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If you are in the world of PR the term “news hijacking” will be very familiar to you. If you aren’t, it simply means recognising a breaking news item that is relevant to your client and being able to provide expert commentary on it as the story unfolds.

Sounds smart, right?

It is certainly useful to have in the tool-kit and for some sectors it forms a fundamental part of PR outreach and, when done well, results in securing high-profile, high quality media coverage. It is an invaluable tool that drives brand visibility for your client, positions executives as thought leaders and experts on the topic, and helps your company become a resource which the media can go to for future stories.

Take the security industry as an example: It is an ideal sector for this type of PR and recently, with the spate of data breaches, cyberattacks and political threats, security is a sector that is perfectly situated to tackle news hijacking opportunities.

Let’s look at the key steps to follow when looking to hijack the news.

Monitor, monitor, monitor

It is normal practice to be in the habit of monitoring the news if you work in PR but this task becomes essential if you are to jump on breaking news stories before they become old news. Set up news alerts with key terms like data breach or cyberattack, set up notifications on news apps on your phone or tablet, use Tweetdeck to monitor relevant hashtags, head to Google when you open your laptop in the morning and search the top key words for each of your clients. Consistently using one, or a combination of these tactics will help you ensure you are always hot on the tail of breaking news and will help you anticipate the news of tomorrow.

Be creative

There are two parts to this. Sometimes the ideal story for your client will break and the comment is clear; all you need is a simple pitch to journalists you have already built up a good relationship with.
Often though, this isn’t the case and you need to get creative!
Look outside the specific details of what your client offers and find the broader messages they can provide. For example, a cybersecurity client whose products focus on protecting against a specific type of attack – would they be willing to speak more widely on the topic of the cyber threat? What bold assertions would they be able to make?
When it comes to writing comments, it is critical to get guidance from the client on what they are comfortable discussing and from here you can elaborate and write compelling comment. The journalists are most likely to include comments that are strongly opinionated and say something new; so, within reason, the bolder the better.

Ready, steady, go

Once you have secured opportunities, keep in touch with the journalist to follow through and ensure you have provided them with everything you can. If it is a phone briefing or TV interview, make sure you provide both your client and the media contact with any relevant details they need. If the interview process (and the interview itself) runs smoothly and the producer is pleased with the result, they are likely to look to you again for future opportunities. Organisation is key.
As the story evolves and the news shifts to how the incident occurred and the repercussions, it’s good practice to follow up and either provide further comment or thought leadership on what could have been done or what businesses can learn looking forward.

Evaluation and evolution

An effective news hijacking approach is a continuous initiative and requires continuous assessment. What went well? Which media outlets were interested? How easy was it to get hold of the appropriate spokesperson? Is media training required? These are all areas that should be reviewed and discussed with the client in anticipation of the next opportunity.

For the PR agency, hijacking the news is about identifying a story, pitching out to the relevant media, and briefing the client on any opportunities that are secured. For the client, it’s a combination of sourcing appropriate spokespeople and assisting in the approval of comment or facilitating briefings.

1. What’s your career background, in brief?

Just like the world of PR, my background has been rather eclectic. My career really started when I took a year’s placement with McLaren Automotive as part of my PR degree while at Bournemouth University back in 2011. As the internal PR assistant to the global PR manager, the regional managers – spread over five continents including North America, Asia and the Middle East – and the head of communications and PR, it’s definitely safe to say that I hit the ground running!

Fast paced (just like McLaren’s supercars) from day one, this job was an amazing insight into the world of in-house PR. I was lucky to be able to take on so many exciting projects during the launch of the company’s first mass-production car, the MP4-12C, from journalist track days to factory tours in the world-renowned McLaren Technology Centre.

I used this automotive experience in my previous agency role, working with the likes of Volvo and Peugeot on both consumer and B2B campaigns. However, after graduating, I first moved into another in-house role for a food, facilities and uniform services company, which sparked an interest in the B2B channel. This ultimately led me to take up the position of account manager for Whiteoaks International and move into the technology space.

 

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

Working in retail – mainly because being 17 and having to reluctantly give up your Sunday to work in Primark will always seem like the worst thing in the world. However, given Primark prices, the biggest challenge was trying to stop people haggling for items of clothing reduced to 50p when it looked like 30p…

 

4. What apps, technology items and gadgets can’t you live without?
Spotify – which I guess also means my phone – as I definitely couldn’t live without music!

 

5. What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
Quite simply to do what makes you happy.

 

6. Name one thing about your job that gives you a sense of satisfaction or makes you leave the office smiling…
I think no matter what job you’re in, knowing the client or customer is happy is always a rewarding experience. My team (Team Taurus) always keep me smiling though!

