NEW TV CAMPAIGN FOR WENSLEYDALE

Graham writes…..if you have a moment this week please buy a slice of Wensleydale cheese at the supermarket. The Wensleydale Creamery is a rural community business and, as well as handling its PR, we have launched its first TV advert. The campaign distances the firm from the well known ‘Wallace and Gromitt’ image (which will be used for special occasions) and focuses on the key selling point; that it is the only Wensleydale Cheese made in Wensleydale. Others are the products of big agri-businesses and in the supermarket cheese wars try to undercut Wensleydale Creamery on price. The truth is that the Wensleydale Creamery makes the cheese using milk from more than40 farms in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. These farmers have higher costs because they have responsibilities to the environment under the National Park rules. Buying the real cheese will help them and keep the Dales as a green and pleasant land!

Pimlico’s ‘Secret Millionaire’

Graham writes.......Well done to Charlie Mullins, managing director of Pimlico Plumbers, who took part in an episode of Secret Millionaire last week. A charity dealing with support for cancer sufferers and a special garden centre for people with learning disabilities were among the recipients of large cash sums from Pimlico Plumbers as a result of Charlie’s generosity. I thought Charlie came across really well. It is always best to be yourself on these shows. The producers are careful to generate the best ‘reveal’ moment at the end but the programmes also tell the story of the subject’s ‘journey’ and change of lifestyle. Charlie is the third Recognition client to appear on this programme, which was the brainchild of UK TV genius Stephen Lambert. We met Stephen before the first programme aired, as one of our clients for involved in the pilot. It was a difficult thing to sell at first – the TV company telling a business millionaire he would be made a fish out of water for a week with no access to home or phone and a microphone and TV camera following every move. What is more they are expected to give out large sums of their own money to take part. Matching up the right project to the right millionaire is also a big job, in Charlie’s case the project took two years from initial contact to transmission. But it was worth it, a great show and everyone was a winner!

The Shadow MPC - 'Panel publicity'

Frances writes……today our firm organised two of our regular ‘shadow MPC’ panels on behalf of clients Arlington Financial in the North East and Lee & Priestley Solicitors in Yorkshire. The idea behind these panels is to position our clients as leaders of opinion and decision makers (which they are of course!) The panels work in conjunction with two newspapers and, in the case of the North East, also with the North East Chamber of Commerce. The Yorkshire Post and the Northern Echo each send a reporter to report the deliberations of the panels and interesting copy is generated from the front line of the economy. Each panel consists of around 10 leaders of the local economy. They debate the current trends and offer their view on what the Bank of England should do with interest rates when it decides on Thursday. We have other panels that work in a similar way, for example the property panel in conjunction with the Northern Echo and Latimer Hinks Solicitors and the commercial developers panel in Huddersfield in conjunction with Baxter Caulfield and the Huddersfield Examiner. The decisions of the two shadow MPCs were that rates should be held……click for a video

Strictly Real Yorkshire Wensleydale

Graham writes.......Great day today promoting Wensleydale cheese. We have announced a new ‘brand ambassador’ – Darren Gough, the Strictly Coming Dancing star and the former England and Yorkshire cricketer. Darren was brilliant. He met the media and the public at three locations in one day – Leeds, the Yorkshire Dales and Yarm in Cleveland. Getting the right ‘star’ to endorse a product or service can really pay dividends. Darren has just the right following, is a true Yorkshireman and passionately believed in our message. We want more people to insist on buying Wensleydale cheese that is made in Wensleydale and notice the new stamp of authenticity on the package. The media day was cost effective – generating tens of thousand of pounds worth of publicity for much less than we actually spent! (pictured: Darren Gough 'dancing' with Kate Allison of Wensleydale Creamery outside Lewis & Cooper Deli in Yarm)

Black & Decker event

Graham writes......Not all PR is about the media. Recognition has organised an executive briefing and facility tour for leading North East opinion formers at Black and Decker’s European Research & Design Centre in Spennymoor County Durham. The event lasted three hours and gave people an insight into a facility which many had thought had closed. In truth much of the manufacturing at the site has come to an end but the activities in the research and design side of the business are very much alive and well. Guests were fascinated by the wide range of Black & Decker products that have started their life in the creative development rooms in Spennymoor. The quality of innovation and the enthusiasm of the staff were evident for all to see. Black & Decker hopes to develop this element of its business in the UK and the guests who attended were all of the view that such developments should be in North East England.

