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It is less than two months until the introduction of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

A number of our clients at Whiteoaks are helping B2B organisations prepare for the regulation, which is set to radically change the way that businesses collect, store and use data belonging to individuals.

In summary, the regulation standardises data protection law across 28 EU countries and imposes strict new rules on controlling and processing personal information. Organisations found to breach the regulation can be fined up to 4% of annual global turnover for breaching GDPR, or €20m.

GDPR comes into force on 25th May and is designed to strengthen data protection for consumers, making it easier for EU citizens to understand how their data is being used, and also raise any complaints.

Recent research suggests that attitudes amongst consumers are already changing when it comes to how their personal data is used.

Almost two-thirds (61%) of consumers are already happy with the amount of personal information they share, according to the ‘Data privacy: What the consumer really thinks’ report from our client the DMA, in partnership with Acxiom.

This change in attitudes has been greatest among 55-64 year-olds who have historically been more cautious; 63% said they are happy with the amount of data they share today, compared to 47% in 2012.

So if consumers are increasingly happy with the data that businesses hold about them and the way they use it, is there really a need for further regulation?

Critically, 88% of those surveyed for the report cited transparency as one of the keys to further increasing trust in how their data is collected. One of the benefits of GDPR is that it establishes a level of honesty about how data is used, which is essential to build and maintain trust between businesses and consumers.

As we edge ever closer to 25th May, the good news for B2B marketers is that – according to DMA research – they are more prepared for GDPR than their B2C counterparts.

However, the same research found that while B2B marketers are feeling more prepared (+4%) than marketers in B2C organisations, they’re less likely (-6%) to possess a detailed understanding of how GDPR will affect their company.

While many of the headlines have been about the fines that organisations may face as a result of breaching the regulation, marketers recognise the potential that the regulation has to enhance business performance and marketing activities. The DMA found that 71% of marketers believe GDPR represents a unique opportunity to implement more creative campaigns.

We believe that GDPR presents businesses with a rare opportunity to enhance processes around how data is collected, stored and used, which in turn will enable marketers to continue along the path of building trust with consumers.

We talk a lot about the methods and importance of measurement in the PR business, and so it was great to attend PR Moment’s recent analytics event where Alex Aiken, executive director of the Government Communication Service counselled attendees to “make measurement a mainstream part of every PR programme and campaign. It’s not nice to have. It’s an integral part of communications.”

Measurement has been at the heart of our results-driven approach to PR – in fact since 1999, when we offered clients a better PR solution – tangible results with robust performance commitments and formal service level agreements.  It’s one of the key reasons for our long-standing client relationships.

A clear message from the PR Moment event was that the industry is still changing and clients are demanding transparency and more effective measurement – and that sentiment is something I wholeheartedly support.  We are deliberately different in our approach, providing set fees for set deliverables and transparent targets — we don’t believe in the intangible retainer model.  Encouragingly, this was recognised by the majority of clients in our last Client Satisfaction Survey in December, with 88% agreeing that Whiteoaks provides clarity from the outset in terms of investment, activity and outputs.

Listening to Richard Bagnell, chairman of the International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC) at the PR Moment event, as he outlined that the problem with measurement is that people often start with the tools and data available, rather than the organisational goals and objectives, got me thinking.

Campaign management used to be about storytelling – but a story isn’t enough. Creative or not, clients need to balance creativity with realism, as I outlined in our last Whiteoaks Insights video campaign. Our strategic approach focuses on understanding a company’s business objectives, who they are trying to reach and identifying the desired perceptions and behaviours required from the target audience.  It is only once we have this information that we can create the correct audience centric messaging, select the appropriate channels and implement the right tactical mix.  Proof in point is that 84% of clients believed that Whiteoaks creates campaigns that support their company’s business objectives.

However, the holy grail of PR is to demonstrate the ROI delivered from a campaign, and as such I am incredibility proud that 84% of the clients surveyed agreed that Whiteoaks delivers a clear ROI.  The focus on the industry at the moment is on proving the outcomes delivered from campaigns, and we are working closely with clients and their extended teams to collect the necessary data required to show the business impact our efforts have achieved.  Our work for Omnico in 2017 demonstrates how powerful an integrated marketing and lead generation strategy can be.

We asked our clients what they valued most about working with us, and some of the feedback included:

•  “Responsiveness, accessibility and friendliness of the team blended with a structured approach to managing the project”
•  “The prompt responses, and commitment to reporting results against goals on a consistent basis so that we could accurately track metrics”
•  “It’s a pleasure working with Whiteoaks. Professional, proactive and results-driven”.

