Returning to the workplace

11 ways to mentally prepare for an eventual return to in-office working

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Whether working from home is working for you, or you’re desperate to the return to the pace of office life, the prospect of an eventual move back to your workplace desk post-lockdown is going to take planning and support. The mental impact of working through the COVID-19 crisis – the isolation, economic uncertainty and change to work patterns – will have ramifications for everyone.

While lockdown largely continues and the day for returning to your commute, pen pots and watercooler chats is still uncertain, we’ve gathered advice from mental health professionals, psychologists and PRs working in the sector for how to start preparing and be ready for an eventual/potential return to in-office working. Get ready for safely distanced reconnections with colleagues, short fuses, mental rehearsals and emergency chocolate…

1) Start rehearsing your return
‘Take ten minutes every day in a quiet solitude to mentally rehearse positive outcomes imagining how you like to look, sound and feel when back at work. Use this wellbeing exercise to make intense mental pictures going quickly from Monday to Friday in your minds’ eye addressing previous good memories; basically including in your mental picture any memory that infused you with positive emotions. You may want to note these memories down before you start your mental film if that’s easier, and anchor them to your daily self-hypnosis.’

Zana Busby, consumer & business psychologist and director of Retail Reflections

2) Prepare to have a shorter fuse than before…
‘There may be some short-term conflict and toxicity as we all relearn to rub along together. Social distancing may remove personal space issues, but we need time to readjust to team-working, increase motivation and rebuild trust and cooperation within and across teams.

Awareness is important in preparing for the return to the busy office. If you are feeling stressed or anxious about your return, it’s good to share your concerns as you won’t be the only one. You can also set up support groups or ‘conversation cafes’ where you can rant and sound-off in a safe and non-judgemental space. This is a great way of blowing off steam with other people. Rules of confidentiality must apply in these groups so that everyone feels supported and knows that we are all in it together.

We are incredibly resilient, and we’ll slowly come to terms with our new norm – patience, kindness and maybe a quieter and less frenetic workplace!’

Jivan Dempsey, business psychologist and coach

3) Be kind
‘The mental health and psychological impact is worth bearing in mind. Some people will have been ill or are bereaving a member of their family or a friend. The work culture should be inclusive, so that every employee feels they are returning to a supportive and caring environment. Be kind. The power of kindness cannot be overstated.’

Dr Tim Cantopher, consultant psychiatrist at Dr Morton’s

4) Reconnect with your team
‘Where possible and appropriate, make an effort to see one another in person. Just make sure you stick to all the necessary precautions to protect one another! Say hello, share thoughts and experiences, even a cuppa (but not mugs!). Make sure everyone has a clear understanding of any new guidelines that must be adhered to. We are naturally social beings and we don’t cope well with isolation.’

Sandra De Monte, integrative psychotherapist and founder of digital mental health platform MindBerry

5) Keep going with eating and sleeping well
‘Taking good care of our physical and mental fitness is more important than ever. By working towards the best version of ourselves we can be better placed to care for and support our family, friends, community and colleagues. A good sleep routine, a careful set of boundaries between when we work and when we don’t work. Nutrition to be kind to our minds such as blueberries, fatty fish, dark chocolate and broccoli. Regular bite size doses of whatever works for you as an individual to relax such as gardening, reading, yoga and meditation.’

Daryl Woodhouse regularly works with c-suite executives on employee wellbeing, productivity and leadership and is the founder of ABP.

6) Indulge (a little bit) in the things that make you happy
Be aware of all the instinctive strategies you might use to ‘escape’ from the stress you are feeling that you know would actually end up tying you down more e.g. staying on your phone binge-watching Netflix or scrolling on social media late into the night, or speaking to friends or colleagues who will ramp up your anxiety, rather than to people who will offer practical solutions.

Use the little things that make a massive difference to your ability to be resilient e.g. listening to favourite music; getting enough sleep, reading a favourite book, speaking to a trusted friend, helping someone else (this instantly helps us), wearing clothes that make you feel good, choosing healthy favourite food, etc.’

Cat Williams, executive coach, helpingreachpotential.co.uk

7) Make the most of the resources and skills already available to you as a PR
‘For PR employers, now is the time to ensure you have a Wellness Action Plan (WAP). This will help you provide clear guidance to your employees before, during and after their return to the office. MIND has a really useful guide which you can download for free to help you to create your own WAP specific to your organisation. It’s also worth looking at the Global Wellness Institute who regularly post useful research and guidance around wellness. What you do have to remember is that wellbeing is personal to the individual so while some employees may breeze back in happily, others will need closer attention. This is where our role as communication experts comes in. Our priority on reopening is clear communication with our teams without whom, our businesses wouldn’t be possible.’

Tracey Stapleton, MD of wellbeing PR specialists The Spa PR Company

8) Use the opportunity to advocate for improvements
‘Leaders would do well to organise opportunities for the employees in the office to get together to reflect on the pros and cons of the time away from the office, working from home, and how they feel about their return to the office. Staff need to be given a voice and an opportunity to express their thoughts, share their bright ideas and any concerns. Doing this will raise morale and help to create a positive atmosphere during this transition phase. Teams might create a buddy system for colleagues to feel that they can communicate and help one another in their reflections on what has been and the days to come.

‘Clear, concise, compelling and compassionate communication is key in all of this. Leaders need to show the right example and demonstrate that they are accessible and authentically engaged with all employees. Silos need to be broken down, virtual communication opportunities need to be embraced and concerns need to be given real attention.’

Jan P. de Jonge, business psychologist at People Business Psychology Ltd

9) Consider if working from home a little longer might work for you
‘Fear is to be expected, as home working has been comfortable for those who found their cocooned working-from-home-life ideal for them. It may also have provided a sense of much needed safety, while we deal with the ongoing COVID-19 threat.

If home working is something you feel you wish to continue for your wellbeing, both mentally and physically, now is the perfect time to raise this with your employer and see if this is something that could work for you both.’

Jayne Cox, life coach, stress management/trauma consultant and co-founder of Fusion Spaces. Check out her tool kit for calm here.

10) Remember that any anxiety you feel is natural
‘Human beings like order: plans, routines and habits. The crisis has thrown all of that up in the air and created even higher levels of anxiety. We human beings have been arch adapters since cave times, so we will cope.
‘The key is to be okay with your anxiety: it’s normal, we’re supposed to get it; it is telling us to change something. As you go back to the office, make a conscious effort to adapt and develop a new routine and give yourself extra time to commute and settle in.

‘It is worth taking time out once or twice a day to sit with your feelings. Take five minutes out to sit in a chair and just “be”. To begin with, focus on your breathing. Then do a bit of self-reflection and check in with how you feel emotionally and physically. Remind yourself it’s okay to be anxious: it’s your system working normally.

‘In fact, even when you’ve adapted to your new routine, it’s a practice worth keeping up: it takes us out of permanent sprint adrenalin mode and allows our whole system to slow down and rebalance. And that’s all it takes: five minutes.’

