Chris Allen, MD of Pitch Marketing on the PRmoment Podcast

Send us a textToday on the PRmoment Podcast we’re talking to the managing director of Pitch Marketing Group. Pitch is a sports marketing and consumer PR firm in London. It has a fee income of over 5 million pounds and 46 employees. Clients include Red Bull, NatWest, Beats By Dre, EA FC and Formula 1.Chris joined the business as an account manager in October 2012 and became the MD in 2021. Pitch became an EOT in 2023.On the show today, we’re going to talk about the rise of sports marketing as a significant sector within communication and Chris’s journey from account manager to MD of his firm.Before we start, check out the programme for our PR Masterclass: Agency Growth Forum. It’s on 12th November 2024, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm GMT. Both face-to-face and virtual tickets are available. The event is held in central London. Face-to-face tickets are expected to sell out, so if you want to come along, don’t hang about.Testimonials from previous delegates on the PR Masterclasses microsite. It really is an incredible programme, a great atmosphere and well worth your time if you are a PR agency leader out there.Thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA.2 mins Chris outlines what good sports marketing looks like.6 mins What is the difference between sports sponsorship and sports partnership?8 mins What skill set do you need to be good at sports marketing?11 mins What does a good sports marketing campaign look like?14 mins What channels are the most significant when it comes to sports-related content?20 mins Sports marketing has the reputation of being reassuringly expensive - is that right?23 mins What do brands want from a sports sponsorship?“Awareness is one thing…but someone like Gallagher (Insurance) wants their audience to know what they do and why they’re different to their competitors.”32 mins Chris talks us through his favourite ever piece of work: Betfair’s Switching Saddles campaign with Victora Pendelton.38 mins Chris’s personal story is a nice one - from account manager to MD in 12 years at Pitch. He talks us through how that came about.

Send us a textWelcome to our review of PR Pitches and mergers & acquisitions in the UK PR scene with Andrew Bloch. Here, we discuss the biggest pitch wins and mergers & acquisitions that the PR sector has seen in September.Andrew is the lead consultant - PR, Social, Content and Influencer at the new business consultancy firm AAR and a partner at PCB Partners, where he advises on buying and selling marketing services agencies.Andrew launched Andrew Bloch & Associates in 2020.Before we start, make sure you get your tickets quick for our PR Masterclass: Agency Growth Forum . It’s on 12th November 2024, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm GMT. Both face-to-face and virtual tickets are available. The event is held in central London.“Honestly, I had one of the most fascinating and useful days of my career. I can't think of anything that needed improvement. The quality of the speakers was phenomenal. Thank you!”PR Agency, director “The best day I’ve spent at work for ages!”PR Agency, director “What an incredible line-up of speakers!”PR agency, founder 1 min This month's rundown of the biggest PR pitch wins Reed Employment – Soho Communications.  Corporate and consumer brief,  Soho was founded by James Henderson the former CEO of Bell Pottinger in 2018. NHS - £500M framework – will run to 2028 – for consultancy and advisory services for health. Divided into 10 lots one of which is for ‘communications, engagement and research”. 27 firms were selected. The potential of £45M value. Include agencies such as Engage Communicate Facilitate (ECF), Freshwater UK, and Lynne Group. Mars Pet Foods – Brands 2 Life will lead social across Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. Including influencer and paid. Kellanova (the new name for Kellogs, who own Pringles, Pop Tarts, etc.) appointed Tin Man for the US brand Cheez-It UK launch. Bassetts Vitamins – Tin Man – consumer PR brief for leading vitamins brand. Earned first, creative, press office and influencer. Motorway – Romans – Consumer PR brief. Fight or Flight handles corporate comms.  Nationwide – Romans: consumer PR brief to raise awareness of the financial services brand with younger audiences and families. Greggs – Here Be Dragons:  Project basis on consumer activations. Zurich Insurance – Boldspace: Corporate press office. Handled two projects earlier in the year, now retained. Gordon Ramsey Restaurants– H/Advisors Maitland– global corp comms. The plan is to build out the restaurant groups' corporate profile and engage with key audiences. World Travel & Tourism Council – Finn Partners  – global comms for the launch of the ‘Together in Travel’ comms campaign. Currys – Red – Press office and creative. Increase awareness of expertise, range and relatable playful brand tone ahead of Black Fri and Xmas.  Hitachi Zero Carbon – Brands 2 Life – EMEA, APAC and N America. The brief is to increase brand awareness for this division of Hitachi, which is on a mission to accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon world largely by converting public transport and commercial fleets to electric vehicles.Ellen McArthur Foundation – Kindred – Kindred will support the charity's media and comms team to develop and amplify stories across the UK, US and EU with particular focus on food and plastics projects.Kidney Cancer UK – PHA Group – The brief is to support the charity’s press office and long term awareness raising mission.20 mins This month's rund

