A recipe for client-agency success

Speedos, Twerking and Jimmy Carr. It struck me this week that client-agency-media relationships can be formed in the most unlikely places.

It’s an obvious statement, but being able to foster strong relationships with clients and media contacts is often the key to PR success. 

This has resonated with me particularly over the last seven days, having been involved in two very different events for our client ADEY Professional Heating Solutions. Having worked with the magnetic filtration pioneers for three years, Target has built up a really strong client/agency relationship.

I am, however, relatively new to the account and was asked to be part of their six-strong team taking part in Cheltenham Triathlon last weekend. Having never done a triathlon before, I was nervous but accepted the challenge! 

Although it was tough, I thoroughly enjoyed the day and it was great to be part of Team ADEY. While swimming, cycling and running falls outside the usual remit of our retainer, there was a huge sense of achievement once we’d all crossed the line and a real team camaraderie.

Fast forward a few days and I found myself invited to the Energy Efficiency & Renewables Awards of which ADEY was a sponsor. We were guests of Installer Magazine which is a key trade title for us. 

Dolled up in our best frocks, we had a really fun evening which mostly involved discussion about Twerking and trying to second guess what songs the DJ was going to play (with a little bit of live stand up from Jimmy Carr thrown in for good measure). 

Not a features list in sight, it was a great opportunity to get to know some key media contacts in a more relaxed setting over a glass of wine.  

Against a backdrop of ROIs, KPIs and making sure we provide a high level of service for clients, I think we can sometimes forget that behind the grandeur of job titles lies a person just like you and me. The ability to get along together in a personal as well as professional capacity can pay dividends. 

Lycra and laughter is a great leveler.

Bethan Simkins

Account Director

Beauty – is it really skin deep?

It seems our quest for eternal youth is stronger than ever.  Or maybe I’ve been content to bury my (frown-lined) head in the sand, avoiding the needle, in the hope that the ageing process will just pass me by.

If this week’s Professional Beauty event (targeting the beauty trade) is an indicator of the shape of things to come – then aesthetic cosmetics is what it’s about.

Nearly half the show was taken up with exhibitors from this field, offering a variety of invasive and non-invasive options to plump, de-line, fill and smooth skin.  ‘New’ procedures offering alternatives to Botox and dermal fillers claim similar results without the rigours of specially qualified administration.

And so it seems that it’s less about miracle creams and more about procedures that provide dramatic results – which was clearly evident among a number of the visitors.  At lunch I sat next to a line free lady who talked me through the benefits of Botox and certainly looked a decade or so younger than me, so perhaps when she introduced me to her 20-something-year-old daughter I shouldn’t have been so surprised.

With such dramatic visible results some would argue PR for this industry should be an easy task – but many (like me) still remain cautious, perhaps a little squeamish and unwilling to part with their hard earned cash – so there’s still some convincing to be done.  But then again, never say never.

Samantha Kandiyali
Director