SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Wildfire has won UK PR mandates from Anker SOLIX and Yale UKI, expanding the agency’s consumer technology client roster.

Anker SOLIX has hired Wildfire to run a UK public relations programme for its home energy products, including portable power stations and solar storage systems. Yale UKI has appointed the agency to handle media and influencer campaigns for its connected home protection and mechanical security ranges.

The two accounts add energy storage and home security to Wildfire’s existing technology brief. Both assignments focus on raising visibility in the UK market. Anker SOLIX is targeting consumer, technology and sustainability media, while Yale UKI’s programme combines product launches, media relations and thought leadership.

Consumer focus

The Anker SOLIX brief centres on home energy solutions at a time when household energy resilience and storage products are attracting greater consumer attention. The brand’s range includes portable units and solar battery storage systems designed for domestic use.

Yale UKI’s remit covers both connected products and traditional security hardware. Its campaign will span influencer outreach and press activity tied to smart home protection and mechanical security products.

The work reflects a broader overlap between consumer technology, home infrastructure and household safety, as brands seek to reach buyers beyond specialist trade audiences. Public relations and influencer marketing are established parts of that effort, particularly for products that sit between everyday consumer purchases and longer-term home investment decisions.

Wildfire described both brands as operating in areas that affect how people live at home, from energy use to security. The client wins strengthen a portfolio centred on consumer-facing technology brands.

“Winning Anker SOLIX and Yale is a fantastic addition to Wildfire’s growing portfolio. As a specialist tech PR agency, we work with companies that are transforming the way people live and work, and both brands are leaders in categories that are shaping the future of the connected home.

From helping consumers take greater control of their energy use to making homes safer and more connected, both brands have compelling stories to tell. We’re looking forward to helping strengthen their presence in the UK market and support their continued growth,” said Debby Penton, Chief Executive Officer, Wildfire.

Home categories

Anker SOLIX operates in home and portable energy storage, a market that has expanded from backup power products into solar-linked household systems. Its offer includes modular solar battery storage for homes, balcony solar products for apartments and a wider line of portable power stations.

The brand sits in a category shaped by consumer interest in energy costs, home backup options and self-generated electricity. For communications agencies, such accounts can involve a mix of consumer media, technology coverage and sustainability reporting rather than a single specialist audience.

Yale, by contrast, is a long-established security brand with a product line spanning mechanical locks, alarms, safes and smart locks. Its UKI operation is seeking broader awareness for newer connected home products while maintaining visibility for conventional security hardware.

The brief suggests a dual-track message: connected devices aimed at smart home users, and traditional products for mainstream household security buyers. That mix has become more common as established home and hardware brands adapt to demand for app-linked and internet-connected devices without abandoning legacy product lines.

For Wildfire, the two wins also underline how specialist technology agencies are extending into adjacent consumer sectors where devices, energy systems and home protection increasingly overlap. Products once treated as separate categories are now often marketed as parts of the same connected household environment.

Yale is part of ASSA ABLOY, a global access solutions group. The security brand says it protects millions of homes and businesses worldwide with products ranging from locks and alarms to smart access devices.

Anker SOLIX says it aims to make sustainable energy accessible to households through battery storage and power supply products. Its product line includes modular home systems as well as portable devices for backup and off-grid use.

The Crafty Cave has opened in Templars Square Shopping Centre in Cowley, Oxford.

The announcement comes after longtime business The Crafters Emporium was revealed to not have paid crafters for their work, or paid rent for its stores.

The business which previously boasted stores in Oxford, Didcot and Faringdon, previously announced that its remaining shop on Sheep Street, Bicester will close in October.

But now it has been revealed that the landlord of the store, Makespace Oxfordshire, has given the business a notice of forfeiture.

The business, which is run by former Crafters Emporium manager Lindsay Kin, was also forcibly removed from its store on Cornmarket Street, Oxford, after failing to pay rent.

READ MORE: Historic British shoe chain closes one of its Oxfordshire stores

Crafters collecting their unsold stock from the Crafters Emporium Oxford store (Image: Contributed)

But crafters don’t have to look far as the recently opened The Crafty Cave is home to more than 30 independent small businesses.

