The Prophets has officially launched to help the most disruptive direct-to-consumer brands tell their stories to the world through content-led and results-driven campaigns.
The London-based agency, which claims to be the first dedicated direct-to-consumer specialist, has been formed in response to the increasing demand for a communications and content agency that matches the speed, energy and ingenuity of fast-paced direct-to-consumer brands.
The Prophets has been co-founded by Tara O’Driscoll – former Communications Director at Exposure and Head of PR to business entrepreneur Baroness Martha Lane Fox and direct-to-consumer entrepreneur James Cox – co-founder of sleep tech firm Simba Sleep.
Brand elevation
As the UK’s first dedicated direct-to-consumer communications offering, The Prophets said it is well placed to provide the invaluable support for businesses that require rapid elevation of their brands, to help secure funding and provide cut through at the vital time of growth by delivering consumer trust and brand advocacy through “earned” media and influencer endorsement.
New clients
The Prophets has already built up an impressive list of clients, which includes cult footwear label Mahabis, sleep tech company Simba, Carbon Theory the viral skincare brand, ITCH a new consumer pet wellbeing firm, BOXT the smart home systems installation company and NearSt, an ingenious platform that links stock in local shops with Google search so that people can find their nearest store quickly, amongst others.
“We know that next generation brands are doing things differently”, said Tara O’Driscoll CEO and co-founder.
“So, they need a team that understands their unique ambitions and challenges. In the world of direct-to-consumer brands, things move fast, goals shift and budgets are often tight.
“For these exciting new companies, brand equity is as important as generating commercial results that you can measure. Plus, they want potential customers to trust the new kid on the block.
“This is getting harder to achieve with performance marketing alone. At The Prophets, we believe everything starts with a great story.
“If you get that right from the beginning – your communications should fuse seamlessly across all channels”.
“We get that the companies that are emerging today have different needs from those of established household brands.
“That’s where we come in. We find the ‘unicorn’ companies of the future, then lend our expertise across both business and consumer storytelling to create campaigns that get our clients noticed, loved and remembered across all channels.
“We then apply our relentless approach to earned media relations to propel their ideas from inception to global market player.”
James Cox, co-founder The Prophets said: “Having worked with a number of communications agencies over the years, it was refreshing to finally find a communications specialist who really grasped the world of direct-to-consumer.
“I’ve worked with Tara and her team on numerous launches and she has played an integral role in the growth and development of Simba Sleep from its inception to its position as category leader across Europe”.
“Over the past year Tara and I have recognised an immediate need to provide a more holistic communications approach for the new direct-to-consumer companies that are emerging.
“Smart storytelling and a combined vision from the outset can make all the difference for businesses seeking both funding and consumer acquisition.
“It’s incredibly exciting to be able to work with those brands that will become the household names of the future.
Most recently, The Prophets developed and delivered the high profile integrated Simba #Tryfor8 campaign in partnership with England rugby player Maro Itoje.
Based on the insight that most Brits still only get six hours of sleep a night, The Prophets launched #TryFor8 – a national sleep coaching campaign designed to get Brits to wake-up and take sleep as seriously as they would nutrition and fitness.
The team worked with Simba to develop an eight-week sleep training journey app, full of motivating videos and biometric technology, that promised to get Brits sleeping better.
Maro was photographed by prodigious David Uzochukwu – of iconic Nike x FKA Twigs campaign.
The content fused the worlds of sport and technology with the realities of everyday life to get people taking sleep seriously.
Simba’s CEO, Steve Reid commented “The Prophets understand the fast-paced world of start-ups.
“They’ve always been quick to support our business objectives and know how communications can help build a brand in the minds of key investors and consumers.
“They’re incredibly results driven, and grasp how agile a start-up needs to be”.