Indigo Cow - News

New beginnings – a new look

Welcome to the new Indigo Cow website. What better way to start the New Year than a new look and a clutch of coverage for our clients? Our industry, like so many others, will face a challenging time in 2009, but we are looking forward to the year ahead because even in a recession PR can help stimulate growth.

Because we are constantly focused on building growth in brand awareness for the organisations we work with, growth in their reputation and growth in media coverage, this enables us to show the power of PR. There is a great opportunity out there for well-placed smart, innovative and cost effective consultancies that can do this.

Talking of the power of PR, we’ve had a diverse start to the year with campaigns and coverage ranging from the launch of the new Lunch Box Diet book (great for stressed, desk bound executives according to the Daily Mail and selling out on Amazon after just 3 days), to astrology predictions from GaneshaSpeaks.com about President Obama’s relationship with Gordon Brown and David Cameron (hello, New York Times and over 100 other items of coverage). When PR is used right, it really works, and it’s our job to get it right, that’s why we love the business we are in.

Double-page review in Bella Mag

Who’d have thought the key to slimming down for life was a little Tupperware box? This week’s Bella magazine (issue 9, 3 March 2009) gives a fantastic double page review of the Lunch Box Diet...complete with reports that Cameron Diaz is a fan. Our office consists of a team of grazers who follow the LBD ethos and nibble throughout the day...sugar snap peas are snack of the moment.

Queen Mary Uni Appointment

Indigo Cow has been appointed by Queen Mary University based in London’s exciting East End. Our PR campaign will be to generate interest and media coverage of the University’s events and conferencing facilities. The University is located in an area rich in history, character and investment, just two miles from the City and Docklands and on the doorstep of the 2012 Olympics. It is the only self-contained academic venue in central London. First stop is support of the Academic Venue Show on 13 May at the Emirates Stadium, London, with an exciting guest appearance from Leytonstone’s most famous footballing export...watch this space.

We're Twittering

Our team has finally started twittering so please follow us on Twitter to get an insight into the Indigo Cow PR world at our sunny Hove HQ...

5 best blood glucose monitors

We have just launched a slick new blood glucose meter for Roche Diagnostics. The Accu-Chek Aviva Nano is designed to look more like an MP3 player than a meter and should hopefully motivate patients to test more regularly. The Mail on Sunday clearly thought it was a good idea and gave it their top slot in 5 of the best blood glucose monitors on Sunday 22 March.

Pomegreat - the super juice

The Indigo Cow team has just been appointed by Pomegreat - the UK's leading pomegranate juice brand. We are very excited as we're passionate about healthy food and drink and having just learnt about all the health benefits of pomegranate juice - we are hooked. Did you know that in Pomegreat Pure there are 9 whole pomegranates in there just waiting for you to enjoy? Pomegranates truly are a super food. They have been shown to support heart health, blood pressure and also drive passion and vitality. Expect to see us glowing with the feel good benefits of Pomegreat soon.

Brighton Frocks Rocks

We spent Friday night surrounded by fabulous fashion at Brighton Frocks - the start of the annual Brighton Fashion Weekend - at the Metropole. It's the chance to give cutting-edge, independent designers a platform from which they can showcase their talent to the general public and fashion industry insiders. To help out the designers backstage, we supplied our client Propress' fabric steamer, which ensured that their designs were catwalk ready. We also loved the fact that all the models were local - there were some real Brighton show-stoppers!

Coverage in Daily Mail

We've been following SKY presenter Steve Dixon's journey getting started on an insulin pump to help manage his diabetes. He's using the Roche Diagnostic's Accu-Chek Spirit insulin pump and he's told his story to today's Daily Mail. Steve was fitted with his pump to provide him with a round the clock supply of insulin which he says: "At last I feel as if I have control over my diabetes, rather than it controlling me."

Click here for the full story:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1191653/I-thought-insulin-pumps-lazy-diabetics--Im-hooked-says-Steve-Dixon.html

Spotted - on Mary Queen of Shops

We already know that our client Propress is the UK's leading steaming brand and are most likely to be found in charity shops across the country, but it's always good to spot and the proof was an appearance in BBC Two's Mary Queen of Charity Shops with Mary Portas. In fact it had a discreet but star role, as it stood behind Mary and the regional manager when they were having a bit of an argument over management of staff. We think the show is great and love Mary's passion for getting us to think about what we give away - not throw away. Knowing that charity shop clothes get a thorough steam to clean them, makes it even better. So no excuse to get to a charity shop now and do our bit for the environment and the 'crunch'!

