Blog Posts - Vuelio

#PRPays – Why PR is vital to business

September 19, 2018/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, PR News PR Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

The CIPR has launched a new campaign to highlight the importance of public relations to the business community. #PRPays will feature video interviews with leading chief executives, discussing the benefits of strategic public relations.

The first interview is with John Holland-Kaye, CEO of Heathrow Airport, who champions the role of PR, describing it as ‘vital to managing our reputation’. He also reveals the major role PR played in securing the airport’s third runway approval.

On Monday, we wrote about the presentation Nigel Milton, Heathrow’s director of communications, gave at Influence Live. Milton went into granular detail about its integrated third-runway campaign and why it took multiple communication disciplines to be successful.

In his video interview, Holland-Kaye explains that the communications team regularly hone and reinforce the airport’s position on a number of key issues for all stakeholders, whether they’re public, business or Government.

The campaign seeks to shift perceptions of PR from a tactical offering to a strategic discipline.

Sarah Hall, President of the CIPR, said: ‘Public relations is widely misunderstood and undervalued by businesses leaders. It shouldn’t be – our ability to manage the interests of multiple stakeholders, while speaking truth to power is an invaluable business asset.

‘I’d like to thank John Holland-Kaye for sharing his thoughts on our practice. We have a fantastic opportunity to grow the business of public relations and – through #PRPays – we will shine a light on best practice to encourage a broader shift in the way public relations is viewed by the business community.’

Demonstrate the value of your media relations with Vuelio

September 19, 2018/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, PR News Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

Here, Becky Trotman, senior media relations office at Thames Water, tells us how Vuelio is demonstrating value internally and why an integrated solution is necessary to meet the demands of a busy newsroom.

Thames Water
Thames Water is the UK’s biggest water and wastewater services provider. We have invested over £1 billion every year, on average, for the past 12 years improving service for our 15 million customers across London and the Thames Valley. For an average of just over £1 a day for our households, we provide 2.6 billion litres of clean drinking water and safely remove 4.6 billion litres of wastewater – every day, 365 days a year. We are regulated by Ofwat, the Environment Agency and Drinking Water Inspectorate, and our customers will benefit from our nearly £5 billion investment programme between 2015 and 2020, the largest in the UK water industry.

Here in Thames Water’s Newsroom we respond to up to 100 incoming media enquiries a month and pro-actively share the company’s good news with national, trade and regional media. Through our pro-active approach we aim to tell Thames Water’s story through the media including how we work to protect the environment and provide a resilient service for our customers using the latest innovative technology. When things go wrong we also use the media to keep our customers up-to-date on matters that may affect their water supply, waste service or daily commute and provide reassurance the issue is in hand.

The Challenge
Before we employed the services of Vuelio, our media monitoring and media database were provided by two separate companies, which was more costly and time consuming. By having a one-stop-shop we can easily link our media coverage to the relevant outlets and journalists, and quickly track who has said what about Thames Water. Vuelio also enables us to produce regular and ad-hoc reports quickly and easily to demonstrate to internal colleagues the value of good media relations.

The Solution
We opted for Vuelio as they offer good value for money and a platform that enables us to easily find contacts and track our media coverage. Help to get to grips with upgrades of the platform and resolve problems has always been on hand through the support team and our account managers. Being able to store copies of all our press releases in the system and link coverage to them has been a huge benefit along with the ability to produce ad-hoc reports ourselves.

Benefits and Results
Key benefits are being able to quickly find contacts, track media coverage and see how well received our press releases have been.

Vuelio is a valuable tool which enables us to monitor our media coverage closely, measure our successes and ensure we’re always contacting the right journalists and outlets with the right stories.

Find out how other clients are benefitting from Vuelio, and book a complimentary demo here.

Political Headlines – May’s pitch, People’s Vote, immigration limits and council house pride

September 19, 2018/0 Comments/in Political Headlines, Government, Public Affairs Political Services, Political Database Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

Today’s Political Headlines include May pitching her Chequers deal to EU27, People’s Vote’s plans for a second referendum, new immigration limits and May says take pride in living in a council house.

May set to pitch Chequers deal to EU27
Prime Minister Theresa May flies to Salzburg today to meet with leaders of the EU27, with The Guardian reporting that chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier has rejected calls for the EU to soften their stance on the Irish border. The FT reports that May is planning to appeal directly to other EU leaders in order to reach a compromise on the issue.

People’s Vote publishes plan for second EU referendum
The BBC have reported on a document released by the People’s Vote campaign, which sets out the route towards securing another public vote on Brexit. The Daily Express have splashed on an exclusive with Theresa May, who has heavily criticised the calls, saying that ‘we’ve had the people’s vote – it was the referendum’.

Plans for new immigration limits given boost
The Times are reporting that Government plans for new restrictions on low-skilled migration have been bolstered by a report released by the Migration Advisory Committee. The committee called for an end to low-skilled migration from the EU, with a move towards a global system whereby EU citizens are treated the same as those from non-EU countries. The Guardian have led with the response from business groups, who have reacted with anger, saying that major industries may collapse due to labour shortages.

Take pride in living in a council house, says May
The Telegraph are reporting on a speech set to be made by Theresa May later today, in which she will indicate a major shift in Conservative housing policy and commit to spending an extra £2bn on social housing. In the speech, May will say people should feel ‘proud’ of living in council housing, and both politicians and society should stop ‘looking down’ on council housing residents.

Hunt impresses on visit to Japan
Sky News have reported on praise for Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who became the first UK minister to give a speech in Japanese. Hunt is visiting Japan to strengthen UK relations with the country and took the opportunity in his speech to pledge a ‘new era of friendship’.

Watson furious at conference snub
The Sun have details of a row between Deputy Labour leader Tom Watson and leader Jeremy Corbyn, after Watson was unhappy with his speaking slot at the upcoming Labour conference. Watson is said to have directly challenged Corbyn in a shadow cabinet meeting, and is alleged to have criticised a member of Corbyn’s staff for leaking discussions.

Do you want complimentary political monitoring over Conference Season? Sign up for free here.

Fashion interview with Raindrops Of Sapphire’s Lorna Burford

September 19, 2018/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Holly Hodges

Lorna Burford is the fashion blogger extraordinaire behind Raindrops of Sapphire. Covering fashion tips, outfit posts and denim – of course denim! – Randrops of Sapphire was recently ranked in the Top 10 Women’s Fashion Blogs. We spoke to Lorna about the evolution of her blogging style, working around fashion weeks and collaborating with PRs and brands.

How has your blog changed over time?
It started out as just a place to share my loves and interests in fashion, as a hobby, then over time it grew into my full-time career and with a lot of hard work and effort, a place that I am really proud of. I’ve also been open and honest about health issues and everyone has been incredibly supportive, so I would say it’s changed greatly. It’s an extension of me and a community at the same time. I actually recently did a post looking back over the years to see how things have changed.

When do you start and finish conversations with brands/PRs about fashion weeks?
I would say the emails start rolling in for fashion week four to six weeks prior to it starting. There’s usually a lot of things to cover and time is needed if you have to plan ahead for the shows. After the shows are done, it’s probably a week or so until you receive the info/photos post show, and at that point it’s usually finished.

How do autumn fashion weeks affect your blog?
I don’t notice much of an increase or decrease in traffic, but I notice a lot more sales. Autumn fashion in general is huge and it’s the biggest season for spending money, plus it’s my favourite season, so it’s always a good time of year for clothes in general. The AW season shows are far better than SS!

Who is your favourite designer?
That’s a really tough question as I have different favourite designers for different areas of clothing. As jeans are a huge part of my life, Citizens of Humanity or FRAME take that lead. For bags it would be Celine or Mulberry. For shoes it’s Stuart Weitzman and Louboutin etc. My go to brand for most things though would most likely be Gucci as an allrounder!

What are the main differences between men’s and women’s lifestyle blogs?
I would say men’s are definitely more geared towards street and casual style, whereas women’s are a lot more fashion forward. I think women tend to take a lot more risks compared to men when it comes to trends. I think the blogging industry has to be around 90% women though, so there’s that as a difference too; the women have to stand out more to get noticed.

What one thing should PRs know about you?
I like to take pride in my work, so I’m incredibly picky about the content I put out. It has to fit with my voice/theme of my blog, and the photos have to be of a high standard too so we always shoot with a Nikon DSLR and I’m always using Light Room/Photoshop to edit my photos. I’m my own worst critic, but it means I only put out the content I am proud of. I’m always open to communication though, so never be afraid to email and get in touch. I don’t often attend events that are far away anymore due to my health, but I haven’t found that that hinders me or my blog in any way.

What are the best campaigns you’ve collaborated on recently?
Picking just one, this year would be House of Fraser, which was one of my best ones for 2018… so far.

