Kate Watson-Smyth 2019 feature

Number one interior design blogger: Kate Watson-Smyth, Mad About The House

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Kate Watson-Smyth is the number one interiors blogger behind the multi-award-winning Mad About The House. A journalist and published author, Kate has designed The Mad House as a sourcebook for modern living.

We spoke to Kate about the future of blogging, the sense of community on Instagram, working with brands creatively and her favourite blogs to read.

Kate Watson-Smyth 2019 3How do you describe what you do to other people?
Author/Blogger/Stylist/Whatever.

How much of a community is there around interiors bloggers?
There is a real sense of community in our field. Particularly on Instagram where we all chat to each other and there’s lots of sharing of each other’s work in stories. I love that aspect of it. It also feels very friendly and welcoming when people share the renovations they are doing and ask for, and receive, advice, ideas and tips.

What’s the best thing about being a professional blogger (if that’s how you refer to yourself)?
I don’t refer to myself as such but that’s probably because I’m a journalist – and therefore a professional writer – by trade. For me the best part of the job is the variety of opportunities that it has brought me. From being able to earn my living from writing, which is my first love, and expanding that into books (my third will be out in March 2020) to interior styling as well as helping people find the decor that is right for them; and then setting up a podcast, The Great Indoors, with television presenter Sophie Robinson [Ranked fourth in the top 10].

More recently I have begun using my platform, if you can call it that, to set up a directory of interiors and homewares brands that are actively trying to reduce their impact on the planet. Do Less Harm aims to be a comprehensive listing of companies in this sector with details of what they are doing when it comes to packaging, disposal, eco-friendly practices and sustainable production. It’s only just launched so it’s small at the moment, but I’m hoping it will grow and be a useful, and huge, resource as well as persuading other companies that they need to step up their own game when they can see what their competitors are doing.

Kate Watson-Smyth 2019What’s does the future of blogging look like?
Well isn’t that the $64m question! For the last few years people have been predicting the death of the blog and I think many of them did take a hit from the rise of Instagram, but Instagram is proving tricksy these days and many people find it frustrating that their pictures aren’t being shown to their audience, which has in turn led to a resurgence of blogging. There was an evening a few months ago when Instagram went down for hours and people all turned up on Twitter announcing that they had written blog posts for the first time in ages. And that, for me, was key. We don’t own Instagram and if it closed down or disappeared, your audience would go with it. You own your blog and its content and no-one can take that away from you.

The other point is that your blog is like your street address – you can always find it and the content that is there. It’s a nightmare searching Instagram hashtags trying to find the brilliant thing you’re sure you saw two months ago when you can’t remember the name of the person who posted it. Long live blogs I say. But then I would, wouldn’t I!

How do you describe your style?
Constantly evolving, but let’s go with monochrome maximalism for the time being.

What’s your favourite room in the house?
The last one I decorated.

How long do you leave a redesign before wanting to do it again?
That completely depends. I might be constantly tweaking but it’s a rolling thing. We moved into this house nine years ago. We painted it all white, then gradually all shades of grey and I have just finished painting out all the grey, so that’s going to average at every three years or so if my sums are right. That said, I realise that how often I redecorate is probably a different answer from how often I want to redecorate…

Kate Watson-Smyth 2019 2What’s the best collaboration you’ve worked on with an agency or brand?
That’s a tough one. I could tell you the worst! (I won’t). There have been many over the years and I tend to like them for the creative freedom and/or the people I work with as well as doing something new. So, Velux was fun because we made a video, which was different and they were a great team. Working with DFS was cool as I worked with Sophie and we styled a roomset according to our own (very different styles), and Bisque Radiators was great because it was nominated for an award.

What advice would you give PRs looking to get in touch?
Do email me. Don’t DM me on Instagram because it’s easy to miss those messages. Don’t address me as ‘Mad’ and do have an idea of what we might do together based on where our mutual strengths lie. It’s always better too, if the brand isn’t overly controlling about what they want.

I have worked on several campaigns that start off as ‘we want to work with you because we love your feed and think it’s a good fit…’ and end up being ‘you need to post this at this time and we want approval of every story and caption that goes out’. I can see that sometimes that is necessary because things can go wrong, but often it ends up killing the creativity that they wanted to hire in the first place. A little give and take and discussion in both directions is always good.

What other blogs do you read?
I love French for Pineapple [ranked tenth in the top 10] – no one is better at spotting a trend than her, Jess at Gold is a Neutral, and Sophie of course – I need to know if she’s being rude about my boring lack of colour that week. I think Melanie Lissack and Karen Knox of Making Spaces are both really talented and clever. I also love Caroline Hirons for all things beauty and Wardrobe Icons for fashion that I mostly can’t afford but like to look at.

 

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Clarity in Confusion

How can you navigate the current political landscape?

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Politics is changing by the second, making it harder to keep up with the issues that affect you and your clients. And whether you work in public affairs or PR, everything that’s happening in Westminster will affect your role and your ability to succeed in communications.

It’s not just the impact on our industry and clients, daily front-page announcements are making it more challenging to understand how to influence in a world of constant change. That’s why we are delighted to announce our next webinar: Clarity in Confusion, tomorrow, Tuesday 10 September 2019 at 10:30 am. 

Sign up here and if you can’t join us live, we’ll send you the recording afterwards.

We have three panelists to guide us through the political turmoil: James Baker, PR and Public Affairs Associate at Brunswick, who advised Boris Johnson on his successful leadership campaign; Katie Roscoe, Head of UK Public Affairs – Helicopters and Civil at Airbus; and Alexander Tiley, former Press and Comms Officer to a Labour MEP, now working in public affairs.

Our guests will be discussing what’s happened up to this point to create the current confusion, how the political climate and Brexit is affecting policy-making decisions, what you should be prioritising and the importance of the Party Conference Season for your engagement.

Party Conferences are particularly useful to understand what’s happening in each party and reach the right people to help with your agenda. But if you have never been, or you are watching from afar, it helps to get the inside track from those in the know. Find out what sessions are the big ones, which guests are likely to make a splash and the tips and tricks to come out of each on top.

Don’t let Brexit, a new Government and parliamentary procedure swamp your role, get clarity in confusion with Vuelio.

Boris Johnson longest week

A week is a long time in politics…

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Since parliament returned from summer recess on Tuesday, we have witnessed one of the most hostile weeks in UK political history. Amidst the rumbling constitutional crisis, Boris Johnson’s brother Jo decided to resign as a Cabinet minister and MP, citing the ‘unresolvable tension between family loyalty and the national interest’. If we are only weeks away from a general election, this is surely a gift to opposition parties who can now point, not just to an utterly divided country and Conservative party, but a Johnson family which has also found Brexit irreconcilable.

The Prime Minister’s warning that any Conservative MPs who rebelled this week in a key vote to delay the UK’s exit date from the EU and remove the threat of no-deal, was followed through. It meant 21 Conservative rebels immediately had the party whip withdrawn and were removed from Tory WhatsApp groups with lightning speed.

