GTS Motorsport, one of the UK’s longest serving race teams, has rebranded as Grove Motorsport, moved to groundbreaking new premises and attracted equity investment from Prova. Behind the move is motorsport entrepreneur and racer, Jim Morris.

Projects run by the team include an Austin A40 in the HRDC / Motor Racing Legends Top Hat pre ’66 touring car series and the iconic Morris Vulcan VW Golf that competes regularly at the Goodwood Members Meeting. In addition, the team has secured an entry to this year’s Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, presented by Gran Turismo, for a front wheel drive record attempt in a Golf built by the team following significant input from renowned aerodynamicist, John Iley. 

Jim Morris, founder of Grove Motorsport, commented: “I’m thrilled Richard and Prova have joined us as we seek to take Grove forward as a leading motorsport preparation business. We are determined to build a highly agile restoration and preparation operation that delivers on attention to detail and a desire for the right results, while enjoying the journey in the sport we all love.

“Richard and I go back a long way, to the days when our fathers were competing in Debenhams Escorts and John Maguire Racing-run VWs, before we both started on our own journeys at kart circuits up and down the country together. That bond, hewn from endeavour, runs deep.”

Richard Postins, of Prova Investments, added: “There is a real passion for motorsport at Prova, learned from decades of racing – and delivering PR programmes – across UK, European and World Championship race and rally paddocks, and we are thrilled to be involved in the growth of Grove.

“Jim has built a unique stable of successful motorsport businesses including Lifeline, Old Hall and Trident Racing Supplies, so it is a privilege to be involved in the next chapter. We are committed to investing in future mobility stars of tomorrow and Grove is exactly that.”

(Image: Jake Hill vs Jenson Button, Goodwood Revival 2025, credit: Jeff Bloxham)

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With deep automotive and motorsport ties, Prova represents numerous businesses operating at the forefront of the sector. The consultancy’s sponsorship of the award reflects its commitment to championing exceptional journalism and celebrating disruptive thinking. Past winners include highly regarded names from across automotive journalism, including last year’s winner Richard Aucock, director of Motoring Research and editor of Auto Market Insight.

Each year sees a winner picked and two journalists highly commended, with their latest work assessed by a panel of expert judges. This year’s finalists include Aimée Turner, deputy editor of AM Magazine; BBC international business correspondent Theo Leggett; and freelancer Jonathan Manning, who contributes to several titles including the Financial Times and Fleet Europe.

For the Business Writer of the Year category, judges are looking for clarity of writing and well-researched articles that help readers to understand the commercial complexities of the UK automotive industry from a retail, fleet or manufacturing perspective. Dozens of entries were received for the 2025 Awards, with the judges impressed by the depth and breadth of the submissions.

Prova founder Richard Postins commented: “The Guild Awards are a highlight of the year for us and many within the industry. It will be fantastic to catch up with the incredibly talented journalists, press officers and senior OEM representatives at the event. The quality of journalism from all the entrants is always of an exceptionally high standard  and this year’s no different. Very best of luck to Aimée, Theo and Jonathan.”

The Guild of Motoring Writers Awards 2025 will take place at the Royal Automobile Club, Pall Mall, on the evening of Thursday 4 December. More information on the awards can be found at www.gomw.co.uk/awards.

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RML Group is an established partner to major manufacturers, capable of taking projects from design through development and on to series production. On-site capabilities encompass all aspects of production from complete vehicle builds through to supplying key individual components and systems as part of a wider programme.

The company has also achieved significant recent success in operating its own commercial projects, developing technologies and systems that have applications across the automotive industry and wider markets. This latest activity has been built on an unsurpassed heritage of motorsport success, which has seen RML achieve multiple world and national championship victories over the past 40 years of racing innovation. This includes a long-running role as supplier to the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), as well as work in GT, supercar and endurance racing.

Mark Cotton, Chief Commercial Officer at RML Group, commented: “Prova will make the ideal communications partner as we enter this new period of expansion. A specialist across cleantech and future mobility communications, the team’s experience will prove invaluable for strengthening our brand and helping accelerate name recognition across the defence, marine, and aerospace markets.”

Ed Willmott, managing director of Prova, added: “We’re delighted to be working with RML Group as the company ventures into exciting new markets. RML has been an important motorsport supplier for decades and has more recently successfully commercialised its own products. With ambitious but achievable goals for horizontal expansion, it’s the perfect time to leverage our expertise in communications consultancy to support RML’s growth trajectory.”

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Leading clean technology and future mobility communications consultancy, Prova, has been appointed by market-leading transmission specialists Hewland Engineering, the world-leading gearbox and transmission group, to support the organisation’s ambitious growth plans. Part of Hero Motors, Hewland Engineering provides total transmission engineering solutions to OEMs, with ambitious plans to expand market share across the automotive, motorsport, defence and aerospace industries.

A legendary name in motorsports with almost 70 years at the forefront of automotive gearbox and transmission design, Hewland is a Tier 1 engineering partner, providing design, development and manufacturing expertise to OEMs. In-house capabilities range from initial concept design through to mass-production, with applications fitted around the world in a multitude of markets.

Andy Morley, managing director at Hewland Engineering, said: “We brought Prova in to guide our external communications strategy, drive public relations and deliver impactful thought leadership.

“With Prova’s help we’re pushing forward with the next stage of Hewland’s growth strategy, as the group consolidates our standing as a partner to major OEMs, strengthens our ongoing legacy of motorsport excellence and drives growth in complementary markets such as aerospace and defence. Prova’s experience across the board will prove invaluable in achieving our targets.”

Ed Willmott, managing director of Prova, added: “With Prova’s unrivalled experience across motorsport, automotive and the future mobility space, we’re confident that our work and consultancy expertise will make a significant impact as Hewland enters this ambitious new period of growth. We feel privileged to be working alongside the team and are looking forward to harnessing the brand’s exceptional legacy at this exciting time for the company.”

Part of Hero Motors Ltd, Hewland Engineering has recently seen significant investment with a technical centre opened in Warwickshire, supporting the company’s established Berkshire-based headquarters.

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As one of the fastest-growing fintech firms in the UK, Payment Assist offers interest-free, zero-fee support to clients, and is aiming to double in size over the course of the next 24 months. To support that effort, Prova has been brought on board to optimise the brand’s external communications.

Ed Willmott, managing director of Prova, commented: “It’s an exciting time for Payment Assist and we’re relishing the opportunity to drive the company’s communications strategy. Given our extensive expertise in the automotive and future mobility space, we’re confident that our work will make a real difference.”

Marcus Gregory, chief executive officer at Payment Assist, added: “We brought in Prova to help define our messaging, guide our communications strategy and lead our public relations. As we look to increase Payment Assist’s influence within the automotive servicing, maintenance, and repairs (SMR) marketplace, and strengthen our presence within the retail franchise network, Prova’s knowledge and contacts will prove hugely valuable.”

Part of the AIM-listed Manx Financial Group PLC and fully regulated by the FCA, Payment Assist serves more than 8,000 garages and dealerships across the UK.

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Revive! is the UK’s leading independent provider of smart repairs to the automotive industry. Specialising in high-quality mobile repairs for vehicle bodywork and alloy wheels, Revive! provides a national service to car dealerships, cosmetic insurers, fleets and the general public. With more than 50 franchisees nationwide and over 220 technicians, the company maintains the largest network of IMI-accredited automotive professionals in the UK.

Prova will leverage its significant experience in automotive and future mobility communications to drive a national brand awareness campaign, position the senior leadership team as key thought leaders in the mobile repairs space and offer additional value-added services to the company’s rapidly expanding network of franchisees.

Mark Llewellyn, Revive! Managing Director, commented: “Following on from our 20^th anniversary celebrations last year, our goal for the business and franchise network is clear: we’re turbocharging network sales from £24m 2024 to an ambitious but achievable £40m by 2028, and Prova’s support will invaluable as we embark on this exciting endeavour.”

“The team’s knowledge, deep-rooted passion and strong relationships across the sector will provide a strong asset to Revive! as we accelerate our mission to protect residual values and ultimately help dealerships nationwide to sell cars more profitably.”

Ed Willmott, managing director of Prova, added: “We’re delighted to be working alongside Revive!, one of the leading names in mobile smart repairs. As the organisation continues to gain dominance in the UK market, we’re confident we can help Revive! take its brand to the next level. Given the team’s commitment to customer service, quality and value for franchisees, we’re looking forward to being part of their growth journey.”

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As the premium EV subscription and salary sacrifice firm, EZOO offers a simple and affordable way to get behind the wheel of the latest electric vehicles at a significantly reduce cost compared to standard lease agreements.

With a commitment to sustainability and innovation, EZOO leverages its team’s decades of automotive retail experience to offer seamless, flexible solutions to businesses, delivering efficiency, savings and convenience to help accelerate the transition to electrification.

On the appointment, CEO and co-founder of EZOO Lash Saranna, commented: “Prova’s knowledge, thirst for success and deep links across the sector makes them a natural fit for our brand. The team’s significant experience in future mobility communications will help us take the EZOO brand to the next level, and we’re looking forward to building up a long-term relationship as we work tirelessly to achieve our ambitious plans for growth.”

Ed Willmott, managing director of Prova, added: “We’re thrilled to have EZOO on board. While there are no silver bullets to the energy transition challenges faced by all of us, one of the key tenets of the drive towards net zero is improving the fiscal landscape and technological infrastructure to allow for maximum EV adoption. We’re proud to be working with the team at EZOO – and helping to drive market growth for them, both in the UK and, in time, further afield.”

For more information about EZOO and its market-leading EV salary sacrifice schemes, visit https://www.ezoo.uk/.

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Through a targeted external communications programme aimed at key business-to-business audiences, Prova will play a driving role in expanding G&P’s profile into key sectors and geographies; strengthen the business’ position as the leading provider of Quality Management services, including engineering, technical and talent solutions for OEMs and tiered suppliers; and establish the senior leadership team as passionate thought leaders.  

Geoff Cousins, chairman of G&P, commented: “We were looking for a proactive partner who could take our capability, expertise and thought leadership to the international stage, particularly across European markets. In Prova, we’ve found a passionate team, dedicated to working in close collaboration to deliver upon our ambitious commercial goals.

 “We were impressed by the knowledge, network and strategic vision of the team and we look forward to building a long-term working relationship.”

Ed Willmott, managing director of Prova, added: “We’re thrilled to have G&P on board. It’s a business we’ve watched with great interest for a number of years. The global capability of the organisation, driven by a strong senior management team, means it will be an exciting next chapter for G&P and we’re privileged to be playing a role in that future growth.”

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Prova, Europe’s leading circular economy, clean technology and future mobility communications consultancy, has appointed Iain Wight as a non-executive director. Wight brings extensive experience from more than three decades at the global forefront of new energies, motorsport and automotive to the UK-based firm.

A highly-respected strategic advisor, Wight was most recently chief commercial officer at EV battery firm InoBat. During an illustrious career, he has also held leadership roles at Ricardo Performance Products, Williams Advanced Engineering and Pi Research, as well as being chairman of the Motorsport Industry Association for more than six years.

In his new role at Prova, Wight will work closely with the senior team to drive portfolio expansion, while offering bespoke technical and commercial strategic consultancy to Prova’s world-leading client base.

Commenting on the appointment, Richard Postins, founder of Prova, said: “I’m delighted that Iain is joining the team. In our 25^th anniversary year and with the circular economy poised to offer both the net zero solutions the world needs, as well as a profound commercial opportunity for innovative businesses, Iain’s involvement further assists us in developing our offer and driving commercial growth for clients the world over, across our PR and Investments businesses.”

Iain added: “I’ve known the Prova team for a number of years, through numerous roles across several sectors. I’m looking forward to joining the business at such a pivotal time, helping the team further cement its position at the forefront of future mobility, clean technology and the circular economy.”

Wight’s appointment comes as the latest announcement in a long line of successes for the award-winning UK consultancy. Over the past 12 months alone, the business has rapidly expanded its delivery team, announced a number of prestigious new client wins and further grown its investments portfolio, as well as hosting this year’s global PRN conference.

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Twelve months since making a follow-on investment in the business, Prova has been tasked with elevating Composite Braiding’s market profile and driving widespread brand awareness. It will achieve this by positioning the company as an authority in green, efficient and cost-effective manufacturing solutions across the automotive, rail and logistics sectors.

Prova, an award-winning consultancy, launched its growth-stage investment fund in 2015 and has since built a high-performing portfolio. Composite Braiding, one of its latest investments, combines material fibres with thermoplastics to create advanced components much stronger than steel, yet up to 60% lighter.

By utilising its automated manufacturing process, components can be created quickly and at scale, reducing labour costs by 90%, waste by 97% and using 95% less energy than traditional composite manufacturing.

Steve Barbour, managing director of Composite Braiding, commented: “Our collaboration with Prova represents the crucial next step in our mission to drive horizontal innovation in automated composite manufacturing. Prova’s deep expertise in clean technology and sustainability communications, combined with its in-depth knowledge of our business from an investment perspective, will support our growth ambitions and help accelerate our work pioneering the next generation of low-carbon manufacturing solutions.”

Richard Postins, founder of Prova Investments, added: “Composite Braiding’s innovative approach aligns perfectly with our focus on accelerating the green economy through cutting-edge, technological innovation. Having first invested in the company back in 2022, and again in 2024, we’re now providing our communications expertise to further accelerate Composite Braiding’s long-term growth trajectory.”

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The event, hosted on behalf of the Public Relations Network (PRN), will attract delegates from across the globe, as well as keynote speakers from the worlds of venture capital and clean technology. With the aim of harnessing global expertise to deliver measurable change, the summit will discuss best practice approaches, dig deeper into pioneering technologies and celebrate progress from all four corners of the globe.

Ed Willmott, managing director of Prova, commented: “As a circular economy communications leader and a board member of PRN, we’re delighted to be bringing together such an influential event to define the collinearity between communications and the transition to net zero. Together, we’ll explore opportunities, overcome barriers and look to unlock widespread investment opportunities for green innovation.”

Veit Mathauer, managing partner of Stuttgart-based communications consultancy Sympra and chairman of the PRN, added: “It’s a real privilege to come together with PR leaders from around the world to discuss insight, learnings and clarify the industry’s role in driving the net zero transition. In recent years, PRN has held similar events in New Delhi, Vienna, Lisbon, and Mexico City, so we’re delighted to be heading to the UK – a true leader in the circular economy – for our next summit.”

PRN is a global collective of creative and dynamic public relations specialists dedicated to providing high-level consultancy and quality international support for worldwide PR campaigns. A truly global network uniting talent from nearly 30 countries across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, PRN hand picks affiliate agencies which reflect the Network’s close-knit yet transnational philosophy. The art of public relations varies greatly from country to country – there is no ‘one size fits all’ solution – so PRN offers its members the ability to gain critical experience and expertise of foreign markets to better support their cross-border client portfolios.

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As the UK’s transition to electrification continues at pace, Ed Willmott, managing director at Prova, discusses the importance of communication in maintaining momentum and meeting impending targets.

The 2035 ban on the sale of all new petrol and diesel cars and vans will be a major milestone in the UK’s journey to net zero. By mandating the shift to electrification, the government aims to achieve a cleaner, greener and more sustainable future for road transport.

With more than a million electric vehicles (EVs) on UK roads today[1], momentum is building and consumer confidence is growing, with registration data perfectly reflecting this. Over the past 12 months alone, for example, fleet EV sales have increased by 40%, lease popularity has boomed and used EV sales have more than doubled^[2].

However, while positive, it’s fair to suggest that major barriers remain. From driver concern over range and battery life, to high up-front purchase costs and the suitability of public charging infrastructure, there are still a few bumps in the road.

If the UK is to maintain momentum, we need to tackle each of these issues head on. Some require a firmly practical approach, while others simply need dated perceptions and common misinformation to be addressed. Either way, effective communication will prove key.

Busting common myths

The first priority should be to bust dated myths around the affordability, suitability and practicality of EVs. The anti EV crowd will lead you to believe that most EVs have a pitiful range and come with an unnecessarily hefty price tag. What’s more, there’s a belief that public charging infrastructure is totally unfit for purpose and a long commute alone would be too much for an electric vehicle to handle.

While possibly accurate for the very early days of EVs (and I’m talking Sinclair C5 timescales), the industry has developed significantly since. Today, it’s perfectly possible to pick up an EV with a range of more than 450 miles[3].  Prices are falling too, with costs becoming increasingly competitive, especially from a lease perspective.[4]

When it comes to charging infrastructure, there are now four times more charging points than petrol stations in the UK,[5] including at almost every motorway service station nationwide. When it comes to home charging, on the other hand, the availability of different options to suit consumer needs is vast (even for those without access to a driveway). In addition, government subsidies and tax incentives are available to assist with purchase and installation costs.

The industry agrees that there is still more work to be done when it comes to further reducing barriers. Additional investment into public charging is important, purchase prices need to show even greater parity and battery developments are still underway. But to suggest that EVs are inferior to internal combustion engines (ICE) is simply inaccurate.

Celebrating progress

While tackling misinformation is clearly important, so too is shouting about the industry’s continued progress. After all, billions are being invested across the supply chain in research, development and investment every year, with the gap between ICE and electric powertrains growing every day.

Indeed, with almost all of the world’s major OEMs having called time on combustion, funding is being diverted extensively to alternative fuel divisions. As a result, EVs are developing fast, while their petrol and diesel counterparts are becoming increasingly dated.

From the latest driver safety technologies and in-car entertainment progress, to design and styling innovation, today’s EVs are really pushing the boundaries of capability. Petrol and diesel cars, in comparison, are holding onto the features of the past decade.

Soon, it will be almost impossible not to switch to EV. Costs will quickly align, range will further accelerate, charging infrastructure will grow, battery life will increase and performance will far outshine ICE models. This is good news for drivers, but great news from an environmental perspective. Zero tailpipe emissions, lower lifetime carbon emissions, increased lifespans and little reliance on petrochemicals are just a handful of benefits.

So, is communication key in the UK’s transition to electrification? Absolutely. More than that, it’s probably the most important factor when it comes to adoption rates and meeting government targets. The industry is already doing the hard work, but its focus on comms needs to improve quickly to accelerate further progress.

For more information about Prova, or its extensive experience helping businesses operating at the forefront of electrification to succeed and grow, visit www.provapr.co.uk. 

ENDS

[1] Electric car statistics – EV Data [Update: March ’24] | heycar

[2] Used electric car sales nearly double in one year (evpowered.co.uk)

[3] https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/best-cars-vans/108345/top-10-longest-range-electric-cars

[4] https://www.myenergi.com/news/electric-vehicles-score-big-with-enhanced-savings-over-petrol/

[5] https://www.zap-map.com/ev-stats/how-many-charging-points#:~:text=At%20the%20end%20of%20May,18%2C910%20installed%20since%20May%202023.

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AMPYR Distributed Energy (ADE), a leading investor in on-site sustainable energy solutions, has appointed cleantech communications consultancy Prova to raise its national brand profile and support an ambitious growth trajectory. 

ADE launched in January 2024 with an initial £100m of funding to deploy on projects in the UK and across Europe. Backed by AGP Sustainable Real Assets (AGP), ADE’s mission is to simplify the transition to net zero through innovative financing models for distributed energy, energy efficiency and energy storage solutions. 

As ADE continues to expand its operations, Prova will work closely with the company’s senior leadership team to roll-out an integrated communications strategy and engage the brand with key stakeholders. Prova will leverage its expertise in clean technology to position ADE as a thought leader in distributed energy, with the financial clout and technical expertise to help business transition to cleaner energy via on-site solutions.   

Ed Willmott, managing director of Prova, said: “With extensive experience in clean energy communications, we’re excited to be working with ADE and driving awareness of its groundbreaking approach to unlocking business access to renewables via a unique and well-funded model. . By harnessing the team’s unparalleled knowledge and expertise in distributed energy, we’re focused on strengthening the ADE brand and enabling further opportunities for commercial growth.” 

John Behan, CEO of ADE, added: “At ADE, we’re passionate about making net zero simple. Significant financial backing, combined with the world-class expertise of our leadership team, are key to our ambition of placing solar panels on every commercial roof in Europe. We want to harness the power of on-site renewable generation to transform business energy resilience across the UK and Europe. 

“By combining Prova’s experience in strategic communications with our proven expertise in the energy sector, we’re looking to build immediate confidence in our unique approach to distributed energy management, while accelerating our expansion into new markets.” 

Prova has operated at the forefront of clean technology, future mobility and circular economy communications for almost 25 years. The consultancy prides itself on driving business growth, horizontal innovation, investment and successful exits for the next generation of sustainable, fast-growth businesses. 

To find out more about ADE, visit: https://www.ampyrde.com/. For more information about Prova, visit https://provapr.co.uk/. 

ENDS 

For media enquiries, please contact Prova Public Relations on 01926 776900 or email ADE@provapr.co.uk.  

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In his session, ‘Building a comms plan: a step-by-step guide to effectively communicating your sustainability credentials’, Postins will explain how strategic public relations can be used to accelerate commercial growth, attract investment and position businesses for a successful exit.

RWM is one of five events taking place under the Environmental Services & Solutions (ESS) Expo umbrella, which take place simultaneously to showcase new innovations and solutions in the fields of circular economy, net-zero emissions, sustainability, and biodiversity conservation.

“Good communications is an essential tool in the arsenal of any businesses looking to build a brand and drive commercial growth. I’m delighted to have this opportunity to share my insight with the county’s leading waste management professionals.”

– Richard Postins, founder, Prova

Prova has worked with some of Europe’s largest brands to deliver strategic communications across a broad range of markets and sectors. Alongside helping companies to fundraise, grow, enter new markets and exit, the consultancy has played a driving role in bringing innovative and pioneering technologies to market.

For more information about the session, or to book your ticket, visit: www.ess-expo.co.uk/. If you’d like to schedule a meeting with Richard at RWM, please email nataliew@provapr.co.uk or call 01926 776900.

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As the world grapples with climate change, it’s now more important than ever to speed up the transition to renewable energy. As a country, the UK is actually doing remarkably well on this transition – in the last quarter of 2023, over half our energy came from renewables. This figure is expected to rise further in 2024, with the UK’s last gas-fired coal power plant ceasing operations later in the year.

Aside from wind and solar, there are a wide range of alternative energy sources. In this blog, we explore one of less-discussed renewable resources that accounts for around 5% of the UK’s energy generation – biogas.

How popular is biogas?

According to the Anaerobic Digestion and Bioresources Association (ABDA), there are currently 720 AD plants operational in the UK, with a total installed capacity of 3.2GW, up 16.7% from 2.8GW last year[1]. ABDA suggests that, with existing feedstock available, biogas could provide up to 11% of the UK’s energy needs in future; and with new legislation coming into force from 2025 banning the landfilling of food waste, this potential could increase significantly.