Sep...back at work...visit to ITV

Graham writes.......Caroline Walker, one of our senior consultants, and I paid a visit to the producers of ITV’s This Morning programme today. Based at the London Studios on the South Bank the team produce a fantastic and popular programme which reaches millions of viewers every day. We heard about how the show is structured and researched and the tight timings to make the films which are featured in slots every day. The films are generally split into five parts shown over five consecutive weeks. We were there to tell them about the services and experts available from The Priory and other Recognition clients. They were impressed that a PR firm based outside London had so many interesting clients! The new presenter team of Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby are away at the moment but the show certainly intends to be a force in UK TV when they return.

Flintoff filmed by Recognition

Graham writes….on this important day for English cricket – the fifth test starts today - we want to wish the team and Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff well. Only two days ago our team were filming Freddie for a promotional webcast about a new video game he is bringing out soon. Our clients were the PR team for the video game store. We film lots of celebrities like this through our sister business Recognition Services, which makes web videos and audio clips for use by PR campaigns. The newspapers use them and good PR campaigns spread them around the internet, they are not expensive with a simple web video coming in at £390 plus VAT.

August seaside tales!

Duncan Bannatyne has one mission in life: to help British business, particularly struggling businesses. The UK press have one mission in life: to use celebrity names to sell papers (particularly in August when there is no news around!) These two missions have collided. Duncan accepted an invitation from a TV channel to help some struggling attractions at various seaside resorts. Viewers will see him advising these business owners on how to improve their product and maximise their income. The press have noticed he spends some of his summers in his French Villa and have contrasted this to helping these business. They have conjured up the little green envy genie and suggested he is hypocritical enjoying France while others stay at home! I know that Duncan enjoys the British seaside as much as anyone, his early summers were spent attending deck chairs a seaside. The story might make a August silly season tale, but it won’t stop Duncan’s enthusiasm for supporting the small business. you can hear his response in and audio interview here: http://www.recognitionpr.co.uk/journalistarea-story.asp?id=6976

Frances writes......At the beginning of August we always tell our team to beware the media’s agenda. The media need to fill the gap left by a lack of Parliamentary, Council and Court reporting as these bodies often take a break. News programmes aren’t shortened but instead the cameras and microphones turn to issues that would otherwise not have been of interest. Sources of information such as league tables from regulators, inspection reports about nursery schools, nursing homes and hospitals suddenly become the subject of detailed scrutiny. Reader, viewer and listener complaints about companies and public bodies receive greater attention.

As a result, in August Recognition is always busy. Normally around 30% of our work is devoted to answering hostile media stories, this week it has been nearer 50%. Furthermore, very often the decision makers from our clients are away and getting the information we need to fight back can be difficult. Thankfully we have managed to mitigate much of what has happened this August. But all organisations need to beware of August. Plan to issue some news and fill the vacuum, don’t let the media do it for you!

Dragon's investment......

I just had to blog about this one....UK Commercial Cleaning and Supplies is Duncan Bannatyne's latest investment, did you see them on Dragon's Den. Brilliant. They reminded me of starting this firm from my bedroom and I'm sure they reminded Duncan of his own humble business roots as an ice cream van owner. He invested £100,000 in this firm. The founder Tony Earnshaw, started from a window cleaning round when he was only 19. Now 6 years on he has a business which expects to turnover £1million per year and has healthy profits. Duncan's cash will help the firm open depots around the UK and our publicity support should keep him well known. Today he is in all the North's press and on our TV too. well done Tony!