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Ensuring effective and successful communications across different cultures

December 13, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, Communications, PR Club Media Monitoring, PR, Press and Bloggers, Media Database Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

This is a guest post by Life Size‘s PR Intern Martha Lane.

If you’re running an international communications campaign, adapting your approach towards each individual audience is essential. However, this means much more than simply translating content into the appropriate language. Instead, a deep understanding of each of your target cultures must form the basis of your campaign. Here is how to achieve this and set your international communications campaign up for success.

Stage 1: Check the relevance of your topic in your target country
A good place to start is to dedicate some time to researching how the topic of your campaign is viewed in your target country. While it would be easy to assume that consensus on your topic is similar to your native country, this won’t necessarily be the case. Your research should provide answers to some key questions, such as:

– Is your topic widely discussed in the news there? Is it discussed by the mainstream media, or is it limited to industry press?
– What is the political importance of this topic? Is there any relevant legislation in place in your target country that you should be aware of?
– What are the current societal or environmental impacts and benefits relating to this topic? How do they meet the current discussion about the environment or other ongoing social issues?
– Has it received any negative press, or do you get the impression that it is a sensitive topic? If so, it would be worth offering a fresh perspective that can provide a positive spin on the topic.

It is worth noting that negative or lukewarm press coverage on your topic does not have to be a disadvantage. Rather, you can utilise your communications campaign to be one of the first to highlight the benefits of what you are offering, giving you a unique position in the target market.

This is also an excellent time to identify your audience and decide who will be the best group to direct your campaign in a particular country. Once you have identified who you are communicating with, you can move on to the next vital step: working out how to talk to them.

Stage 2: Take the time to understand the culture of your country
At this point, it’s essential to get to the very root of your target country’s culture, such as identifying the values and beliefs that form its basis. This may sound quite overwhelming, but some useful models can be used to break down cultures into a handful of the most important underlying characteristics.

Hofstede and Trompenaars are two cultural experts who have created models that, though built with business management in mind, are equally applicable in the world of international communications. Both see culture as existing on various spectrums, within which any culture can be placed with considerable accuracy. This way of quantifying culture makes the job of communicators slightly easier.

Of course, there is variation within cultures, so the models should be applied with a degree of caution to avoid stereotyping, as personal experiences within cultures create differentiation. But the research of these experts has found that there are some predictable ways in which people within a certain culture are the same, especially when it comes to the workplace, making them valuable guides.

Stage 3: Use research to adapt content to your culture
Having researched the reception of your topic in your country, now is the time to use the understanding you have gained from the cultural models to adapt your tone. Ask yourself, how does your audience want to be spoken to? This is a crucial stage of the process that requires thorough planning. It’s easy to lose your audience in the delivery of your campaign due to cultural misunderstanding, no matter how relevant your product or service is to them.

Final stage: Don’t forget the simple things
There are the more routine details of a communications campaign to consider that may seem obvious but can be easily missed when dealing with the more complex aspects. Before releasing content, make sure to consider:

– Translation: aside from making sure your communications are translated accurately into your target language, check the translation of your product or service – make sure it isn’t offensive or hasn’t got a confusing double-meaning.
– Time zone: what time are you sending out content for your campaign in your target country? Make sure you respect any time difference and different working days.
– Visual materials: the images you use as part of the campaign may also need to be adapted. For instance, make sure that images such as landscapes are relevant to your target country as they will then resonate more with the audience there.

Following all these steps should ensure that your international communications campaign will be a success. Admittedly, it can be a long and sometimes monotonous process. However, the potential negative impact if done incorrectly, and the high rewards if the time is taken to do so properly, make the thorough process outlined above worthwhile.

Connect with the right journalists, political contacts and influencers from around the world for your international campaigns with the Vuelio Media Database – find out more and book a demo.

Communications and Combating the Omicron Variant

December 7, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Health, Communications Media Database, Media Monitoring, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

This is a guest post by Louise Flintoft, associate director at Onyx Health.

The UK’s public health is in a precarious position. We’ve all seen in the news that the Omicron COVID-19 variant has been identified as a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization.

At the time of writing, there are still a lot of unknowns about the new variant. However, early indications are that it is likely to be more transmissible than the dominant Delta variant and that our existing vaccinations are less effective against it.

In response to the uncertainty, the Government has announced a series of new measures to reduce the spread of the new variant. These currently include compulsory facemasks for public transport and retail, expanding the booster jab programme to all UK adults, new requirements PCR tests and isolation for people entering the country, and ten-day quarantine for people in contact with an infected person

The last cycle of lockdowns and compulsory COVID-19 restriction prompted one of the biggest acts of civil obedience in our peacetime history. With new restrictions looming, the Government will need to communicate behaviour change again to avoid a potential crisis. At Onyx Health, we are healthcare communication specialists and have some ideas about how we use the power of PR to re-engage the public.

Fighting COVID-19 fatigue
Let’s be honest; we’re all sick and tired of the pandemic. The success of the Government’s initial vaccine rollout and the removal of official legal restrictions earlier in the year had led many people to conclude that it was mission accomplished. However, the threat has never gone away, and it risks getting worse again.

One of the biggest dangers from a public health communication perspective is that complacency, and an unwillingness to take the potential new threat seriously, derails the effectiveness of the new rules. Re-engaging the public will be essential to make the latest changes work in practice. There is also a balance to be struck between taking things seriously and avoiding mass panic. This needs a strong, emotionally resonant message that the public can connect with.

Encouraging people to get masked up and booster jabbed to save Christmas can link behaviour change to a shared desirable outcome. Last Christmas was tough for us all. We all want to make this year’s festive season better than the last.

Helping our healthcare heroes avoid a winter crisis
The NHS is always close to the nation’s heart, but this is especially true during a public health crisis. It is arguably the closest thing we have to a national religion. During the first lockdown, the weekly clap for healthcare workers brought the nation together to thank those frontline staff who risked their lives to help us through the pandemic.

Today, the NHS faces a perfect storm of a new COVID-19 variant, the seasonal spike in winter flu cases and a general public fed up with the pandemic. Calling on people to follow the rules to help our healthcare heroes has the potential to reconnect people with that shared sense of solidarity we saw at the beginning of the pandemic. People may be willing to go the extra mile to help those who got us through the COVID-19 crisis by caring for our friends and loved ones.

Accelerating booster jabs and getting people doubled dosed
The booster jab programme was originally targeted at the elderly and vulnerable to increase their immunity to COVID-19. This week, the Government announced that it will be extended to all adults over 18 in the UK. Problems beset the initial rollout of booster vaccines for complex reasons, including the rollout’s speed, limited uptake, and confusion over eligibility. The expansion of the programme magnifies the scale of the communication challenge.

There are specific audience demographics that require specialised targeting. Increasing the immunity of those most at-risk through medical education is a key priority. We need to reach out to the elderly, vulnerable and underrepresented groups using community groups, local champions and NGOs to foster grassroots engagement and build trust from the ground up.

Another big issue is getting younger people doubled dosed. The figures show that people aged 25-29 are more vaccine-resistant and statistically less likely to have taken up the offer of a single or double vaccine dose. Targeting young people through viral content, social media influencers and pop-cultural icons provides part of the answer to create a generational mindset change. Getting through the latest stage of the pandemic requires a renewed collective national effort; as communicators, we need to do our bit.

Keep track of the conversation in the media with Vuelio’s Media Monitoring services and our sister brand Pulsar’s series of social listening solutions.

PRCA relaunches Business Development Group

December 1, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) has relaunched its Business Development (BD) Group with co-chairs Rebecca Wagstaffe of 3 Monkeys Zeno and Anouska Leon of Richmond & Towers.

The relaunched group will aim to help PRCA members with business development activities by sharing materials on best practice, insight and opinion. Part of this will be its 7 December inaugural event with partner Ingenuity to explore the evolution of business development within the last 18 months as well as how agencies can make sure their channel strategy is right for attracting new business. Tickets for the free event can be booked here.

New co-chair Rebecca is the Head of Business Development & Marketing at 3 Monkeys Zeno, helping its European offices.

‘When it comes to agency growth, business development has always acted as the thread that ties together a company’s functions or departments,’ said Rebecca. ‘Coming out of the pandemic, our role as experts needs to be more sharp-focused than ever and I am very excited to co-chair this group, helping hone skills and best practice to develop the brightest minds in business development across our industry.’

Co-chair Anouska began her career in corporate sales before making the move into the creative industries. She moved to Richmond & Towers in 2014. Of the importance of the BD Group, she said:

‘Agency growth is always a top priority, but the last two years have shone a spotlight on Business Development like never before, proving once again that it is the lifeblood of agencies. During uncertain times, the going gets tough for BD professionals and the last 18 months threw a few curveballs our way with everything on Zoom, clients and prospects working from home and navigating the sensitivities of ‘selling’ during a global pandemic.

‘The inevitable consequence is ever more stringent procurement processes, budgets that need to ‘work harder’ and a focus on delivering tangible ROI.  I’m thrilled to have been invited to take up the position of co-chair of the PRCA Business Development Group during such an exciting period of change.’

Ingenuity’s CEO and founder Chris Kemp sees lots of opportunity for PRCA members:

‘As part of Ingenuity’s ongoing relationship with the PRCA, we’re thrilled to be working closely with the leading PR and Communications trade association to help their agency members understand the true potential of new business and B2B sales & marketing. We’ll be exploring the themes that are consistently of relevance to business development professionals, and to their agency’s growth potential.

‘Having worked with hundreds of leading agencies in our 16 years, and running 160+ pitches annually, we’ll be collating insights from both sides of the fence to deliver workshops around best-in-class agency shop windows, what brands are truly looking for in their partners, how to win pitches virtually and the evolution of effective channel strategies. This also coincides with a new chapter for our Events (link), of which PR, Social and Content will continue to be a focus next year.’

