COP26 guest post from Vince Cable

Looking ahead to COP26

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This is a guest post from Sir Vince Cable, former leader of the Liberal Democrats and a former Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills.

COP26 is a vast intergovernmental conference under United Nations auspices and hosted by the UK in Glasgow. The key objective is to secure agreed national commitments leading to demonstrable action to limit climate change.

These annual conferences review progress in implementing the broad commitments agreed at COP21: the Paris Agreement. This year matters more than most since the scientific evidence and the consequences of climate change are starker than ever. A series of natural phenomena – unprecedent wildfires, flooding, extremely high temperatures in Siberia – have illustrated the risks of unchecked warming. COP 26 is crucial to get governments to commit themselves to ambitious but realistic targets for curbing emissions of Greenhouse Gasses (GHGs) which are consistent with safe and tolerable levels of warming (around 1.5% over the century).

It is easy to be cynical. Heads of government will give speeches making commitments to be implemented long after they have left office. Officials will then craft a communique reflecting the interests of countries ranging from small, island states worried about being swamped by sea-level rise to hydrocarbon-based economies like Saudi Arabia and Russia; from major GHG emitters like China and the USA to microstates; from post-industrial, to industrialising to pre-industrial societies.

There are some reasons for optimism. Biden has replaced Trump. Trump was skeptical about climate change; was a strong advocate of the coal industry; and withdrew from the Paris Agreement. Biden has re-joined the Paris Agreement and will commit the USA to ambitious targets backed up by money and legislation. He also sets store by alliance-building and may be able to extract commitments from hitherto uncooperative countries like Australia. Optimists can also point to the success of earlier multilateral agreements like the Montreal Protocol governing chemicals which damage the ozone layer (an agreement in which Britain’s Margaret Thatcher played a key role)

But there are serious obstacles to radical policies in the USA. Support varies greatly from state to state – from committed California to hostile Texas – and Congressional support is not guaranteed. Even in countries with a strong environmental awareness, action lags rhetoric, as with Germany’s continued attachment to coal. And many developing countries will demand large amounts of money from industrialised countries to adapt to climate induced changes that they themselves did not create. Britain’s cut in its aid budget sends the wrong message.

The biggest problem however is China which is currently the world’s biggest emitter by some margin. President Xi has made a strong commitment to reach net zero emissions by 2060 and to reduce emissions after 2030; but there is little detail and a continuing plan to build many new coal-powered power stations, though China has now committed itself to stop supporting overseas coal burning power stations. Relations with the USA are toxic making collaboration in science research and technology exchange more difficult. Anger over Britain’s role in an alliance to confront China also increases the risk that China may choose to postpone its climate change offer until after Glasgow.

The British government has put the odds of a successful summit at 60:40. My heart is with the 60%; my head with the 40%.

Want more on climate change and the environment? Check out our Top 10 UK Green Blogs ranking and advice shared during CIPR’s Climate Change and the Role of PR half-day conference earlier this year. 

App-based banking versus traditional banking

Digital banking versus traditional banking

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Laura Rettie is the chief communications officer at 71a, the digital marketing consultancy created by the team behind the financial comparison site money.co.uk.

The pandemic has hit the high street hard and led to the closure of hundreds of branches of banks. In this guest post, I’ll explore the rise of app-based banks and compare them to their traditional counterparts.

App-based banking vs traditional banking
What do I mean by app-based banking? I don’t mean checking your bank account balance online or moving money from one account to another because traditional banks provide all of those tools these days, and I refer to that as online banking.

An app-based bank doesn’t have any high street branches and you can’t talk to anyone. App-based banks provide all the same functions as a traditional bank, but everything takes place exclusively over an application on your smartphone.

What are the advantages of app-based banking?
1. Better deals – Because app-based banks don’t have to pay for buildings and branch staff, they can afford to offer better rates and fees on their products like savings accounts, credit cards, loans and spending abroad. They also partner with other digital banks, meaning they have access to preferential rates and their fees tend to be lower too.
2. Time saver – Because you don’t have to travel to your nearest branch or queue up to speak to branch staff, app-based banks save you time when you need to manage your money, providing 24/7 access to everything, anywhere. If you want to order a new card or view your PIN the process takes a couple of taps.
3. Budgeting tools – App-based banks are ahead of the curve when it comes to providing their customers with ways to sensibly manage their money, providing customers with budgeting tools, intuitive ways to pay and notifications for when you’ve gone over your budget.

What are the similarities between app-based banks and traditional banks?
1. Regulation – Both are regulated by the same banking laws and basic regulatory requirements.
2. Customer service – Some traditional banks have excellent customer service. Still, app-based banks have had to go the extra mile to persuade customers that the digital approach is as safe and effective as traditional banking.
3. Full suite of current account services – Both offer overdrafts, savings accounts, debit cards and the ability to link your account to your mobile wallet such as Apple Pay.

What are the disadvantages of app-based banking?
1. Depositing cash & cheques – If you find yourself needing to deposit cheques or paying in cash regularly, you may find you’re limited using app-based banks.
2. Personal touch – Once upon a time, your bank manager would be the person you’d talk to about borrowing money, mortgages and investing. If you like the reassurance of speaking to someone about managing your money, app-based banks might not be for you. In the wake of the pandemic, I suspect many banking customers have already gotten used to this not being readily available to them.
3. Smartphone usage – You’ll need a smartphone to get access to app-based banks, and you’ll want to keep your phone charged if you need to manage your money.

How long before all banks become app-based banks?
For me, the answer lies in human behaviour.

Currently, it’s estimated that over 54 million individuals in the UK have a bank account of some description. As of January 2021, 14 million of us opened an app-based bank account.
So, what’s it going to take for the remaining 40 million people in the UK to do the same?

There are two examples in recent history of human behaving changing significantly over time.
One is the rise of mobile phone ownership, and the other is the speed at which the high street is dying as people turn to shopping online.

In 2008, 79% of households in the UK owned a mobile phone. It took ten years for that figure to reach 95% of households.

In 2008, 53% of households made purchases online. It took ten years for that figure to reach 78% of households.

Some people may be waiting for their traditional bank to catch up – many of the high street banks now offer a plethora of online banking tools, so you could argue the experience isn’t all that different from using an app-based bank.

In reality, though, it will take years for traditional banks to catch up with their digital siblings. It’s like trying to turn an enormous ship around – their systems are built on legacy technology that will take a long time to replace. The infrastructure of their businesses are complex, and it’s going to cost a lot of money to attract young coders and developers needed to create the platforms the app-based banks have without the same desirable offices, benefits and culture the digital banks offer.

I have two bank accounts. One is with a traditional bank, HSBC, and the other is with digital bank, Monzo. Interestingly I still choose for my wages to be paid into my HSBC account, despite understanding the benefits of digital banking.

Why? Because it’s a habit, it will take me a few years and a few more mates to do it first for me to make the transition. It will happen, but I’ve owned a mobile phone for twenty years and still have a landline phone, you know, just in case.

Did you know you’re more likely to get a divorce than you are to switch current accounts?

It will likely be a while before we see all the traditional banks close their doors for good; after all, we’re creatures of habit.

Keep up with the fortunes of the banking industry with The Banking Comms Index.

PRCA Global Advisory Board

The PRCA launches its Global Advisory Board

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The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) has confirmed the formation of its Global Advisory Board to expand the Association’s international support of PR professionals.

The Global Advisory Board is made up of internationally recognised PR leaders who will work alongside the PRCA’s International Director to expand PRCA operations in emerging PR markets.

The PRCA currently operates in 70 countries across the world with members in locations including Argentina, Hong Kong, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, the UAE, the UK, the US and Vietnam. The association will also continue to manage the global network of PR associations ICCO.