However, to unlock the full potential of biogas, effective communication with stakeholders and decision-makers will be vital to bridge knowledge gaps, dispel common misconceptions and foster a supportive policy and investment environment.

Biogas 101

Biogas is produced through the anaerobic digestion of organic materials such as agricultural and food waste, plant materials and other biomasses like forestry waste. This process not only generates a renewable source of energy but also reduces the need for fossil fuels and produces valuable by-products like biofertilisers.

The use of biogas to generate energy is entirely carbon neutral because the CO₂ released during energy generation is already part of the biogenic cycle – that is, the natural exchange of carbon between plants, animals, and the environment. This circular use of carbon already in the cycle is in stark contrast to natural gas, which is extracted from the Earth’s crust and adds additional CO₂ to the biosphere when converted into electricity or heat. In most cases, natural gas can be replaced with biogas – offering the same amount of heat or electricity with only a fraction of the net carbon emissions.

Effective communication strategies take a leading role in demystifying biogas production and its benefits. Education campaigns and publicly-accessible resources can help people understand that biogas is not just an alternative energy source, but can be used as a comprehensive waste management solution that both contributes to environmental sustainability and bolsters economic resilience.

How can we address misconceptions around biogas?

One of the most significant barriers to the adoption of biogas as an alternative fuel source is the prevalence of misconceptions and scepticism about its sustainability and efficiency. Concerns often arise about the source of biomass feedstock and the environmental impact of its cultivation and processing. For instance, high-profile cases have highlighted issues with imported biomass, raising doubts about the sustainability of certain practices.[2]

This is why transparent communication from industry leaders and policymakers is so essential to address these concerns. By providing clear, evidence-based information about sustainability standards, lifecycle assessments, and regulatory frameworks, stakeholders can build up trust and credibility.

Highlighting advancements in technology that enhance efficiency and sustainability, such as improved anaerobic digestion processes and the circular use of waste and side-streams, can further mitigate doubts and demonstrate the industry’s commitment to sustainable practice.

Stepping on the gas to drive investment

Good communication is also critical in both shaping policy and attracting investment, because policymakers need to be informed about the benefits and potential of biogas to create supportive regulatory environments. These, in turn, can help mobilise investments into the sector. This involves not only lobbying and advocacy but also participating in public dialogues and consultations to ensure that policies reflect the needs and capabilities of the biogas sector.

Likewise, investors need confidence in the bankability and profitability of biogas projects. Detailed reports, case studies, and projections can demonstrate the return on investment and long-term benefits of an investment into a biogas project, and events like the World Biogas Expo[3] provide crucial opportunities for networking, sharing knowledge, and showcasing innovations, helping to attract these investments.

Good communications can drive collaboration

The biogas sector comprises various stakeholders from across the supply chain, including farmers, energy producers, waste managers, policymakers and researchers. Effective communication channels enable these stakeholders to share insights, best practices and innovations, and drive collective progress.

Building a strong, informed community around biogas can lead to collaborative projects and initiatives that compound the benefits of individual efforts. Networks and associations dedicated to biogas play a vital role in this, offering platforms for interaction and support.

As we navigate the challenges of climate change, the biogas sector’s ability to communicate its value and potential will be crucial in realising a cleaner, more resilient energy system in the UK and beyond.

ENDS

[1] https://adbioresources.org/resources/

[2] https://www.carbonbrief.org/qa-what-does-the-uks-new-biomass-strategy-mean-for-net-zero/

[3] https://www.biogastradeshow.com/

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As our junior account executive Nailah Mahomed approaches the end of her first year at Prova, she reflects on her exciting journey so far…

Coming out of university and stepping into the world of work created a whirlwind of emotions. But, as I walked into my role at Prova, I realised that it’s much easier when you have the support of a welcoming team.   

The Prova team at our Christmas meal in December

Getting stuck in

I realised immediately that working at Prova would be a world apart from my previous three years in academia. However, in my first month alone, I was able to jump straight in at the deep end, crafting press releases, writing blogs and delivering media relations for a number of key clients. Importantly, I wasn’t treated as a graduate, but instead as an important member of the team (made so much easier by the ongoing support and tutoring from my colleagues).

Very quickly, I realised that there was far more to public relations than just writing copy. Some of my day-to-day responsibilities included producing video content, organising media briefings with top-tier journalists and securing speaking opportunities at major industry conferences. I also quickly learnt that understanding and researching market trends was crucial for generating impactful communications. Rather than just simple information gathering, my role includes processing data, identifying sector insights and transforming these into thought leadership.

Putting myself out there

Since working at Prova, I have had plenty of opportunities to network and attend exciting industry events. One highlight was attending Fleet and Mobility Live at the NEC in Birmingham, where I got the chance to interview key exhibitors about their thoughts of the future of EVs. I’ve also attended a number of important launch events for our clients.

The launch of The AA’s new fully electrified trucks

Developing new skills

In today’s digital age, being tech savvy is a necessity. Social media management, search engine optimisation (SEO) and digital content creation were areas that I never thought I’d work on at a corporate level. However, at Prova, I apply all these skills at scale. Learning about analytics, creating engaging collateral and leveraging digital platforms for brand visibility has become part of my daily routine.

I have also become keenly aware of how the world of PR is constantly evolving. New trends, tools and strategies emerge regularly, so it’s great that the team at Prova fosters a culture of continuous learning and development. We do regular workshops, webinars and team brainstorming sessions and explore how we can incorporate these new trends into client strategies.

Reflecting on my first 12 months

One of the most rewarding aspects of working at Prova has been the collaborative environment that I am now a part of. Working with diverse teams across various clients, taking part in creative solutions and supporting growth is part of the Prova culture. It’s a reminder that in PR, as in life, we achieve more together.

Looking back, the transition from university to the working world was challenging but incredibly rewarding. Prova has been a nurturing ground for my professional growth and, while the skills I brought from university were a solid starting point, the real learning happened on the job, through experiences, challenges and mentorship.

Stepping into the world of public relations at Prova has been a journey of growth and learning. It’s a dynamic field that keeps me on my toes, but the possibilities are endless!

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Prova Investments has continued to grow its European portfolio of early-stage businesses operating at the forefront of cleantech, sustainability and the circular economy, by taking an equity stake in electric vehicle (EV) software company ClearWatt.

Prova’s investment pushes ClearWatt’s latest fundraising round above its £200,000 target. Existing funders include the Department for Transport (DfT), the Office for Zero Emissions Vehicles (OZEV) and the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Richard Postins, founder of Prova Investments, commented:

“At Prova Investments, we see the critical importance of used EVs in supporting the UK’s transition to electrification, and ClearWatt provides buyers with the clarity and confidence they need to make the switch to electric.

“This investment fits in perfectly with our strategy to help tomorrow’s future mobility, circular economy and clean technology businesses to scale and grow. We’re excited to be supporting ClearWatt as the business continues to disrupt the used EV market.”

Patrick Cresswell, co-founder and managing director of ClearWatt, added: “By using mobile telematics to collect driving data and measure key battery indicators, our self-service mobile app measures and certifies EV battery health. This offers buyers the confidence that their EV has the range and longevity that they’d expect.

“We are on a mission to revolutionise the second-hand EV marketplace by providing clarity, reassurance and certainty for consumers. With the team’s proven expertise across future mobility and clean technology, we’re delighted that Prova Investments has decided to join us on the next chapter of our growth journey.”

ClearWatt’s flagship EV Health Checker is now in its BETA testing phase. For more information, visit https://www.clearwatt.co.uk/.

To find out more about Prova Investments, visit www.provapr.co.uk/investments

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Did you know that the first ever online purchase was a Sting CD between two friends in Philadelphia back in 1994? In the UK, online shopping first hit the scene in the late 90’s but it didn’t start making a real dent in the retail market until the late 2010’s, with websites like eBay and Amazon emerging and burgeoning. Internet purchases were said to reach their peak in 2021, accounting for 37.8% of retail sales during the COVID-19 lockdowns. 

In today’s fast-paced world, online shopping has become a staple for many of us. The convenience of ordering things with the click of a button, often with next-day delivery, has revolutionised the way we shop. However, behind this convenience lies a hidden cost that mustn’t be overlooked. 

As online shopping continues to grow, so do associated carbon emissions and packaging waste. With delivery trucks crisscrossing the country to fulfil orders, hand delivering billions of items sandwiched between layers of plastic, cardboard and polystyrene, the environmental toll is significant. According to the latest data from Statista, for example, increasing demand for logistics services will cost us in the long run: global carbon dioxide emissions related to the sector will reach 25 million CO2 metric tonnes by 2030 – that’s a lot of CO2 pumped into the atmosphere for some quick retail therapy.  

Many consumers simply don’t realise just how much online shopping contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions. The transportation of goods from warehouses, to distribution centres, to our doorsteps, accounts for a substantial portion of these emissions. To meet growing demand, delivery companies are expanding their fleet sizes – it’s estimated that by 2030, the number of delivery vehicles will increase by 36%, contributing to a further six billion kilograms of carbon emissions overall. What’s more, the faster you want your item delivered, the higher the environmental price. 

Aside from emissions, online shopping also overlooks another issue: impulse buying. Brits collectively spend over £3 billion on impulse buys per month, more than half of this on clothing. With the incredible ease of browsing and purchasing items with just a few clicks, consumers are more prone to making spontaneous purchases. Unfortunately, many of these impulse buys end up discarded and contribute to the ever-growing mountain of landfill waste – 71% of people in the UK throw away  their impulse buys. Did you know, that 80% of products bought during last year’s Black Friday either ended up in landfill, were incinerated or otherwise improperly disposed of?  

We’ve not even begun to discuss free returns – yet another purchase convenience that makes buying quick and sending back habitual for many shoppers. As a result, one in every three items bought online are returned in the UK – that’s a third more unnecessary delivery journeys either through road, rail, sea or air. 

Despite all this, there are a slew of companies really driving innovation in the packaging and online retail space, one of which is ZigZag. ZigZag identifies opportunities for the repacking and redistribution of returned products and builds a solid infrastructure around the returns process to reduces parcel journeys by up to 65%, resulting in a huge reduction in the wastage and carbon footprint associated with retail returns. Additionally, through its innovative paperless returns scheme, ZigZag eliminates over 35 million sheets of paper from the returns process per year. 

Delivery and returns accounts for a significant proportion of carbon emissions linked to e-commerce, and Zedify has disrupted the sector by significantly decarbonising first and last mile logistics on urban areas with its fleet of small electric and pedal-powered delivery vehicles. In fact, deliveries from Zedify’s bikes, trikes and quads typically use 97% less CO2 per delivery than a diesel van, and help towards creating cities with cleaner air and lower noise pollution.  

At Prova, we were so impressed with Zedify’s pioneering business model that we invested in the company through our capital investments division. In the months since, the company has continued to lead the way as a major player in the sustainable retail marketplace. 

While online shopping offers unparalleled convenience, we’ve also seen that it also comes hand-in-hand with negative environmental impacts. However, by embracing innovative solutions and adopting a circular economy approach, we can mitigate these impacts and pave the way for a more sustainable future. 

It’s time for retail businesses to recognise the urgency of the situation and be more open to shifting their business models towards a more circular approach. By prioritising eco-friendly practices and investing in innovative solutions, such as electrification, plastics reduction side stream use and recycling, we can ensure that the terrific convenience of online shopping doesn’t come at the cost of our planet’s health.  

For more information about Prova, or its strategic communications services for supply chain and waste management, visit www.provapr.co.uk. 

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Tidal Transit, a leading supplier of purpose-design crew transfer vessels for the offshore wind industry, has appointed cleantech and future mobility communications consultancy Prova to accelerate its ambitions to electrify offshore transport.

Norfolk-based Tidal Transit provides transfer services for the construction, operation, and maintenance of offshore wind farms in the North Sea. As part of its ambition to electrify the sector, the company recently announced a world-first project to retrofit a diesel-powered vessel to operate solely on 100% electric power. This initiative marks a significant milestone in Tidal Transit’s long-term ambition to reduce the industry’s carbon emissions and environmental impact.

The company also recently announced a partnership with HICO Investment Group to help solidify Tidal Transit’s position as a leading industry innovator pioneering electrification across the sector.

As Tidal Transit continues to expand its operations, Prova is working closely with the senior leadership team to implement a powerful communications strategy, with the aim of driving commercial growth and accelerating internationalisation. Prova will leverage its expertise in cleantech and future mobility to enhance Tidal Transit’s positioning, while positioning commercial director Leo Hambro as the voice of offshore wind electrification.

In comment, Ed Willmott, managing director of Prova, said: “With extensive sector experience, we are perfectly positioned to support Tidal Transit’s commercial growth strategy through creative, compelling communications. The company’s commitment to electrifying crew transport aligns perfectly with our own mission to accelerate the green economy, so together we are aiming to really move the needle towards a more decarbonised, decentralised and resilient offshore wind sector.

Leo Hambro, commercial director at Tidal Transit added: “Having operated in this space for more than a decade, we’ve developed unmatched expertise in marine operations and electric crew transport. By amplifying our message and harnessing communications to support long-term business growth, we aim to drive real, impactful change in the sector.”

Prova has operated at the forefront of cleantech and future mobility communications for more than 20 years. The consultancy prides itself on driving business growth, horizontal innovation, investment and successful exits for the next generation of sustainable, fast-growth businesses.

To find out more about Tidal Transit, head to https://www.tidal-transit.com/. For more information about Prova, visit https://provapr.co.uk/.

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Following ongoing pressure from public health bodies, the UK government last month confirmed that disposable vapes will soon be officially banned across England, Scotland and Wales. We sat down with Ed Willmott, managing director of Prova, to discuss the ban and its wider implications on best practice waste management.

According to gov.uk, the number of children using vapes has tripled over the past three years, with strong evidence showing that cheap, easy-to-use, disposable products with bright and colourful packaging are partly to blame[1]. The ban is expected to come into force later this year, with a six-month grace period offered to allow businesses to adapt.

Banning the sale of disposable vapes is positive news on two counts. For one, the widespread impact on public health is clear, but equally as concerning are the environmental implications. It’s heart-wrenching to see vapes either littered or thrown into general waste (an estimated five million every week, according to Material Focus), rather than being disposed of through dedicated vape recycling collections.

As a result, we’re seeing regular fires at waste depots (even forcing one Scottish firm to buy its own fire engine[2]), while also unnecessarily costing the public purse millions in street cleaning costs. Even recycling streams are becoming contaminated with disposable vapes, which adds unnecessary costs and delays to the recycling supply chain.

Throwing money down the drain

In addition to the environmental hazards that unsafe disposal creates, we’re also throwing away valuable resources that could otherwise remain in the value chain for longer. According to research from UCL, around 10,000kg of lithium from e-cigarette batteries enter landfill sites every year[3]. With lithium regarded as an essential building block for green technology and the modern digital economy, it’s shocking that (as a country) we discard ten metric tonnes of the precious metal per year in disposable vapes alone, which is just a drop in the ocean compared with the metals entering landfill inside e-waste like old phones and appliances.

Poor communication is directly contributing to the growing issue of resource scarcity and underscoring the dire need for more effective recycling and recovery processes to extract and reuse valuable materials. Addressing e-waste management comprehensively is crucial not only for mitigating environmental impact but also for promoting a more sustainable and circular economy.

While disposable vapes and e-waste are certainly causing confusion, they are only the tip of the iceberg. Various other hard to recycle items are frequently landfilled, exacerbating the strain on our environment, waste management infrastructure, and bluntly, a greater burden on the taxpayer.

The role of effective communication

From nappies and coffee cups to crisp packets and pet food pouches, they all come with their own set of nuances and exceptions for how to safely and properly dispose of them. Poor communication regarding this point results in a staggering two and a half billion coffee cups[4] and three billion disposable nappies[5] alone ending up in landfill every year.

As a communicator, I must ask myself why the situation has become so problematic. There are so many different recycling solutions – even for materials such as chewing gum! So, why then are these items still ending up in general waste. Is it convenience? Is it confusion? Or is it a severe lack of public information?

While not the silver bullet solution, communication has a key role to play in improving public engagement and ensuring best practice waste management. Firstly, we need to shout far louder about the environmental implications of our actions and paint the picture of what happens when items are improperly disposed of.

Secondly, we need to provide real clarity when it comes to the solution – where can I dispose of specific packaging, products or items? When? How much does it cost? Most of all, it must be simple and relatable.

This vape ban should be seen as a real wakeup call to take stock of where we are and where we need to be in terms of communicating with both consumers and retailers. If we’re serious about minimising waste, alleviating negative environmental impacts and maximising resource efficiency, effective communication must become a far greater priority for waste managers, policymakers and stakeholders across the entire product value chain.  

[1] https://educationhub.blog.gov.uk/2024/01/29/disposable-vape-ban-and-what-it-means-for-young-people/

[2] https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/perth-kinross/4767110/perthshire-disposable-vapes-fire-engine/

[3] https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2023/dec/vast-amounts-waste-caused-single-use-e-cigarette-batteries

[4] 657.pdf (parliament.uk)

[5] Disposable and Reusable Nappies – Hansard – UK Parliament

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Prova has announced a follow-on investment in European composite materials manufacturer Composite Braiding, having initially taken an equity stake in the business back in 2022. Coming as part of a seven-figure funding round, the capital injection will be used to strengthen manufacturing, bolster the workforce and purchase equipment as the company continues to experience rapid growth.  

Composite Braiding uses an award-winning automated manufacturing process to combine thermoplastics with materials like carbon, glass and basalt fibres, to create a much lower embedded carbon solution for end products spanning the automotive, rail, sports equipment, maritime, and civil engineering sectors. 

The unique process reduces labour costs by up to 90%, waste by 97% and uses 95% less energy, offering significantly cheaper and more sustainable materials, at scale, and at a faster rate.  

Richard Postins, founder of Prova Investments, commented: “At Prova Investments, we’re excited to continue our journey with Composite Braiding in its mission to decarbonise the composite materials industry. With its novel processes to automate the manufacture of advanced composites using sustainable materials, Composite Braiding is a great fit for our cleantech and circular economy portfolio, and we’re looking forward to offering ongoing growth and support as it continues to pioneer composite manufacturing.” 

Steve Barbour, founder at Composite Braiding, added: “Last year was focused on building up foundations, while 2024 will be pivotal for kick-starting production and delivering sustainable products across a variety of sectors. The close of our latest funding round marks a new milestone the Composite Braiding business. We are grateful for Prova Investments’ backing since its initial investment last year, and we’re looking forward to the continued support they can bring to our business moving forward.” 

To find out more about Composite Braiding, visit https://compositebraiding.com/

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In an announcement over the weekend, the government confirmed that disposable vapes will be banned across England, Scotland and Wales. Commenting on the news, Ed Willmott, managing director of Prova, said:

“Banning the sale of disposable vapes is positive news on two counts. The widespread impact on public health is clear, but the environmental implications are equally as concerning. It’s hugely disappointing to see vapes either littered or thrown into general waste (an estimated five million every week), rather than being disposed of through dedicated vape recycling collections.

“As a result, we’re seeing regular fires at waste depots, while also unnecessarily costing the public purse millions in street cleaning costs. Even recycling streams are becoming contaminated with disposable vapes, which adds further costs for preprocessors – a frustrating scenario.

“However, as a communicator, I must ask myself why the situation has become so untenable, especially considering that many retailers offer vape recycling collections, while items can also be included within WEEE recycling streams or disposed of at HWRCs. Is it convenience? Is it confusion? Or is it simply a lack of public information?

“Banning disposable vapes is an important and valuable step, but we must be open to learn from the situation. Simply branding users ‘lazy’ and ‘careless’ is too easy. It fails to tackle the wider problem. 

“While not the silver bullet solution, I think that communication has a key role to play in improving public engagement and ensuring best practice waste management. Firstly, we need to shout far louder about the environmental implications of our actions – paint the picture of what happens when items (such as vapes) are improperly disposed of. Secondly, we need to provide real clarity when it comes to the solution – where can I dispose of them? When? How much does it cost? Most of all, it must be simple and relatable.

“I’m not just talking about consumers, either. What’s the message to the retailers when they’re left with thousands of single-use vapes after the ban has been introduced? Is there a risk that we’ll see high volumes dumped in the general waste stream? I hope not, but we need to give this some real thought.

“The entire scenario should be seen as a real wakeup call in terms of where we are and where we need to be. If we’re serious about minimising waste and maximising resource efficiency, effective communication must become a far greater priority.”

For more information about Prova, or its strategic communications services, visit www.provapr.co.uk.

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Richard Postins, founder of Prova, the UK’s leading clean technology, future mobility and circular economy communications consultancy, will take to the stage at this year’s Silverstone Technology Cluster (STC) Innovation & Growth Conference to explore the pivotal role of communications in driving commercial growth and new market entry.  

The annual member event, which takes place at The Stables in Milton Keynes (21 November), brings together some of the UK’s leading advanced engineering, electronics and software businesses to celebrate the revolutionary programmes, game-changing solutions and first-to-market technologies being pioneered by the cluster. 

In his keynote speech, Postins will explore the instrumental role of communications in driving commercial growth, new market entry and horizontal innovation, as well as profiling how inter-cluster collaboration is helping members to thrive.  Commenting on the event, Postins said: “The STC Innovation & Growth Conference brings together the biggest, best and brightest minds in technology and business from across the region. I’m looking forward to explaining how strategic communications can help to accelerate business growth, as well as exploring how knowledge share and operational partnerships between members is driving measurable commercial value. 

For more information about the Silverstone Technology Cluster, or to register for this year’s Innovation & Growth Conference, head over to https://www.silverstonetechnologycluster.com/events/stc-annual-conference-2023

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Ed Willmott, managing director of Prova, explores the waste management industry’s rapidly changing legislative landscape and explains the pivotal role of communication in achieving seamless integration to drive long-term success.

Over the next few years, the waste management industry is set for widespread legislative change. From the national roll-out of a highly functioning deposit return scheme (DRS) and phased implementation of extended producer responsibility (EPR), to the introduction of mandatory food waste collections and Simpler Recycling reforms, there’s a busy period ahead for regulators, producers, recyclers and the wider packaging supply chain.

Each of these progressive policies has the potential to positively change the face of the waste management industry and boost plateauing recycling rates. However, legislative change alone doesn’t guarantee immediate results. When it comes to smooth implementation and maximum impact, communication is key to drive engagement, buy-in and long-term behavioural change.

Is communication really that important to ensure legislative success?

While change is essential to drive progress and momentum – especially when it comes to recycling rates, insight from Psychology Today suggests that 1 in 3 Brits are resistant to change. We find security in routine, comfort in repetition, safety in the everyday. As a result, an estimated 70% of all new change initiatives are said to fail.

When it comes to legislation, the picture is no different. Ensuring optimum results and achieving positive change is down to far more than simply the stick approach. Whether at a commercial or household level, communication is key to ensuring widespread buy-in.

