necessary distraction

Summer’s over, kooks split

Thu, 08 Nov 2012 10:48:45 -0500

Summer’s over, kooks split

Here’s a quick update on some PR campaigns and client work...

Thu, 02 Aug 2012 10:19:00 -0400

Here’s a quick update on some PR campaigns and client work I’ve had my head down with over the last few months.

Digital agency, SiftGroups, recently overhauled ss Great Britain’s website with a new platform as a basis for future digital innovation around the famous visitor attraction. While a website launch is not the strongest of news, the appeal and heritage of the ship and Sift’s focus on the online experience reflecting the offline visitor experience provided ammunition for a solid media campaign. Coverage in The Guardian , New Media Age, Creative Boom and a Third Sector Site Review pending in August is pretty good for a website launch.

Software Europe has been around longer than my 15 or so years in PR. The company was one of the first to move to “software as a service” and continues to innovate in bringing paper-based administrative tasks online. I worked with Fresh Communications on a focused campaign announcing Software Europe winning a new contract to supply NHS Wales employees across the country with online expense management. Software Europe estimated it could save the health service at least £750,000 per year through taking its expenses online. This nice headline statistic and plenty of telephone follow-up resulted in two hits in The Guardian /The Guardian, and coverage in Government Opportunities and Computerworld amongst 12 other pieces. A very successful campaign.

Earlier in the year I joined forces with my old Skype PR team colleagues to work on strategy, messaging and some media work with free mobile calls app, Viber. Viber is growing fast at 200,000 new users a day and has over 70 million global users. Like Skype, it’s built for purpose in that it’s been designed for mobile use. It was fascinating putting together media messaging around the company, its spokespeople and offering and getting some nice coverage hits too along the way in the likes of the FT, EL Pais and The Guardian. With the explosion of smartphone use, “over-the-top” services like Viber are disrupting the mobile operators’ hold on the telco market offering innovation and choice for the consumer. I’m sure Viber’s rapid growth trajectory will continue at pace and good luck to it.

If you’d like to develop a communications plan for your company, want to get your spokespeople on message or gain some online or offline media coverage in the publications your clients read, drop me a line: danielmtwigg@gmail.com

As is always the case when the surf is up, few photos are taken....

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 18:09:14 -0400

As is always the case when the surf is up, few photos are taken. Here’s a shot snapped by Steve as we hurried to get in. Just this morning alone was worth every bit of the 1200 mile round trip. To the waves, wilderness, whiskey and friends; until the next time…

After a night drinking single malt and praying to Huey, the...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:57:13 -0400

After a night drinking single malt and praying to Huey, the morning brought manna from heaven.

Steve and I mesmorised in firelight.

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:55:50 -0400

Steve and I mesmorised in firelight.

We’d been talking about things we’d seen while out...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:55:03 -0400

We’d been talking about things we’d seen while out in the wilds. As the fire burned down, Nick pointed above the headland and said “what’s that over there?”. His shot with a decent camera appears a stronger image than what we could actually see.

You can feel the power of the place.

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:54:23 -0400

You can feel the power of the place.

Getting set up for the night.

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:53:26 -0400

Getting set up for the night.

Hunter-gatherers.

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:52:56 -0400

Hunter-gatherers.

Nick remote working. The shot was taken with a phone but I think...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:51:46 -0400

Nick remote working. The shot was taken with a phone but I think the blurring from the low res gives it a still life feel.

Edge of the earth.

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:50:45 -0400

Edge of the earth.

Steve checking his leaves…”will I get...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:49:31 -0400

Steve checking his leaves…”will I get barrelled?”.

With a hot tea inside, you could appreciate the location, if not...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:48:43 -0400

With a hot tea inside, you could appreciate the location, if not the decor.

Nick brewed up in an old shack as we sheltered from a storm that...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:47:04 -0400

Nick brewed up in an old shack as we sheltered from a storm that blew out the surf for a day.

Paddling back across the river in the afterglow of two hours of...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:43:46 -0400

Paddling back across the river in the afterglow of two hours of head-high surf. Nice.

The photo doesn’t do justice to how small you feel in the...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:38:12 -0400

The photo doesn’t do justice to how small you feel in the presence of nature.

We drove through big country in search of bigger waves. One man,...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:36:52 -0400

We drove through big country in search of bigger waves. One man, standing alone. That is I.

The ritual surf check held small promise.

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:34:40 -0400

The ritual surf check held small promise.

A distant wave breaks the morning.

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:33:57 -0400

A distant wave breaks the morning.

I sneaked off to Scotland with a couple of mates recently to...

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:30:12 -0400

I sneaked off to Scotland with a couple of mates recently to surf some epic waves. After a 12 hour drive from Bristol to the north coast, we pitched the tent on a beach at 1am. This was what we woke up to a few hours later.