This week in PR (24 August)
Behind the headlines
- A statement of global ethical principles has been issued by Global Alliance, ICCO, PRSA and other public relations organisations. Here’s the statement from Global Alliance.
- Bad day at work? This should cheer you up. Fraser Seitel names the worst PR team ever assembled (don’t worry it’s not yours – it’s Donald Trump’s).
- There’s now a Campaign for an Independent APPC with website and Twitter feed. 21 public affairs practitioners have put their names to this campaign.
- “Many of our journalism graduates now go on to work in public relations” says Paul Broster, director of journalism at the University of Salford, as it launches a Journalism with Public Relations degree course. It must be the silly season (remember that?): a New Statesman contributor professes horror at this evidence that ‘PR is already winning’.
- The Taylor Bennett Foundation is seeking a CEO to replace Sarah Stimson and to lead its work in championing ethnic diversity in public relations.
Academic
- Dr Bey-Ling Sha will be awarded the IPR’s highest academic honour, the Pathfinder Award, in November.
- The International Journal of Strategic Communication welcomes abstracts on social media influencers for a special edition.
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 [email protected] or @pr_place
Global ethical principles
- Richard Edelman: One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind (22 August)
‘The most important change is the idea that PR firms should work in the public interest.’ - Alex Malouf: Ethics and why it should matter more than ever to today’s communicators (22 August)
‘The sixteen principles which were announced today by the Global Alliance are a guide that we should all use in terms of how we ourselves practice and represent our profession. We have a responsibility to society, to our stakeholders and to fellow professionals to uphold these principles in everything that we say and we do.’ - Amanda Coleman: Sweet Sixteen (22 August)
‘Personally I can support all the principles because they are so relevant and important to the work I do on a daily basis.’ - Stephen Waddington: New international ethical principles for PR welcomed, education and enforcement required (22 August)
‘The latest initiative has generated significant number of case studies and a variety of teaching resources. The working group has assembled a repository of resources such as case studies, podcasts, and newsletters.’ - Kerry Sheehan: PR’s reputation is in the spotlight: Why the new Global Alliance Global Principles of Ethical Practice in Public Relations and Communications Management matter more than ever (22 August)
‘I believe the GA Global Standards will serve as a guide for professional conduct and will, in the long run, ensure that the PR profession remains credible and recognised as a strategic partner to both the individuals and the organisations that it serves.’
Consulting
- Ali Findlay: Ten Top Tips for Surviving and Thriving in Agency Life (23 August)
‘Whether it’s a briefing, client meeting or an interview, if there’s something you’re not 100% on: just ask.’ - Andy West: Why Thoughtful Working Hits the Right Note at Hotwire (22 August)
‘Presenteeism is an outdated concept that can only end in tears for companies that insist on staff being in the office come what may.’
Business / profession
- Ella Minty: Can you demonstrate leadership in Public Relations? (23 August)
‘Not only do you have to display the conventional leadership skills (strategy, purpose, coaching, values, inclusion and character) but, also, you need to demonstrate that PR can drive organisational and societal purpose, and achieve objectives.’ - Clare Parker: We should celebrate those who don’t shout about it (17 August)
‘My twitter timeline is full of people attending, winning and sharing their expertise and commentaries. And sometimes, I hate to say it, it’s the same people…’
Public sector
- Laura Skaife-Knight: Learning from the ‘Hospital’ experience (19 August)
‘Making 360 minutes of prime time TV is an all or nothing commitment. Before the documentary hit the screens, NUH staff were directly involved with the producers for around 12 months working together to bring the stories to the screen.’
Mental health
- Heather Yaxley: Recovery (23 August)
‘The focus around Mental Health Awareness Week in May was greater this year than ever before. This public relations initiative undoubtedly achieved its objective in awareness terms, and more importantly, in terms of outcomes relating to knowledge, understanding, attitudes and behaviour regarding stress and mental health.’
