Communication Group Scotland

The Scottish wing of The Communication Group an English PR firm. It bought Forth Public Relations in 1995. A new firm 3X1 was created from within on 1 January 2001. At some point after late 2001 the Scottish office closed and the Communication Group retrenched to one office in London. this remains the case in 2008.

Developments

1991

The Communications Group has launched itself in Scotland. The move by the London-based independent is seen as proof of its confidence in the region as a growing market for public relations. The new Edinburgh office, called The Communication Group Scotland, will start with a healthy line-up of seven clients, some of which have until now been served by the London office. They include Ramco Oil Services and United Distillers brands Hennessy, Gordons, Pimms and Rebel Yell. Managing director of the Scottish office Julie McGarvey, previously managing director at Edinburgh public relations shop Melville Crawford, has also brought some clients with her in what she claims is an 'amicable arrangement' with her former company. McGarvey met Communications Group chairman Maureen Smith more than a year ago when both were working on United Distillers accounts.

Countrywide Communications Scotland opened in May last year, followed more recently by the creation of The Communication Group Scotland in Edinburgh. Julie McGarvey, managing director of the Communications Group Scotland, says: 'Scotland is an attractive market and it can only do the Scottish PR scene good to have London agencies looking here.' PR Consultants Scotland, with offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, has proved that business is buoyant. The agency is busier than ever, announcing a 50 per cent hike in pre-tax profits in year to July. It has made Pounds 550,000, from a 31 per cent increase in fee income to Pounds 1.7 million... Established in 1979, PR Consultants became an autonomous part of the Shandwick Group ten years later. By contrast, Dunseath Stephen in Edinburgh has decided against selling out to a national player. Its managing director Robin Dunseath has decided on a policy of remaining one of the country's top independents.

1998

Scottish Enterprise has announced a long-term strategy for commercialising the science and technology base. The Communication Group Scotland has been appointed to handle the campaign, known as Technology Ventures. The aim is to encourage closer ties between financiers, academics and the IT industry. One of its first initiatives is the Scottish Technology Fund, set up with the support of venture capitalist 3i to provide seed capital for commercialisation.'It is an exciting time to be promoting commercialisation as the technology scene in Scotland is growing rapidly,' says Julie McGarvey, managing director of The Communication Group Scotland.

1999

The Communication Group Scotland has appointed deputy managing director Cameron Grant as managing director following the promotion of former MD Julie McGarvey to chairman. Before joining TCG Scotland more than a year ago, Grant spent 18 months with food and drink consultancy Mulcaster Public Relations as deputy MD.

2001

Mike Boyle has been appointed a director of The Communication Group Scotland in Edinburgh. Mr Boyle has worked with high profile, politically-sensitive businesses and public sector organisations, both in-house and as a consultant. As head of customer and public relations for Eastern Electricity, he managed a wide variety of stakeholder relationships during a period of massive transition in the business. In his previous position with a London-based consultancy, he was accounts director on two major BT accounts. He previously worked with the North of Scotland Water Authority as a press officer based in Dundee.

Susan Grant, The Communication Group: Born in Broughty Ferry, Grant left Scotland for London when she was 19, eventually going into PR and honing her craft at Good Relations. Grant, now 51, founded The Communication Group 15 years ago with seven former colleagues. She established the company's Scottish office in 1991 and, bolstered by clients such as Highland Spring and Gleneagles, The Communication Group now has 50 staff, nine of whom are based in Scotland. Grant is creative director of the whole company and chairman of the Scottish venture. "PR is definitely a good industry for women," she explains, "Without putting men down, women have a more natural inclination for diplomacy."