Kendal-based Ireland Consulting has delivered a new brand and website for machinery compliance consultancy Knox Thomas, which provides legislative, compliance, and health & safety consultancy to manufacturing companies throughout the world.
Following an initial marketing strategy and planning phase, Ireland Consulting has now delivered a full tactical suite of assets to the company, including branding, photography, copywriting and lead generation-optimised website, and is now retained for SEO services and digital consultancy.
Ireland Consulting founder and CEO Ian Ireland said: “Knox Thomas was founded to assist manufacturers navigate legal complexities, design and manufacture machinery in compliance with legislation and avoid pitfalls presented by regulatory requirements – therefore, easing the path to certification and market entry.
“We’re really pleased to launch the new brand and website, which is the culmination of a really fun and challenging project aiming to create a stand-out brand in what can be a very staid and dated marketplace.
“I’m pleased to say Knox Thomas ran with our ideas based on the robust strategy we developed hand-in-hand, and we are looking forward to working with them to develop their digital presence into the future.” For further information go to: www.irelandconsulting.co.uk
Blackburn-based 21Digital has been commissioned to design and build a new website for premium and luxury wrought iron gate and railing specialist North Valley Forge.
Established over 30 years, North Valley Forge manufactures quality wrought iron and wooden gates at a 25,000 sq ft factory in Nelson, where its onsite showroom is the largest of its type in Europe.
The new website from 21Digital will feature enhanced video content and will be optimised to promote worldwide sales of the company’s estate gates, driveway gates, side gates, staircases and balconies, as well as its Ultimate Collection range aimed at high-end buyers around the world.
21Digital creative director Steven Taylor said: “North Valley Forge has been creating unique wrought iron designs for over thirty years and is recognised as a leader in the industry.
“Their spectacular Ultimate range, aimed at country houses and prestigious luxury developments, is crafted in-house using age-old blacksmithing techniques passed down over generations, combined with excellent modern engineering by the company’s versatile ironworkers.
“Home and garden is a key sector for 21Digital, so we’re really pleased to have won this brief with a local company who are such a prestigious leader in their field.”
North Valley Forge managing director Peter Ratcliffe said: “As a local award-winning company, 21Digital has a strong reputation for providing effective online solutions to clients in the home and garden sector, so they were the natural choice when looking for a company to update our website.”
Based at offices on Blackburn’s Trident Park, 21Digital is a multi-award-winning agency specialising in lead generation and e-commerce, providing digital marketing services including web design, web development, SEO, Google Ads, digital consultancy, social media marketing and email marketing. For more information go to www.21digital.agency
Branding and design agency Studio LWD has appointed Kirsty Petersen as an Account Manager as part of its ongoing expansion.
With more than 10 years of experience in creative client services, Kirsty has worked with an international client base managing projects in design, content creation and TV production before joining Studio LWD in 2023.
Studio LWD was established in 2012 by creative director Laura Weldon and is now comprised of a team of ten. Working with iconic brands such as Virgin, Nike, Tesco, Aldi, and the British Council, Studio LWD provides a multi-service branding agency for clients across the UK.
On joining the agency, Petersen said: “I’m thrilled to join Studio LWD and look forward to establishing strong partnerships with our clients. I’m excited to contribute to the growth journey of the studio and play a key role in scaling our impact in the world of branding.”
Studio LWD’s creative director, Laura Weldon, said: “We are concentrating on strengthening the foundations of Studio LWD for an exciting and dynamic future. As a team, our focus will be on streamlining processes and investing in our capability to deliver solutions for clients that help take their businesses to the next level.”
From small businesses consisting of just one or two people, to large corporations of hundreds and thousands, there’s still a formula to follow that will ensure your communications have the desired direction and impact, meaning your messages hit the right target. If you’re creating a strategic communications strategy for the coming year, check out our advice here.
We asked four of our seasoned public relations and communications specialists for their top tips for strategic communications and the power of sharing a good story.
Power of Purpose
Greg Wilson, on the benefits of authentic brand purpose:
“Having a true purpose is at the heart of any genuine brand story. And when you have an integral purpose, you have a great story to tell.
“Purpose includes an intrinsic set of values, that drives a business beyond increased annual profits or shareholder benefits.
“Let’s be clear about purpose and not let it become just another buzzword.”
Authentic storytelling
Claire Stephenson MCIPR, on genuine content and storytelling:
“Authentic storytelling can greatly impact your public relations efforts. Creating content that has a genuine purpose, but moreover, adds real value to your stakeholders/audience. Aim for this.
“People have had enough of cheap gimmicks and blatant sales pitches: they want fresh, honest and clever stories from brands they can trust.”
Internal communications
Michael Gregory MCIPR FRSA, on internal communications:
“Don’t forget the importance and power of internal communications.
