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PR Interview: Marie Fuller, founder of Simpler PR

February 3, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

‘I love the world of PR as it is so fast moving and there is something to learn every day… such a fun, creative and fulfilling career,’ says Marie Fuller, founder of interiors and lifestyle agency Simpler PR.

While adjusting to work during COVID-19 has been anything but simple for those working in public relations and comms, Marie shares the positive changes it has sparked in her sector and how she’s finding work/life balance during lockdown.

How did you originally get into PR?
I began my media career with the Daily Mail and General Trust on their home-interest magazines before moving to their Ski and Snowboard Show and Magazine which, of course, necessitated lots of travel, particularly during the ski season. When I had my first child, I was reluctant to continue travelling and thought that as a people person, and being very creative, that PR would be the perfect fit – and it has been!

What did you think working in public relations would be like before you got into the industry – what were the biggest surprises?
I had worked with several PR companies in my previous roles so had expected it to be a little easier! I quickly realised that to be successful, you have to work very hard and invest a huge amount of energy into every campaign and account. I also had thought it may be more glamorous! Although I have had my share of amazing experiences.

How has COVID-19 impacted the interiors and lifestyle sector in particular?
I think for most of our clients there has been incredible disruption but also some benefits, especially for those with a strong online presence. COVID and working from home has meant we have immersed ourselves in our living environment 24/7 and have seen how much love our homes need, and deserve! I think we have all spent money on our homes and gardens which we might not have done in normal circumstances – and I think we as a nation are seeing the rewards of investing in where we live. A new sofa does probably offer better value than two weeks in the sunshine – and when we haven’t had that option, we suddenly realise that the new sofa has probably given us a lot more than a transient suntan!

How has the pandemic changed the way you work on a day-to-day basis?
As a team at Simpler PR we are all working remotely from home. I think it is actually working really well, so long as we keep in regular contact. Emails, phones, Zoom and Whatsapp are definitely the way forward. My working day is definitely longer and I feel more creative and engaged in what I am doing.

Many have struggled with work/life balance more than ever over the last year – how do you find your balance?
The balance is kind of thrown at me in the shape of a family and pets! Walking our Springer Spaniel Archie and making sure our teenagers are usefully engaged kind of forces the balance on me. I do think I could be tempted to work long into the evening if it wasn’t for the needs of my family… so I am grateful.

Have you ever disagreed with a client during a project, and how did you deal with the situation?
Only once! It was at a photoshoot and I really felt their decision was wrong, however with subtle persuasion we were able to include our ideas too and left the client to make the choice when the project was completed. Our clients know their products so well and we respect their views; we are just there to advise – we are all on the same side and looking for the same success…

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Never work with someone you don’t like. Definitely an excellent piece of advice. This applies to clients and suppliers as well as staff! Life is too short and we need to get on well to succeed.

Would you still recommend PR as a career in 2021?
Definitely; perhaps more than ever. There are so many areas of PR and so many new avenues to explore. I love the world of PR as it is so fast moving and there is something to learn every day… such a fun, creative and fulfilling career.

For advice on finding your own work/life balance, check out these tips for staying motivated in 2021.

Scottish Budget 2021-22

January 29, 2021/0 Comments/in Political Headlines, Politics, Public Affairs Political Services, Political Database Blog Posts /by Ingrid Marin

Vuelio’s Ingrid Marin writes about the highlights of the Scottish Budget, which aims to rebuild a fairer, stronger and greener economy.

As the Scottish Budget itself observes, this year’s publication ‘is like none before it, and is informed by the experiences and impacts of the past twelve months.’

The Budget has been developed against the backdrop of the clear and significant threat still posed by the virus, but also the hope for better days ahead, with Cabinet Secretary for Finance Kate Forbes claiming: ‘this is a Budget to provide help in the immediate term, but also to rebuild a fairer, stronger and greener economy’.

READ THE FULL SCOTTISH BUDGET SUMMARY HERE

The Scottish Fiscal Commission forecasts published with the Budget suggest that GDP will fall by 5.2% in the first quarter of 2021, but the vaccine rollout will allow a return to growth in 2021-22, though GDP is not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels until the start of 2024.

These forecasts have assumed that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme will end in April and will not be replaced, acting as a driver for the forecast that unemployment will reach 7.6% in the second quarter of 2021. The Scottish Budget also notes the impact of Brexit on the Scottish economy; Scottish GDP could be 6% lower by 2030, compared to full membership of the EU.

In the immediate term, health must come first and lowering transmission rates remains the Scottish Government’s priority. The Budget supports the safe and sustainable recovery of the NHS, with record funding in excess of £16bn – an increase of over £800m in core Health and Sport funding. Acknowledging the impact Covid-19 has had on a significant number of people’s mental health, overall spending on mental health will be in excess of £1.1bn.

The Budget’s tax choices recognise the impact the pandemic is having on people, households and businesses. For example, in recognition of the unique pressures created by the pandemic on household incomes, the settlement includes an additional £90m to compensate councils who choose to freeze their council tax at 2020-21 levels.

The Scottish Government also announced that the 100% non-domestic rates relief for Retail, Hospitality, Leisure and Aviation sectors will be extended for at least three months. Should the UK Government bring forward an extension to their equivalent RHL relief that generates consequential funding, the Scottish Government will match the extension period as part of a tailored package of business support measures.

The Budget also helps people and households by securing £3.5bn for social security and welfare payments, including £68m for the ‘game changing’ Scottish Child Payment, which once fully rolled out will help lift an estimated 30,000 children out of poverty.

Seeing the first signs of hope and optimism for a better future, with the approval and roll-out of vaccinations and looking ahead to the COP26 summit, being hosted in Glasgow in November 2021, the Budget sets out a five year green economic recovery plan. The Scottish Government plans to spend £2bn on low carbon investment across the next five years, starting with £165m in 2021-22 towards large scale green infrastructure projects.

Similarly, over the next Parliament, the Scottish Government will deliver a new £100m Green Jobs Fund. This will invest £50m through enterprise agencies to help businesses which provide sustainable and/or low carbon products and services to develop, grow and create jobs. A further £50m will support businesses and supply chains to take advantage of public and private investment in low carbon infrastructure, and the transition to a low carbon economy, boosting green employment. In 2021-22, £14m will be allocated from the Green Jobs Fund.

The Scottish Government will provide £2.7bn across the Education and Skills budget. To ensure that the workforce can take advantage of the new and emerging employment opportunities as part of a green economic recovery, the Scottish Government will be providing support for individuals to retrain and upskill. In particular, it has developed the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan and is planning to establish a Green Jobs Workforce Academy.

While this is an ambitious Budget to both protect and renew Scotland, Forbes highlighted that it also comes with significant fiscal uncertainty. She said: ‘In the absence of a UK Budget, much of the information we need to plan with certainty is missing. We must persevere with a Budget based on a partial

COVID-19: Weekly Health Summary – 28 January

January 28, 2021/0 Comments/in Political Headlines, Politics, Public Affairs Political Database, Political Services Blog Posts /by Imogen Brown

The Health Summary is part of our Weekly COVID-19 Bulletin, sent every Thursday. You can sign up to receive your copy here.

Official statistics this week showed there have been 100,000 deaths attributed to Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic. Speaking at the Downing Street press conference, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: ‘I am sorry to have to tell you that today the number of deaths recorded from Covid in the UK has surpassed 100,000, and it is hard to compute the sorrow contained in that grim statistic.’

In the House of Commons on Wednesday, he said he takes full responsibility for all the actions that Government has taken during the pandemic and promised to learn the lessons of what has happened. Meanwhile, Labour Leader Kier Starmer called the number of deaths a ‘tragic milestone’ and accused the Government of being slow in its response to the pandemic, including on entering lockdown, distributing PPE, protecting care homes and securing borders.

