Katie White and Tom Braithwaite are taking up full time positions after carrying out work placements with the agency.

A graduate from the University of Birmingham, Katie was the overall winner of B-Hive 2009, a scheme which offers students the opportunity to gain paid work experience with the region’s top PR and marketing firms.

Tom graduated from the University of Leeds in 2009 with a degree in New Media and has since undertaken an MA in Event Management at Birmingham City University.

Managing Director, Ruth Ward, said:
“Investing in talent is key to ensuring that we continue to deliver new and innovative campaigns. “Katie and Tom made a significant contribution to the company during their work placements and their breadth of skills and interests will be a real asset to the company and our clients.”

Rewired was set up in 2008 and represents clients including Cadbury World, Retail Birmingham, Fish in a Bottle and Punch Records. For more information visit www.rewiredpr.com

Commercial carpet suppliers, Joseph Hamilton & Seaton (JHS), has refurnished its website with the help of branding specialists ORB Creative.

The branding agency has been working with JHS for over 18 months, helping to drive and develop their brand communication, and has recently been appointed to create a new visual identity for the JHS website www.jhscarpets.com. As part of this, ORB has developed a more succinct content management system complete with a comprehensive search facility, to help improve search engine optimisation.

Robert Bloxham, Managing Director from ORB Creative said:
“We have developed a CMS that will help lighten the load on the JHS team and also provide a better customer experience online. The new site includes a number of features that make the online process easier for customers, including the ability to view and order samples online.

“Over the past 18 months, we have worked closely with JHS, the new website is an extension of this; we investigated the thought process, strategy and the way the site connected with its audiences to deliver a more relevant medium for customers.”

JHS Carpets is a Tamworth based company that offer a large range of carpets, carpet tiles and other specialist floor coverings to a range of clients including flooring contractors and architects. Their clients include BBC, Millennium Stadium, The Victoria and Albert Museum, Oxford University and the Australian High Commission, to name a few.

Paul Wiseman, Managing Director of JHS Carpets said:
“It is important that after 50 years of supplying commercial flooring to the UK, our visual identity remains fresh and current. We are continually expanding and diversifying our client base and this new website will provide an easier, more convenient way to access the JHS brand.

“We enjoy working with ORB Creative because they invested time and effort in finding out what exactly made up the JHS brand and developed the online strategy accordingly. The new site launched earlier this month and so far has received a fantastic response.”

For more information on ORB Creative’s approach to brand creation and development, visit www.orbcreative.com.

Former Barclays Bank Premier Account Executive Lucy Johnson and Southampton Law Graduate Hannah Dougan have joined the FleetMilne team in Personal Assistant and Receptionist roles.

FleetMilne recently expanded its business by opening a second office in Bristol earlier this year. Hannah and Lucy’s appointments come following a number of accolades for the company, including an award in the Luxury Lettings category at the Sunday Times Awards last month.

Nicola Fleet-Milne, Managing Director at FleetMilne said:
“FleetMilne is always keen to invest in new talent and we’re delighted to welcome Hannah and Lucy to our team. Both ladies come from impressive backgrounds and we’re certain that they’ve got what it takes to go a long way within the company.”

Based at the back of The Mailbox, Birmingham, FleetMilne Residential specialises in city apartments. To find out more about FleetMilne and view some of the agency’s properties visit www.fleetmilne.co.uk.

Richard Price will become the fifth person to take up the Graduate Apprentice role, winning paid work placements at Deloitte, Brewin Dolphin and Glide Utilities.

The Graduate Apprentice scheme was set up in 2006 and is run by Birmingham Future’s Talent Retention and Development Committee, with support from Graduate Advantage.

In addition to gaining both work and life experience, Richard will receive a year's complimentary membership to Birmingham Future alongside support and mentoring through Graduate Advantage.

Richard said: “I am thrilled to have been appointed this year’s Graduate Apprentice and fully intend to make the most of my time working within each company. I’m also looking forward to coming to work in Birmingham as it’s a place that I know and love and somewhere where I would love to start my career. I feel that Birmingham is a city that has many opportunities to offer graduates, it has a great history but also a very exciting future.”

Jason Norris, Chair of the Birmingham Future Talent Retention and Development Committee, and a former Graduate Apprentice, said:
“The scheme really helps to promote the breadth of career opportunities available in the city, and the fantastic lifestyle that Birmingham offers young professionals. We received a record number of applications this year, and are delighted to welcome Richard as our successful apprentice.”

Richard takes the mantel from last year’s winner, Emily Williams. Ms Williams, a Coventry-born mathematics graduate, undertook placements at Deloitte, VC Consulting and within the HR department of Matthew Boulton and Sutton Coldfield colleges as they merged to form Birmingham Metropolitan College.

For more details on The Graduate Apprentice scheme and its previous apprentices, visit www.thegraduateapprentice.co.uk

Retail Birmingham, the Business Improvement District for the city’s central shopping area, has signed up as co-sponsors of an exiting new initiative from Birmingham Hippodrome.

