Member Article

North East businesses offered fresh voice

Businesses in the North East are being offered a new voice after two communications specialists joined forces.

Nick Kemp, head of public affairs company NKA, and Andrew Lambert, director of Newsmaker PR and Video Production Ltd, believe this month’s General Election result threatens to isolate the region.

“We have good membership organisations – such as the Chamber of Commerce, CBI and NOF Energy – who look after their sectors. But we’re offering individual businesses the direct routes to decision makers,” said Nick.

Andrew, who was editor of BBC Look North and works with North East clients including BAE Systems and Northumbrian Water, said: “Businesses here have strong stories to tell but they need to be seen and heard by the right people who, increasingly, are not based here.”

With the region sandwiched between Scotland and a North West heading towards devolution, Nick and Andrew believe the North East will slip further behind with just two Conservative MPs, no members of the shadow cabinet and an electorate which bucked the national voting trend.

“The Chancellor has made it clear that major government funding for vital services, such as housing and transport, will only happen if there is an elected mayor representing all or a large part of the North East,” said Nick.

“For that to happen long-standing rivalries will have to be put aside. In the meantime there is a very real danger the region will be stuck in a void which will take years to get out of.”

NKA advises a number of North East organisations, including the Centre for Process Innovation and Careline Lifestyles, one of the UK’s leading providers of specialist care, on strategic communications.

Nick is a Newcastle city councillor, has just been appointed the cabinet member for neighbourhoods and was a member of council’s planning committee for five years.

He was a political and policy adviser to Nick Brown MP when he was a government minister and chief whip. He was the business development manager for the Tyne and Wear Development Company and for the past six years has been the Head of Operations for the North East Economic Forum.

After a career in journalism Andrew has helped high-profile organisations - including Home Tesco, Northern Powergrid and Home Group - deliver their messages through speeches, blogs, video and media relations.

He said: “Nick and I will work with businesses to ensure their communications strategies deliver their objectives. We will help them develop key messages, identify who they want to reach and provide high quality content to engage those stakeholders.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Andrew Lambert .