Our Services

Marketing and Corporate Communications

  • Annual reports and Brochures
  • Brand building and repositioning
  • Change management programs
  • Conference and event management
  • Corporate website copy
  • Crisis Management
  • Customer communications
  • Employee programs
  • Marketing support activities
  • Media Relations
  • Media Training
  • Message development and positioning
  • Perception studies
  • Speaker opportunities

Public Affairs Services

  • In-depth issues and risk analysis
  • Political institutional processes
  • Public policy tracking and analysis of the relevant political processes
  • Stakeholder management, strategy and support
  • Strategic advice on issue management
  • Strategy and plan development

Case Studies
Internal Communications

Client: Business Unit of leading global bank
Brief: Development and implementation of a practical internal communications program for the Unit’s employees worldwide to ensure dissemination of news in a consistent and regular manner.
Solution: Hillgate developed a range of internal communications tools designed to be used for various requirements: general news, time-sensitive announcements, senior management communications, etc.

Hillgate was responsible for the publication of a regular newsletter sent to all employees worldwide and was responsible for overseeing its transition to an electronic format.

For the Unit’s head office, Hillgate developed and managed an Internal Communications Forum to ascertain and meet the internal communications requirements of each part of the business.

The client’s internal communications survey saw the scores rise by more than 70% as a result of the success of this new communications program.

Crisis Communications

Client: International Soft Drinks Manufacturer
Crisis: Exploding glass bottles in consumers’ homes
Solution: Hillgate immediately implemented the well established crisis program. The crisis management team established the facts, prepared recall notices for the media, arranged a schedule of visits to consumers, and set up and managed a 24-hour media centre over a two-week period.

Working with the legal team and the main board, the Hillgate team was responsible for:

  • Establishment of a clear media relations strategy
  • Preparation of holding statement and as the facts came in preparation of recall notices
  • Preparation of internal communications for UK company staff and daily liaison with global corporate headquarters
  • Establishing a customer help line

The crisis team met every day for 10 days, reviewed progress and planned the activity required, allocated tasks and updated team members.

Three pieces of negative media coverage and 25 pieces of neutral/positive coverage appeared in the media. A number of hoax claims were made – investigated by security and found not to be true claims. More than 400 consumer calls were handled by the crisis customer service team.

Internal audiences received regular new updates, the board was provided with tactical and strategic recommendations. Hillgate prepared a full review of the incident and presented it to senior management. Hillgate was then invited to implement the agreed detailed internal recommendations in full.

No loss of business was sustained by the company, six months after this event – no mention was made of the incident – either by customers or the drinks trade.

Media Relations

Client: A well-known upscale department store, part of a leading retail group
Crisis: Generate maximum awareness and positive media coverage of the opening of a second store due to $400 million major renovation project
Solution: Hillgate developed a media campaign to highlight the positive aspects of the relocation, including contrasting the new modern stylish warehouse venue with the traditional Victorian shop.

The launch provided opportunities to remind customers of some of the value-added complimentary services such as the Interior Design Service, Maternity Assistance Service and the Personal Shopper Service.

The media relations program included individual journalist guided tours, photographic opportunities, editorial exclusives, media interviews with the MD as well as a program of diverse events held at the new location.

To help retain customer loyalty, a direct mail leaflet was sent to account holders as well as an invitation to an exclusive preview of the new venue.

In order to maintain employee motivation and involvement and the dissemination of accurate information we undertook a regular building update for staff and invited them to join tours of the new location.

Media coverage in all the style, broadsheet and TV/radio outlets during the 12 month period of the project increased the stores coverage by more than 200%. The media program was so successful that the company decided to keep the warehouse location as a retail venue once the $400 million renovation program was completed

Public Affairs

Client: An Internet based information resource focussed on the issue of advertising to children.
Background: The advertising business found that important information on the issue of advertising to children, especially a comprehensive collection of legislation and scientific studies, was not easily accessible to EU policymakers.
Brief: To create an Internet – based information system, associated secretariat and reference point. The objective was to collect and disseminate information on the issue of advertising and children to all interested parties.
Solution: All aspects of an association and information system was designed and created including research, drafting issue briefs and an Internet based database with over 500 sources. The organisation has build up a pan-European network to brief interested parties in all EU member states.

In less than 2 years, the association is internationally recognised as the global authority on academic and other information on the issue and as an expert by EU institutions and other non-industry associations.

Global Reputation and Communications Strategy

Client: The world’s leading provider of trading technology solutions to the FX industry – trading an average of $110 billion a day. Owned by the twelve of the leading global FX banks and a major Asian financial institution. The company provides services to clients in more than 40 countries and has six major offices throughout the world. Its clients include traders, head of FX and head of IT of the global banks.
Brief: To develop a clear positioning for the company, that would distinguish it from it competition and would enable it to improve its media profile, on a global basis. The brief was also to implement a global communications campaign, with media relations as the key deliverable. The client was well known within its immediate client base, but not known at all in the larger financial sector.
Solution: Following our appointment we undertook an extensive review of the communications, marketing and sales materials. In conjunction with the marketing and research department, developed a new positioning for the company, substantiated by a comprehensive message matrix for the company and for its key services. The key messages were then developed and incorporated in a global media pack. We also prepared a series of regional media packs based on the global one while incorporating specific regional themes to be used by local management.

To ensure focus and consistency, Hillgate also developed a range of new website content; some thought leadership initiatives, sales materials, as well as a global internal communications programme.

The deliverables

  • A sustained and focused media relations campaign based on the new positioning of the company, and highlighting the key features of its services. This media relations campaign was a major success within three months of implementing the media coverage, including repetition of the new key messages, on an international and regional basis was achieved.
  • A series of interviews with national business and FX trade media interviews was undertaken in North America, Asia and Europe, coordinated by Hillgate
  • An increase of more than 85% in media coverage for the client in key target media
  • Coordinated global event management program, including speaker opportunities at industry events, conferences and customer events – all supporting the overall positioning
  • Full range of sales materials to support the overall positioning
  • Development of new website content
  • Implementation of a global internal communications program, reflecting the external key messages. Hillgate used a range of internal tools to deliver these messages and positioning such as Town Hall meetings, intranet, monthly newsletters, messages to staff from department heads, etc.

Online Marketing and Social Media Strategy

Client: UK’s first automatic energy saving device for home and office appliances
Brief: To support the online launch of the new, automatic standby shutdown device, to create awareness of the brand amongst consumers and online retailers; and to drive traffic to the website and ultimately to convert consumers to purchase the product
Solution: Targeting online media, social networking sites and well-known eco-blogs, we developed a major online campaign featuring the device as the ‘must-have’ for the eco-conscious shopper in the UK.

We also liaised with retailers and arranged for dozens of online eco-stores to sell the product to coincide with the official launch. As a result the device’s online presence was dramatically increased on all of the key consumer websites and blogs just before launch. We also arranged for online sales promotions, designed to drive traffic to the website, thereby increasing sales and at the same time generating significant awareness of the product.

Following an official product launch to the newspaper and magazine press, the device was featured by many media outlets as ‘the’ energy and money saver during the holidays in the Christmas pages of monthly magazines, as well as in key national media as an effective product for small businesses that are interested in sustainability and ‘going green.’