NHS Providers said it is a ‘tragedy’ that there have been over 100,000 deaths from Covid-19 and paid tribute to the commitment of NHS and care staff. It added: ‘We won’t know the true impact of Covid-19 for a long time to come because of its long-term effects – but, as well as the high death rate, it’s particularly concerning that this virus has widened health inequalities and affected Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities disproportionately.’

The Health Foundation has argued ‘the scene for the current crisis was set long before the virus arrived’, and suggests that a lack of long-term planning and historic underinvestment in public services led to an inadequate social care system, staff shortages in the NHS, and low capacity in public health. The Foundation has called for a full inquiry on the pandemic, which assesses if health and economic inequalities in the UK have hindered its response.

On Monday, the Office for National Statistics released figures on coronavirus related deaths by occupation. It found that between March and December 2020 there were nearly 8,000 Covid-19 related deaths in England and Wales within the working age population (those aged 20 to 64 years). Nearly two-thirds of these deaths were among men, with men in elementary occupations or caring, leisure and other service occupations having the highest rates of death involving Covid-19. Men and women who worked in social care or nursing occupations had a significantly higher rates of death involving Covid-19.

NHS Confederation said the figures ‘demonstrate all too clearly the toll the pandemic has taken’ on frontline workers and said that there must be measures to protect workers who are more exposed to the virus. Meanwhile, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has called for more detailed information on how Covid-19 is impacting health and care workers, including factoring in ethnicity. RCN Chief Executive and General Secretary Dame Donna Kinnair said: ‘The loss of life of health care workers is heart-breaking and is felt profoundly by every member of the nursing community…The fact the rate of death amongst nursing staff is significantly higher than the general population highlights the absolute need to properly investigate why this is happening and give them the protection they need.’

Speaking to the Health and Social Care Committee on Tuesday, NHS England Chief Executive, Sir Simon Stevens highlighted the pressures on the NHS front line in light of the ongoing pandemic. There are just under 33,000 Covid-19 inpatients in hospitals within England over the last two weeks, this is a sharp acceleration from Christmas, where the total was around 18,000. The level of coronavirus rates differs across the country, with the Midlands reporting that 75% of its critical care wards are filled with Covid-19 patients.

The latest Real-time Assessment of Community Transmission of Coronavirus (REACT-1) survey, published today, shows that although infections in England have flattened, case levels remain very high. Professor Paul Elliott, director of the programme at Imperial College London, said: ‘We’re not seeing the sharp drop in infections that happened under the first lockdown and if infections aren’t brought down significantly, hospitals won’t be able to cope with the number of people that need critical care.’

The Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said the figures are a ‘stark reminder of the need to remain vigilant’.

COVID-19: Weekly Economy Summary – 28 January

January 28, 2021/0 Comments/in Politics, Public Affairs Political Services, Political Database Blog Posts /by Ingrid Marin

The Economy Summary is part of our Weekly COVID-19 Bulletin, sent every Thursday. You can sign up to receive your copy here.

Recent Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows that the UK unemployment rate, in the three months to November 2020, was estimated at 5%, 1.2 percentage points higher than a year earlier and 0.6 percentage points higher than the previous quarter. While youth unemployment has stopped rising, young people are bearing the brunt of the UK’s pandemic-induced economic crisis, with 18-24 year-olds accounting for almost half (46%) of the employment fall since the crisis began.

While the Government’s £2bn Kickstart jobs scheme was introduced to ameliorate the impact of the pandemic on young people, data from the Department for Work and Pensions showed that fewer than 2,000 young people have so far started new roles under the scheme. However, the programme, which launched in September, did create 120,000 temporary jobs to date. Chancellor Rishi Sunak said that coronavirus restrictions were making it harder for more young people to get started but he expected the number to rise once restrictions are lifted. Anticipating a rise in numbers, the Government has made it simpler for smaller firms to benefit from joining the scheme by removing the limit requiring they create a minimum of 30 vacancies to apply directly. This means that any business will be able to directly access the Department for Work and Pensions scheme without the need of Kickstart gateways.

Despite unemployment rising, a recent British Chambers of Commerce and Totaljobs survey of business recruitment intentions revealed that there was a ‘modest’ increase in the number of businesses attempting to recruit during Q4 compared to the previous quarter, though the figures are still below pre-pandemic levels. Firms in the public, voluntary and construction sectors were most likely to recruit, with hotels and catering firms the least likely.

During this week’s Treasury oral questions, the Chancellor recognised the significant impact of Covid-19 and stressed that the Treasury will review all its economic measures supporting businesses and jobs at the upcoming Budget in March.

Ex-Prime Minster Gordon Brown called for emergency measures to support businesses in the Budget after new research from the LSE warned almost 1m UK companies – employing 2.5m people – were at risk of failure in the next three months. Using data published by the Office for National Statistics, LSE found that the UK’s micro businesses, with less than ten employees, were particularly at risk of going under. Brown commented: ‘Governments cannot afford to be behind the curve – especially in a crisis. They have to be at least two steps ahead’.

According to analysis of a Bank of England survey by the Labour Party, the Chancellor’s ‘out of touch’ plan for economic recovery is set to ‘unravel’ because only 3% of UK households plan to spend the savings built up during 2021. Citing comments on savings and spending made by Rishi Sunak last month, Labour says the Chancellor ‘is wrong to pin his hopes solely on a consumer boom to get Britain on the path to recovery’, and calls on the Government to take urgent action to build confidence in the economy ahead of a series of ‘cliff edges’ including the deadline for applications to the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and withdrawal of the £20 Universal Credit uplift.

There has also been much talk this week about those who are still not covered by the Chancellors economic measures. According to a report by the Institute for Fiscal Studies, over 1.5m self-employed workers who do not qualify for support through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme could be supported at modest cost to the Government. The report says ministers have ‘actively chosen to exclude these people’ from the scheme, and the think tank argues that the Government could help the 1.3m people who receive less than 50% of their income through self-employment and another 225,000 people who have profits more than £50,000. Extending SEISS grants to those with income between £50,000 and £100,000 would cost £1.3bn per quarter with a payment of £7,500 per person, while extending the scheme to people with less than 50% of their income from self-employment would cost between £500m and £800m per quarter.

Supporting local business with local PR

January 28, 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 White Rose PR director Louise Pinchin.

I’ve always believed in the power of regional PR and marketing; it’s a vital element to being party of a community. In fact, being born and bred in Yorkshire, it’s one of the reasons I named my company White Rose PR. As a Yorkshire-based business we want to support other businesses local to us.

Over the past year, I’ve had the pleasure of working with several local businesses and in these challenging and unprecedented times it is always good to know that our work is keeping the wider business community thriving.

Why undertake local PR?

Local PR is a great way to build brand awareness in the community, to reach new and existing customers and build your brand reputation among an audience that is waiting to be reached.

By creating and maintaining a positive relationship with your local press, print and online, you are setting yourself up for ongoing coverage opportunities and positive press stories about you in the future. Regional PR has many advantages, one of which is that it is often less expensive than larger national campaigns. It’s also easier to see a direct impact on sales or business leads from a piece of regional PR, especially if it is done in isolation of other marketing activity. You are also targeting readily accessible customers through local PR, something that is entirely different with national activity.

Don’t think of regional PR as the poor relation to any other type of coverage your brand, company or service receives. It’s not a throwaway, easy-to-get activity and it shouldn’t be bottom of the priority list. Start thinking of it as a powerful tool in your marketing armoury when used in a timely and appropriate way.

As I always say to my clients, why wouldn’t you want the coverage? Why give your competitors column inches that you could be taking up?

Here’s a recent example from us…

Case study: Rubicon Technical

We work with Rubicon Technical, a technical services provider to the medicines, medical devices, food supplements and cosmetics industries. In late 2020, they opened their first European office in Amsterdam, just before Brexit. Why was this a good story? Because it was a positive story of a local entrepreneur who built up her business here in Yorkshire to a 15-strong team and expanded into Europe during one of the most challenging years this country has ever faced and at a pivotal time in our country’s political and economic history.

