Sean Evans Back to the Movies

Film blog spotlight: Back to the Movies

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Sean Evans created Back to the Movies as a way to talk about movies in the way you would talk to your friends about them. We spoke to Sean after he was named in the Top 10 Films blogs to find out about the power of Netflix, why brand partnerships are all about creativity, and his predictions for the Oscars.

What’s in store for the blog in 2019?
My aim with Back to the Movies in 2019 is to explore outside the realm of just film reviews and news pieces. I’m working closely with brands to expand awareness of their latest movie-related products and as part of my on-going partnership with The Prop Store of London. I’ll be diving into the world of movie prop collecting in more detail this year. I will be recording videos and producing content talking about the hobby and how people can own their very own slices of movie history.

Aside from that I’ll be attending events, premieres and hosting more competitions than ever as the blog keeps growing each and every month.

Which film are you most excited about this year?
In all honesty there isn’t one film this year that I’m really looking forward to. I was speaking to someone from a studio the other day and 2019 does have titles that I of course want to see such as IT: Chapter 2, Avengers: End Game and Zombieland 2 but I can’t say I’m overly excited about any of them. Roll on 2020 so I can see Bad Boys 3!

How are the likes of Netflix changing the industry?
The whole concept of having a digital media library at your fingertips still amazes me to this day. Having exclusive TV shows and original feature films on the platform is causing a stir and giving conventional studios a run for their money. Netflix are changing the way we interact with content and with further implementations could also replace a trip to the cinema. No one will choose rustling crisps, mobile phone screens, talking and distractions when they can sit at home in the comfort of their own environment with family to watch the latest films on offer.

Which films/stars will win the big five categories at the Oscars?
Best Picture – I’d love A Star is Born or Vice to Win but I think Bohemian Rhapsody will take this one

Best Director – Hoping  Alfonso Cuaron swoops this one for Vice

Best Actor - Rami Malek 

Best Actress – Glenn Close

Best Screenplay – Green Book

How does awards season affect your content and planning?
Back to the Movies is structured much differently than most film websites. I choose content I’d like to cover and products I’d like to review. A full spectrum is never covered as the people who read my content are reading my personal opinions. I’m not a huge fan of ceremonies so I just tend to focus on the individual titles and drop in a casual nomination comment here and there. When the awards have finished I’ll post a list of winners and congratulations but that’s about it. I only go into detail with the BAFTAs as I’ve attended them myself hence why I feel I should be documenting my experience/the night as a whole.

What advice would you give PRs/brands who want to work with you?
Bring me some fun things to do! Lots of creativity within campaigns and interaction with new products and features would be superb. Many PR companies used to send out goodie boxes for each film with limited edition merchandise and throughout the whole of 2018 I received nothing from PR companies in that regards only studios directly. It would be so great to have more hands-on product reviews and events to attend. It keeps me busy and saves me staring at a computer screen all day!

What do PRs do that’s wrong?
PRs tend to message and ask to post for free, link to clients for free, post more of this for free. It gets real old real fast. I feel bloggers have to put a lot of work into their content and for established sites I feel PR companies could be more open to compensation. That does not necessarily mean financial compensation but even free promotional products or experiences. Just something to say thank you for the work we do for promoting your products. It’s very one-sided and PRs can be very demanding when asking bloggers to work for nothing in return. I’d absolutely love just to be appreciated for the work we do and if the PR task is fun and mutually beneficial, it’ll be much better received.

How do you work with different channels for the blog?
It’s difficult to juggle different channels as your focus is always split. I tend to spend a month focusing on one particular channel (e.g. YouTube) and then the next month focus on Instagram and try to spread the load evenly so I have everything covered. Twitter ticks along just nicely and Facebook is just there working away in the background. I feel as though I give more attention to creating good quality content and SEO targeting as those are the channels I need. I need Google to look at my content and go “Yup, he vaguely knows what he’s talking about” and as a result ranks me higher than I was at say this point in time last year.