Inaugural Board members are:

Ahmad Itani, Cicero & Bernay Communications’ Consultancy founder and CEO
Alison Clarke, Alison Clarke Consulting founder
Elena Fadeeva, FleishmanHillard Vanguard’s founder and general director
Fred Cook, Golin’s chairman emeritus and director of the Annenberg Center for Public Relations
Gustavo Averbuj, Ketchum’s partner and regional director Latam
Israel Opayemi, Chain Reactions Nigeria’s managing director/chief strategist
Jim Donaldson, FleishmanHillard UK and Middle East’s CEO
Jordan Rittenberry, Edelman Middle East and Africa’s chairman
Lee Nugent, Archetype regional director APAC
Mary Beth West, Fletcher Marketing PR’s senior strategist
Nitin Mantri, Avian WE’s group CEO and ICCO president
Omar Qirem, Edelman Middle East CEO
Rachel Friend, W Communications CEO

‘As the world’s largest PR body, our mission is simple – to raise standards all across the industry, all around the world,’ said PRCA director general Francis Ingham of the board’s creation.

‘We want every PR professional to enjoy access to world-class support and representation. The pandemic has accelerated our international plans, and democratised our offering to communications professionals around the world. Whether you work in New York or New Delhi, fintech or healthcare, the PRCA is here to support you, and to fight for the future of our profession.

‘I’d like to thank the esteemed members of our Global Advisory Board. Individually, they are each globally-renowned industry pioneers. Collectively, they will turbocharge our international expansion, and be a positive driving force for global PR.’

For more on the work of the PRCA, read our previous interview with Mercer UK’s Emmanuel Ofosu-Appiah on the association’s Race and Ethnicity Equity Board (REEB) and our feature on the Disability@thetable podcast with Mark Webb.

Reputation Management

The woes and pros of reputation management

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This is a guest post from Pearl M. Kasirye, head of PR at Pearl Lemon. She works in reputation management, crisis communication, and loves the challenging aspects of her profession.

One of the most complex forms of Public Relations is reputation management. It’s the one that attracts the most exciting clients and keeps PR teams busy 24/7.

‘Cancel culture’ is in the zeitgeist and people’s reputations are at greater risk of getting damaged. Reputation management clients are the kinds who keep you up at night thinking about whether or not to put on Olivia Pope’s white hat.

Sometimes clients get in real trouble, and they need us to clean up their image. When we get clients like this, it is never a walk in the park, and our approach is always different because of the complexities of reputation management.

What are the Biggest Challenges?

The more scandals companies and individuals get involved in – the more clients and money PR firms get. I know, it’s not pretty, but that’s the truth.

Challenge 1:
What do you do when a client gets into a scandal that puts you in a moral dilemma? It can be hard to swallow if you are part of the LGBTQ+ community and your client got caught harassing or saying derogatory things about people like you.

There’s that moment when you find yourself wondering how to approach it. It’s challenging to keep a straight face when you know that your client behaved that way or said things that personally offends you.

This is when it gets interesting because you get to empathise with the audience that is angry with your client and understand what needs to be done to mitigate the situation.

It can be both a blessing and a headache when you are in a situation like this. When you work in reputation management, you’ll inevitably get clients whose scandals personally offend you and make you question your moral ethics.

The question is, how will you handle it?

Challenge 2:
Sometimes, there is a huge gap between how the client views their brand versus another brand. The trick is to understand that gap from the start and analyse how to align those two things.

Here’s an example: when you have a client who specialises in tech, and they think they are the most innovative and unique, it’s possible that they really are just average.

Your role as their PR manager is to look for those distinct elements within their brand that makes them stand out. This can be challenging at times because you can’t just tell your client, ‘Hey, sorry, you’re just not that interesting,’ and walk away.

You have to see it through! Look for a human interest story, a quirky tidbit about the company/client, or a newsworthy PR angle that could help you build a strong reputation for them.

Challenge 3:
Reputation management is not an exact science. Just like with any PR service, there are no real guarantees that you can give clients. Someone may hire you to put out a fire and fix their brand image, then leave right after they get some good press.

Then they may return when they’ve made another mess that you need to clean up. For this reason, reputation management is an ongoing PR process. Many clients think it’s a simple thing that can be solved in one or two months. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

In my experience, I’ve found that having a three to six month minimum for contracts is essential. Within this time frame, clients can start to see real tangible results. However, it’s unfortunate that many of them come in expecting us to fix their lives in a matter of weeks.

On a Lighter Note
Reputation management is a very rewarding form of public relations. It’s one of the most challenging, along with crisis communication. Reputation management can often feel like playing a three-month-long game of chess.

You’re constantly anticipating, strategising, and making decisions to kill the bad press or fix your client’s reputation. If you’re a chess nerd (like me), then you’ll find this line of work exhilarating and intellectually stimulating. Every client presents unique challenges that push you to your limit.

Regardless of the ups and downs in this line of work – it’s clear that there’s never a dull moment! What a way to grow and push yourself to be better! Over time, you start to look at the world differently and find unique strategies to keep your clients looking good.

Want more on managing reputation in difficult situations? Check out our previous piece on embracing technology in a crisis and learning the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

For monitoring the reputation of your brand, business and clients across the media, try Vuelio’s Media Monitoring solutions. 

ICCO logo

ICCO and The Trust Project team up to promote media freedom

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The International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) has partnered with media and journalism organisation The Trust Project (TTP) to support a free news media, address misinformation and promote public access to accurate news and information.

Already a specialist advisor to the Council of Europe on free speech and media literacy, ICCO will now be supported by TTP in this work. The partnership will also promote the Trust Indicators as news literacy tool for those working in PR, their clients and the public. ICCO and TTP will collaborate on resources, tools, new standards for the industry and activities to promote education on free speech and media literary across the globe.

ICCO’s Europe president Massimon Moriconi said of the partnership: ‘Misinformation spreads quickly, damaging the work of PR and communications, therefore it is essential we support trusted, credible media. PR also relies on a free media to report information without fear of punishment. Without a free press, there is no free communications. I look forward to partnering with The Trust Project in our work with the Council of Europe and with our members, on building productive networks, campaigns and shared practices between trusted media and trusted PR’.

The Trust Project’s founder and chief executive added: ‘I am pleased that public relations professionals, led by ICCO, are helping to lead the effort to elevate honesty over misleading reports and claims. The rise of both misinformation and attacks on the press make our collaboration urgent and essential’.

September is ICCO’s PR Ethics Month, which aims to highlight the importance of facts, ethics and truth in the communications industry.
US-based not-for-profit The Trust Project works with news organisations to promote transparency and truth, and enable the public to make informed news choices. It has partnered with over 200 print, online and television media across the world.

For more on ethics in PR, read up on the PRCA Ethics Council’s first Annual Perspective, released earlier this year.

Interested in how the media industry can tackle misinformation? Download our ResponseSource whitepaper Fact-checking and fast news: Expert lessons for journalists and the media.

Cut for time Neuro PR

Cut for time: extra answers on neuro PR from Harvey & Hugo’s Charlotte Nichols

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Our latest webinar was with Harvey & Hugo PR’s managing director and Leader of the Pack Charlotte Nichols who shared how delving deeper into the subconscious can help us all better understand our clients, consumers and our own creative impulses.

Watch the Neuro PR: Strengthening the Brain and Brand Connection webinar here.

Dispelling the myth that full focus is needed from your intended consumer base to get long-term loyalty and engagement, Charlotte extolled the virtues of the modern audience’s split attention. Looking away from the screen a campaign starts on, for example, doesn’t necessarily mean it won’t have an impact…

We ran out of time to answer all of the questions that came in during our session with Charlotte, so the neuro expert has agreed to share more of her brain power with us on testing out ideas and how to handle proponents of more traditional ‘spray and pray’ PR approaches.