Mark Newey, psychotherapist and founder of Headucate, which has self-help resources here.

11) What you learned about yourself while WFH will always be useful
‘As professionals, you will have faced many stressful challenges over the past few weeks, as home-life and work-life merged into one. Sometimes our most stressful experiences can be our greatest teachers. Reflect on what you have learnt during this time and whether there are things you want to take back into the workplace with you. Perhaps you have learnt how to care for yourself better or indeed that you may need to do more self-care. Perhaps you discovered some inner strength and resolve that you weren’t aware you had. Maybe you have learnt something about others that you didn’t know before or you realised how often we take for granted the things that are really important. By re-positioning the situation as a learning experience, we can see things in a more positive way.’

Jill Mead, co-founder and managing director of TalkOut

PRCA

PRCA Global Ethics Council launches

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The PRCA has launched its Global Ethics Council to uphold ethical standards across the public relations and communications industry.

Omnicom international president (and former PRCA chairman and ICCO president) David Gallagher is the inaugural chairman of the PRCA GEC, which is comprised of expert members and respected practitioners including Firefly Communications Group CEO Claire Walker, Golin CEO Matt Neale, Ketchum regional director Latin America Gustavo Averbuj and Fletcher Marketing PR senior strategist Mary Beth West.

The GEC’s remit includes providing advice to associations on their Codes with suggestions for improvement and creating an international forum for the debate of common ethical issues, with the creation of a global annual ethics month, council-member-hosted Twitter chats and the publication of a monthly global ethics newsletter.

Meetings will be held at least twice a year (at the PRCA International Summit and ICCO Summit) with additional regional and remote events expected.

‘The creation of this global body will help us to set and then to raise even higher global standards of ethical behaviour,’ said PRCA director general Francis Ingham of the launch. ‘The seniority of the Council‘s membership is unparalleled, and we are grateful that such an esteemed figure as David Gallagher has agreed to be its Chairman.’

‘As a professional community we have spoken for decades about the need to set and maintain higher ethical standards in communications around the world,’ added chairman David Gallagher. ‘Now the time has come to act.’

Read more about the aims of the Global Ethics Council on the PRCA website.

Harvard: Life After COVID-19

5 stats from Harvard’s Life After COVID-19 report

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To better understand how the changes that have come in the wake of the coronavirus crisis will impact business leaders across the UK in the long term, Harvard comms partnered with research house Coleman Parkes for its study Life After COVID-19: How the crisis changed tech and what to do next.

Here are five quick takeaways from the survey of 450 UK C-suite professionals working across tech, telecoms, manufacturing, health, financial services and professional services…

1) Since the pandemic, 48% of those surveyed admit their perception of tech companies has become more positive
Unsurprisingly, a reliance on technology has become unavoidable for business to continue during the pandemic, with teams moving to home working on digital platforms, video networking and cloud-based projects. As a result, C-suite professionals are looking upon the companies providing these services with a kinder eye – 48% also plan to increase their investment in hardware over the next 12 months and 43% to invest more in software over the same period.

2) 58% said planned digital transformations at their businesses were accelerated by three years or more
With no time for catering to office politics or employer/employee resistance to big change, planned innovations have been implemented faster during the pandemic. 42% of business leaders reported that digital transformations that would typically take years to roll out were made possible in weeks.

3) 40% agreed that their employees’ view of them as an employer would be impacted by their experience of technology
The importance of in-office friendships, work/life balance and perks for employee retention has given way to technological experience; what good is an emotionally supportive team if you can’t keep in touch with them – or your clients – because of connectivity issues? Working from home can only truly be a boon for employee satisfaction if the technology provided for them works – 48% believe employees’ tech experience will impact retention when ‘regular’ business resumes post-lockdown.

4) 47% of businesses expect to increasingly rely on Government
Particularly for those in the financial services sector (58%), businesses anticipate an increased reliance on Government in future. Aims for sustainability and local-over-global focuses have sparked trends for domestic sourcing.

5) Political unrest – not COVID-19 – is the number one environmental concern for businesses over the next few months
While it may feel as though all aspects of work and day-to-day life have narrowed down to coronavirus-related concerns, they aren’t the be-all and end-all for business. Considerations of political unrest (53%), cyber security (53%) and Brexit (50%) will all come before COVID-19 (49%) over the upcoming 12 months for the companies surveyed. The current crisis is a critical issue, but not the only factor to navigate over the next year.

While continuing to challenge, the COVID-19 crisis has forced business leaders to adapt quickly and be flexible with their business models and ways of working. For Coleman Parkes Research director Stephen Saw, the survey shows a positive future for resilient teams working through times that are difficult to plan for:

‘Even the darkest cloud has a silver lining – UK business leaders are utilising technology to adapt and respond to the market disruption caused by COVID-19 with unprecedented speed.

‘This survey has helped us understand how their transformation efforts are paving the way to the ‘new normal’ way of working, for now and, likely, well into the future.’

Read the full ‘Life After COVID-19: How the crisis changed tech and what to do next’ report from Harvard and Coleman Parkes here.

Online conferences

Taking Your Conference Online

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This is a guest post from Leo Von Bülow-Quirk, founder and director of UK-based conference and keynote speaker bureau VBQ Speakers.

The conference and events industry has been turned upside down in recent weeks, with large-scale events being cancelled all over the world. However, home working doesn’t necessarily mean that conferences are a thing of a past. It’s just a case of adapting the ways in which we share information, and carefully curating online conferences that delegates can safely access at their convenience.

We’ve seen a more widespread use of a whole host of smart online learning and communication tools recently. And these new ways of interacting could well be here to stay, as increasing numbers of companies start to recognise the benefits of more flexible and accessible ways of communicating.

There are numerous advantages to taking your conference online. Virtual conferences are environmentally friendly, they’re easily accessible and of course they’re likely to be far more cost-effective for attendees and companies involved. Just take a look at some of the following options, you might be surprised by what you can do.

Virtual keynote speakers

Passionate keynote speakers are, of course, one of the key attractions of conferences. And the good news is that these keynote speakers can easily share their knowledge via online presentations.

There are plenty of cutting-edge tools available to help conference organisers create the perfect online event, complete with the very best speakers from all kinds of different industries. Search for and hire a talented speaker, and take a look at Zoom to see how your speakers can share their message digitally.

Online networking opportunities

A conference is far more than a series of talks. It’s an engaging experience, and an opportunity to network. Networking is a huge draw for many top conferences, with delegates choosing to attend events to enhance their own prospects and build meaningful relationships on behalf of their businesses.

There are plenty of ways in which conference organisers can help delegates to continue to network by building shared engagement in their online events. Launch a social campaign to advertise your event, encourage attendees to join online groups and introduce talking points to break the ice.

