Leeds-based Brand Consultancy Propaganda has been appointed by hair styling brand CLOUD NINE as their lead marketing and creative agency. The appointment marks a significant return to working with the brand that Propaganda initially helped to create in 2009. 

The seven-figure account, previously held by IMA Home, was awarded without a pitch. 

The Yorkshire-based hair styling business is celebrating its 15^th year and has ambitious targets for growth across its global retail and eCommerce estate.  Propaganda will now be working with the board to drive the strategic brand recommendations and creative campaigning. 

Danny Emmett, CLOUD NINE CEO said, “Celebrating our 15^th year in business is the perfect time to reflect on our success to date but also to accelerate our future growth ambitions. Propaganda were pivotal in the formation of the brand and since we re-engaged with them in August, we have been impressed with our recent campaign and the Brand Discovery^TM work they have undertaken. This appointment marks an exciting new chapter for CLOUD NINE.”

Propaganda’s Strategy and Planning Director, Tom Fowler said, “We are delighted to see CLOUD NINE return to the Propaganda fold. It feels like a homecoming, and we are excited to reunite with many of the talented team members at Cloud Nine. Propaganda played a vital role in creating the brand back in 2009, and we can’t wait to implement our strategic recommendations and make a huge impact on the hair sector again.

Appointed in March 2024, Propaganda has delivered a new brand positioning to support Nexus’ growth ambition as the leading B2B provider of vehicle and plant hire solutions. 

Propaganda’s renowned Brand Discovery^TM programme revealed that Nexus’ brand awareness vastly undersold their market-leading position. With many of the UK’s biggest blue chip companies relying on Nexus for their expertise and pioneering solutions, the company needed a brand positioning that articulated the size, scale, knowledge and impact that they are able to deliver.

This rebrand does exactly this, framing Nexus not as a service provider, but a responsive partner that offers practical, scalable solutions that adapt to the fluctuations of business. Through long exposure photography balanced with simple messages of control, the campaign creative articulates to clients and prospects that, with Nexus continuously at hand to meet their flexing needs, business need “never stop”.

Craig Harrold, Managing Director at Propaganda said, “Our aim was to empower Nexus to confidently embrace their role as a tech-driven, people-centric market leader as they accelerate toward their expansion goals. We’ve developed a brand that resonates with the real-world challenges their clients face. Nexus now stands out as the reliable partner businesses can turn to when navigating uncertainty.”

Scott Haddow, CEO of Nexus Rental said, “We’re thrilled with the strategy and creative that Propaganda has delivered. Their approach has not only refreshed our brand but captured the essence of what Nexus stands for – innovation, flexibility, and growth. This relaunch represents a significant milestone for Nexus as we continue to evolve to the changing needs of customers and suppliers alike.”

Propaganda’s rebrand targets Nexus’ existing and potential customers and suppliers, launching across a new website, brand film and brochure, and employee value proposition (EVP). Propaganda also created a brand ad campaign for Nexus that will run in key industry publications until the end of December. The new Nexus Rental website and campaign are live at NexusRental.com.

Propaganda Brand Consultancy has delivered a powerful Above-the-Line (ATL) campaign for GenM, Home of the MTick and Menopause Partner for Brands. Running throughout World Menopause Awareness Month (October), the campaign inspires and empowers women to thrive through their menopause journey by bringing attention to GenM’s game-changing MTick – the universal shopping symbol that signposts menopause-friendly products. Showcasing a bold, uplifting message, the campaign encourages women in menopause to “Live Your Best Menopause” 

Independent research from GenM reveals that shockingly only 5% of women in menopause feel they are ‘thriving,’ while an overwhelming 94% say they want to shop for clearly signposted and labelled menopause-friendly products. GenM believes this life stage should be a time to thrive not fear – and with the MTick providing better visibility (in-store, on packaging and online) of products that can support the signs of menopause, women are empowered with the choice, opportunity and confidence to live their best menopause. 

