Media Buzz: Leader Communications; drp; RBH

WARWICKSHIRE PR and communications consultancy Leader Communications has marked its 50th anniversary by planting a commemorative woodland in its home county.

Forming part of The Heart of England Forest, the Leader Wood will comprise 3,000 native beech, birch, oak and other native trees on a six-acre site in Dorsington, near Stratford-upon-Avon.

Staff from Leader Communications took part in a special planting day which saw them each plant some of the saplings that will eventually form the wood.

As well as commemorating the 50 year anniversary of Leader Communications, the Leader Wood will also stand in memory of Barbara Holden, wife of the company’s founder Bryan and mother of James, Craig and Susan Holden.

James Holden, Leader Communications’ managing director, said: “The Leader Wood helps to commemorate Leader’s achievement in reaching 50 years as a PR business and acknowledges my late mother’s role alongside my father in building up the business.

“The woodland the team helped to plant will provide a place of peace and contemplation and a sustainable legacy for future generations, along with playing its part in achieving the noble aims of the Heart of England Forest’s plan to plant a huge new native broadleaf woodland in England.”

Leader, which has a turnover in excess of £750,000, employs six client facing directors, each specialists in their field, plus a hub of support staff working from a rural headquarters just south of Henley-in-Arden.

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WORCESTERSHIRE agency drp has strengthened its events business with a new appointment.

The Bromsgrove-based firm has recruited Mark Cunningham to take on the role of Events Producer.

Mr Cunningham has broad experience in the industry through the delivery of both corporate and mass participation events all over the globe.

With knowledge of the sport, charity, retail, and corporate sectors, he has worked with a wide variety of clients including Oxfam, Allianz, Saint Gobin, Eversheds, Microsoft UK, Cisco, Catlin, Fujitsu, Sky and G4S, in locations across the UK, Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa.

In his new role, he will be working on various projects for a range of drp clients.
 
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CANADIAN-based global gas barbecue giant, Napoleon, has appointed marketing agency RBH to create an integrated campaign aimed at raising brand awareness in the UK and driving traffic to its stockists.

Its high-end products are stocked by the likes of Harrods, but it wants to broaden their appeal to a wider audience.

RBH partner, Fizz Bingham, said: “We’re delighted to be involved in what is a very significant investment for Napoleon. They were totally honest about what they were and weren’t doing well in our market, which differs greatly from most that they operate in due to our unique climate and how it affects the barbecue culture here. To us, this signalled their sophistication and determination to be successful. It certainly made our job a whole lot easier.”

Dave Coulson, global marketing manager at Napoleon, said the firm had looked for a UK partner capable of connecting it with its targeted audience in a way that only a locally-based agency could.

“Not only did RBH demonstrate an ability to do this, they presented us with a very clever way of turning the market’s particular challenges into a positive,” he said.

The national campaign will begin next spring.