Do bloggers need their own industry association?
I’m going to say 100% yes. As this industry is getting bigger and bigger, there’s not enough support and protection for bloggers regarding the work and collaborations that occur. Often there’s issues with people screwing you over, not paying, constantly chasing payments etc as it’s still a relatively new industry, so I think there needs to be something more for sure.

What other blogs do you read?
I have three that I checkout often: Cupcakes & Cashmere, Fashion Jackson, and Brooklyn Blonde.

The Discerning Man: men’s lifestyle and working with brands

September 18, 2018/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

The Discerning Man is the men’s lifestyle blog written by Ed Lemont. Ed has huge experience of working with brands and PRs and recently spoke to us about best practice and how to get the most from collaborations. Ed also gave advice for new bloggers and revealed the secrets to his success.

You refer to The Discerning Man as both a lifestyle blog and online magazine – how do you see the split between the two or are they one and the same?
I initially created The Discerning Man anonymously because I always knew I wanted to create a collaborative platform. My plan, both then and now, is to work with other amazing food, fitness and travel bloggers to contribute and guest post in the niches they are passionate about and educated in. I was thinking in five or 10 years, if blogs ever crossed over to online magazines, then The Discerning Man would already be an established and recognised title to adapt to such a shift.

In terms of it being a blog, that’s where you get the ‘Ed Lemont’ part coming in and the crossover with Instagram, where I’m speaking directly with my audience. Essentially, I am The Discerning Man but I feel the whole blogging industry is about collaboration and I wanted to celebrate that, which is why it took a long time for me to put my name to the blog.

How has the blog changed from when you first started to today?
Initially, it was very much product-led and I started as a grooming blogger. But the blog wasn’t with my face or under my name, it was anonymous. Gradually I realised, after attending events, that as much as it’s your content people are interested in – it’s you too, which was kind of nice in a way. I did my first big feature back in 2016 where I underwent a hair transplant and was even commissioned by GQ to write this up for their grooming section. That’s when I really started to get to know my audience and the kind of guys following and interacting with me.

So now the blog has changed because it’s a little less product-based and a little more me.

Has this changed the way you work with brands and PRs?
Yes. What I like about the brands I collaborate with is they understand me and The Discerning Man and its audience. So, they know my audience is more aligned with my age, as it’s mainly built up from 25-40-year olds.

One of my clients is Just For Men, who do hair dye that covers greys. I love that because leading on from my hair transplant, anything to do with hair and hair insecurity continues that journey, so I can share my experience and educate people along the way. Even though I wrote my hair transplant posts and feature over two years ago, I still get emails and DMs daily as it’s the most searched-for hair transplant article ever!

What’s a typical collaboration?
I’m at the stage where I’m one of those blogs that has management, so everything goes through them and they run it past me. I went through a phase early on of working with brands because the work was there. Recently I’ve taken it back to what The Discerning Man was originally about – ‘to have good taste’.

I never want to work with brands that I feel don’t represent The Discerning Man and that audience. I have a filter now: is this right for my audience, am I going to be passionate about it and will I enjoy my time creating content for them? Anything to do with fee is the last consideration because I’m so keen on getting the right brand first.

As with your work with Just For Men, do you see a trend towards multi-content, long term collaborations, rather than one-offs?
Yes – I think the ambassador thing is really taking off. The Just For Men collaboration began at the start of the year, with a few projects taking place throughout 2018: we collaborated a few months ago on their moustache colouring launch; I created content with research about which area of the UK is the most well-groomed; I’ve just collaborated about their NFL sponsorship; and we’ll do the Gentleman’s Grooming Show in November.

The ambassador thing is working well – I’ve also been an ambassador for Primark in the past and have a long running relationship with ASOS.

And initial contact goes through your management?
It does. I’m with The Blogger Programme and they manage a bespoke email address that’s linked from my Instagram. Obviously because I’m listed in Vuelio – which is great – I also get some emails directly from PRs, which gives me a foot in the door and keeps those relationships going.

What advice would you give someone that wants to work with you?
I think just having all of the information up front: what they want me to do for them, the type of content they want me to produce and if there’s an option for me to pitch some ideas for their campaign.

Travel is an area I would love to grow but you have to self-fund that or be lucky enough to be invited on press trips. I love any events-based opportunities because it gives me an opportunity to create content, probably more than if it’s a product-based campaign. For example, I’m going to the Seychelles with Hilton and I’m really excited because I get to produce a wide range of content when I’m there.

What advice would you give bloggers who have just started?
Try to attend as many events as possible but don’t bring a friend or another blogger because going alone makes you talk to people and brands. When I first started blogging, I didn’t get invited to any events so I went on Eventbrite found panel discussions with bloggers and chatted to them afterwards to get a few tips.

Create content for brands you’re interested in. If you’re passionate about a product you’ve bought, write a post about it, post it on Instagram and send the content to them. I’ve done this before – I included ASOS in a blog post about what to wear for Valentine’s day; I sent it to them just to let them know, and now I work with ASOS.

The Primark ambassador role happened because they invited me to a dinner launching the Harris Tweed range. It was such a beautiful dinner that I took photos on the night, wrote a blog post and I sent it to them. I created the blog post for free as a bit of a thank you, which clearly went a long way!

How do you use different social platforms and how do they work with your blog?
Obviously, Instagram is nearly everyone’s main platform. On Instagram I post a lot of outfit shots, which work well for me and get good engagement based on the community I’ve built up over the last couple of years. I use stories as a diary to tell the story of an event where I’ve taken pictures throughout. I also use the swipe-up link on my stories, so I’ll promote blog posts through that and any kind of links to demo the products.

Twitter is a sharing platform for me, so I share my blog posts and retweet any brands I’m working with. I’ve got a YouTube channel too but it’s mainly to host my branded video content and so I can also offer YouTube to brands as an added extra if we’ve collaborated on video content.

Do brands ask for just Instagram collaborations?
Yes – a lot of start-up or fashion brands see the value in the ‘click and shop’ Instagram element and some collaborations will ask for one Instagram post and one or two Stories. When I’m creating content on my blog, it’s very much about giving advice, which may not work as well on Instagram. When I go to the Seychelles, Hilton want a blog post about the hotels I’m staying in as opposed to just an Instagram post. The blog is the right place for anything to do with travel or advice and allows you to elaborate on your experiences without being restricted by a caption.

[testimonial_view id=”23″]

Ed Lemont and The Discerning Gent is listed in the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other blogs, vlogs, outlets and opportunities.

Conference Headlines – Electable Lib Dems feeling sorry for May

September 18, 2018/0 Comments/in Political Headlines, Government, Public Affairs Political Database, Political Services Blog Posts /by Daniel Loman

Today’s Lib Dem Party Conference Headlines include Vince Cable’s claims that the party is electable, the leader feeling sorry for May, liberalism but not by the Lib Dems and Clegg’s claims that the EU could extend the Brexit period.

The Liberal Democrats are electable
ITV reports its interview with leader of the Liberal Democrats, Vince Cable where he said a revival is taking place and the Lib Dems have a lot to be positive about. Cable acknowledged the results in the last two general elections have not been good enough but saw positives in the local elections.

Cable feels sorry for May
The Express reports speculates on Cable’s speech where it is expected he will tell Theresa May to stop delivering a Brexit she is not fully behind. Cable is expected to call on May to show true leadership and back a second referendum; he will also criticise those who want to leave the EU but are not considering the costs of it.

Liberalism but not by the Lib Dems
The Guardian has published an opinion piece where the Lib Dems are not seen as up to the job of representing Liberalism. The article points out that with Labour going further left and Theresa May facing opposition from those on the right of her party the Lib Dems should be making more progress.

Clegg says the EU could extend Brexit period
The BBC reports on remarks made by Nick Clegg suggesting European leaders are looking to find a way to give the UK more time to negotiate Brexit so a no-deal can be avoided. Clegg rejects the suggestion that has come from the Prime Minister that it is either the Chequers Plan or no-deal.

Cancel Brexit with no new referendum
The Sun reports on a policy that was voted on at the Lib Dem conference. The article says the Lib Dems will call on the Government to extend the article 50 process, so a referendum can be held. If the EU rejects the extension then they want the UK to revoke article 50, meaning the UK remains in the EU indefinitely.

The Lib Dems Conference is coming to a close but there’s plenty more to come from the other parties. Get complimentary bulletins straight to your inbox, sign up here.

How Heathrow used an integrated campaign to win its third runway

September 17, 2018/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, PR Club, Public Affairs Stakeholder Engagement, Political Services, PR, Comms, Political Database, Media Database, Media Monitoring, Media Analysis Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

Nigel Milton, director of communications at Heathrow Airport, recently spoke at the CIPR’s Influence Live event and explained how the airport went from being called ‘Heathrow Hassle’ to having its third runway approved by Government.

Heathrow airport is the busiest in Europe, with some 78 million passengers passing through it in 2017. It’s also recently had plans for a third runway approved – fulfilling the UK’s need for increased air traffic capacity.

