Category: Blogs

With the result of Tuesday’s closely contested US presidential election still mired in controversy, one certainty is the growing amount of influence brands have had in getting voters’ voices heard.

The 2020 election was fought over the handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, the economy and the continuing fight for racial justice – but it may also come to be remembered for being the first time brands really came to fully harness their marketing clout to get the US voting.

Past election statistics show that many Americans don’t make use of their vote, particularly the younger generations. In the 2016 presidential elections, fewer than half of 18 to 29-year-old Americans voted. Remarkably, just under 56% of voting-age Americans did make the effort to cast a vote, a lower rate than recent national elections in South Korea, Mexico and most developed countries.

This time around, brands in the technology, retail and entertainment fields joined forces in an attempt to encourage eligible voters to have their say. With votes still being counted today, it appears to have had a positive impact – turnout was the highest since the Second World War according to early reports, with some projections of a 67% turnout.

Voting advocacy from people outside of traditional politics isn’t a completely new phenomenon in the US. The non-profit Rock the Vote partnered up with MTV in 1990, producing videos with celebrities such as Madonna and Lenny Kravitz that urged network’s young audience to go out and vote. But efforts from brands to get out the vote among their own customers are a more recent development.

Brands’ strategies for this election included creating everything from voting merchandise, to campaigns encouraging the general public to the polls. Some brands paid their employees to work at the polling stations, while others gave them time off to go and cast their vote.

In another new development, messages around how people should vote became more overtly political during the 2020 presidential campaign. The encouragement of voting as a concept is unlikely to upset a company’s customer base as long as it doesn’t endorse a specific candidate, according to The Atlantic.

Considering this, many brands decided to reference the progressive values likely held by their clientele in their messaging over the course of the campaign. For example, Nike sent out a voter-outreach email which simply said: “No more sitting on the side-lines. You can’t stop our voice.”

Focusing on the challenge of securing access to polling stations, Nike partnered with Lyft to offer discounted rides to people who wanted to vote in low turnout areas such as Atlanta, Baltimore and Chicago. This initiative was part of the wider ‘You Can’t Stop Our Voice’ campaign featuring LeBron James.

Other brands that got involved in 2020 included Absolut vodka. In addition to giving staff time off, the brand created a non-partisan, integrated ’Drink Responsibly. #VoteResponsibly’ campaign which delivered the message: ’Vote First, Drink Second.’

The election also saw Reddit’s first-ever brand marketing campaign which fell under its voter engagement initiative, ‘Up The Vote.‘ The creative drew parallels between engagement with content on Reddit and participation in real-life elections.

However, perhaps the most inspired brand contribution to this presidential campaign was the Election Night Survival Kit released by Philadelphia-based Babe Wine to make the tense wait more bearable ahead of the results being announced. As well as a four-pack of wine, the box included a stress-relieving squeeze ball, a ‘scream pillow’ and a box of tissues in case emotions ended up getting a little too fraught.

These may well be needed by many of us as the race to victory comes right down to the wire, with the final votes still being counted. Let’s just hope the huge voter turnout leads to the right choice being made for the country.

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