Germaine

Life as an intern at Vuelio

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Germaine Aboud has been interning with the marketing department at Vuelio for the past month. An Economics and Politics graduate, this is Germaine’s first exposure to PR, public affairs and communications, so we asked her to share what she’s learned about our industry.  

For someone who knew nothing of PR and comms, I have come a long way. Before working at Vuelio, I thought PR solely consisted of drafting press releases.  I did not expect it to be based so much on strategy and the creation of narratives to align with an organisation’s agenda and achieve your goals.

The use of technology, and specifically tailored software, to manage public relations truly revolutionises the whole industry, especially when one looks at the extent to which it overlaps with marketing agencies and public affairs.

For the past month, I’ve been working on a research project to support the marketing department. This allowed me to interact with different departments in the company and greatly enhanced my knowledge of the PR industry and how it’s using communication and reputation management software. Here are four things I’ve learned about the PR industry:

1. PR is people and social trends 

Even a press release is all about people and understanding what they want to hear and how they’ll react.  Knowing how to brand yourself, a product or whole organisation is based on observing societal trends and responding to them. Studying these trends and the changing norms is where PR software is essential, especially with the increasing social media presence in societies. Being able to monitor these changes on a large scale on one single platform expedites an organisation’s response to rapidly changing trends

2. It is hard to quantify the industry 

The PR industry overlaps with many others, particularly the content marketing industry, which makes it hard to quantify. Many companies combine their PR and content marketing strategies to ensure brand message consistency, to facilitate content outreach and share budgets. However, PR still takes precedence over marketing in crisis management.

3. The Comms in ‘PR and Comms’ 

It’s a recurring theme in every industry and job description: communication skills. However, in PR it goes beyond that. Communication in PR is how to strategically manage relationships with the public, which consists of multiple stakeholders that your brand/image must appeal to. The challenge is that each one of these stakeholders speaks a different language that PR campaigners must learn in order to respond to their concerns and desires. Again, this is where PR software is essential to map out your stakeholders and study their social needs.

4. Narrative, narrative and narrative 

This is probably the most interesting aspect of PR, in my opinion, as it brings together everything mentioned above. Controlling the narrative is the goal. By understanding your audience, social trends and how to communicate your message, the narrative is born and should resonate with your audience.

Ultimately, the PR and communications industry does not have the same reputation internally as it does externally and it’s fascinating to learn how strategic communications can make the difference between success and failure. It’s been a steep learning curve, but I’d recommend this industry to anyone.

Online Influence Awards

Presenting The Online Influence Awards 2019

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The Vuelio Blog Awards are changing, welcome to The Online Influence Awards.

Back in 2015 we launched The Vuelio Blog Awards, which grew to be the most respected accolades for bloggers across the UK.

Bu the world of influence has changed, so this year we’re delighted to unveil our new look event, The Online Influence Awards, to celebrate the very best in influence, insight and intelligence from across the world of vloggers, bloggers, Instagrammers and podcasters.

Alongside subject categories including lifestyle, fashion, politics and news, in 2019 we will also reward the best B2B, B2C and Cause-Led Influencer Campaigns.

Taking place on 22 November at The Bloomsbury Ballroom, we will be transporting our guests back to the glamour and glitz of the 1920s with a Gatsby-inspired evening of indulgence and celebration.

Greeted with a jazz-era cocktail reception, guests will enjoy a fully-immersive evening including a three-course fine dining experience, culminating in the crowning of the top UK influencers.

Categories are now open for sponsorship; from individual awards to drinks reception and the legendary after party, there’s a package to suit every budget and goal. Sponsors get their brand in front of the leading names in the industry and we’ll even make sure they’re sat on your table.

You’re also invited to take advantage of our super early bird ticket price, which is available until 2 September.

We’ll be announcing the full categories, finalists, hosts and much more over the coming weeks so make sure you’re following Vuelio on Twitter, Instagram and you’re signed up to our newsletters.

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Koray Camgoz appointed Head of Comms and Marketing at PRCA

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The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) have appointed Koray Camgoz as Head of Comms and Marketing. Camgoz joins the PRCA from the CIPR where he led the communications function as Public Relations Manager. 

Camgoz began his career in comms in New York at the communications firm Tiberend Strategic Advisors and with a Masters degree in media and communications, a PR diploma and a Chartered PR Practioner, he will bring plenty of experience and knowledge to his new role.

Camgoz said: “I’m excited to start a new chapter with the PRCA. I’d like to thank the staff and volunteers at the CIPR for their support over the years. I believe passionately in the power of communication and the need for professionals to commit to industry standards. I look forward to supporting the PRCA’s continuing growth in the UK and overseas.”

Francis Ingham MPRCA, Director General, PRCA, said: “It’s my enormous pleasure to welcome Koray Camgoz to the PRCA team. I’ve been hugely impressed by his work at the CIPR in recent years, and I’m delighted he’ll now be deploying his expertise on behalf of PRCA members. His knowledge of our industry, combined with his international expertise make him the perfect person to head up the PRCA’s UK and international communications and marketing.”

priti patel

Political Headlines – Patel tipped for Home Secretary

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Today’s political headlines includes Priti Patel is tipped to become Home Secretary, Hunt resists demotion and rejects role of Defence Secretary and Johnson is to set out his domestic agenda. 

Patel tipped for Home Secretary
The Times claims that Boris Johnson is to promote Priti Patel to the post of Home Secretary today, following his victory in the Conservative leadership contest and his installation as Prime Minister today. Aides have said that Johnson wants to create a ‘cabinet for modern Britain’, with more women as full members and a record number of non-white MPs in his wider team. The paper claims that Sajid Javid faces competition from Liz Truss for the role of Chancellor and expects Rishi Sunak to join the Cabinet. Other MPs likely to be promoted include Rishi Sunak, Oliver Dowden, Tracey Crouch and Robert Jenrick. Johnson has already made Mark Spencer his chief whip and Sky executive Andrew Griffith his chief business adviser.


Hunt resists demotion
According to The Sun, Boris Johnson yesterday offered his leadership rival Jeremy Hunt the role of Defence Secretary, only for Hunt to reject it, viewing it as a demotion from Foreign Secretary. He has apparently told Johnson that he wants to retain his current role and if Johnson wants to move him, he will have to sack him. The paper suggests that Johnson wants to make Penny Mordaunt the new Foreign Secretary.

Johnson to set out domestic agenda
The Daily Mail reports that Boris Johnson will use his speech outside Downing Street this afternoon to set out his domestic agenda. Yesterday he told the 1922 Committee of backbench Conservative MPs he would ‘put a stop’ to prosecutions of troops involved in the Troubles in Northern Ireland, while he used his speech after being elected to promise more police, full-fibre broadband to every home, better infrastructure and better education.

Johnson to meet Trump three times in next 100 days
According to The Daily Telegraph, Boris Johnson will meet Donald Trump three times before the UK leaves the EU in 100 days, with a visit to the USA expected in August, and further meetings at the G7 later that month and at the UN General Assembly in September, in an attempt to strengthen the ‘special referendum’. Yesterday Trump said of Boris, ‘They call him Britain Trump. And people are saying that’s a good thing. They like me over there.’

Watson admits making ‘real mistake’ by believing paedophile ring allegations
The Times says that Labour deputy leader Tom Watson has admitted making ‘a real mistake’ by believing Carl Beech, convicted of lying about a Westminster paedophile ring. Harvey Proctor, one of those falsely accused by Beech, has called on Watson to disclose details of his contact with Beech to a parliamentary select committee.

