Media Analysis - Vuelio

Communicating with finance clients and consumers: Tank’s head of PR Martyn Gettings

March 2, 2023/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications, PR Spotlight PR, Media Database, Media Analysis Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

Financial services is heavy in responsibility and regulation – particularly in 2023, as the cost-of-living crisis continues to stretch budgets to breaking point and regulation changes hover on the horizon.

With experience working across the finance services sector – on behalf of mortgage brokers, financial advisers, crypto experts or debt advice specialists – award-winning PR and digital marketing agency Tank is preparing its financial clients for what is on the way.

Just a few of the challenges for this year – the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)’s new Consumer Duty, the boom of cryptofinance and the consequences of Brexit. Tank’s head of PR Martyn Gettings shares his insight on these concerns and how the industry should be communicating them.

How much has cryptofinance factored into your planning and work this year?

The crypto market offers a real opportunity for PR and communications agencies, with market experts anticipating significant growth over the course of this year and beyond. With regulation on the way as well, crypto is likely to continue its emergence into the mainstream as governments, regulators and more investors get involved.

Tank is already working with businesses in this market, but as it continues to mature, there will be plenty of opportunities with crypto-focused organisations. Crypto is never dull – with so many creative businesses in the sector, it offers some really exciting prospects for agencies.

How are you ensuring your company and your finance clients are prepared for the FCA’s new Consumer Duty?

The new Consumer Duty adds extra considerations to existing rules and principles around treating consumers fairly – but for finance-focused PRs, the key message is that the principles of good, ethical communications remain unchanged. The sector must continue to encourage the highest quality support and guidance for consumers.

In the context of the cost-of-living crisis, it has never been more important for those operating across all aspects of the financial services sector to ensure that their customers are protected. This involves sharing accurate, reliable and useful information in a timely manner.

What will be the biggest potential blocks for companies working towards this, in your opinion?

As with all regulatory changes, the devil is often in the detail, so companies will need to ensure that they are keeping a close eye on updates to the new regulations as it develops through the various stages of consultation.

There is also an additional challenge of multiple regulators operating across similar sectors, which leaves space that could be exploited by inaccurate and misleading information, where firms are not bound by FCA regulations.

Another key consideration in the short-term is the cost-of-living crisis, which has only increased the importance of building trust with consumers – as well as heightening the risks of harmful practices or misleading information.

How can finance-focused organisations engage with audiences worried about their own finances in the current climate?

The key message to our clients is to show that they understand the challenges their customers are facing and make sure that their messaging and tone is building trust and integrity.

We have seen some high-profile examples of companies being exposed by failing to get their language and content right in campaigns about the cost-of-living, but the brands that can educate and inform consumers with relevant and helpful information will be the ones that come out of the current crisis with the most trust and integrity.

This is where clarity on brand strategy as a whole is vital – are the values and key messages at the heart of your brand still relevant in current market and audience expectations? The most effective PR campaigns are those that resonate clearly with your brand voice, so look at the source of the language and messages you are sharing in the media.

Which financial organisations have been doing a good job with their comms recently, in your opinion?

Neobanks is a great place to look for strong comms and the likes of Monzo are changing the game for the finance sector – with some of the more established players starting to adapt and modernise their comms strategies.

What big changes have you noticed in what is being asked for by your finance clients since your time in the industry?

Over the last few years, the rise of SEO-focused digital PR campaigns has become increasingly important for consumer-facing finance companies. Organic search will always be competitive, but digital PR campaigns are great opportunities for companies to build wider consumer awareness and increase engagement on a brand value level too.

We are also seeing more demand for awareness of changing regulations. This is becoming increasingly complex and Brexit has only added to these challenges for multinational organisations.

What are your go-to publications and journalists for keeping informed about changes in your sector?

It goes without saying that a broad reading list is the best way to keep on top of changes in the sector, as well as staying on top of consumer trends. The target publications of our finance clients range from broadsheets and broadcast media, to tabloids and lifestyle publications, as well as their key trade media as well.

It is also important to keep track of wider industry commentary and regulatory changes, from FCA and UK Finance reports and whitepapers, to The Conversation, which helps to distil the latest academic research into more digestible articles.

For more on emerging trends in financial services, download the Vuelio white paper ‘Communicating the new immediacy of finance’, featuring insight from industry experts on now brands can realise the potential of technology to build strong relationships with investors and consumers.

Want to connect with UK financial media? read our previous piece on how to pitch to finance journalists, find relevant reporters via the Vuelio Media Database and monitor your campaigns in the press with Vuelio Media Monitoring.

The fight against misinformation is just beginning

The fight against misinformation, disinformation and fake news is just beginning: Interview with Polis founder Thomas Barton

February 28, 2023/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, Politics, PR, Communications, Media, Public Affairs Media Analysis, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

‘It is the long-term threats that we need to be most concerned about – every day, we are feeling the corrosive impacts of misinformation, but its effect on society and democracy will only fully show in the longer term,’ believes Polis founder Thomas Barton.

Having founded Polis to empower people with awareness and fact-based knowledge of global politics, Thomas believes there is real opportunity in the fight against misinformation this year. As part of the Online Safety Bill, protections against the damages of untruths presented as fact will be put in place in law, but will the legislation be enough?

Why are efforts to fight misinformation so important this year in particular?

Research from Eurasia Group’s Top Risks forecast for 2023 found that disinformation is going to become even more pervasive due to disruptive technological developments, like ChatGPT. We have got to take action now to mitigate that threat.

From a public health perspective, while we are coming out of Covid, we have got to be ready for future pandemics. As part of building resilience, we need to be tackling disinformation and misinformation around vaccines – data shows that false information being spread online on vaccines has had a negative impact on uptake among young people. At the start of the pandemic hesitancy stood at 14% for younger age groups, falling drastically to 5% for over 30s.

If we want to be better prepared, we need to use 2023 to actually learn the lessons of the past and protect ourselves for the future.

Alongside threats to health, a US global trends report found that the biggest threat to social trust over the next 20 years will be an inability to agree on what the facts are – we will become more polarized as a society. How can we have a conversation if we can’t agree on what constitutes the truth?

There is real opportunity now because of the Online Safety Bill. This is the first time the UK Government has tried to introduce regulation in the online space.

What initiatives have Polis been working on?

Polis has taken a two-step approach to the campaign we are running on misinformation and disinformation.

The first is to raise awareness. Even though this issue poses huge threats to our democracy – Russia has used disinformation in Ukraine with deep fake technology, for example – it is not high on the political agenda. Rightly, people are focused on the war in Ukraine and the cost-of-living crisis here in the UK, but misinformation poses systemic challenges to our society.

We are also promoting solutions for tackling misinformation. Alongside talking at universities to engage young people in the conversation, I’ve been meeting with members of Parliament and the House of Lords with amendments to improve the Bill. We will be delivering briefings, policy papers and our own research to political stakeholders.

We have had encouraging results – Polis was one of the only contributors to the Online Safety Bill pre-legislation scrutiny committee that spoke about this issue and we made an impact. 66 of the committee’s recommendation made it into the Bill.

But the Government did not adopt all of our recommendations – there is far more work to be done.

Will the Online Safety Bill do enough?

The short answer is no. This is clearly a landmark legislation and there is opportunity to be more ambitious.

We believe that online platforms should be bound by similar conditions to ‘traditional’ broadcasters – the licensing terms of the Broadcasting Act around impartiality and ensuring factual information is put forward. If we can do it for the BBC, we should be able to copy and paste that model and apply it to the online space.

The Online Safety Bill is at an advanced stage in Parliament, so we have got one window of opportunity for someone in the Lords to table those amendments and make sure they get debated in the House of Commons, at which point we are hoping that MPs we have briefed agree that they need to be passed. Right now, the Bill is pretty lackluster when it comes to fighting disinformation.

What do PR and comms people need to be aware of?

Obviously, the job of a PR is to protect the reputation of their organisation, or the organisations that they work with – corporations are not going to be immune from the onslaught of misinformation.

We cannot escape conversations around ChatGPT at the moment – any activist or online troll could use that technology to spread all sorts of content on social media to trash the reputation of a corporation. If you are a bit more sophisticated, you could use deep fakes to impersonate senior figures in business to create a PR disaster. For a listed company, bad actors could move their share price.

And I am not making this up. The Eurasia Group has forecast this as a possibility in 2023. PRs must be aware of the reputational challenges posed by actors harnessing tech for malicious ends. Misinformation touches everyone.

How much responsibility falls on social media platforms and publishers?

We have been relying on voluntary action from social media companies so far, and look where we are.

According to Full Fact, only 1/5 of social media users who encounter misinformation on their feeds actually do something about it. Our civic duty means that those of us who have the necessary digital literacy skills to identify mis and disinformation online should actively take action and report the content to protect others.

I remember Mark Zuckerberg saying Facebook wouldn’t be ‘arbiters of truth’ – this is not what we are asking. We are asking for information to be taken down when it is blatantly fake and is causing damage to society, and that you have a responsibility when you have unleashed the floodgates and have given billions the opportunity to freely publish.

And ‘publishers’ can be individuals. Anyone can be a publisher if they have a social media account. We have a civic duty, in my view, to make sure that before we share content online, that we have read the content first, that we understand it, that we have looked into the source, that we do not just publish something on our feeds before we even engage with the content.

Along with regulations and legislation that comes from the ‘top-down’, you also need individuals – from the bottom-up – to take responsibility.

What is coming up over the next year for Polis?

At the moment, we’re in the weeds on the Online Safety Bill, but we need to think about life beyond it.

The EU’s Digital Services Act is robust, but there is nothing it, or the Government, can do about misinformation being shared on WhatsApp.

However, if the person receiving false information there has the media literacy and critical thinking skills to question what is coming through – to look at the validity of the source and whether it has been produced with malicious intent to mislead, or is accidentally misleading – we can inoculate against misinformation and disinformation; people can protect themselves.

The situation with education on this is dire. A report on the digital literacy of school children found that only 2% can tell fake news from legitimate news online. The next generation is not equipped with the skills they need to protect themselves.

We will be campaigning for major changes to the curriculum in schools – young people are not getting their news by watching the BBC, they aren’t picking up a copy of The Times or The Guardian on the way to school. The sources of information young people use the most for news are Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter. If that is where they are getting their news, they need the skill set to use them.

I don’t want to live in a society where we can’t agree on what basic facts are.

For more on the Online Safety Bill, the Digital Services Act and other UK and EU regulation changes to be aware of this year, click here. You can also download the Vuelio white paper ‘Medical misinformation: How PR can stop the spread‘ for a closer look at the situation within the health sector.

Automisation, digitisation and decarbonisation: Logistics Business’s Peter MacLeod on what is ahead for the logistics sector

February 28, 2023/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, Journalist Spotlight Media Database, Media Analysis, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

‘Our readers are looking at ways to improve the way they run their businesses, so are interested in the technologies and strategies used by their peers,’ says Logistics Business editor Peter MacLeod.

Covering subjects at the top of the agenda in logistics right now – the labour shortage, how to counteract high energy prices, and meeting environmental targets – Peter and his team are focused on keeping the sector informed of any potential trouble ahead and helping them to move forward:

‘Improving the bottom line is always top of the list for the logistics field, so anything that optimises their operations – whether that’s increasing automation levels or finding smarter ways to better utilise available space or reducing vehicle movements – is of interest to them’.

Read on for trends you need to be aware of when planning logistics-related campaigns and how you can work with Logistics Business.

How has the logistics sector changed since you’ve been covering it?

When I first started writing about logistics in the early noughties, the warehousing sector was dominated by the forklift truck and racking manufacturers. The majority of operations were performed manually – automated fulfilment systems were only really aimed at high-volume retailers. The advent of ecommerce changed everything, with the big warehouses that were previously configured to send pallets of goods to retail stores having to reshape their operations to satisfy the demands of individual consumers. This is where automation really took off, giving birth to a sub-sector called intralogistics – the technology of warehouse fulfilment. Believe me, there’s considerably more complexity required in a warehouse sending a single item to a single recipient than one sending a pallet of identical boxes to a supermarket.

How do you see the impact of supply chain issues evolving over the next few years in the UK and beyond?

Logistics businesses have been knocked by a series of situations beyond their immediate control – the ash cloud, the ship blocking the Suez Canal… as well as those issues affecting all sectors, such as the war in Ukraine and the shortage of chips (no, not those chips!). That has led them to invest in ways to increase their resilience to these factors, including deploying automated and robotic solutions with greater flexibility. Among the most popular strategies is to look at the supply chain from end-to-end rather than its individual functions, with a rush to digitisation offering unprecedented insight using previous trends as a model for coping with future disruption.

What are the other big trends for the logistics sector this year?

The aforementioned challenges are driving businesses to be increasingly sophisticated in supply chain planning. Another area where vast gains can still be made is the last mile – the incredibly vital link between the supplier’s depot and the consumer’s front door. There are huge challenges here, and a more collaborative approach in this area is certainly on the cards – surely we’ve all seen rival courier vehicles running up and down the same streets at the same time? Soon, we’ll be saying ‘What were we thinking?’. And, of course, there’s a huge drive towards decarbonisation driven both by upcoming legislation and consumer demands.

