Organic September's shop in a tree

Our task: To maximise the publicity for Organic September (Aubergine appointed 10 days before 1 Sep 2020)

Our strategy: To create a media stunt, survey and compelling thought leadership content package to target every last minute opportunity possible in a short timeline

Our tactics: Held a pop up organic shop in a tree in central London for journalists, influencers and members of the public learn more about the benefits of shopping organic

Results: Coverage secured in Telegraph, Guardian, The Sun plus trade and regional titles

International charity appoints Aubergine to launch UK PR push

We’re thrilled to reveal we’ve been appointed by international charity Vitamin Angels to launch their UK programme, Vitamin Angels UK, and raise awareness of childhood food insecurity. With two toddlers in nursery of our own, it’s a cause very close to our hearts.

Our winning pitch concept was to launch the first ever National Childhood Nutrition Day on June 9 2021, to raise awareness that one in four children in the UK lack access to nutritious food.

Working in partnership with the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA), Vitamin Angels UK delivers free weekly nutrient-dense and vitamin-rich packages to six nurseries in England containing fruit, vegetables and protein-rich foods.

Over four hundred children from low income families are benefiting from the scheme as it helps give them a quality diet they otherwise wouldn’t have. The nurseries are in Manchester, Grimsby, Darlington, Scunthorpe, Wolverhampton and Leominster.

Shannon Burke, vice president of marketing at Vitamin Angels UK, said: “We appointed Aubergine because of their experience, passion and authentic enthusiasm for our mission - and we loved their idea for launching an awareness day. We’re facing a childhood food insecurity crisis here in the UK and we need to act now. Through our donations and the support of our Corporate Partners, we aim to increase our program to more nurseries in the UK by the end of 2021.”

Aubergine director and co-founder, Emma Gardner, said: “With both Aubergine directors having toddlers at nursery, Vitamin Angels UK’s work is very close to our hearts. We’re so excited to have been appointed by the charity to shout about their incredible and valuable work - and we can’t wait to see the launch of the UK’s first National Childhood Nutrition Day.”

Leeds is slowly becoming the media hub it deserves to be

By Emma Gardner, co-founder and director at Aubergine

I remember when I was first looking to move up to Leeds from London back in 2013, my colleagues at Channel 4 News and the BBC thought I was a little bit mad. Why would I want to move to a city a fraction the size of London with not nearly much freelance journalism work available?

Well, I was willing to take the gamble because I was ready for a life where I could afford more than a small one bedroom flat and where I could access the countryside and fresh air, within just a few minutes. Don’t get me wrong, London is a wonderful place, but cramming onto the Underground with hundreds of other people didn’t have the same appeal anymore - and I wanted to be near friends and family.

At the time, broadcast journalism jobs in Leeds were scarce so I spent quite a few months commuting over to BBC Media City in Manchester to work for the current affairs teams at The One Show and Inside Out. 

The work was great, but commuting left a sour taste in my mouth. It involved getting on the clunky and slow train from Leeds to Manchester every day then connecting with the tram; a journey that took the best part of 1.5 hours. I’d be up at 6am every day and not home until after 8pm - hardly the idealistic way of life I’d pictured for myself up north.

It soon became apparent that if I wanted to work in an industry that would enable me to use my national journalism expertise, but stay in Leeds, PR was the answer. I never looked back, and eight years on I’ve set up a food, drink, health and tech PR agency with my best friend, Verity.

Seeing Channel 4 set up its headquarters in Leeds a few years back did make me wonder, if I still worked as a journalist maybe I’d find it a bit easier to find work here now? I think I would.

It was wonderful to see the confirmation that the BBC is preparing to move many national journalism roles from London to the north. There will be a new version of BBC One tailored to northern audiences, and the BBC Learning and Identity News team is moving to Leeds. With Channel 4 already having its headquarters in the city, this gives it another massive boost.

A separate Guardian article said that although BBC staff would probably be offered relocation packages if their jobs move to Leeds, the experience of Channel 4 suggests many are unlikely to leave London which would create more jobs in the northern city. 

I do think that over time, Leeds will become a media hub similar in scale to Manchester. The more jobs that are created here, the greater the pull will be for others to move, thereby growing the talent pool ever further.

