Are delivery companies seen as ‘green’ in the press?

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , /by

Alongside many other major industries, such as pharma and public transport, delivery and logistics companies are having to amend the structure of their operations in the face of the climate crisis.

British news outlets have recently started looking into the green strategies of established companies like Evri, while newer and more sustainable companies such as CitySprint are emerging in response to the call for action. 

Over the past few months, several new service developments have launched across the delivery and logistics sector that demonstrate clear, target-based initiatives in support of climate action.

National media sources have expressed continued interest in reporting on the sustainability efforts of well-known companies, while recently picking up stories from smaller start-ups too.

Key Takeaways

  • Deutsche Post DHL group have produced the highest volume of positive coverage throughout Q1, while coverage for Freightliner and Ocean Network Express (ONE).
  • P&O Ferries had the second-highest Share of Voice, but several negative stories made national news and ultimately diluted positive coverage.
  • Two leading delivery and logistics companies reaped the benefits of partnering with Sky Media.
  • Alike to the pharma industry, companies with additional environmental accreditations and awards are proving to have more of a positive relationship with the press than otherwise.

Which companies are getting the most climate-related coverage?

*Data samples were collected from 1 Jan – 14 Mar 2022. Coverage represents all national/regional online news and trade-related publications discussing climate action from delivery/logistics companies functioning in the UK (663 articles in total).

Throughout the first quarter of 2023, Deutsche Post DHL Group received the strongest share of voice overall in relation to sustainability coverage. This was due to several national headlines in relation to climate efforts, which often cited the ‘record sum’ that the business invested in digitisation and sustainability.

ESG targets were heavily praised in 46% of its coverage, with some headlines claiming they ‘walk the talk’ in green-focused growth. The group has also been significantly mentioned within the conversation about CO2 parcel labels, a net zero initiative in Germany that the UK is considering adopting.

Significant highs and lows for P&O Ferries

Whereas Deutsche Post DHL group coverage was over 80% positive, P&O Ferries have had much more significant highs and lows.

Between 10-14 January, the company’s press release about saving ‘85,00 tons of carbon emissions’ performed well across trade-specific publications.

In March, the company were left ‘red-faced’ when they discovered hybrid ships could not be plugged in at Dover or Calais ports. This was the most prominent and high-reaching story for P&O Ferries, leaving their reputation in a much more vulnerable state than its competitors.

Industry partnerships with Sky

Between 28 February and 8 March, Royal Mail and Unipart Logistics both reaped the benefits of climate-related work with Sky Media.

On 1 March, Sky announced the purchase of 11 new Mercedes-Benz eVito electric panel vans, as part of its net zero 2030 drive. As a repair and customer service partner for the company, Unipart Logistics’ Head of Fleet Rob Hannam was quoted in 62% this coverage – which mostly spanned across auto and other trade publications. Even though Unipart were not the core focus of the coverage, this has been its highest quality brand coverage in relation to climate efforts this year.

On the other hand, Royal Mail recently gained coverage around its ‘Footprints’ campaign encouraging UK consumers to send parcels in greener ways. The advert was a product of winning £250,000 in broadcast coverage as part of Sky’s Zero Footprint Fund. Sonia Sudhakar, MD of Marketing and Digital at Royal Mail, was cited in 38% of this coverage stating how they’ll continue to ‘campaign for the entire industry to empower customers and help tackle climate change’.

While Royal Mail have launched several green initiatives this year alone, coverage appears to fall short. Compared to other organisations in this sector, the service has published less sustainability-focused press releases to the public; which could be a contributing factor towards its smaller media presence than competitors.

Growth of ESG discussion in general news sources

References to ESG in news sources has grown rapidly since the pandemic, which in turn speaks to the growing interest in this term from the wider public, as shown in the Google search data — as web searches grow, so have media mentions and vice versa. We have seen this in the pharma industry, where the public demand for better sustainability comms has been widely discussed over the past three years.

Last week, WSJ reported that companies working to promote ESG in the workplace have proven to outperform their peers through improved innovation, higher sales growth and profitability, while those that are slow to adapt will face increasing regulatory and reputational risks.

Top Stories and Sentiment 

*Data samples were collected from 1 January – 14 Mar 2022. Coverage represents all national/regional online news and trade-related publications discussing climate action from delivery/logistics companies functioning in the UK. Sentiment figures represent all coverage generated in relation to the relevant brands.

While Deutsche Post DHL Group maintained the strongest share of voice, Freightliner and Ocean Network Express (ONE) achieved the strongest ratio of positive coverage overall. This was due to a partnership between the two companies that allows Freightliner to travel using biodegradable oil, purchased by ONE.

This headline was widely distributed across national news publications from 22 to 28 February, while 68% of trade publications cited ONE Director Simon Parsons as ‘hopeful’ to further expand green networks throughout the UK moving forward.

Over 90% of coverage was due to the release of research detailing opportunity in the UK to electrify 95% of rail freight operations by the 2040s. While volumes were low against competitors, CILT received the most prominent media mentions; mostly discussed across transport-specific publications, CILT was mentioned in 96% of headlines.

Despite being one of the biggest public delivery services in the UK, Evri has had the least positive coverage in relation to climate efforts. The company has been active in its sustainable initiatives, such as e-cargo bike deliveries, but overall media interest has been low. This is likely due to the onslaught of negative coverage that emerged at the same time in other areas of the business. During this analysis period, media attention was focused on concerns around labour rights; which massively overshadowed positive initiatives.

The company has shared several climate-related press releases, but were released during or after negative news emerged. When enduring a PR crisis, our research suggests that timing is key — the media are much less likely to pick up positive stories following a negative spike.