Buy what does that mean in practice? What exactly needs to happen from a communications perspective and who is responsible for delivering it? What needs to be done in the short, medium and long-term?

Well, let’s break it down. Firstly, we need to communicate effectively about upcoming changes and exactly what they will mean – both the challenges and opportunities presented. After all, while we within the waste management industry may understand the intricacies, the average Brit is unaware that many of these policies are even being discussed, let alone set for adoption. This requires collaboration from across the supply chain – from regulators and producers, to retailers and recyclers. It’s up to all of us to take responsibility and maximise the opportunity for the greatest possible impact. It takes time and it costs money, but it’s an essential part of legislative change.

Next, we must assume that many new policies will experience teething issues. Whether technology, process or complexity, it’s unlikely that any new legislation will be adopted seamlessly from day one. As a result, it’s almost a certainty that we need to be prepared for some level of resistance and push-back. Clear communication is essential to not only guide consumers through the evolving landscape, but also explain the necessity for change. When things need adjusting, communications can prove the saving grace.

Finally, communication is imperative in the long-term to ensure repetition and reinforcement of messages. After all, legislation is far from a green button solution and maintaining engagement is just as important as initial education.

This is exactly what we’re beginning to see with overall recycling rates. To counter this, we need constant, positive reminders – both in terms of best practice and demonstrations of impact. After all, we’re asking for behavioural change, but must appreciate that the ‘why’ must also be answered.

What are the risks of getting it wrong?

The opportunity for upcoming waste management legislation to drive a positive change, when it comes to national recycling rates, is simply a once-in-a-generation type affair. If we get it right, we will achieve a far more logical, valuable, forward-thinking system that has the potential to capture higher volumes of better quality recycling. If we get it wrong, however, we’ll likely be spending a lot of money to see recycling rates continue to stagnate, or even decline.

Given the time and money already spent on planning, research and the consultation processes alone, we simply can’t afford to make mistakes. As such, we come back yet again to the importance of communication in making legislation stick first time.

So, whether direct marketing materials to explain changes to weekly refuse collections, national TV advertising to explain the intricacies of DRS, direct correspondence to impacted businesses, or simply ensuring that the industry is front and centre of the media talking about best practice, it’s fair to say that a joined-up, collaborative approach is essential to make the most of the opportunity in front of us.

As new legislation looms, I’m calling for the industry to think positively about the opportunities in front of us, but also carefully about the importance of communication in delivering the best possible results. At Prova, we help brands operating across cleantech, future mobility and the circular economy to grow and thrive. For us, storytelling is simply second nature. We’ve helped to drive legislative change and maximise impact. As such, we’re acutely aware of the mountainous challenge in front of us when it comes to navigating the legislative landscape of tomorrow.

For more information about Prova, or its unique approach to delivering strategic communications programmes for the industry’s leading brands, visit www.provapr.co.uk.

ENDS

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Prova, the UK’s leading circular economy, clean technology and future mobility communications consultancy, has appointed sustainability expert Ryan Witton as senior account manager.

With extensive experience in renewable energy, decarbonisation and environmental impact, Witton is passionate about driving positive global change through hard-hitting communications. Working primarily agency side, he has delivered campaigns for organisations including B Lab Europe, Puro.earth, African Infrastructure Investment Managers and the Global Institute for Disease Elimination.

Witton also boasts a master’s degree in Environment, Development and Politics from the University of Birmingham and has previously travelled the world to teach English literacy skills to both elementary and secondary school students.

Commenting on his appointment, Ryan said: “Prova works alongside cutting-edge companies at the forefront of sustainability and clean technology. I admire the team’s laser-targeted focus on finding and cultivating innovative circular business models, and I’m excited to join a forward-thinking agency that’s unwaveringly driven by finding and nurturing the next green economy breakthrough.”

Ed Willmott, managing director at Prova, added: “With extensive experience across the circular economy, we’re thrilled to welcome Ryan to our growing team. We’re experiencing rapid growth across all areas of the business and Ryan’s experience will prove pivotal to our continued international expansion.”

Prova’s client base includes leading brands such as eco-smart tech business myenergi, food waste recycling specialist ReFood, private equity firm Circularity Capital, green merchant bank Turquoise and many others. The business is also a board member of PRN, an international group of independent communications consultancies delivering world-leading campaigns for clients worldwide. 

For more information about Prova, or the team’s latest campaigns, visit www.provapr.co.uk.

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What was discussed?

The main comeback following this conference was that, in governmental talks, energy efficiency is not given the priority it deserves, necessitating a collective re-evaluation by organisations, alliances, and individuals to understand its significance and how to achieve it.  In the context of long-term industrial policy solutions, there is a goal to double progress in energy efficiency by 2030 – which was endorsed by 46 global governments during a global conference in Versailles last week. Unfortunately, renewable energy continues to dominate government discussions, with energy efficiency receiving limited attention.

What is the UK doing?

With significant experience in cleantech, sustainability and the circular economy, Prova has been working with clients for more than 20 years on campaigns aiming to drive energy efficiency. While it has been on the business agenda for decades, security of supply issues and recent market volatility, has made the topic of energy efficiency more pressing than ever before.

While the government’s recent net zero backtrack has topped the headlines, its commitment to energy efficiency shouldn’t be written off. From spending over £4 billion[2] to reduce reliance on gas for over half a million homes, to setting targets for all new cars and vans to be entirely zero emission[3], the government has laid out a plan to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. As well as this, in Autumn last year, the Chancellor announced an Energy Efficiency Taskforce[4]. This Taskforce plans to reduce total UK energy demand by 15 per cent by 2030, across commercial and domestic buildings, which will, ideally, cut bills and help to reduce inflation.

But why is energy efficiency so important?

First and foremost, energy efficiency is essential for combatting climate change. The consumption of fossil fuels for energy is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions[5], accounting for over 75 per cent. By making energy efficiency a daily priority, we can significantly reduce our global carbon footprint. This ongoing commitment to lower energy consumption is crucial in the race against global warming, as it helps slow down the catastrophic effects of rising temperatures and extreme weather events: Wildfires across Europe, deadly fires in Hawaii[6], the hottest summer ever recorded[7], floods in Libya[8] – the list is endless!

Not only will being energy efficient contribute to climate balance, but embracing energy efficiency as an everyday practice means that we will consequently reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and enhance energy independence.  

Moreover, reduced energy consumption means lower utility bills for households and businesses. By implementing energy-efficient practices and technologies, individuals and organisations can save money. This financial relief can have a substantial and lasting impact on people’s lives and the bottom lines of businesses. However, it’s important to acknowledge the cost-of-living crisis and rising energy prices. A silver lining is that this volatility is focusing efforts on ways to curb energy use. In fact, almost half of adults in the UK are using less fuels, such as gas or electricity, in their homes due to the crisis[9].

To make energy efficiency a strong commitment, we need ongoing education and awareness campaigns, as well as government incentives and industry support. These efforts can help individuals and organisations understand the benefits of energy efficiency and provide the tools and resources needed to implement energy-saving measures consistently.

It’s fair to say that the Energy Efficiency conference served a valuable reminder to the importance of conserving energy, but we must recognise that energy efficiency should be a practice in all of our lives, rather than just an institutional priority: The global challenges of climate change, energy security and economic stability require a sustained commitment to reducing energy consumption. By making energy efficiency a part of our daily lives, we can create a more sustainable, resilient, and prosperous future for ourselves and the generations to come.

[1] European Green Deal – Consilium (europa.eu)

[2] Energy efficiency: what you need to know – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

[3] UK electric vehicle infrastructure strategy – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

[4] Government announces team of leading experts to boost energy efficiency – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

[5] Causes and Effects of Climate Change | United Nations

[6] Extreme weather events of 2023 so far | Evening Standard

[7] ‘Smashed’: summer of 2023 the hottest ever recorded | Extreme weather | The Guardian

[8] Devastating floods in Libya | UNICEF

[9] Cost of living insights – Office for National Statistics (ons.gov.uk)

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Prova, the UK’s leading cleantech, future mobility and circular economy communications consultancy, has announced the appointment of Ed Willmott as managing director.  

Previously director of communications, Willmott joined the business in 2014 and has since played an instrumental role in Prova’s global growth – securing clients in Europe, the US and Asia. As MD, he will be responsible for delivering organisational growth and its future strategy.

The move reflects Prova’s commitment to attracting and developing talent, which has resulted in a number of recent internal promotions and is helping to create one of the industry’s most vibrant teams. Richard Postins, who founded the Midlands-based agency, will take up the role of founder and lead Prova’s investment arm.

Commenting on the announcement, Willmott said: “It’s a real honour to take up the reigns as MD of Prova. Over the past few years, we’ve continued to experience rapid growth, re-affirming our expertise and experience as specialists at the very forefront of cleantech, future mobility and circular economy communications.

“Our ever-expanding client portfolio includes some of the world’s most innovative and disruptive businesses. I’m looking forward to using this as a unique platform to expand our service offer, grow our team and double down on our internationalisation activity.”

Richard Postins added: “Ed’s appointment as MD celebrates not only his exceptional skills and dedication to the company but also the growth we’ve cultivated. This promotion is a testament to his outstanding contribution and unwavering commitment to our shared vision.”

Prova’s client work includes campaign work for leading brands such as the AA, myenergi, private equity firm Circularity Capital and many others. The business is also a board member of PRN, an international group of independent communications consultancies delivering world-leading campaigns for clients worldwide. 

To learn more about Prova, or its expertise across cleantech, future mobility and the circular economy, visit www.provapr.co.uk

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Getting stuck in

From day one, I delved into tasks like researching some of Prova’s global clients and helping to craft press releases. Though initially daunting, with the team’s guidance, patience and support, I worked on a number of press announcements that garnered widespread media coverage. 

Hybrid working

Embracing a hybrid working environment, where physical office presence is only mandatory two days a week, taught me the essence of self-discipline and meticulous task organisation. I realised the importance of prioritising my daily agenda, which brought a sense of structure to the flexibility of remote working.

It also showed me about the importance of communication. After all, the Prova team are constantly talking to their clients, each other and the media to perfect every activation and maximise results. It’s a non-stop process, regardless of if they’re in the office, on the road, working internationally or at home!

Continuity and variety

My daily responsibilities encompassed a wide range of PR tasks. These included curating industry news updates for daily bulletins, compiling the latest social media trends and updating media contacts. Beyond these tasks, I undertook an ongoing project – producing an in-depth competitor analysis report as part of a brand strategy project. This task broadened my understanding of the PR landscape and drew upon skills honed through my university work. I also sat in on a creative session to generate brand names for an international client looking to internationalise.

It might sound cliché that no two days in PR are the same, but at Prova that really is the case. The team are responsible for far more than just media relations and digital communications – they’re consulting with global clients, at a board level, to drive commercial advantage. It’s absolutely fascinating to watch.

Favourite moment

But while real-world project was a real eye-opener, I also had the opportunity to support Prova’s own marketing. I worked with a colleague on a TikTok project and, together, we embarked on a guided tour of Warwick to show the charm of the historic town to prospect employees. The experience really left an impression, promising future visits!

As I near the end of my time at Prova, I look back on what has been an enriching journey of professional growth. The exposure to diverse tasks, the rhythm of a hybrid work culture and the supportive company culture have collectively shaped a challenging yet incredibly valuable experience. Was it what I expected? Maybe a little, but I learnt early on just how complex and intricate a role in PR really was.

Thanks, Prova – I couldn’t have asked for a more rewarding experience!

ENDS

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Designed to make creating websites, software and apps easier than ever before, One Auto API provides instant, consolidated access to services powered by leading data providers. With more than 80 years combined experience in the automotive sector, the company specialises in providing solutions for complex or high volume data requirements.

Richard Postins, founder of Prova, commented: “Over the past decade, we’ve built an impressive portfolio of early stage investments across cleantech, sustainability and future mobility. Thanks to our unmatched experience and sector knowledge, we’re able to support businesses from seed stage upwards – helping to take products to market, defining intricate marketing strategies and accelerating commercial growth. 

“One Auto API is a great fit for our investment strategy and perfectly complements our innovative portfolio. We’re looking forward to supporting the company as it works towards ambitious growth, product development and internationalisation plans.”

Alongside leading the investment, Postins has been appointed to the One Auto API advisory board.

Mark Fretwell, CEO and founder of Auto API, added: “As we continue to scale, we wanted to bring in a sector specialist to help accelerate our progress. With extensive experience across the automotive and technology sectors, we’re excited about the added value Richard and the Prova team can bring to our business going forward.

“It’s an exciting time for One Auto API and we’re delighted that Prova has joined us for the journey!”

For more information about One Auto API, visit www.oneautoapi.com. To find out more about Prova, or its growing portfolio of early-stage businesses operating at the forefront of cleantech, sustainability and future mobility, visit www.provapr.co.uk/investments.

ENDS

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Google GA4 has been active for a number of years, however with the internet giant finally set to pull the plug on UA, it is set to become the standard for web analytics.

The next-generation in analytics management solutions, it collects event-based data from both websites and apps. A new kind of property designed for the future of measurements, it allows users to better understand the customer journey and has predictive capabilities to offer guidance.

With the ability to collect more data and provide more insight than UA, GA4 is built around the concept of events, rather than sessions – covering everything from pageviews and clicks to form submissions and custom events defined by the user.

It also includes a new reporting section with an advanced toolset, enables cross-platform tracking to include both website and apps, uses ‘probabilistic matching’ to stitch together data from different sources (e.g. Google Ads and Facebook Ads), predicts purchase probability and churn and has an enhanced data model to track interactions as they happen.

So, what does the July 1 UA shutdown actually mean for users?

Until July 1, users can continue to use and collect new data in their UA properties, with some continuing to process data for a short period as the shutdown is staged.

In preparation for the change, Google has gradually auto-generated GA4 properties for existing users, unless they opted out or had already self-created a GA4 property. If users choose to self-create a GA4 property, and it is connected to a UA property, Google will automatically copy over any configurations, such as goals and audiences, not marked complete to a user’s new property.

After July 1, users will have access to previously processed UA data for at least six months – any extension on this is yet to be confirmed. Users are encouraged to export any historical reports during this time to avoid losing any data.

In the coming months, Google will provide a future date for when existing UA properties will not longer be available, including historical data and reports in the analytics interface or access your UA data via the API.   

How do I export my historical reports?

There are several ways for users to export existing reports and data from a UA property:

1. Individual reports can be exported using the following formats: CSV, TSV, TSV for Excel, Excel (XLSX), Google Sheets and PDF
2. Using the Google Analytics Report API
3. Google 360 customers can also opt to export data to BigQuery – Google’s cloud-based data warehouse service

How do I know if my Google Analytics property is impacted?

If you created your property before October 14, 2020, it’s likely that you’re using an Universal Analytics property and should consider migrating to GA4 sooner rather than later. If you created your property after October 14, 2020, it’s likely that you’re already using GA4 – so no action is required.

Unsure which property you’re using? Here’s a handy identifier…

If you are using Universal Analytics, you’ll likely have a blue notification to tell you that the shutdown is effective as of July 1 – unless you’ve previously dismissed it.

Alternatively, your property ID will tell you which type you’re using. UA property IDs start with UA and end with a number (for example, UA-XXXXXXXXX-1), while GA4 property IDs are comprised of numbers only.

To find your property ID, click on the down arrow in the top left corner (near the Analytics logo) to open the property selector. Your property ID will be displayed below the property name.

Will these changes affect my Google Ads?

Unless your UA property is linked to your Google Ads account, it will remain unaffected. If the two are linked, UA data will stop flowing to your Google Ads after July 1, in line with the UA shutdown.

Google Ads campaigns will be affected if you’re:

• Bidding on imported UA goals or ecommerce transactions
• Using a UA audience within your campaign
• Importing UA site metrics

To avoid this, users should migrate all UA property Google Ads links to GA4 property as soon as possible. Users should then look to important GA4 conversions (for biddings) and/or add GA4 audiences to a campaign or ad group (for remarketing).

If you’d like more information on how to use or switch to a GA4 property, get in touch to find out more about how we can help.

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Acquired by Coventry City Council in 2020, Tom White champions the UK waste industry; investing in pioneering infrastructure to extract valuable materials and introduce them back into the supply chain, while also ensuring that the waste collected avoids landfill where possible.

Driven by three core values – people first, protect the planet and profit for a purpose – Tom White is focused creating mutually beneficial relationships between the business and employees, customers and suppliers, as well as reinvesting revenue back into front-line services through the businesses shareholders, Coventry City Council and community initiatives.

Providing innovative solutions for homes and businesses across Warwickshire and the West Midlands, key services include skip hire, commercial collection, technical services, hazardous waste management and confidential shredding.

Partnering with Prova will take Tom White’s brand to the national stage, raising widespread awareness, positioning the senior team as thought leaders and promoting the importance of harnessing visionary corporate values to drive measurable commercial growth.

Ed Willmott, director of communications at Prova, commented: “With significant experience across the recycling, resource efficiency and waste management sectors – from a commercial, kerbside, bring and go perspective – we’re perfectly positioned to support Tom White’s continued corporate growth. Thanks to its pioneering values and the leadership team’s visionary approach, the business continues to accelerate exponentially.

“We’re looking forward to sharing its story with the business community and celebrating the company’s impressive growth trajectory. We’ll be drawing on our knowledge, experience and contacts to support Julian and the team as they continue to positively disrupt the industry.”

Prova has been delivering powerful integrated marketing campaigns for more than 20 years. Operating at the cutting edge of the circular economy, the company prides itself on delivering business growth, unparalleled knowledge, insight and experience, investment and successful exits for the next generation of sustainable, fast growth businesses.

For more information about Tom White, visit www.tomwhitewaste.co.uk. For more information about Prova, visit www.provapr.co.uk.

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LinkedIn has always held a special place in the hearts of B2B marketers and the 2023 forecast predicted continued favouritism, particularly as the platform begins to introduce features to bring itself inline with industry trends.

During the last few weeks, the platform has released four new updates to help business pages level up their marketing efforts on the platform. But what are they and what do they mean for you?

Native post scheduling

Say goodbye to social schedulers…providing you don’t need to plan further than three months in advance.

LinkedIn started to roll-out post-scheduling capabilities back in November, but only for individual users. The latest update to this feature allows page administrators to scheduled posts up to three months in advance.

The benefits? The feature reduces the reliance on third-party scheduling tools which can be costly, but also opens up the opportunity for scheduling for businesses for whom find third-party tools are out of their budget.

The negatives? Posts must be scheduled at least one hour into the future and cannot be scheduled further than three months into the future (but really, who’s that organised?).

For us, this is the biggest take-away from the recent flurry of feature introductions to the platform – and it’s long overdue.

‘Audio Events’

Similarly to other interactive podcast features, i.e., Twitter Spaces and Clubhouse, LinkedIn has launched an audio-only feature, named ‘Audio Events’. The feature launched in a limited beta testing capacity last year, but is now available as a full-fledged feature,

Audio Events can be hosted by an individual user or an organisation, but to qualify, hosts must have over 150 followers and/or connections, as well as a history of abiding by LinkedIn’s community policies. The option to create an audio event will appear in your menu should you meet the criteria.

These events are public, so any LinkedIn user can view details and RSVP ahead of time. Once live, any participant can raise their hand for an opportunity to speak.

Auto-post available positions

LinkedIn continues to dominate company recruitment providing a strong platform for recruiters and hiring managers to connect with potential candidates – and it just got easier, providing your business has fewer than 1,000 employees.

Administrators can now choose to have all new job listings auto-posted to a LinkedIn page. Once toggled to on, the platform will share one open role per day to your page. If the role is filled and the job deleted, any linked page posts will be automatically deleted too.

Pages can follow pages

While individual LinkedIn users have been able to follow organisations for quite some time, the same can’t be said for organisations – until now.

The platform now enables pages to follow other pages, allowing page admins to keep track of trending conversations, easily engage in industry discussions and distinguish brand voice by curating a feed view dedicated to content from the pages you follow.

The post New features for B2B’s most loved social platform appeared first on Prova PR.

Having both joined the agency in 2022, Smith and Del Gesso have demonstrated significant tangible progression and clear knowledge acquisition in the last 12 months, playing a key role across multiple agency accounts.

The promotions form part of a wider agency growth and investment strategy, which will see further investment and development of the current team, alongside additional recruitment for new key roles.

Commenting on her promotion, Smith said: “I was thrilled to join Prova last year and the agency has given be a real platform to further develop my skillset. I’m delighted to have been promoted, but also really focused on continuing my progression under the tutelage of the experienced communications team we have here.”

Del Gesso added: “I’m equally pleased. I’m ambitious and it demonstrates that if you put in the hard work and listen to what you’re being told, then apply that learning you can progress, thanks to the support of an agency that invests in you. I’m excited to continue my career development with Prova.”

Ed Willmott, director of communications at Prova, added: “We’ve welcomed a flurry of new client wins in the last 12 months and with more on the horizon it’s an exciting place to be. Both Erin and Joel recognise that and have already played a key role in helping the agency move forward.

We’ve supported them with their career development and I think there is still a lot to come from both of them going forward. We’re continuing our wider team investment and have some exciting new roles already available as the agency continues to grow.”

Prova’s client base includes brands such as the AA, EV charging tech company myenergi, food waste recycler ReFood, circular economy private equity firm Circularity Capital and many others. This business is also a board member of PRN, an international group of independent communications consultancies delivery world-leading campaigns for clients worldwide.

For more information about Prova, or to talk to the team about their award-winning communications expertise, visit www.provapr.co.uk.

ENDS

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Prova has continued to build its growing portfolio of early-stage businesses operating at the forefront of cleantech, envirotec and future mobility, by announcing an undisclosed investment in Zedify, the UK’s largest electric cargo bike delivery network.

The move comes as part of a £5m investment round led by Barclays Sustainable Impact Capital and MEIF Proof of Concept & Early Stage Fund, with additional funds from the Green Angel Syndicate. Perfectly positioned to capitalise on demand for low carbon logistics, the capital injection will be used to further expand Zedify’s pioneering service, making it available to c.20% of the UK population.

Richard Postins, founder of Prova, commented: “According to data from the Parcel Shipping Index, annual deliveries in the UK are responsible for more than 353,600t of CO2 emitted per annum. Transport, as a sector, accounts for 21% of global emissions – with road transport alone responsible for some 15%.

“With the ambition of tackling the issue head-on, Zedify provides sustainable ‘first and last mile’ deliveries using cargo bikes in city centres, where vans can’t operate efficiently and create both congestion and air pollution. Their clients include major retail brands, leading national parcel carriers and local independent businesses across 10 UK city locations.

“We’re thrilled to be welcoming Zedify to our portfolio. Over the past decade, we’ve worked hard to invest in the cleantech, envirotec and future mobility pioneers of tomorrow – seeing two successful exits this financial year alone. Zedify is a great fit for Prova and we’re looking forward to supporting the company’s commercial ambitions, as it brings sustainable logistics to more cities across the UK.”

