About Me

Drew Benvie is managing director at new agency 33 Digital. He lives and works in the UK and advises clients on how digital and social media can be used in public relations, marketing and communications. He is also a PR consultant to digital and social media companies on public relations, profile building and media management.

Drew speaks about PR and social media in the press and at conferences and events.

Drew in the media

BusinessWeek, 15 July 2009 - Hey America, we have our own Facebooks
"In certain countries the communities are based on the local language and personal style of networking rather than what is the big American trend," says Drew Benvie, managing director of online marketing agency 33 Digital. "And once a community is gathered around a site, it's very difficult to dislodge it."

PR Week, 20 May 2009 - McCann Erickson Bristol survey reveals comms chiefs face social networking bans Drew Benvie, managing director of 33 Digital, said communications professionals who were blocked from social media sites should not use this as an excuse for not understanding the technology. Benvie said such people should attempt to gain access via their IT departments.

PR Week, 8 May 2009 - Hotwire launches digital agency

Communicate, 8 May 2009 - Hotwire unleashes 33 Digital
Hotwire, the tech PR specialist, has launched a new specialist digital agency.

PR Week, 27 Feb 2009 - Poke vs a hug
Drew's blog is featured on the Technology page in PR Week

PR Week, 27 Feb 2009 - Poke vs a hug
Drew's blog is featured on the Technology page in PR Week

PR Week, 25 Feb 2009 - Tech agency Hotwire has emerged as the most active PR consultancy on social networking tool Twitter
‘As a platform for use in public relations, Twitter is invaluable,’ said Benvie. ‘From networking, to story mining, to issues tracking and news seeding, the only limitation of systems such as Twitter is how far you’re willing to go with experimentation and breaking new ground.’

PR Week, 20 Feb 2009 - Magazines get interactive: Hotwire lands John Menzies' account
"Hotwire director Drew Benvie said the new service could drastically change the way people read magazines in the future: 'The brand has the potential to radically adjust the way magazines and advertisers interact with consumers. Think an iTunes for magazines. This is a stepping-stone to a more interactive version of a magazine.'"

PR Week, 19 Feb 2009 - PR Week video podcast
"In this week's podcast, Hotwire's Drew Benvie on how digital magazines will affect PR."

PR Week, 6 Feb 2009 - Ex-BBC journalist joins Nixon McInnes
"Drew Benvie, head of digital at Hotwire, explains, ‘brands in all sectors are looking for social strands to their integrated campaigns.'"

The Guardian, 26 January 2009 - Russell Brand hits Twitter
"I notice @DrewB has beaten me to the punch with Russell Brand aka RustyRockets reinvents Twitter"

PR Week, 30 November 2008 - Best of tech blogs
"Drew's blog is featured in the technology page: Keep a check on brands"

PR Week, 26 August 2008 - Unravel the web chatter
"Drew Benvie, director at PR agency Hotwire, says that by tracking issues as well as brand mentions, press office teams can begin to steer the digital media agenda..."

PR Week, 15 August 2008 - lastminute.com signs Hotwire
"Hotwire has been given the brief to run lastminute.com's Unleash Summer campaign. The agency will conduct a social media consultancy campaign targeting blogs and networking sites including Flickr and Facebook. The campaign will run until the end of summer. Hotwire digital director Drew Benvie is in charge of the account."

PR Week, 19 June 2008 - Best of tech blogs
All about Associated Press and bloggers.

PR Week, 29 May 2008 - Top 40 tech consultancies 2008
"Most significant hires of 2007 Ginni Arnold, new UK deputy MD, Drew Benvie, head of digital media, and eight 'young guns' from the 2007 graduate intake."

PR Week, 22 May 2008 - Brown web initiative blasted by bloggers
"'With online video and Twitter feeds having been used to great effect by politicians such as David Cameron and Barack Obama in the past, this is Brown playing catch up,' said Drew Benvie, a widely read PR blogger and director at tech agency Hotwire."

PR Week, 13 Mar 2008 - client wins
"Hotwire is now running the Piczo account, with ex-Lewis social media expert Drew Benvie in charge."

PR Week, 14 Feb 2008 - Opinion Article
"PROs should be creating online content and building applications in an effort to protect their territory, says Hotwire director Drew Benvie."

PR Week, 26 Sep 2007 - Second Opinion
"What the PR team for this campaign did well was to make sure core enthusiasts were on-board first before reaching out to wider, less informed audiences."

