Transmission Private

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I am Founder, Chairman and Majority Shareholder of a UK-based retailer. The company has a presence in more than 50 countries worldwide. Transmission Private supported me in a personal capacity. Outside of my company, I am a well-known political donor, and there is a degree of natural media interest in me.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Transmission Private?

They had a wide-ranging, comprehensive, and diverse brief. I wanted them to put in place protections to manage my personal exposure to the media. I was constantly plagued by hostile press enquiries.

I also knew that there was going to be a degree of interest in me as I was thinking about selling my business, and I didn't want that to lead to unnecessary, damaging media articles. Separately, I wanted to further enhance my influence in political circles.

The challenge was how to do this in a way that didn't expose me to a high degree of media interest. Finally, I wanted to put in place a solution to manage my digital profile, which was full of partial, out of date, and inaccurate information.

What were your goals for this project?

Put in place protections to manage my personal media interest. Control press interest around the potential sale of my business. Manage my digital profile on an ongoing basis. Increase my political influence in the UK.

SOLUTION

How did you select Transmission Private?

I have worked with one of the Partners of the firm before. They are specialists at working with individuals and have hands-on experience of the type of media inquiries and communications issues that businesspeople are subject to. This experience is rare.

This was an important deciding factor for me. Given that this was a personal brief, it was also important that I trusted and got along with the team. They also work with demanding people and do not mind replying to emails and calls out of hours.

Describe the scope of their work in detail.

Transmission Private took control of all my personal media inquiries, replied on my behalf, and strategically advised me on what to accept and what to turn down. They advised of the appointment on a corporate communications agency to manage the sales process for my business, and managed it to ensure that the story focussed on the business itself rather than my ownership stake.

They put together a digital strategy for managing my reputation online and then executed against it to ensure that people were reading the right messages about me. They set the strategy behind the launch of a new political campaigning organisation, which would be leveraged to increase my influence in politics.

They designed, created, and launched a new website for the political campaigning organisation. They appointed a high-powered political advisory Board made up of members of all the major UK political parties, including a former party leader.

What was the team composition?

I worked directly with one of the Partners of the firm.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Taking direct control of my digital profile, ensuring that the content online puts my best foot forward. Appointment of a high-powered political Advisory Board, including the head of the current leading party's policy unit, a Shadow Minister, and former leader of a major UK political party.

Securing national and international coverage for the launch of the new political organisation. Managing all my personal media inquiries and mitigating any hostile stories quickly and efficiently. Mitigating hostile interest in stories around the potential sale of my business.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Transmission Private had a complex and difficult brief to master, which they did with exemplary speed and efficiency.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Transmission Private is a pleasure to work with. Its senior staff are able, competent, hard-working, accessible and willing. The most impressive aspect of working with Transmission Private has been their thorough understanding of what we have been trying to accomplish and their practical approach to achieving success.

I have been receiving PR advice for nearly ten years now and I would strongly recommend Transmission Private as the best organisation of its type that I have ever worked with.

Are there any areas for improvement?

I have no adverse comments to make.