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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

While employee engagement is now highly regarded as a critical enabler to business success, organisations and associated HR and internal communication teams are still faced with a number of challenges when it comes to building and maintaining it. For many businesses, this is largely shown by their employee turnover figures that continue to increase year after year, with research also reporting that 63% of companies admit retaining employees is actually harder than hiring them.

A recent survey declared British CEOs as disengaged from the workforce.  This, coupled with recent research from one our clients, employee engagement app technology company Vevox, which found over one-third (34%) of employees in large organisations say that management rarely or never listen to them and address their ideas, also suggests that there is a sizeable engagement gap between senior management and the workforce. This, in turn, is arguably affecting employees’ willingness to provide feedback – which is backed up further by Vevox’s research that revealed more than half of employees (57%) are often afraid to voice ideas to management about how their role or the business could be improved.

Organisations are also somewhat challenged by the ever-changing employee demands prompted by our multi-generational workforce. With so many varied needs and expectations, it can be difficult for companies to cater for everyone. But if they aren’t doing so, it will likely have a negative effect on how their employees engage with them.

Fortunately, today’s technology is giving businesses a good chance at improving engagement levels and building positive relationships between senior management teams and employees. There is a new array of communication and engagement gamification apps that not only appeal to younger, tech-savvy workers, but also open up opportunities for organisations to offer employees new ways of engaging with the business and sharing feedback and ideas.

In addition to this, AI and data analytics technologies are providing businesses with intelligent insights that enable HR teams to identify and track employee trends, monitor satisfaction and create tailored development and career plans to enhance engagement and retain staff.

Social media is also another valuable platform that organisations can utilise to engage with their workforce. Giving employees the opportunity to engage with different channels can encourage them to feel continuously connected with the business and keeps them informed with the latest updates and company news.

As today’s business landscape continues to evolve and change, employee engagement is likely to continue to present some challenges. But, if organisations utilise the engagement tools that are available to them to the best of their advantage, they do have the potential to derive great value from their workforce.

What’s your career background, in brief?

My first proper introduction to the fast-paced, ever-changing world of PR was my sandwich year placement at the John Lewis Partnership as part of my PR degree at Leeds Beckett University. I supported the events and photography team, working on various exciting projects across fashion, home and technology, including press shows, lookbook shoots and the celebrations for the Partnership’s 150-year anniversary. Every day was different, and even though it was an in-house role, it gave me a taste of what agency life could be like, jumping between projects and brand teams.

After graduating university with a First Class degree, I joined a leading boutique consumer agency, working on household name interior and consumer technology brand accounts. Due to the size of agency, I wore a lot of hats during my time there – from press officer and event organiser, to social media manager and business development executive. An interest in embracing a more tech-focused role brought me to Whiteoaks, moving into the B2B space.

What’s the most challenging job you’ve ever had?

At university, one of my part time jobs was in a call centre – a great way to develop a thick skin!

What apps, technology items and gadgets can’t you live without?

I run my life from my phone, so I’d be pretty lost without it. App-wise, my top three would be Whatsapp, Instagram and Strava – I’m a keen runner, so I love seeing the stats build up.

What’s the best advice you’ve been given?

You can’t change how people act towards you, you can only change how you react to other people – a solid bit of advice that I try to keep in mind.

Name one thing about your job that gives you a sense of satisfaction or makes you leave the office smiling?

It’s always nice when the client is happy, but I really enjoy helping a team member with their development and seeing them succeed – whether that’s on a standalone project or growing their skill set in a particular area.

Do you personalise your workspace?

Not really as I’m a bit of a neat freak – at my last job I was mocked for chronologically numbering my notepads!

What’s the first thing you do in the office in the morning?

I have quite a long commute, so I’m ready for a coffee as soon as I get in! Then I’ll check my emails and form a to-do list for the day – usually accompanied by a chat over the desks about everyone’s evenings.

What are you reading, watching or listening to at the moment?

We’re finishing up the second series of Dark, a dubbed German-language drama on Netflix, which has been really intense. Maybe that’s why I’m opting for lighter reading material at the moment – Diary of a Drag Queen by Crystal Ramussen (yes, she’s the drag queen from R29 Money Diaries; if you know, you know!). Before that it was The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne, which is one of the best books I’ve read lately and would highly recommend.

To say that technology has become an all-encompassing entity amidst modern-day life would be to state an obvious fact. Most of us would only need to look at our daily routines to grasp a sense of how digitally dependent we truly are. No longer do we walk to our local travel agents to book a holiday abroad, we simply download a mobile app that allows us to from the comfort of our own home – but wait, there’s more. Now we can book ourselves a taxi to the airport. We can pre-order food to eat before our flight. We have mobile banking to convert the British pound into our necessary currency. Tech has enabled us to achieve more than we could possibly imagine, and for many businesses, technology and the subsequent effect it has on our lives brings the promise of professional perks, as well as plenty of potential pitfalls.

