This month we are delighted to be celebrating a decade of Coverdale Barclay. Ten years ago, Anna Coverdale and Ros Barclay joined forces to realise their vision for a PR agency that connects people with places to add value to clients’ businesses and enhance people’s lives.
They have gone on to grow a diverse team of specialist storytellers who deliver stand-out communications strategies for businesses across the full spectrum of the built environment – from residential and commercial property developers, to landed estates, local authorities, landlords, asset managers, consultancies, and architects.
As part of our celebrations, we asked some of the members of our team to share their highlights from the last ten years, which has provided us with a wonderful opportunity to look back over past press campaigns, events, launches and partnerships.
Anna Coverdale and Ros Barclay, Co-Founder Directors chose as their highlights:
Client relationships
We are lucky to work with many clients long-term with whom we have developed excellent working relationships, where they see us as an extension of their own team.
Bracknell Town Centre
Our appointment on the regeneration of Bracknell town centre by Legal & General and Schroders, alongside Bracknell Forest Council. Being involved from before start-on-site to beyond launch, meant we could see first-hand the positive impact the new town centre had on peoples’ lives. It encapsulated almost every element of what we’re good at as an agency – large scale, high profile urban regeneration, requiring both significant investment and significant perception change.
Outlets
We have been instrumental in changing perceptions amongst the media of the retail outlet proposition and the role it plays in the wider retail and leisure industry, including London Designer Outlet, Scotch Corner Designer Village and Malmö Designer Village.
Oxford Street
Working on the high profile transformation of Oxford Street, which has been challenging from a stakeholder and political point of view, but our team has navigated this both successfully and at pace.
Landed Estates
The instrumental role we’ve played in raising the profile of key London landed estates, including The Portman Estate, The Langham Estate and The Bedford Estates from their early days of transformation, evolving into thriving, buzzing neighbourhoods, following significant investment. For example, with The Portman Estate, we were able to support the repositioning of Chiltern Street into “one of London’s coolest streets”, as described by the likes of Vogue and London Evening Standard.
Carnaby Street
Supporting Shaftesbury to bring Carnaby Street back from the brink, positioning it as the thriving global destination it once was.
Hannah Channing, Director, chose as her highlight:
Launching Wembley Park’s retail and leisure vision in 2018, showcasing the plans to bring disruptor, independent brands and amenities, arts and culture and new health and wellbeing spaces to the 15-minute neighbourhood with live art, Sophie Ellis Bextor on the decks and smoothie bike racing. The event was attended by over 200 retail agents.
Kelly Kerruish, Associate Director, chose as her highlight:
Delivering the stakeholder launch of the multi-million pound regeneration of Swansea city centre, which included the opening of a new cultural venue for the city, a coastal park and a historic footbridge to reconnect the city to its coastline. After many years of cynicism about when the project would be delivered, our work to change perception of the scheme and build excitement amongst the local community meant that at the launch the words on everyone’s lips was ‘Swansea is back!’
Katie Balcombe, Account Director, chose as her highlight:
Launching London’s newest film festival, Kingston International Film Festival, with a feature in the Guardian that positioned it as a new platform for supporting emerging talent in the film industry and a catalyst for the wider cultural regeneration of Kingston.
Stewart Paterson, Senior Account Manager, chose as his highlight:
Being instrumental in delivering the communication and stakeholder engagement campaign announcing a multi-million pound investment programme for Merry Hill shopping centre in Dudley, West Midlands. We secured coverage on the front page of The Times business section, sweeping property and retail trade coverage, as well as great regional media coverage – including with the BBC.
Our campaign supported a big upswing in the number of enquiries from agents working on behalf of leisure and F&B target occupiers.
Astrid Svensson, Senior Account Manager, chose as her highlight:
Launching the Grayson Place development in Nuneaton earlier this year, with the team achieving strong coverage across property and retail trades – as well as landing national coverage with the BBC. It’s a great project which in many ways is a blueprint for what town centre destinations will look like in the future.
Elizabeth Lorraine, Junior Account Manager, chose as her highlight:
Unveiling the King Alfred statue which sits in Trinity Village’s Trinity Church Square. It is considered to be the oldest outdoor statue in London and after conservation work, was found to date back even further than previously believed, to Roman times. It’s a great example of how heritage contributes to our places, and received fantastic media coverage, including an in-depth article about the statue’s history on the BBC.
Alberto Pinosa, Senior Account Executive, chose as his highlight:
Delivering the PR to support Wembley Park’s events and cultural programme to showcase it as London’s newest cultural neighbourhood. This has included securing broadcast coverage of Winterfest on Good Morning Britain, and partnering with BBC Introducing on a day of programming to launch Wembley Park’s newest stage, the Sound Shell.
Isaac Poyser, Junior Account Executive, chose as his highlight:
Working on the regeneration of Stockport town centre – delivering PR to promote the work Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) are doing to transform a 130-acre site called Town Centre West. It’s a brilliant scheme that is delivering a sustainable community which will see Stockport become the most liveable town centre in the Greater Manchester region.
