Category: Blogs

The turbulent economy has made recent months uncertain for almost all businesses, and the PR industry is no exception to that. It’s an unfortunate truth that when budget cuts are being made, marketing is often one of the first to be trimmed and as a result, so too is PR. And yet research has shown that companies that have bounced back the fastest from previous recessions usually did not cut their marketing spend, in some cases, they actually increased it. There’s a school of thought that products launched during a recession will have improved long-term survival chances and also higher sales revenues. Of course, having fewer new products to compete with certainly plays a part in this!

There have been some fantastic examples of businesses whose comms have excelled during the coronavirus period, here are a selection of my personal favourites.

Aldi x Brewdog 

https://twitter.com/AldiUK/status/1296488501341499395

You’d have struggled to miss the ‘beef’ between Aldi and Brewdog in August when the supermarket was called out by the brewery for creating a knock-off of its popular Punk IPA. What followed was a master class in using social media to turn an awkward situation into a money maker. The two companies shared a series of exchanges on Twitter which ended in Brewdog producing ALD IPA, now sold in Aldi. Hats off to Brewdog and its co-founder James Watt!

#LetItOutIceland

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iWeMPEEuk0&feature=emb_title

It’s a cliché in film and television, a stressed or frustrated individual locks themselves in an empty room and screams so nobody can hear. Inspired by Iceland, the tourism body, launched the #LetItOutIceland campaign in July. The campaign asked everyone to record their guttural screams of frustration with the state of the world to then be released into Iceland’s infamous stunning and vast open spaces.

Speaking about the video, Head of Promote Iceland Sigríður Dögg Guðmundsdóttir said, “We feel this is just what the world needs. And when people are ready to resume travelling, they can come and experience it for themselves.”

An impactful tourism campaign during a global travel lockdown may seem an impossible task, hats off to Inspired by Iceland!

The ironic (and iconic) – Emily Crisps

(Source: https://www.marketingweek.com/emily-crisps-outdoor-advertising-lockdown/)

The healthy snack company purchased a series of outdoor media advert boards late in 2019, selecting April and its Easter bank holiday weekend was the perfect time of year to kick off its first outdoor marketing campaign. They couldn’t have foreseen what came next, but they took an unfortunate situation and did what us Brits do best – they made fun of themselves. It took some convincing to persuade Clear Channel to run the adverts as they felt the posters highlighted that outside media is ineffective given the climate. But Emily persevered and persuaded them otherwise. The four adverts called out the misfortune of running outdoor adverts to an audience of empty streets and they were a huge success, providing a snippet of humour during a difficult time.

As these brands have displayed, creativity in a crisis certainly pays off!

Name, title and how long you’ve been at Whiteoaks

Emily Fishburn (also known as ‘Fishbowl’, a spin on my surname for my love of cocktails), I am Senior Account Executive in Team Taurus and in November I’ll be coming up to four years at Whiteoaks and progressing into a Junior Account Manager role at the end of the year.

In your current role, what does a typical day look like?

Typically, it starts with checking emails and news sites, briefing the content team on their writing for the day, followed by keeping in touch with my team via Microsoft Teams, Zoom and email and catching up with clients on calls.

How did you get into PR?

Once I graduated, I did some work experience at a local marketing agency, where I had the chance to work within each department and found the wide variety of tasks and buzz of the PR department the most exciting. From there my decision was set that I’d aim to work in PR and fortunately found my opportunity to kickstart my career at Whiteoaks as Junior Account Executive for Team Taurus in November 2016.

What did you study and how has it helped you grow your career?

I studied a BA (Hons) degree in business with marketing at the University of Surrey. This degree in particular taught me the importance of keeping up with the news agenda to be aware of the ever-changing world that businesses need to adapt to, which is something that has carried with me into my career. More generally, time management, organisation and writing are also key skills which are instilled in you at uni and helped me to get off to a good start in PR. Whiteoaks is also great in training its employees, I feel the company has always been very invested in me as a person and has always been encouraging and supportive of helping me grow in confidence with these skills to be able to develop in my career.