The month-long campaign features six vibrant advertisements that bring this vision to life, showing menopausal women feeling like themselves again and embracing life. Highlighting words that are not typically associated with midlife and menopause, each ad demonstrates that improving visibility from brands and retailers can help women truly feel this way. Words like Energetic, Unapologetic, Erotic, Athletic, Authentic and Optimistic are how many women in midlife say they once felt, and GenM is empowering them to feel this way again. And with clever spelling emphasising the MTick, the ads highlight how the ground-breaking symbol helps women confidently shop for products that support their menopause journey. 

The campaign proudly features six women who each have their own unique menopause journey and are finding ways to thrive in this life stage, showcasing their inspiring stories of strength and empowerment. Some of the famous names include:

– Sally Gunnell OBE, an Olympic Gold Medallist with a  powerful story of navigating early menopause while continuing to advocate for women’s health and fitness.

– Heather Jackson, CEO and co-founder of GenM, whose personal journey through perimenopause exposed the lack of support available, driving her and co-founder Sam Simister to create GenM – uniting responsible brands and retailers to provide  choice, trust and control for menopausal consumers

– Rachel Peru, a model and influencer, Rachel began her modelling career in her 40s, demonstrating that midlife can be a time for fresh starts and new opportunities

– Emma Neville, a counsellor and menopause coach, whose experience of early menopause at 39 inspired her to found of “This Is Me,” an uplifting community created to support menopausal women.

A Powerful, Nationwide Presence

The “Live Your Best Menopause” campaign will run throughout October, with an extensive Out-of-Home (OOH) presence, including digital 6-sheet and 96-sheet billboards across key locations, particularly targeting commuters. Taking things a step further, on World Menopause Day (18th October), the campaign will feature on the UK’s most iconic billboards, taking over huge screens at London’s Leicester Square. Extending the reach even further with a full front and back cover wrap on the Metro newspaper and banner ads on Metro.com alongside an online takeover of Daily Mail’s Femail section, World Menopause Day will see this important conversation brought to millions of women.

The campaign is proudly sponsored by 20 key members of GenM’s Partner Collective: Boots, Holland & Barrett, Matalan, Tesco, QVC, Biocare, Charles Worthington, Colgate, Elle Sera, ESPA, Issviva, Menopace, Nioxin, Replens, Revive Collagen, Sanex, Simba, TENA, Viviscal, Wild Nutrition. Their logos will be displayed in the ads, signalling their commitment to bringing visibility to the menopause whilst delivering trust and choice to consumers through designated in-store space and MTick product signposted.

Heather Jackson, CEO and co-founder of GenM said, “We have worked closely with Propaganda for over three years and we are absolutely delighted with the October campaign they have delivered for us this year. At GenM we are all about the power of the Collective and this campaign really demonstrates the amazing impact that can be achieved when brands and retailers come together to improve visibility of menopause and to change the rhetoric. 

“We are determined to make the MTick as recognisable as the vegan V and to have a legacy as purposeful as BCorp. We are transforming how menopause is perceived and supported across society – a rhetoric of thriving instead of one of fear. And with our game-changing MTick, we are empowering women to shop with confidence, trust and choice, improving their lived experience of menopause. Women in this life stage deserve to, and are demanding to, live their best menopause! With this campaign, we are taking one step closer to this empowering future.

Laura Kynaston, Managing Director at Propaganda said, “This campaign needed to reflect GenM’s evolving role and rapidly growing impact within the menopause space. When we first began working with GenM, our goal was to establish them as a pioneer in the  menopause market and capture the attention of key industry stakeholders. Today, they have reached a new level of influence, having gained the respect and trust of the industry. Now partnered with over 100 brands and with MTick signposting widely adopted across some of the nation’s most recognisable retailers, the focus has shifted. This Menopause Awareness Month, the campaign is about reaching the wider public and sending a clear message to women that they deserve to be seen, valued, and supported by the brands they rely on every day. And through the ads’ empowering messaging, GenM and their Partner Collective are changing the rhetoric from ‘fear’ to ‘thrive’. It’s been incredible to witness GenM’s journey, and we’re proud to continue playing a part in it.”

Propaganda is proud to announce that Paddy Cavanagh (Senior Consultant, Brand Strategy & Planning) has received a Highly Commended Rising Star award at the prestigious Management Consultancies Association (MCA) Awards.