“If you’re embarking on a strategic communications campaign, let your people know first what’s happening in your organisation.
“Don’t let them find out what’s happening in the media.”
Quality of content
Mark Sutcliffe, on the quality of communications content:
“The first step to posting higher quality content is to step off the treadmill and refocus time and resources on creating high-quality content that’s relevant to the target audience to achieve what we, in the trade, call ‘cut-through’.
“Giving greater care and consideration to what you post in terms of its appeal, relevance, usefulness, originality, distinctiveness and creativity is likely to achieve greater ‘cut-through’ than wishing all your followers a ‘fab weekend’ or ‘happy Tuesday’.
“Setting the quality bar higher will inevitably reduce the volume of content an organisation is capable of creating. Social media platforms will continue to reward frequency, but genuinely engaged audiences will appreciate the improved quality of the information you share.”
As always, we are here to help if your business needs a powerful strategy to ensure that your audience(s) are kept informed and engaged in the best way possible, driving your business forward.
Message us here or call 0845 625 0820 to see how we can help your organisation be known.
Burton Roofing Merchants has relocated and invested in a more extensive Irvine branch to enhance its product range and service offering in Ayrshire and the wider East Scotland.
The new branch, which also carries the latest energy-efficient green technologies to help reduce its carbon footprint, sees over £200,000 invested to more than quadruple capacity from 18,400 sq. ft. to 80,358 sq. ft. compared to the previous branch.
The additional space means more product lines will be stocked to facilitate increased demand, particularly for solar and flat-roof products, and is the largest branch that the company has opened this year.
The new Burton Roofing Merchants branch on Auchengate Business Park replaces the former Rinus branch, which Burton Roofing Merchants acquired in 2021 and was located at Mackintosh Place. The company aims for the expansion to lead to additional jobs within the year.
Jon Smith, operations director at Burton Roofing, commented on the investment. He said, ‘As a business, we have a purpose centred around helping customers enhance their businesses. The enlarged branch will help us deliver our promise by giving access to innovative roofing products combined with our Irvine team’s expert and friendly service.
Branch manager Jim Finnegan added, ‘Customers that have already been to the new branch have been impressed with the product range, and it will help cement our ambition to be a centre of excellence in new roofing technologies and products.
“The enlarged branch allows us to host training events and workshops to ensure our customers have access to expertise that will also help them in their work. It really is a game-changer for us.”
Burton Roofing Group, which trades under the Burton Roofing Merchants, Rinus Roofing Supplies and Discount Roofing and Building Supplies, operates 38 branches across the UK and employs 450 people.
The Group’s annual turnover is approximately £170 million, and it is part of the multinational Cupa Group, which comprises 75 businesses with subsidiaries in nine countries and 25 quarries.
Creating and communicating a culture of employee advocacy is important for fostering a supportive and engaging work environment. When employees feel empowered to advocate for their colleagues and the organisation, it leads to higher job satisfaction, increased productivity, and a stronger sense of belonging.
What is employee advocacy?
Employee advocacy refers to the promotion and support of a company’s brand, products, or services by its employees. Empowered and valued employees are natural ambassadors for their organisation, and are an authentic voice that can advocate in a positive way for your organisation, particularly for an online setting such as social media.
By encouraging employee advocacy, organisations can tap into the power of their workforce to amplify their brand message, strengthen stakeholder value, improve brand perception, and increase the overall visibility and credibility of the company in the marketplace.
Fostering employee advocacy
Here are six ideas to consider when creating and building a positive culture of employee advocacy:
Encourage open communication: ensure transparent and open internal communication channels throughout your organisation. This might include providing opportunities for your employees to discuss and share their ideas or any concerns. Listening – truly listening – to any employee feedback is vital, along with any follow-up that is required to act upon.
Training: ensure your employees have access to all the training they require for their roles and beyond. Social media is a great giver – and taker – for a brand or organisation. Social media guidelines and real-life examples of how to behave online are important for employees to understand the impacts of commenting and sharing content online – both the positives and negatives. Education is essential.
Sense of purpose: here at Limitless, we talk about purpose all of the time. What is the greater purpose and mission of your organisation? Do your employees know and understand the importance of this? When people feel connected to a shared purpose, they are more likely to advocate for your organisation and its goals. Focus on regular internal communications about employee work and contributions, and how this impacts the overall success of the organisation.
Advocacy recognition: acknowledge and appreciate employees who go above and beyond to advocate for their colleagues and the organisation. Consider recognition reward schemes and publicly celebrating such employees.
Diversity and inclusion: help to grow an organisational culture that values diversity and inclusion. Create and communicate a safe environment where every employee feels respected, included, and valued for their unique perspectives and contributions. Ensure that all employees have equal opportunities to participate and advance within the organisation.