1st Self-Confidence Index Launch

The Indigo Cow team are in agreement; a good diet is a great way to make us feel more confident. And on top of that, receiving a compliment really has us walking tall! So it's no surprise that the first Self-Confidence Index by Pomegreat has found that diet and compliments are key factors in building the nation's confidence. In fact, of the people surveyed, rather than the economy knocking their confidence, they admitted they were more focused on getting the right haircut and getting a good outfit. Shallow? No, just honest. So with self-confidence an issue for many people we asked the BBC's confidence coach Jeremy Milnes to help us by offering the public his top tips to boost confidence. Visit www.pomegreat.com for Jeremy's top confidence tips.

Pomegreat & Blood Pressure

More pomegranate juice excitement from the research team at Pomegreat! A new trial using Pomegreat Pure, their new 100% pure pomegranate juice, found that after just two weeks of drinking 500ml a day, 69% of participants experienced a lowering of blood pressure. With a third of the adult population in the UK suffering from high blood pressure this should be good news for millions as it offers an alternative method of dealing with the condition. The study was conducted by Fiona Mounter and Kirsty Davis, fourth year nutrition students at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh.

Self-Confidence Makeover

We had great pleasure providing the winner of the Pomegreat self-confidence makeover with a day to remember this week. Jodie Rowlandson from Saffron Walden in Essex, won the competition by telling us that she needed a Pomegreat confidence boost to help her get back the confidence she lost since having a baby and returning to work. Jodie experienced a day (which was also coincidentally her birthday) at top member's club Adam Street and spent time with a life coach, a diet and fitness expert, a stylist and a hair and make-up artist. The end result will be shown in OK! (on sale 5th August) and also in a video we are creating of the day. Watch this space for more news!

The Makeover Video

Working with our friends at FatSand we have just finalised the Pomegreat Self-Confidence Makeover Video. The day which is also covered in this week's OK! magazine shows the winner of a competition Pomegreat ran to have a self-confidence makeover with some of the UK's top confidence experts. We have turned their tips into a video so you can go online and get some tips for yourself! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llCj11PkB_4

PR for Mac Experts

Solutions Inc, one of the country's leading experts in Mac retailing and solutions has appointed Indigo Cow to work on two major projects launching this autumn. We have been tasked with supporting their iPhone for business project in October as well as providing PR support for a new nation-wide website and on-line store dedicated to students. We will also provide ongoing support to their five retail locations in Brighton, Hove, Guildford, Chichester and Bournemouth as needed.

Anchorman: Legend of Steve Dixon

We're very pleased to announce Sky News presenter Steve Dixon has appointed us formally to manage his public relations. Steve is a self-confessed gadget and sci-fi fanatic, plus he's one of the most high profile people in the UK to have diabetes.

Computer ‘ECO AMNESTY’ Launch

Launching the ‘Eco Amnesty’ in Brighton on behalf of Solutions inc, we had great weather and a super turn out of people wanting to trade in their old computers for £100 off a new iMac desktop or Macbook Pro portable computer. Working in partnership with Apple, Solutions inc are ensuring that the old computer parts will either be recycled or disposed of safely, so won't end up in landfill sites. Spot the unlikely mac fan in the queue and find out more at shootthepanda.com

Christmas Cows

After an exciting year with many highlights, we would like to wish all our clients, suppliers and Indigo Cow friends a very happy Christmas and New Year. Check out our fabulous snow card at http://www.indigocow.com/xmas/

New Indigo Cow HQ

We've moved! The Indigo Cow team has upped sticks and moved to new pastures - a swanky new office in Hove. We're just 5 minutes from central Brighton and 2 minutes from the beach. You can find us at 34/35 Western Road, Hove, East Sussex.

Social Media for 2010?

To tweet or not too tweet? To use Facebook or not? At Indigo Cow we are in agreement that Twitter is a great, easy way to stay in touch and communicate with others and we also think that unless you've got a product to sell or cause to shout about maybe Facebook is best left to personal use. We've just started using Tumblr and really like the format - more to say than Twitter but just as visual as FB. It's also more fun than a static blog. Follow us indigocow.tumblr.com/ for a more irreverent look at life from the Indigo Cow perspective.

Age is just a number

What do Barbara Cartland's cousin and Liz Smith from TV's the Royle Family have in common? They have both stayed in Brighton & Hove's most prestigious hotel for the retired - Pembroke on 3rd Avenue, Hove. We are thrilled to start a campaign with its founder Sue Brand as she will be championing the cause to bring the best care and support to the elderly and challenge the notion that age is an illness.