Political observers and opposition MPs alike are shocked that former Cabinet ministers like Philip Hammond, Greg Clark, Rory Stewart and Justine Greening now find themselves outside their party and unable to contest the next election as Conservative candidates. Even Conservative party grandees like the Father of the House Ken Clarke and Sir Nicholas Soames, grandson of Winston Churchill, are among the group now sitting as Independents.

Many of them have taken the opportunity to announce they will not be standing again at the general election, along with others like Nick Hurd, Dame Caroline Spelman and Claire Perry. Some, like Rory Stewart, have indicated their intentions to re-stand as independents. This might present a wider opportunity for deals to be done with opposition parties to ensure the biggest block of anti no-deal MPs is returned in the next parliament.

A set piece speech by the PM in West Yorkshire on Thursday to formally launch the police recruitment drive for 20,000 new officers, was largely overshadowed by his brother’s resignation and by criticism that he shouldn’t have used a large group of police recruits as a backdrop, given he also covered the Brexit crisis and his desire to hold an early general election.

As it stands, the Fixed-term Parliaments Act requires a two thirds majority of MPs (434) to support an early election and in the vote this week, while it was the only division that the Government won, (by 298 votes to 56) it failed to secure the two thirds majority. A second vote has been tabled for Monday 9 September, but opposition party leaders are holding firm and will continue to abstain on this, all but preventing an October election and keeping Boris Johnson in office to try to negotiate a more acceptable EU exit deal. Whether he will adhere to the new law, if passed by parliament, and request an extension remains to be seen but he insists he ‘would rather die in a ditch’ than request one.

This week also saw Chancellor Sajid Javid’s Spending Round, which has perhaps been lost amidst the constitutional crisis and Government defeats, but it did give the Chancellor the opportunity to confirm a 4.1% increase in day to-day spending, equating to an additional £13.8bn for education, the NHS and the police. Javid said the Spending Round was part of the Government’s strategy: ‘turning the page on austerity and beginning a new decade of renewal’.

Finally, the PM’s chief adviser Dominic Cummings continues to come under fire for his actions, including firing the Chancellor’s Special Adviser without prior warning and asking police to escort her out of Downing Street. His actions, as well as his tone to MPs and staff, has provoked attacks from Tory backbencher Sir Roger Gale who referred to him as ‘an unelected, foul-mouthed oaf’. Former Conservative Minister Margot James also criticised the PM for Cummings’ behaviour in a PMQ on Wednesday, which received sustained applause from opposition MPs. She said: ‘The great lady, whom I am sure you and I both revere, Mr Speaker, once said, “Advisers advise, Ministers decide.” Can I ask the Prime Minister to bear that statement closely in mind in relation to his own chief adviser, Dominic Cummings?’

The Prime Minister’s response focused on the Government’s Brexit policy: ‘As for the excellent question that my hon. Friend asked, be in no doubt that we are deciding on a policy to take this country forward, not backwards, as the Leader of the Opposition would do’.

Next week will surely provide further turmoil but it remains to be seen if we will be any closer to knowing the date of the general election after another week of parliament. Perhaps the party conference season will now carry on largely as planned and not be disrupted too much due to purdah and media reporting restrictions that will come into force once a campaign commences.

Do less harm

Do less harm

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Kate Watson-Smyth, who writes the UK’s number one interior design blog Mad About The House, has launched Do Less Harm: The Directory.

The Directory is designed to help interiors shoppers ask the right questions and base purchasing decisions on those companies and providers who are trying to reduce their harmful impact on the planet.

It also serves as a sustainability round-up because some companies don’t shout about their activities so it will be a one-stop-shop where everything can be seen in one place.

Kate is accepting new submissions from brands and organisations to share their sustainability status. PRs are invited to complete the online form, whether you represent a big high street retailer or bespoke business.

Kate said: ‘The fashion industry has begun to talk about sustainability and I realised that we still don’t have clear information in the interiors world. Often pieces that are made from recycled materials can be very expensive (and limited edition) and I wanted to look at how companies operate as a whole – from their creation to their disposal so that we, as consumers, can decide where to spend our budget.

‘It might be that we can choose three companies selling sofas at the same price, but one is UK-made, one will recycle your old sofa and the other is shipping from China and will dump your old one in landfill. If you have the right information you can choose where you want to spend your money.’

The Directory is still in its infancy but Kate has ambitions for it to become the resource for sustainability when it comes to furnishing or renovating your home.

Boris Johnson no 10

Prime Minister Boris Johnson – the first 28 days

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With Parliament back after summer recess and the threat of a general election now a likely option to break the Brexit deadlock, there’s never been a more important time to understand the political landscape and what it means for organisations across the UK. What can public affairs and external communications professionals learn from the first 28 days of Boris Johnson’s premiership?

The current prime minister’s ambitions for his Government have been revealed in a number of policy announcements he’s made since taking office, all of which received media scrutiny from traditional and online sources. In this briefing, Vuelio highlights key observations that provide essential insight into where he may face opposition progressing his agenda and where the battlegrounds lie, if, or when, a general election is called.

Download the analysis here. 

 

 

IMS header

Agenda announced for the Influencer Marketing Show

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The Influencer Marketing Show is back at Old Billingsgate, London on 22 and 23 October 2019. Vuelio is delighted be the official media partner for this two-day event, which includes up to 40 exhibitors, engaging seminars and insightful workshops.

The show will give delegates everything they need to learn how to create profitable campaigns across social media, discover new partnerships and learn about the growing world of influencer marketing.

The agenda has been announced and alongside the big issues facing the industry, such as measurement, ethics and best practice, the Influencer Marketing Show also looks to the future of influencer marketing and what it holds for the industry.

Designed to help delegates build relationships and share ideas with those in the industry, the event has great opportunities to network outside of the sessions, including a prosecco lounge and networking drinks at the end of day one.

Whether you’re attending to learn more about the world of influencer marketing or you’re on the lookout for the latest tech to boost your strategy, make sure you drop in and say hi to Vuelio who will be at the show on both days.

Tickets are on sale for the Influencer Marketing Show and readers of the Vuelio Blog can get £50 off the ticket price using code VUELIO50.

christina

ICCO appoints Inaugural Ethics Chair

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The International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) has appointed Christina Forsgård as its inaugural Ethics Chair. She takes up the role ahead of the ICCO’s annual Power of Ethics campaign in September, but it has a remit for driving change throughout the year.

The appointment is part of the ICCO’s strategy to work with other sectors and focus on educating the public, businesses and PR professionals to identifying and combat misinformation, disinformation and malinformation, and helping to identify reliable information and trusted sources.

Christina is founder of multi-award-winning PR consultancy Netprofile in Finland. She also takes an active role as a marcom technology angel investor, has appeared on several top influencer lists and was awarded a National Security Award for designing a ground-breaking cyber security and disinformation training course.