Here at Aubergine, we’re thrilled to see so many media jobs being created in the north. For one thing, it makes our work in PR so much easier as we’re able to forge important relationships with journalists that live here. Furthermore, with focus increasingly shifting away from London and more emphasis on news coverage and voices being heard in the media up here, it also means our clients have more chance of being profiled.

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.

Creating the world's first 'Wellness Shed'

Our task: To create a head-turning PR and social media campaign to launch GLORIOUS! Soups’ new range of superfood soups, appealing to a health conscious consumer.

Our strategy: We then decided to create a pop-up “Wellness Shed” in Shoreditch, London which would be a world first. We worked with partners to create a virtual reality (VR) mindfulness game which people could experience inside the shed. This involved wearing a headset and being challenged to stir soup as slowly as possible on a cooker, to remind people of the benefits of mindful cooking and eating.

Our tactics: The pop up space was beautifully decorated and we made sure it was as “Instagrammable” as possible. We gave out vouchers to anyone using the hashtag #WellnessShed for free soups. We also invited the founders of Mindful Chef to be the first to try out the experience, which was broadcast live on Instagram Stories. For the media materials, we worked with a mindfulness expert to ascertain the health benefits of mindful eating and cooking.

Results: The hashtag #WellnessShed trended on the launch day across multiple social media platforms and was seen by over two million users. GLORIOUS! Soups’ Instagram followers doubled and the product sold out in Shoreditch. The story of the Wellness Shed and products were covered in 17 different media titles including Sunday Mirror (Notebook), Now magazine and PlantBased magazine.

Maximising the festive season for One Year No Beer

Our task: We were invited to pitch our creative ideas to One Year No Beer (OYNB) after we were kindly recommended for our PR services to the brand. We were then chosen to handle the PR account for the alcohol-free (AF) community hub, focusing on maximising the festive season.

OYNB is a fast growth tech business that is essentially an online toolkit to “help survive modern society alcohol-free”. It had already secured over 50,000 members worldwide - our task was to further raise awareness.

Our strategy: We created an in-depth report examining the various lifestyle benefits of going AF using experts at the top of their game which integrated the results of a bespoke survey with headline grabbing statistics. We paired this with a bank of interesting case studies from the community of people who were AF thanks to OYNB.

Our tactics: Using the survey results, we crafted various different press releases targeted to different media to maximise our chances of coverage. The stories we created covered Christmas, New Year, so-called ‘Shameovers’, The Rise of Sober Dating, and the impact on mental health and sleep.

Results: The campaign reached over 38 million people within 63 pieces of media coverage, achieving a result that was 215% better than the expected coverage KPI. Highlights included coverage in the Mirror online and in print, Top Sante, Daily Express, Manchester Evening News, The Scotsman and Pick Me Up!

Aubergine is buzzing thanks to Hilltop win

We’re ‘buzzing’ after being chosen to manage the consumer PR for FMCG brand Hilltop.

The Welsh company that produces honey just expanded its range to include 100% pure Canadian maple syrups, now has supermarket listings in all the major supermarkets and has just completed a full rebrand including a new logo.

Our food specialist agency has been tasked with managing Hilltop’s busy press office and creating a proactive and engaging consumer campaign.

2021 marks exactly 10 years since Hilltop founder Scott Davies got his first hive as a birthday gift and became fascinated with bees. Following a back injury which saw him out of work, he started selling honey to friends and to local shops, then after two years he started supplying farm shops and delis across the country.

In 2014, Hilltop secured listings in Sainsbury’s, Holland & Barrett, Selfridges and on Amazon and Ocado. The company quickly expanded its range to include speciality and Manuka honey. In 2015, after receiving the Soil Association seal of approval, Hilltop launched a new range of organic honey.

Lowri Jones, marketing co-ordinator for Hilltop, said: “Since 2011, when Scott got his first bee hive, Hilltop has been making its mark on the food industry. We wanted to choose a PR agency that we knew could bring the passion Scott has to life and amplify messages about the increasing product range to as wide an audience as possible. It was clear as soon as we spoke to Aubergine that they were the right fit for Hilltop.”

It goes without saying we are huge fans of Hilltop - it’s a sweet addition to our list to our growing list of food clients. This is a really exciting time for the brand as they have a new look and logo, are expanding their range and gaining more national retail listings.

We are delighted to have been chosen to shout about them at such a pivotal time for them.