 

7. Do you personalise your workspace?
I like to have a tidy desk and just keep out what I need during the day. The only thing that sets my desk apart is probably the variety of snacks/teas I keep on there; peppermint tea, peanut butter, a piece of fruit and cashew nuts are usually firm staples.

 

8. What’s the first thing you do in the office in the morning?
I usually come straight from the gym in the morning, so I’ll eat my breakfast while checking emails with a big cup of coffee!

 

9. What are you reading, watching or listening to at the moment?
I’m currently reading ‘Why we Sleep’ by Matthew Walker, a professor of neurosciences – it’s probably one of the most eye-opening and fascinating books I’ve ever read and would definitely recommend it. The book delves into everything from what really happens during deep REM (which I discovered stands for rapid eye movement) sleep, to why our sleep patterns change across a lifetime as well as the scary links it has to a lot of major diseases. He also did a great podcast with Joe Rogan for those who’d prefer to listen all about it.

I’m on the lookout for a new series to watch though, so if anyone has any suggestions on that, let me know!

When you hear the name of a brand, most people immediately think of the logo, advert or other visual asset that is associated with it; whether that is McDonald’s golden ‘m’, Twitter’s bird or Apple’s… well, apple. To grab the attention of your audience, your brand must be eye-catching, relevant and be representative of the core values and messages behind your business – and extends far beyond just the logo.

The term ‘brand’ originates from the mark that was put onto livestock as a way of identifying the animal’s owner. While the definition of a brand has significantly developed over time, the concept remains the same; it is a way of identifying the people, values and messages behind a business and the design of a brand is a vital asset.

But how can a B2B business ensure that every aspect of its brand resonates with its target audience and plays its role in creating a successful business?

Here are my three top tips for designing an impactful brand:

1) Be consistent – Consistency is essential for any brand looking to develop long-lasting relationships with its customers and prospects and presenting a coherent image is just the start. The branding of a business gives the prospect or client a reflection of the service they will expect to receive. If a brand is clear, professional and consistent, it will create a positive expectation and increase the likelihood of a prospect engaging with your business. The opposite effect will take place if that same prospect is exposed to a mismatch of imagery and messaging. An effective brand is one that presents itself consistently across all platforms, be that its website, social media pages or other marketing and promotional resources, combining to represent the proposition and value that the business delivers.

2) Trigger an emotion – For a brand to stand out from the crowd it must trigger a positive emotion from its audience and there are several ways in which this can be achieved. While it may not be something that we as consumers consciously think about, colours, shapes and textures play a huge role in the way we think about a brand. When designing a brand, it is fundamental that the psychology behind the design is considered, in combination with the business story, in order to initiate the desired reaction.

3) Keep it simple – The most successful brands are those that have a clear mission and focus all their efforts on achieving that goal. As a result, the design of the brand creates the link relationship between the customer and the business, developing associations with the value that it delivers through its products and/or services. The most impactful brands are those which don’t try hard to explain what it is that they offer and how they create value for its stakeholders. A perfect example of this is Intel, who are known to consumers throughout the world as its ‘sound’ and logo are universally known

While the design aspect of a brand must grab the attention of your target audience, this pales into insignificance if the messages in the content that’s shared don’t match up, tell a story and in the end, sell what the business is selling. It’s not the logo that will ultimately result in sales and brand loyalty. Taking tech giant, Apple as an example, the Apple logo is not the reason you’re reading this blog on your iPhone or MacBook. You’ve been sold a story and it’s the people, the purpose, the messaging and the value that Apple collectively creates, that made you part with your hard-earned cash.

Have you ever left your phone at home and felt as though you are missing a limb for the rest of the day? Technology, like the smartphone, has become so woven into our everyday lives it is hard for most of us to think about life without it. In the case of the smartphone, it has become our alarm, our diary, our entertainment, a way to bank, and even our education. It’s no longer just a way to connect with our friends and family.

Understandably as smartphone brands are developing models that can do more and more, as consumers we’re spending more and more time on our phones. According to a number of studies, this time spent scrolling our screen can have a negative effect on our ‘digital health’. One 2016 study found a link between the amount of time spent on social media and the participant’s risk for depression. Those who checked their social media most frequently were 2.7 times more likely to be depressed compared to those who checked less often. Those who spent the most amount of time on social media throughout the week had 1.7 times the likelihood of depression.

The collective research begs the question: if tech really is making us miserable should the industry really be the one to challenge us about how long we spend online? It certainly seems so if you consider that both Apple and Google have apps which aim to improve your digital health.

