Unique problems need unique solutions

The communications challenges you face don’t come packaged in a standard box. So neither should the solutions.

At Oxtale, we’ve years of expertise in PR and communications, working with plcs, not-for-profits and SMEs with their own challenges and opportunities. They operate in diverse sectors such as agribusiness, environment, industry and science.

Using experience, skills and technical insight, we create bespoke programmes to safeguard reputation, promote products and services, consult and influence the most important people, and make our clients famous for the right stuff!

 

 

Where We Work…

Agribusiness

farming and food chain

What more can we say? Agribusiness, farming and food chain are our bag. We’ve worked on a wide range of arable, produce and livestock projects, managing issues and promoting products and services.

Read More…

Environment

renewables, waste and natural capital

We’re there with you whether it's GHGs or FITs, AD or PV, conservation or waste, natural capital or recycling, using our skills to publicise progress, compile reports and promote good practice.

Read More…

Industry

raw material production, mining and manufacturing

Industry’s a key component of the UK economy – but not everyone sees it that way. Disaffected stakeholders can create challenges on anything from emissions to traffic, fuels and planning.

Read More…

Science

health and welfare

Do you compromise your integrity by oversimplifying the message? Or do you lose your audiences in a web of jargon? Science communication is an area where many struggle to strike the right balance.

Read More…

 

Who We Are…

Oxtale is led by Amy Jackson. Amy frequently works collaboratively with other consultancies and specialist freelancers when necessary – such as for a technical or subject specialism, or for insight into specific media. Whatever the need, Oxtale can supply the appropriate level of expertise to maximise the effectiveness of your project.

Amy Jackson

Amy Jackson

Amy has over 20 years’ experience in communications and PR, in consultancies and in-house, working for a huge range of organisations from charities to blue chip businesses, international NGOs and SMEs. But she also has hands-on skills in farming and industry. Amy’s passionate about animal welfare and finicky about facts! She regularly speaks about communication issues facing different industries – from barriers to planning and development to antibiotic resistance, and has recently completed a Nuffield Scholarship examining the communication issues faced by ‘megafarms’.

Jane Brodie

Jane Brodie

Jane’s a pragmatic marketing and corporate PR professional with over 25 years' experience of communicating in B2B, B2C and B2E environments. From fielding media at the front end of the BSE crisis to co-ordinating communications around end-of-life issues, Jane is ceaselessly creative, efficient and irreverent.

Philippa Stagg

Philippa Stagg

Philippa is a web and events champion. With a design eye and attention to detail, she delivers value on every project. She manages all communications around the highly successful Cotswold Show and with an ability to conjure up content at a moment’s notice, operates social media accounts for a number of clients.

 

Who You Are…

So you might be a plc or small commercial operation, membership or not-for-profit organisation, farm business or college. And you could be in science or agribusiness, environment or renewables, waste or industry. You could even be a PR agency looking for a specialist to work with your team.

Whatever and whoever you are, we always pick the best ways to communicate the right message to the right people.

 

How We Work…

We’re not info fluff. We’re straight-talking which means we’re not afraid to challenge the status quo – or you, if we think you’re on the wrong track. We believe this clarity and honesty is why our clients come back time after time.

We can work for you on a retained basis, but we also love short term projects with defined targets.

We can develop strategy, trouble-shoot, media train and implement programmes. We’ll listen to your needs, research our options and create a proposal to deliver against your business objectives. And we’re whizzes at the whole range of PR tools – whether media, direct, events, digital or social. Which means we don’t choose what’s most familiar – we choose the combination that’s best at reaching your audiences.

Our communications campaigns also measure success with clarity, in a way you value, and we invoice simply with no add-ons.

 

Wow…

Don’t take our word for it

"We just want to reiterate how brilliant you've been. We'd have been gutted if we’d missed out on working with you. You've been a star!!"

James McInnes, Director, Sell my Livestock

"The world of animal science and academia often struggles with finding the balance between sharing information and over-complicating its messages, but Amy succeeds where many of us fail."

Mike Steele, Chief Executive, British Society Animal Science

"For a non-scientist, Amy has a very good grasp of evidence-based arguments and combines these with her communication skills to put forward some compelling arguments."

Chris Warkup, Chief Executive, Knowledge Transfer Partnership (TSB)

"The quality of presentation material, organisation of exhibitions and management of key stakeholders and consultees has been exemplary, as has the continuing engagement with the local community."

