Diagonal Communications, a new communications/content/PR/strategy agency, has been launched by Matt Bishop (Managing Director), who has worked in Formula One and other motorsport series for 30 years, first as a journalist and editor then as a comms chief for the McLaren and Aston Martin Formula One teams. He was the launch Communications Director of W Series, the women-only motor racing championship, and is a Founder Ambassador of Racing Pride, which was inaugurated in association with the charity Stonewall and works to promote LGBTQ+ inclusivity within the motorsport industry.
Joining Matt will be Joe Downes (Business Director), also a journalist-turned-comms guy, who has worked as a Sports Correspondent for the Daily Mail, a Communications Manager for the women-only motor racing championship W Series, and an Account Director for the sports and entertainment agency CSM.
Also part of the Diagonal Communications team will be Ann Bradshaw, Senior Consultant (Motorsport); and Tim Holmes, Senior Consultant (Automotive).
Diagonal Communications is backed by Kimura Performance, the City of London-based sports and esports acquisition, development and project management company.
Joe Downes
Business Director
Ann Bradshaw
(Motorsport)
Tim Holmes
(Automotive)
Matt Bishop (Managing Director, Diagonal Communications) said:
‘Having worked in Formula One and other motorsport media, comms, PR, content and strategy roles since well before the current Formula One world champion Max Verstappen was born, I have long harboured an ambition to form a communications/content/PR/strategy agency. Now, with the active support of Kimura Performance and the tremendous assistance of Joe Downes, Ann Bradshaw and Tim Holmes, together we have been able to do just that.
‘Diagonal Communications will supply its clients with strategic communications; brand building services; reputation management; media coverage generation; crisis communications advice; content creation; activation planning; digital and social media management; media monitoring; media training; copywriting; speech writing; thought leadership counsel; and diversity, equity and inclusion counsel and leadership.
‘Founded on its principals’ unrivalled experience in general sport, motorsport and automotive, Diagonal Communications will provide strategic, sophisticated, authentic, effective, media-savvy, no-nonsense comms based on peerless knowledge and a passionate commitment to understand, and deliver against, our clients’ challenges and objectives.’
Oliver Hall (Chief Executive Officer, Kimura Performance) said:
‘Kimura Performance is a sports and esports marketing and fan engagement collective. As we grow our eco-system of exciting and dynamic businesses, the introduction of Diagonal Communications gives us even more specialist capability.
‘Matt Bishop and his team are award-winning, best-in-class practitioners in their field, and their vibrant new communications agency will both benefit from and support all of the Kimura Performance ‘family’ and our clients.
‘Diagonal Communications will work with our existing businesses to offer our clients unique, innovative and visionary ways to engage with fans and communities through sports and esports.’