What are the best campaigns you’ve collaborated on?
I created a TV commercial for Acer quite a while ago that was a lot of fun to make and last year I had the privilege of being paid to go to London to work with Sennheiser as we reviewed a binaural audio short horror film they made. This year has already started with a bang as I’ve been working with LEGO on reviewing some of the new range of LEGO Movie 2 products. As a 27 year old male I never thought I’d have so much fun playing with a LEGO boxset!

In addition to the above I’ve had the privilege of walking red carpets, meeting huge stars, going backstage at big comic-cons up and down the country so it’s certainly hard to just pinpoint one cool thing I’ve had fun working on!

What other blogs do you read?
I read Karen Woodham’s awesome film blog Blazing Minds quite regularly and a few luxury blogs who review hotels, restaurants and more which persuaded me to set up my own luxury blog called amilliondollarblogger.com after I was featured in the Amazon bestseller ‘A Million Dollar Blog’ which is a book celebrating financially successful blogs. That was quite a special moment in my blogging career and getting invited to fancy hotels or checking out brand new cars and experiences is pretty cool.

Who knows, maybe my luxury blog may even get on a top 10 list in the years to come!

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Media outlets - job cuts and closures

Journalism job cuts and closure of publications

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BuzzFeed, HuffPost, The Pool, and Vice are just some of the outlets that have announced cuts and closures over the last couple of weeks, with thousands of media jobs already cut in 2019.

Across the UK, US, and Australia, BuzzFeed has cut editorial roles and closed BuzzFeed Spain entirely. In London, almost half of editorial roles have been cut, down 17 from an original 37. Roles being sliced are primarily across the Buzz team, but also the news and celeb teams. BuzzFeed has also made its head of quizzes redundant because free user-generated content is proving more popular.

The Guardian reported: ‘BuzzFeed founder and chief executive, Jonah Peretti, said the company would reduce headcount by 15 percent, or about 250 jobs, to around 1,100 employees globally.’

 

 

In the US, Verizon, owner of HuffPost, Yahoo and AOL, has reportedly announced cuts for up to 1,000 staff. This would trim seven percent from its media team across all brands. Verizon began by laying off 20 employees at HuffPost on 23 January, including opinion writers and political reporters.

CNET reported that in a memo to staff, Guru Gowrappan, CEO of Verizon Media said: ‘These were difficult decisions, and we will ensure that our colleagues are treated with respect and fairness, and given the support they need.’

Next was Gannett, the largest newspaper publisher in the US, cutting around two percent of its workforce. Poynter reported on cuts that affected editors and senior journalists at local papers owned by Gannett in regions across the US. The New York Post reports that cuts affected as many as 400 people.

Last week, women-focused online magazine, The Pool shared the news of its closure on Friday, after almost four years.

 

 

Also on Friday, Vice Media announced cuts across the US, UK and Canada, laying off 10% of staff following reorganisation from new CEO Nancy Dubuc.

Business Insider reported: ‘Vice Media will reportedly refocus around its TV production unit, its international news team, it’s digital properties, and its original TV content.’

Press Gazette editor Freddy Mayhew said: ‘There seems to be no end in sight to redundancies at online publications.

‘If the likes of The Pool, Buzzfeed and HuffPost can’t make digital journalism pay when they’re the experts, who purely publish online with no print offering, then the industry truly is in crisis.’

 

As journalists move on to new roles and freelance careers, all changes and updates are made in the Vuelio Media Database.

Facebook market research

Facebook’s market research app accused of spying

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Faya Nilsson - Fitness on Toast

Fitness blog spotlight: Fitness on Toast

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Faya Nilsson - Fitness on Toast

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A and R Factory, Stefan Toren

Music blog spotlight: A&R Factory

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Celebrities to disclose ads blog post

Celebrities pledge to disclose ads

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Following an investigation by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), 16 celebrities including Ellie Goulding and Rita Ora have agreed to make it clear when they have received gifts or payment to endorse products online.

The CMA, alongside the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA), is responsible for enforcing laws for sponsored posts. The ASA deals with complaints over individual adverts, while the CMA takes action on the people involved.

