This month’s pick for Press Coverage of the Month was an easy choice. The announcement of Rich Sanna’s appointment as Budweiser Budvar UK’s new MD went far and wide across the trade press, giving him some well-deserved recognition for his hard work and the part he’s played in growing the business.
A particular highlight was securing a profile in The Grocer, giving readers a chance to get to know Rich as he prepares to take on the new role.
At Hungry Communications, we always enjoy getting to know the people behind the brands we work with. Their experiences, ideas and personalities often make for some of the most interesting stories, and working with Rich on this piece was a lovely example of that.
The coverage
With Rich preparing to take over as MD in January 2027, following a period of strong growth under outgoing managing director Jitka Vlčková, there was plenty to talk about.
We worked with Rich and the Budvar team to bring the story together, sharing it with journalists across the beer, drinks and grocery press, many of whom we’ve built strong relationships with over the years.
The announcement appeared in titles including The Drinks Business, The Brewers Journal, Beer Today, KamCity, and Drinks Retailing.
Alongside that news coverage, we secured an opportunity for Rich to feature in The Grocer’s My Alternative CV series.
Written by Charles Wright, it’s a lovely introduction to the person behind the role, covering everything from Rich’s early football career to a memorable job interview involving an abattoir. There’s plenty of personality, which is exactly what makes this kind of profile so fun to read.
Read Rich’s profile in The Grocer.
Why this one worked so well
1. There was a good story behind the news
A new MD is an opportunity to talk about where a business is heading. In Budvar’s case, it also gave us a chance to share how far the UK business had come.
Its growth provided useful context for journalists and their readers, giving the appointment story substance and a clear sense of momentum.
That’s always part of our thinking: what will make this news interesting to the people reading it?
2. We could help readers get to know Rich
The appointment announcement shared the business news. The Grocer profile gave Rich space to show more of his personality.
We worked with him on the piece, helping bring together the experiences and stories that made his answers his own. These are often the details people remember, and they can make a senior figure feel much more familiar to readers.
It was a great opportunity to introduce Rich as he gets ready to take on the new role.
3. The Grocer was a particularly rewarding result
Anyone working in food and drink PR will know how competitive it can be to secure a profile in The Grocer. It’s a title we’re always pleased to see our clients featured in.
For Budvar, this meant an opportunity to introduce Rich to a valuable grocery audience, including retailers, buyers and industry peers.
It also gave us a different way to tell the story, sitting alongside the appointment coverage with a more personal look at the incoming MD.
4. The wider coverage mattered too
We’ve picked out The Grocer as a favourite, but the spread of coverage was an important part of the result.
Each publication has its own readers and interests. Appearing across beer, drinks and grocery titles helped share Budvar’s news with different parts of the trade.
Taken together, those pieces gave the announcement a much wider presence and created several opportunities for people in the industry to hear about the business and its new leadership.
The bigger picture
We love working on founder stories and profile pieces because they give people a chance to see the human side of a business. Getting to know someone’s experiences, personality and ambitions can help readers connect with the brand they represent.
With Budvar, the new MD appointment gave us a clear piece of news to share. The value of our work was in taking it far and wide across the trade press, then building on that announcement with an opportunity for readers to get to know Rich himself.
Combining business news with a personal profile helped raise his visibility as he prepares to take on the role. It’s an approach we use with founders and senior leaders to raise their profile, share their expertise and help them become recognised and trusted voices in their industry.
A great spread of coverage and a chance to show the person behind the business. That’s why this one stood out for us this month.
Have some business news to share, or a founder or team member with a story worth telling? We’d love to hear about it. Get in touch with Hungry Communications to see how we can help.