But getting to this point wasn’t an easy journey; while a third runway was initially supported by Gordon Brown’s Government in 2009, the policy and politics all changed when the coalition Government came to power and immediately scrapped it.

Milton told Influence Live that when he joined in 2010, the airport already had the reputation of a ‘national embarrassment’, with ‘Heathrow Hassle’ in the lexicon. This made finding political supporters almost impossible.

So, how did they manage to turn it around? With the help of an international event, the London Mayor and an integrated campaign like no other.

In 2012, London hosted the Olympics and Heathrow became the official airport of the games. For Milton, it was an opportunity to reset the dial as the Games could effectively make or break the airport’s fortunes. In Milton’s own words, they ‘nailed it’.

Part of the success was leaving nothing to chance. Not only did Heathrow prepare for the oddly-shaped luggage carried by international athletes (oars, bikes, racquets etc), it also increased spending on toilet maintenance because, bizarrely, the number one factor that makes a difference to someone’s opinion of an airport is the cleanliness of the toilets.

Major incident-free, the London Olympics were a huge success for Heathrow and, what’s more, the Government had changed its position on the need to expand UK airport capacity. This policy reversal was, in no small part, thanks to the London Mayor at the time, Boris Johnson.

While Johnson may have more recently been elected as MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip with the promise there would be no third runway at Heathrow, he was at the time considered the airport’s champion politician – Milton said, ‘Without Boris, we wouldn’t have secured a third runway’. Johnson had argued that London needed more airport capacity, favouring the creation of an island in the Thames. While this wasn’t realised – his desire for more capacity was and so the long road to an extra runway began again for Heathrow.

The success of the Olympics put Heathrow in a strong position for its runway plans, as it could now trade on its national and international reputation of excellence, making it the frontrunner for expansion.

Milton’s approach was two-fold, a public relations campaign was designed to bring everyone, from its staff and local residents to Scottish businesses, on board and a public affairs campaign to gain political support.

The airport’s four business priorities were at the centre of its PR campaign:

Mojo – getting staff onside by making the airport a great place to work and risk-free when increasing staff numbers
Service transformation – proving it can deliver the best service for passengers and airlines
Beating the business plan – staying ahead of its plans so it could meet deadlines and expectations
Sustainable growth – working with local communities to impact them negatively as little as possible and positively as much as possible

The campaign was complex, with thousands of stakeholders to be considered, influenced and managed. It required a national strategy, and the airport reviewed both passenger and freight journeys, so it could prove that it wasn’t just London’s airport, but Britain’s airport. It got Scottish business to back the plans, explaining the benefits locally because, Milton explained, ‘My accent saying Heathrow expansion is good for Scotland, in Scotland, means nothing compared to a Scottish accent saying it’.

The PR fed into the public affairs, Heathrow using the wins up and down the country to gain additional political support. It also polled politicians to show MPs they were not alone in their support. With a comprehensive integrated campaign that took everything into consideration, Heathrow was successful and a third runway has now been approved.

But the challenge isn’t over yet, as Milton is all too aware. When Vuelio asked if he was planning for a change in Government, Milton responded that yes – administrations and policies change and Heathrow was still preparing for every eventuality.

Do you want to run successful campaigns that combine public relations and public affairs? With Vuelio, everything you need is in one place, on one platform. Find out more.

Conference Headlines – plastic ban, citizen’s fund, Gina Miller and Charlie Mullins

September 17, 2018/0 Comments/in Political Headlines, Government, Public Affairs Political Services, Political Database Blog Posts /by Daniel Loman

Today’s Lib Dem Party Conference Headlines include the call for a ban on all single-use plastic, Vince Cable’s citizen’s fund, Gina Miller rules herself out of becoming Lib Dem leader and the founder of Pimlico Plumbers now backing the Lib Dems.

Lib Dems call for a ban on all single-use plastics within three years
The Metro reports that senior Liberal Democrats are to discuss a move to ban all single-use plastics, not just plastic straws. The party conference is set to discuss this move, along with similar measures including the charge on hot drink cups known as the ‘latte levy’. Lib Dem MP Alistair Carmichael has claimed that the Tories are ‘full of hot air and no credible action’ in their attempt to reduce the amount of plastic in our oceans.

Vince Cable calls for a new £100bn ‘citizen’s fund’ to spread wealth more evenly
According to the BBC, Vince Cable is proposing a £100bn citizen’s fund should be created and built up through taxes on the richest and the sale of assets, such as the UK stake in Royal Bank of Scotland. Explaining the policy on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show, he said he wanted to scrap inheritance tax and replace it with ‘a tax on people’s gifts through their lifetime’.

Gina Miller rules herself out of becoming Lib Dem leader
The Mirror reports that anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller will end the speculation that she would want to be leader of the Liberal Democrats. Miller will today give a speech from the main stage at the Lib Dem Conference in Brighton where she will present the case for a new EU referendum.

Former Conservative donor and founder of Pimlico Plumbers now backing the Lib Dems
Sky News reports the founder of Pimlico Plumbers, Charlie Mullins, has declared his support for the Liberal Democrats and has said that Theresa May is the worst person to negotiate Brexit. Mullins was previously a high-profile donor to the Conservative Party but earlier this year his firm gave £25,000 to the Liberal Democrats. Mullins has backed Jo Swinson, Gina Miller or co-founder of Innocent Drinks, Richard Reed as possible future party leaders.

Liberal Democrats must own failures of the past
The Guardian reports on Jo Swinson’s speech where she has called on her party to own their failures and accept they should have done more to stop policies when in coalition. Swinson accepted that too much of a burden was put on the poorest in society when trying to cut the deficit. It is reported that not all of Swinson’s colleagues were happy with the criticism, with Ed Davey highlighted as someone who bristled at the remarks.

Want to keep up with political monitoring over Conference Season? Sign up for free here.

Political Headlines – Bank of England’s Brexit warning and ‘insulting’ Russian claims

September 14, 2018/0 Comments/in Political Headlines, Government, Public Affairs Political Services, Political Database Blog Posts /by Thomas Stevenson

Today’s Political Headlines include the Bank of England’s warning, Russia accused of insulting the public’s intelligence, Conservative MEPs criticised for not voting against Hungary and the union head’s claims against Israel.

Bank of England warns house prices call fall by a third in no-deal Brexit scenario
The Times reports that the Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, has warned the Cabinet that a chaotic no-deal Brexit would cause house prices to fall by 35% and force mortgage rates up. A source told the paper that no Cabinet Brexiteers had challenged Carney’s vision. The Daily Telegraph has details of the no-deal papers published yesterday, including the news that travellers will need to have six months left on their passport when visiting the EU, driving licences may no longer by valid in the EU and that manufacturers in sectors such as furniture and bicycles would have to comply with different national regulations in order to continue exporting to the EU.

Russia accused of ‘insulting the public’s intelligence’ over Salisbury claims
The Daily Telegraph reports that Theresa May has accused Russia of ‘insulting the public’s intelligence’ after the two Salisbury poisoning suspects appeared on the state TV channel RT to claim that they went to the ‘wonderful’ city in order to visit the ‘beautiful’ cathedral. The Government claimed that their story consisted of ‘lies and blatant fabrications’.

Conservative MEPs criticised for not voting against Hungary
The Guardian says that Conservative MEPs have been criticised by Jewish and Muslim leaders for voting against censuring Hungary over reduced judicial and media independence, as well as corruption. The Board of Deputies of British Jews described the move as ‘very concerning’, while the Muslim Council of Britain said it was ‘deeply disappointing’.

Union head claims that Israel concocted antisemitism row to distract from ‘atrocities’
The Independent reports that Mark Serwotka, the leader of the Public and Commercial Services Union, has suggested that Israel created the antisemitism row into order to distract attention from its ‘atrocities’. He said that he was ‘not a conspiracy theorist’ but there had been a ‘systematic attempt to shut down all those advocating justice for the Palestinians’.

Duffield says Labour tensions have left her considering quitting
In an exclusive, The Guardian claims that Canterbury’s Labour MP Rosie Duffield, who faced a motion against her by her local party has said that the tensions have left her considering quitting Parliament. She said that it would be ‘nice if Jeremy could help each MP going through this with a personal statement’ so that it was clear people ‘don’t do it in his name.’

Union calls for immediate walkout by prison officers
The Daily Mirror reports that the Prison Officers Association has called for its members to walk out today as an immediate ‘protest’, the union having been banned from striking after legal action last year. The move follows the release of an urgent report into the ‘dangerous’ conditions at HMP Bedford by the Chief Inspector of Prisons, Peter Clarke.

