2 March 2023 - Flipbook - Page 40
40
BUSINESS
FARMWEEK
JANUARY 28 2021
Top accolade for NI’s public relations professional Sonya Cassidy
N
ORTHERN Ireland public
relations professional Sonya
Cassidy has been awarded
a Fellowship by the Chartered
Institute of Public Relations (CIPR)
for her dedication and contribution
to the industry.
The accolade was awarded to Ms
Cassidy for her “outstanding” work
in the eld over the past 25 years.
It not only demonstrates her
devotion to the industry but best
practice, professionalism and role
as an advocate for CIPR, which is
the world’s only Royal Chartered
professional body for public
relations practitioners, with nearly
10,000 members.
Ms Cassidy was one of seven
members to be awarded a
Fellowship so far this year.
To date, Ms Cassidy’s career has
seen her work with some of the
biggest private and public sector
organisations in Northern Ireland
and further aeld.
Specialising in strategic,
creative and results-driven
communications, her clients
span a wide range of industries,
LEFT: Sonya Cassidy, Sonya
Cassidy PR Limited.
including nancial services,
property, renewable energy, social
enterprise, hospitality, food and
drink and travel and tourism.
Locally, Ms Cassidy’s client list
includes Action Cancer, Agnew
Group, MCL InsureTech, Northern
Ireland Hotels Federation, Ilimex
Limited, Hinch Distillery, Simpson
Developments, The Salthouse and
Bishop’s Gate Hotel.
She has attracted almost two
dozen awards over the years for
her campaigns, including her work
with the £1.7m Tellus South West
Project, a geological mapping
project which uncovered the
environmental makeup of Cornwall,
Devon and parts of Somerset.
For this particular project she
was the recipient of a gold award at
the CIPR PRide Awards.
Prior to setting up her own
agency – a role Ms Cassidy has
undertaken for the past decade –
she made her mark in a number of
communication agencies around NI
and globally, including
Weber Shandwick.
She also spent a secondment
in-house at Nespresso’s global
headquarters in Lausanne, Geneva.
Most recently Ms Cassidy has
expanded her portfolio to welcome
some of the pandemic’s most
entrepreneurial seedling rms,
including the creators of a new
air steriliser, the Ilimex UV-C
Air Steriliser, which can kill up
to 99.9999 per cent of airborne
pathogens, including Covid-19.
Speaking about the Fellowship,
Sonya said: “I am honoured to join
the ranks of PR Fellows.
“Championing our profession and
advocating learning are two hugely
important areas for me.
“This Fellowship not only gives
recognition for all the work I’ve
put in over the years but it also
provides an opportunity to take
what I have learned and share it
with others on their PR journey.”
Congratulating Sonya on her
Fellowship, CIPR Northern Ireland
Chair Arlene McPhillips said: “On
behalf of CIPR Northern Ireland I
would like to congratulate Sonya on
her CIPR fellowship appointment.
“The appointment is testament to
her experience and dedication to
the public relations profession here
in Northern Ireland and underpins
her commitment to CIPR.
“I am thrilled that she joins 20
practitioners in Northern Ireland
who have already been recognised
by CIPR as our Fellows play an
important role in helping promote
professionalism, demonstrate best
practice and raise awareness of the
benets of CIPR membership.”
CIPR President Mandy Pearse,
Chart PR, FCIPR, added: “Many
congratulations to our seven new
Fellows. This is a much-deserved
recognition of your professional
achievements and the time and
expertise you have each given back
to our community.
“As ambassadors for the CIPR
you drive forward our values
of a commitment to life-long
learning, professionalism, and
ethical practice which does so
much for the whole profession
and demonstrates our value and
purpose to the outside world.”
Boost Drinks secures exclusive
distribution rights for Rio brand
L
EADING drinks company Boost, the
number one selling soft drink in the
Northern Ireland convenience sector,
has announced details of a new sales,
marketing and distribution agreement
with Hall & Woodhouse for the latter’s Rio
soft drinks brand.
With effect from February 1, Boost Drinks
will take on full responsibility for sales,
marketing and distribution of the Rio brand
in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
Boost Energy was established in 2001
after founder and MD Simon Gray saw the
opportunity to offer consumers a great
quality energy drink at a fraction of the price
of other brands at that time.
Two years later in 2003, Boost was
launched in Northern Ireland and, driven
by a strategy to focus on the independent
convenience channel, has grown to such
an extent that the company now owns
the top two selling soft drinks in the local
independent sector, which covers more than
1,100 independent retail stores (excluding the
large multinational supermarket chains).
