COMMUNICATIONS

FOR GROWING

FINANCIAL

BUSINESSES

PROMOTE, POSITION & PROTECT

OUR

SERVICES

At Cornerstone we offer a range of communications and media relations services that add value to your business strategy and support your goals.

Our services are many and can be used separately or in combination to suit your needs.

Not only does this offer flexibility, but also uses your time and budget most effectively.

Media

Relations

Media Relations

As you seek more customers and build your reputation the media is an important channel through which to amplify your position.

The core team at Cornerstone has built solid relationships across the business, personal finance and investment media over many years working in the industry. This experience will serve you to develop a justified presence within the relevant media, for the relevant reasons.

Content

As a business providing services in a heavily scrutinised and regulated industry, part of your engagement with stakeholders should be through quality content.

We work solely in the financial services sector and have a range of highly experienced writers who will act as an extension of your team to originate exceptional communications that can enhance your connection with clients, staff, shareholders and other audiences.

We are adept at turning the complex into the compelling.

Crisis & Change

Communications

Crisis Communications

As the old adage goes "fail to prepare, prepare to fail."

If not managed correctly news around, what might seem, a minor change to business strategy, can spiral out of control in the press. The digital age has only served to accelerate the rate at which issues can travel widespread

Having a robust process in place, solid advice and expert delivery is crucial. This will determine whether you are leading the news flow or chasing it. The latter is a lot harder to control.

Strategic

Advice

Strategic Advice

As your business grows and develops, a review of your corporate and client communications can be a good idea. This doesn’t mean you get caught up in long term retainers.

Cornerstone can carry out an in-depth review of your current messaging and communications strategy and advise on future strategy designed to help your business achieve its goals.

Creative Filmed
Content

Creative filmed content

The financial services industry is highly competitive, with companies vying for client attention and loyalty amid the digital revolution..

Making an impression is crucial if financial services firms are to, not just reach, but engage with their target audience more effectively, stand out from the pack, gain trust, and boost retention.

Motion graphics, animation and more stylised pieces to camera can resonate, capture attention and convey personality in order to better connect businesses to their client base.

Media

Training

Media Training

The digital revolution has expedited the turnover of news from multiple news sources.

Time-poor journalists are more likely to listen if spokespeople are able to clearly condense their views, tell a story and ultimately provide news that is relevant and poignant.

There is a skill to this and even the most seasoned of experts need to refresh and hone their messaging from time-to-time. It ensures theirs and the journalist's time is used efficiently and purposefully and ultimately results in positive

coverage.

NOT JUST ANOTHER

AGENCY

Cornerstone is a communications and media relations specialist, focused on supporting the needs of growing financial services companies - helping them to build their reputation and clearly communicate their services to their target audience.

Based on over two decades of experience in financial services, working both in-house and within PR agencies, we understand that no two companies have the same needs and a 'cookie-cutter' approach to communications and media relations simply isn't effective.

Cornerstone specialises in providing every client with bespoke support to help meet their needs, exceed their expectations and support their growth ambitions.

Develop Strategy &
Communications Plan

What we do

Build media relationships

Develop Compelling Content

Promote, Position
& Protect Businesses

How we work

SPECIALISTS

CORE DAY-TO-DAY TEAM

Central to this is the way we operate.

Rather than supporting clients with communications 'generalists', we offer clients specialists in order to ensure advice and delivery is of the highest calibre at all times.

This means that all of our specialists, whether PRs, writers, videographers or media trainers are highly experienced and still active in their fields day-to-day rather than being specialists-turned-PRs.

For clients, the benefits of this approach are clear:

Flexibility

You get what you need when you need it

Value for money

No wasting budget on a vast team you don't always need

Targeted support

Ensuring a personalised service working with people that have relevant experience

BEN

LARTER

Director

BEN has worked in financial services for 26 years, having held various communications roles both in-house and within agencies, notably, as head of communications at Chelsea Financial Services, Account Director at Penrose (now MHP), overseeing the accounts of Credit Suisse, Investec, Axa and Henderson Global Investors. He was also Head of wealth & retail PR at J.P. Morgan Asset Management and co-head of EMEA communications at BNY Mellon Investment Management, before setting up Cornerstone in 2015.

RICHARD

ACWORTH

Director

RICHARD started out as a business journalist before moving to the Consumers' Association (now Which?). After completing an MBA at Warwick Business School, he worked in public affairs at Aviva and, before setting up Cornerstone in 2015, he spent over nine years as head of corporate communications and media for Henderson Global Investors leading communications for the business divisions and the Group across Europe, Asia and the US.

ANDY

FLEMING

Institutional

Director

ANDY has nearly three decades of experience in financial PR, having been a spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions working with Frank Field and Alistair Darling. He he also held roles at the Office for National Statistics, was head of PR for the National Association of Pension Funds (now the PLSA), and has worked with some of the UK’s largest pension funds (including USS, Railpen and the pension funds of Barclays, Unilever and Sainsbury),

OUR

TEAM

We work with a range of seasoned experts at Cornerstone who can cater for a number of specific needs across the retail, wealth, institutional and private banking sectors.

ESTHER

ARMSTRONG

Associate

Director

ESTHER has over a decade of experience in financial services marketing and communications. She started out as a journalist, working for Money Observer, Moneywise,

Interactive Investor and Portfolio Adviser. In 2014, she joined BNY Mellon Investment Management as a founding member of its award-winning editorial team and in 2018 moved to New York to establish and run the North American content marketing function. Her content-led campaigns across audiences and client types, have won multiple industry awards. Esther has a first class honours in international relations from St Andrews University, a post-graduate diploma in journalism at Cardiff University and earned a distinction from the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership at Cambridge University.

FRANK

SCOTT-LENNON

Non-Executive

Director

FRANK has over 30 years experience as a Consultant in the HR & Wellbeing space and has worked across all industry sectors, providing a full-line HR service.

In recent years Frank has broadened his consultancy, now regularly assisting organisations with Business Development and optimising performance within organisations. He has consulted widely within Ireland, the UK, mainland Europe, Saudi Arabia, Canada and in several Caribbean countries. He has co-written several books in the HR space over recent years. His latest: ‘Performance Conversations’, (published by pocketbook.co.uk) examines the latest approaches to Performance Management leading to greatly enhanced individual and organisational performance.

BRADLEY

GERRARD

Content

Writer

BRADLEY is a freelance journalist specialising in finance and business. After nearly a decade in financial journalism, most recently as a Senior Business Reporter at The Daily Telegraph, he covered the UK’s largest transport and leisure firms. Prior to this, Bradley developed a deep knowledge and expertise in investments and markets during his time at the Financial Times Group. He was News Editor at both Investment Adviser and Investors Chronicle, Bradley has a Postgraduate Diploma in Newspaper Journalism from Cardiff University.

DAN

FLYNN

Content

Writer

DAN has over 10 years' experience in financial journalism. He was most recently markets & investments correspondent for the Mail on Sunday. Before that he was an asset management correspondent at Investment Week and International Adviser magazines. He regularly writes for a cross section of institutional and retail publications and newspapers. He has a 2:1 in English Literature from Southampton University.

DAVID BUTCHER

Associate

Consultant

DAVID is a communications professional with vast experience in adding enterprise value through corporate positioning, reputation management and client engagement. He specialises in financial services, having spent much of the last 22 years working within the sector. He started his career in specialist consultancies, advising companies on strategic and tactical issues, and held a number of senior roles at blue chip investment businesses, including Fidelity International and M&G Investments. He writes regularly on communications issues in financial services.