 With over 90% of items handmade, the store offers customers the opportunity to discover one-of-a-kind purchases while supporting talented artisans and small businesses.

The store also boasts an inclusive calm zone for families where children can relax, inspired by the owners’ experiences as parents to two autistic boys.

Many crafters that previously sold their items at The Crafters Emporium stores have turned to The Crafty Cave as another source of income as they wait to be paid their income for the last few months.

The Street Soccer Foundation has launched The Big Green Goal, a scheme that links unwanted business technology to funding credits for The Big Goal membership programme.

The initiative targets organisations with unused laptops, desktops, mobile phones, tablets, servers, monitors and networking equipment. Through a partnership with IT asset recovery specialist ICT Reverse, those items can be collected, processed and recycled, with any residual value donated to the charity on behalf of the participating business.

That value is converted into membership credits for future membership of The Big Goal, a business-backed programme run by the foundation to support young people affected by homelessness and disadvantage. The model gives companies a way to deal with redundant technology while also contributing to social programmes.

The launch reflects growing interest among companies in managing electronic waste and showing environmental and social outcomes from existing assets. It also puts the technology channel at the centre of a funding model tied to equipment that might otherwise sit unused in offices or storage.

How it works

Businesses register unwanted equipment, and ICT Reverse arranges collection and processing. The partner handles data security and recycling, while recovered value depends on the type, age and condition of the devices.

The membership credits created through the scheme can only be used against future membership of The Big Goal. They are non-refundable and non-transferable.

The Big Green Goal extends The Big Goal, which brings together businesses from the technology sector and other industries to back youth opportunity programmes. The Street Soccer Foundation uses football-based academies and employability support to work with young people facing homelessness or severe disadvantage.

Keith Mabbutt, Founder and CEO, Street Soccer Foundation, said: “Most organisations have redundant technology sitting unused somewhere in their business, and they already have a responsibility to dispose of it properly. The Big Green Goal gives them a simple way to turn that obligation into something positive.

“By recycling unwanted technology responsibly, businesses can reduce electronic waste, create measurable social value and build credit towards their future membership of The Big Goal. It is what we believe is the UK’s simplest ESG action: one straightforward decision that helps businesses, helps the environment and helps create life-changing opportunities for young people.”

The model was developed and tested with a small group of early participating organisations before the wider launch. Those companies included Giacom, Voiceworks UK and Fifteen Group.

According to the charity, those early participants helped shape the operating process for businesses that want to recycle equipment and convert recovered value into support for the programme. Giacom, also the headline sponsor of The Big Goal, was the first organisation to use the service before the broader rollout.

Early backing

Terry O’Brien, CEO, Giacom, said: “At Giacom, we immediately recognised The Big Green Goal as an incredibly smart and practical initiative – one that every technology business should be making use of.

“Through The Big Green Goal, we now have a simple solution that not only supports responsible recycling and sustainability goals, but also directly helps fund life-changing opportunities for vulnerable young people across the UK. It’s an absolute no-brainer.”

The Street Soccer Foundation was established in 2015 and works with professional football clubs, employers and community groups. Its programmes combine football with personal development, wellbeing, education and employability support for young people seeking routes into work, training and independent living.

For participating businesses, the scheme creates a direct link between IT disposal and future membership costs within the foundation’s employer network. For the charity, it opens another funding route without requiring a separate cash contribution when equipment is handed over.

The proposition is likely to appeal most to medium-sized and large organisations with regular device refresh cycles, where batches of hardware can retain some resale or recovery value. Companies with formal environmental, social and governance reporting may also see the scheme as a practical way to document equipment reuse, recycling and charitable support through a single process.

ICT Reverse, which works in IT asset disposal and recycling, is responsible for collecting and securely handling the devices. It has more than 25 years of experience serving UK and European organisations, according to background information issued alongside the launch.

Many businesses already hold equipment that is no longer in active use, making the initiative a way to turn dormant assets into support for young people who need access to opportunity. Recovered values depend on the condition of the hardware handed in.