Wellbeing: support the workplace wellbeing of your employees however you can. There are many ways to help the entire organisation to prioritise their wellbeing – from walking meetings, offering flexible working, mentoring and wellbeing support services, along with employee assistance programmes – Calm has carried out research around workplace stress and wellbeing here, which is worth looking at.
Creating and building a culture of employee advocacy requires consistent effort and commitment from both business leaders and employees. By nurturing a supportive environment where advocacy is both valued and encouraged, you can help to create a workplace culture that thrives on collaboration, trust, and mutual support. This in turn, will strengthen your brand through its values.
If you need help with brand values and encouraging employee advocacy, please contact us here.
In our previous post, we talked about ways to approach and assess an organisation’s communications strategy for maximum impact. Below, we look at five ways you can rethink your public relations strategy and boost your brand’s presence.
Build and maintain strong relationships. Public relations centres around building and maintaining relationships with various stakeholders. These include media, customers, employees, investors, and community members. It’s essential to establish and foster strong relationships and trust with these groups, as they can help you to grow your brand, and also support your organisation in times of crisis.
Be proactive! Effective public relations isn’t just about reacting to situations but also anticipating them. Be proactive by staying updated with your industry news, identifying potential issues before they become problems, and creating a crisis management plan in advance of ever needing one.
Communicate clearly and honestly. Making sure your communications are clear and authentic is essential for quality public relations. Be transparent about your organisation’s values, mission, and actions – and make sure you’re walking the talk. If an issue arises, address it promptly, and provide honest and accurate information to all stakeholders across appropriate channels.
Data data data! Analytics are key. Ensure you’re regularly monitoring and measuring results from your public relations activities. Analytics can be used to assess the effectiveness of your strategies and actions, as well as identify areas that you could improve. There’s a blog post here, where we talk about data decisions in public relations.
Stay flexible. Public relations is constantly evolving, and it’s essential to stay adaptable and flexible as to the needs of your business and organisation. Be open to new strategies and approaches, and be prepared to adjust your tactics based on changing circumstances or emerging trends that you can use to benefit your business. Look at the agile communications blog for more thoughts on this.
Work with Limitless?
Are you looking for public relations support and strategic advice? We can help you to achieve your communication objectives and be known. Contact Michael Gregory on 0845 625 0820 or drop us a message using this contact form here.
No, it’s not your mother calling! We’re speaking about the audience(s) that your business or organisation communicates with, and why it’s absolutely essential to be really clear on who you are talking to.
Your audience is made up of people or groups – stakeholders, customers, clients, service users, and consumers. They can be split down into groups through their behaviours and certain demographics (such as age and education).
So who or what exactly is your audience?
Target audience
A target audience refers to a particular group of people or individuals, that can be categorised by behaviours and demographics. Audiences can range from broad categories to finely-researched and specific demographics. The more defined and specific you can be on who your desired audience is, the better.
As the father of modern marketing, Philip Kotler puts it:
“There is only one winning strategy. It is to carefully define the target market and direct a superior offering to that target market.”
Working examples
Greenpeace
Greenpeace talks about its primary target audience as:
“…our members and supporters across 40 countries. Other target audiences are those that we seek to exert influence on such as governments, industries, intergovernmental organisations and the media.”
So we can see they have several audiences (publics) and will tailor their communications and messaging accordingly, likely on strong campaign and fundraising themes.
“Amazon’s target market is middle and upper-class consumers (evenly split between genders) with home computers or smart devices aged between 18-44 as of 2022. Additionally, 60% of Amazon’s target market are from the United States who prefer shopping online for convenience, fast delivery, and competitive prices.”
Although Amazon is a behemoth multinational conglomerate, it’s interesting to see how they define their target market down to a neat demographic of consumers within a fairly narrow age range and evenly split gender
Stakeholders
The term stakeholderis used to determine individuals or groups of people who have an impact or can impact a business or organisation. They are particularly important to consider when you’re operating projects, campaigns and launches. It’s important to understand, analyse and strategically reach the people who can support your endeavours, or conversely, negatively impact what you’re trying to achieve. We talk about stakeholder engagement more here.
How to find your audience(s)
Finding your audience can be done in several ways – online and offline – allowing you to extract quality information about your existing and ideal customers through research and analysis.
Buyer personas
Buyer personas are research-based profiles – semi-fictional – that illustrates your target customer. You can use existing customer data and market research to help you with your messaging and communications, along with devising campaigns. When you’re researching a persona, you can include details like:
Age
Location
Average income
Typical job title or industry
Interests
Challenges/pain points
Hangouts
By creating a profile of your ideal customer, it helps you to understand your target audience better and improve your messaging and communication efforts towards that audience.
