A former senior national journalist has launched a new PR agency in Manchester.
Award-winning PR expert Steven Kelly, who previously worked for several of Reach Plc’s national titles, including the Daily Mirror, unveiled Stockport-based communications and social media consultancy Finnoah PR this month.
The 46-year-old, whose work in his previous role as head of media scooped a Creativepool Award and made the Drum PR Awards final shortlist last year, will provide a range of specialist media-related services, including top-tier coverage generation, content creation, crisis communications and social media management.
Top-tier coverage
Since moving into PR in 2015, Steven has secured thousands of top-tier coverage for clients, including with Reuters, PA Media – formerly Press Association – Sky News, BBC News, ITV News, Business Insider, The Times, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Sky Sports, the Financial Times, and most other national UK consumer and trade outlets.
“Having worked in media for more than two decades, I have developed a thorough understanding of the media landscape,” he said. “My journalism experience has been vital to my PR success. We know how journalists think and what they want.
“Finnoah PR is an extension of my passion and determination to develop an agency which consistently delivers market-leading results. By combining credibility, creativity and media relations expertise, we aim to develop a seamless link between clients and their target audiences.”
Leading force ambitions
Despite being a small start-up, Steven, who began his media career in 2001, added that the firm has ambitions to become a leading force in the UK PR market.
“We know we can compete with the UK’s biggest agencies,” he said. “We are aiming for the very top.
“We have worked hard to develop a reputation for creating meaningful campaigns which deliver impactful results – and that will continue be our long-term commitment. I am incredibly excited to see what the future holds.”
During his previous role, Steven amassed a global coverage reach of more than 8 billion, including for a sports event which ESPN translated it into 13 languages.
He has also worked across a variety of sectors, including tech, finance, manufacturing, education, biotech, sport, health, construction, literature, housing and charity.
“Working across so many sectors has given us a broad, in-depth knowledge of media requirements,” he said. “While many agencies specialise in certain fields, we are confident we can deliver across any subject area.
“We understand what makes a compelling story, how to package it and deliver exceptional results that add real value to our clients.”
