Anne-Marie Lacey is Managing Director of Filament PR, a PR and marketing communications agency specialising in the lifestyle, leisure and entertainment sectors. Having celebrated the business' first birthday in October, Anne-Marie looks back at a bumper 2017, and to a bright New Year in 2018.
What’s been your biggest business highlight this year?
There are too many highlights to mention from winning new clients, expanding the team with new associates, being shortlisted for client work at the PRide Awards (the winners will be revealed later in December), becoming a Chartered PR Practitioner, to winning a personal award at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ national Excellence Awards, it’s just been a brilliant first year in business.
Can you share any account wins?
A trusted mentor who'll not only celebrate in your successes, but also help to navigate you through choppy waters, is worth their weight in gold.
Anne-Marie Lacey, Filament PROne client we were appointed to for an initial period of eight months has since renewed its contract with us for the next five years. It’s a brilliant achievement; testament to the skill of the team and the benefits our work brings to the businesses we engage with.
How has your team changed?
We operate a very agile model and work flexibly using a range of super talented associates. As well as PR and communications pros, we’ve added design, digital, SEO and content creators to the fold, meaning we can scale up resource to meet client demand and fulfil the objectives of their brief with a senior team that is totally bespoke to them. The benefit back to the clients we work with is that they only pay for the resource, support and highlevel expertise that they actually need.
What’s the most satisfying piece of work you’ve created?
I’m genuinely proud of all the work Filament PR creates. That said, one piece of work we delivered this year that exceeded everyone’s expectations was (pardon the pun) launching Durham’s first ever hot air balloon festival Balloons InDurham with our client, Durham Business Improvement District. Over the course of the campaign, we achieved 100% positive regional, national and international media coverage with a reach of over 33 million people across print, online and broadcast. So much so, during Balloons InDurham, footfall to the City increased by over 8.3% compared to the same period the previous year.
What changes have you witnessed within the industry?
One of the biggest (and very welcome!) changes I’ve seen in the industry over the past year is a push for professionalism. I’ve been a Member of the CIPR for many years now, abiding by the Code of Conduct, and have completed CPD cycles for the past four years. Earlier in 2017 I won the title of Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year at the Excellence Awards and also became a Chartered PR practitioner. This mark of professionalism has served Filament PR well, helping us to attract, win and retain a whole host of clients. I’ve been particularly pleased to see that businesses are starting to recognise the importance of having an experienced and qualified PR professional representing their organisations, with many invites to pitch for new pieces of work specifically requesting that the successful applicant has professional accreditation with the CIPR or other industry bodies.
Is there a business lesson you’ve learnt in 2017?
For all the highs of launching and running your own business, it can sometimes be tough at the top. A trusted mentor who’ll not only celebrate in your successes, but also help to navigate you through choppy waters, is worth their weight in gold.
Which business in the region has impressed you this year?
Raman Sehgal Managing Director of Newcastle-headquartered ramarketing. Not only is he a genuinely lovely bloke, he leads an expert team in pharma and contract PR and marketing. He’s enjoyed exponential growth having started his business in a very similar way to Filament PR just a few years ago. He’s since attracted external funding and is now taking his business State-side. I’m massively impressed by his approach to business and his success is hugely deserved.
Looking ahead, what will 2018 bring? A bright and shiny future, building on the success of the past year, with a strong retained customer base, a growing client portfolio, and expanding the team to help meet demand.