More information on the Business Development Group can be found here on the PRCA website. To book tickets for the 7 December event, find out more here.

To keep track of your business development, try Vuelio’s Stakeholder Management solutions – book a demo.

PR Interview: Alex Silver, director of Alex Silver PR

November 30, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR Spotlight Media Database, Media Monitoring, Media Analysis, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

Moving from a career as a Junior Sister in the Casualty Ward to beauty PR extraordinaire probably isn’t the most common way of getting into comms, but it’s led to 25 years of industry success for Alex Silver and her beauty, celebrity and digital agency Alex Silver PR.

Having started her business from her kitchen table, Alex has been at the forefront of many star-studded events, red carpet moments and headline campaigns over the years. Alongside a passion for building start up brands into household names, Alex also happens to be the publicist for some well-known and long-established clients (including Dame Joan Collins, no less).

Read on for the lessons she’s learned on building strong relationships with the media, why inclusivity is so important for success, and what to do if your client hasn’t been behaving quite as they should…

What are the main lessons you’ve learned through your career?
Always have a plan B! Things can change with the drop of a hat so having a backup option and being able to think on your feet is essential in PR.

It’s not a done deal until the papers are signed – contracts and agreements can still fall through, even at the last stages of negotiations.

Credibility is everything – bringing credible experts to a campaign is like gold dust.

Don’t skip the venue recce. Even if you’ve been recommended a venue by a reputable source, I always recommend popping down to map out your event – you don’t want any nasty surprises on the big day.

How do you think the pandemic has changed comms, and are the changes here to stay?
Well, we’ve certainly all mastered the art of zoom-events, but joking aside, I believe the pandemic has helped shape a modern communication approach in many ways. Many companies (including press houses) are still testing the water when it comes to their new hybrid working arrangements, and I don’t think we’ll fully see the outcome of this until the dust from the pandemic settles.

In the meantime, communications should accommodate both in-person and online arrangements across meetings, events, launches, briefings and so on. Journalist contacts have shared that they enjoy online events as they don’t lose precious time travelling to/from venues and a recent influencer poll that we ran showed a 50/50 split in their popularity.

Celebrities are being increasingly held to account for bad behaviour/outdated views – what approach would you take with a high-profile client that runs into trouble with this?
Crisis management is at the core of many PR campaigns, whether you’re working with a celebrity or not. The art of addressing issues in a sensitive, effective and timely manner is an art that takes a carefully thought-out strategy.

It’s a case-by-case issue but sometimes it’s simply best to hold up your hands and apologise. Education and information on the topic at hand is key here – why has this caused upset and how can the talent become informed on this so that this doesn’t happen in the future.

Which high-profile celebrities/politicians/brands do you feel have really great PR teams (apart from your own clients, of course!)?
People change teams often and can make a blunder at any point so it’s hard to say, however I did see something recently that I was impressed by! At the end of October, Chief Exec and Founder of Spanx surprised employees with two first-class plane ticket and $10,000 each to celebrate the company’s $1.2billion deal with Blackstone. The announcement was filmed live on Instagram and showed employees crying with happiness. The news was quickly shared around the word on national news sites such as The Independent, Good Morning America, MSN and the New York Post. I think this was a very clever, effective, and of course, generous communication strategy. It certainly grabbed the headlines!

Which campaigns have you seen from big brands that have made you think ‘I wish I’d worked on that’?
I really loved the recent Dove Self Esteem Project. The campaign aimed to bring light to young people’s self esteem and help to raise awareness of the pressures that social media puts on developing minds. With a 15-year-old daughter, this really resonated with me and I’d loved to have been part of this campaign with Dove’s aim to have helped a quarter of a billion young people with educational courses by 2030.

Over your time in the industry, how have things improved for women practitioners?
Working within the beauty sector, the industry is saturated with women so, luckily, I haven’t felt being female ever held me back. I understand this is a big contrast to other sectors and that while some areas have drastically improved, there is still a lot to be done in order to close the gender equality gap.

What more needs to be done to make the industry more inclusive and welcoming, on gender, race and class?
An inclusive workplace culture is essential for a strong workforce of empowered employees. It needs to come from the top and I think the more people in power address these issues, speaking about them openly, the bigger changes we’re going to see. There’s so much that can and needs to be done. Everything from integrating inclusivity into core company values to building trust by encouraging a culture of frequent check-ins and creating safe spaces. There are small changes that everyone can do, no matter their company structure, and I think smaller companies need to incorporate this as much as larger ones.

How do you maintain good relationships with journalists?
Do your research! Journo friends often share frustrations at being pitched stories and items that would never fit within their column space. Keep up-to date with what your target journos are writing so that you can make your communications relevant and targeted. Building relationships is a hard balance in today’s climate; journalists are under more pressure and time constraints than ever. A catch up over zoom/coffee, carefully curated pitches and developing events/mailers that will attract attention, all go a long way.

It can be hard for people in PR to keep a healthy work/life balance – how do you manage this (If you do…)?
While there’s definitely a work-hard, play-hard culture in PR, I think it’s about striking balance in all areas of your life. I like to get up earlier in the week so that I can have a bit of ‘me’ time, I’ll kick off with a run around Primrose Hill with my puppy Bella or a yoga session. In the evenings you’ll either find me catching up with a friend over a cocktail (or two) or unwinding with my latest book in an aromatherapy bath. My advice? Find what works for you and block out that time for yourself!

What do you think the big trends will be for comms and PR in 2022?
Honesty, transparency and sustainability. Gone are the days when we printed out press releases and posted them out in thick paper packages! Journalists, influencers and celebrities are rightly conscious of the packaging brands are using. It’s the PR’s job to advise on the most sustainable, eco-friendly ways of gifting and sampling products. This is a theme I expect to see become even more prevalent in 2022 with brands delivering what consumers are striving for – products which don’t harm the planet in their making. Online sharing of files and information is here to stay. In the same vein, while gifting can be a super effective way of communicating new launches, USPs and brand values, items should be considered, useful and something that the receiver will actually want or use. We’re increasingly seeing brands choose to give a charitable donation in the receiver’s name and I think this is another trend which might grow in popularity next year.

Authenticity is also a big theme in beauty. Consumers are highly informed on ingredients, ethos and social purpose. PR communications need to be carefully structured to authentically convey what the business stands for. I believe this movement for transparency, equality and positivity will continue to snowball in 2022. Good PR teams will set out guidelines and continue to learn, grow and adapt as the year progresses.

Monitor how your brand or clients are faring in the media with Vuelio Media Monitoring and get deeper analysis from our Insights team – find out more here.

5 PR webinars and online events to catch up on

November 15, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR Club, Webinars Media Analysis, PR, Press and Bloggers, Media Database Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

The popularity of webinars and online panels boomed during the early days of the pandemic, and they continue to be extra convenient for those who can’t, or just don’t want to, attend in-person meet-ups and events.

Is that you? Here are five super-useful webinars and online panels for PR and comms pros that are worth a revisit or first-time viewing if you missed them…

Building better relationships between PRs and journalists
While the public relations and journalism sectors rely on each other for the mutually beneficial exchange of information and coverage, it can be a very difficult relationship. Journo Resources’ Jem Collins, national press and freelance journalist Faima Bakar and Freelancing for Journalists’ Lily Canter and Emma Wilkinson offered advice on building useful connections with journos working across a variety of sectors – watch it here or read our summary.

One Step Forward Two Steps Black
UK Black Comms Network partnered with Opinium to conduct the first ever report into the lived experiences, pay and promotion of Black comms professionals – this webinar revealing its findings featured insight and reaction from the network’s founder and CEO Kamiqua Pearce, Opinium Research’s Susan Bello, Black Woman in HR’s Adesse Okojie and Birchwood Knight’s Seri Davies. Sign up to watch it via the UK Black comms Network and check out some of the key findings here.

Neuro PR: Strengthening the Brain and Brand Connection
Harvey & Hugo PR’s managing director and Leader of the Pack Charlotte Nichols led this webinar on creating lasting impressions on your audience by engaging their minds with neuroscience. No pHd in brain chemistry required – watch and see how you can fire up neuro pathways with your day-to-day PR activities here. You can also read our write-up on the Vuelio blog.

Discovering TikTok and Pinterest data
TikTok and Pinterest – two very different social media platforms filled with useful insight on audience behaviours and preferences. Luckily, there’s one place where you can mine both –the team at our sister brand Pulsar shared analysis of datasets from studies covered by Vogue Business and Elle Décor to demonstrate how to get the most out of data analysis. Sign up to watch here.

Making Sense of Net Zero – Corporate rewards of being in the climate action driving seat
This New Statesman live event from September featured The Climate Group’s Communications Director Luke Herbert, JLL’s Global Chief Sustainability Officer Richard Batten and Vuelio’s Insights Lead Amy Parry speaking on the risks and rewards for comms and PR teams leading on environmental action. Not only is working towards net zero the right thing to do, it will also future-proof your business. Sign up to watch the full webinar or read our summary of the key points.

Find out more about Vuelio’s webinars here.

Ready for more knowledge-sharing? Check out these Vuelio accessmatters sessions covering disability in PR, how to be antiracist and supporting transgender and nonbinary colleagues in this round-up.

6 reasons to stop using JournoRequests and start using the Journalist Enquiry Service

6 reasons to stop searching #JournoRequest and start using the Journalist Enquiry Service

November 8, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications, PR Club Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

In need of media coverage for your brand, client or research? Ransacking the #JournoRequest hashtag for asks from UK journalists might seem like a quick solution for finding contacts, but here are six reasons why you should give the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service a try instead…

1. Requests come straight through to your inbox
No searching required – relevant requests from UK journalists looking for contributions for their upcoming pieces (whether products for review, expert comment, statistics or survey results) are sent directly to the inboxes of Journalist Enquiry Service subscribers. And how often requests come through is up to you – sign up for a steady stream of requests as they’re released, or a daily digest of enquiries you might be able to help with.