How can we test initial branding ideas to see if they are landing as we want?
One of the easiest ways is to run a focus group, however you’re relying on the fact that people will only answer to project a certain type of image of themselves, not actually what their subconscious actually tells them. You’re also mainly engaging their conscious brains so may be affected by inattentional blindness and more often in this situation the counter argument.

What I’d like to use more commonly are techniques of measuring the brain directly, such as using fMRI scanners and EEG headgear that can measure electrical activity.

Unless you have a good relationship with your local neuroscience faculty at a nearby Uni, these aren’t as accessible or affordable at the moment, but I believe that will change in the future.

Can you give some advice for countering when a colleague says we ‘spray and pray’ with our communication, implying we communicate too much?
Can you ever communicate too much?!

It can often, from an internal perspective, seem like you do, but you’ve got to remember you’re hyper aware of it. To the external, messages often need to be seen seven to 10 times before recognition. I believe in a multimedia approach – messages need to be seen, heard, clicked, watched, interacted with and this all leads to them being felt – which is ultimately what you’re aiming for.

What is important is to make sure your message is shared where your target audience is and is directly tailored to them at the right time.

Some simple feedback from some of your customers would perhaps put a colleague’s mind at ease, i.e. ask leads / customers – where did you see us? How often had you seen us, was it too much?

Also they often use the pray element to say that it is not measurable. It can be hard to measure changes in perceptions and reputation without the tools above.

Mention that all of the big brands have faith in their campaigns and that’s often what leads to their success – they’re willing to give things a decent chance.

Try and get colleague buy-in from the start of campaign with messaging and ads – even if you’re making them feel like they’re suggesting it when really it was you – they will feel more empowered and give the campaign more of a chance.

Read our write up of the Neuro PR: Strengthening the Brain and Brand Connection webinar for more from Harvey & Hugo PR’s Charlotte Nichols.

Looking for more on engaging the minds of your consumers? Read up on the importance of picking the right ambassador for your brand and whether or not it’s a good idea to get your business involved in politics.

PR for start ups

How to approach PR for start-ups

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This is a guest post from Espresso’s Stacey Jaffe, who co-founded the agency with Lisa Fox.

Espresso is an agency that works predominantly with start-ups and growing businesses. Our approach focuses on getting under the skin of the brands we work with to fully understand the business founders and their background as a means to tell their story and build a brand personality. We seek to understand our clients’ business objectives in order to utilise PR to help achieve them.

Each client is unique with their own aspirations, story to tell and objectives. Our passion and proposition is to help start-ups achieve their business and personal objectives through the means of PR.

The PR landscape has changed significantly over the last year, the boom of exciting new businesses and innovations supported by the British public has resulted in new forms of media and new opportunities for growing businesses.

Here are five top tips from us on how to approach PR for start-ups:

1. Work with clients you want to work with
The beauty of having your own agency is working with clients you want to work with. Working with clients who you fully understand or consume on a personal level is a massive benefit. If you are not the target consumer, make sure you do your research and understand your target consumer, what makes them tick and what/who influences their spending habits.

2. Reserve budget for the must-have opportunities
Start-up businesses don’t always have additional budget to spend – every penny spent must be accounted for and result in conversion. Rather than using the budget on big campaigns that undoubtedly have a risk factor, we focus the majority of budget on fee allowing us the time to fully immerse ourselves with the brand using our experience and contacts to deliver maximum results.

3. Know your target audience
The media landscape continues to evolve. Think hard about media targets, whilse some coverage/publications may look impressive, they may not reach your audience. Start-ups usually seek PR with a purpose. Whether that be ahead of fund raise, to help enter products into retail, to build the brand and audience or to kick-start sales, we concentrate our efforts on the desired results and depending on the specific objective the media focus will change. For example, if a start-up is prepping for a retail meeting, a meaty business feature in a broadsheet is useful to have up a client’s sleeve. If we’re focusing on pushing sales and building a brand identity, we’d opt for a targeted influencer programme.

4. Work with the right influencers
It’s not all about the numbers; take time to investigate engagement and followers. When we started out in PR, social media was not on the table. We’ve had to evolve and learn and now truly see the value of working with the right influencer. We tend to focus on up-and-coming influencers with a genuinely engaged following. Don’t be afraid to spend reasonable budget on influencers if they can deliver well thought out, well executed content that impacts brand reputation, drives awareness and sales.

Got big ideas for your start up or start up clientele, but working with a small budget? Take advice from The Wildlife Trusts and Tiny Tickers on their successful (and tightly-budgeted) campaigns. 

Neuro PR Vuelio webinar

How to strengthen connections to your brand with neuro PR

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Using neuro connections to form unconscious and potentially unbreakable bonds between brands and consumers – sounds kind of sci-fi, perhaps. But don’t be worried – it’s perfectly natural.

Why are we drawn to particular cans of baked beans when we’re shopping, even if we don’t care what they taste like? Why is it so automatic to blurt out a certain chocolate bar’s tagline when someone mentions ‘taking a break’? This is the power of the subconscious and it’s something Harvey & Hugo PR’s managing director and Leader of the Pack Charlotte Nichols believes all PRs need to be aware of as part of their work.

Leading our latest webinar Neuro PR: Strengthening the Brain and Brand Connection, Charlotte showed that good PR takes the way our minds work into account and works with it. If your mind is now conjuring up those old stories of cinemas splicing pictures of popcorn into the adverts before films to boost concession sales, certain scenes of similar splices in Fight Club or the messages hidden in billboards in They Live, be assured that neuro PR isn’t anywhere near as nefarious – it’s just very clever.

Here are some of the useful ways Charlotte shared for creating memorable campaigns and locking in loyalty with brain science…

Get eyes, and brains, on you
‘We don’t see with our eyes, we see with our brain. We think we’re in control of our focus – we’re not,’ said Charlotte.

‘For example, think of ‘the cocktail party effect’. You’re deep in conversation with someone. All of a sudden, you hear your name from somewhere else in the room. Your subconscious scans the room all the time, no matter where you are, and picks up little alerts.

‘When you say “I’ve got a feeling about it”, it’s actually your subconscious. Often, we make decisions with our ‘gut feeling’, then use our rational thoughts to justify our decisions.

‘In the marketing sector, people say that “adverts don’t work”. Sometimes you can’t remember the adverts, sure, but it doesn’t mean it hasn’t gone into your brain. It’s always there, in your “gut feeling”.’

Attract the right kind of attention
Full attention from an audience can have its drawbacks. According to research, there are negatives that come with ‘high involvement attention’ – watching a perfume advert – versus ‘low involvement attention’ – checking your phone while the ad plays on a TV on the other side of the room.

Perhaps while watching a perfume advert, you realise you don’t like the model or actor chosen to represent the product. This can cause ‘inattentional blindness’ – ‘where you’re so distracted by one thing, you miss the message,’ says Charlotte. Letting messages seep through into the subconscious may be more effective. Certainly better than a potential customer watching an expensively-produced commercial with an internationally-famous actor and only thinking ‘Ugh, I really hate that guy’.

Enhance powerful emotions
‘Emotions exist to move us as humans,’ says Charlotte. ‘We feel first and then the brain interprets it.’
‘Feeling is an unconscious experience – you cannot control the way you feel. We frame things with our rational conscious thought, sometimes even doing that can’t take away the feeling of it.

‘There are also sematic markers when we feel emotions. Sweaty palms – that happens before our brain registers that emotion. We start running from a bear before our brain processes what’s going on. We feel first, and then our brain interprets it. That’s why all these small touch points add up to a massive experience of emotions.’