Send us a textOn the PRmoment Podcast this week, we’re talking to James Hewes, CEO of the PRCA. James joined the PRCA in January this year. The organisation had been in an uncertain state for a year or so because of the long-term illness and untimely passing of previous CEO Francis Ingham.In 2023/4, the PRCA set off on a governance review and subsequently made significant changes to its structure, senior team and member offer. So, I thought it would be good to get James on the show to give an update on his plans for the PRCA and what he’s been up to for the first six months of his tenure.The PRCA has a turnover of £3.8 m.Before we start, our PR Masterclass: Agency Growth Forum has now launched. It’s on 12th November 2024, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm GMT. Both face-to-face and virtual tickets are available. The event is held in central London.The final entry for the ESG and Sustainability Awards deadline is 27th of September.Finally, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA.Here’s a summary of what James and PRmoment founder discussed: 2 mins What state was the PRCA as an organisation in when you started?“We were probably doing too much stuff. There was a tendency to throw resources and activity at every single thing…rather than stopping and thinking what was the best value for members.”4 mins Was the PRCA’s governance review worth it?“The positive outcome of the governance review: there’s a lot more transparency…there’s more opportunity for members to get involved in a structured way.”“It (the governance review) has simplified things dramatically.”6 mins James updates us on the PRCA’s finances.“The numbers were a bit tough for 2023, they’ll be a bit tough for 2024, but the organisation is on a much much more stable footing.”“The organisation has been a break-even business for a very long time. In a world of great uncertainty, you need to be a bit better than that.”“We are non-profit making with a good cash reserve…we’re cash generative.”10 mins Are the PRCA’s membership numbers growing again?11 mins Over the years, there have been stop-and-start rumours about the CIPR and the PRCA merging. Are there any active conversations on that side of things at the moment?12 mins Where does James want to take the PRCA under his leadership?19 mins The PRCA’s Articles of Association talk about growing the organisation internationally. James talks about how that has gone so far.22 mins Who are the key people at the PRCA now?23.30 mins What does James see as the most important issues affecting the PR sector currently?

Send us a textToday, we’re chatting with Billy Hamilton-Stent and Jon Lonsdale from Publicis Pro. For anyone who’s forgotten, the business was previously called Octopus Communications, and they sold to Publicis back in 2021. The firm specialises in B2B communications.Jon and Billy got in touch because they’ve been on their own AI journey for Publicis Pro and on the basis that a rising tide lifts all boats, they are keen to share their experiences with their PR agency peers and what better way to do that than on the PRmoment Podcast.Before we start, do check out the programme for our PR Masterclass: Agency Growth Forum. It’s on 12th November 2024, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm GMT. Both face-to-face and virtual tickets are available. The event is held in central London. Face to face tickets are expected to sell put, so if you do want to come along, don’t hang about. Testimonials from previous delegates on the PR Masterclasses microsite. It really is an incredible programme, a great atmosphere and well worth your time if you are an agency leader out there.Also, the the final entry deadline the ESG Awards is 27th of September.Thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA.3 mins AI exploded into our consciences in 2023, it's been a bit of a process for lots of people: from scared, to discovery, to embrace and disappointment. Billy and Jon talk about their AI journey.“We set about how to build a management system using AI”9 mins Has AI overpromised and underdelivered so far in PR?“It’s quite easy to see what AI’s limitations are quite early on.”“We didn’t go into this thinking our teams were going to be 10 x more productive by the summer.”“We have created a management overlay on a set of large language models.”12 mins Billy talks us through how Publicis Pro’s AI tool Otto does: “It's a tool that allows us to adapt, refine and be more effective as an agency. Its uses are manifold.”“The people in Publicis Pro that use Otto most are the strategy team.”“Train the AI around your clients. We’ve got Otto trained on tone of voice and (client) spokesperson.”Because of the nature of the technology, you have to stop talking about it in the way you might conventional tech…it’s less linear…it’s collaborative.“(AI is) less of a tech race and more a change management race.”30 mins Will AI change the structure of PR firms?31 mins. How has AI impacted PR roles differently at a junior, mid-level or senior level?32 mins How can agencies integrate AI into their workflow?“Pick one or two things you do a lot of and it (AI) can really help. Less is more.”33 mins Did Otto cost a fortune to build?34 mins Is AI going to improve the margins for PR businesses?“Otto has added a percentage point to our profits this year.”“Just think about how inefficient an agency can be.”36 mins How can AI help PR firm's employees collaborate more effectively?“Collaboration is a cultural point in an agency, not a technological one.”37 mins Are the holding companies at an advantage when it comes to AI, in that they have the scale to build stuff?39 mins Will AI ever do creative well?42 mins Do external AI tools still get Jon a