2. You’ll receive all the details you need
Sometimes 140 characters just aren’t going to tell you everything you need to help a journalist fill and finish their feature; you need to know exactly what they want, and when for. While you won’t want to read through an enquiry that’s the same length as the article the journalist is writing (nobody has time for that – certainly not the journalist), the Journalist Enquiry Form has enough space for the media professionals using it to be clear on what they want.

You’ll find which publication they’re writing for, when the piece is likely to be published and more.

3. You can filter requests so they’re relevant to your specific sector
#JournoRequests is a busy hashtag filled with enquiries from journalists writing across almost any sector you can imagine – that’s a very noisy place to navigate when you need to find something useful for you, fast. The Journalist Enquiry Service, in comparison, requires journalists to target their requests to the sectors they’re writing about, right from the get-go.

Working in the Home & Garden comms space? The service has a category for that. After requests from fashion journalists? Retail & Fashion is for you. You can pick the request categories relevant to you when signing up and start receiving enquiries from UK journalists you can help with relevant contributions.

4. It’s secure
DM etiquette and email sharing doesn’t even have to be a consideration when starting a (hopefully long-term and fruitful) relationship with a journalist working in your sector. Once a journalist has sent their request via the Journalist Enquiry Service, contact between you starts through the service’s internal network. Email replies come via [email protected], until you’re ready to share your contact details.

5. You have a set deadline to work to
While there are many differences between those in comms and those working in the media, keeping to strict deadlines throughout the day are a necessity for both. Knowing when you need to get information over to a journalist is a vital part of information easily missed on tweet threads. Requests sent through the Journalist Enquiry Service include the date and time the journalist needs the contributions by, as well as when their piece is likely to be published. When request deadlines are up, they fall off of the system, meaning no confusion – just fresh requests to look through.

6. Journalists at high-profile media outlets use the service
The Journalist Enquiry Service has many different users working across the media landscape. As well as staffers and commissioning editors on national press dailies, there are freelancers writing for a variety of consumer and trade magazines, broadcast journalists reporting for mainstream television and digital channels as well as influencers with swathes of followers across social media. Many who use the service have created useful working relationships – instead of searching for journalist connections across social media, sign up for targeted requests from media professionals who want what you have to offer.

Find more information about becoming a ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service subscriber here.

Already a subscriber? Get the most out of the Journalist Enquiry Service with this piece on how to respond to journalist enquiries as well as these quick tips.

Get started now and track all your mentions across every type of media channel with Vuelio Media Monitoring.

COP26: What comms and PR teams should know

November 1, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, Politics, PR, Communications, Public Affairs Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

‘We have fires, floods and droughts in all corners of the Earth currently. Many, many people are suffering in the Global South already with famine and untold hardship – our world is only heading one way. To be frank, Mother Nature will simply not allow us to slip back into “business as usual” after COP26,’ believes Compassion in World Farming’s Philip Lymbery.

Exhibiting in the Blue Zone and preparing to release a report into the impact of animal agriculture on the climate crisis later this week, Philip sees COP26 as ‘one of the most crucial meetings of nations the world has ever seen’. He isn’t alone. While the long-term impact of the decisions and agreements that will be made during the summit remain to be seen, business leaders, decision makers and the communications industries can – and should – support and continue what the summit has sparked; increased awareness of what needs to be done on climate change.

Read our sister brand Pulsar’s deep-dive into the social media conversation in the lead up to COP26.

‘There is significant movement in this space already, as many companies are starting to increase their plant-based offerings, manage food waste more effectively and promote more sustainable diets to their customers,’ says Philip.

‘Compass Group, IKEA, Aldi UK, Globus, Unilever, Tesco, Nomad Foods and Premier Foods are all doing good work promoting their sustainable diets and encouraging a decrease in meat consumption, for example.

‘Other noteworthy food brands are Barilla, who won the Compassion in World Farming 2021 Special Recognition Award under the Planet Friendly Award banner. Another example of action is McDonald’s UK & Ireland and Danone, who are actively working on regenerative agriculture projects.

‘The big brands across the world have a huge responsibility to accelerate significant change so that we can avoid dangerous climate change.’

What can businesses do to continue the work, without greenwashing?

‘These days, greenwashing covers a range of claims, from the vague text on packaging to marketing USPs. Luckily for consumers, amidst a sea of companies and manufacturers under pressure to be more sustainable, regulators are becoming more proactive. However, it’s still hard to spot the integrity of claims and to a large extent consumers rely on companies fearing a loss of brand ‘trust’, should they over-exaggerate their environmental efforts and be discovered.

‘Some brands are prepared to act in some ways, for example, by introducing plastics recycling, but not in others. For example, Coca-Cola has been criticised for stating the business would not move away from plastic bottles on the basis that customers “preferred plastic”.

‘The tragedy is that many global brands have been caught greenwashing. It’s long past time for corporate technical and creative teams to work on becoming genuinely sustainable, rather than using smoke and mirrors marketing approaches.’

While the social media conversation leading up to the summit showed much optimism from the public, Sir Vince Cable’s take on the British Government’s previous assessment of the odds of a successful summit at 60:40 was that ‘my heart is with the 60%; my head with the 40%’. Does Philip agree?

‘I hope and pray that this will not be the case – the stakes are simply too high. It is easy to become pessimistic, but the world is watching COP26, conversations are happening and the future of our children, and their children, is in the balance.

‘However, according to national pledges already made, the numbers have been crunched and world leaders are falling short of the action that needs to be taken.

‘This is undoubtedly a time for unity and for all parties, all countries and all peoples to come together to help solve the greatest crisis we will ever face in our lifetime. We all have a part to play.’

Philip Lymbery is Global Chief Executive of Compassion in World Farming, Visiting Professor at the University of Winchester, President of Eurogroup for Animals, the Brussels-based umbrella for 70 leading animal welfare societies in Europe and founding Board member of the World Federation for Animals (WFA), a membership organisation that maximises the efforts and resources of the animal protection movement. Philip has also been appointed as a United Nations Food Systems Champion for the 2021 UN Food Systems Summit. He’s an award-winning author, ornithologist, photographer, naturalist and self-confessed animal advocate.

Read former leader of the Liberal Democrats and a former Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Sir Vince Cable’s look at COP here on the Vuelio blog as well as Green peer Baroness Bennett’s guest post on the importance of protecting our biodiversity.

For more on the importance of sustainability for future-proofing your business, download the Vuelio Insight Team case study Sustainability Initiatives and the Impact on Businesses.

Find out more about monitoring coverage of your brand, competitors and the issues that affect you in print, broadcast, online, blogs and social media.

When client relationships go wrong: two sides of the story and a solution

November 1, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications, PR Club Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

This is a guest post from ADPR owner and MD Kate O’Sullivan.

As much as I hate to admit it, client relationships don’t always turn out the way we expect or hope. If you work in the service industry, the chances are you will have experienced ‘that client’. The one where no matter how hard you try, something always feels off kilter and you constantly find yourself on the back foot. If you haven’t come across them yet, I’m sorry to say that you almost certainly will at some point.

Clients are critical to many businesses, and any decent service provider will endeavour to go above and beyond to keep them happy. Equally, it takes a lot of trust (and expense) for a client to allow an outsourced provider into their business. So, if it’s safe to assume that both the client and the service provider anticipate a successful relationship, why does it sometimes go wrong, and can anything be done about it?

One thing we can all agree on is that when a relationship fails it’s a horrible feeling and prevention will always be better than cure.

Rather than entering into a game of blame, let’s consider some of the common frustrations on both sides of the relationship, and whether a slightly different approach and a deeper level of empathy could result in ‘that client’ becoming a dream client.

That Client: The one who always lands something on you with an urgent deadline.

Your perspective:

You’ve started the week with an orderly task list and before you know it a client has asked you to complete a ‘quick’ unplanned task for them that is needed urgently. You know that you have deadlines to meet for other clients, you know that very few jobs are actually quick, and you also know the urgent deadline probably isn’t a matter of life and death.

You want the best for your client, so you juggle things around and work late to ensure you can complete the task without letting any other clients down. You finish work feeling tired and grumpy, and don’t feel that you’ve been given the time to do the task justice. You’re more than happy to put in the extra graft now and again, but when it becomes a habit it’s hard to avoid feeling frustrated.

Client’s perspective:

You’ve started the week with an orderly task list and before you know it your boss has asked you to complete an unexpected task for them. You’ve recently brought on-board a skilled provider to help you with such tasks, and really need their help if you’re going to get everything else on your list done, without letting anyone down.

You know it isn’t ideal, but the agency never seem to mind and always have time to help. In-fact, they’ve actively encouraged you to reach out if you need them. You’re actually under pressure to prove their weight in gold to your boss, so this is the perfect way for them to support you right now.

That Client: The one who ghosts you.

Your perspective:

You haven’t heard from a client for a while. A nagging feeling that something isn’t quite right starts to set in, and you start to imagine what you’ve done to upset them! You know they’re busy but you really need to speak to them in order to get the agreed work done. You’ve tried everything and there’s only so many ways to send gentle reminders without seeming like a) a complete nag b) desperate or c) a stalker.

You don’t know what else to do but you keep trying, because you really want to get good results for them.

Client perspective:

Your agency won’t stop hounding you! You have a huge task list and you have to prioritise. You have received a lot of emails from them and each one seems to be asking for something different.

You brought in an agency to help with your workload. They’re costing a lot of money and you don’t understand why they can’t be more self-sufficient. You do want to communicate, but surely there’s an easier way? The way they’re going about it at the moment isn’t helpful and you really don’t appreciate being nagged.

That Client: The one who likes to tell you how to do your job.