Strong client satisfaction levels motivate our account teams to deliver the best results, and a continual feedback loop with clients is important for us to evolve and improve. All of clients surveyed agreed that the Whiteoaks team is always willing to help.  There is no doubt that the strongest and most effective accounts we have are when we are treated as an extension of the communications team and so we are extremely proud to have received such praise in this vital service area.  And going a step further for our multi-national clients, I can already share with you our new, agency-agnostic approach to high-performance international PR, launched this week, which you can read about here.

Who are you? And what’s your job at Whiteoaks?
My name’s Bekki, and I’m a senior account executive at Whiteoaks.

What does your daily to-do list look like?
I know that everyone says it but my day really is very varied. The one thing that happens like clockwork is that l always start my day by reading the morning’s news including a browse of my guilty pleasure, the Daily Mail (entirely work related, I promise…). Most of my day is then spent trying to identify and secure the best media opportunities for my clients, as well as working with our team to create and deliver on exciting campaigns. I also like to get out and about when I can, whether that’s facilitating interviews with national media or networking with key influencers over lunch.

What made you want to get into PR?
Growing up, my dream was always to be a forensic psychologist, which is why I did my degree in psychology. However, as I was studying I realised I wanted to do something more corporate that would allow me to put my extraversion to good use and that would keep me on my toes. Once I graduated I did an advertising internship in India for a few months, which then opened the door to PR for me.

What is your favourite brand and why?
At the moment it’s Primark. The clothes are actually very good, and in my opinion, the range has just become even better value for money as the years have gone on. I love the Disney collections the chain is bringing out at the moment, and I’m a sucker for anything mermaid or unicorn-related. On top of that, the way Primark manages social media impresses me — it is the only brand whose Instagram Stories I actually find engaging and want to watch all the way through.

What’s your top tip for someone who wants to get into the PR industry?
Make sure you get some good work experience and once you’re in a role then show a willingness to learn from everyone around you. You will always be learning new things and the way you work will change as you find your own style. Being able to adapt is key.

How do you unwind after a day in the office?
I have a vast selection of unicorn pyjamas which I wear on rotation and I like to just relax at home with my cat Phoebe. Every Thursday I go to Slimming World to find out whether the scales have picked up on the 12 million brownies that ‘don’t count’ because I’ve shared them with someone else. On weekends I like to have a few drinks with friends (also doesn’t count against the diet because it’s a liquid….), and as you might have guessed, probably a visit to Primark too.

What’s your favourite anthem suggestion for Friday’s Whiteoaks Power Hour?
Taylor Swift, without doubt. Luckily, this is never an issue in my team as we’re all avid Taylor Swift fans. In fact I’m the only loser who didn’t grab tickets to see her on tour this summer.

If you could be any character in any film, what would you be?
Anastasia Steele, I’m sure I don’t need to explain.

What’s your ideal getaway location?
I usually jet off to India every year to see family, but I’m taking a break from that this year in the hopes of going somewhere completely new. I’d love to go to the Caribbean, Vietnam and Japan (probably not all this year though).

What’s your go-to party trick?
I can pop my eyes quite far out of their sockets but it gives me a headache and tends to scare people. It’s for special occasions only.

And finally, cheesy chips?
100%.

1989 was a ground-breaking year for technology. Intel released the 486 series of microprocessor, paving the way for the next generation of more powerful PCs, while Microsoft launched its Office suite, David Levy was the first master chess player to be defeated by a computer (the ancestor of what we now know as machine learning), and Nintendo unveiled the iconic GameBoy.

But perhaps most significantly, 1989 was the year that Sir Tim Berners-Lee drafted a proposal that would launch the world wide web on society.

Berners-Lee has marked the 29th anniversary of his invention by attacking the dominance of a few big tech companies. He warned that while the internet was once made up of a wide selection of blogs and websites, it is now “compressed under the powerful weight of a few dominant platforms”. This, he said, has led to repercussions including fake accounts stoking social tensions. And one could argue that it’s also led to a less democratic, accessible and fair web.

While companies such as Twitter and Facebook are making efforts to fix these issues, Berners-Lee has suggested that a legal or regulatory framework may be required.

The growth of the internet over the past 29 years has certainly revolutionised the way that we communicate and has had a significant impact on the role of journalists and, in turn, the PR industry.

While the topic of ‘fake news’ — deliberate misinformation intended to mislead an audience — has only been prevalent in the news agenda for a handful of years, it has existed for many decades and impacted both professions. It is the growth of internet use globally, the rise of social media and the dominance of alt-right movements that have combined to increased its influence.