Christina said: ‘We acknowledge that our profession comes with great powers of influence, therefore we have responsibility to combat disinformation and fake news. Not because it’s important, but because it is absolutely vital for humanity. I am honoured to act as the first ICCO Ethics Chair globally and fortify the power of ethics in communications with ICCO leaders.’

Elise S. Mitchell, president of the ICCO and founder and chairman of Mitchell, said: ‘Ethics is one of ICCO’s top strategic priorities. Christina’s expertise and leadership will help ICCO continue to elevate the global conversation about ethics and promote professional principles such as advocacy, honesty and transparency. I am delighted to serve alongside her.’

ICCO works to raise professional and ethical standards of the public relations industry internationally and the September campaign marks two years since the Bell Pottinger expulsion from PRCA on 4 September 2017 as well as the creation of ten globally binding principles, agreed across 66 countries in the Helsinki Declaration, that champions the #PowerofEthics.

Press release

6 steps to write a press release

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The press release remains the PR’s choice for distributing news and communicating with the media. Whether you’re tweeting your news or publishing online for search engines and digital audiences, there are six points to follow to ensure your release gets the attention it deserves.

1. Have something to say
The most important step: have some real news to share. What is your company/client doing differently to everyone else? Has this story happened before in your industry? While the appointment of a new HR director might be big news in your organisation, it’s unlikely to spark much excitement externally. However, if your new HR director is implementing an innovative people management scheme, then this could be news.

2. Know your audience
Before you attempt to build a target media list, get to know your audience. Who are you trying to reach? This will enable you to target the right journalists and influencers. The more relevant your news is to their style and audience, the better the chance is of them covering it.

3. Get to the point quickly
Journalists and influencers receive hundreds of releases a day so write a snappy headline and put the story highlights at the beginning. Use the headline as the subject line if you’re emailing your release, which will help the recipient quickly work out that it’s relevant to them. Use this momentum and get to the point in the first paragraph – who, what, when, where, why and how – keeping their attention.

4. Use quotes to add colour but put them in the right place
Quotes can help explain the ‘why’ of your story. Really think about using quotes from experts that add to or move the story on. Quotes appear towards the end of your press release after the facts have been established.

5. Follow the press release template

  1. Headline
  2. All the relevant points in the first paragraph
  3. More detail in the second and third
  4. Quotes
  5. Contact details for more information
  6. Notes to the Editor with extra information that provide some background
  7. Boiler plate explaining what the company (or companies) does and how it describes itself

6. Prepare for follow up
When following up your press release, be ready to provide answers to any questions the journalist has and give time frames for getting back to them. It’s also a good idea to have supporting materials and spokespeople ready for providing extra comment or interviews.

Ready to send a press release but don’t have the right tools? The Vuelio Media Database lists thousands of journalists, editors and influencers with detailed biographies and contact information, and Vuelio Distribution lets you reach them all at the click of a button.

Brexit

Breaking the Brexit deadlock: what will happen next?

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Certainty is the word used most frequently in the current political stalemate, as the 31 October date for the UK to leave the EU fast approaches.

Leavers have a spring in their step now, certain we will be out of the EU by November. Remainers are equally certain they will do whatever it takes to assert themselves once MPs return from recess; either voting to take a no-deal off the table by passing new legislation, extending article 50 or bringing down the Government through a vote of no confidence.

The meeting Jeremy Corbyn has called for this morning (Tuesday 27 August) with other party leaders and senior backbenchers, will be crucial for those that want to find a way forward and avoid a no-deal exit.

Committed Brexiteers take comfort from the clear stance Boris Johnson took during his leadership campaign. ‘Kick the can again and we kick the bucket’, he said at his campaign launch in June, referring to the electoral prospects of the Conservative party if yet another Brexit delay and Article 50 extension is required.

The PM and his team have also ensured the summer recess is not completely dominated by Brexit and instead made big policy announcements on police, prisons, the NHS, education funding and transport, as well as trips to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland followed by Berlin, Paris and the G7 summit in Biarritz. These trips show the importance of maintaining the union of UK nations (Johnson wants to be known as ‘minister for the Union’) and seek to establish Mr Johnson on the world stage too.

While very costly in terms of public spending, this deluge of domestic policy announcements is crucial to hammer home the message that Johnson’s Government is delivering useful domestic policy changes that will have an impact on everyday lives, separate to the Brexit issue. Theresa May’s Government was largely unable to achieve anything substantial.

Johnson said on the steps of Downing Street as he took office on 24 July that he must deliver domestically: ‘My job is to make your streets safer…. My job is to make sure you don’t have to wait three weeks to see your GP’.

But in Johnson’s own party, a growing band of committed Remainers on the Conservative backbenches seem certain that they still have the parliamentary tools to prevent no-deal. Former Chancellor Philip Hammond, said to be the nominal leader of this group, tweeted on 13 August that though he voted three times to deliver Brexit, there is no mandate for a no-deal exit, as it is ‘a far cry from the highly optimistic vision presented by the Leave campaign’.

No confidence?
Will Labour, as the official opposition party, table a Motion of No Confidence in Johnson’s Government on the first sitting day after recess, Tuesday 3 September, as has been heavily hinted? If so, this could take place as early as 4 September.

The outcome of such a vote is far from certain. It hinges on many factors, not least if all opposition MPs across the House are prepared to vote for it. The previous no confidence vote tabled by Jeremy Corbyn, in Theresa May’s Government on 16 January, was supported by 306 MPs with 325 opposing it. On that occasion 314 Conservatives, (which excludes two ‘tellers’ and the Deputy Speaker, Dame Eleanor Laing) all 10 DUP MPs and Independent MP Lady Hermon, supported the Government.

Let us not forget the numbers in the House of Commons are about as finely balanced as they can be for a Government with a majority of one (assuming the DUP votes with the Conservatives as per the confidence and supply agreement). So, with 308 eligible Conservatives currently able to vote plus 10 DUP MPs we have 318 MPs. Several more MPs are also likely to back the Government in a crunch vote.

All calculations seem to come down crucially to how many, if any, Conservatives will vote against their own Government knowing it will quite possibly trigger an early general election in which they couldn’t then stand as a Conservative candidate.

In the previous Confidence vote, two Independent MPs abstained. How many will do so next time? Will former Labour MP Jared O’Mara (now an Independent) who’s said he will resign when parliament returns, have left the Commons by then? Just one vote, as we’ve seen in several recent Commons divisions, is crucial and could be the difference between victory and defeat.

Caretaker Government
If the Government is defeated in a Confidence vote, will opposition MPs and Conservative rebels use the following 14 days to agree on an alternative PM to lead a short-term caretaker Government?

As leader of the opposition, Jeremy Corbyn thinks it should be him but if he struggles to get the support of a majority of MPs, will they then gravitate to someone who can? Ken Clarke and Harriet Harman have been suggested as longest serving male and female MPs. It could equally be another respected MP such as David Lidington, Hilary Benn or Yvette Cooper.