Why PR?

There’s a lot of great aspects about PR, but for me, I really enjoy the social aspect of networking with journalists and clients and discussing new and interesting ideas. I also enjoy the teamwork aspect of all working towards an end goal, for example seeing a research project through from an initial brainstorm across the content, media and accounts teams, to achieving great coverage of the new and interesting research for the client.

What is the best part of your day?

The best part of the day for me is catching up with clients and my team discussing some of the results we’ve achieved and creating a plan and suggestions for what we’re going to work on next to keep the momentum going.

What advice would you give to people who want to get into PR as a career?

Try to secure some work experience or an internship with a PR agency – you can only get a real understanding and feel for the industry and whether it’s for you through first-hand experience.

What do you like most about your current role?

Using the experience I’ve gained at Whiteoaks  working in varying roles, which has included reporting as a JAE through to pitching to the media in an AE role to advise and support both clients and team members while learning new things from my team members.

What has been your funniest / quirkiest moment in PR?

It’s quite hard to choose! There was one time last summer I turned up to the office early to get a run in before work, then went to change and realised I hadn’t brought the heels I’d planned to wear so spent the whole day in a floral dress with bright blue and neon yellow running trainers – it was a look!

If you didn’t work in PR, what would your ideal job be?

I love a music festival so think it would be quite cool to be a musician travelling to festivals around the world.

October 10th is World Mental Health day and this year could be the most important celebration of mental health awareness to date.

World Mental Health Day was first observed by the World Federation for Mental Health in 1992 and I am sure you will agree – a lot has changed in our approach to mental health in both our personal and work lives during that time.

This year’s theme is ‘mental health for all’. With this in mind and the darker days on the horizon, we have brought it back to basics to look at some practices to help yourself and others this winter. It is a great time to start putting these small, essential acts and habits together to create a mental self-care package for when you need it most. The secret to getting ahead is getting started!

No online subscriptions, fancy gimmicks or wasted outgoings, just 5 things you could try today.

#1 Get yourself a ‘Norwegian state of mind’
During the coldest, darkest periods of the long ‘polar night’ in the Arctic Circle, some parts of Norway only receive 2-3 hours of indirect sunlight. A recent study, by Kari Leibowitz, revealed that people living in the Arctic Circle saw no increase in their mental distress and wellbeing barely changed during this time. What’s the secret?
Leobowitz’s studies suggest that one of the most vital components for the citizens is their mindset. The studies showed a shift to a more positive mental attitude and outlook on life changed how they saw this dark time of year. They found that with an improved attitude and a positive outlook onto winter, the better they fared in their overall mental health.

#2 Move to feel good
We all have a pretty good understanding that your mental health and physical health go hand in hand. If you find yourself watching Youtube and Facebook Lives on the couch more than participating – now could be a great time to find an exercise that you enjoy. Is there a dance class you’ve always wanted to attend, or how about an outdoor bootcamp, what about rollerblading or hula-hooping?

#3 Sleep
Reviewing your sleep habits is a great starting step to working towards improving your mental health. In a recent study by Cambridge Sleep Sciences, 1 out of 4 adults revealed that a lack of sleep contributed towards their mental health issues – with it rising by 28% for 18-34 year olds.

#4 #BeKind
Be kind to yourself and others. If we are heading towards a second lockdown, remember that this time, you have the advantage of knowing what did and did not work for you before. Be kind to yourself in your expectations, keep grounded and focus your efforts on small actions that you remember made you feel good. Take some time to indulge in some self-care. You can use this article here for some fantastic apps and online courses to help.

#5 The power of positive self-talk
When it comes to talking to your inner self, we can often find ourselves talking in a negative and hurtful tone without realising it (and this won’t contribute towards our positive mental attitude!).

Positive self-talk, affirmations and journaling are just some of the things you can do to help build resilience to your mental health. I like to end my day by asking myself simply 3 things that I am grateful for, or things that I am proud of achieving that day, even if it’s just taking the dog for a walk!

Have you got any other tips or ideas to share? Let us know!

