Area served Worldwide Headquarters London, United Kingdom | Website www.chelgate.com Founded 1988 | |
Key people Terence Fane-Saunders, Nicholas Wood-Dow, James Darley, Michael Hardware, Mathew Lane Type of business Public relations, government relations, acute issues management, media relations Profiles | ||
Introduction to chelgate crisis
Chelgate Limited is an independent and international public relations and public affairs consultancy. Founded by Terence Fane-Saunders in 1988, the firm has its headquarters in London with offices in Brussels, Belgium, and Bucharest, Romania, and a network of associates across the world.
Contents
- Introduction to chelgate crisis
- Introduction to chelgate trust
- Zimbabwe
- Education and the internet
- Gas market deregulation
- Cable television
- Examination boards
- Diana Princess of Wales Memorial
- Trafalgar Square London
- Working practices
- Planning
- References
Terence Fane-Saunders is noted as being one of the world's leading international public relations professionals. Before founding Chelgate he was chairman and chief executive of Burson-Marsteller in the UK, and before that, Executive Vice President, International and a member of the world board of Hill & Knowlton Inc, based in New York City. Previously, he worked extensively in the Far East, based in Hong Kong, and was responsible for the establishment of the first public relations consultancy in the People's Republic of China. In late 2013, Spear's Magazine - a publication targeted at UK-based ultra-high-net-worth individuals - listed Fane-Saunders as one of the UK's top ten reputation management PR experts, calling him "a heavyweight... and a reputation manager with a pedigree".
Although operating as a "full service" PR consultancy providing the normal range of services, Chelgate is recognised for its particular expertise in issues and crisis management. The firm keeps a low profile and its client list remains confidential. However it is a matter of record that Chelgate assisted Shell Oil Company with its Brent Spa and Nigeria (Ken Saro-Wiwa) issues, and Mitsubishi Corporation with environmental issues, including deforestation. The firm also ran a high-profile global campaign against Zimbabwe dictator Robert Mugabe ("Save Zimbabwe") resulting in significant hardening of international opinion against that regime. It was also unusually visible during the negotiations between the Duke of Sutherland and the National Galleries of Scotland over the £100 million sale of two Titians on loan to the Galleries, with Terence Fane-Saunders acting as spokesman for the Duke. Since 2008 Chelgate has worked with the leading insurer Hiscox to provide crisis containment and communications support to management liability and other groups of policyholders in any claim or the likelihood of an insured event with a risk to reputation. Similar arrangements have subsequently been made with AXA Insurance and ARAG Group.
Chelgate is also known to be very active in environment-related PR. Deputy chairman Nick Wood-Dow, who heads the firm's environment division, is also founder of the Tory Green Initiative, and deputy chair of The Environment Council.
Other areas include education, property, construction, energy and utilities, gambling, broadcasting, art and culture, technology, transport, planning and professional services, whilst a political relations unit provides specialist public affairs services.
Chelgate opened an office in Bucharest, Romania, in 2006, and was one of only a handful of Western public relations firms operating in the country when it became a member of the EU in 2007. Chelgate's first public relations contract was handling communications for the European Commission in the run-up to accession, and Romania's early years as a member state. The European Commission remain a key client today.
Chelgate has operated a Brussels office since 1994, specifically for work covering the European Commission and European Parliament.
Introduction to chelgate trust
Zimbabwe
The Save Zimbabwe campaign promoted democracy in the country, and was orchestrated by Chelgate from London and South Africa. Although there is now some power sharing, the country still remains under the rule of President Robert Mugabe, as it has done for the past three decades.
Education and the internet
In 1996, an industry-led initiative was launched to encourage schools to use the internet for education purposes. Backed by then Prime Minister Tony Blair, and led by Cisco Systems, Sun Microsystems, ICL Fujitsu and The Daily Telegraph, the year-long initiative (1997) signed up some 10,000 schools. Chelgate was the public relations project director, leading a team of six public relations agencies and consultancies across the UK. The launch of the initiative involved the second webcast ever in the UK, and included a joint launch (linked by satellite) in London, Glasgow, Belfast and Cardiff, together with simultaneous events in 23 schools around the country.
Gas market deregulation
Chelgate worked for British Gas throughout the deregulation of the commercial and domestic gas supply markets in the UK during the 1990s, the only time the firm has had to manage the reputational consequences of a client deliberately losing a significant share of its market. Chelgate also promoted the use of gas as a road fuel and was instrumental in securing a reduction in taxes for road fuel gases, a differential still in existence today.
Cable television
Chelgate worked with CableTel when it first came to the UK and bid for its initial licences (Surrey, Luton, West Yorkshire, Glasgow and South Wales), later assisting with further bids in Northern Ireland. CableTel subsequently adopted its parent company name, NTL when it acquired numerous existing licences around the UK, becoming the UK's only cable provider, now rebranded as Virgin Media.
Examination boards
The early 1990s saw the deregulation of the examination boards, with a level of consolidation in the market. Chelgate worked with the Oxford, Cambridge and RSA Examinations, creating a new brand in the industry, OCR. Over the following years the firm was involved in numerous acute issues – "falling standards", lost/late papers, and marking inconsistencies.
Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial
The design and development of the national memorial to Princess Diana involved the Daily Mirror, the Treasury, the Department for Culture Media and Sport, and the Royal Parks of London. Chelgate assisted in the promotion and media handling surrounding the controversial design and construction of the memorial.
Trafalgar Square, London
The remodelling of Trafalgar Square was a major undertaking and involved the pedestrianisation of the northern side of the square, diverting traffic around to the south. Chelgate handled the community relations for the project team, and also the launch event for the Greater London Authority with mayor Ken Livingston and architect Lord Foster. Chelgate's efforts won it an award for community relations in the 2004 Construction Marketing Awards.
Working practices
A distinct benefit of the progression of technology is the adoption of smarter working practices such as working from home, working remotely, working while on the move, and flexible working. Work Wise UK was an initiative to promote smarter working practices in the UK, and was backed by the TUC, CBI and the British Chambers of Commerce, and supported by BT, Transport for London, Scope and the RAC Foundation. Chelgate was instrumental in conceiving the initiative in 2005, and with its implementation thereafter.
Planning
Chelgate has been one of the leaders in communications surrounding planning applications for over two decades. The firm is one of the foremost experts on the implementation of localism in communities across England, and has had a number of articles on the subject published (see links below). Its internet platform for community consultation was shortlisted in the Sustain Magazine Awards in 2011.