People power

The global brand that is Starbucks took a bit of a battering at the end of last year as they came under fire for not paying ‘enough’ UK corporation tax. Under huge pressure from its customers, the coffee giant agreed to pay £20m in tax over the next two years. 

When the story first broke, protests outside Starbucks shops were reported, and its scores on YouGov’s BrandIndex plummeted to a four year low. This was clearly something the public felt very strongly about and wanted their voices to be heard. 

So it was no great surprise when Starbucks announced its ‘Monday promotion’ offering any tall latte for £1.50 before 11am on a Monday from 7 January – 18 February. Although this is by no means the first promotion Starbucks has run, it is a first for the coffee corporation to communicate an offer via a TV ad in the UK. Paired with precision timing and slick execution, this is surely a clear indication that Starbucks is trying to build bridges with its customers.

For PR professionals, the importance of audience is one of the earliest lessons to learn, and when your audience can have such a significant impact on your brand, it’s essential to listen to them.

From what was a crisis situation, Starbucks did indeed listen to its audience and acted quickly to prevent the story escalating further. Kris Engskov managing director of Starbucks in the UK, in a speech to the London Chamber of Commerce, sums it up perfectly, ‘We've learned it is vital to listen closely to our customers – and that acting responsibly makes good business sense.’

Hear, hear!

Bethan Simkins
Account Manager

Back to the Future

The new year is often a time when you find yourself reflecting on the previous twelve months; whether it’s the highs or the lows, the people we met on the way, or the monumental events that took place. Some may say we can learn from the past and face next year’s opportunities with a new perspective. But is there something to gain from reflecting back 100 years ago...to 1913?

Technology and censorship

On the 1st January 1913, the British Board of Film Censors (later to become the British Board of Film Classification, BBFC) was given the authority to classify and censor films. Like the press, it endeavoured to become a self-regulating industry, and it is a structure that successfully remains in place today.

As cinema became a ‘socially powerful mass-medium’, governments once feared its effects as some nations famously produced propaganda films. This is a fear that can easily be related to the present day usage of social media. The current mass-medium tool which has no official regulator, policing system or governmental control, other than ‘The Twitter Rules’, continues to instil fear in some.

The ever tricky tightrope act between ensuring freedom of speech, without breaking the law or abusing its power, will more than likely be a debate we continue to see trending in 2013. However, from a system that was put in place 100 years ago and still remains as effective today, we can perhaps derive some hope that this debate resolves in a fair, just and ethical way, contributing positively to the changing face of 21st century PR.

Alexandra Underwood
Account Executive

Reasons to be cheerful!

The economy may have been piling on the pressure for many businesses this year, but it hasn’t dampened their goodwill towards great local causes, if our experiences in the last few weeks are anything to go by.

Last weekend the Target PR team ran a pop-up shop for the day in Cheltenham's Regent Arcade, with a mission to raise as much as we could for Sue Ryder. Our magnificent One Day Wonderland raised more than £800 on the day, but none of that would have been possible without the help of lots of local businesses.

Bev, Target’s office manager and chief blagger of freebies, led the sterling work inviting suppliers, local retailers, and friends of our business to get involved - and we were all overwhelmed by the positive reaction, even from companies with whom we had no previous relationship. 

These are all businesses led by people who care about the community in which they're based. Happy to do their little bit. And when you add it all together, that's a lot of positive energy. 

If you happened to be on the first floor of Regent Arcade on Saturday you may have seen some of that positive energy in action - the public responded with enthusiasm, and our team excelled at turning a disused retail unit into a hive of goodwill. (You'll find lots of photos on our Facebook page!)

If you missed it, however, don't worry - there's plenty of time to get involved between now and 18 January when our fundraising finale takes place - the Grand Balloon Race. Just £5 a ticket with a chance to win a fabulous overnight stay with dinner at the luxurious Cotswold 88 Hotel in Painswick.

Just email bigwigs@targetgroup.co.uk or donate online at uk.virginmoneygiving.com/TargetPR

In the meantime, what better way to finish this post than with a roll-call of all the fantastic companies that have supported us so far!!

I make that 36 reasons to be cheerful - have a great Christmas!

Regent Arcade

Brasserie Blanc, Cheltenham

Marks & Spencer, Cheltenham

Hobbs, Cheltenham

Grafx, Cheltenham

N3 Display, Bristol

Alpha Response, Gloucester

Typecraft, Cheltenham

Stu-art Design

Cheltenham Racecourse

SnowDome, Tamworth

Ellenborough Park Hotel, Cheltenham

Sutdio Fit, Cheltenham

The Entertainer, Cheltenham

Boots, Cheltenham

Sugar Loaf, Cheltenham

BHS, Cheltenham

Lakeland, Cheltenham

Cotswold88 Hotel, Painswick

Specsavers, Cheltenham

Travellers Finds, Cheltenham

Thorntons, Cheltenham

Waterstones, Cheltenham

5 Star Valeting Solutions

Brickhampton Golf Course

Cheltenham Town Hall

Venture Photography, Cheltenham

Toni & Guy, Cheltenham

Lakeside Chippy, Cheltenham

Bodyshop, Cheltenham

Calendar Club, Cheltenham

Little Bag Company, Cheltenham

Folk Dean Balloons

Underwoods Steel

QuoLux
SLG

Sarah Bryars

Chief Executive, Target PR

A way with words

It’s been a busy few weeks here at Target PR, from organising our upcoming ‘One Day Wonderland’ pop-up shop and balloon race in aid of Sue Ryder, to our everyday work, great things happen at 105-107 Bath Road and we'd like to share it with the world. Well, the world wide web to be precise!