#WorldMentalHealthDay #BeKind

World Mental Health Day

This week marks National Inclusion Week created to “celebrate inclusion in all its forms”. And it’s a great idea to highlight the subject and to explore it on a national level. When I sat down to write this blog I wondered what the best way was to approach it. Then I realised that for us as a tech pr agency, it’s about more than this week. Or the next. Inclusion must be ingrained in our culture.

Let me explain. Like other organisations committed to diversity and inclusion, we have firm policies in place. Which is as it should be. For us, inclusion is about creating working environments that encourage, value and thrive on difference and where everyone’s contribution is encouraged and recognised.

But practically speaking what does this actually mean? It can’t simply be a check box we have in the back of our mind; it must be inherent in the way we operate and conduct our digital pr services.

That’s a bold statement to make. But if you consider that our corporate values include integrity and teamwork, and our behaviours include straightforward, committed and supportive, you’ll see that you can’t live and breathe those elements without inclusion.

And that’s what the team here at Whiteoaks does. From our interactions with each other, clients and suppliers, to the way we deliver projects and approach new business.

For me, inclusion is making sure everyone feels welcome, everyone feels like they contribute, everyone is part of the team. Whether that’s accommodating our working parents who fit their schedules around childcare, or supporting a college graduate who’s never worked in an office, or helping someone born outside the UK come to grips with our unique sense of dry humour. Importantly, it’s also about giving all our staff a voice and a forum to be heard, regardless of the role within our B2B PR business.

Part of my role as HR manager is to help staff build and sustain a culture that supports this vision, establishing behaviours and attitudes that make all people feel welcome. Not only is this beneficial for our staff, feeling valued and confident to voice their opinions, but it’s good for the business too, creating stronger teams.

That’s my take on inclusion.

But to truly understand our views, here is a snapshot of what our staff have to say about it.

“Inclusion is the feeling that people are being listened to and valued regardless of their differences. Not just being part of a team but feeling like they are part of it and are making worthy contributions.”

Tom Addison – Senior Marketing Exec

“It’s so important that we encourage diversity by acknowledging and welcoming the fact that everyone is different, with their own strengths, flaws and backgrounds. We need strive for inclusion by celebrating diversity and supporting each other regardless of how different or similar people are to us as individuals.”

Bekki Bushnell – Head of Business Development

“In our marketing world it’s easy to categorise people by label or persona as a means to understand them better. But in reality even someone who shares the same culture, religion, gender, colour with you is still different. The more we understand that, the more we’ll feel accepted for who we actually are. Different should be celebrated. And for me, inclusion is accepting the differences and making everyone feel valued.”

Mark Wilson – Creative Director

“For me, inclusion is about making our physical and virtual environment welcoming for all. We aim to embrace differences and encourage inclusive groups which are diverse, as well as diverse groups which are inclusive.”

Suzanne Griffiths – MD

As working from home five days a week becomes the norm again and we settle back into our finest comfies for winter. For designers, it’s more important than ever to have an outlet for creativity and inspiration to make sure we don’t all go crazy.

For those who thrive off constant interaction and an inspirational office space or busy atmosphere, being sat back at the dining room table all week can seem a bit of a bust. As a senior designer I have worked in my fair share of great office spaces over the years (and not so great!) and for sure having a clean, bright open space to work in is a must for me. But we don’t all have a fortune to spend or have endless spare room in our living spaces. There are little things, however, that you can do to help the creativity flow.

– Have an ‘inspiration board’, sketchbook or scrapbook of cuttings where you can save pieces of good design that inspire you. I used to do this a lot as a junior when print was more prevalent. Nowadays, I have a Pinterest board or ten (save the trees!) and I actively make time to look for design ideas and trends online that I like to help inspire my work and make sure it’s current.

– Stay connected. It’s easy to become isolated throughout the various lockdown measures we have going on up and down the country and we are lucky that we live in a digital world with instant access to just about anything. How about talking ideas through and getting your colleague’s opinion, or even the people you are closest to opinions on what you’re working on? Even if it’s just to chat – communication is key.

