Blogs - Whiteoaks PR

The best stories are the ones that stay with us and evoke our imaginations. From the moment I opened the first page of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone as a child, I immediately formed an image in my head of how the Dursley family looked and went about their daily lives. The written word has a unique ability to allow us to decide how a story visually comes together. While the content I write in my role at Whiteoaks isn’t based on fiction, telling a story or narrative in an article or blog is just as important to allow the message to sink in for the reader.

Thursday 4^th March 2021 marks the annual celebration of World Book Day. At the primary school I went to, this day usually turned into a week of events that celebrated everything about books, culminating in us all dressing up as our favourite fictional character at the end of the week. While World Book Day will take on a slightly different form this year, its continuing popularity highlights the enduring power of storytelling via the words on a page.

It’s almost hard to believe that iconic stories such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were written as long ago as the 1930s and 40s by J.R.R. Tolkien, and continue to sell strongly today, partly thanks to the highly successful film adaptations directed by Peter Jackson. A first edition hardback book of Philosopher’s Stone recently sold for a staggering £60,000 at auction in the UK thanks to the popularity of the Wizarding World franchise. Star Wars, while most famous as a film series devised by George Lucas, also has an expanded universe told via a series of novels.

A look at some of the other most popular film and TV franchises tells its own story in how books have impacted our modern media. The James Bond franchise, The Hunger Games and Game of Thrones all started life as written stories. And it’s not just fiction that can inspire us. Famous figures from the world of music, sport, film, fashion and numerous other industries have put their thoughts and feelings down on paper for readers to delve into.

2020 print book sales in the UK were up 5.2% on 2019 levels, hitting a total of 202 million units. Over the years, physical books have managed to weather the storm of market competition from devices such as Amazon’s Kindle to remain a go-to form of consuming content. But what is it about books that ensures their lasting appeal? With many major novels now adapted into TV or film form, what keeps people coming back to the printed page to consume a story?

From my perspective, its lasting appeal is due to a mix of childhood nostalgia and the chance to experience a different world. The last year has proven to be a difficult one for many, and to engage in a story that’s far removed from the doom and gloom of what can be reported in the news is a great opportunity for us to look after our wellbeing. So next time you’re searching for a great story, look for a book.

“The only constant in life is change” – a quote from the Greek philosopher, Heraclitus that I don’t think anyone could disagree with, especially after the past couple of years which have involved what feels like a decade of changes within a short space of time.

There has been significant forced change for a lot of industries through the pandemic, which has required many to adapt their way of working and in some circumstances pivot their offering to survive. Some manufacturers that typically produced aeroplane parts turned to making ventilators for hospitals to suit where the demand was placed, pubs and restaurants began offering a takeaway service that they didn’t previously, PT’s moved their coaching and workouts online and the list goes on.

But what changes and trends has the PR industry seen?

The rise of empathy and authenticity
Audiences today gravitate more towards brands that offer considerate, valuable and meaningful communications. An example of a brand that has been successful at captivating its audience with an authentic voice is Brewdog. It recently celebrated the launch of its world’s only carbon negative larger by offering everyone in the UK a free 4 pack of the new larger, also promising to plant one extra tree for each pack claimed. Brewdog creatively spread this message through its social feeds with a post that started: ‘2021 sucks so far’ and shared a video providing a clear and authentic explanation behind its goals of this launch, a clever and raw way of promoting its product, communicating its message and getting across its core values as a company.

Finding new ways of communicating
Get creative – while there is so much information readily available to audiences its even more important that organisations allow themselves to stand out from the crowd. During the pandemic, physical events were made impossible which saw organisations get creative with webinars, online events, videos and podcasts. Those that provided interesting and authentic communication found they achieved higher engagement. Audiences became fatigued with online meetings and were therefore more selective with what they chose to interact with.

Influencers are continuing to rise as a popular and effective method of reaching a ready and already engaged audience, many are becoming more conscious of the products and services that they are promoting and have a need to believe in this and that they are putting their name to a good cause.

ROI is more important than ever
When organisations are forced to squeeze budgets due to challenging times it’s often PR and marketing budgets that are the first to take a hit. As we navigate the next couple of years and as the financial impact of the pandemic becomes apparent, there hasn’t been a more important time for PR to prove its worth.