Sustainability is no longer an optional investment

Overall, it seems that the media consensus is that sustainability is no longer secondary to profitability across delivery and logistics. Rather, it is ‘viewed as a driver of future growth’ as cleaner transport options are being taken ever more seriously.

Nancy Hobhouse, Head of ESG at Evri, reported to the press that ‘businesses who have a sustainable purpose, or a robust sustainability strategy, are outperforming competitors’, while Richard Cook, Fleet Director at DHL added that “customers are increasingly environmentally conscious and will hold businesses to high standards of sustainability, making it a critical focus”.

Media interest around net zero targets are not going away any time soon and journalists are particularly interested in reliable claims. Deutsche Post DHL Group, which has outperformed competitors in the way of sustainability coverage, has recently joined the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) which helps companies to make clear and actionable climate strategies.

Across Vuelio Insights’ wider crisis research, we have found that companies who have additional accreditations, awards and initiatives (i.e., SBTi) are more likely to maintain positive media interest than those who have not, all the while reducing the risk of greenwashing allegations.

In recent years, sustainability has become a necessary investment that could greatly impact shareholder prices if neglected. From e-scooters to hybrid ships, efforts across the sector are clear and are more abundant than ever.

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

International Perspectives of the new Prime Minister

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , , , /by

In the six weeks running up to the Conservative leadership election, world leaders and international new outlets provided a heightened commentary on the state of UK politics. While optimism towards Liz Truss’s election differs greatly across borders, headlines mentioning the ‘long list of challenges’ ahead of her were widely agreed upon.

Throughout the race, the Vuelio Insights team monitored all local and national coverage across Europe (excl. UK), North America, Australia and New Zealand to explore the overarching international perspective of the British political system.

Following Truss’s victory on 6 September, many political figures around the world rushed to offer their congratulatory messages of hope and solidarity. Terms like ‘strategic partnership’ and ‘friendship’ were shared across Italy, Israel, Romania and the Netherlands, while Lithuania and Ukraine expressed their gratitude for Boris Johnson’s support against Russian aggression — in hopes it will continue with the new PM.

Having been repeatedly referred to as a former ‘anti-monarchist’ in almost 3,000 articles of the studied regions, the passing of Queen Elizabeth II put added pressure on Truss’s election. The majority of coverage — which came from the US, France and Canada — reported on Truss’s support and attendance to the memorial service. However, an article first published by Agence France-Presse that confirmed she would not ‘accompany’ King Charles III’s tour of the nations due to ‘ongoing criticism’ was syndicated 218 times by region European and North American media outlets.

Euroscepticism and demands for respect

While local and regional coverage within each region has reported positive messages from world leaders, international news sources have favoured the growing EU concerns around Brexit and the NI protocol. Thomas Gift, founding director of University College London’s Centre on US Politics, told Newsweek that Truss ‘is more of a Eurosceptic than Rishi Sunak,’ meaning she is less in favour of co-operation with the EU.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and VP Maros Sefcovics both congratulated Truss, while emphasising the ‘great strategic importance’ of a ‘constructive’ and ‘positive’ relationship between London and Brussels. This will depend upon ‘full respect‘ of the NI protocol, Withdrawal Agreement and Trade and Co-operation Agreement. Both members of the EU were quoted in 386 national articles across Europe and North America.

In light of this condition, Jacinda Arden used the election to recognise the UK’s ‘exceptionally strong’ relationship with New Zealand, acknowledging Truss’s ‘staunch support’ of the UK’s tilt to the Indo-Pacific and Free Trade Agreement. This statement reached online and broadcast media across Australia, New Zealand and Canada 382 times over the six-week race.

In North America, approximately 1,682 US news sources picked up on growing tensions between the EU and Liz Truss over this time, with a key focus on how this could affect the Biden administration. While Biden’s hopes to ‘deepen’ the ‘special relationship’ was shared in 31% of this coverage, it was also coupled with Truss’s controversial comment that the UK US relationship is ‘special but not exclusive’, comparing approval of the US to a ‘beauty parade’.

Conservative leadership race: volume and sentiment

Throughout the six weeks of the leadership race (12 Jul – 6 Sept), the Vuelio insights team found that the international sample produced approximately 8,562 total articles in reference to the race between Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss. Coverage started slowly, with the first major updates made on both the 5 and the 11 of August. However, publications began to peak over 1,000 on 24 August – around the time that Sunak said it was ‘wrong’ for scientists to ‘scare people’ into lockdowns throughout the pandemic. Following this initial spike, coverage grew significantly within the final week of the election.

The ‘Reset’ opportunity

While national UK headlines have been predominantly negative over this period, international media has been predominantly neutral or positive. A strong causational factor behind this is the global agreement on how Truss could be the precedent for a great ‘reset’ opportunity among the many pending bilateral conflicts triggered by Boris Johnson.

Among the 1,492 articles discussing this potential, over 90% is in relation to France, Ireland and Brussels, while the remainder comments on humanitarian matters like the Rwanda refugee scheme. Despite Truss’s globally viral comments towards Emmanuel Macron, both he and France’s European and foreign affairs minister, Catherine Colonna, have said that the two countries are most definitely friends. Their hopes that Liz Truss’s appointment will lead to a ‘new start’ in Anglo-French relations was widely distributed across French and Canadian news sources.

