Category: Blogs

By Hannah Buckley, Head of Content

The importance of taking care of our mental health and wellbeing has been a regular topic of conversation over the last year and this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week helps to bring that to the fore once more.

The theme of this year’s event, which began on Monday, is nature, highlighting just how big an impact the world around us can have on our mental health. In fact, according to The Mental Health Foundation, more than half of UK adults say that being close to nature has improved their mental health, while four in ten say it has made them feel less worried or anxious.

Over 3.5 million people have taken up gardening for the first time during the pandemic, and for many of us, activities like this or getting out to our local park for some exercise has been a real lifeline over the last year.

Now, as restrictions begin to lift, making time to connect with nature in some capacity should be something we still try to make time for to reap both the physical and mental benefits it can offer.

If like me, you can’t leave home without your mobile phone, then why not put it to good use? No matter how much time you have available to you, whether it’s a quick walk on your lunch break or a cup of tea in the garden of a morning, there are a wealth of apps on offer to help you get in touch with nature and protect and support your mental health.

 

Test your tree knowledge

Apps like TreeID by the Woodland Trust, which can identify trees using bark, twigs, buds, leaves, flowers and fruits, and iNaturalist, which uses artificial intelligence to ID plants and wildlife, can help you reconnect with nature and learn more about your surroundings. Paying attention to the local scenery and wildlife on your next trip to the park could make you feel calmer and more present in the moment.

Don’t forget to look up!

No telescope? No worries. A range of apps are now available to help you make more sense of the night sky and identify stars and constellations in your corner of the world. The use of augmented reality within many apps means that even if you live somewhere with a lot of light population, the app can still locate where you are and pull up what the star map should look like above you.

Try mindful walking

Like me, you might have found yourself continuously running and walking the same routes for the last year and may now function on autopilot. Mindful walking gets you to tune into your environment and the sensations of your body. By being more aware on your walk, you’ll open yourself up to the sights and sounds of nature, which may help you feel more present and less stressed. If you’re new to mindful walking, apps like Calm or podcasts can help to guide you in this practice.

Bring the outside in

Even if you can’t get outside, there are still plenty of ways to connect with nature. Bring the outside in and add plants to your workspace. If you’re not particularly green-fingered, then download an app to track when you should water them and how to make sure they thrive. Alternatively, take five and look outside your window. If you’re lucky enough to hear birdsong, you could use an app to help you identify the species of bird it’s coming from and even learn bird calls yourself.

With mental health charities advocating for spending time in nature or bringing it into your everyday life, giving one of these apps a go will not only help you reconnect with nature and change up your usual walk, but could also help support your mental wellbeing.

How it started vs how it’s going
In 1970, activist John McConnell, proposed that there was to be a day to honour the Earth. Wisconsin Senator, Gaylord Nelson quickly took it upon himself to endorse this and the first Earth Day was held on April 22, 1970. 20 million Americans joined in a grassroots demonstration around issues such as toxic drinking water, air pollution, and the effects of pesticides.

Now, more than 1 billion people in 192 countries participate in Earth Day activities each year in support of the environment, highlighting the urgent action we need to take to save our planet, making it the largest civic observance in the world.

Earth Day 2021- The time is now
The theme of this year’s Earth Day is “Restore Our Earth” which is a fitting and much-needed sentiment as we look back over the last year of our world which has been devastated by the pandemic and numerous catastrophes ranging from hurricanes to bushfires. Its focus couldn’t be more timely. It has been a dark year but with vaccines being developed faster than ever imagined, and vaccination programs being successfully rolled out, cautiously speaking, this Earth Day, the future looks brighter.

However, there is an incredible amount to do and, considering that we need to significantly cut emissions by an estimated 45 per cent by 2030 to keep global warming to 1.5°C, the extent of the challenge we’re facing is clear. As Kathleen Rogers, president of EarthDay.org, poignantly explains “This Earth Day, we have an important opportunity to challenge our leaders to commit to climate action on a global scale. We are at the edge of a cliff — if we don’t act now to reduce carbon emissions, there will be no way back.”

How you can take part this Earth Day
There is an abundance of events, both online and in-person (in line with Covid restrictions), taking place this year. You can use this handy map to find out what’s happening in your area along with this toolkit to help you decide which path to take: perhaps you would like to partake in a teach-in on how to promote a cleaner future, or maybe you would like to organise a clean-up and tackle global waste. You can also tune in to Earth Day Live and listen to the event live-streamed that includes workshops, panel discussions and various guest appearances. You could also sign up to become a member and officially support Earth Day.