Latte levy to be extended to takeaway soft drinks
The Sun reveals that the Treasury is planning to extend the so-called ‘latte levy’ on coffee cups to also cover soft drinks and shakes served in containers with a plastic lining. Conservative MP Robert Halfon criticised the plan, claiming that the Government ‘shouldn’t be charging people more for a milkshake at Burger King’.

Freeman calls for May to step down
Speaking at an event organised by The Times, George Freeman, the former chair of Theresa May’s policy board, has called on her to step down after Brexit so that a new leader can be elected to shape the UK’s future relationship with the EU, ‘liberated from the poisonous politics of the EU referendum and the shambles that has followed.’

Do you want complimentary political monitoring over Conference Season? Sign up for free here.

Talking top interiors with The Design Sheppard

September 13, 2018/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight PR, Press and Bloggers, Media Database Blog Posts /by Holly Hodges

The Design Sheppard is written by Stacey Sheppard and was recently ranked in the Top 10 UK Interior Design Blogs. Originally a personal scrapbook, The Design Sheppard has since grown into one of the most recognisable interior design blogs in the country. We caught up with Stacey, who told us how her blog has evolved over time, why she’s a writer not a designer and how she likes to collaborate with PR and brands.

How has your blog changed over time?
My blog has been through a couple of redesigns over time and each time I’ve rebranded it has taken on a more professional look. To start with, I was pretty clueless when it came to the visual side of creating a blog and I’ve learnt so much over the years.

The Design Sheppard started out purely as a kind of personal scrapbook where I would document all the design finds that I was discovering. I wasn’t really blogging for anyone other than myself and even today, if everyone stopped reading, I’d probably still keep writing as I see my blog as a place to record all the lessons that I am learning about interiors and all the tips and advice that I have picked up along my journey when it comes to home design. So that hasn’t really changed, despite the fact that I have amassed a rather large readership. But I always try to make sure that my readers can learn something from my posts.

One thing that has changed though is that my blog has now become a business. I resisted this for so long. Coming from a magazine background it always seemed a bit wrong to accept payment for what I considered to be editorial content. So, for the first five years I point-blank turned down every kind of brand collaboration that I was offered, and there were many!

I was really quite late to the monetisation game and I probably missed out on a lot of opportunities. But I wanted to wait until I had worked out how I could make this work for me in a way that I knew wouldn’t damage my integrity and break the trust of my readers. I’m now in a place where I feel more comfortable taking on brand collaborations and I have more confidence in my own decisions.

How would you describe your style?
I find this really hard to answer as I’m not really sure I have one distinctive style. When it comes to my own home I prefer a more contemporary look. I’m a big fan of industrial style interiors and I suppose that’s quite a masculine look. I like the minimalism of Scandinavian interiors but I am also starting to appreciate a more glamorous approach to interiors. My style tends to change depending on the room and what the function of that room is.

What makes a great interior design blog?
For me, my favourite interior design blogs are inspirational, aspirational, well written, easy to navigate and beautiful to look at. They are also full of the author’s personality. I like to feel like I am getting to know someone when I read their blog. I also think it’s important to share, whether that is knowledge, advice, tips, or resources. I like blogs where I feel like I’m learning something new.

What’s the split between your own creations/designs and featuring others’?
My blog is different to a lot of other interior design blogs today. As I mentioned, I came from a magazine background, so when I started The Design Sheppard, I wanted it to be like my own magazine. So, I solely featured the work of other people. And this was pretty standard back when I started in 2009. However, it became increasingly popular to feature your own home and makeover projects. I first started to share my own projects after we bought our flat. I felt quite uncomfortable doing this to begin with as I felt a lot of pressure from social media to have an amazing home. But I try not to compare myself to others and I have to constantly remind myself that I am a writer not an interior designer or stylist. I’d say the split is probably 20/80 today.

What’s your favourite room in the house and why?
My favourite room at home would have to be my living room. I love the colour of it, which is Moss Blanket by Dulux. This shade of green is very popular now and was in abundance at Maison & Objet this month, but we’ve lived with it since 2013 and I love it. I find it very calming and balancing. There are a lot of natural materials in our living room like wood, cork, leather and terracotta and it is packed full of plants. I’ve also used a lot of copper which contrasts really well against the green. This room is my happy place.

How do the seasons affect your content?
I’ve never really been a big one for seasonal content. I know it’s a great way to increase your traffic, but writing about Christmas months in advance just doesn’t fill me with joy. I only write about things that excite me and make me happy and I just don’t enjoy forcing myself to write content because it’s the right season. Maybe this is a foolish decision, but at the end of the day I want to enjoy writing my blog.

What one thing should PRs/brands know about you?
I’m not an interior designer and I’m not a stylist. I’m a writer who is passionate about interior design. People constantly assume that I am a designer and I’m always having to point out that I’m not.

What are the best campaigns/collaborations you’ve recently worked on?
I think it was probably one I worked on with Black & Blum for their #DesignForHealth campaign. I was helping to promote their BOX APPETIT range of stainless steel food storage containers. I was very apprehensive about doing this campaign as my styling and photography skills aren’t exactly to a professional standard and food photography is notoriously difficult. My husband gave me a hand and I was so proud of the results. I was also able to put it into the wider context of the environmental damage that is being done by single use plastics. This was definitely a great collaboration for me and the feedback I got on the post just confirmed that.

Do you think bloggers need their own industry association?
Absolutely! Since the rise of “influencers”, the blogosphere has become extremely difficult to navigate. There are rules and regulations surrounding disclosure but these seem to be very open to interpretation. The language that bloggers use to describe their collaborations is pretty vague and confusing. It is extremely difficult for bloggers to make out what commercial relationships are in place on blogs, so it must be near on impossible for readers to tell what involvement the brands have in these posts. This lack of clarity is creating a lot of mistrust and negativity towards bloggers at the moment.

Having an industry association would go a long way to improving the influencer marketing industry for bloggers and would help to ensure ethical conduct, provide clear best practices and create greater transparency. This can only be a good thing, for bloggers, for readers and for brands.

What other blogs do you read?
I read a lot of blogs but some of my favorites are Dear Designer, Mad About The House, Swoon Worthy, Well I Guess This is Growing Up, Making Spaces, Seasons in Colour, Hello Pea Green, Boreal Abode, The Interior Editor, Style Squeeze, In Two Homes and so many others.

PRCA says: prove you’re ethical

September 13, 2018/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, PR News PR Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

The PRCA has unveiled a new membership campaign, which challenges practitioners to prove their ethical professionalism by joining the industry’s professional body.

Launched at the midpoint of the industry’s global Ethics Month, and running from 12 September to 12 October, the campaign highlights reasons to join the PRCA as an Individual Member, and challenges practitioners to ‘do the right thing’.

The campaign lists 26 reasons to join the PRCA as an individual member, equating to £3.85 per reason for an annual membership.

‘Participate in member-led discussions and events by joining any number of our 51 Sectoral Groups’ – Reason #1 of 26 to join the PRCA as an Individual Member. Join today using the code ‘trialmember’ for a free 30-day trial! https://t.co/6Ofi3NAumG #WhyPRCA pic.twitter.com/LEb2bRFxa0

— PRCA (@PRCA_UK) September 12, 2018

The campaign also offers non-members the chance to sign up to a free 30-day trial Membership, foregoing the usual annual fee of £100+VAT. Non-members are being invited to join using the discount code ‘trialmember’ when signing up here.

The campaign has already appeared across social media, under the hashtag #WhyPRCA.

The PRCA represents and regulates well in excess of 24,000 practitioners from the public, private, and charitable sectors, and has offices in the UK, Dubai, and Singapore.

Francis Ingham MPRCA, director general of the PRCA, said: ‘This is our global industry’s ethics month, and every PR practitioner should be a PRCA member, held accountable to strong Codes of Conduct, that is enforced rigorously. Our challenge to the industry is this – do the right thing, and join.

‘Membership is £100 a year – £3.85 for each of the 26 benefits of membership; under £2 a week to prove that you are serious about your career. And your first 30 days can be taken as a free trial period. So, if you are an ethical practitioner, there really is nothing to lose. It’s time to join the world’s most dynamic and ethical PR professional body.’

Political Headlines – Raab, Welby, May and Brown

September 13, 2018/0 Comments/in Political Headlines, Government, Public Affairs Political Services, Political Database Blog Posts /by Thomas Stevenson

Today’s Political Headlines include Raab’ and Brown’s warnings, Welby’s attack and May’s announcement.

Raab warns UK won’t pay divorce bill without a Brexit deal
The Daily Telegraph reports that Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab has warned that the UK will not pay its divorce bill if it leaves the EU without a deal, using a meeting today to tell the EU’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier ‘There’s no deal without the whole deal.’ Writing in prior to the release of 28 new no-deal technical notices, he dismisses ‘scaremongering nonsense’. The Sun adds that the Government has reached agreement with the four largest mobile phone providers to continue to offer free roaming in Europe after Brexit.

