Pier’s client portfolio has recently enjoyed a significant boost, having secured the East of England Co-op account, following a competitive pitch.

With a brief requiring the Suffolk-based PR team to ‘hit the ground running’ a multi-faceted campaign has been put in place that positions the Co-op as a major business in the East of England and leverages the retailer’s food credentials.

Raising the profile of the retailer’s Sourced Locally initiative (which supports over 140 local food producers) was an immediate priority and Pier worked with the Co-op to successfully launch its first Sourced Locally Fortnight in June. The initiative saw a like-for-like sales increase of 23%, and a staggering 46,521 punnets of local strawberries, and 11,230 bunches of local asparagus sold. Pier’s involvement secured a host of media and radio coverage, plus encouraging support from local MPs Ben Gummer and Therese Coffey.

Other activity undertaken by the agency includes drafting submissions for national and regional awards and working closely with the in-house team to provide copywriting services for the retailer’s internal newsletter.

Oli Watts – Head of Communications for the East of England Co-op, said: “It was important for us to bring on board a team that had similar values to our own, with a real passion and understanding of the region.

“Pier joined at the beginning of a demanding few months and took the challenge head on with enthusiasm and dedication.”

Kate Bowden Smith, director at Pier, says: “We’re delighted to be working with the East of England Co-op and it’s great to be involved with such a forward-looking business that plays such a pivotal role in supporting communities across our region.”