How to work with a charity partner

How to find charity partnerships

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With its reliance on awareness-raising events, in-person fundraising and support from those who have time, funds and energy, the charity sector has been immeasurably impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Help with increasing visibility in an overcrowded news space and inspiring those who have the capacity to support is where good PR can come in.

Sign up for our live webinar on 17 March 2021 at 11:00 GMT The great Covid bounce back for Charities? here.

Picking a charity for your agency to partner on a specific project, or for the longer-term, is a great way to live your purpose, give to good causes and support the charity sector at large. Where should you start?

Finding the right fit

‘It really did come down to the people for us,’ says Emma Roberts, PR manager for Dr.PAWPAW. When the skincare brand was looking for a new charity to partner with, the team found shared goals with the Teenage Cancer Trust.

‘The energy from the team there and even beneficiaries themselves has been incredible,’ says Emma of the experience. ‘They are constantly communicating with us and it really does make all the difference.’

Naturally, for a sector that’s powered by communication, comms is key. From the very start of a PR agency-charity partnership, transparency on what the shared aims are and what resources each side requires has to be clear. But before that, there’s connecting with your intended charity…

Beginning a partnership

For Red Lorry Yellow Lorry director of EMEA Hannah Patel, research and contacts in the industry were key. Previous experience working with charities as part of its PRoactive programme, which supports non-profit organisations and charities with tackling social mobility and diversity issues, also helped.

‘Most of our partnerships happened organically,’ says Hannah. ‘Our PRoactive programme has welcomed long-term partnerships that we’ve built over time, such as I Can Be, a think-tank turned charity which introduces 7 and 8-year-old girls from inner-city London schools to inspiring women in the workplace.

‘In 2020, we decided to expand the work we’re doing, but also offer pro bono support to other organisations too. To kickstart the process, we needed to define the offering by asking ourselves what skills and services might be of value and how much time we’d dedicate to each partner. We decided to create a small team of volunteers internally to drive the overall initiative and give it focus. We also asked the whole agency to contribute suggestions. The small team then selected a small handful of partners to approach. As a result, we’ve just started working with FemTech Lab – Europe’s first FemTech accelerator that helps rising stars in the space take their products to market – and we’re loving every minute of it!’

When choosing CALM as the preferred charity partnership for the Vuelio Online Influence Awards for 2020, previous work with the organisation helped, but shared goals were what made the partnership a perfect fit for the event, company at large and the industries the company works with.

‘Given the impact the pandemic has had on mental health across the comms, media and influencer industry – many of whom are self-employed, were furloughed or under increased financial strain – we wanted to support and partner with a charity that is doing amazing work in this field,’ says Access Intelligence Group Events Manager Rebecca Potts.

While Vuelio’s team-up with CALM was successful, first attempts at connecting with your chosen charities might not be. But don’t be discouraged, says Red Lorry Yellow Lorry’s Hannah: ‘It’s important to not get offended if the first potential partner you approach says no. Charities and non-profits get approached all the time by businesses wanting to ‘help out’, so it might not always be the right fit.’

Prepare to work with teams stretched to capacity

‘Having worked with several charities in my decade-long career in marketing, PR and social media, one thing that is apparent is that working in the charity sector is not a 9-5 job,’ says Little Seed Group’s Ellen Cole.

Flexibility and reactivity is required for work with a charity – especially in a time when their teams are likely smaller and busier than ever. There is also all of the necessary red tape…

‘Working with charities is extremely fulfilling – there’s nothing more motivating than knowing that your comms can make a life-changing impact. However, lots of charities are dealing with extremely sensitive issues and content – your team needs to be prepared to be able to handle comms in a sensitive manner, and to understand the appropriate tone of voice needed for the organisation. Also be aware that many charities are governed by boards – not all decisions can be made quickly and sometimes campaigns can take a long time to be signed off. Patience is a virtue – as is planning well-ahead,’ says Helen Creese, who has worked with charities regularly at Some Like It Social.

‘Be flexible,’ agrees Vuelio’s Rebecca. ‘Charity budgets are varied but often quite small. It depends on the charity, but teams can also be limited with a couple of people doing the job of a team in bigger organisations. Make sure you give them plenty of notice for any assets or content you require.’

Having less time is an occupational hazard for any charity contact you connect with – this is why help from a PR or comms agency is so valuable. ‘The majority of organisations which will find most value in your support are those who don’t have time to manage their own PR and comms in-house,’ says Hannah at Red Lorry Yellow Lorry.

‘There won’t always be a PR or marketing contact their side, so you’ll be working with people who have very busy day jobs with very little time for promotion or awareness raising activity. Don’t expect to be at the top of their priority list or expect the contacts to suddenly have a lot of extra time to dedicate to you and the PR programme you run for them. This doesn’t mean that they’re not grateful for the support, but just be self-aware enough to understand that things might take a little longer from time to time, and that the operational running of the organisation has to come first.’

Remember that any extra work and time is worth it

Finding a charity partnership, ensuring the work you’ll be doing is relevant and right for them and getting through to the right busy people is a challenge, but a worthwhile one.

‘Do it if you can,’ urges Emma at Dr.PAWPAW. ‘It’s a huge, core piece of our business now because we are in a position where we can but it hasn’t always been at the scale we give now. As soon as you can give back you should be. Apart from the obvious, that you’re helping people in need, it gives the team another thing to work towards and to support. When you see the results and see the people we are helping, all those stressful work days disappear. It makes it all worth it.’

Join CAF head of external affairs Caroline Mallan and Parkinson’s UK head of supporter engagement Emily Sturdy for discussion of the impact the pandemic has had on the charity sector as well as its path to recovery – sign up for the 17 March webinar The great Covid bounce back for Charities?.

For advice on helping local charities, read this guest post from Spike’s Andre Gwilliam.

For how charities managing to create inspirational campaigns on low budget (and how you can do the same), read advice shared by Tiny Tickers and The Wildlife Trusts here.

PRCA campaign #HireaPRCAmember

PRCA launches #HireaPRCAmember campaign

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The PRCA is asking organisations to prioritise its members when hiring employees, freelancers and agencies with its global #HireaPRCAmember campaign, launching today.

The initiative’s first focus will be to encourage companies seeking external support with PR to priorities those who are part of the PRCA. As part of this aim, the industry body is profiling consultancies that have held its Communications Management Standard (CMS) for more than 15, ten and five years on PRCA channels and giving Gold awards for the longstanding accreditees.

