They say time flies when you’re having fun and December 2022 marks the 13th anniversary of Refresh! While we offer a wide scope of services for clients here at Refresh which stretch beyond traditional media relations, it’s still our bread and butter and you can’t beat that feeling of seeing an amazing piece of coverage land!
So, to celebrate this milestone, here are 13 pieces of coverage which we’re proud of this year…
Sky News’ Ian King Live – BBF
BBF is the UK’s leading producer of premium mince pies here in the UK, making 150 million of the festive favourites each year! As part of our client’s Christmas campaign, we secured an interview for Jonathan Lill, CEO of BBF, on Sky News’ Ian King Live.
During the interview, which took place on the last day of BBF’s mince pie production for 2022, Jonathan discussed this year’s top mince pie trends and festive flavours. Christmas really did come early for the account team with this one as Sky News is such a prominent media outlet with a huge audience!
BBC Radio (Various stations) – Culture Shift
After experiencing maternity discrimination not once, but twice, Gemma McCall founded Culture Shift to help eradicate toxic behaviour in the workplace. As part of our 2022 campaign, we focused on positioning Gemma as an expert on all thing bullying, harassment and discrimination in the workplace.
As such, over recent months we have secured Gemma a number of BBC Radio interviews – including one on BBC Radio 5 Live and another with BBC Radio Manchester. Gemma provided expert insight and guidance on topics such as maternity discrimination and bullying in the workplace.
It’s always rewarding to hear our clients on the radio, but it’s even better when they’re raising awareness of such important topics.
Earlier this year, following years of success with MyGlazing.com, RISA approached us to help raise awareness of its Section 75 assessment service among UK homeowners and we did just that!
We designed and implemented a short, content-led campaign which focused on the home improvement plans of homeowners nationwide. As part of this, research revealed that 41% of homeowners were planning to make changes to their property in 2022. iNews covered this in a top tips article on ‘how to save money when renovating your home’, as the publication listed a number of ways Brits could make changes to their property on a budget.
It was great to see research from one of our clients used as the basis of this national article!
As part of our 2022 campaign with Distology, the specialist IT cybersecurity distributor, we asked IT leaders what they thought would be the biggest disruptors of the sector over the coming years.
This research data was covered by top tier tech publication, Computer Weekly. Not only did the piece include comments from Distology’s CPO, Lance Williams, which positioned our client as thought leaders in the industry, but it also included a link back to the Distology website – great for SEO!
British Dental Journal – Immersify Education
Immersify Dental, the interactive learning resource for dental students created by Immersify Education was featured in the product news section of The British Dental Journal in May this year. Highlighting Immersify’s aims to become the go-to platform for educational resources and to make the learning experience more accessible and enjoyable for students, the article announced that the platform was made available to anyone studying dentistry, regardless of whether their university had signed up.
Coverage in well-respected industry publications is key to the success of any campaign, and we certainly ticked that box by getting coverage in the British Dental Journal.
Another great piece of coverage we secured for Culture Shift as part of the 2022 PR campaign was in the Metro. Research we conducted on behalf of the tech for good developer revealed more than one in four expectant mothers are reluctant to share their pregnancy news due to fear of repercussions.
This data shone a light on the true extent of maternity discrimination here in the UK, and the national coverage allowed us to highlight this issue to thousands of Metro readers. While, Gemma’s expert commentary will ultimately help leaders with protecting their people.
Research from Ello Group, the customer loyalty and acquisition specialists, took prime position in Marketing Week’s ‘5 interesting stats to start your week’ section. The research focused on brand loyalty, revealing almost one third (30%) of consumers say rising costs are impacting their trust in brands, with one in five (22%) admitting their loyalty to the brands they usually shop with has declined in recent months.
Being featured first in the list means Ello’s name will have been seen by nearly everyone who read the article and speaks volumes about the relevancy and interest in Ello’s research.
Another big coverage highlight from 2022 is a feature piece we secured for Etex’s Technical Manager, Robert Cridford, in Construction News. Robert spoke to the publication about the tightening-up of fire safety over the past few years and the current standards that the industry should be adhering to.
Construction News is one of the biggest titles in the construction industry and Robert’s insights really cemented Etex’s position as experts in the field.
The Daily Express – MyGlazing.com
Responding to the cost of living crisis, we worked with MyGlazing.com on a campaign focusing on making homes more energy efficient. Almost a quarter (24%) of a property’s heat energy can escape from old, draughty windows and in this Daily Express article Tom Butler, MyGlazing.com’s glass and glazing expert, explains why it’s important that windows and doors are maintained.
Not only does the piece position Tom and MyGlazing.com as experts in the sector, but it also includes a link back to the MyGlazing.com website.
University Business – Applyboard
Earlier this year, we worked with ApplyBoard – the Canadian based international student recruitment company – on a campaign to boost brand awareness here in the UK.
As such, we developed a report which revealed the number of people studying in the UK from overseas increased by more than a third from 2016/2017 to 2021/21, showing just how desirable the UK is as a study abroad destination. University Business, one of the leading publications in the higher education and further education sector, covered the new report and included comment from ApplyBoard Co-Founder Meti Basiri, as well as a link to the ApplyBoard website
This was the first time University Business had covered ApplyBoard – introducing clients to key industry publications is something we do best!
Manufacturing Engineering Management (MEM) – FEIN
Something a little different we got the pleasure of working on with FEIN this year was a case study with Ricardo Churchill Bespoke Metalwork, which creates bespoke furniture evocative of contemporary gothic design. In an attempt to combat the day-to-day challenges, he was facing, FEIN’s team of metalworking experts recommended the MKAS 355 metal chop saw. MEM’s coverage detailed the benefits of the chop saw and Ricardo’s very positive experience using it.
To see such praise of a client’s product in any publication is a win no matter the publication, let alone one as big as MEM.
The second Daily Express article to feature in this list is part of our ‘hydrate the nation’ campaign for Aqua Pura. We partnered with Dr Stuart Galloway of the University of Stirling to help educate the nation about hydration. From understanding the early warning signs, to knowing what to do when dehydration hits, the educational campaign was part of the mineral water brand’s mission to hydrate the nation.
Working with a third party spokesperson helps add an element of credibility to a campaign – especially when the spokesperson is an academic!
Last, but by no means least, is Construction Enquirer’s coverage of Etex announcing that construction was due to begin on the expansion of its Bristol plasterboard factory. The expansion of the former brownfield site will allow Etex to double manufacturing capacity for its Siniat brand upon opening.
This coverage ensured Etex was visible to those across the supply chain, such as main contractors, which was crucial to our client. The factory was a major investment for the business and is the largest of its kind in Etex history, so it’s great to see trade media covering the update!