Chime Communications Limited Explained

Chime Communications Limited
Type:	Private limited company
Foundation:	1989
Location City:	London
Location Country:	England
Key People:	Adrian Coleman and Matthew Vandrau (co-chief executives)
Industry:	Marketing services
Num Employees:	2500

Chime Communications Limited is a marketing services company headquartered in Westminster, London, England. Chime is the holding company for companies which include sports marketing, public relations, advertising, digital, marketing, research, corporate responsibility and healthcare communications.

Chime was founded as a private company in 1989^[1] following a management buyout from Lowe Howard Spink and Bell to form Lowe Bell Communications and subsequently floated in 1994 as Chime Communications plc before going private again in late 2015. Chime comprises five divisions, 54 companies and over 2,000 people.^[2] Until July 2012 the now disgraced PR firm, Bell Pottinger, was wholly owned by Chime Communications.

Operations

The group comprises the VCCP Group in marketing communications and VCCP Business for communications in specialist marketplaces.

Executive management

The company is governed by an executive management team, consisting of Adrian Coleman and Matthew Vandrau (co-chief executives), Jo Parker (chief operating officer), Stephanie Brimacombe (managing director) and David Crowther (chief financial officer). ^[3]

Notable former directors include Lord Davies of Abersoch (who left the board following Chime's takeover in October 2015), Lord Hannay of Chiswick and Dame Sue Tinson (who both left the board on 31 December 2006),^[4] and Lord Bell (who left the board in June 2012 following a MBO by Bell Pottinger's management team).^[5]

Good Relations group

The Good Relations Group, owned by Chime Communications Limited, has 215 staff, 172 based in the UK.^[6] As well as Good Relations, the group also includes agencies Harvard, MMK and Ptarmigan; some regional offices of Bell Pottinger Group were also rebranded as Good Relations following Bell Pottinger's MBO in June 2012.^[7]

The Good Relations Group CEO is former London Olympics communications chief Jackie Brock-Doyle.^[8]

Clients

Group clients include Sky, Sony, Vodafone, Unilever and EADS.^[9] Until July 2012, it also managed PR for Nintendo.^[10]

Prior to the MBO split, notable Bell Pottinger clients won by Good Relations included:

• BPEX. In September 2007 Good Relations was briefed by BPEX, previously the Meat and Livestock Commission, to run a campaign to raise consumer awareness of the issue. The objective was to show that messages about the plight of pig farmers were reaching consumers in order to persuade supermarkets to increase the price paid to farmers. They came up with a ‘Pigs are worth it’ campaign.^[11]
• PowerPerfector: an energy-consumption reduction technology company appointed Good Relations in September 2009, ahead of the UK government's 2010 push on carbon reduction.^[12]
• Almac Group: a provider of integrated drug development to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, appointed Good Relations in March 2010.^{[13] [14]}

London Stock Exchange de-listing

Chime was de-listed from the London Stock Exchange on 16 October 2015 and re-registered as a private company following a takeover by Providence Equity Partners (81.1%) and WPP plc (18.9%).^[15] Chime was re-registered as a limited company on 19 October 2015.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Company Overview of Chime Communications Limited. Bloomberg. 9 April 2018.
2. Web site: Chime Group - Business overview. Chime Communications plc. Chime. 2 November 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131103023909/http://chimeplc.com/business-overview/group-overview. 3 November 2013. dmy-all.
3. Web site: Chime Communications Limited website. 4 November 2015.
4. Web site: RNS 84070 Chime Communications directorate changes. MorningStar, 2 January 2007. MorningStar. 2 November 2013.
5. Web site: Completion of Disposal . https://archive.today/20130114050941/http://www.chime.plc.uk/announcements/chime-final-of-mbo-new-director-of-board . dead . 14 January 2013 . Market Announcements, Monday 02 July 2012 . Chime plc . 20 August 2012 .
6. Web site: Luker. Sara. Chime's post-Bell Pottinger PR venture Good Relations Group takes shape. PR Week, Wednesday, 04 July 2012. 20 August 2012.
7. Web site: Barry. Chris. Bell Pottinger North reborn as Good Relations. TheBusinessDesk.com. 20 August 2012.
8. Web site: Farey-Jones. Daniel. Olympic comms chief Jackie Brock-Doyle to join Chime. PR Week, 14 February 2013. 2 November 2013.
9. Web site: Cartmell. Matt. Public Affairs: EADS places Good Relations on alert. PR Week, 27 July 2012. 20 August 2012.
10. Web site: Weber. Rachel. Nintendo drops PR firm Good Relations. Games Industry International, 18 July 2012. 18 July 2012 . 20 August 2012.
11. Web site: Pigs Are Still Worth It - Pig farmers are asking for your support in getting a fair deal . Pigsareworthit.com . 7 December 2011.
12. Web site: Gemma . Charles . PowerPerfector appoints Good Relations to PR brief . Marketing magazine . 18 September 2009 . 7 December 2011.
13. Web site: Bell Pottinger subsidiary wins Almac health contract . Zenopa.com . 8 March 2010. 7 December 2011.
14. Web site: Gemma . O'Reilly . Almac Group calls in Good Relations for PR support . Prweek.com . 5 March 2010 . 7 December 2011.
15. Web site: Chime targets expansion after completing £374m sale to WPP/Providence. 4 November 2015.