Digital workshops

Workshops can be enormously valuable for those looking to enhance their knowledge on particular subjects. But attendees no longer need to be in the same room to access all the career-boosting benefits of a traditional workshop.

Workshops can be hosted digitally via several popular video conferencing platforms, many of which offer best-in-class communication channels for free. Explore the options of Google Hangouts, Zoom and Skype to see which one might best suit your needs.

Home Q&A sessions

Sharing keynote presentations and opinions via online channels is one thing, but if you want to deliver a powerful message that really gets the attention of your audience, it’s a good idea to include an interactive Q&A session.

We’ve seen some great Q&A sessions shared using video conferencing platforms, many of which allow viewers to submit questions through virtual chat platforms as well as speaking via video link. Other options include creating social groups on platforms such as Facebook or LinkedIn, where questions and answers can be recorded and accessed as and when users might need them.

Take your conference online using the latest digital tools, and your delegates will thank you. Explore the opportunities of video conferencing to provide delegates with access to industry-leading keynote presentations, and connect interested parties via social groups.

UK Influencer Survey 2020

5 tips to improve your influencer marketing

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Are you working with influencers? The UK Influencer Survey 2020 reveals that one in five influencers say it’s now their main source of income and one in twenty charge more than £1,000 per collaboration.

Here are five lessons from the Influencer Survey to improve your PR strategy.

1. Get your budgeting right
Influencers set their own prices and there are no industry standards. The Survey reveals that different activities demand different amounts of compensation, so consider what you’re trying to achieve and how much you have to spend. If you have more budget and long-term awareness goals, then brand ambassador programmes are for you, but if you want a one-off hit across a number of influencers for less spend, consider sponsored blog or social posts.

UK Influencer Survey 2020

2. Target the right influencers
Three quarters of influencers reject pitches because they’re not relevant to their audience and 35% reject on the grounds that they are not personalised. Spray and pray is the tool of the unprepared – PR is about building and maintaining relationships with the right people who have been identified ahead of time and then nurtured. A little research can go a long way to help secure coverage.

UK Influencer Survey 2020

3. Respect full timers
There are more influencers who say it is now their main source of income, a proportion that’s more than doubled in the last four years. There’s a corresponding rise in the number of influencers spending over 30 hours a week on their channels, so we can see a clear pattern of more professionals working in the industry. And with any small business owner, focusing on the output is only part of their workday, they also have a heap of admin, finance, marketing and sales to do, so bear that in mind when you’re negotiating deliverables.

UK Influencer Survey 2020

4. It’s not just about the supersectors
The Survey once again highlights the dominance of five supersectors: Fashion & Beauty, Lifestyle, Parenting, Food and Travel, which account for 57% of all influencers. If you’re not operating in one of those, it doesn’t mean influencer marketing isn’t for you. Categories rise and fall; the proportion of influencers in the supersectors is now in decline. Respondents had the option to choose a huge variety of categories, and nothing was left unchecked from gaming and gardening to politics and religion. Every sector can benefit from influencer marketing.

UK Influencer Survey 2020

5. Focus on quality of engagement rather than follower numbers
This was the most (89%) agreed-with statement about working with PRs. And it makes sense, follower numbers can be bought, traded or built up through a series of laborious processes, but could ultimately mean nothing. The best collaborations lead to high engagement from audiences, so that’s what you should be looking for before you start. Followers are vanity, engagement is sanity.

UK Influencer Survey 2020

If you need help with your influencer outreach, find out more about the Vuelio Influencer Database and how we can help. 

Dane Cobain

Literature Blogger Spotlight: Dane Cobain, SocialBookshelves.com

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If your social life has taken a downturn recently, make a new friend in Dane Cobain, the blogger behind SocialBookshelves.com. When you can’t peruse the shelves at your local library or book shop of choice, or all the options available on your Kindle are making your head spin, Dane’s reviews and recommendations can help you pick the right paperback/hardback/digital tome to get stuck into.

How did you originally get started with writing about literature?
I’ve always been a big book lover. I remember at secondary school, our English teacher told us that we had to write a book review for every book that we read. For most other kids, that had the effect of putting them off reading because they didn’t want to have to write a review. For me, I ended up writing about a half dozen reviews each week in an attempt to keep up.

Fast forward to 2013, I was working in social media marketing at a PR agency and about to start a new job at a creative agency. Seeing as I worked in social media marketing, I felt as though I needed to have a blog site to act as a kind of portfolio, and books made the perfect subject to write about. I resolved to review every book that I read moving forwards and to try to catch up on my old archive… and now here we are, seven years later.

What’s your favourite thing to post about and why?
SocialBookshelves.com is pretty much a specialist review blog, mainly because I read so many books that just staying on top of the reviews is difficult enough. That said, some of the most fun that I’ve had while running the site has been when I’ve been invited to attend and report on events. For example, I was taken to York Literature Festival to write about that, and I also got the opportunity to go and visit Latvia to learn about Latvian literature.

How have you had to change your approach to blogging during the COVID-19 crisis?
I haven’t had to. In fact, there’s been very little that has changed really, except that my social life has dropped off. But I worked from home already and nothing has particularly changed in terms of blogging.

What are your favourite books of all time, and why?
I always say that my favourite book of all time is Northern Lights by Philip Pullman because that’s the book that made me fall in love with reading. My favourite book of last year was Stoner by John Williams because it was just a masterclass in writing, and my favourite of the books I’d read the year before was The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, because it was excellent.

Is there a book you just couldn’t get into?
Yeah, loads of them. The one that springs to mind first is Persuasion by Jane Austen, which I read as a ‘bedtime book’ and which I’m due to re-read this month via audio book. I’m pretty sure at this point Jane Austen just isn’t for me, but she’s influential enough that I want to give her another chance.

Which books would you suggest people read during lockdown?
It depends! If you want some books that are eerily close to what we’re living, I’d go for The Stand by Stephen King and Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, both of which I’ve read myself during lockdown and both of which deal with what happens to the world after a super-flu breaks out. Of course, if you want something a little lighter and which doesn’t remind you of what’s going on out there, I’d have to recommend my own books – in particular Driven and The Tower Hill Terror from the Leipfold series of cosy detective novels with a contemporary twist.

If you could interview any author (living or dead), who would it be, and what would you ask them?
I’d probably interview Stephen King and ask if he’d adopt me. It seems as though everything he or his family touches turns to gold, and who wouldn’t want to learn from him?

How do you collaborate with brands and which kind of brands do you really like working with?
I take pitches from anyone, but I receive so many collaboration offers that I’m only able to get back to those I’m interested in. I think as above, my favourite brands to work with are those who are putting on events and who invite me along, but I’ll work with anyone if they have something tangible to offer to me and my audience.

For PRs looking to work with you and your blog/website, how would you prefer they approach you and with what kind of content?
The best way to reach out to me is via email, and the best thing to do is to not just send me a press release about a book and ask if I want to read it. You need to find a way to capture my attention!

