Services Archives: Copywriting & Content Creation

Creating an agri-tech ecosystem

Objective

To build an agri-tech ecosystem to promote innovation.

Strategy

We have supported the creation and growth of membership organisation Agri-TechE (formerly Agri-Tech East) from conception to present.

This has included support for the strategic direction, developing the name and branding, website design and development and all the original content, media relations, social media set-up and development, conference support and its promotion.

Agri-TechE is bringing together farmers, technologists, scientists and funders to create a mutually supportive cluster of organisations.

It now has a vibrant membership and the agri-tech ecosystem has supported a pipeline of early stage companies from conception through to market.

Examples of work include:

Reports for the REAP conference – Changing Time(s) For Agriculture

Positioning documents – From Grass Roots to Blue Skies: a vision for agri-tech

Summary reports to support outcome of workshops – ‘Call to arms for Pea and Bean Yield Enhancement Networks”

Media relations – we have worked closely with publications to ensure a flow of stories, this includes sustained support for Farming World

Contact us to discuss how we can support your agri-tech project.

Farm of the future

The team at Holdsworth Associates, ably led by Rachel Holdsworth, delivers significantly more value than a conventional PR agency. As well as a clear understanding of communication via all media to a range of audiences, they also take great pains to appreciate the wider strategic objectives within which any communications take place.

As well as front line delivery, Holdsworth Associates also manage crucial back office activities on our behalf, including regular reports on our website performance, social media metrics, print media cuttings and broadcast presence.

Belinda Clarke

Agri-TechE Director

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Concept through to launch of a memorial garden

Brief and Objectives

Cheltenham Pet Crematorium (CPC) had converted a facility on an industrial estate into a crematorium. Although sympathetic inside, outside it was a warehouse with patch of grass alongside. CPC asked Holdsworth Associates to create a launch event to raise awareness of its services and communicate effectively to potential customers.

Research, planning and strategy

Pets are important family members and a cremation service provides a time for the owners to grieve and for other pets to understand the loss. CPC provides counselling and support to owners who are able to design their own service.  However if the family want to take the ashes home or to scatter in a favourite place then they need to wait for short time.

HA proposed that a memorial garden was created for owners to use for reflection and also to exercise other pets.  The garden would also provide something for a celebrity to ‘open’ and create the opportunity for a positive experience for invited guests.

Adam Henson, best-known for presenting Countryfile, and interested in dogs and gardening was invited to open the garden. It was decided to have a wildlife element as the site backed on to a nature reserve.

Being located on an industrial estate, the garden strategy would add value to the environment and create a more comforting environment for mourners.

Research revealed that the local Tewkesbury School had horticultural society. HA worked with the school to develop a project that would enable students to talk about bereavement and to use their skills to design and build the remembrance garden.

At the official opening, the pupils would be invited to bring their families and friends to see their work and meet Adam – creating a lovely photo-opportunity for regional media.

Cambridge Pet Crematorium new garden design poster
CPC Adam Henson opens memorial garden

Outcomes

To warm up the media, HA created an initial story about commissioning the pupils to build the garden – this created an opportunity to talk to media and invite them to the opening.

For the launch there was a strong story, photo opportunity, people to interview about how they overcame their loss.   The event attracted broadcast, online and print media.

 

Measurement & Evaluation

The launch of the Memorial and Wildlife Garden was a success, with coverage secured in local media and veterinary publications, including:

  • Cotswold TV
  • Cheltenham Standard
  • Vet Times
  • Vet Surgeon
  • Your Cat

Coverage was also achieved for CPC in the Daily Telegraph.

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Is the future of healthcare devices wireless?

How can we deliver digital healthcare? Holdsworth Associates was asked to capture the outputs from a brainstorming workshop that brought together the healthcare, medical device and wireless communities.

We provided a scribe for each of the four strands of the workshop and collated the main points at the end of each session for the chair. These were used as part of the plenary sessions.

Holdsworth Associates produced a report after the meeting with minimal input from the speakers which captured the innovative thinking and created a tangible outcome for the participants.

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Creating research to drive PR

SureFlap is a microchip operated cat flap that only permits the resident cat to enter the home, keeping intruder cats outside.

The client wanted to raise the profile of its product with the national media, so we used research to create a story.

