Edelman trust barometer 2019

What does the Edelman Trust Barometer teach us about strategic PR?

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The 2019 Edelmen Trust Barometer reveals that while the UK public trusts every institution more than it did a year ago, generally we’re still a distrusting nation.

Across the six major institutions the report tracks – NGOs, business, government, media, the EU and the United Nations – only the United Nations enjoys a majority (60%) of the population’s trust, while the rest are considered to be distrusted. The institution at the bottom of this list is the media, which is trusted by just 37% of the population.

While institutions aren’t trusted, the Barometer suggests individuals are, and across the world there’s a growing trust in experts – whether it’s a company’s technical experts or academics with professional expertise.

This a huge opportunity for PR and comms, who have access to in-house specialists they can direct to both the public and the media, as  journalists are increasingly looking for expert voices to lend authority to their content. The best media and the best PRs are already collaborating in this way, but public demand means it’s no longer just a smart strategy, it’s now a requirement.

The ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service, which was recently acquired by Vuelio, gives journalists the opportunity to request experts directly from leading PRs, further validating the role that communications plays in providing access to trusted, knowledgeable sources of information.

The Trust Barometer is full of PR opportunities for the savvy practitioner. Within its results, the report reveals a huge rise in the number of people engaging with and amplifying news, which effectively means the market for information is growing and PRs are arguably best placed to fuel it.

Any information PRs provide should, of course, be trustworthy as the public is wary of fake news; 73% now worry that it will be used as a weapon in society.

If you can position your brand, business or client as a trusted authority, and have the evidence to prove it, you will increase your PR opportunities and ultimately improve your reputation.

What did you take away from the Trust Barometer? Let us know on Twitter @Vuelio.

PRCA

Richard Nichols of Instinctif Partners joins PRCA board

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Richard Nichols, Deputy Chairman of Instinctif Partners, has been appointed to the Board of Management of the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA).

Nichols recently took over the role of Deputy Chairman of Instinctif Partners, having been CEO for twelve years between 2006 and 2018.

Instinctif Partners was PRWeek’s International Agency of the Year in 2017 and 2018, PRWeek’s ‘Best Place to Work’ in 2018 and the Holmes Report’s EMEA Corporate Consultancy of the Year in 2017.

The PRCA Board of Management was created to ensure that the body is always operating in a way that puts its members and the industry first.

Nichols joins the board alongside Ketchum’s Jo-ann Robertson, Golin’s Bibi Hilton, and Edelman’s Ed Williams, among many others.

Nichols said: ‘I am naturally delighted to be joining the Board of Management and to be working alongside industry peers as the PRCA celebrates its 50th anniversary, and to be playing a role as part of the PRCA championing best practice as our industry continues to grow and evolve.’

Francis Ingham, PRCA Director General, said: ‘We are delighted to welcome Richard to the PRCA’s Board of Management. He brings to the table a wealth of experience of working in international business communications consultancy, and I look forward to working alongside him in this the PRCA’s 50th year.’

Facebook market research

Facebook’s market research app accused of spying

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An Apple and Android app called ‘Facebook Research’ paid users, including teens, to provide access to the content they access on their phones.

Facebook is in the news once again for its use of data. Working through the Facebook Research app, the company has been paying participants for access to the content on their devices.

The app allowed Facebook to access the majority of a user’s device, including:

  • Private messages in chat apps including photos and videos
  • Emails
  • Web browsing activity
  • Logs of what apps were installed, and when they were used
  • A location history of where the owner had physically been
  • Data usage

Aimed at getting research from 13-35 year olds, the app has since been removed from Apple, however is still available on Android.

A spokesperson from Apple told TechCrunch that Facebook has been using their membership to distribute a data-collecting app to consumers, which is a clear breach of their agreement with Apple.

Fortune said: ‘What was particularly eye-catching about TechCrunch’s report was the fact that the $20 monthly reward was on offer to users between the ages of 13 and 35, meaning Facebook has been paying teens to monitor their phone usage.’

A spokesperson for Facebook told the BBC: ‘It wasn’t ‘spying’ as all of the people who signed up to participate went through a clear on-boarding process asking for their permission and were paid to participate.
‘Finally, less than 5% of the people who chose to participate in this market research program were teens. All of them with signed parental consent forms.’

The Verge reported: ‘The Research app requires that users install a custom root certificate, giving Facebook the ability to see users’ private messages, emails, web searches, and browsing activity. That’s in apparent violation of Apple’s system-level functionality, which is intended to grant employers access to employees’ work devices. The policy prohibits developers from installing the certificates on customers’ phones.’

The Independent highlighted that participants were told not to share their involvement with others: ‘Users were recruited through sign-up pages that make clear the data is being collected to improve Facebook’s services and that they should not tell people about the project.’

Although the app was well labelled, the secrecy behind the project and the violation of Apple’s terms mean that Facebook is facing scrutiny once again for the way it uses data and conducts research.

Faya Nilsson - Fitness on Toast

Fitness blog spotlight: Fitness on Toast

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Faya Nilsson created Fitness on Toast in 2013 to share great recipes and advice with her personal training clients. The site has since evolved into a one-stop shop for everything fitness, from active escapes to fashion and tech. Accompanied by beautiful imagery, Faya uses her knowledge and expertise to inform readers about how to stay fit and happy throughout the year.

We spoke to Faya after she was named in the Top 10 Fitness & Exercise blogs to find out what she likes best about working with brands, why an 80/20 split helps to keep on top of fitness, and the importance of Instagram for immediate feedback.

What are your plans for the blog this year?
I’m working as a PT daily which I love alongside creating blog content. I’m looking forward to doing some active travel for the blog – including Mauritius in March. I’m also working on a few bigger exciting projects which I hope to talk about and have ready for summer.

How important is the new year to your content?
Working in the fitness industry, you observe these seasonal trends – ‘new year, new you’ being one of them. I don’t subscribe to the January frenzy; instead I believe healthy is a lifestyle choice all year round. Having said that I do like the idea of new beginnings, marking a point in time and re-setting, checking in with yourself and for that reason it’s a conversation I like to be participating in, albeit with a slightly different perspective.

