Aubergine named in ‘top agencies’ to watch in the North

It’s been a challenging time for PR and creative agencies recently across the board. But Aubergine has managed to weather the storm - and even thrive in it. 

In September 2023 we were named as one of Prolific North’s top eight ‘Independent Agencies to Watch’ for this year.

Our sustainability-focused creative PR agency was recognised for the range of campaigns we delivered over the past year, across the food, health and tech sectors.

Prolific North also noted the fact that over the last 12 months we’ve achieved a 50% increase in turnover to land a six-figure profit - plus we’re on track to achieve a turnover of £1m by the end of the year.

The judges also mentioned our ‘modern’ approach to working as we have fully embraced the remote working model - with a top notch freelance team to help the two directors, both of whom are former journalists, deliver outstanding results for clients.

Director Emma Gardner brings her expertise as a broadcast journalist who has worked for several years as a producer and reporter for shows like BBC's The One Show, Channel 4 News, and ITV News. She focuses on delivering creative media campaigns and content creation. 

Director Verity Clarke has more than 15 years of experience in a boutique agency setting. Her role involves delivering client strategy and spearheading new business development.

Our international team of senior consultants provide their expertise on a contracted basis - many are leading experts in their sectors.

Here’s an overview of our highlights:

1. We secured 20 new clients within a year, including renowned organisations such as Filippo Berio, childhood nutrition charity Vitamin Angels UK and Round Our Way (a climate change focused not-for-profit organisation) leading to a 50% increase in turnover

2. We were invited to the British Medical Association to deliver training in PR and journalism at a sustainability event for the NHS attended by senior professionals, highlighting our expertise and thought leadership in the field

3. We successfully ran a virtual booth at Bread and Jam, the UK's first food founders festival and were invited to speak at Leeds Sustainability Week

4. We were hand-picked to participate in the Max 10 Growth Scheme, a program for high-growth businesses. This opportunity involved 12 weeks of valuable training and mentoring 

5. We achieved a prominent position on Google's search results, with our agency website ranking on the first page for the search term "sustainability pr agency." As a result, we have experienced a steady stream of new business inquiries

6. We were recognised and added to The Drum's Recommended Agency Register based on positive client reviews. This showcases our commitment to delivering exceptional services. Ratings out of 10 included value for money (9.5), creativity (9), and strategy (10). An impressive 90% of our clients intend to renew their partnerships with us.

These achievements reflect Aubergine's dedication to delivering top-notch PR services and our commitment to driving success for our clients.

A day in the life of an Aubergine intern

Junior PR Account Executive Isabelle Ellerington-Holden joined us in May 2023. Join us as Isabelle shares her experience at Aubergine so far…

Well, where to start? Aubergine- what a wonderful team to be a part of.

I started my placement here last month- and I can already tell that the summer ahead is going to be very bright! My time at Aubergine up until now has been a whirlwind- a challenging yet highly rewarding journey.

Aubergine PR Intern- Isabelle Ellerington-Holden

So, what does a day as a Junior PR Account Executive at Aubergine look like? 

Getting straight to the grind, I begin each morning searching for potential stories for our lovely clients. Recently the focus has been all things heat-related, and I’m sure you can understand why! For those overseas and perhaps unaware of what I’m referring to, we’ve been in the midst of a heatwave here in the UK. And, gosh, hasn’t it been hot!

After carefully selecting any relevant press calls, I send these to Verity and Emma- awaiting their approval. While the geniuses work their PR magic, I log any coverage for our fabulous clients. And recently, we’ve enjoyed some huge successes. 

Diving deep under the sea for World Ocean Day on 8 June, our mermaid campaign for our lovely client- Be The Future- made a huge splash both in the UK and overseas in Sydney. In the run-up to the awareness day, I assisted in contacting journalists up and down the country- pitching our unique story. And as you can imagine, there was lots of interest! Who wouldn’t want a visit from a totally-mermazing spectacle?

Securing coverage in The Times, BBC Look North and Channel Ten in Australia (just to name a few) - the ocean campaign certainly made waves and truly marked Team Aubergine as experts in sustainability PR.