Similarly, Taoiseach Micheál Martin shared hopes that Liz Truss offers a chance to ‘reset’ the fractured relationship between Britain and Ireland, which would be triggered by full respect and implementation of the NI protocol. Martin expressed desire that her premiership could herald a ‘change in direction’ for Irish/UK relations after recent years of tension over Brexit and the protocol. Of the 768 articles discussing this opportunity, 74% of news sources were either US or Ireland-based.

Total volume by region

Overall, national US news sources produced the most national coverage on the Conservative leadership race (3,788 articles), while Europe shared the most in one day (1,068 articles) — which was the final day of the election.

While Biden’s uncertainties have been widely reported, overall media response has been either positive or neutral in sentiment across the United States.

Truss’s ability to switch from a ‘Remainer’ to a Brexiteer was mentioned in 48% of all US coverage over the six weeks – by far the most widely syndicated discussion point within the country. While this switch has often been frowned upon across Europe, it has been positively received by US media — key journalists in outlets like the Wall Street Journal and Newsweek seeing it as a ‘testimony’ to her ‘political ambition’ rather than her convictions.

John Bolton, who served as the president’s national security adviser, told WSJ that both her assertion and ambition are some of many reasons that Truss is ‘the prime minister that America needs’.

In Canada, the media response was 32% positive, 48% neutral and 20% negative. Justin Trudeau offered one of the most extensive congratulatory messages to Liz Truss, referring to the UK-Canada relationship as ‘one of the strongest in the world’, a phrase used by 128 national news sources in the week following the election.

Sentiment across EU media

* UK excluded; countries displayed are those that produced over 250 relevant articles between 17 Jul – 6 Sept 2022

While the EU remains ‘wary’ of Truss, a term that reached 462 national headlines across the continent during the election, sentiment across tracked regions has been mostly neutral or positive. Among the positive regions, 52% was positive due to shared words of admiration for their relationship with the UK following extensive Ukrainian support, while the remainder often used Truss’s cooperative contributions as a Foreign Secretary as a positive outlook on her potential as PM.

Among the two countries that were negative in sentiment, Austria had a slightly higher ratio of coverage related to Starmer’s belief that Truss is ‘out of touch’ and ‘not working on the people’s side’. Similarly, Greece produced a fractionally higher proportion of negative coverage due to a spike in local media on 28 August, when Truss refused to answer if France was a ‘friend or foe’.

Thatcher connotations

Much to her displeasure, Truss has been repeatedly referred to as a ‘Thatcherite’ in both UK and international media – though regional media differs greatly on whether this is a good or a bad thing.

For example, the US used this term 1,794 times between 12 Jul – 6 Sept, but predominantly used the term as a compliment to the ‘powerhouse’ opportunities Truss could create for the US and UK. This perspective may be in part due to the ‘special relationship’ that the UK and the US share, a reference famously created by Regan and Thatcher in the 1980s.

This term has been consistently repeated by US media over the decades, with 238 headline mentions during the race. Biden’s use of this phrase in his congratulatory message to Truss suggests desire for a similar allyship in current global affairs.

On the other hand, Canadian news has a higher volume of negative coverage in response to Truss’s ‘Thatcherite’ reference. Many national news sources covered the controversies behind her idolisation of the former PM, calling many of her strategies a ‘short-term’ relief.

Similarly, leading Australian news sources used this term as an avenue to disclose Truss’s journey from ‘anti-monarchist’ to ‘next Margaret Thatcher’, with 38% of all national media featuring the viral YouTube video of Truss in her teens.

National news sources across France, Germany and Belgium also used the ‘Thatcherite’ reference on a more neutral basis, referring to both positive and negative outcomes of Thatcher’s ‘long’ and ‘looming shadow’ in 28% of the collective 218 relevant articles. The term ‘iron lady’ has also been used regarding how Thatcher plans to handle Russo-Ukraine conflicts, with 582 headlines across Europe using this title to reference Truss’ communicated approach.

In a slightly unexpected turn of events, Joe Lycett, UK comedian, also made international headlines for referring to Truss as ‘Thatcher 2.0’. His ongoing satirical commentary of the term made 448 headlines across Northern Ireland, North America, Australia and New Zealand.

Top Topics: International and Regional Media

Energy Crisis

Aside from general election results, the energy crisis consumed 32% of all international headlines and has by far been the most discussed topic on an international scale. European media most often featured quotes in their headlines due to strong ‘warnings’ from EU leaders.

Both Nicola Sturgeon and Sadiq Khan echoed these concerns, with 486 European media outlets quoting the ‘need to act fast’ as winter emerges, as well as the ‘disaster’ that would unfold upon Truss’ election.

Humanitarianism

Overall, the topic of humanitarianism in British politics has produced a stronger ratio of positive headlines due to vast and ongoing Ukraine support. However, negative coverage regarding concerns of women’s rights, climate change and the Rwanda refugee policy has equated to 38% of the total 2,443 international news articles discussing humanitarian matters.

Of these topics, the most popular was the Extinction Rebellion protest that led to climate change activists gluing themselves to the speaker’s chair in parliament on 2 September. This story was most popular in the US, with a total of 882 articles on the event.

Economy

Aside from the cost-of-living crisis, further concerns about Truss’ impact on the future economy has been overwhelmingly sceptical or negative across European and U.S. online media. Headlines on the projected ‘£50bn loss’ ahead of Truss’s plans were shared 411 times over the course of the race, coupled with concerns that the poor will be ‘on the streets’.

As US, German, Irish and French media reported a ‘2.5 year low’ of the sterling following the announcement of the new PM, Deutsche Bank reported risk of a ‘sterling crisis’ rising as Truss becomes UK prime minister. This publicly released analysis was shared by 193 national news sources and financial publications across the commonwealth, US, Italy, France, Austria and Germany.