What advice would you give people who want to stay fit and healthy all year?
I personally go by the 80/20 rule. Be healthy, eat well, train well, sleep well – 80% of the time and 20 percent of the time you can be ‘unhealthy’, socialise with friends in less healthy restaurants, go for a cocktail or dessert. This is realistic, sustainable in the long term and you’ll enjoy training more – it should be fun and varied. If you go 100% all-in chances are you’ll feel deprived and you may come to resent all that ‘healthy’ represents.

The added advantage of 80/20 is that you’ll never need to panic ahead of a beach holiday or a hike you want to sign up to (or whatever it may be); you’re in a good place already, and with a bit more of a push, you’re good to go!

This, in practice, means being consistent throughout the year – training on a regular basis, moving on a daily basis, eating well, drinking plenty of water, and investing in your sleep.

What’s the best activity to get into if you’re new to fitness?
If you’re completely new to fitness I would suggest trying a few different things as the only way you’ll ever stick to something is if you enjoy it. There are countless fitness studios and classes to try these days – the world really is a veritable fitness oyster!

I’m a huge fan of weight training – it builds strength, increases metabolism at rest (meaning you’re burning more calories throughout the day), to name but a few benefits. However, if it’s your first time in the gym I’d suggest booking in a couple of sessions with a trainer. The last thing you want to do is train incorrectly. It can be quite pricey but perhaps see if you have a couple of friends who are in a similar situation and you can train in a group and that way decreasing the overall cost per person.

Generally speaking, people who decide to get into training as a New Years resolution go too hard too quickly. Be realistic – if like me, you love chocolate, then the likelihood is ZERO that you’ll one day wake up and decide never to have chocolate again, and stick to it. Equally, if you haven’t trained for years gradually get back into it. You’ll do your body more harm than good by not allowing it to properly recover between sessions.

Faya Nilsson - Fitness on Toast

How much exercise should we be doing each week?
This is highly individual – it depends on a bunch of things – what your starting point is, your preferences, your routine, what you’re doing etc. Recovery is super important so as a general rule of thumb if (for example) you’ve trained your legs on a Monday and on Tuesday you have DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) wait until it’s passed and you’re ready to train legs again.

How important are your social channels compared with your blog?
I love writing quite lengthy in-depth posts and always end up chopping away a lot. Equally I love photography so for that reason personally the blog has always been my favourite platform. What I like about Instagram though is how it’s so instant. You get immediate feedback as to whether people appreciate a post or not.

What are the best PR campaigns you’ve collaborated on?
I’ve been blogging for six years so it’s quite a list of fun and varied brands but all under the health umbrella in some capacity. One of my stand out favourite campaigns was going to the Olympics with Adidas as their global ambassador. I also loved working to create the Westin Hotel Group’s signature Wellness programs as their Wellbeing ambassador as well as Garnier to name but a varied selection of great long-term partnerships. The commonality is the professionalism and ambition of the activations, which weren’t one-off in nature but were connected as part of a longer-term brand storyline. Anything that focuses on the awareness part of the consumer funnel is very much a favourite of mine as you can get quite creative and broad that way, as a blogger!

Do you accept press releases?
Yes, they’re always welcome in my inbox. Press awareness is another part of the ‘shadow purchase funnel’ so even if I just skim the mail, it’s good to have unconsciously paid attention to it. In order to preserve the integrity of my blog, however, I only ever write reviews (and that sort of thing) if I’ve tried tested and love the product myself. So, for that reason I don’t accept guest posts or product placement messages.

What one thing should PRs know about you?
I’m remarkably easy to work with and I love mucking in alongside PR agencies to get a great result!

What other blogs do you read?
The Blonde Salad, A Blog To Watch, Sheerluxe blog, The Food Effect, AJ Odudu’s blog.

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Creative Shootout 2019

Waste-watchers, ‘skinfluencers’ and plastic-free warriors at The Creative Shootout 2019

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The Creative Shootout last week announced its 2019 winner – Wire PR.

Described as ‘The Apprentice’ meets ‘The Great British Bake Off’, The Creative Shootout is like no event. Nine of the most vibrant and creative agencies go head-to-head, competing to work for this years’ charity, A Plastic Planet.

A Plastic Planet (APP) has a single goal: to dramatically reduce the use of plastic in food and drink packaging. With a focus on empowering the consumer, A Plastic Planet wants people to choose plastic-free with the Plastic Free™ Consumer trust mark clearly displayed on the packaging.

The brief was simple: increase the number of brands and businesses applying for the trust mark to 1,500 applications in 2019, targeting big FMCG companies such as Nestlé, Mondelez and Unilever to drive change globally.

The teams were presented with the brief at lunchtime and had just four hours to put together a creative, compelling and effective pitch. The challenge was met with inspirational ideas, with no two pitches the same.

From making tea plastic-free to joining forces with Comic Relief by creating a plastic-free Red Nose, the agencies found inventive ways to increase awareness of A Plastic Planet and its trust mark. The campaigns pitched varied over the evening and included multi-channel ideas for Plastic-toc from Stein IAS, showing how time is limited to fight the war on plastic to waging an actual war on plastic, with plastic-free warrior parachuting into cities to spread their anti-plastic propaganda from Brands2Life.

Embracing the power of social and influencers was a theme throughout all of the pitches. Ready10’s ‘skinfluencers’ encourage consumers to ditch the plastic-packaging on fruit and veg and Raw London said goodbye to pre-prepared food empowering the customer to be #freetochoose with a campaign centred on activism.

Proving that an idea can be simple and effective, 72 Point created a waste-watchers app and 3 Monkeys Zeno created a plastic-free point loyalty card.

But there could only be one winner – Wire PR. Tapping into the impact of plastic on your own personal health, its campaign encouraged consumers to take the plastic-free health check to see if they would test ‘plastic-positive’ and contact their local supermarket’s CEO in two easy clicks, petitioning them to remove plastic. Wire’s campaign won the judges over with its engaging ideas and ability to go multi-national.

Wire will run the winning campaign with APP in Spring 2019, using a native advertising campaign from Outbrain, a broadcast campaign led by markettiers and support from A Plastic Planet’s existing comms agencies.

Vuelio are proud to sponsor The Creative Shootout and celebrate the incredibly creative minds in our industry. Well done to everyone who took part and congratulations to Wire PR!

Fyre Festival

5 PR lessons from the Fyre Festival

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The Fyre Festival, the botched attempt to run the most luxurious and Instafriendly festival ever, was already famous thanks to several viral posts highlighting failings at the time in April 2017. 