Are logistics companies doing enough to incorporate net zero goals into their planning, in your opinion?

Any business ignoring the impact they make on the environment will soon be driven out of business, so the simple answer has to be ‘yes’. However, logistics is a really difficult sector, as it is heavily reliant on transportation such as shipping and HGVs. Many in the sector have pledged to reach net zero ahead of legislative targets, but many others are unable to make significant progress due to infrastructural restrictions.

For example, a central European delivery company has just ordered a huge fleet of diesel lorries because the majority of its country’s electricity is generated by burning coal, and so it figured it would use more carbon to go electric.

What information from PRs is useful for the magazine and the website, and how would you prefer they get in touch?

It’s always a challenge for PRs to give every editor what they want when they want it in the way they want it! I am not alone in spending a good part of the day going through emails, some of which are nothing to do with logistics, and it’s sometimes hard to pick out what’s relevant and what isn’t – nearly everything is now described using terms such as ‘leading’, ‘game-changing’ or ‘unique’!

For the magazine, I’m looking first and foremost for something exclusive to us that will offer readers genuine insight, and which is not just a plug for a particular product or service. It’s a pleasant – but increasingly rare – surprise when my phone rings and a PR is pitching an idea to me, wanting to learn more about the audience, wordcount, deadline, imagery, etc. Of course, the magazine is restricted in size by its physical proportions, so we will always give priority to those companies who are willing to engage with us commercially – we offer an incredible amount of options to suit every marketing budget – but if an article is strong enough to stand up on its own, then let’s talk.

What do PRs need to know about the logistics industry that is unique to the sector – does it have big differences to other industries?

I think the same values apply to all industries – businesses want to know how they can be more profitable, how they can attract and retain staff, how they can reduce their environmental impact, and how they can gain an edge on their competitors. With logistics, the challenges are sometimes a bit more complex, as they seem more susceptible to disruption from geopolitical influences as well as changing consumer habits. I believe the logistics media plays a part in helping them keep abreast of these challenges and helping them stay competitive.

How far ahead do you plan content?

I come from the good old days of magazine publishing, when a monthly magazine would have pages and pages of news. Today, if it’s news, it goes up on the website. Being a quarterly publication, I effectively have up to three months to plan each edition; in reality, with all the other activities I’m involved with such as podcasts and webinars, the window is much narrower. Every issue we cover all aspects relevant to our sector, and therefore do not publish an editorial calendar. If there is a customer referenced in an article, then it can often take a while to get their approval, which shreds the nerves around deadline time.

You also co-host the Last Mile Prophets podcast with Marek Różycki – what extra subjects does the podcast give you the space to cover that Logistics Business Magazine perhaps doesn’t?

Logistics Business and Last Mile Prophets are two unconnected, separate entities. I am a freelancer, so treat them both as valued clients. Last Mile Prophets is a venture where Marek and I chat about the challenges faced by parcel carriers in fulfilling the last leg of the delivery chain. Readers of Logistics Business are not too interested in delivery lockers at the end of your street, whereas Last Mile Prophet listeners don’t much care for fork lift trucks! It’s great fun – Marek and I have good chemistry, and we are building a good following so far. We both feel there is more to come from this brand than a podcast or webinar, so we could be moving into very interesting places in the future.

Which logistics brands are doing a good job when it comes to sustainability and environmental considerations?

I am loath to name specific companies, as some are much better at shouting about their success in this area than others. But there are certain businesses where you totally believe that environmental issues are taken into account with every step they take, whereas with others it seems like tokenism or a last-minute addition – almost as though someone in marketing has barged into the boardroom and said, ‘Oh, and where’s the green angle here?’

Find out more about Peter MacLeod and Logistics Business on the Vuelio Media Database.

Want more from the logistics industry? Read our interview with Logistics UK’s Matt Harrington here.

Food & drink forecast: 2023’s biggest trends

February 21, 2023/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications, Media, Food Media Database, Media Monitoring, Media Analysis, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

This is a guest post from Hatch Group’s senior account manager Emily Boswell.

At the start of a new year brands, marketeers and other industry professionals all start to look towards what lies ahead. At Hatch, we have already seen a whole host of predictions for 2023 trends focused on AI, the economy and across different sectors and the food and drink industry is a sector with plenty of opportunity to adapt, change and grow in 2023.

Unfortunately, as we enter a predicted recession, the cost-of-living crisis looks set to have a huge impact and specifically upon the Food & Drink sector, with rising costs and less disposable income to treat ourselves. With this in mind, we can expect this to underpin many of the trends across all industries. Consumers will not only be looking to save money, but with the climate crisis ever at the forefront of the news, they will also be considering more and more the impact that their choices have on the planet.

As experts in the food and drink sector, Hatch is here to forecast some of the key trends we expect will shake up the food and drink industry this year.

Value for Money

With the cost-of-living crisis going nowhere fast, value for money is key in 2023. We anticipate that people will be eating out less, and instead opting for homecooked meals.

Therefore, we expect to see people prioritising more affordable meals and ingredients, as they look for ways to reduce the cost of their shopping basket.

It doesn’t stop there though, through our work within the consumer tech sector we’re seeing that consumers are increasingly looking at their cooking products too and considering how they can save money on their ever-increasing energy bills. For example, slow cookers and air fryers are flying off the shelves thanks to their low energy usage credentials.

The tinned fish revolution

Yes, really. With the cost of living making consumers rethink their usual habits, shoppers will be constantly looking for ways to spend less on their weekly shop. One of the most expensive items in consumers’ shopping trollies is protein, meaning shoppers will likely start to look for cheaper alternatives. The answer? Tinned fish.

This is a trend that is also being driven by TikTok. In 2022, we saw an increasing number of videos going viral on the platform, showing aesthetically-pleasing fish charcuterie boards, which many are recreating at home. In fact, sales of canned seafood shot up by 10% in the US last year – something we expect to see here in the UK this year.

Conscious choices

Consumers are moving more and more towards planet conscious and sustainable choices and we’ll see a greater focus placed on plant-based and environmentally-friendly options in the coming months

At Hatch we work with food and drink producers across a range of different products from frozen peas and cheese, to wine and rum and we’re seeing lots of consumers making changes with their diets, to opt for products that have lower carbon footprints that are better for the environment. For example, smashed peas on toast has become a popular alternative to the traditional smashed avocado, as consumers have become more aware of the impact avocados have on the environment.

With this shift we will continue to see more plant-based food alternatives on the shelf. However, these won’t be confined to just supermarket shelves – we’re seeing an increase in the number of plant-based fine dining restaurants, and an increase in Michelin stars being awarded to restaurants for their plant-based meal innovation.

New alternatives for non-dairy milks

Following on from these conscious choices comes a new wave of non-dairy milks.

Non-dairy milks such as almond milk and oat milk have been soaring in popularity in recent years. However, with consumers awareness around the massive environmental impact of almond milk, we’re likely to see more non-dairy alternatives becoming popular in 2023.

In fact, we’ve already seen new milks such as sesame milk and pistachio milk becoming popular. Pistachios require half the amount of water to grow than almonds, and sesame milk requires an astounding 95% less water – the perfect alternative for environmentally-conscious shoppers!

A nod to nostalgia

90s fashion isn’t the only thing set to make a return. With consumers facing challenging times currently, there’s going to be a greater demand this year for nostalgic foods that consumers can find comfort in. We constantly see posts on social media clamouring for the return of chocolate bars that are no more (R.I.P. Mars Delight) and original recipe Sunny-D and it looks as though brands are starting to pay attention.

Think back to the favourite foods from your childhood, such as hot dogs, old-school cereals, or pick and mix sweets – these are the types of foods we expect to see returning to supermarket shelves this year.

And over in the US, we’re even seeing the likes of McDonalds introducing Adult Happy Meals, to cater to this nostalgic consumer.

English wines

English wines have been soaring in popularity recently, with sales doubling in the last two years alone and English wines starting to be recognised at wine producer prestigious award ceremonies.

At first, it’s all been about English sparkling wines, however now that people are trusting that we Brits do in fact know how to make good wine, we’ll see more demand for English still wines too.

This year in particular is likely to see an increase in English red wines. 2022 saw England’s joint hottest summer in records going back to 1884, leading to an excellent harvest for Pinot Noir, and generally creating excitement from many winemakers across the country.

Plant-powered pasta

Pasta is universally loved, and a staple for many home-cooked dishes. However, as consumers look to make healthier choices with their diet, we’re likely to see shoppers exploring healthier pasta alternatives. Enter, plant-based pastas.

The perfect option to increase our vegetable intake, plant powered pasta is expected to be a big trend in 2023, and while everyone’s heard of courgetti, expect to see the likes of sweet potato pasta, spaghetti squash, chickpea fusilli and even yellow pea penne becoming popular this year.

Paper drinks bottles

As consumers look for more sustainable products, they’re holding brands to a higher standard than ever before.

The environmental impact of glass bottles is coming more into focus for consumers, and brands are having to respond. Thankfully, some drinks brands, such as Greenall’s Original London Dry Gin, Green Man Wildwood Vodka, Gyre & Gimble Coastal Gin and Avallen Calvados, have found the answer in paper bottles. Usually made from recycled paper, these bottles have a considerably lower carbon footprint compared to their glass equivalents.

Emily Boswell is a senior account manager at Hatch Group, with over six years’ experience working across a number of food, drink and FMCG brands. Experienced in both B2B and B2C press office, social media, and activations, Emily’s client portfolio has included brands such as Fentimans, Black Sheep Brewery, Puerto de Indias gin and Yes Peas!.

For more from the Food & Drink sector, read our previous posts on how the big six UK supermarkets are faring with their cost-of-living messaging in the media, as well as how to pitch to journalists writing about food and drink with related stories and information.

6 tips on fighting medical misinformation

6 pointers for PR professionals tackling misinformation on the front lines

February 20, 2023/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, Politics, Health, Communications, Media, PR Club, Public Affairs Media Database, Media Monitoring, Media Analysis, Political Services, PR, Political Database, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

Misinformation, disinformation and fake news is highly contagious and harmful, especially in the field of health. Effective PR and communications can help fight the spread and protect the public from its impacts.

Our latest white paper ‘Medical misinformation: How PR can stop the spread’ features guidance for comms professionals tasked with educating and informing, with advice from medical, healthcare and pharmaceutical practitioners working in-house, agency-side and within the media.

Take note of these six pointers from the paper, and download the full report here.

1. Be vigilant with AI tools

‘A key challenge this year will be the threat of generative AI and combatting misinformation, particularly online. However, it is an area for opportunity and growth – the harnessing of tech to provide data rich intelligence that can underpin PR activity.’

Matt Wilson, media and public affairs manager for the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA)

2. Stay transparent

‘Transparency of production, transparency of bias, transparency of any kind that goes into news organisations’ production or production values should be better communicated with consumers.

‘When you go into a shop, you pick up a piece of food and it has the nutritional information on the back so that you can decide whether or not you want to eat it. If we had better signposting within news organisations to help us understand how the piece was created and why it was created, it would help us better pick quality content as consumers.’

Jodie Jackson, founder of the News Literacy Network (find out more about the network in this ResponseSource interview)

3. Allow open conversation to avoid mistrust

‘Although witnessing medical misinformation being spread can be frustrating, especially as a healthcare professional, it is important to remain understanding as to why some people may hold irrational beliefs. Mocking them for having these views, or suffocating any conversation around them, can lead to a further level of distrust between the general public and professionals within the pharmaceutical industry, which can further fan the flame of misinformation.

‘It is important to target misinformation with education and critical thinking – after all, social media regulation will not stop misinformation from being spread in the long-run, as people will find other ways to do this. Changing the way people take in information and educating them on how they can validate information before believing it directly must happen, too.’

Carolina Goncalves, superintendent pharmacist at UK pharmacist Pharmica

4. Pay close attention to inequalities and bias still within the health sector itself

‘As a health journalist, I’ve become increasingly interested over the last five or so years in issues around health inequalities, gender bias and medical misogyny.

‘In 2018 I started my blog Hysterical Women to bring together women’s stories and experiences in one place. It particularly explores some of the dismissive and disbelieving attitudes that women can encounter when seeking healthcare – the idea that we’re being “hysterical” or “hormonal”, or that our symptoms are “all in our heads”.

‘I hope to move that conversation forwards – beyond simply curating experiences to actually looking at the underlying reasons, highlighting some of the campaigns around the gender health gap and exploring what the solutions might be.’

Sarah Graham, writer and author of ‘Rebel Bodies: A guide to the gender health gap revolution’ (read more about Sarah and her work in this interview)

5. Go beyond the physical to gain and retain the attention of your audience

‘Re-evaluate your assumptions about what people will engage with. Mental health is a big concern, for example – so consumers may be more likely to engage with content about mental wellness, compared to physical wellness.’