Welby attacks online giants who ‘leech off the taxpayer’
The Times says that Justin Welby has been criticised by Conservative MPs after he used a speech to the TUC to claim that online giants such as Amazon ‘leech off the taxpayer’ and called for a ‘new unionisation’ of the UK. He also called on the Government to scrap Universal Credit and to end the need for food banks and night shelters.

May to announce strict new immigration policy at conference
The Times claims that Theresa May is planning to announce strict post-Brexit immigration controls at her party’s conference in a bid to win over Brexiteers, with the Cabinet to agree a policy at a meeting less than a week before. Today, Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott will put forward Labour’s proposed new immigration system, including a simplified visa structure, The Guardian says.

‘Leaderless’ world ‘in danger of sleepwalking’ into financial crisis, Brown warns
Speaking to The Guardian, Gordon Brown said that the world is ‘in danger of sleepwalking’ into another financial crisis and was now ‘leaderless’, so the co-operation which tackled the crisis in 2008 ‘would not be possible’. He warned that lessons from that crisis had not been learnt and ‘the penalties for wrong-doing have not been increased sufficiently’.

Hancock says all patients should be able to Skype their GP
The Daily Telegraph reports that Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock will today say that every patients ought to be able to Skype their GP and accuse the NHS of trying to block innovation. Speaking at the HQ of Babylon, the firm behind the GP at Hand app, he will promise to ‘change the rules so we can harness new technology’.

Labour peers plot to give MPs option to think again on Brexiteer amendments
The Guardian reveals that Labour’s Lords leader, Angela Smith, plans to give MPs a chance to think again on amendments to the Taxation (Cross-Border Trade) Bill originally tabled by Conservative Brexiteers. While peers are unable to amend this bill, following advice, they will try to attach the amendments to the Trade Bill, giving MPs the chance to reject them.

Investigation launched into Corbyn’s aides
According to The Daily Telegraph, an investigation has been launched into Jeremy Corbyn’s private secretary Iram Awan, after she was accused of entering Parliament for nine months despite delays with her pass being vetted by the security services. A former Left Unity member, she is believed to have donated to a charity endorsed by Islamic extremists. Another aide, Andrew Murray, who used to belong to the Communist Party of Britain, is also alleged to have broken rules by entering the estate despite an eleven-month pass delay.

Brexit uncertainty to lead to ‘extremely challenging’ spending negotiations
The Financial Times carries details of a new report by the Institute for Government, which warns that negotiations between the Treasury and other departments ahead of the 2019 public spending review will be ‘extremely challenging’ owing to Brexit-induced uncertainty, with the Treasury struggling to meet higher spending demands

Brexit too complicated? Vuelio Political Services make it seem simple.

Interior Design spotlight: Kimberly Duran, Swoon Worthy

September 12, 2018/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Holly Hodges

Kimberly Duran is the creator and author of Swoon Worthy, which has recently been ranked in the top 10 UK interior design blogs. With her love of bright colours, textures and animal print, Kimberly spoke to us about how she brings her style to her blog, her favourite room in her house and how she likes to work with PRs.

How has your blog changed over time?
I’ve been blogging since 2010 so both my blog and the landscape has changed dramatically – almost unrecognisably – over those eight years. In that time, the quality of my posts has certainly improved. I cringe at some of my early photography! There were also so many posts that where I was simply rambling about life with no real objective to why I was posting but, I suppose, it was a great way to get into it. I had time to find my writing voice, to understand who it was I was actually talking to. Over the years, my photography has come on leaps and bounds but also my design skills have really improved – years of practice definitely helped! I also know my audience much better now and so I try to have an objective every time I post – what are my readers getting out of this? Are they learning something new? Are they being inspired? Are they simply being entertained? I now consider my audience so much more in my content than what I did when I first started.

How would you describe your style?
I always describe my style as ‘Eclectic Boho Glam’! I am an unashamed maximalist who loves interiors with personality: I love to mix contemporary with vintage, glamorous gold luxe finishes, cheeky animal prints, touchable textural fabrics, bold pattern mixing and a touch of vintage and bohemian-style comfort.

What makes a great interior design blog?
My favourite blogs are ones where I not only leave feeling inspired and like I’ve learned something new but those where the personality of the writer really shines through. Most of my favourite blogs are those where I feel like I ‘know’ the person writing, where I can get a sense of who they are as a person and how they express themselves through interiors. It makes me far more invested in what I’m reading and ensures I’ll be back for more.

What’s the split between your own creations/designs and featuring others’?
It’s probably about a 90%/10% split. Almost everything I show is my own photography and my own spaces. It hasn’t always been like that, but I do think as a content creator, it’s important to share my own vision and my personal style to my readers as that’s what they come to my blog for.

What’s your favourite room in the house and why?
At the moment, it’s my bedroom but that’s really because it’s the only room in the house we’ve actually been able to redesign so far! We moved into our home in March so it’s all a long and slow-going process. More spaces will be completed over time and my favourite room always tends to be the one I completed last so that answer will probably change! But for now, it’s fantastic to be able to settle down and wake up in a room that truly feels like a reflection of my tastes right now.

How do the seasons affect your content?
Over the year, my content tends to be about whatever it is that I or my readers are probably thinking about and a lot of that is weather or season-related! In the summer months, it might be entertaining at home, sprucing up the garden or travelling. Over the colder months, it’s all about creating a cosy and warm nest in your home and getting the most out of the space you have.

What’s your favourite household object/item?
Oh, that’s a really hard one – it’s like choosing from my children! But I think it would have to be the vintage 1970’s Pierre Vandel brass and glass shelving unit that I have in my living room. I wanted one for years and a blogger friend had picked up one from Paris. She’d had it for years herself and I’d always admired it and when she was moving house and realised she no longer had the space for it, she gave it to me. I may have actually cried when she did that. It really means the world to me – it’s a beautiful piece and just represents how thoughtful and kind the community really is.

What one thing should PRs/brands know about you?
That I’m incredibly picky about who I work with – it really must be the right fit for my blog, my aesthetic and my readers for me to agree to a collaboration and that’s only because I want any collaboration to be a huge success across the board. And if it is the right fit, I’ll work my socks off to make sure everyone is happy!

What are the best campaigns/collaborations you’ve recently worked on?
I worked with Made.com recently where they provided a desk and some accessories and then I and a few other bloggers styled up the spaces accordingly. We then photographed them and Made sent them to a psychologist to have them analysed! It was all about ‘what your desk says about you’. It was a light-hearted piece and lots of fun and it was great to see how different all our styles really were as well as a little scary how spot on the psychologist was about our personalities!

I also recently supported the #GoGreener campaign by Push Doctor where they were highlighting the benefits that nature has on our wellbeing. For that one, I took my readers houseplant shopping with me where I shared my tips on what to choose, how to pot plants and how to ensure they thrive. It was a monster of a post but so fun to create. I really enjoyed that one.

Do you think bloggers need their own industry association?
I think it would be an amazing idea. There are so many experienced and knowledgeable people out there that coming together can only be a good thing. Individually, we are all just trying to work things out on our own and learning from our mistakes. The power of community is an incredible one and I know how much I appreciate the blogger groups that I’m a part of. That kind of support is invaluable.

What other blogs do you read?
Oh, there are so many although my blog keeps me very busy so I don’t always get the chance to read as much as I’d like to! Some favourites include: Mad About The House because Kate is so knowledgeable and has such a great writing style, Making Spaces because I always learn something new from Karen, Dear Designer’s Blog because Carole finds the most gorgeous spaces to show off, Apartment Number 4 because Victoria is a such an inspiring entrepreneur, French for Pineapple for Bianca’s amazing style and energy and Forever Amber because she always makes me laugh.

Political Headlines – Gove, Barnier, Brexit and Defra

September 12, 2018/0 Comments/in Political Headlines, Government, Public Affairs Political Services, Political Database Blog Posts /by Thomas Stevenson

Today’s Political Headlines include Gove’s new Agriculture Bill, Barnier’s reprimand of Raab, Brexiteers failing to win over colleagues, Defra is not ready for Brexit.

Gove unveils new Agriculture Bill
Writing for The Daily Telegraph, Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove promises that the new Agriculture Bill, to be published today, will ensure that farmers will be rewarded for work to ‘enhance the environment around us’. It will include a system of ‘public money for public goods’, replacing the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy, with state aid awarded for sustainable food production, environmental stewardship, public access to land and climate change mitigation.

Barnier reprimands Raab over aviation letter
The Guardian reports that Brexit Secretary Dominic Rabb has been reprimanded by the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier. This followed the news that the Government had written to the 27 EU members in an attempt to agree a side deal on aviation in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Barnier warned Rabb that ‘If there is no deal, there is no trust’.

