This week in PR (30 April)

It happened this week

https://twitter.com/stuartbruce/status/1387662242221629440

• Agency leaders Tom Hashemi and Nick Barron are calling for help to develop a new communications manifesto for a divided world (PR Week).

European Super League

• Nick Barron: How The European Super League Nearly Destroyed Football (26 April)
  ‘The world’s great entertainment brands and franchises, from Marvel and Harry Potter to the IPL and WWE are so valuable precisely because of the passion of their fans and the richness of their universes. In a world of infinite entertainment choice, new fans are drawn in by the core fans’ passion.’

• Chris Lepkowski: GUEST POST: A critical analysis of the comms of the doomed European Super League (23 April)
  ‘On reflection, this will be remembered as the most incredible 48 hours in modern football. This was sport’s Cuban Missile Crisis. It was a showcase of brinkmanship, a complete lack of awareness and of no appreciation for its paying audience. It was a public relations horror show.’

Consulting, teams and careers

• Adam Tuckwell and Jon Wilcox with Laura Morelli: A rush of SEM to the head [podcast] (29 April)
  ‘We work with media professionals across the globe to uncover hidden stories through statistics from global online search trends, website statistics, ad spend, Twitter sentiment analysis – online search trends combined with storytelling.’
• Rebecca Roberts and Harriet Small: David Pembroke: the advisor to Eddie Jones and the man who wants to change Government Comms [podcast] (29 April)
  ‘Most of our strategy throughout the [Rugby] World Cup had been ‘good Eddie Jones’. He was very polite. Part of the plan [in the semi-final against New Zealand]  was ‘flip the switch’.’
• Paul Sutton with Nicky Regazzoni: PR and the hybrid office [podcast] (28 April)
  ‘I was concerned it would be difficult for me to continue in a traditional PR role and bring up children. I talked to George about it and we had this idea we could set up this agency based on freelancers.’
• Ben Smith: Angie Moxham and Sarah Perry from The Fourth Angel on the PRmoment podcast (28 April)
  ‘I realised during the earnout period that a) I shouldn’t have sold [3 Monkeys] and b) that I’m unemployable. While I did make enough money to retire I’m not the retiring type. I love what I do; I love the world of communication; I love people; I love intellectual challenges.’

I done ittttt. I’ve only just gone and landed myself a 30 under 30 @prweekuknews This has been on my vision board for a loooong time – so proud I achieved it!! pic.twitter.com/d0NTJGXCDK

— Kim Possible (@Kimmy_Allain) April 28, 2021

Wellbeing, gender and diversity

https://twitter.com/naomimgsmith/status/1385525472658853891

• Jonny Atter: How to identify and reduce stress (29 April)
  ‘A big part of our wellbeing approach is how we look after our employees’ mental health – and stress management in particular.’

• Laura Sears: Work / life balance isn’t just about lifestyle, but identity too (28 April)
  ‘Being a good ally, supporting those around you, is about empathy. Not making assumptions, listening when people talk, being aware of your own privileges and prejudices, and validating others’ lived experiences all go a long way to creating a safe space for everyone.’

Politics, public affairs and public sphere

• Maja Pawinska Sims: Podcast: Gavin Devine On Lobbying & The Super League (28 April)
  ‘I get really fed up with this being described as a ‘lobbying scandal’. It’s really a proximity-to-government cronyism scandal.’

• Aimee Howard: Sleaze allegations expose the outdatedness of PMQs (28 April)
  ‘Although the discussion over the Downing Street refurbishments are likely to have been the focus of people’s interest, the flawed structure of PMQs itself was exposed in today’s debate.’

• Imogen Shaw: How Extended Producer Responsibility is on course to shake up UK recycling (28 April)
  ‘The introduction of the new Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) due to come into force in 2023 marks the most significant reforms to the UK Packaging Waste Regulations since their introduction in 1997.’