Helen Fitzhugh, associate director, Healthcare at Kaizo PR

6. Be responsive to international events to fight fake news

‘One advantage we have on misinformation is that it rarely falls out of the blue – it tends to spike in response to unfolding events. Extreme weather events, global conflicts and public health crises are all areas where misinformation can thrive. We’d recommend keeping an eye on countries that have elections coming up, too.’

Shayoni Lynn, founder and CEO of Lynn

Download ‘Medical misinformation: How PR can stop the spread’ here.

10 ways energy suppliers can enhance their crisis comms

February 15, 2023/0 Comments/in Insights, media measurement, media analysis, PR, Communications Comms, insights, Data analysis, best practice, Media Monitoring, Media Analysis, PR /by Hollie Parry

The causes of the energy crisis have been an international debate for almost a year, though gas and electricity suppliers are often first in line to carry the weight of public outrage – which was only exacerbated when claims of profiteering began to surface in 2022.

With several independent/large scale suppliers set to reveal ‘bumper’ results in the coming weeks, comms teams need to be prepared for any potential onslaught.

Since 1 Feb, 102 national news sources have commented on the projected elevation of PR crises for energy suppliers. Speaking on one of the biggest profit scandals of the past year, Investec analyst, Martin Young said comms in this sector has ‘arguably gotten harder’.

Similarly, a former business analyst at E.ON was quoted extensively in an FT article earlier this week, stating that suppliers actually lose money through household energy and that the ‘limelight should be on the producers’ instead.

Now more than ever, it is vital for suppliers to be closely monitoring industry news and measuring media presence, building preventative and reactive strategies based on the results.

Here are 10 tips to enhance your crisis comms process:

1. Measure regularly and efficiently

Whether internal or external, the diversity of crises in the energy sector is high and the ability to reflect on performance can feel limited. Making an effort to monitor your media presence comes with high rewards, primarily the ability to refine and target your strategic goals.

Fortunately, there are several ways to achieve these results with a quick and high-level analysis. Check out our four-step guide to learn more.

2. Define your key messages

Sentiment alone isn’t enough to ensure that you have successfully diverted a PR crisis. When the entire industry is affected, you need to know that the value of your positive/neutral coverage is stronger than your competitors.

While there are a few ways to do this, a strong set of key messages is one of the most effective ways to ensure that you are delivering highly relevant and reactive attitudes.

Key messages also allow you to measure your brand reputation against competitors within the specific crisis at hand. To get started, try the following:

Establish 3-5 key messages – what do you want to say?
Set your parameters – where do you want it to be heard?
Assess your coverage – what messages landed best? How did competitors perform?
Build out KPIs – how can you improve on messages that were not received well OR performed poorly?

Check out this five-step guide to learn more about creating key messages that actually land with your target audience.

3. Prioritise personability

Key messages in a crisis are as crucial as the tone set within them. Suppliers who maintain an approachable attitude with their customers maintain a much stronger ratio of prominent and positive coverage than those who do not — Octopus energy is a leading example of an energy company that holds a consistently strong relationship with the British media.

That being said, knowing your audience is key for drawing the line between personability and ignorance. OVO has been applauded for lessening its corporate tone across PR publications, but has also previously been called out for diluting the severity of the energy crisis by advising Brits to ‘cuddle pets’ to stay warm.

4. Produce more content

Among the ‘Big Six’ energy suppliers, better owned content equates to better earned content. In other words, those who publish regular blogs, newsletters and press releases have a much more valuable media presence than those who do not.

Another huge benefit of having a strong owned-media readership is that it presents an open opportunity to plug key messages and drive the brand attitude towards current crises.

5. Know how to apologise

When Shell was called out across international press for purchasing Russian oil in March last year, it rapidly resurrected some respect by following what Pink Elephant Comms refer to as the ‘Three R’s’ – Regret, Reason and Remedy.

While the story peaked around the world between 6 and 15 March 2022, the supplier’s negative sentiment rate dropped from 89% to 68% after it released an extended apology on 8 March 2022.

6. Prevention over cure

When the entire industry is baring the impact of an extended crisis, the biggest names are likely going to be in the media spotlight on more than one occasion.

In preparation for this, building early-onset preventative strategies is a much stronger method than trying to dilute a negative peak in coverage. For example, Octopus Energy’s electric blanket campaign is an ongoing success that has leveraged nationwide positive coverage throughout Winter over the past couple of years.

7. Don’t go silent

In a world where activism and ethics are at the forefront of consumer interest, the adage that ‘the best PR is invisible PR’ has become a risky perspective.

Throughout the 2022 World Cup, FIFA partners who promoted messaging in favour of human rights a few weeks ahead of the event demonstrated much more control over negative coverage throughout the competition than those who said nothing at all.

8. Explore the meaning of authenticity

Greenwashing, woke-washing and alike are some of many ways in which the media are capable of fishing out those who are authentic in their actions versus those who are not.

Fortunately, with some research, there are several visible ways to enhance legitimacy in a way that also generates media interest. For example, since COP27 in November, STEM companies that are part of the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) have seen a stronger positive Share of Voice in relation to net zero coverage than those who are not.

9. Internal alignment

Among the UK-based PR publications talking about crisis comms over the past month, approximately 62% mention the importance of internal alignment between comms, public affairs and legal teams.

A crisis comms committee with executives and key members of each department is an effective way to achieve this from a top-down level.

10. Managing misinformation

Since the start of the energy crisis, PR publications have demonstrated consistent interest in which suppliers are working with external agencies. While this coverage in itself is relatively neutral, it falls in line with ongoing accusations that PR agencies are to blame for promoting misinformation for energy clients.

Once again, prevention is the best method here – work closely with your crisis committee and agency to ensure total alignment and authenticity. Agencies are now much more cautious of how they choose to support energy suppliers, as their reputation is at stake too; total transparency from the start is the best way to mitigate any media allegations for all parties involved.

Want to know more about this data or how media insights can support your PR and communications? Find out more.

Trends in financial journalism PRs need to know about

Trends in finance journalism PRs need to know about

February 14, 2023/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications, Media Media Database, Media Monitoring, Media Analysis, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Andrew Strutt

Everyone in the UK has been impacted in some way by the cost-of-living crisis that has rumbled on for nearly a year now. From energy bills to mortgage payments to the interest rate; it has all been increasing in price. This has put a massive strain on households and forced people to look more closely at their budget and savings.

It has also, understandably, gained a lot of attention from the media with national newspapers, broadcast media and consumer titles all keen to cover the impact on the general public and give advice on how to cope during these difficult times. We decided to find out what journalists have been researching within this area by looking at requests for the Personal Finance category on the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service over the last few months.

Personal Finance has really increased in popularity. Between October and November, we saw a 27% increase in the number of requests for this category and between December and January, an even bigger rise of 39%. Overall, over 3% of all requests have included the Personal Finance category in the last four months.

It also corresponds with ‘Cost of living’ being a regular top key phrase. Since September, at least 2% of all enquiries on the service each month have included these words within their request. If we look at requests just within the Personal Finance category, then 11% of all enquiries from journalists have included this phrase.

Many requests have looked to get case studies, with several of those coming from broadcast outlets such as 5 News and ITV News. One looking for a single person struggling to pay the bills due to the cost of living and another wanted to find out the impact of the crisis on students. If you have any clients with first-person accounts of how the cost-of-living crisis is affecting their daily lives, then there should be plenty of opportunities to get these featured.

National newspapers like The Sun, The I paper and The Daily Star have also sought to cover this topical issue. These enquiries have been more for general information covering budgeting for a wedding, free fitness activities and what customers can do to help pubs avoid closing early, to name but a few. Meanwhile, trade titles such as HR magazine have wanted more practical advice, like how to avoid payroll issues in the cost-of-living crisis.

Despite ‘cost of living’ being such a popular phrase in the media and on the enquiry service, the top keyword within the Personal Finance requests in the last four months has been ‘finance/financial’ appearing in 21% of all the enquiries.

Requests with these keywords have tended to look more for a spokesperson or expert and covered both consumer and trade titles such as Raconteur, Money Marketing, Closer, Global Finance and Money & Finance magazine. They have looked for finance/CFO expertise, personal finance experts, financial advice and for a money/finance expert. All of these give a great chance to get clients who are experts in their field featured in leading magazines and websites.

One of the words mentioned in those requests above, ‘money’, also performed well in the Personal Finance category between October and February, featuring in 19% of all requests. Again, numerous requests were looking for experts but there was also a focus on getting information about saving money. These varied from saving money on a renovation, saving money when doing laundry plus general requests around saving money over Christmas and in the January sales.

‘Saving/savings’ also performed well as a keyword too, appearing in 7% of all Personal Finance requests. National titles like the Daily Mirror and Daily Express submitted requests with these keywords as well as consumer titles such as Woman’s Own and Real Homes.

Within the cost-of-living crisis, one of the major concerns for people has been the rising energy bills and that has been reflected on the service with ‘energy’ as a keyword in 8% of all Personal Finance requests.

The Express.co.uk looked for an energy bill expert to report on gas boilers possibly being banned while The Daily Mirror wanted a case study of someone that invested in green energy years ago and is now seeing the benefit.

The other issue that has arisen over the last six months or so has been with mortgage rates increasing. ‘Mortgage’ as a keyword was in just over 3.5% of the enquiries between October and February as journalists look to get information on the latest rates as well as expert opinion from mortgage brokers and advisers. Requests came from titles including City A.M., The Daily Telegraph and Property Investor.

There has also been a lot of concern over pensions and the triple lock and with the cost-of-living crisis, some people have been forced to come out of retirement due to financial uncertainty. ‘Pension’ and ‘retirement’ both performed well as keywords at 7% and 2% respectively. Titles including Pensions Expert and The I paper were looking for experts and advice on pensions while Law360 and The Sunday Times asked for case studies of people coming out of retirement.

Keywords such as ‘banking’, ‘insurance’, ‘investment’, ‘inflation’ and ‘interest rate’ were all present in at least 2% or more of all Personal Finance requests. This shows there is plenty of opportunity to get clients featured in prominent outlets, whether they specialise in mortgages or pensions or insurance.

Overall, within the Personal Finance category, 46% of all the requests in this period were looking for a spokesperson or expert. Personal case study was the next most popular choice at 27%, followed by information for an article in third on 24%. The requests were dominated by National Newspaper/Current Affairs outlets with 46% from them and Consumer Media second on 29%. Trade/Business/Professional Media was third on 14% with Radio and Television fourth on 5%.

With energy companies due to hike their prices up in April, the cost-of-living crisis is unlikely to be going away anytime soon. That means journalists will be covering this issue closely, needing advice and experts to comment on what this will mean for consumers. The knock-on-effect is that people will have less money in their budget and will need to make savings, meaning these keywords will continue to appear in requests and provide more chances to get clients out in the media.

To receive relevant requests from the UK media straight to your inbox, find out more about the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service.

For more, find out why it can be more effective than #JournoRequest and the right way to reply to journalist requests.

Waste Not, Want Not – How brands can help combat food waste with effective PR and social media campaigns

February 9, 2023/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications, Media, Food PR, Media Database, Media Analysis Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

This is a guest post from Alex Halls, account director at Hatch.

Food waste is a huge issue in the UK, with an estimated 10.2 million tonnes of food ending up in the bin every single year. That’s enough food to feed the entire population of London for a whole year. Of this, it is estimated that 7.3 million tonnes are ‘avoidable’, meaning it could have been consumed had it been managed better and let’s be honest, we’re all guilty of it.

It’s not just a waste of perfectly good food, it is also a drain on resources and terrible for the environment. It is estimated that the carbon footprint of food waste in the UK is equivalent to that of 18 million cars on the road. According to the United Nations, if food waste were a country, it would be the third largest emitter of greenhouse gases after China and the United States.

With an increasing number of environmentally-conscious consumers and an ever-worsening food waste problem, it is important that brands use their platforms to step in and help combat the issue. One of the most effective ways to do this is through PR and social media campaigns. These campaigns can be used to raise awareness about the issue, share information about the impact of food waste on the environment, educate and encourage consumers to make changes in their own lives.

Education

The key to any change is through education and it is no different in the fight against food waste. According to a report by WRAP, households are responsible for 60% of the UK’s food waste, so it is clear there is an issue that starts at home.

An effective way to combat food waste is by utilising recipes that incorporate leftovers and help people make the most of food they have in the fridge by providing inspiration and techniques to use up and preserve food.

The rise of subscription services like Hello Fresh and Mindful Chef have meant that people are only getting the amount of food they need in, and menu planning is a great way to reduce food waste. But we’ve all been in the shop when we’re hungry and bought far too much.

In a cost-of-living crisis, it is even more important that we plan meals, and brands have a real opportunity to create inspirational content that can help give people the tools and techniques they need to fix the issue at home.

