This week in PR (24 April)

About the author
Richard Bailey Hon FCIPR is editor of PR Academy Insights. He has taught and assessed undergraduate, postgraduate and professional students.

News in brief
- The 2020 Global Communication Report from USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism is focused on New Activism, predicting ‘activism will grow in influence over the next five years, primarily driven by the lack of trust in political institutions. They also agree that “average citizens” will be more influential than CEOs and journalists, with the prototypical New Activist being a younger, nonwhite, urban female who is well-educated and tech-savvy.
Academic, education and training
- Ella Minty: To All The Academics Who Teach Public Relations and Communication (23 April)
‘What unpleasantly surprises me almost every time I either answer a written questionnaire or take part in an interview, is how generally poor the student’s understanding/knowledge is.’ - Paul Simpson: “Daemon Voices: Essays on Storytelling” – by Philip Pullman (21 April)
‘I used to think a ‘jackdaw’ summed up the public relations curriculum well – insights from marketing, business, psychology, economics, journalism, research methods – so many different strands. I did my best to ‘eek’ out a small corner for storytelling.’
Covid-19 comms
"This crisis [..] amounts to a test of stakeholder capitalism. When it’s over, companies will be judged by “what they did during the war”, how they treated their employees, suppliers and customers, by who shared and who hoarded." Thoughtful piece by Carney https://t.co/SVlsB3PKGX
— Dan Julian (@danjulian93) April 17, 2020
- Marta Kozielska: Why it’s no longer ‘business as usual’ in the coronavirus era (24 April)
‘With the future belonging to those organisations that turn crisis into opportunity by embedding agility and resilience, here are just three examples of the key issues many organisations will have to be thinking through.’ - Siobhan Lavelle: Where Do We Go From Here? Communicating Through Crisis (23 April)
‘For many business leaders, communication so far has focused on sharing operational changes and outlining functional needs. Now it’s time to get strategic.’
- Orlagh Shanks: Can influencers help #FlattenTheCurve? (22 April)
‘Along with hospital workers, public transport workers and grocery store workers, social media influencers have been listed as critical workers in Finland, and have been listed as such for two years.’ - Lorraine Forrest-Turner: The good, the bad and the smugly: how to communicate well during the Covid-19 lockdown (21 April)
‘Here are my thoughts on who’s communicating well – and not so well – during the Covid-19 lockdown.’ - Sheena Thomson: COVID-19 recovery: a military approach – negative tin hats (21 April)
‘Here are my key takeaways for anyone thrust into the eye of the storm: leading and managing the strategic and operational elements of the crisis to ensure short-term survival and longer-term success.’ - Maya Anaokar: War. What is it good for? Metaphors. (20 April)
‘Colleagues and former clients reading this will know I dislike the use of military metaphors in healthcare communications. Despite my best efforts, military metaphors are pervasive in healthcare and even medical research communications. A disease is so often described as an enemy that must be defeated.’ - Ann Pilkington: Be prepared! We don’t know when and how we are coming out of lockdown but we can still have a plan (20 April)
‘OK, we don’t know when we will be out of lockdown or in what way it will be eased when the time comes – but we can think about the possible scenarios and what we will do and say in the different circumstances.’ - Roger Darashah: In Science We Trust. But Whose Science, Exactly? (20 April)
‘Social sciences are as empirically based as their laboratory counterparts, and their insights can be equally relevant.’ - Dan Slee: BE HUMAN: What stage two of coronavirus needs to look like (20 April)
‘The first phase was Government posters with a clear warning message: ‘Stay safe, stay home, protect the NHS.’ But there’s only so long those can be share and re-shared for before their message dissipates. As time goes on, the comms needs to change.’
- Lisa Barnett: Changing your communications approach during a crisis (17 April)
‘Content calendars, creative briefs and advertising budgets are being ripped apart during the coronavirus pandemic as brands rethink their content and marketing messages to make sure it is appropriate. While the temptation would be to pull all advertising and not respond to your audience, this is the critical time when your audience needs to hear from you to protect the image and long-term future of the company.’ - Jennifer Sanchis: Covid-19: How entrepreneurial spirit can boost PR efforts (17 April)
‘Those businesses continuing to operate should not feel guilty – or cringy – about sustaining earnings during a global crisis.’ - Alan Miller: The telecoms industry needs more than facts to fight 5G conspiracies (no date)
‘There have been over 30 acts of arson and vandalism against telecom sites and around 80 recorded acts of harassment against telecoms engineers. One viral incident saw the harasser confident enough to record their interaction, switching quickly from social distancing concerns to conspiracy theories.’
