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Premium e-cigarette brand Twisp has renewed its contract with Marcus Brewster Publicity (MBP). In recognition of the hard-working role that commercially-led PR has played in meeting its business objectives, Twisp has increased the MBP retainer by 40% whilst still during the term of the first contract. The local re-brand of a Dutch developed product, Twisp has achieved 300% growth rate in South Africa and obtained the largest market share in a highly competitive category.
Twisp has established national presence with 160 retailers, a network of 40 authorized independent sales agents, and recently opened up the first e-cigarette store at the V & A Waterfront - the first of its kind on the continent. It has also expanded into two African markets in 2009, namely Botswana and Namibia.
Twisp was launched in South Africa in February 2008 - just as e-cigarettes broke onto the international scene - by entrepreneurs Philip Bartholomew and Nick Nieuwstadt.
After some disappointment with two previous publicity agents, Bartholomew is relieved that he has found a business-minded PR partner and is now a convert to MBP's delivery-driven approach. "I could see the results from every intervention that MBP proposed. And when I couldn't see the same measurable improvements from my above-the-line spend, it made sense to invest more in what was working so well for us - PR.
Says MBP chairman Marcus Brewster: "It's very gratifying to see any client increase spend when marketing budgets are being cut. It's especially edifying to learn that the increased investment is because PR is out-pulling other marketing disciplines. At Marcus Brewster Publicity, our approach has always been to deliver commercial advantage to our clients."
MBP announced earlier this month that global hotel development client, the Rezidor Hotel Group, had similarly increased its retainer for the next year as a result of the agency's over-delivery on meeting business objectives around deal flow.
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