The result was extensive regional media coverage including the Yorkshire Post, Yorkshire Business Daily and Business Live as well as local coverage in Holland. The outcome was an increase in enquiries and business as well as increased social media engagement.

So, give it a try, because regional PR works.

You can follow White Rose PR on Instagram @whiterose_pr and the new company website will be launching soon.

PRCA gateway for DWP Kickstart Scheme greenlights 60 new PR jobs

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

The PRCA has been granted Gateway status by The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for the Government’s Kickstart Scheme to help young people at risk of long-term unemployment.

Encouraging organisations to start six-month job placements for those between 16-24 who are on Universal Credit, the Kickstart Scheme is funded by the Government with £1,500 also going to organisations for each job placement they create.

So far, the DWP has greenlit the creation of 60 PR jobs at 25 PR agencies via the PRCA’s Gateway application. Over 30 other agencies have also applied through the PRCA to create new positions.

PRCA Director General Francis Ingham said: ‘Economic crises invariably cause the greatest impact on those at the start of their careers. The Government’s Kickstart Scheme is a lifeline for young people – but it’s also an excellent support mechanism for PR businesses recovering from the pandemic. I’m proud that the PRCA has been accepted as the Gateway organisation for the PR industry and I’m delighted with the interest our members have shown in the Scheme. It’s a win-win for all.’

More details on the Kickstart Scheme and applying using the PRCA as a representative body can be found here.

Women in PR welcomes new senior leadership team and committee members

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

Women in PR has appointed HERA Communications MD Anna Geffert as its president. Anna replaces Bibi Hilton, who will step down after three years of leading the organisation.

Other announcements made at the virtual AGM for members last week included the appointments of Powerscourt senior consultant Ngozi Emeagi as vice president and Prudential Group communications manager Addy Frederick as treasurer.

The Romans managing director Roxanne Kalha, Ariatu Public Relations founder Ronke Lawal, Ketchum managing director of consumer brands Sophie Raine and GSK communications consultant Jennifer Thomas were also voted in as Committee members.

‘Last year saw unimaginable difficulties and loss for our members; many of whom lost friends and family, employment and security, and the ability to lean on networks and contacts for guidance and confidence,’ said incoming president Anna Geffert.

‘As a result, Women in PR has taken on a new role in helping women to rebuild and shape their careers – balancing the professional with the personal and supporting each other to overcome these challenges and lay the foundations for growth and success in the year ahead.

‘It has been such an honour to work with Bibi and the inspiring women on the Committee over the last three years. Together, we have begun to breakdown barriers of inequality for all women in our industry. As ever, there is always more work to be done and the pandemic has raised fresh challenges for us all to face. I look forward to welcoming our new Committee members to continue our campaign for equality and also to provide new, supportive tools, skills and opportunities to inspire and empower our members into senior leadership roles.’

Bibi Hinton – who steps down from her position along with Vice President Sarah Samee and committee members Davnet Doran, Ebony Gayle, Abbie Sampson and Jo-Ann Robertson in line with Women in PR’s constitution – is looking forward to seeing what the new senior leadership team will accomplish.

Hinton said: ‘It’s been an incredible privilege to lead Women in PR and to work alongside such a brilliant and inspiring committee and ambassador group. I’m immensely proud of everything we’ve achieved – from becoming a more diverse and inclusive organisation to launching our first group in Wales.

‘With her experience both of big agency and setting up her own business and her ambition, energy and exceptional leadership, Anna will be a fantastic new president for Women in PR. I know in partnership with Ngozi, Addy and the new committee will continue to drive WPR forward in our mission to increase the number and diversity of women in leadership in our industry.’

Find out more about new committee member Ronke Lawal in our previous interview and check out Addy Frederick’s work with UK Black Comms Network in our write up of its Two Steps Forward, One Step Black event.

PRCA welcomes encouraging predictions from Advertising Association figures

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

‘Excellent news for anyone working in PR, advertising or the media sectors’ is how PRCA director general Francis Ingham summed up Q3 2020 UK ad spend figures published by the Advertising Association today.

The latest Advertising Association/WARC Expenditure Report predicts that the UK’s ad market is likely to grow by 15.2% this year, with positive prospects for online platforms as well as double digit growth for the majority of media sectors.

Encouraging figures from the dataset, which includes those for Q3 2020 and predictions for the coming eight quarters, show that UK adspend showed better-than-expected internet growth, improving on its forecast of -17.9% made in October 2020. Internet spend also rose 10.1% to £4.2bn during the quarter, bolstered by a 14.5% rise in search spend.

‘PR and advertising operate within the same ecosystem and often run in parallel with one another, so I am very encouraged by the data published by the Advertising Association today,’ said Francis Ingham. ‘I’ve no doubt that 2021 will be the year our industry returns to growth and profitability.’

Read more reaction from the PRCA on the latest figures from the Advertising Association here on the website.

Mental health and motivation are the biggest threats to the UK PR industry according to PR and Communications Tracker

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

The PR and Communications Tracker from Carta Communications and The Pulse Business has found that mental health challenges and issues with staying motivated are bigger threats to UK PR teams than COVID-19.

Starting in late December 2020, the PR and Communications Tracker surveyed senior communications leaders in both in-house and agency MD positions and will run on a quarterly basis.

While 26% of industry leaders polled said that adapting to COVID-19 was the biggest threat being faced, this was behind the challenges of staff motivation and mental health, which was the top choice for 28% of those surveyed.

Despite this, 87% feel positive about the future of their business over the next year.

‘There are actually two pandemics running concurrently – COVID-19, and a shadow pandemic of mental health issues caused by social isolation, uncertainty and changes to working and living patterns,’ said Carta Communications’ founder and director Matt Cartmell.

‘We are fortunate in PR that we can work remotely and that there are always new opportunities, whatever the economic landscape. It’s great to see that so many leaders are feeling so positive – I look forward to seeing how sentiment changes through the coming year.’

The Pulse Business’ owner Imogen Osborne also sees potential in the results of the survey: ‘The findings from this Pulse suggest that once more, the PR and communications industry is bracing itself for re-invention. Some respondents are talking about how they are developing their company culture inside a flexible working model while others are coming up with new products and services that will appeal in a post-pandemic world.

‘Many of our comms leaders are bullish about the next 12 months, driven by an understandable focus on the numbers. Yet most acknowledge the issues around mental health are building and given the period for self-reflection the pandemic has necessitated, you wonder if this will lead to some radical changes in how people treat one another in an industry renowned for its competitiveness.’

The next Tracker is set to go live in March 2021 – those who wish to take part can email Imogen Osborne at [email protected].

Want more on PR trends to prepare for this year? Check out ten PR and communications trends for 2021 from industry thought leaders.

6 more of the best books for PR Professionals

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

For those who haven’t yet given up on their 2021 resolution to read more, or who just want an inspirational read or two, here are six more PR-related books to get stuck into in your down time.

Get refreshers on creating ideas that stick, the need for diversity in leadership and how to tell powerful stories with meaning.

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip and Dan Heath
If the theory of stickiness put forward in Malcolm Gladwell’s The Tipping Point has always stuck in your mind and you want more ideas for creating super-sticky campaigns, brothers Chip and Dan can help. Their 2007 book includes examples of stories that have stuck in the public consciousness and what those in PR and comms can learn from them.

#FuturePRoof Edition Five: The impact of COVID-19 on NHS comms from #FuturePRoof, founded by Sarah Waddington
NHS comms professionals continue to face extreme challenges during the global pandemic – November 2020’s FuturePRoof release gathers together 16 essays from those working in the field and covers the challenges of effective internal communications during times of such unpredictability. Read more about the latest from #FuturePRoof here.

The Art & Craft of PR: Creating the Mindset and Skills to Succeed in Public Relations Today by Sandra Stahl
Sandra Stahl’s 2018 book works as a manual for mixing your business objectives with creativity for successful outcomes. Putting forward the view that the PR industry needs those with expertise in psychology, human behavior and philosophy just as much as PR and journalism, here is where to pick up some skills to fine-tool your own craft.