Companies in the top bracket, with the longest accreditation are:
• Firefly Communications
• FleishmanHillard UK
• Garnett Keeler Public Relations
• Good Relations and Good Relations Property
• Grayling
• Harvard
• Hill+Knowlton Strategies
• Kaizo
• Lansons Communications
• Red Consultancy

The campaign will also include the sharing of resources as well as upcoming events to aid those hiring in-house, the availability of a toolkit for PRCA members to participate in the campaign, support from the PRCA’s Matchmaker Service and additional social and digital content underlining the importance of ethical and professional standards.

‘Reputation now matters like never before for organisations of all sizes, in all sectors, across the world,’ said PRCA director general Francis Ingham. ‘The pandemic has made this crystal clear, and it has also accelerated the pre-existing shift towards purpose-led, ethical business.’

‘All this means that organisations considering bringing in PR support ought to consider hiring only those consultancies which can be trusted to act ethically, are held accountable to a robust code of conduct, and committed to high professional standards’.

Find out more about the #HireaPRCAmember campaign on the PRCA website.

Is the PR and comms industry doing enough to be intersectional

International Women’s Day 2021: Is the PR and comms industry doing enough to be intersectional?

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International Women’s Day is a yearly catalyst for greater consideration and action for gender equality within the PR and comms space, but is enough work being done when it comes to intersectionality as part of the push forward towards gender parity?

We asked women working across UK PR for their opinion on whether the industry is doing enough to create a truly intersectional workforce in 2021.

‘Probably not – but it’s wrong to pretend that unpicking the various structural inequalities and entrenched biases is easy. At least there is movement in the right direction. In my role on the PRCA’s PR Council this year we’re focusing on women returners, BAME representation at senior level and social mobility, but we’re under no illusions, there are always more layers of diversity – disability, sexuality, gender identity, religion, neurodivergence…

‘As an Asian woman myself, there have definitely been times where I’ve felt like the odd one out and at a disadvantage in my professional life, but I’m pleased to say that I’ve never suffered the kind of mistreatment that certainly still goes on in this and other industries.’ – Tas Bhanji, Blakeney

‘More can be done to support intersectionality at an industry level – e.g. intersection of feminism with race/ableism/LGBTQ+ rights, etc. PR is a female-dominated industry, but we have to look at this as a whole not being individualistic when we discuss progress. A greater range of voices means greater representation and understanding.’ – Sian Gaskell, Cuban Eight

‘A few years ago, I was talking to a US CFO who remarked on the narrowness of the diversity conversation in the UK and within UK businesses. We’re an industry that prides itself on being a community of creative, solution providers who can work across multiple issues and campaigns simultaneously yet there remains so much more to be done to make the industry truly inclusive for all. Real change requires real work and consideration and we can all be guilty of being inconsiderate of others.

‘I can hold my hands up and acknowledge that during lockdown, I’d been complaining about virtual events being poor substitutes for real life sessions and had to have it pointed out to me that virtual events can make it easier for people that a) aren’t based in London or the South East b) are not able-bodied and others to gain access to the same connections, knowledge and insight.’  – Addy Frederick, Prudential, Women in PR and UK Black Comms Network

‘Sadly, many of our clients and employers still act as if the world of work is stuck in the beginning of the 20th century.’ – Ella Minty, #PowerAndInfluence

‘We definitely need to do more on intersectionality. We have practitioners who are multiply-disadvantaged not only by gender but by race, disability, age, sexuality, background and other factors. We should celebrate the diversity of our industry and recognise that talent comes in all forms. That means working with business and leadership to shift the culture and mindset.’ – Mandy Pearse, Seashell Communications and CIPR

‘Women, especially women of colour, are more likely to have been laid off or furloughed during the COVID-19 crisis, stalling their careers and jeopardising their financial security. The pandemic has intensified challenges that women already faced.

‘If the PR industry doesn’t step up and continue to step up, we’ll potentially end up with far fewer women in PR, PR leadership, and far fewer women on track to be future leaders. The PR industry needs to flex its muscles like never before and support its women.’ – Kerry Sheehan, CIPR

‘One key aspect of intersectionality is that we need to deal with discrimination before we can make real progress on goals such as the environment or the economy. This is absolutely true of the PR and comms industry. The latest CIPR State of the Profession report demonstrates clearly that not enough progress has been made on widening representation in the PR industry of people from all ethnic groups, and all income groups and backgrounds. There is a persistent over-representation of people who were privately-educated, and a persistent under-representation of women in more senior positions.

‘This is evidenced by a continuing gender pay gap, though the good news is, it is shrinking. To what extent all these issues (and others) are linked, bears further scrutiny and as professionals, we should keep up with mainstream business research too. It’s difficult to see how the PR industry can meet its wider goals and communicate effectively with all its publics until these disparities are redressed. That’s why, for instance, increasing diversity of membership, and of the industry at large is one of the key goals of the CIPR Scotland committee (of which I’m a member). Laura Sutherland, PRCA Scotland Chair, is also doing some great work this year on diversity issues through the #PRFest community.’ – Claire Munro, Zero Waste Scotland

‘There still seems to be a reluctance to recognise the many distinct intersections of identity and what true inclusion means, which is very odd given that we are supposed to be able to be active thinkers on behalf of our organisations and clients. The industry itself doesn’t do enough and even when it makes a step it rarely feels progressive.’ – Ronke Lawal, Ariatu Public Relations

‘The drive to increase awareness and take action on this is a task my daughter’s generation will still be striving for. However, we have a choice to make now in how we create the environment for future leaders to step into. I’m confident that the choices we make today to create a fairer society will benefit many generations of PR and Comms professionals.

‘Choosing to work in PR should be a choice that’s open to everyone and celebrate what makes up the richness of our society. That includes having diversity of thought, background and gender. There’s always more that could be done.’ – Rachel Miller, All Things IC

‘The answer is a simple no. There is a lot more work to do here. The 2020 PRCA Census reported that while the number of Black and ethnically diverse professionals had increased incrementally to 12% (from 10% in 2019), these professionals were overwhelmingly in junior roles. Couple this with the CIPR’s ‘Race in PR: BAME lived experiences in the UK PR industry’ report, which is sobering reading and it appears we are not committed to inclusivity at all. It’s down to people like me to use our power and influence to make the system fairer for everyone.’ – Sarah Waddington, Astute.Work and #FuturePRoof

For more on the women PRs featured in this piece, check out our interviews with Sian Gaskell, Ronke Lawal, Tas Bhanji, Mandy Pearse, Rachel Miller, and Ella Minty as well as features on the work being done by Sarah Waddington, Laura Sutherland, Addy Frederick, Shayoni Lynn and Kerry Sheehan.

