Media Buzz: Restructure at Wolfstar; New PR director joins Manifest; and more

REBECCA Douglas has been hired by Manifest Communications as PR director.

Douglas has joined from MCG PR where she was associate director for four years. She brings with her more than 11 years of agency and in-house experience across leisure, food and drink, beauty, retail, sport, manufacturing and personal PR.

Providing strategic support across a number of accounts, Douglas will be the PR and social media lead in the North and will also work closely with Leeds-based Manifest’s London office.

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PUBLIC relations consultancy and social media specialist Wolfstar has restructured its board following the departure of one of its founders Stuart Bruce.
 
Will McIntyre and Sam Oakley have subsequently been appointed to the board.

Mr McIntyre will spearhead the growth and expansion of the Yorkshire-based company’s London office.

Mr Oakley will focus on innovation and product development areas.
 
Wolfstar has also formed an advisory board which will be used to improve service levels to clients.
 
Merran Wrigley, former head of global communication at Sony Ericsson, has been named as non-executive chairman of  both boards.  

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LEEDS-based Hatch Communications is celebrating a new account win after being chosen by drinks manufacturer Halewood International to carry out the consumer PR activity for its Crabbie’s Alcoholic Ginger Beer brand.

Hatch has been tasked with designing a creative consumer PR campaign for the brand.

The team will centre activity around supporting key sales periods, advertising campaigns and events, with ongoing press office activity, focusing on national and regional media, as well as men and women’s consumer media.

Jason Madeley, managing director of Hatch Communications, said: “This is a really innovative brand, which has already significantly changed the market, this coupled with the brand’s personality, gives us an ideal opportunity to create some really engaging activity.”

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FULL service creative agency Intermarketing has been appointed by Simon Darcy Clifford’s Brazilian Soccer Schools and Socatots to build and manage their online content.

Intermarketing will develop the Brazilian Soccer Schools (BSS) and Socatots internet presence to reach new audiences globally. The online team will be building and managing over 200 corporate and worldwide franchise websites for both brands.

Founder Simon Darcy Clifford, owner of Garforth Town, famously trained Kiera Knightly for her role in the film Bend it Like Beckham.

Glenn Patterson, Intermarketing’s managing director, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Brazilian Soccer Schools and Soccertots, Simon’s vision for football is inspiring and we are proud to be involved.”

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MARKETING and PR company Shrewdd Marketing has announced a series of new clients and the launch of a new office.

Shrewdd is working with a number of new Yorkshire-based clients including VO4HOME, a sustainable technology based firm producing energy reducing products, and Hiley Engineering, which produces bespoke integrated systems for the food sector.

The Halifax agency is also carrying out work for energy saving lighting solutions manufacturer Contrac Lighting and Yorkshire regional telecoms and IT membership organisation techmesh.

Shrewdd Marketing recently welcomed the arrival of account manager Matthew Geraghty, who will lead the company’s new satellite office in Brighton.

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MARKETING consultancy Purebrand, based in Mirfield, has developed a brand identity for Callcredit’s new on-line consumer service Noddle.

The service, set to launch this autumn, aims to give more than 40m Britons free access to their full monthly credit report for life and help them use this information to search out money-savings deals on a range of products.

Simon Ryan, managing director of Purebrand, said: “Being involved in the launch of a new consumer brand that is set to shake-up the industry has been a rewarding process and we are very happy with the results.

“We tested the name and brand identity extensively and consumer groups resoundingly approved of its fresh and friendly approach.”