Mayor gets his teeth into PR

Swansea Lord Mayor
Richard Lewis in today's
South Wales Evening Post

Richard Lewis is usually happy to be in the limelight.

And that's good news for Swansea Council and the city in general.

It means that his 12-month stint as Lord Mayor is proving to be far from dull.

The councillor has enjoyed a colourful political career spanning several decades and has an eye for the media.

Soon after his May inauguration he was pictured with knotted hanky headgear to applaud Gower's beaches.

Today he's due to visit a conference at the Liberty Stadium, tomorrow an exhibition at the Grand Theatre.

Vampire

And this morning he makes the front of the South Wales Evening Post ... all made up and dressed as a vampire.

On page three, reporter Jason Evans tells us that the County Hall figurehead swapped the council chamber for the crypt to host a Halloween event.

The cellar of his official residence was transformed into a dungeon as around 70 guests enjoyed a fancy dress fund-raiser for charity.

Mood

A funeral home lent the Lord Mayor a coffin and Grand lighting experts helped create the mood.

Charities to benefit included the Air Training Corps and Splash, a project to build a swimming pool for children with special needs.

Happily, the Evening Post praises the effort.

In an opinion piece, they say: "In these austere times, questions are asked about the role and cost of the civic mayoralty. Councillor Lewis is providing some convincing answers."

Video blog: Ospreys, Heineken Cup

Emily Hunt always has her eye on good PR – and rugby union’s Heineken Cup fitted the bill for her on Friday, October 15.

The sales manager of Swansea’s Village Hotel handed two corporate hospitality tickets to a contact from electronic systems company Thales – and a great time was had.

The Ospreys beat London Irish in a high quality clash, there was a healthy 13,000+ crowd, the food and drink was excellent and the taxis didn’t arrive til midnight or thereabouts.

There was a spare ticket and Emily offered that to me. Here’s a brief taste of the night – http://bit.ly/b7bfoP

PR boost for Swansea show exhibitors

A number of healthy enterprises have enjoyed some useful PR on the back of an event in Swansea.

It was great to meet professionals associated with the firms exhibiting or simply visiting the Liberty Stadium Business Show.

And it's good to read a substantial story about the event in today's South Wales Evening Post.

Those mentioned in the piece include Vodafone, Finance Wales, Swansea City, Gower College Swansea and St John Training.

Mingling

My Effective Communication colleague Tracy Marsh had a busy day, mingling and explaining to potential new clients how we can help push their businesses forward. She also had a good response from those eager to learn more about membership of Swansea Business Club.

Incidentally, she was thankful to the ever-helpful Robert Lloyd Griffiths, of the IoD, who helped her out with a technical glitch.

Amongst the other exhibitors enjoying a the splendid eyeball-to-eyeball marketing opportunity were accountants Clay Shaw Butler, Swansea's Pennant Homes, website specialists W3 Web Designs, the splendid Fruity Bouquets, Swansea-based Days Contract Hire and go-ahead Xerox concession Pinnacle Office Equipment.

Clay Shaw Butler's Amanda Russell told me the firm was working hard on raising its profile, especially throughout Carmarthenshire.

Strong

Pennant are enjoying an increasingly strong take-up of Assembly low-cost homoeowner plan Homebuy and w3's engaging Lee Ann Smith talked of some great recent e-commerce work with the likes of West Wales-based Nona Jewellery.

Fruity Bouquets make fabulous gifts and table displays - chocolate-dipped fresh fruit creations which at first glance look like traditional flower bouquets. Jan Holmes founded the company and, from her base in Bridgend, now operates all over South Wales. She has exciting plans.

Days marketing coordinator Sharon Crocker told me that business remained brisk and that more trade than ever was being done via the web.

Eyecatching

The office solutions guys from Cardiff-based Pinnacle had one of the most eyecatching stands, complete with a stunner of a racing motorbike. Their big sales pitch was on a new-generation photocopier that uses wax-based ink blocks rather than wasteful plastic cartridges. Swansea area account manager Gavin Lewis revealed that he's genuinely excited by the product.

