Guernsey-based communications agency Black Vanilla is celebrating its 10th anniversary by giving back to the community through a volunteering scheme and food bank collection that will benefit local charities.
Black Vanilla staff have been given time to volunteer with their chosen charity and the team is collecting tins and other food for the Guernsey Welfare Service (GWS) and the Guernsey Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GSPCA).
“The metal associated with a 10-year anniversary is tin,” explains founder Jade Isabelle. “So, we will be using our prominent position on The Grange as a collection point for cans of food for the GWS, which operates the island’s largest food bank.
“Anyone who wants to donate will find a receptacle outside our office, or they can drop it into us at any time. We are not forgetting our furry friends either; people can also donate canned or dried pet food that we will deliver to the GSPCA.”
The team will also share a host of thought leadership articles, case studies and insight vlogs that shine a light on the industry.
The agency launched in 2008, with an initial focus on media buying services and two members of staff. Over the last decade, the agency has evolved to offer four key service lines: public relations and social media, copywriting, event organisation and media buying.
With a keen eye on the future and a commitment to developing young talent on the island, a new Communications Trainee role was recently created to support young islanders eager to kick-start their comms career.
“We are very excited about this next phase in the agency’s life; we hope to recruit a new school leaver each year, offering them on-the-job training. We believe our local marketing industry needs more home-grown talent,” explained business partner Nichole Culverwell.
Black Vanilla’s 10-year history spans a period of fast-paced change in communications. Key milestones include the 2008 financial crisis, the closure of News International’s News of the World and subsequent Leveson Inquiry, and high-profile corporate crises such as BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The ubiquity of social media has also had a profound impact on the communications landscape that looks set to stay.
“We live in a world of intense scrutiny on big brands and multinationals, reputations are fragile, and arguably the role of public relations at the most senior level of business has never been more important,” said Mrs Culverwell. “We look forward to the next 10 years which will see AI becoming increasingly used in social media, for example, there is much to navigate and we are well-placed to help our clients do just that.”