Brexiteers fail to win over colleagues, plot leadership challenge
The Times says that Conservative Brexiteers are failing to persuade fellow MPs to support their attacks on Theresa May’s Chequers plan for Brexit, with one accusing the European Research Group of taking a ‘nothing is ever quite enough’ approach. However, The Daily Telegraph claims that 50 Conservative MPs met last night to discuss how to remove May, and that a leadership challenge might happen in the next few days.

High risk of Defra not being ready for Brexit, NAO says
The Financial Times carries details of a critical report by the National Audit Office on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs preparations for Brexit. It warns that there is a ‘high’ risk of the department not being ready for a no-deal Brexit, which it did not understand ‘until recently’. This could cause exports of animal products to halt, with other problems including vet shortages, a lack of time for new legislation and insufficient boats to patrol fishing waters.

Second Brexit referendum almost certain to be on Labour conference agenda
The Guardian says that campaigners backing a motion to ensure that a second referendum on Brexit believe that it is almost certain to be the agenda at Labour’s conference, with over 60 constituency parties backing it, compared to just a ‘handful’ for other issues competing to be debated.

Rudd calls for Government ID system
Writing for The Times, former Home Secretary Amber Rudd calls for the UK to introduce a new Government ID system, which ‘would not need to be an actual card’. She claims that such a system would help to combat fraud, illegal immigration and abuse of benefits.

Jaguar Land Rover attacks Government over Brexit
The Guardian reports that Jaguar Land Rover made a ‘blistering attack’ on the way Theresa May has dealt with Brexit. The firm’s chief executive, Ralf Speth, speaking at a summit organised by the Government, said that a cliff-edge Brexit was a ‘horrifying’ prospect and warned that ‘tens of thousands’ of jobs would be lost if the UK left the EU without a deal.

Police investigating delivery of ‘sinister’ cards to Labour MPs facing deselection
According to The Daily Telegraph, police are investigating incidents in which ‘sinister’ cards were delivered to the parliamentary offices of the Labour MPs Joan Ryan and Gavin Shuker, who were subject to votes of no confidence by their constituency parties last week. The cards wished them ‘good luck with their new career’.

On top of all the Bills that matter to you? Vuelio Political Services can do it for you.

Interview with Interiors blogger Cate St Hill

September 12, 2018/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Holly Hodges

Cate St Hill is a brand-new entry into the top 10 UK interior design blogs. Written by Cate, the blog shares the ethos ‘simple interior design for everyday living’. We spoke to Cate about what makes a great interior design blog, her favourite household item and the one thing PRs should know about her.

How has your blog changed over time?
It’s certainly become more focused and consistent in style. When I first started my blog in 2011 it felt a bit confused and all over the place – I just wrote about whatever took my fancy without thinking about a strategy or the overall bigger picture. I never had a plan, it was a hobby really and I didn’t think people would actually read it! Over the years I’ve learnt to do one thing and do it well. I think people like the reliability of coming to a site and knowing exactly what they’re getting. Now I have a set of brand values if you like, not necessarily written down or set in stone, just something I can refer to in my mind’s eye – with every new piece of work or post I have to think, will it fit with what I’m all about, is it relevant to what I do, will my readers find it engaging?

How would you describe your style?
Simple, down to earth, authentic and understated. I’m drawn to elegant, pared-back interiors, minimal design, neutral colour schemes and well-crafted objects.

What makes a great interior design blog?
A blog that really engages with it’s audience, it’s about knowing what they want but sometimes surprising them too with ideas or inspiration they didn’t know they needed. And creating unique content that a reader can’t get anywhere else. With each piece I try to think about how it will help the reader; beautiful imagery is great but if everyone’s posting the same images, where is the value? It’s also about giving advice, insider tips, a unique angle or insight only you know about.

What’s the split between your own creations/designs and featuring others’?
My blog is probably comprised of 60% my own imagery and 40% brand imagery (my Instagram is 100% my own work). I like to document my own renovations and makeover projects at home, but for example when I go to furniture fairs and exhibitions, the brand’s lifestyle images are so much more beautiful and bright than anything I could ever capture under artificial light at events. I try to only post the highest quality images. Last year I started my own interior design consultation company, advising people on their own redecoration projects and sourcing furniture, I haven’t shared those designs on the blog yet as a lot of them are still a work in progress and I’m sensitive to any clients need for privacy. But watch this space!

What’s your favourite room in the house and why?
The kitchen and living room – it’s really two rooms but because we knocked down the wall in-between them it feels like one big open space. There’s lots of natural light and I love that we can be cooking or entertaining and still have a connection to the dining table or sofa.

How do the seasons affect your content?
The design calendar certainly affects my content, picking up on new furniture launches or getting inspiration from design events such as London Design Festival or Milan Furniture Fair. I’m not one for trends, I do like to create spaces that adapt to the seasons so in winter you might find more content around retreating inside and getting cosy, while in summer there might be more travel posts and outdoor ideas.

What’s your favourite household object/item?
Probably my Miele coffee machine! I work from home everyday so being able to make decent coffee is a must.

What one thing should PRs/brands know about you?
I don’t accept guest posts, the amount of emails I get asking! Otherwise, that my blog is now my full-time business and I’ve made the decision to no longer accept product as payment, unless it’s something I really want and need. To begin with receiving gifts was a bit of a novelty, but I soon felt that by accepting them, it didn’t fit with my ethos for simple, minimal living – there’s only so many pieces of furniture, cushions or candles you need. Now I’m very selective with who I work with and I’m more mindful of what I receive and how it is perceived. I don’t want people to think I have an unattainable lifestyle or think that you constantly need new things to make a house a meaningful home.

What are the best campaigns/collaborations you’ve recently worked on?
I really enjoyed working with Georg Jensen Damask recently; they took me to Paris to meet OLDER PARIS, a young design duo who they collaborated with on a new range of striped bedding. It was fascinating hearing the story behind the collection and getting a behind the scenes glimpse of how the design process works at their small, intimate atelier. A lot of brands seem to just churn out collection after collection for the sake of it, but this collaboration had real meaning and intention behind it – to create something simple and sustainable.

Do you think bloggers need their own industry association?
Yes, I think there should be some industry standards so bloggers, brands, the public and PR companies can have greater understanding of one another, even if it’s some advice to bloggers on how to price themselves or how to write a well-worded email to a brand. A lot of bloggers are winging it in a way as no where does it say, in explicit terms, this is how blogging should be done. A lot comes down to guessing work or chatting between ourselves. I think we could all be a bit more open and transparent in how we work and what we earn. It certainly frustrates me when I see people not disclosing ads or obviously buying likes and followers.

What other blogs do you read?
My Scandinavian Home, Hannah in the House, These Four Walls, Curate and Display, Jessica Rose Williams, Fashion Me Now, Brittany Bathgate, Buckets and Spades, Jordan Bunker.

International spotlight: At Startup Speed

September 11, 2018/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

At Startup Speed is a new blog, which was recently launched by Treeline in the US. Covering startup innovation and featuring a huge talent pool of writers, including Jake Knapp of Google, Cecilia Tham from Makers of Barcelona and Bart Oats – NFL Alumni President and three-time Super Bowl champion, At Startup Speed is living up to its name as it makes waves across the blogging scene.

We caught up with the blog to find out what makes it different, the current state of innovation and the future of At Startup Speed.

What’s the blog all about?
In a nutshell —innovation. The who, what, when, how, I guess even the why, of innovation. We aim to create a dialogue on the people, ideas and methods for innovating, particularly in a corporate environment which often has the talent and tools to innovate, but nonetheless manages to have structures in place that make the creation of the next big thing rather difficult.

Ideas die tragic deaths in legacy organisations and they don’t have to. So, we try to bring all these issues to bare and, hopefully, At Startup Speed inspires people and organisations to dream big, execute quickly, and ship —getting those dreams to market where they can change the world.

What makes your blog unique?
There are a lot of places to go for tech news and see product proposals and releases, but there wasn’t a place that we at Treeline could find to have a dialog with innovators — so we made one. At Startup Speed currently has interviews, articles and graphics to mine the process of innovating and to talk about what’s working and what’s not among a range of people who are trying to change things. So, we might have a corporate innovation lead for a piece followed by a designer trying something completely new, then throw in a college professor who wants to flip the entire corporate hierarchy model on its head and after that give advice for running a good brainstorming meeting. We try to not let anyone get comfortable or create a pattern, so there’s an effort to keep alternating the material and the perspectives as best we can.

Also, the design. People love our design and the great artists we have been using to amplify the interviews and articles.

How do you select the people you work with, the contributors and guest posters?
We try to make it rather random and again explore the concept of innovation in a lot of ways. We have a huge list that was developed of hundreds of innovation leaders and just interesting people. There are designers, professional athletes, authors, CEOs, union officials, professors – complete weirdos to be honest. Its constantly being added to and every week or so we discuss internally at Treeline what an interesting topic or person might be to chat to or get an article from and we reach out. We have been pleasantly surprised by how many have said yes, and also how many of the people we ping who have already read At Startup Speed.

