Calacus Appointed To Provide Pan-European Sponsorship Support For Lionel Messi Autobiography

Leading sports sponsorship and PR consultancy Calacus has teamed up with Grupo Maori and EMA of London to promote the forthcoming autobiography of Lionel Messi, the world’s greatest footballer.

Lionel Messi, who scored a record of 91 goals in 2012 and won the Ballon D’Or for the fourth time, is launching his book, ‘Lionel Messi – The story of his life’ which will tell the story of the man behind the legend.

Grupo Maori, from Argentina, has exclusive rights to publish the book in association with UNICEF and FIFA and all funds from its sale will be used to support the activities of the Leo Messi Foundation, which provides education and healthcare for disadvantaged children.

Lionel Messi said: “I have worked so hard to get to where I am and I am determined to use my success to help young people less fortunate than myself. Seeing a child smile and find hope where none previously existed is precisely why I set up my Foundation in the first place.”

Calacus will utilise their network of contacts to broker sponsorship opportunities for the book and to raise awareness of it ahead of publication.

Calacus Managing Director David Alexander said: “As an Arsenal fan, I’ve been privileged to see first-hand what an incredible footballer Lionel Messi is – even if it has come at the expense of my beloved team! Calacus is tremendously excited to be working with Lionel to promote his new book, which, like the man himself, is bound to be a winner.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

About the Leo Messi Foundation

The Leo Messi Foundation was set up in 2007 to provide access to education and healthcare for under-privileged children.

To find out more please visit http://www.fundacionleomessi.org/

Lionel Messi plays for FC Barcelona and Argentina.

‘Lionel Messi – The story of his life’ will be published in more than 50 countries and will be available in hard back and digital copies with material updated on a regular basis.

About Calacus

Calacus was established in 2007 by David Alexander, who has a wealth of experience as a sports sponsorship and PR consultant.

A journalist for the Sunday Telegraph, The Guardian, The Times and BBC for a decade, David joined Weber Shandwick, before working for Hill and Knowlton and Porter Novelli.

Calacus clients include the Laureus World Sports Awards; IOC Member Sergey Bubka; AIBA, the International Boxing Association; the British Sport Museum and international media agency, Mindshare.

About EMA of London

EMA of London is a dynamic international trade consultancy.

It helps companies from around the world find the best partners, agents or distributors to enter new overseas markets or expand in existing international markets. It connects clients to buyers or sellers so that they achieve maximum sales value for their products and services in their target market.

Website: www.emaoflondon.com

For more information, please contact David Alexander, Calacus:

Email:

david.alexander@calacus.com

or tel: +44 7802 - 412424     

Calacus Appointed To Support London Met Accelerator Business Incubator

Shoreditch specialist business incubator Accelerator has appointed Calacus to provide public relations and mentoring support at its East London headquarters.

Accelerator specialises in business development programmes for growing businesses in digital, media and design and also supports London Metropolitan University students looking to set up new businesses or gain vital workplace skills linked to their courses.

This is the second time Calacus has worked with Accelerator. In 2011/12 the agency mentored a group of students who ran the student PR agency on a pilot programme, which will now offer course credits for participating students.

David Alexander said: “I am passionate about helping young people and delighted that Calacus has been appointed to work with Accelerator. There are so many exciting businesses within the building and great stories to tell and the opportunity to fuse that with mentoring of PR students at London Met made it an opportunity too good to pass by.

“I shall be working closely with some of the brightest business talents in London and with the economy needing some good news stories, it’s great to be able to show the positive side of British business.”

Accelerator Manager Richard Celm believes that there is a huge opportunity to showcase the best of Shoreditch entrepreneurial talent.

Richard Celm said: “We have seen with the recent 2013 London Met Student Business Awards, what a high calibre of young entrepreneurs we have in Shoreditch and it’s really important that we tell their story and how we can help new businesses to grow and develop.

“Accelerator works with industry leaders in London who are often at the cutting edge of their profession and the fact that we have their support underlines what an important role we serve.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

London Metropolitan University (London Met) is a public research university located in London and was formed in 2002 by the amalgamation of the University of North London and London Guildhall University.

Our courses recently received top marks from the UK's Quality Assurance Agency. We are committed to delivering affordable quality education, and are proud of the diversity & achievements of our students, alumni and staff.

London Met current caters for almost 23000 students and has a large number of international students with over 190 nationalities represented.

London Met’s Student Enterprise Programme has been designed to offer current students and alumni with entrepreneurial ideas the guidance and support they really need in starting up their businesses. The programme runs many events and workshops which help boost entrepreneurial skills and knowledge.

Accelerator is a specialist business incubator in Shoreditch, the heart of London's ICT and digital media community. It specialises in business development programs for high value, innovative, growing businesses in information and communication technology, interactive media, e-learning and design.

To learn more about Accelerator, the London Met Student Business Awards or the London Met Student Enterprise program, please visit http://accelerator-london.com/ and http://londonmetstudententerprise.co.uk/.

For more information please visit www.accelerator-london.com

For media inquiries please contact:

David Alexander – Calacus MD: 0844 357 3701 david.alexander@calacus.com

Richard Celm – Accelerator Manager: 020 7749 4848 r.celm@accelerator-london.com

Simon Boot – Student Enterprise Manager: 020 7749 4843 enterprise@accelerator-london.com  

PR Moment: Do good writers make the best PRO.s?

PR Moment: Do good writers make the best PROs?

By Daney Parker

If you’ve come into PR because you love writing, have you made a big mistake? Writing skills are important, but some argue it is more vital for PROs to have a head for business and strategy. For example, it is essential to understand today’s online environment. As Jeremy Walters, editor of online magazine What’s New in Publishing, says: “SEO and digital marketing expertise is crucial to effective PR. The first page of Google is more valuable long term than the front cover of the FT. That’s how PR has changed. To not include SEO in press releases and PR activity is almost negligent because it’s a huge opportunity wasted.“

But if your main talent is writing, then as long as your skills are complemented by others in your team, then it is worth honing your craft says Walters: “In my experience, the best PR agencies have a balance of people – some are great at writing, others are superb at selling and creating relationships. Very rarely do you get both attributes in one single person. If you do, they’re normally running the company and don’t get involved in either day-to-day!”

Disagreeing with one of Walters’ points, Nic Shaw, editor-in-chief at PR firm Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, argues that people who are both strategic and creative are not that rare: “The ability to write well and a having a head for the strategic side of PR isn’t unusual – the best communicators are the individuals who understand all aspects of storytelling, from the choice of words to how they’ll work together to achieve an objective. It’s just that the writing skills usually develop first.”

If you are a creative type, it is possible to develop practical skills. David Alexander, managing director of PR agency Calacus, says it is a matter of challenging yourself: “It’s a commonly-held believe that PR consultants are mainly artistic people who predominantly use the right side of their brains while technical roles require individuals with more left-brain activity. Clearly as PR is evolving, us PR ‘artists’ are having to challenge ourselves by using the left side of our brains to fully master SEO and digital strategies. The evolutionary nature of public relations means that we are always learning and that new skills are required on a regular basis.”

Waggener Edstrom’s Shaw also disagrees with the idea that digital marketing expertise is more important than writing. Shaw says: “Good writing skills are far more important than understanding SEO or digital marketing strategies. Fundamentally, if you can’t communicate your clients’ messages eloquently, concisely and accurately, in a press release, blog, briefing pack or email, then you’re in the wrong business. Good writing skills should, therefore, be a prerequisite for working in PR. Furthermore, as search engine algorithms evolve, high-quality content that offers genuine value to the reader will rank higher than that dictated by SEO or other digital marketing tactics, making good writing skills even more valuable.”

Do you need to write to work in PR?

