Is UK plc really on the road to recovery?

It may have been a long time coming but the latest economic indicators certainly suggest that there are genuine green shoots and the start of a recovery. 

We have seen GDP grow in the first two quarters of 2013, reduced unemployment, rising house prices, increased new car sales and even a sense of optimism replacing the gloom and doom of national commentators!

People seem to be generally happier this year buoyed by the sunny summer, royal baby and the continued British sporting success following on from the Olympics in 2012. Victories for Justin Rose, The Lions, Andy Murray, Chris Frome and England’s cricketers thrashing the Australians have certainly added to the feel good factor; even England’s much maligned footballers got in on the act beating Scotland, but tougher challenges lie ahead for them!

So how is the perceived economic recovery affecting small businesses, who are the life blood of the UK economy? Well as a small business owner myself, I can say that there certainly appear to be more opportunities presenting themselves, although the market place remains very competitive.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve had a number of conversations with professional advisors from banks, lawyers and accountants and there is a general consensus that a lot of the companies they look after are now hoping to move their businesses forward, and away from the survival mode they’ve been in for the last few years.  

However, expansion and growth gives fresh challenges to businesses, as history tells us that more businesses start going bust as we leave a recession because it’s easy to overtrade and run out of cash. This emphasises the need to have good solid operational and financial controls and procedures in place, making sure that any growth is controlled and any cash requirements flagged up well in advance.

So what do the next few years hold in store for UK plc? The announcement from the Bank of England that interest rates are going to be kept at a low rate for the foreseeable future gives a great sense of security for business. Hopefully this, allied to the improved economic figures, will give businesses more confidence to start spending money on projects they have put on hold, which will then filter through to the SME market and help boost the economy further.

It has certainly been a long hard road to recovery but I remain optimistic that the current signs show a recovery is underway. A nice steady upwards growth curve over the next few years for UK plc will do nicely, thank you very much! 

Colin Spencer

Chairman

Image courtesy of thanunkorn

/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

“It always seems impossible until it’s done” – Nelson Mandela

As thousands of students found out their A-Level results this week, I can’t help but reminisce over my results day. It seems like only yesterday that floods of tears were streaming down my face as I read my results, which meant my mother thought that I had failed. How wrong she was!

Compared to 2012, the number of students scoring an A or A* has fallen by 0.3% but there was a rise in the number of students taking what are considered to be more academic subjects. This doesn't surprise me as much as the news that the number of people going to University is rising, despite the £9,000 tuition fees.

Its five years since my results day and I’d like to think I have a better understanding of my career path, than I did back then. During my school years, I hadn't the faintest idea what I wanted to do but fortunately through work experience and University I have come to discover my strengths. If I could give advice to 18 year old me, I would probably say:

‘Don’t worry about not knowing what you want to be in the future. You are most definitely not alone. Take everything in your stride, enjoy yourself, join University societies and with time, you’ll discover a bubbly, creative, confident side of you that you never knew about.’

If these past five years have taught me anything, it’s that life isn’t black and white. Yes, thousands of students go to University but there are other options too. Apprenticeships are a fantastic way to learn on-the-job. In Germany, students who don’t plan on going to University are offered a two to three year work placement – something similar to what is slowly being introduced in the UK.

This week I’ve been very fortunate to have been working at Target PR, helping me gain an insight to the world of PR. From day one I knew this was a sector I’d enjoy. From drafting press releases to editing a newsletter for the UK’s most trusted opticians, this work experience has certainly broadened my understanding of PR. I am extremely grateful to the team for welcoming me in and showing me the ropes.

To all those A-Level students worried about what awaits them, I cannot emphasise enough the importance of networking and researching. Talk to people, look on the web or visit your local Jobcentre and slowly but surely you’ll come to know what you want to do after studying.

A huge thank you to the Target PR team for this fantastic opportunity!

Lourizza Ball

Intern

Adverts – you either love them or hate them

This week, Marmite’s new ad campaign, which features jars of the product being ‘saved’ by rescue teams from the back of consumers’ cupboards, has caused outrage from some viewers, leading to the Advertising Standards Authority receiving almost 400 complaints.

