It has been an impressive year for the specialist communications consultancy BECG. It was recognised as the number one Public Affairs Consultancy in PRWeek’s Top 150 UK PR Consultancies, as well as being ranked 40th in the overall leaderboard. One of the strongest performers, BECG had a 24% revenue growth on the previous year.
CEO Stephen Pomeroy, who features in the PRWeek Power Book 2021, said of the achievement: “I’m incredibly proud of the creativity, agility and commitment to innovation that the BECG team has shown over the past year. Despite the challenges of the pandemic, we have continued to grow as a business and achieve great results.”
In July 2020, BECG acquired Cavendish, a specialist Government relations and advocacy consultancy. Re-launched as Cavendish Advocacy, this division provides clients with government, policy and corporate knowledge and expertise to successfully influence change both nationally and internationally.
BECG continues to innovate and a digital-first approach is a core focus. Its digital stakeholder management offer, Built to Engage, has allowed clients to engage with stakeholders and communities in new ways, from immersive virtual exhibitions to webinars, and enabled them to analyse data and insights in real-time.
To further strengthen their social media insight, analysis and management BECG acquired Crowd Technologies at the start of this year, which owns social media management platform CrowdControlHQ (CCHQ). The team of 18, including seven software developers, joined BECG to deliver on digital strategy by offering clients unique social media campaigning, digital engagement, crisis response, analytics and listening services.
Regional expansion has also been an important focus for BECG this year, they acquired Scottish public affairs and planning communications consultancy, Liberty One (L1) Communications. The acquisition gives them presence across Scotland through L1’s offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen, and a client base across the property, energy, infrastructure, renewables and waste management sectors.
In April, they appointed Verity Barr, as a director to lead their Birmingham office in a move to strengthen the consultancy’s presence across the Midlands.
The challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic have provided new opportunities for the team to adapt and overcome. Being prepared as a business has meant that BECG has been able to continue successfully achieving results for clients. Having the right technologies in place, well ahead of the first lockdown, enabled a smooth transition from office working to working from home, and enabled employees to work collaboratively and effectively across the UK.
BECG’s 2020 Client Survey showed outstanding results, with 100% of clients answering that the service BECG provides is ‘very good’ or ‘good’. The survey, carried out by specialist client survey and development agency Question & Retain, achieved an overall Net Promoter Score of 79, up seven points on the previous year, a testament to the team and their resilience during a challenging year.
Employee health and wellbeing has continued to be placed at the forefront of BECG’s structure. The introduction of its first Wellbeing Week saw staff enjoy a host of activities such as a yoga class, lunchtime cook-a-long and webinars offering tips and advice on beating virtual fatigue and working well from home.
The results from their 2020 Staff Survey found that 100% of staff felt proud to be part of their team, 90% felt supported by their team, and 73% felt they had been given the opportunity to learn and grown; these results are a reflection of the group’s attitude to employee wellbeing and support.
The BECG Group has continued to play a key role in the wider public relations industry by leading the way in take-up of the new Government Kickstart initiative, to support unemployed young people and help them to unlock their careers in PR and creative communications. The scheme provides six-month work placements for people aged 16-24 and forms a key part of the Government’s commitment to support the economy throughout the pandemic and beyond.
The number one public affairs consultancy has also pledged to work with public and private sectors to discuss Net Zero and what steps those in the built environment can take to help shape local and national policy.
The BECG Group has also continued to show support for its charity partners, such as The Murray Parish Trust, The Brain Tumour Charity, Lighthouse Construction Industry Charity, Planning Out, and Seeds for Growth, during what has been a critical year with charities needing support more than ever before.
Pomeroy added: “We have fantastic clients who have been so supportive and provided so many opportunities. The teams have proven their ability to adapt in an ever-changing world while continuing to grow their expertise and continually provide a fantastic service for our clients.”
For more information on BECG go to becg.com, or email enquiries@becg.com. Follow @becgUK #BECGconversation on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Vimeo, and Instagram.