PR Club International Women's Day

5 ways to make work and life better for women in PR

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For 2021’s International Women’s Day, we’ve spoken to 12 women working across PR and comms to get their thoughts on what would make the PR industry a more welcoming, fair and inclusive place for all women, every day…

1) Inclusivity
‘We need to strive for more inclusivity, mentoring and women in senior roles in the industry for young women coming into the profession to aspire to. PR and comms are significant to the success of any business today – and there is a huge female contingent driving that – and that needs to be taken seriously.’ – Sian Gaskell, Cuban Eight

‘It would be remiss of me not to state that as a Black woman in PR it sometimes feels like the industry actively overlooks Black women in the industry and that is alienating – not because I require validation because, to be fair, I have a great network and I’ve made myself visible to inspire other women to showcase their work, but because it shouldn’t take individual efforts from women like Kamiqua Pearce (founder of UK Black Comms) or Elizabeth Bananuka (Founder of BME PR Pros) to make Black women feel seen.’ – Ronke Lawal, Ariatu Public Relations

2) More time, resources and development
‘More time, more automation and AI to truly take away the brunt of all the process-driven elements, freeing up time for what matters most, strategy, leadership, ethics and more creativity. And, importantly, time for continuing to learn, develop and have fun!’ – Kerry Sheehan, CIPR

‘I’ve been heartened to see the discussions about roles and responsibilities, flexible working and creating equality for career opportunities. There’s still a long way to go. I’d love to see companies investing in closing the integrity gap between what they say and do and bringing values of fairness to life, so their employees can thrive.’ – Rachel Miller, All Things IC

3) Diversity in leadership
‘We need more female leaders representing the diversity of the PR industry. We are nowhere near as representative as we could be and we need to champion our diversity and be proud of it. This includes visibility across events, membership bodies and industry initiatives.’ – Shayoni Lynn, Lynn PR

‘Making it possible for women to progress in their careers is so important. Yes, we can be creative, hard-working, motivated, and driven, but there needs to be a shift in workplace culture and opportunities. Flexible working, mentoring schemes, as well as education around gender bias at the executive levels are all key to change, and that’s long-term change, not just ticking an HR box on policies. Women have a huge amount of experience, skills, and potential, and this needs to be seen and acted upon from the very beginning of careers, right up to leadership level.’ – Natalie Trice, coach and mentor for PR professionals

4) Flexible working
‘I’d really like organisations to remember that women not only take on the bulk of childcare responsibilities but also caring responsibilities in general. We will all be working longer so it’s highly likely that women working in their 40s, 50s and 60s will also be juggling care for parents. So, flexible approaches to work patterns, portfolio careers and judging on outcomes not hours all need to be part of the answer.’ – Mandy Pearse, Seashell Communications and CIPR

‘I imagine for my fellow women in PR with younger children, the work/life balance right now is a big struggle and this is something all businesses will need to think about and consult on, in preparation for coming out of lockdown. Hats off for surviving until now. I’ve loved seeing all your creative work with your kids!’ – Laura Sutherland, PRFest and Aura PR

‘There needs to be greater flexibility around working hours and just injecting a bit more humanity and empathy into the world of work – whenever you’re talking to someone, there should be an understanding that they are more than their job title. Neither of those things need to mean accepting worse results for clients – in fact, they should improve them.

‘The industry is often guilty of saying things like ‘increased flexibility will help mothers’. It is of course true, but framing it in a gendered manner negates the fact that fathers can also take extended parental leave or work part-time around family commitments, and entrenches outdated stereotypes around careers, families and work-life balance.

‘I know from personal experience that coming back to work after becoming a mother is a tough time, but it can also be very rewarding – I hope you’ll excuse the plug [we do – go for it], but I’m delighted to be hosting a PRCA event on this topic on Friday 26 March, with the amazing campaign group Pregnant then Screwed. Non-members also welcome!’ – Tas Bhanji, Blakeney

5) Transparency on those ‘competitive’ salaries
‘I’m not looking for my work/life to be made easier as a woman working in the industry. I’m very capable and good at my job. What would be helpful is greater gender equality, starting with better efforts to close the gender pay gap!’ – Melissa Lawrence, Taylor Bennett Foundation

‘Back in 2015 I wrote this article on the gender gap in PR for the very first #FuturePRoof book. While the statistics might be outdated and we have since seen a surge of women appointed to top roles, the ten steps for achieving parity of pay are still as necessary now as they were back then. I feel I can speak on behalf of women generally when I say not having to perennially fight this battle would be a big win.’ – Sarah Waddington, Astute.Work and #FuturePRoof

‘I’m a member of the Women in PR and the UK Black Comms Network committees. These groups seek to increase the seniority of female and Black talent in the industry. I would love for the industry to be in a place where these groups were surplus to requirements. I would love for hiring organisations to publish their salary bands for roles.

‘I mentor several female PR professionals and they are always concerned about asking for too much when they go for a new role. The use of ‘competitive’ in lieu of pay bands and asking for a person’s current salary only serves to bake in any pay gap inequality. For a female heavy industry, it’s not great that the best advice I was ever given about salaries, which I now give is to always ask a man if you want to get a sense of the true market rate for a role.’ – Addy Frederick, Prudential, Women in PR and UK Black Comms Network

For more on the women PRs featured in this piece, check out our interviews with Sian Gaskell, Ronke Lawal, Tas Bhanji, Melissa Lawrence, Mandy Pearse, Rachel Miller and Natalie Trice as well as features on the work being done by Sarah Waddington, Laura Sutherland, Addy Frederick, Shayoni Lynn and Kerry Sheehan.

Cut for time Katie Phillips

Cut for time: extra answers from our accessmatters session with KDP Coaching & Consulting’s Katie Phillips

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Our accessmatters session with KDP Coaching & Consulting’s Katie Phillips focused on how we can all prevent burnout and protect our mental wellbeing while working through stressful situations.

Watch the full accessmatters session with Katie Phillips here.