General election
There is a clear feeling that an early general election is approaching, perhaps even taking place on or before 31 October. I understand that the new PM would prefer to wait until Spring 2020 but recognises that the option of a longer honeymoon might now be denied him by MPs.

With so many unknowns, public affairs professionals need clarity in confusion. Vuelio has an in-house political team and provides all the tools you need to understand the latest issues and policy announcements, and how they’re going to specifically affect you and your clients. Find out more. 

For the latest news, follow @Vuelio_Politics on Twitter.

people having a conversation

Top 3 conversation starters for networking

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Summer is coming to an end which means only one thing, event season is about to begin again. As networking drinks, conferences and roundtables start filling up your calendar, make sure you’ve got these three fool-proof conversation starters in your back pocket.

These openers can be used at any networking event, from busy conferences with hundreds of delegates to industry drinks after work. You might find that some conversation starters work better than others in certain situations but the best way to find out is to put them into action.

1.  Have you been to this event before?

Whether you’ve attended the event in the past or it’s your first time, this question opens up conversation whatever their answer is.

If the answer to this question is ‘yes’ this creates the perfect opportunity for you to make the other person feel special and naturally leads the conversation into a discussion about what the event was like last year (or last month if it’s a regular networking event), what they liked and what they’re hoping to get out of the event this year.

Don’t panic if they say ‘no’, you can use this as an opportunity to bond with them about being first-timers to the event, or if you have been before you can suggest sessions to attend or share your positive experience of the previous event.

2. Are you here on your own or with your colleagues?

Obviously, you only want to use this question when approaching someone on their own but it works as a soft conversation starter, especially if that person looks a little nervous.

If the answer is that they’re at the event with colleagues this allows you to ask what their co-workers do, giving you an opening for an introduction and an opportunity to catch up with them as a group later on.

If you’re both flying solo at the event this gives you the chance to bond and share which sessions you’re interested in attending or head to the bar together – make sure you don’t stick to them the whole event, you can always arrange to meet up later. And if you have gone with a group of your colleagues, introduce them to each other, your networking can help their networking too!

3. Do you mind if I join you?

This can work for groups or someone stood on their own and whilst it doesn’t instantly lead to a question, as long as it’s followed up by ‘Hello, I’m… from…’ you can use this as a gateway to the first two questions.

Remember, the majority of people are polite and unlikely to say you can’t join their conversation so bite the bullet and start a conversation, you never know where it might lead.

Advice from the experts

Clarissa Bloom, relationship expert for DrinksPal uses honesty as her tried and tested opener: ‘I often come over and admit I don’t know anyone there, that I feel awkward and ask if it is ok to talk to them. At this point you have admitted your awkwardness, which instantly makes them want to build a conversation and involve you within their group and whatever they are doing. This is a great way to quickly build a rapport, to skip a lot of the ‘starter convo’ and skips you on to the interesting talks.’

Fleur Stamford, comms assistant at TopLine Comms has this top tip: ‘When attending trade shows or exhibitions on behalf of a client, I always make sure to research key attendees beforehand. This doesn’t have to be too time consuming but reading recent articles they’ve written and exploring their social media accounts is a start. It means that I feel more confident in approaching them and introducing myself. From here, the conversation naturally leads into “I’ve noticed you’ve been writing a lot about *topic* recently…” and you discuss both theirs and your opinion on the topic.’

What do you think? Have you got any stellar conversation starters? Or perhaps you’ve had someone introduce themselves with a joke? (Though this is perhaps a risky strategy)

Vuelio attend events throughout the year, you can find out where to find us on the events section of our website here.

Mini Travellers 2019 1

No 1 family travel spotlight: Karen Beddow, Mini Travellers

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Mini Travellers is the number one family travel blog written by Karen Beddow. With the aim of proving that having a young family doesn’t have to stop you seeing the world, Mini Travellers covers day trips, staycations and long-haul destinations for families.

We spoke to Karen about how to get into family travel blogging, being creative around term times and working with PRs who understand the personal touch.

How do you describe what you do to other people?
Honestly it depends who asks. I sometimes say travel writer, sometimes blogger and sometimes, especially if I’m travelling and filling in forms, I still say I’m a lawyer as I still do some consultancy. It’s easier to explain than what I now do.

How do different social channels feed into your blog?
Facebook has always been the channel that I have seen the most engagement from. Instagram is almost a mini channel in itself and I don’t see many click throughs to the blog from it, however while grid posts (especially ads) seem to have fallen dramatically in likes, story engagement is increasing.

How easy is it to get into family travel blogging? Did you have any major concerns?
I didn’t know about blogging when I started. I had read one family travel blog which had inspired me to book a trip but I didn’t know they were a big thing, so I wasn’t worried about starting one. I also never expected mine to take off and become so popular. I do, however, think it was easier to grow a few years back and I wouldn’t want to be starting right now.

What’s the best family destination in the world?
So tricky to say, we love so many places, but this year we have had amazing family holidays to Tanzania, New York and Greece, all of which we loved.

What are your top tips for long distance travel with young children?
Snacks, snack and more snacks. Pack them in your travel bag and in your suitcase to divvy up when you get there too. I often pack breakfast cereal too because if the kids can eat something they like in the morning they are then set up for the day, and they can always eat it for a late supper too.

Mini travellers 2019

How restrictive are term times for the perfect family travel experience?
If you are inventive, they don’t have to be too difficult. We’ve done Portugal, Italy and Germany at half terms really cheaply recently, and when I say cheaply I mean flights from between £200 and £250 for all five of us.

Do you accept press releases?
Sometimes but rarely, as to be honest as I have so many people who write for Mini Travellers now across the country we usually have a lot of content piling up.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
Again this is tricky to say, but this year our Tanzania collaboration with Tantoo (in country) and Kamageo (UK PR) was an incredible experience for the whole family and we had an amazing 10 days on safari producing video content for them.

What advice would you give to PRs looking to get in touch?
I love it when PRs mention the children by name and show that they’ve read the blog. I’m much more likely to be do the job or do them a favour when they show they are genuinely interested.

What other blogs do you read?
I read a lot of blogs and get so much inspiration from them so it is hard to name a few – but I have just started an Africa with Kids Facebook group with Jenny from Travelynn Family and I am always so inspired by their spirit of adventure.

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awards evening

How to write an award-winning nomination

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We’re fast approaching industry awards season and for the first time the Online Influence Awards are taking nominations for best campaigns and agency. All you need to do is complete a nomination form.

Wait!

Will your entry stand out? And what do you need to consider to be worthy of an award win? Whether you’re going for Best B2C Influence Campaign or Best Content Agency, here are our top tips for writing an award entry that will be sure to catch the judging panel’s eye.

1.  Stick to the point

It’s easy to get carried away when you’re passionate about your subject but make sure you’re still answering the question on the form. Use the word count to keep you on track – don’t forget, our judges will read lots of entries, so you don’t want to lose them in the first paragraph.