There are a variety of different methods that can be used to demonstrate the tangible value of PR, which my colleague Bekki, summarises nicely in her blog, ‘5 steps to provide better PR ROI’, she discusses focusing on activity, rather than time and the importance of building a PR campaign that is structured but flexible – particularly important in today’s ever-changing world.

To summarise, as we move through this big period of change, something that is for certain is that communicating with authentic and meaningful interactions is key.

You may have heard recently that a man by the name of Jeff Bezos, who runs a modest $386bn e-commerce company called Amazon, has decided to step down from his role of CEO after 27 years, intending to transition into the role of Executive Chairman.

You also have probably seen that another billionaire by the name of Elon Musk whose company Tesla decided to pump $1.5bn into Bitcoin has hit the headlines as well. Now, this won’t seem that uncommon as over the past year Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk have consistently been featured in the headlines. Mainly due to just how fruitful the past year has been for both of their personal fortunes, with Jeff Bezos’ rising over $72bn in 2020 to $170bn and Elon Musk’s surging by a massive $140bn to $167bn. Both of these down to the surging share price of Amazon and Tesla in 2020.

On the surface, it may just seem like these two billionaires have little in common apart from they’ve both at one point been the richest people in the world. But with Jeff Bezos stepping down from Amazon so that he can focus on other projects – there may be a lot more crossover. One of the projects that Bezos has said he wants to spend more time on is his Blue Origin project — his privately funded aerospace and rocket manufacturer. Which is in direct competition with Musk’s SpaceX project. One of the reasons behind Bezos wanting to spend more time and money on the project is that since founding it in 2000, Blue Origin hasn’t really achieved that much. It’s fallen far behind SpaceX and lost out on billions of dollars worth of U.S. national security launch contracts and one common trait in billionaires is that they don’t like to come second.

Despite Blue Origin stating that they’re not in a space race with anyone, it’s hard not to draw comparisons between them and SpaceX because they both seem to be going after the same thing. Amazon has a project called Project Kuiper, which plans on launching 3,200 broadcast satellites operating more than 370 miles in the atmosphere. This venture sounds very similar to Musk’s Starlink which has already begun trialling its satellite broadband internet in remote locations. And to add fuel to the fire Musk has openly accused Bezos on Twitter of attempting to “hamstring Starlink” with the US regulators. Another comparison is their quest to create ‘affordable’ space tourism. What was originally science fiction featured in futuristic movies is now becoming a reality. SpaceX is planning on offering anyone who has a spare $50m to spend a 10-day trip into space, after their successful test of the Falcon 9 rocket booster in 2020. Whereas Blue Origin is planning on a much more affordable but shorter trip into space on their New Shepard rocket, thought to cost around $250,000. Let’s not forget about another billionaire Richard Branson, whose Virgin Galactic has actually successfully flown five people into space already and has sold 600 tickets, including celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio and Justin Bieber.

It doesn’t seem like Jeff Bezos is planning on living the average life after retirement but then again what billionaire does lead a normal life? With Bezos and Musk’s seemingly unlimited funds being ploughed into space exploration, it will be an interesting few years or decade to see which one of them can dominate another market. Maybe, Jeff Bezos will make space tourism as easy as he made online shopping and we’ll all be going on holiday to Mars – although I’d take any kind of holiday at the moment!

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to dominate the headlines and filter down into our social media homepages, Doomscrolling (the simple act of endlessly scrolling through bad news articles, posts, and websites) has become one of the top buzz words of the last 10 months.

For many, the social pressure to keep up to date with the news can be of extreme detriment to our mental health without us even realising – and, with the majority of individuals out of routine due to restrictions, lockdown, and furlough, the temptation to use our phones as a way to access the outside world is all too real.

So, if like me and many others you find your weekly screen time on the up, here are a couple of alternative activities that definitely don’t include double-tapping, swiping or scrolling.

Get outside
The winter months make leaving the comfort of your home that much harder but having some fresh air and a change of scenery can be a welcome distraction. Not only this, but researchers in Holland and Japan have actually found that as little as 20-30 mins exposure to nature a day can significantly reduce cortisol levels.