The Apple app – Screen Time – is standard on all iPhones with the last iOS software release. It allows you to stop your phone from bothering you while you’re asleep; it will cluster certain notifications together to avoid constant disruptions; and give a tally to see how many times a day you check your phone – all in a bid to improve your wellbeing. The app will also show how long you spend on each other app and helps people set daily limits. At Apple’s annual developer conference, the company’s senior vice-president of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi stated: “For some of us it’s become such a habit we don’t even recognise just how distracted we’ve become.”

According to multiple studies, people spend on average more than four hours a day on their phones. Which shows that maybe it is time for us to start limiting our phone usage.

When Android P is released this summer, it will bring with it a new dashboard designed to clearly show the amount of time we’re spending on our phones. You’ll see a breakdown that includes the number of times you’ve unlocked your device, a tally of notifications, and details on how much time you’re spending in individual apps. With Google-owned YouTube offering ‘take a break’ notifications that will display a prompt when you’ve exceeded a specific amount of consecutive viewing time.

This could be seen as an important step by Google, as according to MediaKix the top social media platforms ordered by usage are:
• YouTube
• Facebook
• Snapchat
• Instagram
• Twitter

Apps make up the core activity on our phones according to comScore’s Mobile Hierarchy Report (Jan. 2017), collectively 87% of total mobile usage minutes.

Though it can be seen as a huge worry that people are spending more and more time on their smartphones it shouldn’t always necessarily be seen as bad or unhealthy. Our phones have become a vessel in which we can express ourselves freely, meet new people, experience new opportunities and can have a positive impact on our relationships.

For all businesses involved in the smartphone ecosystem, I believe it’s their duty to communicate through social media and mobile messaging as well, because they need to meet and engage consumers where they already spend their time. Maybe it’s about finding a balance – although there is a certain irony in using an app to do that.

30 May 2018 – REPL Group, a global technology and consulting firm focusing on innovative solutions for the retail industry, has appointed Whiteoaks International, a leading UK-based technology PR agency, to raise the profile of its workforce management and engagement, warehouse management and instore solutions to support the company’s ambitious plans for growth.

Whiteoaks was appointed following a competitive pitch process, due to its proven knowledge of the retail and logistics technology industry and its record of PR, content and digital work in this area. REPL particularly liked Whiteoaks’ innovative approach to transparent service delivery and saw Whiteoaks’ focus on performance and results as an excellent match for its own company culture.

Rachel Price, marketing director for REPL Group, commented: “REPL has grown extensively over the last 10 years and is continually innovating by identifying the best industry solutions to meet the needs of retailers. We wanted an external PR agency to help us promote our strong positioning within the market as we further grow and serve new customers.

“We were impressed by Whiteoaks’ knowledge of the retail industry and the commitment to results-driven PR and we are confident of a hugely successful relationship.”

Whiteoaks is currently developing a media relations campaign, emphasising REPL’s role as an industry thought leader. The campaign will maximise REPL’s pioneering role in the field of workforce management, its in-depth knowledge and passion for the retail experience and its dedication to modernising the industry by delivering the best technological solutions to align with its customers’ business goals.

James Kelliher, Whiteoaks International CEO, said: “REPL is a fast-growing business with proven authority and extensive experience in the retail sector and we are delighted to have the opportunity to help build its brand and scale the business further.

“Our transparent way of working and commitment to achieving and exceeding targets continues to set us apart from other PR firms, and we feel sure that this approach will help REPL to significantly increase awareness of its workforce management, logistics and other solutions.”

Earlier this week, Mark Ward, BBC Technology correspondent, posed the question why are so many firms so bad at handling social media? The examples used to prove the journalist’s point included some cringe-inducing Twitter blunders, from US Airways accidentally including a pornographic image in a reply to an unhappy customer, to Microsoft’s artificially “intelligent” chatbot Tay tweeting racist and anti-Semitic views after been corrupted by internet trolls.

On the flip side, an example was referenced that illustrated where the red blushes caused by some tweets can be turned into humorous postings for others. Take for instance dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster which took advantage of the United Airlines forced removal of a passenger scandal in 2017 and sent this mischievous tweet:

‘Volunteer’ means “someone who does something without being forced to do it.” https://t.co/qNAcMyplhZ

— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) April 11, 2017

There are countless examples of companies using social media incorrectly on a day-to-day basis, from failing to respond to customers complaints in a timely manner, to — would you believe — actually promoting their competitors in this case here.