Sharing how her 15 years of experience in government, corporate and start-up communications led to her own burnout a few years ago, Katie detailed the signs to look for in colleagues, employees and ourselves when it comes to mental wellbeing and launching her own consultancy to tackle the issue.

We ran out of time to answer all of the questions that came in during the session, so Katie has very kindly answered additional questions on company culture and the approach of start-ups versus big corporate organisations when it comes to mental health…

How much does company culture matter? And what if the culture doesn’t lend itself to a caring approach but you as a manager are much more aware of it?

Company culture is super important. People need to feel safe, supported and able to speak up. If that isn’t the case, mental wellbeing will suffer and that will have a domino effect on productivity, creativity and relationships. If the culture isn’t caring, then that manager really needs to get some allies if they want to push the cause. Doing it alone will be draining. I wrote about how to do this recently.

Are there market sectors, in your experience, that are better at this stuff than others? Does a small start-up find it more difficult to have a concerted approach to this than, say, a big corporate with a HR department and big budgets?

It’s generally reported that the public sector does better in terms of supporting the mental health of employees than the private. The CIPD have done reports which go into more detail about what that looks like more specifically across industries.
Having a bigger budget is helpful but doesn’t always mean that it has the biggest impact. Smaller organisations that are willing to look at the core of how their business is run can do just as well with a relatively small budget. Many of my clients fall into this category and it’s their openness rather than money or internal structures that I feel have the biggest impact. It doesn’t need to be complex or expensive to be valuable!

Here are some useful resources for starting to tackle mental health at work for those with little to no budget…

– Burnout Prevention: How to support yourself and your team
– How to start a conversation about mental health
– How to improve your teams’ Mental Health (Clue: it’s not with Employee Wellbeing perks)

Read our overview of our accessmatters session with Katie Phillips here and watch the full video on the accessmatters website.

Social media analysis of the Budget reaction

2021 Budget – Audience Reaction

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budget 2021 reaction

The 2021 Spring ‘recovery’ Budget focused on a three point plan to fix public finances, build the future economy and protect jobs and households.

But what was the reaction from campaigners and the public?

We looked at social media data from the public and campaigners in the 24h after the Chancellor delivered the Budget in Parliament. By using social insights data from Pulsar, we were able to identify the most talked about announcements – and how people feel about them.

Read our Budget 2021: Audience Reaction to discover how conversations evolved around furlough, tax changes and Rishi Sunak.

Get the analysis to learn:

  • Which policy announcements were received most positively / negatively
  • If Rishi Sunak’s Budget was mostly welcomed by the public
  • Which announcements were most talked about

Download the reaction below.

Freelancing for Journalists

Freelancing for Journalists Podcast

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Freelancing for Journalists Podcast: ResponseSource provide advice on how to secure case studies

Our sister brand, ResponseSource, are 2021 sponsors for the excellent podcast Freelancing for Journalists. Series four landed on 3 March where hosts Lily Cantar and Emma Wilkinson were joined by two experts to discuss how to track down the perfect case study and secure experts.

Vuelio and ResponseSource account manager and Journalist Enquiry Service expert, Tom Bettison was a guest on the episode and talked about how to get the most out of the service.

Complete the form below to listen to the podcast in full:

 

Life With Bugo

Influencer Insight: Life With Bugo

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What does blogger Bugo of Life With Bugo love most about living in London? ‘Brunches, wandering around pretty spots and visiting historical monuments – London lifestyle is my everyday life, so it’s easy to blog about my day!’

Being locked down in London hasn’t stopped Bugo from sharing the best of the capital with her readers – check out her favourite things to write about and recommendations for what to do this weekend if you’re London-based.

How did you get started with blogging about life in London?
I moved to London over six years ago and fell in love with the city. When I decided to start blogging, I initially was going to focus on travel only but decided to incorporate London lifestyle into my blogging journey. London lifestyle is natural to me as it is my everyday life, so it was just easy to blog about going about my day – brunches, wandering around pretty spots and visiting historic monuments!

What’s your favourite thing to post about and why?
Brunch and pretty spots, mainly. I’m very visual and I love highlighting the beauty of the city. I am a firm believer in romanticising everything and I love a bit of escapism so I focus on that. If I enjoy it, I blog about it!

How have you changed your approach and content during lockdown?
I did not really change my approach much, I just took some breaks when things got overwhelming. I have a day job and I was also homeschooling my 13-year-old brother, so these two took precedence during lockdown. Prior to lockdown, I had some content that I was able to spread as well – mainly my international travel content. I was also able to take some photos during my daily walk and I stuck to Instagram Stories more to keep my audience engaged.

Quick recommendations for things for Londoners to do during the pandemic?
Walk and cycle are my two favourite recommendations. If you like to walk, this is the best time to discover how far you can walk and what you can discover. I discovered my borough had a few parks which I didn’t know about pre-lockdown. The Santander Cycles are fantastic and get you from point A to B in London while allowing you social distance as well. I recommend you download the Santander Cycles TFL app, map your route and get cycling.

What makes London the best city in the world?
Oh, so many things. The social life, complete freedom, working in the city, lovely parks in summer, the Underground is second to none, summer and spring evening walks, (window) shopping in Harrods; there is just so much. I feel like I’m living my dream life in this city and it’s not something I know how to explain. I almost feel like I have endless possibilities here and I am able to create my happiness.

What’s the most fun you’ve ever had in London?
A boat canal ride with GoBoat London on the London canals. It was so much fun self-driving our boat and just exploring from Paddington to Maida Vale and Little Venice. That was such a fun Saturday!

What are you most looking forward to doing when the world opens back up again?
International travel – I’m ready to leave England now!

How do you collaborate with brands, and which kind of brands do you really like working with?
I have not collaborated with any brands yet as I am quite selective with who I’d like to work with. I would like to work with brands that align with what I am building.

For PRs looking to work with you and your blog/website, how would you prefer they approach you and with what kind of content?
I’d prefer they approached me via email. I’m looking to partner with brands that promote London (and UK) tourism. I also would love brunch invites to review fancy brunch locations. Brands that will give allow me to create and not dictate what they’d like to see in a review or post.

Which blogs do you regularly check out?
Usually the same blogs in my niche – travel and London lifestyle blogs. I also like luxury Fashion and just general lifestyle, so I read some of those as well.

Looking for more on London lifestyle? Check out our Top 10 London Lifestyle Blogs.

