Maria Miller, authenticity and the PR pitch

The resignation of Maria Miller, the former Culture Secretary who ‘stepped down’ over an expenses row a few days ago, just goes to show that saying sorry isn’t always enough.

While there are bigger issues in play regarding the structures and processes of policing MPs’ behaviour, there was much made of the ‘inadequate’ nature of Maria Miller’s apology to the House of Commons.

For many, her ‘32 second apology’ (as it’s pointedly dubbed in multiple news references) appeared hollow and insincere. The brevity of the apology – which was along the lines of ‘I’ve been asked to say this, so here I am’ – on the back of allegations that her attitude to the investigation had been unhelpful, left a poor impression. Did we believe that Ms Miller was sorry? Did her actions match her words?

Authenticity – as individuals, as business leaders, as brands and as organisations – is essential if we expect to be trusted by others.

What makes a voice authentic? I think it’s where our words and our behaviour are evidently in tune. It’s how we live our values in action, as individuals and as companies.

Authenticity matters for many reasons, not least because we all make emotional judgements about others; call it ‘gut feel’ or intuition, but it’s almost impossible to remove it from the way we make decisions.

Which brings me to PR pitches. I attended Adrian Wheeler’s thought provoking PRCA workshop the other day on ‘Pitching to Win Business’, and we discussed the subject of ‘chemistry’. Research among clients has shown that chemistry is in the top three most important factors when selecting an agency, alongside track record and creativity.

Adrian points out that this is hardly surprising, when you consider that personal relationships are essential to successful business relationships, although most procurement and pitch processes endeavour to be based on rational criteria and evidence.

He suggests that an explanation for this apparent conflict between the cold, hard, analytical process of choosing one agency over another, versus the ‘touchy feely’ sentiment of ‘I just like them’, may be found in Daniel Kahneman’s ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’. Kahneman describes two distinct ‘systems’ of how we think. System One is what we consider instinct, it’s subconscious, whereas System Two relates to our conscious thought process.

Kahneman’s research shows that nearly all our decisions are made quickly using System One, and we then use System Two to rationalise a decision we’ve already made, without being aware that this is what’s happening.

So, if it’s an emotional response that guides our thinking, then it follows that personal rapport, chemistry and authenticity are crucial; whether facing the Commons or a client pitch. Personally, I’ll stick to pitching.

Sarah Bryars

Chief Executive

Redesigning creativity

I’ve always thought that creativity lies in the eyes of the beholder. We instil or find creativity in places others may not; each of us stimulated by different images, sounds and actions. Given this subjective view though, is it really fair to criticise something or someone for not being creative enough? Looking at it from a PR perspective, there are ways we can improve our creative output, purely by thinking about the process a little differently.

The pressures of a PR professional’s daily routine and workload seem to be growing, with clients expecting more for their money, quicker and to an even higher standard. But in order to be creative, you need the time, so we find ourselves in a catch 22.

Last week, Bethan and I went along to the Creativity Clinic held by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) South West at EDF Energy, Barnwood. The workshop was hosted by PR guru and Fellow of the CIPR, Andy Green, who discussed the incremental nature of creativity in our industry and shared techniques on how to develop this fine art.

Andy explained that creativity is like a muscle that needs to be flexed. Using a slinky to metaphorically demonstrate his point, he explained our creativity can expand, change direction, be flexible and grow. It’s not rigid or restricted, nor is it as simple as black and white; our thinking needs to be managed appropriately, challenged and encouraged to help bring about innovative ideas.

Now, this might all seem a bit far fetched; you have around 10 features and seven news releases to write, social media accounts to monitor and that evaluation document that you’ve been putting off, all to be done in the next 24 hours. So when are you going to find the time to stop and think?

Once you have worked out how much time you are wasting not being creative, you can free up some time to allow you to think about things a bit more! Why reinvent the wheel when you can just change the context of a story, for example? As Andy said, it’s not just about being creative, it’s also about being ‘uncreative’; becoming more efficient in your day-to-day work.

In order to start this journey of greater creativity, Andy asked the audience to think of a problem at work and turn it into a question. The next stage is to challenge and interrogate your question, making sure it is as specific as possible, as your answers will then be too. Then ask yourself, what assumptions are being made? There is no out of the box thinking, asking questions will only make the box, and your ideas, bigger and better.

It’s clear that now more than ever, PR professionals need to break down the barriers to creativity by streamlining processes, become cleverer with their time and, of course, taking the time to stop and think.