Rob King, founder of Zedify, added: “Zedify’s model delivers tangible benefits – significant carbon reduction in the last mile; a fairer system for workers which counteracts the gig economy; cleaner, safer deliveries that contribute to healthier, more liveable cities; and more choice for consumers about how and when they receive their parcels. It’s exciting to have the backing of new and existing investors to enable us to realise our mission to transform urban logistics and create cities that are truly better for everyone.”

To find out about Zedify, visit www.zedify.co.uk. More information about Prova can be found at: www.provapr.co.uk/investments.

ENDS

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Prova Investments has announced a successful partial divestment of its shareholding in We Are Digital following the news of a significant investment by Paris-based IMPACT Partners, one of Europe’s biggest impact private equity funds, making its first UK investment.

We Are Digital is a leading wel-tech business that unlocks access to everyday online skills, resources and training for people who don’t have the help and support to get online or don’t have the access to training opportunities for jobs. The company provides the resources, skills and, in some cases, the equipment needed to get people online.

By being active and hands-on for every learner and service user, We Are Digital is focused on ensuring everyone has access to everyday life chances, better chances with training and support, more day-to-day skills and new life chances for everyone in every community. The company also supplies general advice, monetary guidance and welfare consultancy where needed.

Having initially invested in the company at seed stage, under its previous name of Silver Training, Prova has subsequently supported We Are Digital’s growth and development for almost a decade, including two further rounds of investment.

Impact Partners latest investment follows previous investments into We Are Digital by the likes of Triplepoint, Si2 and Ascension in 2019.

“This is exciting news for We Are Digital and a great success story for Prova Investments,” explained Prova Investments founder Richard Postins. “Alongside our investment, we’ve sat on the board and run the company’s external communications for a number of years – including driving the rebrand of the business.”

“It’s been hands on and we’re very proud of where the company is today. This significant financial investment from Impact Partners will help take We Are Digital to the global stage, and we’re thrilled to continue our equity involvement with the business.

“We have a great relationship with Matt and the team at We Are Digital and we’re looking forward to continuing that into the future.”

Matthew Adam, Founder of We Are Digital commented: “We’d like to thank the team at Prova for their continued support and guidance over the years. We’re delighted that they will continue to support us as we start an exciting new stage of our journey with Impact Partners.”

For more information about Prova Investments, or the latest additions to its growing portfolio of early-stage businesses operating at the forefront of cleantech, envirotec and the circular economy, visit https://provapr.co.uk/investments/.  

ENDS

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In recent years, there has been a significant increase in interest and investment in AI technology across a wide range of industries and applications. Some of the factors driving this growth include advancements in machine learning algorithms and natural language processing, as well as the increasing availability of large datasets and computing power.

According to a report by Allied Market Research, the global AI market size was valued at $62.35 billion in 2020 and is expected to reach $997.77 billion by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 40.2% from 2020 to 2027. There are a significant number of AI startups and companies entering the market, as well as a growing number of academic and research institutions focusing on AI technology. This has led to a proliferation of new AI tools and applications, making it easier and more accessible than ever before for businesses and individuals to incorporate AI into their operations and workflows.

But specifically for the PR and communications sector, should AI be seen as an opportunity, or a threat? To find out more, we programmed ChatGPT to explain the rise of text-based AI, what opportunities it offers the industry and whether or not machines will replace human creativity in the future. 

ChatGPT is an advanced artificial intelligence language model developed by OpenAI, one of the world’s leading artificial intelligence research organizations. ChatGPT stands for “Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer”, which refers to the model’s ability to generate natural language text based on input from a user.

At its core, ChatGPT is a machine learning model that is capable of understanding natural language inputs and producing human-like responses. The model is pre-trained on large amounts of text data, which allows it to learn the patterns and structures of language. It is then fine-tuned on specific tasks, such as chatbot conversations, question answering, or language translation.

One of the key features of ChatGPT is its ability to generate responses that are coherent, grammatically correct, and contextually appropriate. This is achieved through the use of a deep neural network architecture called a transformer, which is designed to process sequential data such as text.

When a user inputs a message, ChatGPT processes it and generates a response based on the patterns it has learned from its training data. The response is then displayed to the user, who can continue the conversation by providing additional input.

ChatGPT is capable of handling a wide range of natural language tasks, including chatbot conversations, language translation, question answering, and text completion. It can also be customized to specific domains, such as healthcare or finance, by fine-tuning the model on domain-specific data.

One of the major advantages of ChatGPT is its ability to learn from vast amounts of data, which allows it to generate responses that are highly accurate and contextually relevant. Additionally, ChatGPT can be easily integrated into existing software applications and platforms, making it a powerful tool for enhancing the user experience.

However, like all artificial intelligence models, ChatGPT is not perfect. It is prone to biases that may be present in its training data, and it may generate responses that are inappropriate or offensive in certain contexts. As such, it is important to carefully evaluate and monitor the performance of the model to ensure that it is producing high-quality outputs.

While ChatGPT is a powerful tool for generating natural language text, it is still a machine learning model that is limited by the data it has been trained on and the algorithms it uses to generate responses.

Human creativity, on the other hand, is a complex and multi-faceted process that involves a wide range of cognitive and emotional factors, including intuition, imagination, and experience. Human creativity is not limited by pre-existing data or algorithms, but rather by the unique perspective and insights of the individual.

In fact, many experts believe that artificial intelligence and human creativity can work together to enhance each other’s capabilities. For example, AI can be used to generate ideas and prototypes that can then be refined and developed further by human creators. Similarly, human creators can provide feedback and guidance to AI systems, helping them to improve and evolve over time.

Ultimately, the role of ChatGPT and other AI systems is to augment and support human creativity, rather than replace it. While these systems can be powerful tools for generating natural language text and performing other tasks, they are not capable of replicating the complex and nuanced processes of human creativity.

The post When Robots Rule: the impending takeover of artificial intelligence? appeared first on Prova PR.

Based in Derby, East Midlands, Composite Braiding produce advanced composites by combining materials such as carbon, glass, aramid and basalt fibres with thermoplastics. Using an award-winning automated manufacturing process, components can be braided quickly and at scale, reducing labour costs by 90%, waste by 97% and using 95% less energy.

Composite Braiding recently won the sustainability award for net-zero initiative at the Composites UK Awards for pioneering work to devise a lower-carbon manufacturing process for structural composites.

Richard Postins, of Prova Investments, commented: “We’re thrilled to be welcoming Composite Braiding to our portfolio. Over the past decade, we’ve worked to build an impressive portfolio of investments across cleantech, sustainability and circular economy sectors – seeing our first successful exit last year.

“With unique processes to manufacture advanced composites using sustainable materials, Composite Braiding is a great fit for our growing portfolio. We’re looking forward to supporting the company’s growth as it continues to pioneer composite manufacturing.”

Steve Barbour, managing director at Composite Braiding, added: “Following on from our recent sustainability award success, this new investment marks further good news for the Composite Braiding business. We were really impressed by the extensive cleantech, sustainability and circular economy portfolio that Prova Investments has established and we’re excited about the support they can bring to our business going forward. We are already implementing our 2023 plans and are continuing to innovate new solutions in automated composite manufacturing.”

To find out more about Prova Investments, visit www.provapr.co.uk/investments.

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In December, Prova hosted an exclusive event, in partnership with the Silverstone Technology Cluster, to advise businesses about the best ways to break into new markets.

As one of the guest speakers, I was keen to share experiences and case studies from where we have helped clients horizontally innovate from one sector into another. However, I was also interested to hear from attendees about some of the biggest challenges they faced in doing so.

During the presentation, we shared our experiences of some crucial first steps to take before diversifying into a new market sector and then the tactics that can be used to achieve it. One of the key discussions I had afterwards was about reaching out to a new audience through social media channels.

It isn’t enough to just upload content to a LinkedIn page, add some hashtags and hope people will naturally engage with what you have to say. Firstly, content needs to give the reader (or potential customer) some information or insight they don’t already have. It needs to tell them the solution that is offered and the added value delivered. Even when it does all of those things, it still needs to be specifically targeted, through paid activity, to the right audience.

Organic content can still resonate and go viral, but this is rare and the real value in LinkedIn is its database. Paid content can be more specifically targeted at key audience based on identifiers such as sector, business size and interests. This generally works well and should form part of a wider communications plan and not just be used in isolation.

The number one message we shared was to get the crucial sector research done first. Really understanding your audience and the challenges they face, as well as being able to offer a targeted, valuable solution to help them, is the key to breaking into new markets.

If you’re already successful in one market sector, but are looking to target new areas in 2023, then drop us a message. We’d be delighted to have a discussion with you and offer our consultative advice.

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Social advocacy is the number one thing clients have asked me about in the past 18 months, but why is that? Where has it come from? Where does it sit as part of modern strategic communications plan? Most importantly, however, does it actually work?

What’s it called?

For the purposes of this article, I’m going to refer to it as social advocacy, but I’m well aware that the classification differs by organisation and by agency. Some refer to it as an internal influencer programme, others I’ve come across include internal champions, individual leveraging and somewhat bizarrely the ‘employee outreach programme’.

Where has it come from?

Rewind 15 years to the early days of social media for business and the focus was all about setting up corporate profiles and outreaching on the key networks of the time. This was all organic, of course, as paid social simply didn’t exist (I look back on this time fondly as it was all about quality content, rather than how much you paid to target!). One of the key requirements of the time was to establish large social media audiences, but the agency push back was always to deliver quality followers over quantity.

With the right post, your content could be seen by a healthy number of relevant followers, whatever the platform, and I saw first hand how that began to translate into real-world commercial conversions.

Changing landscape

Then everything changed. It all became about how much you paid, not necessarily what your content said. This was obviously an inevitable move by the social networks giants to monetise. However, I think it also set off a chain reaction in that social media consumers naturally became more wary and less trusting of the content they were exposed to. Add to this the increasing pressure for social media managers to generate continually increasing month-on-month follower and engagement statistics and you end up with a vicious cycle of having to increase paid budgets – which obviously works in the favour of the social media networks.

Changing tactics

Not every brand has unlimited budget to utilise on either paid social campaigns or by developing campaign content that is clever enough to achieve cut through virally. From an agency perspective I found more and more clients asking me “what can we do differently on social, without spending additional budget, that’ll help us reach our key decision makers?”

There are plenty of tactics that can be employed, some better than others. However, the one I’ve kept coming back to and which I’m still introducing clients to now is social advocacy. In essence, using the already established and warm connections of individuals (mostly through LinkedIn) rather than the colder, faceless brands to reach out to your key target audience.

What are the advantages of social advocacy?

Social advocacy has a relatively simple strategic value. It takes advantage of the fact that people generally trust their individual connections more than they trust corporate brands. For example, if brand x says this is the best product the world has ever seen, people are still likely to be naturally cautious. However, if three or four of your trusted connections bestow the virtues of brand x and outline how it has made a difference for them, we as social media consumers are more likely to at least consider purchasing it.

The throttling of brand news feeds means that less people see your content than you might think or expect. However, with social advocacy, particularly by using long-form LinkedIn articles, a large number of individual connections are likely to have the opportunity to see your content. If you then utilise that content with multiple advocates and tie that in with brand content, overall impressions of key messages will significantly increase in result. There is still a requirement for quality content, avoidance of recycled narrative and eye catching assets, but you certainly achieve more cut through with target audiences (and all for free!).

What are the disadvantages of social advocacy?

If this is such a good tactic, so why isn’t everyone doing it? Well, a lot of businesses are, you just may not have realised.

As with most things in life, social advocacy is not the complete solution – there is definitely risk involved! If you build your communications strategy solely around two or three key advocates and their network outreach, who end up leaving the organisation, they take their personal connections and your hard work with them. The answer to this is getting that engaged audience to willingly and somewhat unconsciously transfer across from advocate to brand during the outreach. But that’s not necessarily an easy thing to do!

Another disadvantage is time. The best advocates are generally higher profile – managing directors, technical experts and social media aficionados. These people are perfect for advocacy as they are already audience rich, unfortunately as a result of their day-to-day roles they are also generally time poor. The answer to this is using internal teams or agencies, such as Prova (shameless plug, sorry!), to ghost write the content for that busy advocate, with them just having to personalise and post it.

Where does it sit as part of a wider comms plan?

It certainly doesn’t replace brand organic or paid social media outreach. Instead, what I‘m saying is that those tactics are much less effective that they used to be and can potentially cost a lot of money. Social advocacy allows you to effectively target the already established audiences of the people who work for you – all at a cost-efficient price point.

The person’s buy in to the strategy is vital. They have to understand what the objective is and why they’re a part of it. Done correctly and ‘alongside’ traditional PR, marketing, wider communications and brand social media, social advocacy can be really powerful.

Does it actually work?

I can only speak from my experience of working with a wide variety of B2B and B2C brands and I’ve seen it really help reach a different type of audience, who may not already be invested in the brand, but are in the person or people who work for that brand.

There are challenges as outlined above and measuring success is always a big question I’m regularly asked. However, with the right support and knowledge base, it’s possible to demonstrate that advocacy is a key part of the successful outreach achieved with a wider communications plan.

The post The rise of the social advocate appeared first on Prova PR.

So, what are the latest changes? Here’s a round-up of the key updates we think you need to know about…

Twitter

The most noticeable change for Twitter is the introduction of multi-media format tweets, simply put, videos, images and GIFs can now be shared in the same tweet. Users can even make the mix-and-match formats work together to create larger images or memes out of the four-tiled display.

The platform has also altered the way users consume video content – swiping on a video will now show related content. Both of these updates ride the social media wave of focusing on creative, visual and remixed content which has proven to drive success across other platforms.

TikTok

Introducing the ‘profile kit’ feature, TikTok now allows creators to embed up to six videos on their LinkTree. Creators can choose to display their latest, most popular or favourite videos on the LinkTree landing page, as well as play videos without having to navigate away from the app. The update comes as part of TikTok for developers, including other tools that enables developers to build TikTok-based apps and API integrations. 

Another update users may have noticed is the introduction of ‘photo mode’, a feature reminiscent of an Instagram carousel, albeit slightly more robust. Only available on the mobile app, TikTok users can add audio to the images which automatically scroll, however this can be done manually too. This also provides low stake opportunities for video shy social content marketers to experiment with TikTok content.

While in recent years TikTok has set the pace for other platforms, this is not the only time they have replicated a feature found elsewhere – in September, they launched ‘TikTok Now’, a feature which mimics the French platform, BeReal.

YouTube

The video-sharing platform has rolled out new user handles for all channels, providing personal URLs for accounts. The update will make it easier to find specific accounts and connect with creators, with the handle visible on the homepage, in search results, on YouTube shorts and in the comment section.

Channels with existing personalised URLs will have their existing URL reserved, however the right to edit or change URL is available to all. The handle must adhere to YouTube community guidelines and not exceed 30 characters, and if no handle is claimed by November 14 then one will be automatically applied, although users will still have the option to change this at a later date.

On the horizon…

While these are the updates users can expect to see in action now, there are a number of updates expected to land pretty soon.

TikTok is expected to launch updates in the coming months including:

• A gaming hub, offering users in-app gaming experiences with the option to purchase additional content (as you would with in-app purchases)
• Pulse program, only available to top creators the program allows creators to benefit from revenue sharing as currently seen on YouTube

Meanwhile, Instagram is testing a few of its own including:

• Multiple links in bio, a pop-up window will display a selection of links provided by the account holder – think LinkTree but pre-integrated into the platform
• Scheduling posts and reels, the advance settings options will be manually controlled for each posts with a schedule toggle for both static and video content

And, while they may only have one anticipated update, Twitter is beginning to explore the option of an ‘edit tweet’ function – a feature highly anticipated by both personal and professional users alike.

For a free social media audit, or to speak to our team about optimising your platforms, call 01926 776900 or email info@provapr.co.uk.

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Prova Investments has announced the successful divestment of its shareholding in Caption Data Limited (“Caption Data”) to Polygon Group (“Polygon”), a global expert in property damage control.

Caption Data provides end-to-end industrial IoT solutions for sectors including construction, utilities, social housing, energy, water damage and the built environment. With products operational in 15 countries worldwide, clients range from SMEs to major corporate blue chips, with services provided to organisations including the Houses of Parliament.

By turning raw data into valuable data, presented back as graphics, algorithms, alerts, audit trails, dashboards or management reports, clients benefit from online, real-time intelligence from any internet-enabled browser. Developed with the customer in mind, Caption Data’s product offer has been specifically developed to make businesses run more efficiently.

Having invested in the company at seed stage, Prova has supported Caption Data’s continued growth for almost a decade. Exiting the business to Polygon will help to support further global expansion and continued product development.

“We’re extremely proud of the thriving portfolio we’ve established over the past decade,” explained Richard Postins, founder of Prova Investments. “A vibrant mix of companies operating across cleantech, envirotec and the circular economy, our investees are pushing boundaries and pioneering the innovation of tomorrow.

“We’re pleased to have supported the continued growth of Caption Data. Polygon will be an ambitious new owner, with the global reach and resources to further accelerate international expansion.

Paul Sanders, Managing Director at Caption Data commented: “We’d like to thank the team at Prova for their support and guidance over the years. As we start a new stage of our journey with Polygon, we will be able to develop new solutions to support our customers even further.”

For more information about Prova Investments, or the latest additions to its growing portfolio of early-stage businesses operating at the forefront of cleantech, envirotec and the circular economy, visit https://provapr.co.uk/investments/.  

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Recognised worldwide for its stylish design, Hagley West delivers fashionable watches without the premium price tag. Run by entrepreneur Tim Hayden, the brand has experienced significant growth over the past 18 months and is looking to break the million-pound turnover milestone before the end of the year.

With almost a million followers on Tik Tok, Tim has built his brand from the ground up through viral events, competitions, spreading his #LoveYourJourney message and a successful direct to consumer eCommerce model, which has helped the brand to flourish since its launch in 2016.

Hagley West is looking to report record sales at this year’s Black Friday event, enlisting the help of Prova in the run-up to boost the label’s public profile through media relations and product placement activity.

With Prova’s extensive expertise in taking brands to new audiences, the partnership will bring about a unique marketing experience that is engaging for customers.

Ed Willmott, director of communications at Prova, said: “Hagley West uses a captivating strategy to achieve impressive growth. It’s all about emotion and humanised content, which we absolutely love. So much, in fact, that we invested in the brand back in 2019!

“Over the coming months, we’re looking forward to working closely with Tim and the team to help further propel the brand through creative communications.” For more information about Hagley West, visit www.hagleywest.com or follow founder, Tim Hayden on TikTok @timhayden6. 

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Headquartered in Tokyo, Custom Media specialises in digitally-integrated marketing campaigns and strategic communications consultancy. Its ambition is to become the leading bilingual, digital content creator in Japan, supporting businesses across the globe.

Its addition to the network will provide members with a trusted partner consultancy to help deliver high-value international campaigns across Japan.

Ed Wilmott, director of communications at Prova, commented: “The appointment of Custom Media is a great addition to the PR Network. The team are hugely ambitious and work at the very forefront of digital communications globally.

“Delivering meaningful communications campaigns for our clients is at the heart of what we do at Prova. Working with a global network of trusted partner agencies, each of whom are market-leaders in their respective territories, is fundamental to this offer.

“We’re looking forward to working closely with Custom Media, sharing insights and collaborating on exciting projects moving forward.”

The PRN is a global collective of creative and dynamic public relations specialists. The network provides high-level consultancy and national support for worldwide PR campaigns. PRN has affiliate PR agencies across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.

For more information about the Public Relations Network, visit: www.pr-network.biz .

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23 August 2022, Warwick, UK: Prova Investments has continued to build its growing portfolio of early-stage businesses operating at the forefront of cleantech, envirotec and the circular economy, by taking an equity stake in Smile Plastics.

Based in Swansea, Wales, Smile Plastics adopts a unique process to turn used and recovered packaging and other plastics waste into beautiful supersized solid surface panels for the decorative architectural and interior design sectors. With examples showcased at the V&A, as well as installed in countless commercial and domestic applications globally (with clients including Dior, Selfridges and Ganni), the end product is highly versatile and adaptive. Whether specifying from its Classic Collection or requesting a custom material hand-crafted to suit specific colour palettes and finish preferences, consistent quality and material characteristics are a given.

With the production of virgin plastic using more than 8% of the world’s oil, 90% of ocean waste consisting of single-use plastics and less than 9% of all global plastic output recycled every year, Smile is working to improve the circularity of plastic packaging. With each panel made from 100% recycled material and 100% recyclable end-of-life, the process maximises resource productivity and extends asset life through sustainable remanufacture.

Richard Postins, director of Prova Investments, commented: “The world depends on plastic as an affordable, versatile and durable packaging material, with more than 367 million metric tons manufactured every year. However, while we produce and consume more and more, the global plastic waste mountain – which takes centuries to degrade – continues to build.

“At Prova Investments, we’re committed to supporting early-stage businesses operating at the forefront of the cleantech, envirotec and circular economy sectors. With a unique model of extending asset life through sustainable remanufacture, Smile Plastics is a perfect fit for our growing portfolio.

“We’re looking forward to supporting the company’s global expansion ambitions, as it brings plastic circularity to more industries and geographies worldwide.”

John Hinnigan, Director of Smile Plastics, added: “We are delighted to have Prova on board as part of a shareholder community committed to fighting climate change and the development of the circular economy. This investment round is central to the expansion of our manufacturing capacity and to move forward our programme of international business development.”

To find out more about Prova Investments, visit www.provapr.co.uk/investments.

ENDS

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Last month, we were joined by Lucy Fennell, a final year English and Spanish student from the University of Birmingham, for three days of work experience. We asked Lucy before she finished to write about her time with Prova and here’s what she had to say…

I initially reached out to Prova about work experience as I wanted to gain a better understanding of working in a PR and communications landscape. Working with the team was an absolute pleasure – they’re all really welcoming and it was great to work with a close-knit team, who are all so supportive of one another.

Most of my time was spent working alongside one of the account executives, Erin, who is lovely and looked after me throughout the week. She took the time to talk to me about the agency and its history, as well as helping me to understand her roles and responsibilities across her clients. Ed, Gill and Faye also made time to speak with me and ensure that I was learning as much as possible. Despite being senior members of the team, they were readily available to answer any questions I had about the agency, clients or wider industry – even on the day I got to experience hybrid working and worked from home!

Throughout my time at Prova, I was thankful to be given the opportunity to write content – unlike many internships, where you wouldn’t do much more than observe and make teas and coffees, I was able to get stuck into the different aspects of the agency. In fact, I didn’t touch the coffee machine once!

Alongside developing my research skills, I was able to try my hand at writing press releases, capturing press cuttings and assisting with preparations for a client marketing workshop. Despite having previous experience with social media, it was a novelty to work on a monthly social calendar and I anticipate that this approach to social media planning will prove useful to me in the future.

