Storm Goes Totally Greek

Storm is delighted to have been appointed by FAGE UK, makers of TOTAL Greek Yoghurt (the number one selling Greek yoghurt brand in the UK) and Fruyo – Greek Yoghurt with real fruit pieces.   

Storm will be driving awareness of the great taste, versatility and health benefits of TOTALand educating influencers on the difference between Greek yoghurt and Greek-style yoghurt. With many UK consumers unaware of the difference –  Greek yoghurt is made in Greece by a unique and traditional straining method, making it additive and preservative free. TOTAL is 100% natural and contains only two ingredients (pasteurised cow’s milk and live cultures) –  Storm will be reaching out to media to spread the word. The team will also be encouraging consumers to consider TOTAL as a healthier alternative to cream or mayonnaise without compromising on taste and highlighting the fact it is low in calories and fat,contains no added sugar or sweetener, is high in protein anda good source of calcium. 

As part of the programme, Storm will be supporting the launch of the new TOTAL Greek Yoghurt Cookbook, containing over 120 fresh and healthy ideas for Greek Yoghurt developed by top TV chef, Sophie Michell.

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Storm tunes in to hotel pr

Tune Hotels, the burgeoning select-service hotel group, has appointed Storm to raise its profile at a time when the chain is undergoing rapid expansion in the UK. The hotel group launched in Malaysia in 2007 with a business model based on the low-cost airline structure, with great value rooms focussed on offering high quality basics – excellent beds, powerful showers, central locations, a clean environment, and 24-hour security – with guests paying extra  only for facilities and services they use. 

It is this unique proposition that will be at the heart of the PR campaign, which spans traditional and social media; Storm will be managing the UK Facebook and Twitter pages for Tune as well as supporting new hotel openings in Newcastle and Canary Wharf.

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Storm sets up shop with paidshop.com

Storm has been appointed by www.PaidShop.com, a money-saving website with a difference, to support its launch and help build awareness with UK consumers. The company brings a unique offering to market by providing users with a price comparison tool, cash back, sale deals and vouchers all in one place.

Storm will be driving awareness of the www.PaidShop.com brand throughout online and traditional media via activity targeting both those who are already dedicated users of money-saving websites and apps, and also aiming to build the category outreaching to new users.

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How to go viral (and other lessons the cronut has taught us) by Lucy Hancock

 With yet another gripping season of the Great British Bake Off nearing an end, Stormie Lucy Hancock takes a look at the story of the cronut and how the baking fusion went viral…

The year was 2013, a time previous to which ordinary folk ate singular pastry options such as the croissant and the doughnut, until… the cronut was born. Described by many as the most viral dessert item ever, just one day after being released, images of the pastry-combo treat brought 140,000 links back to its creator, American pastry chef Dominique Ansel. And following in its wake, there have been many pretenders to the foodie lovechild throne since. Who could forget the pizzaburger? A 1,360 calorie bacon cheeseburger wrapped in a pepperoni pizza and cooked like a calzone. Or indeed, who among us doesn’t occasionally hanker after a sushi burger? The £8 snacking solution from chain Yo! Sushi, which contains meat or fish in a ‘bap’ made of toasted rice. But none have had quite the same recognition as the cronut. Why?

Ansel describes the day they launched the cronut as a pretty low key Friday with a new product that his customers loved – nothing new about that – and again not unusually, that evening there was a small write-up on a foodie website, but by the following morning the social media onslaught had begun and there was a line around the block waiting for the shop to open. And so there has been every day since, with bakeries across the world creating imitation cronuts.

As Ansel himself professes: “You can never predict what ideas will go viral. The only thing you can do is keep producing, keep thinking” but here are a few simple take-aways from his attention grabbing dessert…

Simplicity. In this case, the name really says it all. Customers understand the hybrid concept in a nano-second because of the seriously succinct name Ansel chose, and which in turn has left many a copycat baker scrabbling for a name anywhere near as good.

Be exceptional. In order to have strong talkability and therefore strong sharability, you have to do something exceptional. Ansel’s pastry creation is extremely difficult to make since frying croissant pastry dough is a very volatile business. He tried ten different recipes before settling on the current one and learned to fry the cronut in grapeseed oil at an undisclosed temperature.