One suspects the main reasons for these failings is because not enough thought or time has been put into making social work. But businesses shouldn’t be put off. Platforms such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram can play a vital role in reaching a wider audience for organisations of all shapes and sizes, when used correctly. For example, some brands are more suited to LinkedIn, some Twitter and Instagram, and occasionally all. Plus, the social management tools such as Hootsuite, Tweetdeck and Sprout Social can help put in place approval measures so that no one in the social team can post a message without a second check from someone else.

Social media is the ideal tool for engaging with customers and potential customers and the companies that are doing it well are increasingly using it to implement a user-generated content strategy. Not only does it encourage interaction, but it also makes it easy for your biggest advocates to show their appreciation of your brand to others. A creative example of this comes from the online fashion giant Asos.

Shady just got a brand-new meaning @the.dight ASOS DESIGN jumpsuit (1228608)

A post shared by ASOS (@asos) on May 9, 2018 at 12:23am PDT

Encouraging followers to generate their own content referencing your product or service is the 21^st century version of word of mouth which is always the best form of advertising.

Without a robust and appropriate social strategy and presence, businesses potentially lose valuable insight into what resonates with its audience who spend a lot of time on these channels. These insights allow organisations to take on feedback from a range of demographics to ultimately improve their business offering.

Consistency of message, professionalism, proper data collection methods and creativity are key ingredients to what we believe ensures social media success. Showing a human side and having some fun need to be in the mix too if companies are to become socially confident and less awkward.

Finally, our recent Whiteoaks Insights social selling webinar covers some of the social media ‘management’ points that I’ve made here, plus of course it delves into what social selling is and how to start on that journey. You can watch the webinar on-demand here on our website.

This week the news broke that the non-food online division of Tesco, Tesco Direct, will close in just a matter of weeks, putting 500 jobs at risk. The website that sold clothing, lifestyle items and homewares has been forced to cease business as it has “no route to profitability” – the reason given for this? Tesco said it was high delivery and marketing costs. My reason? Amazon.

Amazon is ruthless, unwavering and we cannot seem to function without it! Need a new phone charger delivered by tomorrow? Amazon. Ran out of cat food? Amazon. Forgot to get your boyfriend a birthday present? Amazon.

Product searches needn’t begin on Google anymore; shoppers can turn to Amazon as the first port of call for even the most obscure of products – leaving other retailers on a backfoot from the very start. The ‘Amazon Effect’ is becoming a widely referred to phenomenon and for good reason. The giant is forever spreading its tentacles, venturing into, not just new categories of retail, but new sectors as it sets its sight on entertainment, shipping, food, healthcare and banking. A recent article by Natalie Berg in the Grocer put it well by saying, “It doesn’t just go after share of wallet. It goes after share of life.”

Combine this approach with competitive prices and Prime delivery offerings and it seems inevitable that websites, such as Tesco Direct, won’t be able to compete and are destined to struggle at best or at worst, collapse.

One of the key differentiators that is attributed to Amazon’s success is its relentless disruption which it continues to finetune. Recent years have seen the retailer lead the way with innovative shopping solutions such as its cashier-less shop Amazon Go and its AI-powered home assistant Amazon Echo. Each action is led by a vision that hasn’t changed since its inception: revolutionise in order to bring long-term value for customers.

The recent merger discussions between Asda and Sainsbury’s can also be attributed to the ‘Amazon Effect’. The supermarkets are attempting to take control of the market before Amazon, inevitably, does. Despite the infrastructure being in place, as it stands Amazon is not a food destination as it lacks a compelling range of products – something that an Asda-Sainsbury’s merger could certainly offer. With Sainsbury’s owning Argos, this merger would create a retailing powerhouse in food, clothing, toys, home and lifestyle.

Amazon’s continuous dissatisfaction with the status quo pushes all retailers, including supermarkets, to be on their toes and raise the bar in accordance with the standards the online retailer sets. We have already seen this in areas such as sophisticated delivery options and speed, voice technology and checkout options. Customers’ expectations are rising in accordance with the standards Amazon is setting, meaning retailers are having to keep on their toes if they are to survive.

Ultimately, nobody does Amazon like Amazon and neither Tesco closing its non-grocery website nor the Asda-Sainsbury’s merger will challenge the Amazon problem overnight, but both are certainly a step in the right direction to supermarkets surviving against the almighty Amazon.

With the highly anticipated Royal Wedding tomorrow, most of us Brits – and many Americans – can barely contain our excitement. So, get your cuppa, scones and sophisticated facial recognition technology ready. That’s right, the most televised event of the year will be using automated facial recognition.

The Royal Wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle is the social event of the year, and if you’re not on the guest list, don’t panic. Broadcasters will be using facial recognition technology to help you spot all of the celebrity wedding guests, including stars of Meghan’s former TV show Suits.