For me, seeing Yorkshire mermaid Helen Hill from Be The Future appearing on BBC Look North was a real highlight. Taking over 300 hours to create, made from hundreds of plastic bottles and other waste products, it’s no surprise that her spectacular tail wowed viewers.

Another key part of my role at Aubergine is managing our social media. With interactions online at an all-time high, maintaining engagement on platforms such as Instagram and Facebook is hugely important. 

And, of course, keeping our content current is vital. 

Last month, the first-ever Organic Textile Week took place in the UK- seven days dedicated to shining a light on certified organic textiles in the UK whilst also fighting greenwashing.

So, to mark the occasion I created an Instagram reel sharing the contents of the gorgeous organic goodie boxes, created by our awesome client Organic UK. 

The video featured the unboxing of a series of organic textile products and food goodness, accompanied by the classic hit by Sam Cooke- (What A) Wonderful World. And if we all strive to become more organic, it certainly can be a wonderful world!

In the world of PR, every day is different. And this is what I love most. There’s a real sense of mystery. With endless possibilities- as a Junior PR Account Executive at Aubergine, you never know what tomorrow may bring.

Aubergine shortlisted for PRMoment Award 2023

We are delighted to be shortlisted for an award at this year’s PRmoment Awards.

We are up for Media Relations Campaign of the Year for our work with eco pregnancy test Hoopsy.

After winning the PRMoment’s New Agency of the Year in 2019 and the Media Relations 2020 award, we’re going for the hattrick!

We have carved a niche within sustainability and have created head-turning campaigns which consistently beat KPI’s and contribute to the growth of its global clients. 

We were tasked with launching Hoopsy’s eco 99% paper pregnancy test to the UK market, creating a launch product release which was followed up with a series of emotive founder interviews, profiles and newsjacking.

The campaign achieved coverage with a circulation of 378 million in 77 titles including Women’s Health, Mail Online, the Mirror and Marie Claire. The coverage and media attention has opened doors for national retail listings such as Superdrug and Whitworths Chemists, and funding for the startup.

Aubergine’s co-director, Verity Clarke, commented: “We’re so proud that Aubergine has once again been shortlisted in the PRmoment Awards. We pride ourselves in our unique virtual team of experts, many of whom are former journalists, and our ability to meet so many different client briefs across numerous sectors. 

“Femtech and sustainability really are in our wheelhouse, so we’re thrilled our media relations campaign for Hoopsy has also been recognised. We’re now appointed on an ongoing retainer basis by the brand thanks to our success with this media push.”

A healthy start to 2022 for Aubergine

It’s been a healthy start to 2022 for our boutique agency with two new business wins in the health and wellbeing space to kick off the year.

We’ve been appointed by GoBeDo to launch the brand’s new Immune Boosting Peppermint Gum to the UK market. Initial scientific studies show the product could be an effective method of protection against Covid-19.

We also secured a contract to promote online health coach Shelley Booth. Shelley is best known for the revolutionary Feel Look Be lifestyle and exercise program, but has just launched a new range of supplements to support optimal health. Aubergine has been tasked with amplifying the news of these new products as well as securing thought leadership opportunities for Shelley.

Shelley Booth commented: “So far, I’ve been really impressed by how nimble Aubergine are as a team. As former journalists they’re brilliant copywriters and I’ve been so happy with the coverage they’ve achieved for me already.”

Henry Colyer, head of marketing at GoBeDo, said: “Aubergine really stood out in the pitch stage due to their journalistic credentials - it’s obvious they know what makes journalists tick. I’m really excited to work with them to shout about GoBeDo’s new Immune Boosting Gum.”

Aubergine director and co-founder, Verity Clarke, commented: “We’re so thrilled to kick off 2022 with such a healthy start. Both GoBeDo and Shelley Booth are dream clients for us as they’re in the health and wellbeing space but they’re also both launching new and exciting products to market.”

