The Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) has appointed one of the West Midlands' fastest growing media relations specialists to deliver a high profile communications campaign it was announced today.

Danks Cockburn Public Relations (DCPR) won a competitive tender to secure the contract, which will focus on raising the profile and activities of the organisation in regional, national and global media. 

Working closely with the private sector-led board, the agency will package an annual calendar of stories, features and events that will support the LEP in its bid to drive economic growth, achieve global leadership in key sectors and help create 100,000 jobs by 2020.

DCPR will also be responsible for the simultaneous launch of a social media campaign and in the creation of a pro-active 24-hour press office.

Andy Street, Chair of the GBSLEP, commented: "A great deal of time and effort has been spent in developing the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP priorities and ensuring we have the right people in place to drive us forward. 

"It is important now for businesses and residents across the West Midlands to know what is being achieved and we are also keen to open up two-way engagement by seeking views on how we should evolve."

He continued: "Danks Cockburn is a local agency that understands the area, has a proven track record of bringing the public and private sector together and, importantly, possesses the media contacts required to help us become one of the most influential LEPs in the country."

Established in 2008 by Mat Danks and Russ Cockburn, DCPR boasts significant experience working with public and private sector partnerships, including the Manufacturing Advisory Service, West Midlands Enterprise Board and Finance Birmingham. 

It has successfully established these regional programmes and a host of local companies as global leaders in their respective fields, an approach it will look to reciprocate with GBSLEP.

"We are very excited about winning the contract as it gives us the ideal opportunity to use effective communications to shape the future of the fledging organisation," explained Russ Cockburn, who recently handled the PR for the visit of the Latvian Prime Minister.

"We will be working with the private sector board members and the local authority leaders to ensure the media work we undertake supports the strategy of the LEP and its short and long-term objectives."

Mat, a former journalist and PR specialist at Advantage West Midlands, picked up the story: "It is important we hit the ground running and we will immediately be targeting local and regional press, broadcast media and influential bloggers, not to mention developing a series of strategic stories that will appeal to national and international journalists.

"We are keen to ensure that all areas of the LEP - Birmingham, Bromsgrove, Cannock Chase, East Staffs, Lichfield, Redditch, Solihull, Tamworth and Wyre Forest - have their say on communications activity so local people know what is happening and, importantly, how it will benefit them."

Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership is one of the largest of the 38 LEPS, with a population of 1.9million people and 800,000 jobs. It contributes £36bn to the local economy.

Seen as an enabler to drive growth, GBSLEP has already delivered a number of notable achievements, including the award of the City Centre Enterprise Zone and becoming a national pathfinder on reducing regulation.