Reach-the-right-influencers-with-the-Vuelio-media-database

PRCA

PRCA Confidence Tracker shows global optimism increasing

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Latest results from the PRCA Confidence Tracker show increasing optimism for the future among public relations leaders across the world.

The single-question study conducted by Question and Retain surveyed over 400 PRCA and ICCO members to determine levels of confidence for recovery considering the impact of the COVID-19 on the industry at large.

The UK had the highest level of confidence, as 93% of participants reported feeling quite confident or very confident about the future of their organisation.

For PRCA SEA and MENA members, the figure fell to 84% and to 54% for survey participants in Latin America.

82% of ICCO members reported feeling quite confident or very confident about the future.

‘PR practitioners around the world have weathered the pandemic storm successfully, and now face the future with steadily-increasing confidence,’ said PRCA director general Francis Ingham of the results. ‘If 2020 was a year of change and survival for our industry, then 2021 will be a year of resurgence.’

Find out more about the PRCA Confidence Tracker on the website and catch up on previous findings from the initiative here.

TikTok for PR Campaigns

From the CIPR Future Leaders Forum: How to use TikTok in your PR campaigns

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Not sure how to use TikTok as part of your PR strategy?

CIPR’s 2021 Future Leaders Forum to inspire young talent in the communications industry took TikTok as one of its topics, sharing advice on using the increasingly popular and influential social media platform for public relations campaigns.

In a video introducing the basics of the platform and how its algorithm and potential usage differs from those of other social media mammoths, Access Intelligence’s CMO Michelle Goodall shares best practice for future PR TikTokers.

For how PR and communications campaigns utilising the platform can succeed in raising awareness of their subjects, Zero Waste Scotland’s Claire Munro also explains how influencers including Littlest Chicken were instrumental in the success of its Scotland is Stunning initiative to stop littering in public spaces.

Watch the video by filling in the form below.

How PR agencies can support local businesses

Lessons from lockdown… How PR agencies can support local businesses

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This is a guest post from Honest Communications founder Holly Daulby offering tips on how PR agencies can support local businesses in the current climate.

The need for strong, effective communication in the past year has been greater than ever. With small, local businesses seeking ways to communicate with existing customers, while still reaching new ones, there have been ample opportunities for PR agencies to lend a hand.

1. Be there to help

As part of lending a helping hand, be sure to offer value and utilise your experience and channels to give free advice to help others.

When lockdown first happened, and the world was filled with so much uncertainty and the future looked bleak for so many local businesses, we took to our blog and social media channels to offer advice. One article which proved popular was our top 5 tips for communicating in a crisis, which we even threw social media advertising budget behind, to really help reach as many people as possible who might need some free PR advice.

2. Be genuine, not opportunistic

Overt selling doesn’t sit well with people, they see straight through it. Companies trying to push sales, and not reading the room, look ignorant and self-serving – and no one wants that!

Don’t reach out to people to take advantage of their desperation, reach out to people because you want to help them turn things around.

That’s the key. Help. Not sell.

Be genuine in your reasoning for doing so too.

Authentic communication will always shine through. People don’t want cynical, opportunistic companies trying to sell them things they don’t need, particularly during a global crisis. Profiteering from a pandemic isn’t a good look.
The societal shift that has occurred over the past twelve months has seen communities come together to support each other. What resonates now is raw, honest communication to create a more favourable perception of trustworthy, helpful businesses.

3. Be adaptable and be there for your clients

Among so many other things, 2020 taught us that things don’t go to plan. You might have a client activity plan signed off and lined up but you always need to have the flexibility to adapt.

Staying in regular contact with your clients is vital to stay abreast of the changes in their business. Being there to support your clients will not only show you care but will also give you a deeper insight which will help your work be more informed.

Going beyond your normal remit too will also garner favour and clients will appreciate it in the long run. Offer your wider marketing insight and ask how you can support. After all, PR is about building relationships.

4. Broaden your service offering

So many businesses have shown ingenuity, resilience and agility by tweaking what they offer.

Small, local businesses might not be able to afford ongoing retainers or perhaps aren’t in the position they once were. Don’t let money get in the way. Think beyond your core services, and instead think about helping. Find out what people need and match that with your skillset.

For example, as PR professionals, writing comes more naturally to us so you might be able to help local businesses with their case studies, copywriting projects and newsletters. Work on an ad hoc basis to offer help when it’s needed instead of seeking ongoing retainers. We all know the benefits that retainers can have for brand building but they aren’t always possible.

5. Collaborate

If there are any positives to come out of this pandemic, people pulling together is one of them. Now, more than ever, people realise they need each other, and we can see how interconnected everything is. The same is true of businesses – it’s a tough time for everyone and offering a (metaphorical) helping hand where you can, will be appreciated. If you can find any opportunities to collaborate and combine forces with other businesses, it might help you to get back up to speed more quickly.
Here at Honest, in the past year, we’ve joined forces with a local photographer and a local brand consultant. Not only has this helped other local businesses, but it’s also allowed us to offer more to our clients to be able to further help them. Win-win!

In all of this, the main thing to remember, which should always be the case– pandemic or not – is that genuine, honest communications will prevail. After all, honesty is always the best policy.

For more on how PR can support local businesses, read our previous guest posts from White Rose PR’s Louise Pinchin on Supporting Local Business with Local PR, Gallium Ventures’ Heather Delaney on The Power of Community and Spike’s Andre Gwillium on How to Implement a PR Strategy for a Local Charity.

PRFest 2020

June’s PRFest to focus on ‘the sustainable future of PR’

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This year’s PRFest, taking place 14-18 June, will explore the sustainable future of the PR industry with the five pillars of The Next Generation, Earth/Planet, Corporate Social Innovation, Work and Society.

The global event for the PR community has been reimagined for 2021 with a 12-strong steering group working alongside PRFest founder and Aura PR director Laura Sutherland. With an estimated timeline for the easing of lockdown restrictions now put forward by the Government, a finalised format for the event is currently being considered.

‘The past year has been a whirlwind and has forced people and businesses to adapt very quickly,’ said Laura.

‘Professional development can’t stop. It’s a massive part of my own values. What’s also a priority is the work to make public relations a better recognised strategic business role. As PR and communication professionals, our role is to advise and consult with businesses, demonstrating our intelligence and understanding. The challenge is that many still don’t approach PR and communication with a strategic mindset and too often with tactics first.

‘If we have the conversation about what our industry might look like ten years from now, we can all hopefully put measures in place to ensure we work towards this.’

