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As Easter fast approaches, we’re all wondering what to do with ourselves now that the shops are shut, the beaches are a no-go and heading outside is a once-a-day luxury.

But hope is not lost. As we all reach for the TV remote to settle in for a four-day marathon session, leave it to a team of booklovers to prepare the itinerary for a long lockdown weekend. Yes, that’s right – the Whiteoaks content team, affectionately known as the Writers’ Pen, is on hand to fill the weekend with all the things they’re watching, reading and planning to do… indoors.

Hannah

I’m a big TV fan at the best of times, so the current situation is giving me even more time to work my way through different series. I’ve just finished Hunters on Amazon Prime Video, which stars Al Pacino as the head of a group of Nazi hunters in 1970s New York. I loved everything about it – from the fashion and glimpses of retro New York, to the twists and turns and backstories of each of the characters. Next, I’m going to re-watch Spooks on BBC iPlayer. It used to be my favourite programme, so I’m pleased that the BBC has made it and many other older series available online – something I discussed in a recent blog.

I’m also currently reading Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams, I’m about halfway through and really enjoying it. It’s set in and around South London, which is where I’m from so I like that I can picture a lot of the places the main character visits. It’s also a refreshing portrait of being a young woman in today’s society.

Richard

I’ve been listening to even more music than usual in the current lockdown. I’m currently revisiting some of the best tunes of one of my favourite 1980s bands, the Go-Betweens. Their music is very accessible but also blessed with clever, literate lyrics. The compilation Bellavista Terrace is indispensable but all the albums, even those in the 2000s, are well worth listening to also. It is also great to have a chance to do a little more reading for pleasure and I’m currently also pressing on through an excellent history of the Second World War by Anthony Beevor, which I started some time ago. Next on my list is David Goldblatt’s ‘The Game of our Lives’ which is a deconstruction of football in the Premier League era.  On the television front, I’m catching up with ‘Life on Mars’ which I somehow missed first time around but is very funny, imaginative, well-written and well-acted.   

Ollie

I’ll be spending the long lockdown weekend living vicariously through an Antonio Tabucchi novel called Pereira Maintains. I’ve chosen this book because it’s set in Lisbon and I was supposed to spend last weekend in the nearby coastal town of Sesimbra. The novel is about a political awakening and an act of rebellion – not exactly how I would’ve spent my time in Portugal but I’m sure it will make for a gripping read. After the sun’s gone down I’ll be retreating indoors to watch Ozark – one of Netflix’s best creations, in my opinion. I’ll also be racking up the points playing against my girlfriend on Drawize, which is basically a low-grade online version of Pictionary, and competing against my friends in a pub quiz on Houseparty.  

Hugh

I’m trapped in Cornwall for the lockdown, which isn’t a bad thing. Although, a closed pub makes for a monastic experience. I should attack the three-cornered leeks and a bonfire of bay cuttings as part of garden-clearance operations. But I know I’ll bask in the sun reading newspapers, plodding on with Madame Bovary, watching trawlers and netters go out to sea and observing birds. And, the sunny weather has put me in the mood for PG Wodehouse. Let’s hope it lasts… 

Nick

With two young kids demanding to be constantly entertained, the long lockdown weekend requires some serious forward planning to keep everybody happy. Thankfully, in recent weeks I have managed to persuade (gently force) my nine-year-old and four-year-old to try watch the first batch of films Netflix is showing by Japanese animation wizard Studio Ghibli, directed by one of my cultural icons Hayao Miyazaki. I started them off with the wonderful, if completely insane, My Neighbour Totoro. It features a giant ‘cat-bus’ – a large creature, depicted as a grinning, twelve-legged cat with a hollow body that serves as a bus, complete with windows and seats coated with fur. They loved it., In the same manner I’ve successfully got the kids to like my favourite films, ET, Back to the Future, The Goonies, etc. I have also managed to get them to enjoy my favourite classic video games – we are talking Super Mario, Zelda, Mario Party (if you know, you know!) This means the long weekend will also see some quality family gaming time where I get to be Competitive Dad for a few hours.

