Member Article

PR firm expands to meet increased demand

A North East PR and social media agency has taken on a number of team members to meet growing demand for its services.

Harvey & Hugo, which is based in the Tees Valley, has employed four new starters over the past six months following a number of new contract wins.

The firm’s registered office is at Business Central, Darlington, but all employees – including the new additions – are currently working from home following the Government’s advice.

Managing director Charlotte Nichols said: “The four new staff bring a variety of skills to the table, from design to marketing, and I’m so pleased I was able to add to the team despite it being tough out there.

“We were hit hard in the early days of the pandemic, but business has picked up again since then and I’m incredibly grateful we’ve been busy – hence the need to add to our skillset.”

Mai Donovan and intern Hannah Johansson, from the Northern School of Art, have joined the design team, with visual storytelling being a particular growth area for Harvey & Hugo.

Animated artist Mai, also a graduate of the Northern School of Art, said: “I was lucky to have my interview before lockdown, so I met a few of the team before starting which made things easier.

“My own development has come on in leaps and bounds, and I’ve really benefited from the fantastic support available to me.”

Elisha Atkinson has been hired as a PR and marketing executive, looking after the firm’s three brands: Harvey & Hugo, Pay-as-Hugo and Hugoversity.

A graduate with a master’s degree in journalism, Elisha did work experience at Harvey & Hugo in 2019 before being recruited to a permanent role last year.

She said: “I completely fell in love with the role and the team, so I kept in touch until a position was available. I’m enjoying learning so many new skills with the support and guidance from the team.”

Meanwhile, experienced journalist Amie Slack, who has joined the team as a PR and social media executive, has yet to meet her new colleagues, as she was recruited during lockdown.

Amie, whose role involves supporting an account manager with a variety of client work, said: “I’m really enjoying being part of such a close-knit team and even though I’ve only met two members in person thanks to Covid, I feel like I get to know them a little more each day – I can’t wait to meet them all in real life soon!”

Charlotte added: “With the team working from home, we’ve definitely been able to widen our recruitment area – Mai is from Newcastle, Amie lives in Hartlepool, Hannah’s from Middlesbrough and Elisha is in Darlington – which means we have been able to benefit from some real talent that may otherwise have been missed.”

Both Mai and Elisha have been employed with the support of Sunderland University’s Graduate Internship Scheme.

The firm is now focused on the future, with new services offering a more flexible approach for PR and marketing.

Charlotte said: “We’ve moved our contract-free Pay-as-Hugo service to the forefront of our offering. It suits the uncertainty many firms are feeling in the current climate and we’ve invested significantly in an associated e-commerce store, to make ordering our services even easier.

“Being bold, innovating and reinvesting during these times is important, as history has shown that these companies emerge stronger.

“With this in mind, we’re still looking to fill a number of roles – our website has all the details potential applicants need.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Harvey & Hugo .