Steering group member and Campaign Collective founder member Simon Francis sees significant changes coming up for PR over the next ten years and a need to prepare with events like PRFest: ‘We need to take a long view of the challenges facing our industry and wider society.

‘It’s great to see PRFest bringing together perspectives on the biggest issues from around the world with fresh perspectives from the next generation of PR talent.’

Fellow steering group member and Forrester UK PR manager Katy Branson agrees and sees resilience in the community: ‘Amidst the challenges of fake news, diverging content platforms and future technologies, we are an industry capable of morphing to embrace new ideas and opportunities. The next generation pillar will explore how these challenges are changing the role of communication, what it means for a career in PR and the opening of new, exciting horizons for our future leaders.’

Early bird tickets for this year’s PRFest will go on sale on 30 March for one month.

Find PRFest announcements and updates on the website – Laura Sutherland can be contacted with requests, questions and ideas.

Diversity in Action A Leader Like Me

A Leader Like Me to launch Diversity in Action conference

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A Leader Like Me, the community to help women and non-binary people of colour progress in their careers, will hold its Diversity in Action conference on 23 March.

Aimed at those in the industry who want to create a more diverse and inclusive culture, industry experts speaking during the event will share experience and strategies on topics including building anti-racist organisations, looking beyond disability and finding and amplifying often overlooked stories.

Speakers joining from across the globe include Sanchez Tennis & Associates founder and CEO Anita L Sanchez, Northern Power Women CEO & Founder Simone Roche, CultureShift CEO Gemma McCall, Gallagher MD Ben Reynolds, Blackbelt Media LLC founder Adena J. White, Hassell Inclusion CEO/Founder Jonathan Hassell, Pride at Work Canada manager of programs Jade Pichette and MESH Diversity co-founder & head of behavioural sciences Dr. Leeno Karumanchery. Opening remarks will come from Chair Priya Bates.

Co-founded by Inner Strength Communication Inc’s Bates and CommsRebel’s Advita Patel, A Leader Like Me aims to empower, build confidence and give hope to womxn working their way up in the PR and comms industry.

Find our more about the event and sign up here on the A Leader Like Me website. For more on A Leader Like Me, read our interview with co-founder Advita Patel.

GWPR Annual Index

Global Women in PR to hold 24-hour mentoring event for International Women’s Day

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Global Women in PR will celebrate International Women’s Day on Monday 8 March with 24 hours of live speed mentoring.

Over 100 GWPR members, including senior-level practitioners across the global PR and communications industry, will provide advice and guidance in 30-minute sessions with over 200 mid-career PR women.

Those with a minimum of five years of experience in PR are invited to participate as mentees and can apply by completing this form.

‘The response to this initiative has exceeded all our expectations,’ said GWPR International Chair Cornelia Kunze. ‘So many women working in senior roles in PR and Communications from all over the world have come forward to support us – it has been incredible. It clearly demonstrates that there is a real passion to redress the balance in leadership in the PR industry and we are now motivated to follow up this IWD mentoring activity with an ongoing international mentoring programme.’

GWPR’s 2020 survey found that the most important way to break down barriers for women in PR – who make up two-thirds of the industry, yet are under-represented in boardrooms – is to have more senior women as role models. With this mentoring initiative, GWPR hopes to inspire the next generation of women in PR.

More information on the upcoming event can be found on the GWPR website.

PRCA

PRCA adds to its Board of Directors

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The PRCA has welcomed Havas Just:: chief executive officer Nicole Josh and SEC Newgate UK executive chairman Mark Glover to its Board of Directors.

These latest appointments were approved at 22 February’s Board meeting and follow the addition of Rob Colmer as vice-chairman in mid-January.

Yost has worked in senior management roles across companies including BCW, Ogilvy and Porter Novelli. Of joining the board, Yost said:

‘I am pleased to be joining the PRCA Board at a time when we need to support each other more than ever. Challenges around mental health, inclusion, flexibility of working and talent pipeline are in sharp focus. I believe we can do better as an industry and learn a lot from one another.’

Glover, who was last year’s recipient of the PRCA Outstanding Contribution in Public Affairs award, said:

‘I am delighted to be joining the PRCA Board at a critical time for the industry. I particularly welcome the work the PRCA’s Public Affairs Board has done in addressing transparency across lobbying in the UK and the support the PRCA is providing for agencies impacted by COVID. As SEC Newgate UK is now one of the most significant agencies in the UK it is great that we can contribute at a board level to our industry’s trade association.’

Francis Ingham believes the new members of the board ‘represent the very best of our industry and I’ve no doubt their combined experience and expertise will play a significant role in our return to growth in 2021.’

Find more about these latest appointments on the PRCA website.

How to Implement a PR Strategy for A Local Charity

How to Implement a PR Strategy for A Local Charity

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This is a guest post from Andre Gwilliam, who specialises in Digital PR and Outreach for Digital marketing agency Spike, based in Leeds/London.

To implement a PR strategy for a local charity, there are several steps which will help ensure you successfully raise awareness of the cause, while also securing good local coverage.

More than ever before, it matters to do good things, not just for your clients, but for those who need it the most. This is one of the values we hold at Spike. This guest post will discuss how you can utilise and apply your skills in public relations to develop a local PR strategy for a charity of your choice.

Selecting a Charity

The first step in your PR strategy is to select a charity that is close to your heart. Consider then how you would like to raise the funds and what it is you actually want to do, which should be the core of your campaign.

Brainstorm, Plan and Motivate One Another
Creating a timeline with deadlines for your PR activity will help you to understand what tasks need completing and by when.

With mental health at the heart of our campaign, we at Spike decided that, throughout December, we would walk 2.5 million steps in 30 days as our fundraising campaign. Quite a feat! We recognised that getting active outdoors is a mood-lifter.

Leeds North and West Food Bank was the charity we selected; they put food on the tables of local families in need.

Building a Localised Media List

A targeted media list will help you achieve increase the chances of securing local PR results. Before diving into which publications will want to share your news, consider the following:

1. Your charity’s focus – it’s not just your audience that matters. Understanding who your charity helps, can give you a greater understanding of news placement opportunities.
2. Utilise the PR and SEO tools at your disposal – whether that’s through media monitoring or SEO tools like Ahrefs. Exploring the previous news your charity has been featured in can help form an important part of the research phase of building your media list.
3. Local news platforms specific to your area – make sure you search for new local placement opportunities in your area. For example, (as we are based in Leeds) the search term ‘raises funds for Leeds charity’, will bring up other publications discussing other local charity campaigns. This can help you build a relevant media list.