Your perspective:

There is nothing worse than being micromanaged! You’re an expert in your field and you know what you’re doing. Instead of placing value on the work you’re producing, the client does nothing but question or make changes to everything you do. Nothing is getting signed off in time and all of the amends are starting to knock your confidence. The situation is preventing you from achieving results and you are wasting precious time and budget making unnecessary changes. You can sense your client’s dissatisfaction, but you know you’re right and they don’t seem to listen!

Client perspective:

You had great hopes for your agency and want to be wowed by them, but you don’t really like the work they’re producing. They keep explaining why they’ve done something in a certain way, but it’s not the way you would do it, and they don’t know your business the way you do! You don’t have time to be ‘correcting’ their work and are rapidly losing your patience as well as your trust in their ability to deliver.

Good communication is always the solution!

Whether you sit on the side of the client or the service provider, you’ve probably encountered at least one of the above scenarios. It probably comes as no surprise that establishing good communication and clear boundaries from the outset will always be the best way to prevent problems further down the line.

In reality, new relationships are often seen through rose-tinted glasses and this step often gets overlooked among the excitement of winning a shiny new client.

Learn from experience and invest some time thinking about the reasons why previous relationships have come to an end and how they could have been prevented from the outset. Make a conscious effort to pre-empt all eventualities by discussing them with your client in advance.

For example, the above scenarios could have been avoided by the following:

Let your client know that you understand that last minute things happen and you will always try to help. But if they want to be certain of your assistance they need to try and give you adequate notice to do the job (and be sure to spell out what you deem to be adequate!). Of course, if something really is a matter of life or death – drop everything and help!

Ask your client how they like to be communicated with and how often. Make them aware that you will need their input and let them know what they can expect and what is required from them. Agree a communication process and always encourage them to give you more than one point of contact to go to when urgent information is requested.

Make sure your client is fully aware of your expertise and always explain the rationale behind the decisions you make and the approach you’re taking with your work. Encourage them to focus on the outcomes rather than the outputs and make it clear that they are hiring experts, not yes men.

If your gut is telling you that something isn’t right in the relationship, don’t bury your head in the sand, instead address the situation. Uncomfortable conversations are never easy, but it will always be better than crossing your fingers and praying for change! Most clients will respect your integrity and will welcome the opportunity to discuss the issue with you before it escalates further.

Remember that you never need to accept outright rudeness or abuse from your client. We are all human and all have a right to demand a basic level of respect from others. Sometimes the chemistry just isn’t right and when this happens it is better to face the situation, draw a line under the experience, hold your head high and move on.

The reality is that once a client relationship turns sour it can be difficult to recover, but it isn’t impossible. The key thing to keep in mind is that everyone will have entered into the relationship with the right intention, and nine times out of ten a negative situation can be resolved through good communication and compassion for others.

For keeping track of your client and stakeholder communications, check out Vuelio’s Stakeholder Management solutions.

A Week In The Life Of An In-House PR (and what to consider when looking for an in-house role)

October 26, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications PR, Press and Bloggers, Media Database Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

This is a guest post from Prezzybox PR & marketing executive Alex Spencer.

As in-house PRs, it’s the job of me and my colleague Chloe to manage Prezzybox’s brand reputation, promote the brand as much as we can, plan and run events and, of course, secure coverage – both in print and online.

But our roles don’t stop with PR. Like many other in-house PR roles, our jobs extend to copywriting, creating email newsletters and even getting involved with design!

Here’s an insight into life as an in-house PR exec…

Monday

It might only be mid-October, but we’re in the full swing of Christmas here at Prezzybox HQ. In fact, for us, planning for the festive period starts in June and doesn’t slow down until the day itself.

People always ask us if focusing so much on Christmas makes it harder to enjoy it, but we’re the complete opposite – the more time spent talking about the festive season, the better! We do have a ban on playing Christmas songs in the office until November, though. We’re not crazy…

Chloe starts the week off by sending some product samples out to journalists at top-tier publications for their Christmas guides. We check every journo request that comes through because we can often help journalists out with high-res imagery and samples. It goes without saying that reacting quickly to these requests is key!

As every PR does, we also start the week by checking our social feeds, the news and what’s trending.

Tuesday

We recently attended our first in-person event since the start of the pandemic – The Big Christmas Press Show – where we showcased our favourite gifts for Christmas, and we spotted coverage today that we secured as a result of the show.

We’re also working on gathering data for our hero Christmas campaign, the idea for which came up completely randomly in a meeting (about something else, bizarrely). It got everyone in the office talking, so we decided to turn it into a full campaign! Watch this space…

Wednesday

A big part of my role is ensuring all of Prezzybox’s communications are on-brand and our tone of voice is consistent. I spend most of the day writing copy for our newsletters, and get some product description copy done, too. I absolutely love the variety of my job.

My colleagues and I also get together to discuss how we’re going to push our Christmas campaign. We figure out a strategy and come up with a plan B (and C!) too. As every PR knows, flexibility is key!

Thursday

Today we’re discussing next year’s events (yep – already). We’ve taken part in some awesome virtual PR events in the last couple of years, for obvious reasons, so we’re deciding which would be best for us to continue with. We think a mix of in-person and virtual events is definitely the future.

We’re also testing out some of our new products in the office today. And by ‘testing out our products’, we mean cracking open boxes of our personalised Celebrations.

Friday

We end the week on an exciting note – choosing how to redecorate the office. Some of us are back in the office part time and we’re thinking about how we can extend our branding to the walls! We already have the best office, thanks to our resident dogs and goats, but talk of neon Prezzybox signs, flower walls and floating egg chairs has got us excited… it doesn’t take much, really.

Things to consider when looking for an in-house role

1. The brand

Working as an in-house PR means working for one brand, and one brand only. Spending every day thinking about how you can promote the company you work for is heaps easier when you genuinely love the brand, and what it stands for!

2. The role

Many in-house PR roles encompass much more than just PR. My role isn’t just about gaining coverage – it’s my job to make all of our communications consistent and on-brand. My week varies from securing product PR to acting as the brand’s spokesperson to building email newsletters to writing blog posts. I love the variety, but it’s worth bearing in mind.

3. The team

Will you be part of an in-house team focusing on PR or will you be a one-person band? Will you have the budget to outsource work to PR agencies or freelancers if you need to? Knowing what resources you’ll have and what you’ll be expected to achieve is key before you make the move in-house.

Looking to help with finding and listening to your audience to make connections? Try out Pulsar’s social listening solutions and Vuelio’s media database and media monitoring.

Reactive PR: Turning Something Out of Nothing

October 25, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications, PR Club Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

This is a guest post from Fibre’s Alice Wilks, digital PR specialist.

When you hear the term ‘reactive PR’ you might imagine frantically releasing press releases to counteract a scandal. That’s one kind, for sure!

But what if there was another kind of reactive PR, a far more positive and proactive one? One that could bolster your company’s presence online, and improve your SEO game?

Good news – there is! And the best part is that it’s a relatively straightforward strategy to implement. It turns out you don’t have to spend a fortune to gain publicity for your company. All you have to do is keep on top of the news…

In our busy modern world, the news cycle moves fast. To use reactive PR successfully, you’ll have to be even faster. However, making this effort is definitely worth it. After all, reactive PR (also known as newsjacking) has the potential to be even more effective that expensive marketing campaigns.

Intrigued? You should be! Read on to find out what reactive PR consists of, its multiple benefits, and how to successfully incorporate this strategy into your public relations plan.

What is reactive PR?
Reactive PR consists of responding to trending news topics within your industry and the wider media. It’s an alternative to waiting around for something newsworthy to occur within your organisation, and it’s one smart way to gain free coverage for your company!

The value of reactive PR can be found in the fact that it’s fresh and relevant. When people rush to understand unfolding news, your company’s content can position itself at the top of their to-read list.

If you’re lucky, the day’s headlines might directly relate to your industry. If they don’t, you’ll just need to be a little more creative. Don’t worry – there are unexpected ways you can connect your business activities to the news, no matter what it is!

Examples of reactive PR:
• A jewelry company that releases a blog analysing engagement rings every time a celebrity announces their upcoming nuptials.

This information might be used by traditional media sources to complement their celebrity coverage. The company could also take this opportunity to compare rings from their collection, thereby promoting their own products.

• Any company that launches competitions or campaigns in line with significant events such as the Oscars, the Superbowl, the World Cup, or a Royal Wedding.

People are likely to search for information about these events, which could attract a whole new audience to the company if they stumble across their content.

• A business that acknowledges a period of political or societal upheaval in its content.

It may promote a positive message or show how its products or services could be useful at this time. One example would be how the Calm mindfulness app suggested using its services to relieve tension during the US election cycle.

The benefits of reactive PR
Some of the benefits that a reactive PR strategy could bring to your company include:

1. Attracting a new audience
When you ‘newsjack’, you have the potential to reach people who may never have come across your company otherwise. Their interest in the topic will lead them to your content, and from there it’s up to you to convert this interest into sales.

2. Improving SEO
Successful reactive PR will generate links from external sources, which will boost your rankings in search results. Effective ‘newsjacking’ could place your company at the top of Google’s news search, too.

3. Gaining coverage in traditional media
Traditional media is hungry for content that can supplement their coverage of current events. If you can provide a unique angle on today’s trending topic, you might make headlines of your own!

4. Saving money on advertising campaigns
Writing a blog post is more cost-effective than crafting a full advertising campaign, but it could be just as impactful if done correctly. You may find that people disseminate your content independently, helping you go viral.

5. Building your brand
If your business is constantly reacting to the news, it gives the impression that it’s a dynamic and switched-on company. That means your business will seem cutting-edge, relevant, and ahead of the trends.

Keep up with trends in the media with recent article and category searching on the Vuelio Media Database – find out more here.

