Citypress strengthens Birmingham office

INTEGRATED PR, digital and creative agency Citypress has strengthened its Birmingham office with the appointment of two new members of staff.

The agency’s latest expansion sees Lucy McDade join as Account Executive, alongside Tom Parker, who takes up the role of Content Manager.

The Birmingham office has seen impressive growth since being established by Citypress in 2011. The new appointments follow a series of high-profile client wins across the agency’s UK network, including Coca-Cola Enterprises and The Post Office, which join Lloyds Banking Group and The Midcounties Co-operative.

Formerly of Gung Ho Communications, Parker brings more than eight years of experience which has seen him develop content to support local, national and global campaigns for brands including Heart FM, Speedo, New Balance and The Library of Birmingham.

Ms McDade arrives after spending two years with Haslimann Taylor, where she worked on a range b2b, retail and consumer clients, including leading house builders Taylor Wimpey, and a number of food and leisure brands including Papa John’s Pizza and Harvester.

Katie Dale, Senior Account Director at Citypress, said: “The appointment of Lucy and Tom, together with our recent client wins, underpins our ongoing and rapid growth since opening in Birmingham over three years ago.

“They bring with them a wealth of experience and knowledge which complements that of our existing team, which will prove invaluable as we look to increase our range of clients within the food and drink, retail, consumer markets and financial services sectors.”

Online streaming for hospital radio service

BHBN Hospital Radio has expanded its reach by venturing into online streaming – making it permanently accessible to the general public for the first time in its 62 years of broadcasting.
 
Until now, the volunteer-run hospital radio station – based in the old Queen Elizabeth Hospital building in Edgbaston – could only broadcast to patients in the six NHS hospitals across Birmingham via tuned-in media units at patients’ bedsides.
 
Online streaming means the broadcasting service will now be much more accessible for patients, many of who come into hospitals with their own mobile and tablet devices. It also means that people receiving home-care, as well as friends and relatives of those in hospital for any length of time, will be able to tune in and call to request a song dedication for themselves or someone else.
 
Colin Monnaf, Program Controller for BHBN, said: “This is a really exciting time for BHBN. The expansion to online broadcasting will really boost the potential for us to reach more patients than ever.
 
“Accessibility of the station for our patients is key to enabling us to deliver our services easily and, with more and more people tuning into radio and music stations via a variety of online devices these days, our expansion into online broadcasting was the direction we all agreed we needed to go in.”
 
BHBN broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week, delivering a range of entertainment, music and sport based programs designed to appeal to the range of patients in hospital. Patients will be still be able to tune in via their bedside media units if they wish, with the online broadcasts also now being available via the Tune-In Radio app on tablet and compatible mobile devices and via the online stream on the website – http://www.bhbn.net/index.htm.
 

Tasty client win for GBW

MARKETING agency, Gough Bailey Wright (GBW), has been appointed to represent Worcestershire food firm, Bobby’s Foods.

The company supplies innovative and novelty snacks, confectionery, drinks and cakes to around 19,000 independent stores nationwide.

The full service programme includes interacting and engaging with consumers via various social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as raising its profile to its independent retailer customers through a programme of business to business targeted activity.

Chris Smith, marketing executive from Bobby’s Foods, said: “Earlier this year we decided to embark on our biggest ever marketing initiative to enhance our profile amongst retailers and consumers, so we needed the support of an agency with the experience and reputation for delivering results. After a competitive pitch, we selected Gough Bailey Wright. They are a perfect fit for us and the experienced team fully understand our ethos and objectives and will be helping us take our brand to the masses.”

Michelle Wright, client services director at GBW, added: “We’re really excited to have won this account. Like us, Bobby’s is a proudly independent Worcestershire-based company operating on a national level.”

Pictured are GBW account managers Laura Quigley and Sundeep Sehijpal.