Six Summer Saturdays runs from Saturday 24 July-28 August and sees a range of performances, including theatre, mime, acrobatics and puppetry, across four city centre locations.  Shoppers, tourists, families, visitors and office workers will have their city centre lunchtimes and evenings livened up with a series of funny, outrageous, moving and plain weird attractions and shows. Even better… it’s all FREE.

Inspired by the London 2012 Olympic Games, and part of the Cultural Olympiad Open Weekend, “Come on, Vogue” opens the new season on Saturday 24 July in the Arcadian Centre. It promises to be a colourful and breathtaking afternoon of ‘being seen, showing off and celebrating the performer in everyone’.

Hosted by the hilarious Barbara Nice, and the outrageous Twiggy and friends, “Come on, Vogue” will be a fun-filled spectacle with theatrical and dance performances in a range of styles.   Performers include the award winning Birmingham hip hop dance crew Smash Bro’z (last seen at Birmingham Hippodrome in Breakin’ Convention); Stafford’s House of Nuvo (who recently performed on the Hippodrome’s stage as part of U Dance England); and House of Wunderbar, a comical theatrical duo from Newcastle, who play out the contemporary love story of Top Gun!

Each act will be very different, competing for the title of ‘Most Inspiring Vogue’ to win a glittering £100 cash prize. Originating in the 1980’s New York disco scene, “Come on, Vogue” is a hybrid outdoor street party blending live performance with a high-low fashion dance-off.

Sarah Allen, Birmingham Hippodrome’s Creative Programme Manager said:
“We are delighted to be presenting Six Summer Saturdays in Birmingham for the first time.   We have some fantastic performers with a huge variety of styles.  It’s going to be a very exciting summer and we hope that lots of people will enjoy and be inspired by these spectacular and  imaginative outdoor performances.”

Alan Chatham, Chairman of co-sponsors Retail Birmingham added:
“Come On, Vogue kicks off the fantastic Six Summer Saturdays programme from Birmingham Hippodrome, which will see shoppers enjoying a host of exciting, and sometimes unexpected, outdoor performances across the city centre. 

“As the Business Improvement District for the central shopping area, Retail Birmingham recognises the importance of creating a lively atmosphere for retailers, residents and visitors, and we’re proud to be supporting Birmingham Hippodrome in this exciting new venture.

“Birmingham has a fantastic array of arts and culture and we’re delighted that we can help bring it to the city’s busy shopping streets this summer.”

Other highlights include: Grannie Tourismo, the raving grannies on souped-up shopping trolleys (High St., Sat 31 July); Rock a Hula! a vintage Hawiian beach party on the Hippodrome Piazza (Sat 7 Aug); ‘88’ by George Orange featuring music, slack-rope, and hand-balancing (Cathedral Gardens, Sat 14 Aug); Full Twist, a blend of clowning, physical theatre and contemporary circus (Arcadian Centre, 21 Aug); and the acclaimed The Spurting Man by Avanti Display played to a soundtrack of Ravel’s Bolero (Arcadian Centre Sat 28 Aug) which brings the Six Summer Saturdays to a hilarious and fascinating close.  Full listings and times www.sixsummersaturdays.com

Builders Merchants EH Smith has launched a new e-commerce website to help with demand for its comprehensive range of building supplies and trade products.

The site has been created by Rice Media after it successfully won a competitive nine way pitch against other national agencies.

Over the past year Rice Media has produced four satellite sites for the company including BrickSmith, a free online brick selection service for self builders and design professionals. The final phase of the project included the introduction of the e-commerce site www.ehsmith.co.uk.

Paul Rice, Managing Director at Rice Media said:
“It was important to create a unique space for the various services offered by EH Smith without losing the identity of the company as a whole. After we achieved this, we created an e-commerce site for the comprehensive range of products available to both the public and building trade.

“The bespoke site was built in house from the ground up. We specialise in search engine optimisation and getting companies noticed on search pages and have helped EH Smith climb the rankings to become one of the highest ranked companies when users search for building related terms”

The site also has an account area which allows users to login and view their past purchasing history. Martin Colvin at EH Smith said:

“We needed a way of attracting both the public wanting to buy one off items for DIY at home as well as trade buyers placing larger orders. The clear navigation around the site allows greater accessibility for our varied audience which ensures that whatever building supplies you need, you’ll be sure to find them quickly and easily.”

For more information on the services Rice Media offer, visit www.ricemedia.co.uk.

Branding specialists ORB Creative have been named as branding consultants for the Birmingham Repertory Theatre (The REP) to help sustain its identity throughout the construction of the new joint Library of Birmingham/REP development.

ORB Creative was chosen by the theatre following a four-way competitive pitch and will now undertake a full brand audit throughout July, ahead of the theatre’s autumn season. This will be the last season at its current building in Centenary Square before The REP moves offsite to deliver a two year programme of activity across Birmingham.  As part of the review, ORB will assess the current brand communication strategy, helping to take it forward in time for the company’s temporary relocation in January 2011.

The REP's brand will sit alongside the Library of Birmingham, helping to develop the Centenary Square location into an ‘internationally unique centre of culture and knowledge.’