What other blogs do you check out regularly (whether literature-related or not)?
I actually don’t read that many blogs, mainly because most of my friends aren’t bloggers. I watch a lot of YouTube channels though and read a lot of reviews on Goodreads, etc.

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

CPRI help

Comms volunteers matched to charities and NHS Trusts in need by the Community PR Initiative

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The Community PR Initiative (CPRI) has matched 60 charities and NHS teams with 100 volunteer comms professionals in an effort to help with communication during the current crisis.

Launched in early April, the initiative has so far arranged voluntarily help for organisations including Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Young Classical Artist Trust, Toynbee Hall, Survivors Fund, 52 Lives and Petals Charity. Volunteers from the communications industry include freelancers facing a lack of opportunities and those who have been furloughed.

‘Great effort has been put into the match making process, ensuring the sustainability and enthusiasm of the process,’ said CPRI co-founder Aceil Haddad. ‘In many cases, we have teamed up volunteers with charities and community groups that they have a personal or relatable link with, from area to experience. In addition to providing pro-bono support, it has been delightful to support our fellow PR peers, many of whom are concerned about what the future may bring.’

‘This initiative has potential to help share best practice, while allowing people to develop their skills and knowledge,’ said The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s director of communications and engagement Justine McGuiness. ‘NHS communications teams have been working flat out for several months now – operating seven days a week, while doing our usual day to day work.

‘What would be great is to have people from every part of the communications industry to help their peers in the NHS by volunteering. Whatever your background, if you think you can help, please get in touch.’

Keen to continue the work, the CPRI welcomes additional applications from NHS and charity teams struggling with financial limitations and staff furloughs as well as professionals willing to volunteer their time to help, including those outside of the UK.

Find out more about volunteering with the Community PR Initiative on the LinkedIn group, Facebook page and on Twitter @theCPRI.

PRCA Confidence Tracker

Second international Business Confidence Tracker from the PRCA shows increasing positivity

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Results from the PRCA’s second international Business Confidence Tracker shows a growth in positivity among senior agency and in-house leaders around the world when it comes to the future of their businesses.

Respondents to the second survey were asked ‘How confident do you feel about the future of your organisation right now?’ With separate datasets for PRCA members in Latin America, the Middle East and North Africa, Southeast Asia and the UK, net positivity numbers were higher across every region since April.

PRCA Business Confidence Tracker

‘The global PR community is increasingly optimistic about the future,’ said PRCA director general Francis Ingham of the latest results. ‘The initial shock seems to have worn off, and agency and in-house leaders in every region of the world are growing in confidence that they can configure new delivery models and prosper in new circumstances. As lockdown slowly unwinds country by country, our industry faces the new normality with resilience and positivity.’

More information on the results from the PRCA Confidence Tracker can be found on the website.

After the storm: Planning for preparedness post COVID-19

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COVID-19 is presenting acute challenges for organisations on every level – from operations and revenues to people and reputations.

We are aware of the heightened pressure facing communications teams to take a more proactive stance that will enhance their chances of a strong recovery when the wider economic picture improves.

Our webinar, After the storm: Planning for preparedness post COVID-19 hears from Chris Paxton, Chief Strategy Officer at Hotwire, Annabel Dunstan, founder and CEO of Question & Retain and Kate Fielding, director of Fielding Communications to help you engage with your stakeholders for best practice planning, as we all navigate these uncertain times.

Helen Croydon

Pitching to the right places with The Media Insider Podcast’s Helen Croydon

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Helen Croydon, founder of Thought Leadership PR, three-time author and former journalist and broadcaster of 15 years can now add podcast host to her list of accolades. The Media Insider Podcast was launched by Helen and the team at Thought Leadership PR to give an insight of how different newsrooms work, what their planning processes are and how best to pitch to different media outlets.

‘There is a perennial misunderstanding of how the media works by PRs and the general public. Making the transition from journalism to PR, I realised how much I take my experience for granted.’

Helen shares what she has learnt from commissioning editors, journalists and producers, as well as her own knowledge, on how PRs can make meaningful and successful connections.

What were your reasons for wanting to start the podcast?
First the altruistic reason – I wanted to bring an understanding of the media to PRs who pitch to the press and people who want to promote their business or their profile in the media. There is a perennial misunderstanding of how the media works by PRs and the general public. Making the transition from journalism to PR, I realised how much I take my experience for granted. I ran some courses for PRs on pitching to the media and gave talks to entrepreneurs about how to get their business in the media. It quickly became clear how little of PR training covers how a newsroom works.

Now the selfish reason: Even after a 15-year career as an author and journalist, I still find the planning process at many publications or programmes an enigma. I’ve worked across all forms of media, but I have no idea when long-lead printed magazines plan their stories, how commissioning timetables have changed for digital-only publications or how trade publications work.

My podcast is as much a learning tool for myself in my role as founder of Thought Leadership PR, as it is for my listener base of PRs, entrepreneurs and freelance journalists.

What are some of the most interesting things you have learnt during the podcast so far?
That the commissioning process at different publications is more varied than I thought. Even in the time since I stepped away from journalism (three years), things have changed considerably. I come from the not-so-distant-media past where print and digital teams worked separately, when news journalists and features journalists were different. So, I’ve always thought that you need to pitch a news story to a news desk, and a features story to a features commissioning editor.

One thing I took away from a recent interview with Sophie Gallagher, the lifestyle editor of The Independent, is that her writers are ‘all-rounders’. They may do an interview, but they may also do a news story or write a review of top tech products. Digital has meant that the ‘slots’ and pages of the old print format are not as rigid as they used to be.

How can PRs better understand how journalists work?
PRs know all about KPIs and proudly refer to articles as ‘earned media’ and suggest ‘subject matter experts’ as spokespeople, but actually these aren’t terms the media even use. PR and comms professionals are taught to pitch to the media by more experienced comms and PR professionals. But none of them get the perspective from journalists.

How big an affect has digital media had in the way journalists and PRs interact (sourcing/pitching stories)?
It’s made it more difficult for PRs to build a picture of the media landscape. The digital media has become a blurred web of online magazines, blogs, advice sites, podcasts, and even branded journalism platforms or influencer YouTube channels. It is impossible to keep track of the main platforms; how reputable they are or whether they follow any patterns. Pre-digital age, PRs knew that The Daily Mail had a lifestyle section on a Thursday called Femail or that BBC Business uses topical commentators (etc., etc.). The list was long, but at least it was exhaustive. Now there is a plethora of low-tier blog-come-magazine websites, the sorts of places that publish clickbait, and it is these titles that welcome contributor-authored articles and are more receptive to PRs pitching editorially questionable content. They are part op-ed, part promotion.

Even some traditional top-tier publications have contributor programmes where non-journalists write things, and daily newspapers have ever more sponsored content. Whether this is good or bad is a separate debate, but what this means is that for PRs and the general public it’s more unclear what is media-worthy.