One thing that separates Prova from other city-based agencies is their location in the county town of Warwickshire. It was enjoyable to explore the town over lunch, as well as on the way in and out of the office. The view from the top of St Mary’s Church is well worth the climb and I quickly developed a fondness for independent coffee shop Jack’s Shack. Furthermore, Warwick struck me as a wonderful place to work.

I am grateful for the help I received while working with the team and wish everyone at Prova PR all the best for the future. I’m looking forward to hearing about what they get up to!

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The impacts of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine can be felt across the globe. But what has it been like for those at the very centre?

In this guest blog post, Kateryna Didkovska, Director of Ukrainian-based M&P Communications, discusses how the agency is navigating its way through a changing economy and a new communications landscape – all while working out of Kyiv.

M&P Communications is a Kyiv based Ukrainian boutique PR agency. Our team has 12 communications specialists, dedicated to their job and dream to make business communications creative and show human face of business. This year we could celebrate our anniversary — 15 successful years of work in Ukraine. But the war made its correction to our lives.

During our 15 years of operation on Ukrainian market, PR area, as a part of Ukrainian economy, has gone through many challenges: financial crises of 2007-2008, military conflict in the east since 2014, 8 years of ongoing eastern crises, COVID-19 Pandemic. But nothing was so dramatic and crucial for our country as Russian invasion in February 2022. It has been more than 2 months, already, since the war began, and we want to share what we’ve been through this time and how we are still working. Yes, we do. And mostly from Kyiv.

Business reaction and terminating of PR activities in Ukraine

Our clients are mostly big international companies, like Microsoft, PlayStation, Sanofi, Viber and many more of well-known businesses. Starting from March, most of our clients stopped or limited their activities, except very few. Ukrainian companies reduced or cancelled budgets on PR, trying to cover internal communications and operate with rare external PR on their own. Worldwide companies paused activities waiting for better times, hoping that war will be over soon. But it is not. We received payments from projects which are already done, extended very few contracts and faced rough reality – we won’t have money to support our employees and their families if we won’t find how to work.
Also, worth mentioning, that we declined few requests from companies, which are still working in Russia, for crisis communications in Ukraine. We had a call with team, and it was a mutual decision: we rather won’t get paid than support bloody businesses.

PR services which business still orders in Ukraine

Most of the companies, which stopped activities are sure, that once war is over, and they will need to come back to Ukrainian market. And their reputation during the war will play the major role in consumers choices. During the war, Ukrainians learnt not to forgive businesses, which supported Russia in any way. From this coming communications services, which are still ordered in Ukraine, and we keep providing them.

• Daily monitoring of media and social media, crises alerts, crises statements and management.
• Internal communications with employees, who are now settled worldwide and need support as never before. People, who had to leave homes right now need to feel, that company still cares about their destiny.
• News creation about company’s non-commercial updates: new functions, business work renewals, how business works and helps to Ukrainians. In a very non-marketing format. Tone of voice and purpose are very important.
• SR projects, showing support and being here for Ukrainians. Good news for Ukraine is extra valuable right now.

Here we bring few examples of bad and good communication approaches from business. For example, news that a pharmaceutical company launches new antianxiety pills is bad. Interview of company’s expert and psychologist giving practical advises how to deal with anxiety during the war – is good. News about messenger safety update with threatening statistics of cyberattacks on other markets and in Ukraine is bad. News about messenger safety update with tips how to use it and some more hints how to secure device – is good.

Opportunities for Ukrainian PR market

Mentioned above activities are a very short list of services, which obviously cannot cover needs of Ukrainian PR market. Most of the agencies and professionals are becoming jobless, or working part-time. And we are talking about people with over 5-10 years of experience. Currently, we found few ways to keep our team busy and involve new projects from abroad.

Many of Ukrainian business after war has relocated to European, USA and other markets. They also have been looking for a possibility to keep working and had to move out or expand to other countries. We are offering PR services for them: PR strategy and communication plans on new markets, SMM, media & bloggers relations from the scratch. All the services to make business visible abroad.

Moving facilities from Ukraine to other markets for our current clients. For example, one of our clients involved our team to help conquer USA market of mobile applications. They don’t need to find a new agency – they already have a good experience with us. And fluent English and expertise lets us perform tasks in the USA.

Offering our services to European companies. We have experience in many markets with media relations, opinion leaders, crisis communications, content creation, media planning, strategies, research & analytics and other core PR services. Also, over the past 3 years we were recognized with European PR awards and listed in PR ratings. The most recent award is for the best launch with PlayStation 5 in Europe by European Excellence Awards. And on top of that, we are ready to work with small budget projects, so clients get professional services for small fee comparing to their markets.

We think in Ukraine we learnt what freedom is: when everyone can be heard no matter what language they speak, what political or religious mindset they have. And as business PR team, we know how business should speak to their audiences to be heard.

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The digital landscape changes frequently, particularly social media trends and algorithms. The past month has seen significant revisions made across online platforms, including the installation of Google’s first core update of 2022, as well as Microsoft’s decision to finally retire Internet Explorer.

Social media users may be unaware of the smaller, more regular updates rolled-out across platforms, especially those who access through desktop. Apps on mobile devices are likely to ask for an update to be made, but again it’s not always clear what fixes, or changes, are being introduced.

So, what are the latest changes?

Twitter

The most noticeable change for Twitter is the introduction of in-app communities, also known as ‘Super Follower Only Spaces’. These are available to selected accounts that offer subscriptions to users and are designed to offer a new way for brands to monetise through the platform.

Communities provide brands with a new opportunity to increase engagement with their most engaged followers by providing exclusive content. Some of the content shared within the spaces can be seen by ‘regular’ users, however, to engage, access or join the conversation, they would need to become a ‘Super Follower’.

Instagram

As the popularity of TikTok continues to grow, Instagram’s latest updates are subtly directing users to share more video content in a bid to capitalise on changing user behaviours. While Instagram has launched several updates, the most significant are alterations in how content will be displayed.

Since its launch, Instagram has favoured a 1:1 aspect ratio, sharing content in square formats to fit within a grid aesthetic created for user profiles. The new update, however, will share content in a 9:16 vertical aspect (like TikTok), by default, to offer users a full-screen display.

The square format can still be selected, however users must use a resize button to do so. Any static imagery shared that does not fit the new aspect ratio will be cropped to improve the quality and suit the platform, while videos will be given a blurred border to fit the new style.

The latest Instagram algorithm assesses content in the following ways:

• Post popularity indicators – how many people clicked ‘like’, post location, post duration (video only)
• How frequently the user has previously interacted with the account
• How many posts the user has previously liked
• User engagement with other content posted by the account

Another recent feature update enables grid pinning for three posts on a profile (suitable for both static and video content), stories running for up to 60 seconds in a single capture (rather than in 15 second increments) and several changes to Reels, including an extension from 60 seconds to 90 seconds and the ability to import audio.

Facebook

Meta has also announced changes to its Facebook platform, including several updates for business pages that aim to encourage further consumer engagement. The first introduction is a feature that enables pages to send promotional messages to customers who ‘opt-in’ – examples given include product news, promotions and discounts.

The second is ad creation for the WhatsApp business app, designed to make it easier for communication to occur. Additional features will enable businesses to connect with their audiences through WhatsApp more frequently.

While many of these changes may not seem immediately significant to your page or profile, they could still play a part in the ongoing success of your content. The new features are designed to work alongside new algorithms, which means pages or profiles that implement the necessary changes will see their content perform better than those who stand still.

None of the platforms recommend altering existing content to better suit the new features, as the algorithms do account for a few different factors when assessing relevancy and popularity, but it is suggested that all new content should be created to best suit the features and ensure the best possible results.

These features are likely to develop further but, depending on their success, could also be removed as quickly as they arrived. We’ve already heard discussions around more changes that could be introduced later this year, such as alterations to how users interact with Instagram stories. While features are not currently live, being aware of key changes is essential to ensuring your content and engagement are optimised

For a free social media audit, or to speak to our team about optimising your platforms, call 01926 776900, email info@provapr.co.uk, or slide into our DMs.

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Throughout the year, Google makes regular changes to its processes, most of which users are unaware of. The largest updates, known as core updates, take place periodically and make significant changes to key search engine features, such as ranking processes.

The most recent update was announced last month, with the roll-out beginning on 25 May and completing on 9 June. The core updates revise the algorithms underlying the search engine to check their delivery relevancy and quality. Google introduces these updates to ensure it provides the best possible user experience, maximising use of the search engine and other Google products.

Designed to keep up with the ever-changing nature of the web and improve Google systems, the update will present noticeable effects, however users should be aware that it does not target specific pages or sites. This is highlighted in their announcement as adjusting the ranking processes means that sites may find themselves appearing in different locations in search results.

While some users may find their site improves in ranking results, others may suffer negative effects. If a page falls in the ranking, it is not as a direct result of the webmaster guidelines, nor has it been subjected to manual or algorithmic action, as can happen if a page violates the guidelines. Furthermore, it does not mean there is anything to fix. It is simply a result of Google changing how they assess information and relevancy for searches, and re-evaluating content against pages published since the previous update.

Data providers SEMRush calculated that the average level of volatility[1] prior to this new update was significantly higher than that for the November 2021 update. An overall increase in volatility compared to the baseline level of before the update was 19% less during the initial release for desktop users, and 24% on mobile. They also revealed that 17% of new top 20 ranked results in Google, after the latest update, came from position 20 or beyond – only a slight variation in November 2021. Similarly, RankRange found that the data’s average position changes were higher than with previous updates.

Navigating changes in search rank

Google says that changes in your search rank doesn’t mean that your content or webpage needs fixing. Instead, they advise users to focus on offering the best possible content to deal with the impact of a broad core update.

If users were looking to take a more proactive approach to navigating the new algorithms, Google has reshared a list of questions from their 2019 update, covering content quality, presentation and expertise, that can be used to assess a site and its content.

Additionally, it is recommended that users approach adjustments wholistically rather than trying to tackle individual changes, such as title tags. After all, it could be a range of factors, including content, user experience and speed, that have contributed to the algorithm reading a site differently.

While improvements can be made to navigate the core update, on-site optimisations do not guarantee recovery. Google does not suggest that users rework their entire site, but advise against taking no action with new content as it could possibly allow for no recovery.

Typically, with core updates, those most affected could be sites that were affected by the previous update and worked hard to optimise content in recent months hoping for more improvements, while those neglected risk being overtaken by competitors who have made changes, or shared new content, that better meet the new quality criteria set by Google.

So, what should users do?

The impact of the update should not be assessed too quickly after its completion, instead the effects should be observed over a period of time to identify trends in ranking movements. Using this information, users can then decide how they want to progress with any alterations.

It is, however, worth noting that sites might not regain traffic or rank positions lost until the next core update is completed – even then, it is not guaranteed that your position will return. This uncertainty is why Google recommends that you focus on driving your new content to be as relevant as possible, because that is what the algorithms will be looking for when re-evaluating the latest webpages.

[1] Volatility, in this capacity, is reference to a measurement of movement within search result placements and can be defined by specific timeframes, keywords and placement positions.

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Alongside B2C agency experience, including multi-platform content writing, social media management and analytics reporting, Smith has a degree from Birmingham City University in Media and Communications, specialising in PR.

Commenting on her appointment, Smith said: “Having followed Prova for a while, I’m delighted to be joining such a dynamic team. I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with such forward-thinking clients who operate at the real vanguard of their industries.”

Ed Willmott, director of communications at Prova, added: “We’re thrilled to welcome Erin to the team. Thanks to a number of recent client wins and the continued development of our investments division, Prova is experiencing rapid global growth. 

“I’m confident that Erin’s B2C experience and digital skillset will prove invaluable across our extensive client portfolio. It will be great to support her career development going forward, especially at such an exciting time for the business.”

Prova’s client base includes leading brands such as the AA, circular economy private equity firm Circularity Capital, EV tech company myenergi and many others. The business is also a board member of PRN, an international group of independent communications consultancies delivering world-leading campaigns for clients worldwide. 

For more information about Prova, visit www.provapr.co.uk.

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Prova, the leading clean technology, circular economy and transport communications consultancy, has appointed Gill Holtom as director of strategy. Alongside leading a number of national client accounts, Holtom will direct commercial strategy for the agency’s communications and investment divisions.

With an illustrious career spanning both in-house and agency roles, Holtom has worked with some of the world’s leading B2B and consumer brands and run several award-winning PR teams across the midlands.

Commenting on her appointment, Holtom said: “I’m really looking forward to joining the Prova family at such an exciting time for the business. Prova has grown into a globally recognised cleantech and circular economy communications expert, with its own unique investment fund. My priority is to help the team build on its impressive progress – not just in the UK, but worldwide.”

Richard Postins, founder and CEO of Prova, added: “This is a transformational time for the business. Gill’s appointment aligns with our ambitions to expand the team and take our capability to the global stage. I’m thrilled that Gill has seen the potential at Prova – her experience and network will prove pivotal to our future strategy.

“Now is the time to capitalise on almost two decades’ of sustainability and cleantech experience, while harnessing the ethos of unstinting client service.”    

Prova’s client base includes brands such as the AA, EV tech company myenergi, food waste recycler ReFood, circular economy private equity firm Circularity Capital and many others. The business is also a board member of PRN, an international group of independent communications consultancies.

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We have been at the forefront of environmental and sustainability PR for more than 20 years. It is an increasingly fast paced and dynamic area, where our expertise and passion is sought out by companies large and small as they look to adapt and thrive. We are committed to working on campaigns that support businesses on their journey to a cleaner, brighter future.

We work hard and are team players who love what we do. We have exciting plans for the future and are looking for a number of roles to join our team.

From PA and office manager, PR executives, managers and account directors, we have rewarding roles for the right people.

What are we looking for? We love to work with people who are keen to develop their role, their skills and have an entrepreneurial spirit. They will be seriously committed to understanding our business, our clients and the sustainability landscape in depth. Ultimately, you will be committed to becoming a trusted and knowledgeable member of our team.

In return, you will be given the opportunity to grow and shape your role within a fast growing business, a generous rewards package, training and the chance to build relationships and influence in a sector that is experiencing enormous growth.

To find out more about our current vacancies, please get in touch with our MD, Ed, explaining why you think you would be a good fit for our business. We look forward to hearing from you!

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Renowned for its stylish range of pioneering green technologies, including the world’s first solar compatible EV charger, myenergi’s key objective is to reduce mains reliance and create a truly sustainable future. From its UK headquarters, the business supplies tens of thousands of homes and businesses across the globe with state-of-the-art smart devices.

Partnering with Prova will allow myenergi to further increase its public profile, position its highly acclaimed portfolio as the ‘go to’ solution for eco-smart home management and support its ambitious international growth aspirations. With products including the zappi EV charger and eddi solar power diverter, the brand has attracted the attention of countless household names, including TV presenters Robert Llewellyn and Charley Boorman.

Jordan Brompton, CMO at myenergi, commented: “When we founded myenergi, the vision was simple – create a positive impact, push the boundaries of possibility and change the world through pioneering green technology. With the support of Prova, we want to take our message out to the world and show that renewable energy technology is the key to creating a sustainable future for generations to come. 

Ed Willmott, director of communications at Prova, added: “The myenergi story is truly unique – a hugely passionate British manufacturing success story, built on a commitment to sustainability and a vision for the zero-carbon world of tomorrow. We’re looking forward to working in close partnership with Jordan and the team to drive widespread awareness and support continued global growth.

“With market-leading experience working with the world’s leading names in clean technology, sustainability, environmental innovation and electrification, we aim to make an immediate business impact.”

Prova, the globally-acclaimed cleantech communications consultancy, has been delivering powerful integrated marketing campaigns for more than 20 years. Operating at the cutting edge of the circular economy, the company prides itself on unparalleled knowledge, insight and experience, delivering business growth, investment and successful exits for the next generation of sustainable, fast growth businesses.

For more information about myenergi, visit www.myenergi.com.

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STC is the not-for-profit cluster support organisation for advanced engineering, electronics and software businesses located in the area surrounding Silverstone. Its ambition is to encourage innovation and collaboration, foster commercial growth and drive business opportunities. Membership includes leading companies from the automotive, aerospace, technology sectors, as well as supporting professional services organisations. Founding members include Barclays, Buckinghamshire Council, EMW, Grant Thornton, Hexagon, Silverstone Park and South Northamptonshire Council. The STC board is made up of those organisations, as well as representatives from KW Special Projects and Lohmann Technologies. 

Prova is renowned for delivering innovative communications programmes for world leaders across motorsport, automotive, cleantech and further afield, as well as managing legislative and behavioural change programmes, while building its own investment cluster and developing close relationships with the private equity and VC communities. 

Pim van Baarsen, chief executive of STC, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Prova to our membership base and look forward to working in close partnership with the consultancy to raise the profile of our members and ourselves. Prova has an enviable reputation across the cleantech and advanced engineering sectors, as well as an impressive track record across motorsport. They have close ties with our community already.”

Ed Willmott, director of communications at Prova, added: “Within an hour of Silverstone lies some of the most innovative advanced engineering expertise in the world. It is a real privilege to help raise the profile of such a unique, growing cluster. The STC is going from strength to strength and we want to take that message to a wider audience.”

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Circularity Capital, the specialist private equity firm supporting growth stage European SMEs in the circular economy, has appointed communications consultancy Prova to manage its external public relations activities.

Circularity Capital’s investment strategy specifically addresses the increasing challenges faced by traditional ‘take-make-dispose’ models of production and consumption. The firm seeks out businesses that can out-perform the market and their linear competitors by applying the circular economy framework. 

Partnering with Prova will help Circularity Capital to raise widespread awareness of its rapidly-growing portfolio, while positioning itself as a true leader in the circular economy and building its pan-European reputation for institutional quality impact investment.

Jamie Butterworth, Partner at Circularity Capital, commented: “As the UK’s leading environmental communications consultancy, Prova has significant experience and a powerful network. Appointing the team to manage our external communications will help to position us at the centre of the circular economy impact investment space.

Richard Postins, managing director at Prova, added: “Economic growth has historically been driven by a linear model of production and consumption. The circular economy provides a framework to transform this challenge into an opportunity by enhancing resource productivity and creating new sources of value.

“Circularity capital is renowned for its expertise in the circular economy and reputation for institutional quality impact investment. Over the coming months, we’re looking forward to working in close partnership with the team to further promote this message.” For more information about Circularity Capital, visit www.circularitycapital.com. To find out about Prova’s communications experience, visit www.provapr.co.uk.

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Prova, one of the world’s leading cleantech communications consultancies, has further grown its investment portfolio with an equity stake in CarCloud, the free app that helps users manage their personal and business motoring. The app exceeded its investment target in less than 72 hours.

CarCloud makes the administration of a personal or business vehicle easier than checking your bank balance, while also helping to find the best insurance and finance deals. It also assists the corporate community in ensuring grey fleet compliance, with more than 90% of business miles now undertaken in privately-owned vehicles. 

Ed Willmott, director at Prova, is delighted with the agreement and noted: “Over the past decade, Prova has built an impressive portfolio of investments across the sustainability and technology sectors, in the main from our own communications client base. It’s an exciting time for us as we look towards our first exits – and we’re delighted to add CarCloud to our roster.”   

He continued; “Given the calibre of the team assembled at CarCloud by its parent company PaceCloud, we are looking forward to seeing the brand grow. Alongside investing in the company, we are committed to playing a driving role in its strategic reputation and future progression.” 

Geoff Turral, co-founder of CarCloud and previously MD of Porsche UK, said: “We’re thrilled to welcome Prova to the CarCloud family. The strategic approach of the team, alongside their creative flair and clear thinking, makes them a perfect partner, both from a communications perspective and as a valued investor.” 

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Yesterday we hosted our first webinar in partnership with the Silverstone Technology Cluster, a not-for-profit cluster support organisation for advanced engineering, electronics and software businesses located in the area surrounding Silverstone.

Drawing on Prova’s 20 years’ experience, our director of communications Ed Willmott shared industry insight on how members can drive commercial growth through communications. Covering a range of topics, Ed shared advice on the basics of communications, its benefits and where businesses should start in order to grow their business using PR and marketing techniques.

We were delighted to host this webinar with the Silverstone Technology Cluster. If you missed it, or would like to watch again, catch up here.

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A truly inspiring story, the 2000m2 facility is now fully operational. With an engineering-led philosophy, the DMC will work in partnership with customers to understand their specific requirements, designing for application as well as manufacture.

We’re delighted to have helped bring the vision to life. Take a look behind the scenes and find out what guests attending the launch had to say.

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Prova, the global automotive, cleantech and sustainability communications consultancy, has announced its agreement to support myenergi, pioneer of the world’s first eco-smart EV charging device, and its sponsorship of the Hispano Suiza Xite Energy Team for the 2021 Extreme E season.  

Extreme E, the all-electric, all-terrain series, will see SUVs race through some of the most demanding environments on earth, including the Arctic Circle and Amazon rainforest. The series aims to highlight the impact of climate change on some of the most remote and notably-affected locations. As part of the collaboration, the team’s 550hp Odyssey 21 SUV will feature myenergi livery for each of the season’s five ground-breaking events. Piloted by drivers Oliver Bennett and Christine Giampaoli Zonca, the UK outfit will make its debut at the season-opening Desert X Prix, which takes place in Saudi Arabia this weekend. 

Prova has decades of experience across cleantech and sustainability, as well as running its own motorsport programmes. Its communications campaigns for Wales Rally GB, the UK round of the World Rally Championship, Triumph Motorcycles, Drayson Racing Technologies, Honda and many others, make it the ideal partner for the ground-breaking initiative.    

Jordan Brompton, co-founder and CMO of myenergi, commented: “We’re thrilled with the work that Prova has been delivering terms of taking myenergi to the consumer and they were the natural fit when we decided to pursue opportunities with Extreme E. Pushing the boundaries of technology and capability, Extreme E is set to revolutionise global motorsport – and Prova will be able to harness that opportunity through their creativity and experience. Combining entertainment with environmental activism, the championship will raise global awareness of the widespread impacts of global warming and the climate emergency and we’re delighted to be involved.”

Ed Willmott, director of communications at Prova, added; ”It’s great news that we are extending our relationship with myenergi. Jordan and her team are passionate, driven and eager to deliver change. We believe Prova is a mirror image of that enthusiasm, hunger and desire. With our unique blend of automotive, motorsport and sustainability credentials, including driving change across food waste & landfill, electronics recycling, circular economy adoption and elsewhere, we believe we are in an ideal place to fully harness the opportunity presented by Extreme E for myenergi.”

The post Prova supports Extreme E sponsorship deal appeared first on Prova PR.