2. A picture is worth a thousand words

You’ve spent time and effort creating amazing visuals for a campaign, so show them off! An image or a video can bring your entry to life and catch the judge’s eye. Plus, it won’t affect your word count so you can include them to share your award-winning results and those all-important stats.

3. Proofread you’re award entry

Did you spot it? Proof, proof and proof again. Get your colleagues to read your entry, they’ll spot typos you might have overlooked. Better yet, ask someone who wasn’t involved in the campaign because they’ll be able to sense check what you’ve written and ensure your entry makes sense.

4. Show your personality

Every organisation and every campaign is different, so make sure your award entry is different to everyone else’s. Show off the people who brought the campaign to life, taking the idea from a brief to delivering great results. Remember, the judging panel are people, so if you can make them relate to your entry, you’ve got their attention.

5. Timing is everything

Allow yourself plenty of time to write your entry because every word counts and you might need to write a couple of drafts before sending over the finished article. Remember, judges like to see results, so it’s best to pick a campaign that’s complete and you have the data to back up your success.

Entries are now open for The Online Influence Awards for the following categories:

Best B2B Influence Campaign
Best B2C Influence Campaign
Best Cause-Led Influence Campaign
Best Content Agency

For all the information about how to enter please read our nomination pack.

Good luck and remember – the deadline for entries is Friday 4 October 2019 and there’s no charge to enter.

Have you got a question about the Online Influence Awards? No problem, email Rebecca Potts and she’ll be able to help with your query!

Mental health 2019

The cost of poor mental health in PR

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The CIPR has teamed up with Mind to create new industry resources to improve the understanding of mental health and wellbeing in PR.  

The first resource is a skills guide, Understanding Mental Health and Wellbeing, created by CIPR Health. It outlines the current state of mental health in the industry and is designed to help employers build an environment of support to foster positive mental health. It also advises practitioners on how to take care of their mental wellbeing and includes practical steps such as provide managers with training, buddy up and switch off social media when you’re having a bad day.

The second resource is a recorded webinar featuring health experts, professionals in health communications and those with experiences of living with a mental health condition discussing how to take positive action on mental health in the industry.

These resources follow research that revealed the link between the nature of PR work and poor mental health amongst practitioners. Results from CIPR’s State of the Profession 2019 show that 21% have a diagnosed mental health condition and almost a quarter (23%) of respondents who discussed concerns about their mental health with a manager said that nothing happened as a result of those conversations.

Rachel Royall, chair of CIPR Health said: ‘We are delighted to publish this guidance to benefit our industry. The human and financial cost of poor mental health has had, and will continue to have, a huge impact on our profession. The responsibility to address this rests with each of us – every agency, organisation, manager and colleague.

‘These tools are just the start, we’re looking forward to continuing to work with our members to listen and understand what further action and support we can give to help make our profession happier and healthier.’

Emma Mamo, head of workplace wellbeing at Mind said: ‘Working in PR is hugely rewarding but comes with its fair share of pressures. It’s great to see CIPR taking action on this issue by developing a guide to increase understanding of mental health across the industry. Aimed at organisations, managers, employees and freelancers working within the sector, this guide can help you take care of your own mental health and better support the wellbeing of colleagues.’

The Family Adventure Project 2019

Family travel spotlight: Kirstie Pelling, The Family Adventure Project

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Kirstie Pelling is the author of The Family Adventure Project, a top 10 family travel blog. Following Kirstie and husband Stuart’s journeys around the world with their three children, the blog encourages readers to try new experiences and challenges. We spoke to Kirstie about making lifelong friends while travelling, the versatility of Japan and her advice for PRs looking to get in touch (it’s a marriage, not a one-night stand).

How do you describe what you do to other people?
I have been a freelance journalist for thirty years, working in radio, print media and online. So that’s what I tend to call myself, although my writing life is eclectic – I have also worked as a digital poet amongst other things.

How do different social channels feed into your blog?
Our feeds are an extension of our blog personality and presence but often reach different audiences. For example, we enjoy the cycling community on Twitter and regularly interact with those active in promoting local tourism like the Morecambe Bay Partnership. On Facebook, our audience is more fellow family travelers from around the world and people who love the outdoors. Some of our followers and friends have engaged with us for more than a decade and we learn from their experiences and travels as much as they learn from ours. In fact, sometimes when I’m in a tricky situation I think what would Thomas or Brenda do?

The Family Adventure Project 2019 4

How easy is it to get into family travel? Did you have any major concerns?
We never actually stopped travelling when we started a family so for us this wasn’t an issue. In fact, my greatest challenge came when I fell pregnant while on a gap year cycling adventure with our two toddlers. Doctors advised me that exercise wouldn’t harm the baby, but at the tip of New Zealand, six months pregnant, I was tempted to throw my bike into the sea rather than get back on it with the bump.

There are always concerns about safety when travelling with young kids, but the key is to think it all through. When the children were babies, we bought the best cycle trailers on the market. When they were tweens, they took up stoker positions on our tandems. When they first rode their own bikes, we cycled in Scandinavian countries where cycling was normal and traffic polite. And for adventure sports like canoeing, rafting and glacier hiking, we engaged experts to help and guide us.

What’s the best family destination in the world?
Japan delivered something for everyone. The kids loved the robots and electronic districts as well as activities like making wax food and learning temple etiquette. We swam in sacred lakes, ate in bizarre themed restaurants and enjoyed onsens and ryokans. We loved Iceland too, for its wild outdoors and quirky character. And you can’t beat our home county of Cumbria for the scenery; the lakes and fells are part of our kids’ DNA.

The Family Adventure Project 2019 3

What are your top tips for long distance travel with young children?
It’s all in the planning. Fly at the best times for their body clocks, don’t try to pack in more than one big thing a day and try to relax and give them some freedom to explore. Also, strangers are not necessarily a danger. Rely on the help and local knowledge of other families; we’ve been rescued by all sorts of kind souls over two decades and are still friends with many of them.

How restrictive are term times for the perfect family experience?
Very restrictive. We have abandoned plans for many trips based on the prohibitive cost of taking five of us away in peak season. The Government’s policy on this is detrimental to the less well off. It’s a shame as I strongly believe travel is good for family bonding and building shared memories and this is being compromised for a whole generation.

Do you accept press releases?
Of course. They help keep us briefed on changes in the travel industry and what destinations are offering families.

The Family Adventure Project 2019 2

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
We love collaborating. Our whole blog is a collaboration between myself and my husband, and the kids help make our YouTube videos. We love to work with tourist boards and brands to brainstorm innovative campaigns. I am also a member of the Family Travel Collective, a  group of five experienced journalists who have their own blogs in different family travel niches (other members are Cathy from Mummy Travels, Gretta from Mums Do Travel, Nichola from Globalmouse Travels and Ting from My Travel Monkey). I also work with Captivate to provide collective coverage for tourist boards.  