How to build a close-knit team when working from different places

October 18, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications, PR Club Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

This is a guest post from Degreed’s Global Head of Comms, Content & Client Advocacy Teams Sarah Danzl.

As the saying goes, teamwork makes the dream work and it’s a priority for all team leaders. Especially given the past few months, when all of us were suddenly flung into unprecedented times and had to upend our working practices in a matter of days. Make no mistake, remote and hybrid working will remain a core part of our new reality. Indeed, 85% of people wish to continue working remotely some, or all, of the time post-pandemic. This poses unique challenges in fostering a close-knit team — especially when they’re based in different locations and time zones.

You have to be more intentional about work/life balance, sharing personal experiences, and building strong working relationships. But the benefits are tremendous. For starters, you can pick the very best talent from across the world. Geography is no longer a limiting factor in your recruitment. You also broaden your diversity of thought and experience. It can enable people to work who otherwise may not be able to access a workplace, like neurodiverse individuals or those with caring commitments. Finally, it offers greater flexibility and autonomy to your team.

This is something I’ve experienced for a long time. I lead a team of 14 people based in six time zones and four countries. Some of them have never met their fellow team members in person. Here are some of the ways I’ve ensured that they feel (and support each other) like a traditional team.

Have regular meetings
My personal preference is to hold a weekly team meeting along with one-on-one meetings with each team member. This way, you can update your team on everything they need to know and also get dedicated time to discuss their work, any blockers or concerns, and long-term career growth.

Key to a successful team meeting is having a structure that allows for team updates alongside social discussions, spontaneous questions, exchanging ideas and troubleshooting. Setting an agenda beforehand is a must, to focus people on the task at hand. I also recommend having 10 minutes at the start or end of each meeting for informal chats and to discuss how everyone is feeling that week.

Be results driven
In an office, it’s easy to equate performance with time at work. In a remote environment, people may not always be at their desks all day, or at the same time. Your measures of good performance need to evolve. Looking at output instead of time at work is an effective way to get the results you want, without micromanaging someone or setting specific working hours. Of course, people do need to be available to collaborate with their team members or answer questions. So there does have to be a way to asynchronously communicate (through a messaging platform like Slack, for example) or agreed availability hours that everyone knows about. In my team, we have ‘Slack’ hours when we’re available for quick chats and questions in real-time. As for results, we have team and individual KPIs (key performance indicators) that we update quarterly. Meeting these goals are more important to me than time at a desk.

Make your expectations clear
This links closely with my KPI point above. By communicating what you expect of someone in their role, you’re ensuring that they meet those expectations. If they don’t know what you want from them, they’re working blind. Write and speak clearly, so your instructions are not misunderstood. Because in a remote team, it can be easier to overlook a task or deadline.

Hire the right people
Being part of a remote team isn’t for everyone — and that’s okay! But make sure that the people you hire have the aptitude and skills to thrive as part of a remote or hybrid team. Good time and project management skills are a must, as is a self-motivating attitude as you won’t be there all the time to guide and push them.

Set time boundaries
Work/life balance can be a challenge when working remotely, particularly if your home computer is also the one you use to socialise and relax. It can be too tempting to answer one last email… at midnight. Let your team set their boundaries, when they are logging off and will answer any emails or messages in the morning. Ensure they know that they can disconnect. And let the rest of the team know when someone is and isn’t available. This is especially important when working across multiple time zones.

Socialise
All work and no play is, quite frankly, draining. Your team will work better if they socialise together too. This doesn’t have to be in-person. My team has recently done cocktail and cooking classes. The wider Degreed team have held virtual casino nights, workouts, yoga and more.

For more on working from home, read our previous guest post from Question & Retain’s Annabel Dunstan, featuring advice for balancing work and home life.

Heading back to the office soon and feeling nervous? Check out advice from mental health professionals on how to prepare for your return to in-office working.

How to engage with Generation Z

October 14, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

This is a guest post from Life Size PR Trainee Helene Lamprecht.

Generation Z (Gen Z), which refers to all those born after 1995, is dominating and reforming the global economic landscape. Currently, they make up the largest group of consumers worldwide. If you want to attract their attention, then you need to know how to communicate with them.

Before diving into detail with actions you can take to successfully engage with Gen Z, let’s look at who exactly it is that you want to communicate with.

Digital Natives
Gen Z was born into an already digital world that becomes more globally connected each day. They grew up with high-speed internet and electronic devices, making them familiar with mobile from an early age. Being so tech-savvy means that Gen Z demands the highest quality digital experience and expect any business to have an online presence.

Short Attention Span
All Gen Z has known is a hectic world full of stimuli, so they are accustomed to filtering information – anything that does not immediately stand out is unlikely to catch their attention. As they are used to absorbing as much information as possible in a short amount of time, the content they consume has to be clear and straight to the point.

Environmental and Social Awareness
On average, Gen Z is quite wealthy compared to previous generations, with their desires going beyond meeting their basic needs. They aim for self-actualisation and are determined to achieve their full potential. In this context, a fulfilling job and pleasant working climate are of high priority to them.

They also strive for social parity and are passionate about the environment. The Fridays for Future demonstrations are just one impressive example of the commitment Gen Z is showing. Gen Z also fights for equality and demands diversity and non-discrimination, not only in society but across all forms of communication.

Once you understand what Gen Z is looking for, it’s time to adjust your communications accordingly. Here are four main actions you should implement:

1. Make it digital, mobile and an experience
Show that you are a modern company that cares about the environment by providing links instead of flyers. Keep your website up to date, and ensure that all your content is optimised for mobile devices. Additionally, try to make the content you produce more than just text. Think of how you can transform your website into a web experience – keeping it clear and straightforward yet exciting and diverse at the same time.

2. Communicate frequently and visually
Gen Z uses social media almost constantly; therefore, you must share social media content regularly. If you stop, you will appear inactive, so always think of interesting and engaging content to share. Set up editorial plans for social media and stick to them. Make sure to make your content easy to understand, and remember to actively engage with your audience.

3. Talk to them personally
Gen Z knows the internet better than any other generation. Do not try to fool them: they demand authentic and personal relationships. Gen Z relates to genuine voices, especially those they are already familiar with, such as real-life friends or influencers they share passions with. Be cautious with the latter, however. Ensure any influencers you use represent your values and are interested in a mutually beneficial collaboration, rather than one-sided in their favour.

4. Give them something to identify with
Make sure to communicate your beliefs and values. Gen Z has been involved in social activism since a young age, and they will consider a company’s value more than any generation before them. Find easy words to make them understand what you do and how this can help people or the environment. If you get them to understand you and support your vision, they will be more inclined to share it. Be prepared to equip them with the right facts and messages and let them promote your company for you. For example, you could provide them with material for convincing Instagram Stories or informative YouTube videos.

If you want to engage with Gen Z, you need to think about your purpose first because this is what matters to them the most. Try to build on this and adjust your communications by making sure they are digital, mobile, authentic and personal.

The rise and rise of micro influencers

October 13, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications, Influencers Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

This is a guest post by Lis Anderson, director of AMBITIOUS.

Micro influencers are a growing market with an estimated value of 13.8 billion dollars in 2021, and a massive increase expected again in 2022. So why has this market exploded in the last couple of years?

Life has moved online. We know this. We also know that how we engage with people and content online has changed. Our expectations and requirements from brands are higher than ever before as customer confidence increases. They must reflect our values and demonstrate this in their presence – on and offline.

Successful marketing relies on reaching networks of people. Personality and authenticity are at the heart of successful marketing campaigns, and this is where influencers can really boost a brand.

What are micro influencers?
These are the influencers that pack a punch, but not in the way that you necessarily expect. They don’t have millions or even hundreds of thousands of followers, but they have influence over their communities. A micro influencer is defined as having between 10,000 and 50,000 followers. Over that, you’re looking at a mid-tier (50,000-500,000), macro (500,000-1 million) or mega (1 million+) influencer.

Micro influencers are more likely to be in niche communities, great for drilling down and connecting with audiences who have exact interests that match your offerings.

It’s worth noting that micro influencers have the highest engagement rate of all influencer types, which really opens up the market for businesses with limited budgets. Working with a micro influencer can be cost-effective and offer a great return on investment, depending on the industry and their community. Prices can start from just tens of pounds, meaning brands have a real chance to connect with their audiences.

How to start working with micro influencers
Choosing the right partner for a brand can make a massive impact, without a doubt. Micro influencers can take you to the next level as they are closely connected to their audiences.

1. Start by deciding your goals. What do you want to achieve through using a micro influencer? Consider increasing brand awareness or traffic to your website for example.
2. Find your micro influencer. Decide which platform you want to focus on and look for people here. Choose ones that have high engagement rates, post regularly and who have the right voice and personality to match your brand. It should feel like a natural collaboration.
3. Look at the hashtags they use, these should fit your brand and offerings.
4. Review their audience comments to see what they are interested in. Will a collaboration appeal to their community?
5. Ask for a performance report to truly understand what the influencer is achieving. Most will be happy to share their analytics with you.
6. Design a campaign together that will resonate with their audiences. Listen to the micro influencer as they know what content their audience likes.
7. Get the contract in place and agree pricing. It’s always worth doing a test case before doing a big campaign with them to see what sort of results they can get for you.
8. Check results. Are they what you expected? Use the results to inform new campaigns.

Micro influencers could include your employees. Some brands won’t have to go far to choose the right people for the job! Build long-term relationships with micro influencers to maximise impact and get your story told in the right way to the right communities.

Micro influencers and your brand
One thing to be aware of is that micro influencers will have lower reach than macro influencers. You will need to work with more micro influencers to reach the same numbers that a macro influencer has.

But using the right micro influencer will boost your brand’s reputation and get you increased online presence. Do you really need the followers numbers of a macro influencer?

