The Gorkana Weekly Industry News Brief: 30 July – 5 August 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.
People News
Richard Branson’s former comms director, Paul Charles, has launched a new PR agency, The PC Agency, and bought travel consultancy Angel Publicity, with its founder, Emma Cripwell, taking the helm as MD.
Ketchum’s Mark Hume has been announced COO of Europe. He will partner with chairman and CEO Rob Flaherty, to oversee the agency’s European operations.
Online dating platform eHarmony.co.uk has appointed LighterLife UK’s Rachael Lloyd as senior PR and comms manager.
Grayling UK has promoted director Kathryn Ager to head up its public and thired sector, health and skills team.
Pitch Wins
Threepipe has been chosen by Cambridge University Press to help address gender divides in the language of sport, as athletes around the world descend on Rio for the 2016 Olympic Games this week.
Betting business Paddy Power Betfair has chosen Powerscourt as its UK financial and corporate PR agency.
The AA has appointed Splendid Communications to provide content and consumer PR support for its current summer campaign, following a competitive pitch.
French video game producer Ubisoft, which includes Assassin’s Creed and Rayman amongst its portfolio, has chosen Stripe Communications to handle its UK consumer and corporate PR.
2016 Assassin’s Creed line-up
News Analysis
The PRs benefiting from the rise of ‘good news’
This summer, The Guardian has become the latest publication to focus on news with a ‘positive’ spin, joining the likes of Huffington Post and the short-lived New Day, as well as Upworthy and Positive News. PR agencies Bottle, Polygon PR and PHA Media discuss how they have used the trend to get a boost for their clients and highlight the benefits of news with a happy ending.
Three ways Instagram Stories will be useful in PR
Instagram’s latest platform update, ‘Stories’, which allows users to upload temporary photos and videos, has caused a burst of online debate this week. While users argue about how close in likeness Instagram’s new feature is to Snapchat, Gorkana investigates how useful these changes are for PR.
Journalist News
Alexandra Wilby has been promoted to deputy features editor at HELLO!.
Natasha Carter has joined ITV News Granada as a presenter.
Joe Watts has been appointed political editor at The Independent. He is currently political editor at the London Evening Standard and starts his role 15 August.
Samuel Muston has joined MR PORTER as deputy editor. He was previously deputy editor and food editor at The Independent Magazine.
Features
Pictured left to right: BuzzFeed’s senior lifestyle writer, Chelsey Pippin, head of buzz, Tabatha Leggett, and senior reporter, Rossalyn Warren, with Gorkana’s head of news and content, Philip Smith
Pitching to the Press: top tips from Gorkana’s media briefings
Gorkana’s PR News Alerts are taking a short break for the next two weeks. But never fear, we’ve got something very special for you to mull over during that time. Here are eight top PR tips on how best to pitch to the press, which come from our exclusive Gorkana Media Briefings so far this year…
Behind the Headlines with Bauer Media’s Effie Kanyua
Effie Kanyua, comms director for London Lifestyle at Bauer Media, on how she battled her way into the BBC to launch her media career, the best creative partnership she’s worked on, which featured Craig David, helping to lobby for fair rent and gender pay equality and why she thinks journalists can smell fear in a pitch.
60 Seconds with Dan Masser, LEWIS
Dan Masser became head of corporate at LEWIS in June, 2016. He talks to Gorkana about agency life, his idea of a productive work environment and what excites him about his new role.
60 Seconds with Rebecca Rhodes, Virgo Health and Golin Health
Rebecca Rhodes, chief creative officer for Virgo Health and Golin Health, talks to Gorkana about healthcare and the health and wellness trend, creative thinking and the best piece of career advice she’s ever received.
Gorkana meets Matthew Jarvis, deputy editor of Develop
Gorkana’s Louise Pantani speaks with Matthew Jarvis, the deputy editor of game development industry magazine, Develop. Jarvis talks about recent innovations in the gaming industry, stories destined for online or print publication and whether he has succumbed to the Pokemon game.
