HILL+KNOWLTON STRATEGIES AND KAMELEON LAUNCH SOHO PARTNERS
LONDON – Hill+Knowlton Strategies has linked up with partnership and content specialist Kameleon to launch an innovative joint venture called Soho Partners.
The new offering is a stand-alone consultancy that advocates a fresh approach to sponsorships and partnerships in entertainment, sustainability, cause and sport, with an emphasis on creating integrated campaigns for clients with brand IP and content at the heart of the ideas.
Soho Partners will work with H+K Strategies’ existing clients as well as work to bring in new clients. It launches with two founding clients – Aviva and Carling. Soho Partners was responsible for the successful negotiation of the Aviva Premiership Rugby and continues to consult, manage and evaluate Aviva’s UK sponsorship portfolio.
Ben Barker, formerly a sponsorship consultant at Hill+Knowlton Strategies, and Mark Webster, formerly managing director of Mindshare’s Performance Division, will jointly lead the venture, reporting into H+K Strategies EMEA and U.K. CEO, Richard Millar.
The deal is part of H+K Strategies’ goal of expanding beyond traditional PR and offering clients a breadth of services in combination with deep industry sector knowledge.
Richard Millar says, “H+K Strategies has been helping clients exploit sponsorships for years, from the Carling Cup to Future Friendly for P&G. But to solve communications challenges today, we need to be originating new sponsorship and partnership opportunities. The launch of Soho Partners continues our journey to provide clients with all of the capabilities required to deliver seamless, integrated communications solutions, alongside extensive sector knowledge in their industry.”
Ben Barker, Partnership Director at Soho Partners commented, “Over the last three years we have had more and more clients request sponsorship advice that brings big ideas and innovative content. By working with Kameleon, who are experts in this space, we have been able to focus an offering under Soho Partners that can service both H+K Strategies’ client requirements, and also the broader industry and new clients. We believe that by creating effective working partnerships between brands and properties in music, film, sport, CR or gaming, we will develop partnerships that deliver incremental value for a brand, a business, its customers and its employees.”
Mark Webster, Partnership Director at Soho Partners added, “At Kameleon, we have been creating innovative and successful partnerships for brands, and we’re very excited by this opportunity to develop a new offering with H+K Strategies to capitalise on the increased interest in this field.”
For more information please see www.sohopartners.com.
Contact:
Sam Lythgoe / Emily Reid
Business Development
+44 (0) 207 413 3000sam.lythgoe@hkstrategies.com / emily.reid@hkstrategies.com
Ben Barker
Partnership Director, Soho Partners
020 7973 5984bbarker@sohopartners.com
About Hill+Knowlton Strategies
Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Inc. is a leading international communications consultancy, providing services to local, multinational and global clients. The firm is headquartered in New York, with 85 offices in 46 countries, as well as an extensive associate network. The agency is part of WPP, one of the world's largest communications services groups.
For more information, please visit www.hkstrategies.com
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