UK Consultancy of the Year (J)
WINNER Weber Shandwick Public Affairs
Weber Shandwick Public Affairs bucked the recession to show year-on-year growth in 2008-2009. According to the APPC register, the agency now has 43 consultants UK-wide, compared to 40 at the same point in 2008. The agency has also register client-growth, increasing from 94 to 92.
Among the prestigious new clients were De La Rue, the Health & Safety Executive, Reed Business Information Services, O&H Properties, the Broads Authority, Singapore Airlines, NHS London, MasterCard, Whizz-Kidz and Bristol Myers Squibb.
But the real powerhouse behind the agency’s commercial success has been organic growth from existing clients such as Balfour Beatty, Barclays, Abbott and the Dispensing Doctors’ Association.
Successful campaigns this year that WS has advised on have included: Virgin Media’s campaign to get regulatory authorities to rule that BSkyB should divest its stake in ITV; BPEX’s ‘Pigs Are Worth It!’ campaign, which harnessed public and political support for UK welfare standards to put pressure on supermarkets to raise the price paid for pork; Abbott’s ‘Fit for Work’ collaboration with the Work Foundation, whose recommendations have fed into government policy; and the Dispensing Doctors Association’s campaign on the Pharmacy White Paper, which forced a U-turn by Government on its plans to change the stage at which a GP can dispense, after winning support from scores of MPs.
WS has shown its innovative approach by building digital campaigning into the vast majority of its campaigns and working with its experts on multi-cultural communications to reach non-traditional audiences. The agency claims to be the only PA agency to use a strategic planner to offer insights and techniques from the advertising world.
Professional development in WS starts at the point of entry with a comprehensive graduate programme. Continuous Professional Development (CPD) is supported through a competency-based performance management process.
Hanover
Hanover bills itself as ‘the only independent consultancy to provide a wholly integrated public affairs and corporate communications offering for delivering successful business-critical campaigns’.
The agency, which prides itself on knitting together PA and PR skills according to client needs, is bang on course to deliver its vision of becoming a ‘top 30 independent consultancy’ by 2011.
When many rivals shrank, the agency secured 10 per cent growth in 2008 (to fee income of £3,265,780) – meaning the past three years combined have seen 77 per cent growth.
Fee growth accelerated in the fourth quarter of 2008 and the agency is forecasting £3.5m of fee revenue for 2009. Average income per fee-earning consultant rose from £105,000 to £115,000 in 2008 as the agency spread the cost-base of the business.
New-business wins in the past 12 months included the prestigious £200,000 per year BSkyB account; a brief from the £250bn UK hedge fund industry (AIMA) to help fend off regulation; retained PA accounts for Jaguar Land Rover and Abbey; a strategic PA brief for Microsoft; and Downing Street summit preparation for the ABPI.
The agency’s blue-chip portfolio of 68 clients (58 on retainer and 10 on projects) includes Diageo, SAGA, Wyeth, Unilever, Alliance Medical and Sanofi-Aventis, as well as several NHS screening programmes, helping to propel the agency onto three COI rosters.
Award-winning or campaigns shortlisted for awards include the Police Federation’s ‘Fair P(l)ay’ campaign, which forced the reinstatement of binding arbitration on pay deals; a three-year HEART UK campaign to win an NHS cholesterol-testing programme; and an Ofcom policy change to make it easier for consumers to move numbers across networks for mobile operator 3.
Hanover also has a training budget of £2,000 per head and enjoys regular lectures from London Business School trainer, Malcolm Smith.
The agency makes a pension contribution of 10 per cent for account directors and above and has a particularly low ‘staff churn’.
Insight Public Affairs
Insight Public Affairs has achieved 50 per cent year-on-year growth for the second year running.
New clients during the period included: Lloydspharmacy (via a competitive pitch); Harrah’s Casinos (two-day pitch process with senior executives from Las Vegas); the Institute of Travel Management (ongoing project work); National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (competitive pitch for PR account); the Community Development Finance Association; the Council for the Regulation of Forensic Practitioners; and Total Politics (after a three-way PR pitch).
Successful campaigns have included the National Year of Reading 2008, which saw a launch at 10 Downing Street with Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Schools Secretary Ed Balls. Political endorsements throughout the year were gained, while there was also a celebratory event in Parliament.
Insight also undertook a two-year campaign for Celgene that helped to persuade the government to agree to more favourable criteria for reviewing cancer medicines.
The agency also handled the PR for the launch of Total Politics magazine, securing high-profile coverage including full-page spreads in the Independent, Observer and Western Mail.
In respect of creativity and innovation, Insight published its own booklet – ‘Good Lobbying, Bad Lobbying’ – which is a guide to industry best practice. It also produces acclaimed ‘Guide to Government’ briefing papers and posters.
In addition the agency teams up with expert affiliates, drawing on former ministers, MPs and journalists to deliver client training.
Insight organises overseas trips to develop staff skills - including to Miami to observe the US Presidential Election 2008 – and all consultants are encouraged to speak at industry events and appear in the media. Speaking appearances have included: GovNet, Public Affairs Action Day and London First Conference.
Media appearances have included: Sky News, BBC Radio Five Live and Westminster Hour.
The agency also has a ‘staff-swap’ initiative with PR agency to broaden consultants’ experience.