Sky News, with the help of tech startups and Amazon Web Services, will broadcast the wedding with a service called ‘Who’s Who Live’. The facial recognition software will identify guests who will appear as subtitles on our screens. The new functionality will allow Royal Wedding viewers around the world to have a greater insight into one of the biggest live events of the year.

However, it’s not just the Royal Wedding that has been the talk of the headlines this week. You might not have realised it, but facial recognition technology is already in use at large-scale events for security reasons. But as it becomes adopted more widely by police forces, the biggest question on our mind is, can we trust it?

With automated facial recognition technology currently being used by UK police forces without a clear legal basis, the police are scanning thousands of our faces and comparing them against secret databases. However, recent research has revealed the Metropolitan Police has the worst record for using this technology, with alarmingly more than 98 per cent of scans providing incorrect results.

With no legislation, guidance, policy or oversight, facial recognition technology is argued by many to have no place in public. Every person who walks by these cameras will have their face scanned and stored on a police database. If you are one of the unlucky ones who is falsely identified as a match, you might be forced to prove your identity to the police – or be arrested for a crime you didn’t commit. However, the government is working alongside the “evolving” technology and is actively seeking to improve security measures and identify potential or current threats.

Taking a step back, facial recognition technology is also being used in more consumer-driven applications, which we’re comfortable with.

Instead of using passcodes, mobile phones and other consumer electronics can be accessed with our facial features. Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi Corp have all installed ‘FaceTech’ in some of their phones. This is just a small stepping stone towards consumers getting into their cars, houses, and other secure physical locations by simply looking at them.

For the most part, facial recognition technology seems to be encouraging a more seamless relationship between people, payments and possessions, without infringing on our rights because it’s our choice – and that’s the crucial point. As this technology is slowly being integrated into our lives, is it perhaps paving the way for bigger and more “invasive” applications?

Opinions on trade shows tend to differ greatly. To some, they are a monumental waste of money and/or time for businesses, offering little more than a handful of irrelevant business cards. To others, they are a fundamental date in the calendar for new business, and for which major corporate and customer news is held back, in order to make the biggest splash possible.

Having heard these opinions from both clients and prospects alike, I try to see both sides. Yet I’ve always had a fondness for RBTE, the UK’s major retail tech show held at the Olympia each spring.

With a host of our current clients attending or exhibiting, it offers a great opportunity to network and gain a greater understanding of the issues and challenges, topics and themes disrupting the fascinating retail industry.

The usual mega trends around POS (point of sale), cash handling, data collection and supply chain were obviously visible, while I finally got to meet Pepper the robot, who stole the show in 2017. This wasn’t necessarily a key goal of mine, but having seen the diminutive little chap in just about every social post last year, I was more than a little curious…

But I digress. The one point that was hammered home time and again, on stands, in discussions and in speaker panels, was that of customer experience. People are more demanding, less trusting and expect relevant information instantly. A statistic given at the event was that 89% of companies are now competing on customer experience, not product. That is a quite incredible shift.

One of the sessions I enjoyed attending in the Retail Technology Conference was led by Vicki Cantrell, a retail transformation officer at Aptos. In a wide-ranging discussion, she told the crowd that any time a consumer is exposed to a better digital experience, their expectations are reset to a new, higher level consumers expecting better digital experiences from all sectors – not just retail – if the bar is raised by anyone they interact with.

The importance of breaking down data silos and the death of loyalty points are clearly issues that will continue to significantly challenge retailers, but what I particularly enjoyed was her view on organisational change.

On a couple of occasions Vicki dismissed the typical view that “I won’t be able to change my organisation on my own” and encouraged proactive staff to get together across different units to make a business case.

So, while the usual big buzzwords such as AI, personalisation, customer experience and omnichannel, will dominate column inches in the trade media as always, it was this message of hope, proactivity and partnership that will stick with me. It is clear that there is a talented and hungry community of vendors seeking to make the retail industry run smoother – what is now needed is the realisation, throughout all parts of the retail ecosystem, that these goals can be achieved.

2 May 2018 – The PRWeek Top 150 UK PR Consultancies: Technology Rankings 2018 have just been released and we’re delighted that Whiteoaks International has been ranked as the number one technology agency outside of London. We’re the second fastest growing in the top 10, recording a 21% boost in the last 12 months. In the overall all-agency Top 150, our ranking is now 78th, up from 96th in 2017.

In 2018, as we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we’re also pleased have achieved accreditation to the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA)’s Communications Management Standard for Agencies (CMS).

Click here to see the full top 50 technology rankings.