Kalli Soteriou
Account Executive

Selfies go selfless

Without wishing to sound too PR about it, the power of social media has been illustrated yet again with the huge success of the #nomakeupselfie which has raised £8m to date for Cancer Research.

Its exact origin isn’t entirely clear but in the UK it’s being attributed to teenage mum, Fiona Cunningham. The campaign quickly snowballed after she set up a Facebook page and selfies were soon popping up across a variety of social media channels. Celebrities have also jumped on the bandwagon, helping to raise even more awareness and spread the message across the world. A truly viral campaign which has had real impact - stuff of dreams for us PRs.

Its simplicity is perhaps the underlying reason why it’s been so successful. Most people have smart phones and selfies have firmly cemented themselves in popular culture. It also ticks a box for our own brand of CSR, giving us a warm fuzzy feeling while also letting the world know we’re supporting a cause. However, as seems to be par for the course nowadays, with any online/social media phenomenon, it’s not been without its critics.

Ranging from people attacking Coronation Street actress Michelle Keegan for using it as a form of self promotion and claiming she wasn't actually makeup free, to some questioning the point of just posting a photo without actually making a donation.  There was also the confusion surrounding which word you had to text to make a donation which resulted in some money going to different charities.

Surely though, when it’s raised enough money in the UK alone to fund ten clinical trials, the winner here is the fight against cancer and isn’t that the point? I’ve also seen people posting pictures of how to check your breasts and if that helps just one woman make an early diagnosis which might help save her life, it’s a success in my book.

Bethan Simkins
Account Director

Today’s lesson: ditch the marketing jargon

Image: Sourced from Oxford University

“So what is it that you do?”

“Public Relations”

“So what is it that you do?”

This morning I was reminded how liberating it is to get back to brass tacks.

A first meeting with a local businessman began with the kind of tumbleweed moment that rolls through your mind for an instant; how have I found myself in a meeting with someone who doesn’t seem to know why I’m here?

So I explained myself quickly, succinctly, with absolutely no jargon, mindful that I had a matter of seconds before Judgement Day would dawn and I’d be in with a chance of winning Sport Relief’s fastest ‘walk-in-and-out-of-a-sales-meeting’ mile.

No mention of audiences, engagement or content strategies.

“Well, every business has customer groups they want to reach, and we use our communication skills to help figure out the right messages and the best way to get them out there.”

“OK.” I get a nod; a green light to continue.

“But it helps if we know which parts of your business are the most profitable; the areas where you believe you could achieve even more, if only, dot dot dot. We can tell you a bit about how we’ve done that for others, and see whether there’s something we can help you with.”

We went on to have a very positive and enjoyable meeting, discussing some of the many challenges his successful and long-standing business faces in the dynamics of a changing market.

I learned lots about a great company, but this morning also taught me:

1. Keep it simple - It shouldn’t matter whether we’re meeting a marketing director with decades of experience and an MBA in Marketing Jargon, or the managing director of a business that’s earned its reputation without ever asking about audience segmentation, brand essence, OTH or TGI (it’s a restaurant chain, right?). Be clear. We’re communicators.
2. Get straight to the point - We will only stay in business if we make a difference to our clients’ success. That’s the bottom line (whether you’re looking above-the-line, below-the-line or in a wiggly-right-through-the-middle-of-the-line).
3. Ask more than you tell - Other people’s businesses are fascinating. Asking questions and sharing common experiences makes for a more interesting and productive encounter than just telling someone all about yourself.

So, we’ll see where simplicity takes us…

Sarah Bryars

Chief Executive

Gold Cup: One PR's relations with the public

Photo: Telegraph.co.uk

Cheltenham Gold Cup Festival: Are we going to the races...or going to the dogs?

Last year’s Gold Cup Festival broke attendance records, with 235,125 race-goers descending on our town over the four days. Good fun I’m sure was had by all who attended and many in the town (mainly the bars of course) were all the more prosperous for their visit.

However, for this Cheltenham resident, all the hordes brought with them was misery and mess, evidently leaving their manners behind wherever they had come from.  It’s this memory that made me look forward to Gold Cup 2014 about as much as being hit by a bus, and saw me making plans to escape for the duration of the week that Cheltenham actually goes to the dogs rather than the races.

Yet my best laid plans didn’t quite come off, so I’ve found myself here, staying put at home near the train station, the first and last stop (or more likely pint) for thousands of race-goers.

But I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Cheltenham race-goers have improved their public relations, in the most literal sense.

Last year we saw many pavement pizzas, quite a few fights and a ridiculous amount of aggressive behaviour when trying to stop men-old-enough-to-know-better from doing unmentionables on our street and neighbours’ doorsteps.