Described by complainants as being in ‘poor taste, deeply offensive and trivialising the work of animal welfare charities and child protection agencies’, it joins a list of ads that have offended consumers.

Despite this, it’s actually far from the most complained about ad, which for 2012 went to the Go Compare adverts, with almost 2,000 complaints.

As a result, we have seen Marmite’s PR team leap into action and show the PR world how to respond to listen to consumers and respond to a crisis in the right way. They could have just issued a statement to clarify its relative metaphorical humour, however they have taken it one step further and decided to make a donation of £18,000 to animal welfare charity, the RSPCA. For me, this shows professionalism in dealing with the situation and it’s a great result for the RSPCA too.

This is a strong example of the power of the consumer and emphasises the need for every PR or marketing campaign to be executed with precision and compassion. Get it right and you can win the hearts and minds of consumers, but get it wrong and you can severely damage your reputation.

But, with animal cruelty among one of the top themes which is likely to provoke a complaint, I did ask myself why Marmite would even run the risk of causing offence among viewers and ending up with a potential crisis.

Well, whether you like it or not, it has undoubtedly been effective at creating conversation about the product. The advert is obviously designed to be light hearted, and it sits well with the brands strap line, ‘love it or hate it’.

And let’s face it, there will always be someone who disapproves or takes offence, but as with anything in life unless you take the risk you will never achieve anything.

Hannah Dudek

Account Executive

“It is better to be alone than in bad company” - George Washington

So Saturday 27 July was PR National Awareness Day but (yes, you’d be right to sense some irony here) who knew? At least the 127 people who liked its dedicated Facebook page did. 

The other person who knew about our industry’s dedicated day was Benjamin Webb, Managing Director of his own PR agency, who had a (fairly) interesting bylined article in the BBC’s online magazine. Now that’s quite a coup, and I’ll happily put my hand up and admit I’m quite jealous, if that was me I’d consider that a high-point in my career (just me? I don’t think so).

Anyway, my point is that PR National Awareness Day is surely about enhancing the industry’s reputation. Great. Then why must ‘people’ always mention Ab Fab Edina or Malcolm Tucker? Yes I know it’s funny and yes I know most PR professionals will have encountered every type of PR person along the sliding scale between our two most infamous ‘ambassadors’, but surely by their very name-check PR’s reputation continues to be self-perpetuating?

But does it really matter? It’s an interesting debate.

As PR professionals, we can’t all be thrown into the same boat. There are different types of PR and we use many different tactics to engage with a range of media types to enhance the reputation of our clients. That’s what we do.

In his BBC article (yep still jealous), Mr Webb used his piece about the challenges of managing the industry’s reputation to suggest that the writing is on the wall for the traditional consumer-focused public relations model, saying: “The deluge of badly-written press releases, silly events and photo stunts, "news stories" without news value, and meaningless "campaigns" have come to irk journalists and bore an increasingly cynical general public.”

I disagree. Using traditional tactics is not what earns us a bad reputation, it’s using the wrong tactics for the wrong media and reaching the wrong audience that earns PR a bad reputation.

Therefore, I believe enhancing the industry’s reputation can only come from the credible work we do, using the right tools for the job of growing client reputations. Surely it boils down to good old-fashioned hard work and know-how?

Rachel Meagher

Account Director 

By George that's good PR!

The world waited with bated breath.  International media were ensconced outside St Mary’s hospital for several weeks; people camped outside for days, all waiting for George.

And then, finally, on Monday the future king was born, on Wednesday he was named and Sarah won our sweepstake!

Three generations of living heirs (Princes Charles, William and George) offers a reassuring stability to our monarchy, but perhaps more importantly George has unknowingly boosted the ‘Royals’ own  PR.

Events of the last century have certainly marred the Royal Family’s popularity - tragedies and scandals have dented goodwill.  But the arrival of the fairy-tale couple Kate and Will, our Prince Charming and Cinderella (well maybe not, dressed in Alexander McQueen, but she’s not of blue blood) has helped re-build the family’s image and enhance its reputation. 

It’s hard to comprehend the anticipation and pressure of George’s arrival – US Time magazine said he was ‘already a figure of international influence’ before he was born.  Fortunately for the little prince, he won’t appreciate the scale of his entry into the world until he’s much older. 