Robert Bownes, account manager at agency Ballou PR: “While understanding SEO and digital marketing strategies is of growing importance and a good skill to have, being able to write clearly and concisely is the basis of the best PR. The majority of businesses understandably lack perspective when describing their product or brand, often relying on jargon and buzz words to convey their message. As a result, a good PR professional must have the ability to translate these thoughts into prose which is both accessible and interesting, while also retaining the underlying key points.”

Julia Ruane, director of agency ChiCho Marketing: “Good writing skills are essential. You will fall flat on your face if you cannot communicate correctly via the written word. I am of the view though that good writing skills are pretty much essential in any job. A strategy by itself is useless if you cannot communicate it effectively. Remember that words are your essential tools. The right words will help you to achieve your strategy, whether that's via one metatag, a 140-character tweet or a 1,000-word article.”

Nick Murray-Leslie, CEO of agency Chatsworth Communications: “Poor writing undermines the message or worse, fails to convey it. That doesn't mean overwriting is okay. In our agency we are big fans of the Campaign for Plain English.”

How the “public” is being put back into PR

How the “public” is being put back into PR

Once PR focused on media relations, but now the word “public” is being put back into PR. The 24-hour online world and social media has meant the power and importance of PR is growing.

Stephen Waddington, European digital and social media director at PR firm Ketchum, describes how the rise of mass media in the 1950s, and its ability to provide a shortcut to mass audiences, brought about a fundamental change in style of organisational communications. Public relations needed to focus on getting content in the mass media. But it’s all change now. Waddington says: “Sixty years on, changes in consumer behaviour enabled by the internet and the fragmentation of mainstream media, means organisations recognise the opportunity of engaging directly with their audiences again. The future of communication between an organisation and its audiences must be participative. Thanks to the internet the audience is empowered. It is open about its likes and dislikes and quick to vent its frustration at brands via networks. It cannot and should not be ignored.”

Discussing how this has changed what “public relations” means these days, Graham Goodkind, group CEO and founder of agency Frank PR, says: “"The 'public' bit of PR is still as relevant as ever, although I'm not sure the 'relations' bit is! I think today our role is about how we stimulate 'reactions' in consumers. PR is about coming up with ideas, content and platforms for our clients that create a buzz, get people talking, blogging, tweeting, forwarding on stuff etc, etc. That's the stuff of 'public reactions' and that's what makes a difference to our clients and their businesses."

The power of mass media hasn’t gone away, however. There may have been a decline in the power of print media, but broadcast remains a force to be reckoned with. Edward Cyster, managing director of broadcast agency 4mediarelations, argues the case for the power of TV and radio: “With the rise in online and social media the decline of print is often talked about. One area which has remained steadfast in the media landscape is broadcast PR. With 89.8 per cent of the UK population tuning into a radio station every week and 79.6 per cent watching TV, broadcast channels are still the go-to outlet for people to catch up on the latest news. With broadcast PR, companies can ensure their spokesperson is getting the message out to millions of viewers and listeners across the country.”

However, Cyster admits that the internet has changed what people are watching, and companies should not focus on media relations alone, but adapt their PR to make sure they are reaching their key audiences: “For example, more people are watching video content on the internet and so brands are coming to us to make and seed out informative video content which helps drive traffic to social media and websites. We recognise that in a tough economic climate it’s become imperative for companies to use rich, multimedia assets to accompany the traditional press release.”

Is PR moving back to its “roots”?

Kourtney Shaw, consultant at PR agency Calacus: “Public relations is not moving back to its roots, it’s moving forward in exciting and dynamic ways and we must harness this. Finding ways to measure our value is an ongoing challenge. PR is evolving faster than ever before. Media relations remains an integral part of our offering, but with journalists using social media, stories are moving much faster. It means we have to react more quickly, liaise directly with customers and provide an even greater level of strategic guidance.“

Julia Ruane, director of agency ChiCho Marketing: “PR's 'roots' tended to be an old boys’ network where a little black book of contacts in the main publishing houses ensured a company's messages and prominence were correctly secured. Although there is still some of this around, with the influence of the media shifting and fragmenting to many different outlets, the whole scene of PR has changed dramatically. The importance of PR is growing, but only when transparency and ethics go hand in hand with it. It’s better to be seen admitting to mistakes and fixing issues than to pretend they were never there in the first place. It's about humanising communication.”

Written by Daney Parker

CIPR announces two new Chartered Public Relations Practitioners

CIPR announces two new Chartered Public Relations Practitioners

David Alexander MCIPR, Managing Director of Calacus and Stephen Waddington MCIPR, European Digital & Social Media Director at Ketchum have been announced by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) as the latest ‘Chartered Public Relations Practitioners’.

Chartered Public Relations Practitioner’ accreditation, the gold standard of professionalism in public relations practice, was awarded to David and Stephen after completing a rigorous assessment of his leadership, strategy, learning and innovation in communications; a comprehensive original piece of work; and a candidate interview, which together showcased their commitment to continuous learning and development.

David Alexander said:

“I have always believed that professional study is an integral part of public relations and I am delighted and honoured to have achieved Chartered status.

“Having been supported by many superb PR practitioners throughout my career – and helping many young consultants seeking to establish themselves in this fascinating and exciting industry – I fully believe that CIPR qualifications are a benchmark of excellence.

“PR sometimes struggles to justify its own worth but it is a profession that will play an increasingly integral role in society and it is up to us to ensure the highest possible standards are maintained at all times.”

Stephen Waddington said:

“Achieving Chartered Practitioner accreditation has been challenging. It sets a high benchmark and is comparable to the requirement placed on Chartered status in other professions such as accounting and marketing. If you believe as I do that the public relations industry needs to make the shift from a craft to a profession then you should sign up to Continuous Professional Development (CPD) via the CIPR and start your own journey to Chartered Practitioner.”

Commenting Jane Wilson MCIPR, CIPR CEO said:

“Chartered Practitioners are setting the bar for future generations of public relations leaders, by achieving the gold standard award for the CIPR and the public relations profession. This status delivers parity with other business disciplines, and supports our Royal Charter obligation to promote, for the public benefit, high levels of skill, knowledge, competence, standards of practice and professional conduct.  My huge congratulations to David and Stephen on this achievement.”

Notes to Editors

About the CIPR Chartered Public Relations Practitioner Programme

Chartered Public Relations Practitioner status is the highest professional standard awarded to members of the CIPR who have demonstrated an outstanding level of professional practice, knowledge, and a commitment to continuous learning and development. 

This is demonstrated by a Statement of Experience; an original piece of work of between 3,000 and 4,000 words critically reflecting on an issue or subject drawn from the candidate’s own professional experience; and, at interview. Full membership and participation on the CIPR’s Continuous Professional Development scheme is mandatory for those wishing to apply and also to retain the status.

A full list of current CIPR Chartered Public Relations Practitioners can be found via the CIPR website.

About the CIPR

Founded 1948, the Chartered Institute of Public Relations is the professional body for public relations practitioners in the UK. With 10,000 members involved in all aspects of PR, it is the largest body of its type in Europe. The CIPR advances the public relations profession in the UK by making its members accountable through a code of conduct, developing policies, representing its members and raising standards through education and training.

Contact

Andrew Ross

Senior Policy & Communications Officer

Tel: +44 (0)20 7631 6915

Mob: +44 (0)7891 202 484

Web: www.cipr.co.uk

Twitter: @AJMROSS

Chartered Institute of Public Relations, 52-53 Russell Square, London, WC1B 4HP

Why PR needs a makeover

Why PR needs a makeover

The problem with PR is that everyone thinks they can do it. To an outsider who sees the way PR is portrayed on TV, a PRO’s job is to wine, dine and spin.

Gina Sharp, PR director at agency White Label Media, says that not all the stereotypes are insulting, for example she thinks being called a “spin doctor” is a flattering comparison: “Our profession generally works ridiculously long hours (with some handling the pressure better than others).”

