Phillip Bingham:
High-calibre experience in PR, marketing communications, copywriting and journalism
I have worked in senior roles for PR and marketing communications agencies recognised as the best in their industry sectors; as a staff writer and freelance writer for high-circulation consumer magazines and their associated websites; and as an editor and author of numerous factual books. I returned to freelance status in 2015 after operating successfully as an independent PR consultant and freelance writer for 12 years earlier in my career.
I have experience of a broad range of industry sectors – particularly automotive, motorsport, and building and engineering services (including sustainability), as well as local government, pensions, manufacturing, trade associations, and skills training.
In business-to-consumer PR I have shaped, worked on and provided written content for campaigns for brands such as Automobili Lamborghini, Climate Energy, GM Europe, Land Rover, Subaru, East Sussex Energy Partnership, The Energy Saving Trust, The Stationery Office, Total Oil, and Vauxhall Motors, as well as consumer-facing campaigns for nine local authorities.
In business-to-business PR I have worked agency-side with big multinationals such as Johnson Controls, Trend Control Systems (part of Honeywell), Ideal Commercial, CASE Construction, Case IH Agriculture, and New Holland; trade association the Building and Engineering Services Association (formerly the HVCA); and many small and medium enterprises such as Building Engineering Services Training, Drive Alive, DS Smith Logistics, EMLC, Fire Protection, Prism Electronics, RML Group, and URT Group.
In marketing communications I have worked primarily (but not exclusively) for business-to-business enterprises such as the Building and Engineering Services Association, Colt Group, Fire Protection, Ideal Commercial, Johnson Controls, SummitSkills, Trend Control Systems, Lytx (formerly DriveCam), NavTrak, URT Group, and Welplan. I also led the strategy and implementation of integrated marketing campaigns – incorporating PR, direct mail, print advertising and outdoor advertising – for nine local authorities in London and south-east England.
In journalism my writing has been published in newspapers including the Daily Express, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mirror, Johannesburg Star, and Los Angeles Times; in consumer magazines including The Hollywood Reporter, Condé Nast Traveller, and GQ (USA); in customer magazines published on behalf of American Airlines, British Airways, Lamborghini, Mercedes-Benz, Bentley and Rolls-Royce; and for automotive consumer magazines in Australia, the UK, China, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, South Africa and the USA. For America’s best-selling consumer automotive title, Motor Trend, I spent two years in Los Angeles writing news and feature stories and strengthening the magazine’s international content and subsequently served as UK-based European Editor in a freelance capacity for 12 years. In the USA I won an annual journalism award for Best Magazine Feature Story.
As an author and editor I have written three factual books including ‘Supercars: Chevrolet Corvette’, which required extensive research into seven generations of the iconic American sports car and was published in four languages by Salamander Books (now part of Pavilion Book Group). I have also edited four books, including The Encyclopedia of the Car. My first novel is a work in progress.
As a copywriter for print and digital media, with a good understanding of search engine optimisation techniques, I have written customer magazines, newsletters, brochures, direct-mail, print advertisements, radio advertisements, website content, press information packs, press releases, speeches for senior company executives, video scripts, travel guides, and short copy for social media campaigns.
It would be good to hear how we can put this experience and expertise to work for you. You’re welcome to call me now on 07502 605424 or send me a message by clicking here.
Phillip Bingham:
Previous roles and responsibilities
Agency Principal, Media Matters
Head of market-leading PR and marketing communications agency in the British motorsport industry for seven years, representing big-name manufacturers, series and event sponsors and promoters, teams, drivers, and engineering companies. Also represented clients in manufacturing, publishing, and training.
European Editor, Motor Trend
Los Angeles-based staff writer and editor for the USA’s number one automotive magazine (one million sales per month). Subsequently UK-based in same role as a freelancer, writing news stories, features, driving impressions, and travel-adventure stories. Winner of US Moto Award, Best Magazine Feature Story.
Head of Media and Public Relations, MotorSport Vision
MSV is the owner of five UK circuits, PalmerSport corporate driving event, British Superbike Championship, and BRDC Formula 4 Championship. As head of the department responsible for PR and social media, my role also included copywriting and editing of sales literature, website content, and event programmes.
Head of PR, Housing & Health, London Borough of Barking & Dagenham
Managed and implemented PR and stakeholder communications for the busy department of a London borough where more than half the population live in the 20% most deprived areas in England.
Account Director, PFPR Communications
PR and copywriting for blue-chip automotive clients in UK, Europe and the USA. Also researcher and writer of successful new business proposals. Member of Land Rover Silk Trail Expedition, driving from Solihull to Mumbai, filing regular press releases and daily reports for media use.
