In 2003, Red was appointed McAfee’s first European PR hub agency tasked with creating an efficient and accountable international network that would not only demonstrate PR ROI, but catapult the brand from the technology, trade and review pages and into the mainstream news arena across its principle markets in Europe.

Working with a leading security academic partner, Red compiled the first pan-European study in 2005 into how organised crime is infiltrating the Internet . The study identified a number of genuinely groundbreaking trends including the growth of “cyber child labour” - gangs of teenage hackers and “script kiddies” who were charging their services out to criminal overlords. To give further integrity to the report, red approached the leading hi-tech law enforcements crime agencies in each of the six key countries as part of the consultation process.

Across Europe, the campaign generated more than 975m OTS and more than 44 minutes of branded national TV coverage across Europe in just one week. The campaign also went way beyond PR. Around 20 major McAfee customers, European law enforcement agencies and government departments requested copies of the report - proof that it has established leadership and standout among key influencers for McAfee. The McAfee Virtual Criminology Report has now become an annual project.