This year, people have been really friendly, even apologetic for crowding the top of our road where there’s a rather popular race-day pub. And this time, when my partner was stopped on his way home from work to be asked directions to a particular watering hole, rather than being sworn at like last year, he was invited for a pint of the black stuff.

It seems to me that 2014’s race-goers have been of a much happier and friendlier disposition. Even #Cheltenham tweeters have been on good form.

 So my first hand experience of this annual event has been much improved and made me think twice about reaching for next year’s holiday forms already in a panic.

Cheltenham Gold Cup 2014 should be proud; its visitors have earned it some good PR just through good old human interaction.

 Rachel Meagher

Account Director

Girl power!

It’s International Women’s Day tomorrow (8 March), which prompted my thinking into girl power; less Spice Girls, more women in PR.

Our industry of PR is actually dominated by women. Last year’s PRCA census revealed the gender split as 63% women 37% men, a stat that’s reflected in our team - with our chairman Colin holding the enviable (or unenviable position) as the only male member! Our current recruitment drive has echoed this discrepancy, with the majority of applicants applying for an account executive position being female.

So why this bias?  Is it because women are, on the whole, better communicators – as we are more discussion oriented?  Or is it thanks to our multi-tasking and time management skills?  Or is it because we are more sensitive? I’m not so sure. 

When I studied for a degree in PR (at Leeds Metropolitan University), admittedly it was a while ago, the course was mostly men.  And if I can cast my mind back that far, I don’t remember them struggling with presentations or meeting deadlines, and indeed most have now gone on to hold senior positions. 

Which rather annoyingly seems to be where the inequality lies – most senior roles within agencies and in-house teams are still more likely to be held by men.  The PRCA census reported a 2:1 ratio of men to women in board positions.  Our board contradicts this ratio, (although our most senior figure is male) but I can see that we are a minority, when I look at some of our clients or fellow agencies. 

Many would argue that the lack of female representation in senior management is partly due to the fact that women still tend to be the key child carers and take career breaks as they start to have children. As a result, they either leave the profession or aren’t able to make continued development.  I’m in no doubt that this can be a factor, but in today’s world it certainly shouldn’t be a barrier. 

Sadly, it’s not just inequality at senior levels either.  The CIPR’s ‘State of the Profession’  survey (published February 2014) also revealed an average gender pay gap of over £12,000 in favour of men.  The results also exposed that from Account Manager/Press Officer level and above – men, on average, are being paid more than women, even when doing the same job.

So, perhaps as an industry we should take note of Sweden’s extensive welfare system which makes it easier for both sexes to balance work and family life.  The country ranks as one of the most gender-egalitarian countries, based on a firm belief that men and women should share power and influence equally.  How refreshing!

Sam Kandiyali

Director

(Image used from http://www.internationalwomensday.com/) 

#LFW demonstrates just how innovative digital PR can be

This may be a sweeping statement on my part, but we all know digital PR is rapidly becoming an essential part of any successful communications campaign. Long gone are the days of media relations churning out press release after press release; digital creates an opportunity to bypass traditional media to speak directly to your target audience online in a creative and sustainable manner, and more importantly, creating dialogue.

So, it’s no surprise that this year’s London Fashion Week followed suit and set the standard (excuse the pun, honestly it wasn’t intentional). The internationally-famous event saw 2014’s most creative campaigns yet, as fashion brands battled it out in a digital war that put the fight between Google and Facebook to shame.

In a recent article from PR Week, it was reported that 60% of shows during London Fashion Week (LFW) were live-streamed, and for one particular brand, mile high over the ocean. Taking to the skies was London’s upmarket department store, Harrods, who sought new levels of exclusivity by inviting a select 200 on board a British Airways Airbus A380 to a mid-flight fashion show, though not forgetting social media! Harrod’s head of communication reported they’d seen a ‘direct impact’ on traffic to their website from their social media activity during LFW.

Meanwhile, tech-savvy British luxury fashion house Burberry proved its reputation for the cutting edge by embedding digital chips into its apparel, so when fashionistas hovered their Smartphone’s over them, tailored content was made available to them. Clever Burberry – who knew innovation was just as important to them as their clothes!

So, advice for brands wishing to rule the catwalk and win the hearts of the digital nation next year? There is no better model than quirky fashion brand Topshop’s interactive, multi-platform fall campaign. Last year, they demonstrated just how digital PR should work, using soon-to-take-over-the-world Google+ to allow its fans to experience the whole buzz live – from sound check through to make-up – attracting a record-breaking 4 million views. However, not only did Topshop host a dynamic array of social experiences before, during, and after their show, they are now using the data from the Google Hangout app to help its buyers decide what they are going to actually bring to retail. 

