Agency News

Therme Group Picks Rule 5

A CGI of Therme Manchester which was granted planning permission in February.

Global wellbeing organisation Therme Group has appointed Rule 5 as its retained PR agency.

The ground-breaking business is responsible for the development and creation of the most advanced wellbeing resorts in major cities around the world and will be bringing the concept to the UK.

Based in Manchester’s MediaCityUK and with a national and global reach, the communications agency is leading on the group’s UK corporate communications, whilst advising on global PR strategy.

The role will see Rule 5 support with the announcement and ongoing PR programme surrounding Therme Group’s first UK site, with a predicted investment of £250 million, due to open in Manchester in 2023.

Therme Manchester will combine hundreds of water-based activities with wellbeing treatments, art, nature and technology to create a unique wellbeing experience never before seen in the UK. Once open, the planned 28-acre development in the heart of TraffordCity, is forecast to become the most visited water-based attraction in Europe.

“With Rule 5 we have a partner that shares our belief in wellbeing for all” Said Duncan Newbury, VP of Brand Strategy at Therme Group. “They are an integral part of our team, raising our profile and sharing our story as we engage with all stakeholders to bring the Therme Group concept to the UK. Together, we will realise our vision of creating the world’s most advanced wellbeing resorts and have a profoundly positive impact on the health and wellbeing of the communities we serve.”

Speaking on the announcement, Rule 5 Managing Partner, Rob Brown, commented: “The scope of the opportunity presented by Therme Group is huge. Their unique concept is set to completely transform the wellbeing industry.

“Therme Manchester is both accessible and cutting edge; it will benefit the lives of people in the region. It really is a privilege to be involved.”

Therme Manchester is the latest development in Therme Group’s global development programme. It is the first of a number of new generation projects in development by Therme Group, including other UK locations, mainland Europe, North America and the Asia-Pacific region.

Rule 5’s Lockdown Venture to Keep Leisure in Focus

Today the team at Rule 5 officially launches Twenty Twenty, a publication for the leisure and hospitality industries. The aim is to keep these businesses in the public eye during the pandemic and beyond.

 Twenty Twenty, which has been in beta for a fortnight, fixes a spotlight on destinations in the UK such as tourist attractions, bars and restaurants, as well as features on global attractions and how they are coping with restrictions and their plans to bounce back.

 With several clients within the sector currently not welcoming visitors, Rule 5 has allocated staff time to keeping the whole industry firmly in focus. It’s an entirely not for profit initiative and it won’t take advertising or sponsorship. The agency wants to support not compete with existing media. The MediaCityUK-based agency will use the platform to promote and support all destinations with a story to tell, no matter how big or small.

 “As a team, we’ve found ourselves with a some extra time on our hands, so whilst we’re unable to visit our favourite weekend spots – we thought we’d try to keep them front of mind for when we get back to the new normal. Twenty Twenty is there not just for our clients but for the whole industry and we’ll welcome submissions.’ said Managing Partner Rob Brown.

 “It’s also a great way for us all to stay motivated – we all love to travel, eat out and attend events; writing about what we love and where we’ll be going when this is all over has been a passion project for us all.”

Live from today, Twenty Twenty will run daily stories about what the leisure and destinations industry is doing to keep resilient and updates of plans for the present and the future.

Return of the Mac

 Jess MacDonald has returned to the agency as Account Director.

Jess re-joins Rule after previously working as Account Manager at the agency until early this year. She returns from an in-house role at The Fragrance Shop as PR, Social and Influencer Manager. Jess brings with her a wealth of consumer PR knowledge, in addition to fresh insight gained working in-house.

Jess will support on new business and team development, whilst leading on a portfolio of clients including Blackpool Pleasure Beach and EventCity.

Managing Partner, Rob Brown, commented: “Jess joined the agency for the first time in February 2017, when she left to join The Fragrance Shop I was sorry to see her go as she lives and breathes the culture at Rule 5.

“I’m delighted that she’s returned to the agency as an Account Director, bringing the experience and insight she’s gained working in-house.”

Jess said: “I had a fantastic few years here when I started in 2017, so after trying something a little different, I came back. I missed the agency style of working – the diverse range of clients and activity is really exciting. I’m so happy to be working with the team at Rule 5 again.”

 

Two New Hires for Rule 5

The agency has strengthened its team with two new appointments.

Shauna Hill and Oliver Leigh both join the MediaCityUK agency as Junior Account Executives and will be working across a varied portfolio of consumer and B2B accounts.

Hill holds a degree in PR and Journalism and whist studying wrote for a number of online consumer and lifestyle magazines; she joins the Agency following the completion of a four week placement.

With a Masters in Public Relations and Global Communications Management, Leigh joins Rule 5 to support with its growing roster of B2B clients, including Leep Utilities, EventCity and K7 Media.

Speaking on the growing team, Rule 5 Managing Partner, Rob Brown, said: “Shauna and Oliver have joined the business at a really exciting time; we are working with a diverse range of clients on some fascinating and exciting projects.

“At Rule 5 we are passionate about nurturing talent and providing an opportunity to those just starting out in PR. Since starting in the summer, Shauna and Oliver have impressed the team with their creativity and enthusiasm.”

Rule 5 Celebrates New Awards Nominations

Photos by Tangerine Event Photography [www.tangerineeventphotography.co.uk]

Following the recent award win at the PRCA Dare Awards, Rule 5 has been nominated for four more awards at the upcoming 2019 CIPR PRide Awards.  The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) is the trade association for the public relations sector in the UK and the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) is the professional body for public relations practitioners.

Based in MediaCityUK, the agency’s work with the ‘Legoland Discovery Centre’ has been recognised in the Low Budget Campaign and the Travel, Leisure or Tourism category . The agency has also been nominated for Best Use of Media Relations and as Small Consultancy of the Year. 

The CIPR PRide Award nominations come hot on the heels of a win at the PRCA Dare Awards, with Rule 5 recieving the award for Charity/Not for Profit for their work with giving platform Wonderful.org. Since Rule 5 launched in 2012, the agency won awards every year.

The CIPR PRide awards will take place on 29 November 2019 at the Midland Hotel in Manchester.

Rob Brown, Managing Partner at Rule 5 said: “Insight, thought, creativity and hard work from everyone in the agency goes into these campaigns. We are lucky also to work with great clients on engaging campaigns. The PRide Awards are really important to Rule 5”

2019 is the seventh consecutive year that Rule 5 has been recognised in industry awards.