As a senior consultant, he is tasked with authoring brand strategy: a framework to shape how a business must look, communicate, and behave moving forwards. The judges described Paddy as “a knowledgeable consultant who is prepared to challenge the ways of doing things to bring out the best outcome for his clients.” 

Having joined Propaganda in 2023, Padd quickly made his mark, tackling a number of challenging briefs including:

– Rebranding the UK’s largest B2B vehicle rental company

– Bringing together three trailblazing sustainability businesses to create the UK’s first fully closed loop renewable energy ecosystem.

– Reinvigorating a household-name British ice-cream brand.

Paddy’s key strength lies in his ability to mine the data before him. He is someone who commits to an evangelical belief in the power of nuance, probing the motivations, external influences and contradictions to uncover an insightful reading of the market problem and customer need. Paddy’s signature conscientiousness, warmth and originality has injected fresh energy into an established Brand Strategy & Planning department, unlocking new business wins and earning the respect of his peers.

Commenting on his award win, Paddy said, “I’m absolutely delighted to be commended, particularly when up against such an esteemed set of brilliant consultants. It’s great to see the role of brand continue to be recognised as a valuable pillar of the management consultancy offer.”

Tom Fowler, Consulting Director at Propaganda, said, “We’re so proud of Paddy and his much-deserved award win. In a relatively short amount of time, he has established himself as an integral part of the Consulting team, leading the delivery of our Brand Discovery^TM process. He absolutely embodies the values that we cherish at Propaganda: challenging assumptions and prioritising long-term strategy.

The MCA Awards, hosted by the Management Consultancies Association, recognises and celebrates excellence within the consulting industry. With MCA member companies representing around 60% of the UK consulting industry, this win exemplifies the expertise of Propaganda’s team and the impact that their output creates.

Propaganda has boosted its Consulting team with the addition of Katherine Mayer-Jones as a Senior Consultant. This new appointment comes after a flurry of new client wins for Propaganda, having recently announced major brand positioning briefs for Reward Finance, Principle Healthcare and Ventrolla.  

Katherine has recently moved from London where she led accounts for the likes of MAOAM (HARIBO) and Savills at creative agency, isobel. She has also worked in-house, having been Brand & Consumer Marketing Lead at Free-to-View (FTV) satellite television platform, Freesat, where she was responsible for brand strategy and consumer communications. 

Katherine will work alongside Consulting Director Tom Fowler, leveraging her agency and client-side experience to deliver Propaganda’s Brand Discovery™ offer across multiple clients.

Tom Fowler said, “With our long-standing ‘no pitching’ policy at Propaganda, new business mostly comes through recommendations and referrals from previous clients, highlighting the level of insight and expertise within the team and our ability to surpass client expectations. Katherine is a welcome addition to the team and her experience will prove invaluable as we continue to transform brands and drive value for our clients.”

Propaganda brand consultancy has created a brand film for GenM, the menopause partner for 90 retailers and brands such as Tesco, Boots, QVC and Sainsbury’s. GenM is debuting the film at LIVE 2024, the UK’s leading retail conference, alongside their world-first menopause aisle concept, developed in collaboration with Propaganda. The film comes as part of wider rebranding strategy for GenM including a brand new CVI, updated TOV and new creative. 

Placing the viewer in the shoes of the confused, overlooked and underserved menopausal consumer, the film effectively communicates the unique proposition that GenM offers as menopause partner for the UK’s top retailers and brands. With GenM research showing that 87% of menopausal women feel overlooked by brands and 66% feel that they don’t signpost menopause-friendly products clearly, GenM empowers retailers and brands to understand and serve the UK’s 15.5 million menopausal customers. Notably, a huge 80% of women want clear menopause-friendly labelling when shopping, which GenM is empowering brands and retailers to deliver.

The film shows a stylised version of the current predicament faced by consumers – little to no signposting for menopause-friendly products – with a solitary woman wandering a never-ending line of colourless shelves full of blank, white bottles. This seemingly infinite status quo is then contrasted with the GenM difference: a vibrant, bustling and colourful world of clear signposting to a myriad of helpful solutions.