What advice would you give to PRs looking to get in touch?
Our most effective relationships with PRs have been long term, with occasional contact when there is something new to promote or update. Some PRs make the mistake of thinking the only valuable coverage is immediate; I like to think of it as a one-night stand versus a marriage. As a freelance for many outlets, I might include a destination years later in a round up post, revisit with teens instead of toddlers or keep updating one of my own posts to rank higher on Google. One of the best examples of this is Catalonia/Costa Brava tourism, where we have worked together on and off for over a decade. They understand the value of a lasting relationship.

What other blogs do you read?
There are many great family travel blogs out there, in fact I love all of the blogs on the recent Vuelio Top 10 list. Paula Eber at Road Trip Nation is a great writer and intrepid family traveller, and I have just read the proofs of her book about cycling the world. I also enjoy reading about Becky Enright’s exploits at Borders of Adventure.

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Silly season

4 tips to win silly season

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August is a slow month for news, with parliament on recess, half the entertainment industry in Edinburgh and August bank holiday just around the corner. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of opportunity for great PR to secure cut through and still make the front pages. In fact, in many ways there’s even more opportunity.

Here’s four quick tips to help you take this silly season seriously.

1. People still want news
While the UK has fewer citizens at home – with some 24 million people going abroad at some point in Q3 each year – these people aren’t all on holiday at the same time and, in our connected world, people still check in with news or social media and can see the stories you’re releasing.

Tip 1: Some stories won’t make sense in August (particularly anything political), but you shouldn’t hold on to a great story just because it’s summer.  

2. Context is vital
Parliament is on recess, which means there’s less attention for political stories. Similarly, children are on summer holidays, which means school stories won’t get much traction but activities and events for families will do much better than normal (especially as we reach the end of holidays and best laid plans for keeping kids entertained start wearing thin).

Tip 2: Carry out audience research, find out what matters most during August to your target(s) and create messaging to suit those needs. For research inspiration, check out our latest highlights from the ResponseSource Press Release Wire.

3. Your contacts go on holiday
You may have the perfect black book of senior contacts at all the best publications, but even Dacre took a holiday occasionally. Maybe. And just because a desk editor or star reporter is abroad, it doesn’t mean the publication stops creating news and content.

Tip 3: Make sure you know who to contact when your contact is away. If you’re struggling to find the right people, the Vuelio Media Database lists thousands of journalists, editors and influencers with detailed profiles and preferred contact information.

4. Silly season ends abruptly
Many schools return on 2 September and parliament is back on 3 September. At that point there will be just 58 days until the UK is due to leave the European Union, so expect the news agenda to include only one topic for a couple of months. Getting coverage in September is going to much harder and it’s also going to take a lot more work; is there anything you can do now to make that easier?

Tip 4: If you’re finding it quieter, and you don’t have the stories to fill the void, use this time wisely because you’ll miss it when it’s gone.

 

What tips have you got to win silly season? Let us know on Twitter @Vuelio, and we’ll retweet the best.

Fiona Harris

Relevance International appoints Fiona Harris as UK managing director

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Fiona Harris has been appointed managing director of Relevance International’s UK office. Harris is an experienced and trusted leader in brand strategy, marketing and public relations, who in 2018 was named one of London’s most influential people by Evening Standard and was previously cited in PR Week’s Power Book as one of the UK’s leading communications experts.

Harris has nearly 30 years of public relations and marketing experience and previously headed the VIP relations department for Selfridges, where she helped define strategy around attracting and retaining the international ultra high-net-worth customer.

Prior to this, Harris held a number of senior strategic roles at luxury hotel group Corinthia Hotels, Kuoni Travel and Condé Nast Publishing. She also co-founded her own successful travel and lifestyle agency, Bacall Harris Associates.

At Relevance, Harris will be responsible for the day-to-day strategy and execution of public relations services in Relevance’s London office, which opened in 2017 to coincide with Relevance New York’s rebrand to become Relevance International.

The London office includes a roster of luxury, property and corporate clients such as Quintessentially Estates, Concierge Auctions, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, The Royal Atlantis Resort and Residences in Dubai, H8 Collection in France and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants among many others.

Suzanne Rosnowski, CEO and founder of Relevance International, said: ‘Relevance’s London office has grown strong over the past year and a half and I can’t wait to see where it soars to with Fiona now at the helm. Her extensive background in the luxury, hospitality and lifestyle spaces is perfectly aligned with Relevance’s areas of focus. She is connected, seasoned, creative and savvy, and we are so very happy to welcome her to the team.’

Harris said: ‘Working with a myriad of luxury brands and businesses that have taken me around the world, I’m confident in my ability to take Relevance’s London office to the next level. I resonate heavily with the company’s long-term global vision and am proud to be a part of such a premier, international agency.’

Relevance International was founded by Rosnowski in 2012 in New York City, and has now grown to become a leading global agency, with a network of affiliates to support its worldwide client roster. The London office was this year a finalist for PRWeek Global Awards.

China live streaming market

How can brands navigate China’s live streaming market?

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This is a guest post and infographic [below] by Balvinder Kataora, marketing executive at Comms8.

An astounding 98% of people in China experience the internet through their mobile phone, which instantly makes over 800 million users a formidable cohort for marketers to tap into. When combined with the steady growth of the Chinese middle-class, it is clear to see business opportunities in what is now the world’s biggest retail market.

While the market is ripe for marketers, a unique set of technological and cultural factors has led the internet to develop differently from the UK. Having a large population, being awash with cash from a booming economy, and excellent mobile coverage roll out means the mobile app ecosystem is leaning towards innovative uses and high-bandwidth applications. Demand for long-distance communications, entertainment and hassle-free payments has propelled instant messaging, fintech apps and live streaming platforms to become a mainstay of the internet east of the Himalayas.

Live streaming has noticeably become a cultural mass phenomenon that is arguably the most popular form of online entertainment. Sitting between the crossroads of a modern-day QVC and communal socialising, platforms such as Kuaishou, Douyu, Meipai, Inke, and Momo are offering wide-spectrum appeal in any niche with seamless shopping and gifting options for fans.

The context for these live shows is often thematic and involves a presenter documenting their life and thoughts to an audience from tens of people to even millions. While intimate, some often weave product reviews and demonstrations during their shows to drive click-throughs to their own mini shops online, generating sales. Others, however, opt for the endorsement route whereby large brands, often luxury or fashion orientated, provide free samples in exchange for ‘air-time’ on their regular shows.

An increasing number of live streamers have pursued a more controversial option of gifting. Viewers buy virtual gifts with real money to effectively ‘tip’ live streamers. During these shows you will often see animated diamond icons, emoticons and sometimes richly animated flying jets and rockets shooting into space for the big spenders to show their ‘boss status’.

This business model has received criticism, as younger viewers may feel pressurised to financially support their online idols, or that the process of patronage does not manifest a physical item. The ephemeral nature of the performance makes it difficult to accurately price the value of gifts; is your favourite online star worth $2 or $200 per stream? A hard question to answer, but the value is sure to increase if the audience enjoys the stream.