Ellie

Now, I love nothing more than a Netflix blow-out of a weekend. So, I think I’ll spend my days finishing the Netflix limited series Tiger King (if you haven’t seen it… well. You couldn’t make it up) and continuing with my quest to watch every episode of BBC’s Waterloo Road, which my flatmate and I have been steadily working our way through for the last few months. The acting is questionable but the plotlines (collective gasp) are enough to keep you hooked – and as a die-hard fan of soap operas, it’s fair to say I love a bit of unrealistic drama!

I also received a lovely birthday present last year, which was a book-box containing all the things a bookworm needs to survive in captivity – biscuits, tea and a brilliant thriller. I’m planning to lose myself in the twists and turns of The Fear by C. L. Taylor, and if I finish that, I’ll probably dig out my old favourite – Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. This is a novel I already know back to front but what can I say – when a book is that good, it’s worth rereading time and again.

And if I should have the energy after all that, I’ll break out my workout DVDs and irritate my neighbours downstairs by star-jumping repeatedly on the spot. Got to work off those biscuits in time for summer!

 

 

Now entering our third week of ‘lockdown’ in the UK many of us have become more reliant on tech for keeping us entertained, educated, caring for our well-being, keeping us fit and helping us work from home.

In this blog I’ll share my top 5 pieces of tech I’ve been using to help adapt to life and working from home in quarantine.

1. Zoom

The Whiteoaks team has been regularly using Zoom, the conferencing tool which has to no surprise soared in popularity recently, receiving over 62 million downloads during one week in March —  this being up a massive 90% on their downloads average in 2019. The video conference app has been great in allowing me to chat to my team, keep in touch with clients and even take part in the first Whiteoaks virtual pub quiz, which has been great for team spirit and morale!

2. Netflix

Netflix has been a popular ‘go to’ for me and many others if there isn’t anything good on TV to keep me entertained in the evening. So far, I’ve binge watched the whole of Tiger King, re-watched crime series including Marcella and Luther and watched a variety of films. Netflix has also introduced a new chrome extension called ‘Netflix Party’ which allows you to watch shows with your friends and family. If you’re struggling for what to watch next Forbes has created a list.

3. Duolingo

Duolingo is a language learning app that I’d recommend. It’s been helping me to pass the time as I’ve been brushing up on my Spanish skills. The app uses gamification to add a bit more of a fun element to the learning and is quite simple and effective to use.

4. YouTube

YouTube has been another popular form of entertainment for me, from playlists to keep me motivated, to home fitness workouts. Videos from the likes of Joe Wicks have been massively popular, as he received over 1.2 million new subscribers in one week while he has been hosting PE lessons through the platform for children being schooled from home.

5. WhatsApp

Finally, while WhatsApp is a regular app for me, I’ve increased my use of the video function to have regular catch-ups with my friends and family. Instead of the various things we’ve had planned to do we’ve made sure we take the time out to spend virtual time together.

We’re lucky that there is such a wide variety of technology to suit our personal preferences and to make life a little bit easier during this challenging time. Tech isn’t just helping us as individuals – but businesses and wider society too, a topic covered in a blog drafted by our CEO.

Moving forward, what new virtual avenues will you be exploring?

Brands the world over are putting corporate social responsibility to the fore and using their influence to help reinforce the messaging around the Corona crisis. From factual messages about C-19 on sites like YouTube, Google and Spotify to stem the tide of misinformation, to Nike and its “Play inside, play for the world” adverts, and Audi separating the rings of its logo to show social distancing.

Lending a hand

It doesn’t stop with messaging. A number of new initiatives have sprung up seemingly overnight, including Meals for the NHS, a fast-expanding service in London that is raising money and using local restaurants to feed NHS staff for free. Co-founded by tech entrepreneur Alick Varma, the initiative has already raised more than £200,000 and is delivering hot meals to 17 hospitals across London.

Then there’s the unlikely parallel between hand sanitiser and enjoying a cocktail after work;  European breweries and distilleries, including BrewDog and Leith Gin are using their production sites to manufacture hand sanitiser to help markets cope with demand.

Global brands like Amazon, Alibaba, Facebook and Microsoft have donated millions of dollars, and vital equipment such as testing kits and protective gear.

