Media mix: Story; Democracy; Mando and more

PR and content marketing duo Helen Strother and Barry Gregory have joined forces to launch a new consultancy called Story.
 
The two former Paver Smith account directors say the new business is modelled “somewhere between a collective and a barrister’s chambers”, referring to its flexible team structure and relatively low fixed costs.
 
Strother and Gregory will be the only full-time members of the Story team, based at the Cotton Quarter in Liverpool, and will be joined on a client-by-client basis by a team of trusted design, digital and PR specialists.
 
The pair have already secured a host of clients including Morecrofts Solicitors, Liverpool Organic Brewery and business recovery specialist Berry & Cooper.
 
“This best-fit approach reflects the changing dynamic of agency-client relationships and ensures clients pay for exactly what they get, without the undue burden of overheads or operational structures”, says Strother, who was previously associate director of marketing at Claremont Group Interiors.
 
“We wanted to build a model that will last – providing content marketing, social media and PR expertise to clients alongside broader creative services, with the flexibility and agility to accomplish any size of project or contract.
 
“The root of the model is probably somewhere between a collective and a barrister’s chambers.”
 
Gregory, who has spent the past two years in senior consultancy roles in the charity and property sectors, added: “Every member of our wider team is someone with whom we have worked in the past and trust implicitly to support our clients, so we are able to achieve traditional agency scale but in a much more bespoke way.
 
“This arrangement also reflects the ongoing trend for marketing professionals electing to go self-employed and manage their own work patterns. This means we are able to call upon some very talented people and it’s a solution that works on many levels.”

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TRAVIS Perkins has appointed Democracy to handle all PR for their merchant brand as they roll out their ‘your local Timber and Builders Merchant’ positioning.

The Manchester agency was appointed following a competitive pitch and the move is an extension of Democracy’s existing relationship with the nationwide builders’ merchant group.

Democracy has already been working on a series of eight branch openings across the UK for Travis Perkins with its On Home Turf proposition.

In addition, the agency has been supplying trade and consumer PR to the Travis Perkins-owned Scruffs Workwear brand for more than five years.

Now Democracy will handle press relations, supporting all parts of the business with a series of integrated campaigns to boost key trading periods and drive customer engagement.

Lucy Miller, marketing manager at Travis Perkins, said: “Democracy demonstrated creative ways to engage a challenging to reach audience. They also place great focus on measuring their performance.

“This, coupled with the work they have already done with us, gives us full confidence in building a successful partnership.”

Democracy has also carried out store opening campaigns for Sayers the Baker, Poundbakery and TJ Hughes in addition to working with Hammerson International on the opening of The Rock retail and leisure destination in Bury.

Jennifer O’Grady, founder of Democracy, said: “The building industry is on the up after several tough years and it’s a challenging and exciting time to take audience engagement to the next level.

“Our work with the Travis Perkins group to date has given us an understanding of the business that we will now look to extend into results-driven activity.”

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MANDO Group has won a prestigious three year framework agreement to take on the digital estate and develop a digital strategy for utilities client Northumbrian Water Group.

Liverpool-based Mando will support all of Northumbrian Water’s digital portfolio, including the company’s main websites, customer self-serve areas and other associated microsites.

The Northumbrian Water website portfolio includes supporting the 2.7 million people in the North East of England provided with water and sewerage services and also 1.8 million people in the South East, under its sister company Essex & Suffolk Water.

Dan Prior, commercial director of Mando said: “We’re thrilled to have won this prestigious contract through a very competitive tender process.

“It firmly strengthens our presence in the utilities sector, not only for ongoing technical support and development but also strategic consulting and design.”

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PERCEPTION Sales & Marketing has been re-appointed PR consultant for boutique hotel, Fishmore Hall in Ludlow, Shropshire.

The PR company, based in Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire won the pitch to spear head a PR campaign to promote the hotel restaurant Forelles and new Head Chef, Andrew Birch.
 
Fishmore Hall is owned by Acorn Award winner, Laura Penman and launched in October 2007 after a 22 week refurbishment which took the building from a near derelict state to a contemporary 15 bedroom hotel. The hotel has since been awarded Three Red Stars by the AA Hotel Guide.