This week in PR (22 November)
About the author
Richard Bailey Hon FCIPR is editor of PR Academy's PR Place Insights. He has taught and assessed undergraduate, postgraduate and professional students.
News in brief
#PrinceAndrew how not to draw a line in the sand and move on. For any student of public relations watch this interview.. I’d call it doing all the wrong things really well. Astonishing hubris! I’ve never watched a slow motion car crash until now
— Mark Borkowski (@MarkBorkowski) November 16, 2019
- The CIPR and PRCA have both been quick to condemn the Conservative Party’s ‘factcheck UK’ name-change stunt on Twitter.
- Here is the full UnAwards 19 shortlist. Winners will be announced on 6 December.
- The winners at this week’s CorpComms awards are revealed in this thread
Purpose and professionalism
We have launched our 10th annual #StateofPR survey. Help shape your profession by completing our new and refreshed survey.
"I urge everyone working in public relations to take part and help us tell your story" CIPR President @EmmaJ70 https://t.co/kefcy9gUZU pic.twitter.com/VAHJD0fDGe
— CIPR (@CIPR_UK) November 20, 2019
- Jyoti Banerjee: Purpose? Or profit? Is it a binary choice? (21 November)
‘Our paper draws together academic evidence, polling research and data points over more than 20 years to build the case that businesses whose strategies are actively driven by a purpose that optimises value for multiple stakeholders, perform better than those that do not.’ - Emma McCallum: Reputation, ethical tech and fighting the good fight – CIPR National Conference 2019 (18 November)
‘With trust continuing to decline, reputation is more important than ever, and in a digital world where transparency is expected and every action is open to scrutiny, it’s vital for businesses to behave responsibly, with purpose at their heart.’
Consulting and careers
- Rich Leigh: PR in a car [vlog] (21 November)
‘For this first ‘PR in a car’ episode , I wanted to talk about my agency and where we’re at, five years in.’ - Ben Smith: Marshall Manson, partner at Brunswick, on the PRmoment podcast (19 November)
‘The success of Edelman London starting in 2007 was down to Robert [Phillips]. He was talking about an engagement model before anyone else. He drove us to adapt our thinking and the way we did business.’ - Jake O’Neill: How to become an independent consultant: An interview with Kate Fielding, Fielding Communications (19 November)
‘Paul Sweetman of SweetComms told me about the ‘rule of 3s’ – so as soon as you finish one task, contact three people you’ve not been in touch with for a while.’ - Rachel Cass: Ten reasons to choose an agency outside London (19 November)
‘Thanks to technology, clients can connect wherever they are, and location is not an issue when selecting an agency. So, why are companies from FTSE 100 to SMEs choosing PR agencies based outside the big cities?’
Politics and public affairs
Great to have Lib Dem Deputy Leader @EdwardJDavey here @CiceroGlobal this morning talking #GE19 and Brexit (obviously). With @TomlinLizzy making a great debut in the chair! pic.twitter.com/rIQQHXV97E
— Simon Fitzpatrick (@simonpatfitz) November 20, 2019
Crisis and reputation
- Steve Double: The art of saying nothing (20 November)
‘For my professional eye, the most astonishing part of this cringeworthy episode was far more prosaic – why did Andrew do the interview in the first place? Sometimes (even if it often goes against instincts of some in the communications industry) saying nothing is absolutely the right thing to do.’ - David Brain: Prince Andrew’s cock-up is colossal (19 November)
‘Unfortunately for him, the resulting interview will be used by the PR industry to train people on “how not to do it” for years to come and, given the Royal Family are in permanent planning for “life after Liz” mode, it could not have come at a worse time for them.
- Sheena Thomson: Disruptive events – alleviating anxiety and anger when the worst happens (18 November)
‘At the core of the early stages of a crisis threatening lives and/or property are those stakeholders in the impact zone: householders, businesses, public services.’ - Gary Taylor: Don’t blame the PR (19 November)
‘I’ve yet to read or hear from any professional PR practitioner who thought this was ever going to be anything more than a disaster from a man generally assumed to be rather clueless about the real world and what people in it think of him.’ - PR Agency One: 30 of the Worst Media Interviews of All Time (updated this week)
‘We’ve decided to update our ‘worst media interviews of all time’ post. Please suggest new additions as we plan to constantly update this thread.’ - Bieneosa Ebite and Paul Nezandonyi: PR Bants: Prince Andrew’s Newsnight interview [podcast] (17 November)
‘Yes, it was a car crash, and one of the worst interviews we’ve ever seen. The voice of the victims is completely missing, and he was given the chance to acknowledge them.’
Wellbeing, gender and diversity
Please complete the #mentalhealth survey from @prweekuknews. It takes 5 mins, but could have a huge impact on our industry, your employer’s policies or your day to day well being at work. https://t.co/zPIy0Fakcg
— The PR Network (@PRNetwork) November 20, 2019
Measurement and evaluation
- Amy Kimber: The value of earned PR vs paid and how to get an A* in earned media (19 November)
‘We PR’s are now lucky enough to enter boardrooms armed with clear metrics articulating the power of earned media. Once upon a time they would question its value and it was difficult to win your own case. Excitingly, there are countless tactics you can employ to maximise your PR efforts and drive meaningful brand awareness.’