Rio, owned by the 243-year old Dorsetbased regional brewers Hall & Woodhouse,
was launched in the 1990s and has grown to
become a top 10 fruit carbonates soft drink
brand in the UK, supplying over one million
hectolitres.
Despite the difcult market conditions
over the past 12 months, the brand is
growing, seeing a 14 per cent sales increase
in the month of December compared to the
previous year’s gures.
This growth is set to continue through
Boost’s extensive distribution network
and its widely recognised expertise in the
independent convenience and wholesale
market.
Simon Gray, founder and CEO, Boost Drinks,
said: “Working with Hall & Woodhouse, Rio
has been on our agenda for some time, not
only as a brand with a strong consumer
and trade proposition but as a brand with
fantastic synergies with Boost.
“Manufacturing strategy, customer
base and a passion for the independent
convenience channel make for a natural t.
“In a changing world, we believe this
progressive partnership will enable us to
thrive as we work in close collaboration.
“Rio is both a well-established and well-
LEFT: Simon Gray, founder and CEO of Boost
Drinks.
respected brand and we are all very excited
about helping to grow the brand further
through our widely recognised knowledge
of the channel and our track record for
delivering a portfolio that is tailored to the
needs of retailers and consumers.
“We are very excited about growing
the brand in Northern Ireland, a hugely
important region in which Boost is
particularly strong and Rio not quite so well
known… at the moment!”
Matt Kearsey, Managing Director, Hall &
Woodhouse, commented: “We are extremely
proud of the successful footprint Rio has
established.
“Rio is a brand that consumers love and as
the soft drinks market develops, we believe
there are signicant opportunities for it to
grow and evolve.
“There has been a meeting of minds
between Boost Drinks and Hall & Woodhouse
from day one and we’re delighted to have
found a partner which not only holds the
same values as we do, but also sees a bright
future for the Rio brand. We look forward to a
long and successful partnership.”
Farm Shop & Deli Awards shortlist revealed
T
HE shortlist of the UK’s
nest speciality retailers for
the 2021 Farm Shop & Deli
Awards, in partnership with The
Grocer and sponsored by Garofalo
and Food & Drink Wales, have been
announced – with two Northern
Ireland businesses in the running.
Representing East Anglia,
Midlands, North East, North West,
South East, South West, Scotland
and Wales, as well as Northern
Ireland, the awards are celebrating
specialist retailers from across
the UK in recognition for their
courageous commitment shown to
their customers, community, staff
and suppliers this year.
The two Northern Ireland
entries are Colemans Farm Shop
in Templepatrick, and Wilsons
Butchers, Downpatrick, both in the
Shop Category.
LEFT: Wilsons Butchers,
Downpatrick, made the
shortlist in the Shop
Category.
LEFT:
Colemans
Farm Shop in
Templepatrick
made the
shortlist in
the Shop
Category.
The full list of shortlisted
retailers can be found via the
link on the awards website: www.
farmshopanddelishow.co.uk/
awards
This year the awards received
an amazing 153 entries, which are
now being evaluated by an expert
judging panel lead by broadcaster
and journalist Nigel Barden,
to determine the ‘Commented
Retailers’ and ‘Best in Region
Winners’ across the UK.
The live announcement will take
place at 3pm on Monday, July 5, at
the Farm Shop & Deli Show, NEC
Birmingham.
Nigel is joined in the exacting
process by food writer and cochair Elaine Lemm, plus a line-up
of judges which include Editor at
British Baker, Amy North; Fresh
Foods Reporter at The Grocer,
Henry Sandercock; Branch
Manager for Paxton & Whiteld
Jermyn Street, London, Hero Hirsh;
Head of Trading and Marketing
for Booths, John Gill; and Head of
consultancy business Delicious
Planet, Victoria Robertshaw. The
judges also include previous
Retailer of the Year winners.
The Farm Shop & Deli Show is the
agship event which brings
together the great and good
of the speciality market to
celebrate the very best of
British produce and returns
this July 5-7 to the NEC
Birmingham.
Registration will soon
be open and visitors keen
to experience 2021’s most
comprehensive programme of
demonstrations, interactive live
debates and the latest products
and innovations, all focused on
improving the bottom line, can go
to: www.farmshopanddelishow.
co.uk to register for their
completely free badge.