Brilliant news coverage for key clients this week!

Graham writes.... A great news week for Recognition clients. Wensleydale Creamery was featured on national BBC TV for its brilliant export achievements and TAG Energy Solutions got widespread coverage for its £20million investment announcement, see the video below!

TV is told the case for the North!

Graham writes.....the BBC has commissioned research from Experian which suggests Teesside in the North East is the area least able to hold its own at a time of public spending cuts. I don't entirely agree with the research, it uses last year's data and things have got better in the area recently, particularly with the announcement of a possible rescue for the Corus steel plant. But this week both the BBC and Sky focused on the North's fragile economy and Recognition persuaded the broadcasters to be balanced and look at the North's prospects too. Our clients TTE, Coast & Country, NOF Energy and Lingfield Point all featured on national TV putting the case for the North. Keith Hunter at TTE was particularly good, he knows his stuff, you can see him pictured here telling David Cameron how skills training should be organised. When it comes to getting people in front of cameras and microphones Recognition works very effectively!

William Hague

Graham writes....I've known William Hague for more than 20 years. He has been a political colleague, a significant client (we handled all his Northern media appearances during his time as Conservative leader) and a friend. He supported me when I ended up standing in a by-election in Tony Blair's seat, which neighbours his own (see pic). I know he is a man of character and integrity. His warmth and support during my wife's battle against cancer from 1999 to 2005 was instinctive and generous. During his time as leader I witnessed him being asked about all manner of personal things by journalists from all over the world - he has said many times he is not gay and the statement he issued recently should not have been a surprise.

When the media rang me up to ask if I would comment about it, I chose my platforms - local TV and newspapers - and issued a simple statement of my own: He has been subjected to trashy innuendo from trashy people for trashy publications. I think that it is a shame that the Amercian politics of personal destruction forced him to make his public statement but admire him for doing so nevertheless. Those sneering metropolitan commentators who say that issuing the statement was wrong are just trying to create an angle to transform this into a political issue about his judgement; they claim he made the situation worse but conveniently ignore that fact that when his adviser resigned the issue would have been a full blown media story, by issuing his statement he got his position out without, in the media phrase, 'being forced to make a statement'. It is entirely in the character of William Hague to speak plainly, not for him hiding from an issue or dashing to lawyers for gagging orders like sports stars or celebrities.

In the North his support is solid. No friend, colleague, or for that matter political opponent, has said anything snide to the regional media and the regional media have not followed the metropolitan elite who so despise a successful Yorkshireman. Hague is bigger than the small minded smear merchants who attack him. He is more important to the country and his constituents than the commentators who drip poison. I, for one, was happy to offer public, unequivocal support.

FRANK'S FLOORING WINNING WITH PR & ADVERTISING

Graham writes.....Frank's Flooring is well known for a distintive type of asdvertising; it is a no nonsense simple message delivered by true North Easterner Frank on radio & TV and in the presss. It has been paying off with comnpany growth and some serious job creating investment. Our media release was widely covered in all the regional press and showed the serious side to a fun advert that has been delivering great results. Read the story here:

FRANKS FLOORING STORE ROLL OUT MAJOR EXPANSION AND INVESTMENT

Franks the Flooring Store is set for further growth across the North East, as it plans to open up to ten new sites and make a £1 million investment at its County Durham distribution centre.

Expansion by the region’s largest independent flooring retailer will create up to 60 new jobs as the company looks to increase its store portfolio by a third in the next 12 months to 35.

The £1 million investment at its distribution centre will pave the way for a second state of the art carpet cutting machine, along with a new delivery docking area, which will greatly increase the speed carpets can be off loaded from lorries.

Already this year, Franks has recruited 30 members of staff, and opened a number of stores across the region in Washington, Ashington and Shiremoor. The group currently employs 150 people across the region.

Franks the Flooring Store dynasty was founded by William Maguire Snr in 1981 who began trading from small premises in West Auckland. There are now three generations of the family working in the company.

Jason Maguire from Franks the Flooring Store, said: “As the North East’s leading flooring retailer we have benefitted from the growing number of people who are improving their properties buying new carpets and rugs, rather than moving homes.

“Due to this increased demand we are delighted to announce this growth and a £1 million investment. This decision will allow Franks the Flooring Store to plan on opening a further 10 stores across the North East and create 60 new jobs.”

