Eco Green Group: The PR strategy that took the north by storm

The story.

Eco-construction company, Eco Green Group, approached PR by Whitney to promote the
opening of their new Sheffield office both in the press and through social media.
They tasked us with increasing brand awareness among local publications unfamiliar with their
company while also strengthening their presence in industry-focused media to showcase their
expansion.
We had already been collaborating with the company to highlight their Essex HQ but now we
were tasked with stepping up efforts to promote Eco Green Group across the north.
The PR and social media team worked together on a strategy to incorporate pitching a press
release and timing it with posts via LinkedIn to drum up as much noise as possible.
A hard-hitting approach? Let’s do it.

How we approached it:

At PR by Whitney, we take a full-spectrum storytelling approach, which is reflected in how we
manage both public relations and social media.
It’s not a simple case of promoting the odd press release to journalists.
We make sure to tell the heart of a story through a strategic blend of social media and digital
PR.
Don’t miss out by going soft with the approach – go above and beyond!
We had a mixed strategy to get the best results, including:
● An on-site shoot at the Sheffield office.
● A detailed press release about the expansion.
● Targeted pitching to relevant journalists.
● An announcement via the brand’s main page on social media & via director’s profiles.
So, how did we get started?

Here’s what we did:

1) On-site shoot

We organised a shoot day with Eco Green Group where our Creative Director, Christian and Social Media Executive, Rebekah, visited the new office in Sheffield to capture vibrant imagery with the assistance of Eco Green Group’s freelance videographer.

Before heading to the site, we listed exactly what type of shots we wanted to capture for both social media and press.

We knew instantly that a photo in front of the office with the founder and directors would be the best approach to stand out and hook the attention of journalists via the press release and users on LinkedIn when highlighting the announcement.

We also gathered other shots inside and outside of the office for future social media posts which can be utilised for the main brand page as well as Eco Green Group’s director’s profiles.

2) Press release

After capturing the images from the site visit, it was time to get writing.

The focus of the press release was to tell the story of Eco Green Group as a brand, their reason for expanding to Sheffield and their mission to commit to a greener future.

We include insights from the founder of Eco Green Group, Keith Hills, highlighting their decision to move north, their commitment to hiring a local workforce and their choice to preserve architectural history by repurposing an existing office rather than demolishing and rebuilding.

We also tailored two versions for industry publications and local to make sure both were relevant for the journalists we were pitching to.

3) Targeted pitching

We researched industry-specific publications, identifying journalists covering construction, environment and business updates.

We then pitched the release to the most relevant publications by targeting journalists who specialise in exciting industry news, as well as local reporters who focus on community stories to ensure maximum impact.

By tailoring our approach, we made sure the story landed in front of the right people.

With the right media contacts on board, we were able to amplify Eco Green Group’s expansion story and position them as a forward-thinking company that is making a real impact towards a greener future.

4) Social media and director profiling

For Eco Green Group, we worked on two core areas: the main brand page and the
director’s profiles.
We decided to go for a hard-hitting approach where we posted the grand announcement
on the main brand page as well as on the director’s profiles at the same time to
maximise engagement and get people talking.
We made sure to strategically plan when to publish the social media announcement by
timing it with the pitching of the press release so it was go, go, go!
We were able to increase interest throughout the first week of announcing the Sheffield
expansion, as the media coverage allowed us to share it with the network and keep the
momentum going.
The media coverage gave us the perfect chance to share the news far and wide,
keeping the excitement alive and showing everyone how significant this move was for
the team at Eco Green Group.

Here’s a summary of what we achieved:

● Organised an on-site visit to Eco Green Group’s Sheffield office.
● Worked with their freelance videographer to capture stunning images of their office.
● Built specialised media lists including industry publications and local titles.
● Organised an interview with the founder of Eco Green Group with leading industry
publication, The Construction Index.
● Secured coverage in desired publications such as Roofing Today, Total Contractor
Magazine and local coverage in The Yorkshire Post.
● Planned a full-spectrum approach of social posts scheduled for the same day of pitching
the press release on both the main eco-green group brand page and director profiles.

If you’re looking to grow your online presence, contact us today and let’s make it happen!