Aubergine is a virtual agency founded by former BBC and Channel 4 News journalist Emma Gardner and experienced PR practitioner, Verity Clarke. The team has substantial credentials in the health and wellbeing space including successful campaigns for Surfaceskins, Glorious Soups, Fitbakes, One Year No Beer and Vitamin Angels UK.

Maximising Tesco listing for healthy ketchup brand Dr. Will's

Our task: To maximise a new listing in Tesco for condiment brand Dr Will’s and increase brand awareness

Our strategy: Everyone has ketchup in the cupboard and associates it with big brands so we wanted to lead the conversation and become associated with a more modern way to enjoy condiments

Our tactics: To create a far reaching survey and compelling thought leadership content package alongside product placement and reviews. We backed up the credibility of our survey by using a food psychiatrist to analyse our answers

Results: Coverage secured in EVERY tabloid and broadsheet newspaper on the news stands. Campaign returned £45 for every £1 spent on PR

Healthy results for immunity brand, Tonic Health

Our task: Fast-growth plant-based immunity brand, Tonic Health, invited Aubergine to put forward ideas on how to drive further awareness about its range of innovative high dose vitamin supplements.

Our strategy: On behalf of Tonic Health, we developed a wide-ranging survey of 2,000 people in the UK examining attitudes towards immunity within the context of the pandemic. Our strategy was to use the survey to cement Tonic Health as a thought leader in the field of immune health, whilst ensuring key messages hinting to the product range were present in all coverage.

Our tactics: We created several press releases tailored to high-end media, tabloids and lifestyle press weaving in the most newsworthy statistics. For example, we uncovered that a significant proportion of young people were suffering symptoms of immune health but weren’t worried about a second wave of coronavirus.

The press releases were accompanied by a rich bank of expert comment written by us on behalf of Tonic Health’s in-house expert, the UK’s ‘Plant Power’ doctor, Dr Gemma Newman.

Results: We secured 10 pieces of national news and lifestyle coverage, reaching over 23 million people. Coverage highlights were in the i newspaper, Metro, Daily Mail, Chat magazine, Women’s Fitness, Daily Express and the Mail On Sunday. All titles mentioned Tonic Health and weaved in key messages around vitamin intake and immune health.

How to choose a PR agency in 5 easy steps

Choosing a PR agency can seem rather daunting. With thousands of large, small and freelance outfits across the UK, the choice can seem overwhelming; should you stay local or go for a London based agency? Base your decision purely on price? Awards won? Current clients? The list and options are endless.

Appointing a boutique PR and communications agency is an option to consider if you’re looking to amplify your business or products to the media.

We have considered the reasons clients have come to us in the past, to help you think about what you should be looking for in your next agency…

Emma and Verity, Directors of Aubergine

1. Senior expertise in PR and the media

One of the first things to consider is who will be delivering the work once you commission a PR agency. Generally, boutique communications agencies are smaller and led by senior PR professionals who not only win the business but are also, crucially, heavily involved in actually delivering your brief. Rather than junior team members managing day-to-day activity, media relations and copywriting, in boutique agencies the work is delivered by a team of experts in their field.

Aubergine, for example is led by former journalist Emma Gardner and PR pro Verity Clarke, who know the media industry inside out. With experience working at outlets such as BBC, Channel 4 News and ITV News, their knowledge of media relations and insight into how to secure high profile national news coverage is second to none. Furthermore, their ability to write head-turning press releases, features and thought leadership content is the standard you’d expect from a national journalist.

2. Targeted specialisms in different sectors

“All round” agencies exist which can take on clients in any sector; but these agencies tend to have a steep learning curve which is paid for by you, the client. When initially researching potential agencies, be sure to also find out if there is one which specialises in your sector. A specialist agency has much more insight, contacts and experience for that specific sector, understanding from the word go, how the sector operates and what sort of content resonates with the most relevant journalists.

