Viva PR

Telling your story

linktr.ee/vivapr

The PR agency partner you’re looking for:

🔴 Storytelling with impact
🤝 Employee owned
🏆 CIPR Small Consultancy of the Year 2025
📍 Rawtenstall, UK

10/06/2026

Our office library has got two very welcome additions, which couldn't be more relevant to where our industry is right now:

📗 AI for Public Relations by Stephen Waddington and Ben Verinder - you may recognise those names as Stephen and Ben joined us on our PR in the Real World podcast.

📙 Planning and Managing Public Relations Campaigns by Mandy Pearse and Anne Gregory - this has been on our radar for a while.

Investing in our people and staying ahead of the curve is part of who we are here at Viva - not just for ourselves, but so we can bring that thinking to our clients.

Have you read either of these?

08/06/2026

We're delighted to welcome our Director, Lucie back to Team Viva after her maternity leave.

As she settles back in, she's busy reconnecting with clients, catching up on projects and rediscovering the joy of a hot coffee.

We’re all excited to have her back with the team!

05/06/2026

AI is moving at a pace faster than most agencies can keep up with ⏩

This week’s guest on PR in the Real World, Antony Mayfield, founding partner and CEO of Brilliant Noise, argues that agencies most likely to succeed are not just the ones using the technology as a tool, but those restructuring entire processes around it.

The truth, as Antony sees it, is that most agencies are not as prepared as they think. Internal processes are unclear, data is disorganised, and leadership teams often fail to recognise the internal problems.

If you have ever questioned the capabilities of AI or want to hear first-hand advice from someone who works closely with the technology daily, tune in to the latest episode of PR in the Real World on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube: https://linktr.ee/vivapr

02/06/2026

Some people are still debating whether to use AI.

Antony Mayfield is already three steps ahead.

This brand new episode is one of the most forensic examinations of AI in PR we've had yet. Forget the hype and the headlines - this is what it really means for your agency and your career.

Antony brings the curiosity, the scepticism and the experience to back it all up.

Live now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube:
https://linktr.ee/vivapr

01/06/2026

A new month and a new episode of PR in the Real World 🎙️

AI has been a recurring theme on the podcast and we’re continuing the conversation with another expert who has been at the forefront of its adoption.

Antony Mayfield, founding partner and CEO of Brilliant Noise, talks with Tony Garner about what it really means to work with AI and not just use it.

After spotting the potential of generative AI early, Antony restructured his agency around the technology, helping clients understand where AI can add value and where human judgement still matters most.

In this episode, he shares what that transformation looked like, and how communicators can navigate a landscape that’s evolving at breakneck speed.

Live tomorrow ▶️

29/05/2026

Ditching entry-level talent in the age of AI is a conversation circulating across the industry right now, but it is not one that Vicki Spencer-Francis is joining.

As founder of Cowshed Communications and Chartered Institute of Public Relations' UK Agency of the Year, Vicki has built her agency on the belief that young professionals deserve the space and support to grow.

She explains why developing the next generation of PR talent remains at the heart of how she runs her agency and why no tool will ever replace that.

Watch the full episode on our channel 📺

26/05/2026

Yesterday we helped to organise a walk for the Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner’s campaign, supported on the day by Lisa and Evie.

The campaign is in response to a survey carried out of over 4,800 women. A shocking 93% of respondents changed their daily behaviour to feel safer.

Although the campaign is largely aimed at men and boys to make them think about their words and actions, yesterday was to say to the women of Lancashire we hear you, and your voices are being heard.

With incredible support from Girls Who Walk Preston and Girls Who Walk Chorley , over 70 people attended the walk in Avenham Park in Preston to combat violence against women and girls.

To find out more visit getthemessage.uk and follow 📲

22/05/2026

Spotting a gap in how a client works and having the confidence to challenge the way they operate is not something many agencies do in their early years.

But it’s exactly what Cowshed did.

Vicki Spencer-Francis, founder of Cowshed Communications, joins Tony to share how a clear business case and a deep understanding of the industry helped the agency land one of their first major contracts with Comic Relief.

Hear her full story by watching or listening on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcasts: https://linktr.ee/vivapr

19/05/2026

Vicki Spencer-Francis built Cowshed Communications into a 36-strong agency and CIPR's UK Agency of the Year.

But the story of how she got there is far more interesting than the trophy cabinet suggests.

Our new episode of PR in the Real World sees Vicki talk about the campaigns closest to her heart, a 38% uplift in fostering and adoption applications that came from actually listening to communities, and why no matter what AI can do she's not cutting entry-level talent from her team.

It's live now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify: https://linktr.ee/vivapr

18/05/2026

Not many people start an award-winning agency from a Welsh farm with no industry contacts and no safety net, but that’s exactly what Vicki Spencer-Francis did.

In our latest episode in PR in the Real World, Vicki shares how spending evenings in her early career recording VHS tapes in the Channel 4 basement gave her the springboard to build Cowshed into a 36-strong integrated creative comms agency and CIPR's UK Agency of the Year.

As she puts it herself, Cowshed was founded after a negative experience, but what it has developed into is something every PR and comms professional can learn from.

Mark your calendars for this one which goes live tomorrow - it's not to be missed 🗓️

Address

Rawtenstall
BB48EW

Website

http://www.vivapr.co.uk/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Viva PR posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Want your business to be the top-listed Advertising & Marketing Company in Rawtenstall?