Chime Communications (United Kingdom)
Encyclopedia
Chime Communications plc is a public limited company
based in London, UK and listed on the London Stock Exchange. Chime is the holding company for a portfolio of 35 companies which include public relations, advertising, digital, marketing, deliberative research, corporate responsibility and design.
Chime started as a private company in 1989 following a management buyout from Lowe Howard Spink and Bell to form Lowe Bell Communications and subsequently floated in 1994 as Chime Communications plc. Chime now employs over 1,500 staff in offices around the UK and from 29 worldwide offices.
. The board consists of: Lord Bell
(chairman), Piers Pottinger, Christopher Satterthwaite (chief executive), Mark Smith
, Julian Seymour, Paul Richardson
, Dave Allen, Catherine Biner-Bradley. Bell and Pottinger
have given their name to a significant subsidiary of the firm.
Former directors include Lord Hannay of Chiswick (left the Board on 31 December 2006) and Dame Sue Tinson
(left the Board on 31 December 2006)and Sidney Fogg (left the Board 2001)
(public relations
), Fast Track
and Essentially Group (sports marketing and sponsorship), Opinion Leader and Facts International (insight and engagement) and Stephens Francis Whitson ("creative agency"). VCCP, founded in 2002, has created a number of campaigns, including Aleksandr Orlov (meerkat)
.
In 2003 Chime Communications plc acquired 55% of Naked Eye Research
, a UK based research company that specialises in ethnography
. Specifically video ethnography
.
Public limited company
A public limited company is a limited liability company that sells shares to the public in United Kingdom company law, in the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth jurisdictions....
based in London, UK and listed on the London Stock Exchange. Chime is the holding company for a portfolio of 35 companies which include public relations, advertising, digital, marketing, deliberative research, corporate responsibility and design.
Chime started as a private company in 1989 following a management buyout from Lowe Howard Spink and Bell to form Lowe Bell Communications and subsequently floated in 1994 as Chime Communications plc. Chime now employs over 1,500 staff in offices around the UK and from 29 worldwide offices.
Board of directors
The company is governed by a board of directorsBoard of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
. The board consists of: Lord Bell
Timothy Bell, Baron Bell
Timothy John Leigh Bell, Baron Bell is a British advertising and public relations executive, best known for his advisory role in Margaret Thatcher's three successful general election campaigns.-Early career:...
(chairman), Piers Pottinger, Christopher Satterthwaite (chief executive), Mark Smith
Mark Smith
Mark Smith may refer to:*Mark A. Smith, professor of pathology at Case Western Reserve University*Mark S. Smith, American biblical scholar, professor at NYU*Mark Smith , designer of radio-controlled model airplanes...
, Julian Seymour, Paul Richardson
Paul Richardson
Paul Richardson was the home field organist for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1970 to 2005.In 1980 when the Phillies won the World Series, Richardson was awarded a World Series Ring alongside the players....
, Dave Allen, Catherine Biner-Bradley. Bell and Pottinger
Bell Pottinger Group
Bell Pottinger is a public relations agency based in London, England. It is the PR division of its parent group Chime Communications plc. The Bell Pottinger Group, has been ranked number one for the past four years in both the PRWeek and Marketing magazine league tables.-Overview:The Bell Pottinger...
have given their name to a significant subsidiary of the firm.
Former directors include Lord Hannay of Chiswick (left the Board on 31 December 2006) and Dame Sue Tinson
Sue Tinson
Dame Susan W. Tinson, DBE, FRTS , known as Sue Tinson, is a British business executive and former television executive at ITN....
(left the Board on 31 December 2006)and Sidney Fogg (left the Board 2001)
Subsidiaries
Chime's major subsidiaries are VCCP (advertising), Bell Pottinger GroupBell Pottinger Group
Bell Pottinger is a public relations agency based in London, England. It is the PR division of its parent group Chime Communications plc. The Bell Pottinger Group, has been ranked number one for the past four years in both the PRWeek and Marketing magazine league tables.-Overview:The Bell Pottinger...
(public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
), Fast Track
Fast Track
Fast Track is an informal English phrase meaning "the quickest and most direct route to achievement of a goal, as in competing for professional advancement".Fast Track may also refer to:* Fast Track, a FoxBusiness.com show hosted by Anna Gilligan...
and Essentially Group (sports marketing and sponsorship), Opinion Leader and Facts International (insight and engagement) and Stephens Francis Whitson ("creative agency"). VCCP, founded in 2002, has created a number of campaigns, including Aleksandr Orlov (meerkat)
Aleksandr Orlov (meerkat)
Aleksandr Orlov is a fictional CGI anthropomorphic Russian meerkat. He is portrayed as being of aristocratic stock, and the founder of www.comparethemeerkat.com. The character is central to an advertising campaign on British commercial television for comparethemarket.com, a price comparison website...
.
In 2003 Chime Communications plc acquired 55% of Naked Eye Research
Naked Eye Research
-Overview:Naked Eye is a research company based in the United Kingdom that specialises in video ethnography as a means of helping companies and organisations design human-centred products and services, and to develop their communications and behavioural programmes...
, a UK based research company that specialises in ethnography
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
. Specifically video ethnography
Video ethnography
Video ethnography is the video recording of the stream of activity of subjects in their natural setting, in order to experience, interpret, and represent culture and society.Schaeffer, Joseph H. "Videotape: New Techniques of Observation and Analysis in Anthropology." In Principles of Visual...
.