PLMR

PLMR (Political Lobbying & Media Relations)

www.plmr.co.uk

Unit 1C The Plough Brewery

516 Wandsworth Road

London

SW8 3JX

Longest-held clients

BioIndustry Association, British Horseracing Authority,  Caring Homes, Care Management Group, Combat Stress, Durand Academy, Green Energy Parks, Ministry of Sound, Interxion Inc, HC-One

New business contact

Kevin Craig, managing director, kevin.craig@plmr.co.uk, 0207 6229529

 

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CEO/MD

Kevin Craig

kevin.craig@plmr.co.uk

0207 622 9529

Describe your agency in five words.

Ethical - Experienced - Effective –Economical - Expanding

How would you sum up 2011 at your agency?

2011 was another year of high-level bespoke servicing for all PLMR clients which saw turnover growth, staff recruitment, new business wins, and continued investment in our employees.   This year PLMR has grown across sectors – Health & Social Care, Tech, Planning Lobbying, Renewables - and has been proud to service some world-class organisations and fantastic campaigns.  Our team has flourished. It has been the most amazing year of my working life and I have had a few good ones as it is.

What was your agency’s high point of 2011?

Whilst I was very proud to win ‘Political Consultant of the Year’ at the 2011 PAN Awards – PLMR’s high points were many:  attending the Cannes International Festival of Creativity and winning two Gold Lions for Best Media Relations and Best Public Affairs; successfully supporting HC-One  - the company who took over 241 former Southern Cross homes by launching their new brand nationally; helping to secure £17M funding for our client to develop the first fully comprehensive secondary boarding school; winning a planning battle for the Ministry of Sound.

What was the low point?

Losing two high calibre colleagues – Jon Ware to the RCGP and Sara Kelly to Coadec.  Also realising – just before another recruitment drive - that PLMR has already outgrown the offices we have been in for less than 2 years.  

Please give an overview of your staffing through 2011, including significant hires and internal promotions.

At the start of 2011 PLMR had 13 staff and at the end there were 19 – this was almost a 50% increase – with staff growth continuing into 2012.  During the year Chris Calland and Elin Twigge were both promoted to PLMR Account Directors, we have hired former Conservative Staffer Lisa Bailey, former Green Issues Peter Elms and we promoted Rebecca Newsom to Account Manager.  We continue to recruit to PLMR a very talented, enthusiastic and insightful team at entry level for whom we have ambitious career development plans.  We were also pleased this year to increase our non-client facing support team.

What were your three best campaigns of 2011?

1. Combat Stress – The Enemy Within Appeal
2. HC-One – Launching a new company from the ashes of Southern Cross
3. Ministry of Sound – Save Our Club

What were your most exciting client wins of 2011?

HC-One, Ministry of Sound , Arthritis Research UK, Sunrise Senior Living, Interxion Inc, Oxford University Press, European Care Group, Obesity Management Association

Of which achievement in 2011 are you most proud?

Winning Awards (PR Week Highly Commended & Two Gold Cannes Lions, continuing to give five per cent of revenues to charity as we have since day one, breaking through £1million turnover - continued growth in a challenging climate)

What trends did you notice throughout the year in the industry?

Huge numbers of start-up PR firms, ever reducing client budgets, digital and SEO becoming ever more important, the rise of the SNP, more flexible working, over-servicing an ever present threat, much more vibrant market for senior employees, more public  affairs work resulting from the Coalition.

Tell us how your digital work became more measurably effective in 2011.

In 2011 we increased the digital PR we provide for our clients.  PLMR targets client campaigns within the digi-sphere - running the social networking sites of many of our clients [Combat Stress, HC-One,  Green Energy Parks], ensuring that comment pieces and column inches appear on website-only publications  as well as web versions of traditional publications [i.e. for CMG on Learning Disability Today Online http://www.ldtonline.co.uk/2012/04/service-user-success-inspires-others/ ]

What’s your priority for the agency this year?

PLMR’s priority for 2012 is to continue to deliver the best possible advice and support to existing clients who we are proud to work for and to never ever risk neglecting existing clients who got us here.  We do that by knowing them, knowing their message, understanding their context and audience, understanding the surrounding issues and implications, and by ensuring that the PLMR team is the best in the marketplace. It has also been announced that April 2013 will see us moving to a Board structure, introducing employee share ownership, and a new bonus pool.