Check in with yourself
The slower pace doesn’t need to be a bad thing and can actually give us the opportunity to take a step back and reflect. However, if this sounds too daunting, why not start by investing 5 minutes a day for meditation to offer a brief respite from chaotic news feeds.

Embrace being socially remote
Restrictions have opened a window for businesses looking to connect with customers from the comfort of their homes. You can now arrange Zoom cocktail making classes, host dinner parties or partake in pottery making courses!

Move
Working out has many mood-boosting benefits which are crucial in these difficult times so whether it is yoga, a brisk walk or PE with Joe Wicks, make sure you find something you enjoy.

The past year has brought ‘the future’ to the forefront of everyone’s minds. Phrases such as ‘the new normal’ have been well overused and frankly, we can all agree that Zoom quizzes can be left in 2020. Whilst we reminisce about the good ol’ days before ‘hands, space, face’ halted our social lives, technology innovators have been working tirelessly to create and develop impressive new gadgets. The pandemic may have rewired and contradicted our innate social behaviours, but thanks to the ever-growing and improving tech industry, we are still able to remain connected – albeit virtually!

Living in the 21st Century is centred around convenience, speed and effortlessness, even more so with schools remaining shut forcing teachers to hold virtual classrooms and home workers to connect via email or instant messaging. Unless you’ve been living under a rock – or live in the middle of nowhere – you will have heard of the rollout and controversies surrounding 5G. We are constantly connected and interact with some form of technology at least once a day. In fact, the average Brit checks their phone 27 times a day! From online shopping for Mum’s last-minute birthday present to binge-watching your favourite series on a video streaming platform, we are constantly plugged into the ever-expanding technological world.

The inaugural all-digital Consumer Technology Association (CES) event kicked off last Tuesday and we have seen a plethora of tech innovations, including tuneable prescription glasses and a stick on button that can tell you whether you have Covid-19. Below I have rounded up three of the top technology creatives I have seen so far:

Just roll with it

Electronic creator giants such as LG and TCL have showcased the newest in the series of mobile fads: foldable and rollout handsets. This latest trend transpires to flat screens, with roll-up screens having been in the works from LG since CES 2018, which impressed so much it won the ‘must see’ award. Since then, these TV show-stoppers haven’t yet made their way to the UK market, but they’re still pretty cool.

Robots aren’t taking over, yet

Whilst the future of technology – at least for the next 20 years or so – isn’t flying cars or robots to replace shopworkers, it is certainly exciting. Although, perhaps we’re not as far away from having our own personal WALL-E companion as we thought. Samsung showed off their new robo-assistant, Bot Handy, at CES 2021 and it impressively uses AI to complete tasks such as laying the table and pouring you a glass of wine. The handy robot is complete with digital eyes that change expression as it moves, however, it is still in development and likely to have a hefty price tag attached should it come to the market in the coming years. So, you’ll just have to make do with folding your own laundry and emptying the dishwasher the old fashioned way for now.

Cool Cars

Since 2012 when a self-driving Google car was granted its drivers license in Nevada, driverless cars have tried to steer away from criticism and plans for their rollout have been stalled by safety and regulation critics. Despite concerns, the development of automated technology has advanced, in fact, Apple has re-launched Project Titan straight into the driving seat. They plan to have a fully functional, self-driving car complete with their own battery by 2024. But hey Apple, maybe if we could get a battery that doesn’t compromise performance after a year or two? I doubt you’ll be offering an upgrade plan and the car is too big to bring into the store.

So there we are folks, the future of technology is nigh. There are lots of exciting developments on the horizon, but you’ll just have to wait and see what comes next.

Our specialist Content Creators are quiet wordsmiths devoted to perfecting articles, blogs and marketing materials that hit the spot for clients. When Christmas comes they like to relax by reading about serial killers, global wars and the antics of millionaire footballers. Oh, they also like napping and watching old family favourites on the telly. This year is no exception, despite the strange circumstances of the pandemic.