Brands that are making good use of their customers’ emotions right now that we can learn from? Charlotte pointed to McDonald’s current focus on friendship groups meeting up again after the isolation of lockdown: ‘They’re doing really well with their recent ads, it appeals to your emotion – wanting to meet up with your friends… and maybe you just really want chips, too.’

Show your brand’s personality, story and purpose
While brands like Tesla push brand personality first and foremost in campaigns focusing on sustainability, there are some standard personality traits that are tried and true, whatever your brand, product or service.

‘Listen and engage,’ says Charlotte.

‘You don’t always have to be doing anything. It can do your brand so well to just listen to your customers – social media is great for this. It helps build that emotional connection.’

Make good memories and good first impressions
‘The language we use is so important. We’re told imagery is more important, but never underestimate the words we use.’

‘As PRs, we are the artists of semantic memory networks. You can change these networks, it just takes a long time to do.’

The saying goes that first impressions are particularly important and, as Charlotte showed, there is evidence to back this up. Brains don’t always want to work so hard – ‘the brain uses 25% energy at rest,’ shared Charlotte. ‘You won’t remember something that’s really hard to understand, so don’t underestimate the power of a catchy tagline’.

Use your brain
After all this talk about other people’s brains, don’t forget to make the most of your own. Take time to think and really ruminate about the projects you’re working on.

‘Our subconscious is so powerful. As PRs and marketers, we can be guilty of measuring results the same way, over and over again. Meditation will boost creativity and it’s just good for our health.

‘I believe in the future we’ll be doing more of this to get to know ourselves, and our brands, much more.’

Watch the webinar here.

Want help listening to your audience to make connections? Try out Pulsar’s social listening solutions and the Vuelio media database.

Christmas in September - Journalist Enquiry Service

Christmas in September: what journalists are requesting for the festive season

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While it can feel like the Christmas season comes earlier every year, journalists are already busy putting their festive features for Xmas 2021 together (and it’s not even Halloween yet).

During August, the helpful elves (media researchers) on the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service team received around 150 requests with a mention of the word ‘Christmas’, with the majority focusing on ‘gift guides’, some looking for generic Christmassy stories and case studies, and a handful asking for help with advent calendars, food and drink and competition prizes.

It’s shaping up to get even busier during September – if you haven’t used the service before, book a demo here. In the meantime, here are a taster of themes we’re seeing so far from titles including Pick Me Up!, the Daily Mail, Good Housekeeping, PlantBased and more – could you help the media with any of these topics?

What to put under the tree
– Gifts you can find in garden centres – ornaments, crystals, candles, plant pots
– Prezzies for your pets
– Eco- and vegan-friendly beauty, food and drink
– Books of all genres
– Sustainable or handmade decorations, tableware and craft kits
– Geek-worthy gamer and streamer tech
– Educational stocking stuffers for children
– Slick skateboards for review

Ways to get in the Christmas mood
– Juicy Christmas-related stories involving relationship woes, quirky health anecdotes and love rats (these are not just for Christmas, of course)
– Food, sock, pet, beauty, alcohol and, of course, chocolate advent calendars
– Santa grottos worth a visit this year
– Chutney recipes to pair with wine
– Ethical and sustainable or personalised loungewear for Christmas chill time
– Festively-filled sandwiches for review

Spokespeople or expert commentary*
– Commentary on the pet gifting industry
– Interviews with women who’ll be working over the Christmas
– Business details and stories from black-owned hamper brands
– Uplifting stories from women who’ve experienced something inspiring over the course of the pandemic and would like to share
– Real-life Christmas community stories
– Advice for how to bring Christmas cheer back to events after the UK’s lockdowns
– How to stay calm when things get stressful with the family
– Comment on how the HGV driver shortage and shipping costs could impact Christmas shopping options this year

Could you help with filling up these Christmas features this year? Try out the Journalist Enquiry Service to have enquiries from journalists looking for help delivered straight to your inbox – no sleigh or reindeer set up needed.

*Father Christmas is not available for comment this time of year – very busy

Want to know how to make the most of the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service? Read our tips for responding to journalists.

PR and social media - a match made in marketing heaven

PR and social media – a match made in marketing heaven

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This is a guest post from Fox Agency’s head of PR David Clare.

It would be fair to say that we probably share too much on social media. Aside from the photos of perfectly poached eggs and smashed avocadoes #brunching all over our feeds, our social media profiles are also where we share what interests and excites us, what enrages and outrages us, our politics, our values and yes, possibly the odd cat video. And do you know what we call that in the PR world? Ready-made consumer research.

David Clare Fox Agency

Listen up
Look at your own social media, how much are you telling the world about yourself? Using social media to gain an audience insight and discover what your following is saying about news and current hot topics ensures that your brand can add something relevant to the conversation. And do so with language and tone of voice that’s going to resonate with your audience and different segments within that audience.

Social media, opposed to more traditional means of gathering data such as surveys or focus groups, offers real-time audience perception and insights, saving brands time and money when it comes to getting the inside scoop on their audience.

Think also about the different conversations which take place on Reddit as opposed to Twitter, and how your audience needs to be observed across a number of platforms in order to build the big picture of who your audience is, what they care about and how your brand is going to engage them.

Whereas measuring sentiment on news stories is likely to produce a majority of positive or neutral results, social media allows us to gain a much more well-rounded and personalised understanding of the reaction to a brand’s news or opinion. The journalist reaction to an announcement will differ dramatically to the reaction of a devoted fan-base.

In the same way that we can track an audience’s interests and insights, the same can be said for journalists. Knowing a journalist’s social media movements, enables PRs to make a well-aimed pitch with a much higher success rate, knowing the journo in question is already engaged with the topic of the pitch. Listen and learn, people.

Speak up
Gone are the days when brands could sit quietly in a corner, watching a debate unfold and keeping schtum. Today, it is more or less expected of a brand to join the conversation on matters such as the Black Lives Matter movement, climate change, or at the opposite end of the spectrum, Cuthbert the Caterpillar and Weetabix with beans.

Traditionally, PR has been the medium through which a brand expresses its values and opinions and manages its reputation. However social media offers an even more immediate outlet, unfiltered by journalists, for a brand to have its say.

Additionally, the pace at which the conversation changes on social media is rapid, therefore making it vital for brands to keep abreast of discussions to ensure their responses are reactive and relevant.

More so than just keeping up with the conversation, social media enables brands to keep ahead of the curve. Being aware of the little ripples on social media can lead to making a big splash with your thought leadership and opinion work in PR. Noting emerging trends and scoping out the next hot topic via social media can inform your PR decisions and make sure your audience ‘heard it here first’.

Look up
And social media isn’t just an outlet for opinion. Oftentimes, your audience will turn to social media for news and current events, before consulting more traditional outlets. We’ve all happened upon a piece of breaking news during a morning Twitter scroll and only later sort out the details via our newspaper of choice.

Monitoring social sharing is great way to get an insight into not only how many people are reading an article, but also how engaged people are on a topic over time. If shares on articles about certain topics are decreasing, Coronavirus for example, then adding to the pandemic chat probably isn’t going to be worthwhile at that moment.

With this in mind, brands need their news to not only be newsworthy but also social media-worthy. The story needs to be something that can be shared and spread across social media in a snowball of increasing reach and engagement. Whether it’s a headline, a key stat, or an incredible piece of imagery, news for your brand needs to be scroll-stopping.

Hook up
At last, we are emerging from the dark times of regarding PR and social media as add ons and afterthoughts. ‘Oh, can you put something out on socials?’ or ‘And then we’ll do some PR’. No.

