72POINT SHORTLISTED FOR CIM MARKETING EXCELLENCE AWARDS
Our Girls in STEM project for Bitz and Bob has been shortlisted for the Best Use of Digital Marketing Category at the CIM Marketing Excellence Awards 2019!
The project saw our specialist Broadcast Team produce a video exploring primary school children’s attitude towards different careers, asking them what they imagined a ballerina, bus driver, engineer and more looked like before introducing them to real people in these professions. In doing so we were able to highlight how early in their development kids start to form opinions on what career paths are open to their gender.
The awards ceremony will be taking place on 11 April – stay tuned for further updates!
News Generation Keynote Theatre - Marketing Show North
We are delighted to be sponsoring the first ever News Generation Keynote Theatre, on 27-28 February 2019 at Event City, Manchester.
The event will be part of Marketing Show North 2019, which brings together over 10,000 digital marketing and PR professionals from all over the UK.
A well-delivered piece of News Generation, presenting a creative idea, be it a PR survey, stunt, data visualisation or video, appeals to the media and never fails to cut through on a national scale.
As the north's most prominent publishing and events company, Marketing Show North has seized the opportunity to become a trailblazer in acknowledging this fundamental element of the PR industry. Challenging the status quo that PR relies on big ideas and big budgets, News Generation demonstrates the remarkable results that creative agencies can achieve.
Speakers include; Jack Peat, Head of Digital at 72Point, Jay Williams, Director of Strategy at 72Point and former Head of News at Freuds, Richard Moriarty at The Sun, Scott Fisher, Former Product Affairs Manager at Volkswagen UK and Creative Director at Scribe PR, Joely Carey, Branded Content Specialist.
72POINT SHOOTS AND SCORES A PLACE IN THE CREATIVE SHOOTOUT 2019
WINNING AGENCY GETS TO SAVE THE PLANET ON 24th JANUARY:
We are incredibly proud to be finalists in The Creative Shootout 2019. To secure our place in the live finals, we delivered a dark, dystopian vision of the planet’s future oceans, with a chilling message from the head of a powerful, plastic-addicted corporation – revealing how nature will be affected if we fail to turn off the plastic tap.
The Live Final of the 2019 Creative Shootout will be held at BAFTA on Thursday 24th January 2019. Tickets can be purchased here – so please come along and support Team 72Point!
Creative Shootout Founder Johnny Pitt said: “The quality of entries was off the scale this year and our brave agencies now have the opportunity for creative fame, as well as to make a marked difference to a blight that affects every single one of us.”
72Point Managing Director Chris Pharo said “We relish the opportunity to demonstrate the high-quality of our creative to a live audience. We will throw everything we have at the chance to support A Plastic Planet in their mission to reduce the planet’s plastic waste problem with the execution of a global, hard-hitting, multimedia anti-plastic campaign.”
Test Your Ideas
As well offering plenty of opportunities for lying about in the sun (if you can stand the heat), summer is also a great time to take stock and think about your future. Don’t worry, we are not suggesting you actually do any work, just think about what you want to achieve.
For Jay Williams, director of strategy, the only thing that really matters is making sure your creative skills are up to scratch: “Never mind a 'career audit'. Anybody who takes creativity remotely seriously should be constantly open to the review, improvement and innovation of our stock-in-trade – ideas.
Test your ideas
“We’re in the ideas business and serious stock-taking needs to be hard-wired into the process. We need to test our ideas to destruction, because if we don’t, the media surely (and gleefully) will. Too many PR projects fail because they were not subjected to enough difficult questions in the planning process.
“As Edward de Bono said in his 1992 masterpiece Serious Creativity: ‘Creativity is not simply a way to make things better. Without creativity we are unable to make full use of the information and experience that is already available to us and is locked up in old structures, old patterns, old concepts, and old perceptions.”
Get excited
If this is making it sound that being creative is a lot of effort, Williams points out that coming up with ideas isn’t a chore, it’s invigorating: “A new idea can be the most exciting thing in the world.
“In the latest season of Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee (Netflix), one of Jerry Seinfeld’s guests is Neal Brennan, who writes for the peerless Dave Chappelle. When asked what he values most, Brennan replies, without a beat: “New ideas are the only thing I care about.”
Taking time out is one way to boost your creativity, so a lot of summer lazing could be just the thing. Whilst relaxing on a lounger, your thoughts may also turn to other aspect of your job, such as getting some training.
Consider yourself a detective? Take our latest quiz to find out...
COULD YOU GET AWAY WITH MURDER?
Over 154 pieces of coverage and counting on our project with Fox TV’s NCIS New Orleans – to co-incide with the new season launch tonight – revealing a quarter of Brits believe they could commit the ‘perfect crime’, featuring a quiz created by our in-house design team, to discover whether you have skills of a detective or not.
Take the quiz here.
Lizzie Singleton Joins the 72Point Team
We announce the appointment of Action Global Communications’ Lizzie Singleton to the post of Campaigns Director.
Lizzie brings with her a wealth of PR experience having worked in-house as PR Manager for Debenhams, at ZPR as Account Director and Action Global Communications as Senior Account Director in Dubai.
During her career, Lizzie has worked on campaigns for P&G, Debenhams, Coral, Whistles, JD Williams, Mamas and Papas and many more.
We have enjoyed consistent 30% growth in the last two years, debuting in the PRWeek Top 150 list in 2018 at number 54. Lizzie will join a growing team with key players including former Freuds Head of News, Jay Williams.
Lizzie will add an international perspective to our creative campaigns, scaling up the already unrivalled levels of coverage we achieve in top news publications and sites. Lizzie said: “It’s great to be joining such a thriving agency with a very unique proposition.”
We are a top 20 consumer agency that provides unique creative and unrivalled distribution for some of the UK’s biggest brands such as, British Airways, Virgin Media and Sky.