However, two documentaries, on Netflix and Hulu, have shed new light on the fiasco and brought the event back into the spotlight. The documentaries have also inadvertently provided simple lessons (the good, the bad and the ugly) for anyone working in PR and comms.

1. Influencer marketing works – but needs strategy
How do you make an event super famous? Get the most famous people on Instagram to promote it for you. Fyre Festival had a simple plan, pay a fortune to social media influencers – from Bella Hadid to Kendall Jenner – to promote the event and create a ‘big buzz’.

As evidenced in the documentaries, the budgeting was way off and the cost of the influencers unsustainable, but to make matters worse, the promotion wasn’t clearly labelled by many of the influencers, and the wording suggested all the stars would be in attendance, potentially misleading the audience of ticket buyers. After the event, the rules around disclosure tightened in the US as a result of this lack of clarity.

Yes, influencer marketing works, but it needs to have a clear strategy, be affordable and be ethical.

2. Communication, communication, communication
Seems like a given in a PR post but if the documentaries taught us anything, it was how important it is to have good comms. There were a number of occasions communications let down the event – at the beginning, middle and end – but perhaps one of the most obvious, particularly highlighted in Netflix’s documentary, was when they failed to alert guests to the fact that the festival was not going to take place.

This is crisis management 101 – be transparent and honest before things get worse. The lack of communication led to a number of guests arriving and sharing the chaos (and cheese sandwiches) on social media. It also led to a number of them becoming stranded and was when the story became the viral sensation it didn’t want to be.

3. Never lose sight of the purpose of an event
How many people knew Fyre Festival was intended to promote a celebrity booking app? The event became the company’s sole focus to the detriment of the app it was intending to promote.

Sometimes publicity can seem like the greatest goal but if no one knows what you’re publicising, a great stunt is a spectacle and nothing more.

4. Make sure you’re consistent
The event filmed a glamorous promo promising an experience on an island that wasn’t the one used for the actual event. From start to finish you have to be consistent with your message and if circumstances change outside of your control, then communicate them professionally and clearly – see point 2.

5. Big campaigns need an integrated strategy
It’s hard to say if traditional media outreach was part of the Fyre Festival PR plan but there’s little evidence of it in the documentaries. That means when the only news about the event was from the disgruntled guests on social media, knee deep in mayhem, there was no official channel of communication and the press could only report the news they were presented with: basic cheese sandwiches and soaking wet mattresses.

Big campaigns, the kind of campaigns that intend to support the greatest festival event ever, need to be fully integrated and consider every type of media, relationship and channel.

Did you spot any PR lessons in the Fyre Festival documentary? Let us know on Twitter. 

Want to create integrated campaigns, work with influencers in the right way and manage all of your relationships in one place? You need Vuelio.

A and R Factory, Stefan Toren

Music blog spotlight: A&R Factory

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A&R Factory was launched in 2012 by Stefan Toren and has grown to become one of the most respected artist and repertoire (A&R) blogs. With a hugely influential readership made up of record labels and radio stations, A&R Factory is the place to come to discover new music and sign the hottest acts. Alongside new artists, A&R Factory has interviews and reviews spanning all genres of music, from R&B to Punk. We spoke to Stefan to find out the plans for the blog this year, who’s going to be hot this year and how brands can get involved.

What are your plans for the blog in 2019?
We have big plans for 2019 including working and growing or sync music platform launching later in the year which will help musicians gain exposure through TV/film/game placements.

How is music changing and does this affect your content?
Music is ever growing with technology, our writers need to stay ahead of the curve to ensure we are posting relevant hit content!

Who’s your favourite band/artist?
Always a hard one to answer, recently we have been more into hip hop action, Bronson, L’Orange to name a few, but we have also recently shown a lot of love to Blossoms, BLOXX and Lion.

Who’s going to be hot in 2019?
So many artists are doing well right we featured Ari B on our website some time ago who has just signed a deal. And of course, the amazing Yebba who we featured back in 2017 this will be a big year for her.

Do you play any instruments?
Drums, guitar, bass and GarageBand.

What’s the best song ever?
One Direction – Best Song Ever, but more seriously, Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody.

How do you work with PRs/brands on content?
Typically we work with influencers and build relationships with PR agencies to share content.

What one thing should they know before contacting you?
Submit via our website here, it is the best way to ensure we get the tracks to the right journalists that work for us.

Do you accept press releases?
Yes, you can submit them on our website

What other blogs do you read?
Music Business Worldwide is our go-to blog at the moment!

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CIPR AiinPR

Full steam ahead for #AIinPR

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The CIPR’s Artificial Intelligence panel (#AIinPR) continues to build on research into the use of AI in the PR industry and has set out its plans for 2019.  

The panel is chaired by Metia’s managing director Stephen Waddington and was created last year to explore the impact of artificial intelligence across the industry. The group published a research paper – Humans Still Needed – to highlight where AI is already being used and the current limitations.

This year, #AIinPR will carry out more research and launch a new website listing PR tools and how they use AI. The panel has outlined the following plans for 2019:

  • A further research paper exploring the application of AI to the professions based on a literature and contemporary paper review
  • The launch of the #AIinPR tool website, characterising tools used in PR, classified by function and the application of AI
  • The development of an international network of third-party sources to improve AI knowledge and expertise amongst CIPR members
  • A series of guides on the application of AI in PR and the media
  • Support for CIPR regional and sector groups with #AIinPR content and speakers, following successful panel events in Scotland, the North East and London

Emma Thwaites and Laura Richards have recently joined the panel, which is now 13-strong.

Waddington said: ‘The #AIinPR panel has characterised the impact of AI on public relations in terms of tools and skills. Machines can complement the work of public relations practitioners, reducing admin, improving efficiency and helping us work smarter. This year the expanded panel aims to produce events and learning material for practitioners and develop a professional network.’

Deputy chair, Kerry Sheehan said: ‘The #AIinPR panel is focussing on AI’s power for positive change and advancement within the public relations industry. Far from stealing our jobs, machines can make us better at them. The panel’s work will guide practitioners, of all levels, in adapting skills and learning new ones. Our events, learning materials and case studies will equip members with an understanding of how AI can be successfully applied in PR.’

Reuters media trends report

Reuters media predictions for 2019

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Reuters Institute has released its annual Journalism, Media, and Technology Trends and Predictions report for 2019.