BBC Radio 4, September 14 2007
"A debate on eBooks on Radio 4's You and Yours"

PR Week, 20 June 2007 - Technology news
"Benvie: to join rival Hotwire"

PR Week US, The Cycle blog, 1 June 2007 - Google hires
"Many people have speculated that Google is looking for 70 PR people. We asked David Krane, director of corporate communications [at Google]..."

New Media Age, 15 May 2007 - Talk is cheep
"Twitter is apparently addictive. Drew Benvie, an early Twitter adopter, says: "In my first week using Twitter I was not able to walk in a straight line or make 20 yards without hitting a lamp post. I was hooked to my mobile." His blogging social network had become cumbersome, "but Twitter had sparked it to life."

He believes Twitter has "the potential to change the way consumers interact with one another through social networks," with big implications for digital marketers. He thinks Twitter will take off in the UK because we're SMS addicts and its much easier and faster than blogging. "

The Guardian, 27 March 2007 - Why are so many people blogging off?
"You have to be opinionated and passionate about what you write, or your enthusiasm will wane," says Drew Benvie, social media adviser for Lewis PR and a blogging expert."

Silicon.com, 16 March 2007 - CEOs told 'blog and embrace web 2.0'
"Drew Benvie, resident blogging expert at PR company Lewis, told silicon.com it shouldn't be assumed a CEO blog is going to be an instant hit. Benvie said: "A CEO should only be blogging if they have something interesting to say that their customers and their stakeholders want to hear."

PR Week, 7th February 2007 - The Essential Blogs - Podcast
"Lewis PR's resident blog expert, Drew Benvie, talks to PRWeek about the blogs all PROs need to know about and why keeping abreast with just some some of the ones that matter is time well spent."

Taxation Magazine, 19th October 2006 - Online Soapbox
"Drew Benvie, a blogging expert from Lewis PR has the following hints on starting an informative business blog..."

PR Week, 28th June 2006 - 29 under 29: the next generation
"The publication's first '29 under 29' list recognises outstanding achievement and details the top UK PR professionals aged 29 and under. PRWeek has identified 29 young PR professionals who have already made a major impression on the industry... Benvie is a self-confessed geek, but his tech interest has brought him rapid career progression and a reputation as an industry authority on blogs, podcasts and wikis."

PR Week, 22nd June 2006 - Blogs under audit
"The extent to which agencies are developing methods of blog evaluation can be seen in the number of those that now employ a dedicated ‘blog expert’. Drew Benvie is head of Lewis PR’s blogging division, and says PROs need to learn a variety of skills."

PR Week, 15th June 2006 - Podcasting enter the mainstream
"Lewis PR head of blogging Drew Benvie argues that the opportunities for PROs are huge."

PR Week, 11th May 2006 - Tapping the potential of MySpace
"Sending out friend invitations or mass emails is counter-productive, says Lewis PR account director Drew Benvie: 'Spam will damage your brand, because people might start talking about the fact that you are doing it."

Business XL, 10th May 2006 - Benefit from podcasting
"Drew Benvie from fellow PR firm Lewis the key is to think of podcasting ‘as just another marketing tool. There will be certain sectors where it isn’t top of your agenda, manufacturing for instance,’ he continues, ‘but for businesses in the media, fashion, technology and consumer goods markets it definitely has relevance, especially as consumers become more tech-savvy themselves."

International Herald Tribune, 3rd May 2006 - How many false starts before 3G takes off?
"Drew Benvie, 28, an account director at Lewis Public Relations in London, acquired a 3G phone in October 2004. He said he used the phone to post material on his technology public relations blog, which he calls "Drew B's Take on Tech."

PR Week, 6th April 2006 - Keep your messages out of the trash
"One of the best-known bloggers in the PR industry in the UK is Drew Benvie, account director at Lewis PR (pictured). He says clients are becoming increasingly worried about how they are being perceived on blogs."

PR Week, 2nd March 2006 - Tread carefully in the blogosphere
"theblogconsultancy.typepad.com/techpr - An insider's take on the PR industry, particularly the tech sector. Its author, Drew, is a London-based PRO who has been blogging for four years."

The Guardian, 23rd May 2005, Office hours
"Drew Benvie is a technology PR consultant and seasoned blogger. He believes that the key to successful blogging is to be opinionated and that's what makes the anonymous rants of www.callcentrediary.blogspot.com so compelling."

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