Category: News

Hook, Hampshire, 11 May 2022: Whiteoaks International has been awarded the PRCA Gold Communications Management Standard (CMS) accreditation. This is the fifth consecutive year the agency has achieved CMS accreditation.

The award is the result of a successful audit and moderation session that examined areas including business planning, business development and benchmarking.

Renna Markson MPRCA, Deputy Director General and Engagement Director, says:

“Congratulations to Whiteoaks International for achieving the Gold CMS Award for demonstrating best practices in PR over the past five years. The quality assurance report commended the agency for their detailed and comprehensive response, especially their benchmarking evidence, which demonstrates their strong position in the marketplace. The report also noted that they have a collaborative approach to business planning and a strong track record in new business development. Clients are offered transparent and detailed contracts, which is testament to the Whiteoaks International’s commitment to quality service.”

The accreditation is based on the ISO9001 standard for quality and Investors in People, and is unique to the PR and communications industry.

“As an employee-owned business on an ambitious growth path and dedicated to delivering on our mission of guaranteeing better results from integrated B2B PR and communications campaigns for our clients, we are delighted with our Gold CMS accreditation,” says Whiteoaks MD Suzanne Griffiths.

“Our passionate team of specialists is committed to giving our clients exactly what they need – results, proactivity and impact so being recognised for that is a great motivator for the team and great acknowledgement of their commitment.”

Whiteoaks International has named Hayley Goff as its new CEO. Goff steps into the role from the position of chief operating officer and will strive to strengthen Whiteoaks’ position in the market and drive the business towards furthering its mission of guaranteeing better results from integrated B2B PR and communications campaigns for its clients.

Goff takes the reins from current CEO James Kelliher who is moving into an advisory role as non-executive director on the Whiteoaks board.

“This is another huge step forward for Whiteoaks and as CEO, I look forward to leading our dedicated team of specialists along our growth journey. I am passionate about our deliberately different approach which offers a flexible engagement model and guarantees results, return on investment and above all, happy clients,” says Goff.

“As a proudly employee-owned business we all have an even bigger stake in our clients’ success and we are committed to giving them exactly what they need in terms of results, proactivity and market impact.”

The make up of the Whiteoaks executive board of directors remains mostly unchanged with Suzanne Griffiths (managing director) and John Broy (chief client officer) supporting Goff in her new role. Current non-executive director Andrew Marsden has stepped down.

Goff joined Whiteoaks in 2004, moving up through the ranks holding a number of senior roles and working on key international accounts across the business. Goff joined the Whiteoaks board in 2013 following a management buy-out before moving into the role of chief operating officer, where she provided strategic and creative consultancy across the client portfolio.

“Hayley is a tremendous asset to the business in terms of how she helps shape clients’ strategy, the strong relationships she’s built over the years, and her inspiring leadership. As I move into my new role as non-executive director, I have the utmost confidence that Hayley will continue to drive Whiteoaks forward and lead the team to success in pursuit of our ambitious objectives,” says James Kelliher, outgoing CEO.

The appointment is effective from 01 May 2023.

Whiteoaks International, the UK’s leading B2B tech PR agency, has been appointed by AccountsIQ, the award-winning accountancy SaaS provider, to deliver an integrated campaign across the UK and Ireland. The targeted campaign will run over 12 months and is aimed at elevating the AccountsIQ brand and building its corporate profile.

Following a period of exceptional growth, AccountsIQ identified the need to increase its visibility within its target market. AccountsIQ’s decision to select Whiteoaks is testament to the company’s unparalleled experience in delivering results for fast-growing technology businesses, and its reputation for targeted campaigns that elevate brands, and speak to the right audiences, with the right content, through the right channels to deliver behavioural change.

“In a competitive pitch process, Whiteoaks’ professional approach, deep domain experience and commitment to delivering measurable results impressed us. We look forward to working with the team to further our business goals over the coming year,” says Sara Laccone, head of marketing, AccountsIQ.

Whiteoaks will be delivering an integrated, creative brand awareness campaign, encompassing media relations, thought leadership and corporate profiling to elevate awareness of AccountsIQ’s products and services amongst fast-growth businesses.

Founded in Dublin in 2004, AccountsIQ provides a suite of financial management software that enables businesses to use financial data more strategically, empowering informed decision-making and raising the finance function to a strategic hub. AccountsIQ is a well-established vendor in the accountancy software field, designed for fast-growth and multi-entity businesses. More than 6,000 entities worldwide currently use AccountsIQ software.

Hayley Goff, COO of Whiteoaks International says: “Our ability to deliver an integrated campaign across media, social, creative, and content puts us in an elevated position within the UK technology PR sector and means we can manage the end-to-end process delivering return on investment and consistency of message across channels while ensuring an excellent level of service. We are delighted to be working with AccountsIQ to further accelerate their business growth in the UK and Ireland.”