How do you measure your audience and how important is this when planning content?
When it comes to audience, we look to the unique visitors, newsletter signups and additional feedback we receive. We really have been blowing away our initial projections. It’s funny because we were like, ‘If we can just get 500 readers a week that would be awesome because they would be the perfect 500 people deeply invested in innovation’. As it is, we have been toping 20k most weeks recently and its starting to just take on a life of its own.

To be honest we don’t adjust or even discuss how to make the content fit the audience. Like not even in the slightest bit. We plan our topics and who to approach purely by what we like. If we think it’s cool, we go for it. That’s the joy of not having to worry about advertisers or trying to be this huge media property that appeals to a massive audience.

We value the importance of having a strong POV which comes from the culture at Treeline and trusting in it. So, whether it be a topic or a design choice, we just follow our gut and trust that others will gravitate towards its authenticity.

How does the blog feed back into Treeline?
It would be disingenuous to say we don’t care how it feeds back, but in a way we don’t care. The ideas the blog raises were things we wanted to hear about and questions we wanted to ask of folks out there who were changing things and doing cool stuff. So, its biggest means of feeding back is it creates ideas for our team and certainly the greater community of readers. It also educates us on new techniques and things happening out there among innovators.

And, since our team has developed several of the pieces, it has also made us sometimes commit things to paper that were in our head and actually share them internally and externally. The piece Carter did recently on focusing on one thing, for instance, is something we do already in the office, but it gave us time to ponder its effects, question if its working, discusssng among the team what impact it’s had and changes we might make.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that we have gotten clients from it. It’s certainly raised Treeline’s profile among a group of leading innovators and its certainly injected us into a lot of key discussions on technology and innovation.

How do you see the blog developing in the future?
We want to continue to push boundaries as far as topics go. We don’t want it to get stale. There is certainly a drive to creating more content, potentially growing into something that has unique pieces daily at some point. We also want to evolve the content beyond just copy and involve more audio, video, infographics and that sort of thing. Perhaps build a platform out for the community to dialogue more. Also creating real world moments like events and webcasts. So, we hope to see it expand into a lot of new areas over the next year or so.

You cover innovation – what’s the next big world-changing technical innovation we should be aware of?
The more we look at innovation the less we realise we know. We are entering an age, or more precisely ‘we are in an age’, where the world around us will provide a whole other degree of context whether that be vast sensor networks, AR, assistants and bots, and other related technologies. Today we still experience the world through our phones, laptop screens and iPads, which is rather limiting. Society is on the cusp — for better or for worse — with being even more immersed in real-time information. Alexa, smart cities, digital assistance in cars and the workplace, etc. And this level of immersion creates a dialogue on what it all means for us as people to live this way. There is this ever-accelerating pace of change that is underway that eclipses our ability to ponder and reconcile the change before the next change occurs. So, perhaps the next innovation is ‘us’ not just our tools.

Do you accept new contributions or collaborations with brands/PRs?
We have been approached by a number of companies and PR reps as of late. And the quick answer is we absolutely are interested in hearing their ideas and adding it to the mix for consideration. We have already run a couple pieces after getting contacted and we certainly have more in the works. Getting pitched like that challenges our notions and keeps us nimble and again, avoiding staleness and stagnation. So innovators, PR folks and publicists, we welcome your ideas.

One caveat is, we aren’t interested in running a ‘commercial’. We are interested in the core notions of At Startup Speed, which are to create a place to talk about innovation and bring together a community that challenges assumptions, tinkers with new ideas and methods, and tries to change the unchangeable.

What blogs do you read, and do they inform your own content?
All of us on the team have our favorites and draw a great deal of inspiration and ideas from them. Personally I am a huge fan of FastCo’s Co.Design, Hackster.io, Mirador, Vox, Ars Technica, Splinter and BoingBoing — which I have been following forever. Those and Twitter, LinkedIn and some of our shared channels on Treeline’s Slack really create an amazing churn of concepts and inspiration.

Political Headlines – Barnier’s Brexit deal, McDonnell’s workplace and Johnson’s rocks

September 11, 2018/0 Comments/in Political Headlines, Government, Public Affairs Political Services, Political Database Blog Posts /by Thomas Stevenson

Today’s Political Headlines include the possible Brexit deal, McDonnell promising to restore the balance of power in the workplace, Johnson to throw rocks at May’s Brexit plans and arrests fall as police budgets are cut.

Brexit deal possible by November, Barnier says
The Times reports that Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, has claimed that a deal could be agreed in less than two months. Meanwhile, Theresa May has ordered every cabinet minister to tour the country in the run-up to Conservative Party conference, to secure support at home, and Tory aides have been told that Michel Barnier’s stance on the Chequers plan has softened and they should prepare for a Commons vote on it by Christmas.

McDonnell promises to ‘restore the balance of power in the workplace’
The BBC reports that Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell is to use his speech to the TUC today to ‘restore the balance of power in the workplace’ by giving workers in insecure employment the same rights as those who are permanently employed, such as sick pay. He will promise new protections for trade unions and greater employee ownership.

Johnson to ‘throw rocks’ at Theresa May’s Brexit plans
The Guardian claims that Boris Johnson will continue to ‘throw rocks’ at Theresa May’s Chequers proposals in the lead-up to the Conservative Party Conference in an attempt to persuade her to return to her Lancaster House plan. It adds that he has no current plans to launch a leadership challenge owing to the recent revelations about his personal life.

Arrests fall as police budgets are cut
The Daily Telegraph carries the findings of a report by the National Audit Office which finds that police forces are now struggling as their funding and staffing levels fall. Arrests have decreased, patrols have been cut, fewer crimes result in charges, and proactive work has reduced. The NAO adds that because the Home Office takes a ‘light touch’ approach, it does not know if the current system is sustainable.

Boundary changes won’t be voted on until after Brexit
The Financial Times says that despite the Boundary Commission publishing its proposed changes to constituency boundaries yesterday, they are unlikely to be voted on until after Brexit in order to prevent further disputes. The plans are opposed by Labour, with Jon Trickett branding them a ‘Tory stitch-up’, and many Tory MPs, who fear losing their seats.

£1.1trillion economic boost from no-deal Brexit, Rees-Mogg claims
The Daily Telegraph reveals that Jacob Rees-Mogg will claim that a no-deal Brexit would grow the UK economy by £1.1trillion over 15 years at an event organised by the group Economists for Free Trade, at which he will advocate a Canada-style trade deal with the EU. The Sun has details of the European Reform Group’s plans for Northern Ireland which would see the introduction of an ‘Inland Clearance’ scheme, avoiding a hard border through checks at firms’ premises.

Public Health England advisor quits over drinks industry links
The Times reports that Professor Sir Ian Gilmore, Public Health England’s Chief External Alcohol Advisor has left the body in protest at its links with the drinks industry. It has launched a campaign with the charity Drinkaware, which is funded by the sector. The paper adds that PHE’s tobacco advisor, John Britton, is considering following suit.

Network Rail sells £1.5bn of property to private sector
The Financial Times reports that Network Rail has agreed to sell 5000 commercial properties to the private sector for £1.5bn,delivering ‘significant additional funding’ to deliver upgrades. However, Labour’s Shadow Rail Minister Rachael Maskell claimed that the deal would ‘undermine the financial sustainability of the railway and damage small and medium-sized enterprises across the country’.

Can’t keep up with national and international politics? Vuelio Political Services can help.

Relevance International becomes The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ first retained global agency

September 10, 2018/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, PR News Media Database, PR Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

Relevance International has been named The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ first retained global agency of record. This follows an initial engagement covering global strategy, media and influencer relations, and event support for the 2018 awards ceremony earlier this year.

Relevance will provide a global communications programme from its London and New York offices, covering a huge range of brand activity – including promoting The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ #50BestTalks programme taking place in San Francisco on 12 September. It will also support the highly regarded awards ceremony, with the 2019 location due to be announced at a dedicated event in London in October 2018.

Alongside global press office activity, Relevance will also support the development of the brand’s status as a celebration of culinary excellence across a diverse, international audience.

Hélène Pietrini, director of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, said: ‘During Relevance’s time working with us in our initial engagement, the firm achieved greater media exposure than ever received in the brand’s 16-year history.

‘From the beginning, we’ve found the Relevance team to be engaged, passionate, intelligent, dedicated, strategic and, above all, a pleasure to work with. For the next phase of our story, we’re looking to them to bring fresh and innovative ideas that translate into successful campaigns and build strong engagement with a wider audience. We see Relevance International as a natural extension of our team, primed to achieve these goals.’

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants is among the first major transatlantic hospitality projects that Relevance has worked on as an agency. Relevance International planned the media management of its 2018 event programme, overseeing more than 200 media attendees during The World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards week in Bilbao, Spain, with nearly 50,000 pieces of coverage achieved as a result of the overall campaign.

