Ash Communications

Croatiansun appoints Ash
Croatiansun, the leading estate agent for property in Croatia, has appointed Ash Communications to promote a range of developments. The first encompasses luxury villas based in Istria – the ‘Italy’ of Croatia – which are either stylish new builds or beautifully restored farmhouses and private residences.

Queen celebrates with leading journalist
To celebrate 50 years following the rededication of the famous St Bride’s church on Fleet Street - known as the journalists’ church - the Queen attended a commemorative service and reception held at the nearby St Bride’s Institute. Sue Ash, CEO, Ash Communications, was invited to present several of the UK’s leading media to the Queen and HRH Prince Philip. These included John Simpson, the BBC’s renowned foreign correspondent, and Nicholas Owen, presenter BBC News24.

Ash promotes elegant holiday living in Croatia
Ash Communications has been appointed PR consultancy for Villas Forum, Croatia’s leading luxury villas company, to promote its new personal services, including a personal chef, concierge service, rental cars and mouthwatering Welcome Hamper. The consultancy is also introducing the boutique rental business’s new collection of hand-picked, stylish, traditional and contemporary villas that encompass a former palace, country houses and farm houses. The villas, located in the regions of Istria and Dalmatia, provide greater freedom and choice for elegant holiday living, and are suitable for two people upwards. Many of the residences have been renovated to the highest possible standard in a sympathetic way using natural local materials to complement and enhance their stunning surroundings.

Ash chosen to launch marina lifestyle project
Grupo Lar Portugal has appointed Ash Communications property to implement and manage a media relations campaign of the Marina Village development launch in the UK.
In conjunction with Savills International, Grupo Lar Portugal showcased Marina Village, a contemporary lifestyle project in the historic and cultural area of Lagos, South Algarve at an event on Wednesday, 28 November 2007 at Savills’ headquarters, Grosvenor Hill, London. A successful PR & marketing campaign by Ash and Savills saw £500,000 worth of property reserved at the event.
Ash Communications has previously worked with Grupo Lar Sol’s second residence developments located in Spain and implemented its PR campaigns in the UK.

Pierre & Vacances wins Best Developer Partnership Programme 2007 award
Pierre & Vacances Property Investments carried off the Overseas Property Professional (OPP) Industry Award for Best Developer Partnership Programme 2007 and six awards at the Homes Overseas Awards on 3 December 2007:
• Best Apartment, Caribbean, Sainte Luce, Martinique
• Best Apartment, France, Paris Tour Eiffel
• Best Apartment, Spain, Terrazas Costa del Sol
• Best Renovation, Les Chalets du Forum, Courchevel, France
• Best Golf Development, Le Green Beach, Normandy, France
• Best Landscape Design, Center Parcs Europe, Le Domaine du Lac d’Ailette, Aisne, France.

Blauverd hits a high
Blauverd, the leading Spanish second residence developer based in Costa Blanca, was handed a Best Apartment in Spain award for Los Cerezos, Finestrat at the Homes Overseas Awards, which took place on 3 December at the Kensington Gardens Hotel.

PR expertise put to test
Sue Ash delivered a seminar on Selling Your Credibility and was a member of the PR panel at the OPP Live! show (4/5 December 07) answering questions such as assessing the value of PR and passing on top tips. For further information call Sue on 020 7734 5666.

Top Talent!
Healthcare AD Mark Chamberlain (left), who is studying part time for an MA in Screenwriting, has beaten 1800 applicants to be one of only six awarded a filmmaker’s bursary to produce, write and direct a short film to be shown at the East End Film Festival in April 2008.

The film, One Year Since, is a fictional piece concerning the dynamics of a young family living in East London.

Music to our ears!
Ash Communications Business & Consumer division has been appointed by The Multi-Room Company, a Cheltenham-based distributor of award-winning home technology products to the custom installation and home entertainment market. Its initial task is to launch the Ceratec speaker brand into the UK. Designed by leading acoustic designer, Ulrich Ranke, managing director of Ceratec, based in Bremen, Germany, this new range of classically elegant loudspeakers combine high performance, inspired by musicians, with practical style, paying homage to the Bauhaus tradition. Made from anodised, extruded aluminium and glass, Ceratec loudspeakers have an almost limitless choice of anodising colour and shade of grille fabric. The first of the Ceratec products is the new Ceratec Xeno range. These loudspeakers incorporate rows of tri-colour LEDs into the rear face of the unit, emitting a soft glow of a virtually unlimited colour palette onto the wall behind. The forthcoming Ceratec Faqt range features interchangeable side panels to customise the speakers to suit most styles of décor. The Ceratec brand will be launching in Selfridges in the Autumn.

Sangeeta Patil has been promoted to junior account manager within the Healthcare division of Ash Communications. She joined the consultancy from the Bell Pottinger group as an account executive earlier this year. Sangeeta has progressed rapidly and developed her experience in many therapeutic areas such as diabetes, dermatology, cardiology and respiratory. She works across the team’s client base, including Daiichi Sankyo, York Pharma and several Johnson & Johnson companies.

