LONDON — Checkatrade, the directory of recommended and vetted tradespeople in the UK, has appointed Red Consultancy as its retained consumer PR and social media, following a competitive pitch.

Checkatrade, which was founded more than 20 years ago, now has more than 39,000 trade members across the UK. Head of PR Amy Ashford said: “Over the last year, we’ve been building an ambitious plan and team for growth across the business so we’re ready for a step-change in our communications too.

We were looking for an agency that could highlight how easy Checkatrade makes home improvements and repairs to consumers while communicating our commitment and support for our trade members. Red demonstrated they could do all that and more with their integrated comms thinking and creative flair.”

Danny Whatmough, who joined Red Consultancy from Weber Shandwick in October last year as its consumer and social media MD, added: “Checkatrade is a vibrant business and a household name that is disrupting an entire industry. We’ve got a simple, integrated plan to elevate the brand across PR and social, drive business and develop their reputation."