Mountain Warehouse brings PR in-house

Mountain Warehouse has brought its consumer PR in-house and hired Radley’s Harriet Sweet as PR manager. She will handle PR activity for the British outdoor retailer and its sister brand Zakti.

The new PR team for Mountain Warehouse and Zakti will hold a global remit, but specialise in the UK for the next six months as the division is established.

PR, brand and social media will be part of the remit for Jennie Bianco, head of brand marketing. Bianco joined Mountain Warehouse in February from Panache Lingerie, where she spent more than four years as head of marketing.

Sweet, who starts her new role next month, will handle all PR activity for the Mountain Warehouse and Zakti brands, as well as advise on brand strategy and negotiate partnerships with influencers.

She is currently a press officer at Radley, a role she has held since July 2015. Before that, she held agency-side roles at Mission, Boden and Dust PR.

Mountain Warehouse’s in-house team also includes brand marketing executive Eleanor Patterson, who also joined the brand from Panache Lingerie earlier this year. Bianco is also recruiting for two PR and marketing assistants.

Mountain Warehouse was previously represented by House PR for over a year.

Bianco said: “House PR has positioned the brand well in consumer press and created a fantastic platform to build on. We hope to continue working with them on an ad hoc basis.”

The brand will continue to use Bell Pottinger for corporate PR activity and will use agencies and freelancers when required.