking forward to getting some fantastic results and working with its extended team.”

Remarkable hires public affairs lead

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Remarkable Engagement, the public affairs division of comms business Remarkable Group, has hired Instinctif Partners’ Robbie McDuff as director to lead its lobbying work, with James Bird and Alex Gray joining in key positions.

MacDuff (pictured bottom left) has some 26 years’ lobbying experience in London, Edinburgh and Brussels, and is a former chair of the Association of Professional Political Consultants. His experience includes working with companies such as British Gas, Thames Water, Kingfisher, Prudential, Great North Eastern Railway, Mobil, PwC, and Unison.

He will lead the Remarkable Engagement teams across London, Mancheter, Bristol and Cardiff. He said: “I am delighted to be joining the Remarkable team. With a highly ambitious and dedicated team vastly experienced in, and knowledgeable of, their sectors I am looking forward to developing the public affairs service further, not as a standalone offering but a fully integrated part of a client’s communications strategy.”

Bird (pictured bottom right) joins as an associate director and will lead the  public affairs unit in the London office. He previously worked for Quatro PR, and ran for Parliament in the 2015 General Election as the Conservative MP for Birmingham Green. Formerly a freelance broadcast journalist, Bird has served as a Birmingham city councillor and was Shadow Cabinet member for Education and Children’s Services.

MacDuff and Bird will report directly into Stephen Pomeroy (pictured top right), Remarkable Group CEO, who said: “I couldn’t be happier with the calibre of new people we’ve brought to the company – they each have highly prized experience, vast expertise and a track record of success.

“Robbie is a highly respected figure in the world of public affairs and will be bringing that keen understanding of politics and policy to develop our offering. Public affairs is a key part of any brand’s communications strategy, and with Robbie we can offer excellence across the board.”

Gray (pictured top left) joins the team as an account manager, and was formerly a town councillor in his home town of Hart, Hampshire.

 

Fox Agency

Clare joins Fox Agency as online PR lead

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B2B marketing agency Fox has appointed Hotwire’s David Clare as digital marketing director with responsibility for the agency’s online PR.

At Fox, Clare will lead the online comms strategy for client brands including Brother UK, Bright HR, TMD Friction, Speedy Hire and more, as well as taking responsibility for growing Fox’s digital division.

Clare, who was last year announced as one of PR Week‘s 30 Under 30, led strategy and planning for FTSE100 clients at Hotwire, specialising in online communications. He has also held roles with Blue Rubicon, Nitro Digital and 33 Digital, working with clients including GSK, FT.com and Facebook.

Ben Fox, director at Fox Agency, said: “Effective B2B marketing is increasingly focused on intelligent digital strategy. Fox is committed to being a leading light in this area which is why we have recruited one of the top online marketers in the UK today.

“David will run the strategy for current clients and be instrumental in growing the digital division and securing new business. It’s certainly a coup to be bringing in David with the only downside being the fact he likes Bon Jovi – however, nobody’s perfect.”

Clare added: “Fox is a very talented B2B marketing agency with a strong focus in digital communications. It’s exciting to be in a position to drive growth in the agency’s online marketing division, and be a part of Fox becoming one of the top five B2B marketing agencies in the UK.”

EMEA head Chris Talago to leave WE

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WE’s EMEA general manager, Chris Talago, has announced that he will leave the agency on May 1.

Talago joined WE, known as Waggener Edstrom until a rebrand last September, in 2008 to head up its offerings across multiple sectors in Europe including public affairs, consumer, technology, corporate and healthcare.

Before WE, he was head of EMEA comms at semi-conductor manufacturer AMD, following eight years in senior agency positions at Hill+Knowlton and Text 100.

On his departure, a WE spokesperson said: “Chris Talago will be leaving the agency on 1 May. We wish him well in his future endeavours and look forward to sharing with you what’s next for WE in the next couple of weeks.”

Talago said on Twitter yesterday:

In the interim, WE CEO Melissa Waggener Zorkin will lead the EMEA region.