Swinson vows to vote against Brexit even if it wins second referendum
The Daily Telegraph says that Jo Swinson, the new Liberal Democrat leader, has vowed to vote against Brexit, even if it wins a second referendum. She said such a vote wouldn’t ‘change my fundamental beliefs’ and she had been elected on a ‘firm manifesto pledge to fight for Scotland’s place in the UK and the UK’s place in the EU’.

Government going ahead with bottle and can deposit scheme
The Sun says that the Government is going ahead with plans for a deposit on cans and glass or plastic bottles, to be set at 10p or 20p, and which will be refundable via ‘reverse vending machines’. The plans were unveiled by Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove, who also said that he wanted to standardise council’s recycling schemes.

Mann made antisemitism adviser
The Daily Telegraph reports that one of Theresa May’s last actions as leader was to appoint the Labour MP John Mann as an advisor on antisemitism to the Government. Mann warned that ‘if we stay silent on anti-Semitism, we allow cowardice and bigotry to speak its own repulsive language. I will endeavour to give a clarion call to government on prejudice and discrimination’.

Stay up to date with Vuelio Political Services.  

Easy Cheesy vegetarian

Blogger Rebrand: Amuse Your Bouche becomes Easy Cheesy Vegetarian

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Leading food blogger Amuse Your Bouche rebranded earlier this year to become Easy Cheesy Vegetarian. Still a top 10 food blogger, author Becca Heyes spoke to us about the process of rebranding, the ethos of her blog and the way she works with brands and PRs.

Why have you rebranded?
I felt like I’d outgrown the name Amuse Your Bouche. Lots of people didn’t understand what it meant, and it didn’t actually give any information about what you’d find on the site. Easy Cheesy Vegetarian is a real ‘does what it says on the tin’ kind of name – if I saw that name, I’d immediately want to browse the site, as that sounds like just the sort of recipes I’d love to see.

How big a project is it rebranding a blog? Any major challenges?
It was quite a big project, but luckily I had a great developer who designed a fantastic user-friendly site for me, and set up all the redirects from the old site perfectly. I definitely wouldn’t have attempted that aspect of the rebrand on my own, as it’s so important to get the redirects right.

Changing social handles was actually easier than I thought it would be – most social networks allowed me to make the switch with no problems.

Becca Heyes

What’s the Easy Cheesy Vegetarian ethos?
My recipes all tend to fit three main criteria:

  1. They only use straightforward ingredients that you could easily find at your local supermarket. I find a lot of vegetarian recipes use ‘weird’ ingredients that can be hard to get hold of and seem pretty alien to a lot of people.
  2. They’re simple and easy to follow, with no unnecessary steps.
  3. They’re hearty and filling – I don’t do tiny portions of fussy food.

My recipes are (hopefully!) really accessible, and easy for everyone to enjoy, whether they’re a vegan, omnivore or anything in between.

What kind of people do you write your content for?
Just normal people like me! I could try to write for specific kinds of people, but really all I can do is to write content that I would enjoy, and hope there are enough people like me who will enjoy it too. So I suppose, if you’re a slightly busy (but also slightly lazy) person who just wants to enjoy some good, straightforward vegetarian food, Easy Cheesy Vegetarian is the place for you.

What’s the best cheese?
That’s the hardest question in the world! I suppose it depends what counts as ‘best’. Halloumi is definitely one of my favourites – the rich salty flavour is amazing, and you can’t beat it when it’s gooey in the middle and crispy on the outside. But I probably use a good old cheddar more than any other cheese, as it’s just so versatile. My fridge would feel empty without it.

Easy Cheesy VegetarianWhat’s your favourite recipe from your own repitoire?
Ooh, it’s so hard to pick. I’ve spent the last seven and a half years years coming up with new recipe after new recipe, and there are hundreds to choose from! I suppose my cheesy bean bake is one of my favourites because it’s hard to think of anything that could be better than a rich, hearty casserole topped with plenty of cheese! Or, the lentil and halloumi curry I shared recently was pretty incredible too. Halloumi in curry is a real revelation.

What’s the best vegetarian restaurant/option at a restaurant?
To be honest, I don’t go to vegetarian restaurants very often. I find it overwhelming when there’s too much choice, I’m so used to only having a few different things to choose from, not a full menu. I’m actually pretty predictable when it comes to eating out, I like to choose something I know I’ll enjoy, and that I rarely make for myself at home. I find it hard to resist a good veggie burger and chips.

Has the rebrand changed the way you work with brands/PRs at all?
Nope! Luckily, everyone seems to have realised that the site content is the same as before, my readers are the same as before, and I am the same as before, so very little has changed in that respect. I still love to work with brands to bring new and interesting products to my readers.

What advice would you give to brands looking to work with you?
Be good communicators! It’s frustrating when I’m talking to a brand about a new project, and they stop replying to emails for a few weeks. All it takes is a two-sentence email letting me know that I can expect to hear from them in a couple of weeks’ time, and everyone is happy.

Food & Drink is a supersector as identified in the UK Bloggers Survey – how do you feel it fits in with the rest of the blogosphere?
I think there will always be food and drink blogs because everyone needs to eat. So, it’s an important category that can reach all sorts of people from all walks of life, rather than more niche categories that may only be relevant to certain types of people.

Easy Cheesy vegetarian

Food & Drink can also command some of the highest prices for posts and collaborations, but it’s by no means consistent – do you feel there should be standardised pay?
I definitely think that everyone deserves to be paid equally for their time, nobody should be working for free. But it’s also important to remember that brands are not only paying for a blogger’s time, but also to reach their audience, which can obviously vary greatly in size. Therefore, I do think it’s fair for a blogger with a huge reach to be paid more than a blogger with a small reach. There are lots of factors involved.

What other blogs do you read?
I have very little time to read other blogs these days, with a toddler to look after alongside blogging, and another baby on the way! So, I wouldn’t say there are any blogs I read consistently at the moment. But, I do think it’s really important to know your industry, so I do try to keep up with general trends in blogging, and to keep an eye on how other people are doing things. I’d say I read a little bit from everyone, rather than reading any blogs in particular.

Reach-the-right-influencers-with-the-Vuelio-media-database

Measurement

How metrics are helping us prove the value of PR

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This is a guest post by Sarah Evans, senior digital strategist at Bottle.

It’s no longer acceptable to say PR has a measurement problem. As an industry we’ve been (fairly) challenged to demonstrate what value our campaigns, our work, that piece of coverage had in real terms. How does that feed into business objectives?

At Bottle, we believe brands grow when their stories flow. To measure the effectiveness of that, we need a blend of short- and long-term metrics. A regular flow of stories being published – audience-first content and coverage, both on and offsite – builds a momentum that cumulatively shifts a larger dial over time that indicates brand growth.

Are your stories flowing?
We still need to keep sight of things like coverage itself, for example: how many pieces, the quality of the sites that are linking, how many unique referring domains link back to your site? These help us keep on top of the momentum and frequency that we’re building. In previous reports, we may have stopped there, however now we know we’re influencing behaviour beyond that initial burst of activity.

Next, we need to look at the immediate impact of that activity. Indicators that our coverage is valuable to its intended audience are things like social shares and comments. If there are any links in the piece, did anyone click on them (and if they did, were they ‘long clicks’ or did they bounce?). If coverage doesn’t have a link, and people like what they see, they’ll have to either Google you or come directly to your website to find out more. Google Analytics (or other website tracking software) can tell you all of this, and more.

How is your content performing? Are people reading and engaging with your content? You can look at this through pages per visit, bounce rate and time on page. Is your content doing the job it set out to do? And what do people do next on the site?

