Category: Blogs

On Tuesday 27^th November, US space agency Nasa landed a new robot on Mars after a dramatic seven-minute plunge to the surface of the Red Planet. It was NASA’s first attempt to land on Mars in six years and the jubilation of Nasa employees said it all. It was a truly historic day and testimony to the effort and expertise employed on this perilous and what many considered, insurmountable challenge.

The InSight Lander’s journey of six months and 300 million miles is the culmination of Nasa’s £633 million two-year mission which aims to shine new light on how the Red Planet was formed and its deep structure.

After the successful landing, InSight’s project manager Tom Hoffman was quoted as saying: “The InSight team can rest a little easier tonight now that we know the spacecraft solar arrays are deployed and recharging the batteries.”

While working on a mission to Mars may not be directly comparable to working on a marketing campaign to launch a new technology product or solution, there are some striking similarities. Each starts with an ambitious goal which can invariably get eclipsed along the way. Each requires experts in their own right to commit to the mission and work collaboratively to get the product/solution into orbit. All in all, the landing on Mars teaches us that anything is possible with hard work and expertise. This is where Whiteoaks International can play a starring role.

If you are a marketing or internal PR professional working in technology with stellar expectations and looking to rest easier at night knowing you have given your all, it would be worth considering hiring an external specialist B2B Tech PR Agency.

At Whiteoaks International we develop strategic, yet creative PR campaigns which are highly targeted with persona-driven tactics and approaches.

At Whiteoaks we can guarantee tangible and impactful results that are underpinned by robust performance commitments and formal service level agreements.

Finally, to see what we do in practice, you can read some of our client case studies on our website.

Black Friday is upon us.

The day when thousands of bargain hungry shoppers rush to the high street to snap up some pre-Christmas goodies. Or do they?

Recent research by one of our clients has found that more than three-quarters of UK consumers plan to avoid stores on Black Friday this year.

The prospect of shoppers not hitting the high streets and retail parks reinforces the importance of retailers investing in their online platform, helping them to fight back against the dominance of brands like Amazon.

One way that omnichannel retailers can boost total revenues is by harnessing the power of customer reviews.

New research from our client Feefo suggests that many people heading to the high street over the festive period will be relying on customer feedback before making a purchase. A massive 94% of consumers who are considering buying a product or service will check online reviews.

Furthermore, genuine reviews have now replaced friends or family as the most reliable source of information – 84% of consumers say feedback from real customers is the biggest influence on them, whereas only 52% now depend mostly on the recommendations of friends and family.

While it’s clear that brands which invest in platforms to gather customer feedback can reap the rewards, shoppers are increasingly aware of fake reviews.

The internet is flooded with them, with many people profiting by selling fake, positive reviews on open review platforms which allow anyone to create a profile and leave feedback.

Consumers can also be misled by endorsements on platforms like Instagram. The photo and video-sharing site has enabled many online influencers to earn a living by being paid to market products. However, this week the company announced that it’s cracking down on fake likes and comments by using tools which can identify accounts that use third-party services and apps to artificially boost their popularity.

So how can retailers tackle the fake reviews which risk their own reputation?

One way is by choosing a reviews platform which ensures only genuine customers are invited to review. Not only should reviewers be required to have a verified email address, there should ideally be a transaction linking the review to the reviewer.

Finally, if you’re heading out among the crowds this Black Friday, or like me prefer to snap-up a bargain online, you’d be wise to consider whether the glowing online review you’re reading is genuine, or a festive fake.

Who are you? And what’s your job at Whiteoaks?

I’m Tom and I’m the Business Development Executive in the Business Support Team.

 

What does your daily to-do list look like?

Every day is very different, but I guess the one constant is writing and scheduling the social posts for the Whiteoaks social media channels. After that my day can be very varied, from helping put together proposals for potential clients, working on our marketing campaigns or researching the market, to finding new and exciting prospects. It always makes for an interesting day.

 

What made you want to get into PR?

I studied Business & Management at university, so there were many opportunities after I graduated. But I previously worked for a large tech company in marketing before moving to Whiteoaks. Agency work always appealed to me as it’s fast-paced and you get to experience a lot of different challenges.

 

Which is your favourite brand and why?

That’s a hard one, but I’d probably say Red Bull even though I don’t even drink the stuff. It’s impressive that they have created a brand that people relate to extreme sports and people pushing the limits even though the drink isn’t exactly good for you. But I like that they just seem to want to put their name to anything that seems exciting like F1, skiing, surfing, etc.

 

What’s your top tip for someone who wants to get into the PR industry?

Internships. Not even specific to PR but anyone wanting to break into a certain industry, internships just give you an extra bit of experience that may set you apart from the rest.