It’s now abundantly clear that PR and social media are vital elements of the marketing mix and that when combined with an aligned strategy, one feeds and informs the other, increasing audience understanding, boosting awareness, and speaking with a brand voice which has its finger on the social pulse. Ultimately, they’re a match made in heaven and if they’re not hooking up, you’re missing out.

Find out about Vuelio’s media monitoring services and Pulsar’s social listening solutions for keeping ahead of the conversation and ensuring you and your brand are a part of it.

PR's class problem needs to be fixed

PR’s class problem needs to be fixed

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Those in positions to make change in our industry are, in some cases, starting the work of listening to and acting on conversations around race, gender, sexuality, disability and class equality, and change is trickling down into campaigns that increasingly speak to a wider audience. But take a look at the make up of our workforce and it is clear there is much to do before the UK comms industry can reliably communicate with everyone it hopes to in society.

I hate cliches, prejudices and preconceived ideas, but I have them; we all do. When working on the media side of the PR/journalism field earlier in my working life, the descriptor ‘PR’ automatically conjured up a certain expectation in my mind, formed from the experiences I’d had so far. PR, to me, meant the person I would be working with would most likely be white, female and definitely middle class. If higher up in the agency or in-house hierarchy, I would expect to be dealing with a middle-class man instead. Usually, I’d be right in those expectations – I loved to be proved wrong.

When it comes to class, the PR and comms industry is still ‘posher’ than others. PRCA’s PR and Communications Census for 2020 found that the number of PR practitioners who attended fee-paying schools is three times that of the national average – 21% versus 7%. CIPR’s State of the Profession also underlined the issue with class inequality – PRs are more likely to have a degree (76%) when compared to the general public (35%). 41% of PRs have parents with university degrees, while around half of that number (21%) received income support or free meals during their time at school.

During our accessmatters session with The Social Mobility Foundation’s Sarah Atkinson, we asked the audience if they’d ever felt discriminated against because of their social background – 83% answered yes.

Sarah wasn’t surprised: ‘People are being judged for their accent, for not quite knowing the right things to say or do, not dressing ‘properly’. Others are assuming everyone can afford to do things. There are people asking, when you’re 35-years-old, what school you went to, as though that’s information that anyone needs.’

The first interview I attended when dipping into comms was with a man who looked at me like I was a miracle – a person who had attended a comprehensive school and then got into university. He genuinely didn’t seem to realise that these things happened. I’d never experienced this confusion and awe from anybody before. But then, like him, I’d never really had significant interactions with many people outside of my own social or class bubble. During the interview, he (not unkindly) aped some of my pronunciations with a little laughter and insisted on giving me £20 for the train home. I was offered the job, but I was rattled – I didn’t take it.

If you’re part of that 83%, come from a low-income background bolstered by Family Credit, or have working-class roots, the difference from your peers in comms can impact your work and levels of comfort. Backgrounds don’t get left behind because of achievement, or time. According to the statistics, ‘low-ability’ children from high-income families are 35% more likely to be high-earners than ‘high-ability’ children from low-income families. Only 12% of chief executives are from lower-class backgrounds. As Sarah summed up: ‘Talent is not making as much difference as background’.

Beyond personal achievement and career goals, imbalanced and unrepresentative creative teams can mean completed projects that only connect with a percentage of the public they should. On the launch of the PRCA’s Schools Outreach Programme in March of last year, PRCA director general Francis Ingham summed up the problem of unrepresentative teams: ‘Broadening the talent pool is not a virtuous ambition – it is a business imperative. The success and sustainability of our industry is dependent on our workforce reflecting the society it seeks to engage.’

Welcoming people from all backgrounds into comms is what’s needed to have every tool to hand for putting together campaigns that work, regardless of the background and circumstances of those you’re communicating with. Initiatives including the Schools Outreach Programme, the Social Mobility Foundation, the Taylor Bennett Foundation’s training options and A Leader Like Me’s Flight and Nest programmes mean the teams we work with will hopefully be less uniform and more representative of society as a whole. Until we get there, lowering that 83% of those who have felt discriminated against because of their background is work we can all do, every day.

‘Be an advocate,’ advises Sarah, ‘spotting those things where not having enough money, or understanding of the culture, can make all the difference.’

Watch our previous accessmatters sessions here for more on different experiences from across the industry and how to be more representative in your own work.

PRCA

The PRCA teams up with the Ethics and Compliance Initiative (ECI)

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The PRCA Ethics Council and the Ethics and Compliance Initiative (ECI) have teamed up to launch a first-of-its-kind research project focusing on worldwide ethics and compliance in PR and communications across the globe.

Launching in time for the start of Ethics Month for PR and Communications this September, the joint survey will be based on the ECI’s Global Business Ethics Survey® (GBES®) and will poll PR professionals across the globe. Results will aim to provide insight on topics including workplace pressures and the handling of misconduct as well as how PRs across different nationalities, genders, ages, races and ethnicities perceive ethics issues in their workplaces.

The long-term strategic PRCA and ECI partnership will provide both groups with opportunities for professional development as well as platforms for discussion on issues related to workplace conduct and integrity.

‘For the first time in our industry, we have an opportunity to quantify in statistical terms the real ethical challenges confronting public relations professionals across the world,’ said PRCA director general Francis Ingham.

‘With the help of ECI’s wealth of subject-matter expertise and independent perspective, our Ethics Council will be able to deliver the undisputed international benchmark on the state of ethics and compliance.’

ECI CEO Dr. Patricia Harned, said: ‘PR and communications professionals play a critical role in the success of the organisations they serve; their work often involves unique ethics-related challenges – we are excited that this study is a first step in a larger partnership with PRCA.’

Find out more about the PRCA Ethics Council and the International Communications Consultancy Organisation’s (ICCO) here.

For more on ethics in PR, check out the findings from the PRCA Ethics Council’s first Annual Perspective published in March of this year and read up on how to balance your brand’s potential political affiliations.

ESG processes

5 tips to improve your ESG processes

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If you haven’t yet adopted Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) considerations as part of every project, campaign you work on and business decision you make, you’re in danger of being left behind.

Ethical considerations have never been more important to consumers, whichever sector you work in. We caught up with ESG Clarity’s head of ESG insight Natalie Kenway to get her take on the growing trend. Here are five pieces of advice from Natalie on ESG-proofing your work and legacy.

Engage with the issue
‘Consumers, shareholders and regulators are favouring companies that are transitioning to a more sustainable way of operating. There is a very slow realisation, and I think the pandemic accelerated this, that life and our planet are so very precious and we need to address climate change and societal issues head on. As mentioned above, companies that are looking to improve their ESG credentials are future-proofing their business and those that aren’t will be left behind/won’t exist in years to come.’

Go beyond ‘greenwashing’
‘Regulators are stepping up in terms of their requirements and investors will no longer stand for greenwashing. Reports show investors are asking more from the companies they invest in in terms of evidence of ESG – they won’t settle for lip service and marketing spiel.’

Take note from companies doing it right
‘Groups are being vocal and using their votes to force companies to think about climate change and diversity; Legal & General, Rathbones, Federated Hermes come to mind and BMO GAM.’

Pay attention to what is important to your client base
‘We are seeing consumers increasingly make purchases based on their ethics and morals across all sectors. This is all happening because the demand is there. This is only moving in one direction.’

And if a brand ambassador or a spokesperson for a campaign isn’t on board?
‘Fire them,’ says Natalie.

Want more on ESG? Here are five more reasons ESG needs to be part of your planning this year and statistics on how big business is changing.

AMEC logo

Vuelio joins AMEC

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The measurement and analysis of communications data is vital for understanding the strength and impact of PR and determining future plans for campaigns and the direction of business, which is why Vuelio is proud to join AMEC as a Full Member.