Diverse Voices: Profiles in Leadership by Barry Spector and Shelley Spector
Public relations is an industry with much to do to become truly representative of the public it seeks to engage and inspire. Barry and Shelly Spector’s 2018 book features interviews with those in leadership roles across a variety of organisations and agencies to highlight the obstacles they’ve faced as well as lessons those in PR can learn from for success in their own careers.

Exploring Public Relations and Management Communication (Fifth Edition) edited by Ralph Tench and Stephen Waddington
Pearson’s fifth edition exploring aspects of PR and management comms features contributions from 35 international industry thought leaders and covers topics including media and measurement, brand reputation and celebrity. Check out its ethical frameworks, case studies and practitioners’ diaries – read more about the book here.

PR for Humans: how business leaders tell powerful stories by Mike Sergeant
Former BBC, Sky and Reuters reporter Mike Sergeant believes that ‘the most powerful communication is always delivered by humans, for humans’ – which is lucky for the human-filled PR industry that seeks to tell meaningful stories to its audiences. This 2019 book shares the secrets of good storytelling for all humans looking to communicate good ideas.

If you missed our first six recommended reads for PRs, check them out here.

Global Women in PR reveals results from its Annual Index

January 22, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

Results from the Global Women in PR Annual Index for 2020 reflect a lack of advancement when it comes to gender equality in the public relations industry, but highlight areas of opportunity for women with children.

Part of a five-year plan to measure and track the working practices of women in PR and communications across the globe, latest results from the GWPR Annual Index cover working environment, barriers to leadership, the pressures of work, impacts of being a parent and the continuing gender pay gap.

Despite two-thirds of the PR workforce identifying as female, men still held 64% of boardroom seats in 2020. Key findings in the index include:

– 80% of PRs believe that having women in the boardroom improves working practices, with 89% believing that more needs to be done to welcome women into board-level roles.
– 78% cited childcare and caring responsibilities as the biggest barrier to the boardroom
– 60% believe men promoting in their own image is a major barrier to senior roles
– 47% of women reported a negative impact on their career due to being a parent

Despite longer working hours for women in PR who are also tasked with homeschooling during the pandemic, the ability to work remotely is seen by many who took part in the Annual Index as a path to future advancement.

GWPR joint president Angela Oakes said: ‘We can see from our research that there has been little change in 2020 in the gender imbalance in the boardroom, despite the widely acknowledged link between boardroom diversity and a company’s financial performance.

‘However, the COVID crisis has created change and quickly accelerated the trend towards remote working. Two-thirds of PR professionals believe that flexible working allows women to have a family, or caring responsibilities and still progress in their career. There is clearly a demand for this, as 69% say they would be more likely to choose a job that offered flexible working over one that did not. Employers need to recognise this and acknowledge the benefits of flexible working, so we can retain female talent in the PR industry.’

PRCA Director General Francis Ingham also sees the positives that have come from homeworking: ‘COVID can provide us with a reset moment for women in PR. It can replace the painfully slow progress of the past decade with true transformation through flexible working. And when we get through this period of crisis, it will be one of the positive changes that will last.’

Read the full results from the GWPR Annual Index on the website.

Taylor Bennett Foundation appoints three additional trustees

January 21, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

Taylor Bennett Foundation has expanded its board with the appointment of new trustees Marc Cohen, MD of The PR Office, Syma Cullasy-Aldridge, director of External Affairs at PUBLIC and Jo Ogunleye, tech PR lead at KPMG.

‘We had a large number of high calibre applications, and I am delighted we have been able to appoint three trustees, bringing a great diversity of experience, knowledge and skills to further strengthen our board at this key moment,’ said TBF Chair Sarah Pinch.

‘We have exciting plans for TBF in 2021 and beyond, growing our reach and ensuring the PR and communications industry continues to stand up to inequality, invest in diversity and make real change. We are change makers, and we are ready to work with more partners.’

Of TBF’s aims, Marc Cohen said: ‘The challenge of ensuring that our industry hires and retains an appropriately diverse range of candidates is no longer a nice-to-have or a philanthropic endeavour, but a critical business need. I am very much looking forward to helping with this essential mission’.

Syma Cullasy-Aldridge sees the potential for process: ‘I personally recognise the value that diversity of thought and experience brings to an organisation and whilst some progress is being made, there is much more to do to make the real change we need and I’m looking forward to getting involved and playing my part’.

Jo Ogunleye knows the work of the foundation can make a real difference: ‘TBF has the potential to change the face of one of the most impactful industries in the country and is often life changing for its trainees. To truly move the dial on ethnic diversity and enact lasting change in PR & communications, there has to be a sustainable pipeline of BAME talent and the right support from partner organisations. I know that talent exists’.

The Taylor Bennett Foundation has been supporting young BAME people with starting their careers in public relations for over 12 years.

For more on the aims of the Taylor Bennett Foundation, read our interview with chief executive Melissa Lawrence and watch our accessmatters session here.

PRCA PR Trends event – Optimism and opportunity for PR professionals in 2021

January 21, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

The theme of ‘optimism and opportunity’ in PR ran through all of the presentations at the PRCA’s ‘PR Trends 2021’ event on 20 January.

I joined five industry leaders – Stephen Waddington, Vikki Chowney, Adrian Ma, Shayoni Lynn and Rohan Shah – to explore the emerging trends impacting public relations and communications practice in 2021.

We delivered quick-fire presentations on an industry trend that we felt would define this year, and beyond.

At a time where ‘Zoom fatigue’ is high, the number and quality of the questions from attendees highlighted both the desire and energy that exists to shape modern PR practice.

Here’s the video for those who were unable to attend the live event.

In my presentation (which starts at 31:20), I suggested history has taught us that a crisis and shocking global events can provide a reset button and be catalysts for reflection, focus and innovation.

Many comms and marketing professionals have seized the opportunity to think differently and approach their challenges in a different way.

I highlighted that leading comms and PR agencies, specialists and in-house practitioners are using data in a smarter way.

There is a growing ‘data maturity’ in PR.

Comms professionals need to capture, track and analyse media, social media, search data, web analytics and first party data to inform corporate comms, brand messaging, creative, content strategy, campaigns and even which influencers or communities to focus on and work with.

The really smart ones are, of course, using Vuelio and our sister platform Pulsar to capture and blend this data.

Here’s a summary of what was discussed by each panellist.

Vikki Chowney, H&K Strategies

Vikki joined us from New York during Inauguration Day and focused on content trends:

We’re still ‘in the weeds’ but there is much optimism
The pandemic has meant that we’ve found new ways to be creative and we have found a real “creative resilience”
There are cost efficiencies to content today – clients are much more accepting of what can be realistically achieved against the backdrop of COVID and production restrictions
The five core themes in content in 2021 are:
- Remote Directing – teams and individuals from around the world can be successfully brought into the creative and production process using remote technologies.
- ‘Rough & Ready’ content is okay – content was mostly raw and realistic in 2020 and the world of content didn’t stop turning
- Creator Inclusivity – events that would have been exclusive, behind closed doors or only seen by a few people can now be accessed by wider and global audiences
- Humanising the spokesperson – we’re seeing a whole new side to corporate comms and company spokespeople. Virtual events have brought us into the homes of business executives and leaders and we’re seeing a new side of them
- Influencers finding shared values – influencers are seeking to work with brands and businesses in ways that go beyond product placement. They want to work with those who share their values and are seeking partnerships and campaigns with meaningful societal impact

Stephen Waddington, Wadds Inc

Ever the consummate pro, ‘Wadds’ published his presentation during the event on his PR Top 10 Vuelio blog.

He highlighted the opportunity for value creation for PR agency start-ups and agencies scaling in 2021.

Stephen acknowledged that 2020 was a difficult year for many PR professionals working in sectors that have shut down, including culture, entertainment and travel.

But he also highlighted the 30 new agency start-ups in the UK that have seen the opportunity of building a business in a pandemic.

