This week in PR (27 August)

Author: Richard Bailey, Editor
27th August 2021 15 min read

About the author

Richard Bailey Hon FCIPR is editor of PR Academy's PR Place Insights. He teaches and assesses undergraduate, postgraduate and professional students.

'On the beach at dusk tonight' @tonylangham on Instagram #dusk #sundown #beach #northsea #walberswick #dunwich #suffolk
'On the beach at dusk tonight' @tonylangham on Instagram #dusk #sundown #beach #northsea #walberswick #dunwich #suffolk

It happened this week

Profession

Academic and education

ESG, corporate and financial

  • Clotilde Gros: Why is the PE $ still so disliked by UK media? (26 August)
    ‘Household names, which have been or are on the takeover list since January, include supermarket Asda, roadside assistance company AA, infrastructure firm John Laing and the insurer LV, supermarket Morrison and defence/security firm Ultra Electronics.’
  • Beth Dennison: Is London the new tech listing hotspot? (25 August) 
    ‘London has already been crowned the tech capital of Europe, and with the market already looking healthier post-Covid-19, we are hopefully waiting to see more homegrown tech players make the transition from private to public.’

Consulting, teams and careers

  • Jill Spurr: We regret to inform you… (25 August)
    ‘I’ve kept a spreadsheet to monitor my job applications since being made redundant, carefully recording the outcomes. A monstrous 40% did not respond in any way to an initial application, even with a group email. 40% ghosted me. That’s two out of every five applications that is a complete waste of time and effort.’
  • Paul MacKenzie-Cummins: How do you know if your business needs PR? (23 August)
    ‘I have lost count of the number of times a potential client has called us up to say, ‘We need a PR agency’. When we reply with, ‘Can you tell us why?’ they are flummoxed – they don’t know the answer.’
  • Leigh-Ann Hewer: In Conversation With: Philly Spurr, Head of Communications – BBC World Service (24 August)
    ‘I’ve always been interested in the news but like many people, I sort of fell into doing communications. I don’t think I really knew what a job in the media looked like when I started out after university (with a drama and theatre studies masters) but I managed to carve out a path that suited me and now I’m in a job where I get to do all the things I enjoy.’

Wellbeing, gender and diversity

https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:share:6834425888675770368

  • Racheal Johnson: Comms and the art of garden maintenance (23 August)
    ‘If the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance holds the key to Zen enlightenment, gardening is surely an apt metaphor for growing and nurturing a productive comms strategy.’

Public and third sectors

Politics, public affairs and public sphere

  • Aimee Howard: Supply chain challenges risk derailing Christmas (and the Government) (26 August)
    ‘Although the pandemic can be heavily blamed for the calamity, we cannot ignore the effect of Brexit on both staff levels and the actual import of goods, with shipping costs intensifying and deficiencies of raw materials stimulating price pressures.’
  • William Neale: Ashes to Ashes, Truss to Truss (24 August)
    ‘It is his gaffe prone, occasionally putting his foot in it type nature that got Botham the job in the first place. Trade Envoys are not high-level diplomats who sit ironing out complex detail in trade deals.’
  • Ian Silvera: How crypto got a global status (24 August)
    ‘Through notoriety, greed and innovation, cryptocurrency can now finally be described as a global phenomenon.’
  • Carli Harper-Penman: Equity is the next step for the Life Sciences Vision (20 August)
    ‘The new vision, which is set to fall under the stewardship of the Government’s Chief Scientific Officer, Sir Patrick Vallance, sets out challenging ambitions for the UK’s burgeoning Life Sciences sector and promises significant Government support for delivery, the shape and scale of which will be set out after the next spending review.’

Sport

https://www.linkedin.com/embed/feed/update/urn:li:share:6835600995498647552

  • Diana Marszalek: Interview: AC Milan’s CCO On Building Youth Appeal For A Legacy Brand (26 August)
    ‘AC Milan is a glorious club, with a strong and indisputable legacy and heritage. The challenge is to add value to these iconic elements, and to introduce unique and distinctive characteristics at the same time, which can enrich its brand personality.’

Brands, storytelling and influence

  • Beth Ellis: How We’ve Fallen Out Of Love With Love Island’s Marketing (25 August)
    ‘We’ve now ended up in a situation where the over-saturation of the Instagram-influencer-slash-fast-fashion-brand-ambassarod is having viewers thing out, turning off and unfollowing.’
  • David Sykes: How to write a company blog (25 August)
    ‘With some regular, good quality, relevant and informative blog posts, you can help to boost your search visibility, attract your target audience and build a reader’s confidence in you and your expertise’

Internal communication

Technology, media and digital

https://twitter.com/stuartbruce/status/1428743561583935495

  • Badara Jeng: Five tips for growing a corporate social media following (no date)
    ‘It’s okay to have some content prepared ahead of time. However, ensure that it’s still relevant or links to a hot topic online when you come to post it.’
  • Emma Drake: Ep 37. Summer ‘hacks’ series: saving time with social media [podcast] (26 August)
    ‘You need to follow a plan to meet your goals. If you do that, you can work for a couple of weeks without worrying about social media.’
  • Keith Gladdis: In conversation with: Lionel Barber

    (no date)
    ‘I’d say ‘I want an open conversation. Nothing can be used from this lunch, but if we do want to use something, we will go back to you and ask. And if you say no, fair enough’.

  • Yolandé Haynes: HOW TO: 6 Questions to Determine the Right Social Media Platform for Your Business (25 August)
    ‘Just because you can have a TikTok account, doesn’t necessarily mean you should. All social media platforms need some level of commitment; some platforms require more effort and strategy, whilst others can be much more reactive.’
  • Neville Hobson: Considering the forthcoming metaverse (25 August)
    ‘The metaverse is a concept from science fiction that is predicted to succeed the Internet. Companies like Facebook are aiming to make it the setting for many online activities, including work, play, studying and shopping.’
  • Mark Weiner: The Communications Technology Trap (23 August)
    ‘While the equity investment to develop and refine communications technology continues to flow into SaaS providers, we must remember that many aspects of corporate communication are uniquely human. The marriage of talent with technology is the only path to business success.’
  • Paul Campbell: What MWC Barcelona has taught us about the future of trade shows (23 August)
    ‘Yes, it was four months late; it was a scaled down and a hybrid event, but MWC actually happened in June, a huge triumph for the GSMA, and a big positive for the telecoms and events industry.’

Related topics

#ThisWeekinPR