Despite this, Sharp believes a better comparison is with refereeing: “I would rather compare the PR and marketing profession with referees. The game we preside over is the battle of ideas. A good referee has a light touch, and remains in control of the game without being too fussy.

A bad referee blows his own whistle too much and draws too much attention. The fans soon recognise that he's trying to make a name for himself. A good referee lets the game flow, brings the most out of the players and is hardly noticed. I'll leave it up to you to decide which refereeing types are in marketing, and which in PR.”

Those who have no dealings with PR can be forgiven for misunderstanding the industry. But too often, it is clients who make unattainable demands and fail to appreciate hard-working PROs.

Rassami Hok Ljunberg, director of PR agency Rassami, says this is partly because of how PR is evolving: “The job of the PR is definitely changing. Some clients are stuck in the old ways of the world, and don't get the digital side of things, however other clients are solely interested in the web traffic and back-links and couldn't care less if you secured them coverage in The Economist, or the like, if it doesn't get them the website traffic they desire.

“To them PR and issuing a press release is seen as pressing the button on increasing web traffic, and when that fails to materialise, even if an article or mention is secured in Reuters, Bloomberg or Newsweek, they are sorely disappointed and question the value, work and cost, as well as results of PR.”

Julia Ruane, director of agency ChiCho Marketing, agrees that PR is changing so fast that the pressures on PROs are immense: “PR used to be a whole heap of fun. It was about face-to-face relationships and a closely guarded contact book. Now, it's more like advertising – being creative so that we can reach a far wider group of people.

“It's no longer about a few key contacts, but instead about being respected and trusted by a few thousand. We now have more in common with the other marketing disciplines than ever before.”

Today’s PRO needs to be multi-skilled, hard-working and resilient. Resilient because a lot of their skills and hard work are not appreciated by those outside of PR and marketing, and sometimes, by those inside too.

The question is, who’s fault is this?

Case study

Simon Turton, owner of agency Opera PR, describes a recent experience that illustrates how there are misconceptions about PR work:

“Earlier this year I was exhibiting at a trade show – aimed at anyone involved in property development – and during the day I was approached by a franchisee of a national service company. We got talking and after explaining what we did he told me that he didn't need any PR. Just as he started walking off, he said he was looking at starting an e-newsletter for his trade customers. I quickly explained that we did offer such a service, from designing suitable templates, to writing the copy, sorting out images and distributing the newsletter to his target database.

“We since met and we were subsequently appointed to look after the production and distribution of his email newsletter, a first for this national company no less. The reality is that producing newsletters, however distributed, constitutes PR and yet this new client initially believed he had no use for our services.

“We need to ensure that PR agencies properly demonstrate what they do. PR has never stood for press release, but I think this perception is still with us. PR people need to "own" communications and start to take control and influence a company's marketing and advertising activity, otherwise we will continue to have a silo mentality in which PR does its bit, marketing goes off at various tangents and advertising carries on thinking that it rules the roost.”

Do publicists such as Max Clifford give PR a bad name?  

Anne Massey, editorial consultancy proprietor:
“What’s wrong with Max Clifford? Seems to me he does what he does very well. Think Ab Fab did far more damage to the PR image – chauffeur-driven, pissed air-heads appearing at work only a few hours a day and assisted by moronic fashion victims – don’t recognise any of that!”

David Alexander, managing director of agency Calacus Public Relations:
“PR is associated with spin, unfortunately, rather than the great work practitioners do strategically to help brands. We’re not seen as creative as advertising or marketing, but perhaps we need to be more assertive as an industry about the benefits we bring to clients.”

PR Moment - What is the perfect PR personality?

PR Moment - What is the perfect PR personality?

Are you really cut out for a career in PR?

There are some people who are made for this business, and they share certain characteristics.

Through her work, Jeni Beattie, director at Accolade Media Training, believes she has pinpointed what these are: “The ideal personality type for anyone working in PR is the “open” type. Based on the Five Factor Model (FFM) this sort of person is curious, inventive, positive, quick to grasp new ideas, and is also a good listener.

“If you don’t listen carefully, you will never find the right answers. If you aren’t creative, you won’t be able to come up with good solutions. And if you cannot grasp new ideas, such as the rapid advances in digital media, it might be better to find another career!”

Beattie says there are two further characteristics that are vital – empathy with your audience and dedication: “You need to prepare answers to the questions your audience will ask, not simply regurgitate the information that the company would like to transmit. And dedication to be analytical and to plan efficiently.

“If you are well-prepared, and have fantasised about your worst nightmares, there will always be a Plan B. If things go horribly wrong, there should be a smooth transition to Plan B – bringing appreciation from the CEO. Nothing is worse than the slow switch from A to J plans as demonstrated by the BBC recently over the Savile/Newsnight debacle.”

Other attributes that are key, according to Rachel Knight, account director at PR agency Maxim, are patience, tact and the ability to keep calm. She adds: “You need to be able to get on with a huge variety of people, be a great multi-tasker and be able to switch from selling in the latest product to advising a client on a potential PR disaster at the drop of a hat.”

In Knight’s view it is unlikely that one person can be brilliant at everything, so ideally, PR teams should have a good mix of personalities: “When we’re thinking about who should work with a client, it’s not just their skills that we consider but also whether the key personnel will get on together. “

Because it is so centred on communications, it is not surprising that PR tends to attract sociable people.

However, Stuart Disbrey, an in-house communications manager in the energy sector, says in today‘s economic climate, PROs must be commercially minded: “I think PR still to some extent, kids itself that it's a special case 'people business' which attracts 'people people'. That may be so, but in the economic downturn I think the focus has become far less on long lunches and far more on the bottom line, particularly on the agency side.

“In the 21st century PR is a 'business business' much like any other. It has had to grow up a lot and PR practitioners who want to get on have had to grow up with it. You can be as good as you like at pressing the flesh, but if you can't make the right hard-nosed business decisions, I think your days may be numbered. Whether that will change now that we are officially out of recession remains to be seen – but I doubt it.”

What are the key character traits of a good PRO? Samantha Howard, freelance communications consultant:
“I’d say there’s a soul role for all of us in PR. Left brain/right brain, big thinkers/happy doers. From the research and planning tacticians; to the relationships builders, the brand advocates, the cheer leaders; From the big picture thinkers, the strategists, the creatives; to the analysers, asking all the ‘what ifs’ that underscore credible crisis communication plans. You have to understand what you’re best at and find a role that lets you be it. Unless of course if you’re a freelancer than you have to be good at all of it.”

David Alexander, managing director of agency Calacus Public Relations:
“With so many varying types of PR account, from consumer to corporate, campaigning to charity, there are a range of requirements that suit most personalities. But if you’re easily disheartened by rejection or lack the initiative to find different ways of solving problems, PR may not be for you.”

PR Moment: How can PR agencies keep their clients for longer?

How can agencies hold on to clients for longer?

Pitching for new business is costly, and losing a valued client even more so. It is in the agency’s interests to nurture its relationships with clients, so that they last. But agencies have to be realistic, not all relationships will stand the test of time.

Julia Ruane, director of agency ChiCho Marketing, says that one way to understand the client-agency bond is by comparing it with romantic attachments: “First, consider how many people you know who get into a relationship because it felt right at the time, but then things change and they want to break up. Then, consider how many people you know who have been in a long-term relationship, and what they've been through together and why they want to stay together.

"That's the secret to the established client-agency relationship, both parties are fully committed to making it work, through the good times and the bad. If one side isn't fully committed then their eyes are likely to wander until they see someone else that looks like they would be better for them. In other words, I don't think that an agency should try and make each of their clients fall in love with them. They have to accept that some relationships are not meant to be. The best thing to do is to enjoy your time together and hope that you part as friends.”

Eight tips for making the client relationship stronger:

1. Stay in touch. Relationships are ongoing, you can’t dip in and out of them. Even if there isn’t a lot going on with your PR programme at a given point in time, make sure you find a reason to keep in touch with your clients so that they know they’re still front of your mind. And time and geography permitting, meet up and spend time face-to-face.