It surveyed 200 editors, CEOs and digital leaders, one-third from the UK, the rest across 29 countries including Germany, USA and Australia.

The key findings from the report:

  1. Over half (52%) of editors will focus on subscription and membership, expecting it to be the main revenue focus in 2019.
  2. Almost two thirds (61%) are concerned or extremely concerned about staff burnout.
  3. Over three-quarters (78%) think it is important to invest more in Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help secure the future of journalism – but not as an alternative to employing more editors.

For PRs, nothing above should seem too outrageous. The need to grow revenue to support publications, the worry of staff being overloaded in the ‘constant news’ society, and the hopes that AI can provide time-saving alternatives to basic tasks, are common across the media industry.

Other findings from the report include:

  • Less than half of respondents (43%) say Facebook is likely to be important or extremely important this year, a similar number to Apple News and YouTube – but far less than for Google (87%).
  • Over half of those surveyed (56%) are concerned about current newsroom diversity.
  • Platforms are increasing their focus on tackling misinformation and disinformation, however as this moves further towards dark social it becomes a harder task.
  • Trust indicators will be increased so readers have more information to decide who to trust.
  • With many publishers launching daily news podcasts, it’s not surprising that the majority (75%) think audio will become a more important content type. A similar proportion (78%) think that voice-activated technologies, like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant will have a significant impact on how audiences access content over the next few years.
  • With consumers increasingly conscious of the time they are wasting online, more people are likely to be leaving social networks, more tools will emerge for digital detox, and there will be a greater focus on ‘meaningful’ content.
  • With more platforms using paywalls, people are being shut out from quality news. Consumer irritation will build this year, leading to a combination of news avoidance and the increased use of ‘paywall-blocking’ software.

A key point from the report is how newsrooms are going to cope with tackling misinformation across dark social, battling paywall-blocking software, and how publications can grow their audiences when all focuses are on distribution across Google.

For PRs there’s clearly an opportunity for meaningful, voice-assistant-friendly content and audio, as well as having valid credentials and ethical practices. Quality content is just one piece of the jigsaw though – PRs also need to rely on traditional strengths, like relationship building and media outreach, to ensure they’re supporting these editors and their publications so that everyone’s a winner.

Chris Evans Virgin Radio

Chris Evans is back on Virgin Radio

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Chris Evans is back on Virgin Radio presenting the breakfast show, nearly 18 years after he left.

The Virgin Radio Evans has joined is different to the one he was dismissed from, as that version became Absolute Radio in 2008. This Virgin Radio is owned by Wireless Group, which in turn is owned by Murdoch’s News Corp, parent company of News UK (publisher of The Sun and The Times).

As Chris Evans joins the show, something else is removed – adverts. Evans’ show is sponsored by Sky, so he’ll discuss Sky programming but otherwise it’s the first commercial radio breakfast show without conventional adverts.

Monday’s show featured live performance from The Verve’s Richard Ashcroft, as well as guests Fay Ripley, Paul Whitehouse, Romesh Ranganathan and Rob Beckett. To introduce Ashcroft to the show Evans said: ‘There’s been a lot of talk about the first song I’m going to play, but I press buttons, I don’t play songs, musicians play songs. Why don’t we get a musician to play a song live? How about Richard Ashcroft?’

Ashcroft played Lucky Man.

After nine years presenting on BBC Radio 2, Evans said he was pleased to be back at Virgin Radio: ‘It’s so great to be back at Virgin and I have to say it’s a real treat. I feel blessed and we couldn’t be more grateful.’

Evans is now up against Zoe Ball, who took over the Radio 2 Breakfast Show last week. Coincidentally, Evans’ first breakfast show on the original Virgin Radio in 1997 started on the same day as Zoe Ball’s Radio 1 Breakfast Show.

News UK’s publications were positive in their reviews – The Sun focused on the reaction from the fans, writing that Evans was ‘praised by fans and celebs’; while The Times gave the show four stars, writing: ‘Flash Chris is still full of himself, but there were glimpses of a humble, new age Chris, a parent who gives some thought to how radio can be a form of positive energy’.

The Telegraph gave the show three stars, writing: ‘The energy, one of the most successful parts of Evans’ breakfast show experience, was identical: optimistic, loud, and greeting the day with full-beam sunshine.’

The Guardian also gave him three stars, Mark Lawson – who last week gave Zoe Ball four stars – said: ‘Success of his Virgin venture will depend on whether listeners are more irritated by the disguised advertising of Murdoch interests than of a public service broadcaster.’

The Daily Mail highlighted the similarities the show had to his old Radio 2 slot: ‘As part of his exit deal it appears that Evans has been able to bring over many of his old jingles. The programme also features the return of items that were a staple on his BBC show, such as Big Screen Belter, Golden Oldie and Gobsmackers.’

Lots of reactions on Twitter were positive:

Though clearly not everyone was impressed:

 

Keep up to date with all the latest moves and changes on the radio and in the media with the Vuelio Media Database. 

Instagram egg

Is this the beginning of the end for influencer marketing?

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In the latest influencer marketing twist, an egg is now more Instafamous than Kylie Jenner. This may seem trivial, but are the cracks already showing for influencer marketing?

Scott Guthrie, lead analyst at Luxmoore Consulting and all-round influencer marketing expert, led an insightful panel session covering influencer marketing at the PRCA’s recent 2019: The Year of… event.

Though the term influencer is increasingly harder to define, it appears that this hasn’t stopped people trying to get involved; the search term ‘influencer marketing’ was more popular on Google than ‘social media marketing’ in 2018. This is an industry worth $10 billion, but can influencer marketing come back after the accusations of buying fake followers and engagement, lost ad revenue and the ethics of influencer marketing being called into question?

While some influencer campaigns get it spot on, it is the campaigns that miss the mark that make the news for all the wrong reasons. Guthrie said that the importance of authenticity and ethics needs to be at the heart of influencer marketing because people are switched on to how influencer marketing works and can tell when a brand and an influencer don’t fit.

Joining Guthrie and adding their insight on the panel were: Candace Kuss, director of social media at H+K Strategies; Will Cooke, executive director, strategy and innovation at Golin; and Andrew Jennings, an independent consultant.