For more on influencer marketing, check out our UK Influencer Survey 2020, our interview with Chris Stokel-Walker on the benefits of the influencer sector, as well as the top bloggers by sector in our regularly-updated Social Media Index section.

The rewards of net zero

October 13, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications Media Database, Media Monitoring, Media Analysis, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

The relatively short break the climate got from harmful emissions during lockdowns across the world is over – the planning for net zero has to start now. That ‘E’ part of ESG planning – environment – is of even more importance for government, organisations and individuals worldwide as we get closer to November’s COP26.

Both corporate and consumer-focused businesses have big decisions to make on what their role will be on climate change – what are the potential risks, and rewards, of leading on environmental action?

The New Statesman panel ‘Making Sense of Net Zero – Corporate rewards of being in the climate action driving seat’ featured advice from contributors Luke Herbert, Communications Director for The Climate Group, JLL’s Global Chief Sustainability Officer Richard Batten and Vuelio’s Insights Lead Amy Parry on the considerations and consequences for decision makers tasked with making change – here are some of the key takeaways…

Revenues and rewards
JLL is a worldwide real estate organisation with what its Global Chief Sustainability Officer Richard Batten calls a ‘strange footprint’, yet the organisation has already made its 2040 net zero commitment.

‘If you’re thinking of going down this route, take small steps. You need to feel your way in – you have to get the data and analyse it. Start projecting what you can do, then you can start pushing the envelope. It’s a bit like peeling an onion – it takes time to understand your business.

‘There’s no doubt there are financial rewards to aiming for net zero, and it helps with the strategy of your business,’ added Luke Herbert, who works to drive change with The Climate Group.

‘Not long ago, we had Brexit, Trump and the start of COVID-19 hurting comms and PR team abilities to plan for the future – but now there’s a path; we have to go renewable in this decade. That gives a lot of clarity – you’re going to be pretty much future-proof if you do this. If you’re behind, you’re at risk of disturbance.’

‘If the financials are there, you will be able to influence your board members’.

Vuelio’s Insight Lead Amy Parry agreed on the rewards of net zero when it comes to positive influence – for all stakeholders.

‘For internal stakeholders, the rewards are in future proofing and knowing where to invest money. For consumers, it’s that feel-good factor – the more that consumers feel that they’re buying into something, that they’re doing good, it’s going to result in better sales. That’s really important… alongside the goals of climate action itself, of course.’

Reputation
ESG action (or in-action) is already impacting the reputations of companies worldwide and Amy had data for organisations who don’t yet have the right plans and promises in place:

‘Our media and insights team examined case studies around climate action and how that impacts government and organisations – we looked at banking, which is more traditional and institutional. Historically, it’s already seen negativity for supporting areas like coal financing. We also looked at a very different sector – meal delivery services in the UK; a very modern service that’s grown during the pandemic.

Read the Vuelio Insights case study Sustainability Initiatives and the Impact on Businesses.

‘We were surprised by some of the similarities in coverage for the two very different sectors. Around 23% of all banking mentions in the media were linked to sustainability – that’s tens of thousands of articles in a short time. 37% of meal service mentions were linked to those topics. Across both sectors, initiatives and coverage fell into two pools – sustainability as a vehicle for change and as a vehicle for business growth. The first lends itself more to the corporate side; abolition of pollution financing, for example. The second is aimed at consumers – green bonds and business loans. There are reputational opportunities in sustainability topics for both sides of business.

‘We found that organisations that made more press announcements through traditional press releases weren’t necessary getting more coverage, however. Sometimes, maybe, it’s possible to push the message too much. It’s action and delivery on promises that will work.’

The right thing to do
‘We have hundreds of businesses who are signed up to science-based targets… but there are hundreds who haven’t,’ said Luke.

‘We can’t just do this in 2029 when it’s too late – this needs accumulative reduction. Most of our conversations with businesses are constructive, but the challenge is those are that aren’t engaging with the issue.’

‘The biggest argument for working towards net zero, aside from reputation and revenue, is that we have to do it; the world has to do it, else we have a problem,’ said Richard.

‘We can’t tell our clients what to do. But we can make some decisions about which clients we want to work with going forward. Until then, we have to collaborate. If you’re already on top of your own business, you shouldn’t need too much persuading.’

For more insight on how policy impacts your business sector and for tracking your organisation’s own reputation, demo Vuelio’s Political Monitoring and Media Analysis services.

Further information on research from the Vuelio Insights team mentioned during this session can be found in the Vuelio case study Sustainability Initiatives and the Impact on Businesses.

How To Deal with Difficult Clients

October 11, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications, PR Club Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

This is a guest post written by Sharp Relations founder AJ Sharp.

Writing this article made me realise we’re extremely lucky that we genuinely don’t have any clients that I would describe as ‘difficult’. However, reflecting on the past few decades – working for London PR agencies and perhaps also, when I started my own agency Sharp Relations nearly 11 years ago – it’s fair to say that we had a few more difficult conversations back then. So, I started pondering the change.

I think the answer is that we have become a lot better at making sure we don’t arrive in a space where a client might feel motivated to become ‘difficult’. I don’t think a client ever starts off being difficult but perhaps they move into that space when they don’t feel that their needs are being properly met by the agency.

Let’s stop using the word ‘client’ for a moment and remember that all clients are business owners, founders and entrepreneurs. They are emotionally, physically and financially invested in the success of their business. They have clear goals, objectives, ambitions, and dreams for their business and the better you understand these motivations and drivers, the better you will be able to meet their business needs.

How to prevent clients from becoming difficult in the first place.

From the off, it is imperative to understand the intrinsic motivations for a business to employ a PR agency. What problem are you helping to solve? No one wakes up one day and decides, ‘Gee let’s get a PR Agency, that seems like fun!’. There’s always a challenge the business is experiencing. Understand the challenge, and you will be able to design and deliver a brilliant communications plan which will drive the business towards its goals.

Secondly, you need to agree Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), which could relate to reach, pieces of coverage, industry sectors, time spent, shares on social media and so on. It’s crucial to agree and discuss these KPIs up front. Show some examples of previous work you’ve done so they can envisage how it will look and feel for them. Get all KPIs agreed in writing from the outset, then you know you’re on the same page.

Thirdly, you need to manage expectations. This can come in so many forms:

Results: A client is happy if they understand exactly what is happening, how long it will take and when they can expect to see results. Lead times for specific stories are always a conversation that needs to be had, no matter how experienced they are with PR. What is obvious to you is not necessarily at the forefront of their mind.

Contact: They also need to know how and when they can contact you. You cannot possibly be available between anytime 9am and 5pm every day, you have other meetings, other clients and of course, the work itself. A regular virtual meeting and ad hoc on email works well. Explain this up front. Collaborative documents can also work for some teams.

Input: What are you going to need from them? And how often will you need their time? This is so important; some business owners can be surprised at how much input is required from them to get great PR pieces.

Under promise and over deliver: This is my favourite technique. If you’re sure you can do it by Wednesday, tell the client Friday. If everything goes to plan you deliver early and you look good, if you get a curve ball from elsewhere in the meantime, you have ‘fudge-factor’. Believe me, giving your clients increasingly unrealistic deadlines to deliver work to them, does not make you look good especially if you don’t always hit your deadlines. They’d rather have the realistic deadlines and for you to be reliable and consistent with them.

By managing expectations properly from the outset, you won’t face any difficulties. It’s much harder to justify your way of working once it’s been flagged as a potential issue than it is to say from the outset ‘this is how we work’. Be open, honest, and transparent. You don’t have to justify it or explain your processes, it is simply how you work.

What if you already have a difficult client, how can you change the dynamic?

I would assert that fundamentally one of the above factors has probably not been fulfilled to the level that is required. In the past, if I suspected that a client was starting to become ‘difficult’ I would ask for a call with the client straight away and open a dialogue. I would go back over their intrinsic motivations, KPIs and, if necessary, spend more time managing expectations.

Consider the impetus of why a client might have decided they need to be ‘difficult’. Difficult usually looks like unrealistic expectations, not listening to advice or micro-managing.

It’s important to get around their side of the table as it were and really listen to what they need and the pressures they are facing. You are their ally; you are there to help them achieve their objectives. What is it that isn’t going the way they hoped? Sometimes it’s not the PR work, but a change in messaging from the board level, or a new focus within the business. Are you still following the old PR plan, or have you reworked it to reflect the new changes? Work smarter not harder – make sure you’re doing the right activities to deliver the results the client really wants and needs.

AJ Sharp is the founder of Sharp Relations, an award-winning food, drink, hospitality and travel PR agency. AJ is a judge for the Great Taste Awards and a member of the Guild of Food Writers.

Need tools for managing your stakeholders? Demo Vuelio’s Stakeholder Engagement products.

How to manage teams of disparate cultures

How to manage disparate cultures in the same team

October 6, 2021/0 Comments/in PR, Communications Press and Bloggers, Media Database, PR Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

This is a guest post from Paul MacKenzie-Cummins, founder and managing director at Clearly.

It has been interesting to observe the number of companies that have opened an overseas office since the UK voted to leave the European Union. We have seen it ourselves, with a handful of clients announcing their intention to expand into key markets such as France, Spain and United States.

While exciting and incredibly pleasing to see such expansion and ambition, especially after the storm of the last 18 months, businesses and brands need to be cautious. If they get their comms and messaging wrong across each of their new markets, those hopes and aspirations can come quickly crashing down.

Navigating complex nationalities

Ten years ago, I relocated to Croatia to take up a role as interim head of comms for a European scientific publishing house. It was a position that kept me there for two years (not that I was complaining, of course) and gave me a crash course in managing and leading culturally diverse teams.

I started with a team of 20+ people who spanned a wealth of nationalities – culturally, each nationality had its differences.

I loved them all. Their quirks, humour, attitudes, mentality, and the way in which they would process information and make decisions. It opened my eyes to a diverse range of ideas, which would become extremely beneficial when I started Clearly in 2014.

