How our messaging campaign helped the drinks entrepreneur establish herself as the Queen of Soho

Alex Robson is an international businesswoman, co-founder and CEO of West End Drinks, which created the eye-catching King of Soho gin brand.

Launched in 2013, with her partner Howard Raymond, King of Soho went from being a niche product only available in select bars to becoming one of the fast-growing drinks brands, doubling sales in the UK and sold in bars, restaurants and supermarkets nationwide before going global with an export drive.

The PHA Group successfully promoted Alex, securing media coverage in trade titles and general business publications, establishing her as an authority in a traditionally male-dominated industry, and driving retailer and consumer investment in her brand.

As the brand grew, Alex was in growing demand for interviews and as a speaker at events. She has a fascinating back story: the youngest of eight children and from several generations of entrepreneurs, and with a varied business background, including time spent on a Space project with the Commander of Apollo 15 – but the challenge was to distil it into a clear and simple narrative.

We arranged a half-day session with Alex, going over her business and personal story in detail to find the angles that we knew would appeal to the media and be most interesting to business audiences.
From this session, we created a narrative for Alex, a succinct and engaging account of her business journey, which would underpin future media interviews and become her ‘elevator pitch’ for speaking opportunities.

We media trained Alex to ensure that she was fully prepared for contact and communication with journalists and able to take full advantage of media interviews. Working with a trusted partner agency, we also arranged presentation training, giving her the confidence to deliver speeches, take part in panel events and respond to ad hoc speaking opportunities, knowing she could tell her story in a way that would resonate with any audience.

With a successful drinks brand and an interesting personal story, Alex Robson’s profile grew.
The PHA Group secured coverage in popular newspaper titles, including the Daily Mirror, City A.M and Evening Standard. She was regularly featured in business magazines, including two front cover stories, and given a column in Business Matters, one of the most respected business publications on the market.

When Alex launched King of Soho in 89 stores across Russia, we secured coverage in two of Russia’s biggest newspapers, highlighting her international success, and the brand’s story is continuing with the launch of a vodka line.

Alex continues to be in demand as a speaker and business leader and is a judge in the prestigious Lloyds Bank National Business Awards.

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