2. Be reliable. If you’ve said you’ll call, provide an update, or follow up on something within a certain timeframe, make sure you do as you don’t want the client to have to chase you

3. Show commitment. At the end of the day your client has hired you as they see you as a PR professional and the expert – if they could do your job as well as you can, would they have hired you? Reassure your client regularly that you’re the best person or team for the job.

4. Deliver results. Make sure you’re delivering the results your client wants to see and that will make them look good.

5. And then deliver more. People always like those who go the extra mile; from the mechanic who not only fixes a flat tyre but also washes the car to the shop assistant who fetches shoes to try on with an outfit. It’s the same in PR – offer something extra, something the client didn't ask for; throw in a new idea at a meeting, email over competitor coverage. It’s often the small things that keep a client loyal.

6. Be original. One of the best ways to ensure client retention is to offer fresh ideas – challenging and surprising clients with ideas to ensure that you are always adding value to their communications strategies and never allowing the campaigns to go stale.

7. Mix it up. For large accounts, agencies need to mix their teams up a little every few months. It’s important to get a blend between having fresh ideas and maintaining continuity.

8. Get closer and be personal. PR is all about people so it’s essential that consultants give their clients the personal service that they require rather than just tick coverage or target boxes without being close enough to a business to see how it evolves.

Thanks to Cath Shuttlewood, director of PR consultancy, SY1 Consulting for points 1-4, Lucy Kemp, deputy managing director at PR agency Seal for 5-6 and David Alexander, managing director at Calacus Public Relations for 7-8.

Calacus appointed by International Boxing Association to provide London 2012 support

LONDON, July 18 2012 – Calacus has been appointed by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) to provide local public relations support during the London 2012 Olympic Games.

This is an historic Olympic Games for AIBA, with 36 Women Boxers competing for the very first time and 50 WSB Boxers qualified out of 250 Men competitors.

Calacus will provide strategic counsel and media relations support for AIBA during the Games, using its wide range of sports and international contacts to promote AIBA’s vision and support communications around the boxing competition.

The account will be led by Calacus Managing Director David Alexander, a former sports journalist at the Sunday Telegraph and The Guardian among others, and Laura Peek, a former news journalist at The Times and Daily Mail.

AIBA Communications Director Sébastien Gillot commented: “Doing good for your sport is one thing but letting the people know about it is another. With the London 2012 Olympic Games being a watershed moment for AIBA, we are pleased to welcome Calacus as a partner. We are convinced that their support will greatly contribute to the promotion of the sport of boxing as well as all of AIBA’s activities.”

Managing Director David Alexander said: “Calacus is looking forward to being part of the AIBA team during London2012. Boxing has gone through some controversial times of late but under the leadership of President Wu AIBA is leading by example and I’m sure London 2012 is going to be very exciting.”

The London 2012 Olympic Games boxing competition will take place at the ExCeL in Docklands.

Calacus won a pitch process involving four other UK agencies.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

The first boxing competition at the modern Olympic Games was at the 1904 edition in St-Louis (USA) with bouts in seven weight divisions.

Several years later, representatives of the national associations of England, France, Belgium, Brazil and the Netherlands met in a preparatory conference for the foundation of an international boxing federation: The Fédération Internationale de Boxe Amateur (FIBA).

The official foundation of FIBA was celebrated on August 24th 1920 during the Olympic Games in Antwerp, Belgium. International competition grew rapidly, allowing amateurs to compete in prestigious tournaments.

In November 1946, following controversy surrounding some leading officials during World War II, FIBA was dissolved and the English Amateur Boxing Association, in partnership with the French Boxing Federation, decided to create AIBA; the Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur.

Almost 70 years later, AIBA continues to govern Olympic Games boxing with President Ching-Kuo (C.K.) Wu taking boxing into a new era, following his election as AIBA President in 2006.

One of C.K. Wu’s biggest achievements was spearheading a campaign that saw women's boxing confirmed as an Olympic sport in 2009. It will make its debut at London 2012.

President Wu has also established the AIBA Professional Boxing programme (APB), which aims to establish AIBA as the ultimate governing body for the sport of boxing. Boxers will keep the patronage of the same organisation throughout their career – from their first fight to professional bouts and Olympic boxing. APB is set to begin in early 2013.

For media inquiries please contact:

David Alexander, Calacus PR on 07802-412424 or david.alexander@calacus.com OR

Laura Peek, Calacus PR on 07970-176314 or laura.peek@calacus.com  

For more information about AIBA, please contact: AIBA PR & Communications Department on +41 21 621 80 02 or email communication@aiba.org

PR Moment: How to nail that PR job interview

How to nail that PR job interview

It is an achievement to get to the interview stage for a dream PR job, so it is a shame to waste this opportunity by failing to do enough research beforehand. Yet Nancy Prendergast, managing director of PR consultancy Tannissan Mae, is dismayed at how few candidates go to enough trouble: “I feel I shouldn’t have to say this, but I am impressed by someone who takes the time to find out more about our agency than what’s on our website.“

Ideal candidates, says Prendergast, find out about the clients and might even have ideas for campaigns: “Unfortunately this is pretty rare. Some candidates, I’m sorry to say, can’t even say which client most interests them – they don’t know who they are.“

As well as finding out about clients, David Alexander, managing director of agency Calacus Public Relations, says that you need to find out about the person interviewing you and follow them on social media. He adds: “I’ve had so many interviewees who turn up not knowing much and are either not a good fit or decide the company’s roster is not for them.”

Doing your homework is key, but this needs to be combined with enthusiasm. Alexander advises candidates to prove their passion for PR and show that they are ready to roll their sleeves up: “It’s tough out there, but if you can’t show how much you really would be an asset, you haven’t got a chance.”

Nick Murray-Leslie, CEO of agency Chatsworth Communications, agrees that having an extra spark gives candidates an edge: “The one common factor we look for is a bit of 'voom'. We are all about people with get up and go, who can demonstrate initiative and think on their feet to meet whatever challenges the day throws our way.”

This doesn’t mean to say you should be shouting and jumping around to get noticed, being false is never a good idea, but demonstrating your range of knowledge is. Murray-Leslie explains: “Always be yourself when you are asked broader questions about a particular aspect of current affairs or what journalists or companies you admire. Think about your answers and be measured and articulate. Keep up with current affairs and be prepared to talk about the news events of the week in question to provide informed commentary.”

The interview isn’t just a chance for you to impress, it is also a time to find out whether the company is really for you. You don’t want to accept a job that you end up hating, so take time to get a feel for the company and be confident you are a good fit for its culture.

Top tips

Paul Stallard, director at Berkeley PR, says that the skills you need to pitch to journalists are very similar to those you need to win over interview boards: “Due to the nature of the job, recruiting PROs are always going to be critical – we’re not going to trust you with our clients’ needs if you’ve not done a good job on PR-ing yourself!”

Here are Stallard’s tips to help you to stand out:

1. Do your research – having a good understanding of the company and the work it does is key so that you don’t break under questioning.

2. Demonstrate the benefits – by proving you would provide a high return on investment, you are more likely to get the job. You can do this by demonstrating your skills through a portfolio, having a good working knowledge of the sector you will be working in, proving you are confident in pitching yourself and showing what you could bring to the table.

3. Make yourself a catchy character – by brimming with enthusiasm and positivity, you will make sure you are a memorable candidate. PR is all about confidence and appearing trustworthy. Always go smart if you’re in doubt, as PR can be very corporate.

4. Practice – run through common interview questions with a friend or family member in advance so you do not feel so nervous. Dropping in some buzzwords such as “proactive” and “reactive” may help! If the interviewer uses PR catch phrases, try and use the same language, but otherwise avoid jargon.

