Retail discounts: how PRs should respond

The line between promotional seasons in retail has become blurred. Who can tell where Black Friday begins and the summer sale ends when there is a concoction of mid-season discounts in between, both online and off? And how should PRs respond in this unpredictable environment? We asked comms experts what they think about the trend. According to […]

The Zeitgeist Agency launches European division

Music PR agency The Zeitgeist Agency, which handles the PR for the Reading and Leeds festivals, has launched a new European division, Zeitgeist Europe, with three new clients, including the Roskilde Festival in Denmark. Aimi Lewis-Mattock, who has worked at the agency for four years, will head up Zeitgeist Europe. She said: “Many publications want to talk […]

Former DADA chief Laura McIlquham joins Beattie

Laura McIlquham, former head of PR for Glasgow-based PR, design and events agency DADA, has joined creative comms group Beattie to take on a senior account director role in Scotland. McIlquham has more than 15 years’ PR experience and she will work with Scottish director Joanne Spence and her 50-strong team on the day-to-day management […]

Homestay.com calls in Four Communications

Four Communications has been chosen to handle the UK PR for Homestay.com, an online marketplace for hosted accommodation. Homestay.com offers accommodation for travellers where the host is present. It has more than 50,000 hosts offering places to stay in some 150 countries, and enables travellers to stay in the home of a local resident while they […]

Bright Light promotes Pretty Polly and Aristoc

Bright Light has been appointed to handle the PR for British hosiery brands Pretty Polly and Aristoc, writes Louise Pantani. Founded in 1919, Pretty Polly provides over 90 ranges of fashion hosiery, and credits the likes of Rhianna, Sarah Jessica Parker and Zooey Deschanel among its fans. Previous ambassadors include Laura Bailey, Eva Herzigova and Sophie […]

ButlerTech hands product brief to Rooster

Global travel tech company ButlerTech has handed Rooster a consumer and B2B PR brief to enhance its UK profile, as the brand plans to launch two products this year. It will launch destination guide app CityButler and virtual concierge app ButlerPad. Rooster’s remit for the consumer-focused CityButler, is to launch the app in the UK and […]

Hometrack hands retained brief to MRM

Hometrack, a residential property market analyst, has appointed MRM as its retained agency to support its media relations and public and regulatory affairs monitoring. Chris Tuite, MRM’s associate director, leads the account team, which is made up of the agency’s corporate and consumer units. He will be supported by a team of people from across the agency including […]

Alstom makes brace of hires after GE acquisition

Alstom, the French rail transport multinational, has hired Will Roberts and Alex Burrows as comms director and marketing and strategy director, respectively, to build the company’s  strategy and comms expertise in the UK and Ireland. In November last year, GE finalised a €9.7bn (£7.36bn) deal with Alstom to acquire its energy units. These hires, the company says, “demonstrates […]

Speyside hires Edelman’s Chris Dobson

Speyside Corporate Relations, an emerging markets corporate affairs consultancy, has hired Edelman’s Chris Dobson to manage the company’s “rapid growth” as president in Central and Eastern Europe, as well as sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Dobson spent three years as EMEA head of emerging markets at Edelman. Previously, he was CEO of Central European consultancy Mmd […]

Case Study: The Higgidy Sofa Supper Club

When Aduro Communications was tasked with creating a stand-out ‘WOW’ moment for pie brand Higgidy, the agency came up with the world’s first ‘Sofa Supper Club’ with the help of Gogglebox stars Chris Steed and Stephen Webb. Campaign: The Higgidy Sofa Supper Club Client: Higgidy PR Team: Aduro Communications Timing: October 2015 Budget: £40,000 Objectives Business Objective: • Increase prompted awareness […]