Here is what they are up to:

Ollie:
This Christmas I plan to re-read ‘Kill Your Friends’ by John Niven. It’s similar to American Psycho but set against a ‘Cool Britannia’ backdrop with plenty of 90s pop culture references and a generous side trimming of acerbic wit. Having grown up in the 90s, I really enjoyed reading this the first time around, although my experience of the era didn’t involve nearly half as much depravity. It’s certainly not your ordinary Christmas read, but this isn’t going to be any ordinary Christmas.

I’m not too fussed about watching anything over the holidays – we’ve binged a lot of TV though the different lockdowns and tiers of 2020 and I’ll be grateful for a break from screen time. The other members of my household can fight over the TV remote while the dog and I scuffle over space to nap on the sofa.

Richard:
I’m currently reading The Second World War, an epic history of the last global conflict by one of our best military historians, Antony Beevor. It is very well written throughout and pays equal attention to the stories of civilians in the conflict zones as to those of the combatants, which really helps to bring the whole narrative to life.

In terms of TV, one of the best series I’ve watched this year is ‘Dark’, a German science fiction thriller which follows the lives of different families in one small town in the present day and also at various points in the past as they travel back in time. It has quite a claustrophobic feel to it and is unsettling, tense and gripping all the way through.

Alex:
This year, much of my TV watching has been driven by the launch of Disney+. For me, The Mandalorian successfully balanced new storytelling with lots of references to the original trilogy of films for longtime Star Wars fans. I also enjoyed watching The World According to Jeff Goldblum, where the actor best known for starring in Jurassic Park travels the world to learn the history around topics such as jeans, tattoos and ice cream.

For some light relief from a troubling year, I took the opportunity to delve into a humorous book by reading Peter Crouch – How to be a footballer, where the infamously tall former striker takes a self-deprecating look at his efforts to fit in with the “footballer’s lifestyle”. Well worth a read for anyone with an interest in the sport. For those who have already checked it out, he also has his own podcast!

Nick:
For what threatens to be the least Christmassy-feeling Christmas in living memory I will be making a concerted effort to fill our house with as much of the usual ‘magical atmosphere’ as possible by playing an unrelenting line-up of classic Christmas films and music. It will start with what must rank as one of the most hilarious ‘Christmas flicks’ of all time – Home Alone (perhaps Joe Pesci’s career standout role). Then my long-suffering kids will yet again be subjected to watching some of my favourite childhood films, along with a few favourites of their own (if there’s enough time).

Of course, Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without seeing A Charlie Brown Christmas at least once and listening to its incredibly evocative soundtrack by the Vince Garibaldi Trio (surely the best Christmas album ever) at least 10 times on its own. Once these have all been checked off, we will all get to enjoy Gremlins, Muppets Christmas Carol, National Lampoons Christmas Vacation and A Nightmare Before Christmas. On the listening side, James Brown’s Funky Christmas will get lots of play, along with Snoop Dogg Presents Christmas in tha Dogg House and A Christmas Gift for You from Phil Spector.

Hugh:
It’s beginning to look a lot like… house arrest, so books are a welcome escape. I’ve decided to read previous Christmas gifts I never got round to, which includes “How not to be wrong. The hidden maths of everyday life.” This is a challenging subject matter for a functioning innumerate. So far I’ve enjoyed Zeno’s paradox and learning what “the math” told Americans about where to stick armour-plating on a fighter aircraft. I don’t, however, expect to be conversant with Python, R, random forests or indeed, any data science techniques by twelfth night. Yet although I rely on clients for specialist knowledge and insight, there’s no reason to struggle with Bayesian Inference or hyperbolic geometry (we’ll see if I get that far). I have no idea what I will watch to extract value from the TV licence. Too busy doing sums, I hope.

You only have to review the Google Trends stats to see that ‘Zoom quiz’ was one of the key search terms of the year, peaking in popularity in May, along with our apparent enthusiasm, with searches dwindling thereafter.

But whilst Zoom fatigue is a real thing, research from comms analytics specialist AppAnnie has shown how much video conferencing has become a leading mobile activity in 2020, with Zoom and Google Meet taking the fourth and seventh spots respectively in the list of top downloads this year. This is unsurprising given the massive shift to remote working. However, with promises of a widespread vaccination programme coming soon, how much of this technology can we expect to still be using next year?

