Wolfstar Social Media News Room

Yorkshire company Wolfstar wins place on Digital Mission to New York

Yorkshire based public relations and social media consultancy Wolfstar has been selected from hundreds of other companies across the UK to take part in the Digital Mission to New York, an opportunity for businesses to make business connections and build international profile.

Leeds-based Wolfstar, which was one of the first public relations consultancies to focus on social media and online communities, was one of the UK’s top 21 digital companies to be selected in the fiercely competitive process to join the second Digital Mission to New York, which will take place from November 15 – 20, 2009.

Read our latest blog post to find out more information about the mission.

Notes to editor:

• The Digital Mission to New York is organised by Chinwag (http://chinwag.com), supported UK Trade & Investment (UKTI, http://www.uktradeinvest.org.uk) and Winston & Strawn (http://www.winston.com).
• The 21 Digital Mission companies are: BandCentral, Bizk.it, Box UK, Can Studios Limited, Cognitive Match, coull, Digital Clarity, ipadio, Ixaris Systems, KMP Digidata, LAMP Digital, learn2lingo, Martingale, Mobilized, Open, ShareMyPlaylists.com, Stylescape, SubHub, The Filter, Type 3 and Wolfstar.
• For more info about the digital mission visit: http://chinwag.com/digitalmission/nyc09

Media contacts:

Amy Johnston

AmyJ@wolfstarconsultancy.com

+44(0)845 838 7282

Stuart Bruce

Stuartb@wolfstarconsultancy.com

Technorati Tags: social media, Wolfstar, Chinwag, Digital Mission to New York

Public relations consultancy unveils ambitious expansion plan

Two leading public relations bloggers and social media strategists, Stuart Bruce and Mark Hanson, have decided to join forces, with Bruce tempting Hanson into becoming the deputy managing director of specialist public relations and social media consultancy, Wolfstar.

The appointment is part of an ambitious expansion plan being developed at Wolfstar as the consultancy continues to take advantage of the growing demand for its services from brands and organisations in the UK, Europe and USA. It brings two of the UK's most senior and earliest adopters of social media and digital engagement together in one consultancy. In addition to their experience in the industry, both men are also closely involved in the Labour Party's efforts online.

Hanson developed the award-nominated PR Media Blog for previous agency, Staniforth, while Bruce was one of the industry's first bloggers via 'A PR Guy's Musings'.

Wolfstar was one of the UK’s first specialist public relations consultancies focusing on social media and online communications, and now has one of the largest specialist teams in the UK. Its clients include Sony Ericsson, Philips, First Direct, the NHS and Silver Cross.

Stuart Bruce, co-founder and managing director of Wolfstar, said: "Mark is someone that's been on our radar for a good while and we are obviously pleased to have agreed a deal to bring him here. The reason we were keen to get him is that there is a dearth of public relations practitioners at any level who have actually worked with clients on successful social media campaigns, rather than just talking and blogging about the subject. Mark is one of the few that's been there and done it.

“This is really key to us as part of our offer is being able to provide consultancy at all levels of an organisation; based on experience of delivering. Many of the organisations we work with have had their fingers burnt already and we aim to restore their faith."

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Notes to editor:

- Wolfstar was founded in 2007 by current directors Tim Sinclair and Stuart Bruce

- CIPR Grand Prix Award for UK's Outstanding Small Consultancy of the Year 2009

- Finalist PR Week Best New Consultancy 2009 – result October 20

- Finalist CIPR Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy 2009 - result November 11

- Founder Member of WOM UK

 

Media contacts:

Amy Johnston

AmyJ@wolfstarconsultancy.com

+44(0)845 838 7282

 

Stuart Bruce

Stuartb@wolfstarconsultancy.com

 

Technorati Tags: Mark Hanson, Stuart Bruce, Social Media, Wolfstar, Public Relations, labour blog

New drinks company recruits Wolfstar to handle UK launch

Yalp! a new drinks company based in Yorkshire, has hired the public relations and social media specialists, Wolfstar, to manage the UK launch of its first fresh yoghurt lassi drink.