We’ve seen over the last few years the sheer amount of food-related content on social media and that’s growing even more with the rise of TikTok – so my number one tip, if you’re a brand in this sector and you want to do something to combat food waste, is to get your apron on and start inspiring your consumers with tasty, easy-to-follow and engaging recipe content. If you wanted to take this on the road, you could look at doing a zero-waste street food van or pop up café to get your tasty dishes in the hands of potential customers and engage directly with your target audience. There are loads of ways you can expand on it, but at the heart it is about education and inspiration.

At Hatch, we work with the British Growers Association on the Yes Peas! Campaign to promote the benefits of frozen peas and shine a light on the industry. It’s tempting to just whack peas on the side of your plate and have done with it, but what Yes Peas! does so brilliantly is hero the ingredient and make it the star of the show through recipes. It’s needed as well, as the average person eats around 9,000 peas every year.

Yes Peas! also educates consumers on the wider environmental benefits. Peas are by far the most environmentally-friendly veg in the UK; we’re 90% self-sufficient as a nation, there’s little to no waste as the pods are utilised in different ways and any that don’t fit the grade are used in animal feed. Peas go from field to frozen in around 150-minutes, meaning little supply chain wastage.

But it’s not just recipes that help to educate the consumer. Research, white papers and other helpful content e.g. downloadable meal planners and weekly menus can also play a huge role. Simple tactics like this can be an incredibly cost-effective way to make a difference.

Shock Tactics

A tried and tested strategy when it comes to affecting real change through marketing strategies is the implementation of shock tactics. By highlighting the staggering statistics of food waste and the impact it has on the environment and global food security, brands can create a sense of urgency and use it to motivate consumers to take action.

Images of overflowing landfills and the devastating effects on the planet can be a powerful way to get people talking about the issue.

You may remember a campaign a few years ago when WRAP showed how much food a household wastes in a year:

This has worked in the past for other environmental causes like littering, plastic waste, ocean pollution and so on. People find it hard to visualise numbers and figures in their head, so showing them in a simple way can make a big impression and make for a great impactful stunt (the only issue is make sure all the food doesn’t go to waste just for the sake of your own stunt, or you’re just adding to the problem).

Partnerships

Another way brands can look to target food waste through their PR and social media activity is by partnering with like-minded charities, organisations and people. This not only helps to support a good cause but builds a positive reputation for the brand. Food waste charities redistribute nearly 50,000 tonnes of food each year, making them a crucial ingredient in the fight against food waste, and well-known chefs and food writers have been campaigning for years on the issue.

A fantastic example of this in the UK is the food waste reduction campaign ‘Too Good To Go’, which is supported by major supermarkets, restaurant chains and independents. This campaign focuses on reducing food waste by making surplus food available to consumers at reduced prices through an app, and has helped to divert tonnes of food that would have otherwise been heading to landfill.

Partnering with influencers and celebrities who have a vested interest can also help elevate your PR and social campaigns. However, it is important that you remain authentic and seek out partners who genuinely care. At Hatch we often say consumers have the best bulls**t detectors around and with growing skepticism around influencers, you don’t want to get it wrong.

People like Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, who has been a prominent campaigner against food waste for many years, would be the perfect face of a food waste campaign for a brand looking to gain additional cut through, utilising his name, expertise and genuine passion for the cause would prove a beneficial strategy.

Sustainable Practices

That said, it is not just about raising awareness and educating consumers, it’s also about encouraging them to take action themselves. One way brands can do this is by using their own supply chain to reduce food waste. According to a report by the Carbon Trust, food waste in the supply chain accounts for 33% of all food waste in the UK.

By implementing sustainable practices such as composting, reducing packaging, and using more efficient production methods, brands can help to combat food waste at the source and set an example for others in the industry to follow.

Setting sustainability targets and committing to achievable goals is a great way to lead by example and can form the basis of any key messages and strategy when launching a marketing campaign to combat food waste. A strong proactive and reactive press office function, which shares these key messages and utilises expert stakeholders to comment on these issues, is a brilliant way of raising awareness of your brand and its commitment to combating food waste.

After all, you have to get your own house in order and practice what you preach to be taken seriously. We’ve seen so many people accused of greenwashing or offering empty promises, so with any activity of this nature, it’s important it’s authentic.

Conclusion

A successful PR and social media campaign can have a huge impact, helping to raise awareness about the issue, educate consumers on how to reduce food waste at home, and encourage people to make changes in their own lives. By utilising data and insight, brands can make changes in their own supply chain that can reduce food waste and improve sustainability. There are loads more tactics brands could use as part of their strategy, but hopefully this sparks some inspiration and helps you in the fight against food waste.

Alex has over six years’ experience in PR working across a range of B2B and B2C clients in FCMG, Food & Drink, Sport and Lifestyle sectors.

Which energy suppliers are leading the renewable conversation?

February 8, 2023/0 Comments/in Insights, media measurement, media analysis, PR, Communications insights, Data analysis, Media Monitoring, Media Analysis, PR, Comms /by Hollie Parry

At the start of what appears to be a long road ahead, the extent to which the energy crisis is being caused by net-zero policies has been highly debated across news and social media platforms for almost seven months.

Placing the blame on green levies is considered a ‘conservative’ perspective, shared by the likes of the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA), Nigel Farage’s ‘Power not poverty’ campaign and Jordan Peterson on the latest Joe Rogan podcast.

While The Guardian Australia’s environmental reporter Graham Readfearn has been one of the most prominent oppositional speakers, other UK news sources are taking a more neutral perspective. Rather, climate action is considered one of many root causes in a ‘deeply complex arena’.

Contrary to this international debate, the climate crisis and relative health concerns are pressing as inflation and public support for net-zero remains high. This, alongside the eventual reduction in overall costs, are some of the largest incentives behind why suppliers are choosing to continue investing in renewable solutions.

Key Takeaways

The impact of renewable energy is widely debated in the press, but British suppliers are retaining an overall positive reputation as the public continue to favour net-zero policies.
Shell was the most prominent in broadcast media, Octopus received the most valuable online coverage and EDF were the favoured supplier across print media.
Across all media types, Octopus has received the highest volume and most headline mentions compared to any other supplier.
Ecotricity Founder, Dale Vince, received a significant volume of biographical and interview-based coverage across both Europe and North America.

Since COP27 in November, UK media has been highly saturated with net zero energy coverage; climate-action press releases were 56% more likely to be picked up than others released by small and large-scale suppliers.

So, who is leading this conversation and what actions have earned the most valuable visibility?

Which media types are most common?

*Data samples were collected from 1 Dec, 2022 – 1 Feb 2022 and represent all UK news and industry publications discussing renewable energy in relation to at least one small or large-scale UK supplier(s).

Among the 2,268 articles measured by the Vuelio Insights team, 78% of coverage was digital, 11.8% was print and 10.2% was broadcast across television and radio.

Shell received the most broadcast coverage overall, with mentions on Countryfile, BBC Radio 4 and 5 live. Sentiment was mixed – the most prominent coverage was primarily negative, with an extended focus on how the company, at the time, had not paid tax in the UK for a number of years ‘in part due to significant investments in the North Sea’ (Countryfile, 18 Dec 2022). However, only a day later, Countryfile passively mentioned Shell’s ‘offshore wind projects’ in a positive light (Countryfile, 19 Dec 2022).

Online, Octopus received the highest volume of coverage due to extensive net zero efforts as an independent company and in collaboration with several other British suppliers, both in and out of ‘The Big Six’.

EDF was the most-mentioned brand in print media and had overall positive sentiment; the most frequent article being a passive mention on its involvement in the ‘demand flexibility service (DFS)’. However, the supplier’s most prominent coverage was in reference to its partnership with Luminous, which will create a ‘solar farm with battery’ in the East Midlands. This coverage reached 82 trade publications and 43 regional/local publications between 9 and 15 Jan 2023.

Who has the most prominent Share of Voice?

Octopus

Across all media types, Octopus has received the highest volume and most headline mentions compared to any other supplier. Its most successful story was both proactive and positive in sentiment: the decision to acquire a solar developer — which was a developing story from 1 Dec 2022 to 13 Jan 2023. Throughout this time, the media demonstrated continuous interest in the decision, the project development and the projected impact.

Ecotricity

Ecotricity’s coverage was much more specific in that the most prominent coverage generated was based on three significant stories, all of which placed a significant focus on the founder, Dale Vince.

Vince’s controversial statement that ‘greenwashing is a good thing’ created international media awareness between 2 and 6 Feb 2022, which came shortly after The Guardian referred to him as a ‘superstar’ that would be the ‘British Elon Musk if he didn’t detest Tesla’. Collectively, biographical and interview-based coverage consumed 75% of Ecotricity’s best-performing coverage, with some national/regional focus on its ‘super farm’ plans to power Gloucestershire, if turbine bans are lifted.

Good Energy

As the smallest supplier in the ranks, Good Energy generated significant local, regional and trade media awareness from 2 Dec to 31 Jan. The core focus was on several awards both nominated and won throughout this period, such as being shortlisted for a ‘Green Business award’ and maintaining its place at the top of the Which? Eco Provider ranking.

The company was also recognised within this coverage for being part of the Science-Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), an environmental accreditation that is rapidly growing across multiple sectors. The Vuelio Insights Team recently found that being part of the net-zero initiative earns respect within scientific journalism and has a direct impact on the likelihood of generating coverage.

SSE

Similar to Ecotricity, SSE’s most prominent, positive and high-reaching coverage featured direct statements from CEO Alistair Phillips-Davies. In an article by the Financial Times, Phillips-Davies warned that the UK is ‘not moving fast enough’ on green economy, outlining specific calls for action to improve planning and consent times for renewables development. Between 17 and 21 Jan, this story was syndicated a further 51 times across regional and trade publications.

EDF

With the strongest proportion of positive and neutral coverage overall, EDF also generated the widest diversity of coverage, with long and short-term peaks over time. The highest-reaching article with the strongest prominence was the supplier’s decision to build a 100MWh battery at its new Energy Superhub in Bedfordshire.

Much alike to Ecotricity, this localised effort performed well in small and regional news publications between 7 to 12 Dec 2022.

Shell

While Shell faced a high-reaching negative spike in broadcast coverage through the middle of December, this was quickly diluted. Only two days later, coverage peaked for 1.5 weeks as local and national media publications expressed interest in its climate-focused partnership with Octopus.

On 15 Dec, Shell announced plans to supply clean energy from Dogger Bank to Octopus as early as 2024. While Shell did not offer a statement, this could have boosted its positive coverage rate even further given that Matt Bunney, head of energy at Octopus Energy, was quoted in 89% of the 104 total articles. ‘If the energy crisis has taught us anything, it is that we need to move fast to an energy system based on cheap renewables – and Dogger Bank will help to get us there’, said Bunney in a public statement.

Top Stories

Among the top ten stories throughout 1 Dec 2022–1 Feb 2023 (measured by reach and replication), three were proactive and seven were organic. However, proactive coverage performed much better in terms of brand prominence, sentiment and article syndication, which indicates the significant benefits of being vocal rather than silent in an extended crisis.

A clear example of this is Boralex’s acquisition of EDF Renewables’ five wind farms in North America. This story created an international peak between 4 and 8 Jan 2023 following a press release from the Quebec-based energy supplier, which created 89% headline prominence for them but only 10% for EDF, who did not release a statement.

Throughout most of the winter period, the term ‘total darkness’ was a trending term in regional, local and national outlets as some Brits were . While the reasons for energy inflation are debated in the press, 42% of national news sources reported on this as a ‘net zero shift’ rather than a consequence of several causational factors.

Several suppliers were asked to comment on this coverage, but coverage with quotes from Octopus Energy were highest reaching overall.

Better in numbers

More often than not, British energy suppliers are maintaining a positive brand reputation around net zero policies. While Shell received some negative coverage in relation to taxes, this was quickly saturated by its partnership with Octopus Energy — which performed best overall in terms of volume, sentiment and prominence.

Octopus Energy’s decision to produce regular, proactive coverage as well as independent and collaborative climate efforts are tactics worth considering. Both have visibly supported the continuation of media interest and its overall positive reputation throughout the entirety of 2022.

Additionally, Good Energy’s positive media breakthrough is demonstrative of the desire for authentic green strategy in the press, given that coverage was entirely associated with its recent awards and commitments to the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi).

Furthermore, while organic and ‘controversial’, Ecotricity’s coverage on why greenwashing can be a good thing is a sign that statements from brand leaders are highly valued and have the potential to generate international awareness — even for a small-scale supplier.

Want to know more about this data or how media insights can support your PR and communications? Find out more.

Interview with Logistics Magazine editor Matt Harrington

An industry on the move: Logistics Magazine editor Matt Harrington on what is happening in logistics

February 8, 2023/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, Journalist Spotlight, Media Media Database, Media Analysis, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

Supply chain issues, the cost-of-living crisis, fluctuating fuel and energy prices – the logistics sector is facing its share of challenges this year.

Helping to keep the sector informed of what is on the road ahead is Logistics Magazine, which goes out to over 23,000 Logistics UK members and senior businesspeople in the logistics sector each week.

