The Gorkana Weekly Industry News Brief: 25 June – 1 July 2016
Missed out on this week’s PR News? Get your handy round-up of the essential highlights of PR and media stories, features and events content over the last seven days on Gorkana News.
Aduro Communications has been briefed to promote the 45th birthday of Mr. Men.
People News
Trainline has appointed MSLGROUP London’s Victoria Biggs as European director of comms. She takes on her new role in August with a brief to drive brand awareness in the UK and Continental Europe.
Global vehicle manufacturer Nissan has strengthened its global comms function with a series of promotions and hires. Sadayuki Hamaguchi, currently head of Nissan’s global corporate comms, has taken on the role of general manager and head of Japan comms, PayPal’s EMEA head of comms, Amanda Groty, has been named general manager, global corporate comms, and David Reuter, currently vice president of comms for Nissan North America, is to take up the role of vice president, global comms operations.
Eulogy has promoted Lucie Kaye to head of consumer, who takes over from Scot Devine, who is in a new cross-agency role as brand and innovation director.
Blue Rubicon’s Dan Masser has joined LEWIS to head its new corporate comms practice.
MSLGROUP, Publicis Groupe’s global PR firm, has strengthened its UK consumer offer with a number of appointments, including Amber O’Connor as global and EMEA director and Carson Gray Elias as head of its Luxury and Lifestyle team.
Art student Chloe Abrahams has been named the winner of Golin’s unconventional internship programme, which includes a two-month adventure.
Pitch Wins
Dr Leah Totton, winner of the BBC TV series The Apprentice in 2013, has hired Positive Communications to handle her PR.
Aduro Communications has been chosen to deliver an anniversary campaign around this year’s 45th birthday of the Mr. Men family brand.
Global agency TK has been appointed by Melitta Professional Coffee Solutions to handle the UK launch of its new range of blended coffee, following a three-way pitch.
South-East Asian energy drink brand Carabao has selected W to lead its UK comms, as it gears up to launch a multi-million-pound UK marketing campaign and three-year partnerships with Chelsea FC and Reading FC.
The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) has brought in Threepipe to work with sports sponsorship marketing agency Earnie to support the inaugural Unibet Champions League of Darts.
IT services and support company Datcom has briefed Shooting Star to deliver its PR strategy.
Agency News
In response to growth in the health tech sector, Hotwire has launched a new global health tech practice.
Beattie is opening an office in Canada and claims its international expansion is a reaction to the recent Brexit vote.
Events
Media briefing with What Car?
From the outset, when it launched in 1973, What Car? set out to be different, says editorial director, Jim Holder. At an exclusive Gorkana media briefing this week, Holder explained how the magazine strives to talk to the “general consumer” and give them the stats, data and information they want to make informed car purchases.
Meet Kate Thornton, editor-in-chief of TBSeen.com
Gorkana has a few final places available for its exclusive breakfast briefing with smart shopping and lifestyle content platform TBSeen.com next Thursday 7 July.
Opinion
PRCA’s Francis Ingham: ‘Cannes 2016 will not be remembered with pride’
After only five of 84 PR Lions were awarded to PR agencies at this year’s Cannes Lions festival, the PRCA’s director general, Francis Ingham, discusses his disappointment with the results and suggests four areas to concentrate on in the future.
Analysing effective communication and leadership
As the agency publishes its fifth annual Ketchum Leadership Communication Monitor (KLCM) study, Rod Cartwright, director, global corporate and public affairs practice, explains how it benefits Ketchum and its clients.
News Analysis
Digital Marketing World Forum: three PR takeaways
The Digital Marketing World Forum, which took place in London last week, hosted big players in the marketing and comms industry, with speakers from brands including the BBC, Oxfam, TSB and GOV.UK. Gorkana has rounded up the three key takeaways for PRs from the two day conference.
Journalist News
Andrew Ward has been appointed energy editor at the Financial Times, with a brief to lead the FT‘s coverage of energy, including the oil and gas industry, nuclear power and related policy issues. He was previously the FT‘s pharmaceutical correspondent.
Alison Phillips has been appointed deputy group editor-in-chief at Trinity Mirror.
Felicity Morse has joined the i as digital news editor. She was previously social media editor at BBC Radio 1’s Newsbeat.
Georgi Kantchev has been appointed as financial markets reporter at The Wall Street Journal, where he will cover equity, credit and commodity markets. Georgi was previously an oil reporter at the title.
Lauren Franklin and Joshua Fox have been named digital showbiz reporters at The Sun.
Claire Lomas has been appointed UK senior video editor at MailOnline. Claire was previously video news producer at The Daily Telegraph.
Kate Phillips has been chosen as controller, entertainment commissioning at the BBC. Currently creative director of formats at BBC Worldwide, she will replace Mark Linsey who has been named director of BBC Studios.
Tomi Adebayo has been appointed tech editor at UNILAD. He also remains editor at GadgetsBoy.
Features
PR Case Study: #Try20
When PHA Media was enlisted to support Living Streets’ National Walking Month 2016 and change the behaviour of the general public, particularly among the middle aged, the agency developed a #Try20 campaign which called on people to walk at least 20 minutes per day. The results? More than 450 pieces of coverage and a five-fold increase in pledges on the previous year.
Behind the Headlines with The Spa PR Company’s Tracey Stapleton
Tracey Stapleton, MD of The Spa PR Company, on the importance of developing the agency’s role beyond PR, being a great list maker, the thrill of achieving a media “snowball” moment during a campaign and the five things she’d like to tell her ten-year-old self.
