CIPR North East chair laments Robson Brown loss
Sally Keith, chair of CIPR North East, comments on what Robson Brown's closure means for the region and its team.
The closure of Robson Brown is very sad for the PR and Advertising communities in this region. Robson Brown has been a leading player in this region and beyond. I first came across them not long after I moved to the north east in the 1980s when they were already a dynamic, respected agency.
My understanding at the moment is that the PR team, led by Sally Pearson, is staying together and that their clients are remaining with them.
I feel very sorry for the staff who are talented individuals and I hope that their futures will become clearer in the coming days and weeks. When Robson Brown’s parent company, Round 2, went in to administration last month, the Robson Brown business was still profitable so I do hope that they can find a way to carry on in a new form.
In the north east as a whole the sector is resilient but is facing tough challenges, particularly those agencies with significant portion of public sector clients. In recent weeks however, we have seen a number of agencies cease trading, only to see the core staff re-emerging in different forms.
I suspect part of the shake up of agencies in this region is also in response to the changing media environment; as a consequence we may see the growth of independent consultants and more flexible team working.
I am looking forward to seeing the Robson Brown team at our CIPR PRide awards tomorrow (Thursday) night and wish them and all the other shortlisted companies good luck.
Sally Keith is chair of the CIPR North East
Some of Robson Brown's former staff have commented about the agency's closure in our story here .