Support across the board

While kindness, altruism and community spirit are certainly driving this social good, it is all being supported and facilitated in many ways by technology. Existing platforms and software are adapting to the new state of normal and trying to make remote working and remote teaching as effective as possible.

Zoom, for example, is helping remote learning by removing the 40-minute meeting limit on the free version of its accounts for schools in the US. It’s also created a list of tips to help teachers get the most out of the features of the software.

In the UK, Vodafone is offering 500,000 of its pay monthly customers 30 days of unlimited data, Virgin is giving some users an extra 10GB of data. With many worried about connectivity with the massive surge of home workers, Netflix and YouTube are reducing streaming quality to reduce the load on the network.

We’re seeing this same approach from our clients. Cyber security firm Bridewell Consulting is offering free IT health checks to organisations in healthcare and critical sectors, while ManageEngine is offering free, fully functional licences for its Secure Remote Access Toolkit that can help IT teams run their infrastructure and data centre operations safely.

Tech for good

Of course, there is more being done than just helping us live and work as “normal” as possible. Tech giants and innovators, like Dyson, Tesla, Airbus and Siemens, are working to manufacture and deliver thousands of ventilators to the NHS. Mercedes F1, working with engineers and clinicians from University College London, has even developed a breathing aid that can help patients in wards without them having to go to intensive care, freeing up resources while delivering the care they need. The Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) devices provide a middle ground between an oxygen mask and full ventilation, with the latter requiring sedation and an invasive procedure.

Moving forward

This cohesion in trying times shows what we’re capable of as communities, as nations and most of all, as human beings. The examples of individuals, communities and brands working together to do good are almost endless and will certainly continue.

This new operating environment could well be the new norm for business. But importantly, moving forward it will be about achieving a balance between what works for society and what works for business.

For now, with all this good will and technology in support, it’s gratifying to know that big or small, businesses are making a difference.

With a quarter of the world’s population currently on ‘lockdown’, many of us are more reliant on broadcasters to inform, educate and entertain us than ever before. However, like most businesses, these organisations are feeling the pressure as they are forced to adapt under these unprecedented circumstances to cater to different audiences and fill the void left by unexpected disruption to their usual schedules.

But, like the rest of us, broadcasters are taking the unexpected turn of events in their stride and adapting creatively to continue providing services which have become invaluable to most. While there are certainly some challenges currently facing the industry, we take a look to see how they’re overcoming them to ensure we can all still get our sport fixes, binge watch boxsets and keep the children entertained!

• Content libraries making up for reduced outputs

As the production of soaps has come to a halt, this has led to a reduction in the number of weekly instalments of the likes of Eastenders and Coronation Street. The absence of live sports has left a space, not only in the lives of sports fans, but also in the TV guide, so many broadcasters are turning to archive content to plug the gaps.

Broadcasters have built up significant amounts of content over the years, and this is proving a great opportunity to maximise it. The BBC, for example, is ensuring it still entertains the nation by re-running classics like Gavin and Stacey, while fans of period dramas can enjoy re-watching Great Expectations and Pride & Prejudice.

The broadcaster is also making more of its video library available on BBC iPlayer so viewers can stream whatever takes their fancy, while it’s focusing more programming on news, education, fitness and religion to keep people informed and active.

Similarly, sports broadcasters like BT Sport are showing extended highlights of matches and replays to continue to provide value for their audiences, most of whom will have paid for access to the channels.

• Lowering quality to cope with increased demand

Streaming on platforms such as Netflix has hit an all-time high. This has resulted in some over-the-top (OTT) providers, including the newly launched Disney+, reducing video download quality across Europe. This initiative has helped to reduce pressure on the continent’s internet bandwidth, while also ensuring that everybody can still stream content.

• Using alternative platforms to reach new audiences

Although they’re not technically broadcasters, over the last week, we’ve seen a growing number of social media influencers using Instagram or YouTube to broadcast everything from live workouts to cook-alongs. For instance, Joe Wicks, otherwise known as The Body Coach, is using his YouTube channel to run virtual ‘PE lessons’ for children who are no longer at school. So far, these videos have proved wildly popular, being viewed a staggering six million times.

