Bio
Lisa decided to launch Flare Communications in February 2002, following 10 years of climbing the PR ladder at the leading PR agency, Weber Shandwick.
Lisa has planned and co-ordinated campaigns and events for leading brands such as Daily Mail Ideal Home Show, Crown Paints, British Midland, Cadbury, Velvet Toilet Roll and SCA Johnson.
She has also undertaken extensive media analysis for The British Library and the launch of the National Lottery Fund. Lisa also has experience in celebrity hospitality, crisis management, corporate communications, trade and consumer media relations.
Lisa is hands on across the client base at Flare and works closely with all team members. Lisa specialises in building strategic, deliverable campaigns and more recently has worked closely with clients to penetrate European market sectors.
Q&A
What is your greatest fear? Something terrible happening to somebody I care about.
Which living person do you admire most, and why? There are too many to mention. I really admire people that give something back to their surroundings, community, the world and people that look after those that can´t look after themselves.
What would your super power be? To be invisible
Who would play you in the film of your life?
Marion Cotillard
What is your favourite word?
Bollocks! I say it several times a day.
What is your favourite book? I have several including The Other Hand by Chris Cleeve and Half of the Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
What is your guiltiest pleasure? Mick Hucknall - I'm not even going to try and explain it, I know I´m weird!
How would you like to be remembered?
As a nice person
What is your best PR success? In a career spanning 20 years in the industry there are many including working with some amazing brands and people with the best creative minds in the industry giving me the knowledge and courage to build Flare!
Tell us a secret about yourself? I don´t have many secrets that can be published!
What is your office nickname and why? Eddie - since Cat joined the fold 5 years ago we are the recreation of Ab Fab in the nicest possible way including physical appearance, characteristics and alcohol intake! But with much more emphasis on work!
Bio
Following two years as Editor of fashion and interior led publications, including Department Store Buyer, Gifts and Housewares Magazine and Interior Design Today, Cat decided in 2006 to jump the fence and sample life in the PR fast lane.
With a BA Honours in fashion marketing and communications, Cat began working in a publishing house as a marketing executive for the magazines she then went onto edit.
Cat joined flare in 2006 as an account executive working on Yankee Candle Europe, Spaceform and a variety of fashion brands.
Now as a Senior Account Manager, Cat works with Yankee Candle Europe working on consumer PR campaigns across France, Italy, Germany and the UK including promoting the brand with celebrity names, plus the Spaceform brand and the launch of a new eco concept Baggee to the UK market.
Q&A
What is your greatest fear? Running out of whisky
Which living person do you admire most, and why? I have two: my parents!
What would your super power be? To fly
Who would play you in the film of your life? Gwyneth Paltrow
What is your favourite word? Sorry to admit this, but I love the sound of ‘boobies’
What is your favourite book? I have many, but if I had to say one it would be The Time Travellers Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
What is your guiltiest pleasure? Snuggling down on Tuesdays to Holby City with a chilled bottle of wine
Which word or phrases do you overuse? “I’m not being rude, but...”
How would you like to be remembered? For making someone’s world a better place
What is your biggest PR blunder? During my first week, which was in August, sending a Christmas press release to the National press (sorry, Lisa, never admitted this before!). Although from this mistake grew a wonderful relationship with the lovely Gordon Agar – I still have his curt and somewhat rude initial reply.
What is your best PR success? In a room full of great brands backstage at the Cosmopolitan Women of the Year Awards, all the PR’s were warned to stay away from Mel B as she was in a ‘foul mood’. I caught her attention, had a wonderful conversation over a drink with her and achieved 9 pages in Hello! Magazine with our client in every room of her LA pad.
Tell us a secret about yourself? I was once Maid Marian (no, not in a past life. A past job at The Tales of Robin Hood in Nottingham)
What is your office nickname and why? Catsy. Do you really need to ask?!
Bio
Nicola began her PR career at fashion PR agency Modus Publicity after graduating from the University of Northampton with a BA Hons in fashion marketing.
After gaining invaluable experience including working on London Fashion Week PR campaign she moved to a boutique fashion agency to gain further experience as an account executive.
Wanting to branch out of fashion, Nicola joined Flare where she now handles Yankee Candle Germany and the Clarion events retail exhibitions, Top Drawer, Pulse, Home and Gift plus launching a brand new exhibition in 2012, Home.
Q&A
What is your greatest fear? Flying is pretty scary (Lisa has personally witnessed my crippling phobia on flights to Germany) and snakes... I HATE snakes.