He recommended agency propositions should focus on the opportunities for value creation by helping organisations navigate these key topics:

Britain’s place in the world
COVID-19 recovery and rebuild
Climate crisis
Societal fractures
Dispersion of education, healthcare, retail and work
Media change: social and mainstream media
Misinformation
Workflow automation and artificial intelligence

Shayoni Lynn, Lynn PR

Shayoni focused on the trend towards increased application of data-driven behavioural science in communications campaigns.

As one of the ‘new breed’ of PR agencies carving a niche in this area, Shayoni and her team use audience data, behaviours and testing to inform their activity for their clients.

Behavioural insights help us understand conscious and the unconscious motivations that drive decision making
The application of behavioural science in communications campaigns can help improve vaccination take-up, convince people to adopt protective behaviours, engage with mental health services, etc.
We can’t afford to ‘stumble blindly’ anymore and we need to adopt a data-driven approach to communications planning
We need to understand audiences more deeply, including why they behave the way they do, why they make certain choices that they do, and what will drive them to take action.
Deeper insights into attitudes, habits and preferences can ensure our communications remain relevant, meaningful and effective
Nudge theory strengthens content, increases the visibility of calls to action and encourages users to take action
Cognitive bias are unconscious motivations that affect things like brand proposition, brand recall, consumer action, retention and loyalty
Consider yourself a ‘choice architect’ and design the optimum choice environment using human factors to help your audiences make better decisions quicker
Data has to monitor audience behaviour in real time
Behaviour changes are about context and what works once may not work again in a different context
Test in a randomised way, extract your data insights, learn from your test insights, and continually adapt your programme to ensure that you’re responding to your audience’s responses

Adrian Ma, Fanclub PR

Adrian talked about the role of PR in creating data and delivered the best joke of the day: ‘There were two types of forecasters, the ones that don’t know anything. And the ones that don’t know, we don’t know anything.’

Successful companies are deploying the use of big data and automation really well
Marketing has a larger technology ecosystem than PR
PR is one of the most powerful and impactful and cost-effective methods for generating brand awareness and managing reputation, but it hasn’t moved as fast as other marketing disciplines
BUT, more comms people are using the same data-driven language as marketers
61% of all PR and comms departments are responsible for both digital and social content
PR provides a ‘smell test’ that marketers can use – ‘if we come up with an idea, and we can pitch it to a journalist and editor and a publisher, that is a proof point’
When PR is combined with content marketing it can drive much more value
PR should be tracking leads and mapping against customer journeys where we can
If we can do that, we create more trust in PR as an effective tool and can demonstrate ROI to ‘upper left brain’ results-focused marketers

Michelle Goodall, Access Intelligence

I highlighted that the leading comms and PR agencies, specialists and in-house practitioners are starting to use blended data in a much smarter way.

Drawing and acting upon evolving audience insights from blended data sources should be a big focus for comms professionals in 2021.

Crisis can provide a reset button
It’s an opportunity to think differently and approach our challenges in a different way
Many PR and marketing professionals are doing exactly that and looking at innovative ways to evolve and improve
It’s right to be optimistic about things – it’s a time of change in the industry
Many PR professionals have adapted to marketing and the converged space around paid, owned, earned and shared content and campaigns
There’s an evolving understanding of the breadth of data that’s available to PR practitioners to help shape messaging, creative campaigns and content.
Leading brands, organisations and agencies and specialists increasingly have ‘data maturity’
At a basic level, data enables us to develop insights and to measure the impact of our work
But there is an increasing sophistication in the way that agencies and brands and organisations capture, track and analyse that data to inform corporate communication strategies, brand messaging, creative content, strategy, campaigns, and even which influencers all communities and communities of interest to focus on to drill into
We’re moving from simple brand, competitor and messaging monitoring towards something much more sophisticated
For example, different groups of people talk about the same topics, brands and issues differently in social media
The shape of conversations around topics like Brexit, COVID, shopping, fashion and the way I talk about them and discuss them in my groups will be different to other audience groups or ‘communities’
Communities discussing the same topics can be segmented by demographic data, socio economic data, media, influencer and brand affinity, their interests, their habits, their mindsets, etc.
Identifying how multiple audience segments or communities discuss specific topics, brands and issues differently in social media, and how that evolves, can inform the shape of your campaigns and messaging over time
Technology enables this and we offer solutions to do this

Rohan Shah, Reuben Sinclair

And finally, Rohan provided an optimistic overview of the state of Comms and PR recruitment:

In April 2020, PR recruitment activity dropped by 80% with an uptick in September
Today, we’re back to pre-COVID levels and it looks promising – Tech, Finance, Healthcare are buoyant markets
Competition is fierce for talent – ‘be open to seeing good quality candidates when you can’ and tap into your network
No real evidence of change in salaries
Not having to travel to the office doesn’t mean a reduction in salary for job seekers – candidates should hold on to their true value
There is still demand for ‘publicists’, but agencies have been diversifying their services
Future proof your skills
There is demand for social media content marketing, research and insights and paid social media
Comms professionals need to understand data and connect it with impact
The industry is focusing on attracting people with these skill sets at entry level.
Get ahead on your remote training and development programmes now
Protect and enhance your employer brand – ensure the recruitment and retention experience is no different to how you treat your clients.
Make your recruitment processes robust and fair as possible. It’s an indicator to people of the type of company they want to work for

The optimism from the panellists was also shared by attendees on Twitter after the event.

It feels like 2021 could well be the start of a new and exciting era in the communications industry.

If you’d like to find out how tools can help you capture, track, analyse and provide insight for your communications campaigns, please book a demo.

Covid-19: Weekly Health Summary – 21 January

January 21, 2021/0 Comments/in Politics, Public Affairs, Political Updates Political Services, Political Database Blog Posts /by Imogen Brown

The Health Summary is part of our Weekly COVID-19 Bulletin, sent every Thursday. You can sign up to receive your copy here.

The Government has reported the highest daily death toll since the coronavirus pandemic began this week, with daily figures from Wednesday showing that there were 1,820 deaths within 28 days of positive test. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called the figures ‘appalling’. He said: ‘I must warn people there will be tough weeks to come, but as the vaccine goes in and that programme accelerates, there will be, I think, a real difference by spring.’

Furthermore, Office for National Statistics published data on the number of deaths registered for the week ending 8 January, which showed a large increase in fatality from the previous week. Responding to the data, Nuffield Trust said the rise can be attributed to the rapid spread of Covid-19 throughout December. The Trust highlighted that with over a third of deaths registered attributed to Covid-19 and with Covid-19 accounting for over half of hospital deaths, there is a ‘real pressure’ on services.

Research from the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) published this week shows that pressures placed on doctors by the pandemic are taking a significant toll, with more than one in four doctors reporting that they have sought mental health support during the pandemic. In a survey of its members the RCP found that the majority of doctors (64%) feel tired or exhausted, and many are worried (48%). The RCP argues that the second wave of coronavirus is ‘undoubtedly hitting the NHS far harder than the first’ with the rapid rise in cases is being felt by doctors across the NHS. Additionally, delays to treatment in other areas of medicine due to the prioritisation of COVID-19 patients are also being acutely felt.

Meanwhile, efforts to distribute the Covid-19 vaccine continue. On Tuesday, the Department for Health and Social Care confirmed that more than four million people received first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine. This translates to more than half of those aged 80 and over and more than half of elderly care home residents. Speaking at the press conference on Monday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: ‘We’re on track to deliver our plan to vaccinate the most vulnerable groups by the middle of February, the groups that account for 88% of COVID deaths.’

This comes as the Government confirmed it now has the capacity to roll out vaccines to people aged from 70 years and clinically extremely vulnerable people. Though vaccinating the over 80s and care home residents will remain the priority, vaccination sites that have enough supply and capacity for vaccinating further people are allowed to offer vaccinations to the next two cohorts.