Hook, Hampshire, 6 May 2022: The PRCA has once again awarded Whiteoaks International its Communications Management Standard (CMS) accreditation. This is the fifth consecutive year that the agency has demonstrated its steadfast commitment to quality. 

The accreditation was awarded following a successful audit and moderation session, carried out by PRCA audit accessor Carol Magill. The audit covered areas including financial management, training, culture and client management. 

“Whiteoaks International provided an excellent response across all sub sections audited – from training of staff and client management, to creating a supportive and inclusive culture. This includes having a comprehensive diversity policy supported by training programmes. In addition, it was clear that leadership and communication play a pivotal role in the agency’s success, both in terms of transparency and in following a best practice approach when communicating with internal and external audiences,” says Magill. 

Whiteoaks MD Suzanne Griffiths says: “We are really delighted with our latest CMS accreditation. One of our core values as an agency is quality, not just in what we deliver for clients, but in the way we engage with our staff. We do this by creating and evolving a welcoming, inclusive culture that gives our staff the confidence to grow, share ideas and be part of a great team. This aspect is especially important for us since becoming an employee-owned business where each and every employee has a hand in shaping the future direction of the business.” 

The accreditation is based on the ISO9001 standard for quality and Investors in People, and is unique to the PR and communications industry. Whiteoaks first achieved it in 2018. 

Hook, Hampshire, 4th May 2022: Modern workplace and managed services specialist, Camwood has chosen to partner with Whiteoaks International to raise awareness of its brand. The partnership agreement between the two companies follows hot on the heels of the appointment of senior level business executive Andrew Carr as Camwood’s new managing director. 

The two companies will work closely together as Camwood embarks on a growth journey leveraging their heritage as a pure IT applications specialist to additionally encompass a strong focus on modern workplace and managed services.  

Camwood has more than 20 years’ experience in enterprise IT. Today, it is focused on delivering Digital Acceleration through the Lens of Applications to its customers and partners. Whiteoaks will take these messages to market as part of an integrated PR campaign, which will include thought leadership articles, news hijacking opportunities and media briefings. 

Andrew Carr, managing director, Camwood, says: “We are really looking forward to working in close partnership with Whiteoaks to raise awareness of the Camwood brand across our key target markets. What really stood out to us about their proposal was their emphasis on PR that generates tangible business outcomes rather than just outputs. We know they are committed to delivering results for us.”   

Hayley Goff, Chief Operating Officer at B2B Tech PR Agency Whiteoaks says: “It is exciting to have the opportunity to work in close partnership with a business like Camwood that combines high levels of experience and expertise with a genuine passion and commitment to its customers and to growing its capability in new areas of the market. We are looking forward to working with them to help make their vision a success.”  

Camwood is the latest in a series of 2022 client wins for Whiteoaks, which also include Secure Code Warrior and Kognitiv Spark.  

Hook, Hampshire, 3 August 2021: Corelight has appointed Whiteoaks International as its UK agency of choice. The cyber security business is seeking to strengthen its presence in the region and Whiteoaks will deliver a brand awareness campaign to support this.

The campaign is designed around strong thought leadership and media relations, including the use of data-driven insights and tailored content.

Corelight selected Whiteoaks following a referral from its US agency W2 Communications and a competitive pitch.

“We have started the year off with some great momentum and that’s carrying through to the summer with this most recent win to add to the flurry of new clients that we welcomed last month,” says James Kelliher, Whiteoaks CEO. “We are delighted to welcome this great brand to Whiteoaks and we’re looking forward to bringing its targeted campaign to life and achieving tangible results.”

Hook, Hampshire, 12 August 2021: Award-winning B2B tech pr agency Whiteoaks International has signed up a number of new clients over the space of four weeks, including Lilli, Pole Star, and Visual Components.

Lilli, a UK health tech company that uses machine learning to revolutionise home care, kicked off its campaign with a project announcing its £4.5 million in a pre-Series A funding. The subsequent programme will focus on positioning the Lilli brand in the market and growing awareness with a view to engaging stakeholders in the health sector to explore opportunities and investors to attract future funding. This includes a content creation and thought leadership component, as well as media and influencer relations.

Pole Star, a pioneering maritime technology provider, selected Whiteoaks after a competitive pitching process to support its expansion aspirations following a significant growth investment in the company. The campaign tactics include a research project, media relations and thought leadership.

Visual Components develops 3D manufacturing simulation solutions and was looking to raise its profile in the market and boost brand awareness. The tailored campaign to be delivered by Whiteoaks will use influencer and media relations, corporate profiling and thought leadership to help the company reach its objectives.