Written by Daney Parker

CALACUS appointed by Bespoke Performance Lab

Calacus has been appointed to handle media relations for Bespoke Performance Lab, the UK’s leading elite-level training and performance centre for serious amateur athletes.

Founded by physio Sarah Lawson and Barry Scott, Bespoke Performance Lab provides a range of services for the increasing number of amateur athletes who take part in long distance running events, triathlons and cycling events across the country.

Based in Farringdon, Bespoke Performance Lab brings together world class sports rehabilitation and training experts and founder Sarah Lawson commented: “Sport is becoming such an integral part of people’s lives these days, particularly with London 2012 almost upon us, and there is a huge demand for elite level sports services for the serious amateur.

“Bespoke Performance Lab works with a wide range of people from those who are training for their first marathon to those who are part of big city sports clubs who push themselves to the limit every weekend in the pursuit of new sporting achievements.

“We’re hugely excited about the range of services we are able to offer, from bike performance to running performance and state-of-the-art running altitude facilities for those taking part in oxygen-depleted events or activities and are delighted Calacus will be telling our story.”

Calacus will provide strategic counsel and media relations support for Bespoke Performance Lab and Managing Director David Alexander said: “Increasingly I have found that friends and clients are taking up serious sporting challenges that test them to the extreme. Bespoke Performance Lab offers a superb range of services and Calacus is delighted to be a part of their team.

“I’ve run the London Marathon five times myself and wish Bespoke Performance Lab had been around when I was in training – they could have helped me sort out knee problems much faster than I did and helped me finish in a much better time.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

The Bespoke Performance Lab is the UK’s leading elite-level training and performance centre for serious amateur athletes.

Providing a unique combination of treatments and services, the Bespoke Performance Lab brings together first class specialists in their fields, who have worked at the highest level in the world of sport.

The Bespoke Performance Lab helps amateur athletes to reach their sporting goals and improve their performances through scientific and sporting expertise.

The Bespoke Performance Lab offers a state-of-the-art altitude chamber using the latest technology; 3D Retul motion capture bike fitting and rehabilitation; biomechanical running analysis; physiotherapy; and physiological testing.

With over 30 years of experience treating athletes from novices to elite level, Bespoke Performance Lab helps amateur athletes to avoid injuries, overcome enduring sports problems and perfect their form.

Athletes attending the Bespoke Performance Lab can combine a selection of treatments and services for a wide range of sporting challenges and goals.

For more information about the Bespoke Performance Lab, please call 0207 837 0647 or email

info@bespokeperformancelab.com 

PR Moment: What are the must-have skills in PR today?

What are the must-have skills in PR today?

It might be an exciting, rewarding career, but working in PR is hard work. That’s why the number one quality a PRO needs is enthusiasm. Victoria Shortt, founder of PR agency Little Red Rooster, says: “I look for passion and enthusiasm. Pretty much everything else can be learnt (I am assuming the candidate can spell here!). Everyone on a PR team needs to pull their weight and be passionate about the clients they work on. If they can't do that all else will fall apart. If we don't believe in our clients how can we expect anyone else to?”

David Alexander, managing director of agency Calacus Public Relations, agrees with Shortt that being passionate is a start, but this needs to be combined with other key skills, including understanding how the media works: “Anyone working in PR must be a great communicator and have a nose for a story. Knowing what will be of interest to the media or other audiences and having the conviction to follow it through from client buy-in to publication is essential.”

Alexander and Shortt are also in agreement that social-media skills are vital. Short says: “I would seriously consider not offering a job to someone if they didn't agree with or understand social media. It's just such an important factor nowadays and a skill a PRO cannot afford to lack."

Independent PR consultant Jeremy Walters says as well as social media skills, understanding search-engine optimisation (SEO) is key. “The must-have PR skill that is criminally neglected in today’s PR world is SEO. Without knowledge of SEO, most PR achieves half of what it could otherwise achieve. For renaissance PROs, the first page of Google is as important, if not more, than the front page of the Times. After all, the front page of the Times lasts one day. The front page of Google lasts forever.”

A recruiter’s view

According to Kelly Hopkins, recruitment consultant within the PR and communications division at Handle Recruitment, the PR market is busy, but employers are very specific about the skills they want. Here she lists the latest demands:

1. Relevant skills, experience and contacts: Hiring organisations, whether that be agency or in-house, are looking for professionals who have worked on similar brands and who have something tangible to offer the business. This could be in the form of contacts and in-depth knowledge about a particular industry to add further credibility to the team and more consultative and advisory value to clients or the board. Recruitment budgets are tight and clients are taking less risk and want to hire as close to briefs as possible.

2. Integrated skills: An interesting trend is the on-going shift in the sector towards the full-service agency – those that can offer integrated marketing/PR/digital/design for instance. This is calling for a broader set of roles than has historically been the case – marketing managers for PR agencies for example. What this means is that roles and skill sets are becoming much more defined and employers are creating job specs with tight criteria.

3. Social media skills: Around 90 per cent of the briefs we receive have some element of social media and online PR so it’s a must have skill whatever your level. You don’t have to be an expert, but being able to walk into an interview and say that you have built online relationships with bloggers or other on-line influencers within your specific industry sector is bound to add weight to your application.

4. Evaluation skills: ROI is at the top of everyone’s agenda. Consequently analytics and evaluation skills are in demand. Although hitting coverage targets is still essential, we’re finding that an increasing number of clients want to see what impact this coverage has and explore whether alternative approaches could result in more success.

5. Techies: There is exceptional high demand for tech PROs for both B2B and consumer accounts and with the number of new tech companies moving into the new “Silicon Roundabout” area we can only see this increasing.

6. International campaign experience: More organisations are looking for new revenue streams beyond their traditional domestic borders and so need PROs who can see the bigger global picture.

7. Senior digital expertise: We are also seeing increased demand for senior digital specialists at director level who can pull all the strands of digital strategy together from winning and developing new business to keeping abreast of developments in terms of new and evolving digital platforms.

Written by Daney Parker

PR Moment: Ten reasons to be cheerful about PR in 2012

Ten reasons to be cheerful about PR in 2012
 
There are ten reasons to be cheerful about 2012 says PR experts. From London 2012 Olympics to the US elections, there‘s a great deal to be thankful for.
 
Ten reasons to celebrate PR in 2012
 
Ignore all the doom and gloom on the news and count your blessings, as there are plenty of grounds for PROs to be optimistic. According to these industry experts, there are ten good reasons for looking forward to 2012.
 
Marcus Smith, senior director and head of international affairs at PR firm Weber Shandwick, says that not all news is bad news, and gives two reasons for being positive:
 
1. London 2012 – “The London Olympics is an event that will focus the world’s attention on this country for a short but intense period in summer, and which is already throwing up numerous opportunities for eager PR people. Apart from the PR contracts to be picked up around the Games themselves, there is the hope that the influx of tourists and the feel-good factor induced by a stirring British performance, will lead to a significant boost to the nation’s high streets.”
 
2. World current affairs – “A US presidential election, the continuing progress – however faltering – of the Arab Spring and the prospect of resolution of at least some of Europe’s economic woes, does give one cause to hope that business confidence, that most precious commodity and the touchstone of the PR industry, may be coming back.”
 
Nancy Prendergast, managing director of PR consultancy Tannissan Mae, gives one technological reason:
 
3. Latest TV developments – “Double-screen TV viewing is the next frontier for PROs. For example, Channel 4 is working on pilots to integrate linear screen viewing into social media and streaming. So, in 2012 we’ll find that if a client’s feature or interview is airing on linear TV, the second screen app will provide new ‘live’ opportunities and challenges: click-throughs to featured products or further background reading or viewing, or extended conversation through social media for viewer comment/opinion/recommendation. We’re only beginning to imagine what is possible.”
 