Responding to the news, NHS Providers called the development a ‘major milestone in our fight against COVID-19’. However, with intense pressure on NHS services, it warns ‘the pandemic is far from over’. It said: ‘Rising admissions rates mean trust leaders are becoming increasingly concerned about ensuring there is enough capacity – in terms of beds and staff – to safeguard the quality of care for patients.’

Finally, amid increasing staff absences and infection rates in care homes, the Government announced that the social care sector will receive £269 million to boost staffing levels and testing. The new funding will protect and support the social care sector, including care homes and domiciliary care providers, by increasing workforce capacity and increasing testing. Vital infection prevention and control guidance on staff movement in care will also be reinforced. Minister for Care Helen Whatley said the Government is ‘continuing to listen to care providers to make sure they have the help they need, from free PPE to extra testing, along with all the work to vaccinate care home residents, staff and the wider social care workforce.’

Vic Rayner, Executive Director of the National Care Forum welcomed the news and called for the funding to be urgently dispatched. She said that it is positive that the Government has recognised the extreme staffing pressures currently faced by care providers, but suggested that social care funding must be kept under continuous review, so care organisations are ‘properly supported now and in the future’.

Covid-19: Weekly Economy Summary – 21 January

January 21, 2021/0 Comments/in Politics, Public Affairs, Political Updates Political Services, Political Database Blog Posts /by Ingrid Marin

The Economy Summary is part of our Weekly COVID-19 Bulletin, sent every Thursday. You can sign up to receive your copy here.

Recent ONS data showed that the UK economy shrank by 2.6% in November as lockdown restrictions reduced economic activity. The decline followed a six-month growth spell, undoing some of the recovery in the economy. It means GDP is 8.5% below its pre-Covid-19 level from February 2020.

The economy is generally doing better than the OBR expected back in November – largely due to data revisions but also because of a smaller lockdown effect in November. However, with even tighter restrictions coming into force at the start of 2021, a ‘double dip’ recession looks inevitable.

The National Institute of Economic and Social Research argued that temporary and permanent adjustments post Brexit transition period are likely to also weigh on growth in the early part of the year, but the vaccine roll-out provides some encouragement for consumption and investment in the second half of 2021 and beyond.

Treasury minister Jesse Norman MP has suggested that tax rises may not be necessary if the economy bounces back strongly following an effective roll-out of the coronavirus vaccination programme. Speaking to the Treasury Select Committee, Norman said the economy could be sufficiently boosted by households and businesses unleashing pent up demand once restrictions are lifted.

The British Chambers of Commerce called for the Chancellor to provide urgent support for businesses across the UK that are facing a bleak future from the ‘debilitating squeeze’ of coronavirus restrictions. The BCC said that businesses cannot afford to wait until the Chancellor’s March budget, and proposes immediate measures to support cash flow including expanding business rates relief, prolonging VAT deferrals and offering an immediate, further round of upfront cash grant support, as well as maintaining the Job Retention Scheme at least until the end of July 2021.

Similarly, ahead of the Budget, the CBI also proposed extending the Job Retention Scheme to the end of June, lengthening repayment periods for existing VAT deferrals until June 2021 at the earliest, and extending the business rates holiday for at least another three months. It also calls for business rates reform to be ‘top of the list’ of action to be taken at the Budget.

Labour’s Shadow Chancellor Anneliese Dodds has stepped up her calls on counterpart Rishi Sunak to amend the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme to give working parents the legal right to request paid flexible furlough. Currently, parents can ask to be furloughed for childcare reasons, but employers can reject the request. Labour said it wants the current request system to be turned into a legal and enforceable right to apply – with an expectation that employers would grant furlough, except in exceptional circumstances.

The Resolution Foundation joined opposition parties, anti-poverty campaigners and many Conservative MPs in urging the Government to extend the £20-a-week uplift in Universal Credit introduced during the first wave of the pandemic. They warned that not extending it would contribute towards the number of children in poverty increasing by 730,000 and would mean Boris Johnson would not be able to claim to be ‘levelling up’ the UK.

With one in three children projected to be living in relative poverty by the end of this Parliament, Children’s Commissioner for England Anne Longfield also called on the Government to extend the £20 Universal Credit uplift in the short term, but said it’s a sticking plaster ‘made as a result of short-term political embarrassment’, and argued for an overhaul of the current system.

Conservative backbenchers representing 65 Northern seats, many of them ex-Labour ‘red wall’ constituencies, have joined calls for the Prime Minister to cancel a planned reduction in the benefit. Labour has called an opposition day debate on the issue in the House of Commons last Monday, but Johnson has ordered his own MPs to boycott the vote rather than risk a significant rebellion. A non-binding Labour motion calling for the universal credit top-up to be kept in place beyond 31 March passed by 278 votes to none after the Commons debate. Six Tory MPs defied party orders to abstain and voted with Labour, adding to the pressure on the PM on the issue. The motion, which will not automatically lead to a change in policy, was put forward by Labour as a way to put additional pressure on the Government to continue the increase.

Anatomy of a Campaign: Big Wave PR on Shop Safe, Shop Local

January 20, 2021/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Communications PR, Press and Bloggers, Media Database Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

The need to swiftly switch-up and rethink campaigns has been an ongoing challenge for PR and comms agencies since the UK’s first lockdown, but helping local councils to safely re-open the high street during the pandemic? For Big Wave PR, who were tasked by East Herts and North Herts District Council to do just that back in November, it’s been ‘the most challenging campaign we have ever worked on; whatever plans we create we have to change constantly.’

The Big Wave PR team take us through the Shop Safe, Shop Local campaign, the impact of Lockdowns 1 through 3 on their work and the importance of continuing to support the local high street.

Give us a brief overview of the Shop Safe, Shop Local campaign…
East Herts and North Herts District Council, like many other councils across the country, were awarded significant funds by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Her Majesty’s Government (HMG) to Re-open the High Streets Safely. The funds were awarded due to the ongoing pandemic with an aim to keep the public safe while re-opening shops, bars and restaurants.

We’ve been working with the two councils since November on an overarching campaign to encourage residents to shop safe and shop local through the pandemic.

What was the original brief?
‘To supply communications and public information activity to ensure that reopening of local economies can be managed successfully and safely’.

In a nutshell, the brief required a hardworking PR, social media and advertising campaign to ensure all business owners re-opened safely, while all members of the public were reminded of the latest public health advice.

What piqued your interest in it?
We’re specialists in the public sector and have worked with a wide range of local councils, such as Chelmsford City Council and Essex County Council. East Herts and North Herts District Councils are just a stone’s throw from our offices, so we knew we’d be able to provide specialist advice as well as hands-on support when required.

The pandemic has hit all business hard and we were keen to work on a large campaign that would really benefit our High Streets and support business, from small independents to larger chain stores.

How did you win the pitch?
The pitch process was competitive and in-depth. We had to put together detailed proposals to show how we would engage with each member of the public, from students through to the retired, who may have been shielding for many months. We outlined a campaign with a multi-channel approach, including bought media opportunities with a local outreach across newspapers, broadcast and online. We also needed to develop a creative identity for the campaign and, in partnership with our associate design agency Phelan Barker, were able to put together a collection of proposed visuals, which really helped bring the campaign to life.

We made the shortlist of preferred agencies and finally went through for pitch presentations, which were all conducted via Zoom. We were very excited to learn we had become the chosen agency.

Which team members worked on this and which skills did they each bring?
Our MD Hilary Collins is our PR and campaign strategist, and she used her skills to breakdown community groups to create channels of communication that would directly fit each group. The team got together for collective inspiration to provide creative difference. Our creative director Carl Allen was keen to show a welcoming side to the High Street, albeit with retailers in masks, which became a common theme throughout our communications. The design team, headed by James Phelan, were amazing at creating a bespoke design solution, which joined the two councils together under a shared theme and clearly and very succinctly got over our Shop Safe, Shop Local message.

