Hall Associates

Hall Associates was Saatchi & Saatchi’s Scottish-based PR consultancy. From 1985-1990 it was run by Nora Farrell (later of Weber Shandwick).

Saatchi's only Scottish PR consultancy has lost its two top executives to a new PR firms owned by Shandwick. Managing director Nora Farrell and account executive Rosalind Young of Edinburgh-based hall Associates have set up The PR Centre, a direct competitor owned by Shandwick. Hall Associates is part of the Hall Harrison Cowley regional PR group. Scotland's largest agency, PR Consultants Scotland, was purchased by Shandwick in November last year. Shandwick group managing director Antony Stoddard said opening the new company reflects its parent's previous development in England through start-ups and acquisition. Farrell said the PR Centre will work closely with PR Consultants Scotland.

'The market is big enough for The PR Centre to pick up cients that PR Consultants can't handle because of a conflict,' said Farrell. 'At the same time we also expect to be in competitive pitches with it.' Farrell said one of her motives for leaving Hall Associates was to escape the shadow of an advertising-led company. 'Hall Associates was always known as an advertising agency and in a lot of ways that inhibited our expansion,' she said. A year ago Farrell had hoped to buy the PR part of Hall Associates but 'it was not an option for the group.' Farrell has been replaced at Hall Associates by Barbara Fitzpatrick from marketing company Strathearn Group. She does not believe the company's identity as an advertising agency will be a problem... Fitzpatrick said the duo would not be taking any clients with them. Hall Associates clients include The Gates Rubber Co Ltd and Scottish Metropolitan Property. Young has been replaced by the internal promotion of Sarah Lewis-Davies.

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• Stephen Morrison, taken on in 1989.