Agency News: MWW PR, French/West/Vaughan And Others
FWV Named PR Agency of Record for Southern Season
Recently, public relations, advertising, and digital marketing agency French/West/Vaughan (FWV) was chosen by Southern Season to be its public relations agency of record. This announcement comes after a competitive review. FWV has locations in Raleigh and Chapel Hill, NC, Charleston, SC, and Richmond, VA. FWV specializes in specialty food and gifts falling under nine distinct departments consisting of 80,000 separate luxury products, not to mention an on-site restaurant and cooking school. FWV branding campaign with Southern Season began in anticipation of the coming holiday season.
“For 40 years, Southern Season has shared its passion for the art of entertaining and southern hospitality with countless customers,” explained Clay Hammer, Southern Season’s CEO. “FWV’s history of successful consumer lifestyle marketing will help us share our experience with even more people, especially in newer markets like Charleston and Richmond.”
The plan focuses on Southern Season’s existing Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Richmond and Charleston locations, creating in-market promotional and PR support to the brand’s newest location in Atlanta, scheduled to open in the Spring of 2016.
Social Progress: MWW Public Relations Helps LGBT
MWW public relations announced Stephen Macias, Senior Vice President, and LGBT National Group Practice Lead, received the PRism Award for Outstanding Achievement in Public Affairs honoring and celebrating PR professionals in the Greater Los Angeles area. Macias was honored publicly for his work in support of LGBT rights, which recently won a major victory in the Supreme Court’s historic ruling in favor of marriage equality this year.
“Stephen is a true champion for the LGBT community who has dedicated his personal and professional life to diversity in communications and beyond,” commented Michael Kempner, President, and CEO of MWWPR. “His unparalleled knowledge of the market and deep commitment to clients has helped America’s top brands create authentic connections to the LGBT consumer.”
An early-comer to the growing circle of PR professionals with a vested interest in marketing to the LGBT community, Macias shows steadfast efforts to advance diversity and inclusion in society. He’s led PR and corporate communications strategies for the country’s first LGBT cable television network, advised reputed brands to extend outreach to the LGBT market, and carried the front lines of LGBT practice forward for MWWPR. These accomplishments impact the PR industry, but also spill over from the market and into society.
Roster Shops Named by New York Life for PR, Creative, and Media Buying
New York Life recently hired Weber Shandwick for consumer marketing communications and PR, MediaVest to plan media and buying, and Anomaly for its creative and advertising efforts, after competitive review.
Sloane & Co will continuing to maintain maximal media attention for New York Life brand’s insurance, annuity, and mutual fund products and solutions, in addition to the agency’s asset management business.
An insurance company, New York Life sought assistance for an upcoming consumer-focused brand marketing program, slated to engage “maturing millennials,” as Kelli Parsons, the senior VP-chief communications and marketing officer, dubs them.
“Our objective is to continue to be relevant and appeal to our current core audience, which would be primarily comprised of baby boomers and Generation X based on the cycle of their life and their financial needs, but we recognize that an emerging consumer that I call the maturing millennial has a growing and distinct need for products and service that we provide,” Parsons commented.
She thinks this demographic makes “milestone decisions,” like buying houses, getting married and having kids. New York Life wants to insert itself into the lives of these evolving consumers before it’s too late, reaping the benefits of these consumers’ needs as they progress through consecutive life stages, like retirement planning, etc.
This “mature-millennial” campaign launches next year across many areas of paid, earned, shared, and owned media, applying to social media engagement, online ads, communications insights and analytics, and TV.
Ross Observatory carried out the review of these firms. At first, there were 10 to 12 firms in every category, but the pitch later reduced number to three or four finalists per group. Ms. Parsons, the reviewing authority of New York Life, commented that hiring relied on agencies’ people just as much as agencies’ reputation and capabilities.
