PLMR Group Media Snapshot: February 2024

February may have been a shorter month – albeit longer than usual thanks to the Leap Year, but it certainly packed a punch with developments across politics, media and wider society. The Workers Party of Britain stole a parliamentary seat in Rochdale under George Gallaway which provided a twist in the pre-election lead-up, and across the pond saw the start of primaries ahead of the US presidential election in November. Global stars in music and film descended on the Grammy and BAFTA award ceremonies, and we of course celebrated February’s staples with Valentine’s and Pancake Day in quick succession.

PLMR Group has had an equally busy month, hosting a roundtable event with Sir Conor Burns MP, the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy for the USA, attending the Labour Business Conference and supporting the Labour dinner for Jack Abbott and Jess Asato, candidates for Ipswich and Lowestoft. We also published our latest research report: “2024: The Year of the Long Campaign” which you can read more about below.

Alongside our public affairs work, we also had a fantastic month for public relations and media coverage. We secured a brilliant array of coverage across national, trade and regional outlets for our clients. Take a look below at our media highlights for February 2024!

We’ll be back next month with PLMR Group’s latest media hits, but in the meantime, you can read more about PLMR’s award-winning PR services over on our case studies page: https://plmr.co.uk/case-studies/.

Daily Mail: ‘I endured 17 years of agonising pain and had my marriage and career destroyed by the mesh scandal: As victims are finally set to win compensation after Mail campaign, they tell their harrowing stories’

Client: Lime Solicitors

Team: PR and Corporate Communications

Sector: Legal, Healthcare

PLMR supported the Medical Negligence practice of Lime Solicitors to secure national coverage with an expert comment in the Mail Online and Mail on Sunday. Drawing on trusted relationships with the Lime team, PLMR rapidly responded to a developing news story, after England’s Patient Safety Commissioner called for women injured by pelvic mesh implants to be given urgent financial help.

PLMR supported the preparation of a comment which showcased the solicitors’ extensive experience on the issue and pitched the comment to our wide range of media contacts. This allowed us to leverage the widespread coverage of this story to secure placement for the comment in national media and ensure that the voice of Lime Solicitors was at the heart of this important conversation, effectively raising their profile as a firm standing up for women injured by pelvic mesh and advocating for fair recompense for those harmed by these operations.

BBC Look North: Cutting carbon emissions to make air travel more sustainable

Client: Nova Pangaea Technologies

Team: Energy and Sustainability

Sector: Energy

Nova Pangaea Technologies produces biofuels which are converted into Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), helping to decarbonise the aviation sector. PLMR secured the organisation a visit from Anthony Browne, Minister for Aviation and Decarbonisation of Transport to Nova Pangaea Technologies’ SAF plant in Teesside. Accompanying the Minister was Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor, and Jacob Young, the Member of Parliament for Redcar.

Alongside coordinating a successful ministerial visit, we managed the press office and secured fantastic broadcast coverage on BBC Look North. In addition, this led to follow-up coverage on BBC Radio Tees which featured the organisation’s CEO, Sarah Ellerby.

The broadcast featured aired on 15th February.

Teach Primary: A letter to education policymakers

Client: Curious Minds

Team: PLMR Education

Sector: Education, charity

Curious Minds is a charity committed to tackling unequal access to creativity and culture for children and young people. As part of our work, we regularly secure profile-raising opportunities with local media and education trade press, helping promote its brilliant programmes and raise awareness of the importance of creative and cultural education.

As part of both political parties’ campaign development, there has been more discourse about the value of the cultural sector and ‘promises’ to correct unequal access to these opportunities for young people. Therefore, we used this as a hook for thought leadership opportunities with the education trade press. By leveraging the political agenda in this way, we secured two thought leadership articles on the de-prioritisation of school trips and the value these provide in building cultural capital in leading trade press, Teach Primary and QA Education.

Conference News: Survey reveals average rate for Coventry and Warwickshire’s conference venues

Client: Destination Coventry

Team: PLMR Advent

Sector: Business Tourism

PLMR Advent worked with destination management organisation, Destination Coventry, to run a survey to reveal how its conference and events venues strike a balance of affordability and value. The team reached out to 21 venues across the region, speaking to them about their meeting room propositions and, for the first time, uncovered the average day delegate rate (DDR) for Coventry and Warwickshire.

This resulted in coverage with leading conference sector publication, Conference News.

East Anglian Daily Times: Closing the digital divide

Client: County Broadband

Team: PLMR Genesis

Sector: Technology

County Broadband is an Essex-based internet service provider. PLMR Genisis analysed and collated new industry data on average broadband speeds for the different counties across the region to showcase the top performers. Utilising this information, we secured the organisation front-page coverage in the East Anglian Daily Times weekly business supplement, one of the leading publications for the East of England. The story outlined County Broadband’s analysis of the delivery of new full-fibre infrastructure whilst promoting their own activity in the region.

The full story is available in print.

In other news...

2024: The Year of the Long Campaign

PLMR has published its latest research report: “2024: The Year of the Long Campaign”. In this PLMR Insights paper, our expert consultants delve into unique polling data, scrutinise the main challenges facing the political parties and analyse developments within key sectors expected across 2024.

From political analysis to policy shifts and emerging trends, PLMR’s insights paper paints a picture of the year ahead, tackling pressing questions and examining electoral battles including the East of England and in the West Midlands. Some of the key questions asked include: Does Starmer present a credible alternative; what is in store for the Conservatives in 2024; and will the smaller parties have an impact on the election?

We’ll be back next month with PLMR Group’s latest media hits, but in the meantime you can read more about PLMR’s award-winning PR services over on our case studies page.

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