Working at the UK’s longest established public relations consultancy (90 years, to be exact), it came as no surprise when Richmond & Towers announced that it was going to become an 100% employee owned trust last year.
This was yet another innovative decision the agency made to keep one step ahead in the world of PR and communications. And now here we are, almost a year into our employee ownership and celebrating our first annual #EODay 2020.
So, what has it been like to own my own PR agency?
With the world recently being turned on its head and suffering a global pandemic never experienced before, Covid-19 has been a test of our strength in every aspect, but with the UK economy and businesses taking a major hit, coming together as an employee owned company has been absolutely crucial.
Not only does R&T have an unbreakable communal bond inside and outside of the office walls, but now more than ever we are working together, for each other, for the same goal and for each other’s gain.
A benefit of being employee owned is the full transparency in day-to-day running of the business and I think I speak for every owner when I say that during Covid-19, we have consistently been in the loop. Each month at our Ownership Meetings (via Zoom), we have been regularly updated on current figures, finances, uncertainties, successes, and future plans.
With some of our clients thriving, teams have adapted and engaged in new projects as a united workforce, with a common goal in mind, to deliver the best results, not just as an individual, as a collective.
These last four months have been vital, make or break for many, and I think R&T, now as an EO trust, has truly demonstrated the upmost resilience, adaptability and productivity as our owners have come together with the pioneering attitude that has been keeping us 90 years young.
Although, we won’t be celebrating #EODay physically together in true R&T style, we will be raising a glass to our future as equal owners, knowing whatever life throws at us next…we got this!
Brand engagement agency R&T (Richmond & Towers) has been appointed by Brooklyn Brewery to oversee its social media presence in the UK. Following on from a successful year of leading UK PR for Brooklyn Brewery – which saw the launch of its new pilsner – R&T has won the brand’s… Read more
Are you ready to dive into the latest consumer behaviour trends? With the world around us continuing to evolve at pace, it’s more important than ever to keep up with what consumers are thinking, feeling and doing right now – and take a step back to consider the effect this… Read more
Get set to read up on the latest (and tastiest) goings on in the fast-evolving world of PR and social media. November has been a juicy month, so we recommend you grab yourself a snack and a cuppa (or suitable drink of choice depending on the time you’re reading this,… Read more
I recently attended a Roxhill Media Webinar, Life On The Fashion Desks During Coronavirus, discussing fashion journalism amid the current crisis.
The panel was made up of three leading
national fashion journalists and editors to discuss how they are dealing with
coverage during the lockdown, and how we can best work with them. Speakers
included Charlie Gowans-Eglinton – senior fashion editor at The Telegraph,
Priya Elan – deputy fashion editor at The Guardian, and Jane McFarland –
fashion director at The Sunday Times.
The session provided some great insight into what fashion and lifestyle desks are currently looking for and how they are adapting to the changing industry…
Newspaper magazines and supplements
such as The Sunday Times Style want to be a breath of fresh air from the
newspapers COVID 19 content. They aim to spark joy, laughter, and escapism
with the creation evergreen features
Fashion desks can use this period of
uncertainty for real creativity in the content they produce. Plans of
themed issues such as Glastonbury, Earth Day etc. are on hold so journalists
now have a blank, exciting slate to fill
Journalists are constantly accessing
purchasing attitudes; what people will be able to spend on fashion? Some
titles are also shifting focus to sustainable buys and encouraging thought when
shopping, as well as supporting smaller boutique brands amid the crisis
Everyone is
engaging online! The Sunday Times Style have utilised
their social media channels. Their account is looking for all types of talent
and media personalities to include on their IGTV’s and YouTube. For example,
yoga instructors, chefs, and interior designers… They are keen to keep
feeding into their community throughout the week and it is their opportunity to
publish broader content outside of the magazine
Brand engagement agency R&T (Richmond & Towers) has been appointed by Brooklyn Brewery to oversee its social media presence in the UK. Following on from a successful year of leading UK PR for Brooklyn Brewery – which saw the launch of its new pilsner – R&T has won the brand’s… Read more
Are you ready to dive into the latest consumer behaviour trends? With the world around us continuing to evolve at pace, it’s more important than ever to keep up with what consumers are thinking, feeling and doing right now – and take a step back to consider the effect this… Read more
Get set to read up on the latest (and tastiest) goings on in the fast-evolving world of PR and social media. November has been a juicy month, so we recommend you grab yourself a snack and a cuppa (or suitable drink of choice depending on the time you’re reading this,… Read more
As September’s SS20 Fashion Month draws to a close, with front rows empty and cameras put away we can sit back and reflect on why 2019’s catwalks may have marked a distinctive change for the greener amongst the world’s top designers.
The question on everyone’s lips post-Fashion Month…is the fashion industry finally taking sustainability seriously?
Since Burberry admitted to burning £28million worth of luxury product, with multiple major fashion labels following suit, the fashion industry is facing more scrutiny than ever. The Ellen McArthur Foundation report on the textiles economy found that global textile production emits 1.2 billion tonnes of greenhouse gases annually, more than international flights and maritime shipping combined. With reports of extreme overproduction and excessive waste, the industry has been forced to reconsider its threatening impact on the planet.
For Spring/Summer fashion, sustainability isn’t usually a priority for our shopping baskets. And this summer, with environmental campaign group Extinction Rebellion protesting at the British Fashion Council, gluing themselves to the doors calling for Fashion Week to be cancelled, the pressure was on.
However, this year it was clear that the BFC wanted to use Fashion Week as a platform to start making a change. The council announced the launch of the Institute of Positive Fashion to champion greener business and positive developments amongst designers.
Designer Preen created garments out of old season fabrics and plastic bottles, whilst Marni’s designs championed organic cottons and ‘recuperated’ leathers with guests sat on recompressed cardboard benches under a recycled plastic roof display.
Dior’s botanical runway filled with 164 trees (that were replanted) highlighted the need for biodiversity to survive climate-change. Whilst Kering, owner of Gucci, Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent, announced it’s going carbon neutral by offsetting its annual greenhouse gas emissions.
Although 2019 has marked a huge step in the right direction for the industry and SS20’s Fashion Month saw some remarkable work to urge sustainability and combat climate-change, more can definitely be done.
‘In the last few years fashion has woken up, we’ve become aware of how aggressive the industry is and the impact our actions have, both individually and as institutions. But there is a lot more to do’ – Margherita Missoni
In order to make fashion circular, whereby every element of the design cycle is carefully considered, we all have our part to play.
Sustainability cannot be treated as a trend, to be thrown out and forgotten about until the next time it’s seen as “fashionable”. We hope 2019 has marked the beginning of a unified fashion movement.
‘This is not a one-time thing, this is our entire future.’ – Greta Thunberg
Brand engagement agency R&T (Richmond & Towers) has been appointed by Brooklyn Brewery to oversee its social media presence in the UK. Following on from a successful year of leading UK PR for Brooklyn Brewery – which saw the launch of its new pilsner – R&T has won the brand’s… Read more
Are you ready to dive into the latest consumer behaviour trends? With the world around us continuing to evolve at pace, it’s more important than ever to keep up with what consumers are thinking, feeling and doing right now – and take a step back to consider the effect this… Read more
Get set to read up on the latest (and tastiest) goings on in the fast-evolving world of PR and social media. November has been a juicy month, so we recommend you grab yourself a snack and a cuppa (or suitable drink of choice depending on the time you’re reading this,… Read more