PR around the event was managed seamlessly, with a captive audience informed via the official announcement and an unexpected tweet and online release.  Then followed the marching bands, the beautiful blue-lit landmarks and the gun salutes; fitting endorsements for the joyous occasion.

This was all then topped off perfectly by scenes of the happy couple leaving the hospital with their newborn, relaxed and engaging – surely helping to revive enthusiasm for the monarchy across the globe?

You couldn't have asked for a better PR campaign.

Sam Kandiyali

Director

There’s more than one way to skin a cat

Language. We use it every day and for most of us it’s something we just take for granted. We speak and the words come out or we write a short text to a friend but without giving it a second thought. When it comes to PR though, it’s something we take a more considered approach to as effectively it’s the tool with which we ply our trade.

For me personally, I find language really interesting, particularly idioms, of which there are apparently 25,000 in the English language! This has been the topic of a few conversations in the office recently, prompted by someone saying ‘fly by the seat of your pants’ which resulted in a lot of quizzical looks from colleagues. Now I have to say these came from the under 30 contingent (sadly I don’t fall into this age category), but after using a well known search engine, we established it derives from the aviation industry in the 1930s.

Our chief executive also circulated an email she received recently from a translation company which included some amusing examples of how different cultures use idioms. For example, in English we would say to ‘rekindle an old flame’ but in Italian the literal translation is ‘to reheat cabbage’ and while we’d say ‘to be poor or broke,’ in Spanish the translation of the same is ‘cleaner than a frog’s armpit.’

On a daily basis at Target we are writing features, news releases, newsletter or web copy for clients. From topics as diverse as using specs as a fashion accessory to the use of aluminium fenestration systems to create energy efficient buildings, we have to be able to tell the ‘story’ in the most interesting and appealing way possible. This rule also applies to the spoken as well as written word, as being able to sell-in an idea to a journalist in what is often a short space of time requires a succinct and measured approach.

It’s clear that language is at the heart of our industry, so I think it’s important we maintain an interest in its origins and treat it with the respect it deserves. While we might never reach the heady heights of Shakespeare or Stoppard, we should still be able to use its intricacies to craft informative and engaging copy that people want to read. After all, that’s why we get out of bed in the morning!    

Bethan Simkins
Account Manager

Glastonbury - more than a music festival

This time last week I was lucky enough to be at Worthy Farm, standing in front of the pyramid stage watching Jake Bugg perform, and of course donning a pair of wellies.

Glastonbury is one of the world’s largest music festivals and provides the blueprint for many others, yet it still remains to be an utterly unique and individual experience. Appealing to folks from all walks of life, it sparks that one common element which unites hundreds of thousands of strangers; civic boosterism at its finest.

It’s 43 years since it all began and although this was my first time at Glastonbury, I instantly felt a real sense that at the heart of this festival’s production and delivery was honesty and compassion. It was refreshing to see no corporate flashing advertising boards for big name brands, instead displayed proudly, the logos of Greenpeace, Oxfam, Wateraid and our dear client Winston’s Wish, whom we’re proud to have worked with earlier this year.

The almost anti-corporate stance could be seen throughout the entire festival; whether it was up in the craft field making your own jewellery out of old silver cutlery in the back of a clapped out VW camper, or in The Park feasting on culinary delights from around the world freshly made in front you, or even trying out Gong Therapy for the first time in the Healing Field. The dominance of charities and independent suppliers over any commercial presence was extremely visible.

However, those few select brands who did manage to enter through the pearly gates were clever to not push their own agenda. EE provided two recharge tents, which allowed attendees to recharge their batteries (including their phones), use wifi and 4GEE at no cost. Whilst Hunter were canny to integrate its marketing campaign with a CSR opportunity, offering a wellie exchange whereby festival goers could donate their old battered wellies for a shiny new pair of Hunters. I was told by one of the rather handsome young volunteers, the old boots would be recycled and profits donated to the British Red Cross. Again, something to feel good about.

There is something very raw and true about Glastonbury. It’s the extraordinary ability of the Eavis family, sponsors, performers, charities and the Glasto revellers to create its own temporary community that makes this festival so successful – that’s music to my ears still ringing one week on.

Alexandra Underwood
Account Executive