Is your brand growing?
As well as short-term metrics, we also need to balance that by zooming out and understanding how all that activity is laddering up into wider marketing objectives. We may not have sales-led objectives, however a common KPI we look at is site traffic (as a whole, or specifically from channels that we’re most likely to influence with ‘brand building’ activity, like organic search or direct).

These metrics by their nature can take consistent, sustained activity to shift (which is why we set the pace with the shorter-term metrics). Things like the number of people searching for the brand, direct traffic and positions for target keywords, topics and products are all key indicators that your brand is growing in visibility and authority.

Branded searches are a proxy for awareness, and even loyalty if someone already knows who they want to buy from. Direct traffic (although a bit of a messy, catch-all channel) indicates how many people have been to your site before, have you bookmarked, or type your URL in as their destination. A growth in search visibility (or how many times Google has served up your site as an answer to someone’s question) tells us that Google is confident that people will get what they need from your site, in turn driving more organic traffic.

Reporting is empowering
As the boundaries between PR, marketing and SEO activity are merging ever closer, there’s no excuse for PR to shy away from measurement any longer. It’s empowering to demonstrate the value of your work; it unlocks budget, helps us plan the next campaign and sometimes it even makes great case studies. We’ve been influencing these metrics all along, without taking any of the credit. We’re not a direct acquisition channel, but a valid and vital part of the journey. Understanding and articulating the role it plays, both long and short term, is the key to PR’s digital evolution.

jo swinson political headlines

Political Headlines – Watson urged to apologise after false allegations

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Today’s political headlines includes Labour deputy leader Tom Watson urged to apologise after false allegations, Swinson elected as Lib Dem leader and Johnson to announce new domestic policies if elected. 

Watson urged to apologise after VIP paedophile ring accuser convicted of lying
The Times says that Labour deputy leader Tom Watson is being urged to apologise after the paedophile Carl Beech was convicted of making false allegations about being abused by a ring of VIPs, including former Home Secretary Leon Brittan. Watson wrote that it was ‘a travesty’ that Brittan ‘will never be asked the truth’, while the son of another accused politician, Greville Janner, claimed that Watson had politicised the police investigation for ‘personal political advancement’.

Swinson elected as Lib Dem leader
The Guardian reports that Jo Swinson has been elected as the new leader of the Liberal Democrats, winning almost two-thirds of the vote. In her acceptance speech, she said that ‘liberalism is alive and thriving, in the face of nationalism, populism, the catastrophe of Brexit’, adding that it was ‘the time for working together, not the time for tribalism’. The Times adds Justice Secretary David Gauke has warned that a no-deal Brexit will ‘play into the hands’ of the Lib Dems, saying Swinson ‘will be an energetic and passionate advocate’.

Johnson to announce new domestic policies if he’s elected today
The Sun claims that Boris Johnson will immediately ‘start to unveil a blitzkrieg of domestic plans’ if he is elected as Tory leader today. He will announce a state-backed social care insurance scheme, new rules and funding to end regional imbalances in school funding and a ‘Brexit dividend’ for the regions. The Daily Telegraph says that Johnson will lift Hammond’s controls on public spending, pausing deficit reduction to fund tax breaks for those earning under £80,000.

May and Hancock in argument over ‘sin taxes’
According to the Financial Times, Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock tried to block the publication of a new green paper promising to end smoking by 2030 and to ban the sale of energy drinks to children, but was over-ruled by Theresa May. He is a supporter of Boris Johnson, who has opposed so-called ‘sin taxes’.

Ministers confirm they’ll resign rather than serve under Johnson
The Guardian reports that International Development Secretary Rory Stewart has joined David Gauke and Philip Hammond in confirming that he will resign rather than serve under Boris Johnson, while Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan resigned to request an emergency debate to test whether Johnson could command a majority, but this was rejected by the Speaker. The Times says Johnson has met Stewart, Gauke and Hammond as part of a ‘charm offensive’, amid concerns they will be ‘nightmare’ backbenchers.

Three former Prime Ministers criticise Johnson over no-deal Brexit plans
The Daily Mirror leads with the news that three former Prime Ministers – Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and Sir John Major – have criticised Boris Johnson over his no-deal Brexit plans, with Brown claiming that it would be the world’s largest ‘self-inflicted wound’ and Major saying that Johnson would face ‘uncompromising opposition’.

Labour steps up efforts to combat antisemitism
The Guardian says that Labour is increasing its efforts to tackle antisemitism, with the shadow cabinet backing new plans from Jeremy Corbyn to speed up the expulsion of antisemites from the party. A new rule will see members who have committed the most serious offences referred to a new panel with the power to immediately expel them.

Iran accused of ‘state piracy’ by Hunt
The Daily Mail reports that Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt yesterday accused Iran of ‘state piracy’ over its seizure of a British tanker, saying that the UK would ‘seek to put together a European-led maritime protection mission to support safe passage of both crew and cargo in this vital region’.

Stay up to date with Vuelio Political Services.  

political headlines philip hammond

Political Headlines – Ministers to disrupt Johnson by resigning

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Today’s political headlines includes senior ministers plans to disrupt Johnson by resigning, Corbyn support amongst Labour members falls and the government considers a carbon charge on air tickets. 

Ministers to disrupt Johnson by resigning
The Guardian claims that Boris Johnson’s entry into Downing Street is to be disrupted by ‘carefully timed resignations’ by senior ministers. Philip Hammond and David Gauke have confirmed that they will be stepping down on Wednesday, with others, such as Rory Stewart, potentially following. Hammond told The Andrew Marr show at the weekend that ‘I’m sure I’m not going to be sacked, because I’m going to resign before we get to that point’.

Johnson calls on UK to rediscover ‘sense of mission’
Writing in The Daily Telegraph Boris Johnson says that the UK can leave the EU with a deal by 31 October be rediscovering its ‘sense of mission’, saying that if man could get to the moon fifty years ago ‘we certainly have the technology’ to tackle the Irish border issue, claiming that checks could be conducted away from the border.

Corbyn support amongst Labour members falls
A poll by YouGov for The Times finds that Jeremy Corbyn’s popularity with Labour members has fallen by 24 points since March last year, with 43% of members now saying that is doing a bad job. Over half are dissatisfied with how he has handled Brexit, while one in four want him to quit immediately. The Guardian reports that Corbyn has launched an educational webpage to help tackle antisemitism in the party.

Over 770,000 denied state support since Government promised action on social care
The Daily Mail claims that over 770,000 elderly people have been denied state support since the Government promised to reform the social care system in March 2017, with 66,684 people dying while waiting for care over the period according to NHS Digital figures, analysed by Age UK, which called for ‘certainty and stability’.

Defence minister says navy is too small after Iran seizes tanker
The Times says that defence minister Tobias Ellwood has admitted that the Royal Navy is ‘too small’ to fulfil a global role, following the seizure by the Iranians of the British tanker Stena Impero in the Gulf despite warnings from HMS Montrose. He said that continuing to play ‘an influential role’ internationally would ‘require further funding’.

Duncan Smith holds out for senior Cabinet role as Johnson considers demoting Hunt
According to The Sun, Iain Duncan Smith has told friends he wouldn’t accept a role as party chairman under Boris Johnson as he wants a more senior role. The paper also says that Johnson’s allies believe he will sack Jeremy Hunt as Foreign Secretary if he wins the leadership by a large number, having become infuriated by Hunt’s personal attacks, and will give him a more junior role such as Business Secretary.

Government considers carbon charge on air tickets
The Times claims that the Government is considering adding a carbon charge to the price of air tickets automatically, on an ‘opt-out’ basis, with the possibility of extending this to trains, buses and ferries. This would increase the cost of a London to New York flight by just under £30, and to Madrid by about £5.