With more than 15 years’ experience, Prestige Fleet Servicing is one of the UK’s market leaders in the provision of SMR and minimising vehicle off road time. Headquartered in Leicestershire, the network includes over 575 approved garages across the UK and now serves more than 60% of the fleet sector. With a mission to ensure vehicles in the UK are well maintained, cost effective and efficient, the brand’s partnership with Prova will raise widespread market awareness of Prestige’s growing network and services.

Prova is renowned for delivering innovative communications programmes for world leaders across the automotive industry and already has extensive brand knowledge from working with AA Business Services and AA DriveTech.

Mina Roopra, head of marketing at Prestige Fleet Servicing, commented: “With high ambitions to build a network of over 1,000 approved garages nationwide, we are delighted to start working with Prova to deliver our PR and marketing campaign. The team will support us as we continue to build our reputation for excellence and build our presence within the sector.”

Richard Postins, managing director at Prova, added: “Prestige Fleet Servicing is respected nationwide for its extensive work within the SMR sector. Over the coming months, we’re looking forward to working in close partnership with the team to shout about their successes and deliver some significant results!”

For more information about Prestige Fleet Servicing, visit: https://www.theaa.com/business/prestige-fleet-servicing. Or for more information about Prova, visit www.provapr.co.uk. 

ENDS

The post Prestige Fleet Servicing appoints Prova to support UK growth appeared first on Prova PR.

Located in Ho Chi Minh City, ELoQ Communications specialises in public relations and integrated marketing communications. The organisation’s appointment to the network will provide members with a trusted partner consultancy to deliver high-impact communications programmes across Vietnam.

Richard Postins, managing director at Prova, comments: “Delivering creative and engaging programmes both locally and internationally, ELoQ Communications is a great addition to the PR Network. As an all-around solutions provider, the agency offers a range of marketing services, including PR, social marketing, digital marketing, influencer marketing, business and product branding, crisis comms, integrated strategic planning and event planning.

“We are looking forward to partnering with ELoQ Communications, sharing perspectives and working together on some exciting projects.”

For more information about the Public Relations Network, visit: https://www.pr-network.biz/

The post Prova strengthens global reach through PRN expansion appeared first on Prova PR.

Postins will be responsible for driving the network’s activities across Europe, alongside working with members to build strong, business-critical relationships. He joins existing board members Veit Mathauer, managing partner of Sympra in Germany; Belinda Chan, managing director of Creative Consulting Group in China; and Colleen Moffitt, co-founder of Communiqué PR in the USA.

A global network of specialist agencies collaborating on high-impact marketing campaigns for clients worldwide, PRN provides high level consultancy and communications support through affiliate agencies based across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.

Veit Mathauer, chair of the PRN board, commented: “It’s a pleasure to welcome Richard to the board. His experience and expertise across the cleantech, circular economy and automotive sectors will prove invaluable and his knowledge and passion will greatly benefit our members.”

Postins added: “Prova has been an active member of the PRN for the past three years – an opportunity that has seen us work with agencies worldwide to deliver truly exceptional global campaigns. As the PRN continues to grow, I’m looking forward to playing a driving role in its global success.

“I hope Prova’s global expertise, especially within the cleantech and automotive industries, will continue to add value to network members and their clients.” For more information about the Public Relations Network, visit https://www.pr-network.biz/

The post The PR Network welcomes UK board representative appeared first on Prova PR.

Our industry-leading staff retention rate reflects this but, when our team members do decide to move on, they leave with an excellent springboard to further their career. We like to keep in regular contact and, as such, recently received the below update from an ex colleague.

“Since I left Prova, I went on to embrace a very budding career in PR and communications. I left the UK seven years ago and began an international career working in Africa. I am now in Nairobi, working as a communications officer in the financial sector.

“I deal with risk, civil society and stakeholder engagement, advising the investment teams on how to engage effectively with local communities, especially when the projects present high social and environmental risks.

“Away from work, I am a fabulous aunt and spend most of my spare my time travelling and drinking champagne! Only last year, Google Maps indicated that I travelled around the world three times!

“I wanted to extend my gratitude to the original dream makers at Prova. Working at Church Street allowed me to build a thriving career. Thanks for believing that with work, passion and ambition, my talent could blossom.”

Messages like this remind us about the importance of staff development. We’re proud of each member of the team and will continue to focus on developing the next generation of global PR talent.

The post Building springboards, creating futures appeared first on Prova PR.

Communication, at a time like this, is a key way to calm nerves and give clear, concise guidance – to staff, to suppliers and to customers. We want to help our local community thrive by offering our consultative support.

Regular updates for your staff, clients and customers is a key way to keep your business moving forward. We can help by offering expert communications support surrounding:

• Internal communications
• External communications
• Social media assets

For a free initial consultation with one of our communications experts, call 01926 776900 or email garyb@provapr.co.uk

Prova is here to help

The post Challenging times call for clear communication appeared first on Prova PR.

South Korea

“South Korea faced a serious number of patients, but it seems to be now under control. Korea is IT savvy and has a unique system where everyone uses a credit card, even on public transport, so the government’s job of tracking our movements and stopping the spread is a lot easier.

“As a society, everything stopped or slowed down at the end of February. However, we’ve all been working at home and now manage all meetings through a virtual hang-out.”

Italy

“Our overall situation is critical, and it will face its peak within the next few days. We are in total lockdown, but our team is well and has been working at home for the past two-weeks and will be for at least the next two.

“As for our business, we are experimenting with alternative marketing solutions, like LinkedIn webinars.”

Austria

“In Austria, everything closed earlier this week – including bars and restaurants. We reacted relatively early.”

France

“My dear PRN friends, what a strange atmosphere in France! It is our first week of confinement, everyone is working from home for at least two weeks, but probably longer. “

India

“The situation in India hasn’t reached panic level, but even here the majority of us have chosen to work from home to ensure it doesn’t spread. Everyone be safe.”

Hong Kong

“Mask use rate is up 100% in Hong Kong and it’s proven to be quite useful to curb in-city spread of the virus. People are queuing overnight for masks but walk away with nothing as supply is inadequate.”

South Africa

“We have started an informal science communicators group to offer pro-bono messaging and comms support to our institutional frontline.”

Portugal

“It is a blessing to hear from other PR agencies. Here, the Portuguese are staying at home voluntarily!”

In times of crisis – and few of us will ever see a bigger challenge than this – clear communication is more vital than ever. It is up to all of us, across business and wider society to make sure our message is clear and concise. Most importantly, let’s heed government advice and stay safe.

The post Insight from the PRN: How COVID-19 is impacting the global PR community appeared first on Prova PR.

Alupro is an industry-funded, not-for-profit organisation with more than 30 years’ experience representing the UK’s aluminium packaging industry. The organisation works hard to fulfil the industry’s obligation to meet, and exceed, recycling targets for aluminium packaging. Members include Novelis, Hydro Aluminium, Crown Holdings, Red Bull UK, Nespresso and Ardagh Group.

Partnering with Prova will help Alupro to maintain its position as the sought-after authority of the sector, position aluminium positively in the national packaging debate and build strong links with the metal packaging sector to stimulate the UK’s collection infrastructure.

Bev Burnham, head of marketing & communications at Alupro, commented:

“Aluminium is a true packaging champion. It has an intrinsically high value, can be recycled indefinitely and contributes to a perfectly circular economy.

“With climate change and sustainability continuing to hit the headlines across mainstream media, we wanted to champion the numerous benefits of aluminium packaging and celebrate its circularity. Partnering with Prova will help us to increase our voice and influence behavioural change – a key priority in the midst of government consultations regarding packaging and collections.”

Richard Postins, managing director at Prova, added: “Alupro is respected nationwide for its extensive work across the aluminium packaging loop. Over the coming months, we’re looking forward to working in close partnership with the team to lead the legislative debate, celebrate the circularity of aluminium packaging and build strong relationships across the sector.”

The post Alupro appoints Prova to champion the benefits of aluminium packaging appeared first on Prova PR.

One of the most rewarding parts of my job as the account director at Creative Consulting Group is having the opportunity to participate in the many development activities on offer within our affiliate agencies body The PRNetwork. Some months ago, I was lucky enough to have spent two weeks with the amazing Prova PR team in the UK through the PRNetwork exchange programme. I couldn’t be more inspired by the bright, talented and creative talents coming into the communications field.  

When I arrived at Prova for my first day, it was like I was a celebrity. Everyone at Prova wanted to get to know me and help me get the most out of this incredible experience. I had meetings with different project teams, learned their creative process, and I was honoured to share my insights on strategic communications in Asia.

Perfect pitch: changing paradigms of media landscape

As much as the global media landscape has broadened in recent years, so too has the challenges facing clients. They now need and expect to be presented with a much wider choice of creative solutions. The same goes for the UK or Hong Kong, albeit having some differences in our approaches.

I could definitely see how the media landscape in the UK is more competitive than ever before – not just in terms of there being such an extensive range of outlets to reach and engage audiences, but also in terms of the number of organisations vying to get their messages ‘out there.’ One thing we know for sure is the changing media landscape will continue to shift, regardless of location. 

Get creative with work-life balance

Immersing yourself in the culture of another office challenges you to rethink positively how you do everything at your home office. As an exchange ambassador I also had the good fortune of attending the industry seminar “PRCA -Today’s account manager in the PR & Comms industry: what drives a positive mindset?”.

By participating in team meetings, listening in on client calls and shadowing other team members in their account work, you can’t help but take in different work styles and leave with a refreshed lens to apply to how you could be a better leader. I was extremely impressed by Prova’s approach.

Employee recognition is the purest form of motivation. Prova is indeed an expert in employee satisfaction that the agency truly values employees’ talents, expertise and opinions. I saw with my own eyes that the Prova people were so engaged that they found their work fulfilling and satisfying.

Another key takeaway is: Work Smart; Play Smart. Balancing work and family is more important than salary for many employees. Prova’s managers truly value their people by acknowledging that their employees have priorities outside the workplace. Workplace flexibility is one of the many ways for Prova to show they respect employees’ time and commitment.

The way forward

It’s an amazing benefit to have access to industry practitioners across the globe with the PRNetwork exchange programme, all of whom have precise areas of specialty and immense talents to learn from and weave into your client work. 

It’s a gratifying experience when you realise that your company is dedicated to investing in you, encouraging your interests and supporting your development into a stronger and well-rounded counsellor for your clients.

As the saying goes: “Never be complacent about the current steps; don’t agree and follow the status quo. Be determined that you are making an indelible impact with great change.”

The post The PRNetwork Exchange: Where East Meets West appeared first on Prova PR.

Prova, a global leader in automotive, cleantech and environmental communications, has further grown its investment portfolio with a stake in X Machines, a business aimed at delivering a worldwide marketplace for buyers and sellers of heavy plant equipment and services.

X Machines, the brainchild of 25 year old Alex Slowen, aims to provide a community for machinery sales across the mining, oil & gas, forestry, marine, construction and renewables markets, among others. Via a unique platform, buyers and sellers can access an international marketplace, rather than being limited by more traditional channels. 

Slowen, who is delighted with the partnership and the latest investment round, noted: “Over the past few months, we’ve seen a significant amount of money committed to the business, allowing us to take the X Machines platform to market next month. We want to enable a global reach via innovative IT and digital engagement. By listing equipment and services via X Machines, organisations can interact with suppliers around the world. No other platform is trying to connect people and equipment, while bringing added value services to market.”

While Prova is a leading communications consultancy, it has spent the past five years investing in its cleantech client-base, as well as other businesses via university and business angel networks, as Prova’s Richard Postins explains;

“These are uncertain times for the UK economy but across the critical sectors of cleantech and transport, there is real drive, determination and innovation. As a society, we need to be looking for the right solutions and, at Prova, we’re committed to delivering success for the next generation. X Machines is an excellent example of disruptive capability and we look forward to working alongside the business as it goes from strength to strength.” 

Slowen concluded with his vision for the business; “Five years from now, we want to be the dominant marketplace for heavy equipment, with a balanced buyer and seller network, offering outstanding customer service. Coming from a 50 year old family business dedicated to buying and selling machinery, we know the challenges and how to maximise the opportunities. We want to bring people and machinery together and create a global network with unlimited capacity.”

Alongside X Machines, the Prova team’s investment portfolio includes We Are Digital, Caption Data, Dymag and Kobus. The consultancy is one of very few communications businesses with an investment arm – meaning it can offer its clients real counsel across the communications, commercialisation and investment disciplines.  

The post Prova has the X factor appeared first on Prova PR.

What brings you to Warwick?

I studied journalism and PR in Stuttgart. During my studies, I worked for an IT company and a global technology supplier. When I started my career at Sympra, it was my goal to spend a couple of weeks abroad to get another perspective on PR. Due to my bad French, (and also because it could be the last chance to come for a working experience to the UK easily) I asked Richard if I could come and visit Prova. Also, both agencies have clients in similar fields and the language boundary was low.

Where do you see similarities or differences in our daily PR work?

When it comes to managing and consulting with the client, I see many similarities such as discussing the calendar, speaking with journalists, discussing deadlines for publications and writing press releases. But Prova also uses different communication tactics, such as blogger relations. I also saw differences in monthly evaluations and in weekly meetings, Prova focuses on its own channels, while Sympra discusses ongoing projects.

What was your highlight during your time at Prova?

This is a hard decision, the whole two weeks were perfectly organised, and I had the occasion to get closer insights on internal processes, attending meetings with clients and learning more about communication in general, not to mention exploring the Midlands! But I think one of my highlights was accompany Aimee to the CIPR Midlands Pride Awards in Birmingham. It is always inspiring to see well-made PR campaigns and when hard work pays off.

How can we use our international network even more?

The network was built to gather a global collective of creative public relations specialists all over the world, mainly to provide high-level consultancy across country borders to our clients. This is a huge benefit to the partner agencies and its clients. Beyond that, we should use the organisation to build stronger relationships. Therefore, PRN already organises yearly meetings, always visiting another agency. With the opportunity of an exchange programme, we’re able to learn even more from each other, in terms of work and culture.                                              

The post An international point of view appeared first on Prova PR.

Say ‘PR’ to many people and they’ll think you mean getting a client coverage in the media. That’s still an important part of what we do, but there are many other strings to our bow.

We showcased several of them last week when three months of planning and hard work, alongside the client’s marketing team, came to fruition with the launch event of a new, state-of-the-art production facility at AP Racing, one of the world’s best-known names in performance brakes and clutches.

Building on an established communications partnership, AP Racing asked Prova to partner with them on all aspects of the event, from drawing up guest lists through to sourcing catering, furniture and gifts, designing all the event collateral, and ensuring everything on the day ran smoothly.

Nearly 100 guests including customers, suppliers, distributors and media descended on the facility in Coventry for the official opening which also involved senior representatives from AP Racing’s parent company, Brembo, Coventry’s Lord Mayor and the guest of honour, HE Raffaele Trombetta, Italian Ambassador to the UK.

There were many highlights including a special video, produced by Prova, shown for the first time on the day, showcasing AP Racing’s unique pedigree and ethos, which received a spontaneous applause from the guests.

So pat yourselves on the back – you deserve it!

The day ran seamlessly, with many new client partnerships formed and existing ones strengthened – and all the hard work was recognised by our main client contact in a note to the team who had been involved: “I just wanted to drop you all a personal note to say a big ‘thank you’ for all your help organising the event… not only today but the days leading up to the opening, I do appreciate your efforts. I believe from the feedback I’ve been given that the event was very well received and successful… so pat yourselves on the back – you deserve it!”

Roll on the next event!

The post Prova drives AP Racing to event success appeared first on Prova PR.

“My time with Prova PR has been a fantastic opportunity during which I have gained invaluable experience and additional knowledge surrounding the world of work, as well as the PR and design industries. I have taken part in a multitude of captivating assignments involving the development of a fictional company and the creation of different advertising materials, as well as press launches for leading companies, gaining exposure to much of the software used to create stunning designs and a greater knowledge of the programmes that produce PR reports.

“This experience has also allowed me to establish a profound respect for the dedication and hard work that the staff put into every job to ensure that the client is happy and that the work they compose achieves the intentions of the brief. This contact with such a great environment has provided me with valuable experience which has given me more understanding of the PR industry and had a substantial influence on my future intentions. Thank you to everyone who made it an unforgettable experience.”

It was a pleasure to have Matthew with us for a few days. He got stuck in to both the written and visual side of the business, including the task of devising an identity and initial social campaign for a fictional new eco-friendly fuel ‘Glycerin’. We explored his ideas and he produced some really interesting logo concepts for the new brand alongside a social media campaign for the brand launch. Thanks, Matthew!

Are you looking for work experience in either the PR or creative sectors, feel free to get in touch careers@provapr.co.uk

The post Three days at Prova appeared first on Prova PR.

Prova make right Impression with prestigious new client appointment

Impression Technologies, a pioneer in hot-form quenching (HFQ®) for lightweighting applications, has appointed Prova to handle its global media relations activities.

Part-owned by IP2IPO Group plc, Impression Technologies is the driving force behind HFQ technology, which is rapidly becoming the global norm in applications requiring cost-effective yet complex geometries, where weight reduction is at a premium.

The appointment follows a competitive pitch process which confirms our ability to meet the specific needs of companies targeting competitive, technology-led sectors such as automotive and aerospace.

Andrew Gill, director of business development at Impression Technologies, explained: “It’s vital that we work with a communications partner with deep commercial and technical knowledge of the sectors in which we operate. Prova demonstrated that amply in a very thoroughly researched and well-presented pitch, and the fact that they can represent us internationally through their specialist network was another key factor in our decision.”

“It’s vital that we work with a communications partner with deep commercial and technical knowledge of the sectors in which we operate.

Prova’s Richard Postins added: “At Prova, we have an extensive pedigree in working with a business at the forefront of innovation in their chosen fields. Through its development of HFQ technology, Impression Technologies is driving forward developments in lightweighting and aluminium processing. We look forward to playing our part in increasing global adoption of this method in automotive, aerospace and other sectors. Impression Technologies sits across all three of our specialist areas of transport, environment and technology, so it really is an ideal fit for us.”

HFQ is based on a novel way to process aluminium pressings within a single operation, optimising their strength while minimising material usage, and so simultaneously meeting both aesthetic and economic demands. Impression Technologies is seeking to recruit partners across the world to act as licensees for HFQ technology and this will be a key aspect of the communications programme led by Prova.

Impression Technologies was formed in 2013 to act as the exclusive commercialisation route for HFQ Technology, building on extensive research & development undertaken at Imperial College London and the University of Birmingham.

The post Prova’s Hot-Form Quench! appeared first on Prova PR.

It’s not every day that you get to pack your bags and represent your agency on the other side of the world for two weeks but, thanks to PRN, I have been one of the first PR professionals from the organisation to have this opportunity.

This week, I moved from Creative Consulting Group (CCG), the Hong Kong agency where I work as account director, to join the Prova PR team in Warwick. It’s arguably one of the highlights of my career so far and I’m so excited to not only represent my agency here in the UK, but also broaden my own perspective and knowledge of PR and how it is practised across other cultures and countries.

Warm welcomes and Monday meetings

My time at Prova started with its “Monday Morning Meeting”, a weekly ritual that involves going through last week’s successes, individual priorities for the week ahead and requests for support where needed. During the meeting, the team also introduced me to the company’s processes and business structure. It was interesting to see how our two agencies differ here and I was certainly inspired to share what I’d learned about Prova and its views on best practice with my colleagues in Hong Kong.

This is a particularly busy period for Prova, with a number of campaign launches in the works. As such, I’ve had a lot of opportunities to contribute my views and recommendations for campaign plans and activities across a number of different projects, including one concerning food waste. Sufficed to say, I’m looking forward to contributing to more projects and campaigns over the next two weeks!

Prova and beyond

My time in the UK won’t just be spent here in Warwick, however. Prova is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), which means I’ll have several opportunities to meet and network with other PR professionals from across the UK. It’s going to be a busy but rewarding couple of weeks and I’m definitely looking forward to spending them with bright, ambitious and interesting PR professionals, both in and out of the office!

To find out more about the PRN, please visit: www.pr-network.biz.

The post A new perspective with Prova Public Relations appeared first on Prova PR.

For almost five years, Prova has worked with the management team at WaD to support its positioning in the market, first driving the rebrand from Silver Training and latterly delivering comprehensive creative, communications, tender and marketing consultancy. What makes the relationship unique, however, is Prova’s seat on the We Are Digital board and financial investment in the business.

We Are Digital is one of several companies within Prova’s unique investment portfolio, which also includes pipe pulling company Kobus, carbon wheel innovator Dymag and Caption Data.

A firm believer in championing its clients’ causes, Prova is one of very few PR agencies in the UK to sit on client company boards and take a financial stake in their future success. Indeed, Prova has been doing entrepreneurial deals with start-ups and SMEs, including taking equity in place of payment, for almost a decade, making it one of the first agencies to operate this innovative business model.   

Richard Postins, owner and founder at Warwick-based Prova, comments: “We are passionate about our core sectors of transport, technology and environment –and we put our money where our mouth is. We want to be an integral part of our client teams, invested in their success and helping to drive their growth. The future of the UK economy lies in today’s start-ups, and we feel that every business should have access to the funding they need to benefit from exceptional professional services expertise; that includes PR and marketing.”

Alongside its own investment portfolio, Prova is working alongside several financiers, legal advisers and engineering partners to set up a brand new fund to help cleantech and sustainability start-ups access the funds they need to accelerate the commercialisation of their ideas.

For more information on Prova Investments or to register for updates on the new cleantech fund, contact richardp@provapr.co.uk.  

For more information about WaD’s history click here

The post We Are Digital Secures £1.5 Million to Bridge the Digital and Financial divides appeared first on Prova PR.

We will deliver an integrated marketing campaign to raise brand awareness and build a national business profile.

With more than 50 years’ experience, Connect Distribution Services is widely regarded as a UK market leader. Headquartered in Birmingham, the business is split across two sites and employs more than 500 staff. The company’s consumer e-commerce arm, eSpares, was acquired in 2011 and is now a hugely successful part of the organisation.

Andrew Sharp, managing director of Connect Distribution Services, commented: “Since the business started trading in 1969, we have grown quickly into a trusted market leader. This has been possible thanks to visionary thinking, a dedicated workforce and company-wide commitment to delivering exceptional results.

Prova demonstrated its intricate understanding of our sector, as well as the legislation that impacts upon it. The team’s capabilities are unrivalled…

“With an ambitious growth strategy, we felt the time was right to accelerate our external communications activity. Prova demonstrated its intricate understanding of our sector, as well as the legislation that impacts upon it. The team’s capabilities are unrivalled and we’re confident our partnership will prove instrumental in raising national awareness for both the Connect Distribution Services and eSpares brands.”

Ed Willmott of Prova, added: “Connect Distribution Services is a hugely exciting brand with impressive market pedigree. We’re looking forward to working together at such a pivotal time in the company’s journey, supporting growth aspirations in the UK and further afield.”

The post Connect Distribution appoints Prova to drive corporate growth appeared first on Prova PR.

