GONG COMMUNICATIONS ACHIEVES TOP B CORP SCORE WITH PEOPLE-FIRST APPROACH

Gong Communications, part of The Wilful Group, has re-certified as a B Corp with its highest score to date of 97.0, significantly surpassing the 80 point minimum required. This recognition highlights the Group’s exceptional commitment to employee well-being, including fair wages, comprehensive healthcare, and flexible working options.

A communications agency dedicated to sustainable innovation, The Wilful Group encompasses Cherish PR, Gong Communications, and Wilful, all of which have been certified alongside the parent company. This notable B Corp score reflects the Group’s commitment to its people, demonstrated through its adherence to the London Living Wage, internal promotions, and robust support systems.

Nikki Francis-Jones, managing director of The Wilful Group, says: “Gong was one of the first PR firms to recognise the value of B Corp, first certifying in 2017 with a score of 84.3  and recertifying in 2021 with a score of 91.7. Since then, we have successfully merged two quite different company cultures and worked hard to improve our score across a larger group. It is testimony to the enthusiasm of our whole team that they have committed to our certification in so many ways, backing it as a driver of positive change. We are delighted to have been part of the B Corp community for eight years now and to count B Corps among our clients, suppliers and partners.  We look forward to deepening these ties further.”

For more information on The Wilful Group’s B Corp journey and its impact, visit The Wilful Group’s website.

ACTION FOR CONSERVATION AND WILFUL CEMENT PARTNERSHIP

Action for Conservation (AFC), a charity dedicated to inspiring the next generation of nature conservationist has partnered with Gong parent company, the Wilful Group, as a pro bono client. AFC’s initiatives include workshops and Summer Camps aimed at educating and involving  young people in conservation efforts.

Wilful’s Impact Team, will provide communications support for AFC’s fundraising campaign, particularly for the Penpont Project, focused on restoring biodiversity in the Brecon Beacons National Park.

For more information, see here.

Meanwhile, also in a pro bono capacity, Gong’s sister company at Wilful, Cherish PR, will be working with social impact fintech firm SuperFi.  SuperFi, which helps people stay on top of their bills, was the winner of Cherish’s inaugural Communications Accelerator Programme.  Entries for next year will open in September 2024.

Read more about what makes a great start up founder and what inspires them in the Cherish PR spotlight series.

COPYRIGHT LICENSING AGENCY REAPPOINTS GONG COMMUNICATIONS AS PR PARTNER

Gong Communications, a Wilful Group company, will continue providing communications and media relations support to the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA), a non-profit collective licensing body in the UK, for a second year.

As part of the partnership, our Talent and Development team successfully planned, created, and launched the ‘Friend or Foe? Attitudes to Generative Artificial Intelligence Among the Creative Community’ report. This report addressed the gap in research on GenAI’s impact on the UK creative economy and included a study of authors, publishers, photographers, visual artists, and academics. The interactive Canva report featured animated infographics, videos, and interviews with the CLA’s leadership and notable creatives such as Joanne Harris, Tim Flach, and Tom Chatfield.

The report has helped position the CLA as a thought leader in GenAI copyright with coverage in the FT’s Sifted, BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, and  publications like IT Pro, Business Matters and British Cinematographer.

Additionally, media training was provided for the CLA’s entire senior leadership team, a service offered to other companies for event and media preparation.

GONG’S FOUNDER ADVISES ON REPUTATIONAL RISK IN CARBON MARKETS

In a recent webinar hosted by carbon insurance specialist, Kita, Narda Shirley founder of Gong Communications and co-founder of The Wilful Group, led an in-depth discussion on managing reputational risks within the dynamic realm of carbon markets.

The event brought together other notable figures including Natalia Dorfman, co-founder of Kita, and Nigel Brook, Partner at law firm, Clyde & Co and the leader of its Global Resilience and Climate Change Risk practice.

Julien Jacob Carbon Finance Advisor at the leading carbon marketplace and The Wilful Group client, Puro.earth, moderated discussions.

During the discussion, Narda identified key factors shaping reputational risks in carbon markets. She also provided practical steps for proactive preparation, response, and recovery during a crediting crisis in response to outlined challenges sellers of carbon credits may encounter.

To watch the full webinar and read Narda’s key outcomes, head over to The Wilful Group website: https://thewilful.com/protecting-reputations-in-the-carbon-markets/

Valuable 500, a partnership of 500 international companies dedicated to ending disability exclusion, has appointed Wilful Group Company, Gong Communications, to enhance brand awareness and increase engagement among company partners in international markets, with a particular focus on Australia and the APAC region.

Gong Communications’ Talent and Education team, responsible for managing the account, oversees the press office and develops and executes campaigns based on Valuable 500’s key pillars: Reporting, Representation, and Leadership.

Since its appointment, Gong has secured coverage around Global Accessibility Awareness Day in Raconteur and arranged profile opportunities for the partnership’s founder, Caroline Casey, on Jazz FM’s Jazz Shapers and Australia’s national publication, Take 5.

Gong has been reappointed to manage diversity and inclusion communications for Lloyd’s insurance market. This marks Gong’s ninth year collaborating with Dive In, the pioneering diversity and inclusion festival for the insurance market, on behalf of the Inclusion@Lloyd’s steering group.

Celebrating its 10 year anniversary in 2024, Dive In is a global movement promoting inclusive workplace cultures in the insurance sector. Its mission is to help individuals achieve their potential by highlighting the business case for diversity and inclusion and encouraging positive action. Since its inception in 2015, Dive In has expanded to over 45 countries, drawing over 120,000 attendees.

Nikki Francis-Jones, Gong’s MD said, “We are incredibly proud to be associated with the Dive In Festival and to be part of its exponential growth in reputation and reach. To have been appointed as communications partners for a ninth year is testimony to the passion and dedication of our talent team over the years and we’re looking forward to delivering once again this year.”

Gong Communications’ Talent and Education team will oversee all communications, including stakeholder relations, festival theme development, campaign rollout, social media management, press office operations, video production, and toolkit creation.

Lauded as a ‘brave and bold event’ by Marketing Week, Dive In’s success is recognized through numerous industry awards, with seven wins and twelve shortlists. The festival has received widespread praise from insurance sector, marketing, PR experts, and employer networks.

The 2024 Dive In Festival will be held from 24 to 26 September, featuring branded events worldwide. Registration opened August 15 2024 via www.diveinfestival.com

A comprehensive design brief aimed at renewing internal engagement in Lloyd’s of London’s Speak Up initiative has been won by Gong Communications, a Wilful Group company.

The Speak Up initiative is an integral part of Lloyd’s overarching mission to ensure that its three business conduct standards: Act with integrity, Be respectful and inclusive, Always speak up, serve as the foundation for all market activities and that every employee is well-informed about these standards and the support available.

The objective of the brand refresh was to be impactful, capturing the attention of individuals within the office, fostering unity across the entire market, and to be visually arresting enough to stand out on social and online platforms.

The result was the creation of the “It’s not just…” campaign, encouraging employees to consider the consequences of what might be considered casual gossip or banter within the office. Gong produced a series of social assets, email signatures, mirror wraps, banners, and more. These elements were consolidated into an interactive Communications Toolkit for teams across the insurance sector.