Aubergine specialises in food, tech, lifestyle and health PR and we have secured some outstanding results for our clients in these areas. To demonstrate our food tech PR expertise, a recent media relations campaign for London Food Tech Week saw us smash the KPIs by 182%, securing coverage in 60 national titles including Mashable, Huffington Post, Daily Mirror, The Sun, New Statesman, Evening Standard and City AM. We also launched health tech brand Surfaceskins to the media, securing 25 pieces of coverage mainly in the trade press but also in the business section of the Daily Express, both print and online.

Brian Waligora, CEO of Surfaceskins

3. Modern ways of working

The PR industry has always been quick to adapt to new working practices and has embraced remote working, flexible hours and ‘hot-desking’. Large city centre offices with PR staff chained to their desk for 12 hour days are fast becoming a thing of the past. The industry is putting staff wellbeing and mental health first, meaning that happy PR staff are productive, loyal and work productively. Ensure you check with your agency that these practices are adopted in-house as it’s much more likely you’ll be working with a happy and more productive team.

We operate a ‘virtual office’ set-up which not only gives us immense flexibility, it also means our day rates are much lower than you’d expect from a big agency. In this day and age, it’s all about value for money, right?

4. The right person for the right job

Ensure you look into the bio of every team member who could be assigned to your account, it is imperative that you are working with the right skill set for you.

Not all boutique agencies operate in this way but here at Aubergine we pride ourselves in working with a network of highly specialised freelance PR consultants across the UK to help us deliver high quality PR campaigns for our clients. Working in this way means we can pick and choose the right consultant to match the project, meaning the level of expertise the client gets is unparalleled. Aubergine’s directors always stay heavily involved in managing and delivering all projects, but the consultants bring an additional ‘edge’, and some brilliant additional creativity.

We worked on a media relations campaign for The Ice Co in the summer of 2018 as a collaboration with other food PR specialists which saw this creativity at play. To create original news, we hooked onto the World Cup (and the hot weather!) as a key time to be buying ice. In order to achieve these news angles and headlines, we developed a news-driven survey which found Millennials were shunning the pub and drinking beer during the World Cup and instead hosting parties at home. Through this campaign we secured 24 pieces of coverage in the consumer media including hits in the Daily Mirror, Daily Express, Sunday Express and Women’s Health, reaching an audience of 3 million people.

Shann Nix Jones, Founder of Chuckling Goat

5. Staying nimble

Last, but certainly not least, look for an agency who will stick to a plan but can also adapt. If you are a fast moving business, the last thing you want is for your agency to lag behind because there was already pre-planned activity in place.

Aubergine has been able to deliver projects extremely quickly and effectively for our clients. We’d always recommend a long-term retained service, where possible, to guarantee more of a drip-feed of news, but if you’re looking for a quick-win PR project, this is where we come in.

We were commissioned by kefir brand Chuckling Goat to amplify the news that the company had been recognised by the Parliamentary Review as an example of best business practice in the UK. Our strategy was to highlight business owner Shann Jones’ expertise and the business' turnover for national press, whilst emphasising the 'success despite Brexit' angle for regional press in Wales. We developed a series of press releases tailored to different media audiences; national business press and regional newspapers/online. We also offered one-on-one interviews with Shann to national press and broadcast media.

In the space of just 6 weeks from being commissioned we secured 13 pieces of coverage for the story across national, regional and trade media, including pieces in The Telegraph print and online, Daily Express print and online and BBC Radio Wales. The campaign reached an audience of over one million people. As a result of this successful campaign, Aubergine was appointed as Chuckling Goat’s retained agency.

If you’d like to find out more about how our boutique PR and communications agency can help your business get in touch.

