A Spring in Cofinitive's Step
We’re only into the fourth month of 2019 but it has been a busy start to the year. There have already been so many highlights, for us and our clients.
We hit the ground running as this year’s first new member of the Cambridgeshire Chambers of Commerce. As a local company we’re committed to supporting Cambridge business and we strongly believe that being part of a collective voice is good for Cambridge.
A HUGE highlight for us has to be being named one of Business Weekly‘s Top Image Makers 2019 in their New Years Honours, for the second year running. As a company only starting it’s fifth year, to be recognised as the highest riser going from 8th last year, to number 5 this year reflects not only our amazing clients but also our hardworking team. In the same article, our founder, Faye Holland was wonderfully described as “one of the UK’s prime marketing strategists” – we think so too!
The team has also grown this year as we have welcomed new members, and a familiar face has returned. Lynsey Thorpe joins us with a wealth of experience having worked for the Royal Society of Chemistry. Carole Aye Maung has also joined the team bringing with her more than two decades of media experience. During that time, she worked nationally and internationally at senior level on three Fleet Street newspapers. She now uses her skills and media contacts to secure relevant and impactful media coverage for our clients. We have also welcomed our intern Manon back, this time as a part-time Digital Media and Marketing Assistant.
Back in February we were delighted to announce that we had been shortlisted for Business Weekly International Trade Champion and Faye, as a candidate for Woman Entrepreneur of the Year. As a result Cofinitive was then listed amongst the amazing companies as a candidate for Business of the Year!
We obviously can’t talk about the first quarters highlights without mentioning the inaugural #OnetoWatch event and our campaign leading up to it. Over 500 people, companies, and the ‘things’ that they create were submitted over a 12-month period. 219 of those made the long list which was then bought down to 42 companies. We enlisted an esteemed group of judges – Simon Mead, Dr Shima Barakat, Priya Guha and Bill Thompson, to select the final Top.21. The event was a huge success with many asking how they could submit for #OnetoWatch 2020! Nominations are now open so head over to our #OnetoWatch page for further information.
It’s all about the clients!
So much to say! Here’s a few highlights.
We have also continued to support the development of AgriTech opportunities as part of our work with SmithsonHill. How we feed the world in the future is a key issue for us all and we are honoured to be part of such an exciting and ground-breaking initiative.
Things have been busy over at HR tech company Peachy Mondays with two industry events and a flurry of new client case study development including Scottish Water and VodafoneZiggo.
It has also been a big year so far for our client Cambridge China Centre. We worked closely alongside them on the PR for the inaugural Cambridge Chinese Cultural Festival. This was a huge success in quality, turnout and community engagement. Cambridge China Centre also showcased the enormous potential of UK|China collaboration by sponsoring the new UK|China business award at the Business Weekly annual awards. The award is for the company who has been an effective ambassador for UK|China trade and trust, showcasing the best of the many companies in Cambridge making the most of the potential for collaboration with China. Well done to Abcam who took home this award. Cambridge China Centre saw great success again in March at the UK|China Businesses & Investors event connecting UK companies with Chinese investment.
2019 has also seen us welcome new clients into the Cofinitive fold. These include Luminous Ventures, the go-to venture fund for the most daring and innovative founders requiring seed to series A/B investment (more on this in the next couple of weeks!). The team have been back hard at work alongside LSCC preparing a series of APPG Westminster events, the first focusing on how the UK Innovation Corridor can ensure its local population has the skills needed for an economy of the future. We have also commenced a brand new project with legacy client Woodhall Estate.
There has been no rest for the wicked as Faye resumed her role as emcee on the startup stage of major global event Unleash. The startup zone provided engaging and dynamic content covering topics such as women in tech, founder panels and a fireside chat with the legendary Josh Bersin where Faye convinced him not to do another sit-and-get, but to answer her questions!
All in all, so far this year we’ve been running projects as far and wide as Boston USA, London, Cannes, Luxembourg and Scotland.
Closer to home, our Cofinitive Communications Clinic returned again this year, on the last Wednesday of every month, as part of The Bradfield Centre Office Hours. We are also running a second Comms Clinic taking place on 26th April in conjunction with Cambridge Wireless.
And we continue to pay-it-forward – whether promoting the amazing work at Form the Future, continuing to drive the programme for Impact Women’s Network, or broadcasting the amazing Business of Software conference to our network.
And so much more but bravo for being interested so far! Hopefully that gave you a flavour of the scope of work we are undertaking across strategy, communications, PR, engagement and branding. And if you’d like to put a spring in your communications, let us know!