Having worked for newspapers, magazines and broadcast, which would you say is the most challenging to pitch to and why?
Newspapers, because they move so quick and your pitch has to be pegged to something in the news. You have to pitch before the morning planning meeting. In the print days this used to be the 11am conference, but what I’ve learned from my podcast guests is that in the digital era, news editors meet at 8am to discuss what stories they’ll follow up that day. As a PR, if you’re pitching a comment piece on behalf of a client that’s related to a story in the news today, you’ll have to pitch it before 8am.

Counter-intuitively, pitching to the broadcast media is easiest because they’re the most receptive. Usually they’ll have a planning desk – a team dedicated to booking guests and planning stories a day ahead, so they are not as affected by the deadlines of that day’s programme.

What would you say are the most common ‘pitching hates’ acknowledged by journalists and how can PRs avoid these?
Not studying the publication. Not watching programme. Not knowing the audience.

From your own experience, can you give an example of a really good pitch/a PR doing their research before getting in touch with you?
When I was freelance, I used to write for Metro’s ‘Trends’ section, which came out on a Thursday. Trends covered dating, fitness and wellness. Typical formats of the stories I wrote as a freelancer would be either me trying out a new fitness class or novelty dating event or an opinionated funny op-ed on a new trend.

The good pitches recognized the format, not the topic. So they may say: “Would you be interested in trying out X for one of your first-person pieces, a little like the one you covered last week on X.”
The bad ones look at the topic and not the format. So they might write: “Since you write about fitness, would you be interested in featuring X yoga pants for your page.” But that part of the paper didn’t do ‘reviews’. They should have studied the paper and pitched to a totally different team, who look after a totally different page, which runs on a totally different day.

Listen to The Media Insider Podcast here, follow Helen on Twitter @helen_croydon and find out more about Thought Leadership PR on the website.

UK Influencer Survey 2020

UK Influencer Survey 2020

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UK Influencer Survey 2020

 

The UK Influencer Survey 2020 reveals what types of post receive compensation and the amount influencers are paid, what the ‘supersectors’ are, the most popular and successful channels used by influencers, and why influencers are most likely to reject your pitch.

Findings include:
• 61% influencers charge for sponsored blog posts while 46% charge for sponsored social posts
• One in twenty influencers charge more than £1,000 for brand collaborations
• 19% influencers say it has become their main source of income – twice as many as in 2016 (8%)
• Influencers expect advertising to grow on influencer channels and the audience to become more sceptical of their motives

Get the latest insight and improve your influencer marketing strategy.
WIPR Sarah Samee, Laurian Hubbard, Bibi Hilton and Rachel Moss

Women in PR and PRWeek mentoring scheme goes digital in response to COVID-19

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The Women in PR and PRWeek Mentoring Programme, now in its seventh year, opened for applications on Monday 11 May as a completely digital scheme.

With 25 mentee spaces (five earmarked for Women in PR Cymru applicants and the rest for those across the UK) and 12 additional mentors (including five male leaders) from the PR and communications industry, the programme will work to actively, and accessibly, support women with their leadership aspirations.

The Mentoring Programme will last for 12 months starting from August 2020 and will comprise of three full mentoring sessions via video link or phone plus additional discretionary support where needed. Criteria for this year’s entry includes clear career objectives, demonstrable industry engagement and leadership potential. The deadline for applications is 12 June 2020, and the questionnaire can be found on the Women in PR website.

‘The need for career guidance, support and advice has never been more important than it is today, which is why we have increased the size and scope of our flagship mentoring programme, so we can help even more ambitious women,’ said Women in PR Vice President Sarah Samee, who was a 2015 mentee and is now a mentor for 2020.

‘The current adversity and changes to the way we live and work has presented us with the opportunity to innovate the programme. The new digital format not only safeguards the wellbeing of participants, but also increases accessibility and removes any perceived regional barriers. In this respect, we hope to welcome a larger and even more diverse group of mentees than ever before.’

Find more about the scheme on the Women in PR website here.

Clare Wall

10 Things I Miss About the Office

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This is a guest post from Clare Wall, co-founder and director of Firework PR.

When we set up Firework PR, we wanted to break the traditional agency model and focus on building a consultancy that offered highly experienced, senior-level teams, wherever they were in the country. As such, our consultants have always had the option of working from home or the office.

This approach has served us and our clients well over the years, however, though we are set up to work remotely, we always choose to spend at least a couple of days a week together in the office in Cheshire.

So, when lockdown kicked in, we were well positioned to instantly adapt to working from home. However, what soon became apparent was that, actually, we all miss the office! Don’t get me wrong, there are many positives to home working – unlimited supply of biscuits and snacks, spending the day in your comfies, no sitting in traffic jams and of course, morning sessions with Joe Wicks. However, there are plenty of things we really miss about being in the office…

1) Separating work and home life
As a business owner, this is a challenge even when there isn’t a lockdown. But when your dining table becomes your desk, it can become difficult to switch off.

2) Having real humans to bounce ideas off
This is especially important in our industry, where some of the best ideas have stemmed from an unplanned brainstorm over tea and cake.

While we have digital ways of communicating, such as Zoom and MS Teams, sharing views on work face-to-face brings more value than we realise. Being able to spontaneously chat through a client email or a journalist request as it lands in your inbox is so helpful, and not something we’re likely to do if it means arranging a team video call.

3) Seeing familiar, friendly faces
We all love our families, however, there’s a lot to be said for time spent with friends and colleagues. Getting a fresh perspective on life, both personal and professional, can be incredibly therapeutic.

4) Tea rounds
We all know how wonderful it sounds to hear ‘would anyone like a brew?’. When you’re working from home, it’s often down to you alone to serve up the tea or coffee, which can sometimes take the shine off it altogether.

5) Mindless chatter
In between the important reputational work we do for clients, it’s always nice to have a bit of a chat and gossip, from what everyone is currently watching on Netflix to dissecting the lives of celebrities.

6) Coffee!
The barista kind just cannot be beaten.

7) Food talk
From what we had for dinner last night to the latest diet fad; sharing ideas and recommendations on food and drink is one of our favourite office conversations.

8) Ranting!
There is nothing quite like a good old rant, especially amongst colleagues. It lets us blow off steam before we head home.

9) The office energy
We all bring something unique to the office table and being able to share in that energy brings a level of positivity and optimism to work, and to life.

10) Eclectic playlists
We all have different tastes in music – at the minute, I’m the resident DJ each day of the week but I miss colleagues taking the reins and introducing me to other artists and songs I might otherwise have missed or to inspire a bit of a nostalgia.

What do you miss about the office? Let us know on Twitter @Vuelio.

Firework PR is an independent PR agency in Knutsford, Cheshire. It specialises in B2B PR, tech PR and intelligent communications. Follow them on Twitter @fireworkpr.