MPs call for time limit on prosecution of soldiers
The Guardian carries details of a House of Commons Defence Committee report which recommends the introduction of a 10-year ‘qualified statute of limitations’ to protect military veterans and soldiers from prosecution, and suggest that the Human Rights Act could be amended to provide further protection.

Stay up to date with Vuelio Political Services.  

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Dos and don’ts of networking

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For some people, the idea of attending an industry event fills them with dread. It’s the fear of what to say and who you might meet, or, most terrifying of all, what if no-one talks to you. Networking at events doesn’t need to be a chore, instead it should be seen as the enjoyable part of your job that helps you get ahead (plus these events often come with free food and drink!).

Vuelio hosts, sponsors and attends a large number of industry events throughout the year and along the way we’ve picked up top dos and don’ts of how to network. Whether you’re at an industry awards kitted out in black tie, casual post-work networking drinks or a three-day conference, these tips should give you the confidence to blossom into a networking pro.

Do

  • Research. Try to find out who else is going to be at the event so you can plan who you want to speak to. This will be easier for some types of events and with any awards ceremony the shortlist is your key to finding out who will be there on the night.
    • Top tip: find out the event hashtag and follow it on Twitter, it’s a great way to see who’s engaged and talking about the event and gives you the chance to have pre-event interaction
  • Be open. Keep a couple of open-ended questions up your sleeve; remember, if this is your first interaction keep it light and friendly but most of all make sure you listen to their answer.
    • Top tip: read the signs when it’s ready to bring the conversation to a close, are they looking elsewhere or checking their phone? Smile, say you enjoyed talking to them and that you’ll catch up with them soon.
  • Follow up. Not only is it good manners but it also makes sure you stay at the front of their mind. Whether you connect on LinkedIn or send a short email, thank them for their time and suggest getting in touch again soon.
    • Top tip: make it personal if you can, refer back to the event you met at or a topic of conversation you discussed. This shows that you listened and puts you in the best light.

Don’t

  • Speak to colleagues. Chances are you’ve gone to the event with a colleague and while the temptation may be to stick to the people you know this doesn’t help you meet new people or expand your network.
    • Top tip: look for other people on their own, it’s easier to have a conversation one-to-one than break into a group.
  • Be late. Allow yourself plenty of time to get to the venue, being late to events reflects badly on you and the company you represent. It also means you may miss vital networking opportunities.
    • Top tip: check the route before you leave for any potential travel issues.
  • Be unapproachable. Your instinct may be to go to your phone and check emails in an uncomfortable networking situation but this sends the message that you don’t want to engage with others. Grab a drink and keep the phone away!
    • Top tip: Stood on an exhibition stand? The temptation will be to fold your arms but this is a big no, keep your arms behind your back and you’re body language will go from unapproachable to open in seconds.

Expert Industry Advice

Andrea Sexton, director of Andrea Sexton PR had these three failsafe tips: ’Be in it for the long term! Networking works best when you build long term relationships then you can refer with confidence and with professionalism. Follow up straight away. I block out time in my diary after each networking event in order to have the opportunity to follow up with people properly. Stick with it and take it seriously – it will be worth it.’

Holly Pither, MD and founder of Tribe PR shared this networking don’t: ’I once saw a guy pull out his iPad at an industry event and start showing his sales creds to a poor chap. I can’t tell you how awkward it was. In sales, the aim isn’t about what you have to offer, it’s about listening to the other person and understanding what they need, and this is exactly what you must do when networking. So, leave the sales pitch to the follow up meetings and instead use this time to really genuinely understand the person you are talking to and connect with them.’

Debby Penton, managing director at technology PR consultancy Wildfire shared her top networking advice gleaned from over 20 years’ experience: ‘The key to good networking is reciprocity. Don’t go for the hard sell and look only for opportunities for yourself. Ask questions and listen. Find out what people’s challenges are and think who you can connect them with in your network. Then follow up, make those connections and keep in touch. Do this persistently and in time contacts will start to repay the favour.’

Happy networking!

All external comment was sourced from our network and via the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service.

PRPays 2019

‘PR and communication is more important than it’s ever been’

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Businesses are not reacting fast enough to the changing demands of society, according to Professor Andrew Burke, Dean of Trinity College Business School.

In the latest interview for the CIPR’s #PRPays series, Professor Burke urged businesses to proactively shape the values of their consumers to create a more positive environment for all stakeholders. He stressed that PR professionals have a vital role to play in communicating those values to stakeholders.

Professor Burke, who is also Chair of Business Studies at Trinity College, revealed a step change in the skills and characteristics demanded of leaders by modern businesses. He said: ‘In the past, businesses looked for the brightest students by IQ and build up their analytical.

‘Now they want a broad-based individual with emotional intelligence, they want someone with values and a conscience’.

He also emphasised how authenticity is vital to any communications, and business should be embodying the messages they’re delivering.

The interview is the fourth instalment of the CIPR’s #PRPays series, which aims to demonstrate the value of PR to the business commmunity.

Along Dusty Roads 2019

Travel Spotlight: Andrew and Emily, Along Dusty Roads

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Along Dusty Roads was created by Andrew and Emily back in 2014. Now a top 10 travel blog, Along Dusty Roads covers slow travel; living, breathing and falling in love with every destination they visit. We caught up with the travel couple to find out about their lives as bloggers, use of social, the best places in the world and how they work with brands and PRs.

How do you describe what you do to other people?
With great difficulty.

We wear many hats in this job, literally and metaphorically. There’s a bunch of creative stuff (writing, photography, design), lots of admin, lots of logistics and planning, lots of website and tech things, areas that are akin to marketing and advertising, and then all the day-to-day jobs that come with running our own digital business.

It’s the travelling that’s the easy part, but most people perhaps don’t realise everything else we have to do to keep Along Dusty Roads ticking over.

However, the golden thread running through absolutely everything we do, and motivating everything we do, is trying to help people to travel more, and travel better.

That can take many forms, but primarily it’s about writing personal guides and tales based only on our own experiences and adventures so that others can read reliable, realistic, and relatable writing to inspire or plan their next trip. And taking pretty pictures along the way while trying to raise awareness of a travel style that’s more responsible, considerate and curious!

How do different social channels work with your blog?
We try to maintain a consistent voice across them, but it’s difficult as each social media channel lends itself to a different type of content and a different type of attention. Simply cross-posting the same things or pushing out old blog posts each day isn’t what our social media is there for – instead it’s somewhere to show our personality a little more, build a community outside the more static medium of the blog and share different stories of our travels or a destination.

There’s no doubt that Instagram takes up more of our time and attention than we’d like, but it’s also the social media that most clients care most about. We were slow starters to Stories, but absolutely love it as a creative space and way to interact better with our followers. We struggle with Twitter as a forum for travel, but recently have found our audience actually really enjoy images, which we previously thought weren’t a good fit for the medium. Facebook is comfortable and we have a lot of people there who have been with us since the beginning, but sometimes being a bit more personal or longform on that platform doesn’t feel right.

Do you think travel blogging will be your job forever?
We certainly hope so.

The dream is to grow Along Dusty Roads while always keeping it true to our core principles and travel philosophy. There are various projects, improvements and innovations we’d like to do based around the blog, but the trouble is finding the time to develop these.

Where’s the best place for street food in the world?
Based on our own experience of the world (there are so many places we haven’t visited), we’d go for Mexico.

Which country has the friendliest locals?
Every country has friendly locals who go out of their way to make you feel welcome, but every country also has people who may not. Thankfully, we’ve experienced more of the former rather than the latter on our own travels.