In relation to this drop in sterling value, another strong topic within international economic coverage has been Truss’s ‘pro-crypto’ reputation. This topic was covered 248 times by national news sources and financial publications, of which 89% were US-based, 9% Canadian and 2% Greek.

Truss’s statement that the UK ‘should welcome cryptocurrencies’ was a headline or body feature in 48% of all related coverage throughout the election period. While Truss has expressed desire for the UK to ‘adopt blockchains and digital property’, Richard Fuller, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury, has told international media sources that Truss’s leadership will allow the UK to become a ‘dominant global hub’ for crypto technologies.

Conclusion

As it stands, the international media perspective of both the new PM and British politics is far less pessimistic than that of UK. A change in leadership has birthed waves of hope and optimism by international figures and leading news sources, with commonwealth leaders like Trudeau, Arden and Albanese expressing their long and positive relationships with Great Britain.

In the US, many believe Truss’s ‘black and white’ Thatcher qualities could actually serve as a great resource that will allow us to prevail through challenging global affairs. Furthermore, the UK’s globally renowned quality of support in eastern European regions has replenished levels of respect and allyship that many feared were lost during Boris Johnson’s leadership.

However, it appears that these words of unity and prosperity are very much conditional — the outcome of which will strongly depend upon Truss’ decisions with Brexit and the NI protocol. If she honours ‘full implementation’ as requested by Brussels and Northern Ireland, a harmonious relationship with the EU is within reach.

Eric Mamer, the Commission’s spokesperson in chief, had told reporters that they are ‘always looking for new beginnings’ with the UK and hopes Truss’s election will help to ‘move forward’ to a stronger and more peaceful future.

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

Are you caught in the PR software loyalty trap?

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

We’re creatures of habit, so changing the tools we use to be effective at our jobs seems like a big hassle when we’re under increasing pressure to deliver on a daily basis.

Much like bank accounts, we end up sticking with what we already use even if we know we’d be better off switching.

The benefits of reviewing alternatives to your current PR software provider include getting more value out of your investment, more accurate and reliable data, and saving precious time on day to day tasks.

At Vuelio, we understand how challenging this can be so we do everything we can to make it easy for you to switch to us from your existing media monitoring provider.

Move all your contacts and lists
We work with you to map your existing data into Vuelio wherever possible so you can import your contacts and lists.

For your monitoring, we’ll find ways to improve your brief and keywords to get even better coverage results.

We take the pain out of learning a new platform
It might seem like a challenge to get your team up and running on a new platform, but we’re with you every step of the way with a dedicated implementation consultant and online screenshare session to get you set up and all of your users can hit the ground running.

You can also join our regular online Vuelio Masterclasses for a deep dive into each module.

Help portal and live chat
We provide self-service support with guides and faqs on all parts of Vuelio, plus live chat support when you need an extra helping hand.

Support team
Contact our support team via live chat, phone or email during office hours (Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm) for a swift response.

Vuelio’s research team are on hand to answer any data queries for you, whether you want to double check a detail on a contact or need some extra information, you’ll get a response the same working day.

All Vuelio Political clients are assigned a dedicated policy researcher who specialises in your policy area. They conduct in-depth research and keep you up to date with any news and changes in major policy areas including health, education, environment and transport.

Valuable content:
As well as dedicated support and advice, our clients have access to our full range of valuable content. From thought leadership pieces to best practice advice, we’ll keep you on top of your game:

• Daily Covid-19 briefing
• Monday PR club
• PR Pulse
• Media Bulletin – journalist moves and media news
• Regular journalist and influencer interviews and pitching tips
• Point of Order Newsletter
• White papers
• Webinars
• Events (virtual and, hopefully soon, live)
• Yoga every week

Ready to check out how we can help you deliver on your comms strategy effectively? Get in touch for a demo.

The Creative Shootout 2020 finalists

Finalists announced for The Creative Shootout 2020

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

Eight agencies have made it through to the live final of The Creative Shootout 2020 on Thursday 23 January, which will be held at Picturehouse Central.

The eight finalists were chosen by a high-profile judging panel after they had all submitted their 60-second content. The finalists will take to the stage to show off their creative clout for a cause that needs bold solutions: homelessness. This year The Creative Shootout’s charity of the year is Crisis, who will provide the all-important brief on the day, which the agencies will use to create their 10-minute live pitch in the hopes of taking home the top prize.

The eight PR and marketing agencies who have made the final cover a range of disciplines:

  • Alpaca Communications – PR agency
  • Epoch Design – Design consultancy
  • Fever – PR, social and influencer agency
  • FleishmanHillard Fishburn – Communications agency
  • Grayling – Integrated communications agency
  • Haygarth – Brand engagement agency
  • TracyLocke – Advertising agency
  • Wavemaker – Media agency

To enter The Creative Shootout, these agencies had to submit a 60-second piece of content to demonstrate their creativity.  The entry format was open and not restricted to a specific type of content.

Creative Shootout founder Johnny Pitt said: ‘With entries ranging from ads to vinyl records, to films and bespoke board games, the entry creativity was jaw-dropping this year. The Shootout exists to showcase the extraordinary talent and thinking in our industry, whilst giving back – and year five looks set to be a blockbuster of a live final.’

At the live final, the finalists will draw straws to determine the running order with each agency having just 10 minutes to pitch their idea to the judges and a live audience of 350. The winning agency is crowned on stage and will get to work with Crisis to see their idea come to life, aided by a £10,000 prize fund – as last year’s winner Wire did with A Plastic Planet.