Other celebrities that have committed to declaring ads are:

  • Actress Michelle Keegan
  • Writer and model Alexa Chung
  • Designer and model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
  • Vlogger Zoella
  • Mario Falcone from The Only Way Is Essex
  • Alexandra ‘Binky’ Felstead from Made In Chelsea
  • Holly Hagan from Geordie Shore
  • Model Iskra Lawrence
  • Camilla ‘Milly’ Macintosh from Made In Chelsea
  • Reality TV personality Megan McKenna
  • Chloe Sims from The Only Way Is Essex
  • Louise Thompson from Made In Chelsea
  • Fashion vlogger Jim Chapman
  • Fashion blogger Dina Torkia

The CMA has not mentioned whether the named celebrities have breached the law, but following an investigation they have all volunteered to be more transparent with their social media sponsorship.

By agreeing to be clearer when posting ads, the stars have avoided court action, however the CMA says its investigation is still in progress.

Andrea Coscelli, Chief Executive of the CMA, said: ‘Influencers can have a huge impact on what their fans decide to buy. People could, quite rightly, feel misled if what they thought was a recommendation from someone they admired turns out to be a marketing ploy.

‘You should be able to tell as soon as you look at a post if there is some form of payment or reward involved, so you can decide whether something is really worth spending your hard-earned money on.

‘The enforcement action taken by the CMA has seen a number of social media stars pledge to be more transparent when posting online. It also sends a clear message to all influencers, brands and businesses that they must be open and clear with their followers. We will also continue our work to secure more improvement in this space.’

Many influencers, bloggers and content creators have seen celebrities posting sponsored content without following CMA guidelines and are left wondering how they get away with not following the rules that the rest of the community must stick to.

John Adams, writer of fatherhood and parenting blog Dadbloguk.com said: ‘For some time now, there has been quite a bit of discussion among content creators. Many of us know the rules regarding sponsored content and adhere to them, but have had to watch from the sidelines as various celebrities have either posted undeclared, sponsored content or used unclear language. It has felt like there have been two systems in place: One for the celebrities and one for the rest of us.

‘I welcome the CMA’s actions. I think it’s sent a very clear message that content creators are being monitored and enforcement action is a real possibility. I hope it leads to us all playing on a level field and an improvement in standards all round.’

Setting clear industry standards and ensuring audiences are able to trust content creators is one of the reasons Deb Sharratt of DebSharratt Communications and My Boys Club welcomes the cut down on undisclosed ads. Deb said: ‘I’m really pleased to see best practice in influencer PR and marketing being promoted and actively encouraged by the CMA. As a CIPR member, PR professional and a blogger, it is important to me that our audiences can trust our views, believe us to be authentic and know they can count on the industry to let them know when payment or payment in kind has encouraged online support and endorsement for a brand.

‘It can only benefit the future of influencer marketing and hopefully encourage other influencers to always fully disclose too.’

Anne-Marie Lacey, managing director of Filament PR, a creative communications agency specialising in influencer marketing campaigns while training its clients to work ethically and effectively with social media stars, said: ‘The news from the CMA today is most certainly welcome and not before time. We applaud these celebrities for agreeing to change the way they disclose paid-for content with brands across their channels. Often, breaking the rules isn’t done on purpose, it’s because brands, bloggers and PR practitioners don’t know the guidelines themselves, and better education is needed for all.

‘The fact is, influencers have masses of clout over consumers, and without clear and concise legal and ethical guidelines in place, that everyone is following in a bid to be transparent and not potentially mis-sell to an online audience – that includes brands, bloggers and PRs – then we aren’t going to see an effective change any time soon.

‘That said, this is certainly a step in the right direction, and we’ll be watching the findings of the CMA’s ongoing investigations with great interest.’

If you’re looking to work with the right influencers in the right way, you need the Vuelio Influencer Database.

