This week in PR (19 October)

News in brief

• We’ve marked two milestones this week: the 70th anniversary of the CIPR (#CIPR70), celebrated with the publication of Platinum; and the 30th anniversary of the Stirling PR degree was marked by a special symposium on critical perspectives (#StirPR30)
• Here are all the winners from Tuesday’s PR Week Awards. Let’s single out two individuals from amongst the teams: Jackie Cooper of Edelman is Hall of Fame winner; Bournemouth PR graduate Amy O’Connor is Young PR Practitioner of the Year.
• Stephen Waddington is to leave Ketchum and is set to become UK managing director of Metia in the New Year (Holmes Report)
• Unity co-founder Nik Govier is a partner in a new agency for a “Blurred” world. (Holmes Report)
• Advita Patel becomes chair of CIPRinside in January, replacing CIPR president-elect Jenni Field. Helen Deverell becomes vice chair (and has also been made a Fellow of the IOiC).
• Richard Bagnall is joining CARMA as managing director for Europe and the Americas. He’s being joined by former Metrica colleagues Paul Hender and Jason Weekes.
• This year’s PRCA Reginald Watts Prize winner is Grace MacDougall, an account executive with Crest Communications.
• As the CIPR packs up its Russell Square headquarters and moves to 85 Tottenham Court Road next week, the PRCA is now offering a Business Centre for members at its offices south of the river.

Academic

• International Communication Association (ICA) has announced its election results. Ansgar Zerfass of University of Leipzig is vice chair of the public relations interest group.

Insights and opinions: Pick of the posts

These are the editor’s pick of posts about public relations this week (UK focused, but with a global outlook). Recommendations are welcome to editor@prplace.com or @pr_place

Consulting, careers and skills

• Laura Sutherland: How to celebrate a business 10th anniversary (18 October)
  ‘My dream as a wee girl, was always to be a ‘business woman’. I wanted people to respect my knowledge, experience and advice. I wanted to solve problems. I wanted to help businesses across the world.’
• David Brain: A tribute to Jackie Cooper on her induction into the PR Week Hall of Fame (16 October)
  ‘Whilst Robert [Phillips] has now left the industry, I’m not sure Jackie ever could. Her signature campaigns for Wonderbra, PlayStation, Dove and Xbox are just the tip of an almost unrivalled creative record…. Jackie is still on a mission to take creativity out of the creative department and into the PR business as a whole.’
• Kathryn Bowditch: Tired of London, but not of life (no date)
  ‘When communications meant just media and investor communications along with some public affairs, then London was the best place to be. Now social and digital, employee and influencer engagement are as important – and can be done equally well anywhere.’
• Iliyana Stareva: Imagining It Forward: Innovation, Change and Leadership in Business (16 October)
  ‘Innovation is the result of seeking out tension, not avoiding it. It’s not about reassurance or consensus—it often encourages confrontation.’
• Stuart Bruce: So what do you do for a job Stuart? (16 October)
  ‘This article is about clarifying for you (and for me) what I do and how I might be able to help you.’

Ethics and professionalism

• Amanda Coleman: In total agreement (18 October)
  ‘For me where I choose to work has to be somewhere that I feel is valuable enough to have my time.’
• Sarah Hall: Platinum: Documenting the journey to professionalism in public relations (16 October)
  ‘This thought-provoking and must-read book has been produced through the hard work, generosity and expertise of our members.’

Public and third sectors

• Simon Francis: For charities’ sake we must have more good news (16 October)
  ‘Social enterprise Campaign Collective launched a new media outlet – The Rooftop – a month ago to provide the public with a daily dose of positive news.’

Mental health

• Martin Stubbs-Partridge: How Scottish Natural Heritage focuses on mental wellbeing (17 October)
  ‘By the time they’re 16, roughly three children in every classroom in Scotland will have experienced a mental health problem.’
• Scott Elliott: Mindfulness in the workplace (17 October)
  ‘To mark World Mental Health Day 2018, our London office held a mindfulness workshop for the team.’
• Anonymous: Mental health awareness action gap (12 October)
  ‘I’d like to think at some point in the not too distant future I’ll be able to get back to work and make a contribution. And when I do, I’ll be far more challenging when presented with a ‘good news story’ by someone in human resources. However genuine their intentions.’