Tony Scorer, Head of Onshore Development, EDF Energy Renewables

"I am confident that I can speak for the group when I say the training was brilliant! Your involvement with Sapphire has been very fruitful as well as enjoyable."

Ryan Hodder, Managing Director, Sapphire Energy

"Amy knows what journalists need – she is always available, appreciates the importance of deadlines and knows what makes a good story. Her clients are always well-briefed and her knowledge ensures she's on top of the subject."

Johann Tasker, Chief Reporter, Farmers Weekly

"Amy has a very good grasp of technical issues and the importance of science in underpinning industry developments. Her knowledge, communication skills and ability to challenge constructively make her a great asset."

Jenny Gibbons, Research and Development Manager, AHDB Dairy

"Amy has displayed not only an ability to plan at a strategic and tactical level, but also to anticipate potential developments. This would apply for both for proactive PR and reactive issues management."

Amanda Ball, Head of Strategy, AHDB Dairy

"Oxtale helped the APM when we found ourselves at the centre of a media storm. They not only provided expert training but helped us understand how to use the opportunities that media attention afforded."

Dr David Brooks, President of the Association for Palliative Medicine

"Amy has deep knowledge of the farming industry and how it works, strong communication skills, and an understanding of the most important audiences and what makes them tick. These give her a strong perceptive ability to foresee obstacles and opportunities, and present an argument or message so that it delivers the desired outcome."

Tim Brigstocke, Policy Director and ex-Chairman RABDF, Chairman Cattle Health and Welfare Group, Executive Director CHeCS

"Amy is great to work with - focussed, energetic, and works hard to help achieve the goals set for the project. She also keeps you well-informed on progress or issues that arise."

Gerrard Fisher, Special Advisor (Business models & Electronic products), WRAP

"I worked with Amy for many years in Lafarge & Lafarge Tarmac, both at a site and national level. Amy was always professional, delivered quality work on time and was able to pull together information from many sources and people to help create media communications or inform our business in specific requested areas. She was also easy to get on with and could people at ease to ensure when preparing to talk to the public or media they were well relaxed and informed to deliver the message."

David Shenton, Senior Environment Manager, Lafarge Tarmac

"Amy is a highly experienced and enthusiastic communicator. Working with Amy, she always had a finger on the pulse of how the wider community would be thinking, and bought a strategic vision to our communications which simply did not happen when she was not around. Any Communications Director who can get you on the sofa of Breakfast TV has to be good at her job!!"

Kevin Bellamy, Former Chief Executive of MDC and now Senior Analyst - Dairy at Rabobank

 

Latest News

Antibiotic-free meat label could be misleading consumers

A recent article in The Independent puts forward the view of RUMA, Oxtale client ...

Read the full piece here

What’s the lowdown on ‘free-range dairy’?

Amy debates the pros and cons of so-called ‘free-range milk’ in the July issue of Country Living.
Read the full piece here

Large scale dairy farming experts go head to head

Oxtale's Amy Jackson debates large scale farming in Farmers Weekly
Read more

The battle for the soul of British milk

In The Guardian today (2 October 2014), Jon Henley writes about a potential move to larger dairy herds, following the story of Fraser Jones who, after six years, has finally broken ground on a new dairy unit which will house 1,000 cows indoors. The article uses figures from Oxtale.
Read more

Blog

Social media and new 'diplomacy'

Trump has embraced the opportunity to be the first world leader to use Twitter as his primary communication. Is this a good thing? In theory yes. In practice, no, because diplomatic it isn't....

Read the full post here

 

More lessons from the Trump Experience: Debunking the 'Un-debunkable'...

Those observing the Trump juggernaut with slack-jawed wonder from the sidelines might be interested in an insightful article published today...

Read the full post here

3 lessons PR can learn from 'Team Trump'?

An interesting article has popped up in PR Week about the things PR professionals could learn from 'Team Trump'...

Read the full post here

New dairy guidelines show poor stakeholder management

New guidelines published yesterday by Public Health England have baffled the dairy industry - and not just there seems to have been both little warning about this bombshell and scant information about the methodology used.
Read the full post here

Does GBK cross a line with meat ads?

Gourmet Burger Kitchen's new, provocative advertising campaign is certainly getting people talking – but in the right way?
Read the full post here