What else can you do?
While having an entire day dedicated to saving the planet is fantastic and does wonders in our quest, we can (and must) change aspects in our daily lives. A study revealed that most people want to make sustainable changes but aren’t sure where to start. The easy answer? Just start small. As we all know, every little helps: So, cycle to work, buy reusable bags for shopping, use a refillable water bottle, turn off the tap when brushing your teeth, pick up rubbish when out for a walk, buy local produce, switch to renewable energy and eat less meat (No meat Mondays).

Earth Day comes once a year, but these lifestyle changes are beneficial (and necessary) for the other 364 days, and the years to follow. In the words of Jane Goodall, “You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference and you have to decide what kind of a difference you want to make.”

We only have one (Mother) Earth. Let’s treat her right. The time is now.

What can we say about the last year? Changing our whole way of working and having to adapt to a different environment, one that many of us weren’t used to. I can safely say that it has been a challenging year and one in which I’ve learnt a lot along the way.

Especially in how we’ve had to change the way we work and communicate with each other. Even though we’re all still working in a team it can feel very isolated sometimes when your only communication is through virtual platforms. That is why staff wellbeing has become an even bigger focus for us – as I am sure it has for other businesses, too. We have the challenge of trying to replace the value of face-to-face interactions when everyone at Whiteoaks is scattered over a large area and can only meet virtually – up until recently!

In addition to constant communication, virtual socials and encouraging a work/life balance, one of the ways in which we’ve tried to do this is by engaging staff in different activities – like encouraging everyone to complete nine million steps (between us all!) in the month of February with the aim of raising £1,000 for our charity partner Ark Cancer Centre Charity.

This initiative was aimed at firstly, raising money for a good cause but also getting us all to work towards a common goal, with some added friendly competition. All of our steps were logged and counted on Stridekick where we had a leader board to see who was completing the most steps and encouraging others to get involved. I certainly felt the urge to get out some more, either taking the dog for an extra walk or even walking to the kitchen to make a cup of tea, they all counted! By the end of the month, we managed to complete the target of nine million steps and as a result, were able to donate the £1,000 to Ark and help towards their fundraising goals.

We partnered with Ark back in 2018 and their goal is to raise £5million to help fund supportive care and services, complementary therapies, and an enhanced environment in an NHS cancer treatment centre that will serve residents in the Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (HHFT) area. The work on the radiotherapy centre is now nearing completion and they hope to be open and supporting cancer patients in the coming months.

The step challenge was just one of the initiatives that we’ve introduced in the past year to try to encourage and motivate our staff during the lockdown period. I can’t say that all of them have been as successful as the step challenge but that has been part of the journey and one that we learned from.

The main point I have taken from the lockdown and working from home is the importance of staff wellbeing and how it needs to be a much bigger focus going forward – not just as HR manager but as a staff member, too. Staff wellbeing shouldn’t be put on the back burner when it all goes back to “normal”. Instead, we should constantly evolve and improve our approach because wellbeing isn’t just a pandemic issue.

In the U.K. alone, internet sales jumped from under 20% to more than 32% in just three months at the start of the first Covid-induced lockdown. But as we enter a new phase of post-lockdown life, following the reopening of non-essential retail outlets, gyms and hairdressers, what can brick and mortar stores do in order to offer an experience to entice shoppers back through their doors?

According to accountancy firm PwC, almost 50 stores closed every day in 2020, and while covid-19 accelerated this, the decline of the high street has been a very real problem for retailers since the growth of the internet, with many left behind during the transition to online markets. Online fashion retailers such as ASOS have come to dominate the market in recent years. The firm enjoyed double-digit sales growths for the third year running in 2018, taking in a mighty £2.42bn.

Personally, there’s still something to say about the physical shopping experience. Getting to see the product, feel the fabric, trying it on for size and then not having to deal with postal returns. Yet, while the trend of online shopping won’t show signs of slowing any time soon, so retailers need to offer value where their online counterparts can’t and put steps back in place to revitalise the high street.