Wolfstar, which recently won the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Grand Prix PRide award for outstanding small consultancy, will run a digital, word of mouth and traditional media relations campaign to drive sales through Morrisons, where the drink will be available from spring.

Yalp! is the only fresh yoghurt lassi drink on the market made from 100% natural ingredients and based on a traditional Indian recipe that is more than 2,000 years old.

The company was set up by young entrepreneurs Hayley Hadfield and Laurence Nair-Price just over a year ago. Both former students of Leeds University, they share a passion for great brands and the heritage of the lassi drink.

The account will be led by account manager, Amy Johnston, who joined Wolfstar from the Morrisons press office and has significant consumer experience in launching new products into the retail market.

Hayley Hadfield, MD of Yalp, said: “Wolfstar’s social media specialism is second to none and its offline ideas will complement these tactics and give an impressive launch for Yalp. Our product is a competitor to other yoghurt drinks on the market, but subtly different as it’s the only fresh yoghurt lassi out there. Wolfstar understood our product and the importance of a strong brand image, so we’re sure this is the right team to launch the drink.”

Tim Sinclair, chairman of Wolfstar added: “It’s great to get the opportunity to work with a new and exciting brand and we are certain that we can create an impact for the launch. It just goes to show that even in a tough economic climate, if you’re offering the right service at the right price, it is invaluable.

“Launching a new product is very exciting, but it must be well thought through, impactful and measurable. You only get once chance to make a first impression, and it’s our aim to make it a great one for Yalp.”

Ends

Notes to editor:

· Wolfstar is a public relations consultancy specialising in public relations, social media and word of mouth marketing and communications.

· Wolfstar won the national CIPR Outstanding Small Consultancy Award 2009

· Wolfstar was founded in 2007 by current directors Tim Sinclair and Stuart Bruce

 

For further media inquiries please contact Wolfstar +44 (0)113 394 7960

Amy Johnston +44 (0) 7932 864 901

amyj@wolfstarconsultancy.com

Tim Sinclair +44 (0) 7831 447 774

tims@wolfstarconsultancy.com

Technorati Tags: PR, Social Media

Wolfstar named number one consultancy in the UK by the CIPR

Leeds based public relations, social media and word of mouth consultancy, Wolfstar, has been named the national Outstanding Small Consultancy of the Year by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, after fighting off fierce competition from hundreds of other agencies across the country.

Wolfstar won the gold award at the regional heat, held at the Queen’s Hotel in Leeds, back in November, and was then entered into the national Grand Prix awards to find the best of the best.

The consultancy was set up just 18 months ago by Stuart Bruce and renowned Yorkshire entrepreneur, Tim Sinclair.

Tim Sinclair, chairman of Wolfstar, said: “We’re delighted to pick up this national award. It’s testament to the hard work our team have put in over the last 18 months and the fantastic clients we’re working with. To win a national award means everything to us. Leeds is our base, but we are truly a national, and in many cases, a global consultancy.

“The nature of social media means we can cross boundaries in both a physical and metaphorical sense –creating unique and impactful campaigns for clients based anywhere from Bingley to Sweden!”

Stuart Bruce, managing director of Wolfstar added: “Businesses are beginning to realise the impact this kind of PR and communications can have. We offer great service at great value – this has already been noted by our clients, so it’s fantastic to get the stamp of approval from industry heavyweights such as the CIPR.”

Technorati Tags: CIPR, Outstanding Small Consultancy, Grand Prix awards

 

For further media inquiries please contact Wolfstar +44 (0)113 394 7960

Stuart Bruce +44 (0)7852 135456 

stuartb@wolfstarconsultancy.com

Amy Johnston +44 (0)7932 864901

amyj@wolfstarconsultancy.com

NHS Kirklees and Kirklees Council appoint Wolfstar for student obesity campaign

NHS Kirklees and Kirklees Council have appointed public relations and social media specialist Wolfstar to help deliver a social marketing campaign to tackle obesity amongst students.

NHS Kirklees and Kirklees Council have teamed up to create a local strategic partnership for Kirklees. The partnership brings together public sector agencies, voluntary and community groups and local businesses to discuss important issues to help improve the quality of life for people in Kirklees.