The International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) is the leading international professional body for media intelligence and insights, and a renowned mark of excellence with a 25-year record of representing specialists in media evaluation and communications research. Vuelio joins AMEC’s membership of over 200 organisations and 1,000 professionals, which spans more than 86 countries worldwide.

AMEC’s ongoing international education outreach, strategic partnerships with associations including PRSA and ICCO, and the sharing of industry-wide best practice includes its ‘Say No to AVEs’ campaign, which advocates a move away from the use of Advertising Value Equivalent (AVEs) in PR and communications work. This commitment to fairer and more accurate measurement within the industry is something Vuelio supports and bolsters with Vuelio Insights, which uses a mix of qualitive metrics, enriched data monitoring and tailored reporting for strategic recommendations.

‘Evaluating key comms activity accurately – making judgements on which parts of your business and strategy are working effectively – is complicated. Gone are the days of meaningless AVEs and vanity metrics; forward-thinking organisations demand communications measurement that directly impact business goals and moves the dial forward’ says Vuelio Insights lead Amy Parry.

‘As advocates for strategic planning based on true performance and actionable insights, we’re truly delighted to be members of a community dedicated to valuable and data-driven research and evaluation.’

AMEC global managing director Johna Burke says: ‘We are delighted to welcome Vuelio into the AMEC Member Community. The team’s expertise and enthusiasm will enrich the discussions and make us all the better as we tackle the challenges of measurement and evaluation of communication.’

For more on Vuelio’s media monitoring and analysis solutions, click here to book a demo/consultation with the Insights team.

ESG Clarity Natalie Kenway

‘We need to change our habits’ – interview with ESG Clarity’s Natalie Kenway

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With consumers paying ever more attention to the ethical and environmental provenance of the goods they buy, it is perhaps no surprise to see big companies sit up and take notice.

Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) has also become an increasingly talked-about subject among investors, who are looking to put their money in companies with less risk and more longevity.

We asked Last Word Media‘s head of ESG insight Natalie Kenway what’s driving this trend and what opportunities exist in the sector.

Why has interest and investment in ESG grown over the last few years, in your opinion?
For two reasons. Firstly, the likes of David Attenborough and Greta Thunberg have raised awareness on the damage we are doing to our planet and that we need to change our habits. Now, individuals want to align the changes in their personal habits and new values with their savings and investment portfolios.

Secondly, consumers, shareholders and regulators are favouring companies that are transitioning to a more sustainable way of operating. There is a very slow realisation, and I think the pandemic accelerated this, that life and our planet are so very precious and we need to address climate change and societal issues head on. As mentioned above, companies that are looking to improve their ESG credentials are future-proofing their business and those that aren’t will be left behind/won’t exist in years to come.

What, for you, are the chief differences between CSR and ESG?
The fact that I had to Google CSR tells you about the difference in awareness!

I think it’s fairly obvious, but ESG encompasses environmental, social and governance and CSR focuses on the social.

Maybe I am wrong on this and if this was face-to-face I would ask more questions about the question!

What big upcoming trends in ESG should UK brands and companies be aware of?
That there is nowhere to hide.

Regulators are stepping up in terms of their requirements and investors will no longer stand for greenwashing. Reports show investors are asking more from the companies they invest in in terms of evidence of ESG – they won’t settle for lip service and marketing spiel.

I think it is also important to note that this is covering all three aspects of ESG, whereas some assume they just need to tick the ‘environmental’ box. Investors now also want to know about treatment of staff, diversity in the workplace, community engagement, executive pay, transparency, voting, accountancy standards, etc.

What ESG initiatives from big brands and companies have been particularly effective this year?
It’s good to see investment managers collaborate on things like the Net Zero Asset Managers’ initiative, which is something we will be keeping a close eye on, as well as other individual group net zero commitments. We want to see interim targets in these, not just a target for three decades away.

We will also be looking at the C-suite and their approach to ESG. We think it should be tied to boards’ responsibilities and remuneration to be truly credible.

In your opinion, what should a big brand or organisation do if a spokesperson or brand ambassador no longer aligns with their ESG aims?
Fire them! See answer to above question.

Do you find contributions from PRs useful for any part of your work? If so, what kind of contributions would you welcome, and how/when would you prefer to receive them?
Pitches are always welcome! But what would be very useful is if PRs could check if it’s something A) relevant to fund selectors and B) not ground we have already covered.

Many assume that we will cover any ESG story but we are bombarded with emails and pitches every day – we have to be very selective. We are looking for the newest angles from the most senior industry experts.

For example, at the start of the pandemic we covered how it had focused the spotlight on the ‘S’ of ESG. Over a year later, we are still getting pitches on this topic.

Have a look at the website, run a quick search of the topic you want to discuss with us and see if you can put a new slant or opinion on it. That would be so very helpful.

Which organisations and companies are doing great things in ESG, and what should other orgs be learning from them?
I was really impressed with Robeco after interviewing senior management there recently in terms of their approach to impact investing but also their candidness around not being able to tackle climate change single-handedly; the firm is actively looking for other investment managers to partner with on this.

Groups such as BNP Paribas, BNY Mellon and BMO GAM have been quite innovative in their fund launches and at the smaller end of the scale I have enjoyed hearing insights from Tribe Impact Capital and Snowball.

In terms of reports, Morningstar has produced some great analyses of SFDR and the global sustainable fund market and Jefferies is another one that stands out.

I am also interested in how vocal groups are being and using their votes to force companies to think about climate change and diversity; Legal & General, Rathbones, Federated Hermes come to mind and, again, BMO GAM.

Just how important are ethics and moral choices for consumers in the modern marketplace?
We are seeing consumers increasingly make purchases based on their ethics and morals across all sectors. Just look at how many fashion brands are launching sustainable ranges, the number of food providers bringing plant-based products to the market, the adoption of electric cars and renewable energy providers in the home. This is all happening because the demand is there; this is only moving in one direction.

For more on Environmental, Social and Governance, check out these 5 reasons ESG policy needs to be part of your planning, advice from this year’s PRFest on keeping PR sustainable and statistics on the growing importance of ethical business. 

All-Party Parliamentary Groups

Are All-Party Parliamentary Groups something to worry about?

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This is a guest post by Gavin Devine, founder of Park Street Partners and member of the PRCA Public Affairs Board.

At the start of August, two newspapers splashed stories about All-Party Parliamentary Groups. First the Mirror claimed that a ‘Tory MP [had] handed paid roles on Parliamentary groups’ to a lobbyist; and then the Guardian said that ‘MPs serving on informal parliamentary groups while working in second jobs are facing scrutiny’. In both cases it was All-Party Parliamentary Groups in the spotlight. And each story revealed a whole bunch of misapprehensions about these Groups and also how regulation of them is actually working rather well.

First, the misapprehensions. It is standard fare for the media to overstate the importance of All-Party Parliamentary Groups, implying that they give some sort of privileged access or play a formal role in the legislature’s activities. Sometimes they are put on a par with Select Committees; as a former Parliamentary Clerk, this used to be pretty irritating. The fact is, they have none of these powers or responsibilities.

What APPGs do is bring together MPs with an interest in a particular subject to debate and discuss the issues, and perhaps even to work out ways to make their case to Ministers. But they have no formal role and their powers are no greater than an individual MP or Peer acting on their own. They have no access to public money, so the idea of doling our paid roles is a touch misleading. What these Groups do can be important, but it is really important not to overstate their influence.

Another misapprehension surrounds the ‘revelation’ that MPs who have interests in the subject matter often serve on these Groups – or even set them up. Well, that’s the point. Surely it can be no surprise that MPs from former coalmining areas dominate the Coalfield Communities APPG, or that those who have an interest in manufacturing or have relevant firms in their constituencies are part of the Aerospace APPG? And is it really unexpected that an MP who worked in the packaging industry for 30 years now has a role as Chair of the Foodservice Packaging Association and at the same time runs the Packaging Manufacturing Industry APPG? What is the Guardian’s point: that Mark Pawsey shouldn’t use his experience and contacts to ensure that an important industry is regulated efficiently and effectively?