In a 2019 article that explores the benefits of technology in business, Alison Coleman of The Telegraph states that business leaders aim to focus their attention on the rise of social media. Surveys conducted by Brother UK and Telegraph Spark which Coleman samples within her article state that 35% of business owners believe social media will be their central focus over the next 12 months in order to future-proof their enterprise. Online platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat, and Twitter are all used to promote global businesses and the sales of their products and goods. It can also be argued that these same social media applications are used to ‘sell’ our own self-image, whether that be our authentic selves or an ideal image of our life which we hope other people will believe and accept. According to a recent UENI study (as featured in The Telegraph), Facebook is named as the preferred platform for selling products, with five out of six small businesses admitting to using social media platforms as a way of increasing their company sales. Here we can see a prime example of how technology is used to increase efficiency and productivity in our daily work environment, supporting the idea that the effect of technology on our lives is one that provides positive results.

Another form of technology piquing the interest of business owners is artificial intelligence (AI). The rise of AI and the effect it has on our working lives has garnered much attention in recent years, including media coverage from publications such as Forbes who discuss the use of AI during the business recruitment process. The 2019 article states that AI-enabled machines are now being implemented to help business owners choose the right candidates based on cognitive and emotional responses. While this ideology may help pick the appropriate candidates based on intelligence, it seems that the human interaction of a face-to-face interview could now become a distant memory as a result.

A recent statistic from thinktank platform Reform (as featured in a 2017 article from HRreview) indicates that 250,000 administrative jobs could be taken over by AI-based technologies as of the year 2030. This statement foreshadows a more drastic effect that technology could have on the everyday lives of working humans; a future that highlights our society’s reliance on technology, as well as the potential for an AI-dominant workplace. In terms of how workers themselves feel about this change, YouGov reveals that 38% of workers believe their current job will still exist for them in 15 years’ time, however, 15% of employees believe that their job will soon be replaced by AI entirely.

To conclude, it seems that rather than influencing our lives, technology has simply become a part of life itself. The reality is that technology is not going away. But rather than assessing whether this digital uprising is a positive or negative thing we should be embracing and acknowledging both sides of the coin while keeping our eyes peeled for the latest and greatest advancements.

The role of PR is constantly evolving as its lines are often blurred with marketing and advertising. At the end of the day, each of these disciplines works towards the common goal of getting customers to part with their cash by creating a unique name and image in their mind – the very definition of ‘branding’.

More than that, branding triggers the memories of every touchpoint that customers have had with your company; everything that they have seen or heard, from content in the news or on social media to your company values and culture. They all impact on your brand image.

Is this different in the B2B space? Yes, it is for the simple reason that B2B requirements differ. The relationship between vendor and customer in B2B deals is often a partnership as opposed to a simple, one-time transaction. This heightens the importance of communicating that your business understands its customers’ pain points.

Buyers in the B2B environment are often required to make more strategic, long-term decisions on behalf of their organisation. It is therefore vital that sellers deliver strong and consistent messaging across platforms that will be seen by the buyer.

That is where PR comes in.

We are living in a time of media abundance. It is nigh on impossible to leave the house without hearing about the latest breaking news or being exposed to the latest advert promoting the latest gadget that you really don’t need (but will probably end up buying anyway). It has become increasingly difficult for brands to get their voices heard above the noise.

To change the outcome, you must change the approach. It’s time to get creative!

What differentiates you from your competitors? Not sure? Don’t worry, we can help with that .

A unique piece of industry research that pinpoints the pain points of a specific group of people can feed a wide range of PR and marketing materials, from articles and blogs to infographics and social media posts, each positioning your brand as the industry leader.

Alternatively, industry expertise can be utilised to present your business as the go-to-place for support in the industry.

Whatever your differentiator is, you should use it to tell the story of your business and how not working with it is the business equivalent of losing a limb (or something a little less scary!).

Attracting and obtaining loyal customers is about finding people who share a fundamental belief, so find out what that fundamental belief is and shout it from the rooftops.

Marketing expert, Simon Sinek famously stated that ‘people don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe’. Your buyers aren’t interested in your product specs, they want to know how and why your product will change their lives for the better. Whatever that is for your business, find it and use it to feed your communications activity.

And don’t forget, if you need help drop us an email or give us a call by visiting our contact page.

Much has changed in the world of PR over the last 10 years, from the decline in print media, to the rise of social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram (to name but a few!). So, as we enter a new decade, what trends can we expect to shape our industry in 2020?

Social Media

It may come as no surprise to hear that social media will continue to play a significant role. Over the last decade it has provided companies with a platform to engage directly with their audience and help build awareness. Over the last few years, the importance of social influencers has really taken off and this will continue to hold true. However, the sorts of influencers we approach is set to change. Consumers are getting savvier when it comes to influencers who represent brands they don’t genuinely believe in. Cue the micro-influencers!

In the past, marketing and PR professionals have opted to approach so called ’macro-influencers’; individuals with a following of between 100,000 to over 1 million. However, recently there has been some doubt around the authenticity of their promotional activity. And so, in 2020 we expect to see a shift towards the use of more micro-influencers; individuals who are still considered experts but with a smaller following of between 10,000 and 500,000, allowing them to be more connected and engaged with their followers.