Careers and skills
- Jennifer Robson: Why proofing your own copy is so damn difficult! (23 August)
‘Editing and proofreading are two totally separate processes. Proofreading is a final error check. It’s not a chance to edit and rewrite content. If you start editing the text during the proofing stage, you’ll be sure to add errors.’ - Jessica Pardoe: 5 things you can expect from your first job in PR (21 August)
‘Public Relations is a career that’ll set you up for life as there’s so much room for progression; with little room for you to get bored.’ - Ronke Lawal: The Secret to Success [vlog] (20 August)
‘You cannot give up when it starts to look boring or you isn’t quite as fun as you initially thought it would be.’ - Helen Reynolds and Sarah Yates: Communications strategy, snakes and ladders style (20 August)
‘It all started when we were developing our new Communications and Engagement Strategy. The strategy is accompanied by a toolkit for staff which gives them useful guidance on getting started with communications.’ - Marcel Klebba: Interview with Pete Morgan: Demand generation, integrating marketing with PR and career advice (19 August)
‘The opportunity for PR is obvious: a differentiated and trusted brand is the bedrock that strengthens all other marketing investments. Achieving that requires great collaboration between marketing and PR teams.’ - Laura Sutherland: Ten reasons I love my job (19 August)
‘I love learning. I am now predicting skills I’ll need as ‘the future practitioner’, on top of what I already know. Learning new skills is exciting and I like to try and stay ahead of the competition.’
Tools and automation
- Laura Crimmons: Ten digital tools I couldn’t live without (21 August)
‘Pulsar is our choice of social listening tool, again I’ve tried a number before (Brandwatch and Crimson Hexagon) but this time we settled on Pulsar.’
Influencer marketing
- Laurna Woods: Warning to brands amidst the influencer marketing paid posts clampdown (20 August)
‘Under consumer protection regulations, it has to be clear when content is paid-for promotional material. That applies whether you’re a newspaper or magazine, a commercial website, a blogger, YouTuber or social media influencer.’
Crisis and reputation
- Liz Male: Crisis PR in a post-Grenfell world (no date)
‘I’m so much in favour of the Apology Clause campaign, set up by three former colleagues of mine from Fishburn Hedges days.’ - Sheena Thomson: All at sea over crisis communications (21 August)
‘Incidents involving human survival, adversity and endurance attract immense interest – the Thai boys football team trapped in a flooded cave in Northern Thailand earlier this year is a good example.’ - Hamish Thompson: Every CEO needs a Henry (17 August)
‘If you’re a senior executive and you don’t have a fearless confidante who isn’t afraid to tell you what they really think, I suggest you go out and find one.’
Internal communication
- Advita Patel: Personal branding: Five key tips to help you move forward quicker (22 August)
‘It’s the stories that people tell about the brand to each other that matter the most. This is something the brand owner has no control over.’ - Liam FitzPatrick: When do you get the time to stop and think? Really stop and think (20 August)
‘Professionally I also get a lot from stepping out of the office and just listening to my peers talking about their issues. Apart from a spot of mutual support, it’s fantastic to just hear other perspectives on issues.’ - Simon Wright: Five hallmarks of a great IC function (20 August)
‘A powerful thing for IC functions to do is to create ‘one version of the truth’ – driving clarity and alignment from the very top of the organisation, helping the leadership team articulate the direction of the business and create a compelling case for change.’ - Samantha Sutton: Building a great place to work (18 August)
‘I have pulled together a guide to building a great place to work, which starts with getting the basics right. I would love to know what you think.’
Media and digital
- Charlie Cottrell: ‘Braving the Backlash’ report: Helping brands to stand up to hate on social media (23 August)
‘When you start to examine the problem of online hate more closely, you soon see that it affects all marginalised groups across racial, religious, gender, physical ability and sexual divides.’ - Drew Benvie: How WhatsApp is becoming the way to get through in business (23 August)
‘More than double the amount of CEOs are on WhatsApp than LinkedIn.’ - Dan Gerrella: What’s in a ‘like’? (21 August)
‘The thing to remember is that it is social media. Responding and acknowledging notifications is part of the process. It is something that we implicitly agree to when we join a social network.’ - Michael White: Creators, don’t let your obstacles become excuses (18 August)
‘If content is king, then creators are royalty.’ - Holly Bremner: How often do you make the media feel special? (18 August)
‘It sounds basic, but get to know your journalists, meet up with them, find out what they like, what they are looking for, what key issues are on their agenda.’ - Stephen Davies: How to build a blog to make money, raise your profile and grow influence (17 August)
‘Without a doubt, blogs are still one of the best social platforms to make money from.’