Aubergine branches out to win Organic September campaign

We have been busy over the summer months and have a series of new client wins that we are delighted to reveal.

First up is the campaign work for Organic September, an annual initiative run by the Organic Trade Board, to create an idea that would "pop" with the media and delivered a stunt in its entirety from concept to delivery in 10 working days alongside freelance senior creative producer, Emma Thomas, and Helix 3D.

Inspired by the Faraway Tree by Enid Blyton, the organic “tree shop” had produce was lowered from the branches by the ShopTREEpers to communicate the organic alternatives of everyday food items such as eggs, bread, wine, fruit and vegetables that are available.  

The installation was created in response to a survey by Aubergine and the Organic Trade Board, which found that over two thirds of Britain’s would swap a regular grocery item for an organic alternative during Organic September and over 12 million of those surveyed are more likely to buy organic products than they were before the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“We appointed Aubergine in the midst of covid-19 and we are delighted to be working with them to navigate the changing landscape. They have been quick to adapt, to be creative and are constantly looking for positive ways to work with the media in this uncertain time including a really innovative socially distanced media stunt of an Organic Pop-up Shop in a Tree,” said Cristina Dimetto at Organic Trade Board.

Aubergine co-founder, Verity Clarke, said: “We are a small, nimble team which has meant we’re able to adapt to the media’s moving target and pull together a socially distant stunt that still turns heads.

“We are operating within the fast-growing and sustainable sectors of food, health and tech and we are gaining a positive reputation within the industry."

Aubergine partners with Ventorq to say cheers to Amity Brew Co

Virtual PR and content agency, Aubergine, has partnered with ecommerce and marketing consultancy Ventorq to launch start-up craft brewery and e-commerce platform, Amity Brew Co.

The agencies collaborated to produce cohesive Branding, Design, PR and Social which has seen the brewery, headed by a team formerly of BrewDog, BeerHawk and Buxton brewery, sell out their first batch of beer within 48 hours. 

Amity Brew Co originally was due to launch in autumn 2020 with the opening of a brewery and taproom in the historic setting of Sunny Bank Mills in Leeds but in the light of C-19 the opportunity to build links with the local community through e-commerce brought the launch forward by four months.

Aubergine co-founder, Verity Clarke, said: “We are a virtual agency which makes use of a network of homeworking freelancers so when C-19 hit we were able to move quickly to react to the ever-changing landscape.  The meaning of the word Amity is community and friendship so we have built on this by engaging dialogue with the local and beer community about the launch. We gained 1,000 Insta followers within the first week so it has certainly hit a note with people who were desperate to hear a positive story in all the doom and gloom of lockdown.” 

Ventorq Designer Tom Matthews said: “Amity Brew Co take beloved traditional beer styles and bring them into the modern era, so the branding had to involve a mix of old and new, traditional and modern, to champion this ethos. The logo uses a friendly and almost nostalgic cursive font and the supportive text is a modern san serif font to create a clean and easily legible accompaniment. The logo is tilted upwards and forwards as a sign of progression and growth. Each beer has its own identity, formed by colour and shape.”

Co-Founder of Amity Brew Co, Richard Degnan, said: “To open a hospitality business at a time when many are struggling and sadly closing was an enormous risk for us but it also felt like the right time too. We prioritised our e-commerce launch which has proven very successful so far.  Aubergine and Ventorq were natural partners for us, they adapted quickly to shout about our launch and build excitement within the community.”

Nicholas and Harris is the bread and butter for PR agency Aubergine

PR and content agency, Aubergine, has been awarded the PR contract to manage two retail brands on behalf of leading bakery manufacturer, Nicholas & Harris part of the Finsbury Food Group.

The virtual PR consultancy, specialising in the food, tech and health industries, secured the contract after a 4way pitch.

Nicholas & Harris products are stocked in Sainsbury, Ocado and Waitrose with retail brands Vogel’s and Livlife, Aubergine will be handling the press office, consumer PR and activations.

Ruth McGrath, Brand Marketing Manager at Nicholas & Harris said: “Aubergine stood out because of their journalist-led approach but also for their ability to step back and look at the bigger picture.

“It’s an exciting time for our brands with some innovative NPD in the pipeline and I’m looking forward to growing and engaging our consumers markets with Aubergine.”