If influencer marketing is to survive and retain credibility, both agencies and influencers need to take responsibility for the message they’re putting out. Cooke said that agencies need to invest more in the vetting process for influencers and make sure that they’re the right fit for the brand. This means we need to look for who has influence that fits the campaign and brand, not just for people who call themselves ‘influencer’.

Another area of consideration is reputation, which is at the heart of all PR campaigns. Jennings suggested that we need to look for, and be aware of, the potential downfall if the brand and ethics are not aligned. Guthrie also pressed the importance of building relationships with influencers and keeping in regular contact, this way if their tone of voice changes or there’s a possibility of the brand being at risk, you can act quickly.

The theme of humanity also ran through the event and Kuss said we need to remember that influencers are not just Instagrammers and YouTubers, they are subject matter experts and we need to recognise them as such.

So, is this the end for influencer marketing? No. However, Guthrie has predicted that it could be the end for influencers who post with #ad and little consideration, because influencers need to post content that matters to their audience and is authentic to them.

What this means for world_record_egg – which has started hatching – remains to be seen.

Want to build relationships with the right influencers? Whether it’s bloggers, vloggers and Instagram stars or journalists, editors and broadcasters, the Vuelio Influencer Database lists thousands of contacts who have detailed profiles and genuine influence to help you reach the right audience.

PRCA 50 years

What does the world of PR look like in 2019?

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The PRCA kicked off its 2019 events calendar this week with a lively discussion about the top predictions for PR and communications over the next 12 months.

2019: The Year of… brought together an audience of PR and comms professionals with a panel of industry experts including: Adrian Wheeler, PRCA trainer and author, Danny Whatmough; managing director, integrated media at Weber Shandwick; Justine Bower, director of communications – consumer & social at UKTV; Tony Langham, CEO of Lansons and chaired by Jim Donaldson, CEO of UK & Middle East, FleishmanHillard Fishburn. Key discussion points from the panel covered a range of topics including: mental health, creative collaboration, independent consultants and the demise of digital marketing.

The panel were all in agreement about the importance of improving mental wellbeing. With recent research from the PRCA and PRWeek showing there is a huge need for the industry to take the mental health of employees seriously, 2019 should see real and positive change. Justine Bower spoke about the pressures put on PRs, from remaining calm in a crisis to the need to be ‘desk present’ (i.e. working through lunch and not taking screen breaks), and how we combat this by encouraging open and honest conversations about mental health.

Another hot topic was around collaboration, more specifically, creative collaboration. As technology allows greater co-creation and the demand for creativity grows, practitioners will become ‘creative curators’, using data and analytics to uncover new insights from existing ideas. Adrian Wheeler supports this theory, he said that the need for creativity is high and by working together we can generate new and exciting ideas.

One area of PR which continues to be on an upward trajectory is the rise of practitioners turning freelance. Tony Langham pointed out that the industry depends on freelancers to support agencies but with a number of freelancers, or independent consultants as they prefer to be called, the big issue they face is selling their time versus selling their offering.

Perhaps the most controversial point of the session was the suggestion that digital marketing was no longer a necessary department. Danny Whatmough said we need to stop thinking of digital marketing as a silo, it is integrated into all activity. As digital is spread across entire organisations, these job titles and roles are no longer relevant and for the channel to mature it’s time to turn to the data and audience insight we now have access to and use this to drive campaigns and content.

With so many positive changes predicted for the year ahead there were several key words that came up time and again: confidence, reputation and humanity. Practitioners need to have more confidence in the work they do, the impact they have on reputation and bring humanity into the workplace to positively affect the creative they produce.

Barometer PRCA

Agency heads predict positive 2019 for PR

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The PRCA has published the findings of the latest Consultancy Barometer, which has found that PR agency heads are generally positive about the industry’s outlook for 2019 but negative about the state of the UK economy.

The Consultancy Barometer Q4 2018 survey covers business confidence, client budgets and recruitment.

The key findings:

  • 34% of agency heads reported that clients had marginally or significantly increased their budgets; 44% said that budgets had stayed the same; while only 3% said that budgets had decreased significantly.
  • The clear majority of respondents (75%) described the last quarter as busy or very busy, compared to 3% who described it as very quiet.
  • When asked about staff numbers, 42% of respondents predicted that staff numbers would increase in the next quarter, while 53% of respondents expected staff numbers to stay the same.
  • Agency heads were positive about the outlook for their consultancy and the industry as a whole. Over 55% of respondents said the last quarter had made them feel more optimistic about their consultancy, while 39% of respondents said the same thing for the wider industry. In contrast, 71% of respondents said that the state of the UK economy would worsen over the next 12 months. Only 2% of respondents predicted that the UK economy would improve in the next year.

Francis Ingham, director general of the PRCA said: ‘The PR industry is thriving. But agencies are very clear that they expect the next twelve months to be extremely challenging for the country as a whole. The reason for this is clear – Brexit uncertainty.

‘Nervousness about the UK economy has increased in every quarterly Barometer since the referendum. Our industry stands on firm foundations. But even the strongest of business sectors will ultimately pay a price if economic uncertainty continues for too long.’

Gavin Devine, director and founder of Park Street Partners said: ‘The million-dollar question for the next quarter is Brexit. What will it bring? What will it do to clients? For corporate communicators it could be an opportunity, or it could be a threat – it’s just impossible to know.’

Sam Ajilore and Mariah Carey

Music blog spotlight: That Grape Juice

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That Grape Juice is the number one music blog created by Sam Ajilore. Now over a decade old, That Grape Juice continues to be at the forefront of urban music and culture, with bases in London and LA. We caught up with Sam to find out what’s on the agenda for 2019, who are the greatest artists of all time and how the blog works with PR.

What are your plans for the blog in 2019?
Growth! If there’s one thing that’s a guarantee in the digital landscape it’s change. Thankfully, I’ve long approached That Grape Juice as being a ‘voice’ that can permeate a multitude of platforms. Hence, moving forward, the plan is to make the site’s ‘voice’ as accessible and omnipresent as possible – via the web, podcasts, and streaming services.

How is music changing and does this affect your content?
The music industry is most definitely in the midst of one its most pronounced eras of change thanks to streaming, which is now the primary means of consumption.

Because of this, the traditional rulebook has been tossed out of the window and artists have been gifted much more agency over what they release and when they release it.