However, it didn't stop him and his colleagues having an unscheduled game of ball in the main show space as the day drew to a close!

July 13's Swansea Bay Media Highlights

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For all those interested in & working in the Swansea Bay media
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Social Media Twitter #Swansea
News Scotland - Accies boss Reid rebuffs Swansea: Billy Reid rejects the opportunity to take up the managerial vacancy ... http://bit.ly/aY6g5b
stephenfry - Must say Cardiff is looking spankingly good in the late afternoon sunshine. Castle is gleaming, Town Hall glowing. Much to like here.
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Broadcast Swansea Sound 1170mw Click
News – Politician Dr Dai Lloyd wants to see a greater use of the organ donor system. The Plaid AM for South Wales West believes we should move to a "presumed consent" model.
Sport – Swansea City have been denied the chance to talk to Sheffield United coach Gary Speed over the possibility of him taking over from Paulo Sousa in the Liberty Stadium hotseat.
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Online South Wales Evening Post Click
News 1 – Tributes are continuing to pour in for a Carmarthen solider and proud Welshman who died “doing the job he loved." Click
News 2 – Drugs cops who busted the Swansea Valley cocaine gang said the criminals thought they were untouchable. Click
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Links Twitter | Website
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June 24's Swansea Bay Media Highlights

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For all those interested in & working in the Swansea Bay media
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Broadcast The Wave Click
Key local story - Pink got the party started for Swansea fans at the Liberty Stadium last night. As well as pumping out the hits, she performed a trapeze act and ventured into the audience in a giant plastic ball.
You heard it here - Australia has its first female prime minister ... Julia Gillard, born in Barry, Wales.
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Print Llanelli Star Click
News - Police investigate claims of dirty tricks aiming to scupper Pembrey Country Park's Beach Break Live student music festival - but Carmarthenshire Council hails the event a huge success. Click
Community – Great effort by the Star as it devotes four pages to photos of the Llanelli Waterside 10k and its 1,000 runners. The races were started by football hero John Hartson. Click
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Online Afan FM 97.4 & 107.9fm Click
Key ads - Top home page advertisers include Apollo Cinemas, Sin City and the Grand Theatre, Swansea. Promo – Cute hook-up with Stereophonics: Win a signed guitar from the band in an Afan FM competition. Click
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Links Twitter | Website
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Swansea Eye duo help build media empire

Two ambitious individuals from Swansea's newest magazine popped in to meet the Media Master for the first time.
Steve Sidebottom and Debbie Jenkins are amongst the driving forces behind Swansea Eye.
They have big plans for the Eye even though it's still very much in its infancy. Distribution tie-ups have already been secured with high footfall organisations such as the DVLA, golf clubs including Machynys, the Liberty Stadium, hotels, surgeries, Swansea Council and motor main dealers such as Bassetts Honda and Sinclair VW.
Being promoted in the community as a free lifestyle magazine, the A4 glossy has its roots in England's north where the rollout of a young publishing empire is being masterminded.
It is likely that the Swansea title - Wales' first Eye - will be a valuable testing ground for planned editions for other parts of the principality.
There are also plans for niche interest titles such as an A5-format eating out guide.
Now's not a bad time to get involved commercially - Steve and Debbie are eager to attract advertisers so there's room for negotiating good deals on added-value advertorial features, advice columns and press release use.
Issue one of Swansea Eye, dated February, featured an evocative dusk image of the Marina's Meridian Quay Tower. It was taken by Swansea's Athena Photography, fronted by press-hardened Dimitris Legakis.
Its editorial features included local news and entertainment, a fashion spread, food and drink, homes and gardens, health and fitness, motoring finance and a couple of kids' pages.
Swansea Bay advertisers included Burns Fitness, florist Robin Wayne, Cafe Remo's, Dream Doors and the Rock and Roll Boutique.
Issue two (March) carried similar editorial platforms and some fresh Swansea advertisers. They included the Grosvenor Casino, photographers All About the Image, the Liberty Stadium and Thornton's Executive Bathrooms.
For more info on Swansea Eye, give me a shout - 07758 745240.