Founded by former BBC and Channel Four journalist Emma Gardner and experienced PR practitioner Verity Clarke, Aubergine works with a network of highly experienced consultants across the UK to produce PR and content campaigns.

The agency has recently been nominated for three industry awards in this year’s PRmoment Awards including Boutique Agency of the Year alongside campaign awards Media Relations of the Year and FMCG Campaign of the Year for their work with client, leading health drink brand Chuckling Goat.

Aubergine co-founder, Verity Clarke, said: “Both Vogel’s and Livlife are challenger brands and are experimenting with innovation which is really going to shake up the bread category. We are over the moon to be representing them into 2021.”

Coronavirus self-isolation: How to stay social with loved ones

With vulnerable groups and people with symptoms of coronavirus having to self-isolate, the way we communicate with friends and family has changed dramatically in a number of days.  

But the plethora of technology available to us means we are better able to communicate with friends and loved ones more effectively than ever before. If anything, I’ve found I’m speaking to my family and friends more than before using video chat platforms.

It’s the perfect opportunity to get a little creative with how we communicate and perhaps even return to some more traditional methods to keep in touch, such as letter writing.

Here are some ideas for how to embrace tech to stay social - for elderly relatives, they might need a little helping hand on how to set up some of these platforms:

1.     Virtual dinners and parties – Restaurants around the country are shutting up shop but you could help support them by ordering a takeaway from them if they offer this service, then organise a Google Hangout with your family so you can all eat together. Simply set up the phone or laptop at the head of the table and invite people to your Hangout – it’ll be almost like you’re all together in person! Alternatively, host a “party” complete with games like charades that you can do together.

2.     Online movie nights – Most people have access to Netflix or Amazon Prime. Arrange with friends and family to all hit play at the same time on your favourite film or series, then chat about any plot twists or cliff hangers using WhatsApp or simple SMS messages. Even better, Netflix has launched a Google Chrome extension called Netflix Party which enables family members to watch something simultaneously

3.     Digital book clubs – Now is the perfect time to delve into a good story for a bit of escapism. You could set up a dedicated Facebook Group then create a poll to decide on a book you and your friends would like to read – preferably nothing too apocalyptic! Then when everyone has finished it you can use the platform to post your thoughts on it, with people commenting and generating conversation. If you don’t fancy setting up a book club, how about creating a group for cheese and wine tasting?

4.     Techie play dates – With schools closed, children will soon develop cabin fever – and so will their parents. Use the likes of FaceTime, WhatsApp and Skype to have virtual coffee and cake meet ups with other parents, then allow kids to use these platforms to catch up with their own friends

5.     Not so ‘bored’ games – Now is the perfect time to dust off the Monopoly board and engage in a virtual board game with pals. Using Jackbox Party Games, you can share your computer screen using Zoom or Google Hangouts then everyone else can engage in the game on their phones

Trio of industry award nominations for Aubergine

Leeds PR and content agency, Aubergine, has been nominated for three industry awards in this year’s PRmoment Awards for the North.

The team has been nominated for Boutique Agency of the Year alongside campaign awards Media Relations Campaign of the Year and FMCG Campaign of the Year for their work with client, leading health drink brand, Chuckling Goat. 

Hosted at the Hilton Deansgate, Manchester, the awards, which celebrate excellence and recognise reward outstanding campaigns and exceptional talent in the UK PR and Communications sector, have become a firm fixture on the PR calendar and are judged by eminent senior in-house and agency-side communications professionals.

Aubergine operates as a virtual agency with a network of highly experienced consultants across the UK and has carved a niche within food tech, a fast growth industry worth £250billion that aims to tackle climate change and a growing population’s health issues.

Aubergine has created head-turning campaigns which consistently beat targets and genuinely contribute to the growth of their global clients who are all market leaders or ambitious scale ups. The agency, established April 2018, has tripled turnover in 12 months and offer clients a cost effective service thanks to low overheads and a senior team of expert consultants with a journalism background.  

Aubergine’s co-director, Verity Clarke, commented: “Since winning New Agency of the Year in 2019, Aubergine has continued to thrive. We have been recognised nationally by our industry and our journalist-powered PR campaigns are getting results for our happy clients.

We found a gap in the market, operating within a fast-growing and sustainable sector of food tech and thanks to gaining a positive reputation in this industry we have a healthy pipeline of new business referrals attracting scale-up SME’s in particular.”