The concept was developed by Propaganda’s creative team and the filming was produced by Tungsten Media. Propaganda has been GenM’s strategic partner since 2021, and continues to support them across brand strategy, creative, social and PR on a retained basis. 

Propaganda was also instrumental in helping GenM develop the MTick – the world’s first universal shopping symbol to signpost menopause-friendly solutions. Proudly displayed on packaging, advertising, marketing, online shopping pages, or at point of sale, the MTick is already visible on hundreds of product SKUs and is also positioned in Boots and Tesco stores across the UK.

Lee Bennett, Propaganda’s Head of Creative said, “This brief was a fantastic challenge for our team to get stuck into. As the menopause partner for brands and retailers, GenM performs a role that is new to the industry, and that most people won’t have heard of before. It was exciting to find a clear and engaging way to communicate their unique position to key stakeholders and consumers alike.”

Heather Jackson, co-founder of GenM said, “Working with Propaganda over the last few years has completely transformed GenM and the team has been instrumental in the impact that we’ve been able to achieve. We are so proud of this brand film that demonstrates our vision clearly and effectively in an engaging way. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with Propaganda to bring visibility to the menopause market.”

Brand consultancy, Propaganda, has announced three major new account wins. 

Reward Finance, Principle Healthcare and Ventrolla all commissioned Leeds-based Propaganda in January on major brand positioning briefs to secure their future growth. 

These account wins continue to cement Propaganda’s growing profile in the advisory space with two of the three clients coming via a corporate finance referral. 

Laura Kynaston, MD at Propaganda said ‘Propaganda has worked tirelessly to get the strategic brand debate to its rightful level at C-Suite. We were therefore delighted when all three of these new clients approached us via their senior board, based on the results we are delivering and the impact we are making. We are really excited about working on the new briefs. It’s a fantastic start to the year.”

Principle Healthcare, backed by German Private Equity firm Capiton, approached Propaganda to help author a strategy to grow their Vitawell brand of vitamins and supplements currently stocked in several leading retailers including Tesco, Morrisons and Amazon. 

Principle Healthcare Group MD John Sutcliffe said ‘As a GenM member, we’ve been really impressed by Propaganda and felt they were the perfect partner to work with us on our next stage of growth. We’re looking forward to seeing where they take the Vitawell brand.”

Leeds-based Reward Finance are a leading short-term lender for SMEs and have enjoyed rapid growth in the last 5 years. Propaganda has been appointed to advise on a strategy to support significant further growth for the brand and its geographical expansion. 

Nick Smith, Group MD at Reward Finance said ‘We’re an ambitious brand, keen to push the boundaries and perceptions of the short-term lending market. When we met Propaganda, we knew we’d met an equally ambitious partner, ready to disrupt our market.”

Ventrolla are a market leader in heritage and replacement sash windows and are looking to build on their market leading product and service with a brand strategy which can drive a 3-year growth strategy. 

Ventrolla CEO Ian Flanagan said ‘We first met Propaganda in 2021 and were impressed by them then. I’m delighted that Ventrolla is now in a position to capitalise on Propaganda’s approach and look forward to working with them to develop our future growth plans.’’

All three clients are currently in Propaganda’s Brand Discovery™ consultancy phase with recommendations and implementation due in Spring. 

ENDS.

Propaganda has been listed in the prestigious Financial Times’ Leading Management Consultancies 2024. This year marks the 7th annual listing from Financial Times and the 5th time Propaganda has been included in the list. 

The index is based on three rounds of surveys undertaken by Statista. A completely independent process, the rankings are generated through recommendations from clients and peers.

James Bacon, Senior Key Account Manager at Statista said, “The Special Report identifies the most highly recommended management consultancies and consulting networks in the UK, primarily based on surveys launched by Statista and the Financial Times among peers and clients. It was through this process that Propaganda stood out – and is named among the UK’s most highly recommended consultancies and networks.”

Laura Kynaston, Managing Director at Propaganda said, “We are delighted to be recognised for the 5th time by the Financial Times as one of the top management consultancies in the country. With over 30 years of working with a variety of challenger and leading brands to transform their businesses, the results that we have delivered for clients over the decades speak for themselves. We are honoured that our work continues to be recognised and are grateful to all of the clients and peers who recommended us.”