What’s your favourite mode of transport?
Due to our travels across Latin America, we’ve probably spent about two months in the last five years solely travelling on buses (which usually had a Fast and Furious movie on, or anything else from The Rock’s back catalogue).

When it isn’t packed or ridiculously expensive though, there’s a gentle romanticism to train travel – and as a traveller it is the sort of environment where conversations different to the ordinary with a new person are possible. It’s also less stressful and more sustainable than many other modes of transport.

Do you accept press releases?
We write everything on Along Dusty Roads, and we only write about places that we have personally visited and experienced. We think that’s something core to what distinguishes a travel blog from any other travel-oriented website out there – and readers value that. This means that we don’t accept or publish press releases.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
We’re very selective on collaborations.

That travellers trust us, and respect our opinions, which means the absolute world to us, and we take that responsibility incredibly seriously. We would never jeopardise it or take it for granted. This means that any collaboration has to be a great fit for our audience and our travel style, and something or somewhere that we can genuinely and wholeheartedly support or recommend.

Thankfully, this focus on suitability and quality means that the campaigns and collaborations we do work on are pretty great. For example, we’re Wanderers for G Adventures, a small-group adventure company that does great things to lead the conversation on responsible and sustainable travel.

What advice would you give to PRs/brands reaching out to you?
The main advice is to start conversations about working together as early as possible. We have to plan out our travels months in advance, and having things sorted earlier rather than last-minute helps massively.

Also, taking the time to look into who we are and what we do at Along Dusty Roads before getting in touch makes a world of difference. Generic queries waste everyone’s time, but we love discussing how we can work together when it’s clear that somebody has taken the time to actually think about whether we’re a good fit for them (and vice versa) and contacts us with a clear idea about what they want to do together.

We only really work on bespoke campaigns now, so the final thing would be  to trust our experience as travellers and bloggers so that we can create a campaign together that doesn’t simply visit the same places mentioned in every single other article about a destination, and understanding that free time on an itinerary is a good thing, not a bad thing, when it comes to travel writing.

What other blogs do you read?
We like to get our travel inspiration and travel journalism from a really diverse set of traditional and modern media, rather than only reading blogs, but we are big fans of The Common Wanderer, This Battered Suitcase, Jungles in Paris, Budget Traveller and Flora the Explorer (to name just a few).

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TTA feature image

Celebrating research and insight at the Think Tank Awards 2019

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We were proud to be the headline sponsor at Prospect’s Think Tank Awards 2019 which took place within the House of Commons last night and celebrates the role think tanks play globally in providing research and insight into complex political issues.  

Hosted in The Churchill Room, the awards began with a welcome from Baroness Neville-Jones, the room sponsor, who thanked all attending for their hard work over the past year. Our CEO, Joanna Arnold then spoke on the important role think tanks play in helping make sense of constant political change, from Brexit to climate change.

After an introduction from Tom Clarke, editor of Prospect magazine and host, it was onto the main event. Winners from across the world including the Peterson Institute for International Economics, last year’s winners of the One to Watch; Instituto Igarapé, Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Bruegel; the European Council on Foreign Relations and the Centre for Business and Policy Studies.

From the UK, winners included the IPPR taking the award for Science, Health, Environment and Energy; the Institute for Fiscal Studies who were award winners for Economics and Financial Affairs; The UK in a Changing Europe in the Foreign Affairs category; and the Centre for Social Justice in UK Social Policy.

The Think Tank who won the most awards on the night was the International Institute for Sustainable Development. They took away awards including the top prize for World Science, Health, Environment and Energy and Foreign Affairs as well as being the ‘Think Tank to Watch’.

The final prize was the most important, ‘Think Tank of the Year’, and went to the Institute for Government. While they had been shortlisted for four awards and narrowly missed out, they were recognised for the excellence of their output through the year.

Congratulations to all the winners and thank you to Prospect for organising the event which gives think tanks the recognition they deserve for their work to improve global politics and policy making. We are delighted to be able to support.

Two Monkeys Travel

Travel blogger spotlight: Kach and Jonathan, Two Monkeys Travel

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Two Monkeys Travel has been one of the leading travel blogs since its launch in 2014. Written by Kach and Jonathan Howe, the blog contains extensive travel advice for countries across the world. We caught up with the pair to find out how their blog has evolved to mirror their lifestyle changes, the best places in the world and the greatest PR collaboration they’ve ever worked on. 

How do you describe what you do to other people?
It all depends on how much we feel like explaining! ‘Travel blogging’ always invites a list of questions about how it’s possible to make money doing it. We don’t mind that at all but sometimes we’re just giving our brains a break from work talk for a few hours. On the other hand, it’s usually simpler to say, ‘online marketing and social media management!’

How do different social channels work with your blog?
Facebook and Instagram work the best for us, with Twitter and Pinterest close behind. Facebook and Instagram have the highest engagement for us, most likely because they allow the best balance of photos and descriptive text to explain where we have been and what we have been doing. We have always had the best connection with our readers through our personal stories and experiences.

Kach and Jonathan 2019 3

Do you think travel blogging will be your job forever?
It’s hard to say exactly what it will become in the future, but we know that it has to be able to evolve with us as our lifestyle changes. We tend to change our lifestyle around on a regular basis anyway, having been expats, backpackers, English teachers, live-aboard sailors and now back to being expats in Europe. We do seem to be edging further towards ‘settling down’ year-by-year, so we’ll just have to see what happens there!

Where’s the best place for street food in the world?
We’d have to say Vietnam, although we’re clearly biased having lived there! We love the fact that no matter which street you walk down, there is always something interesting to eat and it rarely costs more than several pounds!

Which country has the friendliest locals?
It’s just not possible to pick one, because every place we go we meet amazing people and they seem to be happier and friendlier than the last!

What’s your favourite mode of transport?
We have two favourites, sailing and motorbike. We just sold our own sailboat after living aboard for two years so we are now on the lookout for a new motorbike. Since we’re now based in Montenegro, we’re in the perfect place to explore Europe at a slower pace and then maybe some more adventurous bike trips to countries in Central Asia.

Kach and Jonathan 2019 2

Do you accept press releases?
We don’t have a fixed rule as such. If something is relevant, useful and interesting for our readers, then we’ll consider sharing it with them.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
There have been so many great ones but of course, our favourite project is still our expedition cruise to Antarctica with Hurtigruten! In general, though, we love working with brands and PRs who match our own travel style and of course the type of travel our readers are looking for. This tends to be a blend of luxury and adventure travel, with the luxury being in the accommodation and the adventure being in the activities. We still love to be outside hiking, horseback riding, cycling and motorbiking, but we also love to collapse into a fancy hotel at the end of the day!

What advice would you give to PRs/brands reaching out to you?
After an initial email, we love to talk directly on the phone or even in person if it’s possible. We find that it really helps to get to know each other and what everyone needs and expectations are on all sides. Once we have that kind of relationship then everything else falls into place very easily.

We also really like working with the same brands more than once, because once we’ve built a rapport with a company on one successful campaign, there is always so much more we can do together, and this demonstrates a greater level of brand trust to our readers.

What other blogs do you read?
It’s a shame to admit that we really don’t have time to follow any other blogs out there on a regular basis! Of course, if we need to know something then we search online like everyone else and we most likely end up finding what we need in a blog of some kind.

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Bojo

Political Headlines – Johnson latest and the cost of dementia

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Today’s political headlines includes Johnson plans early general election and it’s reported he cost the taxpayer £1bn when London Mayor and the Mail calls on the Government to act on the cost of dementia. 

