Other Lines Of Enquiry North Team Run In Support Of Tynedale Hospice At Home

A team of colleagues from North East market research agency, Other lines of enquiry North, have taken part in this year’s Marathon of the North.

The Other lines of enquiry North team were running in support of Tynedale Hospice at Home which provides quality palliative care to people in West Northumberland.

The team of 6 runners took part in the BQ Relay, with each team member running an allocated distance ranging from 3km to 10km – totalling the 26.2 mile marathon.

The team finished 7^th out of a total of 35 relay teams, taking part.

The Marathon of the North is part of the Sunderland Festival of Running, an annual event which also includes the Sunderland City10k and half marathon.

To donate please go to www.justgiving.com/olen

Karol Marketing Puts Best Foot Forward With Asolo

Karol Marketing Group is expanding its impressive portfolio with the addition of a new client, Asolo. 

The Italian footwear brand is one of the worldwide leaders in producing technical mountaineering shoes.  

Appointed by the brand’s UK distributor – Scotland-based AMG Group – Karol Marketing will undertake PR activity for the footwear brand across the UK.

JUMP For Healthcare

Newcastle-based brand communications company JUMP has designed a new website for Synergy Healthcare.
 
JUMP was originally commissioned to give Synergy, one of the largest physiotherapy practices in the North East of England, a brand overhaul as well as designing their corporate literature, website and Content Management System.

R&B Group Win National Awards Contract

R&B Group have announced that they will be working with long-standing client the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) to produce a series of 11 awards presentations throughout the United Kingdom. Eight years ago R&B Group provided their technical support for the Renaissance Awards, the RICS’s flagship celebration of building developments in the North-East.  Held in the banqueting suite of Newcastle’s Civic Centre, this gala dinner and awards was quickly recognised as one of the best in the country and it wasn’t long before the company were invited to work on the equivalent events in the neighbouring regions of Yorkshire & Humber and the North West.

Print Futures Awards Open For Entries

The Print Futures Awards are open for entries, offering up to £1,500 for studying or training.

The Print Futures Awards were launched in 2003 to help people fund any costs associated with a relevant training course in printing, publishing or the graphic arts.
Sponsored by The Printing Charity, Unite the Union, and The British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF), the awards are open to people who:

• are aged between 16 and 30 years
• resident in the UK
• are already working in printing, publishing or the graphic arts and would like to undertake short courses or training sessions to develop their skills
• intend studying or are already studying for a job in printing, publishing or the graphic arts in the UK 

Lucky Fan Meets Heavyweight

Chis Bell (left) with Sugar Ray Leonard

Local printing heavyweight, PPD's Chris Bell, took time out from his busy schedule to greet fan Sugar Ray Leonard, recently.

Chris joked: "I cuda knocked sugar out no botha!!!"

Mr Leonard, a retired boxer from Pacific Palisades, California was said to be "thrilled".

Karol Marketing Group Appoints New Account Manager

Laura Kingston joins the Newcastle team

Laura Kingston

PR and marketing agency Karol Marketing Group, has expanded its team with the appointment of a new account manager at its Newcastle office. 

Laura Kingston joins the firm with five years’ experience in the industry, and will be overseeing the management of key clients following the company’s significant growth in 2012. 

Guerilla Give Alnwick Castle The Big Screen Treatment

Guerilla have announced that they've been appointed by the historical landmark and iconic movie setting, Alnwick Castle, as its creative agency for 2013 and their first campaign is now live across the North East.

The advertising is styled like a movie poster, capitalising on Alnwick Castle's use as a location for the Harry Potter films, among other big screen appearances.

How clients are de-skilling the UK advertising industry – Guardian

An article on the Guardian website today addresses a topic that's probably familiar to many of our readers – advertising agencies losing skilled, experienced staff due to financial pressures.

I met up with a former boss of mine recently, from back in the day when I first started working in advertising. He was suggesting to me that clients (meaning marketing people) are now "getting the agencies they deserve". And not in a good way. 