Paul Reece, Head of Marketing and Communications at The REP, said:
“The REP is embarking on a very exciting journey over the next two years and we are all looking forward to the creative challenges that lie ahead. With us being without a resident ‘home’ for a substantial period of time, it is crucial that we are still communicating and connecting with our audiences and the wider community, and a great brand strategy is the way to do this.

“Throughout the major remodelling and refurbishing of the theatre location, we are producing and performing work in a variety of different venues in the city. For this reason, it is essential that we audit our current brand and ensure it supports us and our aspirations during our change of scenery. After seeing a number of specialist agencies, ORB’s approach was the most comprehensive and beneficial to us and we are really looking forward to working with their team.”

Robert Bloxham, Managing Director of ORB Creative said:
“We’re really excited to be working with such an important and established brand, particularly during this transformation period, which will bring major changes to the city’s cultural offering. Whilst the re-development brings together an exciting and complementary mix of cultural activity, it is important for The REP to retain its own clear identity, as well as ensure that the current brand can practically and sensibly works alongside the new Library of Birmingham.

“At ORB we aim to get to the nitty gritty of a brand; the thought process, strategy and the way it connects with its audiences. Throughout July we will be auditing the internal and external perceptions of The Rep, reporting back our findings and suggestions on how the brand should move forward”

This new business win comes as ORB Creative celebrates its six year anniversary. The REP joins the Jewellery Quarter-based agency’s client base, which already includes NHS West Midlands, Lantra – Skills Council, Children Hospices UK and Birmingham City Council, to name a few.

For more information on ORB Creative’s approach to brand creation and development, visit www.orbcreative.com.

Don Cherry

His iconic images for the late-lamented Straight No Chaser magazine will be exhibited at The Sauce Gallery, Custard Factory from tomorrow (16 July) as part of a double-bill exhibition commissioned by Punch Records. Williams’ original images will sit alongside remixes by the magazine’s former creative director, Swifty.

IDJ Jerry

‘Headz!: The Photographic Art of Peter Williams – A Reflection on the Straight No Chaser Years’ includes jazz legends like Don Cherry, McCoy Tyner, Yusef Lateef and Nina Simone. As well as nu-generation players like DJ Shadow, Reprazent, Soweto Kinch, Courtney Pine and Cassandra Wilson, and figures from further a-field including, Flora Purim, Oumou Sangare, and the former Brazilian Minister for Culture Gilberto Gil.

Miles Davies

Working predominantly in black and white, Williams’ images always incorporate an element of surprise; like the depictions of Miles Davis at London’s Festival Hall, horn at the ready, floating in the air like an eerie apparition, and Herbie Hancock laughing joyously. These, and other images in the collection, were commissioned over the course of a 16-year relationship with Straight No Chaser magazine, which pioneered the acid jazz movement.

Soweto Kinch

The exhibition is a worldwide exclusive to the city and will coincide with the 26th Birmingham International Jazz Festival.

On 17th and 18th July Cadbury World will be transporting visitors to Bollywood with a series of activities including a Bollywood DJ, Indian Dhol Drum Players and traditional Bhangra dance performances. Throughout the weekend visitors will have the opportunity to take part in a live Bollywood workshop or simply enjoy performances from a Bollywood rock band and singers from the Indian film industry.

Visitors can also learn make-up tips from traditional Medndi artists as well the chance to win a free Indian dance lesson at the Bollywood Academy complimentary of Cadbury World.

In addition to these specially themed activities visitors can explore the attraction’s fourteen different zones with the opportunity to climb aboard Cadbury World’s Cadabra ride and play in virtual chocolate rain in the interactive Purple Planet zone.

Lucy Giaquinto, Marketing Manager at Cadbury World said:
“Cadbury World is a Birmingham institution and we wanted to celebrate the diverse cultural mix of people living in Birmingham by holding this special themed weekend. Bollywood is a very fun and expressive style of dance which will really appeal to our visitors and tie in with the fun family experience available at Cadbury World.”

Cadbury World offers a programme of extra entertainment during the school holidays. For more information about these events and Cadbury World’s fourteen zones visit www.cadburyworld.co.uk.

UK fashion retailer Superdry has appointed Rice Media to manage its online marketing strategy following the launch of the company’s new e-commerce site.

The digital agency has been retained by Superdry to ensure maximum exposure of the company’s site through a range of online services.

The strategy covers organic Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) of the new site, Cost per Click management and a repositioning and branding of Superdry’s Social Networking Profiles.

Paul Rice, Managing Director of Rice Media said:
“Our proven formula and advanced analytics implementation provides target driven results along with transparent measurement for true return on investment figures across all mediums.

“Whilst still in the early stages, our campaign has already led to a 15% increase in visitors to the Superdry site, with like for like sales up over 10%.”

Within the first two months of the campaign, Rice Media secured Superdry.com at the top of Google searches when users searched a range of fashion related terms. The site was previously outside the top 20 pages of search results.

James Meigh, Head of Marketing at Superdry said:
“We wanted to work with Rice Media because the company has a proven track record when it comes to search engine marketing.

“With more and more consumers opting to buy online, it is important to continue to promote our brand and compete with other large brands who all invest heavily in this kind of activity.”

For more information on the services Rice Media offer, visit www.ricemedia.co.uk.