Kaizo has been shortlisted for TWO Golden Hedgehogs!
The nominations are for Best Use of Research with Elsevier and Best Media Relations with House of Marley. The awards take place in London on 21 March 2013. Fingers and toes crossed.
At the end of 2012 the leaders of two London agencies caused the closest thing in the PR world to a ‘diplomatic incident’ when they claimed, in an interview with PR Week, that standards amongst New York agencies are low, with clients paying “through the nose for what they describe as bog-standard PR”. The US industry was, of course quick to bite back suggesting that anyone who thinks they can pitch up in NYC with this attitude is unlikely to succeed.
I watched this incident with interest, not only because a bit of industry mud-slinging is always entertaining, but because having worked in agencies on both sides of the Atlantic I feel like I have something to contribute to the debate.
Now the NYC PR world is by no means perfect, but I certainly learned a few valuable lessons during my time in the Big Apple:
1. There’s no substitute for enthusiasm
When I first moved to New York all of my friends were expecting me to start complaining about the relentless positivity that we Brits associate with Americans. But I actually found it really refreshing, especially in the workplace. To survive in the PR industry in New York you must have a can-do attitude, the word ‘no’ is very rarely spoken. That doesn’t mean that New York PR professionals don’t push back on clients – far from it. Because clients know that their agencies will bend over backwards to get the job done, when they do push back, they know it’s for a good reason.
2. Regional media shouldn’t be an after thought
In response to its London based critics the US PR industry was quick to point out the scale and complexity of the US market. Compared to the extremely London-centric UK market the US is indeed complex with multiple media centres in multiple time zones. That doesn’t mean you can’t run a national campaign from New York, but it does mean that you need to take time to understand the regional media landscapes, get to know the journalists and understand what makes news in Chicago, Sacramento or Dallas. PR professionals in the UK would do well to remember that there are more opportunities with media outside London than offering a regional breakdown of survey stats, and with the much of the BBC moving to Salford perhaps they finally will.
3. Earned and paid media need to work together
A criticism I have often heard levelled at the industry in the US is that there are too many paid opportunities – particularly in big media like the daytime talk shows. It’s true that there are paid integration opportunities but that doesn’t mean that PR is somehow easier or less effective. The best campaigns employ a combination of earned and paid media to drive credibility and reach. This is especially true online, where you can have the best, most engaging content imaginable but if no one sees it you are unlikely to meet your business objectives. PR and media buying agencies need to work together to amplify earned media through paid and vice versa.
And one bonus lesson, this time from London
1. Bigger isn’t always better
I think this may be what PR Week’s interviewees were getting at when they criticised the New York industry. Blue chip clients in the US tend to stick to a small roster of big network agencies, often at the expense of creativity and fresh thinking. When you consider the scale of their campaigns and the sheer size and complexity of the market it makes sense – they want to be confident that their agency has the infrastructure to deliver. However, in London, small agencies with big ambitions have shown time and again that they can deliver for big brands, both in the UK and across regional and global programs. Which is why ultimately, when I moved back home to London I decided to move on from a global network and join Kaizo.
26 Oct 2012
The financial software provider chooses Kaizo to help spearhead its global expansion
Kaizo, the independent PR and Digital agency, is pleased to announce it has been appointed by BlackLine Systems, a leading financial software provider headquartered in Los Angeles, to address the European market, focusing on the UK in the initial stages. Already established as the financial close software of choice for companies worldwide, Kaizo will be aiming to replicate BlackLine’s commercial success in the UK.
Kaizo will be working with BlackLine to establish a presence in the UK beginning with a dedicated media, analyst and social media programme. This will specifically focus on educating the UK influencers through a number of targeted activities including thought leadership by-lined articles and white papers, a customer reference programme and events speaker and award activity.
Howard Goldstein, VP of marketing, BlackLine Systems, said: “We came to Kaizo because they understood our industry. The team was able to specifically show the opportunities in the UK and that they knew all the right media and analyst contacts. Another key deciding factor is not only does Kaizo understand our market, but they were able to demonstrate they understood our sales cycle and how PR fundamentally could make a difference.”
With many well-known BlackLine client companies already on board, such as AT&T, LaFarge SA, Salesforce.com and Whirlpool, Kaizo will be working closely with BlackLine creating content and thought leadership to take to the media. BlackLine was the first to offer a commercially available Balance Sheet Account Reconciliation solution and therefore was able to make a significant impact in the U.S., which it is hoping to replicate in the UK.
Rhodri Harries, MD of Kaizo, said: “To be working with an innovative and expanding company like BlackLine Systems speaks volumes about the capabilities of Kaizo. At Kaizo we have a great depth of knowledge about turning technical messages into easily digestible sound bites as well as delivering tangible results for clients – especially ones with virtually no current presence here.”
Kaizo was appointed through a formal competitive pitch process.
Last night we headed down to The Rainforest Cafe for the latest Food4Media event. With life-like animatronics of Gorillas, Elephants and crocodiles, as well as a waterfall and tropical fish tank, the sights and sounds of the Amazon rainforest came to life.
The quirk surroundings provided a fantastic atmosphere for networking with a mix of top food journalists. Then, after a suitable amount of schmoozing, the host, Rainforest Alliance then treated us to a sneak peak of its new campaign – Follow the Frog – which launched today.
Check out their great video, with 11,000 views already it goes to show how an amusing parody and creative spark can generate a mass ‘share factor’. We love the underlying message too – it’s the small changes that make a big difference.