The new campaign will target students attending higher education and further education establishments in Kirklees. It will use social media and word of mouth to connect with students during the academic year with its overall aim to halt the year-on-year rise in obesity levels of students between the ages of 16 and 24.

The account team of three will be led by Wolfstar, account director, Chris Norton who said: “We know that for this campaign to be successful we can’t tell students what to do. That’s why we’ve adopted a nudge strategy to make it easy for students to do the right thing without thinking. We believe we must incite students to have fun and act of their own accord.”

Lynne Cliffe, project manager at NHS Kirklees commented: “We have come together to tackle the rising level of obesity amongst students in the area. We want to encourage students to want to adopt healthy lifestyles and exercise more frequently, but without lecturing or bombarding them with too much educational information and statistics. Bringing Wolfstar on board will bring our practical interventions to life by engaging with students via social networks and community-based, direct word of mouth communications to create a fun, sociable program that students will want to get involved with.”

Students can, on average put on as much as 15lb in weight due to their hedonistic lifestyles at university and college.

About Wolfstar

Wolfstar is a new specialist consultancy, based in Leeds, which offers its clients multiple way communications solutions combining traditional public relations with social media and word of mouth communication techniques.

ENDS

Notes to editor:

· The campaign will be particularly targeting those students who already have a BMI of 25+

· The Government introduced The National Obesity Strategy in Jan 2008

· Students can, on average put on as much as 15lb in weight due to the high calorie intake from drinking alcohol and eating fast foods

 

For further media inquiries please contact Wolfstar 0113 394 7960

Natalie Smith 07872 644790

natalies@wolfstarconsultancy.com

 Chris Norton 07932 864891

chrisn@wolfstarconsultancy.com

Technorati Tags: pr, nhs, social media, social marketing

Danish health food company picks Wolfstar to spearhead UK growth

Danish health food company Fuerza Vital has hired the online PR and social media specialists Wolfstar to manage the UK launch of its Rose Rich range of rosehip products

Wolfstar will run a digital, word of mouth and traditional media relations campaign to drive sales through independent health food retailers and direct online, following an initial trial in Waitrose.

The range, including capsules, powder, oil, shells and tea, contain high levels of antioxidants and vitamin C. The vitamins and minerals within the products have been proven to be extremely beneficial to people suffering from joint aches and pains, due to their anti-inflammatory properties.

The rose hips grow wild in remote areas of the Andes Mountains, away from any unwanted pollution and farming. They are hand-picked by local Mapuche Indians, for whom rose hips are an integral part of their culture. This ensures the products are natural and much purer than alternatives grown close to industrial areas.

To help service the new account Wolfstar has poached FMCG specialist Amy Johnson from supermarket Morrisons. She joins bringing significant experience consumer experience including previous consultancy roles working on accounts for McArthur Glen designer outlets and Co-op.

Pia Jespersen-Bramwell, managing director of Fuerza Vital commented: “Wolfstar’s digital pedigree is second to none and their offline ideas were genuinely impressive. The Rose Rich range of products is subtly but importantly different from anything else available in the UK today, Wolfstar showed an excellent understanding of this throughout the pitch process and as such we thought they would be the best people to articulate our message.”

Tim Sinclair, chairman of Wolfstar added: “It’s great to get the opportunity to work with a new and exciting brand and we are certain that we can create an impact and measure it!”

Image courtesy of www.wharf.co.uk

 

Ends

For further media inquiries please contact:

Amy Johnston: +44 (0)113 394 7960

amyj@wolfstarconsultancy.com

Sony Ericsson appoints Wolfstar to provide global social media counsel

Sony Ericsson, one of the world’s largest mobile phone manufacturers, has appointed public relations and social media specialist Wolfstar to advise it on its global social media communications strategy.

The global campaign will initially include online monitoring and evaluation of Sony Ericsson’s online brand reputation, as well as establishing relationships with online customers and influencers. Wolfstar will also be counselling Sony Ericsson on developing social media outreach programmes to support the brand and products.