The use of digital media to reach an audience beyond an event is slowly becoming more and more mainstream. Now comes the tricky task for brands to stand out from the crowd, think ahead in every area of innovation – whether that’s their clothes or the technology they use – and above all, it is as much about style and fashion as it is creative originality. 

Kalli Soteriou

Account Executive

A good Time to Talk

Today (Thursday 6 February) is the very first Time to Talk Day which aims to get people talking about mental health. It’s a focal point of the Time to Change campaign which is England's biggest programme to challenge mental health stigma and discrimination.

This week also saw Australia’s most decorated Olympian, Ian Thorpe, admitted to rehab. His ongoing battle with depression and alcohol, first revealed in his autobiography, had largely been hidden from those closest to him, even at the height of his swimming career. After being found disorientated outside his parents’ home, I was pleased to see the media report the story with empathy.

Rewind two months though and this was a far cry from the way in which English cricketer Jonathan Trott was treated by the same journalists, after he flew home from the Ashes tour with a stress related illness.
Now, some may say that given the historically fierce sporting rivalry between the Poms and Aussies, this was fair game, but I see it differently. One in four people will be affected by a mental health problem in their lifetime and while I’m all for a bit of banter, in my view Trott’s treatment over-stepped the mark.

Negative media representations of mental health conditions help fuel stigma, in this case one which is pretty deeply engrained. What I think is most worrying is the fact that the coverage around Ian Thorpe showed the Australian media are capable of handling mental health issues sensitively but in the case of Trott, deliberately chose to use it as a stick to beat him (and the rest of the England cricket team) with.

In the last year, media representations of mental health have come under fire; most notably the Hyundai ad which appeared to show someone trying to take their own life purely to illustrate the environmental credentials of a car, or The Sun for using the headline ‘1,200 killed by mental health patients.’

While the work of mental health charities including Rethink Mental Illness and Mind, who both spearhead the Time to Change campaign, has gone some way to helping remove some of the stigma surrounding mental health, there is still a huge amount of work to be done. It’s here I think the media has a huge role to play. Whether that’s steering clear of stereotypes, reporting on the issue sensitively or even just putting it on the news agenda in the first place.

Just because someone is an elite athlete, has reached the very pinnacle of their sport and seemingly has it all, does not mean they are any less likely to experience a mental health problem. It doesn’t discriminate and neither should the media channels, who are so keen to laud their achievements when things are going well.

Bethan Simkins
Account Director

#Sticksandstones...

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.  Not sure that Beth Tweddle or Stan Collymore would agree with that.

Twitter trolls reared their ugly heads once again last week – with Beth subject to abuse during a Sky Sports News Q&A session, which was meant to be promoting women in sport; and Stan facing offensive messages as a result of him suggesting a footballer may have dived to earn a penalty.  (I don’t know much about football, but pretty sure that footballers are prone to the odd dive or two...)

And while Beth has handled the abuse from Twitter trolls graciously, and Stan has now reactivated his Twitter account after initially taking it down – you can’t help but question the potential lasting impact that incidents likes these have, not just on the targeted individuals, but on social media itself.

Yes we live in a world of free speech, but should that mean, as a result of today’s technology, that we can target individuals in this way?  Happily, there do appear to be ramifications for this kind of harassment with two people who sent abusive tweets to campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez and MP Stella Creasy last year, being jailed on Friday.  But plenty would argue that Twitter could do more to report and manage this form of bullying; for many cases such as these will only serve to raise concern about interacting so openly online.

As PR consultants we encourage our clients to engage with their target audiences across a range of channels, including social media.  It’s a powerful tool that allows them to learn, communicate and build support, but it comes with its own pitfalls. Sticks and stones may well break bones, but, as Collymore and Tweddle will vouch, words can certainly be hurtful. Fortunately, damage can be mitigated through careful strategic planning, in-depth research and timely delivery. And, of course, some comfort can be taken from Twitter’s real time element – what’s news today is often quickly forgotten tomorrow.

Sam Kandiyali
Director

Get motivated for change

Motivation. It’s a powerful force that can determine success or failure in almost anything.

Going to the gym, giving up booze (Dryathlon anyone?), or embarking on a spot of DIY, we know from experience that a good dose of personal motivation is required for most of us to make changes happen.

It strikes me this is true for our businesses too. A sense of purpose creates a kind of energy that we could just as easily call motivation.

