PR firm up for honours
FOUNDED BY FORMER EDITOR OF MERCURY
A PUBLIC relations firm set up by a former Leicester Mercury editor has been shortlisted for Specialist PR Consultancy of the Year at the industry-leading CIPR Excellence Awards 2024.
Loughborough’s 1284 consultancy has been named in the category’s final eight at the 40th national awards.
The nomination was for its work on communicating East Midlands innovation, productivity gains, and regional economic growth.
Founder George Oliver, who was recently invited to become a nonexecutive director of East Midlands Chamber and a Fellow of the Institute of Consulting, said: “1284 had another good year of growth last year.
“We’ve maintained that momentum into 2024-25, starting the year strongly. Being shortlisted for this national industry award again is a real honour - and shows the importance of innovation as a way of increasing productivity in the East Midlands.”
The Excellence Awards recognise the work of practitioners worldwide. The winners will be announced during a special event in London, in June.
Finalists range from private sector SMEs to global agencies, in-house teams to public sector organisations. Shortlisted professionals represent organisations including BAE Systems, Paddy Power, University of Oxford, and Nestle.
1284’s approach to communications is designed to build content productivity while reducing noise. Outputs in the last year have included:
■ Developing a free “Productive PR for SMEs” handbook, which George launched during a presentation at an FSB bootcamp;
■ Mentoring young entrepreneurs through George’s voluntary role of Entrepreneur-in-Residence at University of Leicester Business School;
■ Providing communications for Leicestershire Innovation Festival 2024, including the transfer of the long-running Innovation Awards to the Business Gateway Growth Hub;
■ Beginning to form a CIC to enable regional growth businesses to access expert business advice at no cost;
■ Providing copywriting that has unlocked £100,000 of funding for university start-ups and social entrepreneurs - as well as winning them a host of awards.
1284 has grown quickly since being set up in 2020, doubling income year-on-year, earning chartered status for team members, and being recognised across a number of industry awards. It won the Mark of Excellence Independent PR Practitioner of the Year of last year’s Excellence Awards, going on to recruit former journalists Amy Orton and Richard Bowyer in 2023.
Based at LUinc. - Loughborough University’s incubator - it works with clients including Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership, Rykneld Homes, De Montfort University and Menphys.