LONDON--Advertising agency VCCP is snapping up more PR talent as it launches a new unit that aims to expand its earned media offering to clients.

The rollout of VCCP Share follows the hire of Graham Drew from sister Chime Communications PR agency Resonate last year as head of PR. Drew becomes creative director of VCCP Share, alongside MD Dominic Stinton.

VCCP Share has also lured Jed Hallam away from social media specialists Wolfstar to become communities director. Hallam is joined by Kate Collis, a former Taylor Herring and Frank PR executive who as been named director of PR and experiential.

Drew denied that VCCP Share would amount to a PR agency, describing it instead as an “evolution” of his work over the past 12 months.

“People are increasing looking for shared experiences,” said Drew. “As marketing people, brands need to serve up those experiences to their consumers. It’s our job to provide that content for people to share.”

“It is working in the arena of earned media, so therefore you have to give consumers something they want to share,” added Drew. “But it’s not like PR in that it is grounded in a more thoroughly rounded research and planning methodology.”

Drew also pointed out that there was a need for “a more refined division to actually execute ideas, rather than just think about them.”

“It isn’t just a social media division or campaign amplification,” he said. “And it’s not just taking an ad property and leveraging that, but about taking the ad insight and leveraging that.”

VCCP Share will begin by servicing existing VCCP clients.

VCCP is not the only advertising agency attempting to integrate PR thinking into its service offering. Last year, BMB launched BMB PR, while Karmarama set up a joint venture called Kaper with Chris McCafferty. In the US, meanwhile, Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal & Partners acquired PR firm Kwittken & Company.