Which living person do you admire most, and why? Julie Andrews, I’m not 100% sure why to be honest, but just looking at her makes me feel happy inside
What would your super power be? I would like to be able to make my teacup refill itself just by staring at it... Purely because the effort of going to the kitchen is too great
Who would play you in the film of your life? Penelope Cruz
What is your favourite word? Wine
What is your favourite book? The Family Way by Tony Parsons
What is your guiltiest pleasure? Pork Pies & Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Which word or phrases do you overuse? ‘This is my FAVOURITE song’. About most songs. ‘Does anyone want a drink?’ About 30 times a day.
How would you like to be remembered? As a fun loving pocket rocket
What is your biggest PR blunder? Sending out a Twitter address for a client without realising it was their main competitor’s page. It still haunts me to this day. Shudder.
What is your best PR success? Leading a successful pitch to a client after working extremely hard on the proposal document
Tell us a secret about yourself? I hate sharing food. I know it’s mean but I hate it.
What is your office nickname and why? We can all thank Cat Deans for christening me Handjob Handley – A play on my surname not because of extracurricular activities I might add...
Bio
Aimee graduated from Lancaster university with an English literature degree in 2007. Aimee sampled life in a B2B PR agency working on blue chip company campaigns.
Wanting to work in consumer PR, Aimee moved on to complete a 3 month work placement at Borkowski working on TGI Friday, Sunraysia and South Australia Tourism Board plus campaigns for Ikeas’s 21st birthday and ‘bring back that friday feeling’ with Crunchie for leading chocolate brand, Cadbury’s.
Aimee joined the Flare team in 2009 as PR assistant working across the client base. Since her promotion in 2010, Aimee works more closely on Yankee Candle France, Baggee and is the social media guru of the Flare team devising creative campaigns for all clients.
Q&A
What is your greatest fear? Being alone for the rest of my life
Which living person do you admire most, and why? My mum, no matter what life throws at her and the pain she is put through she bounces back and carries on with her life
What would your super power be? Invisibility
Who would play you in the film of your life? Blake Lively (I wish I looked like her)
What is your favourite word? Amazeballs
What is your favourite book? White Oleander by Janet Fitch or Mill on the Floss by George Elliot
What is your guiltiest pleasure? Backstreet Boys (I love them!!!!)
Which word or phrases do you overuse? ‘Do you know what I mean?’
How would you like to be remembered? A thoughtful friend who was always there to make you smile and listen to your troubles
What is your biggest PR blunder? A mistake on a booking form which would have ensured an important delivery was made on time. I’ve never made that mistake again...!
What is your best PR success? National coverage for a new client and first piece of French coverage when I don’t speak the language fluently
Tell us a secret about yourself? I want to settle down
What is your office nickname and why? Peakachu: no idea why apart from it uses my name and Handjob came up with it.
Bio
Carly left school with 9 GCSE’s and 4 A levels including Media Studies, she then went onto further education in secretarial studies to arm her for a career path using her interests and skills.
Following living in Spain for a season, Carly joined the Flare team and soon took control of sorting and organising the running of a busy press office and ensuring the Flare Fillies are kept in check. Carly provides essential support for the whole team and works across all of the Flare clients. She also entertains the whole office with her daily ‘Carly-isms’ which we occasionally find ourselves wondering ‘did she really just say that?!’
Q&A
What is your greatest fear? Needles or Heights (Worst fear: an injection on the top of a cliff)
Which living person do you admire most, and why? My Mum because she’s just amazing
What would your super power be? Be able to fly because I passionately hate traffic
Who would play you in the film of your life? No one could do it like me, it just wouldn’t be the same... so me!
What is your favourite word? I love the word ‘realllllly?’. But I also really like the word ‘dude’
What is your favourite book? Twilight Saga
What is your guiltiest pleasure? A bottle of Rose (or a couple)
Which word or phrases do you overuse? ‘Drop me out’ and ‘jokes’
How would you like to be remembered? As a fun loving and bubbly young lady
What is your biggest PR blunder? Definitely sending 20 French brochures to the Italian press. I managed to stop the postie before he reached the sorting office and avert a catastrophe
What is your best PR success? I am the best Binder in the World
Tell us a secret about yourself? Secretly, I LOVE making coverage books ha
What is your office nickname and why? Bubbles and I think it’s because I lack common sense sometimes