 

Chris Evans Virgin Radio

Chris Evans is back on Virgin Radio

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

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

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

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

Ashcroft played Lucky Man.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lots of reactions on Twitter were positive:

Though clearly not everyone was impressed:

 

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

Sam Ajilore and Mariah Carey

Music blog spotlight: That Grape Juice

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Do you play any instruments?
I wish!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Put simply, the more personalised the better.

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

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

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

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Zoe Ball

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On Twitter, the reaction was generally positive:

 

 

 

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

 

 

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

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

Fiona Bruce

Praise for Fiona Bruce’s first Question Time

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Elle Linton 2019

Fitness Blogger Spotlight: Elle Linton, Keep it simpElle

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

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

Keep it simpElle

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

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

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

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

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

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

Keep it simpElle

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Carly Rowena

Fitness Blogger Spotlight: Carly Rowena

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The number one fitness blog, Carly Rowena, is celebrating a triple victory after the birth of her baby and also picking up the Best Health and Fitness Blog at the Vuelio Blog Awards 2018. In the busiest time of the year for fitness, we caught up with Carly to find out what’s in store for 2019, how anyone can get into exercise and what advice she has when working with PRs.

Carly RowenaWhat are you plans for the blog this year?
I adore writing my blog and in all honesty never know what direction it’s going to take; all my posts are from the heart and are inspired by things happening in my life or issues that my clients or followers are talking to me about. This year you can expect more travel, fun and innovative workout challenges but also parenting honestly: the good, the bad and the bullshit.

How important is the new year to your content?
This year it took a little backseat as we had our little girl on the 9 December however I love a big spring clean in January and that includes my blog – it’s a brand new chance to analyse, rethink and refresh.

What advice would you give people who want to stay fit and healthy all year?
Sticking to a health goal is all about mindset and time, instead of denying yourself everything you love, how about adding new ingredients, recipes and meals into your day. When it comes to time, I want you to think long term, not just for that holiday you’ve booked. Too often we think short term and that’s why we end up crashing. If you focus on the future and plan to always have exercise in your life, you are far more likely to succeed and make huge changes.

What’s the best activity to get into if you’re new to fitness?
The best fitness activity is to do something you actually enjoy. Whenever I speak to a new client my first question is how they like to move because fitness is simply moving – so that can be dancing, walking, running, climbing, skating, bouldering, anything you like and if you like it, you’re far more likely to stick with it.

How much exercise should we be doing each week?
Personally, I feel everyone should be able to find 30 minutes a day to move, that can be walking to work or walking to go and get your food at lunch or simply following a routine at home or in the gym.

How important are your social channels compared with your blog?
Social channels are incredibly important, each channel shows a different side of you and attracts different people who may then fall in love with your blog.

What are the best PR campaigns you’ve collaborated on?
Oh there’s been so many but I have to say I loved being a part of Reeboks Girl Squad, it was incredibly empowering and I got to meet so many wonderful people, plus my face was on the side of a bus – I felt like a girl band!

Carly Rowena Do you accept press releases?
Unfortunately not, I prefer that all of my posts are written by me as they’re all so close to my heart.

What one thing should PRs know about you?
I appreciate that PRs have a huge task ahead of them, especially as there are so many platforms and bloggers to speak to, however, I think it’s really important to do your research before you email. Too often I get messages calling me by a different name and offering work with brands that have no relevance to my audience.

What other blogs do you read?
I love nothing more than to curl up at the end of the day and catchup with my favourite blogs, currently I am loving: The Adventures of Us and Sorelle Amore.

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Ben Hunte

BBC News appoints first LGBT correspondent

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The BBC has appointed Ben Hunte as the first LGBT correspondent in its history.

Ben will report on the stories, issues and debates surrounding sexuality and gender, and focus on providing insight and analysis on matters affecting the LGBT community in the UK.

Ben played a key role during the coverage of the BBC’s Gay Britannia season, and presented his own series of LGBT-themed programmes on BBC Radio 4 and 4 Extra called The Ben Hunte Interviews.

Dedicated roles that are focused on highlighting underrepresented communities provide more diverse views, and richer information for UK news.