Account Director, PRG Marketing Communications
PR and integrated marketing communications campaigns (business-to-business and business-to-consumer) for clients in the building services and clean-tech industries and nine local authorities. Copywriter of press releases, brochures, newsletters, print advertisements, and search-optimised website content.
Senior Account Manager, RSM Automotive
PR, marketing communications, copywriting and editing for motorsport and automotive clients. Frequent US visits handling American Le Mans Series PR for Automobili Lamborghini. Editor of FIA World Touring Car Championship Yearbook and of quarterly customer magazine for Mercedes-Benz.
Deputy Editor, Performance Car magazine
Monthly magazine produced by AGB, part of Robert Maxwell’s publishing empire. Wrote driving impressions, features, and interviews, and edited the magazine’s regular 28-page supplements.
Features Editor and F1 Correspondent, Automobile Sport magazine and yearbook
This was Haynes Publishing’s foray into magazine publishing. Also authored a book published by Haynes, ‘Drive It! Formula Ford,’ for would-be racing drivers setting out in the sport.
International News Editor, Motoring News; Contributor, Motor Sport magazine
Joined weekly newspaper as office junior, rose to position of editor of international news pages. Travelled the world as news and race reporter, also writing interviews and features.
Phillip Bingham:
Who I’ve worked with
I have provided PR, marketing communications and copywriting services to a wide variety of companies and organisations, from legendary brand names (my mind races immediately to Lamborghini) to less glamorous businesses (dirty thoughts here about ductwork cleaner System Hygienics).
As a writer I have contributed articles to newspapers (red-top and broadsheet), glossy consumer magazines and high-quality websites (here we put the Hollywood Reporter in the spotlights), and no-nonsense trade journals (how about Heating & Ventilating News – or, as comedian Rob Brydon insisted on referring to it at an industry awards night, “Eating and Ventilating”).
Here’s more detail about my sector-by-sector client experience.
Automotive
Allison Transmission, Automobili Lamborghini, Cruden B.V., DriveCam (now Lytx), Drive & Survive, GM Europe, Hyundai Motor Europe, Jacobs Vehicle Systems, Kia Motors Europe, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz Retail, MINI USA, NavTrak, NetworkQ, Subaru.
Building Services and Sustainability
Building & Engineering Services Association, Climate Energy, Colt Group, Energy Saving Trust, Fire Protection, Greenwood Airvac, Ideal Commercial Heating, Insite Energy, Johnson Controls, Keston Boilers, Refcom, System Hygienics, Trend Control Systems, Viessmann, Zehnder.
Manufacturing
British Standards Institute, CASE Construction, Case IH Agriculture, New Holland Agriculture, Oakmasters, Prism Electronics, URT Group, RML Group, TOMRA Sorting Solutions.
Motorsport
Automobili Lamborghini, Autosport Awards, Autosport International exhibition, Brands Hatch, British Motorcycle Grand Prix, British Superbike Championship, Corvette Racing, Donington Park, FIA World Touring Car Championship, GM Europe, HMSO Books, Marlboro, MotorSport Vision, NetworkQ, Nissan, Paul Stewart Racing, Total Oil, Rockingham, RML Group, Vauxhall Motors.
Local Government
Eastbourne Borough Council; East Sussex Energy Partnership, comprising Eastbourne, Hastings, Rother and Wealden Councils; London Borough of Barking and Dagenham; Thames Gateway Warm & Healthy Homes Partnership, comprising Basildon, Castle Point, Southend, Rochford and Thurrock Councils.
Skills Training
Building Engineering Services Training, Drive Alive, Drive & Survive (now part of the Institute of Advanced Motorists), EMLC, SummitSkills.
Journalism
AAA Going Places (USA), Auto (Spain), Autosport, Car (South Africa), Condé Nast Traveller (USA), Daily Express, Daily Mirror, Daily Telegraph, European Car (USA), Flyer, Haynes Publishing, Hollywood Reporter (USA), Indianapolis Star, Johannesburg Star, L’Automobile (France), Los Angeles Times, Mercedes-Benz customer magazine, Motor Trend (USA), Motorsport, Motorsport News, Performance Car, Pilot, Popular Mechanics (USA), Sailplane & Gliding, Sports Illustrated (USA), Quattroruote (Italy), Rolls-Royce customer magazine, Wheels (Australia).
Book writing and editing
Haynes Publishing: Drive It! Formula Ford; Automobile Sport Yearbook. Salamander-Anova Books Group: Supercars: Chevrolet Corvette; KSO: FIA World Touring Car Championship Yearbook; Book Sales: Encyclopedia of the Car.
