Agency roundup: Pick & Mix; Lucre Group; KC Communications; and more

York-based marketing agency, Pick & Mix now part of the Northern Communications Group, has kickstarted 2021 by adding 11 new clients to its portfolio, spanning the construction, property, retail, and hospitality sectors.

The agency’s success comes in light of Jess Valenghi’s appointment to director last year, following the news that Pick & Mix was to join the Northern Communications Group.

The Group is expanding its team to support this period of growth, and to meet client expectations for the year ahead.

Valenghi said: “We are delighted to have secured a raft of new clients over recent months, reflecting the market needs and the Group’s comprehensive communications offer.

“Our plans for the next few months are to build our profile across the region and beyond, offering specialist support to businesses as we move out of lockdown measures and focus on the months and years ahead.

“As we continue to acquire new clients and evolve our current working relationships, we will be looking to grow our team further and recruit for a number of new roles.”

Pick & Mix solidified its partnership with its now parent organisation, the Northern Communications Group, in June 2020.

The Group comprises several established communications agencies, working together to provide a full service communications agency.

Paul Featherstone, CEO of the Group, said: “The recent spate of new clients for the Pick & Mix team is testament to the work and expertise that they offer, supported by the wider Group.

“It has been a great start to the year which we hope is good news and added confidence for the local, regional and national economy alike.”

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Sophie Spyropoulos

So Pure Air, a technology start-up providing air sterilisers for commercial properties, has appointed The Lucre Group to handle its PR and digital content.

The client win strengthens the Tech division at the PR and creative content specialist, which will handle all of So Pure Air’s external communications across the UK.

With health and wellbeing on everyone’s minds, a core part of Leeds-based Lucre’s role will be to launch So Pure Air through a hard-hitting PR campaign and an ongoing thought leadership and education programme.

This work will highlight how effective investing in products and services that eliminate viruses and bacteria can be as part of an effective infection control strategy.

In addition, Lucre’s content division RICH has been tasked with delivering a digital strategy that will improve the performance of the brand’s online content and expand its share of voice through new platforms.

Stephen Slater, managing director at So Pure Air, said: “Employers will no doubt be asking themselves what measures they can put in place to control infection spread in the workplace.

“Getting our message out there and highlighting the real benefits of air sterilization requires specialist communication experts and Lucre’s strong interest in Tech appealed to us.

“The team understands and supports our ambitious vision to rapidly grow the business and expand our customer base.

“We’re confident Lucre will raise So Pure Air’s profile and ultimately help us in our mission to improve workplace air quality and employee wellbeing.”

Sophie Spyropoulos, owner director at The Lucre Group, said: “It’s an incredibly exciting time for Stephen and his team – never before has air quality been so high on the agenda.

“In our view, it’s a critical part of employee health and safety and is something all employers should be considering before staff head back to the office in 2021.

“We’re thrilled to have been appointed and are excited to support So Pure Air’s ambition to improve air quality for all.”

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Frankie Lyons

Huddersfield-based PR and marketing agency KC Communications has welcomed two more members of staff and four more clients to its roster.

Frankie Lyons has joined the agency as a senior digital PR manager from Leeds-based Jaywing PR, bringing over five years of experience working with a number of household brands.

She will be leading the team in the development of digital PR activity across a number of key accounts for the agency, as well as helping to upskill the team and utilising her knowledge of the industry to expand KC Communications’ Earned Media offering for new and existing clients.

Brianna Allsopp

has also joined the agency to undertake the PRCA Apprenticeship course, learning about the fundamentals of the industry whilst working in an agency environment.

Allsopp is the second apprentice to join the firm over the last 12 months.

The duo’s appointments follow a number of new wins for the agency in 2021, across a range of sectors, including events specialists Ayre and secured document management company Go Shred.

The agency has also become the retained PR agency for creative digital strategy agency Fishtank, as well as acting as social media consultants for Germany-based truckBloc, a perimeter security specialist.

Managing director, Katrina Cliffe, said: “I am thrilled to welcome Frankie and Brianna to the team, alongside a number of new clients wins for the agency.

“The new recruits have already immersed themselves into the projects we’re working on and we have seen some amazing results so far.

“The team and I are looking forward to continuing the momentum of a strong start to 2021 and expanding our client offering over the next twelve months.”

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Paul Smith

Leeds-based digital transformation agency Calls9 has confirmed the arrival of two new members to its Board of Directors.

Paul Smith and Dr David Pearce are well-known figures in the region’s business sector and will be adding their extensive industry experience and leadership to the digital transformation of professional services businesses.

Smith is a legal innovator and the former global chairman of international law firm Eversheds Sutherland where he led on the firm’s global client strategy, winning global mandates with companies such as Tyco and DuPont.

He also led on the firm’s transatlantic merger, creating a firm with over $1bn in revenues.

Smith joins Calls9 as head of professional services and as a non-executive director focusing on growing its enterprise customer portfolio and building its proposition for the professional services sector.

Pearce is a healthcare and MedTech innovator. As a medical professional, he has unique insight into the way technology can transform outdated modes of working in the medicolegal sector.

He has built multi-million pound businesses that have transformed this sector. Pearce is a serial entrepreneur having launched, scaled and exited multiple businesses and is a prominent investor in UK technology start-ups including Synap and Mina.

He joins Calls9 as head of start-ups and as a non-executive director to help grow its portfolio of start-up and scale-up customers.

Calls9 founder & CEO, Adam Roney, said: “We are excited to welcome Paul and David to Calls9. The breadth and depth of experience they bring to the business will enrich our thinking, our strategy and the services we offer to our customers.

David Pearce

“The professional services market is going through radical change and with this level of cross-sector experience in the business we are uniquely positioned to help these businesses use digital to their strategic advantage.”

Smith added: “I am delighted to join the Board of Calls9 having worked with Adam for many years. It is an exciting time to be working in the digital transformation space and I am looking forward to helping professional services businesses on their digital transformation journey.”

Pearce said: “Calls9’s mission to transform traditional business models, enable new ways of working and improve customer experiences reflects my personal and professional values and commitment to make the world a better place using technology.

“I am delighted to join its Board and look forward to adding my expertise to Calls9’s great work.”