MT Influence #16

Building on the strong momentum and our flying start to 2025, the McKenna Townsend team is continuing to deliver successful and exciting communication programmes for our clients. From strategic collaborations to impactful campaigns, we’re seeing some fantastic growth and achievements, and we’re excited to share some of our February highlights with you.

This month, we’re celebrating Gong cha UK & Ireland’s successful launch in Belfast, the first store on the Isle of Ireland, where we had the pleasure of supporting with PR and social media to generate buzz and excitement and drive footfall. We’re also congratulating our Associate Director, Enya Newton Chart.PR, on earning Chartered Status with the CIPR, a testament to her expertise and leadership in the PR industry. Plus, we’re spotlighting our recent work with Coeliac UK to raise awareness for its important ‘Eating Out Gluten Free’ report.

The year is well underway, and we’re excited to keep building on our successes, delivering outstanding results for our clients in the months ahead.

Gong cha Lands on the Isle of Ireland with PR and Social Media Support for Belfast Launch

We had the privilege of working with Gong Cha on the grand opening of its first store on the Isle of Ireland, Gong cha Belfast. Bringing its world-famous, innovative bubble tea to Northern Ireland, the grand opening of Gong cha Belfast was highly anticipated, and we were delighted to contribute to its success.

Our team secured fantastic local and trade media coverage, including prominent outlets such as Belfast Live, Belfast Newsletter, Propel, and The BFA. These features helped generate excitement around the launch, ensuring the store opening was front and centre in the minds of the local community and creating a buzz within the franchise industry.

We also executed a dynamic social media campaign that built anticipation leading up to the opening, resulting in eager customers queuing to experience the bubble tea phenomenon firsthand.

Congratulations to the Gong cha Belfast team, we can’t wait to see what’s next for the brand in Ireland.

Enya Awarded CIPR Chartered Status

We are delighted to congratulate our Associate Director, Enya, on successfully attaining Chartered Status with the Chartered Institute of Public Relations(CIPR).

This esteemed accreditation highlights Enya’s extensive experience, leadership, and commitment to excellence in public relations. The rigorous assessment process, which tested her expertise in areas including, ethics, strategic communications, and PR leadership, showcased her dedication to maintaining the highest industry standards.

The CIPR is the world’s only Royal Chartered professional body for PR practitioners, with over 11,000 members. Chartered Status is a mark of professionalism that is recognised by clients, colleagues, and the public alike, ensuring accountability in our industry.

A huge congratulations to Enya on this remarkable achievement!

Supporting Coeliac UK to Drive Awareness for its ‘Eating Out Gluten Free’ Report

We are proud to have supported Coeliac UK in raising awareness following the launch of its recent report, ‘Eating Out Gluten Free’.The report highlights the evolving dining experiences of those living with coeliac disease, revealing a positive shift in confidence among gluten free diners. Encouragingly, 67% of respondents reported an improved dining experience over the past five years. However, the report also highlights that there is still much work to be done, particularly in raising awareness and improving provisions within the hospitality sector.

To ensure the key findings of the report reached a wide audience, our team executed a series of strategic media sell-ins, securing impactful coverage across both trade and consumer outlets. Notable coverage included features in Food & Drink Network UK and Dine Out Magazine, amplifying the message to both consumers and key industry stakeholders. This helped underline the ongoing importance of offering safe, gluten free dining options in restaurants.

We are pleased to have been part of Coeliac UK’s mission and are proud to contribute to creating a more inclusive dining experience for those living with coeliac disease.

Optimising Paid Social for VETUS and Smartgyro to Drive Results

We’re proud to showcase our work with VETUS and Smartgyro, two leading brands within the YANMAR Marine International B.V. Recreational Marine Business Unit, where we’ve been enhancing their digital presence through a tailored paid social programme.

Our approach focuses on optimising social media activity to achieve the best possible results. By using in-depth audience insights and strategic targeting, we ensure every campaign is impactful and cost-effective. We refine creative content and advertising performance to reach the right audiences at the right time, ensuring efficient spend and maximum return.

Transparency is a key part of our process. We provide clear, comprehensive reporting to our clients, offering valuable insights into campaign performance. This enables us to continually optimise and refine strategies, ensuring that each campaign delivers the best value and results.

Through our collaboration with VETUS and Smartgyro, we’re proud to demonstrate our expertise in paid social media and our commitment to delivering measurable results. We look forward to continuing to support these brands as they grow within the digital space.

Leveraging Public Relations to Boost your SEO and Online Visibility

At McKenna Townsend, we believe integrating public relations with SEO is key to enhancing your brand’s online presence. PR strategies, such as securing high-quality backlinks through media coverage, can significantly improve search engine rankings. When your brand is featured in reputable publications, it signals to search engines that your content is credible and valuable, increasing your visibility and driving organic traffic. Additionally, with the increase usage of AI-powered search tools, these efforts are likely to result in higher rankings.

PR also supports SEO by creating optimised content, such as press releases and thought leadership articles, with targeted keywords that align with SEO goals. Consistent media mentions and brand visibility across various platforms also contribute to stronger social signals, helping your website gain more authority in search engine results.