Tried and Supplied appoints Aubergine as a trusted agency

We’re excited to have been awarded the PR contract for the new innovative online foodservice platform Tried and Supplied, following a three-way pitch.

Tried and Supplied is designed to help food buyers and restaurateurs find the very best British suppliers, who are sustainable, local and recommended by their peers.

Domini Hogg, founder of Tried and Supplied, commented: “The Aubergine team really stood out as they were able to see the potential in Tried and Supplied and how its USPs would resonate with the media. They recommended an exciting PR strategy which targeted my potential customers, suppliers and key stakeholders all in one project. We have just relaunched our website and refined our services so it’s the right time to work with an effective PR team who can amplify our messages.”

Specialising in food and tech, Aubergine works with a network of highly experienced consultants across the UK to produce creative PR and content campaigns. We scooped the accolade for New Agency of the Year at the PRmoment Awards in March.

Our co-founder, Verity Clarke, said: “We love working with innovative, game-changing businesses. We could see Tried and Supplied is genuinely working to solve a problem within the foodservice industry; that it can be tricky to source local, sustainable suppliers in a quick and easy way. We’re excited to be working on this PR campaign, which will help position them as a thought leader in their field.

“Global brands are looking for better, sustainable technology solutions to stay ahead of the competition and start-ups, such as Tried and Supplied, are disrupting the space by solving real problems. The Food Tech industry is booming and Aubergine is excited to be carving a real niche within this area, by working with businesses like Tried and Supplied.”

Our other clients in the Food Tech space have included hospitality tech platform Flyt, POS provider Andromeda and the world’s biggest festival for Food Tech, London Food Tech Week.

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.

PatSnap's quick turnaround project

Our task: We were appointed just two days before tech firm PatSnap were due to appear at a House of Commons summit on intellectual property – they wanted to get coverage, quickly and broadly, on the event

Our strategy: To not only target PatSnap’s peers but also its customers by creating four press releases, each of which was targeted to a different key media sector

Our tactics: We carried out an hour-long interview with one of the company’s key thought leaders which helped us inform the press releases. We issued the press releases the day before the event then created a new version integrating comments from the summit on the day of the event itself

Results: Despite the quick turnaround on the project we managed to secure 13 pieces of coverage across all four of the company’s target media sectors. The total circulation for the media coverage was 400,000 and PatSnap used the coverage as a sales tool in the coming weeks for its products

Chuckling Goat has the last laugh

Our task: Chuckling Goat tasked Aubergine with amplifying the news to the media that the company had been recognised by the Parliamentary Review as an example of best business practice in the UK

Our strategy: Highlighting business owner Shann's expertise and the business' turnover for national press. Emphasising 'success despite Brexit' angle for regional press in Wales

Our tactics: 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

Results: 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. Aubergine was appointed on a retained basis with Chuckling Goat as a result of the success of the project

We’ve been shortlisted for two national CIPR awards

Our new agency Aubergine has been shortlisted for two national accolades in the CIPR Excellence Awards 2019.

The two categories we’ve been shortlisted in are:

·     Outstanding New Public Relations Consultancy

·     Outstanding Specialist Public Relations Consultancy

A team of more than 60 experienced PR professionals will review the category shortlists and the select the winners, which will be presented with their awards during a ceremony in London in June.  

These latest nominations come less than a month after we won our first award, New Agency of the Year at the 2019 PRmoment Awards.

Established exactly a year ago but with years of PR and journalism experience under our belts, we work with a network of experienced PR consultants and former journalists across the UK to deliver creative campaigns for clients in the food, tech, lifestyle and health sectors. Some of our current and past clients include Flyt, Slingsby Gin, Beerwulf, Chuckling Goat, London Food Tech Week and Glorious Soups.

Fresh from winning New Agency of the Year at the PRmoment Awards, we could hardly believe it when we received the news that we were also nominated for two national awards.

We’ve come such a long way in such a short space of time and these award wins and nominations are testament not only to the hard work we’ve put into building the business, but to the results we’ve secured for our clients. From launching a YouGov survey and thought leadership reportfor leading London tech brand Flyt, to working with a NASA scientist and the Jamie Oliver Group to secure national news coverage for London Food Tech Week, we love bringing client briefs to life with our passion and enthusiasm.