LEADERSHIP AND PR PUT FOOD PRODUCT IN TOP THREE

70 years ago when TS Elliott wrote about things that were culturally identified with Britain he put Wensleydale Cheese on his list. Well, thanks to brilliant leadership from the Wensleydale Creamery and sustained PR from the team at Recognition (Frances, Graham and Helen) Wensleydale Cheese is once more recognised internationally as a icon of the UK. An extensive survey of 4000 people conducted has identified ten things people associate with Yorkshire. The poll was conducted by Visit York to celebrate Yorkshire Day on August 1st, and places Wensleydale Cheese at number three after Yorkshire Pudding and Yorkshire Tea. This is a well deserved ranking for a firm that has worked so hard to promote a distinct product that rightly seeks protected status from the European Union.

COLLEGE IN WALES RECEIVES PRAISE FROM ‘THE FONZ’

Recognition was delighted to be in contact with Hollywood actor Henry Winkler to promote the Priory Education Services innovative partnership with Coleg Gwent. the partnership provides specialist educational facilities for students with Asperger’s syndrome and tackles the long-term employment issues associated with the condition.

Henry Winkler has been associated with campaigns on this condition for some time.

In 2007, the National Autistic Society launched a report calling for better support and services for young people during the crucial transition stages between school, higher education, training and employment.
The ‘Don’t write me off’ campaign found that only 15% of adults with autism were in full-time paid employment, which could be greatly increased if the right planning, support and service is offered to people with autism during the transition stage.

Priory Coleg Wales is a co-educational college for students aged 16 to 25 designed to meet the academic, social and emotional needs of its students. The Coleg will accept its first students in September 2010.

Priory Coleg Wales is set within the grounds of Coleg Gwent, the largest further education college in Wales with 5 separate campuses. The learning centre is located on the Pontypool campus and comprises of classrooms, IT facilities, a therapy room, learning kitchen and dining room.

The learning centre is a safe area within a mainstream setting providing retreat when students feel challenged by social situations. It is also the base for the College’s in-house programme of support. Local buses and transport are used to travel between the campuses with the help of support workers where required, but with the overall aim of increasing independent travel skills for the future.

A number of therapies are also offered to students to help with their on-going personal development including art therapy, speech and language therapy and counselling.

The Priory Coleg Wales will initially create 10 jobs in the area, potentially reaching 50 plus jobs in the next couple of years.

Henry Winkler, best known for playing The Fonz in Happy Days, who is promoting the My Way! campaign, sent a message to Priory Coleg Wales: "Every child learns in their own way and no matter what that path is, each child must be celebrated."

Positive start to July!

Graham writes....we have had a really positive start to July at Recognition. First we won a great new client - TAS Engineering Consultants, which has an enviable track record advising some top international firms. Secondly, we have recruited some new people, increasing our staff numbers and our talent pool! Richard Hall joins us as a PR consultant, he recently worked in the Newcastle Building Society press office; Anna Dawson joins us as a PR assistant, she recently worked at a local advertising agency and is now responsible for booking our TV crews. Kate Power joins the team as the PA to the Partners, Kate recently worked for chemical firm Croda.
Finally some excellent coverage for www.shopsafe.co.uk, which is operated by Darlington internet firm Edward Robinson. The Daily Mirror highlighted the fantastic service they provide to internet shoppers. Click here.

BUDGET 2010

Recognition has organised a special event for Stockton-based Henderson Insurance Brokers and the Institute of Directors which was attended by business leaders from North-East. Budget Live! on June 22 allowed guests to watch George Osborne’s emergency Budget and then hear a panel from politics, business, and trade unions discuss its implications. The Budget was broadcast live to an audience of leading North East business leaders and was followed by a Question Time-style debate featuring a panel comprising Peter Wilkinson, Group Claims Director of Henderson Insurance Brokers, Alastair Thomson, North East Chairman of the Institute of Directors, Alan Milne, Regional Officer, of the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union and Lord Bates, of the Conservative Party.

Our video shows highlights from the event, which was also covered by the regional media and the BBC's Newsnight on BBC2

Social networking widgets

More and more clients want to ensure that our media releases are distributed using social networking in the internet. Now our journalist's page includes buttons so that journalists who also blog and use social network tools (which includes many forward thjinking journalists) can simply click a button and put our client's stories on their facebook or twitter feeds. See the buttons below to use the system on this blog!!

National TV - hatrick coverage

Graham writes.....three of Recognition's associates featured on an important BBC report about the economy this week. In his preview of the Bank of England's interest rate decision the BBC's business reporter, Nigel cassidy, came to the North and interviewed EOS, a company which makes steel framed housing, Arlington Financial, a Hartlepool based financial advisory firm and the convenience store group, Mills.

The BBC covered the North East Chamber of Commerce/Northern Echo/Arlington Financial shadow MPC which suggested interest rates stay on hold at 0.5%. See the video here....