Keeping relevance at the forefront of your campaign can help you to achieve better rankings, traffic, engagement and backlinks.

Local Contacts, Media and Micro-publications

Write a press release for local media and micro-publication contacts who discuss relevant charity fundraising stories. Locals often have more readers than national daily publications so covering the basics by attaining a quote from your local charity can support your release and make it more newsworthy.

Your Stories Should Evoke Emotion

Part of your role in PR is to influence how people think and feel about a particular subject. Each time you write a press release and promote this to specific contacts within a particular industry, you are influencing how people think and feel so keep this in mind when writing your release.

Promoting Your Story Across Social Media Platforms

LinkedIn is a fantastic platform in helping you to drive campaign messaging by promoting your fundraising campaign which can support your story. Here at Spike, we believe in an integrated approach to using social media and PR to bolster campaigns as it is a great way to understand audiences. Once you have created your campaign, reaching out to local connections on LinkedIn can help you to share campaign updates and raise further awareness of the good things you are doing.

LinkedIn’s latest story feature, similar to other platforms, allows you to promote daily updates to your followers. You might experience both good and bad days in the campaign, but we believe the good and bad is important to share as it promotes honesty to your audience and shares your journey in a transparent way.

For more on supporting local businesses and organisations, check out previous guest posts from Gallium Ventures managing director and founder Heather Delaney on The Power of Community and White Rose PR director Louise Pinchin on Supporting Local Businesses with Local PR.

The Power of Mentoring

The benefits of coaching and mentoring in the workplace

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Mentoring can be a great way to help young people as they enter the world of work and learn to navigate office politics, discover the nuances of email and work etiquette. We caught up with mentor and Pulsar strategic account director Patrick Dalgleish and his mentee Franklin Nnodi to talk about their mentoring experience.

What made you want to take part in the IntoUniversity mentoring scheme?

Patrick Dalgleish: I had been thinking for a while that I’d like to ‘give something back’ and use some of my time and experience to help others. I went into it with an open mind, and looked at a few things from food charities, to environmental work, and came across IntoUniversity’s corporate mentoring scheme which seemed to fit most neatly with my experience of having recently been through university (or at least not too long ago at the time!), I was in a settled job, and seemed to work well around my schedule.

Franklin Nnodi: It was an opportunity that was presented to me during sixth form and I simply thought ‘why not’. I was eager to learn, network and better myself in any way and so to meet a professional mentor who is experienced and passionate in their role would be a huge opportunity to learn and get some answers to interesting questions.

How long did the scheme last and how did it fit around your working day/degree?

Patrick: The scheme formally lasted for 12 months, with the first half focused on preparing Franklin for uni – doing the applications, finding accommodation, talking through what to expect – and the second half being when Franklin started university and supporting him with any questions he might have.

The scheme formally ended after his 1st semester at uni, but Franklin and I continue to stay in regular contact two years later!

It fitted relatively easily around my working day, we would meet up usually once a month, when he was at school it was a little more challenging as we had to meet at the IntoUni premises – therefore I’d need to finish work a little bit early on that day, which Pulsar was always supportive of.

Franklin: Luckily myself and my mentor both live in the same part of London so I was able to meet him for coffee in his office and have our catchup (pre-COVID). If that wasn’t possible then we’d usually schedule quarterly catchup calls via WhatsApp so I can keep him in the loop and up to date with any of my achievements or struggles I was experiencing.

Did you face any challenges during the mentoring? If so, what were they and how did you overcome them?

Patrick: The main challenge was finding ways to help Franklin as he very much knew what he wanted and where he wanted to be! And he’s been extremely successful in achieving that.

Franklin also asked me whether Pulsar could help with providing work experience. It wasn’t something we’d formally done before, but the HR team here were keen and created a insightful schedule for Franklin over the course of two weeks.

Franklin: No huge challenges, however, trying to organise meetups in person (pre-COVID) would be quite difficult due to his busy work schedule and the spontaneity of university events and commitments. Establishing good communication and planning well in advance is how we managed to keep in contact as frequently as we did.

What was your highlight in the mentoring experience and why?

Patrick: The highlight has just been getting to know Franklin and watching him progress through university. I felt genuinely proud when he let me know he’d been offered a graduate job with the investment firm Schroders at the end of his second year at uni.

Franklin: By having such a great relationship with my mentor, I was able to gain a spring insight week and a short summer work experience placement in his company. I was able to work closely alongside him and his colleagues and gain amazing insight into his industry.

What advice would you give to someone considering taking part in a mentoring scheme?

Patrick: Do it! Your experience will undoubtedly help a young person starting off in their university or professional career.

Franklin: Be organised, be honest, be enthusiastic and most importantly be willing to learn because these guys have made all the mistakes so you don’t have to.

Finally, would you do it again?

Patrick: Absolutely!

Franklin: 1000% yes.

Find out more about social listening platform Pulsar.

accessmatters with Katie Phillips

accessmatters with KDP Coaching & Consulting’s Katie Phillips

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‘There’s never been a better time to talk about mental health in the workplace, but we’ve got a long bloody way to go,’ is how KDP Coaching & Consulting’s Katie Phillips summed up the management of mental health issues in 2021 during today’s accessmatters discussion on wellbeing in the workplace.

In the session, ‘recovering perfectionist’ Katie shared the story of how she became an advocate for mental wellbeing at work as well as advice for those currently struggling. With 15 years of experience in communications, government, corporates and start-ups across the world, Katie’s own burn out and eventual recovery inspired her to launch her own consultancy, helping businesses and individuals nurture mental health with one-to-one workshops and coaching.

‘I’ve seen the good, the bad and the horrendously ugly of workplace wellbeing,’ said Katie. ‘I realised that something had to change and decided I was going to quit my job, sell all my stuff and run off to the jungle to recoup… I don’t recommend this to everyone, though – don’t fret, that’s not the only way to do it’.

Being a habitual overachiever and perfectionist, Katie’s professional life had never been completely healthy, though it was experiences of chaotic, overly-hierarchical and unkind work environments that turned the day-to-day stresses of working in PR into a full-on crisis. It is recognising that difference between the states of stress and burnout that those working during the pandemic need to pay attention to, advises Katie: ‘Stress is very much about feeling too much – too much work, pressure, noise. Burnout is feeling “not enough” – not filled with hope; empty’.