• Stuart Thomson: Why David Cameron Should Take The PRCA Diploma In Public Affairs Management (no date)
  ‘Mr Cameron and others have failed to appreciate that good public affairs helps organisations to strengthen their reputations, not trash them.  It is about building the arguments that need to be made to a range of audiences.  It’s about understanding the political process and engaging with the right people, at the right time.  It’s about building relationships with the stakeholders that matter most to your issues.’
• Christine Quigley: Business rates reform (27 April)
  ‘The Labour Party has launched a new independent commission tasked with advising them on how to rebuild Britain’s high streets.’
• Dafydd Rees: Turning climate pledges into reality: Now for the tricky bit (27 April)
  ‘9 out of the world’s 10 largest economies have now made pledges to reach the target of zero carbon emissions by the middle of this century.’
• Drew Aspinwall: Will Boris’ flat refurbishment resonate on UK doorsteps? (27 April)
  ‘Whether Tory sleaze is resonating on doorsteps and will influence the election results next week is hard to quantify.’

• Phil Parvin: UK lobbying rules explained: why no one seems to be in legal trouble (27 April)
  ‘Only lobbyists working for private sector consultancy firms are required to sign the statutory register. This group comprises roughly 1% of practising UK lobbyists. Lobbyists working in-house for large corporations are exempt.’

• Richard Bicknell: Trade Tuesday: The panto politics of trade (27 April)
  ‘The domestic importance for the Conservatives to get a deal with Australia has not be lost in Canberra. It is acutely aware that outside of India, there are few significant deals left available as the potential for deals with China and the United States slip away in the current climate.’

• Simon Gentry: A firefight with an arsonist – or the return of Tom and Jerry politics (26 April)
  ‘Was the refurbishment of the flat paid for by a shadowy Tory donor who can now call in lucrative political favours? Is there enough to destroy the Prime Minister just as he was about to enjoy his political summer?’

• Tom Ash: Is it time to level up the Cabinet? (26 April)
  ‘Ahead of the reshuffle, WA has taken a look at where the appointees to five key government posts have historically come from in the post-WW2 era, and which regions have been under-represented in government.’

Risk, crisis and reputation

• Charlie Pownall: The EU’s new AI regulation puts trust and transparency to the fore. Here’s what it says (27 April)
  ‘The Commission’s proposal promises to give risk managers, reputation managers, communicators and others accustomed to dealing with transparency and openness issues a seat at the AI decision-making table.’

Campaigns, creativity and behaviour

• Duart Rankin: Understanding defaults (29 April)
  ‘Making decisions is hard. This is why we adopt rules of thumb, or “heuristics”, substituting difficult questions for easier ones, without noticing it. So when we need to make a decision that involves significant mental acumen (e.g. choosing to get a vaccination, or deciding to vote), we often choose the path of least resistance.’

Brands, storytelling, and influence

• Chip Walker: How Brands Can Harness Social Movements (Without Just Jumping on the Bandwagon) (26 April)
  ‘Over the years I’ve found that one of the surest ways to connect emotionally is by employing the concepts strategies behind successful social movements, something I refer to as Movement Thinking.’

Internal communication

https://twitter.com/PRCA_UK/status/1382713764726865924

• Martin Flegg: Single point of failure (29 April)
  ‘I think that sometimes internal communicators are railroaded by stakeholders (including leaders) into remedies for problems in organisations when there is a complete lack of understanding about why the problem exists in the first place.’
• Angel Pearce: Internal communication is just as important as external – and here’s how to improve it (26 April)
  ‘Internal communication is a key part of enabling employees to perform their job well. Strong internal communication can help foster company culture, build engagement, and help employees to feel both physically and emotionally safe.’

Technology, media and digital

Jon Snow to step down as Channel 4 News presenter after 32 years https://t.co/VhlF01uhwv

— Press Gazette (@pressgazette) April 29, 2021

• Dan Slee: HIGH NUMBERS: The UK social media and messaging user data you need for 2021 (29 April)
  ‘Messaging platforms like Messenger, WhatsApp and Skype collectively are more popular than social media accounts.’
• Eleanor Frere: What’s trending this month in tech? (26 April)
  ‘There could soon be more bad news for the big players in the tech world, as the UK has launched a new watchdog to crack down on big tech.’