‘In my seven years as Editor, I have never ceased to be amazed at the truly dizzying array of issues that interest our readers, from the Northern Ireland Protocol to tyre husbandry – and everything in between,’ says Matt Harrington, covering an industry that has had to be increasingly flexible over the last few years, with more change on the way:

‘Before COVID-19, Logistics Magazine was a monthly membership journal, which was chiefly distributed as a print title. Following the pandemic and the widespread shift to digital news consumption, it has evolved into a searchable online web portal. In its first two years, our digital portal received more than a quarter of a million visits, quickly becoming an essential repository for news and views on the industry.’

Read on for insight from Matt on the trends coming up for logistics – sustainability, shifting perceptions and innovation.

How has the logistics sector changed since you’ve been covering it?

In the seven years that I have been covering the industry, logistics has undergone a transformation. Previously something of an invisible sector, first Brexit and then the COVID-19 pandemic shone a spotlight on the industry like never before, leading to a much greater appreciation by the general public of how integral the logistics sector is to their daily lives.

The other big development is decarbonisation – seven years ago it was perceived to be something of a niche or side issue. Now, with the deadline for ending the sale of petrol and diesel vans just seven short years away, I would argue that decarbonisation sits at the very top of the industry’s agenda.

How do you see the impact of supply chain issues evolving over the next few years in the UK and beyond?

The IMF recently issued a warning that it expected the UK to be the only major economy to shrink in 2023. So, we’re in very uncertain times, not just for logistics but every business sector in the UK economy. Logistics has a reputation for being adaptable and resilient, and given that many areas of the sector, such as food retailing or supplying pharmaceuticals to hospitals, are essential services it seems reasonable to assume that the industry will weather the coming storm better than most. However, logistics will not be immune from any wider economic slowdown, so it’s likely that it will not continue to grow at the same pace.

What are the biggest trends for the logistics sector this year?

The scarcity of skilled workers continues to be a significant issue for the logistics industry. While we may be on the cusp of a recession, the labour market remains extremely tight in the UK with a dearth of skilled candidates.

In the autumn of 2021, the sector faced an acute shortage of HGV drivers. Now that crisis has eased, but the problem has shifted to a shortage of mechanics and technicians. That’s partly because many mechanics have C+E driving entitlement so can command a higher salary as a driver. This follows the law of unintended consequences – where plugging a gap in one part of the sector leads to shortages elsewhere.

So, we must battle for talent with a number of other business sectors, many of whom may appear more superficially appealing to a younger demographic. That’s why Logistics UK, in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, launched the industry-wide Generation Logistics campaign last year – to help shift perceptions of the sector.

Are logistics companies doing enough to incorporate net zero goals into their planning?

Getting ready for decarbonisation is going to be a key challenge for 2023. Businesses need to make it integral to their future planning and ensure they have the finance available to fund new vehicles, new technology and new infrastructure. If they need to upgrade the electricity supply to their depots, they also need to secure the necessary agreement with their landlord. And if they are thinking of taking a new warehouse, they need to consider whether it is futureproofed for a decarbonised fleet.

What information from PRs is useful to Logistics UK and the magazine, and how would you prefer they get in touch?

As the house magazine for a national trade body, Logistics Magazine is unusual in that it already has a ready supply of news stories and features on the key policy issues affecting the sector. For press releases to cut through, they need to be reporting something of wider significance, such as the key finding of a large survey or the launch of a landmark report.

What do PRs need to know about the logistics industry that is unique to the sector – does it have big differences to other industries?

Logistics is a fast-moving industry (both literally and metaphorically). It is also extremely responsive to whatever is happening in the wider economy. Technology and innovation have an increasingly large role to play in the industry’s transformation, particularly in the coming years as efforts ramp up to decarbonise and automate freight activities.

Which logistics companies are doing a good job when it comes to sustainability and environmental considerations?

Many of our 20,000 members place sustainability and environmental issues at the heart of their logistics activities, and many others plan to do so in the near future.

In 2021, Logistics UK launched a Route to Net Zero campaign and was delighted that so many of its members opted to join. They included high street retailers, local authorities, parcel couriers, utility companies, as well as more traditional haulage firms. Businesses of all sizes too – great to see.

Find out more about Logistics Magazine on the Vuelio Media Database – request a demo here.

The role of social media in PR: Know its risks and how to tackle them

February 6, 2023/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications, Media, Social Media, PR Club PR, Media Monitoring, Media Analysis Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

This is a guest post from Mary Poliakova, PR consultant and co-founder of Drofa Comms.

PR and media professionals know the power of social media, with 93% of public relations professionals following journalists on social platforms and 83% of reporters leveraging Twitter for their professional work.

While social networks are accessible to everyone, they inspire confidence by offering a fast and straightforward channel of communication. However, there is also a flip side of the coin. Exploiting social media’s vulnerabilities can lead to massive disinformation campaigns, the rapid spread of fake news, as well as other dangerous trends.

Social Media’s role in an individual’s life

Before we dive deep into social media’s risks, it’s important to revisit its role in our lives and its four primary functions.

The first is the mass media function, which includes generating personalized newsfeeds through sophisticated algorithms. Social media is also a news-producing machine that serves as an information source for many.

Secondly, it is a powerful channel that can greatly influence different aspects of our lives. This aspect of social media is what empowers influencers, celebrities, and other well-known people with increased authority over financial markets and the economy. There are many examples of this phenomenon – from the relationship between Donald Trump’s Twitter-heavy days and stock price falls during his presidency to Elon Musk’s market manipulation allegations.

Thirdly, it is a huge book of reviews and suggestions. Thanks to feedback and suggestion functions, users are increasingly turning social media platforms into review platforms of different services, companies, websites, and more. In fact, while 51% of a survey’s respondents stated they trust other consumers more than they do brands, another 40% feel that an influencer’s promotional activity is the most likely way to convince them to purchase a product.

As the fourth function, social media is a communication channel with “powers that be,” as it is the easiest way to stay in touch with your favorite bands, artists, or political figures. Following a person’s pages and commenting on their posts makes you feel connected to someone who doesn’t even know about your existence. There is even a term for these one-way friendships with famous people called parasocial relationships.

Fake news and the algorithm dilemma

Over the 20 years I’ve spent in journalism and PR, I have learned that the power of media can be misused to manipulate others and change public opinion in important matters. Considering the easy accessibility of social media and the massive activity among its use cases, these dangers are even more substantial than for traditional media.

Fake news is a perfect example in this field. From the infamous US presidential election of 2016 and the UK’s Brexit referendum to COVID vaccine hoaxes, false and misleading information can spread like wildfire on social media platforms. And fake news continues circulating among users even in the current geopolitical turmoil.

Misleading information remains a problem despite tech companies like Meta‘s and Google‘s unsuccessful attempts to tackle this challenge. Below, you can find one of Elon Musk’s first statements after becoming Twitter’s new CEO and owner after buying the company for $44 billion. Even after 16 years of market history, combating the spread of fake news remains a core issue of the social media platform.

At the same time, the social media landscape has an algorithm dilemma. While platforms leverage state-of-the-art AI and ML for moderation and recommendation, bad actors can exploit their designs to promote extremist content or amplify one political side at the expense of its opponents.

PR and marketing specialists know firsthand how to manipulate the audience’s minds – targeted ads are a perfect example of that. And this issue is so substantial that many countries have launched their own initiatives to combat manipulation on social media (the EU has proposed one of the most advanced legislations in this field).

Thus, anyone with the necessary resources can control public consciousness, influencing consumer demand. And social media is a massive channel for manipulating consumers’ opinions. But what can be done about it? And who is responsible?

It is our job to combat misinformation

First of all, the one who stands behind a social network is responsible for its operation and all the problems and challenges taking place on the platform. Mark Zuckerberg’s opening statement before a joint Senate Committee in April 2018 serves as an excellent example.

That said, I firmly believe that journalists and PR professionals should also bear responsibility. Simply put, this means that it’s also our job to combat misinformation and fake news in the digital realm.

Every social network has its own rules. Now, the task of Public Relations professionals and journalists is to raise the issue of verification and fact-checking. As social networks are more than a cool PR tool, we need to develop uniform rules and norms.

As the collective consciousness is very easy to be manipulated, it is a task with a huge responsibility. Thus, we must dedicate more time to discussing this problem within our professional community and with our speakers.

Furthermore, we must treat all information critically. Before writing a story based on a Twitter post, review who shared it, when it was published, and under what circumstances. With only a little more work, we can effectively combat fake news, minimizing the spread of misleading information.

Mary Poliakova has more than 10 years of experience executing successful PR campaigns for FinTech companies, and more than 15 years of experience as a journalist.

Four ways to keep up with media evaluation in a fast-paced environment

February 2, 2023/0 Comments/in Insights, media measurement, media analysis, PR, Communications insights, Data analysis, best practice, Media Monitoring, Media Analysis, PR, Comms /by Hollie Parry

When so much of your workload is fixated on promoting the next item on the agenda, it often feels like there is no time to stop and track the performance of your work.

When your performance is seemingly fine, it can feel tempting to put analysis aside —but in doing so, you miss out on essential insights that both improve strategy and demonstrate success to the board, C-Suite and wider business.

Fortunately, there are several ways to execute this process in a quick and efficient manner, without needing to do a deep dive into a random assortment of every possible metric.

Consistency is key — by sticking to a concise and regular set of parameters/metrics in each evaluation, you will have a much better benchmark of what ‘good’ looks like even when there is no other similarity between each campaign or news story.

If your turnover rate is high and time for reflection feels scarce, here is a four-step guide to streamline your media measurement and evaluation:

1. Consider your goals
Reflect on your PR objectives, both from a broader perspective and specific to this content. What are your wider communications goals for the year? Who and what are you looking to draw attention to? How would you like to be portrayed? What publications would you like to target?

2. Consider what is important to the organisation as a whole
Alongside your PR goals, consider what is important and achievable to your organisation as a whole? What does good look like to your stakeholders? What are the relevant pillars you can measure against to prove the value of PR, even in an ever-changing landscape.

3. Build a consistent framework

Using the information you have gathered so far, choose metrics that reflect the broader goals you are aiming to achieve and report on, as well as those specific to each piece of content. This will enable you to build a bigger picture of how the function is performing overall.

Here are just a few examples:

Visibility metrics such as volume / reach: if goals are linked to increasing overall media presence
Visibility specific to a target audience: if goals are linked with targeting specific audiences through relevant media titles
Link to website: if the PR goal is to drive call-to-actions through different campaigns
Sentiment: while cumulative improvements in sentiment may be desired, consider your industry and whether neutralising negative sentiment may be just as important as positive sentiment
Key Messages: while each campaign / content type might drive its own set of key messages, consider also monitoring overall organisational key messages as a pillar of consistency

The metrics chosen will be the same set you use to measure performance going forward in every evaluation, alongside your specific goals tied to each campaign/news story. By utilising a consistent framework of metrics based on wider goals, you can:

Draw a relative benchmark between each report, even if they have no contextual similarities to each other
Save time in conducting the analysis by knowing what you are measuring and how long it is going to take you

Tip: If you are new to the process, try picking two or three metrics to begin with. As you get quicker and more comfortable, more can always be added.

4. Ask for help when you need it

If you simply do not have the capacity to fit media evaluation into your schedule, there is still a solution.

The Vuelio Insights team partners with clients to produce bespoke reports that identify risks and opportunities, and demonstrate the value of your PR.

Emerging story reports are quick turnaround reports that we can deliver to support you in a fast-paced environment. Our experts work with you to ensure that you have the insights you need to understand your media performance and report it to your stakeholders, while supporting you to build a measurement framework that supports your overall goals.

Whether you need to understand campaign performance, KPIs, competitor analysis, media impact, crises, strategic decisions or your audiences,

Want to learn more about how media insights can support your PR and communications? Find out more here.

Regulation in the wake of the FTX collapse

January 30, 2023/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, Politics, PR, Communications, Media, Public Affairs Media Monitoring, Media Analysis, Political Services, Political Database Blog Posts /by Ingrid Marin

In April 2022, John Glen, then Economic Secretary to the Treasury, made a big commitment to make the UK a global hub for crypto business. On the same day, HM Treasury published its response to the consultation on the regulatory approach to cryptoassets and stablecoins. The response outlined the Government’s intention to bring stablecoins, where used as a means of payment, into the regulatory perimeter. The rationale for doing this is that certain stablecoins have the capacity to potentially become a widespread means of payment including by retail customers, driving consumer choice and efficiencies. The Government also confirmed that it will consult on regulating a wider set of cryptoasset activities, in view of their continued growth and uptake worldwide.

The Government also conducted a Call for Evidence on the investment and wholesale uses of distributed ledger technology (DLT) in financial markets.

The Government recognised the substantial benefits and transformative impact that could be delivered by DLT when adopted in Financial Market Infrastructures (FMIs). In April 2022, the Government confirmed it is developing an FMI Sandbox to support firms wanting to innovate.

The Government has also consulted on plans to give the FCA more powers to regulate cryptoasset promotions. In its consultation paper the Government said it intended to act to ensure the appropriate regulation of cryptoasset promotions through secondary legislation.