Launching Evapolar

Our task

To launch a smart technology device that enables the user to create a microclimate at home, work or at the gym

Our strategy

To replicate the feeling of temperature control by launching the product at a London Spa and inviting UK’s leading consumer titles to try out a “Heat and Ice” experience

Our tactics

We sent out beautiful invitations to select journalists and planned a luxury day of heat and ice treatments with an opportunity to try out the device personally and take it home

Results

Attendees included Red, Good Housekeeping, Prima, Telegraph, Daily Mail, ES Magazine, Stylist and Top Sante

Launching Surfaceskins

Our task

To promote the fact that Surfaceskins has just launched (the pads are placed on doors and are proven to reduce infection rates by 90%)

Our strategy

To profile the new CEO of the business, Brian Waligora, whose father used to be a doctor and fought against infection himself

Our tactics

We offered briefings between the CEO and journalists and sold in a series of press releases

Results

We secured 25 pieces of coverage mainly in the trade press – but also in the Daily Express online and print, profiling Brian to a national audience for the first time

How we create effective PR survey stories that journalists love

Creating PR survey stories that journalists love and want to cover in their editorial content, can be a very tough nut to crack. However, if an agency can get it right they can generate media coverage that gets clients seen in high profile national, trade and regional press.

As a team of former journalists, Aubergine has a unique ‘journalist first’ approach when it comes to creating survey stories and as a result, we have a brilliant track record for securing insight-led media coverage. Having worked behind the scenes in print, television and digital newsrooms for so many years, we’ve been ‘sold’ stories by countless PR types ourselves, so we know what works and what doesn’t.

Here’s how we make survey stories work, time and again, for our clients:

1. Nail the brief. We begin by working with our clients to find out exactly what sort of key messages they want to convey

2. Journalist interviews. We then spend a great deal of time talking to our extensive network of journalist contacts to find out what sorts of headlines, angles and stories are of interest to them, which fit in with the client’s key messages

3. Work on the questions. Once we have an idea of the angles and headlines that will work for both the client and the media, we work with the chosen market research agency to develop the questions for the survey. We never take it as a given that these questions are right first time, we work on them to hone them and ensure we know they are going to give us strong results

4. Analyse, analyse, analyse. Once the survey has been into field and we get the results, we analyse them to find out the best angles that have been uncovered. We are unique in the PR world in that we work with an independent market research consultant specialising in quantitative research, who takes a deeper dive into results and finds angles we perhaps didn’t spot initially

5. Develop the story. Armed with our brilliant statistics, headlines and angles, we develop a press release for the client to approve. We ALWAYS create several versions of the same release to ensure we’re tailoring it to the various target media. If we think it’s relevant, we also develop infographics or even an in-depth report, to accompany the story

6. Selling in. When the press releases are approved, we hit the phones, speaking one-on-one to our huge journalist contact database, or we meet them for face-to-face briefings. We think speaking to journalists first then following up by email is the best approach as it’s the best way to get feedback and insight into their interest in the story. Blanket emails are a no-go for Team Aubergine

This formula has seen us secure some amazing results for our clients, for example:

• Flyt – We worked with YouGov to launch a survey to establish why the dining industry has been struggling of late. We integrated the results in a bespoke thought leadership report, which we wrote in-house using our journalistic writing skills, accompanied with infographics and a press release to sell-in. This resulted in widespread national coverage including standout pieces in The Times and the Telegraph. See the full case study here

• The Ice Co – Europe’s largest manufacturer of ice came to us with a brief that they wanted to create buzz around their brand during the World Cup 2018, coinciding with the hottest summer on record. Our survey found Millennials were shunning the pub to watch the World Cup at home and were drinking less than ever before, which peaked several journalist’s interest. We saw widespread consumer coverage including in the Daily Express, Sunday Express Daily Mirror and Women’s Health. See the full case study here

• Glorious Soups – The brand wanted to establish itself as a thought leader in health and lifestyle, taking a new approach away from product-focused PR. Our survey uncovered unique headlines around how people were ditching ‘fad’ diets and instead opting for a more balanced approach to being fit and healthy. We backed this up with a report from a food futurologist and infographics, securing coverage in Telegraph online, Huffington Post, Daily Mail and Waitrose Weekend amongst several other pieces. See the full case study here

In a nutshell, we love working on survey stories for our clients because we get such a buzz when we see all the lovely coverage filtering through once the hard work has been put in.

If you’re considering launching a PR survey campaign why not get in touch for a chat? Alternatively, if you work in PR and have been working on a survey story that doesn’t seem to have gone anywhere, we can help with that too.