Keeping it fresh. Each month the bakery launched a new flavour cronut. Previous incarnations have included rose vanilla, lemon maple and coconut – all bringing with them a fresh wave of excitement to try the limited edition variety.

With the launch of Ansel’s newest creation last month, the Pretzel Lobster Tail and the final of this year’s Great British Bake Off tonight, its the perfect time to try making your own cronut with GBBO star Edd Kimber’s take on it… the fauxnut.

Lucy Hancock is an Account Manager at Storm Communications in the Consumer team.

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Branching out with new win

Storm will be focusing on all things natural and organic this autumn having been appointed by the UK’s leading wholesale distributor within the nutrition and healthy lifestyle channel, Tree of Life.  Storm will be implementing a thought-leadership campaign to support the company within the grocery and wellbeing retailing press, as well as providing trade marketing support for a number of its exclusive brand partners.  Part of the Brands of Distinction group, which also includes Petty Wood, Tree of Life supplies a wide range of retailers from independent and traditional health food shops and cafes to larger multiple retailers, supermarkets and e-commerce retailers, both in the UK and overseas, with over 10,000 products lines from 600 organic and general health foods, vitamin, mineral, sports nutrition supplements, body care and green and ethical household brands.

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The Power of a Social Media ‘Virus’ by Shanice Stewart-Jones

Having personally dropped off the Facebook bandwagon a few years ago in favour of regaining my privacy and rekindling face-to-face relationships with loved ones before I turned into a total social recluse, these days I rarely use the site unless I’m desperately bored or in need of a stalking fix.
 
But lately, I have found myself logging on and scrolling through my news feed at least several times a day because, though I’m shamed to admit, I’m thoroughly enjoying the newest craze, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. My news feed is jam-packed with videos of people being soaked or soaking themselves with buckets of icy water and it’s their reactions to the challenge – screams, gasps, profanities and the like – that I find particularly entertaining.
 
The craze apparently began back in July when Charles Kennedy, a golfer from Florida, responded to a friend who told him “pour ice over your head and I’ll donate to the charity of your choice”. Charles chose ALS because his cousin is a sufferer of the disease. He then challenged his wife, who challenged her friends and so on until it reached an ALS sufferer. He challenged a famous sports player and voilà, overnight it had infiltrated the celebrity circle. Now it’s gone viral across the globe, and it’s showing no signs of slowing.
 
At the time of writing, the Ice Bucket Challenge had raised almost $US100 million (almost £60 million) – an undeniably superb sum and further evidence of the incredible potential for social media in ‘doing good’. It also highlights the power of social media to spread ideas and news quicker than will ever be possible for more traditional forms of media. By the time a press office has begun writing a release, a campaign may already have reached millions across thousands of countries around the world, if it attracts the right social media attention.

 

Examples of celebrities taking on the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

This isn’t the first ‘nominate and challenge’ campaign to go digitally viral, either. Back in March this year, the No Makeup Selfie challenged people to brave posting a picture of themselves wearing no makeup and donate, which raised over £8 million in aid of Cancer Research UK.
 
But with a plethora of celebs getting involved in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, it has attracted some bad press and has been dubbed “just another great PR campaign for the rich and famous”. Not just celebrities, though – companies of every industry, from retail giants to restaurants to financial firms, are jumping on the bandwagon, and enjoying the free publicity and charitable rep that comes as part of the package.
 
A couple of weeks ago, Senior Vice President of integrated marketing at Coca-Cola Co., Wendy Clark, posted a video of herself getting doused by a giant polar bear, the brand’s iconic ad character, and drying herself off with a bright red, Coca-Cola branded towel. Where this works as marketing tool for a brand is that it gains global media attention (Wendy’s video has almost 21,000 views on YouTube), but it is not seen as unethical or as ‘in your face’ marketing, because ultimately, it’s all for charity. Very clever.
 
Sure, success for such campaigns happens because they appeal to our emotions and are highly entertaining, but it’s the power of multiplication that’s key here. If a challenge calls on each participant to nominate three others, for example, it causes a serious viral effect that spreads very quickly.
 
So, in an age where social media is so unequivocally present in our lives, businesses have to think on their feet and many are out there now, furiously trying to brainstorm innovative ways to use the potential virality of social media to their advantage.
 
Ever wondered how could your business do the same?

