This week in PR (8 December)

News in brief

• MHP has appointed Gemma Irvine as head of its Brand practice, where she will lead the team that, with Engine, delivered the Missing Type campaign for NHS Blood and Transplant.
• Unilever is ‘Britain’s most admired company 2017’ according to Management Today, based on research into corporate reputation by academics at  Leeds Business School.
• The CIPR has published the contributors and chapters of a forthcoming book to celebrate its 70th (platinum) anniversary in 2018.
• Amanda Coleman has been elected as vice-chairman by members of the PRCA Council.
• Here’s the shortlist for UK Blog Awards 2018 in the PR, media, marketing and communications category. Two recent PR graduates are shortlsted: Marcel Klebba (him again) and Rebecca Henderson.

Calendar

• CIPR East Anglia: An Evening of Comms at the Waterworks, 13 December
• An evening for NHS communicators – internal communications, free event, London, 25 January 2018
• PR: Back to the Future CIPR Marcoms Group event on 23 January 2018
• The World Public Relations Forum 2018 is in Oslo, 22-24 April 2018. Here’s the call for papers.
• ICA Preconference: Authentic Communication, Trust, Dialogue, and Society, Prague, Czech Republic, 24 May 2018.
• Barcelona International Critical PR Conference is on 2-3 July 2018. Deadline for submissions 1 March 2018 (email callforpapersprconference@upf.edu)
• International History of Public Relations Conference is in Bournemouth, 11-12 July 2018. Deadline for the call for papers is 18 December 2017 (email prhistory@bournemouth.ac.uk)
• Comms Unplugged 2018: 13-15 September 2018 in Dorset

Pick of the posts

These are the editor’s pick of posts about public relations this week. Recommendations are welcome to editor@prplace.com

• Mark Borkowski: Relevance can’t be faked but agility can be learned (1 December)
  On Prince Harry and Meghan Markle: ‘The ultimate heritage brand has understood the need for marketing agility.’
• Sally Northeast: 12 things I learnt (or remembered) at the #Unawards17 (2 December)
  ‘There’s a ton of awesome work going on in public sector comms… We are ace.’
• Jo Detavernier: Seven PR podcasts for ambitious PR professionals (3 December)
  ‘Podcasts are a great way for PR professionals to stay current while they are on the go.’
• Liam FitzPatrick: Come with data, leave with respect. (4 December)
  ‘I think the real opportunity for us is to move the conversation in IC away from doing stuff and towards the impact we have.’
• Jon Meakin: Six things every professional communicator needs to know for 2018 (4 December)
  ‘Organizations of all sizes are assuming more of a start-up mentality. Crowdsourced ideas and rapid innovation are the order of the day.’
• Heather Yaxley: Dedication (4 December)
  ‘Most PR practitioners do not dedicate time to routine thinking about their careers.’
• Michaela Gray: Why communicators must prepare for gender pay gap reporting (4 December)
  ‘The start of compulsory gender pay gap reporting will expose the employment practices of every business with more than 250 staff.’
• Helen Deverell: Everyone’s talking about reputation. Are you? (6 December)
  ‘For the perception to become the reality, organisations need to truly live their values and create an employee experience that encourages an engaged workforce.’
• Scott Guthrie: Why successful firms build change into their DNA via creative teams (5 December)
  ‘How can change be managed effectively using linear processes in our non-linear world. In fact, can we ever truly ‘manage’ change?’
• Neville Hobson: New Report on Change Agents: the Unsung Heroes in Digital Transformation (7 December)
  ‘“The Digital Change Agent’s Manifesto” is the result of more than five years of research and 30 interviews with those who have led digital transformation initiatives within some of the world’s most renowned brands.’

#prstudent #bestPRblogs

Here’s our pick of the best posts by those studying public relations and/or aspiring to work in PR.

• Kate Pawley (Sunderland, PG): Focusing on ‘abilities’ on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (3 December)
  ‘Body dysmorphic disorder has allowed me to develop an additional set of skills, which will hopefully come to benefit me in my PR career.
• Olivia McAleenan (Ulster, PG): Meet the media… Cool FM and Downtown Radio (5 December)
  ‘With listening figures at an all-time high of 697,000, PR practitioners should be utilising the power of radio to promote their clients.’
• Emma Williamson (Sunderland, PG): What does GDPR mean for PR? (5 December)
  ‘Not only does GDPR have an impact on an organisation’s customer data, but it also has an impact on any personal data which will also include social media influencers, journalists and any other stakeholders.’
• Orlagh Shanks (Liverpool John Moores 3): #PlacementYear: Month Five (5 December)
  ‘How many of you can say you were able to stare at Dan Edgar while you ate octopus for dinner? I can!’
• Niamh Webb (Ulster, 4): Guinness adverts sell more than a ‘pint of black’ (7 December)
  ‘They tell a story and engage us in feeling something whether it be anticipation, happiness, inspiration or positivity or even all of these things.’
• Jessica Pardoe (Liverpool John Moores, 3): Simple Steps to Making the World a Better Place (7 December)
  ‘You can’t change the world on your own – but you can certainly take steps towards becoming a more well rounded individual.’