Which brings us to the second point: that regulation of these matters works rather well. In fact, neither of these articles could have been written without the transparency engendered by the existing rules. We know that the various MPs cited by the Guardian have paid external roles, and even how much they are paid, because they have declared it in the Register of Members’ Interests. We know they serve on various APPGs because they have completed the very frequent returns required for the Register of All-Party Parliamentary Groups. We can see who their fellow office-holders are and if anyone provides them with support in the same, available-to-the-public-on-the-internet, register. In this case, at least, Parliament’s rules and regulations really deliver.

It seems to me that what’s really bothering the media isn’t APPGs at all: it is MPs having second jobs or being too close to ‘business’. There’s a debate to be had about Members received money from outside sources; personally, I think it is entirely legitimate if it is declared for all to see. And the discussion about proximity to companies is a tired conversation about lobbying itself. I don’t know how many times it has to be pointed out that if Parliamentarians do not speak up for major employers in their constituencies or industries they used to work in or businesses they understand and support we will end up with bad laws and regulations devised by officials who can never have knowledge of every facet of the economy and society they oversee. Lobbying is all about ensuring that the legislative process is well-informed, and if APPGs play a role in that, great.

Sitting behind all this is the on-going inquiry by the Committee on Standards into the rules for and regulation of All-Party Parliamentary Groups. This will consider all of the issues raised by the two newspaper articles and much else besides. I hope that the Committee will put any prejudices about ‘big business’ aside and judge the work of APPGs representing industry in the same way as those that are ostensibly more ‘worthy’. And I hope too that it will reflect on the way that the existing rules already promote openness; and that without APPGs MPs and Lords with common interests would simply get together informally without any transparency at all.

Read more political analysis from the PRCA in this overview of the association’s investigation into unregulated lobbying from February of this year. 

For more on the intersection of PR with politics, check out this guest post from BDB Pitman’s Stuart Thomson Guilt by association and why we need to fight back. 

Why you should write a book to build your profile

Why you should write a book to build your profile

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This is a guest post from Lucy Werner, founder of PR & design consultancy The Wern and DIY PR and brand platform for small businesses HypeYourself.com. She is also the author of Hype Yourself and Brand Yourself (the latter available for pre-order, coming out 7 September 2021).

Lucy Werner

Gaining traction around your PR business is too often focused on (expensive) industry awards, good relationships with trade publications or appearing on senior panels that, while impressive to the competitive set, can be tricky for boutique agencies and don’t necessarily help you build sales. A niche communications book is not going to win you an international literature prize, but it can really help deliver against all of a company’s business objectives – to drive sales with the right clients. I wanted to share how my book helped me and could work a treat for you:

1. Raise your game
Controlling the personal brand narrative of your PR business should be a cinch for us. We tell people from celebrities, well-seasoned entrepreneurs, and influencers how to raise the profile to grow their business. It makes sense we should be setting an example and if we are going to be speaking about our own industry, we must make sure we are sharing from a wealth of experience and continually learning and evolving our practice. Once you leave the shop floor and become the manager/CEO, it can be easy to not be as close to the evolving trends and mixing with young and emerging talent. Keeping fresh is important for the survival of your own business and to maintain industry best practice. Writing a book is the ultimate showcase of your knowledge and helps to raise your own standards because you are committing your words to print.

2. Client connection
PR is so much more than good publicity. For me, the best public relations teams really understand the business and market challenges of their client and create a tailored publicity strategy that will directly make a difference against them. The process of drafting a proposal, pitching to a publisher and then doing the hard work to not only write, edit and then market your book has really helped me to gain a different level of empathy for many of my service and brand-led clients. It is also a process that many of them are interested by… which leads me to my next point…

3. New set of skills
In the digital era, the best publicists are not the ones with a rolodex of contacts. They are the ones that can pitch a story well, at the right time, to the right contact. Whether you are helping your client secure a brand partnership, sponsorship, retail distribution: they use all the same pitching muscles. Pitching a book has given me a brand-new set of pitching and relationship building skills from creating a book title, finding contributors, and crafting angles for sales. At the time of writing, I’m now in negotiation with a commissioning editor for a business book for one of my clients – something I wouldn’t have considered attempting before learning the process in my own book.

4. New business
Yes, I wrote my book as a DIY guide for small businesses for the academy side of my business but that doesn’t mean I haven’t attracted larger b2b clients and when you are a boutique agency you only need a few of those for the pay-off to be very lucrative. I can say with 100% confidence that all current clients on both PR and design of the business are a direct result of the book. I didn’t anticipate how much a PR book would drive work on the creative and brand side of the business internationally. We’ve worked on four different design projects with a French client based on her seeing my book cover on her Kindle.

I can’t recommend the experience of writing a book enough.

Find out more about Lucy Werner’s Hype Yourself and the upcoming Brand Yourself. 

Want to get reading before you get to writing? Check out our round-up of best books for PR professionals and then, if you’ve got time, six more of the best. 

Do your customers care about your political affiliations?

Do your customers care about your political affiliations?

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While your product in the hand of the right person can do great things for your brand, the grasp of someone you’d rather not be affiliated with can do great harm. In a time where ethics are demanded of companies just as much as they are of our politicians, is the combination of business and politics a good idea?

Whether political affiliations are welcomed or not, it’s very likely to happen at some point in the lifespan of a big brand. Remember ‘Milkshaking’? Since its inception in May 2019, throwing food and drink stuffs to make a political point has earned its own entry on Wikipedia as well as lots of laughs over social media, and it’s now unavoidably connected with particular makers of milkshake. As a police request to McDonald’s to stop selling the drinks during Nigel Farage’s visit to Scotland that year went viral on Twitter, Burger King countered with a reminder tweet to their Scottish fans that milkshakes would be sold in their stores all weekend.

The reaction towards each of the fast-food giants in relation to the Milkshaking phenomenon was very different. While the signage in McDonald’s was met with ‘urine it is, then’ joke tweets from the public, Burger King’s tweet was branded ‘irresponsible’ by the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) and criticised by political figures including Tony Blair. It had also, however, cannily positioned Burger King as politically engaged with the younger portion of its consumer base… and, very importantly, as a restaurant reliably stocked with milkshakes.

Reactions to political movements, campaigns and protest have the potential to lock consumer loyalties in, but we see it go wrong regularly, too. In the US in the 70s, there was the gay community’s boycott of orange juice in reaction to the homophobic stance of Anita Bryant, a figurehead for the Florida Citrus Commission. At the time, Bryant herself claimed that ‘sales are up 15 percent over last year’ due to retaliation from the ‘mothers of America’, but the commission’s PR spokesperson called for her resignation, and the impact of the boycott was felt for years (it also inspired some fantastic OJ-alternative Screwdriver cocktails).

Fast-forward to 2019, and a US brand looking to make a new home in the UK, Chick-Fil-A, was rejected by its new target consumer base due to its political affiliations. The Oracle shopping centre in Reading announced the closure of Chick-Fil-A’s first UK-based branch eight days after its debut following media outrage over the restaurant’s history of donating to anti-LGBTQ organisations, calling it ‘the right thing to do’.

The Chick-Fil-A brand is unavoidably entangled in right-wing politics to this day – as of July this year, Senate member Lindsey Graham even vowed to ‘go to war’ for the chicken restaurant as University of Notre Dame students protested the opening of a branch on their campus. Whether support from those who vote Graham’s way will bring good fortune to the brand, or further protests will cause a dent in its profits, it will be useful to note for brands who have not yet had to tackle unplanned-for political connections.