There’s no doubt that these are uncertain times, however, it’s cheering to see broadcasters doing so much to ensure that audiences can continue to access much-needed entertainment and information despite facing disruption to their services.

Let us know what you’ve been watching so far during the ‘lockdown’.

There has been much debate in the PR industry about measurement — mainly because measuring earned communications success has always been complex and often has an indirect influence on a brand when compared with other marketing activities.

Businesses operate in an increasingly challenging environment. Today’s savvy senior executives rightly want to know the business impact a campaign has had and not how many clippings the PR team has delivered.

Measurement is not a myth

First and foremost, campaign success and business impact can absolutely be measured. However, it is important to recognise that it also needs commitment and support from the client to ensure an agency has access to the right tools and information required to complete the analysis. In some cases, this may require an additional investment in fees or third-party costs to deliver the desired analysis. But it’s about being clear about what you are trying to show and importantly how that data is going to be used.

A case in point is our collaboration with Omnico Group; together we identified that our integrated campaign generated £12 million in qualified sales leads. This was achieved by putting the right tracking mechanisms in place across each communication channel (earned, owned, paid, etc.) to highlight the return on investment (which actually didn’t need additional investment just effective collaboration with the client).

Download: Omnico Group case study

Introducing Whiteoaks Insights

Our measurement approach has always been valued by our clients and was highlighted in our recent client satisfaction survey which found that 89% of our clients were happy with our reporting, measurement and evaluation service, However, with the growth in data and reporting tools, there is still the need to evolve in this area.

Today, we are officially launching Whiteoaks Insights which is a dedicated brand for our research, measurement and evaluation services which can be utilised throughout the campaign lifecycle.

Our 360 Framework uses Whiteoaks Insights as standard to identify the business objectives, define the target audiences and create the right positioning and audience-centric messaging before the tactical plan is developed to ensure each campaign meets the broader business objectives.

Clients benefit from using Whiteoaks Insights services by gaining exclusive insights to inform communications strategy, including brand perception analysis, audience-driven intelligence and competitor analysis before embarking on a campaign.

Data-driven research can also provide a valuable role within a campaign creating compelling content and strong news hooks to drive brand visibility and audience engagement.  Finally, Whiteoaks Insights can be used post campaign implementation to evaluate brand perception change and audience advocacy.

Related: Generating Leads: Proving Communications Worth With Marketing Automation

Measurement as Standard

Measurement has always been at the heart of our approach to PR. Since 1999 we have offered clients tangible results with set performance commitments and formal service level agreements and measurement continues to be a critical part of our mission and vision.

In fact, our approach to campaign reporting is audience-centric and looks at visibility, engagement and impact of the campaign on the target audience to ensure we continue to demonstrate the value and role of PR for B2B businesses today.

If you are interested in hearing more about our Whiteoaks Insights services, please contact us here.

The media has had no shortage of high interest stories to cover this year. First there was the dreaded ‘B’ word, now we’ve moved on to the ‘C’ word. Coronavirus — obviously. When it comes to global viral outbreaks it would appear that, rightly or wrongly, the world has gone into panic mode, fuelled by sensationalist headlines and a distortion of the facts.

Governments and authorities need to communicate factual information, but as with any sharing of information the facts often get skewed and distorted in a game of social media Chinese whispers. The result is high volumes of ‘fake news’ causing unnecessary fear and a frustrating shortage of pasta and toilet roll in supermarkets across the UK.

It’s not just official sources and the media that need to be careful with how communication is handled throughout the pandemic. Organisations that find themselves affected in one way or another also need to pay particular attention to their communications plan in order to be effective without unduly causing concern or finding themselves in the centre of a PR nightmare.

