Following a five-way competitive pitch, Roland Dransfield was appointed to implement a new regional and national PR strategy for Hill Dickinson North West across the Liverpool, Manchester and Chester offices. Roland Dransfield introduced:

In year one we achieved:

“Since we appointed Roland Dransfield they have achieved some great results for the firm. The dedicated, professional team is always available to us and approaches PR in a strategic, proactive manner.”

Our brief was to significantly improve the quality and focus of Knight Frank’s media coverage across the Manchester and Liverpool offices.

Roland Dransfield built momentum and interest to engage the team internally, creating a team of ‘hub’ spokespeople as industry experts, resulting in stronger media relationships and more sustained presence.

On and offline media coverage increased fourfold within the first six months and continues to grow.

“We needed a PR company which would offer strategic and proactive advice. Roland Dransfield is highly professional and has taken the time to understand our business culture, all the time showing a great passion for the work they do. Coverage levels have risen beyond the targets set and the Knight Frank team is now motivated to engage in the PR effort.”

January 2001-present
Since being appointed in 2001. Roland Dransfield has become an extension of the GVA Grimley team in the North West, handling media relations and wider PR for all specialist teams in both the Liverpool and Manchester offices.

A programme of media relations, events and speaking opportunities has helped establish GVA Grimley as a leading ‘voice of the industry’ in the North West, with many journalists regularly requesting interviews for features and articles/key platforms.

In a 12-month period RDPR achieved an 89.7% success rate on all press releases issued and a hit rate of 82% on all commentary pieces issued.

Roland Dransfield began working with TVonics in August 2009 to put together a regional PR campaign for the Granada TV digital switchover, which happened in November 2009.

We helped TV Onics to raise awareness of the switchover in the region, and educate consumers how to go digital in their home and position the company as ‘one to watch’ in the Granada region.

Our campaign targeted regional business press with the company story based around its executives, its growth and performance as a regional company and a national provider of digital set top boxes along with voice of the industry pieces on the future of digital television.

This helped us amass a fantastic level of press coverage in regional, target media. We were consistent in attaining features on Channel M,  BBC North West TV, BBC Radjo Merseyside and print coverage in the then Crains Manchester Business, the Manchester Evening News and The Business Desk.   

Pochin’s PLC (October 2004 - present)

Retained by Pochin’s PLC since 2004 to handle media relations for the group’s divisions, which include Developments, Construction, Concrete Pumping, Special Projects and Homes and also handles the announcement of the Group’s annual financial results.

RDPR has built a profile for Pochin’s PLC as a well-established property company, establishing heads of divisions as experts in their field and communicating the successes across the Group’s divisions in national, regional and trade publications.

In addition, RDPR manages the company’s 'Around The World' annual cocktail party reception, which is widely regarded as the ‘property event of the year’ and is attended by over 350 North West property professionals.

In August 2007, Roland Dransfield PR was appointed by Argent and The Carlyle Group to handle corporate and scheme-related PR in the North, including the 675,000 sq ft mixed-use development, Piccadilly Place, which is part-owned by Carlyle.
The main objectives are to raise awareness of Argent and Carlyle’s involvement in Manchester City Centre regeneration and to provide PR support to help let their key schemes.

Business and consumer PR includes positioning commentary and thought leadership from key members of the team within targeted regional and national features, regular news updates, newsletters, stunts, awards submissions and on-site events.

Roland Dransfield PR organised Piccadilly Place’s completion celebration in November 2009, bringing together 300 civic figureheads, business and property professionals, to celebrate the launch of the mixed-use.

Pochin’s PLC (October 2004 - present)

In June 2006, joint venture partners UK Land and Property and Pochin Developments appointed Roland Dransfield PR to create and implement a strategic communications campaign for Exchange Flags, an iconic grade II listed building in Liverpool’s prime business district. Roland Dransfield provided PR support from the initial acquisition of the scheme and planning to the subsequent lettings and completion.

The campaign achieved consistent coverage in the regional business and property trade press, cementing the scheme’s position as Liverpool’s premier business destination. As part of the brief, Roland Dransfield launched the building to the market, with a major outdoor event in the Flags, which was attended by over 350 North West professionals and civic figureheads

In January 2010, Roland Dransfield PR was selected by Hammerson plc to implement a local and regional media relations campaign to raise awareness of shopping and entertainment destination, The Rock in Bury, prior to its official summer launch.
Objectives:

• To build anticipation in the run up to its launch in July
• To develop a sustained media relations programme to maintain the highest possible level of footfall
• To implement pre-launch trade media activity which would target both committed and potential operators, communicating the achievement of development milestones
• To implement a sustained news programme to heighten the public’s expectation of the scheme’s completion
• To develop stakeholder relationships, helping to strengthen links within the local community

The launch exceeded all footfall expectations and Roland Dransfield has now developed an exciting programme of events to drive footfall and increase dwell time within the scheme. This is supported by a schedule of weekly media coverage in the local, regional and lifestyle-press and on-line media. The Rock has fast been established as a ‘must-visit’ flagship entertainment and retail destination in the North West

Results
Footfall on the launch day totalled 70,000 with an additional 100,000 visiting over the opening weekend. High profile coverage of the launch event was broadcast on BBC North West Tonight and Granada Reports.

Just two months after opening, The Rock has welcomed two million visitors. A strong relationship with the Bury Times has resulted in weekly features in the press and an EAV of £300,000 was achieved in the launch period, equating to a ROI of 6:1, more than 100% over the CIPR industry benchmark of 3:1.

Objectives

• To raise the profile of Manchester Science Park and to position it as one of the UKs leading science parks
• To raise the profile of CEO Jane Davies, during her tenure as Chair of the UK Science park Association (UKSPA) and the International Association of Science Parks (IASP)
• To raise awareness of the facilities, services and flexible terms at the science park to attract more occupants
• To strengthen links with the University and hospitals which together with the Science Park form the Manchester Corridor knowledge area

Results

• Jane Davies is widely recognised as one of Manchesters leading CEOs
• The media increasingly used msp as an exemplar in synopses for science park features
• Occupancy levels reached 98% and maintained a level of over 90% throughout our relationship with msp
• We regularly achieved national press coverage for Manchester Science Park in trade press, broadsheets, regional business press and on-line
• As a result of the work we did with msp we gained instructions with One Central Park and the University of Manchester Intellectual Property Company (UMIP)

Objectives

The brief was to provide PR, marketing and community consultation support for the proposals with a view to:

• Helping to secure consent for the scheme’s planning application
• Minimising negative press coverage
• Raising awareness of the consultation period
• Generating footfall at the Visitor Centre

Results

2,170 people visited the Visitor Centre (target was 1000) and 820 feedback forms were received. We also implemented a media campaign to win over a less than supportive local newspaper. 9O% of all of the coverage achieved over a 6-month period was positive. The cost of equivalent advertising value for the Preston Tithebarn Partnership over a six month period equated to a 6:1 ROI. In November 2010 Preston Tithebarn was granted planning permission for the scheme.