Niche Media

The way in which we consume media is changing. The rise in AI has meant that we expect content to be tailored and personalised; the news is no different. Traditionally in PR, the goal is to get that top-tier media placement, however, like with the move from ‘macro’ to ‘micro-influencers’, the media is also shifting its attention to more niche publications such as blogs, forums and podcasts. Outlets like these focus on specific topics while still having a large readership, allowing companies and brands to target a specialised, niche audience.

New avenues for existing channels

There’s also the social media shopping trend to consider. Now more than ever people are using these platforms to shop and discover new products, with around 60% of Instagram users and 70 % of Pinterest users shopping via social media.

These platforms have taken note of the fact that people are using them to shop and have made it easier for stores to sell via social media. Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook have all jumped on the trend of developing shoppable posts for online retailers, allowing stores to tag products directly on their posts. For PR experts, this means social media is going to become even more critical to a successful campaign and product messages will need to be integrated with these tags to take advantage of the increase in online traffic.

Audio

There are now estimated to be 3.25 billion voice-activated assistant devices being used across the world. Do you use one?? I’ll admit I do! And they have changed the way in which we carry out daily tasks. Not only are people using voice-activated assistants to play music, tell us what the weather will be or set a timer; we can also use them to consume news and carry out searches. So, as voice technology continues to grow, what do PR professionals need to be aware of when writing a pitch?

• How does your pitch read when spoken aloud? Typically PR professionals have only had to consider how words are read. However, with more and more people using voice-activated assistants to search for news we must now think about how words sound when read aloud in response to a question.
• Key words – the search terms people use when speaking to a voice-activated assistant will be noticeably different to those used when typing in a web browser. Consequently, PR professionals must think about the keywords in their pitch and how this aligns with the way in which people search across both voice assistants and internet web browsers.

This also affects existing communication channels. Things such as packaging, manuals, apps and emails are all ways in which companies can already take advantage of voice activation. For this to be successful, it must be clear to consumers what key terms to use in order to utilise a company’s voice features.

This is but a glimpse at some of the exciting trends set to transform the PR industry in the coming year, and I for one am excited to see what the next decade has in store for PR.

The lure of potential growth, scalability, enhanced profitability and market domination fuels the merger and acquisition (M&A) market. Over the last three years the value of global M&A deals has increased year-on-year to reach $3.8bn in 2018 (Statista). And in the UK alone, 9,000 deals took place (Statista). A successful M&A can combine a wealth of collateral, including: people, assets, ways of working, values, branding, technology, IT software, marketing assets and… social media channels.

Once the principles of an M&A have been carefully planned, developing a combined social media strategy might not be a top business priority, but it should be considered. Although social media might have started as a hipster trend, it’s now flourished to become an incredibly important tool in the marketing and business mix. It allows businesses to instantly connect with customers, partners, prospects and employees. We are more digitally savvy and spending more time on social media than ever before (wearesocial). And despite the rumours, we are willing to exchange our data on social media.

Where to start?

There is not a single rule on how to approach combining two social media strategies and infrastructures following an M&A because each business is different. Should the social media accounts remain, merge, rebrand, or completely close all together? Each M&A should be assessed on a case-by-case basis and should align to the wider business direction. But where do you start? Conduct a social media audit to identify which channels you might need to take ownership of and understand the positioning and performance of the channels. You should consider the following:

• What social media channels exist? Who has access? What are the passwords?
• How well established are the channels? What audience are they targeting? How engaged is the audience?
• What is the channel and/or content strategy? Customer service? Brand awareness? Lead gen?
• What third-party digital and social media tools are they using? What’s included in the contract? And when does it expire?
• Do any employees have brand social media accounts, such as the senior management team or sales?
• Do you have a PR and social media policy? Identify if the business owns the rights to the channels or whether they’re owned by the individuals.

Remember your customers

Before making any decisions, think about the short- and long-term outlook, and the customer. Minimise as much disruption as possible for customers and clearly communicate to them what they need to know. Retaining and migrating customers is essential. Don’t be surprised if a competitor runs a paid social media campaign targeting your followers following your M&A going public. This is a common tactic.

Once a new social media strategy has been agreed, consider how it should be communicated internally, to whom and what level of information they need to know and action. Prioritise teams that are directly connected with social media such as customer service, sales and marketing.

Understand the landscape

When considering social media best practice on how to approach M&A, it’s important to understand the limitations of each social media network. This varies considerably from platform to platform. For example, you can easily delete a Twitter channel, but you can’t delete a LinkedIn page. On Instagram you can easily change your name, if it’s not taken, but on Facebook you can’t, you must apply for a name change.

There’s a lot to consider and navigate following an M&A. But remember to keep it simple when it comes to communication, put the customer first, align your efforts with the wider business direction and make sure you know what you can and can’t do on each platform.

Ross Walker, Head of Digital & Social