Matt Downie, director of policy & external affairs at Crisis said: ‘Ending homelessness will require brave people and brave thinking. The Creative Shootout is about just that, and everyone at Crisis is looking forward to seeing what happens in January.’

Vuelio is proud to sponsor The Creative Shootout for the third year in a row and we are looking forward to seeing the creative ideas from all the finalists.

The 2020 judging panel includes:

  • Victoria Buchanan, executive creative director, Tribal Worldwide
  • Kate Davies, head of brand, Guardian News and Media
  • Matt Downie, MBE, director of policy and external affairs, Crisis
  • Nils Leonard, founder, Uncommon Creative Studio
  • Elspeth Lynn, executive creative director, Geometry
  • Johnny Pitt, founder, The Creative Shootout
  • Laurent Simon, chief creative officer, VMLY&R
  • Gary Wheeldon, co-founder, Talker Tailor Trouble Maker
  • Ann Wixley, executive creative director, Wavemaker

Want to attend the live final? Get in touch here.

7 essential parts of an online newsroom

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

The job of your online newsroom is to become the go-to resource for journalists and other influencers who want the latest updates and information on your organisation.

That means your newsroom is the first thing journalists see when they interact with your organisation and making a great impression is crucial. To help you set the standard, here are seven things your newsroom must include.

1. Press Releases
Perhaps the most obvious, but it allows you to post all your company news in one place. Your news doesn’t just cover latest announcements but also background details, facts and quotes.

2. Media library
Journalists and bloggers need easy access to high quality images and videos to support their articles. Making this easy will save you both a lot of time.

3. Contacts
List as many members of the PR team as possible including phone numbers and email addresses. The easier it is for a journalist to reach the right person to get the information they need, the better your relationship with them will be.

4. Social media profiles
Including your social media feeds ensures any breaking news and current conversation is visible in your newsroom. Embed or link to your organisation’s twitter account.

5. Company information
Include a section or link to your company about page. Make sure it has an overview of the company, the work you do and your key people.

6. Search
Over time your content builds up into a valuable library of information. You can allow journalists to quickly pick out historical facts, figures and dates for their articles with an easy to use search tool.

7. Analytics
Knowing how successful your posts are can ensure you know what style of release or content is reaching the most people at what times and in which locations. Add your Google Analytics tracking to your newsroom to see where visitors have come from.

If your stats are lower than expected don’t be disheartened. The more important thing is that your story resonates with your intended audience through the coverage gained with journalists and influencers.

By making it as easy as possible for the media to source news, facts, quotes, background and high-res images you’re removing obstacles to getting your brand coverage.

Ready to make a great impression? Easily publish press releases, images and collateral of all kinds to an optimised, customised and integrated Vuelio Online Newsroom.

Press release

6 steps to write a press release

/0 Comments/in , , , /by

The press release remains the PR’s choice for distributing news and communicating with the media. Whether you’re tweeting your news or publishing online for search engines and digital audiences, there are six points to follow to ensure your release gets the attention it deserves.

1. Have something to say
The most important step: have some real news to share. What is your company/client doing differently to everyone else? Has this story happened before in your industry? While the appointment of a new HR director might be big news in your organisation, it’s unlikely to spark much excitement externally. However, if your new HR director is implementing an innovative people management scheme, then this could be news.

2. Know your audience
Before you attempt to build a target media list, get to know your audience. Who are you trying to reach? This will enable you to target the right journalists and influencers. The more relevant your news is to their style and audience, the better the chance is of them covering it.

3. Get to the point quickly
Journalists and influencers receive hundreds of releases a day so write a snappy headline and put the story highlights at the beginning. Use the headline as the subject line if you’re emailing your release, which will help the recipient quickly work out that it’s relevant to them. Use this momentum and get to the point in the first paragraph – who, what, when, where, why and how – keeping their attention.

4. Use quotes to add colour but put them in the right place
Quotes can help explain the ‘why’ of your story. Really think about using quotes from experts that add to or move the story on. Quotes appear towards the end of your press release after the facts have been established.

5. Follow the press release template

  1. Headline
  2. All the relevant points in the first paragraph
  3. More detail in the second and third
  4. Quotes
  5. Contact details for more information
  6. Notes to the Editor with extra information that provide some background
  7. Boiler plate explaining what the company (or companies) does and how it describes itself

6. Prepare for follow up
When following up your press release, be ready to provide answers to any questions the journalist has and give time frames for getting back to them. It’s also a good idea to have supporting materials and spokespeople ready for providing extra comment or interviews.

Ready to send a press release but don’t have the right tools? The Vuelio Media Database lists thousands of journalists, editors and influencers with detailed biographies and contact information, and Vuelio Distribution lets you reach them all at the click of a button.

Cats Protection

How Vuelio helped Cats Protection save time and money

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , /by

Cats Protection is the UK’s leading feline welfare charity with a nationwide network of over 250 volunteer-run branches, 36 centres and over 100 charity shops that together helps around 200,000 cats and kittens each year.

We spoke to Kate Angel, Media Assistant at Cats Protection, who talked us through the charity’s need for a new solution and explained how Vuelio had saved them time and money. 

Cats Protection’s Media Team promotes the charity throughout the UK and provides PR support for volunteers and other departments. The team sends out a daily Media Update to the network that summarises news stories from print, online and broadcast outlets that have featured Cats Protection or are relevant to the charity in some other way.

The charity uses Vuelio Media Monitoring to source the stories using a list of keywords that is continually reviewed. It also uses Vuelio to send out press releases, for media contact management, evaluation on a monthly basis, and for specific communications campaigns.