– ‘You’re a designer, be creative!’ …. If like me that phrase puts the fear in you, don’t pile the pressure on yourself. Sometimes it can be challenging to be creative when you’re put on the spot, so take the time to get away from your working space and if you can, grab a cuppa or take a walk outside —go someplace that you know will put your mind at ease; autumn is such an inspiring season! This will help you to come back refreshed.

As creatives we already have the ability to adapt and overcome quickly, especially when new design trends or technology are introduced, so now is a really good time to embrace this. Customer demands will change, the pandemic will not be around forever (we can only hope!) so making things work for you is paramount to staying sane and inspired throughout the rest of 2020 and beyond.

Exactly 10 years ago on 6th October 2010, a little app launched to the world. It enabled users to share images captured on their newly acquired smartphones and make them instantly look more characterful with a choice of filters reminiscent of vintage pictures taken on an instamatic camera.

With over 1 billion users, Instagram today is the sixth most popular social media channel used in the world. The filters which made it cool still exist, but the features it now boasts make it ice cold.

In a recent bid to compete with the short clip sharing platform Tik Tok, as of August this year, Instagrammers can now share their own short clips with easy editing tools to add filters, music and text overlays. These ‘Reels’ can then be shared and saved to your grid or Stories (highlights of content lasting 24 hours) and are easily discoverable if you add in your hashtags like you would do with a normal post.

Nostalgia inducing name, neat features, engaging visuals… Instagram has naturally paved the way for influencers to dominate the channel over the years, making it the ideal space for any consumer brands to thrive, so where does a B2B company get a slice of the action?

According to research by TrackMaven, B2B companies experience the largest engagement ratios on Instagram. The app promotes interaction through comments, and the many features encourage users to stay and play on the platform, keeping them entertained and engaged.

To be successful, it’s important to strike the right balance between broadcasting business news and posting interesting and genuine user-generated content. Among all the social channels, Instagram is the platform deemed to be the most ‘human’. Don’t be afraid to show something a little less corporate to what you would on LinkedIn or Twitter. After all, this is the app where users get lost in a sea of inspirational content. It’s the ultimate escapism.

For many businesses, Instagram can be the perfect opportunity to let the personality of your company shine and the endeavours of your employees take centre stage. It’s a safe space to share the great work culture of your business, and showcase your employer and corporate branding.

But when it comes to social selling, Instagram really is the place to be. According to Instagram itself, a staggering 60% of users rely on the platform to find products. For a B2B company, it might not be as simple as tagging visuals with shopping links, but a more gradual approach in encouraging users to discover more about a service or solution.

This is where a social strategy is key for the B2B players on Instagram. By understanding the benefits, setting the objectives and creating exciting content to reach professionals in B2C dominated space, you’ll attract the attention of the many users who themselves, run or work for businesses seeking new tools to make their jobs, and lives easier. It might just be your business they’ll discover.

When writing about tech, it pays to not sound like a robot. Engaging content needs to use a tone of voice that is human and conversational, yet a common misconception is that active voice is everything and passive voice has no place in content today.

Active voice is where the subject of the sentence is performing the action, such as: the cat sat on the mat. Passive voice is where the subject of the sentence has something done to it by something or someone, such as: the mat was sat on by the cat.

Active voice is direct, punchy and gets to the point. It’s great for firmly putting key points and messages across in a strong and confident manner. But it’s not so great when it’s over-used. This can lead to entire articles reading like a series of bold statements and this can be monotonous for the reader.

Here’s a tech-focused example of active vs passive:

Active voice: The IT team can work on more meaningful projects with the solution in place.

Passive voice: The solution allows the IT team to work on more meaningful projects.

As you can see in the tech-focused example, the passive sentence still works. It’s not going to confuse the reader and, if it’s included in a paragraph that’s already leaning heavily on active voice, it can help that paragraph to flow a lot better. Well-crafted content can and should use passive sentences to complement the active sentences.

