Singapore-based public relations firm Redhill has acquired a majority stake in sustainability-focused video production company Vision Strategy Storytelling, or VS Story, for an undisclosed sum.
The deal will expand the PR firm’s capabilities in filming, photography and post-production at a time when communications firms are ramping up their sustainability capabilities to cash in on the growing desire among brands to sell their green credentials to increasingly environmentally-aware consumers.
Redhill launched a sustainability practice earlier this year when it hired former Unilever executive Marta Bigio and signalled its intention to “champion authentic sustainability”.
VS Story was founded in 2016 by Jacqui Hocking to help brands position themselves as the solution for the world’s problems rather than the cause.
The firm, which has 14 staff in Singapore and satellite offices in Jakarta and India, has worked with the likes of consumer goods company Danone, investment firm Circulate Capital, payment service PayPal and business social network Linkedin.
A prominent figure on Singapore’s sustainability scene, Hocking co-founded Gone Adventurin’, a sustainability consultancy that later changed its name to GA Circular, and also co-birthed the Singapore Eco Film Festival, an annual event to popularise environmental issues in Singapore.
Hocking said that a lot of sustainability solutions lack visibility so find it hard to gain traction. “Sharing their story helps them to scale – the same goes for us,” she told Eco-Business.
“We, as a small team, can multiply our impact by connecting into a larger ecosystem that’s already established. That’s why I did it [the deal with Redhill]. I’m following the same advice I give so often to startups in the climate space,” she said.
VS Story, which will retain its name, will now have access to Redhill’s network of office in 20 territories, including Australia, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. Redhill’s clients include consumer goods firm Danone, burger chain Carl’s Jr. and insurer Tokio Marine.
Hocking is an ambassador for B Corp, a sustainability certification body with rigorous standards that has started to gain traction in Asia. VS Story was one of the first companies in Singapore to attain B Corp certification, in 2018.
Hocking said that she will support Redhill in working towards achieving B Corp status.
