Ogilvy PR

Describe your agency in five words

Creative, Curious, Playful, Intuitive and Digital

How would you sum up 2010 for your agency?

2010 was a fantastic year for us comprising of award winning and creative solutions for our clients, exciting and prestigious new client wins, digital solutions embedded into everything we do and new team members of global expertise across corporate, digital and sustainability practices.

As key highlights, our Facebook strategies won awards – even beating Facebook’s own. We ran IBM’s ‘best ever’ Wimbledon campaign, turned soap powder into national coverage and we won or were shortlisted for 14 major industry awards.

What was your agency’s high point of 2010?

Breadth and depth of new clients, retainers and returns as well as the quality and creativity of the solutions offered to clients. High points have to be the launch of GROHE’s first Digital Live Studio via Facebook at the world’s leading industry trade fairs and running the ‘best ever’ Wimbledon campaign for IBM, allowing tennis fans at the Championships to literally see through walls.

What was the low point of 2010?

Missing out on a PR Week award.

Please give an overview of your staffing through 2010, including significant hires and internal promotions.

2010 saw London being placed as a global hub of expertise with the hire of Managing Director of the Global Corporate Practice, Stuart Smith and OgilvyEarth UK Practice Head, Kathleen Enright.

Our 360o Digital Influence team also tripled in size and is being led by Digital Strategy Director Leo Ryan and Head of Practice Michael Darragh.

What were your three best campaigns of 2010?

Our award winning work for IBM Seer – the client’s ‘best ever’ Wimbledon campaign.

GROHE’s first live stream via Facebook with our specially designed Digital Live Studio rolled out at some of the world’s most prestigious industry architectural and design events.

Our work with Kazakh BTA Bank resulted in a new model for dealing with distressed economies and making creditors pay their share, as recognised by the Economist, Guardian, Financial Times and the Daily Telegraph.

What were your most exciting client wins of 2010?

GROHE - the Ogilvy PR London office manages a network of 15 Ogilvy offices across MENA, US, Asia and Europe - developing campaigns to raise GROHE’s profile amongst consumers, architects and interior designers.

In November 2010 Ogilvy PR was appointed agency of note for Embratur - the Brazilian Tourist Board - for the next four years in key European markets (UK, Germany, France and Italy). The team has been tasked with preparing and implementing a PR campaign to attract more visitors to the country as it prepares to host both the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Of which achievement in 2010 are you most proud?

Developing our digital expertise and investment at an exponential rate of growth and securing senior global talent in the form of Leo Ryan and Michael Darragh.

What trends did you notice throughout the year in the industry.

We have noted a surge in client demand for truly integrated 360˚ solutions for marketing communications, for which Ogilvy has long held the trump card and has demonstrated in a number of high profile campaigns over the past year.

How has digital changed the agency landscape in 2010?

It has created opportunities for small and nimble agencies to talk to big clients whose large tanker agencies aren't across this. As a new discipline for most PR agencies it has required investment in staff, training, research and relationships with bloggers.

What are your plans for 2011?

Put simply, we aim to create work that is the talk of the town, hire more bright international and British PR stars, grow as a regional hub for leading international brands, continue our digital expansion and of course, eagerly anticipate the countdown to the Olympics.