Bridges Fund Management

Objective

The team was tasked with supporting Bridges fundraising activity by maximising media exposure in key LP-focused publications for transactions and other corporate developments.  In addition, we also worked to raise awareness if Impact Investment as sector that generates strong returns, as well as providing social benefits.

Implementation

PRO strengthened Bridges media contacts, broadened the publications that covered the fund’s news and ensured that all the reporting was on-message and consistent.

Results

Transactions were widely covered in the PE industry media and key business publications, such as City AM. The team also advised the head of communications on several sensitive communications matters and provided value-add portfolio company support.

Oxx

Objectives

Our objective was to communicate the launch of newly formed growth capital firm Oxx and then support its ongoing business activity across in the UK, the Nordics and Israel.

The challenge throughout was to ensure that Oxx’s media positioning demonstrated its very targeted focus on scale-up b2b software, the fund’s philosophy of putting the entrepreneurs they support first and the deep expertise of the founders.

Implementation

Using PRO’s existing media contacts in the sector, the team initially introduced Oxx founding partners to senior journalists at the leading sector trade publication in the UK including Private Equity News, and the leading business publication in Sweden, Dägens Industri. Market-specific exclusive articles were secured in these publications, following which the team briefed media on the company’s launch release, targeting national and trade finance, private and venture capital journalists and publications.

Following the launch, PRO supports Oxx with media management around every major announcement it makes including investments, high profile exits – such as the $1bn IPO of Forescout on Nasdaq – and key fundraising milestones.

Results

Our activity has led to significant coverage in publications including Private Equity International, Reuters and the Wall Street Journal, as well as with technology and business titles including TechCrunch, Forbes Magazine and Growth Business. The exposure not only led to the forming of new relationships with key influencers, but saw an increase in views to the founders’ LinkedIn pages by nearly 2,000 and has directly led to direct LP enquiries.

City Of London Group

Objectives

COLG is an AiM listed real estate and financial services company, which The PRO supports with all aspects of its financial communications and IR. PRO was first hired ahead of COLG’s reverse takeover of Milton Homes for £20m and subsequent share placing on AiM. Our objective on this transaction involved supporting on external communications materials and then handling the PR on announcement.

Implementation

In advance of the announcement, PRO drafted all relevant material and briefed national journalist to ensure they were aware of the company and prepared for an announcement. On the day of the announcement, all material was sent to the journalists and follow-up collateral was supplied to secure coverage.

Results

As a result of the media outreach, PRO secured a very supportive article in The Times featuring the two main shareholders, with a very positive follow-up article in the Telegraph. As result of our initial success, we were retained to provide ongoing financial communications support around the company’s share listing and the implantation of its strategic plans.