A Forecourt Experience
Long-standing Ash client, Alvern Media, which manages the advertising space on petrol forecourts, asked Ash to come up with an idea to target fmcg clients direct. Ash created a dedicated direct mail campaign aimed at decision makers and brand managers using the shape of one of Alvern’s eponymous forecourt media, the 4-sheet poster.

Alvern’s forecourt media opportunities comprise petrol pump nozzles, DoorMedia® and the 4-sheet poster, owning the entire forecourt journey from driving in to entering the forecourt shop.

With 84 per cent of fuel buyers making a purchase from the forecourt shop and average spend increasing by 42 per cent in the last seven years, Alvern media opportunities provide a big boost to forecourt impulse sales. Its clients such as Frijj, for example, saw a sales increase of over 25 per cent when advertising on the petrol pump nozzles.

Viva Italia!
Ash Communications promoted the annual Viva Italia show on 5 to 7 October 2007 at the National Hall, Olympia, London, which attracted thousands of visitors over the weekend. A celebration of the best of ‘Made in Italy’, Viva Italia is the only show of its kind to be officially recognised and endorsed by the leading Italian authorities in Britain and the Ministry of International Trade in Italy, and supports the growing appetite for Italian products in the UK.

Ash achieved editorial coverage for the Viva Italia Show on London Tonight, through articles in Thelondonpaper and the Evening Standard, BBC radio interviews and on targeted websites including thisislondon.co.uk, londontown.com and visitlondon.com.

Working in partnership with the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the UK, Ash unveiled two floors of opportunities to indulge in Italian food, wine, fashion, interior design, film, art, opera, tourism and property as well as exciting brand promotions, including a competition to win a Fiat Bravo, a Berloni kitchen, a Smeg dishwasher or a Natuzzi armchair.

Leonardo Simonelli, president of the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Industry for the UK, said: “Viva Italia 2007 is of outstanding importance as it mirrors the changes in how people are considering Italian products. The show presents high-quality goods that embody an additional value that goes beyond a premium price.”

Twelfth on West in South Beach, Miami
Twelfth on West in South Beach, Miami, is a glorious, iconic six-storey modern building, designed by acclaimed architect, Reinaldo Borges, and is to be marketed by Ash Communications.

Launched at the Property Investor Show, 21-23 September, the development offers investment and lifestyle opportunities with cafés, restaurants, fitness centres, tennis courts, spas and South Beach’s golden sandy beaches just a stone’s throw away. Alternatively, residents can soak up a range of cultural entertainment including the music of the New World Symphony Orchestra, Bass Museum of Art, Wolfsonian Museum, Jackie Gleason theatre, Miami City Ballet and the Colony Theatre.

Successful Launch Event for ‘The Vineyards’
The successful launch event for the luxurious new development, The Vineyards, situated at the award-winning Westin CampoReal Golf Resort & Spa, was organised by Ash Communications.

The development features 12 hectares of vineyards set in beautiful natural surroundings, just 30 minutes from cosmopolitan Lisbon and the event was themed to reflect glorious grape and vine colours and included a wine tasting of some of Portugal’s best vintages.

Sales were strong ensuring the first phase of the development enjoyed a heady start. Ash will continue to implement the PR campaign for The Vineyards and Westin CampoReal.

ASH LIGHTS UP WITH NEW ACCOUNT…
Amitex Interiors, a specialist in product development, sourcing and importing in the areas of LED lighting, decorative products and ceramics has appointed Ash Communications to handle its PR account.
Ash is tasked with launching the company’s new indoor and outdoor plug in and go LED lighting kits and ceramic ranges through trade and consumer media relations campaigns. It will also be supporting Amitex’ attendance at trade exhibitions throughout 2007.
Lynda Heath, managing director of Ash Communications, says: “Amitex Interiors is focused on maximising profits for wholesalers, retailers and contractors by delivering design-led solutions aimed at the domestic market backed up by the highest quality service. Our task is to communicate to the trade the potential of its portfolio in maximising impact instore through bold and clear packaging, and attracting consumers to the benefits of the products that are easy to install, are environmentally-sound, as they are low voltage and use less power than normal bulbs, and do not require an electrician to fit them.”

Ash Communications has been appointed to work with Spanish developer MedGroup to support its presence at a Spanish private property exhibition.The event  is organised in conjunction with local agent Barton Wyatt International and is taking place at the Barton Wyatt International Estate Office in Virginia Water, Surrey on Thursday, 8 March from 6-9pm. Med Group, an expert in creating residential communities, will show Bonmont, Playa Macenas and La Manga, three of the very best developments in Spain. MedGroup creates spaces and properties at premium seaside locations, designed to allow people to enjoy life more and live better. The residential communities comprise various types of properties, gardens, green zones, hotels and spas. Sports facilities, including swimming pools, golf courses and social facilities such as bars, restaurants and children’s nurseries are also available.

