Building Global Commodity Authority for CRU Group

Our Work > CRU Group

< Back to All Work

Hexagonal metal bars in an industrial facility representing CRU Group’s commodity market intelligence and energy sector PR communications expertise.

A multi-pronged PR program spanning executive profiling, events and regional media outreach to cement CRU as the go-to voice for commodity authority.

Client

Service(s)

PR & Comms

Sector(s)

Energy

The Brief

CRU Group, a world-leading commodity market intelligence provider, needed an agency to manage its global press office, raise the profile of its analyst teams, support on priority marketing activity, and promote its extensive events calendar.

The Challenge

CRU’s analysts produce some of the most respected data and insights in the commodities space, but the brand’s media profile had yet to reflect that authority. With over 15 events per year across Europe, Asia and beyond, each covering different commodities and audiences, the PR effort had to be highly strategic and regionally nuanced. Individual spokespeople needed to be positioned as trusted experts, journalists needed reasons to attend CRU events in person, and coverage had to extend beyond trade press into top-tier nationals. All of this had to happen consistently across regions without compromising quality or message control.

Our Approach

We designed a multi-pronged strategy anchored in CRU’s events calendar. Priority events were identified based on expected media interest, with tailored PR plans for pre-event, live and post-event activity. Alongside this, we ran an always-on press office to manage reactive enquiries and proactive pitching. To widen the pool of topics CRU spokespeople could own, we implemented a media training programme that deepened the bench of spokespeople. To build lasting relationships, we developed individual profiles for key analysts, making them names journalists would call first for commentary on global commodity developments.

Results we’re proud of

>6,200

pieces of media coverage secured in 12 months

>15

events supported with dedicated PR activity annually

>30

ournalists attending the World Copper Conference annually

All in the details

Regional reach

The World Copper Conference and World Copper Conference Asia generated over 1,000 pieces of coverage across two years, with placements in Bloomberg, Reuters and the Financial Times alongside key APAC and South American nationals.

Media excellence

Regional media training helped CRU spokespeople land coverage with op-eds, interviews and proactive commentary, securing national placements across key markets monthly, including the Wall Street Journal, L’Usine Nouvelle, South China Morning and AFR.

Newsroom prowess

During times of global volatility and crisis, when CRU analysis is in high demand, we execute a slick press office function. This includes maintaining the PR inbox and managing inbound media requests – leading to over 1,600 pieces of coverage in one month during a recent global crisis.

“Aspectus has been a strong strategic partner to CRU, particularly during periods of global market volatility. The team has supported us with communications strategy, media relations and engagement, helping to showcase CRU’s expertise, thought leadership and industry events while amplifying coverage across commodity value chains.”

Grace Oo
Communication Executive, CRU Group

All Work

IGS

Putting IGS on the media map in two of energy’s fastest-moving markets
RightShip

To shift perception from a traditional vetting body to an ESG-focused tech leader, RightShip needed stronger visibility in China. Aspectus delivered a tailored WeChat campaign, translating complex digital offerings into accessible, locally resonant content for maritime stakeholders. The result: a 34% increase in WeChat followers in five months, 6,000+ LinkedIn shares, and four years of…
Acteon

Acteon’s brand transformation unified its global business lines and energized employees through a research-driven rebrand. With a bold new identity and multichannel launch campaign, the company achieved a 580 percent increase in leads, 207 percent growth in LinkedIn followers, and a 75 percent surge in website traffic.
PlanRadar

PlanRadar strengthened its presence in Southeast Asia through region-specific thought leadership, targeted interviews, and data-led storytelling. The campaign delivered 52 media placements and reached more than one million readers.
JDR Cable Systems Ltd (JDR Cables), part of TFKable Group

Repositioning JDR Cables as an offshore wind leader through global media success.
Oxford Flow

Building brand credibility to secure investment and scale in the energy transition era