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Monday February 5 2018 THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM, BIRMINGHAM
RICHARD WATTS Director of Ever Forwards PR at Earlsfield in south-west London On the road
platforms: online, in print and on screen. The British press especially can be a bit of a
Tell us a bit about Ever Forwards PR. I specialise in lifestyle PR with a focus on the kitchen and home, offering a 360 degree PR solution for brands and individual talent wishing to increase their visibility across the media. Funnily enough, I celebrate my first year in business this month. So this interview is both cathartic and great timing, and gives me a chance to reflect on the last 12 months. When I started out, I came across this quote
by Robin Ince [the comedian, actor and writer, best known for presenting the BBC radio show ‘The Infinite Monkey Cage’ with physicist Brian Cox], which really sums it all up for me and has been a driving force ever since: ‘That which lacks a PR budget can be doomed to invisibility.’ Obviously I’m going to say that those are the truest words ever written because it's my business. But making an impact and telling a story to get noticed and on radar with consumers is, of course, the dream for any business. And in all honesty, that’s my daily motivation.
What’s your background? I’ve worked in both homewares and media environments for more than 15 years and have a strong understanding of how both industries work, so I can maximise and create opportunities for my clients across various
beast to tap into at first. But I've learned how to get noticed to create a headline, and have built up a strong little black book of key contacts to turn to with ideas. Like most businesses, the media industry is all based on relationships. Once you have a bank of those in place, there are many avenues to present relevant stories or pitch product for a page on behalf of your client.
‘One of the biggest challenges facing any brand owner is getting noticed in the first place, and that’s where a strong PR campaign
comes into play’
What brands do you represent? Currently I’m working with the wonderful team at [London trade show] Exclusively Housewares on some hugely exciting projects for 2018; the fabulous [London cookery school] School of Wok; and housewares supplier Forma House, which celebrates 50 years in business this year. I’ve orchestrated a 25th anniversary campaign for homeware company Wireworks and a
launch project for the innovative New Soda brand over the past year too.
How do you spend an average day? I generally start the day going through emails because I receive press requests at the strangest of hours. A call-in for a potato peeler at 2am is probably up there, I have to say! I’m then usually working on a campaign for a client and prepping a release to go out. I like to meet up with journalists as much as possible to talk about a new product or feature idea. I tend to do this a few times each week, to continually build on current working relationships and develop new ones.
Which of ‘your’ products do you use? Anything Eva Solo [from Forma House]. It's just the most beautiful product for any table setting. The School of Wok range of woks [from Dexam] are amazing and the AnySharp knife sharpener is a total game-changer. What a gadget!
Best aspect of your job? Nothing beats seeing a brand you represent hit the newspaper, appear in a magazine or be presented on screen. As a PR, fulfilling a brand’s potential is an amazing feeling that never tires.
And the worst? Gathering press cuttings.
What car do you drive and why? I live in central London so don't really need a car because most publishers are based in zone 1. I can drive though, so anything Land Rover works for me!
Ten years ago this month in Housewares Magazine…
• A new destination for housewares shoppers in the north-west was set to debut in March, with the launch of Barton Square at the Trafford Centre in Greater Manchester. Tenants included M&S Home, Next Home, Dwell and Habitat.
• Celebrity cook and author Delia Smith was due to return to TV in the spring, with her first cookery series for seven years.
• Department store group Fenwick launched a new kitchen department on the lower ground floor of its Newcastle flagship.
• Retail expert Mary Portas was the keynote speaker at the Spring Fair in Birmingham, alongside design consultant Sebastian Conran and retail design group Fitch.
• Lakeland was set to repeat its ‘The Next Big Thing’ event at the Spring Fair in Birmingham and The International Home +
• Department store group John Lewis was voted the UK’s favourite retailer in a survey of more than 6,000 shoppers by retail analyst Verdict Research.
• Supermarket chain Sainsbury’s created a new style cookshop at its London Colney store, featuring a kitchen set with an interior wall tiled down to a worktop.
Housewares Show in Chicago. The housewares chain invited inventors, entrepreneurs and suppliers to pitch new product ideas to them at forums held during the exhibitions.
Source: Housewares Magazine January/February 2008
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