Other ways of researching and building ideal customer profiles include:
Google Analytics – if set up correctly, Google Analytics can provide a deep understanding of your customers and their behaviours
Customer research – ask your customer what they think!
Social listening – using keywords and hashtags, you may be able to gain key insights into your brand or business on social media
Social media audit – reviewing existing channels and checking analytics for performance
Competitor analysis – who are your competitors and what are they currently doing? How do they position their brand? Can you learn anything from their presence?
Spending the time to research your target audience is worth the effort. Knowing, in as much depth as possible, the audience(s) you’re communicating with, will help you to formulate your messaging well and concisely. It will also inform brand awareness, strong public relations and quality marketing campaigns.
Work with Limitless?
If you’re looking for help in finding your target audience, or with campaign planning and management, please drop us a message. Contact Michael Gregory on 0845 625 0820 or use this contact form here.
BAKO Group has extended its brief with Limitless Public Relations to improve brand awareness and understanding with its customers across the UK.
With operational hubs in Preston, Durham and Wimbledon BAKO distribute bakery products to customers nationwide with a multi-temperature fleet of over 70 vehicles. Established over 50 years, the company provides independent bakers and caterers with a wide range of ingredients and finished products from quality suppliers, as well as its own BAKO Select branded range.
BAKO first appointed Limitless PR in July 2019 to handle media relations focussing on bakery trade and local press. It has now expanded the brief to include more holistic tactics aimed at championing the bakery industry as a whole, while also targeting new customer sectors.
Limitless Director Greg Wilson said:
“We are extremely pleased to be expanding our campaign for BAKO. As a company, they have a colossal impact and presence in the lives of independent bakers across the UK.
“During the pandemic they did great work to support the industry, talking to their customers and developing services to provide support where they needed it most, and launching a website to help independent bakers sell online.
“The expanded campaign will effectively be aimed at turning the camera round onto BAKO’s customers, giving them a voice and championing what they do, their immense passion and dedication, getting up early every morning to help feed the country.”
With offices in Preston and Blackburn, Limitless PR provides professional PR expertise, with all its people having a minimum of 10 years’ experience within any client sector they are assigned to work on, with clients including Preston City Council, Plumbs, Sundown Solutions, Winter Gardens Blackpool, Sales Geek, Northern Industrial and Santé Group.
Building relationships between your business and relevant government departments, or constituency MPs, can be a valuable part of a business or organisation’s communications strategy. A strong public affairs strategy can be a powerful way to showcase your work and have your say on policy matters that impact your business and sector. It’s also a good opportunity to connect with, inform, and engage ministers who are responsible for policy-making.
Here are a few valuable pointers to consider as part of your communications strategy when planning a ministerial visit to your organisation.
Aims and objectives of a visit
Prepare and prepare some more. What do you hope to gain from a visit? Get clear on the key objectives. It could simply be building a positive relationship with a constituency MP, or maybe talking and sharing information about a specific section of your business in relation to a policy. Always bear in mind the hectic schedule that government ministers have, and that any time spent with your organisation should be planned and directed well to maximise the time and benefits, and moreover, make them more likely to accept your invitation.
Keep time a priority
Time constraints will always be a factor, so make sure that you work to the time that has been allocated. Liaise closely with the Minister’s office or aides, and ensure everyone has the correct contact and directions to your location. Consider how you will work around any curveballs thrown. For example, the Minister could be delayed in traffic and your visit time might be been cut short if they have a follow-on engagement. What would be the minimum key objectives you could achieve in such an altered time frame?
How will it look?
What do you want the visit time to look like? Who will be present for the meet-and-greet? What kind of experience would you like the Minister to have whilst visiting your business space? Will a full briefing be required, or just a simple overview of what the Minister should expect?
Don’t assume the Minister will have read any briefing prior to arrival either – a quick overview of what they should expect on arrival is always helpful.
Plan a programme accordingly for the time allocated, and ensure your key objectives can be met in an interesting and creative way – no death-by-Powerpoint presentations, please! Consider an interactive experience for the Minister and make it memorable.
Media
If there’s to be any press follow-up or other communications on the visit (blog, social media etc) include any photography and quote-gathering into the schedule, as this can take time to achieve the right photos and information. Brief the photographer (if external) ahead of the visit. What kind of photos and style are you aiming for? Make sure any relevant staff are present and they also have a briefing.
These are some of the basics you’ll need to consider if you’re planning on having a Ministerial visit to your business or organisation. Proper research and planning are essential during this process, as is good communication between all parties involved.
If you’re looking to get expert help and guidance on public affairs and how to build positive relationships between your business and the government, contact us today via our website or call 0845 625 0820.
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