New addition eyes Swansea Bay media business

A warm welcome to Swansea Eye, the latest addition to the local media circuit.
The Eye's a glossy lifestyle magazine brought to my attention by Townhill-based photographer Liz Barry during a business show at the Liberty Stadium today.
Advertisers in the current edition - datelined March - include Burns Fitness, Grosvenor Casino, A&M Taxis, Mumbles Kitchen Studio and Dream Doors.
Editorial features include a motors page, Formula One, money, spring style and a kids'page.
Full details to follow - once I've fixed up a meeting with one of Swansea Eye's key players.
Good to see, incidentally, that they've used an Andy Pearson press release on page four. It was issued on behalf of Swansea Council and focuses on a glowing Estyn report for Morriston Primary School.

March 10's Swansea Bay Media Highlights

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For all those interested in & working in the Swansea Bay media
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See you there! Recent newspaper ads have been plugging a promising trade show which takes place at the Liberty Stadium today. Hosted by WAG’s supplier development service, it’s free and runs from 9.30am-3pm.
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Print South Wales Evening Post Click
Lead story – Fire crews were bracing themselves last night for another busy shift as grass fires threatened the region.
Key opinion – Swansea leads the way in St David’s Day celebrations ... now it should lead the way for a national holiday.
Promo power – Home page ads include ... VW Cardiff Sinclairs, BT Broadband, FlyBe, First Great Western.
Don’t miss – Mothers Day gift guide. Click
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Broadcast Swansea Sound Click
Key local story – There are calls for more short-break carers across Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot.
Publicity power – To have a chance of winning Simply Red’ new album, tune in to Swansea Sound on Sunday click here.
You heard it here - Swansea BID & Swansea Sound are preparing for free music event Swansea Live on May 30. Local bands wanted - closing date April 17. Click
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Online Western Mail Click
Welsh business news 1 - The economic recovery in Wales strengthened last month with latest figures showing the pace of private sector growth quickening over the period. Click
Welsh business news 2 - Improving attendances for Glamorgan matches is the cricket club’s priority after reporting record results for 2009. Click
Welsh business news 3 – Dismal trade figures have heaped more pressure on the pound. Click
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Community Radio Tircoed Click
News - Chevron looks for Pembrokeshire oil refinery buyer.
Advice – Radio Tircoed finds out all about a new phone advice line in Wales from Citizens Advice.
DVD giveaway - Want to win 3 DVDs in one prize pack? To be in with a chance, just email giveaway@radiotircoed.com.
Online - New podcasts are up here.
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Make every penny count! Andy Pearson can guide your business through the media minefield. Phone 07758 745 240. Email andy@andypearsonpublicity.co.uk
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Links Twitter | Website
What’s missing? Tell us what you’d like to see in these bulletins - email moreplease@andypearsonpublicity.co.uk
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Ospreys boost Swansea rugby & business profiles

The Ospreys beat Leicester Tigers at Swansea's Liberty Stadium this afternoon to qualify for the quarter-finals of rugby union's Heineken Cup.
Well done to them ... and if you run a business and want to get noticed in the Swansea Bay area in the run-up to the early-April last eight game ... get on the ball quickly!
The simple way to do this is to link some forthcoming media activity with this big sports weekend. It's gonna be big - in the South Wales Evening Post especially. Advertising could carry a "Back the Ospreys" message, press releases could be formulated to reveal how the company further plans to support the efforts of Ryan Jones & Co.
If you need confirmation that the Post - Wales' biggest selling newspaper - is interested in rugby just check out this news I've had from Dawn Thomas, one of their most experienced and engaging ad reps.
"It’s that time of year again," she smiles ... "and we're producing a 16-page souvenir special to promote this year’s RBS Six Nations. This is very well read every year we produce it."
By way of change, this year's publication will be inserted into a midweek edition South Wales Evening Post rather than being a stand-alone.
The pull-out is due to appear on February 3, with its editorial content profiling Wales’ national game.
Advertising is already proving popular, with 4cm-deep straps inside the pull-out selling at a highly attractive price.
If anybody fancies a hook-up with the Post on this, give me a shout on 07758 745 240 - I guarantee you a great deal.