Suzanne Rosnowski, CEO and founder of Relevance International, said: ‘Our work with The World’s 50 Best Restaurants showcases our strength as an agency with a boutique offering and global sensibilities.’

Formerly known as Relevance New York before adding the London office, Relevance International’s team has over a century of PR experience representing the very best in real estate, luxury goods, hospitality, design and corporate clients. With both a dedicated social media strategist and crisis communications expert on staff, the firm offers a seamless boutique level of client service on a global scale.

Is your influencer marketing ethical?

September 10, 2018/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, PR News, Media, PR Club Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

Influencer marketing is bigger than ever, but more attention on the latest marketing craze means more scrutiny. Are you getting influencer marketing right? And why does it matter anyway?

Influencer marketing already attracts huge budgets – with some influencers able to charge thousands of pounds for a single post – but a recent study from the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) revealed that 65% of multinationals are looking to spend even more on influencers over the next 12 months. Although booming, the industry lacks dedicated regulation and instead relies on the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) to create new rules as it evolves.

This has led to unethical practices becoming rife, propagated by both sides of the collaboration. At Vuelio, several influencers have told us how some PRs insist that they do not disclose collaborations or incorrectly label links. Similarly, some influencers allegedly break the rules, whether by buying followers or mislabelling social posts in order to increase engagement.

The two highest-profile issues are undoubtedly the purchasing of fake followers and the lack of disclosure of paid-for collaborations, both presenting myriad issues for the PR industry.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) recently announced an investigation to determine whether celebrities and social-media stars are correctly disclosing their paid-for collaborations with PRs and brands – throwing the future of influencer marketing into question.

Disclosure
While it may seem advantageous for your content to fit seamlessly alongside an influencer’s organic posts, people know when they’re being sold to and can easily spot paid-for endorsements. Ads passed off as organic are therefore more likely to produce a negative backlash.

Even though people don’t like being tricked into consuming advertisements, they generally don’t mind being advertised to if it is clearly labelled, fits with the influencer’s typical editorial line and is of value to the reader. If your influencer marketing doesn’t tick all three of these boxes, then you need to rethink your campaign.

Should the CMA conclude influencer marketing is regularly breaking consumer law, it can take enforcement action and impose strict new rules.

You need to get out ahead of the investigation and ensure your disclosure practices are already ethically sound, so you’re not caught up in future regulation repercussions.

Faking it
If your influencers have bought fake followers, the results they return will either be lower than expected or completely fabricated. It would be the equivalent of a TV broadcaster paying people to tell the BARB that they watched certain programmes.

While headline stats – so many million people saw the post, liked and replied to it – may be worth reporting, if there are no tangible benefits to your social campaign it isn’t worth your time or money.

Scott Guthrie, former Ketchum digital director of influencer relations and now an influencer marketing consultant, has recently researched fraud and spoke to Vuelio about his findings. Not only did he discover that purchasing fake followers could be a crime, he also found that many stakeholders are not prepared to deal with the issue.

Guthrie highlights five signs of potential follower fraud, which you should incorporate into your vetting process:

Sudden spikes in follower numbers
Low-quality followers
Low engagement rates
Followers in surprising countries
Bad ratio of content published to number of followers

At Vuelio, we measure the influence of every individual in our database to produce the Influencer Score. We use more than 40 data points to measure the quality of each influencer, which takes the hard work out of the process and allows our users to focus on building quality relationships with individuals.

And, as with all PR and communications, good relationships produce the best results. Lloyd and Yaya, the bloggers behind the Vuelio Blog Award-winning Hand Luggage Only, agree: “We always see collaborations as a two-way conversation – not just one party telling the other what to do or not do – which helps when working with brands.”

Leading lifestyle blogger Paula Holmes, of The LDN Diaries, added: “I love it when I can put my own spin on the collaboration to make it work better for both parties and create something great for our audiences.”

This article originally appeared in PRWeek.

Political Headlines – Boris, Brexit, Boris and Brexit

September 10, 2018/0 Comments/in Political Headlines, Government, Public Affairs Political Services, Political Database Blog Posts /by Thomas Stevenson

Today’s Political Headlines include Boris Johnson causing a ruckus, a possible Brexit deal, Johnson calling for tax cuts and the leaked Brexit plan.

Johnson allies accuse Number 10 of ‘hit operation’ after row over suicide vest comments
The Times reports that allies of Boris Johnson are accusing Number 10 of trying to discredit him after he was criticised by fellow Conservative MPs for comparing the Prime Minister’s Chequers plan to a suicide vest in a newspaper column. A ‘senior Downing Street source’ has dismissed the allegation, which included the suggestion that a ‘dirty dossier’ of Johnson’s alleged infidelities had been deliberately leaked to the press as part of a ‘sanctioned hit operation’. The Daily Mail adds that at least a dozen Conservative MPs are ready to leave the party in order to prevent him from becoming Prime Minister.

EU set to agree new guidance to ‘do the deal’ on Brexit
According to the Financial Times, the EU is to give Michel Barnier, its chief Brexit negotiator, new guidance following a meeting at Salzburg this month. A ‘senior EU diplomat’ has told that paper that should the plan be approved, Barnier’s new instructions would ‘serve as a sort of mandate to do the deal’, with another diplomat claiming that it would be a ‘save Theresa’ operation. However, diplomats do not expect any core principles to be revised.

Johnson calls for tax cuts
Boris Johnson uses his column in The Daily Telegraph to call for tax cuts, urging Theresa May to promise that ‘tax henceforward will not go up. That’s it. No new taxes and no increase in rates’. He argues for a reduction in order to help the economy and ‘show how a post-Brexit Britain will be a happy and dynamic economy that fosters enterprise’.

Tory Brexiteers’ Brexit plan leaks
The Guardian outlines the details of a leaked version of the European Research Group’s draft Brexit plan. It includes tax cuts, a new force to defend the Falklands and a UK-made missile defence system, as well as an invisible customs frontier on the Irish border and a Canada-style deal with the EU. The group’s leader Jacob Rees-Mogg has insisted that the version obtained by the press is an early draft.

Salisbury suspects will probably never face trial, Javid admits
The Times reports that Home Secretary Sajid Javid has admitted that the two Russians accused of carrying out the Salisbury attack will probably not face justice as ‘Russia will probably never let them leave the Russian Federation’. Separately, The Sun says that Russian hackers attempted to impersonate Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson in an attempt to defraud Conservative Party donors and embarrass the Ministry of Defence.

Government to launch Victims Strategy today
The Daily Mirror is claiming victory in its campaign for legislation to protect crime victims. Theresa May is to announce the Victims Strategy today, giving victims the legal right to be heard, informed and challenge decisions, and establishing an Independent Public Advocate.

TUC to call for four-day working week
The BBC reports that the TUC is claiming that a four-day working week will be possible this century, but only if businesses have to share the benefits of technology with their workforce. Frances O’Grady, the TUC’s general secretary, said that ‘technology could be a force for good, we can also make everyone’s working lives better and richer’.

Businesses will stockpile £40bn of imports to cope with no-deal Brexit
The Financial Times carries details of a study by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, which finds that British companies will stockpile around £40bn of imports in order to cope with a no-deal Brexit, making ‘a post-Brexit mini-recession almost inevitable, according to Douglas McWilliams, CEBR’s founder.

Can’t keep up with national and international politics? Vuelio Political Services can help.

Request a Quote

#PRPays – Why PR is vital to business

Demonstrate the value of your media relations with Vuelio

Political Headlines – May’s pitch, People’s Vote, immigration limits and council house pride

Fashion interview with Raindrops Of Sapphire’s Lorna Burford

The Discerning Man: men’s lifestyle and working with brands

Conference Headlines – Electable Lib Dems feeling sorry for May

How Heathrow used an integrated campaign to win its third runway

Conference Headlines – plastic ban, citizen’s fund, Gina Miller and Charlie Mullins

Political Headlines – Bank of England’s Brexit warning and ‘insulting’ Russian claims

Talking top interiors with The Design Sheppard

PRCA says: prove you’re ethical

Political Headlines – Raab, Welby, May and Brown

Interior Design spotlight: Kimberly Duran, Swoon Worthy

Political Headlines – Gove, Barnier, Brexit and Defra

Interview with Interiors blogger Cate St Hill

International spotlight: At Startup Speed

Political Headlines – Barnier’s Brexit deal, McDonnell’s workplace and Johnson’s rocks

Relevance International becomes The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ first retained global agency

Is your influencer marketing ethical?

Political Headlines – Boris, Brexit, Boris and Brexit

Try it for yourself

Products

Industries

Resources

Request a Quote

Try it for yourself

Subscribe to Vuelio newsletters!

Products

Industries

Resources

Request a Quote