Sangeeta Patil joins Ash Healthcare as a Client Executive from De Facto Communications, where she worked on a wide range of biotech corporate and business to business clients. Before starting in PR, she worked as a recruitment consultant, screening candidates for the pharmaceutical industry, and generating new business. She indulged her penchant for exploration by travelling through South America for six months, is a keen skier and an accomplished musician.

Ash Communications has been appointed by foreign exchange specialist, First Rate FX, as its marketing communications consultancy.  First Rate FX provides private and corporate clients with the most competitive foreign exchange rates matched by a first class, professional and timely service with all client funds held and securely transacted by Barclays Bank.  First Rate FX’s currency specialists have over 100 years of foreign exchange experience and an in-depth knowledge of the currency markets.

Ash Communications recently helped the St Bride Library to raise awareness of its campaign to raise
£7 million for a redevelopment programme. The nation’s only major printing library, it brings together the entire history of communication in words in one space.  The
St Bride Library contains rare and, in many cases, one-off editions of historic volumes such as Dr Johnson’s dictionary and Charles Dickens’ letters. Without the redevelopment programme, the library faces being sold, split up and possibly even taken out of the UK.  Ash Communications’ activities generated broadcast coverage on ITV’s London Today and BBC One’s News at Ten, together with online coverage on bbc.co.uk and in trade publication, Print Week.  The media coverage has stimulated discussions on several bulletin boards and blogs around the world.

Ash Communications has been appointed to work with Selection Property Limited to promote its new build and newly renovated properties in France, Spain and Istria.

Selection Property Limited was created in 2005 by Phillippe Robin. The company specialises in leaseback properties in France and offers an innovative service for homeowners wishing to sell their property privately through a subsidiary, Private Selection. The account will be headed by Sue Ash and managed by Sandra Bradley, Lisa Ronchetti and Tommy Marnell.

In November 2006, the property team attended the International Property Awards. Ash Communications prepared several entries for its clients and celebrated the evening with wins for:-
DCG Properties Ltd. Best International Golf Development
Westin CampoReal Best Golf Development
Grupo Lar Sol Best Real Estate Agency Marketing (picture shows Katy Katani and Gloria Linares receiving their award).
Many congratulations also went to our new client, Regnum Ltd, which was awarded Best Architecture (Multiple Units) Best Development. One of Ash’s many marketing tasks ahead for Regnum - and our other clients - will be to maximise value from these awards.

Ash property has begun a tailored campaign for Kalliste, a property specialist based in Perugia.  Kalliste is the first property management company offering a one to one service which answers the personal requirements of existing and future property owners; from sales and rentals through to management and restoration work carried out on the most unique properties. The campaign will include a press trip in Spring 2007.

Andre Kappelhoff has been promoted to the position of junior account executive. The promotion is in recognition of his hard work supporting the Property team. Andre rejoined Ash as a fulltime employee in February 2006 following a successful work experience placement in the Summer of 2005.

Emma Norton joins Ash as account director for the Property division. She has over 10 years’ experience in the media and communications industry across the property & tourism, fashion, media & technology and consumer (FMCG) sectors.
Her portfolio spans work with global blue-chip brands, including Microsoft, P&O Cruises, Colgate-Palmolive, Absolut (vodka), Jim Beam, Jockey, Berlei, Hanes, Beefy-T, Bonds, Love Kylie, Xbox and Xbox 360.
Specifically in the property and tourism sector, she has worked with clients whose portfolios included boutique hotels, premium water-front apartments and inner-city ‘quarters’ as well as for tourism organisations Heart of the City (Auckland City’s promotional body), Norfolk Island and New South Wales’ Tourism Boards.
Emma also has a background in journalism, having worked as a senior news producer for Television New Zealand, features writer for nzoom.com (travel & entertainment) and as a producer/field director of a prime time magazine format show.

Luca Lonardi has been promoted to senior account executive within the Business & Consumer division of Ash Communications.
He joined the consultancy on a work experience programme over two years ago helping to attract Italian clients to the consultancy. He has progressed rapidly and now works across the team’s client base, including Texon International, Alvern Media,
i-vu, Crone Corkill and FSS and Unipart as well as handling some travel and overseas property clients such as Colline Romane and Kalliste.

Sandy Bradley has joined Ash Communications’ market-leading Property division as senior account manager. She has over 15 years’ marketing and event management experience. Most recently she worked as an estate agent marketing UK and international properties.
Previously, she worked for a cinema and television charity, where she organised the first Royal Film Performance for the James Bond film, ‘Die Another Day’ at the Royal Albert Hall attended by the Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh.
At Ash Communications, Sandy is working with the consultancy’s blue-chip Property clients, including Kaupthing Singer & Friedlander, Pierre & Vacances, Whitney UK and Selection property.

Tommy Marnell joins Ash Property as a senior account executive. He is a qualified journalist with experience in print journalism through placements at regional and national newspapers in both the UK and Ireland. Before moving to Ash in November, Tommy worked as a senior account executive with Active Public Relations in Liverpool where he specialised in property. Although Tommy hails from Kilkenny, Ireland, he is a keen Liverpool supporter.