Local agency wins high praise from pie-giant

Making eighty million pies every year, Holland’s Pies, which is part of the Chilled Food Division of Northern Foods, has become the north west’s best-loved purveyor of pies, puddings and pastries. They are consumed by 1 in 2 households in the region, bring together the hungry supporters of Manchester United and Liverpool and are even the choice of Delia Smith.

However, only 9 months ago, their newly appointed MD, Neil Court Johnston, enlisted the support of East Yorkshire PR agency, Bluestorm, after detecting a need to reconnect with the company’s traditional north west heartlands.

Julie Leydon, Bluestorm’s Head of PR takes up the story:

“Holland’s Pies is a regional icon that is steeped in tradition, but there was a feeling that the traditional ties with the brand were being stretched. We worked closely with the Holland’s team on a long term strategy, which we kick-started with a campaign to find the region’s most passionate pie people.”

The idea immediately captured the public’s imagination with extensive coverage in the national press, BBC News 24, Granada News, Radio 2’s Chris Evans Show and over 30 local newspapers.

Neil Court-Johnston describes Bluestorm’s impact as ‘invaluable’:

“As recently as February 2006, Holland’s was referred to as a brand ‘on the run’. In just over 9 months, Bluestorm has bought into our new vision with a campaign that underpins our emphasis on quality, service and value. In that time they have helped us to raise our profile, drive sales upwards through difficult times and look forward to 2009 with a great deal of confidence.”

Having reached an estimated audience of 24 million people with the campaign, Neil Court-Johnston is urging the local agency to compete with the ‘big guns’ of the PR world in this year’s regional and national awards.

Julie Leydon said:

“We’re delighted that this relationship has been such a success. We feel like we have become a part of Holland’s marketing team, which has enabled us to become really close to the product and display the full range of our skills. We have great confidence in our food and retail credentials and hope to continue making waves on the national stage.”

Bluestorm Design and Marketing Ltd is a full service marketing and design agency based in Hessle, Hull. Founded in 2000, Bluestorm has witnessed continual growth, from two people to around 30 with over 80 active accounts. In addition to advertising, the agency can offer a full range of integrated marketing communications services and support.

Back to press