Three advantages of PR as a discipline are suggested by David Alexander, director at agency Calacus Public Relations:
 
4. PR is cost-effective – “Companies large and small need to engage with their audiences and with advertising proving to be more expensive and less likely to influence the public, PR will continue to prove its worth in the media/marketing mix.”
 
5. PR is adaptable – “In today’s unpredictable climate, committing to large advertising campaigns can be daunting for companies while PR campaigns can be tailored more readily.”
 
6. PROs are cheerleaders – “In this gloomy world we’re living in, it’s great for PR consultants to be able to spread a little positivity and optimism.”
 
Last, Trevor Morris, author of PR Today: The Authoritative Guide to Public Relations, concludes with four cheery thoughts:
 
7. PR is fun – “PR will remain an exciting, diverse and important industry despite the downturn.”
 
8. Improved journalism – “Fear of Leveson will make tabloids behave a little better … and perhaps be a little duller.”
 
9. Businesses need PR – “Organisations of every sort will continue to invest in PR – as they have done through all previous recessions – because it works ...some of the time.”
 
10. We operate in a stable nation – “At least we aren’t living in Iran, Zimbabwe or Greece!’

PR Moment: Was it your ambition to work in PR?

Was it your ambition to work in PR?

From being a fashion designer to a sports journalist, these PR heads failed to fulfil their childhood ambitions. But they are more than happy that things didn’t go to plan. Here they describe their earliest dreams and what went wrong, and eventually, right.

Sports journalist
Phil Hall, chairman of PR agency PHA Media and ex-editor of News of the World:

“From the age of eight I had one ambition, to be a sports journalist of a national newspaper. The thought of being able to be close to my heroes while indulging in flowery prose seemed too good to be true. I set about writing reports of every game I saw, whether it was in the park, with my Sunday football team, or at Upton Park, home of my beloved West Ham United.

“That dream stayed with me for 10 years. Then I wrote to ITV’s the Big Match and asked if I could watch a West Ham game from the gantry and report on what I saw. It wasn’t as glamorous as I imagined – more spit and sawdust than chariots of fire. I submitted my piece to the local paper and it was used … but I got torn to shreds in the following week’s programme and told I was not welcome at West Ham again.

“The shame proved too much and I found a safer haven – investigative journalism. That ultimately delivered another dream, the editorship of the News of the World. Suddenly West Ham United wanted to befriend me – the boot was on the other foot!”

David Alexander, director at agency Calacus Public Relations:

“I wanted to be a sports journalist from the age of about seven and dreamed of living in Italy. I recall going to a careers lecture at university where we were told that of those of us in the room who eventually became journalists, more than half would end up in PR. I was convinced it was something I would never do.

I ended up working for local newspapers and then the BBC, Guardian, Sunday Telegraph and Reuters based in Rome, among others, but as advertising budgets became tighter, I looked into PR at the age of 27 and am delighted I did so.”

Fashion designer
Jill Hawkins, director of PR agency Aniseed PR:

“My childhood ambition was to be a fashion designer, I went to art college and worked in retail design for a few years, but was never great at it.

“I fell into marketing and became marketing manager for an American company. While there I inherited a PR agency that just didn’t get the brand. For example, it tried to get us to run a competition to find Britain’s hardest worker – when our company ethos was about working smarter not harder. The line ‘well, this worked for all our other clients’ was used more than once … so I sacked it, took the PR in-house and never looked back. I then joined a PR agency (at the age of 27) and started from the bottom as an account manager.”

Not sure, but showed PR promise
Andy Turner, founder of PR agency Six Sigma:

“Although I didn’t know what PR was, aged seven, it’s now clear I showed early promise: the teacher asked us to enter a story-writing competition on the theme of my best friend, which I won easily by nifty lateral creative thinking. Everyone else interpreted the theme literally, I wrote about my dog! The prize was a box of Bassets Liquorice Allsorts, which I gave away to my classmates. The prize itself held little value for me because my mother worked at the factory and was always bringing home freebies – an early lesson in perception management or how to win friends and influence people?”

Wife and mother
Samantha Howard, freelance communications consultant:

“I was rather vague about my future. My Dad was outraged that I didn’t aspire to go to Oxford to study nuclear physics. As I recall my concluding argument was, ‘I don’t know why you’re getting so het up about it, I’ll only be working for a couple of years and then be married and having babies.’

“Suffice to say I don’t have a degree in nuclear physics, but nor do I have a wedding ring or an enormous family. Ambition only emerged once I started full-time employment (age 17) and I wanted to be the best I could be, at whatever was asked of me. It’s on that basis I happen to have had a fantastic, varied career.”

PR Moment: Do men do better in PR because they are more career-focused?

Do men do better in PR because they are more career-focused?

PR may be dominated by women in terms of numbers, but when it comes to power, more men rule. According to the CIPR’s last State of the PR Profession Report, women make up 65 per cent of the industry, yet men are almost twice as likely to be earning a salary in excess of £50,000. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that women are getting a raw deal in PR.

They might not take up stressful senior positions because they have better ways to spend their time. But if women do aim for the top, then it’s a matter of being focused, and ideally, starting early.

Angela Casey, managing director of agency Porter Novelli, Edinburgh, says that ambitious women in PR have to first be organised, and second, get on the fast track before having children: “The more senior you are when you have the maternity breaks, the easier it is, as people will be flexible around you, childcare is more affordable and you yourself will have the right attitude to deal with the breaks. As an industry that is quite female focused, it should not be difficult to get on, and with IT allowing home working and flexibility, everything is in our grasp. Being organised is vital – having supportive childcare in place and having the plannable things sorted, will allow you to deal with the unscheduled ones.“

But it is not just having kids that can interfere with careers. It is proven that older women are discriminated against in broadcast media, as shown by the case of ex-Countryfile host Miriam O'Reilly, when she won her employment tribunal against the BBC on the grounds of ageism. Is the same true of PR? Not according to Heather Yaxley, PR consultant, author and part-time lecturer at Bournemouth University, unless they are deliberately trading on their looks: “I don’t think it is harder for women to progress in PR as they get older, unless they are working in a sector that promotes the notion of PR bunnies – where the focus may be on using ‘erotic capital’ rather than brains.”

Yaxley points out that there are many examples of senior, experienced, older women in PR. However, she has noticed that women tend to drop out of PR once they have children, which could indicate a culture of long-hours in the profession. Yaxley has also noticed that men seem to enter PR at a higher level (often as former journalists), securing greater credibility and higher salaries, “I think this is an important issue as there could seem to be different career paths between the genders.”

So if women fail to get to the top in PR, this could be because either they don’t want to, or because they are treading the wrong career path. David Alexander, director at agency Calacus Public Relations, is convinced that women get a fair deal in PR. He has worked at PR firms Weber Shandwick, Hill and Knowlton and Porter Novelli, two of which have female managing directors who, he says, “were appointed because of their talent and not for any other reason.”

Alexander adds: “Hill and Knowlton and Porter Novelli were both female-orientated with men firmly in the minority – I think because women are often a lot more methodical with the systems and processes of PR than men, and also because they are better suited to many of the consumer products they have to promote because they are the target audience.”

Although Alexander admits it’s more of an even split of the sexes in corporate PR, he concludes: “Women do more than hold their own.”

Soundbites

Rachel Knight, account director at media relations and marketing consultancy Maxim:

“I think women have to work a little harder to be taken seriously in the B2B world, as it is assumed they are better at consumer PR. Personally, I’ve always preferred B2B clients, but that often means working in a male-dominated environment. It’s not just down to sex though; age is a contributory factor. Walking into a room full of suits in my early 20s was rather intimidating, but these days I feel I’ve proved myself and it’s less of an issue.”

Sarah Hughes, associate director at agency Berkeley PR:

“I don’t think the profession treats women unfairly. I think we may just have different priorities and are a little less ruthless when it comes to our careers. Many of us have career breaks to start a family and play a larger role at home which often means we can’t give quite as much to work.”