Propaganda brand consultancy has delivered a brand refresh and updated proposition for ReFood, the UK’s leading food waste recycler, in response to challenging market dynamics and increased competition. 

Propaganda has worked with ReFood for over 10 years, having created the UK launch and brand strategy back in 2013. The evolved repositioning focuses on ReFood’s pivotal role within the renewable energy sector and communicating how food waste is a sustainable energy solution – a message no other anaerobic digestion food waste business truly owns.

The new strapline ‘ReEnergising Britain’ encapsulates ReFood’s significance in not simply collecting food waste for recycling, but uniting communities and businesses in driving towards more sustainable solutions.  

ReFood collects commercial food waste and transforms the waste into renewable energy and biofertilsers through the process of anaerobic digestion. The clean energy produced then goes to supply the National Grid, while the nutrient-rich biofertilisers are used in agriculture, creating a unique closed-loop system.

Over recent years, the food waste recycling sector has evolved exponentially, driven by a wide range of factors; COVID, the energy crisis, inflationary pressures, and most recently food waste legislation. Propaganda undertook a Brand Health audit for ReFood, providing the insight and strategic direction needed to evolve, strengthen its position, and retain its competitive advantage. 

Tom Fowler, Planning Director at Propaganda said: “Having developed ReFood’s brand strategy in 2013, our challenge was to evolve this in a way that felt true to their original proposition whilst acknowledging the new role that ReFood plays in the renewable energy industry. This bold re-articulation communicates the substantial value that ReFood offers businesses – not only aligning with ESG initiatives and promoting carbon reduction, but quite literally powering the nation and the many businesses within it.” 

The brand positioning is supported with a complete brand refresh across the marketing mix encompassing its digital estate, sales materials, OOH advertising and a new brand film. The evolved brand identity and messaging will be part of a campaign running later this year.

Philip Simpson, Commercial Director at SARIA Group (ReFood’s parent company) said: “ Propaganda’s strategy for ReFood provided the business with a coherent and highly original approach to the market which has proven successful over the past decade. We look-forward to accelerating our position and are confident that the repositioning will support our plans for continued growth and success.”

Propaganda has created a campaign around the recent launch of Absolute Collagen’s Deep Lift skincare range. Starring TV presenter Emma Willis, the campaign marks the first celebrity-fronted product launch for the brand.

Propaganda worked closely with the in-house creative team at Absolute Collagen to create the through-the-line campaign. Deliverables included TV advertising across Youtube with an ad starring Emma, as well as an extensive digital campaign.

Having worked with Propaganda in the past, Absolute Collagen approached the consultancy to deliver this campaign because of their experience delivering game-changing results for brands in the competitive beauty industry. The launch represents the first skincare range from Absolute Collagen who is best known for their collagen supplements.

Emphasising Absolute Collagen’s scientific credentials and leveraging the endorsement of Emma Willis, the creative displays the efficacy of skincare products that go beyond the surface. With the tagline “more than skin deep”, the assets promote the uniqueness of the collagen-based range that works from the inside out, rather than just sitting on top of the skin. 

Lee Bennett, Propaganda’s Head of Creative said, “Skincare is a very saturated market so we knew we had to create a campaign that would cut through the noise. At Propaganda, we have a history of building iconic beauty brands from the ground up. From Illamasqua to ghd to Cloud Nine, we are experts at breaking into markets and making a splash.”

Propaganda brand consultancy has developed a comprehensive launch strategy and positioning for frozen carbonated beverage (FCB) Calippo Burst. Strategically positioned to target Gen-Z, the launch campaign includes brand assets for sales, retail and online, supported by a robust corporate visual identity (CVI).

Propaganda was appointed by Polar Krush Group who licence the Calippo Burst brand from Unilever. Polar Krush Group chose Propaganda following recommendations and the impact of Propaganda’s thought leadership on the power of brand, evidenced by their whitepaper (Brand Multiple).