So how can a knowledge of crisis communications benefit organisations impacted by Coronavirus? Here is a guide of how to communicate effectively and appropriately during this highly sensitive time:

• Be prepared: Being prepared is key; you want to control the narrative in any situation rather than let people come up with their own, so make sure you have a team and a plan in place well in advance. If your organisation does become affected by Coronavirus in any way then being prepared will enable you to act quickly and proactively. Tell people the steps you are taking to resolve any issues.
• Be empathetic and caring in your tone: If staff, customers, partners or end users are impacted then be empathetic to their predicament. Share as much information as you can as quickly as and regularly as you can. Again, showing that you are taking proactive steps to resolve the issue (where possible) will help.
• Make sure your information is accurate: It may seem obvious, but before you say anything be confident that what you’re saying is factual and accurate. Do not speculate and ensure all spokespeople are media trained and singing from the same hymn sheet.
• Don’t pretend to know everything: If you aren’t a medical professional don’t try to be! There is so much still unknown about Coronavirus that you could end up damaging trust in your brand and the credibility of the company if you try to fill in the blanks. However, you should know exactly what your organisation is doing and be able to articulate it clearly and concisely.
• Seek advice: Perfecting the balance between being caring and being ‘expert’ is a tough line to tread, and it’s even more important when the topic is so emotionally charged. Getting it wrong could not only damage the reputation of your organisation but it could add fuel to a fire that is already spreading pretty quickly. A good PR agency with a strong background in crisis communications will be able to advise you and guide you throughout the process.

Stay safe, stay calm and please remember to wash your hands!

Make no mistake, us Brits are certainly passionate about our tea. Nothing made this more evident than when Conservative MP Rishi Sunak sent shockwaves through the Twittersphere by posting a photo of himself pouring a few cuppas for his colleagues on 21^st February.

The photo in question featured Mr Sunak promoting a bag of Yorkshire Tea to the camera, or at least that’s what it looked like at first glance. With the impression that Yorkshire Tea had engineered a blatant piece of product placement, social media users flocked to Twitter to express their anger at the company for representing an affiliation to the blue side of UK politics.

The twist in the tale was that Yorkshire Tea was in no way involved with Rishi Sunak’s post, was not told in advance that it would be posted, and quickly gave a statement confirming this on the same day. Despite this, what quickly followed was a combination of accusations and boycott threats that inundated Yorkshire Tea’s Twitter account that following weekend.

In an impassioned tweet on Monday 24^th, Yorkshire Tea lamented the fact that Twitter users had attempted to drag the brand into a ‘political mudfight’. But the brand was also quick to praise those that defended the company.

What was most prominent in Yorkshire Tea’s response to the debacle, however, was the brand’s final tweet on the matter, which looked to make the point about social media abuse towards organisations, and made the case that a human still has to deal with the insults at the other end.

With this tweet, it added fuel to a debate that has certainly come to the forefront in recent months — something that my colleague Ellie spoke about a few weeks ago. Are we fully aware of the impact that harsh words can have on a recipient in the online world? Much has been said in regard to the impact of an individual’s mental health when they receive online abuse, but what about those who have to field insults when working under the umbrella of a corporate account?

A member of the firm’s social media team commented that it was easier to be on the receiving end of such abuse as part of an organisation, but also urged people to remember that the company had a human face, as well as a corporate one. After all, it is humans that ultimately make an organisation what it is, and we all have the potential to be affected by negative words.

#bekind

Back at the start of December 2019, history was made in the world of UK broadcasting. Amazon Prime live streamed multiple Premier League matches simultaneously, becoming the first platform to take football’s most watched league in the world, exclusively online in the UK.

Sky has dominated broadcasting rights of the Premier League since its inception in 1992. The biggest matches, the best pundits, the most iconic moments captured – the Premier League simply wouldn’t be what it is today without Sky.

However, in recent years BT has flexed its muscles, slowly chipping away at Sky’s monopoly. First it was one match on a Saturday, then the odd mid-week game, to now – where BT has complete exclusivity on European football’s most premier competitions, as well as a prime Saturday lunchtime broadcasting slot.

While BT provides stern competition for Sky, it certainly isn’t a ‘game-changer’. In other industries intense competition between suppliers means that it’s the consumers that stand to benefit. However, that’s not really the case here. As Premier League matches became split across two paid-for television broadcasters, fans still need to subscribe to both in order to watch the biggest matches. So, it makes sense that Sky lowered its price in line with this?

Good one.