Send us a textOn the PRmoment Podcast this week, we’re talking to Sandy Lindsay MBE about her career in PR. Sandy is the founder and chair of Tangerine Group & non-executive director of various organisations, including The Rugby Football League.Sandy launched Tangerine 22 years ago, and the business has grown to have 120 employees with an income of over £7 million in fees. It became an employee-owned trust back in 2017, and it was one of the first PR firms to do so.Before we start, our PR Masterclass: Agency Growth Forum has now launched. It’s on 12th November 2024, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm GMT. Both face-to-face and virtual tickets are available. The event is held in central London.Also, the early entry for the ESG Awards deadline is the 13th of September, and the final entry deadline 27th of September.Thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA.Here is a summary of what Sandy and PRmoment founder discussed:4 mins Sandy launched Tangerine back in 2002. Did she always want to launch her own business?5 mins Sandy talks us through why you left Harrison Cowley to launch Tangerine.“PR is more ethical now than it used to be.”8 mins The plan for Tangerine was always to run national accounts as a Manchester agency. Has that worked out?9 mins Is there still a perception amongst some that large national accounts should be run out of a London baked agency?11 mins Sandy’s previous employer, Harrison Cowley, was well regarded as a regional agency. Why did she not want to follow that model?13 mins Who were Tangerine’s original clients? What type of work does the agency specialise in now?14 mins What mistakes has Sandy made along the way?“We launched the obligatory London office…it was a bloody nightmare…We just didn't need it.”“It’s fine to make mistakes. If you're not, you’re not trying anything. You’re not taking risks.”“Your comfort place is fabulous but nothing ever grows there.”17 mins How do you know when to knock new launches on the head?20 mins Sandy talks us through the growth of Tangerine. “We’ve never gone up and down (revenue-wise), but we have plateaued.”23.30 mins Sandy on why Tangerine launched the digital marketing training provider Juice Academy.“600 apprentices have been through the Juice Academy for over 13 years.”26 mins How does the Juice Academy apprenticeship scheme work? 30.30 mins Tangerine got into social early. Was it quick off the mark, or were the established PR agencies a bit slow?32 mins What type of work do Tangerine do for Specsavers?34 mins Sandy describes why Tangerine expanded significantly during the Covid period.36 mins Who have been the key people in Tangerine’s story?38 mins As a founder, when do you know it's time to hand the baton on to the next generation?40 mins Sandy is a non-exec of the Rugby Football League. What makes a good non-exec?“A non-exec gives you a helicopter view.”“I would not only recommend agencies get them (non-execs), I would also recommend agency leaders do them.”

Send us a textOn the PRmoment Podcast this week, we’re talking to Natasha Hill, MD of Bottle PR.Recently Bottle has put together research looking at how PR can contribute throughout the sales funnel. Today Natasha will give us an insight into that research and we’ll talk through some examples of the type of contribution PR can make at the top, middle and bottom of an organisation’s sales funnel.Before we start, our PR Masterclass: Agency Growth Forum has now launched. It’s on 12th November 2024, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm GMT. Both face-to-face and virtual tickets are available. The event is held in central London.Thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA.Here is a summary of what Natasha talked about on the show:3 mins Natasha talks us through Bottle’s version of the sales funnel from a public relations perspective.5 mins Bottle’s 3 F funnel: Fame, Findability and Fulfillment.7 mins How do you measure the impact of the various channels on the funnel in an integrated campaign? 10 mins How can PR contribute at different stages of the funnel - so top, middle and bottom?What type of content works at different stages of the sales funnel?16 mins What the KPIs do you recommend at each stage of the sales funnel?