• Shaifali Agrawal: Cool things you likely didn’t know you could do with your PR tech stack (26 April)
  ‘Since you can add up to 30 hashtags on Instagram, a best practice is to use a combination of wide and niche hashtags.’

• Katy Howell: Don’t ‘spray and pray’: slow and simple wins on social (26 April)
  ‘Do your audiences even care what you post? Or are you feeding into the myth that followers and engagement numbers are justifiable as a value metric? Are you adding to the noise, filling feeds with mediocre content, or dashing after every hashtag or moment?’

#prstudent #bestPRblogs

We expect to run this weekly selection until the end of May, culminating in an online event to celebrate #prstudent #bestPRblogs on 27 May. This event is by invitation only – and there’s still time to secure your place on the guest list.

I just finished my last EVER online university lecture today! Feeling a lot of emotions, sad that my 4 years at uni is almost over and excited for what is yet to come ✨ @UlsterUni

— Kayleigh Tinney (@Kayleightinney1) April 27, 2021

• Megan Laura Harris (Liverpool John Moores): A Little Update (29 April)
  ‘My friend said to me a week ago ‘I think you are starting to become burnt out Megan’.’
• Piotr Boiwka (Newcastle): No cookie for third party cookies – The future of user targeting (no date)
  ‘Probably 2022, when Chrome will ban third-party cookies, will be the end of the era of behavioural targeting in advertising.’

• Elyshia Dixon (Sunderland): Day in The Life as a PR student (29 April)
  ‘On a lecture day, I will set myself up with a coffee, the laptop and my notepad and pen ready to take notes. Lectures last anywhere from an hour to 4 hours, so the coffee is very needed.’

• Eloise Newman (Solent): Model Cars: Raising Awareness of Environmental and Social Changes Using Children’s Toys (29 April)
  ‘I think the relaunching of ‘Matchbox’ is particularly successful and goes one step further in promoting environmental sustainability in the motoring industry, which is an industry renowned for being unsustainable and a contributor to global warming.’
• Ste Linsley (Sunderland): The Word on Football’s Social Media Boycott; Socially Conscious Clubs Enjoying Reputation Boost & Significance of ESL Saga (28 April)
  ‘Thierry Henry was the first high-profile figure in football to disable his social media accounts over a month ago, with racist abuse prominent on the platforms and very little done by their hierachy to quash it.’

• Sophie Smith (Newcastle): The PR Students Experience: Babett Kürschner (28 April)
  ‘Because we are an arts university, a lot of the contextual and professional modules focus on giving us creative skills so we learned to use software  like InDesign andPhotoshop.’

• Rachael Thompson (Sunderland): Lockdown Learning – My Experience As a PR Student During the Pandemic (28 April)
  ‘I’m a big social person, I thrive on chatting and bouncing ideas around, and that’s one area which I think purely online learning cannot replicate. When you’re sitting in front of a person, ideas can flow freely.’

• Daisy Hughes (Sunderland): Is lobbying giving PR a bad rep? (27 April)
  ‘As Cameron has influence and relationship with many Westminster politicians, he can therefore use lobbying to his advantage in a way that many may consider to be a manipulation of the rules. In this way, the instrument of lobbying gets a negative reputation which feeds the stereotypical image of the dark arts of PR and manipulation.’
• Courtney McGoldrick (Ulster): Colin the shots: A public disaster for M&S (27 April)
  ‘Like Prince, Madonna and Boris, in birthday party circles, Colin needs no second name, with over 15 million sales under his belt during his 30 year life.’
• Martin Agunwa (Leeds Beckett) with Stephen Waddington,  Teela Clayton and Richard Bailey: Moments that Matter with Martin Podcast (24 April)
  ‘I really appreciate anyone who is trying to drive forward professionalism in public relations.’
• Katie Hull (Sunderland): Post Office x reputation and accountability (23 April)
  ‘From a PR perspective, it will undoubtedly damage the brand and its reputation with the public. I urge the Post Office to stand up and be accountable for their actions.’