Let’s not think for one moment that being British is a benchmark we should all judge other cultures with. We Brits aren’t exactly easy to work with. We have penchant for saying ‘please’ way too often, our impatience for lateness is world-famous, and we have a wonderful ability for confusing the heck out of people and failing to say what we really mean. For example, when we say, ‘If you have time, you may want to check out…’, what we actually mean is ‘Check the damn thing out now, got it?’

But culture doesn’t just relate to one’s nationality, it also refers to psyche.

Attitudinal variances

Indeed, when I arrived in 2011, Croatia was marking the twentieth anniversary since the start of the first Balkans war that was fuelled by the collapse of the former communist-led Yugoslavia. For the next few years, civil war ensued and inflamed historic cultural divides. It also divided generations, too.

From what I could see, those within the team who were schooled pre-1991 followed the indoctrination of their former communist leaders – to toe the line, never question those in authority. Even the careers they had were determined at birth; if you lived closer to an engineering than a textiles college, you would become an engineer. End of.

But for those who went to school post-1991, theirs was an altogether different mindset. Western ideals were introduced, and people were actively encouraged to challenge the status quo, dare to dream of leading a better life filled with possibilities, and to choose a career based not on where they lived but what they wanted to do.

As a manager, this was rather challenging. One half of the team would follow instructions and go about their work without hesitation or recourse while the other half had no fear of pushing back and asking questions. It made for interesting team meetings, I can tell you.

Regional differences need to be observed

Such nuances are not the reserve of somewhere like Croatia, the United States can be challenging, too. We have clients opening on both the west and east coasts of the country, and the disparities can be enormous.

Indeed, from my own experiences, Bostonians can be conservative and seem rather British-like. They are more likely to ask where you come from, how the business got started, or who the key people are and their stories. New Yorkers couldn’t give a jot about any of these things, they cut to the chase and want to know what’s in it for them from the off. West coast Americans are different again. The Californians I’ve interacted with were a chilled bunch who like to spend time establishing a rapport before getting down to the business of the day.

Multiculturalism has made me a better leader and innovator

I love working with multicultural teams and not because it is a politically correct thing to say and do. It’s because as someone who has worked in-house, as well as in my current role as an agency leader, driving forward new ideas and innovations are of critical importance.

Diverse teams create diversity of thought, and that has enabled my previous teams and the organisations they represented to gain that all-important competitive edge within each market they serve.

This experience has influenced my own way of thinking. Because I have become so used to hearing often-conflicting ideas, I now naturally look at a particular scenario and consider how some of the people in my previous teams would approach it. I now court the opinion of those within my current team who I know will view said scenario differently to me. It is this approach that has seen us a business benefit enormously over the last few years, and the experience gained has made me a better, more rounded and open-minded agency leader.

As a leader, none of us has all the answers. But as a team, and a diverse one at that, the solutions will invariably be found.

6 reasons why ESG is something comms should care about

October 4, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications, PR Club Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

This is a guest post from The Media Foundry’s associate director Kat Jackson.

We work in a sector where buzzwords and acronyms fly around like crazy. Some of us have the distinction of having come up with the terms. So, PR professionals can be forgiven for looking at the latest acronym being bandied about with a cynical eyebrow raise.

But ESG is not like that.

It is here to stay, and here are six reasons why comms should care.

1. ESG is influencing the top table
Environmental & Social Governance is getting a lot of traction from the investment market. That doesn’t mean it will just stay contained there. In a nutshell, it means that increasing numbers of investors want companies to be scrutinised for their green and socially conscious credentials. One of the biggest names in the space, BlackRock, even issued a stark message to investors at the start of the year including phrases like ‘a tectonic shift is coming’ and ‘climate risk is investment risk’, under the banner of the pandemic triggering such a ‘stark reminder’ of human fragility that it will force us to confront climate change. They are backing it up, ensuring their clients invest in businesses with proven environmental action.

2. Its already impacting your clients. And you, even if you don’t know it
The biggest businesses in the world are being forced by the markets to have a good look at their green processes and initiatives. This involves a root-and-branch review of their organisations, their sustainability and social policies. They are then rated on a changing set of criteria (depending on who is doing the rating – there is no standardised criteria at the moment). Most critically, they also need to conduct this review of their suppliers. This is already evident in physical supply chains for goods, but it will soon apply to service industries as good ESG standing becomes less ‘nice-to-have’ and more fundamental. Sooner or later, it will become something agencies are asked for on appointment.

3. This goes deeper than CSR
This is not greenwashing. It’s not brand purpose. It’s also not community outreach. This is a rigorous assessment of a business’ impact on its social communities and environment. It’s early days for ESG, and as we’ve seen, set universal criteria are not yet set. But this is more than paying lip service to an entity’s carbon footprint. This is an extra set of criteria by which the markets will assess the success of a business, beyond its balance sheet. It’s also currently where the money is – and money talks. Investments into businesses with proven sustainable credentials are booming. According to one study by the University of Oxford, also found that businesses focusing on ESG areas were operationally more effective.

4. ESG as a USP (for now)
Clearly, this is a major focus for financial and corporate PR. But there is an opportunity sitting there waiting, for many businesses, before everyone jumps on the bandwagon. Getting ahead of ESG assessments, taking a deep dive look at green and ethical policies within a business, and pulling away from the pack before it becomes widespread will help frontrunners to stand out. The shocking findings from the IPCC report earlier this month with dire predictions about climate change shook a lot of people, but action is hard to quantify at a personal level. If companies can show they are already taking steps to help customers to make a difference, they will grow as a result.

5. ESG will seep down to the SME
It’s just a matter of time. This means focusing on PR’s own business operations and getting ahead of the curve so we can advise clients in turn. It also means small businesses will need to get organised themselves, especially if they trade with much larger entities. Expect the RFP process to get greener. Start asking the questions to clients now about their plans.

6. It’s the right thing to do
Climate change complacency has led to 20 years of little tangible progress. Finger pointing is everywhere. If the biggest countries in the world and huge businesses aren’t doing anything about their emissions, what difference can I make? This argument isn’t going to stand much longer. Think of it as reverse incremental gains. If everyone commits to making small changes, habits form, processes change over time, and together the effect can move the needle in the right direction. Companies who start now will set a direction for people power. Most do want to make a difference, it just feels too large and overwhelming. Companies that assist that process are already winning business. Those who ignore the issue will slip behind.

‘This is where we all can make a discernable difference’ – accessmatters with Cassius Naylor, Proud FT

September 30, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, accessmatters, PR, Communications, Media Media Database, Media Monitoring, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

While the UK PR, comms and media industries are making efforts to improve on inclusivity, one marginalised group in particular is the focus for Cassius Naylor in his work as chair of the Financial Times employee network Proud FT. Empowerment, support and protection of transgender and nonbinary people working within the FT structure, and fair representation of the community in the press, is a passion for Cassius, who shared his experiences and advice in our latest accessmatters session.

Watch the full accessmatters session with Cassius Naylor here.

Proud FT is working to lead the way and model how the UK media should be supporting transgender and nonbinary people. As Cassius highlighted during the session, the reporting of transgender and nonbinary-related issues in the mainstream UK press right now needs to change, very drastically and very quickly.

‘This community is the most at-risk and marginalised, yet we’ve all seen how trans issues are being reported in the UK right now.’

Those who work with the media can make a difference – especially those who engage with the public to drive opinion and tell stories. What can the PR industry do to fight transphobia and better represent transgender and nonbinary people?

The inclusion of pronoun information on social media is particularly popular among Generation Z – ‘Gen Z are getting queerer and more liberal because they’re plugged into others’ experiences. Culturally, with my younger brother, for example – it’s like he’s from a different planet. He came out at the age of 15 – if I had, I wouldn’t have got through school’. Pronouns frequently receive scoffing comments on social media platforms. Is pronoun information on social media useful and worth adding?

‘Absolutely,’ says Cassius.

‘We need to engender a place where pronouns are as normalised as sharing names. “Not seeing gender” is not helping to dismantle structural transphobia. It’s like those who say “I don’t see race” – that’s not helpful, at all’.

‘I’m a bisexual man and secondly a disabled man, but I’m still learning the lessons of inclusion, too – I’m still trying to get better at this. There’s nothing wrong with getting it wrong – it’s okay to be on a learning curve. Yes, pronouns are very important.’

That’s a small thing that can help with your outward-facing communication, but what about within the workplace? Gendered language seeps into work speech without us even realising it – starting a meeting with ‘Ladies and Gentleman’ (that does not cover everybody) or ‘Guys’ (sometimes used as a gender-neutral term, which it obviously is not).

‘There are many non-gendered alternatives – I go with “Hi everyone” or “Hi all”,’ says Cassius. ‘Those are easy to adopt – just adjust and move on. Practice, practice, practice.’

The recognition of phrases that are used to disempower – dog whistles – are also worth listening out for and actively questioning. ‘Recognise where that kind of language – “gender critical”, “biological female”, etc. – is being used; it’s insidious and it’s subtle.

‘Listen to your transgender and nonbinary colleagues – don’t talk over them, don’t talk for them. Cisgender people can use our privilege to create spaces of safely for our trans colleagues. If you see someone being dogpiled on Twitter, a simple DM or tweet of support can change things for people – it’s a real battle ground out there.’

If this conversation is new to you and you want to learn more, there are many resources you can engage with to empower yourself with the right information to go on and empower others. Influencers are already sharing what you need to know – ‘There’s so many people out sharing insight,’ says Cassius. ‘The internet is both a wonderful and occasionally terrible thing. It’s given us access to the breadth of human experience’.

Cassius advised following Abigail Thorn – ‘look up the speech she did at Trans Pride this year – an inspiring moment of defiance against transphobia’, Kat Blaque, and Jay Hulme. Groups like Gendered Intelligence, GenderGP, Stonewall and the Citizen’s Advice Bureau have even more information.