The account will be lead by Wolfstar managing director Stuart Bruce, who said: “This is a global programme that is looking to develop a social media communications strategy that can be implemented across all of Sony Ericsson’s international market units to help them develop consumer thought leadership online.”

Wolfstar reports to Global Communications and Public Relations at Sony Ericsson. Merran Wrigley, VP, Head of External Communications, Global Communications and PR said: “Wolfstar not only demonstrated a great understanding of social media, but this was under pinned by a good grounding in traditional corporate communications and a passion for our brand.”

ENDS

For further media inquiries please contact Wolfstar +44 (0)113 394 7960

Stuart Bruce +44 (0)7852 135456 Skype stuartbrucepr stuartb@wolfstarconsultancy.com  

Chris Norton +44 (0)7932 864891 Skype chris.norton2 chrisn@wolfstarconsultancy.com

Technorati Tags: Sony Ericsson,Wolfstar

New online campaigning division at Wolfstar

Social media and word of mouth public relations consultancy Wolfstar has announced the formation of a new online campaigning and public affairs division to target what it believes to be a gap in the market left by more traditional public relations companies.

The division, which will specialise in providing online public relations and word of mouth marketing consultancy to campaigning organisations, will be headed up by new recruit and Conservative blogger Sam Oakley, who joins Wolfstar bringing experience ranging from local elections to the campaign against the proposed elected regional assembly in Yorkshire and current pro bono work for the “I want a referendum” campaign.

The division will be jointly run by Wolfstar managing director Stuart Bruce, who last year worked as director of communications for Alan Johnson’s deputy leadership campaign. He comments: “The new division aims to step into the widening gap between the campaigning services currently out there in the market and the new generation of net native professionals. The internet, and people’s attitudes towards it are changing faster than most traditional agencies are reacting. Not only is there a gap in the market but the gap is increasing, and we expect our campaigns division to grow with it.

“Sam’s campaigning experience combined with his knowledge of the online space made him a natural choice of candidate to head up this new venture and we are delighted that he has decided to join Wolfstar at this exciting time.”

The new division is targeting a wide range of clients including charities, pressure groups, trade unions and trade associations. As well as strategic online public relations counsel it will offer a range of services including blogger relations, social media planning and production, online crisis management, online monitoring and evaluation.

Sam Oakley added: “The media landscape is changing at an astonishing rate. New technology is prompting a huge upsurge in activism, and as people with common interests are become more networked through the internet, Public Relations as a campaigning discipline sees its most basic model challenged.

“Campaigning organisations are perfectly placed to engage with this new activism and the new division at Wolfstar is the ideal vehicle for us to help campaigns find, engage and leverage these networked audiences.”

ENDS

For further media inquiries please contact Wolfstar +44 (0)113 394 7960

Sam Oakley +44 (0)7841 536660

samo@wolfstarconsultancy.com

Stuart Bruce +44 (0)7852 135456

stuartb@wolfstarconsultancy.com

Technorati Tags: Politics,social media,wolfstar

 

Images

Sam Oakley

Award winning British director to showcase his skills at the world famous Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival

London’s award winning director, Michael Walling is heading stateside to act as guest director for this summer’s presentation of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at the 36^th annual Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival.

This theatrical event, which attracts more than 35,000 people every year, celebrates the work of the literature great and includes two live performances of Shakespeare’s classic plays and a contemporary musical performance in the most scenic venue in the world - against the spectacular backdrop of scenic Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Mountains.

Brits looking for somewhere cheaper to holiday in 2008 are being encouraged to take advantage of the weak dollar on the warm, sandy beaches of Sand Harbor State Park, to experience the 36th annual Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival, July 10 – Aug 17, 2008.

This season, the Festival will be showcasing Shakespeare’s tale of “Richard III” alongside “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”  A new romantic musical titled “CAMBIO,” based on Victor Hugo’s “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” also takes centre stage on Monday nights. 

Michael Walling is currently the artistic director of Border Crossings in London and has directed numerous productions across four continents, winning awards for Two Gentlemen of Verona in the US and Paul & Virginie in Mauritius. He also directed the English National Opera's acclaimed productions of Wagner's Ring at the Coliseum and Barbican theatres. “For a play set in an enchanted forest, there really could be no greater gift to a director than the sublime setting of Lake Tahoe”, says Walling.