 

How do you unwind after a day in the office?

Depends really, sometimes it will be exercise but other times I will get home and just watch the football if it’s on or try find a new series that I haven’t already watched on Netflix. But I am in the middle of buying a house so that tends to dominate the evenings at the moment.

 

What’s your favourite anthem suggestion for Friday’s Whiteoaks Power Hour?

Probably a Red Hot Chilli Peppers song, hard to go wrong with them and most of their songs still hold up today.

 

If you could be any character in any film, what would you be

I’m not sure really, maybe Ferris Bueller. If I could live everyday like he does in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off that would be pretty cool.

 

What’s your ideal getaway location?

100% skiing in the Alps. It’s the one holiday that I can’t miss every year. Nothing beats a ski holiday.

 

What’s your go-to party trick?

I’d love to say something really impressive, but I don’t think I really have one. I’m pretty happy to let other people take centre stage.

 

And finally, cheesy chips?

Definitely! Takes me back to Uni nights.

On 29 October, the Chancellor Philip Hammond announced the 2018 Autumn Budget, proclaiming that austerity is coming to an end. Amongst largely popular news that duties on beer, cider and spirits are due to be frozen and personal tax thresholds are to rise from £11,850 to £12,500 in April 2019, there was also an update on a new digital services tax (DST).

Ahead of the Budget, there was a lot of talk about DST, which had some online retailers worried about their position in the market. However, what was announced on Monday will only apply to businesses that generate large global revenue, tackling a longstanding criticism of that big tech companies don’t pay appropriate business tax in the UK.

DST, which is due to come into effect from April 2020 will be a 2% tax on the sales of search engines, social media platforms and online marketplaces that are profitable, and generate more than £500 million per year in global revenue. It is being predicted by 2023, DST will boost the Treasury’s coffers by over £400 million per year.

Commenting on the initiative, Tech Nation CEO Gerard Grech said: “We have heard assurances that the new tax will not be a crude digital sales tax and will not impact smaller digital platforms. But tech start-ups and entrepreneurs can be forgiven for feeling that they could still end up in the sights of future Chancellors. We do not want to risk being left behind in a global race by moving out of step with other countries in this area.”

While not denying the concerns of Mr Grech, the Chancellor was adamant that DST will not negatively impact UK tech start-ups.

Aside from the DST, the Chancellor also announced a series of investments into digital tools to support the tech industry, including a £20 million fund for local peer-to-peer networks geared towards business improvement and technological adoption.

The Chancellor also committed to a further £1.6 billion injection next year into R&D in areas including quantum computing, artificial intelligence and nuclear fusion.

The Budget also set out a handful of ways that the government may use AI to drive growth, including a review into the use of automation and data in the public sector conducted by the Government Digital Service (GDS) and the Office for AI.

Technology businesses and the use of technology was very much at the heart of the Autumn Budget, which I think reflects the status and importance of both to the UK’s economy.

In 2018, one issue has dominated the compliance agenda for most businesses and their marketers, and that’s data protection. During the year, including the introduction of the GDPR legislation on 25 May, the DMA, the UK trade association for the one-to-one marketing industry, has been working hard to provide advice, best practice, insight and training for brands and agencies alike.

On 29 October, the Chancellor delivered his last Budget before the UK is due to exit the European Union at the end of March 2019, and so now seems like the right time to share a Q&A blog, where I put some questions to Chris Combemale, Group CEO at the DMA. I asked him about whether Brexit will affect the current data regulatory framework.

JK: What does the event of a no-deal Brexit mean in terms of British citizen’s data rights?

CC: “No matter what Brexit deal is or isn’t struck, the UK Government has committed to having a robust data protection framework in the UK that balances privacy and innovation. The Government has already implemented the Data Protection Act 2018, which should create adequacy with the EU based on the essential framework of GDPR. In the event of a no-deal, the Data Protection Act will remain part of UK law.

“The challenges of a no-deal Brexit would be much more complicated for British businesses, however, as the disruption to the free flow of data between the UK and EU would be very damaging. This could have further knock-on effects on the UK public, with the possibility of jobs moving to the EU and investment also decreasing. That’s why the DMA has been extremely active in advocating for Adequacy Plus, which would not only enable the free flow of data but would also agree a full voting place on the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) for the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The UK ICO brings a risk-based philosophy to the deliberations of the EDPB, provides a more balanced view between innovation and privacy than some continental counterparts, in keeping with general UK attitudes and approaches to enterprise. At the very least, the UK must secure adequacy status so the data economy is not disrupted.

