For the latest in our series of Featured Business from our CQFinder community, we spoke to Kelly Marshall-Hill, director of Nottingham-based PR agency The Tonic Communications.
Give us your elevator pitch – what does your business do?
We’re a PR agency with two national offices (we operate from Newcastle too), and we specialise in healthcare – in fact, industry bible PR Week put us in the Top 40 healthcare agencies in the UK last month, and in the Top 50 for agencies with HQs outside of London, which was great. Our niche is to work with ethical companies who are making a positive difference to the world we live in, so that also encompasses health and wellbeing brands, responsible retail and leisure, and sustainable transport. That’s what gets us out of bed in the morning, and we’re hugely grateful to have worked with some fantastic clients over the past eight years and been recognised in a number of national awards for our efforts.
Tell us about a piece of work you’ve completed that you’re currently proudest of?
At the start of the year we worked with our online healthcare client, Medichecks, for a campaign called ‘Vegans are better than you’. Using Veganuary as a launchpad, we tapped into Medichecks’ own proprietary data, which demonstrated the real, physiological health benefits of a plant-based diet. We pitched to national media and secured segments on Sky News and ITV, plus on-message coverage in The Daily Telegraph, Daily Express and MSN health plus a range of regional media and radio, all-up reaching an audience of 138 million and driving downloads of Medichecks’ clinical guide on the benefits of veganism. It was such an interesting campaign to work on, and it prompted a few of the team to give plant-based options a try too (Tonic co-founder Georgina did a blog about her vegan experience). And we all got on board by devouring meeting nibbles from DoughNotts, because they make vegan varieties – winner!
What do you love about working in Nottingham?
I was born in Nottingham(shire), but moved to Sheffield for uni at 18 and stayed put after graduating. I had the travel bug though, so I ended up in my mid twenties settling in Sydney, eventually becoming a permanent resident. So in 2010 when I returned to Nottingham it was great to rediscover the city because it was a million miles from the place I remembered, and many of my old haunts (Black Orchid!) were long gone. Plus there was a tram, that was a shock! Back before lockdown, I enjoyed a potter around on lunch, discovering new indy shops and cafes. There are lots of hidden treasures and hidden bars(!), that’s what I love about it.
Share your love for another Nottingham creative or digital business you work with or admire.
Eight years ago when we were just starting out, my PR ‘partner in crime’ and I had huge confidence and passion about delivering award-winning work to clients, but were not quite as self assured about the challenges of running a business. We were so grateful to work with NBV to access coaching and workshops supporting new creative businesses, and the networking opportunities were valuable too – we subsequently led a session to help other businesses with their own PR, and won client work as a result of the connections made. It’s so important to tap into the support on offer as you develop your business.
Let us know what you’d do on your perfect Nottingham day (global pandemic notwithstanding!).
For a lunch break with time to wander, I often pop in Behind the Red Door for a browse, it’s brilliant for finding a special gift or a quirky card – or another option is a look around the shop in the Nottingham Contemporary, where I bought my daughter her first book. Foodwise, my go-to is Hungry Pumpkin on High Pavement. I can’t recommend it enough - good, varied menu, a lovely vibe and just really nice people. After hours, The Kean’s Head is our official local just a few steps away, but it’s great to have a drink in some of the cosy bars around Hockley – Curious Tavern, Hockley Arts Club, Pepper Rocks. Dinner is too hard to pick, but I’ve always had a nice meal in Edin's, Annie’s Burger Shack and Oscar & Rosies, all within a short walk from the office for an after work bite, plus Baresca is an excellent choice for tapas.
You can find out more about The Tonic Communications and get in contact with them via their CQFinder profile here. If you'd like to create your own CQFinder profile, click here.
