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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.

Suzanne Griffiths, former managing director of PR agency Whiteoaks International: “Flexible working has long been a buzzword (and contentious issue too) in PR – but the past few months have demonstrated that the industry is more than capable of making it work. That’s not to say there’s a one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, success will depend marrying requirements with the business needs.

Read the full article here.

This week on the PRmoment Podcast I’m talking to James Kelliher, Non-Executive Director (formerly CEO) at Whiteoaks International.

Whiteoaks is a 40 person tech PR agency based in Hook, Hampshire. It has a fee income of approximately £4m.

Listen to the podcast here.

 

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

Media relations forms the core of any successful PR programme. The collective media, with all its variations, plays a highly influential role in shifting perceptions, building (and breaking down) reputations and, ultimately, helping funnel prospective customers into the sales pipeline. Done well, with well-crafted messages that resonate and engage with stakeholders, it can deliver tangible commercial results.

While there are many steps in the process, at its heart is the media interview – a direct conversation between the journalist and the spokesperson that has the power to shape and deliver coverage with real impact. As a spokesperson, in that moment your job is to tell a compelling story. The journalist’s job is also to tell a compelling story. The key to any successful media interview is to ensure you’re both telling the same story – and one that informs a common audience.

Here are five tried and tested principles to help you succeed in your next media interview:

Make it easy, make it compelling

A common challenge is wanting to say too much. Any story has a back story and so, understandably, it’s tempting to cover all bases but that can risk losing the central message among the detail. The result could be a piece of coverage very different to the one intended and so an effective starting point is to distil that story into a single attention-grabbing headline with three concise supporting messages. This not only provides a structure to keep the conversation on track but also helps the journalist get straight to the point of the angle you’re contributing.

Apply a customer’s mindset

A journalist will have their readership in mind at all times. If the interview is on a developing industry issue, they’ll want to know how this affects their readers, what action they can take and what expertise you can offer to move that conversation forwards.

There is a time and place to talk product – and your PR team will set up those interviews where the aim is to discuss a specific launch or provide background on company developments. Most often, the journalist is looking for views on an external issue or challenge so, tempting as it might be to lead with product, it’s a valuable opportunity to demonstrate expertise and unique understanding of your market and your customers.

In these cases, it pays to be opinionated and have an informed view that differs from the norm and that always adds a new dimension. Journalists will be talking to multiple contributors so standing out for all the right reasons can be instrumental in landing that lead quote.

Tell the story their way

There are many types of journalists with differing approaches and mindsets – the new journalist looking to expand their sector knowledge, the rushed journalist on deadline seeking a quotable quote, the regional journalist championing local business… Each one influential in their field and hungry for content. What they have in common is they are all looking for a good story, a new and different angle and, even better, an exclusive. Your PR team is there to brief you are what a specific journalist is after and ensure you’re equipped with the right messages to tell the story their way.

Preparation, preparation, preparation

Articulating the right story requires preparation and your PR team is on hand to arm you with the tools to ensure success. This includes a full understanding of the interview subject and context, a briefing on the media outlet and journalist and a run through of key messages and potential questions. Through rehearsing different lines of conversation, you’ll have the confidence to handle those difficult questions and understand how to turn them to your advantage.

Keep the conversation going

Journalists value reliable sources of expertise and comment that they can call upon for future stories – particularly if they’re on deadline and need a quick response from a trusted spokesperson. As such, each interview is an opportunity to position yourself as an authority and open up longer-term conversations. Through building rapport and providing journalists with timely insight, you’ll build relationships where you can truly shape opinion and position you and your business at the heart of the debate.

By Ella Thompson, Account Director

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 6^th 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.

20 years in B2B PR. I’m not sure I expected to be writing that when I graduated with a degree in International Marketing back in 2001. Although as you’ve probably guessed, my career in this industry began some time before the gown and mortar board.

During school and college years, I eagerly helped out a local PR agency with anything I could – getting my first step on the ladder to help carve out future employment opportunities. I had an industrial placement during my degree and worked within PR during academic holidays…oh and my dissertation examined international PR, so I guess the writing was on the wall!

From starting as a junior account executive to two decades later as the MD of an award-winning B2B tech agency, it’s fair to say that I’ve learnt a lot not just as a communications professional, but as a manager, about running a business and about the industry as a whole.

Here are five things I’ve learnt over the last 20 years…

#1 You don’t have to be a ‘techie’

Yes, it’s B2B tech PR, but you don’t need to be a techie. Having a certain amount of technical knowledge does help, as does an interest in technology, but it’s not a term I would use describe myself.

Throughout the years, I’ve seen and contributed to rather a lot of tech trends which are now a part of our everyday life such as HD television and the cloud. While the technology driving both is complex and sophisticated – the trick for working in the industry is to have an understanding of the nuts and bolts, and features and benefits. That way you can translate those technical concepts for the layman, be it the media, customers or investors.

#2 You need to be customer centric

Service delivery isn’t for everyone. And that’s okay. I’ve seen many people come and go within the world of B2B tech PR and those who ‘go’ are often the ones who simply don’t get a buzz out of service delivery. It’s not a fault or a criticism, they simply prefer to be on the other side of the table.

As a business, everything we do starts with the question…what do our customers want and need? It’s only with that knowledge that we can adapt and change to remain relevant.

#3 Relevance always matters

Talking of relevance, it’s a key element for both businesses and individuals. If I think back to my first days in PR, I used to snatch the press clippings from the fax machine (yes, an actual fax machine), cut them out, mount them and post them off to clients, boasting about the column inches said article achieved.

Rather a lot has changed since then. Buzz words have been and gone and the depth of PR campaigns continues to evolve. It takes desire, time, commitment and determination to remain relevant. As a service provider, our clients look to us to be ahead of the curve in terms of emerging trends and to achieve success. As a communications professional, you need to grab any opportunities you can to learn new skills or ways of working which can help you grow and ideally present commercial opportunities for the business.

#4 Don’t be afraid to specialise

Although success may come more easily if you have a rounded knowledge of PR and integrated communications, you will most likely find an element of the delivery which you particularly enjoy — especially today.

The term ‘PR’ now encompasses so much that it’s harder to be a jack of all PR trades and more likely that you’ll end up being a master of none. Much like it’s a good idea to have a broad understanding of technology, having an overall view of marketing communications and strategy will be necessary for success while you might find a natural desire or skill within one of the specialist delivery skills such as content creation or social media.

Becoming a specialist doesn’t close the door to development and rather opens the door to success and progression.

#5 Relinquish control

Unashamedly, I’m a control freak. Like everything, it has its benefits but also its challenges. I have a process for most things; a certain way I like to do things and I like for things to be done. And for a while, that was it.

But a few years back, I realised my way wasn’t the only way. Only with this recognition can you really allow those around you to flourish, which in turn will support their individual and your collaborative success.

Again, looking at our business, I like to think I can recognise our team members’ strengths and encourage them to play to them. We employ specialists with potential, but that potential will not be reached unless they are allowed to spread their wings and have responsibility. There will be bumps in the road but calculated risks and allowing those around you to support your growth will deliver ultimate success.

And finally…

Looking back at my late teens and early twenties, I know that my eagerness to get a foot in the industry was worth it as were all the hours I put into clipping coverage, fetching coffee and helping with events. As a result, I can’t tout the value of hands-on experience enough.

Yes, a good CV and the relevant qualifications are equally important but having that first-hand knowledge of how an agency operates, the culture, and their expectations, gives you that boost and gives you a definite advantage.

By Suzanne Griffiths, Managing Director