Purpose and professionalism
Great conversation @jerichochambers about business life after coronavirus. Lord Davies says consumers and employees will have a profound effect on changing the culture of Boards when it comes to ESG, rather than investors. #jerichoconversations pic.twitter.com/035hrHdBjC
— bieneosa (@bieneosa) April 17, 2020
- Amanda Coleman: A new future (22 April)
‘Now there needs to be brave thinking to find those new ways of working for PR and communication as much as other areas of business. It requires an empowered workforce who feel able to speak and are listened to. It requires a willingness to try new things and to do this quickly. It requires a detailed understanding of the business and of the systems, processes and data that underpin the PR and communication function.’ - Paul MacKenzie-Cummins: Four ways COVID-19 has changed our industry indefinitely (17 April)
‘Along with ‘co-ompetition’ between agencies, another likely output from the current crisis will be the rise in the number of PR professionals giving away their secrets. Brands aren’t looking to be sold-to, they need guidance, support and answers to the challenges they face.’
Consulting, teams and careers
- John Brown: Four business meditations for ushering in a new agency era (no date)
‘With leaders such as Jacinda Ardern showing how a compassion first approach works, it’s crucial we balance spreadsheets with ethos. Have we made our mission more compassionate? Are we prioritising the right way?’ - Alex Myers: Super Furlough Animals (20 April)
‘Through no fault of our own, and like many of our contemporaries, we lost around 40% of our expected income between March and July because of the COVID-19 outbreak.’ - Laura Sutherland: CPD – Investing in your professional and personal development (20 April)
‘The most important thing is about learning, progressing and continuing to be able to offer the best solutions to our clients and organisations. You can’t do that if you’re not up-to-speed!’
Within hours I was contacted by a mentee! This is a great @CIPR_UK scheme for anyone who would love to benefit from a different perspective on how to handle work challenges. https://t.co/5jBoN8MuzJ
— Maud Davis (@maudiemo) April 21, 2020
Public sector
*LOCKDOWN LAUDATIONS*
Inspired by some nice words about me today I'm going to start sharing some thoughts on brilliant comms people I've had the pleasure of working with.
First up, @LouisaDean23#LockdownLaudations
cc @LGAcomms @InterimBoy @PR_Place @ciprlps @LGcomms pic.twitter.com/5l3jqMbKUb— @comms2point0 (@comms2point0) April 21, 2020
- Amanda Nash: Why communications is an essential service (19 April)
‘Working in a large, specialist hospital and Major Trauma Centre in Plymouth, it’s important to understand Communications is one of many important support services and our role, our raison d’etre, is to be there to support the care of patients. That’s exactly as it should be.’
Politics and public affairs
- Stuart Thomson: And what happens in public affairs post Covid-19? (21 April)
‘We need to consider the potential risks and opportunities of the post COVID-19 political environment now so that we protect reputations and engage effectively.’
Wellbeing
- Andy Kirby: The landscape of lockdown (23 April)
‘Our horizons have expanded in some ways, through getting to know the areas in which we live more intimately. We look more closely at the things around us, trying to attain the
Internal communication
Just heard that Exploring #InternalCommunication is being translated into Russian. Thanks to @Maria_Reutskaya for organising this. Can't wait to see it in print…especially as I did Russian language at school. I might recognise the odd word. pic.twitter.com/SNmOAr5rVf
— Dr Kevin Ruck (@AcademyKev) April 21, 2020
- Gihan Hyde: Don’t generalise the generations- post-COVID-19. Here’s why. (22 April)
‘For what seems like a lifetime we have been discussing, at great length, how to communicate with employees from different generations.’
- Katie Macaulay: The lasting legacy of Covid-19 on internal communication (21 April)
‘Might we see a new breed of servant-leaders emerge from this crisis? As each day unfolds we are seeing smart leaders focus on the greater good. They understand their role is to equip and enable others to get on with the job. They show gratitude. Servant leadership turns the power pyramid on its head.’ - Jo Field: Top tips for engaging your employees during the Covid-19 crisis (21 April)
‘One of the most important things to remember during an incident is to keep team members informed and engaged. This is particularly relevant at the moment, while many people are working remotely.’ - Rachel Miller with Naomi Jones: How to communicate with remote workers during the pandemic (20 April)
‘The majority of our employees have very practical, operational roles that mean they are rarely, if ever, at a desk. Our people are predominantly drivers, site operatives, engineers, loaders. Over half our staff do not have a work laptop, phone or email account, as they don’t need it for their jobs.’