Zanna Van Dijk

Fitness Blogger Spotlight: Zanna Van Dijk

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Entrepreneur, business owner, personal trainer, and ‘blogger with a purpose’ Zanna Van Dijk is here to help positive change through personal and worldwide wellbeing. Sustainability, travel and lifestyle are some of Zanna’s usual blogging topics but right now, keeping her readers fit and well is the focus.

Whether you’re itching to get back out to the track to restart your training or you’re yet to start a regular fitness routine, read on for Zanna’s tips for keeping fit from your living room as well as what powers her motivation.

What keeps you enthusiastic about the fitness blogging sphere?
The feeling that I am helping people move their bodies in a positive way. I receive such lovely feedback about my fitness content and it warms my heart seeing people do my workouts every single day. It gives me a boost of motivation to continue!

What’s your favourite thing to post about and why?
I love to post a mix of content – of course, workouts and healthy meal inspiration, but also topics such as conscious living, sustainable swaps and responsible travel. I find covering diverse topics which interest me allows me to stay excited about what I am producing.

How have you had to change your approach and content now that people are self-isolating?
Of course, travel and London living is off the cards. I have shifted my focus to home workout content, as that is what my audience is crying out for right now and I am happy to provide it.

What exercises would you recommend people with a high-level of fitness swap in to their routine if they can’t get out to run/swim/cycle?
Try a HIIT workout – I have a tonne of high intensity workouts on my YouTube channel, which you can follow along with at home! If you have lots of energy, these are a great way to release it!

What routines are worth trying for those with a low level of fitness who want to start to improve it from home?
I would say to try the short IGTV real time workouts I share on my Instagram. These are all beginner friendly and are a maximum of 15 minutes, so you can do one or group a few together.

What household items are great for incorporating into a workout?
Fill a backpack with books and pop it on for squats, lunges and step ups! It is a great way to add extra load to your leg workouts.

With Mr Motivator making a comeback recently, who are some of your workout heroes from the past?
Mr Motivator himself! I met him a couple of times through my BBC podcast and interviewed him live in Manchester – what a legend he is. He is packed with positive energy!

How do you collaborate with brands, and which kind of brands do you really like working with?
I work with brands through my agent and always aim to establish long term partnerships that are well aligned with my ethos. I love to work with brands that have the same values as me – positive movement, plant-based eating, conscious living and responsible travel.

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 would prefer them to approach me via email and to loop in my agent.

What other blogs are you checking out regularly during lockdown?
Right now, I am loving The Anna Edit. Her content is consistently high quality and reflects her fun personality.

Laura Bamford

The importance of building an authentic brand in the pandemic

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This is a guest post from Laura Bamford, PR Manager at Motive PR.

It’s always important for brands to be perceived as authentic, but even more so now than ever. We’re living in unprecedented times, and all eyes are on organisations to see how they react and respond to the global pandemic.

Consumer spending habits have changed and will continue to evolve until we begin to return to some semblance of normal, whatever that will look like. But one thing that has remained constant is customers’ expectations to deal with brands that have integrity.

Offering quality and good value products and services just isn’t enough, as customers expect legitimacy from companies big and small. So, if you haven’t already, now’s the time to take a long, hard look at your brand’s values and virtues, and make sure that all you do is aligned with them.

Years ago, businesses seemed to be willing to do almost anything it took to make a sale. Since then, many people – and millennials in particular – have developed a deep distrust of traditional advertising and assumed brand loyalty just doesn’t cut the mustard. Now, it’s transparent and genuine messages that resonate more powerfully with people, particularly in times of crisis.

1. Be ‘human’
Building an authentic but effective brand strategy that works in and responds to a global pandemic isn’t as difficult as it sounds. Ultimately, it comes down to demonstrating your company’s ‘human’ side and being consistent. You need to do this through all communication channels, whether it be customer service emails, content and outreach activity, or social media posts. Sending mixed messages will only lead to mistrust as it’s harder to tell which version of your brand is the real one.

2. Back it up
You also need to be able to back up your claims with honest actions. There’s no use in talking the talk if you can’t walk the walk. Deliver on your promises and communicate the process, but sensitively. Amid the current landscape, there’s another layer of considerations to bear in mind as companies shouldn’t be seen to be benefiting or leveraging from the crisis in any way.

3. Be honest
As the old saying goes, honesty is always the best policy. Being honest and truthful in everything you do shows your customers that their respect is of paramount importance to you, but don’t be afraid to admit if/when you miss the mark.

4. Be patient
Building an authentic brand is a marathon, not a sprint, and something you and your employees should be working at every day. But while the world has been thrown into chaos and uncertainty lies at every corner, there’s never been a better time to start or really focus on the process.

Marc-Andre Runcie-Unger

Pet Blogger Spotlight: Marc-Andre Runcie-Unger, Katzenworld

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Digging through all the new developments in the pet world for all you cool cats and kittens are Marc-Andre and Iain Runcie-Unger of popular pet blog Katzenworld. If your moggy has been moping while you’re locked down together, read on for tips to keep them content and back to making biscuits, and what it is about the pet blogging community that keeps Marc-Andre feeling all things feline.

What keeps you enthusiastic about the pet blogging sphere?
All the changes and new developments that come about in the pet world are simply amazing. And if it wasn’t for us pet bloggers reporting on them and analysing them for the larger public, who else would be able to dig through them all?

What’s your favourite thing to post about and why?
Trends in new connected technology for pets, due to the improvements they offer for both humans and pet companions alike.

How have you had to change your approach and content now that people are self-isolating with their pets?
There are a lot more tips and advice posts around how to deal with the things you need to do as a pet guardian during lockdown. What if your pet is poorly and you’d normally rush to the vet immediately? When should you go, and how else can you get advice?

What would be your top pieces of advice for keeping pets entertained/not freaked out by how much more time they get to spend with their humans right now?
Make sure they have a safe location in your house. A cosy hiding space or pet bed, for example, that allows them to retreat and spend time on their own!

What is the weirdest thing your pets have done?
One of our cats snuck over to the neighbour to steal food from their lunch.

What’s your take on exotic pets, and how can people be dissuaded from buying animals that aren’t suited to living so closely with people?
While people are often attracted by unusual exotic pets, I would always advise doing your research first! Many exotic pets or even exotic breeds of cats are not suited to living like your regular moggy.

Which animal charities should people be supporting?
International Cat Care, as they provide a wealth of advice to cat owners, vets and fellow charities while also actively supporting global welfare efforts in the cat world.

How do you collaborate with brands, and which kind of brands do you really like working with?
It really depends on each brand but I always try to make it a fun two-way communication. I like working with brands that see you as a long-term partner and not just the blog of this week’s collaboration.

For PRs looking to work with you and your blog/website, how would you prefer they approach you and with what kind of content?
Via email first as we are all often busy during the day with our daytime jobs. Make sure all content is cat focused! While other pets can of course take part we really do not like mass emails that focus on other animals with hardly any reference to cats.