“There has been a steady build up in the market over the past few months, with demand coming from both brands that have an appetite for increased PR and marketing services, as well as those looking to use these services for the first time,” says James Kelliher, Whiteoaks International CEO.

“We are delighted to welcome these great names on board and are looking forward to bringing their campaigns to life, and delivering the strong results and return on investment that they chose us for.”

Hook, Hampshire 1 July 2021: Hubilo, a leader in global virtual and hybrid events platforms, has selected Whiteoaks International as its agency of choice to launch its offerings into the UK market.

Whiteoaks won the account with a launch programme that includes a large media relations component, thought leadership, and customer endorsement following a competitive pitch process. The initial campaign will seed a longer-term programme of generating brand awareness and building credibility across Hubilo’s core audiences, including event management companies, exhibitions, and corporates.

The platform focuses on engaging audiences and uses data analytics to provide insights to organisers in terms of attendee behaviours, lead generation, content performance. With a better understanding of what audiences are interested in, organisations can personalise the event experience for the attendee and help elevate the ROI of the event.

Cathy Song Novelli, SVP, Marketing + Communications at Hubilo says: “We’ve had great success over this past year with our virtual events platform, growing dramatically month-on-month but now is the time to capitalise on that momentum and move forward into new markets and strengthen our hybrid offering. We believe Whiteoaks is the agency to help us get there based on their creative ideas for campaigns and their experience in helping fast-growth businesses such as ours.”

With more than 5-years of experience in both the physical and virtual event space, Hubilo has a distinct competitive advantage.

“We are excited to be working with the team at Hubilo in officially launching the brand to the UK market and helping to shape the company’s growth journey. Seeing the platform in action reinforces its versatility and appeal for users in a Covid-influenced market and beyond,” says James Kelliher, CEO of Whiteoaks International.

Hook, Hampshire, 30 March 2021: Whiteoaks International, the award-winning tech PR agency, has been selected by Egypt-based SaaS provider el-Brokers to lead its introduction into the UK market.

elBrokers.com provides a web-based CRM/content management and productivity tool designed to help realtors and small estate agencies manage leads, property listings, create professional reports and streamline the listing process, on a subscription basis.

The campaign is designed to grow awareness of el-Brokers in the region and increase its customer base. It is built on a social media and influencer relations strategy, supported by a media relations and thought leadership content programme.

“We were impressed by the credentials and experience of the Whiteoaks team in helping fast-growth tech businesses. But we were especially attracted by the strength of its digital offering which really resonated for us as a new entrant to the UK market and a web-based business,” says el-Brokers founder, Youssef Abdelwahab.

The campaign will also feature a corporate profiling element and is due for kick off in Q2 2021.

“el-Brokers is a disruptor and an innovator with a unique offering that can deliver value to the real estate market, all of which places it right in our realm of expertise,” says James Kelliher, Whiteoaks CEO. “We’re delighted to be working with the team to launch this solution into the UK market and further el-Brokers’ reach.”

The elBrokers.com platform is currently free to use and offered on a six-month trial.

Hook, Hampshire, 30 March 2021: For the fourth consecutive year, Whiteoaks International, the award-winning tech PR agency, is proud to announce that it has passed its annual PRCA Communications Management Standard CMS accreditation, demonstrating its ongoing commitment to quality.

To achieve the accreditation Whiteoaks was asked to provide evidence and documentation to support assessment areas, including leadership and communication, business planning, people management, diversity and client satisfaction.

Following a successful annual audit and moderation session, the PRCA’s audit assessor, Carol Magill, provided excellent feedback to the team.

“Whiteoaks provided an excellent response across the three sampled areas of the CMS moderation process; client satisfaction, financial planning and new business development.  The evidence across all areas was coherent and comprehensive. Keeping clients happy is clearly a key focus of this agency with a client handbook in place outlining the structure of client engagement, programme reviews, KPIs, an onboarding process, points of engagement, templates for meetings and a traffic light system.

“There is also a clear focus on business development as a role for all teams, as evidenced by the establishment of business development training and a tracking system to streamline the overall process.”

Suzanne Griffiths, managing director of Whiteoaks International, says: “We’re delighted with the results of this audit, especially the fact that the assessor was impressed with our commitment to client satisfaction and gauging client feedback during the pandemic.

“We first achieved certification in 2018 and have found it an excellent way of giving clients and prospects peace of mind that they are buying a professional service from a PR and communications company that is committed to excellence, while for our employees it demonstrates our commitment to their ongoing development. The accreditation is based on the ISO9001 standard for quality and Investors in People, and is unique to the PR and communications industry.