His thesis was that marketing organisations have spent the last decade squeezing creative agency fee income and margins, a trend accelerated by the rise in influence of procurement departments in such negotiations. This had achieved an undesirable and unwanted outcome; over time agencies had become de-skilled, and consequently less useful.

‘DON’T BE A STRANGER’

Opinion Piece by Ben Quigley, CEO of Different

Ben Quigley

Newcastle has always been synonymous with creative problem solvers. From George Stephenson in the first industrial revolution to Jonathan Ive in the current era, Newcastle’s creative thinkers have consistently fuelled economic growth. However, today Newcastle is the furthest IPA English city from London. It has been adversely affected by the recession and overly reliant upon public sector jobs in recent times. And unsurprisingly in the advertising sector, there are fewer agencies around now than there were 5 years ago.

Newcastle’s current IPA agencies are embracing change. The city’s IPA agencies are flying the flag for excellence, always looking forward and asking, ‘what’s next?’.

Today’s agencies locate their HQ motherships in Newcastle but don’t just serve local clients anymore. Now they partner brands including L’Oreal, Bet365 and 32Red supported by technology, transport infrastructure and satellite offices located in this country and further afield. Having your HQ in Newcastle is no longer a perceived barrier to growth.

IPA elects figureheads for major cities

The IPA has announced the appointment of four new city heads to strengthen the Around-the-UK team, and help deliver the most value to member agencies across the country. They are Peter Craven, Managing Partner, Madhouse, Ben Quigley, Chief Executive Officer, Different, Andy Reid, Managing Director, McCann Bristol and Andrew Wilson, Chief Executive Officer, WAA.

The new appointments, spanning Birmingham, Bristol, Manchester and Newcastle, will serve a two-year term and aim to help members in their area access IPA services and participate in locally-based activity. They will also act as spokesmen for their area, raising awareness of relevant issues. All four city heads will be active in meeting fellow member agencies in their regions whose feedback will form a programme of activity for 2013.

CAPITAL GAINS FOR KAROL

PR and marketing firm steps into a new era with launch of London office

Emily Conrad-Pickles, Managing Director of Karol Marketing London
and Stefan Lepkowski, Founder of Karol Marketing Group.

Award-winning PR and marketing agency, Karol Marketing Group, has opened a new office in London.

The launch represents a significant expansion for the company, which was founded in 1992 and has its headquarters on Newcastle’s Quayside.

Is this thing on?

One, two… one, two…

Well, this is embarrassing. It seems we've had some technical difficulty here: several posts have disappeared into the ether. I could see them, but it turns out that nobody else could. And now they're just… gone.

I really don't know how I managed it. Perhaps I just imagined the whole thing.

So anyway, moving on…

TAKING CARE OF THE PENNIES

New finance director appointed to spearhead expansion

Kellie-Jo Huntley

Karol Marketing Group, the successful PR and marketing firm, has further expanded its team with the appointment of a new finance director who will be overseeing the opening of new offices in London and Manchester.

Kellie-Jo Huntley joins the team with a wealth of knowledge in accounting and finance. With over eighteen year’s experience, Kellie-Jo is responsible for developing the company’s strategic focus together with the managing director.

North East referral network introduces Scandinavian retailer to the UK

(left – right) Neil Dwyer from Hay & Kilner, Stefan Lepkowski from Karol Marketing Group,
Deborah Graham from Ryecroft Glenton and Steven Fallon from ARG working together to open the
new Airport Fashion store in Newcastle International Airport

A trio of North East businesses have been working together to successfully launch the first UK store of a Scandinavian retail giant in Newcastle International Airport.

Airport Retail Group (ARG) is renowned across its home country of Norway and Northern Europe for offering high quality fashion brands such as Hugo Boss, Lyle & Scott, Eton, Tommy Hilfiger and GANT.  Its strategy is to open stores in prime airport locations to reach style conscious business and family travellers.
 

Student proves success of summer school scheme

This year, DiFFERENT advertising, design & marketing agency in Newcastle, opened its doors to students for summer. Candidates were carefully selected and welcomed in to the buzzing agency environment, one of which managed to secure a full time position.  Over 27 weeks, an impressive 65 students joined teams in total including; account handling, planning, digital, design and creative.