In recent weeks you may have noticed that we’ve done more than just dip our toes into the social media swimming pool, we’ve been going all out giving you daily insights into what goes on here at Target HQ. But we didn’t just dive straight in, oh no, we put together a list of hints and tips to make sure everyone in the team was on the right track.

So if you’re stuck for words, or need help deciding whether that tweet about what you had for breakfast is really necessary (it’s not), why not take a look at our favourite top tips and let us know what you think:

1.    First and foremost be yourself, but be cautious. It sounds obvious but don't reveal information that you feel could be potentially sensitive or confidential – you don’t want to let the cat out of the bag!

2.    Internal issues can arise and disagreements do happen, but public arenas, including Twitter, Facebook and blogs, are not the place for these to be aired. Enough said.

3.    The best posts are the ones that signpost information available elsewhere and encourage conversations. Content is king and stuff that works includes: a behind the scenes look at a day in your shoes, insight on and responses to the latest and greatest industry news, or even a guest post from a client that’s benefitted from your help.

4.    If the post is related to a news story, link to it and respond to it, don’t spend time repeating it. After all, people are coming to you for your opinion and insight. As Baz Luhrmann once said, “Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off and recycling it for more than it’s worth”.

5.    Enjoy it!

Zainab Rahman

Account Executive

Shopping in a One Day Wonderland!

Feel-good shopping will be hitting Cheltenham’s Regent Arcade for a 'One Day Wonderland' in aid of Sue Ryder on Saturday 15 December, thanks to the fundraising efforts by the team at Target Public Relations.

We will be swapping our desk-jobs for the shop floor when we run a ‘pop-up shop’ – appearing just for one day – selling a wide range of gifts and stocking fillers with every penny going to the Sue Ryder charity to support its hospice services helping those affected by life changing illnesses.

It's all part of this year’s Sue Ryder Big Wigs Challenge, which invites businesses to raise as much as they can with a float of £50 to get them started.

The lovely people at Regent Arcade have gifted the use of an empty shop next to TK Maxx on the first floor for the day, and the Target team is sourcing donated gifts from businesses all over Gloucestershire, as well as privately donated ‘pre-loved’ books, DVDs, toys and accessories, and some hand-crafted items. We'll also be holding ‘Santa’s sealed bid silent auction’ on the day, with some great tickets and vouchers available to the highest bidder.

Shoppers can buy tickets to Target’s Grand Balloon Race, which will mark the end of the Big Wigs challenge on Friday 18 January 2013. Tickets cost £5 each and the balloons will be released from the roof of Target’s office on Bath Road. The person whose balloon travels the furthest will win a sumptuous overnight stay with dinner, generously donated by the luxury boutique hotel Cotswolds 88 in Painswick.

Christmas is just around the corner so we're asking everyone we can think of to help us raise some money while spreading a little festive cheer. Would you like to get involved? We're looking for more fabulous gifts, products, or tickets to sell in the shop or add to Santa's silent auction. Alternatively, you can make a donation online. And of course we'd love you to spread the word and come down to shop with us on 15 December!

The Big Wigs challenge is run by Sue Ryder every year and sees companies throughout the South West ‘competing’ to raise as much money as possible. The challenge runs from 18 October 2012 to 18 January 2013.

Sue Ryder provides free care to those affected by life changing illnesses through its care centres, homecare services and healthcare clinics.

One Day Wonderland will be open Saturday 15 December from 9am until 6pm on the first floor of Regent Arcade next to TK Maxx.

Donations to Target’s fundraising activity can also be made online at uk.virginmoneygiving.com/TargetPR or by emailing bigwigs@targetgroup.co.uk

Thank you and Happy Christmas!

Sarah Bryars, chief executive, Target PR

Shining the light on solar

This autumn Target PR is proud to be launching an innovation set to revolutionise the solar thermal market in the UK.



A unique patented adaptation of the standard solar thermal system could deliver savings of up to 45 per cent on fuel bills by heating the home as well as hot water.

Invented by experienced and time-served heating engineer Matt Lee, Solar 3C provides a simple yet revolutionary extension to a standard solar thermal system traditionally based on a twin coil cylinder. Advancing the technology by developing a unique and patented triple coil hot water storage cylinder, the Solar 3C system is able to deliver green and highly efficient space heating in addition to domestic hot water.

The additional capacity provided by the third coil in the cylinder also dramatically extends the potential annual solar gain from typically 10 weeks per annum to 10 months plus. Evidence provided by existing Solar 3C customers reveals possible savings of up to 45 per cent on heating and hot water bills.

Using its strong relationships with editors in the heating, plumbing and building sector press, Target is taking Solar 3C’s exciting messages to its key audiences for the first time, marking a key milestone in the development of this innovative, entrepreneurial business.

The bicycle fit for Bond

Land Rover has launched the world’s first Titanium Nitride coated mountain bike – NITRIDE.

Coated in the same material as the London 2012 Olympic torches, this bespoke premium bike, designed by Midlands-based 2x2 Worldwide, offers superior ride, ultimate durability and utmost sophistication, so it wouldn’t look out of place in Q’s laboratory.

Using military aerospace technology, the NITRIDE is finished in a Physical Vapour Deposited (PVD) titanium ceramic coating – which is applied in a controlled oxygen free environment. This finish is only three microns thick, that’s just one fifth of the thickness of a droplet of mist! The result is that the bike will not corrode, is virtually scratchproof, with a finish that is lighter than paint and gives unique rider quality.

With prices starting at £10k, the NITRIDE bike is exclusively hand built in the UK for its rider within 18 weeks, using personal sizing requirements supplied by its owner.

Excited? The team at Target PR nearly fell off their five-wheeled plastic framed upholstered office chairs when 2x2 Worldwide asked if they could help with PR for this and their full range of brilliant Land Rover bikes.

To find out more visit the Land Rover bikes website