Alongside the theatricals, guests will be able to enjoy dinner at the venue on the beach at Shakespeare’s Kitchen, experiencing a blend of traditional and gourmet American cooking with a fresh, organic, Californian twist. Shakespeare’s Vineyard also offers visitors the chance to sample Californian wines along with a full bar.

Catherine Atack, Executive Director for the Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival and ex-pat comments: “Year after year, fans of the event continue to come to enjoy the festival. With the value of the dollar being so low against the pound, and the slide of the Euro, British holiday makers are flocking to the states. The event offers them a chance to take in the marvellous views of Lake Tahoe alongside some great culture from Britain’s own Shakespeare. The Festival has a great atmosphere which, for many visitors, is the major reason for attending as well as the attraction for first-time attendees.” 

Tickets and further information are now available online at www.LakeTahoeShakespeare.com with reduced costs for online purchases. Tickets start at $22 for open seating tiers.

- Ends -

Notes to editor:

The Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival is a non-profit organisation established for the cultural benefit and enjoyment of all residents and visitors to Lake Tahoe and Reno. Through its in-house artistic direction, the Festival produces three plays each summer, creating original costuming, set design and choreography, and attracting a team of national and international stage talent.  The Festival’s community outreach includes an annual program, InterACT, designed to educate future generations on the importance of the arts, theatre and music.

Michael Walling was an associate director to Peter Sellars on Nixon in China, and to Phyllida Lloyd on The Handmaid's Tale (Canada).

For more information or to request photography, please contact Beth Kay on 0113 3947960 or bethk@wolfstarconsultancy.com

Images

 

Technorati Tags: news

Number one dance music producer hires Wolfstar for social media campaign

Chris Lake, a dance music producer and world renowned nightclub DJ, has appointed Wolfstar to deliver a strategic social media and word of mouth (WOM) campaign, to support the upcoming release of his latest material during the summer.

In 2006, Chris Lake became a global phenomenon after his first single “Changes” topped the US dance chart and made it into the UK’s Top 40. Prior to his debut single, Chris had already secured huge critical acclaim from several dance music pioneers such as Sasha, Sander Kleinenberg and Nic Faciulli. In fact, BBC Radio 1’s very own Pete Tong has also proclaimed Chris as being “the best thing to come out of Scotland since Mylo”.

With a brand new website being launched and an array of exciting new material ready to hit the shelves, Chris has tasked Wolfstar to help him engage better with his fans and build brand awareness for his record label Rising Music Ltd.

Chris commented: “I have been producing dance music for more than 11 years now and I seem to have spent months on end locked in my studio mixing and remixing these new tracks. We decided to appoint Wolfstar to help with the word of mouth campaign as we have noticed a major shift in the way people acquire and use their music. The team at Wolfstar certainly have a big passion for dance music and a couple of their team have even already worked in the industry. They also demonstrated a much deeper level of understanding of how social media and word of mouth campaigns work. I am really looking forward to launching my new website and interacting with my fans on a whole new level.”

Long time dance music fan and Wolfstar account manager, Sebastian Mysko commented: “When Wolfstar was launched just over a year ago, we said we wanted to ensure that our client base was as exciting and as diverse as possible. So for us to be working with a high calibre dance music producer like Chris Lake and his record label is truly fantastic. I earned some extra cash as a club promoter during my university days, but to be working within the music industry on a strategic level is very exciting indeed both for me and the rest of the team. We hope that this will be the first of many clients from the music industry.”

Wolfstar will also be working with Chris’ management team Three Six Zero Group and IMD, his public relations support team.

ENDS

For further media inquiries please contact Wolfstar +44 (0)113 394 7960

Sebastian Mysko +44 (0)7855 323728 Skype sebastianmysko sebm@wolfstarconsultancy.com

Chris Norton +44 (0)7932 864 891 Skype chrisnorton2 chrisn@wolfstarconsultancy.com

Chris Lake Ft Laura V - Changes