Send us a textWelcome to our review of PR Pitches and mergers & acquisitions in the UK PR scene with Andrew Bloch. Here, we discuss the biggest pitch wins and mergers & acquisitions that the PR sector has seen in the summer of 2024.Andrew is the lead consultant - PR, Social, Content and Influencer at the new business consultancy firm AAR and a partner at PCB Partners, where he advises on buying and selling marketing services agencies.Andrew launched Andrew Bloch & Associates in 2020.Before we start, our PR Masterclass: Agency Growth Forum has now launched. It’s on 12th November 2024, 8:30 am to 5:00 pm GMT. Both face-to-face and virtual tickets are available. The event is held in central London.“There is momentum building. We're going into the golden quarter.”“My observation is that the same agencies are doing very well, but there are some agencies that are struggling.”“As always, it’s important to keep an eye on your margins.”“Brands are being cautious…there’s a fair bit of try before you buy."“Everything is going in the right direction. The work being done by agencies is bold.”The summer’s PR Pitch wins:Castore hires Pretty Green. Famous Grouse also hires Pretty GreenB&Q hires The RomansIkea franchisee Ingka Centres hires The RomansVirgin Voyages also hires The Romans The Independent hires W Communications. All Things Butter hires MunchZenDesk hires AxicomHomebase hires Aduro Jammie Dodgers (Fox’s Burton Biscuits) hire FrankEvri hires CitypressBrewdog hires Ilk UK Export Credit Agency hires EulogyWRAP hires KindredOpen Table hires LaunchNational Grid hires nine agencies to its “community agency framework” for the next three years, namely Grayling, Cavendish, Lexington, Aecom, Arup, Camargue, Copper, grasshopper and JBP.The summer’s M&A activityWPP exit FGS Global - KKR takes majority control - valuing the company at $1.7B$AKT Health sells to JPA Health, the US HQ full-service healthcare group. Ascential (formerly known as Emap) to be acquired by Informa - £1.2bn cash offer deal.  Ascential owns Cannes Lions and Warc, a deal which is subject to regulatory and shareholder approval. Ascential is FTSE 250 - Cannes Lions generated 131M last year with an EBIT of 55M+.  Publicis acquires Influential - a leading influencer marketing platformHavas - acquires controlling stake in Klareco Communications - 3rd acquisition this year to add to global strategic advisory network H/Advisors.Prime Weber Shandwick – MBO – Swedish creative PR agency bought ten years ago.  Will now operate as an affiliate owned by five members of the leadership team. Will remain a close partner in the network. Supreme Group (A US Healthcare and Life Science Comms and Marketing) acquires Bio Strata (a Cambridge based life science pr and marketing.)

Send us a textWelcome to the PRmoment Podcast.This is our quarterly bonus podcast, where we chat about Rajar’s latest results. For those of you who aren’t aware of Rajar - it was established in 1992 and operates the single audience measurement system for the radio industry in the United KingdomRaja publishes the listenership figures each quarter, which is good for insightful for PR, curious about how the public engages with radio and how the market is performingOn the show today, we have Alex Blakemore, senior producer at Markettiers, who will discuss the latest Rajar results for Q2 2024.FIFTY-ONE MILLION PEOPLE!That's the number of people tuning into the radio every single week, according to the latest RAJAR figures released today.These figures cover the period from April to June this year, encompassing a General Election and the start of the summer of sport – no wonder we've been glued to our favourite stations for the latest updates!Commercial radio now reaches over 40 million listeners every week. Diving deeper into the data, Jordan North's debut results for the Capital Breakfast show an impressive increase of more than 250,000 listeners quarter on quarter.Other exciting news is the rise in BBC Local Radio listenership, up from 6,852,000 to 7,046,000 weekly listeners. This growth includes increases for stations like BBC Radio Gloucestershire, BBC Radio Cornwall, BBC Radio London, BBC Radio Guernsey, and BBC Radio Bristol, to name just a few.If you’re listening to this podcast and you’re a senior member of a PR agency team, our subscription training service, PRmoment Leaders, was built for you. It features a new educational syllabus that will help develop and retain your senior team members while preparing them to lead your business and drive future growth.Containing 11 learning and networking elements, the PRmoment Leaders subscription package has been designed to flex around busy teams and individual learning stylesAlso, thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA.Here is a summary of what Alex and PRmoment editor Elizabeth Howlett discussed:1.30 mins Alex summarises the key insights for this latest quarter of Rajar's results“Another fabulous quarter for radio.”“51 million people are listening to the radio each week…26 hours a week.”3 mins What's behind the increase in radio listening habits?“Commercial radio is winning the race at the moment.”“Global remains the number 1 commercial radio organisation in the UK.”“At Capital's breakfast show, Jordan North has added a quarter of a million listeners”5 mins "People are turning to the radio because it is a trusted platform."“Radio 2 remains the UK’s favourite radio station.”9 mins A discussion about how radio is such an adaptable channel, from smart speakers to in the car.“It comes back to (radio's) relatability.”12 mins Some actionable top tips for PR when thinking about their radio campaign planning.13 mins Alex makes his predictions for radio in Q3 2024.

