News

A hand-written job application by the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs sold for more than £200,000 after Melville was tasked to raise the profile of an online auction being run by auctioneers and valuers Charterfields.

The one-page form was completed in 1973 by an 18-year-old Jobs just after he had dropped out of Reed College in Portland, Oregon.

To publicise the auction Melville ran a coordinated campaign which built up to the launch of the online bidding in the tech icon’s first job application.

More than 300 pieces of coverage appeared from North America to China and coverage in the UK included the Daily Mail and Daily Mirror. The story even featured on German TV on its equivalent of “Have I got news for you”.

The winning bid of £204,120 was far in excess of the auction reserve.

Roger Cutting, director at London-based Charterfields who conducted the auction added: “We had interest from around the world for this unique item which marks a pivotal time in Steve Jobs’ career path. It is amazing to think that if he had been successful around a year later he may not have joined game start-up Atari and work alongside Steve Wozniak before they left together to start Apple in 1976.”

 

Melville’s media relations work with the Great Schools Trust has seen the amazing life story of one of its trainee teachers feature on the BBC – in the North West and around the world.

The BBC looked at Jamil Wali’s journey from a 7-year-old Afghani refugee arriving in the UK 14 years ago to his return to teach maths at his former school at the King’s Leadership Academy Liverpool in Dingle.

The school is one of four academies in the Great Schools Trust. Jamil’s return came as part of the School Direct initiative which provides teacher training across its academies.

Managing the Great Schools Trust’s media relations, Melville PR secured coverage on BBC Radio Merseyside’s Breakfast show and BBC North West Tonight, which used Jamil’s story as part of a series looking at refugees’ positive contribution to the region.

The BBC also used the story and video on its social media where its Facebook page alone had over 500 likes and 100 shares.

Jamil’s heart-warming story was picked up by the BBC’s world news team who translated and broadcast the story across the globe on its various foreign news channels

Jamil’s story can be seen here.

 

Melville has been working with Wesleyan Bank for the last three years to support its existing and potential business clients with a series of advice guides and online blogs as part of the bank’s content strategy.

Part of Wesleyan’s client support, Melville’s task was to research and write a series of guides covering topical issues from technology, tax, business acquisition through to surviving Covid and building post pandemic success.

                           

An important marketing tool for Wesleyan, each guide is accompanied by a blog which reflects on key content and was used in social media channels include Facebook.

The blogs were also used to drive downloads of the guides and capture new business leads.

Melville has also been responsible for analysing the results of the bank’s annual  research ‘Heroes or Zeros’ which looks at the key issues concerning SME business owners.

Ben Carey, Communications Manager, Wesleyan Bank said: “We are a small and busy team and from day one, Melville has had an excellent grasp of Wesleyan’s core sectors, in particular the legal, accountancy and SME markets.”