Creating experiences:

Last year when we saw things re-open in the summer of 2020, popular shopping centre, Westfield launched some new concepts including the first ever Harrods Outlet, and an outdoor Bar W12 & Film Club on Westfield Square. Also located in the Stratford Westfield, Zara’s flagship store now features interactive mirrors equipped with radio-frequency identification technology which is able to detect what item of clothing a customer is holding, offer more information on the item and choices of what a complete outfit could look like. You can there and then see the full outfit, try it on and buy it. Something the online world is simply unable to offer – I know that the excitement of buying something dies down when you have to wait a few days to actually get them.

And while some retailers have inevitably had to close stores, they are using this as an opportunity to capitalise on existing investments, as showcased by John Lewis opening its ‘shops-in-shops’ inside Waitrose stores to plot John Lewis mini-shops inside the grocery store to enable cross-selling and offer a wider range of general merchandise.

Pop-ups

One way for retailers to stand out is by focusing more on pop-up stores. These ‘limited time only’ stores not only save costs for retailers, it also allows them to offer something ‘fresh’ for customers while boosting exclusivity. Knowing the store will not be there long-term could be enticing enough to create excitement for shoppers to visit before it expires. Retailers with an omni-channel experience could be clever here and only launch certain new products within a pop-up to get consumers back to visiting the brand in person, creating another touchpoint and creating a buzz online.

How tech can play a part:

Some of the world’s biggest tech giants are also looking to make the in-store experience more enjoyable. While strictly not a high street retailer, this year Google is on track to bring over 100 AI-powered improvements to its Maps app. One of the latest features of its Live View function will mean even the trickiest-to-navigate places indoors, like shopping centres, can be seen in the palm of your hand with arrows and accompanying directions pointing you the right way. So, if you need to pick something up from your local retail outlet or shopping centre, customers can use Live View to see what floor a store is on and how to get there so you can get in and out in a snap if time is of the essence!

Ultimately, having been house-bound for much of the last 12-months, consumers will likely want to get back outside and through the doors of shops once more – retailers just need to make it worth our while.

Last week saw the return of one of the most celebrated days of the year for brands – April Fool’s Day.  A well-trodden day in the calendar, many companies use the day to launch PR stunts, share social media jokes and have a joke with customers and the media.

Tactics typically range from fake product launches to company rebrands or rumoured diversification of portfolios. And while many brands skipped the day last year due to Covid-19, this year many chose to raise their head once again above the parapet and add some humour to their communications strategies with the return of April Fools pranks.

But with internet Giant (and arguably online leader) Google taking the decision to cancel April Fools for the second year in the row, is there still a place for jokes like April Fools? Or do brands need to be more careful in how and what they communicate?

When April Fools goes wrong

Traditionally, April Fools gags could do wonders for businesses – from driving publicity to increasing advocacy and driving sales. However, on the other hand, should a prank go wrong, brands can appear insensitive, generate negative publicity, and perhaps more worryingly, find themselves the latest victim of the growing “cancel culture.”

The latest victim to a poorly April Fool’s joke is Volkswagen, with the company forced to apologise after its PR stunt backfired spectacularly, leading to mass confusion and upset. The company leaked a “fake” rebranding with global news sites, including the BBC and Sky News reporting that the company’s US operation planned to change its name to ‘Voltswagen of America’ from May. But the company admitted late on Tuesday that the name change was an April Fool’s joke and PR stunt to draw attention to the launch of its new SUV.

And Volkswagen was not alone – retail giant Home Bargains also came under fire from shoppers after an April Fool’s joke suggesting it was returning to old branding of “Home and Bargain” disappointed many customers. So, at a time when fake news poses a real risk for brands and tensions are still high from the global pandemic, is there a place for April Fools PR stunts?

Getting it right

The problem with the Volkswagen stunt was the timing and execution. Not only was the stunt launch just days after concluding a five-year-long investigation into its emissions scandal, but the story was issued two days before April 1 and then the company refused to deny it so many ran it as ‘fact.’

By mixing fact and fiction, the company caused confusion among customers and stakeholders and was embarrassingly forced to issue a follow-up announcement explaining the news was indeed a hoax. You could argue that sure, it may have achieved a volume of global national coverage not typically seen for an April Fools stunt. But at what cost? Should the attraction of widespread publicity outweigh the risk of damage to trust and credibility for the brand long-term?

Aside from Volkswagen, there are examples where brands got it right this year. For example, Pizza Hut announced a new fleet of scooters equipped with mini ice cream factories. Frankie & Benny’s announced a limited edition “Meatball Bath Bomb,” and McDonald’s announced a three fries portion to stop fry thievery.

