Institute of Directors (IoD) South

Championing the champions

Brief:

• Promote the IoD South and the issues impacting on the organisation’s 14,000 members in the region, as a way of highlighting its value as a champion for business to existing and potential members.
   
• Position the Chairman and Director as expert commentators on the future health of the region’s economy.
   
• Actively promote the London and South East Director of the Year Awards.

Results and highlights:

• Reaching out to the local and business press in the South East, Maxim has successfully linked the IoD to key challenges and opportunities facing the region’s business community, notably tax changes, economic recovery, skills and training, and investment in infrastructure.
   
• The Region’s Chairman and Director are media commentators and the IoD’s relationship with the South East media has been strengthened delivering a significant increase in editorial coverage.
   
• Specific projects included the groundbreaking TeenTech, an initiative aimed at showcasing the engineering career opportunities for schoolchildren in Berkshire, which saw Maxim work with BBC science correspondent Maggie Philbin.
   
• Media relations has played a major part in promoting the London and South East Director of the Year Awards – and localising the result of the first IoD National Director of the Year Awards, involving Lord Sugar and former Cabinet Minister Michael Portillo. Promoting the shortlisted finalists and subsequent winners has laid the foundations for the 2011 Awards.