Strategy

An analysis of customers revealed that many had purchased SureFlap as they wanted a secure cat flap that would excluded unwanted visitors. Desk research showed that although little was known about the behaviour of cats it was known that home invasions caused stressed.

HA developed a research project with an animal behaviourist from the Royal Veterinary College to provide credibility for the results and then interested Your Cat Magazine in collaborating with a series of features aimed at raising awareness that home invasion caused stress for cats and this could be prevented by using a secure cat flap such as SureFlap.

Results 

  • Over 1,000 people completed the survey.
  • Analysis by HA with the behaviourist generated sufficient material for five features in YourCat Magazine.
  • The findings were launched at the British Small Animal Veterinary Association to a room of vets (key influencers)
  • Results were published in major veterinary publications
  • Radio interviews were secured on the BBC
  • Coverage was achieved in the pet trade publications and resulted in request for several articles
  • Coverage was achieved in the Independent, Daily Telegraph, Express, Metro

Client comment

 The 300% increase in turnover we achieved last year has enabled us to grow the team significantly in the past six months. Sales continue to grow both in the UK and abroad and we now have country managers in place to target the US and Germany. With sales also picking up in Australasia, we plan to have a local presence there too within the next six months.
– Dr Nick Hill, Managing Director, SureFlap Ltd

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Creating strong business stories

Objective

HSBC had been involved in a number of important deals, but had received little public recognition for its involvement. Holdsworth Associates was asked to create a PR campaign which would support HSBC’s position as a good partner for mergers and acquisitions within the mid market.

How we did it?

Financial announcements are usually dry and of little interest to the regional media, so we decided to look at the people behind the deals and the long term benefit of selecting HSBC to the growth and stability of the company.

To create coverage within the Midlands regional and with business trade media, a series of case studies who had benefited from the deals were created to show the success of businesses – using the news hook of one year on. These were first person accounts based on interviews we conducted with with mid market directors.

Results

  • On target, sustained coverage in financial and business media and local stories in regional business pages
  • Quotes obtained from the company directors provided strong independent endorsement of HSBC. This raised the profile of the team with accountants and other potential partners as well
HSBC - Creating strong business stories

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Gaining profile with investors

Objective

Cambridge company CBL had developed a new technology that could spray dry vaccines, allowing them to be stored at room temperature without the need for refrigeration.

The technology had huge potential, but the challenge was how to reach and influence high net-worth individuals and encourage them to invest in a new vaccine technology.

How we did it?

Holdsworth Associates developed a communications campaign that would reach the hearts and minds of potential investors.

A story was created based on ‘developing world first’ market strategy. It clearly showed how the technology could save the lives of 10 million children within the existing aid budgets by removing the wastage in current vaccine programmes.

An animation was created for use by the broadcast media, and to embed online to explain the technology to potential investors.

Results

  • Widespread international exposure, including extensive coverage on the broadcast news programmes
  • The Minister for overseas development spoke on the subject, citing our vaccine argument
  • As a result CBL attracted the largest ever Angel Syndicate (high net worth individuals) and millions of pounds of funding

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Generating national media interest for World Atlas launch

How do you create high-profile media interest with the launch of text book? This is the challenge we achieved for the UNEP - World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Objective

To achieve impact with a new report, it is vital to create a compelling package of engaging content.

The World Atlas of Great Apes was to be launched by UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre ahead of an important convention.

Although an interesting subject, the book was a collation of pre-existing information and contained nothing new. Holdsworth Associates was tasked with making the Atlas headline grabbing.

How we did it?

We analysed the book and interviewed its contributors. Although the Atlas contained no new data or statistics, it was the first time this information had been brought together in one place. We created an infographic to highlight this and used anecdotes, gathered from contributers, to provide journalists with the real-life stories behind the data.

London Zoo was approached to provide a launch venue and offer real-time broadcast images, while we invited conservationists and other specialists to speak to the media about the challenges they face.

Results

The Atlas launch received international and national media coverage, including:

  • BBC Breakfast
  • BBC One O’Clock News
  • BBC Radio 4
  • BBC Newsround
  • The Times
  • The Guardian
  • The Financial Times
  • The Independent
  • New Scientist
  • Nature
  • BBC Wildlife and other consumer press

Sales of the Atlas exceeded expectations. The Atlas was referenced throughout the following week as the Kinshasa Conference progressed and it is now considered a key text by the media for great ape population and conservation data.

World Atlas of Great Apes

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