Johnson plans early general election
The Times claims that senior allies of Boris Johnson have claimed that he wants to hold an early general election ‘while Jeremy Corbyn is still around’. His team is concerned that the small Conservative majority will not be enough to pass legislation and are preparing either for a general election after a vote of no confidence or a snap election after delivering Brexit.

Johnson leaves taxpayers with £1bn bill after ignoring expert advice as Mayor
According to The Guardian, taxpayers face a bill of almost £1bn, which is still growing, as a result of Boris Johnson’s time as Mayor of London. It accuses him of ignoring expert advice over a series of projects, including his new Routemaster buses, the purchase of secondhand water cannon and plans for an airport in the Thames estuary. Former Conservative mayoral candidate Steve Norris said Johnson was ‘great on rhetoric but lousy on delivery’.

Mail calls on Government to act on the cost of dementia
The Daily Mail is calling on the Government to take action ‘to end the disgraceful neglect of families living with the burden of dementia’, following the revelation that families have spent £15bn in the last two years helping relatives with that illness. It is calling for a cross-party group to tackle the issue, an NHS ‘dementia fund’ and a Cabinet minister with sole responsibility for developing a plan.

101-year-old writes to Prime Minister over free TV licence cut
The Daily Mirror leads with a letter to the Prime Minister written by a 101-year-old pensioner, Elsie Hancock, opposing the decision to reduce pensioners’ entitlement to free TV licences. She describes TV as a ‘lifeline’ for a ‘lot’ of elderly people who are ‘already struggling financially’, and asks ‘what’ll they take next, our bus passes’.

Government to review waste charges over fly-tipping fees
The Daily Telegraph reports that the Government has launched a review of the fees charged by local authorities to residents disposing of waste at rubbish tips. Keep Britain Tidy has warned that fees could lead to an increase in fly-tipping, while the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has described them as a ‘backdoor’ tax and is considering banning them.

Gove promises to back legal limits on particulates
The Times says that Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Michael Gove has pledged to support a ‘legally binding commitment on particulate matter’, so that nowhere in the country has levels exceeding those set by the World Health Organisation. A bill containing this pledge is being prepared, but Gove has admitted that the final decision on this will be down to the new Prime Minister.

Hancock to ban sale of energy drinks to children
The Sun says that Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock has written to Cabinet colleagues, telling them he has decided to ban selling energy drinks to children under 16. According to the paper this risks bringing him into conflict with Boris Johnson, whose leadership campaign he supports, as Johnson has promised to review all sin taxes and regulations. His letter warns that the Treasury may also oppose the plan.

Johnson considers plan to suspend Parliament prior to Brexit deadline
Sky News reports that Boris Johnson is considering scheduling a Queen’s Speech in early November, which would mean proroguing Parliament for up to two weeks in advance, effectively preventing MPs from being able to block a no-deal Brexit in the immediate run-up to the 31 October Brexit deadline. His campaign claims a decision has yet to be made.

Stay up to date with Vuelio Political Services.  

Chris Stokel-Walker

What’s next for YouTube and influencer culture?

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VidCon, the annual video conference to celebrate YouTube and its stars, hit its tenth anniversary last week. Much has changed since the early days of the event – the big personalities of a decade ago have moved on to other careers, making way for younger YouTubers – but a major difference this year was the attitude attendees and panel members showed towards the platform they’d gathered to discuss.

A new sombreness was reported during panels focusing on the reality of life with YouTube, its negative impacts on the news cycle, its audience, and its vloggers. But is it time to abandon the platform for the other mediums and the creators competing for market share, user numbers, and influence?

Chris Stokel-WalkerYouTube, Facebook, Twitch and TikTok are subjects freelance journalist and author Chris Stokel-Walker [pictured] has been steeped in since the age of 17. Now 30, Chris is an expert on digital video media having written about it for outlets including BBC News, Wired UK and The Economist, and now reporting on the online video space as editor of FFWD. His book YouTubers: How YouTube shook up TV and created a new generation of stars tracks the rise of the platform, its celebrities and the controversies that have sprung up in recent years.

‘I saw the shifts in society caused by the rise of YouTube – its pervasiveness attracted me – and it wasn’t being covered in a literate enough way,’ Chris said of his work on the subject. For a platform that’s intrinsic to so many facets of the media – brands, bloggers, vloggers, influencers, multimedia journalists, marketing and PR firms – the lack of reporting on YouTube and its workings in mainstream media is curious.

That this is an area particularly important to PRs and the clients they work with makes Chris’s book vital reading for those in the industry who need a crash course in its benefits. A study from Nielsen and Carat Global, cited in the book, found that in comparison to traditional celebrity endorsements, YouTuber collaborations led to four times as many viewers becoming familiar with a brand.

If you’re a PR who works regularly with YouTube influencers, impressive stats on their effectiveness for campaigns won’t be a surprise to you. What might be is the way influencers view working with PR companies and brands. Chapters of the book highlight the hesitancy some YouTubers (stars featured in the book include Jake Paul, Grace Helbig and Dodie Clark) can have signing up with PR firms after projects have gone bad.

How can PRs avoid giving a useful collaborator a bad experience? For Chris, the right kind of support is key: ‘Marketers and PR people tend to treat influencers as if they’re traditional celebrities, when they’re not. Their stock in trade is their authenticity, and any bad decision an influencer makes to support or endorse a product will be picked up on very quickly. It’s important that PR people fully appreciate who they’re representing, their personality and what is a good or bad endorsement for them. Influencers need smart guidance.’

While the rise of influencer culture has had some high-profile stumbles – opinions on Zoella and Alfie Deyes’ efficacy as brand spokespeople may vary these days, and Jaclyn Hill might struggle to secure future lipstick collabs – Chris believes it has a good future. He said: ‘I still think the positives of influencers outweigh the negatives, in large part because of the way in which influencers present themselves. There’s a difference between a mainstream traditional celebrity and a digital celebrity. Parasocial relationships – that feeling of closeness and authenticity – mean that smaller influencers can take the time to interact with their entire fanbase in a way that people will millions of followers just can’t.’

And YouTube’s dominance in the digital video sphere? ‘When I started writing the book, it looked like Facebook could stand a chance at taking over video supremacy, but now we’re seeing that TikTok, which has more than 1.2 billion users already, and Twitch (which has the financial backing of Amazon) could threaten YouTube.’

Whichever platform reigns supreme, online video creators will continue to be a good opportunity for PRs to work with, and for journalists to write about. For Chris, it’s brought democratisation along with the fresh opportunities – ‘I see the rise of YouTube and influencers as a net positive: we are seeing the flattening of the media industry and benefitting from everything that provides. Of course, there are some big issues in the minority that need to be tackled with that, but there’s lots of good from having more people accessing the industry. You can get jaded towards some content creators, but ultimately YouTube is such a massive space that you can find anything you want.’

More about YouTube and its creators can be found in Chris’s book ‘YouTubers: How YouTube shook up TV and created a new generation of stars’ as well as his just-launched Medium outlet FFWD. Chris tweets @Stokel.

Find top influencers, vloggers, and bloggers on the Vuelio Media Database.

Link building

Using PR for B2B Link Building

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PR is essential for building brand awareness, but it’s also an excellent tool for building backlinks. In this guest post, Sarah Ross, PR Account Manager at Anicca Digital, shares some tips on using PR for B2B link building.

By integrating PR and SEO strategies, you can increase quality backlinks to a website through great content and online coverage.

Recent research from Backlinko discovered that 93% of B2B content receives zero external links and only 3% receives links from multiple websites. In the sample of 912 million blog posts, only 6% had at least one external link.

So how do you ensure your content is part of the 3%? The following tips will help you develop a B2B campaign with linkable assets.

How does link building differ between B2B and B2C?