This, in turn, has de-emphasised the immediate importance of ‘the single’ and ‘the album’ as well as the rigid promo schedules that used to define both. It’s made for a much more interesting arena, one where artists are now framing releases as they choose, which is evidenced by the surge in mixtapes, EPs and songs rolled out simply to feed fans.

As a music news and review platform, it’s resulted in much more content to cover – with some acts working multiple tracks at the same time. It’s really exciting.

Who’s your favourite band/artist?
I’ve always loved spectacle and performance as much as I have music itself. So, the genesis for me will always be Michael Jackson. More contemporarily though, I’d say Beyoncé. She pretty much carries the MJ baton for me personally.

Who’s going to be hot in 2019?
It’s always tough to call and there’s so many variables. I will say that I’m super excited about Normani (formerly of Fifth Harmony). She’s a dynamite performer and is navigating the solo landscape exquisitely so far. She’s making all the right moves and musically has ample potential.

On home soil, I’m really enjoying what I’m hearing from rapper Dave. He has a unique perspective and articulates it in a super compelling way.

Do you play any instruments?
I wish!

Humbly speaking, I feel I have a fairly good ear for melody. As such, I really hope (at some point in this life!) I can parlay that towards learning the piano.

What’s the best song ever?
Wow, this is so hard! And for that reason, I have to list at least three. In no particular order:

  • Billie Jean by Michael Jackson
  • We Belong Together by Mariah Carey
  • I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston

I have a thing for songs that are lyric/story driven while still being easy on the ear. Traits each of these tracks possess.

How do you work with PRs/brands on content?
There’s the standard influx of press releases – of which we receive up to 100… per day!

At a more involved level, we routinely collaborate with PRs on artist interviews, live show reviews, robust features and campaign-long story-telling.

What one thing should they know before contacting you?
A personal approach is often the best approach! We’re pleasant music-lovers who are dually committed to serving our audience the freshest content, while working with PRs, brands, and similar to achieve their campaign goals too.

As such, while mass targeted press releases are sometimes a necessity, it’s so much more impactful when we receive emails from folk who understand the platform they’re reaching out to and have a clear goal in mind when touching base.

It’s surprising to still see generic emails filled with all-encompassing verbiage such as ‘Dear Sir/Madam’ and ‘your blog’ instead of the blog’s actual name.

Put simply, the more personalised the better.

Do you accept press releases?
Yes! From all regions. Music is so universal these days, with the internet being a ‘global village’. So, we’re happy to receive content from everywhere.

What other blogs do you read?
Far too many to name! I will say, though, that I really enjoy reading personal blogs.

My field (music) is rooted in fantasy, spectacle, and escapism, whereas such blogs are anchored in the real, the here, and the now. All of which speaks to me outside of my ‘professional self’.

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CIPR advisor service

How to hire PR professionals and agencies

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The CIPR has launched the Client Advisor Service to guide businesses through the process of hiring public relations support. Whether it’s for in-house PR staff or external PR agencies and independent practitioners, the new Service will connect businesses with experienced CIPR Client Advisors.

The Advisors are all Chartered PR Professionals and will help businesses identify their needs and provide a range of support from preparing job descriptions and briefs to joining interviews and pitch panels.

The Service will be launched at MHP Communications on 24 January, where CIPR President, Emma Leech, will set out her vision for the CIPR in 2019. You can register to attend online.

The CIPR has also launched two new guides, designed to further support businesses looking to recruit PR staff or hire the right PR agency.

In-house roles
Recruiting for public relations roles offers information and advice for individuals and businesses seeking to recruit for PR roles. It covers the whole hiring process from common job titles and typical salaries by both role and experience, to shortlisting and making an offer.

The guide is also a valuable tool for anyone applying for PR roles, as it’s the ultimate guide to what’s required.

PR agencies and independent practitioners
The second guide, A guide to selecting PR agencies and independent practitioners, explains what services you can expect to receive from external PRs, how to define what you need and how to select the right people.

The guide provides detailed case studies for different areas of PR including The McOnie Agency’s work on the Ebola outbreak for Arco – in the ‘Issues and Crisis Management’ section; Taylor Herring’s Fit Kwik campaign for Kwik Fit – in the ‘Special Events, Conferences and Meetings’ section; and MHP’s Drop the Duty campaign for the Wine and Spirit Trade Association & Scotch Whisky Association – in the ‘Government Relations and Public Affairs’ section.

Again, the guide is not only vital for businesses trying to work how to pick a PR agency, but also for the agencies and independent practitioners themselves, who can draw inspiration from the detailed selection of successful campaigns.

Emma Leech said: ‘Reputation has never been more important for businesses and yet public relations is sometimes misunderstood and undervalued by UK PLC. The Client Advisor Service, along with these new guides, aims to change that.

‘The Service takes the pain out of hiring PR support and gives businesses peace of mind when recruiting or hiring agencies. Our Client Advisors will work closely with businesses to ensure they get maximum value from their public relations function. This is an exciting and significant step forward for our industry as we continue to assert the strategic value of public relations to the business community.’

Find out more about the Client Advisor Service. 

Bionic Basil

Pet Blog Spotlight: Bionic Basil

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The Bionic Basil pet blog was created by Cathrine Garnell and inspired by Basil, the cat. Ranked in the Top 10 UK Pet Blogs, Basil and the ‘B’ Team of feisty felines share humour, brain training, mindfulness and cuteness. In this spotlight, Cathrine shares how she portrays each cats’ unique personality, why cats rule, and which kitty is most likely to endure a costume photo shoot.

How has your blog changed from when you first started? 
Where the blog began and where it is today is a lot different; it started out as just Basil’s blog but as it progressed the rest of The B Team joined in, and as time passed they each got an exclusive post which suits their personalities, sharing lots of really fun things to keep any cat fancier entertained on a weekly basis.

What’s the best thing about being a pet blogger? 
Crafting with Cats, Colouring with Cats, Gardening with Cats, Brain Training with Cats, Fashion with Felines, Feline Fiction etc… did I mention cats!

How conscious are you of the animal’s personality as opposed to your own when writing? 
Basil, Amber, Smooch, Parsley, Pandora and Fudge, aka The B Team, each have their own personalities, expressions and voice. They are all completely different individuals so when writing their posts, it’s all about them and what they’re doing at that moment.

Bionic Basil, the B team

What are better cats or dogs?
Oh now there’s a tough question, obviously I have many cats, but I love dogs too, though sadly don’t have the time to have another at this point. So at BBHQ, cats rule supreme at the moment.