Looking beyond the sleek aesthetics and myriad background choices offered by Zoom, Microsoft Teams, the all-encompassing messaging, conferencing and file-sharing software, has become a mainstay of many workplaces. Indeed, at Whiteoaks it was introduced in line with the first government mandate to work from home and has since been an invaluable tool in keeping connected with teammates, particularly for those quick questions and exchanges which would have previously been discussed across desks.

But will it, and its archrival Zoom, still have a place once we return to the office? For those adopting a hybrid approach to office/ remote working, video calls could remain a key part of the toolkit… or we could see a mass return to ye olde conference call.

Conference calling had previously done the job just fine when it came to groups of people in one location calling an external party, and without the dreaded “You’re on mute” or “Oh, I think your connection isn’t the best, could you repeat?”. A poor connection and the resulting rubbish video quality has proven to be this year’s biggest conversation killer, and so whilst the medium of the humble call has very much been dropped this year in favour of its shiny, more visual cousin, video conferencing, could a 2021 comeback be on the cards?

Before we get ahead of ourselves, it’s worth considering the value that video calls bring to the distributed workforce. Studies show that 93% of communication comes from nonverbal cues, with only 7% of what we mean actually expressed through words. We all know how easily even the most carefully worded email can be misconstrued, but video removes the grey area and potential for confusion.

Beyond this, in a year which has proven at times to feel isolating, video enables the closest thing to an in-person connection. At Whiteoaks, video calls have enabled us to celebrate the wins, share updates and take part in virtual events in a manner which is far more personal than an email or call. We’ve been able to ‘see’ and communicate with colleagues outside of our usual teams – and get a good nosey around everyone’s homes too! This has extended to our client relationships, allowing us to maintain those all important strong relations during a time when in-person strategy planning sessions and reviews are out of the question.

In short, video conferencing’s meteoric rise this year, whilst not without teething issues, is unlikely to be a flash in the pan. Don’t agree with me? I’d be happy to set up a Zoom to discuss…

It’s fair to say as years go this one been a bit of a shocker, but other than that eleven-letter word that will not make this blog, what’s happened in 2020?

This blog brings together the good bits, the bad and some quirky stories that made 2020 just about bearable.

THE BAD

Chemical explosions made the headlines in August, when more than 200 people sadly lost their lives with a further 5,000 suffering injuries following a large fire in the Port of Beirut.

Of all the sad events of 2020, one of the most devastating for animals was undoubtfully the wildfires in Australia that carried on into the start of the year. Recent research has estimated that the devasting impact would have been felt by up to 143 million mammals across an area similar to the size of England.

THE GOOD

Right, now moving on to some of the good stuff., Although it might not seem like it, there have been some small reasons for celebration and recognition throughout the year.

On top of that list, must be Captain Tom Moore, whose valiant effort to complete 100 laps of his garden brought the nation together to raise more than £32 million for the NHS, a truly emphatic effort in the lead up to celebrating his 100^th birthday.

Next up, England International and Manchester United star Marcus Rashford gets a well-deserved mention for strong-arming the Prime Minister into a U-turn on the school meals policy. A superb initiative from the 23-year-old to put a focus on such an important issue at a time when many high-profile footballers can appear detached from the real world.

And from footballers to office workers; the forced dawn of home working this year is hopefully one change that will impact many people for the better. While Zoom life does become tiring (please don’t mention another Zoom quiz) the idea that many businesses will now embrace a mixed office and home working approach is only a good thing in my eyes and probably in the eyes of many pets too!

THE WEIRD AND WONDERFUL

Very occasionally does something appear from nothing. This has been the case across America, Romania and the UK recently with mysterious monoliths popping up in remote locations, bearing a striking resemblance to similar structures in the film Space Odyssey. While the first that was discovered in Utah in November sparked mystery, the replica that has appeared on the Isle of Wight and then quickly claimed by a local artist rather dampens any out-of-this-world theories.

In Namibia, Adolf Hitler announced this week that he thankfully also has no plans for world domination after winning a recent local election. The unfortunately named Uunona Adolf Hitler did, however, manage to scoop 85% of the votes in the region.

Rescues are always a story to warm the heart and no more so when it involves two 4-metre-long Beluga Whales called ‘Little White’ and ‘Little Grey’ moving from a small captive pool in Beijing to a wild sanctuary over 7,000km away in Iceland. An epic feat that was carried out by The Sealife Trust this year.