Across the media, outlets including Buzzfeed and Thomson Reuters Foundation have added positions such as LGBT editor and LGBT correspondent.

Job titles that feature the patch a journalist covers make it easier for PRs to know what to pitch to a specific contact. For PRs with news relevant to the LGBT community, this increase in focused positions provides access to the right contacts, and in turn helps keep audiences informed with the issues that matter to them. It’s a win-win.

Ben Hunte is listed alongside thousands of other journalists, editors and influencers in the Vuelio Media Database.

Shortlist website

Shortlist Media rebrands as the Stylist Group

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Shortlist Media has rebranded as the Stylist Group following the closure of Shortlist magazine at the end of last year. Stylist will continue to be published, while the Shortlist website will live on as a ‘product recommender’.

After 552 issues and 11 years, Shortlist magazine released its final issue on 20 December 2018. Signing off with, ‘Bye, then’, Shortlist staff photos and names were displayed on the final page, marking its end with a short, sharp farewell.

A Shortlist writer told the Press Gazette that staff had been ‘under the impression that the magazine was essentially bulletproof’ before it closed.

Joe Mackertich, editor of the title, explained the appeal of a print product like Shortlist: ‘Magazines, with their beginnings, middles and ends, are a soothing counter agent to the internet’s infinite hall of shrieking mirrors.

‘A good publication flatters you with grown-up language and smart references. The amount of thought, care and attention that went into Shortlist was testament to the respect we had for you.

‘This counts for a lot in a world in which we’re all constantly subjected to a horrifying torrent of hyperbolic, dumb-by-design headlines.’

Shortlist is, for now, still publishing news online with a regular output of stories. It has followed a similar path to The Independent – the first national newspaper to become digital-only.

The benefits of digital publications have been known to PRs for years, though there is still a strong desire at both an agency and in-house level for the prestige of a printed product.  While print is by no means dead, the rise of digital – often at the detriment of printed publications – continues.

All the latest moves and changes in the media are updated in the Vuelio Media Database. 

What Journalists want featured image

What do journalists want?

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PRs spend lots of time pitching to journalists in the hopes that it will lead to coverage. But wouldn’t it be easier if we knew exactly what journalists wanted, when they wanted it? 

Our latest white paper reveals what journalists have requested through the Journalist Enquiry Service in 2018.

The ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service is now part of Vuelio. This service allows journalists to ask for help, comment and case studies from PRs and comms professionals. Tens of thousands of requests were sent in 2018 and all of them provide an opportunity for coverage.

So, what were the hottest topics of 2018? What can journalist requests teach us about PR pitching? And which member of the royal family were journalists most interested in?

Download What Journalists Want – what the Journalist Enquiry Service taught us about coverage in 2018.

 

Top 50 political influencers

Coming January 2019: the UK’s Top 50 Political Influencers

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Vuelio is renowned for its rankings, with the top blog rankings, compiled by our in-house media research team, famous the world over. To prepare for what could possibly be the most tumultuous year in politics, we’ve now turned our attention to political influencers from the world of media including broadcasters, editors, columnists, journalists and bloggers.

Launching in January, the Top 50 Political Influencers is being compiled using automated metrics as well as human intelligence. It will be the most comprehensive guide to media commentators, and those with the power of persuasion, ever produced.

Each entry in the ranking will be profiled, making it the who’s who of political media influencers of 2019.

Make sure you don’t miss out on the Top 50 Political Influencers – sign up to Vuelio political updates here.

Vuelio specialises in both media and political communications software, allowing a truly integrated approach to both stakeholder and reputation management. There’s an increasing expectation on many PR teams to also understand the political landscape, and those in public affairs to also understand the media.

Find out more about identifying, understanding and engaging with both media and political influencers.

Easy Cheesy vegetarian

Foodie blog spotlight: Amuse Your Bouche

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Amuse Your Bouche began as a hobby but Becca Heyes quickly found success with her food content and recipes and has turned the blog into a huge success. Aside from Becca’s love of cheesy pasta bakes, she shares a great range of useful and tasty vegetarian food content that her readers love. By creating multiple recipes using single products, Becca enjoys showing the versatility of the brands she works with.