Did you have a pet growing up? 
I had lots of pets, mainly dogs, though I also had ponies, donkeys, and my father used to keep rare breeds cattle, so from an early age I’ve been surrounded by all kinds of animals, hence the reason I have my own little cat-herd today.

What’s the best top tip you have for pet owners? 
If you can, do get pet insurance.

How do you work with PRs and brands?  
Most of the time, agencies, publishers and PRs will contact us via email and we simply take it from that point forward. Assessing the brand’s needs along with how we can best present their product/idea in the style of our blog.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?  
A couple of the best collaborations we have done recently are with Miaustore and Catit. Both are such great companies and produce such innovative products for feline enrichment.

Do bloggers need their own industry association? 
A dedicated Pet Blogger association/platform would be great in the UK. Our American friends have Blogpaws, so a UK counterpart would be great, and would help address questions and issues for new and seasoned pet bloggers alike.

What other blogs do you read?  
We read lots every week. On our blog we have a page dedicated to pet blogs, a directory of sorts and we visit most of those regularly. Though our favourite UK pet blogs in no order are:  Erin the Cat Princess, Katzenworld, Memories of Eric and Flynn, Speedy the Cheeky House Bunny and Athena, Cat Goddess.

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Zoe Ball

Zoe Ball takes on Radio 2 breakfast show as first female presenter

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Yesterday, Zoe Ball presented her first Radio 2 breakfast show after taking over from Chris Evans. From next week, Ball will be up against Evans – presenter of the show for nine years – when he starts presenting a rival show on Virgin Radio.

Ball said: ‘It’s going to be interesting times, I’m going to be up against Chris, I’m up against Jamie Theakston [on Heart], my old telly husband. But I feel generally it’s a really exciting time for radio, and I hope we can make a success of it.’

Ball isn’t the only new presenter for the channel, as Sara Cox launches her drivetime show, Jo Whiley begins a new evening solo slot, and Trevor Nelson brings his Rhythm Nation to late nights.

Ball told BBC news: ‘The thing we really wanna do is bring lots of music, lots of energy, not too much chat – but enough, and we want people to have learned something by the end of the show.’

The Telegraph said that Ball and the team began the show ‘fast-talking and jumpy, clearly excited to be there, if wary of the reaction’.

It continued: ‘The programme that unfurled after the first hour or so was warm and bright.

‘The really good news is that Ball was sparky and friendly, and not at all cheesy, braggy or shouty.’

The Guardian’s Mark Lawson gave the show four stars and said the first show was helped by celebrity guest John Cleese: ‘Cleese has helped start a dawn format that feels built to last’.

Ex-BBC boss Roger Mosey, writing for the Mail, was less impressed with the ‘underwhelming’ guests but is generally positive about the new breakfast show. He said: ‘This is an amiable programme with decent music, and Ball is warm and lively as a breakfast companion. I predict most of the audience will stay with Radio 2, and she’ll beat Evans’ digital-only offering by many multiples.

‘Whether it will be as compelling a listen as Evans at his best, I doubt, but the reduction in egotism is refreshing. I think the BBC can be optimistic that Radio 2 will at least stay afloat in these choppy waters.’

The Times’s Clive Lewis only gave the show two stars, as it was ‘too frantic’. He said: ‘At its best, Radio 2 manages to hold together an enormous, disparate audience by making the various shifts in tone seem unforced and perfectly natural. Ball, on the other hand, sounds as if she is still working her way through a recipe on how to bake a new personality.’

BBC director-general Tony Hall, who was at Radio 2, told the Press Association that Ball was ‘brilliant, absolutely brilliant’.

On Twitter, the reaction was generally positive:

 

 

 

However, some listeners were still wary about Ball presenting the show:

 

 

On The Radio urged listeners to give the show some time: ‘It isn’t fair to make a judgement on the first day. Any new breakfast show takes time to sound right to listeners as they get used to a new routine first thing in the morning, but Zoe and her team got off to a flying start. They’ve probably put in a lot of time doing “dry-runs” for the show and it certainly paid off.’

Zoe Ball and BBC Radio 2 are both listed on the Vuelio Media Database, along with thousands of other presenters, journalists, programmes and PR opportunities.

Fiona Bruce

Praise for Fiona Bruce’s first Question Time

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The reviews are in for Fiona Bruce’s first episode of Question Time, which aired last week.

Fiona Bruce took over from David Dimbleby following his departure at the end of 2018 after 25 years of presenting the show. Question Time has aired almost 1,400 episodes and still pulls in around two million viewers for each.

There were rumours that the BBC were choosing Bruce to give a ‘softer feel’ to Question Time, but before the show Bruce said: ‘They’d have the wrong person if they were.

‘The person I am in the newsroom, which you won’t particularly see on air because you’re so sublimated in a studio, is opinionated, feisty, argumentative.

‘That’s what I’m known for there. I think you’ll see more of that.’

Her debut was considered a success with positive reviews in the press and online.

Thursday’s show had a panel comprised of the Conservative deputy chairman, James Cleverly, the shadow foreign secretary, Emily Thornberry, columnist Melanie Phillips, comedian Nish Kumar and Jo Swinson, the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats.

The Telegraph said: ‘She brought calmness, clarity and even some dry wit to her impressive debut’.

The Guardian said Bruce ‘felt fresh and effective’, however, it felt that perhaps ‘the BBC should have taken advantage of the succession to shake up the structure as well’.

Following the show, Press Gazette asked its audience what they thought – with 78% saying she ‘Smashed it’.

Some viewers said that Bruce needed to speak louder, but general feedback was very good.

Fiona Bruce and Question Time are both listed on the Vuelio Media Database, along with thousands of other presenters, journalists, programmes and PR opportunities.

Top 50 political influencers

The Top 50 Political Influencers in the UK

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With 29 March and the Brexit deadline fast approaching, there’s never been a more exciting time to cover politics – but with the media in rapid flux, who really sets the agenda?

Vuelio has curated the Top 50 Political Influencers working in the media, download the full list here.

When it comes to politics, the digital media environment continues to develop in novel, sometimes unanticipated, ways – with some serious consequences. New media have radically altered the ways in which Government institutions operate, political leaders communicate, and campaigns are fought.