Lizzie added: “I look forward to working with the talented 72Point team to deliver stand-out campaigns for our clients in the months ahead.”
Chris Pharo, Managing Director said: “We are thrilled to have Lizzie join the team – she brings with her a broad understanding of creative, strategic and crisis PR and alongside the rest of our brilliant creative team, I am sure she will play a crucial role in our continued development as we move into a bright new future.”
72Point Welcomes Back Jay Williams
72Point welcomes back Jay Williams, former Head of News at Freuds, as Director of Strategy.
72Point is a top 20 consumer agency that provides unique creative and unrivalled distribution for some of the biggest brands such as, British Airways, Virgin Media and Sky.
Williams was one our founders back in 2001, before joining PR behemoth Freuds. 72Point has enjoyed consistent 30% growth in the last two years, debuting in the PRWeek Top 150 list in 2018 at number 54.
He said: “It’s great to be back. It’s a very exciting time to be rejoining, with 72Point making its debut in the PR Week Top 150 and in the top 20 consumer agencies.
“They’ve punched above their weight for some time, but much of their work has gone under the radar. It’s good to see them where they belong – rubbing shoulders with the big players.
“We will be making more key creative hires in the coming months.”
Once synonymous with News Generation in the PR industry, we are taking huge strides to diversify its offering across Broadcast PR, Content Marketing and Social Media Outreach. Williams is one of our biggest recent hires, with Former Royal Correspondent for The Sun and owner of Zest PR, Duncan Larcombe, joining in April 2018 as Consumer PR Strategist.
As part of SWNS Media Group, which has a 40-year heritage in the UK press industry, 72Point continues to harness the power of its strong media connections with top UK national news publications including The Sun, MailOnline, Telegraph and the Independent as well as high-volume news sites UNILAD and LadBible.
Chris Pharo, Managing Director said: “We welcome Jay back to the company with open arms. His boldness, insight and clarity of thought will help us drive the strength of our creative and open up new and exhilarating opportunities for our clients, taking our offering to the next level.”
PRWeek Top 150 - Our Story
72Point has become synonymous with news generation thanks to its ability to put brands at the heart of national conversations.
It’s unique position as a PR consultancy with journalistic talent at its core has helped the agency punch above its weight.
The firm’s offering has evolved substantially which has culminated in its inaugural entry into PRWeek's Top 150 PR Consultancies list in 2018 - coming in at number 54.
At the heart of the company is a creative team of former journalists and editors with an enviable understanding of the media landscape. They are able to help brands with guidance on both campaign ideas and content copy, this has proved integral in removing the risk from earned media, with guaranteed coverage now a staple of the agency’s offering.
72Point’s dedicated and growing digital team was recently shortlisted for the PRCA’s in-house Digital Team of the Year and works to maximise the impact of client stories across online channels. Last year the team achieved 5,269 pieces of online coverage for their clients and 635,000 social shares.
Recent wins for 72Point have included a project for online parenting community Channelmum. The firm's creative handling and media distribution services boosted Channelmum’s story on the ‘gender price gap’ around the difference in price of clothes from boys to girls.
The Digital Outreach team landed 170 pieces of coverage and five top 10 national news sites, generating a public conversation around the issue of the “pink tax”.
Other wins this year included an integrated campaign for Heathrow Express. 72Point’s content marketing team created a visual puzzle that challenged the public to spot a train going in the opposite direction to the others in a busy setting. The puzzle, which achieved both print and digital coverage, provided the client with an asset that attracted people to their new site and promoted the rail link’s high-quality service and reliable 15-minute journey time. The project achieved 769 social shares and an online readership of over one billion.
For Healthspan, seeking national news coverage to support their ‘Live Long You’ campaign, 72Point conducted a survey which elevated Healthspan’s key messages centring around the idea that great health starts with good nutrition and eating well, to a national scale, landing in over four national publications and achieving both digital and print coverage.
A digital revolution
Alongside its creative and distribution work the agency has comprehensive digital and social media services. With international offices and an increased headcount, the firm is working alongside some of the biggest brands and most dynamic SMEs in the country.
72Point’s Managing Director Chris Pharo, says: "The last few years have seen a remarkable transformation at 72Point.
We have evolved from a one-stop-shop for news gen into a creative content powerhouse with several services to complement our unrivalled distribution.
"It is our sincere hope that these will continue to flourish over the next year as we work with more exciting brands and develop national campaigns that solidify our position as a market leader for compelling news generation and exposure in the media."
72Point’s biggest asset is its proven track record, according to Pharo “Our projects have a 100% success rate, delivering an average of 27 pieces of coverage, 460 social shares and 1,327,962 impressions per project.
"We have generated national media exposure for household name brands, including Sky Mobile British Airways and National Express and have advanced the reputation of some of the country’s most promising start-ups and SMEs with creative content and targeted media exposure.
"As a result, we have cultivated our offering, expanded our client base and achieved sustained growth through our sales, achieving new record figures on a consistent basis for the past two years. And as far as we’re concerned, we’re only just getting started."
Bitz and Bob - Outstanding Social Results!
Our social project for new Cbeebies programme Bitz and Bob has achieved 488,000 views and 115,000 comments, likes and shares, tackling gender stereotypes in such a fun and creative way.
For a full breakdown of the project click here.
72Point On Top of the World With Borne Charity
April 24 2018
72Point is proud to support the Borne Charity who took us all the way to the North Pole in their recent Arctic challenge.
Their fantastic team has raised over £750,000 for new research to prevent preterm birth.
We supported them with high-quality media exposure and interviewed Hollywood actor Alistair Petrie who shared his experience of premature birth.
To learn more about Borne Charity and their research to prevent premature birth visit their website here.