New opportunities on Twitter for PRs

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Twitter reported its financial results for the quarter ending in December 31, 2015 yesterday (10 February), highlighting its hopes for user growth, its focus on marketing and creating a safer environment for users.

The social media platform has been at the centre of speculation over its future plans and has received some criticism – mainly in reference to a slowdown in the growth of its user base.

Twitter is, however, a fixture of the modern media landscape and a key tool for the PR industry. So, here are some key points you might take from its latest announcements if you want to know more about Twitter’s future plans and what they might mean for media:

User growth is still slowing for the platform

Twitter says it reached 305 million people in the fourth quarter of last year compared to 307 million users in its third quarter between August and October 2015.

While this showed a growth of nine per cent year-on-year, it shows that Facebook, which has 1.2 billion active users, is far ahead in terms of its user base.

However, Twitter’s leadership hopes 2016 will see progress, especially after it made an algorithm change to its service (10 Feb), placing popular tweets at the top of the chronological timeline which each user sees.

Anthony Noto, Twitter’s chief financial officer, said it saw user-growth in January: “We’re seeing an increase in new users to the top of the funnel. We’re also seeing an increase in resurrected users to the top of the funnel. And we’re seeing a continued improvement in retention within the funnel, so all three are working for us.”

Twitter is offering a wider range of marketing opportunities for brands

Twitter reported that it worked with 130,000 marketers in its last quarter of 2015. It plans to increase its offering by making timeline changes, providing further tools for “influencers” and providing further “promoted video” functions.

Twitter will now place a batch of Tweets at the top of the timeline each user sees, showcasing important Tweets users may have missed. In turn, brand messages with lots of interaction will not get lost. In addition, the platform plans to give influencers ‘better tools’ to interact with fans, according to its end of year shareholder letter.

Twitter also continues to invest in its ‘promoted video’ formats, which auto-play within a consumers timeline and have shown promising results since its launch in June 2015, according to the executives. The platform is set to launch a “conversational video ad unit”, which features customisable call-to-action buttons that encourage consumer response.

Twitter’s shareholder letter said EA Sports piloted the new unit: “One of the first marketers to use this new video ad unit in the pilot was EA Sports, who drove over 19 million paid impressions and 15 million organic impressions – delivering an earned media rate of greater than 78% – for their #MyMaddenPrediction contest.”

Safety is a priority

Twitter has announced it’s taking more steps to be a friendlier, safer place by forming the “Twitter Trust and Safety Council”, a partnership with 40 anti-harassment advocacy groups such as the Center for Democracy and Technology, Connect Safely and the Internet Watch Foundation.

The group of safety advocates, academics, grassroots organisations and community groups will aim to reduce aggressive and nasty comments, which will not only reduce the noise on the service and be of benefit to consumers but may also help brands to keep spam off their feeds.

Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s CEO,  said: “This year we will implement technology to help us detect the use of repeat abusive accounts, make it much simpler to report multiple abusive Tweets or accounts, and give people simpler tools to curate and control their experience on Twitter.”

Gorkana asked Andrew Bloch, founder and group managing director of Frank PR, about the recent changes to the platform and the opportunities they offer for PRs and brands.

He said: “Twitter’s unique characteristics are particularly advantageous to the PR industry: engage directly with key influencers, promote clients, stay informed about current news, and get quick access to the insights of others.  It offers many tools that PR professionals need, and many benefits if used effectively and consistently.”

On Twitter’s algorithmic timeline change, Bloch said:  “From a brand perspective, it means that organic content has a better chance of getting ‘top billing’ – as long as that content is relevant and interesting.”

He explained: “It will allow brands to hijack the news agenda, so that, for example a British follower interested in the Super Bowl would wake up to see content posted by Super Bowl advertisers that they would perhaps have previously missed.  This provides a great opportunity for smart brands to commandeer the news agenda in a relevant and engaging manner.”