Recent events since April 2022, in particular the failure of FTX, has lit a fire under the push for tailored rules for the market. Rebecca Driver, Member of the Financial Services Consumer Panel, said that the collapse of FTX reinforced to her the idea that if the product is creating the same sort of risks that you have in other spheres, it should be regulated in the same way or at least in a comparable way.

During a Treasury Committee oral evidence session Andrew Griffith, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury said that given the failure of FTX, part of the future for the crypto asset industry in 2023 is getting regulation right ‘not to have no regulation or to bake it in fully, as if this is already an established market and a fact, but to get that balance right.’

He emphasised there are measures in the Financial Services and Markets (FSM) Bill that will make way for crypto to be regulated in the UK. The Bill brings stablecoins, into the scope of regulation when used as a form of payment, paving their way for use in the UK as a recognised form of payment.

Clauses 21 and 22 and Schedule 6 extend existing payments legislation to include payment systems and service providers that use digital settlement assets, including forms of crypto assets used for payments, such as stablecoin backed by fiat currency. This brings such payment systems within the regulatory remits of the Bank of England and the Payment Systems Regulator.

Clauses 65 and 8 clarify that the Treasury has the necessary powers to regulate crypto asset activities within the existing financial services framework, as extended by this Bill. This will ensure that HM Treasury is equipped to respond to developments in cryptoassets more quickly and ensure that HM Treasury and the regulators can update the cryptoasset regulation as international standards are developed. Moreover, the effect of these two clauses, is that Government has the flexibility to introduce regulation in an agile way using secondary legislation; including appropriate regulation of cryptoasset promotions (Clause 65(2))

To foster innovation, Clauses 13 to 17 and Schedule 4 enable the delivery of financial market infrastructure (FMI) sandboxes, allowing firms to test the use, the applications, of new and potentially transformative technologies.

When asked about FCA’s views on crypto asset regulation, Sarah Pritchard – Executive Director for Markets at Financial Conduct Authority – said the FCA is working to support the introduction of rules on financial promotion. While the FCA has not confirmed the final set of rules for how that will operate, they have said that we can very much expect them to take a similar approach to the new rules they confirmed for high-risk investments back in August 2022.

As mentioned previously, the Government has said it intends to launch a consultation on its regulatory approach to a wider range of cryptoassets. The explanatory notes to the FSM bill as introduced in the House of Lords, state that ‘the Government intends to launch a consultation on its regulatory approach to wider cryptoassets beyond stablecoins used for payments, including those primarily used as a means of investment (such as bitcoin) later in 2022’. In January 2023, Andrew Griffith confirmed that the Government will be coming forward with two consultations in a matter of weeks. One about the general regulatory approach to crypto-assets and the other about a sovereign central bank digital currency. Implicit within that is that the Government are probably not going to be legislating in 2023 on further regulation.

On the FSM Bill, Andrew Griffith noted that he hopes that it will be done by Easter. The FSM Bill was already debated in the House of Commons and had its second reading in the House of Lords in early January.

While the Government proposed a staged and proportionate approach to regulation, one of the main criticisms during second reading of the FSM Bill in the House of Lords was that, while the Bill brings crypto in the regulatory environment and allows for further regulation in the future, it seems like a missed opportunity not to regulate further.

Alison Thewliss similarly thinks the Government is falling behind, mentioning that Europe has recently implemented its markets and crypto assets regulations—MiCA. Responding to her Andrew Griffith said that MiCA covers some but not all the areas they would aspire to cover. He argued that when they will come forward with the consultations they will talk about other activities.

For how the UK media covered the FTX collapse and what it means for the cryptocurrency space, read our report using insight from Vuelio Media Monitoring.

What impact has TikTok had on food and drink

How has TikTok impacted Food & Drink content and how will it dominate in 2023?

January 30, 2023/0 Comments/in PR, Communications, Media, Social Media, PR Club, Influencers Media Database, Media Monitoring, Media Analysis, PR Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

This is a guest post from Hatch Group‘s social media lead Jack Moore.

I’m going to start this piece with an apology. I’m about to use a word that might cause you to roll your eyes, sigh or even shake your head, and for that I’m sorry. The last three years in the Food & Drink industry have been unprecedented. There, I said it.

You’ll have no doubt seen this written a million and one times since 2020, but it’s an inescapable fact that they have. I’m not going to go into detailed analysis on how and why as they’re well documented, but the landscape has shifted in nearly every facet of the industry. From the very real staffing and supply chain difficulties facing restaurants, bars and manufacturers across the UK, to the more nuanced change in consumer behavior and the social media landscape for marketers working in this space.

For the latter, the rise of TikTok has presented some incredible opportunities and challenges for Food & Drink, but how has it impacted the industry since its rise in popularity and what can you expect in 2023?

TikTok’s Impact

The relationship between Food & Drink and social media is certainly nothing new. When Instagram first grew in popularity the feed was littered with flat lay pictures of the last meal your friends enjoyed or later down the line, boomerangs of you and your friends clinking your cocktails together. TikTok however has added a new dimension to this relationship.

This isn’t the content you’ll find on TikTok. First and foremost, the channel is an entertainment platform, so content needs to entertain, educate and inspire. This isn’t unique to TikTok by any stretch but it’s certainly the channel where if your content doesn’t do this, you will see the lack of reach or engagement.

To highlight the impact the platform has had on Food & Drink, let’s focus one specific area; reviews. This isn’t the only genre of content in the sector, but it is one where TikTok’s impact is magnified.

Reviews

Restaurant, bar or product reviews are nothing new, everyone is a critic. Before TikTok, a Facebook review on your page or an Instagram post about the service at your bar would only reach a limited audience. That doesn’t diminish the importance of a good or bad review on those channels at all, but TikTok’s algorithm works in a slightly different way to these platforms so the potential for your brand to be seen by fresh eyes is even greater.

TikTok doesn’t necessarily show you content from accounts you follow as a priority, it looks for content it thinks you’ll enjoy. So, if you’re into trying out the latest restaurant or bar experiences, you better believe that TikTok will show you the best video reviews to whet your appetite.

Keith Lee, a US-based TikTok food reviewer, recently catapulted a floundering Las Vegas pizzeria to stardom with one video sharing his positive review of the food and service at Frankensons. Overnight, the pizzeria’s phonelines were ringing non-stop, and people from as far away as Iowa (a three-hour flight) were visiting for a taste.

This is an extreme case with a fantastic outcome. Not every TikTok review will help you become a viral sensation, but Keith’s authentic and honest review shows that people put trust in creators on TikTok and their opinions, enough trust that they’d hop on a flight to get a slice.

But beware, there is a downside. It might be too soon to say if Frankensons will become a mainstay of the Las Vegas food scene, a must-visit attraction for tourists, but my guess will be that once the hype has died down it will be somewhat business as usual for Frankensons. Much like the content trends on TikTok, another restaurant will rise as one fades into the background again. And all this is before we even get into negative reviews, but honestly that’s a whole other piece. Suffice to say, these can be just as impactful as Keith’s Frankensons review, but without the positive outcomes.

TikTok in 2023

So, what about this year? How is TikTok going to dominate the food & drink space? And most importantly what can you do?

TikTok has arrived. It’s no longer an emerging platform and its impact can already be seen both positively and negatively across the industry. I don’t see that changing in 2023 compared to 2022, but as even more people download the app and begin to consume content, you might see that impact intensify. The things that made TikTok a great place for users will still be important and arguably more so as the platform becomes more saturated. Entertainment, education and inspiration.

So, what can you do? For those creating content for their own channels, be reactive to trends that are suitable for your brand. Not all of them will be so don’t be afraid to skip over some of them. Provide value to your audience. When they watch your video, what is in it for them? Content that focuses on selling your product won’t work here.

If you’re not creating content for your own channel, there’s still ways to play in this space. There are so many authentic and entertaining content creators on TikTok, 2023 is the year to utilise them. Opening a new venue? Invite creators to the launch and let them capture their experience to share with their audience. Got a new product? How about working with the numerous recipe creators to inspire people to make something with your product.

TikTok is littered with opportunities for those in the food and drink sector in 2023, the only real question is which ones should you pursue.

Jack is the social media lead at Hatch Group and has nearly a decade of experience in social media, working with global and national brands to deliver creative and strategic social media strategies. Hatch is a PR, social media and activation agency with offices in Leeds and London. Founded in 2008, it works with clients across food, drink, sport and FMCG.

In the race to net zero, how is ‘green pharma’ perceived around the world?

January 26, 2023/0 Comments/in Insights, media measurement, media analysis, PR, Communications Comms, insights, Data analysis, content analysis, science, pharma, Media Monitoring, sustainibility, Media Analysis, net zero, PR /by Hollie Parry

Following the commencement of COP27 in November 2022, a report by the Office of Health Economics (OHE) declared that immediate action must be taken by health organisations to secure the era of green pharmaceuticals.

Europe, Australasia and North America have collectively committed to net-zero by 2050, meaning sustainability will evolve from an add-on to appease green stakeholders into a ‘business-critical strategy’ to protect operational licences.

The pharmaceutical industry is considered a‘major emitter’ of greenhouse gases, producing 55% more than the automotive sector. Greener mechanisms will need to be rapidly adopted to reduce such large-scale emissions and plastic production, which are ‘most prevalent’ in R&D, operational processes and medicine delivery.

When pharma’s contributions to climate change became a focus point at the COP27 event in Egypt, industry news and health publications began its continued interest into how the biggest players are making their first steps. The risk of ‘greenwashing’ accusations is high across all sectors — pharmaceutical brands must be vigilant in proving they can ‘walk the talk’ once their commitments to sustainability have been publicised.

Key Takeaways

Since 2022, ‘green pharma’ has evolved in the press from a public demand to a business-critical strategy
Unbranded headlines that outline the collaborative efforts of multiple pharma brands are outperforming those that list specific companies
Alongside the general discussion of green pharma growth, the UK produced 10.2% more coverage on brand-focused initiatives than the rest of Europe, North America and Australasia
Environmental accreditations like the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) can significantly enhance media awareness and legitimacy of sustainability claims

The UK continues to be a leading source of ‘green pharma’ coverage, producing approx. 2,369 articles since 1 Nov 2022. This is only 30% less than Europe’s collective output, where Switzerland is the most active speaker (approx. 940 articles) with Germany close behind (approx. 731 articles). North America has produced around 6,200 articles and just over 2,000 were produced across Australasia.

Most-mentioned brands

*Data shown above measures all climate-focused pharmaceutical coverage published in national/international news sources and health-related industry publications (approx. 13,700 articles across Europe, N. America & Australasia) between 1 Nov 2022 and 9 Jan 2023.

Across all countries measured by the Vuelio Insights team, the UK produced the most brand-focused content (as opposed to generalised ‘green pharma’ discussion). Approximately 39.7% of all coverage focused on the specific actions of one or more pharmaceutical companies, whereas Europe produced 29.5%, Australasia 26.8% and North America 16.12%.

Collaborative efforts outperform specific brand stories

That being said, the highest-reaching and most prominent coverage on this topic has been that which summarises a collective of pharma efforts, such as ‘Seven pharma CEOs unite to achieve net zero healthcare’ or ‘Japanese drugmakers make greener packaging pledge’.

This overview style of article demonstrated incomparable engagement in all countries measured. As the most successful story of the entire period, the ‘seven CEOs’ piece was repurposed 2,486 times across international news sources and pharma publications.

Although 65% of general news headlines were unbranded, some trade titles opted for branded variations ie PRWeek’s ‘Merck, AstraZeneca, GSK CEOs announce efforts to curb emissions in healthcare’. Although this was a strong source of positive prominence for some companies, unbranded headlines received a 66% higher reach in all publication types. Ultimately, all article variations offered headline and/or significant mentions for all of the listed brands and accounted for approximately 82% of international coverage for GSK, Samsung Biologics, Merck Group and Roche.

Top Stories

*Data shown above defines ‘top story’ as that which has achieved significant national or international media awareness across 200+ news or pharma publications, also offering either headline or significant prominence for one or more pharmaceutical companies. Overall pos. sentiment is calculated as positive + neutral combined.

AstraZeneca

While AstraZeneca and Samsung Biologics were also part of the ‘seven CEOs’ piece, both brands performed better overall with stories that produced lower volume. For example, across Europe and North America, AstraZeneca’s ‘Ambition Zero Carbon’ initiative has produced 414 articles in 298 news and industry publications. While this is less than the article with the highest volume, 89% of coverage mentioned AstraZeneca in the headline, while quotes from CEO Pascal Soriot’s COP27 speech were featured in 38.6% of this coverage. Overall, positive prominence was much higher and therefore made the ‘accelerating toward net zero’ piece their top story.

Samsung Biologics

The same principle of prominence > volume applies to Samsung Biologics’ top story. Among all coverage on net zero healthcare across the studied regions, the company’s acquisition of the Terra Carta Seal was the brand’s most positive and prominent piece across major international news publications and pharmaceutical media outlets.