Aubergine wins New Agency of the Year at PRmoment Awards 2019

Leeds PR and content agency, Aubergine, has won New Agency of the Year in this year’s PRmoment Awards for the North.

Hosted at the Hilton Deansgate, Manchester, on Wednesday 13 March, the awards celebrate excellence and recognise outstanding campaigns and exceptional talent in the UK PR and Communications sector.

A firm fixture on the PR calendar, the PRmoment Awards are judged by eminent senior in-house and agency-side communications professionals.

Competing against already established award-winning agencies, the win recognises that despite only having been established for less than 12 months, Aubergine, like its clients, are disrupting the food and tech space. 

The agency, consisting of a team of two Directors, Verity Clarke and Emma Gardner, work with a network of highly experienced consultants across the UK and has secured over £100k of new business in eight months, working with Flyt, London Food Tech Week, Evapolar, Slingsby Gin, Carthy & Black, Glorious Soups and Surfaceskins. Their creative campaigns have also led them to work alongside NASA, Jamie Oliver Group, Deliveroo and UberEats.

Aubergine’s co-founder, Emma Gardner, commented: “We are delighted to be given the prestigious accolade of New Agency of the Year in this year’s PRmoment awards. From winning a nine-way pitch against established London agencies to work with tech company Flyt, to launching the world’s first Food Tech Village in London, Team Aubergine prides itself on bringing passion and enthusiasm to all client briefs. As a team of experienced former journalists and knowledgeable consultants, who all have unique behind-the-scenes experience we will look to continue to innovate in the tech and food PR landscape.”

Aubergine’s co-founder, Verity Clarke added: “The last year has been an incredible journey– from setting up an agency, developing our business model and acquiring some incredible clients. It’s therefore great to see Aubergine being recognised by our peers and is a testament to how far we have come in such a short space of time.”

Aubergine has the right culture for leading kefir brand

PR and content agency, Aubergine, has been awarded the PR contract for leading kefir producer, Chuckling Goat.

The Leeds-based consultancy, specialising in the food, tech and health industries, secured the contract after approaching the brand directly.

Chuckling Goat weren’t actively looking for PR support due to having exceptional in-house expertise, securing support from Fearne Cotton and BBC Radio Four’s The Archers plus authoring three books on kefir and fermentation.

Shann Jones, Founder of Chuckling Goat, said: “Aubergine really stood out because they have a clear passion for what they do and they were customers of the brand. Like me, they are former journalists so there was a real affinity between us. They put their heart and soul into the pitch and really impressed us. It’s an exciting time for Chuckling Goat and I’m looking forward to growing and reaching new markets with Aubergine.”  

Since establishing less than 12 months ago, Aubergine, like its clients, are disrupting the food and tech space. Founded by former BBC and Channel Four journalist Emma Gardner and experienced PR practitioner Verity Clarke, Aubergine works with a network of highly experienced consultants across the UK to produce PR and content campaigns.

Aubergine co-founder, Emma Gardner, said: “Gut health and the kefir market is hot news at the moment and our head was turned by the wonderful customer experience from Chuckling Goat. The packaging, the quality product, the testimonials and the science backing really got our head spinning with PR ideas so we HAD to get in touch to show what we could do. We are so pleased we did.”

Aubergine shortlisted for major tech accolade

Aubergine has been shortlisted as Technology Agency of the Year in the 2019 PRmoment Awards for the North.

Since establishing less than 12 months ago, Aubergine, like its clients, are disrupting the food and tech space.

Carving a niche within tech and food, the pet passion of its two directors, Aubergine has created head-turning campaigns which consistently smash KPIs.

The team of two, which works with a network of highly experienced consultants across the UK, has secured over £100k of new business in eight months, working with Flyt, London Food Tech Week, Evapolar, Slingsby Gin, Carthy & Black, Glorious Soups and Surfaceskins. Their creative campaigns have also led them to work alongside NASA, Jamie Oliver Group, Deliveroo and UberEats.

Aubergine’s co-director, Emma Gardner, commented: “From winning a nine-way pitch against established London agencies to work with tech company Flyt, to launching the world’s first Food Tech Village in London, Team Aubergine prides itself on bringing passion and enthusiasm to all client briefs. We’re a team of experienced former journalists who all have unique behind-the-scenes experience of the media and I’m thrilled this has been recognised in being nominated for this prestigious award – especially as we’re such a young company.”