Despite being relatively new, compared to more established digital trends, Deloitte has estimated the value of the live streaming market to be $4.4 billion in 2018, an 86% increase from 2016.

The attraction for the format, just as with social media, is the convenience it offers to meet like-minded people and share common interests in real time – and for free. For a nation that has witnessed radical demographic change over the last 50 years, much is out of balance. The preference for parents to have boys, has meant that the gender ratio has widened to the degree that there are almost 35 million more men than women, which is more than the population of Malaysia.

The gender disparity in the country is also reflected in the viewing audiences too. In 2016, IResearch found that approximately 63% of viewers were male with 35.5% being female. These platforms are in some cases allowing the socially isolated to instantly be adored with attention and praise from their most preferred online star, who happens to be from the opposite sex.

The biggest hurdle for brands is how to enter methodically into a fast-moving market without succumbing to social or legal faux-pas. The line between advertiser, endorser, advocate and consumer is increasingly blurred. So much so, there are concerns to whether viewers will be sure they are being marketed to, as per requirements of legalisation for online endorsements and sponsorships.

Given the rise of live streaming in China what can international brands learn from the market in the East?

New forms of sales relationships
It is almost unheard of to use pay-per-click (PPC) marketing or pay-per-sale (PPS) as arrangements are almost always a flat rate fee. That said, platforms like Bangtuike are trying to make all live streamers and online influencers advertisers, no matter how small their audience is. The desire to work with micro content providers is seeing greater demand as brands are able to capitalise on a wider audience market.

Being mindful of corporate social responsibility
Unlike TV and Radio, regulatory bodies are still catching up to the technology and so there is a legal blind spot in the way brands are able to use the platform. Brands need to step back from their campaign from time to time and assess how the overall impact might be interpreted, rightly or wrongly.

Localising content
As David Ogilvy once said, if you going to sell to someone it is best to do so in their own language. Localising content is the key to winning hearts and minds.

One way to do this is to use influencers who are not only based in the large metropolises. Knowing that the next 20 cities after Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong still hold a huge retail population, and moving away from a well-beaten path, could reap huge rewards.

In essence, developing a Chinese voice for the brand is key to gaining market share and have your brand, in a way, speak Chinese.

CyclingEurope

Cycling blogger spotlight: Andrew Sykes, CyclingEurope.org

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Andrew Sykes is the writer and cyclist behind CyclingEurope.org, a top 10 UK cycling blog. Covering the best routes and cycling tips, Andrew has also published three books about his travels across Europe.

We spoke to Andrew about being part of the cycling blogger community, his new bike Wanda and the best way to get in touch if you’re a PR or brand.

How do you describe what you do to other people?
I am, above all, a cyclist. Combined with a love to explore this wonderful continent that we called Europe (as well as the other six!) and the skills to express my experiences in words, I suppose I’m also a traveller and writer.

How did you discover your love of cycling?
I have always been a cyclist or at least from the point when I learned to ride a bicycle when I was very young. It remains, in my opinion, the most practical way to get from A to B and, after crossing Europe for the first time in 2010, I discovered that the combination of cycling, long-distance travelling and writing was a very good one indeed.

What’s the best bike you’ve ever ridden?
The one that I have just invested in! It’s a wonderful Koga Signature WorldTraveller bike from the Netherlands. With its hub gears, carbon belt and sturdy build, it should hopefully have me crossing more continents in the years to come. It’s also got a name: Wanda.

What’s the best cycle route in the world?
The best cycle route is the one that you abandon your car to make on two wheels instead. That could be across the country, to work or just to the end of the street.

The next big thing in cycling – what are your predictions?
I’ve mentioned my new bicycle already and some of its features; the hub gears and carbon belt are not new but, now that hub brakes have almost become standard, surely advanced drive systems are next. Time will tell. Efficient power generation when cycling has also come a long way in recent years, especially as everyone wants to keep their high-tech devices topped up on the go. Expect to see big advances in that area too.

What’s the cycling blogging community like to be a part of?
It’s great to be at the heart of it. Most cyclists are very down to earth people; we reflect the machines that we ride; humble, inconspicuous, environmentally friendly… and I’m proud to be part of that group of people.

Do you accept press releases?
Yes, as long as the general topic is in line with the themes of CyclingEurope.org, namely cycling, travel and/or adventure. And I don’t turn things away simply because they are not about Europe!

What are the best campaigns you’ve collaborated on?
I’ve worked with many groups over the years helping to promote a range of services and products that I think may be of use to the readers of the website: clothing manufacturers, travel specialists and transport companies. I’m also increasingly working with tourist authorities writing bespoke content for the site about their particular corner of the world.

What advice would you give to PRs/brands reaching out to you?
Be honest in your approach. Avoid telling me that you’ve always been a fan of the site, that seems unlikely. And if you are offering sponsored content, be up front about the financial side of things. Most long-term relationships kick off with everyone knowing where they stand.

What other blogs do you read?
I’m familiar with most of the sites on the current Vuelio top ten list of cycling blogs but I have to admit that Brian Palmer’s thewashingmachinepost is hard to beat in terms of his shear depth of knowledge and attention to detail. Impressive stuff!

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Nichola West, Globalmouse Travels

Family Travel Spotlight: Nichola West, Globalmouse Travels

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Nichola West is the author of Globalmouse Travels, which was recently named in the top 10 UK Family travel blogs. Exploring the real side of destinations – rather than the well-worn tourist routes – Nichola and her family travel both in the UK and around the world. We caught up with Nichola to find out about the beauty of Oman, her advice for family travel and how she likes to work with PRs and brands.

How do you describe what you do to other people?
I say I try to inspire other people to keep travelling with their children, while getting to enjoy doing exactly that with mine.

How do different social channels feed into your blog?
They all work really differently, Twitter is good for chatting (and I co-run a monthly Twitter chat #familytravelhour with Lonely Planet Kids and other travel bloggers once a month, which is a fun place to all connect and talk travel); Instagram is like a blog in itself, working as a more immediate look at our travels as they happen; and Facebook is a nice place to share other travel news as well as what we’re up to. I am starting to really get in to YouTube too and enjoy making videos of the places we visit.

How easy is it to get into family travel? Did you have any major concerns?
I was really daunted by family travel in the beginning. We took a couple of trips to France that seemed quite stressful and resigned ourselves, after years of travelling as a couple, to little trips to France, thinking that was as far as we would go. Then we won a competition to travel to the Cook Islands and that transformed our mindset. If we could travel for over 24 hours with a one-year-old, we could travel anywhere. So now we go wherever any of us fancies. It was a moment of realisation that you have to relax and just go with it because anything is possible.

