Agency roundup: The Partners Group; Journey Further; Faith; and more

York PR agency The Partners Group has been handed a brief by Midlands engineering company Micro-Mesh to build brand awareness of its online FilterFinder division, launched during the pandemic.

Founded in 1968, Micro-Mesh is a family-run business specialising in the manufacture of hydraulic and air filters.

The company manufactures filters to precise customer specifications, as well as supplying a range of standard products from its facility in Nottingham.

In December 2020, it launched FilterFinder: a long-awaited project brought forward by the pandemic. It has a catalogue containing more than 600,000 part numbers from over 1,000 manufacturers.

Elliott Underwood, who led the development of FilterFinder, says: “FilterFinder draws on the 50-year Micro-Mesh heritage and expertise but we are starting from scratch when it comes to brand awareness.

“The e-commerce platform has got off to a great start, but we recognise the importance of building the brand to support its continued growth.

“We were looking for PR support from an agency that understands our sector, and Partners fits the bill perfectly.”

Partners Group director, Karen Tinkler, said: “Micro-Mesh has built an enviable reputation for quality products, technical expertise and innovation.

“Our job is to help them build that same trust in FilterFinder. There’s a lot happening across both businesses, and this is a fantastic opportunity for us to help tell the story of Micro-Mesh’s continued success, evolution and innovation through the FilterFinder brand.”

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Retailer, Marks & Spencer, has appointed performance marketing agency Journey Further to support its SEO ambitions as part of its MS2 division, after a highly competitive pitch process.

Journey Further will be responsible for managing Marks & Spencer’s organic growth strategy and will be using its performance-led approach to drive digital PR coverage, for its menswear, womenswear, lingerie and kids clothing lines.

This will focus on creating and measuring relevant content using the agency’s own proprietary tool to improve relevancy and search rankings.

The agency will also be providing broader creative support on ad hoc campaigns.

Nick Andrews, senior search manager at Marks & Spencer, said: “Journey Further stood out throughout the pitch process with their unique relevancy-led approach to digital PR and SEO and their innovative, data-driven proposition.

“We loved their creative thinking and can’t wait to see how they bring their ideas to life.”

Beth Nunnington, PR director at Leeds-based Journey Further, said: “Marks & Spencer is a dream client for us, perfectly aligning with our extensive retail experience. We’re so excited to be using our performance-driven approach to support the brand’s digital transformation journey.”

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West Yorkshire communications specialist, Faith, has continued to grow its client portfolio following the addition of two new national clients across the ED&I and horticulture sectors.

The firm, which is based in Brighouse, has been appointed by full-service diversity and inclusion consultancy, EW Group and The Rolawn Group, a supplier of topsoil and turf.

The EW Group contract win will see Faith deliver digital PR services to help the firm continue to build its profile as equality, diversity and inclusion specialists, while improving SEO performance, driving relevant traffic and building the organisation’s links profile.

The Rolawn Group, based near York, has appointed Faith to deliver a new PR and social media strategy to launch a new sub-brand, BioScapes, which is focused on boosting awareness of biodiversity in the UK.

Faith will also be providing PR strategies and campaigns to further enhance the established Rolawn brand throughout the industry.

Managing director of Faith PR, Stefanie Hopkins, said: “It has been a busy start to the new year and this duo of wins demonstrates the continued confidence of companies to invest in their PR and social media activity despite the ongoing economic uncertainty.

“It is brilliant to be working across two very niche sectors, and we’re looking forward to helping to bolster the awareness of both firms.

“EW Group conducts important work that addresses unconscious bias and builds inclusive leadership in organisations.

“The Rolawn Group is a major player in the UK’s gardening and horticultural industry and a fantastic opportunity for Faith to apply our experience and expertise in this sector.”

EW Group managing director, Rachael Wilson, said: “I’m excited to start working with the Faith team. I have seen the brilliant results they deliver for clients, on a regional, national, and international scale and we were impressed.”

Paul Dawson, managing director of Rolawn, added: “It’s been great bringing the team at Faith on board to support our marketing strategies. Having spoken with Stefanie late last year it quickly became evident that the agency was experienced in providing consistently high-quality content, and that the team is versatile the suite of services it provides.”

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An expanding PR and marketing agency has offered a full-time role to a man who joined the company on the Government’s Kickstart scheme.

Leeds-based Loaded PR recruited Peter Lessani on the scheme, aimed at helping young people aged 16-24 on Universal Credit who were at risk of long-term unemployment.

Lessani, 23, a computer games development graduate, secured the temporary six-month role as an aspiring digital marketer.

Loaded PR founder and director, Gemma Birbeck, has offered him a permanent full-time role as digital account executive.

She said: “The Kickstart programme was aimed at helping both businesses and young people as the economy recovers after the impact of the pandemic.

“Taking part in the Kickstart scheme was one of the best business decisions we have ever made, and we have found a star of the future in Peter.

“Young people just starting out in their careers have been hit hard over the last two years and Peter, like thousands of others, just needed someone to believe in them and give them that all important first opportunity.

“Peter grabbed that opportunity with both hands and has impressed every day with his willingness to learn and his unquenchable enthusiasm.”

Lessani said: “I had been turned down by many companies saying I lacked the necessary experience for an entry level position or that I was overqualified for others.

“It was a frustrating situation faced by many young people and led to a seemingly endless cycle of rejection. Everyone was at the start of their careers once and young people just need to be given that chance. I’ve learned so much already and it’s amazing to be part of a young and hungry team.”

Sinead McKervey, of Pegasus Search & Selection, the company which helped Loaded PR through the Kickstart scheme, said: “It’s great Peter has found his perfect match with Loaded PR.

“He’s been a pleasure to support during the placement and was really motivated to do well. The Kickstart scheme has been really successful in helping businesses bounce back and has given employers the support and confidence to look at the incredible talent, often on their doorsteps, that would otherwise go untapped.”