The Challenge
Prior to working with Vuelio, Cats Protection used a different supplier that was ‘more expensive and less innovative’. The charity found that it was rarely using the supplier to send out press releases as the method was clunky.

The Solution
Cats Protection got quotes from three suppliers prior to its contract with its previous supplier ending. It was given a demo of Vuelio and shown what it could do – the team was looking for a one-stop-shop, which Vuelio was able to offer. The price was a big factor as well as Canvas, which allows Cats Protection to display its coverage in a modern, visually attractive and user-friendly way. The team is also now able to track the success of press releases and campaigns more effectively.

Benefits and Results
The team now use Vuelio to send out all its press releases and find it helpful to see the tracking of how many have been opened. The contacts and influencer functions are more detailed than the charity’s previous supplier.

The hourly coverage alerts mean the team is able to see coverage when it appears, and the reporting process is much improved with Canvas.

Looking for a one-stop comms software solution to save you time and money? Find out more about Vuelio. 

Vuelio are exhibiting at B2B Marketing Expo 2019

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

On 27 and 28 March, the ExCeL Centre will transform into Europe’s leading marketing event, B2B Marketing Expo. Exhibiting on stand 2212, the Vuelio team will be ready to answer any questions about our portfolio of products, from the market-leading journalist enquiry service to our fully integrated communications suite.

You’ll find the Vuelio stand close to three masterclasses, including digital marketing, customer acquisition and empowering your ecommerce, so why not get up to speed with the latest marketing theory and visit our stand all in one trip!

With hundreds of other exhibitors to visit at B2B Marketing Expo this year you’ll need to make sure you’ve got a solid plan, so you don’t miss anyone out.

And we’ll be running a special competition for a chance to win £100 for a charity of your choice. Just speak to any member of the Vuelio team – you can’t miss us.

Unable to make it this year? Follow @Vuelio and stay up to date with the latest news, events and blog posts.

Photo of Cardiff University building

Transforming public affairs at Cardiff University

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

Building, developing and keeping track of corporate relationships with different stakeholders is a challenge often faced by anyone working in public affairs. Whether you’re faced with losing vital information when an individual leaves or lacking a central place to log every interaction, the small issues can build into a bigger headache.

Ed Bridges, public affairs manager at Cardiff University, told us about the challenges faced in his team and how Vuelio has ‘transformed and professionalised’ the University’s approach to public affairs.

Find out more about our public affairs services

Cardiff University

The challenge

While the University has historically had good relationships with our political stakeholders, the management of those contacts had at times been haphazard. Valuable contacts were sometimes lost when individuals left the University, key interactions were often not recorded, and it was sometimes hard to evaluate the level of interest/take-up from stakeholders in our work. Previous attempts at using a database to manage these contacts hadn’t worked, primarily because we had tried to tag Public Affairs onto databases which were more appropriate for sales or marketing.

The solution

After looking around for an appropriate solution, it quickly became apparent to us that Vuelio was not only the best database for our needs, but would significantly enhance the work of the team. We were particularly impressed by the level of information available on the Vuelio Database about our stakeholders. This has allowed us to do things like identifying groups of politicians interested in particular areas of our research and target briefings to them.

The database also had as much data for political stakeholders at a devolved level as it did for those in Westminster – something which, for us, was a key requirement. We have also been consistently impressed by the level of technical support we have received from Vuelio, which is allowing us to get the most out of the system.

Benefits and results

In the four months we’ve been using Vuelio, we have been able to track how many and which stakeholders have been opening and reading our briefings, and tailor/improve them accordingly. We have also been able to put steps in place to ensure that interactions with key stakeholders are properly recorded so there is a lasting record of who has met with the University (and, just as importantly, so we can identify who hasn’t).

Are you ready to transform your public affairs strategy? Fill in this form and we’ll be in touch.

Fred

How Vuelio improved Fred Marketing’s media outreach

/0 Comments/in , , , , , /by

Fred Marketing is a full-service marketing agency based in Hull. We spoke to Mat Ombler, PR Account Manager at Fred, who told us how Vuelio is a ‘blessing’ for the agency’s media outreach, with accurate information in the influencer database and a responsive platform to help prove ROI to clients. 

Fred Marketing
One of our core services is PR and we distribute a lot of press releases as a result. We needed access to a database of media contacts that’s regularly updated with useful information to help us tailor any pitches accordingly. We also needed a responsive platform to help us pull coverage reports quickly and efficiently with as much detailed information as possible to show the value of our PR activity to clients. And we wanted to monitor keywords related to our clients and keep an eye on what other businesses in our clients’ sectors are up to.

The Challenge
We struggled with our previous media database supplier because the platform was very slow and unresponsive, making it very difficult to search for contacts as well as create and distribute press releases. We also found that contacts on the platform weren’t being regularly updated – in one case we discovered a reporter had left the publication we believed he was working at six months ago! Any problems we did report usually took a long time to get a response back to – at least two to three working days.

Since moving to Vuelio we’ve felt more in control of our PR and saved a significant amount of time. The team coded all of our press release templates into HTML, making all of our communications consistent and on-brand, as well as saving us time.

The Solution
The initial demo of the product was great and one of the main things that stood out to us was how detailed the information was on individual contacts on the platform. We were also surprised to see an editorial calendar containing feature lists for a variety of different publications, both offline and in print, saving us a lot of time for forward planning.