While every major vote since Obama’s first presidential victory in 2008 has been heralded as some kind of ‘social media’ event, in the UK the 2016 referendum and 2017 General Election broke new ground with alternative political voices not only loudly opposing mainstream views, but also seeming to wield genuine influence over the electoral outcomes. The work of unashamedly partisan individuals or small collectives, at least part of the appeal of this new commentariat was their distance from the Westminster bubble.

Although new media has complicated the political media system, it has by no means dismantled it. Legacy media – radio and television news programmes, even newspapers – coexist with Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Indeed, content produced by the mainstream is fed upon by emerging influencers, increasing its reach and impact even as it is transformed under the weight of myriad digital judgements.

The Top 50 Political Influencers reflects this evolving media, including broadcasters and print journalists in addition to bloggers and other digital influencers. Those on the list include the most politically informed, those with the best contacts and membership of the right WhatsApp groups for the inside track on breaking news and the latest leaks, and those able to lead conversations across a range of social media platforms.

In these many different ways, each of the 50 has the power to shape politics in the UK – and together, they do.

 

Vuelio is renowned for its media rankings, with the top blog rankings, across all topics and industries, famous the world over. With in-house research teams covering both the media and political landscapes, as well as content and data feeds being analysed by proprietary algorithms, we are uniquely placed to curate this list of political influencers from the world of media.

The ranking takes into consideration a huge range of factors, including audience, engagement, industry recognition and platforms, alongside a research-led qualitative assessment. The list includes a small number of politicians where they are deemed to also have a significant media role relating to politics.

Elle Linton 2019

Fitness Blogger Spotlight: Elle Linton, Keep it simpElle

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Elle Linton is the author of Keep it simpElle, the fitness blog that recently ranked in the Top 10 Fitness and Exercise Blogs. Giving a behind the scenes view of life as a personal trainer, Elle shares a range of fitness content from race prep guides to perfecting the squat. We caught up with Elle who told us about planning her blog in 2019, how to get into fitness and the best PR campaigns she’s collaborated on.

What are you plans for the blog this year?
I started the year by sitting down and spending some time really thinking about what direction I want my blog to go in. I’m keen to ensure my content remains within the health, fitness and exercise niche mostly to utilise my expertise as a fitness professional. I’d love to create more content related to my studies as my Business of Fitness posts are always well received. I also plan to focus on continuing to build an audience that I connect with through my personal goals especially in running and cycling.

Keep it simpElle

How important is the new year to your content?
After blogging for nearly seven years, I don’t think there’s anything I need to say that hasn’t already been said. I’ve saved all the New Year content for social channels and have continued to create content on the blog that I hope would inspire people at any time of the year, while knowing there is plenty already for those wishing to be inspired right now!

What advice would you give people who want to stay fit and healthy all year?
Set yourself goals! Start with a big, hairy, audacious goal (aka BHAG) then work backwards breaking it down into the smaller steps you need to get there. Then try to stay focused… if you’re training for your first triathlon and you decide to take up gymnastics, ask yourself if that is contributing to you achieving your end goal. Small changes are the ones that add up to results so never dismiss the small wins; celebrate every single one!

What’s the best activity to get into if you’re new to fitness?
This will definitely vary for everyone! I’d say it’s a combination of what resources you have available and what you will enjoy the most. Walking is probably the easiest place to start as most of us do that in some capacity every day. I would recommend working with a professional if you want to join a gym, even if that’s just going to an instructor-led class. The world is your oyster when it comes to fitness… try everything once and don’t stop until you’ve found the activity for you!

How much exercise should we be doing each week?
NHS guidelines suggest you do aerobic and strength training each week to stay healthy or improve health. The amount of activity suggested by them (for adults aged 19-64) is 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity such as cycling or brisk walking in addition to a full body strength workout on two days of the week.

If you’re struggling to meet those activity levels then that could be a great goal, but success would be to do the best you can with the situation that you’re in.

How important are your social channels compared with your blog?
I think we’ve all known for a long time that social channels shouldn’t be prioritised over our own blogs but it’s been hard to do when many brands use social metrics as their main data source. But we don’t own the content on our social channels; these platforms are fickle, and they can be taken away at any time. It’s also becoming common knowledge that followers, engagement etc can be bought and not just earned. For that reason, I will always prioritise my blog as its content is owned and controlled by me. Social channels are a great resource for connecting with others on a more regular basis but for me, it’s not the be all and end all.

Keep it simpElle

What are the best PR campaigns you’ve collaborated on?
There are a few stand out campaigns for me over the past 12 months. I started 2018 with a collaboration with USANA in which I got to work on some health goals that were pertinent to me. This collaboration was over a six-month period so I had enough time to really test the products and see if I gained anything from them. I opted to prioritise long term partnerships last year in order to remain authentic and not flood my channels with new brands that I had very little knowledge about.

I also worked with Tough Mudder last year which was a lot of fun trying out all of their events surrounded by a strong community of women. This collaboration overlapped with working with Samsung and Black Tower Wine which allowed me to create some epic content with great technology, meet lots of great people and to provide my audience with ticket giveaways and lots of wine!

The other notable collaboration for me was with Shimano on a trip to Amsterdam. I got to ride in a city I love but would have never been brave enough to cycle in on my own. The product was useful and really opened my eyes to how it really worked rather than relying on the myths that were flying around. Again, I got to meet some great people on that trip that I otherwise might not have met.

Do you accept press releases?
I don’t think anyone ever has a choice to accept press releases; they always drop into my inbox and many times they are unsolicited, impersonal and irrelevant. It’s only been on the rare occasion that I’ve responded but usually the issue is that I do not advocate products on my channels that I have not tried myself so I’m unlikely to feature something just because I have been sent a press release.

What one thing should PRs know about you?
I’m an honest person; it’s one of my core values so it’s also something I highly respect as a trait in other people. Life is so much easier, and everyone is so much happier working together when information is clear, expectations are shared from the beginning and communication is clear! Also, I love, love, love updates and/confirmation of things happening!

What other blogs do you read?
For all my cycling inspiration I read Fitbits by Tess, Fat Girl Fit by Lisa and Paddle Pedal Pace by Lucy. For my running inspiration I read That’s My Mum by Adrienne and A Pretty Place To Play by Bethan. My guilty pleasure for interiors and the freelance life means I enjoy Break The Loop by Hayley.

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