Say you’re writing about a solution that applies automation to workplace processes. You’re probably trying to pacify an audience that is worried about human jobs being taken over by computers, so you don’t want your content to appear as though it’s been written by an AI.

The truth is, there really are no rules when it comes to style. It’s your choice as a writer to decide what works best. However, using both active voice and passive in moderation is always going to help you write better content as opposed to sticking purely to active voice.

This very blog switches heavily between active and passive voice, so if you’re still reading, here’s your proof that passive voice is not a content killer.

If you’re struggling to articulate the benefits of your product or service through the power of words – or content writing seems like witchcraft to you – enlist the help of the experts. We’ve got a few.

As a communications professional there’s one buzzword I’ve heard, seen and used a lot over the last few years — personalisation. As both marketers and consumers, we know the benefits and there are myriad stats to back that up.

A quick google yielded these beauties:

  • 91% of consumers are more likely to choose a brand that gives them relevant offers and recommendations
  • 84% of consumers are more likely to spend with a brand when they’re treated like a person and not a number
  • 80% of companies say business has improved since using personalisation

The thing about personalisation, is that it’s more than knowing your name; it’s getting recommendations (Amazon is leaps ahead with this) and content that is specific to your needs. If you think about it, with the abundance of data and use of smart algorithms, brands know a lot about you. From what device you used to open an email, how long you watched a video, to what you searched for and what you have in your online shopping basket.

And it’s easy for brands in the digital age because everything we do is online, connected, part of something bigger, so there’s always that abundance of data.

But what about offline? Does personalisation still work? Does advertising still work?

Consider this: I hardly ever watch live TV. Why? Because like many people I am addicted instant gratification. Wait a week for the next episode? Sit through an ad break? Pfft. Binge watch on Netflix, NowTV, Amazon Prime (yes, yes I have all three)? Now you’re talking my language.

I did, however, catch a bit of live TV last week, about 10 minutes in total. During that time I happened to see an ad that changed my life. It was for coffee bags. Like tea bags, but coffee. And if there’s one thing I love as much as series-on-demand, it’s coffee. Good coffee.

Pre-digital age I would’ve run to the local supermarket to look for them. But today? I did what any lazy shopper does and found them on Amazon. Click, click, ding dong. From awareness to purchase in less than 24 hours. Certainly a coup for marketers.

But who gets the credit? What is this success attributed to? Targeted advertising? Personalisation? Or just pure chance.

I’d be inclined toward the latter if I just bought the coffee bags willy-nilly. But I didn’t. While it was quick and easy to find and order them, I had the added benefit of being able to read reviews — which were decent, unlike the coffee bags I ultimately bought.

And those reviews and the additional data around the bags, while not strictly in the realm of personalisation, still ensured that I was getting a product that met my needs.

The whole exercise did more than show me that tv advertising does still kind of work. It reinforced the idea that everything is connected. From the channels we use to the way we use them and likewise in the way that we’re marketed to. Different channels and platforms fulfil different needs, but they are all working together in an expanded marketing mix.

And with that in mind, my coffee bag experience doesn’t seem nearly as random now!

“Let’s meet for brunch and then spend the afternoon shopping.” Brunch? Yes, absolutely! Spend the afternoon shopping? No thanks! Those four words have me running for the hills: the crowds of people; constantly feeling rushed; not finding anything that catches my eye. And don’t even get me started on queuing for the changing room!

For me, it’s online shopping all the way: the convenience (not laziness!); the accessibility; the choice. And, quite clearly, I am not the only one. In a study performed by Orbelo, there are roughly 7.8 billion people in the world and it is predicted that more than a quarter (26%), or 2.05 billion of them, will be online shoppers by the end of 2020. Furthermore, a report by global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal estimates that 17.2 million British consumers plan to make their switch to online shopping permanent as perceived risks of contracting COVID-19 at physical stores redirects spending into online channels.

Online consumerism is not only here to stay but is on the rise. With this comes increased competition as retailers look at ways of developing new engaging, interactive online experiences that go beyond just click and collect or delivery: the next level experience for shoppers, enticing them and drawing them back. Cue AR.