Technology, media and digital
Today I received a death threat as CEO @MKHospital.
I have never been concerned about giving media access to the hospital I am privileged to lead, because I am proud of my staff & the care we provide.
Today I worried. I guess that’s what these threats are designed to do. 1/2
— Joe Harrison (@JoeHMK) April 22, 2020
- Stephen Waddington: Lockdown letter: humanising business and media (18 April)
‘We’ll cease to apologise for arranging work around family life and will never ever complain about a noisy household. Home desks will be styled for video conference meetings. There’s already been a rush on cameras, microphones, and lighting kit from internet stores.’
#prstudent #bestPRblogs
This has been my office for the past few nights.
I suppose there are less cosy settings to power through a dissertation in! ☀️
Reaching the last hurdle…#PRStudent #LeedsBeckett #PublicRelations pic.twitter.com/NJeSntU7lK
— Daniela Hamill (@DanielaHamillPR) April 20, 2020
- Emma Rogers (Solent): Primark’s e-commerce (or lack of) (23 April)
‘For some reason, Primark has never entered into e-commerce. Apparently, this is because they would not be able to keep prices as low as they are. But, I wonder if at a time like this, they begin to question that decision.’ - Hannah Bowering (Sunderland): PR in an unprecedented time (23 April)
‘Whether companies are boosting their reputation, or accumulating negative press, it is clear to see that PR doesn’t require a huge budget to be successful. With the help of social media and small acts of kindness, it is easy for a company to remain in the spotlight despite the current climate.’ - Kayleigh Tinney (Ulster): When you can’t control the situation, control your reaction to it (23 April)
‘Looking back now I’m annoyed that I wasted a week moping around feeling sorry for myself. Little by little, day by day I started doing things that I had been putting off because I was so busy.’
- Charlotte Price (Sunderland): Thursday Thoughts with Arianne Smart (23 April)
‘I am currently working from home and I’m trying to keep to my usual routine as much as I can – getting ready, switching on my PC just before 9am, cup of tea in hand and we’ve got our systems set up to work as close to normal as we can. To keep myself motivated, I’ve been planning out my week as I usually would, working out what I’m going to do and when, and working my way through that. We have regular team catch-ups so everyone knows the priorities each day and week.’ - Teela Clayton (Leeds Beckett): Clubbing in the time of corona (22 April)
‘I’ve found myself reverting to 50s housewife; gleefully single-handedly undertaking chores that would have once been the basis of my Edinburgh Fringe show: F**k the Patriarchy. I guess I’m just a sucker for social constructs and social media is telling me I should be baking and jogging and clapping.’
- Catherine Maguire (Ulster): Life lessons learnt from living in Lockdown (22 April)
‘For many of us life has been on pause for weeks now, I’m on day 38. And in those 38 days, I have found myself looking at things differently and realising the amazing things I took for granted before COVID-19 changed our lives as we knew it.’
- Paulina Solka (Leeds Beckett): How much is time worth? (21 April)
‘Investing our time, our most valuable asset, in our happiness is no doubt a wise thing to do.’ - Rory Drake (Sunderland): Are Promoted Tweets on their Way out? (21 April)
‘I don’t know whether it’s just me, but I’ve noticed a real lack in promoted tweets over the last few weeks.’
- Steven Batey (Sunderland): Have Electronic Arts Heard of Public Relations? (21 April)
‘EA seem to do everything and anything to annoy their stakeholders. Surely that can’t be right in the world of PR?’ - Connor Lamb (Sunderland): PR trouble with football agents (21 April)
‘As is regularly reported, agents have a massive impact on footballers, especially at the very top level. Agents do somewhat act as PR agents for footballers, with many taking responsibility of the output of footballers whether that be in an interview or by taking control of their social media accounts.’ - Niamh Murray (Ulster): The Restaurant that Burns off Calories: helpful or harmful? (21 April)
‘Last December, there was talk of introducing some new labelling thing where food products print how much exercise you’d need to do to burn it off on the packaging. There was, as expected, a lot of backlash from people and eating disorder charities saying that this was a dangerous idea, especially to people who are vulnerable to eating disorders.’ - Babett Kürschner (LCC/UAL): #Relevant: Thoughts on celebrity culture (17 April)
‘Despite it’s buzzword-y ring, celebrity culture has been around for longer than one might think. Back in the days – actually, tens of thousands of years ago – our hunter-gatherer ancestors laid the foundations for celebrity culture as we know it today.’