Send us a textWelcome to our review of PR Pitches and mergers & acquisitions in the UK PR scene with Andrew Bloch. Here, we discuss the biggest pitch wins and mergers & acquisitions that the PR sector has seen in July 2024.Andrew is the lead consultant - PR, Social, Content and Influencer at the new business consultancy firm AAR and a partner at PCB Partners, where he advises on buying and selling marketing services agencies.Andrew launched Andrew Bloch & Associates in 2020.Before we start, we'd like to let you know that our PR Masterclass: Agency Growth Forum has now launched. It’s on 12th November 2024, 8:30 am to 5:00pm GMT. Both face-to-face and virtual tickets are available. The event is held in central London.3 mins July’s run down of PR Pitch winsMoet Hennessy appoint Earnies Pernod Ricard Champagne appoint Hopscotch SeasonBrown Forman appoint Taylor Herring and HalpernBrooks Running appoint Sunny Side UpBest Cereal also appoint Sunny Side UpDept for Education appoint Four Harvard win 16 new clients in H1 of 2024Arla Foods appoint CitypressWho Can Fix My Car appoint Hard Numbers World Travel Market appoint Davies Tanner 12 mins July’s M&A Activity in UK PRWPP reject KKR (PE) majority bid for FGS Global - KKR currently owns 30% of FGS.W Communications - sells the majority of shares to an Employee Ownership Trust.Muckle Media buys Spey, which are both Scottish-based. Finn Partners acquires Claudine Collins Communications.MHP Group acquires Truva Partners.

Send us a textIn our twice-yearly review of the UK PR market PRmoment founder Ben Smith catches up with Warren Johnson.Warren founded W Communications in 2009. It now has global revenues of £25m and a headcount of 200, with 120 in London at W, 40 at its travel PR specialist Lotus, 25 in Singapore, and 15 in New York.Do check out the agency and in-house programmes for our new education programme PRmoment Leaders.PRmoment Leaders is our new subscription-based learning programme and community, built by PRmoment specifically for the next generation of PR and comms leaders to learn, network and lead.Thanks so much to the PRmoment Podcast sponsors the PRCA.1. 30 mins Warren reveals why and how he has just sold his business, W Communications, to an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT.)“It’s a government-backed business structure designed to help business owners pass on their business, realise some value from it…and pass it into the hands of the next generation.”11 mins Warren discusses the performance of the PR market for H1 2024.“It’s a bit of a slog. The economy is still pretty weak. There is a lot of nervousness client side.”“Productivity is poor. The Brexit impact is ongoing.”“We (the UK) are managing our decline not very well.”“A lot of the top agencies are doing a great job of land grabbing from other industries.”20 mins Why Warren worries about UK PR’s productivity.“Hybrid working has run its course…10% of the UK PR industry lost their jobs last year. If those people were all productive I just don’t believe they would have lost their jobs.”“I don’t know a single agency which hasn't reduced their headcount in the last 12 months.”“Hybrid working reduces productivity…in specialist roles, I can see how it can boost productivity in generalist roles, I question its value.”“At pace is how I build my business…I just think not being around each other breeds legacy behaviour. All businesses need to re-invent themselves at a quicker pace and if you can’t work together to do that, you will become obsolete.”