What were the main challenges you faced during the campaign?
This has been the most challenging campaign we have ever worked on; whatever plans we create we have to change constantly. The pandemic, and the Government’s reaction to keep COVID-19 in check, means we’re adapting and refining our messaging and scheduling on a weekly or even daily basis. On our first day of the contract, the UK was placed into the second lockdown.

Again, we were ready to launch a New Year pledge campaign and again, we were placed in another lockdown, so we had to reflect and quickly adapt to ensure our messaging was in-step with Government guidance.

What channels and stakeholders/influencers did you use to activate the campaign?
The campaign region covers nine towns, so it was vital we gained the support of each town council and BID (Business Improvement District). We undertook in-depth pre-campaign engagement to really understand and get to know each town’s needs. We also worked alongside Hertfordshire County Council to understand what messaging was already out there on the High Street and to also reflect on its COVID-19 safety campaign public information designs. This engagement activity really helped shape the campaign, and ensured we developed marketing communications that looked ‘in-keeping’ and targeted the local issues.

What results, KPIs or coverage are you particularly proud of?
There’s several aspects of this campaign we’re proud of. First-up, we’re strong believers in ‘a picture tells a thousand words’. At the beginning of the campaign we commissioned our photographer to take stunning pictures of retailers going about their business, all masked-up, but all showing the passion they have for their business. We wanted to create a standout message, fresh communications that would turn heads and make a difference. The British spirit is alive and well on our High Streets and we wanted to demonstrate that, which our pictures show. These images have become the focal point for our content across social, online and advertising channels.

We’re also really impressed with the KPIs we’ve achieved for our New Year Pledge campaign. We had planned a big New Year launch to encourage all to buy local, but once we heard the country was going into lockdown, we transformed all communications into a ‘buy local and buy online’ campaign. Although we’re encouraging residents to support their High Street, it is always safety first.

For the revised launch we employed a range of digital outlets to get the message across and to target those in the community who were more adept at online shopping. We arranged media interviews with Councillors on radio, placed online news stories, bought homepage ‘takeovers’ on key media outlets, issued template social content to all town councils and BIDS to share on their own social channels and created online ads to push online traffic through to online shopping pages. The stats have proved very impressive.

What lessons from this will you take forward into future projects?
We’ve always thought of ourselves as flexible and can change our plans to meet the every-changing needs of our clients. But, this project has really taught us to be ultra-adaptable!

www.wearebigwavepr.co.uk www.phelanbarker.com

Do you have a campaign you would like to share? Take part in our Anatomy of a Campaign series – get in touch to find out more.

Building on the lessons of 2020 for 2021’s opportunities in PR and communications

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

‘Only by becoming solutions-led do I believe we earn the right to be heard.’

This is a guest post from CIPR’s Artificial Intelligence in PR Chair Kerry Sheehan on the changes PR professionals and communicators had to make in 2020 and how to utilise the lessons of last year for a successful 2021 in public relations and communications.

Many communicators were thrown to the forefront in 2020, re-modelling communication, marketing operations from the planned to the unplanned, and supporting business and organisations to do the same, many across services that serve millions of people in the UK and overseas, most with just hours and days to focus on the task at hand.

Throughout the year, audiences changed, consumers changed, and behaviour did at pace, meaning communicators had to be responsive to shifts and interdependencies to still ensure maximum impact.

However, during times of real darkness, facing relaying thousands of deaths, restrictions on lives, business and economic impacts to the nation on a daily and enduring basis, innovation was incorporated into communication. We weren’t shy at trying new things, particularly in data, artificial intelligence and digital, to work smarter, faster and to also aid behaviour change impact and improved outcomes.

Public sectors communicators were brave, confident, bold and creative, embracing contradiction and change throughout 2020 and this will continue to be the new norm, at accelerated pace. The challenge of 2021 will be to support organisations, businesses and brands build a better future. This is in our gift as solutions-led leaders but also inter-connected leaders. The leaders will be those who don’t just communicate but support organisations to weather the storms ahead by being solutions-led.

PR must be a sophisticated, solutions-led partner. We must capitalise on this for the benefit of our businesses, organisations and, importantly, society. Only by becoming solutions-led do I believe we earn the right to be heard.

Pre-COVID-19, we’ve already seen the emergence of increasingly educated and cynical audiences. Therefore, there will be the requirement for a deeper and ongoing level of engagement. Stakeholder expectations will be more challenging than ever before, it will continue to be merciless. But we must cut through the noise for impact, creating more allies and advocates from key stakeholders.

Seeking advantage, which requires boldness in the face of competition, be it for audience attention or the opposition, will be an ongoing challenge.

Business will need to influence and engage political decisions makers on every level, far more than ever before. Throughout 2020, we saw individuals and groups not usually associated with politics get involved, taking up issues like never before, getting involved in groups that meet or through social media activity. The nature of influence on political and business leaders has changed. Top-down models are no more.

Real data and analytical skills will continue to be a challenge for many. We need PR innovators, well versed in new and emerging technologies including real data, automation and artificial intelligence, driving organisations and businesses forwards.

We need to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Reputations that differentiate, that stand for something and build relevance and preference will be the ones who lead. A mind-set of ‘what if’ and ‘what next’ is not just for next risk but for the next innovation opportunity.

A focus area must be to listen, analyse, plan, act – shifting to being anticipatory. Business models will continue to adapt and innovate; this is the new normal.

Data and AI
The big opportunity is data, new technologies, digital innovation, automation and AI. I’ve upskilled to build algorithms, machine learning processes, be equipped to confidently advise and guide on business opportunities in these areas but also the business and people considerations, and become au fait with real data and the challenges it brings us in terms of bias and ethics. This is a huge area of opportunity for us. Ethics will be a growing USP for us. It’s a complex and difficult area. But many still haven’t upskilled into these areas iI. They should to remain relevant or risk getting left behind by those who have upskilled and the new entrants, many of whom are now coming prepared.

Innovation
Innovation will come first. Test, make, sometimes break, learn, but innovate continually. If you cannot show you are continually looking to try new things, incorporating true innovation, I don’t think practitioners are showing up.

Organisations, businesses and brands will require nimble, fast and creative ideas in a world of flux, responding in hours not days. Nothing beats co-creation, strongly anchored in expertise of public relations, marketing, data, analytics, creativity, business and commercial which will win the day.

Ethics
This is our opportunity to lead, new reputation risks will come as society focusses on razor-like ethics and behaviour of organisations, as people behaviours continue to change at accelerated pace.

Risk management
Crisis management is no longer just good enough. Communicators have to be able to manage risk and provide risk advice and guidance, reducing organisational risk exposure.

Leadership
We need the right kind of leadership. There seems to be gaps in transformational, collaborative leadership from people who are brave, bold and innovative, and who are not afraid to take on who are people smarter than themselves to ensure impactful delivery.

ESG
We must support to tackle poverty, inequality and diversity and, importantly, inclusion as well as aiding carbon reductions and making sure organisations are climate-friendly. Public scrutiny in these areas will cause ill-equipped organisations not leading with purpose to fail.

Fighting fake news
We must show up to defend the truth. Disinformation and fake news pose one of the biggest challenges to the truth and social cohesion we have seen in decades. We are fighting an infodemic war, despite the many algorithms taking down insurmountable amounts every week.

The big challenge of 2021 is for communicators to become guardians of the truth, putting ethics at the forefront. That is through continuing to build and maintain trust with our stakeholders, as part of our licence to operate, and providing more direct evidence-led communication. It also means issuing full clarifications and rebuttals, as appropriate, through being switched on communicators conducting effective horizon scanning.

We are also faced with the weaponisation of artificial intelligence, deploying and aiding fake content, be it audio, video, images, fake news and so on. We must always be switched on to this. It is a threat of our times.

For more on AI in PR, read about Kerry Sheehan’s work at CIPR here. For more trends to be prepared for this year, check out our round-up of predictions from industry thought leaders.

Follow Kerry on Twitter @PRKezza.