For Katie, the ramping up of stress to burnout meant a constant questioning of her own ability, feelings of resentment, a louder than ever inner critic that followed her outside of work and physical problems – skin complaints, twitching eyelids and nightly episodes of sickness that wouldn’t allow her to sleep. For those who are noticing similar issues with their own wellbeing, what can be done?

‘The main thing I always say is to look for changes in behaviour,’ says Katie. ‘Be self-aware – notice physical, emotional and cognitive changes. Are you getting colds frequently, are you more tearful or irritable than usual? Do you get brain fog? Do things take longer than they normally would? All of us are experiencing some of these things now – everyone reports this stuff to some level. Our brains are flooded with cortisol; we’re always tired.

‘Are you checking your emails all night, working when you’re sick? These behaviours can lead you very quickly to feelings of exhaustion. It’s really important to look for those changes and be aware of them.’

On the company-level, Katie believes more needs to be done to support the mental health of employees – ‘I’m not sure anyone is doing enough. We are making massive progress, but is talking going to fix things? Companies need to create environments where people thrive. The mental health stuff needs to come on top of systemic change. To be enough, we need to think about the foundations of our organisations and the industry itself.’

And for drawing a line between work and life when things are increasingly blurry, Katie believes making the effort to switch off is vital. ‘I wish I had a magic wand for it. You have to do what works for you; we all need different things. Picking up hobbies I used to love when I was little helps – I loved drawing when I was little, so I started doodling again. I really loved to be on my bike, so I bought a bike. Think about things you used to do for fun. I know it’s not the same as going on holiday, but get a colouring book, cook, have a call with your mates or loved ones.’

Just as important as staying connected and talking, is listening – being aware of what your fellow colleagues might be going through and supporting each other: ‘It’s not just talking, it’s the conversations – a dialogue, not just putting out messages,’ says Katie. ‘Classic PR and marketing stuff, really.’

For more from accessmatters, catch up with our previous sessions with Taylor Bennett Foundation’s Melissa Lawrence and Manifest’s Julian Obubo or check out the accessmatters hub.

Fuse podcast

The PRCA launches the Fuse podcast

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The PRCA has launched Fuse, a podcast focusing on innovation and influence for those working in PR, marketing and other creative industries across the globe.

Fuse will take the form of a biweekly, fifteen-minute podcast and feature best practice advice with an aim to inspire fresh ways of working and challenge the status quo in the industry. Content will be inspired by the experiences and expertise of practitioners from a variety of specialisms.

‘We look forward to putting the full power of storytelling to bring facts and insights from individuals and brands from around the world,’ said podcast host Dan Gold.

‘We are putting people first. Expertise is found throughout the industry in all locations and all stages on the professional journey – from the savvy leaders to the young up-and-coming creatives. We are looking for practitioners from any background and experience to get involved with Fuse for the opportunity to speak about what they care about.’

Those hoping to get involved in the podcast, whether for interview or debate around challenges facing PRs, marketers and communicators, can get in touch with PRCA head of communications Michael Collins. Contributors from all levels are welcome.

For more podcasts focusing on the big issues in PR and communications, check out six of our favourites here.

Dos and Don'ts of work video calls

Video call etiquette when working from home

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The etiquette of work video calls should now be ingrained in the majority of our minds forever as working from home has been a daily reality for much of the PR and comms industry for almost a full year now.

However, there are still dangers that go beyond being told ‘you’re on mute/can you mute – I can hear you breathing’ if you aren’t vigilant during a call. Here are five of them, and some examples to illustrate the horrors in store for those who aren’t careful…

1) Make sure you know how to remove filters and effects AKA don’t be a cat
Texas lawyer Rob Ponton knows this one well after going viral last week when finding himself unable to remove a video filter that turned him into a kitten with creepy eyes during a hearing conducted over video. Potato filter fan Lizet Ocampo can tell you, too. If your video chat platform for work is also one you use for keeping in touch with friends/family/kitten-with-creepy-eyes or potato enthusiasts, make sure you’ve removed any filters before you pick up a work call. Unless your line manager is very forgiving, or has the same interests. Similarly, make sure your display name is not still a private or inappropriate joke from the weekend’s quiz.

2) Pick the right place for picking up work video calls AKA not the bathroom
New Jersey school board member Frances Cogelja knows the trouble of taking your Zoom call to the wrong room, after having to resign following her bathroom break broadcast during a digital meeting. After so long working from home, we probably all have a place picked out for our video work calls – just don’t be tempted to change location mid-meeting…

3) Check your background is appropriate AKA don’t leave anything too interesting on the shelves behind you
And while we’re on the subject of picking out the most appropriate place in the home for picking up work video calls, a plain wall or a bookshelf featuring your most high-brow books are perfect backdrops. Just don’t do like Yvette Amos when appearing on BBC Wales, who had an x-rated ‘ornament’ taking pride of place on her bookshelf background – at least, not when you’re on the clock.

4) Mute/unmute appropriately AKA don’t complain about the Prime Minster over a hot mic
Grumbling about something your boss or a colleague has just said is a no go in person, and it’s no different digitally. Because no matter how careful you are with that mute button, mistakes happen, a la Laura Kuenssberg’s mishap during a Downing Street coronavirus press conference.

5) Don’t speak over others AKA be as respectful to your colleagues as you would be to Jackie Weaver
Picking up on social cues can be extra-tough when speaking digitally – particularly when it comes to determining when it is your time to talk if temperatures are high, or everyone has a lot to say. But speaking over other people to get your point across isn’t it, as the disrespectful members of Handforth parish council’s planning and environment committee now know for sure. Give people their time to speak, or risk being kicked out of the call by the Jackie Weaver of your working life.

6) Let your pets in the frame sometimes AKA do like Toulouse and Katie Collins would do
While ensuring children stay out of your work calls is an unavoidable difficulty of modern parenting (just ask Professor Robert Kelly and, well, anyone working with children in the vicinity), there are other frequently uninvited attendees of video chats, everywhere – pets. But unlike kids, who have homework to do, cats, dogs, rabbits and hamsters have nowhere else to be, so consider letting them walk into frame every now and again – your colleagues will likely thank you for it (even those who are allergic – there are some pros to video calls, after all).

Want more tips for digital working? Here are eight tips for moving your event online.