Quality links are one of the most important Google ranking factors. It favours authoritative websites that are updated with new content regularly, which is why news websites have a high domain authority – the search engine ranking score that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages.

It makes these websites an excellent target for link building.

B2C campaigns are often product focused – gift guides, home and garden shopping features, beauty ‘tried and tested’ articles – giving journalists a reason to include a backlink to your website.

However, building links to B2B websites can be more challenging and as some links are easier to earn than others, success depends on your approach.

Generating ideas

  • Great PR ideas don’t always translate into great links – you need to create a reason for coverage to include a backlink to your website
  • Look at topics that journalists in your industry have covered previously and think about what is absent. Can you offer any unique insights or original data?
  • Target media outlets that are relevant to your topic and likely to drive traffic to your website
  • Review competitor campaigns for inspiration

Creating content

Keeping in mind that you need to create quality content, the following ideas can be developed into linkable assets:

Surveys are useful for creating unique data on a topic and can be completed using a survey specialist or using your own email database. Host the full results on your website so journalists can link to the original source of the material.

Research can be used to produce a whitepaper sharing industry data or insight. Again, the full piece of content can be hosted on your website, while key findings or opinion pieces can be used for PR activity.

Events like seminars, conferences and networking meet-ups can encourage links by asking attendees to reserve their place via your website.

Infographics offer a more visual take on industry insights and can be published on other websites easily, earning you a backlink as the original source of the material.

Guides from industry thought leaders can provide useful advice for step-by-step features or ‘top tips’ articles.

Earning links

Once you’ve created your content, choose key snippets to create an angle for your press release. Being selective with the data will help to encourage backlinks to the full source of the information.

Be aware that you won’t get a link from every piece of coverage, but these tactics can help to boost the number of links you’re achieving for B2B brands and make your content part of the 3%.

Trump 2019

Political Headlines – Tory candidates criticise Trump tweets and Johnson criticised for Islam comments

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Today’s political headlines includes Tory Candidates criticising Trump tweets but won’t say they’re racist, Johnson criticised for Islam comments, Rudd calls for more women in the Cabinet and Corbyn under pressure over antisemitism. 

Tory candidates criticise Trump tweets but won’t say they’re racist
The Times reports that Boris Johnson said that Donald Trump’s tweets about American congresswomen from minority backgrounds were ‘totally unacceptable’, while Jeremy Hunt said he would be ‘utterly appalled’ if such language was used against his half-Chinese children. However, neither of them would say that the tweets were racist. The paper adds that Johnson has refused to cut net migration, claiming that people had voted to ‘control’ it, not cut it, while Hunt claimed that the ‘spirit’ of the referendum would be ‘betrayed’ if it wasn’t cut.

Johnson criticised for Islam comments
The Guardian reports that Boris Johnson has been criticised over a claim in 2007 essay that the Muslim world was ‘literally centuries behind the west’ because of Islam, leading to ‘Muslim grievance’ being a factor in almost all conflicts. The Muslim Council of Britain said ‘many of us would be interested to find out whether Mr Johnson still believes that Islam inherently inhibits the path to progress’.

Rudd calls for more women in the Cabinet
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd says the new Prime Minister should appoint more women to the Cabinet, describing this as ‘one of the great feminist challenges of our time’. She argues that ‘if you don’t have women in politics, then women’s working lives are not taken seriously enough’.

Corbyn under pressure over antisemitism
The Guardian says that Jeremy Corbyn is under more pressure over antisemitism in Labour after over 200 current and past staff said he should resign if he couldn’t tackle the problem which, they claim, he has ‘moral responsibility’ for. A group of four peers have also written to Corbyn, offering to review the claims made on Panorama by former staff and to advise on setting up an independent complaints process.

Barclay tells Barnier Brexit deal is dead
The Times reports that Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay met with the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier last week, telling him five times that the withdrawal agreement was ‘dead’, and leaving him ‘astonished and dismayed’. It says that the EU is now preparing for ‘brutal’ talks with the next Prime Minister, with an EU diplomat suggesting that ‘if this is what is coming then we will be heading for no deal very quickly’.

Domestic Abuse Bill to be introduced
The Daily Telegraph reports that the Domestic Abuse Bill will today be introduced into Parliament. One of the measures it will introduce is lie detector tests for domestic abusers to see if they are breaking their licences, as part of a three-year pilot. Other aspects include ‘exclusion zones’ around abused partners and the first legal definition of domestic abuse.

Gove to back comprehensive deposit return scheme
According to the Daily Mail, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove will today approve a comprehensive deposit return scheme for plastic bottles and cans, in what it claims is a ‘major rebuff to large retailers’. Gove will say that a comprehensive scheme will give a ‘clearer financial and social signal to recycle’ than a small-scale one.

May criticised for failure to condemn police threat over leaked cables
The Daily Telegraph says that Theresa May has been criticised after her official spokesman refused to condemn the Metropolitan Police for threatening to prosecute papers who publish more leaked diplomatic cables, saying only that ‘a free press is one of the foundations on which our democracy rests’.

Get meaningful political intelligence from Vuelio Political Services.  

Grey Fox 2019

Men’s Fashion Spotlight: David Evans, Grey Fox

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David Evans is the man behind Grey Fox, the top 10 men’s fashion blog, which was created as a space for men over 40. With posts about luxury British items, handmade accessories and the finest tailoring, Grey Fox is well-known for covering the finer side of fashion. We caught up with David to find out more about older men and the fashion industry, waste in fashion and building relationships with PRs.

How do you describe what you do?
I blog about men’s style and lifestyle. My target audience is the man over forty, but on Instagram my largest group of followers is in the 25 to 35 age group! Some people would call me an influencer, but I feel slightly uncomfortable with that description as it’s often hard for us to know how much influence we actually have until we receive helpful feedback from brands and followers.

How do different social channels work with your blog?
I sometimes wonder if I would even have a blog of I’d started what I’m doing in the last two or three years. Most of my effort goes into Instagram, but I love writing so the blog continues. I use Twitter and Facebook to a very limited extent simply to support my efforts on the blog and Instagram.

David Evans Grey Fox 2019 2What’s the biggest issue in men’s fashion at the moment?
For me, it’s the industry’s blind spot when it comes to older men. Nearly half of consumer spending is by those over fifty, yet menswear marketing is all about young men. Adverts rarely contain older men – the men who might be able to afford luxury clothing. There are increasing numbers of older men on social media and I’m hoping that this will bring about change. London Fashion Week Men’s has almost entirely turned its focus to the young market and classic tailoring and menswear brands have abandoned ship in the last few years. While youth and creativity is essential, it’s a bad call to ignore those who have the money to spend.

How significant is waste and sustainability in the fashion world?
It’s well known that the fashion industry is a huge polluter and waste, caused by brands encouraging consumers to buy piles of cheap clothing, is an almost intractable problem. This issue will not go away while brands, whose sole aim is to be profitable, are under few legal obligations to do something about these environmental and ethical problems.

Who is the best fashion designer we haven’t heard of yet?
Araminta Campbell who designs tweeds in Edinburgh.

What’s your favourite item of clothing?
A thirty-year-old English-made shirt that I wore at the birth of my daughter and then recently when my first grand daughter was born.

David Evans Grey Fox 2019What are the best campaigns/collaborations you’ve worked on?
I’ve had so many, from working with Specsavers to a campaign with English sparkling wine brand, Nyetimber. In the menswear world, things are not so easy due to the obsession with youth; but I have a great relationship with New & Lingwood and many small accessories brands.

