LONDON — IWG, the world’s largest provider of flexible workspaces, with a portfolio of brands including Regus, Spaces, Signature and HQ, has conducted a comprehensive review of its communication partners as it shifts its communications focus to the future of work in a post-pandemic world.Engine MHP + Mischief has been appointed to develop and lead the global communications strategy for IWG, as well as acting as hub office for markets and implement the strategy in the UK. The win brings together strategic communications advice from MHP’s brand and reputation team, and creative from the Mischief team to build campaigns around the future of work and hybrid working. MD Ian Kirby and director Helen Byard are heading up the agency team.In the US, Allison+Partners was appointed as agency partner, and the team have already launched IWG’s new flexible workspace concept in retail locations. The agency team is led by Jill Feldman, partner and US corporate MD.

NEW YORK — Allison+Partners has bought Sommerfield Communications, a New York boutique shop that specializes in corporate communications.In announcing the deal, Allison+Partners said the acquisition expands its financial communications, ESG-related communications, executive positioning, thought leadership and B2B communications capabilities.Sommerfield president Frank Sommerfield, who launched his eponymous firm 25 years ago, will focus on growing those offerings further as as an Allison+Partners managing director.

Amid the crisis, stakeholders need information and inspiration, and this puts unprecedented pressure on organizations to be more flexible, agile, innovative and empathetic.I seem to hear two expressions every day. The first is “Matthew, you’re on Mute.” And the second is “How are you doing?” I suspect I am not alone. 

The first one is easy to answer – a sheepish grin and a mouse click. How are we supposed to answer that second question? Every day seems to have a week’s worth of news, crises and emotions thrust into it. COVID-19, Black Lives Matter, recession, election, back to school, natural disasters…   

The majority of B2B companies have not conducted primary research focused on their customers’ needs and challenges in the last 12 months, as the sector struggles to humanise their communications in an era of brand storytelling, according to new research.

A new report by global marketing and communications agency, Allison+Partners reveals that whilst B2B marketers wish to evolve their brand strategy in favour of more human connection and conversations to engage with their audiences, they struggle to put this into practice.

As empathy, trust and care become increasingly vital brand currencies, particularly during these uncertain times, more B2B brands will look to follow suit and talk more“human”. Businesses that are able to adapt quickly and execute against timely events are the ones that survive and thrive. The survey, which included input from 400 marketing directors in the UK and Germany, found that:

Cause marketing, as we know, is not a new phenomenon. But COVID-19 has forced brands into thinking about their cause marketing strategy more effectively, especially with increased public scrutiny, and studies and reports pointing towards brand purpose heavily influencing consumers.

"We've seen an increase in cause marketing briefs in the industry, with two key drivers of this shift—brands putting purpose at the centre of its marketing efforts and brands seizing the opportunities presented to do something meaningful to support its communities during this time," says Jeremy Seow, APAC managing director, growth and innovation, for Allison+Partners.

Welcome to our new series here on the Cision blog: Take 5. It's five quick questions on PR, the state of the industry, and how it interconnects with everything else (like the evolving COVID-19 communications crisis), all with the brightest minds around. 

This time we're talking to Matthew Della Croce, Global President + Partner at Allison+Partners. 

As Beijing invests billions of dollars to rebuild its post-outbreak image, we ask one PR chief if the world will be persuaded by its campaign.China is not one to be in most countries’ good books, and this sentiment has intensified in the last few months. Especially in the West, backlash against the republic has amplified as the coronavirus continues to ravage much of Europe and the US. Whether it’s criticism against China’s alleged withdrawal of information around the initial stages of the coronavirus outbreak, or a lack of trust in China’s official tally, the country is buckling on the world stage and in need of a cleaner, more trustworthy image altogether.