The account management and support overall has been fantastic, completely overshadowing our previous supplier. Any problems we do encounter on the platform are quickly resolved within a few hours. We receive a response within the hour for any enquiries we have– although it’s usually minutes! Knowing that there’s someone at the other end of the platform who is there to support you really makes a big difference and makes you feel valued. The onboarding process and training process for new staff members here has been fantastic too.

Benefits and Results
Finding the right contacts is now much easier than ever before and we no longer feel like we have to cross check every single contact with their social media platforms to ensure they’re still working at the place the platform says they are!

Because the platform doesn’t crash and works quickly, it’s saved us a lot of valuable time.

Vuelio is a blessing when it comes to media engagement, providing us with the information we need on who to contact, how to contact them and when to contact them.

 

Find out more about how Vuelio saves clients time and money here. 

The Press Release Bluleprint

4 Simple Steps for Writing a Killer Press Release

/0 Comments/in , , , , /by

Despite the rise of digital and social media, the basic principles of a press release still hold true more than 100 years after the first PR communication was composed.

In our latest guide, The Press Release Blueprint, we outline the four essential steps that you should take every time your write a press release in order to gain coverage and get results.

Stephen Waddington, industry influencer, blogger and partner and chief engagement officer at Ketchum, believes there are good reasons why the press release has endured in a changing media communications landscape. He said: ‘The reason press releases continue to be used despite a multitude of alternative formats is that they are well understood by organisations. It’s a common format, created through a process of iteration and approval, for communication with external publics. Everyone knows how they work.’

As the first step in our guide is to get to the point, we’ll keep you no longer. Download the guide here, and start writing the best press releases of your career.

press release blueprint feature

The Press Release Blueprint

/in , , /by
The Press Release Blueprint cover

One of the essential building blocks of PR and media relations, the press release, has endured as a way of communicating with journalists and, more recently, digital audiences online.

Download the white paper by filling out the form below.

Pembroke and Rye

Pembroke and Rye’s Charlie Hampton on how PRs can take advantage of silly season

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

Silly season is the period in August when Parliament is on Summer Recess, many people are on holiday and less serious stories fill up the news agenda. While some items may be frivolous, silly season provides a great opportunity for PRs to fill column inches and score some excellent coverage for their brands and clients.

Charlie Hampton, chief client officer at Pembroke and Rye, has over 20 years’ experience in communications and now oversees the agency’s account strategies – delivering programmes for companies ranging from Panasonic to Canadian Affair. We spoke to Charlie about his approach to silly season and what PRs should do to score a summer success.

What kind of stories do well during silly season?
The relative shortage of political and business news during silly season means that stories in these two areas tend to do well. Just look at huge number of column inches that Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn have received in the past couple of weeks.

That said, the reduction in these types of story creates more space in the media overall, so many outlets have more capacity than usual for stories of any kind.

The drop in political and business news is partially rebalanced by stories such as celeb holiday news – which seems to be everywhere at this time of year! – so competition to place celeb-related stories during silly season remains as high as ever.

How does your pitching/media outreach change during silly season?
We don’t step back from pitching stories during silly season but do sometimes look to place stories that are less time-specific – especially business stories – as the media may have more space to consider them than at other times of the year.

Our media outreach changes a bit as many journalists are on holiday, and therefore working to longer lead times and deadlines, so we look to develop stories further in advance wherever possible.

What are the benefits of getting coverage when the news agenda is quieter?
In a nutshell, you have the potential to achieve wider and deeper coverage for stories than might be possible at other times of the year. A story that might result in a nib in October, could well be an article of several paras in August.

This enables comms professionals to create a bigger impact for their clients, driving greater recognition and engagement with their key stakeholder groups.

We saw this all too clearly in recent weeks when a story we’d developed on behalf of an aerospace client about a new location with the creation of new jobs was very widely covered in the industry, business and local media, and to a greater extent than would have happened after silly season.

 

Need to reach the media during silly season? Get Vuelio. 

How to create an award winning campaign II

/in , , , , , /by

How do you create an award-winning campaign that challenges consumer perceptions?

Creative PR specialist Tin Man knows how – as its recent win at the CIPR Excellence Awards shows. Its #ISeeMore campaign tackled the challenge of getting young girls to consider careers in engineering for The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

Join Mandy Sharp, founder and CEO of Tin Man, and Hannah Kellett, External Communications Manager, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, as they explain why the campaign worked, what it takes to win awards and what lessons can be taken from their success.

Award Winning Campaign II

Diversity in Comms – How the PR and comms industry can improve

/in , , , , , /by

The PR and comms industry is not diverse enough, but the Taylor Bennett Foundation is trying to change that. Taylor Bennett Foundation alumnus Kuldeep Mehmi tells his own inside story of diversity in the industry and what we can all do to improve it.

Listen to the recording to hear how Kuldeep has worked his way to the top and learn:

  • How diverse our industry truly is and why diversity matters
  • What the Taylor Bennett Foundation is doing to promote diversity and how you can help
  • How we can change attitudes to improve the PR and comms industry

Diversity in comms webinar

Crisis Comms – Lessons from Greater Manchester Police

/in , , , , /by

What if a crisis is a matter of when, not if? What if it’s both unpredictable and inevitable? What can you do to make sure you expect the unexpected?

Amanda Coleman is one person who knows how to stay cool in a crisis.

As head of corporate communications at Greater Manchester Police, Amanda has been through some challenging times, including last year’s Manchester Arena terrorist attack and the August 2011 riots.

Amanda has learned valuable lessons from every crisis she’s been through and will share all of them with you on an exclusive Vuelio webinar.