As businesses we need to understand the motivations of our customers, if we’re going to create products or services that they’ll want to buy. Trying to get them to change their behaviours (swap brand, buy a house, change PR agency…) without tapping into their motivations is pretty futile.

The same is true of our teams too, if we are to drive our businesses forward and pull ourselves out of the muddy quagmire of recession followed by phew-we-made-it-survival, into a smooth and steady period of sustainable growth.

The New Year brings a surge of resolutions as we take the opportunity to ‘draw a line’ under what’s passed, and aim to ‘be better’ this year. Anything is possible. Everything is possible! Our motivations and sense of purpose are high.

January brings a great opportunity to try and capture the ‘air of possibility’ that hangs around us, and challenge our teams to think differently; to set themselves new goals for what they’d like to achieve and consider how they can use their talents to help us reach our business goals.

Momentum. The other big ‘M’. After one huge sugar rush of motivation in the first week of the year, the energy can quickly dissipate and we’re left with the Blue Monday scenario – dashed hopes and disappointment.

So what can we do to keep the momentum of motivation, change and possibility alive? Take action. Make plans, enact plans, set small and regular goals or milestones so you can measure your progress. Experiment, test new ideas, and, most importantly, involve those whose motivation you’re seeking to harness.

The good news is that windows of opportunity to reignite our motivation appear throughout the year. Attending a course (in my view, there’s none better for development and motivation than LEAD), meeting someone new, winning a new contract, moving office, starting a new project, change within a team, confidence in the economy lifting… any day can be a good day to start a new page.

We need to recognise and seize upon the windows of opportunity for making changes, open the window, and let the fresh air in.

Sarah Bryars

Chief Executive

Evolving PR: Team Target reports on what we believe 2014 will hold for the industry?

As we enter another new year, the question of 'what will this year hold for the industry?' naturally arises. Here are a few thoughts from some of the team on what we feel working in this industry will be like this year.

"In 2014 boundaries between disciplines will continue to blur, and great ideas will be king.

Great ideas that help to grow bottom-lines will be the king of kings.

It won’t matter very much whether those ideas come from PR, digital, social or advertising agencies. The client won’t mind so long as they deliver results that move their business forward a step towards their goals for success; whether that’s cash on the balance sheet, or, well, come to think of it, cash on the balance sheet.

Which means we’ll continue to search for meaningful ways to evaluate the power of PR to build reputation, increase engagement with customers, change perceptions and measure its fiscal impact. We’ll probably never cease in that quest.

We may also find that the briefs we receive become looser. After all, when boundaries fall the question posed becomes at once less specific, more complex and more direct “Can you help?”

2014 holds great possibility and an exciting opportunity to create economic growth, client by client, one step at a time. Now, thinking caps on, let’s see how we can help."

Sarah Bryars
Chief Executive

"It’s been pretty tough working in PR over the last few years during the economic downturn. When looking to make savings it is often sadly marketing and communications budgets that are cut. However, there are signs that things are on the up and hopefully 2014 will be the year things continue to improve. Whilst previously we have noticed a trend towards more project work rather than sustained press office/campaigns functions, I’d like to think that this year there will be more scope for ongoing briefs. If the last few months of 2013 are anything to go by this will definitely be the case! As Newspapers and magazines also felt the squeeze, and paginations reduced, there appears to have been a shift towards more online coverage which I think will only continue to grow. Content is king and with limitless amount of online ‘space’ to fill this can only be a good thing for us PRs!"

Bethan Simkins

Account Director

"We have already seen a shift in the way we present and communicate information, and in my opinion this change in approach will become more apparent and widespread in 2014. We will see organisations targeting media in a more bespoke manner, using methods best suited to the individual/sector/audience they are trying to reach. As mentioned in a previous blog, I believe the press release is, and will remain, a classic communication tool, however, you can’t deny that communications is evolving. Readers are receptive to broader information and far less detail; 140 characters rather than 600 words, an infographic rather than a word document, an app rather than a brochure, the list is endless.

In 2014, digital marketing and social media will be at the fore of many successful campaigns; however we are still finding our feet through the adolescent period of digital growth. As Anthony Simon, head of digital communication for the PM and Cabinets’ office said, it’s not just about tweeting or blogging – but about ‘engaging, listening and responding’ effectively to deliver online campaigns just as well as traditional offline campaigns. Social media is and will remain a low-cost, highly effective digital tool, however we are still only just tapping into what the various platforms have to offer. Watch this space!"

Kalli Soteriou

Account Executive