Pagoda Public Relations

Pagoda was an Edinburgh-based PR and lobbying company run by the former head of the Institute of Public Relations Scotland Ian Coldwell.

In April 2015 Pagoda bought fellow Scottish PR firm Porter Novelli International to form Pagoda Porter Novelli.

Porter MD Angela Casey became MD of the firm, Ian Coldwell, former MD of Pagoda, deputy chairman and Sir Michael Hirst, chairman.

Privatising housing

It ran into controversy in a conflict of interest case in 2005. The Scotsman reported:

AN ARGUMENT over a lucrative contract involving some of Scotland's highest-profile PR firms has landed on the desk of Communities Minister Malcolm Chisholm. It follows Edinburgh City Council's decision to award a £250,000 deal to work on the Edinburgh housing stock transfer programme to Pagoda PR, based in Edinburgh.

Pagoda - chaired by former Tory minister Sir Michael Hirst and with former Edinburgh Council leader Keith Geddes as policy director - won a four-way pitch for the prestigious contract. However, concerns have been raised when it was revealed that Pagoda also listed Communities Scotland, the stock transfer regulator, as one of their clients...

Pagoda has already undertaken a number of consultation programmes on housing stock transfer programmes throughout Scotland. The firm has worked with Scottish Borders Council from the initial tenant consultation through to a successful ballot in favour of transfer providing advice on public consultation, focusing on tenants and other stakeholders such as housing staff, voluntary agencies, elected members, community organisations and the wider public.

Pagoda worked with the Highland Council on 52 public meetings and roadshows to consult tenants on the options for future ownership and management of council housing, and the firm is now working with Inverclyde and Aberdeen City on a similar consultation and communication exercise.

Ian Coldwell, managing director of Pagoda, says he is awaiting confirmation from Edinburgh Council to confirm the housing transfer account was theirs. He says they no longer work directly for Communities Scotland: "We carried out a short internal communications audit for Communities Scotland a year ago and are no longer retained by them. We do not see why this is in any way relevant. "We are extremely pleased to have won the Edinburgh tender. It is the latest of a number of communication contracts we have won against Beattie in recent months. We believe we have a very strong public sector offering and are disappointed that Beattie should choose to respond in this way." A spokesperson for Communities Scotland confirms that Pagoda worked for them in 2003 on an internal communication project for their staff.

Staff

Pagoda PR is a team of consultants with offices in Edinburgh and Belfast. Each of us has expertise in specific practice areas across the public and private sectors. We work in small teams to the highest professional and ethical standards. We specialise in strategic communications work including media relations, public policy, internal communications and issues and crisis management. We work with a network of associates in Scotland and across the UK.

• Sir Michael Hirst Chairman MCIPR
• Ian Coldwell Managing Director FCIPR
• Giselle Dye Director MCIPR
• Nicky Petrie Director MCIPR
• Keith Geddes Policy Director ACIPR

Lynne Veitch Consultant ACIPR Jacquie Kane Consultant ACIPR Neil Freshwater Account Executive ACIPR Lorna Saunders Administration Jenny Greenaway Consultant ACIPR

Clients

Clients listed February 2009

Alliance Boots | Applecross Properties Ltd | Association of Directors of Social Work (ADSW) | Bett Homes | Borders College | Boyack Homes | Edinburgh Mela | Electoral Commission | First Scotrail | Forth Ports | JS Crawford | Kirkintilloch's Initiative | London 2012 | Novo Nordisk | Remploy | Renfrewshire Council | Roche Diagnostics | Royal Bank of Scotland | Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB) | Scottish Commissioner for Children and Young People | The Crown Estate | The EDI Group | Waitrose | WASPS Artists' Studios

Clients listed November 2005

Applecross Properties Ltd | Bett Homes | Borders College | Boyack Homes | City of Edinburgh Council | Contact a Family | Crawford JS | Crown Castle | Cultenhove and Cornton Regeneration Programme | Dow Investments | Durnien.com | East Lothian Council | easyJet | EDI Group | Fife Council | George Wimpey City Ltd | Healing Through Remembering | Hi-Fli Flags and Banners | Homes for Scotland | Inverclyde Council | Job Centre Plus | Kirkintilloch Initiative | Lennoxtown Initiative | London 2012 | National Library of Scotland | NIPPA - the early years organization | Northern Ireland Office (DCAL) | Novo Nordisk | Rocela | Roche Diagnostics Ltd | Scottish Arts Council | Scottish Water | Shetland NHS Board | Stirling Council | Sure Start | The Crown Estate | The Eaga Partnership | The Highland Council | William Grant & Sons

Previous clients

Lanarkshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust | Marine Harvest | New Ingliston Limited | Optos Plc | Partners | Royal College of Nursing | Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations | Student Loans Company | TI Solutions | Transco | Zenomap

Affiliations

• Association for Scottish Public Affairs, member

Spinwatch resources

Beattie Accuses rival of conflict of interest PR Week, 9 February 2005.

External links

Pagoda PR website: http://www.pagodapr.com