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.