Crisis Comms webinar

Amanda Coleman

5 Crisis Comms lessons with Greater Manchester Police’s Amanda Coleman

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , /by

Amanda Coleman recently presented the Vuelio webinar: Crisis Comms, Lessons from Greater Manchester Police. Amanda, who is head of corporate communications at GMP, talked us through the Manchester Arena bombing and the importance of keeping people at the heart of your response.

The webinar included a live Q&A, but due to the flood of questions coming in, we didn’t have time to answer them all. Amanda has very kindly found time to answer the rest, so we can present five (additional) Crisis Comms lessons.

Can you walk us through exactly what steps you took after the Manchester Arena attack?
The on-call press officer was contacted and called me, as head of branch, to run through a tweet we were putting out to say we knew something was happening and that we would provide further updates. That was sent out without any further authorisation around 20 minutes after the first call to police.

A more detailed statement confirming it was an explosion and that there were fatalities went out 40 minutes after the first call coming in. Regular updates were provided via Twitter and the first press conference was given by the Chief Constable at 3am and then another at 7am. During the night there were four staff in and we worked closely with the operational commander to ensure we could provide accurate and timely information.

I spoke to heads of communications in key agencies including Manchester City Council, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, and British Transport Police during the night. In the first few hours it was about preserving and protecting life and that had to be our focus. There was so much more we did after but that gives you the initial response.

What did you learn from the Manchester attack? What didn’t go well and what would you have done differently? Did you have any issues with other public services?
With every major incident there is a huge amount of learning. For me, it is very much along the lines of what I said within the webinar: people have to be at the centre of everything, welfare must be a priority for organisations and we need to be better at recognising the impact on us as comms teams.

I was really clear about what I would have done differently on the webinar, and that is to call for mutual aid much quicker. We also needed to recognise that the national plans would not fit and the liaison between the national counter terrorism communication structures in London and us in Manchester was going to add some delays into our plans. Working with the partners and other public services was good and, because we knew each other, we were able to have open conversations from very early on in the night. We have a strong network and meet regularly, so working between services was much easier to manage.

Do you ever have situations needing internal crisis communications at Greater Manchester Police?
Yes and the approach is very similar. We need to provide an open and honest response, provide timely information and do it over the whole lifetime of the event or incident. Being visible from the top of the organisation is also critical. Above all, keep the views of the people affected at the heart of how you decide to respond.

Do you have any experience of benefiting from ‘coming clean’ before a crisis is otherwise revealed/comes to light?
Being proactive is at the heart of communication for me. We should ask why we are not providing information rather than why we should provide information. If organisations or businesses look like they are withholding information, even if it is not the situation, then it will lead to concern and will impact on confidence. We have to make sure that we are as transparent as possible even when this may be challenging.

Can you provide any examples of poor crisis comms?
This is difficult as I know that often the response we see is something that may have been challenged by comms teams but senior executives take a different approach. For me, it is anything that fails to keep people at the heart of it, and which may appear overly legalistic. Thomas Cook is one I have mentioned before in relation to the death of two children in 2006.

If you want to focus on people during a crisis, take the pain out of process. Find out more about Vuelio and how it can help. 

GDPR for Comms

/in , , , , /by

GDPR is the most important change in data protection in 20 years. It affects everyone who deals with personal data, and getting it wrong is not an option.

Vuelio is delighted to partner with Rowenna Fielding, GDPR specialist at Protecture, to discuss:

  • What GDPR means for the comms industry
  • Why you need to know the difference between ‘legitimate interest’ and ‘consent’
  • How to comply and still communicate successfully

rowenna fielding gdpr

AI robot

Artificial Intelligence making PR smarter

/0 Comments/in , , , , , , , , , , , /by

The CIPR artificial intelligence (AI) panel has published an initial list of 95 tools that are helping to make PRs work smarter. Is anything missing?

The AI panel was founded in February to explore the impact of AI on public relations and the wider business community. Stephen Waddington, chief engagement office at Ketchum, is on the panel and said: ‘The conversation around the impact of #AIinPR on culture and society is getting louder. The new CIPR panel will aim to characterise its impact on public relations practice, workforce and conversation in the public sphere.’

The full AI panel is made up of 12 leading PR experts from a variety of backgrounds and is tasked with three projects in 2018:

  1. A crowdsourcing exercise to characterise technology and tools that are helping public relations practitioners work smarter and more efficiently
  2. A skills framework that will seek to estimate the likely impact of artificial intelligence on the public relations workforce. It will aim to produce a paper for the World PR Forum in April
  3. A literature and content review to explore the impact of artificial intelligence on the public sphere. This project will aim to produce a discussion paper for practitioners

The first project has created the initial list of 95 tools, but the CIPR believes there are plenty missing and is calling for submissions to be made through the website.

If you can think of a digital tool that can help PRs work smarter, take a minute to complete the short form here

The list is broken down into 22 broad categories, including those that Vuelio clients will be familiar with – media monitoring, media distribution, campaign management, stakeholder identification and management, and media relations workflow platforms – as well as platforms that manage audio content, written content and utilities like WeTransfer and Open Library.

The full list is likely to reveal new resources for even the most tech-savvy PRs, and includes hidden gems like PNG Mart, a library of images with transparent backgrounds; Readable.io, which helps make writing more readable; and GoAnimate, which allows anyone to create professional animated videos.

The AI panel is aiming to complete a full list of 150 tools for all PR professionals to easily access by April.

The next step will be benchmarking these tools against the skills and competences for public relations set out in the Global Alliance competency framework. Waddington said: ‘The overall goal is to start a meaningful conversation about the impact of tech on practice’.

For more information about the project, visit the CIPR website.