Roche & Merck Group

As for Roche and Merck, both brands performed best in the ‘seven CEOs’ piece in terms of volume, sentiment & prominence combined. However, Roche outperformed AstraZeneca as one of the most-mentioned pharma brands of those recognised for its ‘science-based targets’ and a ‘clearly-defined pathway’ to reduce emissions in line with the Paris Agreement goals. With over 4,000 businesses following the SBTi initiative since 2015, it has become an established benchmark for success within scientific journalism.

Takeda

Across Australasia, Takeda has benefitted from a similar style of broad and unbranded coverage recognising collaborative environmental efforts. Alongside Astellas, Eisai, Daiichi Sankyo, its collaborative involvement in efforts to reduce pharmaceutical packaging was covered 733 times from 15 Dec 2022 – 5 Jan 2023, which made up 37.2% of the total coverage across the collective regions.

Bayer

On the topic of net zero healthcare, Bayer has been the only pharma company to receive a significant and international volume of negative coverage since COP27 in November. This was driven by one highly prominent story on Jeff Ubben, an environmental activist and prospective Bayer investor who is pushing for an ‘external CEO’ to better support net zero goals within the company.

Media awareness around this discussion peaked between 7 and 23 Jan. The Financial Times reported on this story from multiple angles between 9 and 23 Jan, as part of both general news and in its ’Moral Money’ sections. As a result, the publication produced the highest international readership and engagement on the story.

Ubben was quoted saying that an external hire would be a ‘clean break from the past’, referencing severe litigations taken against Bayer when it acquired Monsanto and its herbicide, Roundup, which is notorious for its lethal impact to environmental and human health.

Urgency from all sides

Over the past few years, media discussion around net zero healthcare has evolved rapidly. As an industry once known as ‘reluctant’ to prioritise sustainability, 2022 was the year of the public call to action for better ESG strategies. Now, as we begin 2023, it has evolved from a demand to an ‘urgent’ necessity — that will have a detrimental operational impact if neglected.

Nick Hoile, senior director of the Health practice at PR agency MHP, made a public statement in November stating that there is a ‘medical education and communications piece’ that needs to be done at all levels, including the conversations sales teams have with individual physicians. Further, Hoile argued that health communicators have a ‘pivotal role’ in shaping the green narrative and would be wise to acquire ‘environmental credentials’ as soon as possible.

As proven by the prominent positive coverage of AstraZeneca, joining the SBTi is a visible example of how such credentials can massively impact net zero brand awareness across international media sources.

In an article titled ‘Will ESG be 2023’s Hottest Business Topic in Bio/Pharma?’, Life Science Leader argued that joining SBTi is also a sure-fire way to prove authenticity and avoid ‘greenwashing’ allegations.

Want to know more about this data or how media insights can support your PR and communications? Find out more.

22 Valentine’s Day Social Media Post Examples for Brands

January 26, 2023/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications, Media Media Monitoring, Media Analysis, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

This is a guest post from Bottle PR‘s lead creative Laura Santillana.

Are you just a brand standing in front of a follower asking them to love you?

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, love is in the air and chocolate is in the aisles. It’s also the perfect opportunity for brands to get in on the love fest and connect with their audience in a way that’s both creative and heartwarming.

If you’re a brand looking to create a buzz on social media this Valentine’s Day, you’ve come to the right place. Bottle PR have rounded up 22 examples of Valentine’s Day social media posts that’ll make Cupid himself say ‘damn, that’s clever’. From punny graphics to inspirational messages, these examples will give you the spark you need to create posts that’ll make your audience swoon.

Create Valentine’s Day cards

It’s time to spread the love, and what better way to do it than with the sultry tone of your brand? Not only will you be building brand awareness and recognition with content that’s as unique as your brand, but with followers sharing, commenting, and reposting, you’ll also be setting hearts aflutter with increased engagement on social media.

Host a V-Day giveaway

Social media competitions and giveaways are the ultimate way to get your followers’ hearts racing (and thumbs scrolling), with Valentine’s Day being a great seasonal hook to wrap them around. Encourage them to like, comment, and share, and watch as engagement on your channels soar. Not only will you be boosting your brand’s visibility and reach, but you’ll also be giving your followers a sneak peek at the goods you have on offer. So, let the games begin and may the best follower win.

Celebrate self-love

Valentine’s Day is not just for lovers, it’s for self-lovers too. By encouraging your followers to prioritise self-care and wellbeing on this holiday, you empower them to take charge of their own happiness. Not only will this foster a positive association with your brand, but it also opens the door to connecting with a wider, more inclusive audience. Go ahead and give your followers a gift they can truly appreciate – the gift of self-love.

Share a smile

Who says Valentine’s Day has to be all lovey-dovey? Throw a little humour into the mix to humanise your brand. Share a meme, or create some light-hearted Valentine’s Day antics, and suddenly you’re more relatable than a heart-shaped pizza. Just make sure the humor fits your brand’s tone of voice and you include your key brand codes so everyone knows it’s your brand behind the lols when they inevitably share it.

Shareable quotes

Quotable, much? Nothing says ‘we understand you’ like a perfectly curated quote that hits your followers right in the heart. Get your audience feeling all the feels by sharing quotes that strike a chord with them. And don’t just grab any old quote off the internet, make sure it’s tailored to your target audience and fits with your brand’s tone of voice.

Roses are red

Feeling a little lost in the Valentine’s Day shuffle? When in doubt, keep it simple. The colour red is often associated with passion, energy, excitement, and – you guessed it – love. If none of the above feels suitable to your brand or audience, a simple pop of red or pink gives a nod to Valentine’s Day while enabling your brand to continue with its regularly-scheduled content.

And there you have it, a plethora of Valentine’s Day social media post ideas that will make your brand stand out like a red rose in a field of daisies. Whether you’re punning it up, promoting self-love, sharing memes, or painting the town red, these ideas are sure to make your followers fall head over heels for your brand. So, grab a glass of wine and get to planning, Cupid’s got nothing on you.

For finding the right influencer for your social media campaigns this Valentine’s Day and beyond, check out the Vuelio Media Database (and make sure they are definitely right for your brand with these pointers on picking your brand ambassadors wisely).

What is coming up for the energy sector?

What is in store for the energy sector this year?

January 25, 2023/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications, Media PR, Press and Bloggers, Media Monitoring, Media Analysis Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

Mid-2022 was a fraught time for the energy sector as Ofgem demanded companies do more to help customers struggling to pay their bills and keep their homes heated. Energy brands had to do better when it came to honouring their responsibilities to the public and communicating the support available.

With 2023 promising to be another financially-difficult year for many, here is insight on what is to come as well as how to plan and communicate clearly from industry experts Sherwood Power CEO Alex Hunter, SunGift Solar founder Gabriel Wondrausch and Williams Nicolson director Claire Foster.

Will supply/demand issues ease in 2023?

Not likely, says strategic communications and change management consultancy Williams Nicholson’s Claire Foster:

‘The pandemic put pressure on supply chains; logistic disruptions, and soaring energy prices have contributed to shortages and spiralling transport costs. Against this backdrop, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has exacerbated the situation adding additional pressure to the already unpredictable global trade landscape.

‘Globalisation, as we know it, is over. The frequency and severity of climate events persist and demand a survival strategy focused on autonomy, resiliency and risk management. A joined-up plan to cool a hot planet would benefit everyone, but leaders are more focused on their domestic territory right now.’

Sherwood Power is a renewable energy storage company that works with businesses to help them switch to renewable energies – its CEO Alex Hunter agrees that 2023 is going to be incredibly difficult for fuel and energy businesses:

‘The current issues with supply and demand are unlikely to change dramatically in the near future, and these are particularly difficult for fuel or energy-intensive businesses (such as manufacturing, data centres, delivery and logistics, etc.). Amid growing concerns about energy security and the ongoing rise in energy prices, we’re expecting to see more businesses make significant investments into renewable energy in 2023.’

Where things start to look more promising is increased public interest in sustainable and renewable energy… but this also comes with challenges:

‘From our perspective, we’re seeing that supply issues are easing,’ shares SunGift Solar’s Gabriel Wondrausch.

Experiencing an unprecedented surge in enquiries over the last year, the solar, storage and electric vehicle charger installer was hit by the challenges of supply and demand.

‘While certain components remain in short supply, the situation has certainly improved.

‘In fact, we’re currently deploying at our highest levels ever thanks to having an adaptive strategy in light of supply-related challenges.’

What do energy brand communicators need to know now?

‘It’s essential to keep clear lines of communication with customers from the outset, while clearly managing expectations from the first contact,’ advises Gabriel.

‘As a great deal of conflict can be avoided if people are prewarned as much as possible that there may be delays with their product or service.’

Alex advises action: ‘As investment in renewable energy becomes more common practice, companies that are not embracing renewables might find that they have to justify their inaction to their consumers – consumers that are increasingly concerned with both the rising cost of goods associated with fuel prices and the environmental impact of non-renewable energy.

‘We may also see more companies lending their voice to lobbying efforts, calling on Government to make it easier for businesses to invest in renewable energies, for example, by incentivising investment through tax breaks or access to low-cost finance schemes.’

On-going initiatives, incentives and goals are also advised by Claire Foster, co-author of The Williams Nicolson Trend Index:

‘Consider how your business can sustain success amidst a turbulent economy.’

‘Social impact encompasses long-term solutions and the overall longevity of your business. It is not necessary to reinvent the wheel, but a reassessment in production is needed as inflation and supply chain disruptions are expected to continue to rise’.

Key responsibilities for companies communicating change and possible risk to consumers?

Remember what is important to your business, says Gabriel:

‘Ongoing supply and demand issues have led us to go back to our mission statement and values.

‘We’ve remained customer-centric, inviting customers to partake in our survey to get an idea of how best we can improve our service in such challenging circumstances. This feedback has been taken forward and put into good, practical use in terms of improving procedures.

‘A few of the things we’ve prioritised with comms: working on our tone of voice, refining our customer journey, and being clear and concise in our communications. We’ve also established targets for response times to customers, in order to reassure them in the event of their installation being disrupted.’

‘The next two years will be painful so we must all play our part to make it a little less so for each other,’ adds Claire.

‘We don’t know what we don’t know. Companies must ask questions and share the answers.’

For more on the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on PR and communications, download our white paper ‘Communicating the cost-of-living crisis… A guide for charities and the third sector’.

How the pandemic changed our trust: what does it mean for health communicators?

January 25, 2023/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Health, Communications, Media Media Monitoring, Media Analysis, Stakeholder Engagement, PR, Press and Bloggers, Media Database Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

This is a guest post from Helen Fitzhugh, associate director, Healthcare at Kaizo PR.

In the past two years, consumers have been bombarded with public health information on an unprecedented scale. Over the course of the pandemic, we’ve charted consumers’ changing attitudes to sources of health information to understand who they do – and don’t – trust.

Our research reveals a number of important considerations for health comms professionals.

After surveying 500 UK consumers, we found that trust in some sources of health information had dropped significantly since 2020, with independent experts and government health advisors plummeting in the ratings.

Consumers also have shorter attention spans, consume less print and online news from traditional media outlets, and are less likely to question health information – even if it goes against government advice.

Consumers suffering from ‘health messaging fatigue’

Who would have thought, before March 2020, that we’d all become experts in virology? After living through daily updates on transmission rates, mutations, and clinical trial results, it is no surprise that we began to switch off – BARB (Broadcasters Audience Research Board) data shows that people turned to TV channels for news at the start of the pandemic and then turned away as it progressed.

The emotional stress of the pandemic may be to blame. Media consumption affects our mental health – negative news can cause distress and anxiety. People may have been avoiding pandemic news because they felt it was damaging their mental wellbeing.

Our survey found that the biggest health worry for respondents this winter was their mental health, with 39% singling this out as their top concern – ranked above Covid, colds and flu. This is particularly interesting given the headlines on the ‘twindemic’, which – you might assume – would push respiratory viruses to the front of people’s minds.

Consumers may be avoiding health news to protect their own mental wellbeing – or simply because they have had enough of virology lessons. Whatever the reason, it poses a real challenge for health comms professionals who need to engage with a disengaged audience.

Radical redistribution of trust

In 2020, consumers were quick to lose trust in a source of health information – for example, 70% would not trust information that did not come from a qualified healthcare professional. This figure has now dropped to just 51%.

Likewise, two years ago, 44% said that they would lose trust in health information that went against official advice. This has fallen to 23%.

These figures suggest that it is harder to lose consumers’ trust. This may not be as beneficial as it sounds: quite the opposite. If consumers are less likely to question the source of their health information or its accuracy, it is easier for misinformation to proliferate.

Who is in and who is out

As in 2020, healthcare professionals (HCPs) continue to be the most trusted sources of information: almost half (47%) of our respondents said they would rely on their GP, doctor, or nurse to provide them with trustworthy information to make decisions about their health.