Globalmouse Travels

What’s the best family destination in the world?
Our favourite destination is Oman. We all just love it. We stayed in some beautiful resorts with swimming pools and perfect for relaxation, visited deserts for sleeping out under the stars and camel riding with nomadic Bedouins, and went to beaches to watch endangered turtles hatch. The Omani people are so friendly and welcoming and we loved the warmth of the country.

What are your top tips for long distance travel with young children?
My top tips are to relax and enjoy it. Take sticker books, wipes, snacks from home and a camera and you’ll have the best time. Children really do create a welcoming environment and we’ve had such wonderful experiences travelling in new cultures thanks to travelling with them.

How restrictive are term times for the perfect family travel experience?
Term times are definitely restrictive and annoying but then there are plenty of breaks and the key is to plan ahead. Book flights when they come out, as far in advance as you can, and you can get some great bargains. It’s also worth keeping an eye on the holidays of other countries around the world, for example Scotland usually break up before the rest of England and go back earlier so you might find it cheaper to travel up to Glasgow or Edinburgh to fly out from later in the summer when they’re back at school. In the same way, most of the US and Scandinavian countries go back to school before England, in mid-August, so going later in the month will mean more accommodation options and some good offers.

Do you accept press releases?
Definitely. It’s always good to hear the latest industry news.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
I work with a great group of family travel bloggers, The Family Travel Collective and together we have worked on some fantastic campaigns with brands including Hyundai and BenQ and destinations from Durham to Tunisia. It’s a wonderful, collaborative way to work and I love the results we get when we join together to increase reach. I also personally love working with Visit Scotland who really understand what we are looking for on a trip, from a family travel perspective and also with Visit Denmark who we just love.

What advice would you give to PRs looking to get in touch?
Please do! We love to hear from PRs and whether it’s a fully joined together campaign you’d like us to work with you on or you’re looking for ideas of how we can work together we’d love to hear from you and help to create some exciting content.

What other blogs do you read?
I love Tigerlillyquinn, Along Dusty Roads, Mrs O and many other family travel blogs.

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Dangerous Instagram

Pretty dangerous: how can you ensure the influencers you work with stay safe?

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Taking risks – and taking pictures of those risks – is what separates influencers from their followers. Sharing aspects of your life online that the rest of us keep private, and investing time in creating a profile with no guarantee of success, is a risk most of us won’t take.

An office job is safer, but potentially not as profitable as, say, being able to sell gamer girl bathwater after becoming popular online. Risk for the online influencer can bring rewards of attention, followers and clout, but badly-planned risk can cause great harm to reputation and personal safety. Scary examples of influencers acting dangerously for their audience now pop up in the mainstream media on a regular basis, so we’ve asked PRs who’ve worked closely with influencers how to keep those tempted by risky shots safe.

Feeling green after visits to the blue ‘Novosibirsk Maldives’
Novosibirsk in Russia has a lake with water so blue it’s almost unnatural… which it actually is, being a man-made ash dump for the local coal plant. Unfortunately, it’s also being used as the location for glamourous Instagram photoshoots. Those who’ve chosen to swim in the toxic water for pictures have reported allergic reactions and skin irritation alongside social success. So, is it worth it?

‘There are safe areas to get beautiful shots, such as controlled viewpoints, safe pools and there are even some lovely picturesque indoor spaces that have been set up now, with their “instagrammability” being their main attraction. If you’re an influencer, perhaps all of your income will come from promoting products and services on your platform. Do you really believe that those said things would be promoted to a heightened extent if you place yourself in a dangerous position to photograph them?’ – Jessica Pardoe, digital PR & outreach executive at Tecmark

‘I’d recommend to any influencers to look elsewhere as you can find plenty of alternatives that won’t involve losing an organ or their sight. Norway offers a number of locations that look incredibly similar, if not better – I would push for them to find an alternative scene for their shoots. As bad as it is to say, a huge amount of influencers images are touched up on Photoshop or via apps, therefore while they might be taking huge risks to get that turquoise shot, the question remains whether it is worth it when you could be paddling in the Brighton sea and with a few flicks of the finger you could make it look like an exotic resort’ – James Carfell, marketing for Collier

Instagram couples pretend to be Spider-Man and Mary Jane
Kelly Castille and Kody Workman of Instagram account positravelty received a backlash after posting a pic of Kody dangling Kelly from an infinity pool during a kiss.

‘At the end of the day we are to hold ourselves accountable for the decisions that we make,’ is what they posted next to the photo. Others held them accountable for promoting the dangerous lengths they went to for a pretty picture. They’re not the only dangerous kissers on Instagram, Camille and Jean of backpackdiariez shared one of their ‘wildest kisses’ in May, taken while hanging out of a train door.

‘The best thing PR agencies can do to make sure influencers don’t put themselves in risky situations is to remind them that they – the influencer – are essentially a role model for their followers. When an influencer does something that is out of bounds or potentially dangerous, they are setting a negative precedent. Brands should be very clear when drawing up contracts about what behaviour is or isn’t acceptable’ – Gabrielle Sarpong, PR executive at Feel Good Contacts

Chernobyl series sparks selfies
Tourism to Chernobyl is up following the success of the HBO series detailing the events of the 1986 tragedy – Instagrammers travelling to the site to take some pretty awful selfies is also reportedly on the rise. As well as coming across as callous and potentially harming their reputation, influencers posing in front of abandoned disaster areas also risk their health.

‘When it comes to talent putting themselves in dangerous positions, we would ensure that their safety is our top priority. There is no point risking a life ‘for the gram’. And if a more particular shot was required, we would ensure that all the right precautions were taken, the conditions were right and we have the right creatives to assist in production. Ultimately co-creating the content (instead of an individual curating the content alone) is paramount to ensure everything runs safely, smoothly and avoids any unnecessary danger’ – William Soulier, CEO and co-founder of Talent Village

Overexposure to idealised images could be harming the mental health of influencers
Just as posing in toxic water, over dangerous precipices and near radiation can result in pretty shots for social, obsessing over the shares they get can harm the influencers posting them. Recent research published in the Psychology of Popular Media Culture journal found that Instagram, more than any other social media platform, triggers comparisons and feelings of inadequacy and anxiety. This has led the platform to trial hiding public-facing stats, in the hopes it will reduce the pressure on users (read our white paper about that very topic here).

‘In the age of Instagram manipulation, photoshop editing and augmented reality, it is hard to know which image is genuine and which has been changed to look so incredibly far from the original shot. Many influencers will take 100 photos before posting a single one, trying to get that ideal shot and forgetting the natural aspect of showing who you are and letting your personality shine through’ – James Carfell

‘When you work with an influencer as a PR, they effectively work for you. I truly believe that those working in influencer marketing know exactly how to maintain relations with their influencers, and how to keep them out of harm’s way when they are promoting’ – Jessica Pardoe

If you’re a PR who’s looking to connect with influencers, but aren’t sure how to help them avoid the risks? You can encourage the social media generation to behave responsibly outdoors and find professional influencers to work with on the Vuelio Influencer Database.