Working with Florismart and The British Florist Association, our PR work focuses on raising awareness of the UK’s independent floristry industry, highlighting the skilled craft of floristry. In turn, we want to encourage Brits to value and favour the work of their local high street florists over supermarket alternatives.

With Valentine’s Day being such a key moment for florists all over the country, we used the day to draw attention to independent florists. Read more “Putting local florists at the heart of Valentine’s Day”

On Tuesday 6th of February more than six months of planning came to a head as Safer Internet Day was celebrated across the globe.

Working with the UK’s official organiser of the day, UK Safer Internet Centre, we were briefed to make sure UK Safer Internet Centre was front and centre in all #SID2018 media conversations, so we needed a plan that would cut through the noise.

Knowing that many would release a story that focussed purely on the negative effects of the online world, we worked with UKSIC to develop a story that felt honest and positive for young people, not patronising. Read more “Revealing the digital world as a double edged sword for UK youth”

We were really proud to launch Contact the Elderly’s latest national media campaign last week. The campaign – which used a combination of a news story and a shareable social video –  aimed to highlight the issue of loneliness post-Christmas and drum up donations for the charity in the New Year.

When it comes to fundraising, we know social media and shareable video are incredibly powerful tools, so it was fantastic to be able to harness them for our latest campaign for the charity.

Read more “Breaking the silence for lonely older people”

It’s no mean feat combatting ageism on the high street – but it’s the kind of cause that keeps Stand going.

We first launched Standing Up 4 Sitting Down a year ago, a campaign calling on high street retailers, big and small, to include more seats in stores and improve accessibility for older people. Turns out this was an issue close to the hearts of many people living in England.

Initially we secured retail partnerships from Debenhams, Hotter and independent retail stores around the country, and secured widespread coverage in print, online and broadcast.

Read more “Standing Up 4 Sitting Down 2.0”

As we approach the three-week countdown to Christmas, there’s no hiding from consumerism; everywhere we turn, we’re being tempted or encouraged to buy buy buy (and us Standees are dangerously close to Oxford Street!).

Even Christmas Jumper Day, our favourite festive fundraiser from Save The Children, indirectly encourages people to head to the high street and snap up a cheesy Christmas jumper bargain for the day. While it’s fun to get involved and raise money for a very worthy cause, it’s still fast fashion and there’s the worry that encouraging unsustainable buying habits could be doing more harm than good.

Now, we’re by no means Scrooges, but we do like to stick up for what we believe in. So this year, Stand HQ is putting a sustainable spin on one of our favourite festive days. Here’s how we plan to keep the workplace thoughtfully festive and fashionable this year, and we encourage you to do the same!

Read more “Have yourself a sustainable little Christmas”

I was walking through my hometown in Peterborough last week when I stumbled across a brand-new Metro Bank outlet. It’s a pretty impressive building, and as the Bank’s 50th branch, it celebrated with a two-day grand opening party.

Despite Metro Bank’s self-proclamation as the ‘revolution in British banking’, I noticed most passersby staring in bewilderment. It was clear that most people had never seen or heard of Metro Bank before.

When it opened in 2010, Metro Bank was the first new high street bank to launch in over 150 years. It was viewed as a legitimate ‘challenger’ to the Big Four (HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds, RBS), offering branches open seven days a week, walk-in appointments and straightforward products. Different, yes. ‘Revolutionary’, not so sure.

Read more “Disrupting the banking market”

E-commerce is without a doubt the biggest shift in retail, with traditional retailers facing increasing competition from online channels. Customers will go into a brick-and-mortar store but immediately pull out their phones to compare products and pricing. In fact, research from our client, global management consultancy Oliver Wyman, revealed that three in five shoppers plan to browse in store before buying online this Christmas. Whilst this might be cause for concern for a brick-and-mortar, doesn’t it also suggest that physical stores still have an important role to play in the customer’s shopping journey?

Read more “The changing role of the physical store”

With the end of the SNP party conference on Tuesday, most of the major parties have had their time in the spotlight for this year. In both Manchester and Brighton, Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn had a lot to prove in their keynote speeches. Conferences consist of a vast range of events, from Russell Brand and Labour MPs discussing problem gambling, to a discussion at the Conservative conference on supporting Armed Forces children’s education, but the leaders’ speeches are always a key moment in the timetable. Not only do they offer a chance to speak directly to the party faithful, but also to reach the wider public and lay out plans for the future.

Read more “Is a good speech enough for our party politicians?”

And yet Stand lived to tell the tale! (Never underestimate the endurance and enthusiasm of Stand-ees).

Whilst the nation enjoyed a lazy Saturday morning lie in, Stand were up alive and kicking, aboard the 6.30am train from St Pancras – Bamford, Derbyshire. Why you may ask? To embark on the first-ever DofE Adventure Fundraising weekend, trekking a limb aching 25km in the Peak District!

At Stand, we’re all about practicing what we preach and this weekend saw the team donning their hiking boots and dusting off the sleeping bags in support of one of our clients, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

Read more “Blisters? Check! Achy limbs? Check! A combined 490,000 steps? Check!”

Smartphones are integral to our daily lives. Actions are increasingly effortless – after all, Apple set a new bar for contactless payments through Touch ID. In May, the number of Apple Pay transactions increased by 300% YoY and there’s no doubt this is growing with new banks jumping onboard.

Read more “Changing faces: Apple’s seamless integration is a new wave for consumers and products”