‘Take a holistic view of this. It’s a worldwide struggle to be intersectional while making sure we treat everyone’s experiences as individual. Filling your space with the richness of other people’s experiences helps.

‘There’s an endless web, a massive community,’ says Cassius. ‘Make sure you’re not just absorbing white voices and male voices. Go out there and absorb and amplify the multiplicity of experience.’

For more from our accessmatters session with Cassius Naylor, read our write up for journalists on the ResponseSource blog.

Want to watch the full session and catch up with past accessmatters videos? Check out the accessmatters hub here.

4 Reasons Why Introverts Make Great PRs

September 27, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR Club Media Database, Media Monitoring, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

This is a guest post from Prezzybox PR & marketing executive Alex Spencer.

It can sometimes feel like the world of PR is reserved for the extroverted, that those who need time to recharge after social gatherings, events or team meetings aren’t best-suited to this competitive environment.

But while I had my reservations when I started my career in PR, as an introvert who much prefers a night in with a blanket, hot chocolate and Netflix binge to a night out, I quickly realised that the qualities I thought would hinder my progress can actually be huge assets.

Here’s four important reasons why introverts can make wonderful PRs.

1. Introverts are great reflectors
When starting out in PR, it can seem like charging ahead at full speed is the best way to get your clients or the brand you’re working for noticed.

But I quickly learned that this really isn’t the case. At Prezzybox, we’re big believers in not doing something just because we’ve always done it. Instead, we slow down, taking the time to reflect on what’s worked well in the past, what hasn’t, and how we make things better.

We used to send untargeted press releases to hundreds of journalists at a time, resulting in, unsurprisingly, little interest and lots of unsubscribers. We learned from our mistakes and now, we take a more methodical approach to outreach.

Reflecting is what introverts do best, and this is key to honing your communications strategy.

2. Many journalists are introverts too… obviously
It’s not that I’m completely against giving a journalist a call. In fact, I’ve had some very productive conversations with journalists by phone, and some where we compare notes on our incredibly ungrateful cats.

But it’s obvious that many journalists prefer to be contacted by email only, and that can be for myriad reasons. Of course, their day is jam-packed and an email usually fits in better with their hectic schedule than a call. But, like the rest of us, all journalists are different. Some will love attending events, meeting PRs and the social side of their job. Others are pretty happy to communicate by email only, and need time, like I do, to spend time alone and recharge.

I’ve seen many journalists request no calls on their profile because they don’t like talking to people. And I don’t think many of us would blame them.

3. Introverts are great listeners
Social listening is key to the success of any communications strategy or PR campaign. And if introverts do anything well, it’s letting others do the talking. Listening is especially important at events and whenever you’re meeting journalists in person, like Prezzybox will be doing next at our first in-person event since January 2020. It can be incredibly tempting to use the short time you may have with them pitching your product, brand or campaign at full speed, with a few short breaths in-between your spiel to avoid collapsing in an exhausted heap on the floor.

But while you certainly need to make the most of the time you have, communicating the salient points in a (hopefully) engaging way, being talked at isn’t fun for anyone. Introverts are great at two-way communication, watching for subtle signs in body language and intonation that tell you when you need to slow down, pick up the pace, change topic or let the other person do the talking.

It goes without saying that asking journalists what they’re looking for is crucial, before you spend ten minutes pitching your health and wellness brand to a finance journalist.

4. We think before we speak!
They say all press is good press. But brand sentiment is a fragile thing, with one wrong move having the potential to push you off the top spot in minutes. It’s wonderful to see so many brands disrupting the market with innovative campaigns, but these have to be well thought-out. Introverts are brilliant at thinking before making moves, and this is exactly what PRs should do in this fast-paced, competitive world.

Thierry Alain, Head of Data Insights at Rise At Seven, shares some brilliant insights into brand sentiment and how quickly this can change over on Twitter. It demonstrates the power of thinking before you speak. Burger King might have gone viral with their ‘Women belong in the kitchen’ tweet, but it didn’t quite have the effect they were hoping for.

The Takeaway
PR is now much more suited to communicators on both sides of the introvert-extrovert spectrum, with the focus for many brands shifting to digital PR and building links. People from all walks of life, with different communication styles will love a career in PR, if they’re tenacious, enthusiastic and, perhaps most importantly, resilient. We all know the knock-backs can be tough…

And introverts can bring special qualities to the plate when it comes to getting amazing coverage. Our ability to reflect, to connect with others and think before we speak make us great communicators, and therefore, great PRs.

Provided we’re given plenty of time to recharge our batteries, that is. Cuddles with the office dogs also help.

For more on how to engage with journalists in ways they find useful, download our How to Pitch to Journalists white paper here.

Want a more methodical approach to media outreach? Try the Vuelio Media Database, which includes how journalists like to be contacted, the topics they cover and recent article information. Social listening part of your campaign planning? Try out Pulsar’s platform of products.

Building on innovations in digital healthcare comms: PRCA Health Conference 2021

September 24, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Technology, Health, Communications Press and Bloggers, Media Database, PR Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

The healthcare sector has been under extraordinary pressure throughout the pandemic and new technologies and processes have had to be adopted and embraced across all departments – particularly in communications.

One thing that has helped comms teams working in healthcare connect with the vast audience in need of guidance and correct information? The massive increase in people using social media – according to statistics shared during day one of this year’s PRCA Health Conference, half a billion people joined social media last year alone.

How can teams seeking to connect with both wide and niche audiences on a variety of health-related topics make use of these new ways to connect? For ‘The new digital frontiers: Identifying and leveraging emerging social platforms’ panel, Pulsar enterprise solutions consultant Tom Deacon, HAVAS Just:: head of digital Corin Baird and Ogilvy Health UK account director Charlotte Turner shared their takeaways from the last 18-months of challenge and opportunity and advice for stemming the tide of misinformation and sharing the right messages.

New avenues of engagement across generations
You may not find many old age pensioners keeping up with the latest healthcare trends via TikTok, but the tech innovations sped up by the pandemic have filtered across the generations in a variety of ways, across different platforms.

Healthcare professionals have joined social media channels to share their expertise with people stuck inside during the lockdowns and battle misinformation. They’re natural content creators, according to Corin:

‘There has been a lot of information and misinformation being shared, so the need to right wrongs, to get really involved in that has been massive,’ said Corin. ‘The healthcare community hasn’t been quite so vocal on that before.

‘We’ve got a generation who are digitally native and who are also healthcare professionals – they create great content. They can get in front of the public and get things out in a more interesting way, not just leaving a leaflet in a doctor’s surgery. And it can be done in a way that’s approachable, and dare I say, “snackable”?’

That’s TikTok and YouTube-savvy audiences covered, but how has social media opened-up new avenues to engage with older audiences?

‘For most older people, being comfortable with new formats takes them trying it themselves,’ said Tom. The move to digital appointments made necessary by social restrictions has meant more older people trying it. But video calls aren’t the only way healthcare professionals and comms practitioners can engage with them – health-related internet forums will continue to be their go-to, according to Tom:

‘People need that network of support. The older generations that came before the happier-to-share millennials and Gen Zs enjoy their anonymity. Older people will have more health problems, so you’ll have more conversations happening in those anonymous forums.’

How should teams adapt their message for each platform?
The panel mentioned pharma as a sector known for being slow to share information in order to engage their audiences and adopt new technology. The pandemic has changed this, and Charlotte had advice for teams not quite yet au fait with the new culture of audience-led sharing:

‘The main shift that could help a lot of brands, especially in pharma, is to move away from a broadcast-only mindset. If it’s on social, you can have more fun – fun and entertainment is a key driver for why people are on these platforms. You can’t force your mindset on them.’

‘Pharmacentical companies have to spend time on a campaign,’ Corin acknowledged. ‘But on social media, you need to continue that conversation to get true engagement. They’ll pay money to build a community, but then drop it. It’s maintaining that contact that’s going to be successful’.

Locking in the right influencer to help get your message out on the platforms they understand is a tried-and-tested way to get attention… but it only truly works if there is a genuine connection between your chosen ambassador and the story.

‘A recent successful campaign that comes to mind for me is something our colleagues in the US have been working on relating to rare lung diseases,’ shared Charlotte. ‘You have to go broad for these things – an influencer can be a beacon. We worked with Queen Latifah, and while that might sound like just throwing a big name at it, she has an authentic connection with the condition – her mother passed away from interstitial lung disease. For her, it was important to make people aware of the condition. Influencer campaigns have been trendy for a while now, but I don’t think the authenticity will ever go away – the story has to be there.’

Authenticity is especially important on TikTok. As covered by the panel, Generation Z and millennial users are socially-aware and politically-canny – they’re more likely to spot insincerity and to turn away from overly-fussy content.

‘Content on TikTok has helped with breaking down stigma around things like ADHD,’ said Charlotte.

‘Mental health is such a complex topic, too, but the sharing of experiences does lend itself to TikTok. It’s not overly produced. The best brand performance is when they haven’t injected their own brand guidelines into content. That move to native clothing of content is going to be a strong theme going forward.’

For more on healthcare comms, read this guest post from Evergreen PR’s Leigh Greenwood on how purpose-led approaches win in healthtech PR.

Thinking about using TikTok as part of your future campaigns? Here are five tips for getting started. And for how YouTube has changed influence, check out our interview with author and journalist Chris Stokel-Walker on what’s next for YouTube and influencer culture.

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The rewards of net zero

How To Deal with Difficult Clients

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6 reasons why ESG is something comms should care about

‘This is where we all can make a discernable difference’ – accessmatters with Cassius Naylor, Proud FT

4 Reasons Why Introverts Make Great PRs

Building on innovations in digital healthcare comms: PRCA Health Conference 2021

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