“We believe a PR operation should be run like a newsroom,” says former journalist Jane Austin, who founded Persuasion in the UK 15 years ago. “We’re not just press-release driven.”
Although the agency has worked with several French clients over the years, it has now established a solid presence in the market with the launch of Persuasion Communications Paris. Its agile approach and years of success in the international marketing press may give it an advantage.
As well as providing its clients with all the services one expects of a PR agency, Persuasion constantly monitors the news for subjects its clients can react to, collaborating with them to create relevant thought leadership articles. Via its network of 18 writers, it guarantees a 24-hour turnaround.
The agency, which specialises in the creative industries, uses numerous other platforms to build reputations. It helps clients get speaking gigs and participation on awards juries. It offers media training so agency leaders are better equipped to handle the spotlight. It develops effective content strategies and supercharges their social media presence. It even helps agencies prepare awards entries.
Untapped opportunity
Commenting on the Paris venture, Jane says: “Our goal is to help French agencies and consultancies to raise their profile internationally. We aim to ensure that their creative reputation is enhanced – and that their creative work is seen – in the most influential and impactful international media. We can either support their local PR teams or offer a full service in the French market.”
Persuasion has been serving major ad agencies and networks ever since it opened its doors, with clients ranging from Droga5, adam&eveDDB, AMV and Wunderman Thompson to Quiet Storm and BBH – among many others. It’s grown consistently over the years and, alongside its team of 18 writers, it has 12 account directors and operational expertise thanks to its French director Bertrand Pierson, a luxury hospitality consultant.
Prior to launching Persuasion in 2005, Jane was an editor at Campaign and Shots. She’s also written for Creative Review, Ad Age, Creativity and Design Week – and is the author of several books on graphic design. The agency’s name may seem obvious, given her literary (almost) namesake, but Jane cheerfully admits the idea came from a friend. “I was delighted when I saw it wasn’t taken.”
Like her Persuasion Paris co-director, Howard Rombough (previously associate editor at Creative Review and editor-in-chief of Voyager magazine), Jane is a keen Francophile – in fact she has a studio in Nice. In their previous guise as journalists, Jane and Howard regularly covered the French creative scene, interviewing top creatives, photographers and directors for global creative press titles and UK newspapers.
Jane says: “Based on everything we’ve seen and heard, we genuinely believe that there’s an often untapped opportunity for French creative talent to shine at an international level.”