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WTCE appoints storm

Storm has been appointed by Reed Exhibitions to handle the international PR for the World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo (WTCE) which takes place in Hamburg annually, as well as support the launch of WTCE Americas, being held in Seattle for the first time this October. 

Over the past three years WTCE has established itself as a hub for industry expertise, bringing together buyers and specifiers from the world’s international, charter and regional airlines, and rail operators. The show provides a unique window for exhibiting companies to showcase their products and services, and meet and network with sector peers. Following the event’s huge success, WTCE is now tapping into the Americas, launching WTCE Americas in Seattle, where air, rail and cruise operators in the US can network with suppliers, both domestic and international.

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Buhler sortex appoints storm

Storm has been appointed to manage global media campaigns to consolidate Bühler’s position as a worldwide leader in optical sorting, rice and pulses processing. The extensive programme will strengthen the company’s global brand profile through media relations, keynote speaking opportunities and press events, showcasing Bühler’s credentials worldwide.

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Summer Sports: the perfect PR hook by Ellie Cottrell

This summer has seen a flurry of sporting events hit the UK including the Grand National, London Marathon, FA Cup Final, Wimbledon, the World Cup and the Tour de France. Whilst these events have provided us with excellent entertainment, Friday quiz material and some hilarious in-office sweepstakes, they have also gifted brands with new opportunities for PR.

Thanks to these events, any dip in brand awareness can be quickly eradicated with the effective use of social media if it is efficiently used as a tool to keep our brands at the forefront of the public’s mind.

For example, the World Cup was deemed Twitter’s most discussed sporting event ever with over 35.6 million tweets.  As well as naysayers making last ditch attempts for coverage throughout the World Cup, the real PR play has been off the pitch with some particularly effective activities from the ultimate sporting contenders, Nike and Adidas.  

The battle for supremacy in the global football market is ever-present and one of the ultimate ‘goals’ for both brands. The World Cup is the main event in their sporting calendars, and much to Nike’s dismay, this year saw Adidas set to be the favourite due to its official tournament sponsorship with Nike nipping at Adidas’ heels in terms of market share.

Despite official sponsorship, some seriously creative and effective campaigning from Nike with their ‘Risk Everything’ slogan led to the solid thrashing of Adidas’ ‘All or Nothing’ campaign across social media. To top it all off, companies that are not official sponsors of the World Cup face legal repercussions for using specific terms, therefore whilst adhering to these rules and regulations, Nike’s brand presence has still been so extensive that 30 per cent of UK and US consumers polled believed it to be the official sponsor.

Nike’s social media campaign and excellent product placement had a tangible effect on consumers, whether they actively purchased the brand or not and pipped Adidas to the post despite all odds. Now that’s great PR.

Storm client Chang Beer also took the opportunity to capitalise on the ever-present football buzz by creating a pop-up penalty shoot out goal on London’s Southbank, maximising the event timing by holding it on Father’s Day… pitch perfect! The experiential marketing event allowed the brand to talk to consumers via pre-activity coverage as well as securing face time with football fans who were given the chance to win Chang Beer footballs, t-shirts and bottle openers. They were the perfect goodie bag to take home to watch the football and kept Chang Beer in at the forefront of its target market’s mind.

Capitalising on the strong media hold in London, journalists and bloggers were invited to participate via social media and in person, the photography from the event was also seeded out to key publications nationwide, thus securing yet another opportunity to infiltrate the media!

With PR usually operating on a seasonal basis, as well as blessed new product launches and the occasional holidays such as Valentine’s Day, it is a breath of fresh air to have so many sporting events taking over the UK population. These crowd-captivating events provide us with real-time ‘hooks’ that truly facilitate our ability to get creative. We’re able to get our brand names out there in quirky and exciting ways that differentiate us from the rest. It’s also the perfect excuse to piggyback a trending hashtag or two!

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Kliklok picks storm

We are pleased to welcome Kliklok International to the Storm client roster. For over 50 years, Kliklok has been at the forefront of food packaging technology for the frozen and chilled foods, snack food, dairy and bakery sectors.

Kliklok offers an extensive range of durable and efficient equipment including top load and end load cartoning, automatic product handling, wraparound sleeving, and end of line machinery, together with the Woodman range of bagmakers, trolley loading equipment, and display card loaders.

From their UK premises in Bristol, Kliklok International designs, manufactures & distributes machinery throughout Europe, the Middle East, South East Asia and Australasia.

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