Because we’re veterans of the industry, we understand that there’s so much more to food and drink PR than simple product promotion. It’s this insight and experience that has helped both homegrown and international businesses on the path to a successful UK market launch and kept hungry customers coming back for more.
Create an appetite for your brand with London’s leading food and drink PR agency
We’ve spent years working with a plethora of well-known food and drink brands from all over the world. And though our campaigns, which have spanned everything from New Zealand butter to the UK’s first diet delivery service, bubble tea from Taiwan and nut-free peanut butter from Canada, tend to focus on generating that initial splash through media relations, social media, influencer or experiential campaigns, we have also enjoyed long-term relationships lasting for more than ten years. Our longest client relationship, Guylian, started back in 1997 and lasted for 25 years, underlining how we continued adding value long after the initial market entry phase ended.For Guylian, we consistently exceeded media placement targets, even though we remained focused on their core product rather than NPD. We put this down to the face-to-face media visits we conducted every holiday season and the great media relationships we have developed.
In addition to consumer-facing activity, we also directly support our clients’ business objectives, be that a retail client with a feature in The Grocer or maximising their presence at the BBC Good Food Show by securing inclusion in the show’s email newsletters and presentation slots in their VIP lounge; or arranging tastings and press visits to European cities and beyond for food service and manufacturing trade media journalists.
What this boils down to is simple. By combining strategic thinking and data-driven insights with a flair for creating engaging food and drink PR campaigns, we excel in helping our clients raise brand awareness, garner national press attention and formulate long-lasting relationships with customers, suppliers and media outlets alike. Piece of cake!
Caroline Brown, Corporate Communications Manager for Brown Family Wine Group had this to say about us: “We have just started working with Rochester PR in the New Zealand market. They are full of energy, work at a great pace, and are genuinely excited to work on our brands. We are already seeing some fabulous results and look forward to working on more campaigns in the coming months.”
Chris Buckley, Managing Director for Guylian UK had this to say about us: “We have enjoyed a long standing and productive relationship with Joanna and the Rochester team. They have always been regarded as an extension of the UK team and have worked tirelessly and with great success, to promote the Guylian brand through both traditional and social media channels. The team make every effort to fully understand the brand strategy, are proactive, creative and very responsive and have excellent media contacts.“
Here is what owner of My Baker, Mark Sinjakli, has to say about us: “We have been working with Rochester PR for six months now, and we are so delighted to have found them! We ran a tender process with eight PR firms invited to pitch, and got down to a shortlist of three. Rochester was the clear stand-out firm. Since engaging Rochester, our choice has been completely vindicated. What a difference they have made in a short period of time! Here’s our view on what makes them so special:
- The team are all senior, seasoned PR professionals. At the same time, they have lost none of their enthusiasm for rolling their sleeves up and doing the day job. They are hands-on – weekly calls, a work in progress report – nothing is left to chance or allowed to drift. And the work isn’t passed down to an inexperienced junior. Best of both worlds!
- Rochester brings an enviable set of relationships with the press, accumulated over years of experience. This gives our brand exposure in the right sorts of publications – including household names and publications in the appropriate niche sectors
- Rochester offers great ideas, and guidance on how the media works. This gives us a clear idea of what to focus on
- We get the appropriate balance of client care and candour. They aren’t afraid to say if they think something is a bad idea – and given their experience in the field, we listen!
- Rochester understands and shares our vision, and shows enthusiasm for our brand, which is a huge morale-booster and confidence builder