With the digiscape changing at an alarming rate, the definition of a PR agency is not what it used to be. Thinking outside of the box is now integral to company growth, a notion which has inspired leading consumer agency Magnum PR to undergo a make-over of sorts.
The agency will rebrand from Magnum PR to Magnum & Co, making it clear to clients that traditional PR is not the only item on the menu. A growth in social, digital, experiential and content marketing has encouraged the shift, with its co-founder Michelle Hampton telling Mumbrella: “We’ve stopped treating PR as the only way to communicate our clients’ stories. The way that we work is we tell our clients’ stories in the most creative way and my theory is we shouldn’t just stop at PR.”
Hampton is eager to clarify that Magnum & Co is not becoming a creative agency, it is just not offering solely traditional PR solutions for brands. “I need to be realistic about this – we are not a creative agency. We’re not going to play in the space where we’re creating TVCs or anything like that.”
Instead the brand hopes to promote its collaborative approach through the addition of ‘& Co’ to the name, of which Hampton explains: “It was a case of coming up with something that was representative of who we are and making sure clients see us as a very collaborative agency and that we see our clients as our partners.”
Hampton believes that adaptation is vital to success, particularly within such a changing industry as PR: “PR agencies need to change what they do. Over the last 10 years since I started Magnum, the concept of PR has changed a lot. The industry has evolved very much over the last 10 years and changing the name is not going to achieve anything, it needs to be a reflection on the type of work we do. For PR to remain relevant, we need to be attuned with the changing dynamics of media consumption.”