Enter: Amazon Prime. A third subscription-based service which demands fans to part with more of their hard-earned cash in exchange for live Premier League football.

While it’s long been expected that the Premier League would sell off more broadcasting rights to have an online presence (Facebook a rumoured destination for some time), another paid-for service is simply too much to ask of fans. Surely this time, we didn’t fall for it, right? Un-surprisingly, we did.

Just last week it’s been reported that Amazon Prime overtook Netflix as the UK’s fast-growing streaming service, 35% growth in 2019 compared to Netflix’s 20%, credited in the main to its new Premier League broadcasting rights (do any of us actually watch Amazon original TV shows over Netflix?).

Am I guilty of contributing to this daylight robbery? Absolutely. Was it worth it? Absolutely. Like most things Amazon does, the end-result was pretty superb (my opinion may have been skewed had Chelsea not beaten Aston Villa 2-1). Most of us already have the Amazon app loaded onto our phones and tablets, and it’s already there on our smart TVs too.

MTV changed music in the 80s and remained on top until Spotify changed it again. Sky (MTV in this analogy), might be on top for now but it won’t last for long as fans eventually turn their back on rising prices for more technologically advanced services. And let’s be fair, it’s not like Amazon lacks budget when it comes to the next round of TV bidding.

As consumers, will we ultimately be the ones who benefit? Or will our monthly budgets be stretched by all this choice?

Just as the BBC continues to make cuts, Sky will surely be forced to expand Sky Go to become its main viewing platform or eventually succumb to the combination of Amazon (Spotify, in my excellent analogy), Netflix, Apple TV Plus and even the soon to be launched Disney+. The streaming wars are on, and who will win is anyone’s guess. But with Amazon setting its sights on one of the UK’s most prized assets, the Premier League, maybe that’s all the competitive advantage it needs.

“Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”

Nice idea… but really, who came up with that?

The human body has a remarkable ability to recover from physical injuries, and often without lasting damage. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule – if ever you’ve landed awkwardly on your ankle while dancing in your university kitchen, you’ll know what I mean. But if you’ve tripped over a stick or fallen on a stone and have, in fact, broken a bone, it’s usually a case of six weeks, cast off, and you can trot off into the sunset on your newly healed extremities.

Now, I love the occasional proverb. But this one sticks (pardon the pun) in my mind for all the wrong reasons. While it’s true that words themselves aren’t capable of inflicting physical harm, they are perhaps the most formidable weapon in anyone’s armoury.

“The pen is mightier than the sword.” – Edward Bulwer-Lytton, 1839 

Ah, another of my favourites.

I won’t spam you with any more quotes, I promise. But as a writer, voracious reader and passionate believer in the power of the written word, I think our good friend Mr Bulwer-Lytton was spot on with this one.

Because words are the backbone of everything. Whether you want to communicate important information, influence perspectives or change lives, it’s the words you choose, the content you write, and the things you say to people that matter.

Let’s take business as an example. Messaging is marketable. And when used to spread information and education, words are truly the most valuable asset we own – especially in PR. Without words, we’d have nothing to sell. Imagine not being able to communicate with clients or colleagues, or post on social media. Imagine a world without insightful content, without emails, without… speech?

Without words, the world as we know it would be no more.

As pointed out in 1839, the pen is “mighty”. Written words can mean the difference between understanding and confusion. Between success and failure. Between happiness and pain. And when it comes to negativity, trolling and the generation of “keyboard warriors” who use their words to inflict so much (non-physical, but very real) hurt, sometimes they can mean the difference between life and death.

I know I promised there wouldn’t be any more quotes. But given the recent tragedies in the news, this one is so poignant I couldn’t leave it out. So, I’ll apologise in advance, and leave you with this one to reflect on.

“Words start wars and end them, create love and choke it, bring us to laughter and joy and tears. Words cause men and women to willingly risk their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor. Our world, as we know it, revolves on the power of words.” – Roy Williams

When it comes to words, we all have choice. So choose to end wars. Choose love. Choose laughter. Choose to risk your fortune and your honour for the right reasons, and use your words to be a force for good in the world.

Words have so much power. It’s how we choose to use them that makes all the difference.

#BeKind