Influence

• Scott Guthrie: New report: influencer marketing knowledge gap widening (18 October)
  ‘Influencer marketers are stuck in a “tactical trap”, according to a new report from Traackr and Brian Solis.’
• Pretty Green: The Best Influencer Marketing Campaign of 2018? (18 October)
  ‘You only need to have a look at the #WeArePartners Instagram feed to see that this has caught the imagination of its employees across the country.’
• Roger Darashah: Introducing the ‘Di Maio Effect’ (16 October)
  ‘Influence has less to do with knowledge than reach. The capacity to access and engage people.’

Campaigns and creativity

• Adam Mack: Word of the Week: Social (aka Digital) (18 October)
  ‘Many agencies and their clients fall into the trap of thinking that PR and social are two separate things.’
• Mark Borkowski: A serious case of #sowhatism (12 October)
  ‘Now getting a message across is harder than ever. Planning, targeting, creativity and courage are vital to cut through the melee.’

Technology and AI

• Andrew Smith: Reflections on the PR profession in an AI driven age: the CIPR Platinum book (18 October)
  ‘Whatever shape the PR profession takes in the coming years, the human element of PR – relationships, ethics, reputation, social purpose – must remain paramount.’

Internal communication

• Rachel Royall: What is internal communications? [vlog] (15 October)
  ‘1.7 million people work in the NHS – and it ranks fifth in terms of global employers… One of the most important things we can do as communicators is give a voice back to the heroes of the NHS.’
• Saskia Jones: Don’t you forget about me: 6 ways to engage remote employees (16 October)
  ‘70% of professionals work remotely at least one day a week, while 53% work remotely for at least half of the week.’
• Rachel Miller: How to prepare for World Values Day 2018 (16 October)
  ‘This article is packed with ideas, advice and guidance to help you learn, craft and communicate your values, including 10 things you can do today.’

Media and digital

• Stephen Waddington: News and editorial planning (18 October)
  ‘News planning is an important PR technique. Here’s a process, tools and forward planning data to help build a news or editorial calendar.’
• Alex Malouf: How to podcast (on the cheap and dirty) (17 October)
  ‘There’s this (incorrect) belief that podcasting is expensive (you have to use a studio), that you have to have a sound engineer to edit the files (anyone can do it) and that podcasting is still niche.’
• Gary Taylor: Hot metal, cold type (12 October)
  ‘If the sale of Johnston Press results is a model that better serves local readers, holding our local leaders to account, with timely, topical and relevant local content then I’m all for it. I know. What are the chances?’

#prstudent #bestPRblogs

• Shannon Hegarty (Ulster): Banksy: King of PR (19 October)
  ‘As a former art student, I admire Banksy’s work. And as a final year PR Student, I am in complete awe of his Public Relations methods.’
• Aoibheann McCormack (Liverpool John Moores): THE Group Discussion. How to Ace your Assessment Centre: Part One (18 October)
  ‘There are at least Five key areas Employers look for in a Group Task and as such, there are at least five things you must do to make a good impression in it.’
• Lucy Hayball (Bourmemouth): Back to blogging basics (18 October)
  ‘This degree has become so much more than a subject to me. It is something that has intrigued and challenged me whilst consistently encouraging my mind to grow and follow the things I love.’
• Yana Miladinova (Bournemouth): 10 Questions with Darren Northeast (18 October)
  ‘Be nice to people! People like dealing with nice people. You don’t have to be a b*tch or use and abuse people to get to the top. If you treat people well, they normally treat you with respect back.’
• Beth Smith (Sunderland): You’re Hired | 5 PR lessons we can all learn from the Apprentice 2018 (17 October)
  ‘Admit it when you’ve made a mistake. Especially when you are being filmed and your mistake is broadcast for everyone to see. Admit it, learn from it, move on.’
• Niamh Murray (Ulster): Controversial Advertising: Stupid or Strategic? (17 October)
  ‘Marketing and advertising teams depend on people talking about products, companies, shows- whatever they’re trying to promote; and what better way to get people talking than to start a good old fashioned debate?’
• Heiða Ingimarsdóttir (Leeds): Being a PR student in the shadow of the profession’s questionable reputation (15 October)
  ‘Bloody unprofessional bunch of people! Got no morals and are ready to say what ever as long as they get paid for it!!”
• Kathryn Bigger (Ulster): Fast Fashion & the ‘Material World’ (15 October)
  ‘We are guilty of trying to constantly pursue the latest trends, desperately wanting to live a life full of hope and false fantasies.’
• Orlagh Shanks (Liverpool John Moores): #FridayFive: Five Things to Consider Before Starting a Blog (12 October)
  ‘If you’re thinking of starting your own blog (I very strongly recommend doing so) then below are five things you should consider before gracing the blogosphere with your presence.’