How has your blog changed over time?
I started my blog in 2011 after I graduated from uni, to give me something to do while I was searching for a job. It was originally only intended to be a hobby – I never even considered that it could turn into what it has (my full-time job!). At first, I talked about my daily life, and posted whatever I felt like, with no real thought for what my readers would actually find useful. As the blog has evolved, I’ve tried to think a lot more about what my readers will actually want to see, and now I try to make my blog posts as valuable as I can. It’s definitely more of a food resource now, rather than functioning as my personal diary.

Amuse Your BoucheHow much does your audience influence your content?
I always try to think about my readers when I’m creating recipes. I only post recipes that I truly enjoyed, but I do try to produce a wide variety of content that will keep my readers engaged –  otherwise it’d be cheesy pasta bakes day after day! My readers make it possible for me to run my blog as my job, so if they’re not happy, I’m not happy either.

What are the best channels for promoting your content?
It’s getting harder and harder to get noticed on social media, with Facebook’s constantly changing algorithms, and new food blogs being started every minute of the day. At the moment I’m really enjoying my private Facebook group, Easy Vegetarian Dinners. I’ve built a community of over 1,700 people who love interacting every single day – it’s a big community but feels intimate. It’s so nice to get real feedback on the posts I publish there – on my public Facebook page, it sometimes feels like I’m shouting into a black hole!

What’s your favourite ingredient?
I’m known for my love of cheese! I have to consciously rein myself in and publish non-cheesy recipes every now and then, as I know not everyone is as much of a cheese fiend as I am. Most things are improved by cheese!

What’s the best restaurant you’ve ever eaten in?
Honestly, I’m not one for fancy restaurants (especially now I have a toddler; a noisy baby and a posh restaurant aren’t a good mix!). I prefer a casual, family-friendly place with decent food – to me, a relaxed atmosphere and nice meal is much more attractive than going somewhere posher, even if it serves outstanding food.

What’s your favourite dish to make?
Apart from cheesy pasta bakes?! I do love making a good curry, with plenty of veggies – it can be perfectly healthy, but still feels like a real treat. Especially with onion bhajis on the side!

What one thing should PRs and brands know about you?
I LOVE what I do, and I truly care about my blog and my readers. This is more than just a job to me – I love nothing more than truly connecting with my readers and helping them to discover new brands and products that can make their life easier (and tastier!). It genuinely makes my day when a reader messages me to tell me they loved one of my recipes, and discovered a new product because of something I’ve posted.

Amuse Your BoucheDo you like being sent food by PRs and brands?
Who doesn’t love being sent food?! I don’t generally accept free samples of food, as I never used to have the hours in the day to promote everything I was sent, but if I’m working with a brand on some recipe development, it’s always fun to receive a parcel. I love to experiment with a product for a week or so before coming up with a recipe, so I can really think about how it can best be shown off.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
I prefer long-term collaborations with brands, where I can show off their products in multiple recipes. It helps to show the versatility of a product, and I’m sure it feels more genuine for my readers to see how I’ve used a product many times, rather than just mentioning it once. This autumn I worked on a three-recipe campaign with St Helen’s Farm, who make gorgeous goat’s milk products, and it was really fun to be able to show off several different ways that their products could be used.

Do bloggers need their own industry association?
Luckily, we bloggers are an awesome bunch, and most of us are always happy to support others if it’s ever needed. Nobody ever feels alone in this industry. I’m sure if there was an official bloggers’ association, though, it could only be a good thing! Blogging is a relatively new industry, but it’s growing quickly, and is finally starting to be viewed as a viable career option – an official association would help to confirm its legitimacy.

What other blogs do you read?
With a toddler to look after and a business to run, I don’t get as much time to relax and read blogs as I used to, but I always try to make time for some of my favourites – especially those written by my good blogging friends. I love Happy Veggie Kitchen, Hungry Healthy Happy, Supergolden Bakes, and Kitchen Sanctuary. Sometimes I just sit and ogle their incredible photos!

