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Creating credibility and demand through strategic media relations
CASE STUDY: AllBright
Brave PR was challenged to transform a disinterested media landscape into a powerful movement supporting working women. With zero budget for paid media and facing significant skepticism about women-only spaces, we needed to drive mainstream awareness, secure 2,000+ Academy sign-ups, and successfully launch the UK's first female-focused members' club in London.
The challenge
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Zero marketing budget - media relations was the only growth driver
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Negative market perception - journalists skeptical about women-only clubs following The Wing's controversial NYC launch
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Ambitious business targets - drive global brand growth, launch new club, secure 2,000 Academy sign-ups
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Complex positioning - avoid being seen as anti-male, elitist, or not aspirational enough
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Crisis management - ongoing newsjacking and reputation support required
Our strategic approach
We developed a phased campaign strategy that would systematically transform media skepticism into a powerful national movement supporting working women.
Phase 1: Build credibility and establish the need
First, we established the economic argument for AllBright using robust research and data. We demonstrated that 1 in 10 UK women want to start businesses but lack confidence, only 1 in 6 corporate leadership positions are held by women, and Harvard Business Journal research showing women who network together are 2x more likely to get promoted. This data-led approach shifted the narrative from 'anti-men' to economic empowerment.
Phase 2: Secure positive media coverage through exclusive access
We engaged key national media with 'first look' exclusives and preview opportunities, turning skeptical journalists into advocates through direct experience of the club. Strategic media partnerships were cultivated across the political spectrum to ensure balanced, positive coverage at launch.
The challenge
Phase 3: Launch 'SisterhoodWorks' Movement
With credibility established, we launched our creative campaign demonstrating that when women support each other at work, they achieve more. This involved influencer activation, campaign collateral, and grassroots community building through 100+ volunteer-led meet-ups nationwide.
Phase 4: Strategic founder profiling
We positioned co-founders Debbie Wosskow and Anna Jones as thought leaders through strategic profile interviews beyond traditional media homes, including political and hard-news platforms, establishing them as authoritative voices on women's economic empowerment.
Phase 5: Academy launch through Facebook partnership
Through a Facebook partnership, we launched the Academy program, generating £75,000 worth of earned media value and driving 4,000 enrollments.
Phase 6: Scale through book deal and international expansion
The campaign culminated with a Penguin book deal for the founders and the announcement of AllBright Mayfair and LA openings, demonstrating the movement's global potential and securing £9m in expansion funding.
The results
Coverage Performance:
Prior to Brave being hired, AllBright had secured 56 pieces of media coverage in 2017. In 2018, the total was 315, including 88 pieces of significant national print and broadcast coverage. 60% was classed as overtly supportive and 35% as supportive.
Over 200 media and VIPs attended The AllBright press preview and launch events, including Naomie Harris, MOBO Awards founder Kanya King, Under Secretary of State for Business Margot James MP and House of Lords peer Martha Lane-Fox.
Influential profile pieces and interviews with AllBright’s Co-founders in The Times, Financial Times, The Telegraph, The Independent, Bloomberg, BBC World Service, BBC R4 Today Programme, Sky News, Good Morning Britain, Conde Nast Traveller, Harper’s Bazaar, Red and Grazia magazines.
High-profile journalists supported #sisterhoodworks online with selfies and video messages, including BBC newsreader Zeinab Bedawi and Sky News’ Sarah-Jane Mee.
Debbie Wosskow won The London Evening Standard’s ‘Entrepreneur of the Year 2018’ Award
BUSINESS GROWTH: £9m was secured to fund a second and third club to meet UK demand and expand internationally. The AllBright Mayfair and The AllBright LA opened in 2019. Debbie Wosskow won London Evening Standard’s ‘Entrepreneur of the Year 2018’ Award and AllBright’s co-founders signed a book deal with Penguin.
CLUB: When The AllBright opened it had a waiting list of over 2,000 - 200% more target members. Over 200 media and influencers attended The AllBright press preview event. National media from both ends of the political spectrum ran positive first-look-inside features.
ACADEMY: Over 4,000 women enrolled by 2019.
Over 70,000 people engaged directly with AllBright through club membership, the Academy, online and FoundHER; over 100 volunteer-led Work Sisterhood meet-ups ran across the UK.
Results at a glance
Coverage links
Example online media coverage:
Business Insider — “AllBright Has Launched a Women's Only Private Members Club” (29 Oct 2017). https://www.businessinsider.com/allbright-pivots-to-private-members-club-2017-10
Crowdfund Insider — “AllBright Set To Launch New Private Members Club For Female Founders (27 Oct 2017). https://www.crowdfundinsider.com/2017/10/123771-allbright-set-launch-new-private-members-club-female-founders-london
The Independent — “Women-only private member's club in London insists it isn't discriminatory https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-allbright-womenonly-private-members-club-central-london-bloomsbury-antimen-gender-equality-kathy-burke-margot-james-a8117091.html
AllBright Financial Times — Women-only club opens in London as antidote to 'old boys' (23 Feb 2018). https://www.ft.com/content/ff326518-1880-11e8-9e9c-25c814761640
The Guardian — “The Allbright is a networking club for businesswomen – so why has it picked a male chair?” (6 Aug 2018). https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/aug/06/allbright-networking-club-businesswomen-male-chairman-allan-leighton
The Telegraph — “Yes, the AllBright is a club for women. But that doesn't mean it can't have a man at the top https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/08/07/yes-allbright-club-women-doesnt-mean-cant-have-man-top
Telegraph Evening Standard — “First women-only private members club to open a second venue in Mayfair” (5 Jun 2018) and Evening Standard Business Awards coverage naming Debbie Wosskow Entrepreneur of the Year (2018). https://www.standard.co.uk/going-out/barsfirst-womenonly-private-members-club-to-open-a-second-venue-in-mayfair-a3855481.html
Bloomberg — “Sexism in the City: Business Women Take On Old-Boy London Clubs” (Feb 2018) — feature referencing AllBright in the context of women-only clubs. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-02-21/sexism-in-the-city-business-women-take-on-old-boy-london-clubs
The Telegraph — “From all-female to all-business: the return of private members’ clubs” (22 Jul 2018) — profiles AllBright among new club openings. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/07/22/all-female-all-business-return-private-members-clubs
The Guardian / Life & Style (follow-up & commentary pieces) — further coverage around chair appointment controversy and profile pieces (Aug 2018). https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/aug/06/allbright-networking-club-businesswomen-male-chairman-allan-leighton
The Times — https://www.thetimes.com/uk/article/allbright-womens-club-levels-the-playing-field-ww89znf60
Mail Online - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/lifestyle/article-5408287/Inside-exclusive-women-private-members-club.html
Mail Online - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6030503/Ultra-chic-women-private-members-club-hires-man-chairman.html
Mail Online - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/lifestyle/article-7147495/Can-new-women-club-really-make-alpha-female.html
Mail Online - https://www.dailymail.co.uk/lifestyle/article-7682297/The-Femail-Face-Theyre-new-female-places-work-play-network.html