Member Spotlight: Meet the SkyParlour Started Team

Member Spotlight: Started @ Sky Parlour

Started is a PR and marketing programme designed for innovative technology start-ups, and offers marketing expertise with early-stage priorities, supporting the major ‘life-events’ of a new business. The Started team is made up of cohort of industry respected Fintech PR experts who implement digital and print PR strategies, launch media campaigns, offer leadership profiling and employee positioning, and even carry out event support.

Name one campaign or strategy that team Started is proud of:

Joshua: The recent launch of Confide, the new reporting platform for corporates, created by famous whistleblower Pav Gil, who blew off the lid on Wirecard in 2019. We spent months organising and slowly building up Confide’s name in the press, all to build up to a huge launch in London, with key members of the media from across the Technology and Business sectors. The night was a smash hit and the press launch the next day pulled in a ton of coverage. It was a busy few months but all worth it once the campaign came to its crescendo.

Give one example where you a flipped a challenge into a success story:

Joshua: Corporate events are a big part of the PR process and in an ideal world you’ll want to be arranging connections between your clients and the media. Unfortunately, events can sometimes sneak up on an agency when a lot of other important PR activities are taking place. When this has happened to us, we persevered and flipped these worries into relief through active pitching, reaching out to attending media via alternative means and just having a good story that the press would be interested in. Utilising these aspects, we have brought in multiple interviews in the final hours, organising it all from our desks and making sure all parties are fully informed to help them prepare.

How does Started separate itself from other agencies:

Lillia: What makes us different to other agencies is the companies and founders we work with. Over the past 3 years, we have been lucky enough to work with businesses and founders who are engaging and insightful and work hard at developing truly innovative solutions. As a communications agency it is important that you truly believe in your client’s proposition and back them, as these qualities are key to forming successful relationships and campaigns.

Name three words that describe your company’s ethos:

Oliver: Collaborative, relentless, attentive.

What’s the best thing about pro-manchester:

Holly: One of the great things about pro-manchester is that it’s a place to meet new and exciting businesses and people, talk about industry specific issues and developments, and network in an environment that feels both friendly and professional.

What are your priorities for 2024:

Kimberley: It’s been an interesting year for fintech so, as our work is focused on start-up and scale-up fintech businesses, the priority for 2024 is continuing to create PR campaigns that support early-stage founders through important milestones. This includes attracting investment, talent and customers. Many of our clients also need to navigate the tricky landscape associated with a regulated market, so need an agency to be sensitive to that when it comes to comms strategy.

In terms of the Started team itself – we’re excited to be launching a completely new brand identity in June 2024 – it’s a look and feel we hope reflects our work in the exciting fintech and wider tech space. What do you think are the most important things going on in Manchester at the moment:

Nikita: Investment into transport – Manchester is quickly becoming epicentre of the North and making sure there is reliable and affordable transport links is an essential.

Favourite meeting place in Manchester:

Ryan: Ezra and Gil – the atmosphere is so nice in there and the coffee is equally as good.

What types of business would you like to work with?

James: We love to work with businesses in the Fintech, Regtech, Paytech, and eCommerce sectors – and those that want to build a far-reaching reputation.