What other blogs are you checking out regularly during lockdown?
Bionic Basil and Louiscatorze.com (also known as ‘the sun king’).

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

How to pitch to health journalists

How to pitch to health journalists

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Statistics on the spread of coronavirus, updates on advances in treatment, instructions on lockdown mental wellbeing and self-isolation safety – health journalists across the media are under increasing pressure to report accurate data and keep their readers informed on staying safe. Now more than ever, PRs can play a part in making this work easier.

The following mix of outlet-specific advice, general dos and don’ts, and lockdown-related changes to ways of working come from health and wellbeing journalists across national press, consumer magazines, online titles and trade – read on for how you can help them get useful information out to the public during the current crisis.

1. Be a help to health journalists who are working through these hard times

‘Contact me by email, setting out clearly whether the story is being offered exclusively or on an “all round” embargoed basis.

‘Please remember that we are in the middle of a pandemic and that any health stories not relating to coronavirus have to be of very high news value to have any chance at all of being covered.

‘Due to childcare duties, I’m working very irregular hours, often late at night, so notification of potentially stories, ideally 24 hours in advance of intended publication, is very helpful.

‘I’m grateful for all suggestions, especially London exclusives, so please keep making them – don’t be disheartened by a refusal (or failure to respond). Your next story idea may be a winner.’

Ross Lydall, health editor and City Hall editor at the London Evening Standard

2. Be mindful of how a journalist’s routine may have changed during lockdown

‘It’s business as usual for me, but if there’s samples, they can go to home addresses.’

Lucy Gornall, editor of Feel Good You, health & fitness editor of TI Media’s Life & Style Portfolio including Women’s Weeklies and Woman & Home

3. Get the right content to the right journalist in the right format

‘Now more than ever, health content needs to come from a credible, evidence-based source (it is not the time to send CBD or turmeric press releases, or sales-led content).

‘For Healthcare Newsdesk, which targets healthcare professionals, we still ask for contact via email. However, for our other news sites, to reduce the exceptionally high volume of email we are receiving, we are asking PRs and individual content creators to submit content via our news submission system. You can find the submission links for all our news sites in one place.

‘If PRs are able to also upload a landscape image to accompany the piece, that really helps us publish more quickly.’

Lisa Baker, editor across Wellbeing News, Healthcare Newsdesk and more

4. No reply on the first try? Trust that the journalist will write about it if it’s relevant

‘Look at my website before sending something – it’s a health website, particularly healthy lifestyle. It’s not medical, so I don’t want loads of stuff about vaccines and medication and I don’t promote products for the sake of it. If it’s something relevant (say a new Vitamin C product) and I’ve tried it, I will most likely write about it.

‘Email is best and if you don’t get a reply twice, forget it.’

Frances Ive, editor at HealthySoul.co.uk

5. Don’t be a gatekeeper when introducing contacts and spokespeople

‘I’d prefer to hear direct from the business owner, even if the PR links to a short video from them. I also prefer a more conversational and less formal approach.

‘If I get sent a generic “Hi, this is info on XXX”, I delete within three seconds of opening. And please don’t send attached images, especially if large files!

‘I get upward of 30 pitches each day from PRs wanting free editorial space in our magazine. The approach is bland, and the same as I’d imagine has been used for decades – it no longer works.

‘I fully understand the PR necessity – but PRs need to think of a new way of working with publishers and the business owners in closer proximity and not try to be the gatekeepers.’

Susan Hay, CEO and founder of Thrive Magazine and Media

6. Monthly consumer titles won’t want fast news – ensure what you’re pitching fits with the outlet’s deadlines

‘When I looked after health, I hated getting news-related emails. I still get a glut of lockdown/virus-related info, but Prima is a monthly mag so we’re looking forward to July/August now.’

Karen Swayne, features editor at Prima

7. Health bloggers require a different approach to journalists

‘I don’t find it particularly helpful when press releases are written as if they’re company newsletters. For instance, the press release contains first person pronouns. A press release should be written from a third-party point of view.

‘I also prefer a press release to be sent as it is; I don’t need to read long and boring introductions. An excellent press release is one that is direct to the point, with hi-res image, and has been proofread.’

Dennis Relojo-Howell, founder of Psychreg

Help busy health journalists keep their readers informed with relevant studies, spokespeople and information via the Vuelio Media Database.

Remote management

Leading different types of people while working remotely

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This is a guest post from Richard Middleton, leadership consultant at Middleton Consultancy Ltd and senior consultant with Engaging Business.

As a leader you may be feeling pressure right now to balance maintaining performance, creating a flexible and supportive environment, and managing your own energy levels. In addition to the fact that this may be the first time your team has had to work apart for an extended period.

Easy? Probably not. Especially if your world now includes the added challenges of relentlessly checking for the next available Click & Collect slot, answering your children’s questions arising from your home schooling sessions or working out how to use an endless range of video conferencing apps with family and friends.

Through my company and work with Engaging Business, I coach leaders of all levels across the private and non-profit sectors and am privileged to get an insight into their challenges and successful strategies in tackling them. There are three key areas I see consistently delivering results that should help you now and in the future.

1) Build your self-awareness
Higher levels of emotional intelligence are fundamental to being a better leader. Understanding both you and your teams’ personality preferences will help you to tailor how to work with them most effectively. Take a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment – available free through Engaging Works. It’s based on the work of Swiss Psychiatrist Carl Jung and is a great way to get started. Initially consider whether you’re more ‘extroverted’ (energised by talking things through, working in groups, getting stuck into activity) or ‘introverted’ (energised by thinking things through, working more on your own, reflecting for longer prior to taking action). Don’t confuse these words with social confidence as the meaning here is different.

People often lead as they like to be led – especially if they’re experiencing stress. Right now, if you’re an extrovert, that may mean you’d like longer or more frequent video calls, a lot of discussion and speed to pin down actions. What will this be like for an introvert? Likely, not great. Send information in advance, use the chat function alongside video to allow more reflective people to post, take more quick breaks or just stop the conversation for a minute. If you’re more introverted, you might not have considered how extroverts may miss the banter and chat of the workplace. Recreate some of this with an online team lunch, encourage working ‘alongside’ each other on a video call or post-work drinks if that works for your team. Ask your team what they need.

2) Seek input and agree clear outcomes
It can be very easy to slip into micro-managing when you can’t ‘see’ your team getting stuck into their workload. Working near them may have given you a better sense of where they were at which can leave you feeling in the dark now. Uncomfortable as it may feel, it’s the outcome you need to focus on rather than how it’s achieved.

Use open questions to understand your team member’s views and tap into their experience, agree key milestones to check in and give them time to describe the result they’re picturing as well as sharing your view. What will this work actually look like when it’s done? Keep discussing until you can both describe the same outcome in detail. Give them the space to work out how to achieve it, remind them you’re available to help and resist the urge to keep checking in outside agreed updates.