Baroness Bennett: The future of the world has to be Green

January 15, 2021/0 Comments/in Politics, Public Affairs, Political Updates Stakeholder Engagement, Political Services, Political Database Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

Green peer Baroness Natalie Bennett of Manor Castle writes about the challenges of getting the Government to agree to environmental standards and the kind of people therefore needed in opposition.

There are, it appears, two Government trade policies. One is a cutting-edge, environmentally revolutionary plan to be ‘world-leading’ in standards of environmental health, slashed carbon emissions, best-in-game workers’ rights and respectful of human rights. The other is ‘Singapore-upon-Thames’ Elizabethan ‘buccaneering’, polluting, rights-abusing goods flowing through wide-open freeports where the rules are abolished and neoliberal capitalism rules raw in tooth and claw.

It is a function of our first-past-the-post politics that profoundly incompatible coalitions, such as that between the Thatcherite ideologues of the South East and the fed-up impoverished, ignored ‘Red Wall’ seats, get into Government and produce such policy paradoxes.

The issue of making the UK a democracy is something I’m always working on, but in the meantime I’m also doing what I can on trade to push us in the direction of a policy that acknowledges that there is no exchange of goods and services on a dead planet, and ours is right at, or beyond, its physical limits.

One tactic is to try to get the Government to commit, as the House of Lords has collectively been trying to do for years through the Trade Bill, the Agriculture Bill, the Internal Market Bill and many others, to put ‘on the face of the Bill’, as we say, commitments to decent standards. Even the National Farmers’ Union has, however, been unable to get Tory MPs from the rural seats to stand with us in what we call the ‘Other Place’.

Second-best, but still worth trying, is to get verbal commitments, which is why this week I asked the Government if it planned to sign up to the New Zealand-led Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS), a still fairly modest but important initiative, operating within the World Trade Organisation framework, that aims to end fossil fuel subsidies (in the UK now at about £10 billion a year, far above what is being put into renewables), agree tariff-free trade in environmental goods and services, and agree a global eco-labelling scheme.

You can see the debate here, or read the debate for yourself in Hansard. If you watch the video through once, you might be positively surprised. It is clear, as the Talk Radio host Julia Hartley-Brewer grumbled to me last year, that everyone is now talking Green.

But were you to sit down to analyse every sentence, check the meaning of each clearly very careful assemblage of works, you have to conclude that when it comes to the Government’s commitment to, or even interest in, ACCTS, as Politico’s morning trade newsletter put it: ‘close but no cigar’. It concluded: ‘Trade minister Lord Gerry Grimstone, who will also lead on the Government’s new Office for Investment, sidestepped.’

Which is where we come back to the politics. The Government won the last election with a strategy of mobilising the disaffected, uniting and energising the angry and the self-interested, with a populist, Trumpian, evidence-free repeating of simple slogans. It is clear which policy approach fits with that.

The politics seems unlikely to change any time soon. Which indicates that we need to build new coalitions in opposition, of the sensible, the evidence-driven, the practical people – who know that the future of the world has to be Green.

People who know that businesses that get ahead of the curve for the transformatory circular economy, one-planet living, model, will flourish. That communities built around strong local economies with food and good production for local consumption, promoting biodiversity and wildlife (just look at Paris), providing security for all (hello Universal Basic Income) will be attractive to the educated and capable in a world in which human resources are in increasingly short supply with plummeting birth rates.

Buccaneering belongs in the time of Queen Elizabeth (the First that is). As we’ve seen with its management of Covid-19, it’s New Zealand that’s the truly leading world nation, with a very different model of politics, society and trade. But it is equally clear this Government has no intention of following its lead.

This blog post is part of a cross-party series on Vuelio’s political blog Point of Order which publishes insight and opinion to help public affairs, policy and comms professionals stay ahead of political change and connect with those who campaign on the issues they care about. To find out more or contribute, get in touch with Vuelio Politics.

PRCA appoints Rob Colmer as PR Council Vice-Chair

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

The PRCA has welcomed Rob Colmer as Vice-Chairman on its PR and Communications Council for 2021.

Rob brings experience from in-house and consultancy work across the private and public sectors at an SME and a multinational company. He currently leads Shell’s global sustainability communications and reporting and has been with the company since 2002.

Council members involved in the election process were swayed by his manifesto focusing on the support of the public relations industry during recovery as well as continuing work on improving diversity, inclusion and professionalism.

‘I’m honoured to have the opportunity to support the Public Relations profession, particularly at such a challenging point in time,’ said Rob Colmer.

‘With close to 100,000 people working in this sector, the PRCA is committed to addressing the immediate challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic and supporting the continued growth and success of the PR industry.’

PR and Communications Council Chair Julia Herd is looking forward to working with Rob on this year’s challenges: ‘I’m very happy to have Rob on board to help drive positive change in what will be a pivotal year for the PR industry.

‘I have no doubt that his expertise, combined with the expertise of the other council members, will be a huge asset in addressing some of the challenges that have arisen off the back of Covid. I am very much looking forward to what this year will bring and would like to thank Rob in advance for his support and commitment’.

More information on the appointment can be found here on the PRCA website.

2021 Will Be Good For Public Affairs

January 14, 2021/0 Comments/in Politics, Public Affairs, Political Updates Political Database, Stakeholder Engagement, Political Services Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

Dr Stuart Thomson, head of public affairs at law firm BDB Pitmans and winner of the Current Affairs category at the Online Influence Awards 2020, explains why public affairs is essential in 2021, and offers advice to maximise success.

The management of political risk became mainstream in 2020 as organisations saw the value of engagement. There is every indication that 2021 will be good for public affairs but only if we continue to deliver value.

The early months

As we have already seen, the early months of 2021 will be dominated by continued lockdown and the Covid vaccinations rollout. But once that is over, we can then expect the Government to engage in some serious policy development and communications activity. There will be the mother of all relaunches as it attempts to build on any goodwill created by the vaccine rollout and starts to put forward an agenda to try to win the next General Election.

There are a huge set of elections coming up in May, should Covid allow that timing. But even if the timescale slips slightly, the Government won’t want to delay them too long; there is every indication that these elections, across England, Scotland and Wales, will reflect the Government’s handling of Covid. Anyone expecting a major Cabinet reshuffle would do well to look for one after these elections. If the Government doesn’t do well then this would be a good time for a ‘refresh’ of the team.

Red wall challenges

Many of the challenges that the Prime Minister faces will come from his own side. His MPs seem quite upset to the approach adopted to lockdown and the apparent reliance on the power of the ‘U turn’ to solve bad headlines.

The replacement of Dominic Cummings gave some hope that a new approach was on its way and that may still be the case. It appears though that Covid continues to stop all else in its tracks even a new approach to working with colleagues.

There is no doubt that the new red wall Conservative MPs will need to show that the Government has made progress by the time of the next election. Certainly, Brexit has been delivered in a way that most supporters find acceptable but that will not be enough.

Implications for public affairs

What should we in public affairs do to ensure that we continue to deliver value during the course of these and other events during 2021?

Be ahead of events – many of them we know about in advance, such as the elections but also the Budget, a more detailed Spending Review etc, but also consider the more unexpected as well. Do such events offer opportunities for engagement? What happens with their outcomes? Do you need to react?
Think policy – the Government’s need for a relaunch and the emphasis on pre-General Election delivery means that they will need to come up with a constant stream of ideas and make others, such as those promised for devolution, work. That needs constructive engagement and an emphasis on supplying solutions.
Think projects – particularly across the Red Wall, building things will be important. Something that means the local MP can cut a ribbon and the silver plaque outside commemorating the opening can have a Union flag as well. Can you help deliver such schemes or, at least, support them?
The environment – with the COP 26 conference coming up at the end of 2021, the Government will have a particular emphasis on climate change. Is there anything you can do to help deliver on the environmental challenge?

Even as Covid starts to fade as a top line issue, the Government’s political challenges remain. Good public affairs engagement is increasingly about political risk management and if 2020 taught us anything it is that dialogue with Government is essential. That will continue to be the case in 2021 and beyond.

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