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Why PR Consulting Is the Future of Marketing

Entrepreneur Francesca Gamble says firms should be integrating PR consulting into their marketing strategies

Hiring an external PR consultant or a brand consultancy to amplify brand awareness, drive sales and stimulate business growth is becoming increasingly popular in the business and startup worlds.

As the media and marketing landscapes continue to evolve at a lightning pace, purchasing habits are also changing and consumers are demanding more.

Delivering succinct product information that strikes a personal chord is but one element that marketeers, sellers and businesses need to focus on.

Staying competitive by adopting a multi-faceted approach to sales and marketing means that disciplines such as paid advertising and direct marketing might also need to be supplemented with something new.

Twenty-Nine London is a progressive UK PR consultancy that has aligned itself quickly with the demands of the 21st century consumer.

As a disruptor in the UK marketing and PR space, this communications consultancy is also challenging its existing status quo.

By operating holistically and collaboratively with a network of entrepreneurs, specialist marketeers, creatives and business leaders, this agency provides a complete marketing and PR solution to businesses and startups, globally.

Twenty-Nine London’s business model couldn’t be more current. By pulling in marketing and PR know-how and resources from partners across the world, cost-effective, well-conveyed campaigns are delivered to its clients in the fashion, lifestyle, fitness, drinks and culture sectors on budget and in short amounts of time.

This PR consultancy also offers compelling story telling, digital and social media services, influencer engagement and brand consulting – to name a few.

Here, Marketing Communication Specialist Francesca Gamble tells Nativa World about her startup and why she thinks PR consulting should be the pillar of every firm’s marketing and business strategies if they’re to survive the digital age….

Founder & Marketing Communication Specialist, Francesca Gamble

We’re so adaptable and we understand how to sell brands – whether that’s through traditional forms or digital. 

Francesca, what does the word ‘Achieve’ mean to you?

To achieve is to accomplish what it is you had set out to do. It’s a personal outcome, and not something you can ever compare with other people.

What’s your background?

I’ve worked for three of the top international communications agency’s, Chime Group, Engine Group and M&C Saatchi Group, where my love of brands and communications quickly emerged. I was part of global teams providing strategic consultancy and executing integrated campaigns for a plethora of blue chip brands, such as Dolce & Gabbana, BMW, Sky, CocaCola, HSBC and many more. In 2014, I was approached by ex-M&S executive Kate Bostock to launch her children’s wear label, Angel & Rocket. This freelance way of working quickly propelled me into life without the security a big agency brings. It was however just the push I needed to begin my own journey and to set up my business, Twenty-Nine London. I’m also a founding member of the entrepreneurial network, Flock Global. Flock offers connections, meet-ups and trade missions to business people and is also built on collaboration.

What’s the business?

Twenty-Nine London is a collaborative brand consultancy, specializing in creating and executing communication strategies, servicing luxury and lifestyle clients, from sectors such as fashion, fitness, drinks and culture.

Through our bespoke network of marketeers and creatives, we deliver UK and global PR campaigns, bespoke events, influencer campaigns, celebrity endorsements, social and digital marketing campaigns. We’re passionate about building brands, how brands communicate to their customer, how they look, how they feel and how they interact.

We build new brands from the ground up and work on special projects for existing global brands.  Whatever the communicational challenge a client faces, we always provide a bespoke service to fulfill their individual needs.

Twenty-Nine London luxury & lifestyle clients

As the media landscape is changing rapidly our collaborative approach will no doubt stand the test of time.

What’s unique about Twenty-Nine London?

I’ve created a collaborative network of experts from Marketeers to Creatives, this allows me to scale teams up and down according to a client’s budget. I enjoy working with many different people as a result. This new way of working means we can be very reactive, nimble and cost effective, whilst supplying our clients with industry experts as and when they need it.

Our sector is very competitive, but as the media landscape is changing rapidly our collaborative approach will no doubt stand the test of time. Large corporations are already beginning to offer flexible working terms for all staff -not just women – as they recognize the need for a work/life balance.

Digital campaign by Twenty-Nine London for fitness brand, XINX

It’s important that we continue to work with the right people who are looking at building their own brands in the right way.

How do you get your leads and which have succeeded?

We get all our business through word of mouth. We have tried digital ads with small budgets across various social channels, but we found this to drive conversation but not always new business leads. We have yet to try out LinkedIn and Google Ads though, but we’ll give them a go in due course.

We’ve worked across some great campaigns. Last year we created a digital campaign for start-up fitness brand XINX called ‘We Are All Great’. We profiled five top athletes who weren’t necessarily future Olympians, but who still trained just as hard each day to achieve their own version of greatness. I personally love everything about the fitness industry and understanding more about the fantastic women who we see on Instagram each day was really inspirational.

What are your goals for the business?

We haven’t been going too long, so just more of the same would be wonderful for now. It’s important that we continue to work with the right people who are looking at building their own brands in the right way. Project 29 is quickly becoming it’s own platform, I created it as an outlet to talk about real challenges women face in the workplace and to inspire women entering the media world.

Twenty-Nine London luxury & lifestyle clients

PR Consultants understand the art of storytelling and that’s crucial to marketing and something which will never change.

How do communication firms need to adapt in the future?

I think PRs are the future of marketing. We’re so adaptable and we understand how to sell brands – whether that’s through traditional forms or digital. PR Consultants understand the art of storytelling and that’s crucial to marketing and something which will never change. The rise of digital is a key part to PR now, and the awareness around SEO will become even more important to helping our clients see more value.

What’s your definition of ‘luxury’?

Ah yes, everyone loves the word luxury at the moment. It’s a word which is being misused by so many people and brands, as the word ‘premium’ doesn’t really have the same ring to it. In today’s world, luxury is an experience like no other. It’s about evoking a feeling in someone which ultimately never goes away.

What essentials do you travel with?

I always feel very thankful for the opportunities to travel with work. I always pack my running trainers as I love to get up super early and take time to explore the city I’m in before work begins. I can’t travel anywhere without my podcasts and audible app, I’m constantly plugged into a talk on business or about out how our minds and body work, It’s the easiest way I keep learning. I’ve become a bit app mad recently, having everything on my phone from my banking to my doctor!

Francesca’s Startup Tips:

  • Say yes to everything
  • You will find your stride and area of ‘expertise’ all in good time, but just keep you head down and don’t give up.

Twenty-Nine London Founder & PR Consultant, Francesca Gamble at London Fashion Week

Photography courtesy of Twenty-Nine London & Francesca Gamble

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