3) Invest in reflective practice
Don’t underestimate the power of taking time to review how things are going. Reflection doesn’t have to usurp hours out of your already stretched diary – even taking ten minutes daily while you’re having a coffee can lead to useful observations.

Ask yourself what’s working well and what could be better? What could this mean for when things change again with some form of return to the workplace? Encourage your team to do the same. Don’t assume the team will or should work in the same way – capture their views on a survey such as the Working from Home Survey from Engaging Business if this is available in your organisation.

Overall, learn from this period of time. While it may be challenging, it’s also a fantastic opportunity to expand your skills as a leader.

Gemma Seager

Fitness Blogger Spotlight with Gemma Seager, Lipstick, Lettuce & Lycra

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‘Explosive moves don’t necessarily need a lot of space, just a sturdy floor!’ – here to help with keeping fitness levels up (or raising them higher than ‘nothing’ – your mileage may vary), is fitness blogger Gemma Seager of Lipstick, Lettuce & Lycra.

While Gemma’s blog launched in very different times back in 2008, looking after yourself never goes out of fashion and is more important than ever here in 2020. Read on for insight on self-care, making use of your sofa for workouts, and keeping on top of your mental and physical health when the going gets tough.

What keeps you enthusiastic about the fitness blogging sphere?
The fitness blogging sphere is so varied and I find it fascinating how many different angles people can take on one topic. But what really keeps me enthusiastic is feedback. When I get a message from someone saying I’ve helped or inspired them to do something they’d never considered before, or made them realise that you don’t have to be a stereotypical ‘fitness’ person to be more active, that really makes me happy.

What’s your favourite thing to post about and why?
This sounds awful but my favourite thing to post about is me! I like to post from my own experience, so I write about products I love, workouts I’ve tried, and things that have helped me along the way. I can’t write about something I haven’t experienced and I think that the thing blogs offer that magazines and other outlets can’t is that personal connection with the author.

How have you had to change your approach and content now that people are self-isolating?
I haven’t really. Because I always write about my own experience and I’m having the same lived experience as many of my readers I’m just writing about how I’m dealing with the situation. Obviously, some of my planned content has changed. There are races I was signed up to that aren’t going ahead so I won’t be reviewing those now! Largely, I’m focusing on the idea of self-care and that exercise should be there to support your physical and mental health, not as some kind of punishment.

Gemma Seager 2

What exercises would you recommend people with a high-level of fitness swap in to their routine if they can’t get out to run/swim/cycle?
At home HIIT workouts are everywhere at the moment, so if someone already has a high level of fitness, they are a great thing to take on if you want to do a high-intensity workout. Explosive moves don’t necessarily need a lot of space, just a sturdy floor! I would caution that even if you have a high level of physical fitness it’s important to take care of your mental health, too. A lot of people who spent a lot of time at the gym are finding that their motivation to workout at home is low or non-existent. It’s important not to beat yourself up about it, and maybe schedule just short workout breaks into your day.

What routines are worth trying for those with a low level of fitness who want to start to improve it from home?
Bodyweight strength workouts are ideal for those that want to get started. If you’re starting from the beginning, then you really don’t need to be adding weights early on. I have a few 15-minute bodyweight sessions on my blog, but there are tons of others out there. Look for progressions and regressions, such as starting push ups on your knees before moving to full push ups and focus on keeping your core solid with any exercise.

What household items are great for incorporating into a workout?
If you want to add weight then using tins of beans and water bottles as light weights really works. Personally, I think a sofa or chair is one of the best household workout accessories! You can do tricep dips, elevated pushups or use them as a support for single leg squats. You can also use a pair of tights as an impromptu resistance band for some exercises!

Gemma Seager 3

With Mr Motivator making a comeback recently, who are some of your workout heroes from the past?
When I was little, my Mum had a Lizzie Webb aerobics video. She was the TV-AM workout guru in the 80s. I was also a huge fan of the Callan Pickney Callanetics workout in the early 90s; I think it’s where my obsession with core stability has come from.

How do you collaborate with brands, and which kind of brands do you really like working with?
I’m always open to suggestions for different ways to work with brands. I love working with smaller innovative brands, but I also love the opportunity when bigger brands have a budget to really support some creative content.

I prefer to create content that shows how brands can add to your life and support your wellbeing and activity, rather than just straight product reviews. I worked with our local council to promote a borrow a bike scheme, and that was really fun because I could show how I learned to get more confident on the bike and how it changed my everyday life. I’ve also worked on some great campaigns with footwear and vitamin brands to create content about staying active and supporting your health that included the brand’s aims as part of a wider health and activity message.

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’m always open to emails, I find them easier to keep up with and track than contact on social media. I don’t use Twitter much, so I’m likely to miss anything there, but an Instagram message is fine, too! I’m always open to products to review, and I often post a monthly round-up of things I’ve tried and loved, which has better reach than a single product post. I love it when brands are really clear about their message, budget and what sort of content they are looking for when they approach me so that there’s no confusion!

What other blogs are you checking out regularly during lockdown?
I’m spending a lot of time on Instagram during lockdown as I find it’s a lot more positive than Facebook and I’m trying to stay upbeat! I read a lot of the blogs on the Fitness Blogger Top 10, especially The Tales of Annie Bean and Fat Girls’ Guide to Running. I also like to read Cakes Vs Scales and Girls Gone Strong.

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

PRCA

Loans, furloughing, pay cuts and redundancies – the latest data from the PRCA

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‘We need to be honest with ourselves – the industry will end 2020 smaller than it began it,’ is how PRCA director general Francis Ingham sums up results from the industry body’s Pulse survey examining how PR is adapting financially to the current crisis. While the data makes for sobering reading, there are strong signs of readiness for the period of recovery that will follow these times of furlough, pay cuts and redundancies.

The survey of 62 industry professionals found that:

– 15% of respondents have applied for business interruption loans, with a further 10% planning to do so
– 60% have furloughed staff
– 50% have implemented pay cuts for staff, and a further 10% expect to do so
– Almost two-thirds of staff pay cuts have been in the 10-25% bracket
– 60% have been financially impacted
– 50% expect to have to make redundancies

‘Given these numbers, the low take-up of business interruption loans shows that there is something wrong with the current system. If the loan model cannot be made to work, then the Government should give serious and urgent consideration to a grants model instead,’ says Ingham of the findings.

‘At a time when business leaders are making painful decisions for their colleagues, it is good to see that they are sharing the financial burden personally.

‘The inherent strength and flexibility of PR means that we should nevertheless be confident about the future, and confident about the strength of the recovery that lies ahead.’

Full data from the PRCA survey with The Pulse Business can be found here. Find resources for working during the COVID-19 crisis by downloading Navigating uncertainty – the Vuelio toolkit for communicators.