Stockholm-headquartered Sweco is Europe’s leading engineering and architecture consultancy. It has 14,500 employees, sales of approximately SEK 16.5bn (£1.5bn) and is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm.
The consultancy launched in the UK in April 2016 following its acquisition of Grontmij. In the UK and Ireland, Sweco UK employs 800 people in offices located in Bristol, Cardiff, Cork, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds, London, Maidenhead, Manchester, Newcastle, Peterborough, Solihull and Stockton-on-Tees.
Brand8 PR was appointed in February 2016 until August 2017 to manage the consultancy’s public relations activity throughout a 19-month launch period.
Our objectives were to:
Brand8 PR initially undertook an extensive media relations campaign around the launch date which included setting up joint interviews for Sweco’s president and chief executive, Tomas Carlsson, and Sweco UK managing director, Max Joy, with key trade titles including New Civil Engineer, Building and Environment Analyst.
This activity continued over the 19-month period involving national and regional business and trade media resulting in more than 350 pieces of positive media coverage.
We targeted and regularly secured news, comment and opinion opportunities within key sector and specialist media outlets relevant to the consultancy’s buildings, energy, environment, transportation and water and asset management business units.
We helped successfully launch two new offices, one in Stockton-on-Tees and the other in Cork, Ireland, through pro-active media relations activity.
Brand8 PR also provided Sweco UK with consultancy regarding brand strategy, content marketing, social media and search engine optimisation.
Over the course of the 19-months, Sweco UK experienced significant turnover growth and secured a variety of high value multi-disciplinary projects including being appointed as a design partner for the delivery of improved facilities across British Antarctic Survey research stations.
The consultancy also recruited another 150 people and leapt 50 places to number 46 in a league table ranking the nation’s top 100 civil engineering consultancies just 14 months after its UK launch. Carried out by leading industry title New Civil Engineer, the NCE100 is a totally independent, authoritative assessment of what it means to be an excellent civil engineering practice.
“Brand8 PR played an important role in the successful launch of Sweco in the UK. They had one opportunity to make it happen and they delivered from the word go.
“The team’s highly effective methodology has significantly raised awareness of Sweco and our distinct approach to multi-disciplinary consultancy, both key objectives when we engaged with the agency.
“Throughout our relationship, the team has provided us with straightforward, practical advice that has continually generated results. Brand8 PR is an innovative agency, which combines strong strategic thinking with excellent tactical delivery.
“Their hard work has delivered us with the public relations platform to continue to implement our plans for the sustainable, profitable growth of our business across the UK and Ireland.”