Every year, the Mental Health Foundation hosts Mental Health Awareness Week (13th-19th May) and it trends nationwide as millions come together to encourage people to open up and know that the world is becoming a safe space to talk. Here, Charlie Ward, Account Executive, discusses workplace mental health and what Prova PR is doing for Mental Health Awareness Week. 

Talking about mental health has always been important but it hasn’t been until recent years that we’ve been more encouraged to do so. Content online about self care and mental illness has rocketed as people turned to search engines for help. Even though online content is great and helps people feel less like they’re alone, it is no match for face to face acceptance.

Awareness weeks such as Mental Health Awareness Week aim to encourage people to talk openly about their worries and make struggling not taboo but something to be shared, helped and respected.

1 in 6.8 people are experiencing mental health problems in the workplace in the UK

According to the Mental Health Foundation, 1 in 6.8 people are experiencing mental health problems in the workplace in the UK. Evidence suggests that 12.7% of sick days are attributed to mental health conditions. The same study suggests that better mental health support in the workplace can save UK businesses up to £8 billion per year.

Relating this to our own business, the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) report showed that 59% of PR and communications practitioners have suffered from mental ill health. 37% of employees said they would not feel comfortable discussing their mental health with their manager and, more worryingly, 90% said they had no formal mental health policy. 

With this in mind, and our continuous efforts to support our own team, I’ve decided to share some ways to acknowledge mental health in the workplace. In addition to this, every day I will set the Prova team a challenge, the results of which will be shared on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ProvaPR/):

1. Personal reflection helps you to understand yourself

Mental health can be a baffling thing. It’s hard to define and understand it even if it’s your own mind. Personal reflections help you to take a step back to look at issues and emotions and identify the causes and hopefully work towards a solution.

There are plenty of campaigns such as Time to Talk, Head Together and UOKM8? that focus on encouraging people to talk about their mental health. Talking can bring out things about yourself that you didn’t realise. It might also help you identify mental health triggers or events that cause you to feel low or demotivated.

Triggers can include painful anniversary dates, being criticised, yelled at or even loud noises or strong smells. It can be hard to identify them but they help to predict when you might feel overwhelmed or distressed and manage it as it happens. Sometimes there is no real reason for the mental illness episode but it’s important to keep track incase you find a pattern.

Mind, the mental health charity, offer ways of spotting signs of stress or mental health in the workplace and can be a really important tool for managers. Benenden Health’s recent Mental Health in the Workplace Report revealed that more than four in ten (42.4%) employees have suffered from work related stress and attributed their poor mental health to either increased workload, financial concerns or workplace bullying.

42.4%) employees have suffered from work related stress

As you learn more about your mental health by acknowledging and reviewing it, you might help to identify which self care routines help the most and where you could change your life to improve your wellbeing. From there, you can tell people what helps, spot early warning signs, keep a mood diary and build up your self-confidence.

The Prova PR team’s first day challenge is to take some time to assess their own mental health for Mental Health Awareness Week. Check out how they did on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ProvaPR/

2. Know when to take a break – or encourage your colleagues to

Whenever someone at work asks me, “Have you taken your break yet, Charlie?” because they’re worried I’m going to work over my lunchtime, I always feel like someone has my back. Getting outside at lunchtime is really important to me and I recognise that I am much happier and more productive when I come back having been out of the office. Recognising that you need a break can help not to overwhelm your mind or cause burn out.

Whenever someone at work asks me, “Have you taken your break yet, Charlie?” because they’re worried I’m going to work over my lunchtime, I always feel like someone has my back.

An American study by Tork showed that nearly 20% of North American workers worry their bosses won’t think they are hardworking if they take regular lunch breaks and 38% of employees don’t feel encouraged to take a lunch break. In the UK, Total Jobs found that a third of UK employees never leave their workplace after they arrive in the morning. More than half of the 7,135 people surveyed don’t take their full lunch break, even though two out of three feel encouraged to do so.

Psychology Today found numerous psychological studies that show the benefits of taking a break at work. It describes how moving improves physical and emotional health, prevents “decision fatigue” and restores productivity and motivation. Workplace Strategies for Mental Health run a “Take a break” campaign to get employers to encourage employees to do activities on their breaks by providing activity packs. Breaks are clearly an important tool for improving workplace mental health. 

The Prova PR team’s second day challenge is to take a break and let us know how it made them feel for Mental Health Awareness Week. Check out how they did on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ProvaPR/

3. Check in with your co-workers

Talking about mental health in general can be nerve wracking, let alone telling someone at work. It is probably less likely that you’ll talk to your boss about your personal problems but you need someone to talk to. If there aren’t individuals at work that make it okay to talk about mental health problems, or things that are worrying them, then the likelihood of someone opening up if they’re struggling gets smaller. We need everyone to aspire to be that person and then the idea of sharing doesn’t seem too terrifying.

A 2017 survey carried out by Time to Change, found that a higher percentage of individuals surveyed would be more comfortable talking about physical health, money problems and sex than they would talking about mental illness in the workplace. Just 13% said they felt like they could discuss mental health issues at all. Considering our own business sector, the PRCA found that, while 54% said they’d spoken to colleagues about their mental health, 61% still said they have never spoken to their managers about it. This shows that there is still a perceived stigma associated with the topic.

A 2017 survey carried out by Time to Change, found that a higher percentage of individuals surveyed would be more comfortable talking about physical health, money problems and sex than they would talking about mental illness in the workplace.

Goff McDonald, co-founder of minds@work, reveals that an unnamed senior director of a company walked into a mindfulness class his company was running, surveyed the room and said, “So, these are the people who cannot cope in my company.” The class was to tick a box rather than to change the intolerance for people who are struggling. With stories like this, no wonder we need to work harder to convince people that it’s okay not to be okay.

The Prova PR team’s third day challenge is to check in with a coworker and see how they’re doing for Mental Health Awareness Week. Check out how they did on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ProvaPR/

4. Take stock of mental health in your workplace

One of the many helpful resources on the Mind, the mental health charity website is about taking stock of your workplace mental health. They outline that it’s important to know what employees, mental health is like before you can begin improving mental wellbeing or finding out if your existing strategies are working. Collecting information about employee experience, organisation culture and mental health doesn’t have to be difficult.

Employee experience can include workload expectations versus reality, clarity in what their role is and will be, knowledge of their personal development, and how they feel about their problems being addressed. Organisation culture includes views on work/life balance, communication within the company, if employees feel listened to, and general working relationships. Mental health includes confidence in managers, staff perceptions, support pathways and policies within the company.

Information can be collected via staff satisfaction surveys and policy reviews. By carrying out regular surveys, you place good mental health and wellbeing as core assets of your organisation. Not only are you creating a great place to work for your existing employees but you appear to be a good place to work for from the outside. At the end of the day, adopting strategies for staff retention and supporting employees’ mental health can save the costs of sick pay, employing temporary staff, recruiting and re-training new staff.

In the PR world, the PRCA provides a mental health toolkit for PR professional and businesses. Some of the content, such as the infographics can be applicable to a wide range of sectors, not just PR. Having the resources allows for an effective internal mental health campaign. It may be worth checking out your industrial body resources.

A 2017 study by Mind, the mental health charity, on work-related mental health problems suggested that 60% of employees say that they’d feel more motivated and more likely to recommend their company if their employer supported mental health and wellbeing.

60% of employees say that they’d feel more motivated and more likely to recommend their company if their employer supported mental health and wellbeing.

The Prova PR team’s fourth day challenge is to ask yourself, “What makes you proud to be Prova?” for Mental Health Awareness Week. Check out how they did on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ProvaPR/

5. Take time to give positive affirmations to your team

People thrive in atmospheres that promote positive feedback. It can be easy for individuals to only hear the negatives. Forbes identifies a global study that reveals 79 percent of people who quit their jobs cite ‘lack of appreciation’ as their reason for leaving. Therefore, providing positive affirmations is a no-brainer.

8D is a popular problem-solving technique used first in the automotive industry to improve processes. It identifies eight steps to identify and fix quality control issues. The very last step on this eight-discipline technique is “congratulating the team.”

The very last step on this eight-discipline technique is “congratulating the team.

At Prova PR, we share “shout outs” in our Monday morning meetings, giving the team a space to highlight the great work our coworkers have done in the past week. Many Prova team members work on different accounts to each other and therefore will miss the outstanding work going on if we don’t make an effort to share and celebrate. It’s a great way of keeping everyone in the loop and feeling proud of the company.

Bill Gross, founder and CEO of idealab, said that when giving feedback you should use “and” not “but” when following positive feedback with negative feedback. For example, if you begin by saying, “You’re amazing at being organised and you’re a pleasure to work with but…”, psychologically everything before the “but” gets erased and “but” kicks up the individuals defenses. However, if you if make it, “You are organised and a pleasure to work with and when we work together on your writing skills, you’ll be unstoppable” the positivity sings though.

It’s important to check in with individuals. Certain mental health conditions are capable to convincing individuals that they can’t do anything right and causing them to become overwhelmed quickly. If you’ve got a co-worker who you think is really brilliant at this one thing – tell them! It might just be what they needed to hear.

The Prova PR team’s final day challenge is to increase the number of positive affirmations in a day for Mental Health Awareness Week. Check out how they did on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ProvaPR/

With two thirds of people surveyed by Mind, the mental health charity believing work contributed to their mental health issues, it’s time to make a change. As Rachel Royall, Chair of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations said, “It is in everyone’s best interests to support good mental and physical health: a happier and healthier workforce will be more productive, have reduced sickness and retain skilled talent. We owe it to ourselves to look after each other.”  

Thank you for taking part in Prova PR’s Mental Health Awareness Week.

Charlie Ward, Prova PR Account Executive

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“Our network, as well as being highly talented and highly motivated, are also just a great bunch.”
 
Watch the full interview to understand the importance of communicating across borders and the value of international partnerships.

To find out more about the PRN network visit www.pr-network.biz

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As part of the agreement, Prova will chair the UK Transport Energy Seminar, which includes presentations from the Department for Transport (DfT) and Energy Systems Catapult, alongside a panel session with some of the UK’s leading experts in transportation decarbonisation. Prova’s consultancy team will be on hand throughout the event to offer strategic communications guidance for delegates.

Ed Willmott, director – envirotech at Prova, commented:

“With more than 18 years’ experience in promoting the deployment of clean technologies, we want to remain at the forefront of the circular economy and deliver growth for companies at the leading-edge. Playing a fundamental role in driving the latest innovations is key to achieving this objective.”

The arrangement continues a longstanding relationship between Prova and Rushlight Events. In 2018, Prova chaired a session of the highly-successful Summer Showcase Conference at Church House, Westminster.

Clive Hall, Chief Executive of Rushlight Events, added:

“We’re delighted to name Prova as a corporate sponsor of this year’s Rushlight Show. As the UK’s leading environmental communications consultancy, Prova has an extensive understanding of the opportunities right across the cleantech sector. As such, its involvement will prove both insightful and invaluable.”

The Rushlight Show brings together participants from across the cleantech industry to exhibit innovations and new technologies, access investors and financiers, engage with business partners and other intermediaries and connect with new corporate customers and suppliers. For more information, visit https://www.rushlightevents.com/rushlight-show/.

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Following the ride-out, a fundraising raffle took place at local business Dough and Brew, with prizes donated by the restaurant itself, as well as Thirteen Bakers, the WLRCC and plenty of other local businesses. A total of £515 was raised over the course of the morning to help Lincoln reach his goal of pedaling around Warwick.

Son of WLRCC member Simon Hookey, Lincoln is keen to get out cycling with his family and friends. Once the fundraising target has been met, the IMP Tricycle will be specially adapted for Lincoln’s precise needs, with regular cycling helping him to build muscle memory and supporting his efforts to walk unaided by the time he goes to school in September 2019.

Lincoln’s mum, Sarah Hookey, who is HR Director at local business Prova PR, said: “We are working with Lincoln every day to help him walk and we’re so grateful to the members of the WLRCC who are contributing towards this very special tricycle for our beautiful son, grandchild, brother and friend who lives with Cerebral Palsy. We are excited for the day when Lincoln will be able to take part in our family cycling adventures.”

Richard Poynter, WLRCC, added: “We built this Club around an ethos of inclusivity and accessibility, so supporting Lincoln and his family is an absolute privilege and key to what we are trying to achieve. We look forward to welcoming Lincoln as a Club member in no time!”

Cerebral Palsy is a movement disorder which affects one in every 400 children. For more information on WLRCC, or to join one of the regular ride-outs, please visit www.wlrcycllingclub.co.uk.

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The appointment comes as RAPID RTC looks to expand its market presence in the UK and northern Europe, with a recent contract win with Volkswagen UK under its belt and continued relationships with Skoda, Toyota and Lexus. The brief covers B2B communications, media relations, creative and digital activity, with Prova taking the lead in RAPID RTC’s continued European growth.

Steve Ambeau, Vice President – Global Marketing at RAPID RTC, said: “We’ve got ambitious plans in Europe, with the rebrand acting as a catalyst for high levels of anticipated growth. The time was right to bring a PR partner on board in the region and Prova came highly recommended. We’ve already seen some great coverage on a project basis and are looking forward to achieving exceptional results as a retained client.”

Aimee Postle, director at Prova, added: “We’re passionate advocates of technology enabling better communication between motor retailers and customers, having worked in the automotive sector for almost two decades. We believe that RAPID RTC has a unique story to tell and the data to back it up – with 100% of leads answered in its 20-plus year history. We’re excited to be working with Steve in Canada and the team on the ground here in Europe, to raise the profile of RAPID RTC as a digital thought leader and leading automotive commentator.”

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As the sole UK representative, Prova joins almost 30 agencies offering international PR services across Europe, Asia, India, Africa and the Americas. Founded in 2006, the PRN handpicks new members and prides itself on the personal relationships and close-knit community ethos that ensures clients benefit from the best PR providers in each region.

Veit Mathauer, chair of the PRN board and managing partner of German agency Sympra, commented: “It’s a pleasure to welcome Prova to the PRN. The agency’s expertise in the transport, technology and environmental sectors perfectly complements the experience of our wider network. We already have a number of clients in common, so we’re off to a flying start!”    

Prova’s founder, Richard Postins, added: “From start-ups and SMEs through to multi-national corporations, we work with some of the most exciting transport, technology and environmental businesses out there. We’re always looking for ways to add value to our clients and a key component is the international expertise and footprint that we can offer. We’re thrilled to join PRN at such an exciting time for Prova, our clients and the international PR community, and look forward to working together to deliver exceptional results.”

Alongside providing international PR, marketing, digital and business consultancy, Prova’s membership of the PRN opens the door for members of staff to take up international secondments with partner agencies around the world. Prova team members have previously spent time with businesses in Brazil, France and Germany, and look forward to expanding their footprint over the coming months. 

Founded in 2000, Prova has been providing high-level strategic communications counsel for organisations in the transport, technology and environmental sectors for almost 20 years. With a 20-strong team of ex-journalists, politics and humanities graduates, copywriters and creatives, Prova delivers compelling content for international clients in the environment, technology, transport and automotive industries.

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Having signed up to the employer pledge with mental health charity, Mind, Prova is carrying out a range of activities throughout the summer which will see the teams’ mental health placed firmly at the forefront of the HR agenda.

Activities carried out so far include walking meetings; a steps challenge in July and August which saw all members of the team offered subsidised Fitbits; and the promotion of ‘Fika’, a Swedish pastime which sees employees taking some time away from their desk during the working day to clear their minds, get active and increase positive productivity.

Additionally, as members of the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA), the team has also enjoyed webinars on the topics of wellbeing at work; rest, recovery and the importance of sleep; and everyday mindfulness. This month, Prova will also be partnering with The Serenity Barn for Pilates and meditation in the park.

The Summer of Love campaign is being spearheaded by HR Director, Sarah Hookey, who said:

“With one-in-four people experiencing mental health problems every year, it’s becoming increasingly important to raise awareness so that people are supported through challenging times, particularly in the workplace. At Prova, we are determined to ensure that every employee’s wellbeing is taken care of, and the launch of our Summer of Love campaign is very much at the heart of this.”

Hookey continued: “My vision for Prova People, our employee engagement programme, is to improve the working lives of all our employees and bring parity to mental and physical health in the workplace. There is a growing momentum for change regarding mental health in the UK, and we very much wanted to mirror that in our working practices. Encouraging first aid for the mind that is akin to physical first aid in the workplace, treating employees empathetically and effectively guiding them towards the right support can reap dividends for both the individual and us as a
company.”

“Here at Prova, we are in the privileged position to have the support of the board in relation to mental health awareness and breaking down stigmas which is a huge boost to our efforts. We are a medium-sized agency, but we have a big heart and massive ambitions when it comes to the wellbeing and care of our employees.”

Founded in 2000, Prova has been providing high-level strategic communications counsel for organisations in the transport, technology and environmental sectors for almost 20 years. For further information on Prova, or careers at Prova, Click Here

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It’s not every day that you’re lucky enough to meet one of your sporting heroes. I’m a massive cycling geek and have been for years. My love affair with cycling started way back in 1984 with the Tour de France when Scotland’s Robert Miller ripped the peloton apart in the Pyrenes on his way to the King of the Mountain jersey way. And I’ve followed le Tour and the sport ever since…the ITV4 coverage is fantastic and Chris Boardman’s expert commentary makes the programme.

Boardman is a legend within the cycling fraternity. He famously won an individual pursuit gold medal at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992; broke the world hour record three times; as well as winning three stages at the Tour de France. Since retiring, he’s been just as busy with TV work and of course launching a very successful cycling business. First came Boardman bikes, then Boardman clothing…and now his latest project the new amazing Boardman Performance Centre.

“Would you like to attend the VIP opening of the new Boardman centre” asked one of my colleagues? Without hesitation “Oh go on then. Yes” I said…”I’ll take one for the team!” (while in my head fist-pumping with delight!!)…

Located just outside Evesham (literally a stone’s throw from my house so thank you very much), the new Centre opened in May and undoubtedly is a cyclists paradise. The new Centre boasts the biggest range of Boardman bikes in the UK – racers, mountain bikes, tri-bikes and loads of gadgets and gizmos. What makes this Centre so different though it that it includes a data capture system, a wind tunnel, physiology testing, bike fitting and level of performance and positional data that will help the cyclist get the best out of their chosen sport.

During his cycling career, Boardman was a keen user of power measuring devices and notably pushed the boundaries when it came to bike design during his career…so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that he’s still very much involved in technological developments to help cyclists long after retiring. It’s all about marginal games in most performance sports. Cycling probably more than most. Riders will happily pay to knock hundredths of seconds off their times, or improve their aerodynamic position.

The new centre will provide so much data covering all aspects of the rider – from their pedal stroke efficiency through to how they are sitting on the bike. No stone will be left unturned or escape analysis to the nth degree.

Our client, KW Special Projects and Sports Aero Solutions, in co-operation with Boardman, are the driving force behind the new wind tunnel within the Performance Centre. We were privileged to receive a behind-the-scenes look at the wind tunnel as part of the VIP opening. What really struck me is the sheer size of the thing. It reminded me of Space Rocket you’d see in a Space Museum. The wind tunnel is capable of producing 50 mph cross winds. Its fan blades are an incredibly 2.2m! Cyclists are going to love it – access to leading-edge technology without a huge price tag.

For any cycling geek, it’s a truly impressive facility. I’m convinced it’ll become a mecca for professional and amateur cyclists alike… people will come from far and wide…not just around the UK but all over Europe and further afield. It’ll put Evesham on the map which will be good news for the town. Even better for me, I can cycle to the place…happy days!

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As part of the agreement, Prova will chair the opening session, which includes Claire Perry, Minister of State for Energy & Clean Growth at BEIS; and Ian Campbell, interim Executive Chair, Innovate UK; as well as presentations by cleantech companies to an audience of financiers, venture capitalists, government departments, consultants, intermediaries and advisers. In addition, Prova’s consultancy team will be on hand throughout the event to offer strategic communications guidance for delegates.

Commenting on the announcement, Ed Willmott, director – envirotech at Prova, said: “Partnering with Rushlight Events for the Summer Showcase provides the perfect opportunity to engage with leading innovators and participants of the sustainability supply chain.

“With more than 18 years’ experience in promoting the deployment of clean technologies, we want to remain at the forefront of renewable energy and the circular economy and deliver growth for companies at the leading-edge. Playing a fundamental role in driving the latest innovations is key to achieving this objective.”

Clive Hall, Chief Executive of Rushlight Events, added: “We’re delighted to have Prova as a corporate partner of this year’s Summer Showcase. As the UK’s leading environmental communications consultancy, Prova has an extensive understanding of the opportunities right across the cleantech sector. As such, its involvement will prove both insightful and invaluable.”

The Rushlight Summer Showcase brings together participants from across the cleantech industry to exhibit innovations and new technologies, access investors and financiers, engage with business partners and other intermediaries and connect with new corporate customers and suppliers.

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With more than a decade’s experience in the specification, design, installation, and maintenance of both co and tri-generation power solutions, CooperOstlund is widely known across the renewable energy industry. Headquartered in Northamptonshire, but with service teams nationwide, the company prides itself on excellent project management and industry-leading response times.

Partnering with Prova will help to drive international brand awareness, further build corporate reputation and engage with both existing and prospect customers worldwide.

Duncan McPherson, CEO at CooperOstlund, commented: “Over the past ten years, we’ve witnessed the decline of fossil fuels and subsequent rise of renewable energy first hand. Being ahead of the curve and working closely with hundreds of clients worldwide has positioned us firmly at the forefront of the renewable marketplace.

“As we continue our international growth strategy, we thought the time was right to accelerate our external communications activity. We’ve worked with Prova previously on a number of project activities, so making the relationship more permanent was the next step to achieve our global ambitions.”

Ed Willmott, director – envirotec at Prova, added: “CooperOstlund is a highly respected brand in gas engine servicing and maintenance provision. Over the coming months, we’re looking forward to providing the company with strategic communications consultancy and delivering powerful corporate results.”

Get in touch with Prova on 01926 776 900 or edwardw@provapr.co.uk to find out how we can support your cleantech, energy and environment PR and marketing campaigns.

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Well they say “variety is the spice of life” and that’s certainly true in agency life!

I’m lucky to work with some brilliant brands across many industries at Prova. Every day is certainly very different. The AA is one of our clients that I have the good fortune to work with. A truly iconic brand, you’d struggle to find anyone who doesn’t know the AA and their famous yellow vans. So, when I was asked if I wanted to go out on patrol, I literally jumped at the chance.

After completing the health and safety paperwork, I was invited to spend the day on patrol with Mark (aka Barny) in the Gloucestershire area. With the shift starting at 08:00, Mark handed me an official AA branded hi-vis jacket on arrival, and, looking the part, we were ready to start helping Britain’s stranded motorists. It proved to be a fascinating experience into how the AA helps its members.