A recent study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) found that fake news travels faster than legitimate reports. The study found that false news stories are 70% more likely to be retweeted than true stories are. It also takes true stories about six times as long to reach 1,500 people as it does for false stories to reach the same number of people.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the MIT study found that the spread of false stories was more pronounced for political news — targeting voters — than for news in the other categories.

Anyone working in B2B PR could be forgiven for thinking that fake news is not an issue. Think again — fake news is just as likely to have an influence in the B2B world as it does with consumers. So how can PR practitioners help clients fight back against when fake news strikes? Here are just three suggestions:

1. Prepare: ensure your client or company has well developed, verified and responsive social media channels. And ensure you have planned out responses to confidently address and dampen down any inaccurate questions or stories
2. Listen: understand who your influencers are and keep track of what they are saying. Ensure your monitoring tools are fit for purpose
3. React: be ready to respond quickly when fake news begins to spread. Make sure you know which stakeholders to communicate to and be prepared to engage with media covering the story

While it is positive that campaigners such as Berners-Lee are calling for regulation to clamp down on false allegations, in the meantime, those working in PR have a key role to play to ensure that clients keep track of malicious stories. Failure to do so risks undoing all the good work that professionals working in-house and in agencies do.

05 March 2018 – InterSystems, a global leader in information technology platforms, has appointed The Whiteoaks Consultancy, a leading UK-based technology PR agency, to support the UK launch of its new InterSystems IRIS Data Platform™. The focus of the campaign will be to raise awareness of InterSystems, InterSystems IRIS, its key spokespeople and problem-solving technology outside of healthcare.

Whiteoaks was appointed following a competitive pitch process, due to its proven knowledge of the big data, data analysis and cloud markets, as well as its experience and proven track record of PR, content and digital work in the financial services sector, a key vertical for InterSystems.

Whiteoaks will develop and execute a media relations campaign, emphasising InterSystems’ role as an industry thought leader. This will maximise InterSystems’ legacy expertise and reputation for exemplary customer and partner support and service, demonstrating how it has built on this to break new ground in financial technology with InterSystems IRIS.

James Kelliher, Whiteoaks CEO, added: “The team at Whiteoaks is very much looking forward to supporting InterSystems at such an exciting time for the company, extending their reach into the financial industry and strengthening their distribution channel.

“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 InterSystems to significantly increased awareness for its new data platform and the company as a whole.”

PR is not an island. Bear with me on this analogy, please.

Any technology company’s relationship with their PR agency is destined to fail if they are treated as an external supplier, seen by internal stakeholders as an expense they must grudgingly commit to, and that offers little return other than vanity.

In many cases, this is true.

At Whiteoaks, it is exactly the kind of scenario we seek to avoid.

Businesses nowadays must keep all the bases covered; media relations, social media, bloggers, vloggers, industry influencers. The routes to decision makers and budget holders have never been more complex.

So, if they employ a PR agency to handle media outreach — and keep them at arm’s length — this relationship will end up on a sour note for both parties.

An integrated approach is the way forward — and Whiteoaks’ service offering has evolved over our 25 years in the tech PR game to ensure we deliver tangible results for our clients.

Take Omnico, a leading provider of cloud-based technology powering point of sale and customer engagement solutions, as an example.

A key recommendation when we started working with them was to establish their own intellectual property through a research campaign known as the Retail Gap Barometer. We gathered the data, analysed trends and could easily just have sent out a press release, garnered some strong media hits and given ourselves a big pat on the back. Job done.

Except it wasn’t.

We also used the statistics from the research to feed a range of content across traditional media relations, social media and traditional marketing content such as whitepapers, electronic direct mail (eDMs).

Suddenly, metrics moved beyond simple media coverage (where it is far harder to track those all-important sales leads), to informing and shaping entire marketing strategies.

Omnico is just one of our many examples of this approach, combining media relations, digital, social and marketing channels, all driven by the PR agency — with strong content at its heart.

Other agencies may be stuck on an island, with only a volleyball named Wilson for company (for those unfamiliar with the film Castaway, I’m linking back to my introduction here), but Whiteoaks’ goal is to be very much part of the mainland.

 

 

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

Hi, I’m Courtney Heron. I wish my name had some deep meaning, but really my mum just liked the ‘90s TV show, Beverley Hills 90210 and named me after one of the characters. I am a Junior Account Executive here at Whiteoaks.

