Author Archives: Claire Walker

Clea Herrmann, Firefly Germany Country Manager, dies aged 43

By Claire Walker | Published: February 16, 2012

We are deeply shocked and saddened at the sudden loss of Clea Herrmann, Firefly’s Country Manager in Munich. Clea leaves behind her husband, Hubert and their son, Raphael (4). Clea served Firefly for almost 15 years. She started her Firefly career in London in 1998, before moving to Germany in 2001 to set up the [...]

Mark Mellor, Firefly managing director, dies aged 49

By Claire Walker | Published: January 30, 2012

We are deeply saddened at the loss of Mark Mellor, Firefly’s managing director, who has died from cancer. He leaves behind his wife, Claire Walker and their three children, Toby (15), Robyn and Max (12). Mark served Firefly for over 23 years, joining the fledgling company after just nine months of trading. He was instrumental [...]

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A celebration, a mourning and a full decade of PR contrasts

By Claire Walker | Published: November 18, 2011

This week, I was fortunate to pick up the PR Personality of the Year accolade at the PRCA Awards. The award was ultimately decided by public vote, following a PRCA shortlist (how I feel for those X-factor and Strictly celebs), so a huge thank you to all those industry colleagues and peers who kindly supported [...]

Ho, ho, ho! For PR consultants, it’s always an early Christmas

By Claire Walker | Published: November 10, 2011

There may be a recession looming, but according to research commissioned by Give as You Live, more than half (57%) of Brits will be spending a total of £200 on Christmas gifts this year. Eight is the average number of people gift-givers will be buying for, making the average gift value £25. Not bad: this [...]

PR – is it a woman’s world?

By Claire Walker | Published: November 10, 2011

I am delighted but somewhat surprised to be the only woman (out of a shortlist of five) nominated as PRCA PR Personality of Year. According to the UK’s PR Week/PRCA census, the industry is two-thirds female (20,000 women in total work in PR). Over the years it’s always amazed me to see how many men [...]

How relationships between clients and PR agencies can thrive or nosedive

By Claire Walker | Published: September 20, 2011

Good news! The day you appoint an agency is the first day of a wonderful relationship. Bad news! The day you start working together is a countdown to the day you fire that agency. The “C” word is ‘complacency’, as agencies lose 80% of clients because they are seen as complacent. Relationships ebb and flow [...]

Happy Birthday Firefly – 23 years and still going strong!

By Claire Walker | Published: August 8, 2011

As it was our birthday last week, we thought we would take a look back to see how the world of work and PR has changed in the years since Firefly’s launch, on 1st August 1988. In August 1988, we had our own PCs on our desks with green monitors and a LAN connecting us to [...]

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Firefly Appointed to Launch £1.25 Billion Give as you Live Philanthropic Challenge

By Claire Walker | Published: July 11, 2011

Give as you Live™, the online shopping and charitable fundraising brainwave of social entrepreneur Polly Gowers, has significantly expanded its remit with Firefly to include a consumer PR and brand launch in the run-up to Christmas 2012. The expanded brief will support Give as you Live™’s challenge to the nation to fundraise £1.25bn annually through online [...]

Is Facebook heading for saturation point? Should this affect PR campaigns?

By Claire Walker | Published: June 14, 2011

The unthinkable happens. Brands arrive and rise at a breathtaking pace. Brands disappear alarmingly quickly, as well. Who remembers Netscape and Alta Vista, to name just two? Today I read on the Inside Facebook blog that Facebook growth in North America has slowed for the second month in a row, although overall, Facebook is expanding [...]

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How to turn an amazing PR coup into a reputation liability

By Claire Walker | Published: May 16, 2011

During the week I read all my news online. At weekends, I indulge myself reading a selection of Sunday papers, turning every crinkly page and relishing every minute of intellectual infusion. This weekend I saw something on a Style shopping page that I had to have. No delayed gratification for me when it comes to [...]