How important are press events for you, compared with releases or being sent product?
Events are essential as they are a chance to build relationships. I tend to ignore releases unless they’re from brands willing to work with me in a constructive way (which does not mean that I want payment!) – but I’m not there just to regurgitate press releases. Being sent product is fine but I rarely accept product in payment for anything (who needs yet more shirts, ties etc?)

What advice would you give PRs looking to work with you?
Let’s build a relationship. As I say above, neither I nor my audience are interested in repeating press releases. I want to try products for myself and pass on authentic reports on these to my followers. As brands tend to use very young models to show their clothes, I want to wear those clothes myself to show my older audience that those products aren’t just made for twenty-year-olds!

What other blogs do you read?
I’m afraid I just don’t have time. I follow many on Instagram – too many to list – and these vary for  young to old in age and cover everything from men’s style to lifestyle including cars, holidays, watches, food and drink.

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Plastic Free July

8 sustainability policies for #PlasticFreeJuly

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This is a guest post from Katie Chodosh, content consultant at TopLine Comms. 

Sustainability is an ongoing business issue, but #PlasticFreeJuly gives us all a good excuse to think about it a little more. And PR agencies and departments are in a particularly good position to lead the charge: it’s our job to make companies look good (and responsible) and giveaways tend to come under our remit too. That’s why we wanted to get a better understanding of how people view sustainability when they’re choosing a job and what we can do as an agency to be a little greener.

First, TopLine Film surveyed 1,000 office workers on workplace sustainability. Nearly a quarter (24%) said they would refuse a job at an organisation with a poor sustainability record, and three quarters (73%) would like to see their workplace improve its sustainability record.

Then, we surveyed the TopLine Comms team to get an idea of their position on sustainability, and to see what ideas they had for us. The majority (94%) are committed to protecting the environment and agree that we should have a sustainability policy in place.

Here are some of our tips for becoming a more sustainable PR agency, which you can easily implement for #PlasticFreeJuly and beyond.

1. Ban single use plastics
Banning single use plastics is probably the quickest and easiest policy to implement. TopLine is officially a plastic-free zone. We’ve given all staff reusable cups and plan to get some reusable straws in, too. If other businesses can’t afford to do this, then team members could be encouraged to bring a reusable cup from home.

2. Think twice about your giveaways
Consumers’ interests in PR stunts are being outweighed by their commitment to sustainability. Times are changing, and the old PR and marketing stunts need to evolve. Most people are much more conscious about unnecessary plastic and waste, so bear this in mind before giving away any unnecessary plastic items.

3. Ask ‘is it sustainable?’ before launching a campaign
Before launching a PR campaign, make sure you’ve double checked that every element is as sustainable as possible. It’s easy to get carried away – for example, you might want to have balloons at your event or serve drinks at your stand in plastic cups. But these are the exact types of activities that create a lot of unnecessary waste. Add the question ‘is it sustainable’ to any checklists or brainstorms that you have before launching campaigns and you should catch them in time.

4. Implement a switch-off policy and stick to it
We’ve also introduced a policy for everyone to turn off their computers and other devices at the end of every day. We know it’s easy to forget, but it makes a big difference for energy consumption, so we’ve put up visible reminders and have vowed to hold everyone accountable.

5. Make time for volunteering
Another policy we’ve implemented at TopLine is to volunteer time to environmental and sustainable activities. We’re looking at eco-friendly initiatives like picking up litter or helping plant trees locally and will take time out of the working day to do it.

6. Reduce, reuse, recycle
All agencies should have a robust recycling system in place. It really couldn’t be easier to get separate bins and as long as they’re signposted clearly, all staff should be capable of putting the right item in the right bin.

7. Print less
Printing less in the office should be easy enough, but you should also consider printing less materials for trade shows. Press packs are increasingly outdated and flyers are often put straight in the bin. If you have to print, at least make sure the paper you’re using is recycled, recyclable and printed on both sides.

8. Ask your suppliers about their sustainability policies
If you work with a lot of suppliers, it’s important to remember that you’re just one part of the chain – so it’s worth asking other suppliers what their position is on sustainability. This will highlight your company’s commitment and challenges them to start thinking about greener practices. They might even give you some ideas for your own sustainability policy.

We’ve really enjoyed the process of creating a more sustainable work environment and we’d like to challenge other PR teams to do the same. Start by talking to your team about what they’re passionate about and they’ll be more inclined to stick to them. Creating effective sustainability policies relies on your staff to stick to them, so make sure you get them involved in the process.

Boris Johnson

Political Headlines – Johnson’s trade deal priorities and the journalist demanding an apology

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Today’s political headlines includes the journalist demands an apology from Boris, Johnson’s USA trade deal priority, Gauke’s plans to remove requirement for prisoners to declare convictions and Gove’s consultation on banning trophy hunters. 

Journalist whose address Johnson gave to fraudster for attack demands apology
The Guardian says that Stuart Collier, the journalist whose address Boris Johnson was recorded agreeing to give to the fraudster Darius Guppy so that he could be assaulted in revenge for his investigation of Guppy’s activities, has demanded an apology. He said that it was ‘disgraceful’ that Johnson was on course to become Prime Minister, adding that while Johnson has dismissed the incident as a joke, it had ‘worried’ him.

Johnson makes trade deal with USA first priority
The Times claims that Boris Johnson would make resetting the UK’s relationship with the USA one of his first priorities by travelling to the country to help negotiate a new trade deal. He wants to reach a ‘limited agreement’ prior to the 31 October Brexit deadline, with an ally claiming that ‘if we get a trade deal with America we will be very quickly in the market for other deals. It encourages others to realise that we mean business’.

Gauke plans to remove requirement for prisoners to declare convictions
The Daily Telegraph reports that Justice Secretary David Gauke has proposed the abolition of the rule forcing criminals gaoled for over four years to disclose their sentence for the rest of their lives which, writing in the paper, he says is ‘indispensable’ in rehabilitating offenders. However, victims’ groups have criticised the move, with Kevin Hogg of the National Victims’ Association claiming that the plan was an ‘insult to society’.

Gove to launch consultation on banning trophy hunters from importing souvenirs
The Daily Mirror has launched a campaign against trophy hunting, calling on the Government to introduce a ban on importing animals shot for pleasure and an end to ‘canned hunting’ in which wild animals are kept in a small reserve to be killed. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove tells the Daily Mail that he is to launch a call for evidence on banning hunters from importing souvenirs and on canned hunting.

Schools to be given guidance on teaching about ‘fake news’
The Sun says that Education Secretary Damian Hinds and Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock will use a summit on social media and online harms today to announce new guidance for teachers to help educate their pupils on how to spot fake news, as well as tackling social media companies over the spread of misleading information about vaccines.

Tories set up hotline after members fail to receive leadership ballots
The Daily Telegraph reports that the Conservatives have set up a hotline for members, following concerns that some haven’t received their leadership election ballots. According to the Campaign for Conservative Party Democracy, there have been problems with debit cards expiring and standing orders not having been increased, while reports at the weekend suggested a number of members had not been included on the party’s new central database.

Rudd removed from anti-no-deal Tory group
According to The Sun, Amber Rudd has been removed from Philip Hammond’s group of fifty Conservative MPs who want to block a no-deal Brexit. She told The Andrew Marr Show that she no longer preferred a second referendum to a no-deal Brexit, with one source telling the paper ‘How much can you trust her now she’s trying to play to both sides?’

Government to consult on extending sick pay to lowest-paid workers
The Daily Mirror reports the Government will today open a consultation on extending sick pay to 2m low-paid workers. Statutory sick pay is currently only available to those earning over £118 a week. The consultation will also cover a ‘sick pay rebate’ for small firms who help people back into work and strengthen legal guidance on helping people back to work.

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