Rassami Hok Ljunberg, director of PR agency Rassami:

“Women always suffer more from both ageism and sexism, whatever the industry!”

PR Moment: Want a career in PR? Enthusiasm and common sense are vital. Being able to write helps too!

PR Moment – Want a career in PR? Enthusiasm and common sense are vital. Being able to write helps too!

Taking on new people is always a gamble. It might cost less in the short term to take on a graduate, but the amount you need to invest in training before they decide to leave, can mean it is a costly mistake. Journalists can also be a high-risk investment. They might have writing ability, but find commercial life uncomfortable. Taking on a seasoned PRO may seem the safest option, but it is still tricky to find exactly the right person.
 
Deciding on the ideal type of candidate depends on the level you are recruiting at. If it is a junior post, then experience is not expected. But other qualities are vital. Paul Stallard, director at Berkeley PR, says: “When taking on trainees, we look for people with initiative and a demonstrable interest in PR – a university degree can be an added bonus, but isn’t a prerequisite. We find common sense and enthusiasm are far more important.”
 
When it comes to recruiting more senior people, Stallard says he prefers candidates with an agency background. He explains: “A specific type of management skill is required within an agency, and although in-house experience can be valuable, there is always a bedding-in period if the ‘agency-craft’ needs to be learned.”
 
Stallard is not overly enthusiastic about taking on journalists, although he recognises they are interesting to meet and have a natural affinity with the world of PR. However he thinks they don’t always fit into the traditional agency roles.
 
The advantage of journalists is that they can write. David Alexander, director at agency Calacus Public Relations, says that as long as journalists can get their heads around client expectations, reporting and suchlike, their skills lie in “their ability to sniff a story angle and their ability to write“. He adds, “so many PR graduates I have seen simply cannot write a sentence.”
 
Alexander says that apart from writing, the most important attributes candidates need are the willingness to “roll their sleeves up and get stuck in.”
 
Julian Ruane, director at agency ChiCho Marketing, agrees with Alexander and Stallard that enthusiasm is vital: “I’ve employed a number of people over my time in PR and the best results have had nothing to do with relevant experience or journalism skills. The employees that have worked out the best are the ones that have the same work ethic as the rest of the team. Skills can be learnt. My most recent employee has a background in retail and hasn’t written anything for years. She’s working out brilliantly because her work ethic is spot on – she’s in early, works hard, is able to laugh without losing focus, and is quick to pick things up. Although I have to train her from scratch, I’m enjoying the process rather than it being a bind because her approach to work is the same as the rest of the team.”
 
Case study
 
Donna Chessum, deputy managing director at PR agency Tribe, describes the agency’s experience of taking on graduates, experienced PROs and journalists:
 
“We believe in ‘growing our own’ and have just taken on our second intern having given the first a permanent position as a trainee account executive. What we look for in a graduate is confidence, ability to write, eagerness to learn, a genuine interest in our business, the media the world around them and that indefinable ‘spark’.
 
“We also value employees with broader experience of working in different industry sectors, in-house and agency and with wider communications and marketing skills. That way we know we can build the right teams for different clients.
 
“Two former journalists we recently hired were recruited for specific skills that we know the agency and our clients will benefit from. Both have broadcast experience and one headed the digital project for ITV Anglia and will be driving our online video offering. We have employed other journalists in the agency and have been amused by how quickly the scales fall from their eyes and they begin to appreciate the complexities and frustrations that come with managing both client and media demands!”

Quest Professional Business Training appoints Calacus to run public relations campaign

Quest Professional business training has appointed Calacus as its retained UK public relations agency to provide PR support as it plans to expand its services.

Quest Professional, which includes the iconic Lucie Clayton brand along with Queen’s Secretarial College and St James’s, provides a wide range of business training courses for more than 200 students a year.

With a high percentage of students going into blue chip companies and the majority finding work within two months of completing their courses, Quest Professional is the leading training centre of its kind in the UK. 

Quest Professional Director Jo Barnard said: “With university fees getting higher and more and more young people getting impatient about starting their careers as soon as possible, Quest Professional offers a viable alternative with practical business training.

“We have a superb record of securing jobs with blue chip companies for our students and with the economy still in a state of recovery, our business contacts need to know that the candidates we send to them can hit the ground running. Our training offers a complete range of skills that ensures candidates can undertake a variety of roles, which is so vitally important in the competitive jobs market.

“Calacus has excellent media contacts and will help us to communicate our own expertise and depth of knowledge both to prospective students and the businesses where they will later seek to work.”

Calacus Director David Alexander said: “Quest Professional has moved on from the days when Lucie Clayton taught etiquette and modeling and adapts its training courses to suit the developing needs of modern business. 

“The fact that big businesses are taking on their apprentices speaks volumes for the great work that they’re doing. We’re delighted to be able to help Quest Professional to tell its story and help them to reinforce its position as the eminent business training centre in the UK.”

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

The brands that underpin Quest have existed since 1912. Originally Queen’s Secretarial College, Quest Professional combines the former well-known businesses of Queen’s Secretarial College, Lucie Clayton, and St James’s and provides tailored training in skills for the modern business environment with an updated and progressive coaching and development approach.

Quest Professional offers a mixture of courses based on terms of up to 36 weeks, focused on the development of essential business skills. In the current environment of increased university fees, employer concern over the quality and relevance of some degrees in the business world, it is seen increasingly as a positive choice to university.

Quest Professional also has specific courses aimed at those who have graduated and are looking for business training following the completion of their degree. It is seen as the first step into committing to a career and taking life more seriously.

Quest Professional assists its graduates on completion of their course through its placement service to find employment in a world where there is fierce competition for jobs. Its reputation with employers in the business and professional job market greatly assist its graduates to gain employment following the completion of their course.

Quest Professional Managing Director Sean Morgan joined BE Limited in 2010, a group within the education sector whose businesses include Quest Professional and the Frances King School of English.

He provides strategic guidance for Quest and also works directly with Quest Professional apprentices on self awareness programmes, career development and explaining the workings of finance.

Quest Professional Director Jo Barnard started working for Sight & Sound Education Ltd in the late 1980s and quickly moved into contract business development for large public sector programmes.

She joined Lucie Clayton in 1997 and played an instrumental role in the merger with St James’s in 2003 and the subsequent sale and merger with Queen’s in 2006 which resulted in the formation of Quest. She was appointed Director of Quest in March 2010. 

Quest has a superb record of placing its apprentices in jobs at blue chip companies including PricewaterhouseCoopers, Morgan Stanley, Grant Thornton, Nomura, Goldman Sachs, the Royal Bank of Scotland LK Bennett, and Christian Dior.

For more information, please visit www.questcollege.co.uk

HEART UK appoints Calacus to run national awareness campaign

HEART UK, the Cholesterol Charity, has appointed Calacus to run an awareness campaign to help its fight against raised cholesterol.

HEART UK are experts in cholesterol and they lead the way in education and support for people both with inherited or non-inherited high cholesterol. Their work with governing bodies and medical stakeholders has also helped to further develop guidelines for improved methods of the detection and treatment of cholesterol related conditions.

Key elements of the consumer-focused campaign will be the promotion of healthy living and a good diet as well as celebrity endorsement to get the message across.

HEART UK Chief Executive Jules Payne said: “This is a key time in the history of our organisation and we have ambitious plans to build on the success we have had in the past ten years.

“Consumer audiences are key for us, but we will also be expanding our product approval scheme, clinics and education programmes.

“HEART UK is passionate about preventing premature deaths caused by cholesterol and we have an important story to tell. We are confident that Calacus will help us to engage with all our target audiences and help us raise more funds to fight heart disease.”

Calacus Director David Alexander said: “As someone whose father suffered from severe heart disease, working for HEART UK has a personal resonance for me. Healthy eating and exercise are important aspects of the modern lifestyle and Calacus will use its contacts to help attract new ambassadors and supporters. HEART UK has a great story to tell and we will help them tell it to all their key audiences.”