Underlying the strangeness of 2020 is this final story, where a female racing pigeon sold for a whopping £1.4million in November, believed to be purchased by the same Chinese bidder who currently owns a male pigeon that has been dubbed ‘the Lewis Hamilton of the sport’ called Armando.

So what a year it’s been, a few highlights and quirky stories to pick out from a mountain of restrictions, tiers and face coverings, and just when you think this whole blog hasn’t mentioned the word C-word, look closely and you might just find it.

This year has been filled with a lot of change for everyone, from working from home becoming the new normal, to staycations becoming the new holiday. This year really has been filled with the unexpected.

Social channels have been no different — from the way people have used them, to new updates that have taken audiences by storm. Looking at LinkedIn, for example; it is less business as usual, and more personal with people sharing their experiences from work and their lives. The prim and proper façade that was once everywhere on LinkedIn, has become more chilled as people give a glimpse of life at home and are talking about the struggles everyone is currently facing with job losses and furlough.

LinkedIn isn’t alone – so how have the other channels changed to reflect these user changes?

Instagram introduced reels, which has kept many entertained and become a new way to help share creative content. They also added the new shopping tab at the bottom of their app, making it easier to buy and see products. With shops shut in lockdown, it seems people have been turning to social media to help fill the void. It has been good to see social media looking to help in times of crisis with the donation tabs for charities, showing how the platforms are growing.

But does this show that social is becoming the new Highstreet for 2021 as the pandemic changes our shopping habits?

Instagram has also launched the ability to upload guides, showing that they want to be more than just pictures, but a place to share knowledge, especially as the audience has shown a shift towards wanting more substance.

There was also the closer connection made between Instagram and Facebook as they merged the chats, showing how they could see these platforms being used as a way for people to remain connected and made this seamless for everyone to remain connected no matter the platform.

Facebook also saw a gap in the market as physical events become impossible, so they set up the new paid online events for creators and businesses, helping to share knowledge on the platform. Facebook’s new educational hub was another update they added which shows that these channels are becoming more of a place to share knowledge and news that is meaningful to people, rather than filling feeds with pictures from holidays, kids and pets.

LinkedIn has also seen a large number of updates with the introduction of stories, live, reactions, polls, events and the ability to see new followers, this shows where the social channel is growing to allow people to be more interactive with each other, while remaining a professional platform. It is becoming a place for people to share their feelings, insights, opinions and life. These new updates reflect exactly what people have done on the platform in lockdown, as they have become more reactive to one another and have shared more personally on the platform than before and these updates have only made it easier for people to do that. LinkedIn has become more than a place to just share your career updates and company progress, it has become a knowledge-sharing platform professionally and personally as the pandemic has merged the two.

Another platform that has also introduced similar updates is Twitter. The company implemented stories and placed a strong focus on the legitimacy of posts on the platform. They have been seen to put new features in places linking to neutral content to help provide insight and background on some posts and prove the legitimacy of content that is being shared and help users have a greater understanding of what they are reading or sharing. This has been driven by the Black Lives Matter movement and also the US presidential election to help prove the legitimacy of claims on the platform but also make sure that what is shared isn’t offensive to audiences.

All these platform updates show a strong shift to content that is trustworthy. Since March this year, they have evolved into a community to share advice and coping mechanisms for the world we now live in. They have also moved with the times and become more personable, helping people to more easily share updates through stories, voice recording and videos, the channels show growth with the new consumer growth.

Listed below are the key updates on platforms for 2020 to truly reflect the growth these channels have seen since the beginning of the year which is incredible and something we now as audiences see as normal and given when using them:

LinkedIn updates

Reactions

Seeing who new followers are

Inviting people to join the page

LinkedIn Live

LinkedIn Pages Posts

LinkedIn Polls

LinkedIn Stories

LinkedIn Events

Twitter updates

Transparency centre

Stories

Audio tweets

Tougher on regulating posts

New ad type – Promoted Trend Spotlight

Conversation settings

Reply limitation

Read it before you tweet

Mention permissions from users

Facebook updates

Ad limits per page

Business suite