However, as it is increasingly difficult for some people to see their GP, new information sources are plugging this gap. In 2020, only 5% of respondents said they would rely on a local pharmacist for health advice – our latest survey showed that this had jumped to 20%. Established healthcare charities and organisations, such as the British Lung Foundation, are also following this trend – with trust in such bodies up at 20%, from 9% two years ago.

The pull of independent scientists and experts has however dropped since 2020 – falling from 49% to just 29%.

So, how can you get your message across?

Revaluate your assumptions about what people will engage with. Mental health is a big concern, for example – so consumers may be more likely to engage with content about mental wellness, compared to physical wellness.

Health information that is presented as alarmist could be a big turn-off – tone matters at a time when people want to protect themselves from sources of anxiety.

Trust has shifted or consolidated. HCPs remain high on the trusted sources list, but with GP availability increasingly a challenge, consumers and patients need an alternative. Trust in pharmacists and the third sector has increased, so think about how you can tap into these sources to tell your story.

Clear, trustworthy health information saves lives and reduces the burden on the NHS – but only if you can get people to pay attention to it.

Read the full report by Kaizo PR here.

For more on trust in the health, medical and pharmaceutical space, read these posts with overviews and advice from Pharmica’s Carolina Goncalves and Lynn’s Shayoni Lynn.

Trends in UK journalism: what is happening in retail?

January 24, 2023/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications, Media Media Monitoring, Media Analysis, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Andrew Strutt

The retail sector, like many during this cost-of-living crisis, has been severely impacted. Christmas retail sales actually held up better than many expected, thanks in part to the World Cup, but analysts are predicting a tricky few months ahead as people look to save the pennies after the festive period.

But how are the media covering the current challenges that the retail sector is facing? From the on-going economic issues to fast fashion and sustainability, journalists are always looking for new angles to cover the important topics within retail. We had a look back over the last few months on the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service to see what has been trending and what is coming up.

Sign up to start receiving requests from the UK media direct to your inbox with the Journalist Enquiry Service.

Since October, the Retail & Fashion category has represented 6% of all requests on the service. This makes it the seventh-best performing category, out of the 25 to choose from, and the second most popular among our users in terms of trade/professional options with only Business & Finance receiving more enquiries. It also saw a boost in the number of requests between September and October, rising by nearly 6%.

Despite being more of a trade category, the journalists selecting Retail & Fashion tend to come from Consumer Media, with 38% from that media type. National newspaper/Current Affairs is next on 22% with the Trade/Business/Professional media back on 9%. Nearly a half (48%) of the journalists submitting an enquiry are staff journos, with freelance journalists back on 18%.

In terms of what they are looking from with their requests, 35% are after review products with 23% looking for information for an article and 16% wanting a spokesperson or expert. The high number here for review products can be attributed to a large amount of Christmas requests in the period we are covering (October to December) and bloggers and consumer journalists often look to cover fashion trends for the festive period and look ahead to the new year.

When we look at the keywords and phrases that have been used within the Retail & Fashion category, ‘cost-of-living’ appears in nearly 3% of all these requests. A number of enquiries come from broadcast media with news providers such as ITV News and 5 News looking for filming locations and retail businesses on how they are coping with the cost-of-living crisis. This provides a great opportunity to get clients featured on national news and highlight how the economic downturn is affecting the retail sector.

National newspapers have also been looking along a similar line, wanting to find case studies about the impact on small businesses with requests coming from the Metro, The Daily Express and The Times. Plus, enquiries from trade titles such as The Grocer, including ‘Christmas in a cost of living crisis – impact on grocery/food and drink shopping’.

The cost-of-living crisis is a very immediate trend and concern for the retail sector but one that has been affecting this area in the longer term has been the rise in online retail and retailers. ‘Online’ was our top keyword in the last three months, featuring in 12% of all requests in the Retail & Fashion category.

This figure might be skewed slightly, as many come from online publications. However, we have seen requests from trade and national press titles around this. A journalist at Industry Dive was looking to ‘profile two businesses about online payments’ offering a good opportunity for any case studies. While the Daily Mirror looked for the ‘best boxing day sale offers – online, high street retailers and supermarkets’. This is, of course, more of a seasonal request but does contain another two keywords in ‘sale’ and ‘high street’. The former made up nearly 3% of the Retail & Fashion requests while the latter was in just over 1%. Again, ‘sale’ might appear due to the timing we are looking at with Christmas and then the January sales.

Another couple of time sensitive key phrases were ‘Black Friday’ and ‘Cyber Monday’ which combined appeared in nearly 2% of the total requests. These were mainly looking for products to review and information on the best deals out there. Journalists will often look in advance for this, especially if it is going to be a feature in their publication, so requests can be from September and into October.

Despite the economic downturn, ‘luxury’ was the second most used keyword on the service as it appeared in over 6% of all requests. The majority of these were looking for products to review or to include as competition prizes but that still presents a good chance to promote a client’s brand. There were also a few looking for spokespeople on the luxury retail industry including this one about the ‘present and future of luxury industry’.

Finally, another more recent trend from the retail sector has been sustainability. This applies both to the fashion industry, moving away from the era of fast fashion, and supermarkets and the food industry, trying to reduce single use plastic and encourage recycling. ‘Sustainable’ as a keyword has been in 2% of all requests from October to December.

Requests around this keyword have focused on spokespeople or experts in this field from a variety of consumer, trade and national titles. This has included Natural Health, The Times, PA Media and The Grocer. Several have asked specifically for a sustainability expert and with environmental issues often at the top of the news agenda, there are bound to be more requests of this nature. Therefore, a great opportunity to get coverage in the media.

Topical issues such as the cost-of-living crisis, the rise of online shopping and the focus on less waste and more sustainability within retail look set to continue. While other requests around the retail sector can be seasonal, as seen with Christmas and Black Friday. Notable events such as Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day are approaching and journalists will be keen to get information and case studies around the impact on retail.

Find more information about the benefits of the Journalist Enquiry Service here and find more tips on connecting with retail journalists in our white paper How to pitch to journalists.

Getting to the truth of the matter on misinformation

January 19, 2023/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, Politics, PR, Communications, Media, Public Affairs Media Monitoring, Media Analysis, Political Services, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

‘The way social media platforms are designed and are growing in power is making it easier than ever before to spread misinformation like wildfire,’ believes Shayoni Lynn, CEO and founder of multi-award-winning behavioural science consultancy Lynn.

A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) and Chair of PRCA Cymru, Shayoni was awarded the Mark Mellor Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Industry at PRCA Nationals in 2022 and included in PRovoke Innovator 25 EMEA. She represents Wales at the UK PR Council, is a founding panel member and Vice-Chair of CIPR’s Behavioural Insights Interest Group and a frequent industry awards judge, regularly speaking on the use of data, behavioural science in communications, and measurement and evaluation at conferences internationally.

Here, Shayoni shares an overview of the misinformation challenge for comms people across politics, public affairs, the media and more – and explains what the sector should be prepared for.

Have you noticed an increase in misinformation in your space over the last few years?

There’s a number of ways of measuring this, and all of them are fraught with difficulty. We’re not academics, we’re practitioners, but we can say a few things with certainty. First, the way social media platforms are designed and are growing in power is making it easier than ever before to spread misinformation like wildfire. Second, a lot of the society-wide factors that increase the spread of misinformation – uncertainty, information overload, crisis – are getting worse. And third, we’re hearing more regularly from our clients that this is an issue which is making it harder to retain their relationships with key audiences.

Are social media platforms doing enough to tackle misinformation?

I think the platforms would be the first to admit that more could be done to tackle misinformation, so that in itself isn’t particularly contentious. Again, there are policymakers and campaigners whose focus is on pressuring the platforms to act more comprehensively, and our job as practitioners is to protect our clients in the world as it is, not as we’d like it to be.

What additional steps should social media be taking?

We’re not in the business of making policy recommendations, but one thing is for sure: transparency is never a bad thing. Transparency about how they are making moderation decisions and transparency about how their algorithms are recommending us content is something that academic researchers have been calling for for quite some time now, and can only help us as a society get to grips with the problem.

What advice would you give to others in your sector for correcting misinformation among the general public?

There are three pieces of advice which should provide a solid foundation for any strategy to fight misinformation.

1) Just because you feel like you need to respond to something doesn’t mean that you should. Social media algorithms are designed to harness our impulses to propel content to the top of more users’ newsfeeds, so in responding to something we might just be exposing more users to it.
2) Just because something is a problem on social media, doesn’t mean it’s a problem with your audience. Social listening tools can be incredibly helpful in detecting potentially harmful information, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s reached our audience or is resonating with them.
3) Finally, it’s not all in your control. Misinformation is spreading because of forces well beyond this current moment – a changing climate, a revolutionised information environment, increasing inequality – and there’s no correction that’s going to fix all of that. By acknowledging this we can focus more of our energy on what we can control, than wasting it worrying about what we can’t.

Are there any particular areas that you feel will likely be the target of misinformation in 2023 PRs should plan for?

One advantage we have on misinformation is that it rarely falls out of the blue – it tends to spike in response to unfolding events. Extreme weather events, global conflicts and public health crises are all areas where misinformation can thrive. We’d recommend keeping an eye on countries that have elections coming up, too.

But the truth is, we know that regardless of the focus of the misinformation, the structure of it will be much the same: it will be pitting in groups against out groups, leveraging social divisions and blaming the world’s ills on a secret cabal of elites pulling the strings behind the scenes.

Does misinformation negatively impact those within the sector as well as the general public?

Absolutely. If your job is to build a relationship between the organisation you work for and your audience, then misinformation should be on your radar. Bad information has the potential to sever this relationship.

For more on misinformation and how the comms industry can help combat the issue, read this interview with Pharmica’s Carolina Goncalves for how it is impacting the pharmaceutical sector.

To help track how your message is received across the media, the political sphere and social media, try Vuelio’s monitoring services.

How much has cryptofinance factored into your planning and work this year?

How are you ensuring your company and your finance clients are prepared for the FCA’s new Consumer Duty?

What will be the biggest potential blocks for companies working towards this, in your opinion?

How can finance-focused organisations engage with audiences worried about their own finances in the current climate?

Which financial organisations have been doing a good job with their comms recently, in your opinion?

What big changes have you noticed in what is being asked for by your finance clients since your time in the industry?

What are your go-to publications and journalists for keeping informed about changes in your sector?

Why are efforts to fight misinformation so important this year in particular?

What initiatives have Polis been working on?

Will the Online Safety Bill do enough?

What do PR and comms people need to be aware of?

How much responsibility falls on social media platforms and publishers?

What is coming up over the next year for Polis?

How has the logistics sector changed since you’ve been covering it?

How do you see the impact of supply chain issues evolving over the next few years in the UK and beyond?

What are the other big trends for the logistics sector this year?

Are logistics companies doing enough to incorporate net zero goals into their planning, in your opinion?

What information from PRs is useful for the magazine and the website, and how would you prefer they get in touch?

What do PRs need to know about the logistics industry that is unique to the sector – does it have big differences to other industries?

How far ahead do you plan content?

You also co-host the Last Mile Prophets podcast with Marek Różycki – what extra subjects does the podcast give you the space to cover that Logistics Business Magazine perhaps doesn’t?

Which logistics brands are doing a good job when it comes to sustainability and environmental considerations?

Value for Money

The tinned fish revolution

Conscious choices

New alternatives for non-dairy milks

A nod to nostalgia

English wines

Plant-powered pasta

Paper drinks bottles

1. Be vigilant with AI tools

2. Stay transparent

3. Allow open conversation to avoid mistrust

4. Pay close attention to inequalities and bias still within the health sector itself

5. Go beyond the physical to gain and retain the attention of your audience

6. Be responsive to international events to fight fake news

Education

Shock Tactics

Partnerships

Sustainable Practices

Conclusion

How has the logistics sector changed since you’ve been covering it?

How do you see the impact of supply chain issues evolving over the next few years in the UK and beyond?

What are the biggest trends for the logistics sector this year?

Are logistics companies doing enough to incorporate net zero goals into their planning?

What information from PRs is useful to Logistics UK and the magazine, and how would you prefer they get in touch?

What do PRs need to know about the logistics industry that is unique to the sector – does it have big differences to other industries?

Which logistics companies are doing a good job when it comes to sustainability and environmental considerations?

Social Media’s role in an individual’s life

Fake news and the algorithm dilemma

It is our job to combat misinformation

Create Valentine’s Day cards

Host a V-Day giveaway

Celebrate self-love

Share a smile

Shareable quotes

Roses are red

Will supply/demand issues ease in 2023?

What do energy brand communicators need to know now?

Key responsibilities for companies communicating change and possible risk to consumers?

Consumers suffering from ‘health messaging fatigue’

Radical redistribution of trust

Who is in and who is out

So, how can you get your message across?

Have you noticed an increase in misinformation in your space over the last few years?

Are social media platforms doing enough to tackle misinformation?

What additional steps should social media be taking?

What advice would you give to others in your sector for correcting misinformation among the general public?

Are there any particular areas that you feel will likely be the target of misinformation in 2023 PRs should plan for?

Does misinformation negatively impact those within the sector as well as the general public?

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