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Best of 2018

Monday PR Club: a year in review

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As we approach the festive period and the end of 2018, Monday PR Club is delighted to present its most popular posts of the year.

Anyone can sign up for the Monday PR Club (here) to receive weekly tips, inspiration and thought leadership to their inbox at the beginning of each week. What better way to start the new year?

The GDPR: your questions answered, part 1
In the first half of 2018, the GDPR was all anyone could talk about so it’s no surprise this piece tops our list. While the world didn’t end on 25 May (phew!), the GDPR is now in force and has even been used to stop AggregateIQ Data Services (linked to the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal) from processing data.

This post gave expert answers to all your GDPR questions, with our GDPR webinar guest Rowenna Fielding, senior data protection lead at the data protection consultancy Protecture.

7 PR News Year’s resolutions
We come full circle for our second post, which aimed to kick start 2018 with seven simple resolutions to make everyone’s comms year better. Did you make new friends? Lose the flab? Stop being boring?

Find out how many 2018 resolutions you stuck to.

5 pitch tips from Ben Titchmarsh
We spoke to Ben Titchmarsh, head of media and marketing at Propeller Group for our white paper Media Relations in 2018. Ben gave us excellent insights into the perfect pitch from knowing your sector to making it exclusive.

What did Kylie Jenner teach us?
While 2018 gave us many Kylie Jenner lessons, it was her tweet that wiped $1bn off Snap’s market value that caught our attention. The lesson we took away from the global headline news? Twitter rules.

Four tips for true comms integration from Angie Moxham at The Fourth Angel
Angie Moxham told us about the benefits of truly integrated PR campaigns. With four simple tips, Angie reveals how anyone can deliver an integrated campaign and explains why everyone needs to.

Have you updated your Facebook strategy?
Facebook hit the headlines throughout 2018, for a whole host of reasons. Its most popular story in the Monday PR Club followed changes Zuckerberg made in January, to prioritise news posts from trusted sources. While announced back in January, it was the second major Facebook change of 2018 (but by no means the last), after the platform decided to prioritise friends and family’s posts in users’ feeds.

PR lessons from Center Parcs and Richard Littlejohn
Center Parcs pulled its advertising from the Daily Mail after Richard Littlejohn attacked two-father relationships in a column, which followed Tom Daley and his husband Dustin Lance Black’s announcement of their first child together. Find out what should we do as PRs when faced with such controversy.

Monday PR Club is taking a break over the festive period and looks forward to seeing you all in 2019. Merry Christmas everyone!

agency competition

Creative Shootout finalists announced

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Nine agencies will battle it at the next live final of the Creative Shootout, on Thursday 24 January 2019.

The nine agencies submitted 60 seconds worth of ‘creativity’, which was then judged by an industry panel. They will now have the chance to show off their creative clout on stage at BAFTA for a cause that is literally global – plastic pollution – for the Shootout’s cause of the year, A Plastic Planet (APP).

The nine agency finalists span PR, digital and marketing disciplines. They are:

  • 3 Monkeys Zeno, Global creative communications consultancy
  • 72 Point, Content-driven PR agency
  • Brands2Life, Multi-discipline communications agency
  • Fever, PR, social and influencer agency
  • Raw London, Branded content agency
  • Ready10, PR and SEO agency
  • Stein IAS, B2B marketing and advertising agency
  • Talker Tailor Trouble Maker, Creative communications agency
  • Wire, Creative brand, design and digital agency

As with the 2018 Live Final, where reigning champions Raw London triumphed with their ‘Any shape – any size’ campaign for FareShare, teams will be given a real brief from A Plastic Planet on the day – and then have just four hours to turn it into a compelling creative campaign.

Having drawn straws to determine the running order, they then pitch it on stage at BAFTA in just ten minutes to a live audience and the judges. The winner is crowned live on stage in the evening and the winning agency will get to work with APP to see their idea come to life – as Raw London has done this summer with FareShare.

Serious bragging rights as ‘the UK’s most creative agency’ are up for grabs.

