Niche Media today announced the launch of a public relations arm to further expand its communications offering.
This is the latest in a series of business expansions for the Australian-owned boutique publishing house behind influential iraq cell phone database magazines such as Architectural Review, Mezzanine and Marketing, as well as content marketing brands such as Business State for client Bank of Melbourne.
Niche PR will be headed by seasoned PR consultant
Sharyn Lowe. Lowe also owns Flaunt Marketing, which she established in 1995, and was previously PR Manager at Coles Supermarkets.
Niche managing director, Paul Lidgerwood, says there are significant opportunities for Niche clients to leverage their marketing communications into earned media.
“The content we create for clients is often very newsworthy so there’s huge potential to gain PR exposure in the wider media,” says Lidgerwood.
“For Niche, the step into PR is logical as we already work with clients to communicate their messages and tell their stories. This is an extension of that service,” he says.
Lowe said she is looking forward to working with the Niche team and offering a results driven service to Niche clients.
“There’s a hunger in the market for PR services that are backed by business experience and get results,” says Lowe.
“The team at Niche are an incredible resource with specialist industry knowledge so I’ll be harnessing this to create PR results that drive traffic to Niche clients’ content,” she says.
When three Al Jazeera English journalists were arrested by Egyptian authorities in late 2013, Ogilvy PR Australia was called upon to provide media and government relations services to ensure their release.
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This case study is published in memory of the late Michael Hartmann, who worked tirelessly for the cause throughout its duration. Michael unfortunately passed away after a short illness late last year.
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Campaign: #FreeAJStaff
Client: Al Jazeera English
Agency: Ogilvy PR Australia (comprising Parker and Partners and Howorth)
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This article originally appeared in The Versus Issue, our February/March issue of Marketing mag.
–Background
In late 2013, Al Jazeera English (AJE) journalist Peter Greste and his two colleagues Baher Mohamed and Mohamed Fahmy were arrested by Egyptian authorities, charged with consorting with the banned Muslim Brotherhood. All were found guilty and sentenced to prison.
The conviction was internationally condemned, but as days, weeks and months passed, support for Greste and his colleagues did not appear to be leading to any real action. There was a growing concern that the three would fade into a memory.
AJE engaged Ogilvy PR Australia to provide media
and government relations services, and issues management advice to generate media, public and political momentum to ensure the release of Greste, Mohamed and Fahmy.
pollies
Strategy
This was an immensely challenging task in which Ogilvy PR and AJE had to exercise the utmost care at all times with Greste, Mohamed and Fahmy’s personal welfare top of mind. Egypt’s zero tolerance approach to terrorism saw a real likelihood that the trio would be paraded as an example if our approach was not managed in a way that took into account political and diplomatic sensitivities.
We hMK0217 200ad to walk a fine line, pushing
for the release, but not embarrassing the Egyptian Government, insulting the Egyptian people or ridiculing their judicial system. An obvious strategy may have been to have Greste tell his own story. However, in the context of an unclear judicial process, and in a delicate diplomatic environment, Ogilvy PR and AJE realised that doing so may threaten the chance of his release.
We determined that without Greste’s voice, we would fill the void by helping his family tell both Greste’s story and their own. This created new ways for media and political advocates to show support and to stand together in solidarity across traditional divides.
Additionally, from media coverage and direct contact we knew Australian journalists and politicians viewed Greste’s situation with great empathy, but didn’t see any direct way in which they personally could help. MPs were unsure how any action of theirs would influence the outcome. We had to find a diplomatic way to ensure the fight continued.
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