Propaganda’s insight-driven strategy aims to distinguish Calippo Burst’s fizziness from the many non-carbonated slush drinks on the market. The strategy capitalises on the Gen-Z trend of utilising social media platforms as a method of self-expression and identity curation. Calippo Burst becomes not just a product, but a sharable moment.

Tom Fowler, Planning Director at Propaganda said, “Gen-Z are thoughtful shoppers. With limited disposable income, treat purchases have strong social currency. We’re seeing more and more viral snack trends as a result, creating huge opportunities for brands. Our research showed the potential for Callipo Burst to become an ‘event’ purchase, sought out and documented on social media.”

Propaganda’s creative direction brings to life the joy and fun of individuality, epitomised by whimsical visuals of bursting fruit heads, vibrant colours and fizzy bubbles. The tagline ‘Burst It’ captures the essence of Calippo Burst inviting consumers to revel in an innovative fizzy, fruity, slushie experience.

This marks the first campaign Propaganda has delivered that utilises AI. Lee Bennett, Head of Creative at Propaganda said, “The creative springboard for the campaign was ‘refreshingly weird’, which perfectly encapsulated the product’s unique drinking experience. AI added a new dimension in achieving our concept due to its nature of creating bizarre and unreal visuals. The final campaign imagery is a composite of photography, 3D renders, vector illustrations and AI.

“There are understandably concerns over the use of AI and it won’t be suitable for all creative briefs. Used well it can enhance creativity but it can’t replace the vital human skills of photography and illustration, and the idea generation itself.”

Simon Hewitson, CEO at Polar Krush said, “Propaganda came highly recommended to us when reviewing partners for the Calippo Burst launch.  There were some strong themes in the Brand Multiple whitepaper that really resonated with us and we were impressed by the team from the outset and their ability to deliver our brief. We are delighted with the work the team has created and are certain it will help us to stand out in the market.”

To access the free whitepaper Brand Multiple, visit: www.propaganda.co.uk/brand-multiple-whitepaper/#wp-form. 

Propaganda is proud to announce our prestigious win at the 2023 Management Consultancies Association (MCA) Awards for Strategy. This highly coveted award is a resounding testament to our transformative work with BSW Group, a major player in the timber sawmilling industry.

Our innovative approach, praised by judges, stands as a true demonstration of the power of consulting, delivering outstanding value through strategic work. In a fiercely competitive category, which featured industry giants like PwC, Arup and KPMG, Propaganda emerged victorious, reaffirming our commitment to excellence in consultancy.

Following the acquisition of BSW Timber by PE fund Endless LLP, the business strategically acquired five companies in the timber supply chain, creating the UK’s largest vertical ‘seed-to-sawn’ forestry business. Our role involved unifying their entities under one umbrella, resulting in the formation of the BSW Group.

Our comprehensive Brand Discovery^TM process, engaging both colleagues and clients of BSW Group, identified two critical issues – lack of integration and understanding among the acquired businesses.

Our strategic recommendation shifted the Group from ‘seed-to-sawn’ to a ‘circle of experts’, branding BSW Group as “the most innovative, technologically advanced, and sustainable timber business in the UK”. We also provided a clear direction on investments in innovation, technology and education.

This repositioning set BSW Group on course for transformative growth, allowing them to achieve exit ambitions three years ahead of schedule and deliver Endless LLP’s biggest-ever return, demonstrating a new culture of collaboration between the Group businesses.

Beyond exit value, other quantifiable results also surged. Group revenue increased from £350 million in February 2020 to an impressive £900 million in January 2023. The number of employees also soared from 2,000 to 3,050 during the same period. Notably, BSW Group broke records by securing the largest harvesting contract with Forestry Scotland.

The MCA Awards, hosted by the Management Consultancies Association, recognise and celebrate excellence within the consulting industry. With MCA member companies representing around 60% of the UK consulting industry, this accolade underscores the quality and impact of Propaganda and BSW Group’s partnership.

This win is not just a triumph for our team but also a celebration of BSW Group, who fully embraced our transformative strategies in the competitive timber sawmilling industry. We extend our heartfelt thanks to the MCA for this esteemed recognition and reaffirm our commitment to setting new standards in strategic consultancy.