Just as brands hop on political bandwagons to make their ethics clear to consumers, politicians have been quick to align themselves with certain products to tap into new bases, too. Brands don’t get a choice in this; so is it better to accept it or distance from it? Fred Perry famously backed themselves away from the Proud Boys, and Nintendo updated its guidelines following the pull of Animal Crossing New Horizon’s into the US presidential race with a request to ‘please refrain from bringing politics into the game’ in November of last year.

One thing brands can’t do is ignore their connection to politics when it happens – in 2018, 64% of consumers chose to avoid or boycott brands if their stance on societal issues didn’t match their own, and there’s no doubt that number will be much higher following the last 18 months or so of increased accountability, questioning of big business and ethical consumer decisions.

If your brand becomes connected to a political moment and you’re preparing to lean in closer or break away, ask yourself first – will your customers, and future customers, want to be aligned with you?

Read more about finding the right connections for your brand in our previous piece on picking the right ambassadors and taking an ethical stance.

And make sure your PR strategy is aligned with your public affairs to understand the whole issue. Vuelio provides both in its platform.

Develop your relationships with stakeholders, regulators and government agencies using Vuelio Stakeholder Management.

accessmatters overview

5 accessmatters sessions to catch up on

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We launched accessmatters to encourage listening and the sharing of different experiences and best practice from across the industry. Here is a look back at five of our sessions, focusing on topics including disability, anti-racism, social mobility and burnout.

Allyship and disability
InFusion Comms managing director Sara Hawthorn shared her experiences as a deaf person working in the media and PR, the importance of representation and what goes into achieving Blueprint Ally status. Read our write-up or watch the full session.

Antiracism
Manifest partner and head of diversity and inclusion Julian Obubo spoke about creating inclusive agencies and how we can all be antiracist in our work and lives. Dealing with clients who use racist language is covered as well as how to better educate yourself. After the session, Julian also took the time to answer extra questions.

Mentorship
Taylor Bennett Foundation chief executive Melissa Lawrence explained the aims of the social mobility charity getting more BAME people into the PR and comms industry as well as the challenges of training and mentoring the future of our industry during a pandemic. Watch the session, read the overview and check out our previous interview with Melissa for more.

Social mobility
The Social Mobility Foundation’s chief executive Sarah Atkinson took us through the charity’s work to open up opportunities for young people who may not have the support networks and stability of financially-comfortable backgrounds or family connections to help them into the world of work. Here’s our write-up.

Burnout
KDP Coaching & Consulting founder Katie Phillips experienced burnout herself following a 15-year career in Government, corporates and startups. She talked about the launch of her consultancy helping to prevent others from going through the same and the key signs to look out for in yourself and those around you when things get tough. Read more from the session and check out extra advice from Katie here.

Find out more about our accessmatters initiative here.

Inclusion in public relations

Fairer representations of disability in PR: starting the conversation with Mark Webb and Sudha Singh

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‘It feels like disability is last to the table at any diversity discussion. If it gets there at all. And yet we’re the biggest minority’ – as the host of the PRCA’s new podcast Disability@thetable, Mark Webb is making sure hidden and visible disability is part of the inclusion discussions happening across the industry.

Launched as part of the PRCA’s recently-rebranded Equity & Inclusion Advisory Council’s new initiatives, Disability@thetable shares stories and best practice advice to push conversations forward. ‘It’s some peoples’ calling to chain themselves to railings to drive change. And there’s a definite place for that, but I’m hoping to help push the story from another angle,’ says Mark. ‘A happy, positive, “look what you’re missing” tone.’

Including everyone at the table
That PR and comms so often misses out consideration and representation of disability is a severe failing – not just of the audiences we seek to address and engage, but of our workforce and its future. As quoted in this 2016 piece from Ashley Phillips, PRCA’s UK PR Census that year found that just 2% of the 83,000 practitioners working in PR were disabled people. This isn’t representative of society at large and can be incredibly isolating, as InFusion Comms’ founder and managing director Sara Hawthorn shared in an accessmatters session last year about her own experiences as a deaf person in the industry:

‘I worked in the media on and off since I was 17. There was a point before starting InFusion Comms where I had never come across another media or PR professional with a disability or impairment at all, and I’d never spoken to anyone else in the industry who was going through anything similar. I thought; this must be something missing from our organisations. Who’s missing?’

While visibility is slowly increasing in some areas of the media – Channel 4 has promised that disabled people will make up at least 70% of its presenting team for the Paralympics this year (‘lovely,’ says Mark, ‘big, positive gestures can only help nudge the diversity and disability dials’) – there’s far to go.

‘Things are getting better’, says Mark. ‘But way too slowly.’

Authenticity over tokenism
‘The comms industry can only speak from a position of knowledge and authenticity if we stop being tokenistic and become more intentional about our journey to equity and inclusion,’ believes Sudha Singh, co-chair of the PRCA Equity & Inclusion Advisory Council (EIAC).

Rebranded this year, the EIAC’s new name reflects its new, more inclusive, purpose: ‘For the longest time, organisations have been focusing on diversity as a way to correct institutional and historic inequalities,’ says Sudha. ‘Referring to people as diverse actually “others” those who don’t belong to the dominant group/privileged groups. We deliberated on the name change – it now reflects our purpose – who we are and what we are trying to do.

‘We want organisations to focus on the equity inspired designs for bringing about that change – to create equitable workplaces where talented people can thrive, no matter where they come from, what they look like. And this will require organisations to actually identify the problem areas and it is not helpful if you are determined to treat everyone equally. Inclusion of course is an outcome and has diversity at its core – do people feel valued, can they bring their true self to work? What is their experience of the workplace? Do they belong?’

Initiatives and progress
The work to ensure everyone can belong within our industry is well underway – the EIAC recently hosted its first ever #ChangeforGood Conference, supported by APCO, with over 20 speakers covering Gender, Social Mobility, Race and Disability, with more initiatives and partnerships to follow.

For Mark, the Disability@thetable podcast will be leading the charge:

‘Dream guests that won’t happen? Michael J Fox, the Back to the Future legend, now with Parkinson’s and doing amazing advocacy and fundraising work. And – showing my age, here – Gloria Estefan. I worked with her briefly in the early 90s, just as my Multiple Sclerosis was about to start sneaking up on me. Her family has been impacted by MS too. Both great communicators!

‘Aiming high but vaguely feasible? The likes of Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, Rory Cellan-Jones, Frank Gardner. All of them living a good, positive, public eye life and not defined by their disability.

Booked in already? Talented, brilliant communicators and PR people either living with, or impacted by disability… And I’m hoping I can tease out others.’

While big brands are doing their own long-overdue work on inclusivity, it has to be done properly, something Mark acknowledges is likely to be difficult going for some:

‘It’s a horribly fine line for any brand to be treading,’ says Mark. ‘It’s a strange kind of gold-rush going on in the desperate bid to be inclusive, “politically correct” and all too often, tick-box. I will single out Lego positively, for their work across pretty much all flavours of diversity. And I dine out on stories of how brilliant the senior team at Dixons Retail, then Dixons Carphone, were with me. But listen to our podcasts for that!’

The first thing organisations can do to be more inclusive of disability within their teams, their campaigns and their creative? Join the conversation that’s happening now. ‘Consult with us, engage with us’, says Mark. ‘Don’t just assume job done by slapping a wheelchair into something you’re up to.’

Find out more about the Disability@thetable podcast and more PRCA Equity & Inclusion Advisory Council initiatives here.

For more experiences from people working across the comms industry, catch up with our accessmatters sessions.