Augmented Reality (AR) is being used by retailers to take their online shopping experience up a notch to establish an advantage over their competitors. To remain competitive and profitable, it is no longer enough just to have an online presence. An online shopping experience must now be personal and interactive to help ease buyer uncertainty and drive profit through consumer satisfaction.

You can only imagine my delight in this world of AR coming to life from the comfort of my own home. It’s essentially bricks and mortar shopping but remotely – far removed from heaving crowds and deafening background music.

Ever made an online shopping mistake because you didn’t notice the pair of trousers being listed as high-waisted before clicking “pay”? No longer an issue thanks to ASOS’s Virtual Catwalk. Want to make sure your coveted IKEA sofa will look good in your lounge? Never fear, there’s an app for that now. Even the wine world is upping its game with Living Wine Labels combining history, virtual integration and good wine (19 Crimes Red Blend – 110% recommend and not just because of the Irish-accented label talking to me).

And it’s not just consumers benefitting from AR. Retailers are reaping the rewards of AR as well, which include better product exposure, improved online sales, increased customer loyalty and reduced returns.

Although AR is still in its infancy, the technology is already becoming integral for major retail brands and it’s becoming clear that the time for retailers to invest in it is now. This new wave of immersive shopping is setting new expectations for today’s digital customer. In fact, 71% of consumers say they would shop more often with a retailer if they used AR and, by 2025, it’s predicted that AR will be common place.

I wholly expect this trend to not only continue but to be developed even further in this sector as more shoppers utilise online shopping and competition between retailers heats up. So, while sitting in the comfort of my lounge, wishfully “trying on” Gucci footwear that I most definitely cannot afford, I eagerly await the emergence of the future exciting online retail AR ventures that will no doubt give me further reason to stay put and shop online!

‘The Future’ – all rather exciting, isn’t it? Especially after spending months in lockdown. As the world around us continues to grow and evolve, so do the industries and products that we create: food, music, fashion, technology. Technology is a big one. Can you believe that there are twenty-four different types of iPhone to date? Twenty-four?! Granted they are the size of small laptops now and it’s amazing to think that the top-dogs over at Apple still see room for improvement.

That’s what the future of technology is all about: improving tasks that can be actioned quicker. Pictures that can be taken faster, and in better quality. God forbid if we ever must pick up a pen again – surely we can type everything moving forward? While the idea of a digitally driven life is seen to be smart and efficient in the eyes of many, it’s important that we acknowledge the man-made creations that we would be giving up as a result of these progressions. If typing were to replace the physical act of handwriting, then the humble biro would become obsolete. The notepad would be forced to retire. As we welcome the future of technology, we unfortunately wave goodbye to pieces of our past.

This year, Argos announced that it would be ceasing the publication of its legendary product catalogue after forty-eight years of development. The world’s thickest Christmas wish list (as seen through the eyes of me and my sister) will no longer be regularly printed by January 2021. Speaking with BBC News, Mark Given, chief marketing officer at Sainsbury’s, claims that customers’ tastes “have changed over the years” alongside their shopping habits; where an “increasing shift towards digital shopping” has resulted in the decision to cease the Argos ‘book of dreams’. Here lies a prime example of the cost that comes from the digital revolution, the price we pay when technology presents quicker alternatives to traditional methods.

While many see change as a daunting and threatening presence, we must also remember the good that comes from evolving technology. Another announcement made this year details how Sainsbury’s is testing a virtual queueing system  that will allow customers to wait for entry to the store from the comfort of their nearby car or local café. The Times reports that the idea behind the app is to prevent shoppers from waiting in the harsher weather come autumn and winter, when socially distanced queueing will be less appealing. I’m sure the creative team at Sainsbury’s HQ got a pat on the back for that one: a prime example of the benefits that come with the growth of technology. Why waste your time in a supermarket queue when you can be defrosting from the cold, winter air in your car parked meters away? Genius.

The future of technology is truly a mixed bag; we will feel remorse and sadness at the loss of old friends, but we will also embrace the arrival of ‘new normals’.