“For example, a UK-based company that has EU customers may use an EU-based data centre, but the information is processed at the UK HQ. If the UK leaves the EU without a data deal this company would lose access to its own data, as transfers from the EU to UK would be prohibited. The company would need to find a new supplier or may move operations to the EU, so it can efficiently serve EU-based customers and not have to worry about transferring data from the EU to the UK. Therefore, it is imperative that the free flow of data is maintained.

“We believe the UK cannot retain its position as a global leader in data, technology and marketing if we do not have an Adequacy deal on future data flows with Europe.”

JK: Will it impact all the GDPR stuff we dealt with this year?

CC: “The GDPR has been implemented in the UK via the Data Protection Act 2018 which will remain the law in the UK. However, without an adequacy agreement in place, UK businesses and other organisations would need to find an alternative route to retain the free flow of data with the EU.

“This would require an alternative legal basis such as model contract clauses and industry codes. On this latter point, the DMA is working in collaboration with the Federation of European Direct and Interactive Marketing Associations (FEDMA) to mitigate the risks of no Adequacy by having a FEDMA Code of Conduct endorsed by the European Data Protection Board which would be available to UK companies via the DMA.

JK: Will we be more exposed when out of EU jurisdiction?

CC: “The Government has committed to parsing EU laws into UK law, which should mean a level of consistency for the UK, its citizens and its businesses. The most important thing is to maintain the free flow of data between the UK and EU, as any disruption to this may cause harm to businesses or lead to them relocating.”

“In short, a no-deal Brexit is antithetical to the interests of the data and marketing industry as a whole. A no-deal on data would cause immediate and complete ceasing of UK data-flows with EU countries, a practice through which enormous amounts of business is conducted. Indeed, 75% of the UK’s cross-border data flows are with the EU. Having lobbied this position for months, we know that the government understands the ramifications of this. We shall continue to impress upon the government and our EU partners the importance of getting a deal on data.

“For example, many UK businesses use cloud computing providers that store data in the EU and in the event of a no-deal or lack of an Adequacy agreement it may not be possible to continue to transfer that data. For the UK business, this would mean a need to find an alternative supplier or means of accessing that data, either way disrupting their businesses. For the cloud computing provider too, this would result in potential disruption, need to make significant changes to their processes and even loss of business.”

JK: Will new laws be needed to protect people’s data?

CC: “No. the Government recently passed the Data Protection Act 2018, so the UK has a robust data protection framework that can be trusted.”

To read about our ongoing work for the DMA, click here for our case study.

I’m delighted to write a short introduction to this blog by Vanda Adlerova, who is an Account Manager at Move Up, our WIN PR Group agency partner in the Czech Republic. Vanda is here visiting and working from our office for October and it’s been a pleasure having her on the team for a few weeks. Over to Vanda…

“Groups are a fundamental way that we function as humans: we socialise in them, we live in them and we work in them. We are so used to being part of different groups, that we perhaps stop to ask why, particularly in relation to the workplace.

There is a simple answer to the question in this blog headline: two heads are better than one. That’s why. We’ve used this idiom for such a long time, so there must be something to it… I’m now a part of two unique professional groups; one of them is full of ‘Oaksers’, aka the team here at Whiteoaks International, and the other is the rest of the group of international agencies called WIN PR Group.

Let’s start with the former. As an international PR agency based in the UK, Whiteoaks has a strong global presence thanks to like-minded agencies in its WIN PR Group network. And to further demonstrate its commitment to operating internationally, ‘the Oaksers’ have just welcomed their first international intern into the group – me.

I’m currently halfway through a month-long placement and so far it has been such a great, inspirational and educational experience. But what exactly inspires me during my internship in Whiteoaks International the most? Yes, that’s right…the groups. The teams. The people.

I’ve had the chance to see how this tech PR agency works and experience a culture where everybody has their own expertise and operates as an indispensable part of a whole.

As well as being part of an international group, the agency also operates in groups within the company. Internally these groups include individuals with specialised skills, all working together for the good of the client. And when it comes to the benefits of belonging to an international network, they may seem obvious to us in the group, but we are often asked what this network could bring to the public relations industry and what does it mean for our clients.

The simple answer is expertise. The connection between other agencies brings us a wider view, and allows us to leverage the experiences of PR professionals in agencies all over the world, stretching from Australia, to Asia, the US and back to Europe.

There are a lot of things you can gain whilst working in the group. As I experienced while here at Whiteoaks International, the most important thing is that you aren’t limited by your own strengths or weaknesses: you have the whole team working with you and complementing your own skillset. When you work in a group you can let people be specialists, you identify their strengths and let them shine. Shine for you. As Coldplay sings in their album, Yellow.”

Please check out our interactive map if you’d like to find out about all the agencies in the WIN PR Group.