Birmingham PR agency Pearl Comms has added two new faces to its team.
The corporate comms specialist has hired Emily Eddings and Carlos Vasconcelos as account executives.
Ms Eddings is graduate of Birmingham City University and has more than two years of agency experience in PR and content creation and Mr Vasconcelos joins after holding an in-house communications role.
Some team members have also been promoted with Lucy Blackman becoming communications consultant to lead technical copywriting briefs and communications for professional services projects.
Shelley Ruffles and Paige Northover have both been promoted to senior account executive.
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Founder and managing director Alia Al-Doori said: "The last year has been tough going for nearly every business around the 海角视频 but we're ready to take advantage of each opportunity over the coming months.
"The rulebook has been totally rewritten and there has never been a greater need for purposeful, precise and brave comms."
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Elsewhere in the city's PR sector, East Village has started the year with a brace of new client wins.
Sustainably sourced jewellery brand Influenstar and the 海角视频 plastic-free firewood retailer Love Logs have retained the agency to deliver strategic PR and influencer engagement.
Influenstar is a 海角视频 start up which aims to be a green jewellery label and sells earrings, necklaces, rings and bracelets made from recycled silver.
East Village has been appointed to deliver national PR and influencer engagement with the aim of positioning the e-commerce firm alongside leading mid-market jewellery brands.
The agency has also been recruited by planet-friendly firewood retailer Love Logs to deliver its ongoing PR strategy.
Launched last year, Brierley Hill-based Love Logs provides sustainably sourced kiln-dried logs, kindling and natural firelighters and claims to be the 海角视频's only plastic-free firewood retailer.
The company said it had seen an upsurge in the use of wood burners, pizza ovens and fire pits during lockdown so hired East Village to raise its profile across both consumer and trade media.
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East Village founder Tara Tomes said: "Working with brands who have good values has always been at the heart of what we do and I am so excited that we're kicking off the year with two amazing client wins.
"The last 12 months has shown us just how important it is to not only have purpose within your business but also use PR to showcase it in an authentic way."
Story Comms has started the year with a trio of contract wins and two promotions.
The agency has welcomed Spitfire Bespoke Homes, Birmingham City Council and Boom Radio to its client roster.
Story Comms is now managing Spitfire's national PR and recently led on Birmingham City Council's #BrumWeCan campaign which showcased the city's good causes throughout the festive period and into 2021.
It also launched Boom Radio which is a new national station aimed at the baby-boomer generation.
In addition to the client wins, the agency has promoted Sophie Drake to account director and Lewis Thomas to account manager and launched a recruitment drive for 2021.
Founder Amanda Lowe said: "We had a really strong finish to the year and a very positive start to 2021 with new clients, promotions in the team and a recruitment drive.
"Our video service has grown by 70 per cent in the last year - an area of expansion pre-pandemic that exploded for us as everyone spent more time online.
"We've worked hard to help clients stay relevant and cut through the noise by bringing their message to life in ways that connect to people on a human emotive level."
Completing the round up is Digbeth-based content marketing agency HDY which said it had secured £1 million worth of new business and welcomed a string of new members to the team.
It has won new work from global tech firm Avantra, Ayla Skin, British Porridge Company, Cheltenham Science Festival, the NHS, eco-friendly bedding company Snug and rugby club Wasps.
It has also added seven new employees to the team - digital marketing manager Matt Cooper, digital creative Nathan Hallett, art director Paul Power, creative Morgan Tedd, senior PR and social manager Amanda Radek, senior digital marketing manager Matt Rees and designer Anna Smith.
Angel Gaskell, who co-founded the agency with Heart FM DJ Ed James in 2018, said: "I doubt any business can say confidently they were fully prepared for everything that 2020 threw at us.
"Lockdown illuminated the importance of businesses remaining flexible, resilient and innovative to succeed.
"It became a two-pronged approach to ramp up the agency's content marketing to get our name and proposition out there to prospective new clients while also recognising the importance of protecting and boosting the team's wellbeing."