ING wins Key Cities brief
Key Cities – a group representing mid-size cities and urban areas across the UK – has appointed built environment communications specialist ING Media to provide policy and media services as it looks to expand its reach and influence as part of the UK’s economic recovery.
The three-year deal, worth over a quarter of a million pounds, follows a competitive two-stage pitch process, which will see ING managing Key Cities’ PR activity, online content and social media, events, consultation responses and policy statements.
It will also coordinate the Key Cities All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), with its partner Images & Co, led by Kasper de Graaf.
Representing 25 cities with a broad geographical and political spread, Key Cities works with other cities, towns and organisations across local government and beyond to deliver prosperity, protect the environment and raise standards of living.
Key Cities’ work will play an important role in the post-Covid recovery, especially on issues relating to ports, housing, culture, climate, levelling up and devolution. The organisation will be able to harness ING’s growing cities expertise and research for strategic advice.
ING has a strong track record working with cities across the UK and internationally. In 2019, it won the PRCA’s best international campaign award for promoting Helsinki’s Year of Art and Architecture. Current and recent clients include West Midlands Combined Authority, Scottish Cities Alliance, Leipzig and the City of London.
Councillor John Merry, Key Cities’ Chair, said:
“ING Media’s appointment is an important milestone for the Key Cities network, as we look to strengthen the role that our cities will play in the post-Covid recovery. Their expertise and network will support us in our mission to improve these places for all members of society.”
Welcoming recent ING hires to the team.
New hires
The Key Cities appointment follows a strong end to 2020, which saw ING grow the business with four junior hires at account executive level and pick-up a number of strategic property sector accounts. These include proptech firms AirRated and Metrikus, engineer Webb Yates and Brookgate’s Cambridge North development.
The firm also hired digital and marketing strategist Eddy Bray, who joins from Havas where he was head of performance for Telefónica. Before Havas, Eddy was head of programmatic trading and sales at The Guardian.
Eddy’s arrival marks the firms continued evolution to provide a broad array of communications services, including strategic consultancy, digital services, research, data analysis and media buying, whilst continuing to build on its strong media relations credentials.
Leanne Tritton, ING Media’s founder and managing director, said:
“2021 is the built environment’s moment to explain the fundamental role it will play in helping the UK to successfully recover from the pandemic. Key Cities represents communities stretching from Plymouth to Carlisle that together make up the engine room of the UK. We look forward to working with the group as it seeks to bring about a range of social and economic improvements for all its members and society at large.”
Key Cities members include Blackpool; BCP (Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole); Bradford; Carlisle; Coventry; Doncaster; Exeter; Gloucester; Hull; Kirklees; Lancaster; Lincoln; Medway; Newport; Norwich; Plymouth; Portsmouth; Preston; Salford; Southampton; Southend-on-Sea; Sunderland; Wolverhampton; and Wrexham.
If you would like to learn more about how ING works with cities email: cities@ing-media.com
Image: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center from Greenbelt, MD, USA, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.