A Model Client

London Fashion Week is upon us once again and this year the designers will be benefiting from the attendance of Propress Fabric Steamers. Our client will be on hand to provide steaming services to make sure all designs are perfectly pressed and ready for the catwalk. The Indigo Cow team will be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Vivienne Westwood and Christopher Kane and will hopefully make everyone's experience at the show run as smooth as possible.

Afghan Pomegranates

Our director Karina has just returned from an awe-inspiring trip to Afghanistan with Adam Pritchard, the founder of Pomegreat. The trip saw Pomegreat sign a deal worth £3 million to source 500 tonnes of pomegranate juice and 500 tonnes of pomegranates from the country's only fruit processing factory. Karina's slide show of her photos can be seen at the Pomegreat website.

A Voice for Staff

GE SeaCo, one of the world's largest container leasing companies has just opened its new headquarters in Singapore. The company which has 13 offices across the globe needed a new way to help them stay in touch and we have developed Voice Box for them - a new monthly internal newsletter. Staff feedback has been excellent as they've found it an great way to know what's going on at all the offices and goes to show the importance of good internal communications.

Sport Relief

The team at Pembroke has had a busy couple of months - firstly getting involved with Dignity in Care (a Government campaign to encourage and stimulate national debate about the care system). This saw them take part in Dignity Action Day, whereby we organised for some beauticians from the perfumery Pecksniffs in Brighton to provide hand massages and manicures for the residents and secondly with Sport Relief. The staff and residents walked from the West Pier to Brighton Pier and back to raise funds for Sport Relief - with the oldest member being 98, this was no mean feat! (Okay, some went by wheelchair but not bad!)

New Era in Diabetes

We have just launched the Accu-Chek Mobile blood glucose device for Roche at a media event held at the Royal Society of Medicine. The product has generated significant positive feedback from diabetes experts and has already been featured on The Gadget Show, GMTV, Mail on Sunday and specialist website diabetes.co.uk, who were the first to break the news. The event was "Twilight" themed - as most people now know blood equals vampires and less blood is therefore a good thing! (unless you are a Twilighter)

Brew for the Crew

Lifeboat Tea raises money for the RNLI and we've been given the task to relaunch it to the media and support its roll-out to supermarkets. Launched over 30 years ago, it now has new bright orange packaging and through sales it aims to raise over £100,000 a year for the charity. So we say support the RNLI and 'have a brew for the crew!'. The tea is delicious and as a team of true tea connoisseurs, it's an honour to get involved.

'Glee' Charity Celebrations

We are supporting London's own 'Glee' - the Eastside Educational Trust and are helping them to spread the news of their 'Sweet Sixteen' year of celebrations. The charity is London's leading youth arts provider, bringing arts and culture to young people to inspire and motivate them to realise their full potential. Having worked with over a quarter of a million children in the past 16 years, the trust will be rolling out a series of events to celebrate what it has achieved to date, and what it hopes to achieve in the next 16 years.

A Big Issue

Obesity surgery on a Friday and back to work on a Monday? Possible now with the launch of two new insisionless obesity procedures launched by medical devices company Elemental Healthcare. We are very excited to be working with Elemental to launch these new procedures to the UK market - the first launches in Europe. It's big news indeed for the overweight. Visit www.endobesity.co.uk. for more information.

London Fashion Week News

We are delighted to announce that Propress, the UK's leading fabric steamers, is supporting London Fashion Week again this autumn, strengthening their support and collaboration with the British Fashion Council. February saw the beginning of this fashion marriage and premiered Propress as the official backstage garment care experts. Last season's backstage support saw them caring for the likes of Betty Jackson, Sass & Bide, TOPMAN and Amanda Wakeley to name a few and excitement is already building for the upcoming season's collections.

Anyone for Extreme Tea?

We've just launched the Lifeboat Tea Extreme Tea initiative - the celebration of the ordinary people that do extraordinary things, as is the case with the mostly volunteer crew of the RNLI. Lifeboat Tea has a range of sporting ambassadors to share their adventures and encourage people to enter a competition by showing us their own extreme tea photos. Check out the Lifeboat Tea Facebook page or www.lifeboattea.co.uk/extreme to see how to get involved.

Awards, Websites and BBQs

It's been a busy summer for the Pembroke Care Group. Following their annual summer BBQ, they have just been announced as sponsor of the 'Carer of the Year' award for The Argus Achievement Awards 2010. The award seeks to celebrate the efforts of the unsung hero who cares for a relative, friend or spouse and deserves recognition. We are also excited to finally unveil Pembroke's new website which can be found at www.pembrokecaregroup.com - take a look to see why they are the care home group that everyone's talking about.