A trained mechanic by trade, Mark has worked for the AA for 14 years. There’s not much that he hasn’t seen during his career and still every day produces challenges that tests Mark’s expertise. Thankfully, Mark’s AA van is crammed with all sorts of gadgets to tackle motoring issues and, usually, he is able to fix most problems at the roadside. However, if he can’t fix it, then he knows a man who can…well a garage or workshop…who will help get the AA member back on the road!

Mark’s day starts the minute he climbs into the van. The AA has invested heavily into technology to manage and direct patrols to members during the day, with Mark’s appointments automatically lined-up for him. Details of appointments are shown on a portable tablet, showing where the member lives, what membership type they have and the nature of the problem. The system then calculates the best route to the member too. Pretty clever stuff!

Arriving at our first appointment, we are greeted by a member suffering from a flat tyre on her drive… I never realised just how many people suffer from flat tyres or dead batteries until my patrol day! Within ten minutes, Mark has taken off the flat, replaced it with a space saver (which apparently can do a million miles but only at a maximum of 50 mph!) and he’s done. Job completed, Mark then gets his next appointment automatically from the system – this time it looks like a flat battery from the brief description. Tyre and battery problems pretty much set the tone for the rest of the day. We tackled five tyre and five battery problems during the day as well as timing belt issues, steering problems and leaking water pipes. Some of the batteries simply needed a bit of juice to re-charge them, whilst others were as dead as a dodo.

Mark is one of the thousands of front-line patrols who act as great brand ambassadors for the AA. What really struck me though was that members were delighted to see Mark turn up in his yellow van. Breakdowns can be very distressing and Mark’s calm manner soon put people at ease. The automated appointment system was very interesting and a couple of times we were diverted on route to a call as another van was nearer. The whole system is geared to reduce the amount of time members spend off the road and it seems to work very effectively.

I spoke to Mark about the growing number of hybrids and electric vehicles on the UK roads and he informed me that he’d already had training to handle problems with these so members who own these cars can rest assured they are in safe hands.

What I took out of the day was how much technology supports these lovely guys in their yellow vans and how you’ve got to be good at problem solving to get the job done. My wife and I have been AA members for as long as we can remember. It’s very reassuring to know that when you do put the call into the AA, there are highly skilled people like Mark who will sort you out and get you back on the road and once more be extremely lovely in doing so!

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Established in 1987, the World LPG Association (WLPGA) is widely respected as the authoritative voice of global LPG. Bringing together more than 250 companies in more than 125 countries, the organisation develops long-term partnerships with international organisations and implements projects on local and global scales.

Commenting on the appointment, Alison Abbott, communications director at WLPGA, said: “Our vision is to foster a safer, cleaner, healthier and more prosperous world. As part of this ambition, demonstrating the benefits of LPG, promoting best practice and facilitating knowledge transfer is key.

Prova’s considerable expertise in the energy and technology sectors gave us the confidence to engage the consultancy in a campaign to drive global brand awareness and deliver media engagement activity. We’re looking forward to working closely together over the coming months!

Aimee Postle, Director at Prova, added: “WLPGA is an exciting brand with considerable pedigree. Alongside long-standing partnerships with the likes of the UN, World Health Organisation and Regional Development Banks, the geographical spread and diversity of its membership makes the association a representative, trusted and logical partner in international discussions. It’s a privilege to work together at such an exciting time for the Association.”

Based in the UK’s midlands, award-winning Prova’s technology, enviro and energy client-base stretches from university spin outs, to some of the world’s largest organisations. With PR, commercial and design functions, the business continues to grow, with recent client wins including Leadec and Stadler.

To find out more about our award-winning PR, marketing and creative services for environment businesses, please contact Ed Willmott on 01926 776 900.

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Charlie, whose experience includes roles with NFU Mutual, Middlemarch Environmental and Colchester Zoo, completed a BSc in Environmental Science at the University of Birmingham, followed by an MSc in Environmental Bioscience at the University of Warwick. A keen writer and social media advocate, she submitted articles to the university newspapers as well as acting as student ambassador before becoming a freelance writer on graduation.

The appointment comes as Prova has secured additional environmental PR campaigns with the likes of Duvas Technologies, CooperOstlund, Lorax Compliance, Stadler, DS Smith Recycling, SARIA and the WLPGA. National initiatives around coffee cup recycling, food waste and energy management have seen Prova’s clients at the heart of the news agenda, while the agency’s creative services team has been hard at work creating video, social media and infographic assets in support.

Ed Willmott, director – envirotech at Prova PR, comments: “The environmental sector is incredibly exciting right now, with so many opportunities for clients looking to take advantage of China’s drive for quality waste streams, the upcoming revisions to the Waste Framework Directive in the UK and a global focus on single-use plastics and their impact on our oceans.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Charlie to the team and look forward to her educating us all over the coming months. Her experience in ecology, environmental governance and conservation management will come in very useful for our clients, while I’m sure they’d all like to hear about her passion for tiger behaviour, soil nutrition and pond population dynamics!”

Founded in 2000, Prova has been providing high-level strategic communications counsel for organisations in the environmental sector for almost 20 years. With a 20-strong team of ex-journalists, politics and humanities graduates, copywriters and creatives, Prova delivers compelling content for international clients in the environment, technology, transport and automotive industries.

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Smith joins after eight years working with London agencies on clients including Unilever, Huawei, Strongbow, Barclays, Monsoon and Belstaff. A degree-educated photographer, she combines creative flair and production expertise with extensive client, project and account management experience. As Creative Services Manager, she will be responsible for ensuring the smooth delivery of all projects through the Prova Studio, as well as providing creative counsel for clients and securing growth opportunities.

Owen has spent time at agencies in both the Midlands and London, honing his creative skillset across various lifestyle and commercial clients. With experience of print, exhibitions, art direction, global ad campaigns, film editing and digital asset creation, Owen will be putting his talents to work in helping to drive forward Prova’s video output for clients. This includes bringing on board partners in the high-end virtual and mixed reality space, as well as guiding clients in how to produce their own cost-effective content on smartphones.

Tim Gearey, director – automotive and creative services at Prova PR, said: “We’ve done some really exciting work for clients in recent months, from video campaigns on social media through to tender documents, infographics and website design. With opportunities to bring client campaigns to life through dynamic design continuing to grow, it’s fantastic to welcome Louise and Charlie to the team. We look forward to delivering even more exceptional creative output for our clients in the future.”

Prova’s big-name creative services clients include the likes of MG, Honda, Leadec, MAHLE, The AA, We Are Digital and Wanzl. The agency continues to invest in people, training and technology, and recently put the team through a series of training sessions in augmented reality, virtual reality and 360 video techniques.

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Hailed by the PRCA as the leading conference and exhibition for those interested in working in the exciting and varied world of PR and communications, the PRCA Careers Fair is a full day event where students can hear from industry specialists, interact with recruiters and visit the CV clinic for advice.

The event will feature a conference with speakers – including agency heads, communications people from major brands, HR directors, and rising stars – giving insights, tips, and inspiration to attendees on careers in public relations. Prova PR will be joined by other nationally-renowned agencies offering placements and full-time roles.

Visit the Prova careers page for more information on Prova’s Graduate Scheme 2018.

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The Kobus solution is already proving extremely popular in North America and the UK. The United States has seen significant problems with the issue of contamination of the drinking water supplies from old lead pipes – and Kobus-equipped civil engineering firms are making significant progress across the mid-west to alleviate the issues, both quickly and economically.

Simon Drain, managing director, Kobus, noted: “We are thrilled to have Prova on board, both as our marketing and PR partner but also as a key investor. We have seen the work they have done in driving commercial growth for other spin-outs and fast growth businesses – and that is what attracted us to them.”

Aimee Postle, director at Prova, noted: “It’s a real privilege to be involved in the next stage of the Kobus success story, both in the UK and further afield. But more than that, we are putting our money where our mouth us. We believe passionately in the Kobus project – and as a fellow investor, the business knows that it will be getting counsel from the heart. There are very few PR organisations out there investing in their client-base. We believe in our clients – and we hope they believe in us…”

Based in the UK’s midlands, award-winning Prova’s technology, enviro and energy client-base stretches from university spin outs, to some of the world’s largest organisations. With PR, commercial and design functions, the business continues to grow, with recent client wins including the World LPG Association, Leadec and Stadler.

To find out more about our award-winning PR, marketing and creative services for environment businesses, please contact Ed Willmott on 01926 776 900.

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Founded in 2000, Prova is an award-winning automotive, transport, technology, and environmental communications agency which offers PR, digital marketing, and creative services to international clients operating on a global stage. Prova delivers profound commercial growth for clients, including well-known brands such as the AA, Honda, MG, DS Smith and the Rethmann Group.

Aimee Postle MPRCA, Director, Prova, said: “We are passionate about delivering exceptional results for our clients and part of that approach is a commitment to developing our talent. We are proud to promote from within and provide opportunities for Prova People to grow. Our membership of the PRCA affords us even greater prospects to foster learning and incorporate industry best practice into the Prova Experience.”

Francis Ingham MPRCA, Director General, PRCA, said: “It’s a pleasure to welcome Prova on board as PRCA’s newest member. Talent acquisition and retention are concerns of most PR firms so it is good to hear that Prova is committed to helping its staff develop and grow.”

For more information about Prova People and the Prova Experience, contact Aimee Postle or Sarah Hookey. To apply for a role at Prova, visit our careers page.

About the PRCA

Who we are: Founded in 1969, the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) is a UK-based PR and communications membership body, operating in 55 countries around the world. We represent in excess of 24,000 people across the whole range of the PR and communications industry. The PRCA promotes all aspects of public relations and communications work, helping teams and individuals maximise the value they deliver to clients and organisations.

What we do: The Association exists to raise standards in PR and communications, providing members with industry data, facilitating the sharing of communications best practice and creating networking opportunities.

How we do it and make a difference: All PRCA members are bound by a professional charter and codes of conduct, and benefit from exceptional training. The Association also works for the greater benefit of the industry, sharing best practice and lobbying on the industry’s behalf e.g. fighting the NLA’s digital licence.

The post Prova joins PRCA to foster training opportunities and best practice appeared first on Prova PR.

The PRCA DARE Awards strive to seek out and reward the very best PR and communications professionals across the UK, decided by a panel of highly respected industry experts across six regions. The awards are open to all parties involved in the use of PR for communications purposes, including; PR consultancies, in-house communications teams, digital agencies, marketing teams and media owners.

For more information on the judges, visit the PRCA DARE Awards judging panel.

To view Prova’s prestigious awards history, including being shortlisted for the PRCA DARE Awards Large Consultancy of the Year 2017 in the Midlands region, visit our about page.

If you want to join our award-winning team, contact Careers@Prova or visit our careers page.

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Sarah Hookey will be raising vital funds for Warwickshire’s paediatric physiotherapy services when she takes part in the 13.1 mile trek on Sunday. The race has particularly poignant connotations for Sarah, whose two-year old son Lincoln is living with cerebral palsy and receives care from Warwickshire’s specialist physiotherapy unit.

Speaking ahead of the half marathon, Sarah said: “We have been blown away by the excellent level of care Lincoln has received from Warwickshire’s paediatric physiotherapy team. Unfortunately, this area of care is incredibly under-funded, with not all of the equipment or ground breaking therapies available on the NHS.

“When it came to signing up for the Warwick Half Marathon, raising funds for Warwickshire’s physio services felt like the natural choice. I’m running the 13 miles for Lincoln and anyone struggling to use their legs, for whatever reason. We’ve all been inspired by Lincoln’s determination to get up and try, always with a smile on his face, so I’m encouraging everyone who can to go out and use their legs!”

But her charitable endeavours don’t end there. Alongside the Half Marathon, Sarah also hosted a charity bake sale at Warwick’s Prova PR, where she is head of operations, and is currently devising a programme of fundraising activity for later in the year.

To read more about Sarah’s cause, visit her Just Giving page. You can find out more about Prova People and what we get up to on our new pages.

The post Prova’s Sarah Hookey urges locals to use your legs appeared first on Prova PR.

With more than 50 years’ experience providing industrial services to the automotive and manufacturing industries, Leadec provides industrial service solutions to plants and production facilities across the entire supply chain. Headquartered in Stuttgart and employing more than 16,000 personnel worldwide, 2,700 of which are based in the UK, Leadec provides its broad range of services to world-leading vehicle manufacturers and top tier suppliers.

Andrew Thomas, Communications Lead at Leadec in the UK, commented: “Since the creation of the Leadec brand in 2016 for our newly independent global group, we have done a lot to define our future strategic development path. From the UK perspective, the automotive and wider manufacturing markets are not aware of the broader capabilities of Leadec. As such, we feel the time is right to accelerate our external communications activity.

“Prova came highly recommended and delivered an insightful, thought-provoking pitch. The team demonstrated its wide-ranging knowledge of our market, as well as a real desire to help us meet our commercial objectives. We’re looking forward to launching the campaign this year.”

Tim Gearey, Director – automotive at Prova PR, added: “Leadec is an incredibly exciting brand with an impressive heritage in the automotive sector. It’s a privilege to commence working with them at such an exciting time in their business journey, and to help them grow their operations in the UK and further afield.”

For more information on the full-range of services offered by Leadec, visit the official website https://www.leadec-services.com/en

The post Leadec appoints PR agency to support ambitious growth appeared first on Prova PR.

Having recently completed a film and TV production course at college, I found myself at a crossroads with what to do next.

I have always liked the sound of working in the PR and events management industry but, if I’m honest, I didn’t know what the job role actually entailed.

I had met Sarah from Prova once before and we had a brief chat about me doing a work placement. This sounded very exciting to me, so we then discussed it further in a very casual coffee meeting. We spoke about what I wanted to gain out of this experience and came up with a perfect schedule for me.

My first day was exciting and perhaps a bit scary, but as soon as I arrived and was introduced to the team, I felt so relaxed. Everyone was lovely and very welcoming!

As the days went past I really enjoyed my experience. I wasn’t just doing odd jobs that no one wanted, I was doing real PR work, it was great! As a result, I have learnt so many new skills, such as client research, creating social media posts, telephone etiquette, helping with recruitment for events and so much more!

Another aspect of the role I love is that I’m not always just sat at my desk typing. I get to be in charge of making sure everything is prepared for meetings, greeting people, and sometimes I go out of the office for some other jobs.

My favourite day so far has to be when Sarah and I went to Silverstone for an event; it was great fun! We spent the day meeting new people and talking about Prova. I even got my own name badge, which was really cool! The best part was being able to have a look at the very flashy cars and get chocolate from each stand!

My experience so far has honestly been great. I am learning so much about this industry and the hard work that is involved, but I’m also embracing the fun you can have while working in this environment. I am looking forward to getting to grips with even more skills and seeing where this journey will lead me to.

I would like to say thank you to the Prova team for all the lovely cups of tea and constant laughs in the office; I can honestly say there is never a boring moment! I would also like to thank Sarah especially for making sure that I always have something interesting to do and for looking after me so well!

The post My experience at Prova appeared first on Prova PR.

1. Say cheese! Make sure your profile picture is truly reflective of you and your brand – professional, from shoulders upwards, preferably not taken outside a nightclub with kebab in-hand!
2. Background beauty – Photography isn’t limited to your profile picture either. The background image provides a great opportunity to brand the page from a company perspective, or if you want to evoke a certain mood, such as urban, rural, tranquil and considered.
3. Heading in the right direction – make your heading relevant, interesting, memorable and keyword rich e.g. …not just Director at Prova PR but Director at Prova PR, the UK’s leading enviro and auto agency.
4. Objections – As a general point, consider the objectives for your LinkedIn profile, e.g. increased awareness of business or lead generation or gaining authority by being positioned as a thought leader – all require subtle shifts of focus.
5. Personal contact – Make sure your contact details are fully up-to-date, as there’s little point in having a great profile if people can’t contact you! Update and include more information including: company address, phone number, twitter handle, any IM and utilise web links, such as company website
6. Thanks for the memory – you can change your LinkedIn contact name to something a little more memorable e.g. from linkedin.com/in/hannah-gash-a8264014a/ to linkedin.com/in/hannah-gash-82.
7. In short – A summary is a crucial addition to any profile. Ensure it uses plain, simple English, appeals to target audience pain points and highlights your achievements, skillset and how you and your company can provide the solution to the audiences pain points. We recommend writing it in first person, making it keyword rich. Add links to achievements and presentations e.g. publications, webinar, flyers, etc.
8. Experience counts – People often neglect the experience section of their profile. This area is a great way to demonstrate why a prospect should engage with you! It shows experience, achievements and that you are a safe pair of hands. To really pump it up, add in rich media, such as presentations or brochures.
9. Peer engagement – LinkedIn groups are the perfect way to engage with your peers on discussions that get the blood flowing. Review your LinkedIn groups to decide whether they are still relevant and look what your colleagues and competitors are engaged with.
10. Build out recommendations – these can be requested from colleagues and customers and provides third party credibility.

This is just a starter of ten to help boost your profile. To learn how to make it even better, contact Hannah Gash at hannahg@provapr.co.uk or 01926 801946

The post Reaching Out! appeared first on Prova PR.

This debate has been rumbling on for a long time now, but the conclusion should be quite simple…

You may feel that your business has the capacity to deal with all the demands it faces; developing your business strategy, forecasting sales of your new product, aligning your budgets and resources to help you achieve these targets. No doubt you have a PR manager or at least someone in your team that’s proficient in PR, with some great ideas, and who knows how to position them internally to gain buy-in from senior stakeholders. But usually that’s where the good stuff ends…

Sometimes a business can get carried away with the type of news stories it wants to try and publish. Being excited by a new product launch and shouting about it internally is one thing, but to put it bluntly – Why should your customers care? In fact, Why should the editor your core publication care? So what’s the angle this story needs to take to make it engaging, relevant and newsworthy?

That’s where a PR agency can play an invaluable role…

Having built long-standing relationships with the media, we are well-placed to A PR agency is discuss your feature ideas, set-up Q&A interviews opportunities, and invite the media to attend and cover your events on a daily-basis. These are just a few of the many activities your agency can deliver to ensure your brand is being mentioned and talked about in the news, the goal is to create greater visibility and grow your share of voice, which, over time should lead to greater commercial impact.

With an agency you have the luxury of adopting an agile approach, in which you benefit from  the collective expertise of many experienced minds. You can enlist an agency on projects or specific campaigns, giving you greater control to flex your budget for when it really counts.

The conclusion of this debate should be quite simple – hiring a PR agency is a sound business investment…

To find out more about how we can help drive brand awareness and engagement for your business, please talk to Hannah Gash – Head of business development, Prova PR  hannahg@provapr.co.uk  01926 776 900

The post The real benefits of working with a PR agency appeared first on Prova PR.

That’s the challenge we tackled on behalf of MG with its new compact SUV. It takes a huge amount of planning and a vast amount of liaising around press packs, logistics and materials, to ensure the successful roll-out of a new car.

You need the right venue. It needs to be easy for journalists to get to, provide the right logistics (plenty of car parking space, a range of roads for the journalists to test the car on and a place to host interviews), and reflect well on the brand and car.

Timings must be right too. With over 30 manufacturers all putting on international and national launches throughout the year, you don’t want to clash on dates. Publications these days tend to run fewer journalists and they often have to cover more than one publication, so providing a launch that doesnt clash with others certainly helps.

A successful car launch is one that lands a lot of positive coverage about the car across the plethora of media outlets. In this case, more than 160 pieces of coverage in the last 10 days. This earned coverage should reach the target customer and provide an unbiased view of what the car is like to drive and own. Combine that with a striking marketing plan and you are putting the key building blocks in place for sales success.

To find out how we can help your product launch or brand event, contact Tim Gearey – Director, Automotive at Prova PR.

The post Launch pad to success appeared first on Prova PR.

With challenges, however, come opportunities. The UK automotive aftermarket is thriving, ranking fourth in Europe and ninth in the world in terms of size, and turning over an annual £21.1 billion according to a recent SMMT report. And it is growing: in line with the UK’s increasing car parc, the sector’s value is set to rise to £28 billion by 2022 according to some reports.

It’s not just in the home UK market that there are increasing opportunities but also abroad. Prova witnessed that first hand with the strong attendance at the Auto Equip 2017 event in Paris. In fact, the SMMT report ‘The Importance of the UK Aftermarket’ reveals that the UK automotive aftermarket is the eighth largest market globally and the fourth biggest in Europe after Germany, Italy and France. With a healthy growth rate of 3% per annum, the UK is set to overtake France by 2020 to become the third biggest market in Europe.

So, what is your business doing to make the most of these new opportunities and how are you positioning your company to meet the new challenges? Promoting your expertise in a crowded market place is key and getting it right can drive a host of new business leads. With more challenges ever before and a growing market, there has never been a better time to promote your business and the contribution it can make to the UK’s flourishing aftermarket

At Prova, we believe smart and targeted communications can drive growth in the Aftermarket arena – to find out how we can help you take advantage of the opportunities, contact Kieren Puffet, Head of Transport, on 01926 776 900 or email kierenp@provapr.co.uk

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With uncertainty on the European stage around Brexit, it was heartening to see smaller British companies taking to the road, exhibiting and engaging with European prospects. That sense of ‘entente cordiale’ permeated many of the discussions and booths.

If you’ve not been, do go. It is a fascinating insight into the European aftermarket scene –  brands were investing hugely in their marketing efforts and seemed to be benefitting from the investment, judging by the size of crowds on some of the stands. And, when you go, there is always time for a cathartic French brasserie visit – if you want a tip, head straight to Le Train Bleu, Gare De Lyon. If you’ve not got time, make it!

There have never been more challenges facing the aftermarket than there are today. Modern cars are ever more complex, meaning that independent garages and body shops are facing greater technical challenges when it comes to servicing, maintaining and repairing today’s vehicles.

With challenges, however, come opportunities. The UK automotive aftermarket is thriving, ranking fourth in Europe and ninth in the world in terms of size, and turning over an annual £21.1 billion according to a recent SMMT report. And it is growing: in line with the UK’s increasing car parc, the sector’s value is set to rise to £28 billion by 2022.

It’s not just in the home UK market that there are increasing opportunities but also abroad. Prova witnessed that first hand with the strong attendance at the Auto Equip 2017 event in Paris. In fact, the SMMT report reveals that the UK automotive aftermarket is the eighth largest market globally and the fourth biggest in Europe after Germany, Italy and France. With a healthy growth rate of 3% per annum, the UK is set to overtake France by 2020 to become the third biggest market in Europe.

Given that growth rate and the new opportunities being presented by modern technology fitted to cars, promoting your company’s expertise in this marketplace is key. Get it right and it can drive a host of new business leads and position your business as the go-to company in your field.

To find out more about how Prova can support your event attendance, or steer a path to success in the aftermarket sector, contact Tim Gearey, Director – Automotive at Prova PR.

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