Other companies also announced new innovations designed to tackle common problems. For example, Argos announced the launch of the “Treadmow” which combines gardening and fitness while Lego announced the launch of “SmartBricks” designed end to one of the most painful experiences– stepping on a lego brick. All light-hearted revelations that align to the organisation’s brand voice and tone.

What does the future hold for brands?

April Fool’s Day has long an established day in the calendar for comms professionals, providing an opportunity to demonstrate brand personality and have some light-hearted fun with audiences and the media. However, in an era where social media has led to the rise of fake news and disinformation and controlling your brand narrative is increasingly difficult, companies need to consider the appropriateness of any fake stories.

Any joke at the expense of the brand needs to be done right and done well. An ill-thought-out idea risks destroying trust brands have worked hard to build the remaining days of the year, so brands must think wisely before publishing anything that has the potential to damage reputation. This means before embarking on any stunt, considering who the audience is, what the brand wants to achieve, whether the approach aligns with the company’s wider values and brand voice and how the stunt could be received as part of a wider economic or cultural conversations – intended or unintended. Otherwise, they could find themselves opening the door for mockery from competitors and critics who could be poised to take advantage.

As a designer, a lot of work, research and planning goes into a website re-design; everything from sitemaps, ‘what shall we call this page?’ ‘what animation happens here?’ …usability, functionality and of course, adding those special design elements in to make sure our clients are looking their best against the competition.

With that said, let’s talk through three of the latest web design trends of the moment.

Dark design. It’s dramatic, modern, eye-catching and one of the biggest trends for 2021. Even the most popular social platforms have jumped on-board (I’m looking at you Facebook and Instagram!) Dark mode is also an option on iOS, (don’t ask me about Android, I’m a typical designer and only ‘do’ Apple!) making it easier on your eyes and switching up the look and feel of the normal user interface. Paired with striking colours, dark design can be a really nice way of updating the look of your site.

Micro-interactions. These are the little things, the finer details that users will notice when they interact with your site. They have been known to improve the user experience, making it memorable and enjoyable, almost as if the site is reacting to the user’s touch on all levels.

Modular Design. When you design a series of layouts and elements that can all fit together in a variety of ways. It’s a nice way of constructing a website, ensuring consistency within modules and looks good too. This is also a great way of designing a site that the client wants more control over, as they can be easily put together using Content Management Systems (CMS)

There are of course many more trends that are up and coming in an ever-changing industry. Depending on your brand and the way you want to interact with your potential customers, there are lots of ways to make sure you’re hitting all the rights notes that users want and need from your website.

Since Netflix announced it was cracking down on password sharing between those who don’t live in the same household this week, many people (bill payers not included) are feeling saddened at the prospect of no longer being able to latch on to their best friend’s cousin’s account. But it might not actually be that bad…

Streaming has no doubt been booming during the pandemic. As the world entered lockdown and the bingeing began, Netflix saw six months of record-breaking growth in the first half of 2020. During which it added 26 million new subscribers, bringing the total paid subscriber count over 200 million by the end of the year. In the UK alone, the number of subscribers to Netflix, Amazon and Disney+ hit 32 million.

With streaming services’ profits soaring and viewing numbers higher than ever (shout out to Bridgerton), why the crackdown?

While ideal for the passenger, the ability to share streaming accounts can have security implications for the account holder. To give them more authorisation over who is using their account, Netflix is trialling a form of two-factor authentication that will prompt users to enter a texted or emailed code sent to the account holder. Given the considerable rise in cybercrime over this year, and the fact that 73% of people reportedly duplicate their personal and work passwords, I think we could all do with a bit of extra protection!

The news of the crackdown also follows a recent study by Opsec which revealed that video piracy was becoming more common in lockdown, suggesting that the extra security measures could be a way of tackling the rise in the amount of illegal content being consumed. The survey also found a quarter of consumers watch pirated content daily; 22% watch it several times a week, and 19% on a weekly basis.

Lastly, let’s not forget about the perks of personalisation that would benefit from the decision to restrict password sharing. The fewer randomers using one account from various locations to watch everything from Emily in Paris to The Ted Bundy Tapes, the more AI magic streaming services can work to deliver specially selected content.

Although, the final decision is still yet to made on whether Netflix will roll out the new trial across its network, the events over the last year could see streaming services take tighter control over password sharing. And it could actually be more beneficial for streamers in the long run.

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 4th 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!