Calacus won a competitive pitch involving five other agencies.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

HEART UK - The Cholesterol Charity - promotes healthy hearts and better lives by:

•           helping and supporting individuals, families and health professionals to understand and control cholesterol conditions and other heart risks

•           promoting education and research to improve identification, prevention, treatment and care of cholesterol and lipid conditions

•           working in partnership with government, the NHS, industry and other charities

•           promoting best practice in addressing inherited and non-inherited cholesterol conditions.

Two thirds of the UK have raised cholesterol. Over 120,000 people in Britain have a form of inherited high cholesterol called Familial Hypercholesterolaemia (FH) which can cause premature death as those as young as 30 – and only 15% of those with the condition are known.

HEART UK was formed in 2002 following a merger of The Family Heart Association (FHA) and the British Hyperlipidaemia Association (BHA). 

The Chief Executive of HEART UK is Jules Payne. Prior to this, she was Deputy Chief Executive at Allergy UK, a charity supporting people with all allergies and intolerances. Her previous background was in business development within the commercial arena and she has experience a multitude of industries, including recruitment, advertising, energy and the grey market.

HEART UK ambassadors include actress Dame Judi Dench and chef Aldo Zilli.

People wishing to find out more about FH should contact the HEART UK helpline on 0845 450 5988 or visit www.heartuk.org.uk

Hope & Glory Pictures appoint Calacus PR as international sports stars sign up for WWII drama football movie

November 16 2010, London – International film producers Hope & Glory Pictures (H&G) has appointed Calacus to support its production of the forthcoming feature film ‘Death Match – Kolja’s War.’

Death Match follows the brave and breathtaking journeys of young Kolja – a highly promising football talent – and climaxes in the starving Kiev football team playing their final match against a specially selected team set up by the German Wehrmacht. Kiev won against all odds, but in an act of barbaric revenge, several players were executed or tortured to death after the game. Today the Kiev players are remembered as great Ukrainian heroes.

Death Match was developed by UK and Berlin-based H&G company owners and producers Anya Padel and Raphael Socha and will also be directed by Socha.

Raphael Socha said: “Hope & Glory is delighted to appoint Calacus to support our public relations for Death Match. Their knowledge of the sports and entertainment industries will help us tremendously and we look forward to working with them during the production. This is a very personal project for Anya and myself. Our family background goes back to Eastern Europe and Russia and several of our ancestors fought, suffered and died in battles and under torture during WWII, in some cases even had to fight against each other.”

Calacus Director David Alexander said: “Calacus is very excited to be working with Hope&Glory Pictures and will provide support and guidance as they look to promote the film production. The Death Match story is both poignant and timely, given that the UEFA EURO 2012™ takes place when the film is set to have its premiere.”

Death Match is set for production in June/July/August 2011 and for release in the early summer of 2012.

The film’s premiere is planned during the time of the UEFA EURO 2012™ tournament, to be hosted by Ukraine and Poland. A major open air film premiere is also scheduled to be held at the Olympus Stadium in Kiev on the evening of June 22 2012, the 70th anniversary of the first bombing of Kiev by the German air force which is also the opening scene of Death Match, the movie.  The year 2012 will also be the 20th anniversary of Ukrainian Independence.

H&G are extremely honoured to have the backing of world famous Ukrainian sports legend and IOC board member Sergey Bubka for the Death Match project. Sergey has recently been appointed Ambassador of Ukraine for UEFA EURO 2012™ and has enthusiastically committed to become a patron and ambassador of this fascinating H&G production.          

Former AC Milan and Chelsea striker and Ukraine football icon Andrey Shevchenko has also committed to playing an important Dynamo footballer from the historical Match and other international footballers and actors are also in discussions with H&G as casting continues.

Grygoriy and Igor Surkis, the owners of Dynamo Kiev have also expressed their support and are backing the project. Grygoriy Surkis is President of the Ukraine Football Federation and also a member of the UEFA Executive Committee and of the FIFA Associations Committee.

The producers are presently in negotiations with several international sales agents and distributors and will shortly announce their cooperation partner. Raphael Socha is set to work with top creative talent on the project as well as with Oscar winning crew to participate in the production of Death Match.

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Hope & Glory Pictures

Raphael Socha and Anya Padel have substantial experience in script consulting and international film financing, and produced and co financed several award winning, international feature films including The Seagulls Laughter, Oscar Entry for Best Foreign Language Film, the BAFTA-winning Kiss Of Life and Snowfever. Three further H&G films are in preparation for 2011 and 2012.

Socha has also produced and directed award winning and well known commercials, corporate films, music videos, as well as short films and a documentary. In 2001 Socha and his partner, Anya Padel, received, the most honourable award of the New York Festival, the UN Gold Medal for outstanding achievements in the Humanities and the Arts, from Kofi Anand, for their imaginative film campaign "Handicap" against the rise of neo fascist, right wing violence.

PR Week: Gary Lineker 'helps' 2018 World Cup bid with Mail on Sunday column snub

Sports PR professionals have applauded Gary Lineker for quitting his Mail on Sunday column in protest at the publication of the Lord Triesman sting.

The Guardian sports writer David Conn revealed on his Inside Sport blog this afternoon that Lineker has quit his weekly column after the newspaper's publication of Lord Triesman's secretly recorded conversation on Sunday.

Following publication of the story, Triesman resigned as chairman of the FA and of its bid to host the 2018 World Cup.

Former England international Lineker is an official ambassador of the bid. In his Guardian blog, Conn quoted Lineker: ‘The story itself, the circumstances surrounding it and the actions of the Mail on Sunday in publishing it have undermined the bid to bring the World Cup to England in 2018.

‘I wholeheartedly support the bid, because I believe that hosting the tournament would be brilliant for the country, and I am an official ambassador for it. I have therefore taken the view that I cannot continue as a columnist for the Mail on Sunday.'

Calacus PR director David Alexander said: ‘Newspapers are finding it increasingly difficult to get big scoops these days that have a major impact on sales and they're becoming ever more desperate. This was a classic sting that deservedly justifies the tag of "entrapment" because of the manner in which the story was obtained, recording a private, off-the-cuff conversation between "friends".

‘While it is true that everyone in public office needs to be incredibly careful of what they say, it's a sad state of affairs that such tactics were used to create a scandal and the MoS may well find sales decline rather than increase following this affair.'

He added: ‘Gary Lineker has long been the darling of English football. His resignation will send a message to the world that the MoS' behaviour is not acceptable even within these shores, which in itself can only help the bid.'

Sports agency Sine Qua Non International head of PR and comms Chris Hughes concurred with Alexander and added: 'Gary Lineker has made a bold statement by stepping down from his column. His actions speak on behalf of all English football fans and underline just what a PR own goal the Mail on Sunday has scored in publishing the story in the first place.

'By running what is effectively an "entrapment" story, the Mail cannot take any journalistic moral high ground and has left itself exposed to the backlash that has ensued. The story has rocked the foundations of England's 2018 World Cup bid just days after David Beckham formally presented the book to FIFA President Sepp Blatter. The timing of the story has caused maximum disruption but the bid committee has acted quickly and professionally to minimise the damage.'

However, Media House chief executive and former editor of the Scottish Sun Jack Irvine praised the MoS for covering the story.

'The MoS did a superb job and I take my hat off to them. It won't have a negative long-lasting effect on the paper's reputation. Instead, it has confirmed it is the dog's bollcoks in modern journalism and everybody who has a story to tell will beat a path to its door.'

The MoS ran a story on Sunday with comments made by Triesman during a private dinner with a friend Melissa Jacobs, who was recording it. She then sold her story to the Mail on Sunday, which is understood to have paid £75,000 for it, with the publicist Max Clifford representing Jacobs.