ADVERTORIAL
Growing Food and Drink PR Agency
SHARP RELATIONS
“ IN APRIL 2020 WE LOST ALL OUR HOSPITALITY CLIENTS .” THAT STATEMENT IS NO DOUBT FAMILIAR TO COUNTLESS BUSINESSES THAT WERE IMPACTED BY THE COVID PANDEMIC . IT ’ S CERTAINLY FAMILIAR TO AJ SHARP , FOUNDER OF SHARP RELATIONS , A KENT-BASED FOOD , DRINK AND TRAVEL PUBLIC RELATIONS AGENCY , BECAUSE IT HAPPENED TO HER COMPANY .
“ Our hospitality clients accounted for around 40 % of revenue . We were a small team at that time , but with payroll and costs it left a major hole in the company accounts .
“ The threat of losing everything that my brilliant team and I had built motivated me . I felt strongly that I owed it to my employees and my family to keep the business not just going but thriving . There were many sleepless nights but the hard work paid off and we didn ’ t just weather the Covid storm , we flourished !” AJ explains .
And flourish it has ; the business has since doubled in size . The agency manages the communications for national challenger brands like OGGS ® , Lilk , Allsopp ’ s and Luxlo Spirits , as well as businesses closer to home like Macknade , Produced in Kent , Paley Farm , Kentish Pip , Blackwood ’ s Cheese Company , The Tollbridge Restaurant , Hugh Lowe Farms , Kent Life Heritage Farm Park , and Kingcott Dairy .
“ We ’ re so lucky to have such lovely clients . Everyone we choose to work with has a strong commitment to sustainability , which we ’ re passionate about . If you asked the team what their favourite aspect of the job is , it would probably be tasting new products , brainstorming ideas or the fun we have on photoshoots . No day is ever the same , which keeps us all on our toes .”
In the past 18 months , Sharp Relations has grown from two to ten people and tripled its capability to help clients . One of the biggest challenges has been finding space for the larger team to work and collaborate effectively .
While the rest of the UK was moving out of centralised office spaces , Sharp Relations outgrew its lovely rural office in Smarden . And in June 2022 , the agency will relocate to an office four times the size , which is currently being built at Ashford ’ s Evegate Business Park .
“ We ’ re planning to create a relaxed , friendly space for our team and clients to use to create content . It will be a media hub with facilities such as a show kitchen for filming and photography , a podcast studio and green screen for videography .” says AJ .
Sharp Relations scooped the Creative and Digital Award and the Small Business Award 2021 at the Ashford Business Awards . AJ was also a KEIBA finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year .
“ We worked out the magic formula , identifying which of our activities positively affect and grow the businesses that work with us . We knew we ’ d cracked it when the marketing director at Macknade told us we helped increase their online sales by 450 % in the final quarter of the year . It ’ s so gratifying that my team ’ s hard work is paying off for our clients . That makes us , and hopefully our clients , very happy indeed !”
sharprelations . com
167