 

What does your daily to-do list look like?

It changes every day and that’s the beauty of the job. I never go in on a Monday morning knowing exactly what I’ll be doing. However, there are some things that are consistent and my day-to-day tasks include coverage tracking, liaising with our international agency partners to co-ordinate multi-national client work and updating reports.

 

What made you want to get into PR?

I studied journalism at university because I loved writing stories and working with people. Public relations seemed like a natural career choice for me because you work hand-in-hand with the media and it requires you to work with a variety of people who want to engage with their audiences.

 

Who is your favourite brand and why?

My favourite brand is Apple because it is the only one that has managed to instil any loyalty in me. I have had an iPhone since I was 14 and it is the only phone interface I know how to use. Give me an Android device and I’m suddenly an 85-year-old woman who does not know how to send a simple text. I also have an iPod and a MacBook so the integration between devices is something I love about Apple. Apple has me hooked in for life!

 

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

I worked for a few tech start-ups while studying, so before working with Whiteoaks I was able to see what it’s like on the other side, so to speak. I think the best tip I could give someone would be to gain some any relevant work experience. It doesn’t even need to be in the PR industry, just something to show you have some experience outside of your education.

 

How do you unwind after a day in the office?

I like watching travel vlogs. I find them relaxing and I love travelling too. I used to live in Spain and LA, so watching the vlogs helps remind me of my adventures and feed my passion for more travel.

 

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

It changes all the time, but I’ll go with an underrated 80s classic, Heaven Is a Place on Earth by Belinda Carlisle — it’s my secret karaoke go-to!

 

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

Elle Woods from Legally Blonde would be a good choice. Smart and fashion forward.

 

What’s your ideal getaway location?

I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii and see if it’s really worth all the hype.

 

What’s your go-to party trick?

I’m currently learning Korean so my party trick would be that I can spell people’s names in Korean. Mine is 코트니

 

And finally, cheesy chips?

Sure, but can I get the cheese on the side?

There are many ingredients that make up a successful PR campaign, but at the very core of any activity lies the media. In order to truly maximise coverage and guarantee quality, your PR consultant will need to be well versed in media relations.

Many conventional PR agencies operate using a generalist model, where everyone tends to get involved in a bit of everything. While this undoubtedly works for many, at @WhiteoaksPR we are deliberately different. We function in specialist teams, meaning that we all have our own areas of expertise — one of these being media relations.

A media relations specialist at Whiteoaks dedicates the majority of their time to proposing stories, networking, and researching the media, so that when it comes to securing top quality opportunities we know how to walk the walk. By being able to dedicate our time solely to the media and building relationships with key journalists, media relations specialists at Whiteoaks know what will work and for who.

Establishing strong, professional relationships with your core media is mutually beneficial. Not only are we able to harness the feedback from these journalists to shape our content and strategy going forward, journalists build up trust in the consultants that they work closely with and can rely on them for a regular source of content that will be of interest to their readers. This often results in in-bound enquiries and requests — a true testament to the importance of strong media relations.

Not only do different journalists require different things, but different tactics require different strategies. For example, the media approach taken when responding to breaking news will vary greatly from the approach taken when discussing thought leadership article placements. A true media relations specialist has honed this skill, and knows exactly how to alter their language, style and even channel to secure the best results. Like riding a bike, this becomes second nature. But it does require passion, enthusiasm and a dedication for the role that we believe flourishes best when given in a media role fulltime.

Every Whiteoaks employee understands each aspect of PR, but it’s our specialisms that make us great consultants. Our clients are assured that the content we write has been written by a specialist content creator, their social media is being managed by a digital expert, and their media is being handled by a media relations guru.

I know what you’re thinking and you’re too kind, really, but no…it’s not me that’s turning 25 this year. It’s our company, Whiteoaks.

As with most milestones, this one has me reflecting. After 25 years in business, I know that most technology companies still value and need experienced agencies with specialist communications professionals to help them grow their businesses, tell their brand story and demonstrate ROI from PR — to provide a fresh perspective and enable them to achieve synergy between their sales and marketing efforts. The need for effective communications support is even more vital considering today’s complex media landscape, the extensive amount of content available, and the exceptionally fast pace of the technological changes we’re all living through.

If a company creates excellent, relevant and insightful content that helps their audiences learn, develop their own knowledge and perform better in their roles, then, the people will keep coming back for more. And in B2B, content with measurable results is both possible and essential.

