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LONDON — Ogilvy Group UK has created five new management roles as it becomes a single agency brand. Charlie Rudd, previously CEO of Ogilvy & Mather, becomes chief client officer; Ogilvy & Mather chief strategy officer Kevin Chesters and chief production officer Clare Donald keep the same titles; OgilvyOne MD Clare Lawson becomes chief delivery officer; and Ann Higgins, MD of Ogilvy Red, is chief consulting officer. Former Ogilvy PR EMEA chief Michael Frohlich (pictured) was promoted in February to UK chief executive.
LONDON — The PRCA’s PR and Communications Census 2018 reveals that the UK industry is worth £13.8bn, showing growth of 7% since 2016. A total of 86,000 people work in PR in the UK, and the census shows diversity has improved slightly, with the predominance of White British practitioners decreasing from 83% to 78%. The gender pay gap is up 3.2% to 21%, however, despite women making up 66% of the industry. Technology and consumer services remain the dominant sectors, although consumer is growing at a slower rate (-3%) than technology, which grew by 29%. The average salary across the UK industry is £45,950.
LONDON — Lansons has been appointed by Banking Competition Remedies (BCR), the independent body established to implement the £775 million Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) state aid alternative remedies package, on a brief believed to include reputation management and media relations. The team is being led by Lansons CEO and co-founder Tony Langham.
LONDON — Blockchain company ConsenSys has appointed B2B technology agency Red Lorry Yellow Lorry to build its European brand and help drive adoption of the Ethereum blockchain in Europe after a competitive pitch. ConsenSys, set up by Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin in 2014, is the European Commission’s partner for the creation of the European Union Blockchain Observatory. The brief includes targeting businesses, technology influencers, developers and governments through thought leadership, speaker engagements, social media and media relations. The account will be led by Red Lorry Yellow Lorry’s UK director Hannah Patel and Germany director Saskia Stolper.
LONDON — Dating app Plenty of Fish has hired Tin Man as its UK PR agency, the first time it has hired an agency outside of the US and Canada. The company, owned by the Match Group, has briefed Tin Man to devise a strategic communications plan for the UK market.
LONDON — Golin has commissioned a study into UK consumers’ attitudes towards influencers, and has found that one in four people have purchased a product as a direct result of a recommendation from an influencer. “Real life” influencers – those who are seen to depict their lives honestly – are more popular than journalists, celebrities or thought leaders, with consumers are 30% more likely to engage with them. The research also found that 42% of UK consumers are concerned that brands and influencers are inattentive to fake news and potentially offensive content.
CAPE TOWN — World Rugby’s African association, Rugby Africa, has extended the role of its media relations consultancy APO Group to include global sponsorship. As part of the new agreement, APO Group will support Rugby Africa in securing corporate partners for the ten major international competitions in Africa, including the Rugby Africa Gold Cup 2018. Rugby is the fastest-growing sport in Africa, with 38 nations now playing the game.
LONDON — Social fundraising platform GoFundMe has expanded FleishmanHillard’s brief to include pan-European consumer communications. The agency, which started work for GoFundMe in the UK last October after a competitive pitch, will be responsible for brand awareness and creative content in Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy. At the same time, Dina Rickman joins GoFundMe as head of digital after four years as head of trending and social content at the Independent newspaper.
LONDON — Music and entertainment PR agency Zeitgeist has launched a new artist PR division to give artists access to European festival and event promoters, tech start-ups and high-profile activations and campaigns for brands including Dr. Martens, ASOS, Farah and Mercedes.
LONDON — Danish audio brand Bang & Olufsen has handed its consumer PR brief for the UK and Ireland to Little Red Rooster. The agency will run the brand’s UK press office, generate thought leadership campaigns and handle product launches, experiential events and influencer outreach. Little Red Rooster partners Henry Griffiths and Victoria Ruffy will oversee the account. Senior account manager Kayleigh Williams will lead the agency team. Bang & Olufsen’s sister brand B&O PLAY has retained Little Red Rooster since 2016.
