Zen MD Recognised As Official Government Mentor

We’re proud to announce that our very own Managing Director, Felicity Wingrove, has been accepted onto a prestigious government scheme to provide strategic advice and guidance to businesses across the county.

Felicity, who has over 15 years’ experience in the public relations industry, has been awarded official adviser status by the Government’s Growth Voucher programme, which will see her provide strategic PR and marketing advice to organisations looking to achieve sustainable growth.

The £30 million Growth Vouchers programme was launched in January 2014 to offer small businesses the opportunity to obtain up to £2,000 match-funding to access valuable business guidance from accredited mentors. As an official growth advisor, Felicity will be working alongside organisations to develop and progress a comprehensive strategic communications plan and provide them with the ability to market themselves more effectively in order to attract and retain customers.

“I’m hugely excited about working with businesses through the Growth Voucher programme, particularly across Shropshire which is home to some fantastic organisations and is a true hotspot for entrepreneurial activity,” said Felicity. “While actually delivering products and services comes naturally to many business owners, many more are unsure how to strategically promote their offer and reach their target audience whilst conveying the right message, and this can ultimately be a huge barrier to growth.”

Felicity is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and has developed significant experience across over 15 years in the industry. She has supported some of the UK’s best-loved high street brands, looked after external communications for FTSE100 BAE Systems, and led one of the UK’s top national PR agencies, before setting up Zen Communications in 2007.

Felicity continued: “The real benefit of the Growth Vouchers programme is that it’s far from a one size-fits-all approach as individual organisations require solid tailor-made advice to distinguish their product or service from others. I’m really looking forward to delving deep into businesses, identifying their core focus and ensuring their target audience is reached effectively. It’s not just about securing positive coverage either, I’ll also look to support businesses with reputational and issues management guidance too, helping them to develop a fully-integrated communications plan."