Brands, storytelling and influence
- Scott Guthrie: Influencers’ incomes soar but remain underpaid (19 November)
‘At one end of the spectrum, Kylie Jenner is reportedly paid around $1.2 million for a single post on Instagram. Whereas 84% of micro-influencers charge less than $250 per sponsored post.’
- Alex Malouf: Rebranding for ‘soft power’ – examples from the Gulf (17 November)
‘Now is a good time to be in the branding business, at least here in the Gulf. A slew of governments and government-owned assets are launching brand campaigns.’
Campaigns and creativity
- James Herring: WATCH: Why the Faroe Islands are closing down for tourists (21 November)
‘Attractions in the Faroe Islands will be closed for regular visitors but open to volunteers – or voluntourists – who wish to help maintain them.’
Internal communication
Great to see that #employeevoice is being picked up. My research on #listening to employees with @mikepounsford @howiejk is published on 2 December #internalcomms https://t.co/xeVdxJF23k
— Dr Kevin Ruck (@AcademyKev) November 21, 2019
- Katie Macaulay with Mike Klein: Editing organisations [podcast] (no date)
‘Internal comms is not about facilitation; internal comms is about intent.’ - Helen Deverell: Will the real internal communicator please stand up (18 November)
‘Impostor syndrome was a constant theme at the CIPR Inside Changing the Conversation conference last month. It was highlighted as something that holds internal communicators back.’ - Martin Flegg: Taking IC towards a better place (17 November)
‘If you’ve read some of my other blogs, you’ll know that my main soapbox is professionalism in internal communication. There aren’t currently enough internal communicators getting qualified, doing meaningful continuous professional development or learning from other internal communicators.’ - Sue Dewhurst: How to Make the Case for Internal Communications (IC) (14 November)
‘Get to know what business issues are keeping your key stakeholders awake at night. Understand what matters to them. If you’re part of the same meetings as they are, notice what interests them and when they tune out.’
Media and digital
When you tell the family Whatsapp your work has won Best Large SEO Agency at the @uksearchawards #goodeffort pic.twitter.com/4ES9rghyoN
— Livi Crawford (@LiviCrawford) November 20, 2019
- Paul Sutton with Mark Schaefer: Customer loyalty is dying [podcast] (20 November)
‘Today there are 600 million smart devices with ad blockers on them in the world. This is the biggest civil rebellion in the history of the world. They’re saying ‘we don’t want the ads’. And what’s the ad industry’s response to that? ‘We gotta find a way to get around the ad blockers.’ - Stephen Waddington: Faking an owned or social media account is wrong (20 November)
‘The Conservative Party changed its Twitter account to @FactCheckUK during the ITV Leaders Debate. It’s plainly wrong.’ - Phoebe-Jane Boyd: PRCA 2019 Digital Report: Industry investment in social media is up (19 November)
‘PRCA’s digital report shows increased industry investment in social media and digital. The survey of 408 PR professionals across sectors including technology, NGOs, government, and finance and banking found growth in budget assignment for digital tools and tactics as well as a greater confidence in measuring its success for campaigns.’ - Laura Crimmons: What, how and when to pitch journalists by industry (15 November)
‘Five verticals were chosen for the study (Tech, Travel, Health, Entertainment and Personal Finance) with 20 publishers then analysed within each vertical taking the most recent 1,000 articles from each as well as the most shared 1,000 articles.’
#prstudent #bestPRblogs
- Rachel Mole (Solent): Social or Unsocial Media? (21 November)
‘Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram are no longer about staying in touch with old friends, instead it’s a community where people seek acceptance depending on how many likes they get on a photo or how many followers they have.’ - Abi Kitcher (Solent): What makes a successful Christmas campaign? (21 November)
‘I have collated some key elements on what makes a Christmas Campaign fill us all with festive joy and talk about the adverts for the next few weeks!’
- Niamh Murray (Ulster): What do you want to be when you grow up? (21 November)
‘There’s this expectation that people should know exactly what they want to do and where they want to work, but no one really knows, do they? Some people figure it out when they’re 10. Others figure it out when they’re 40. Some never do.’ - Derbhla Evans (Ulster): Flying the nest (21 November)
‘For my university placement year , I decided to move to Barcelona. As the baby of my family I was the last one to fly the nest and leave my family behind.’ - Emma Rogers (Solent): How important is teaching ethics at degree level? (20 November)
‘Over the last 9 weeks, I have learnt so much about ethics, issues and crises across various organisations and within individuals.’ - Cassandra Roos (Solent): Writer vs Reader (20 November)
‘What I do think is positive in today’s society is that most people have access to many sources of news. However, I think that has led to us as consumers of news to go looking for the things that confirm our worldviews.’ - Emma Street (Lincoln): Does Being an Introvert Matter in PR? (19 November)
‘As public relations itself has expanded, it makes sense that the people who work within it are different from old stereotypes. There are more skills and attributes needed to work within the industry, that have nothing to do with being an extrovert.’ - Siobhan McKerr (Ulster): #SYGOL – My Career Goals (19 November)
‘#SYGOL. This is a term that Irish influencer Sinead Hegarty has widely discussed. This stands for ‘Say Your Goals Out Loud’. - Kayleigh Tinney (Ulster): Did I give up on my dream of becoming an artist…or am I right where I need to be? (15 November)
‘Being a marketer means that my art is seen by the world, it has a purpose, it has a message and it has made a difference.’