Public relations was our focus on this rainy London day. We splashed our way along the wet streets to make our way to first Battenhall, a cool agency we have visited before for our morning visit before heading off to Burson Cohn and Wolfe.
We first met Drew Benvie on an earlier visit, thanks to a connection via our former colleague Dr. Kathleen Donnelly. It has been a leader and innovator because of its focus on social media, and Drew is also just great young man who treats his employees very well. A technology allotment, unlimited holiday time and a creative focus makes for happy and productive employees. Just as last time, we heard great reports of creative campaigns from young people who just obviously enjoy their work. Everyone, including Drew, takes turns at sitting at the reception desk. He said although employees can work at home, they like to be in the office “because it is always buzzing.”
What is different this time around is that Battenhall has expanded its efforts to the U.S. and Europe, and its offices are in much larger space than we found ourselves in the last time. Drew has gone from six employees to 50 and partners with agencies in France, Germany and the Nordic companies for its integrated marketing communications work.
One thing he focused on is research and development, and the agency’s strategy builds upon that. Its News Tracker ensures employees know a client’s social media status, what the buzz is or isn’t about the client and then starts its work.
Rather than going through each presentation, just some highlights here.
A big client for the agency is Gatwick Airport. Steph Bennett and others touched upon the Humans of Gatwick project, tailored after the NY Times Humans of New York. It featured staff down to the chaplain and baggage handlers and up to managers and customers. A video heavy campaign, she said that was the focus just obvious that more people focus and will go back to social media and media sites again and again for good stories about people.
The young staff tracks news and then pitches ideas and then stories to clients to help them with their business. Proactive instead of reactive works, several told us. The goal always is useful information for media and consumers.
Drew urged the students to focus on technological skills, including coding, and most of the employees said the same thing. Everything and every piece of work it focuses on digital and social. Normally the agency does a massive audit of all its reach before starting a campaign.
Much time was spent on influencers and how they are used in the campaigns. The agency hires people of all types – celebrities, experts, athletes, bloggers, young and old people – to help with campaigns. They can be paid or are “gifted” for their efforts with trips, products, event,
What was a constant? Finding a story and building relationships. That is just basic public relations, but if researched, planned and infused with social media, Battenhall has found the right recipe for success. Just a great place to visit and for students to learn.
Drew and all the others left their business cards for the students. May they use them!
Quick lunch amid another downpour, then on to BCW. This visit is thanks to Bob O’Gara, who we all miss terribly on this trip, and his connections to our Pittsburgh BCW. This agency formed via merger, and the connection to us is via Burson Marsteller.
Again, a focus on integrated marketing communications, something we’ve been teaching at Point Park for years. In London we met four members of the creative team, which works with all BCW major divisions – health care, consumer brands, technology and innovation, corporate, and issues and public affairs.
The team provides creative support, starting with brainstorming, developing a creative platform, writing a script and making films, and coordinating other creative products and training.
Pete and Mark told us everyone can be creative. If you’re not, Mark said, you’re not trying hard enough. The team relies on those agency employees closest to the campaign to begin the process, then breaking with the traditional UK creative concept, begins its work. They start with a writers room, “bashing ideas about, and everyone adds to it. “It’s so much better,” Mark said. “Everyone gets to be involved. We’re making something cool.”
We saw a fun video – dogs “barking off on Brexit,” a welcome relief, I am sure, amid all the political turmoil. How dare this effort not let dogs travel freely through Europe! Then we watched a beautiful film urging travel to Sri Lanka with wonderful animal shots. Mark spent hours thigh deep in mud and chasing monkeys stealing GoPro cameras in the creation of it.
The team was diverse – from the UK, Sweden, St. Croix and a “half-American.” Pete said all the different perspectives “gets the best rewards.”
The process? Define, discover, design and then delivery. Pete’s advice to the students was always to be authentic and find real people and use them well (including finding those who can perform for you!).
Being informed and media literate is also key. Mark said, “To do well in this business you have to know what is going on and what everyone else is doing.”
We ended with a case studying selling butter, with the students breaking up into teams and the professors doing their own work. The catch? At the end the groups had to switch creative briefs and come up with the final portion. Lots of fun and a great way to end the visit.
We split up to enjoy the rest of the evening. We saw students heading off to a karaoke place. We found a great French restaurant. Hard to believe we are near the end of our London stay already.