Monday February 5 2018 THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM, BIRMINGHAM


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What do you do outside work? I like to work hard and play hard too. So on a Friday night, you'll probably find me enjoying a glass of something red down the local (which is dangerously just five doors down from my house!). I also have really bad taste in television programmes, so if it's reality anything, I’m on it.


Biggest issue facing the housewares industry? I’m always staggered by the amount of businesses that have little - if any - PR strategy. I think the word 'PR' has quite a bad reputation in our industry because some experiences may have under-delivered in the past. But it really should prove itself as vital.


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. Not growing the desired customer base, or seeing a range stagnate when you know it has so much potential, can be seriously frustrating. Evolving and sustaining a dedicated


customer fan base is, after all, how to grow sales in the long term, and PR really is absolutely fundamental to that strategy. Prestige is still linked to print - especially in


the lifestyle sector - and no more so than with retailers themselves. PR is an important tool in building a customer following, but it's also vital for impressing your bigger customers and using as an asset to help grow a stronger


‘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’


Ever Forwards PR co-ordinated press coverage for Wok for 1000 last October, on behalf of celebrity chef Jeremy Pang and his School of Wok cookery school. More than 200 volunteers (including 20 of Dexam’s customers and staff) took part in this large-scale cookery workshop held in London's Borough Market. The goal was to produce 1000 meals, which were then donated to those hungry and in need across the capital. Twenty publications attended and over two million people were reached via the hashtag #wokfor1000 to promote the event.


sales network. I know from first-hand experience that major


retailers look at what trends the key publications are pushing to readers, and that's where a brand needs to be seen. Consumer demand, after all, drives product sales.


Biggest challenges facing retailers and suppliers? Reaching Generation Z [also known as Post- Millennials]: those born after 1995 whose shopping, living and social interaction habits are probably the biggest cultural shift we've seen in 50 years, but who are ultimately our customers of the future.


And the biggest opportunities? Reaching Generation Z through exciting new mediums and viral digital outlets that they trust such as BuzzFeed, LadsBible, Pretty52, YouTube and Huffington Post. Product sales via features on these websites can be truly epic and for me, they always form part of any PR campaign. In my experience, when a range, brand, or


expert 'pops', it's always down to it being given visibility across some sort of media platform - online or in print.


That's where I come in: to turn a brand or


product into something everyone needs to hear about and 'create the buzz', as part of a well-thought-out marketing mix.


What advice would you give to someone starting out in the housewares industry? Knowledge is power, so ask questions and bank the answers. Listen carefully to those with


industry experience - who have seen it, done it, got the T-shirt and understand the mechanics of this business. The most successful people


I’ve come across throughout my career are all masters in this skill. Of course, the most important trick is to filter and edit the knowledge imparted to make it work for you. But being consciously aware of soaking up experience in the first place is vital.


• Richard’s contact details are: 07961 976 491 richard@everforwards.com www.everforwards.com www.instagram.com/everforwardsp


Fifteen years ago this month in Housewares Magazine…


• London trade show Exclusively Housewares (which made its debut in 2002) was already fully booked five months before it was due to open in June, with over 90 exhibitors compared with 80 at the inaugural event.


• Housewares and hardware chain Robert Dyas was due to open a smaller store format, measuring 175sq m, in London’s Canary Wharf.


• Housewares supplier Horwood launched a range of James Martin signature cookware under the Stellar brand. Both the packaging and cookware featured the celebrity chef’s name.


• Two housewares products were honoured in the Good Housekeeping Institute 2002 Innovations of the Year Awards: the Orka Miracle Mitt and Good Grips measuring mug.


• Department store Fenwick in Newcastle was the winner of Housewares Magazine’s Mystery Shopper report on the north-east city, beating rivals Woolworths, Wilkinson, Marks & Spencer, John Lewis, BHS and John Lewis with its ‘comprehensive range, excellent customer service and pleasing layout’.


• Home improvement charity The Royal Metal Trades Benevolent Society changed its name to Rainy Day Trust.


• Diet and fitness queen Rosemary Conley joined forces with Catalyst Home Products to develop a range of cooking equipment to encourage healthy eating.


Source: Housewares Magazine January 2003


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