Kaizo supported the campaign in the United Kingdom with two events which were themed ARIGATO, the Japanese word for thank you.
As part of the Mayor of London’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations on Sunday 18 March Japanese performers including Maiko, Geisha and Japanese traditional instrument performers, as well as Japanese nationals living in the UK from Wakayanagi school of Japanese dancing dressed in traditional Kimonos took part in the parade through central London and festival in Trafalgar Square. “Tasting JAPAN WEEK” meanwhile offered a Japanese experience at Westfield Stratford City with Japanese food and Japanese alcohol on offer.
Delighted to announce that as of yesterday we are now wholly owned by our existing management team following a successful MBO.
Whilst we remain the same business in the same premises with the same teams, our new independence highlights key attributes we feel bring a fresh perspective to communications’ challenges targeting consumers and businesses.
We’re impartial, whether advising on media choice or brand direction; self-sufficient, so no sub teams and silos to add complexity and cost; free thinkers, so great ideas flow and are encouraged; and now importantly self-governing so we’re able to offer a flexible approach to your PR and earned media budgets.
We thank all our clients, including Truvia®, Flora/ Becel, Cisco, CA Technologies, Unilever,mxData, Johnson and Johnson, Serco, and Elsevier, for their continued support and look forward to a successful future together.
Investigative journalism, by definition, would not function without the freedom to scrutinise, criticise and question its subject matter. After all, freedom of expression is the cornerstone of argument and debate. Yet our current libel laws are so bias towards the claimants and so hostile to writers that they are in danger of stifling journalism.
This is the argument being put forward by The Libel Reform Campaign, following a spate of high profile law suits – most notably, that of Simon Singh. Simon, a well known science writer has spent the past two years under the media spotlight as his infamous libel battle with the British Chiropractic Association (BCA) unfolded. In 2008, Simon wrote an article for The Guardian, where he alleged the BCA promoted “bogus treatments” for certain infant conditions like asthma, colic and earache. When he refused to make a retraction or apologise, the BCA launched legal action against him.
Last week, we met up with Simon Singh to discuss his case. He told us how, despite winning the lengthy lawsuit, his victory had been bitter sweet, leaving him with a two year career void and legal bills of £60,000. Simon’s law suit sparked uproar within the science community and supporters are now calling for a reform of the UK libel laws.
His case has highlighted the weaknesses in UK libel laws. The extortionate costs involved mean that those accused are often forced to back down, withdraw and apologise for material they believe is true, fair and important to the public.
With the current libel laws journalists face an unpopular ultimatum: self censorship or the risk of hefty legal fees. It seems to me, that this goes against everything journalism represents. The best works of journalism are those that spark debate and controversy, after all, it’s a journalists job to leave no stone unturned – why should they apologise for this?
Sparks flew this week as a renowned surgeon declared war on butter. Dr Shyam Kolvekar called for a ban on butter in a move he feels would save thousands of lives each year. Over time a diet high in saturated fats, such as butter, can lead to raised blood cholesterol and increases the risk of heart disease and heart attacks. Yet a variety of blogs indicate the public are not convinced. Some people reasserted the golden oldie a substantive part of a balanced diet, in moderation of course.
A crucial part of my morning routine, like many others, involves a visit to the kettle, swiftly followed by the toaster. It’s therefore a concern knowing that my two slices of buttered toast and a latte contain 16.1g of saturated fat – already 80% of my Recommended Daily Allowance, and not even an hour of the day completed!
So, I researched how a healthy food swap could make a difference. Handily, Kaizo boasts margarine spread Flora as a client so it wasn’t hard to find out that by swapping butter for a low-fat margarine spread and making up your coffee with only 1% milk, makes for a whopping 92% reduction in saturated fat intake.
Tell you what, that’s enough to shake-up even my favourite morning routine. I know what jug I’ll be using to pour my milk, and which side my bread’s (not!) going to be buttered…
What do you think to it all – would you give up your toast’s best friend in pursuit of a healthier heart?
The account will focus on building the Energenie brand online as well as with key energy influencers and consumers. Alan Tadd, Managing Director of Energenie commented: “The Kaizo team really came at the brief with a refreshingly different approach. Their creativity and enthusiasm for what we’re trying to achieve was impressive and made them stand out.”
Activity kicked off with issues hijacking during Energy Saving Week on the 19th October and has been followed up with extensive outreach to key eco-chic bloggers, forums and of course media.
Arthur Guinness once said “good things come to those who wait.” But does this philosophy translate from the perfect pint to the perfect news story? The media has a responsibility to provide the public with factually correct, accurate information – so does this mean 24/7 rolling news is potentially damaging and irresponsible?
As the sponsors of this year’s Tom Olsen Lecture, Kaizo headed down to St Brides Church last night to hear Adam Boulton’s opinion on the newsroom that never sleeps. As political editor of Sky News, he argued in favour of 24/7 news. Adam claimed that the idea that newspapers are more accurate than 24-hour news was bogus. Yet incorrect reports such as the death of Al Megrahi, would suggest otherwise.
However I’d argue that the two concepts aren’t mutually exclusive. On the one hand, the fast paced hedonism of ‘the breaking news’ can provide that instant fix. Whilst the traditional news cycle satisfies other needs. It provides the carefully deliberated, well structured sustenance. Personally, I like my news like my drink, a well brewed stout… but I still enjoy the occasional aperitif.
But what did the audience think of Alan’s lecture? Check out the video below to find out.
follow us