PR Consultancy travel /leisure sectors For Sale

Business description

Results oriented, media based PR Consultancy well established in the travel and leisure sectors

Founded at the end of 1996, by two seasoned professionals, both from PR and media backgrounds this business is well established as a travel and leisure sector Public Relations specialist with an enviable Client list that spans the travel and leisure, drinks, e-commerce and consumer industries, with many retained accounts involving representation and business development on behalf of several countries throughout the world, in addition to having handled airlines, hotels, tour operators and ferry companies. The Client list is long standing with many Clients having stayed with the business for more than five years.

This business is very much a ‘no nonsense’, results oriented PR provider, planning and executing highly targeted creative and strategic campaigns to deliver successful results. It brings together a myriad of skills encompassing pro-active media relations, management consultancy and representation to offer its Clients realistic, value for money PR campaigns designed to clearly impact on the bottom line.

The cornerstone to the success of this business has been its high levels of Client service and its enviable contacts list. It operates a very personalized approach to Account management, with all Clients having been serviced by the highly experienced Principals of the business from Day One. Its enviable network of contacts cuts across all sectors of the media including newspapers, magazines, television, radio and new media – contacts well known to the business and who trust it to deliver. Tying in with its own personalized service philosophy this business has also engaged a network of like minded independent consultancies to help service its Clients looking for a pan European approach.

Operating from a small suite of offices in South West London, this business has low overheads and generates significant returns for its owners. With fee income set to reach £185,000 for the current financial year, this business represents an excellent acquisition opportunity for any PR organization looking to add a significant contribution to their own bottom line and by acquiring an extensive and loyal Client list, establish a very firm foothold in the travel and leisure sector.

Client base:

This business currently operates on a retained basis for several Tourist Boards including three different National Governments, a region known as being a major European tourist destination. In addition the company also handles a leading international brand of outdoor leisure equipment.

Key strengths:

This PR Agency is a very well known brand within the travel sector and amongst all of the media and journalists operating within it. It operates very much at the ‘sexy’ end of PR, with a very attractive, loyal and longstanding Client base, attracted by its results oriented approach and transparency in its operations. Almost all accounts are retained and by the nature of the Clients and their briefs, the relationship is secured for many months ahead.

With a very diverse scope of work, many of the briefs this business receives require staff to attend film and press trips abroad and to experience the very best of many of the countries that this business represents. With many of its Clients National Government departments, payment is secure and often ‘upfront’ and the business is insulated more than most from the vagaries of the marketplace and the sometimes precarious nature of Client PR budgets.

Operating on the basis of a very personalised approach, the Principals of the business have been very careful to ensure that it is the ‘company’ that its Clients are coming to rather than the individuals themselves. Consequently it is believed that transferring the key Client relationships will not be problematic.

Key opportunities:

With a strong demand for the services of this business, combined with a capacity to increase turnover, a new owner contributing fresh ideas, particularly in the area of marketing, will have every advantage of building on this excellent platform.

With its excellent profile within the travel and leisure industry, this operation represents an excellent acquisition opportunity for another organization within the marketing services sector – either an advertising agency or marketing consultancy looking to add to their portfolio of services or alternatively a PR Agency looking to establish a presence in leisure and travel where significant sharing of resources will cut costs and add even further to the financial performance of the business. It will be even more attractive to a Europe wide PR business which may be able to capitalize on the possibilities of working in other markets, particularly on behalf of the countries this business currently represents in the UK.

Additional resources particularly in the areas of advertising and marketing will also enable this business to leverage its excellent reputation to increase its Client base even further within the travel and leisure sector.

Being a smaller organization this business operates a more flexible fee structure than most of the larger chains and there may also be opportunities for increases in fees over a period of time.

Property information

Location:

The business currently operates from small, short term rented offices in a shared office block in a very attractive town in South West London, with very easy access to Central London via excellent rail links.
The business currently pays £1,303 per month fully inclusive of rent, rates and service charges.
It would be a very straightforward process to relocate the operation to a site of the buyer's choice.

Other information

Competition / Market:

Being well known within the leisure and travel sector this business benefits from high levels of awareness and strong word of mouth recommendation. It has a very informative, well designed and easy to navigate website that performs well in all of the major search engines for all appropriate search topics. This business also undertakes a number of e-mail marketing campaigns throughout the year. Highly targeted, case history led they are designed to maintain awareness of the business amongst existing and potential Clients within the sectors in which this business believes it has strength. As with almost all businesses operating in the marketing services sector this business sacrifices its own marketing efforts in favour of its Clients.

Support & training:

The current owners will assist fully in facilitating a smooth transition of Client business to the new owners.

Reasons for selling:

Having been in the PR and Media industries almost all of their working careers the two Principals of the business wish to pursue other business interests