Vuelio is delighted to once again be sponsoring the Creative Shootout and supporting creativity in the industry.

Creative Shootout Founder Johnny Pitt said: ‘The quality of entries was off the scale this year and our brave agencies now have the opportunity for creative fame, as well as to make a marked difference to a blight that affects every single one of us.’

The 2019 judging panel includes:

  • Ali Hannan, CEO, Creative Equals
  • Chaka Sobhani, chief creative officer, Leo Burnett
  • Colette Foster, creative director, Full Fat TV
  • James Herring, co-founder, Taylor Herring
  • Nishma Robb, marketing director, Google
  • Johnny Pitt, founder, The Creative Shootout
  • Riyadh Khalaf, Influencer
  • Sian Sutherland, co-founder, A Plastic Planet
World's 50 Best Restaurants

Case study: Relevance International and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants

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Relevance International is celebrating the recent success of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants after increasing its media coverage, social engagement and global footprint.  

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, the worldwide ranking scheme for high-quality dining, wanted to expand the amount of positive coverage – and the spread of coverage across the world – for its 16th annual awards ceremony, held in Bilbao, Spain in June 2018.

Relevance International was instructed to handle PR for the 2018 awards, and the agency created media interest in the lead up to the big event through a number of strategic initiatives.

Building excitement
Every fortnight from April onwards, individual winners of special awards were announced, which created a pipeline of content in the lead up to the awards ceremony. Categories included BBVA Scholarship, Diners Club Lifetime Achievement Award, Miele One to Watch, and elit Vodka Best Female Chef.

The Best Female Chef was launched with a targeted international media lunch held at winner Clare Smyth’s Core restaurant in central London. This location was kept secret to build anticipation and journalists from key markets, both relevant to Clare’s background as well as from target countries, were invited.

The campaign achieved 1,972 pieces of coverage, predominately within two weeks, fuelled by a debate over the merits of such an award.

Further interest in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants was generated one week before the main event with the announcement of the 51-100 list, leading to speculation – in traditional media and on social platforms – about who would make the top 50.

World's 50 best social carpet

Other activities organised around the awards included #50BestTalks, featuring top chefs discussing industry issues and trends; a ‘meet the chefs’ speed dating-style media event; an official press conference; a food-meets-art event; and several press moments with previously announced individual chef winners for one-to-one meetings.

On recommendation of the agency, the launch of a Female Advisory Board saw seven of the world’s best female chefs come together for an open discussion around industry issues and brand initiatives.

Global coverage
New for 2018 were the 21 broadcast stations – international, national and local – secured to attend and cover the main event. Mirroring the approach of The Oscars, and to open the event up to general consumers, people were able to follow the main ceremony on TV and via a Reuters live stream. Other stations that covered the event included RAI 1, France 2, BBC World and Channel 5 Asia.

World's 50 best filming

Relevance International planned the media management of the 2018 event programme, overseeing more than 300 media attendees during the awards week, with 59,601 pieces of coverage over five months – a 24% increase on 2017 (47,879). Coverage was in 51 languages, a 6.25% on 2017, and 127 countries, a 9.5% increase on 2017.

In four key markets alone, there were 125 pieces of broadcast coverage over one week (radio: 84, TV: 41). The number of social media posts featuring The World’s 50 Best grew from 33,797 in the five months in 2017 to 53,717 across the same period in 2018. It was aided by a surge in social media activity during the live stream, as well as the attendance of influencer-ambassadors at the ceremony.

Overall, 99% of coverage was positive, despite the controversy over the Best Female Chef category.

Retained global agency
Following the campaign, Relevance International became the brand’s first retained global agency of record.

Hélène Pietrini, director of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, said, ‘During Relevance’s time working with us in our initial engagement, the firm achieved greater media exposure than ever received in the brand’s 16-year history.’

Suzanne Rosnowski, CEO and founder of Relevance International, said: ‘Our work with The World’s 50 Best Restaurants showcases our strength as an agency with a boutique offering and global sensibilities.