Rise Communications is a full service PR, marketing and events agency. With a wealth of ideas and a passion for organising, Rise can help you reach new heights.
Rise is headed up by Jo Hage and Sarah MacDonald. We are both creative and enthusiastic professionals with over twenty years’ experience in public relations, marketing and communications. We are focussed, driven and accustomed to working in busy environments and meeting tight deadlines. We are team players who can motivate others and can work as an extension to your own team or as an external consultancy.
Background
Sarah worked in the music industry looking after PR for artists such as Lou Reed, Chic, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Mica Paris and U2. She then ran a promotional merchandise company supplying a wide variety of products to many blue chip companies. From 2007-2011 Sarah managed a Kent-based creative networking organisation.
Proudest moment: I have been lucky enough to have had quite a few proud moments in my career, however the one that stands out most is when in 1988 the reggae/pop band Aswad got their first number 1 single with “Don’t Turn Around”. I looked after their TV promotion and at the age of 24 you can imagine how elated I was chaperoning them to Top of the Pops the following Thursday to perform their hit single!
At the same time, Jo’s career began at the Food and Drink Federation where she looked after a variety of food-related Trade Associations. From there she went on to work at the PR agency behind the British Bakeries brands, which included Hovis, Mothers’ Pride and Nimble. From 2003-2011 Jo worked with author and journalist Stephanie Calman where she managed her website, undertook research and provided business development support.
Proudest moment: Has to be my first foray into radio. I had arranged an Inverness to London Bike Ride on behalf of my client, Hovis, as part of their sponsorship of National Bike Week – the ride was being headed up by ‘celebrity’ Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards. I arrived in Inverness the day before the huge media launch only to get a phone call from The Eagle’s girlfriend late that night to say he’d missed his flight and wouldn’t be there until late morning the next day. After some frantic calling at 6am the next morning I secured a radio interview to try and spread the word about the delayed start. I uttered the words ‘The Eagle hasn’t landed’ – a line that was jumped on by all the media and appeared as a headline across the Scottish national and local press the next day!
Together Sarah and Jo have worked on an array of events and PR and marketing campaigns across the UK.