Award-winning marketing and PR agency, the SPA Group, based in Lymm, was formed in 1994 by Simon Plumb, a local man who has gone on to create a successful career helping companies build brands.
‘I started my career at Warrington-based G and J Greenall, the distillery arm of the Greenall’s Brewery empire, working on the Vladivar, ‘Wodka from Varrington’ campaign.
This was definitely a case of being in the right place at the right time helping build the brand into the UK’s second biggest selling vodka, behind Smirnoff.
We could not compete with Smirnoff’s huge advertising spend so we took the innovative approach of creating a rebellious, northern image for Vladivar through cheeky and outrageous PR.
This included stunts like entering a marathon runner into the Moscow Olympics who had changed his name to Nick Vladivar, shooting a topless ‘Fiona Vladivar’ calendar in Moscow and being arrested at Lords Cricket Ground trying to shoot a follow-up to the now world–famous calendar.
At its peak, Vladivar was selling six million bottles a year, but two years after I left the company, Greenalls sold the brand to Whyte and Mackay for what many considered to be a huge figure. In terms of brand share, Vladivar never achieved those dizzy heights again so I feel particularly proud and lucky to have been involved in this golden period.
Soon afterwards I was approached by another spirit brand for a UK launch, Black Death Vodka, and I was back in familiar territory conceiving and running a vodka marketing and PR campaign. In a ‘selling sand to the arabs’ scenario, this brand was once again produced in the UK by G and J Greenall and became hugely successful in Russia, out-selling Stolichnaya.
Black Death’s growth was arrested when President Yeltsin banned all western vodkas imported into Russia as this was undermining the Soviet Union’s economy and his potential re-election. The curtain came down on that particular campaign but not before I had made a mark on the UK vodka market once again.
SPA has subsequently worked for a huge variety of industries, building brands and delivering a range of marketing, PR and event management services including golf retailing, IT, oil recycling, utilities, tile manufacturing, wine and spirits, engineering, insurance and management consultancy.
From a PR perspective I also helped launch the National Football Museum when it moved from Preston to Manchester in 2012. This was a combination of fighting the negative stories in Preston and creating a feel-good factor for what is now a magnificent show-piece in Manchester.
Perhaps SPA’s most enduring client has been the world’s largest producer of industrial lime, Lhoist UK. This Buxton-based manufacturer has been on the agency’s books for over twelve years when we were appointed as the out-sourced marketing and PR department.
The event management side of the business has also been particularly rewarding and we have developed a considerable flair and reputation for organising motivational conferences, spectacular awards nights and exciting teambuilding activities.
Black Death is also about to be resurrected after a twenty year absence and we are currently working on re-designing and re-launching the brand.
So what goes around comes around and I continue to build this particular marketing, PR and event management agency on vodka and lime, and with a huge smile on my face!’
For further information visit www.spa-group.co.uk or call Simon Plumb on 01925 755590.
