PR Salon #1 (english)

‘The Holy Grail: What do today’s brands need from PR and who is providing it?’

As the communications landscape grows, disciplines are merging and agencies are providing more services than ever before. PR agencies are crossing over into the digital arena and advertising agencies are wandering off their traditional path and into the land previously occupied exclusively by PR specialists. Some clients are also electing to keep it all in-house.

Holy Grail

PR Salon brings together thought leaders from the worlds of Advertising, PR, Branding and Marketing to look at what this merging landscape means for both PR industry and communications industry as a whole. We’ll be discussing what brands need from PR and who is best placed to provide it.

Speakers: Richard Gorodecky (Executive Creative Director at Amsterdam Worldwide), Anton-Jan Thijssen (Managing Director at TBWA/Busted), Elroy Bos (Director Press & Communications at Greenpeace Netherlands), Sasha Naod (Brand Communications Strategist).
Moderator: Kerrie Finch

PR Salon is a co-production of FinchFactor and Pakhuis de Zwijger.

Kerrie Finch - Founder and CEO of FinchFactor

Kerrie Finch

Kerrie Finch, founder and CEO of FinchFactor, is one of Europe’s foremost experts in reputation management for companies within the creative industries.

From Amsterdam, FinchFactor works internationally with lifestyle brands plus broadcast, production, advertising, design, digital and software development companies looking to launch, grow or consolidate.

Before FinchFactor, Kerrie was PR Director at Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam. There, she created the PR strategy from a still-start, encompassing everything from relationship management with pitch consultancies, platform events and PR consultancy for global clients, to strategic speaker opportunities, internal communications, and thought leadership.

Prior to this, Kerrie's experience, in London and Amsterdam, includes stints in consumer technology when it wasn't sexy, and arts & entertainment when it was.

Anton-Jan Thijssen – Managing Director TBWA\Busted

Anton Jan Thijssen

Anton-Jan has been working for PR, marketing and internet agencies for 15 years now. He worked for clients like Adidas, Pepsi, KLM, NUON, P&G, Ahold and Heineken. In 2005, he started the marketing and PR agency Busted with Thomas Creemers. In 2009 Busted became part of the TBWA\ network. Currently Anton-Jan is responsible for strategy and creation at TBWA\Busted and is involved as a communications strategist for TBWA\ projects and clients.

Elroy Bos - Director Press & Communications at Greenpeace Netherlands

Elroy Bos

Elroy Bos is Director Press & Communications at Greenpeace Netherlands. After graduating, he started his career as a communications researcher at the University of Wageningen. Over the years, he has gained extensive experience in communications for non-profit organisations abroad. He returned to The Netherlands for a position at Econcern and started at Greenpeace in 2008. His passions are working with people, strategy development and creative concepts.

Sasha Noad - Brand Communications Strategist

Sasha Noad

Sasha Naod is a communications designer and strategist with over ten years of specialised experience in the consumer lifestyle industry, spanning technology, fashion, entertainment and design. He has worked in a diverse range of communications roles for global brands like
IKEA, Canon, TEDx Amsterdam, Philips, Mexx and Toni & Guy.

Sasha is passionate about trends and pop culture in all its forms, and believes that marketing and communications today necessarily exists at the intersection of human relationships and meaningful consumer engagement. Sasha has been living and working in The Netherlands since 2005, most recently establishing himself as a communications consultant to
internationally-minded lifestyle brands across Europe.

Richard Gorodecky - Executive Creative Director at Amsterdam Worldwide

Richard Gorodecky

Richard Gorodecky is the Executive Creative Director of Amsterdam Worldwide. He has spent the last 15 years creating International advertising campaigns for some of the biggest brands in the world including Intel, Nike, Pernod Ricard, Electronic Arts, Coca Cola, Panasonic, Chevrolet and Onitsuka Tiger. Richard has worked as a graphic designer, art director and copywriter. As a creative director he finds himself specialising in all three.

He has won forty-five industry awards including a Grand Prix at Eurobest, a Gold Lion at Cannes, and a Silver Euro Effie. Nice things have been written about him in various books and magazines.