Spotlight on V. the largest ship management company in the world

We’ve worked with V. for several years and really enjoy dealing with such a successful and dynamic global company.  Victoria Richardson, who leads the account, tells us a little about the business.

Q. What is V.?

A global ship management business with a network of 60 offices and access to an international pool of 44,000 seafarers.

Q. What is ship management?

Ship managers are responsible for managing every aspect of running a vessel, ensuring its safe and efficient operation. This includes everything from providing seafarers, to organising catering to insuring the vessel, and everything in between.

Q. What do you do for them?

We were appointed to handle PR for the business four years ago – among many things, this includes writing press releases and thought leadership articles, securing speaker opportunities and writing award entries. However, over the years our remit has grown and we now undertake everything from writing and designing the Group’s customer newsletter to designing adverts and infographics.

Q. What do you enjoy about working with V.?

I love working with the team at V.  The shipping sector is fascinating and is in an exciting transitionary period. It’s fantastic to have the opportunity to speak to people at the forefront of innovations in the sector.

Q. What are the company’s key messaging pillars?

The business talks about four ‘disclocators’ in the shipping sector, these being recruitment, digitalisation, ESG and regulation. Over the past 12 months, these pillars have been consistent in all our communications.

Q. What are your biggest challenges in promoting V?

The business is a global entity with many exciting projects and initiative underway. This means there are so many great stories that it can be a challenge to promote them all equally. The account is fast paced but we enjoy the fact that no two days are the same.

Q. What’s been your most satisfying piece of work on the account?

Rather than a piece of work, I’d have to highlight our work during Covid. Our planned communications strategy had to pivot as Covid impacted all areas of operations. Working in unchartered territories meant we had to be reactive and on the front foot with all communications.  We worked closely with the in-house marketing team to do everything from scripting CEO videos, to lobbying the government for keyworker status for seafarers to researching and writing a series of discussion papers about ‘Life After Lockdown’.

At the start of Covid, we developed an interactive map for V. to host on its website. One of my responsibilities was to update this with the very latest information about Covid-related regulations and restrictions at ports around the world.  It became a vital source of real-time information for V. and the wider maritime industry.