We kicked off the year with a campaign under the banner of our new content brand — Whiteoaks Insights — where we put into practice the strategy and approach we recommend for our clients. If you missed the key insights from the PR and digital marketing mix, here’s a short montage video focusing on three common priorities for every brand we work for: strategy, content and media relations. In the middle of the campaign, our Twitter chat focused on how PR can support sales. Whiteoaks’ Digital Account Lead, Dan Bailey, captured the honest discussion, questions and answers from the Twitter chat here, if you’d like to catch up.

This was just the beginning for us… On the basis that we practice what we recommend — to write, produce or create content that will be of interest to readers, rather than talk about the company first — I’m adding news about us at the end of this blog. 2018 is already shaping up to be a very exciting year and as we gear up for our 25^th anniversary we’re taking the opportunity to make two significant changes at the end of March. Firstly, we’re evolving our brand from The Whiteoaks Consultancy to Whiteoaks International, to better reflect the international nature of our business. Secondly, we’re moving onto the next phase of our own growth, by relocating our talented team from Farnham, Surrey, to a new, well-positioned, and we believe, inspirational office in Hook, Hampshire. I couldn’t be more excited to steer our business, and our clients, through the year ahead…

Catch our new brand look on our website and social media platforms in a few weeks’ time, and if you like, follow us on Twitter, as we’ll start to reveal snippets and photos about our new home in Hook soon.

“Robots will take half of jobs”, “Poorest to fare worst in age of automation”, “We’d better plan now, before it’s too late”.

The above are just three headlines recently published in mainstream media – there were many more to choose from – when I researched and started to write this blog focusing on robotics.

Robotic process automation (RPA) is certainly a hot topic. Recently the independent think tank ‘The Centre for Cities’ estimated that by 2030 nine areas in the UK could lose more than a quarter of jobs to automation and artificial intelligence (AI), with roles in shops, administration and warehouses most at risk.

Much of the media coverage of such studies focuses on the potential negative impact of robotics, with calls for changes to the education system to make sure young people have the skills they need for the future workplace.

While the government has recognised the need for further skills development, it is also investing in robotics research. In 2017, as part of the government’s digital strategy, it pledged £17.3m of funding for research carried out by British universities.

Political support for RPA development is great news for the UK tech sector. Many of our clients at Whiteoaks are harnessing the power of robotics to help their customers streamline processes, reduce costs, enhance customer service and allow their people to focus on the aspects of their job that only humans can do.

These benefits are starting to be seen in organisations across multiple sectors, including finance, insurance, legal and local government:

 

Finance: Since the 2008 financial crisis, measures have been introduced to separate the risk-taking aspect of financial markets from the ordinary provision of financial services, as well as strengthen banking regulation. 

Financial institutions now have teams dedicated to complying with a raft of regulations, much of which involves analysing large amounts of data from various business lines and systems. The growth of RPA is already having a huge impact on this process, helping to reduce costs and ensure accurate reporting. The development of intelligent RPA may be able to further replicate human decision-making and further disrupt banking compliance.

 Insurance: Insurance has always been held back by its disparate legacy systems, databases and data formats, along with the vast cost involved in installing entirely new back-office systems

Now RPA is bridging these gaps, with many insurance businesses deploying robots in claims and applications processing, achieving substantial increases in productivity and accuracy, while reducing costs substantially. More innovative businesses are moving towards the automation of decision-making in front-office functions such as underwriting.

 Legal: Record-keeping and documentation is the foundation of the legal industry, and much of it remains paper-based. Staff spend much of their time organising and searching for documents, meaning RPA has the potential to make a significant contribution.

 Robots could be used to process scanned stacks of paperwork and digitise client information. Using character recognition technology, they can automate the transfer of data between the scanned files to a new system. They can even be used to locate missing information within files, work which would usually take many man hours.

 Local government: In recent years councils have been under increasing pressure to do more with less. The challenge is set to continue – the Local Government Association (LGA) recently said that local authorities face a funding gap of £5.8bn over the next two years.

 RPA has the power to reduce the amount of time people spend on repetitive tasks, such as tax calculation and revenue collection, allowing them to focus on providing quality services. Take the example of a council contact centre; when a call is received, a robot can instantly find information and retrieve cases about the individual while the member of staff continues the conversation.

 

As the above shows, the rise of the robots is set to have multiple benefits for organisations. Roles across various sectors will be impacted in the drive for greater productivity.

For those working in tech PR, our challenge is to ensure we are well positioned to face questions and educate against assumptions concerning the negative impact of RPA, allowing clients to clearly demonstrate how automation can help organisations thrive.