The R Word

The R word… no not Recession but Reputation is the word on everybody’s lips. Think about it, we are going into the toughest economic year many of us have ever experienced and what is going to keep that business coming through the door other than your reputation.

A good reputation will go a long way; you only have to look at the hundreds of big companies who throw thousands of pounds into their CSR policies, employing agencies to handle crisis management to ensure that their reputation goes undamaged.

Moving into what is clearly going to be a tough economic year; many companies are recognising the importance of maintaining and developing their reputation to set themselves apart from the competition.

If you are confident that as a business you can forge a good reputation it is more important than ever that you let everyone know just how good you are. Attracting new business by publicising the good work you do has never made more sense.

All of the large blue chip organisations we know and love have developed their reputation from a few small stunts, take a well known fast food chain for example who last year began a campaign that publicised their use of quality meat which was responsibly sourced and good for you. Upon this organic train has everyone jumped, allowing said fast food chain to be the leaders of the pack- forging their reputation and maintaining a strong market share.

There is nothing to prove that they were the first fast food chain to use organic and free range products but their reputation has changed.

Reputation is key, and is often created by publicising what you do before your competitor beats you to it.

Digital Phenomenon

As has been the case for the past few years, ask any industry expert what the ‘hot’ topic will be the following year and the unanimous cry of “Digital PR” is all we hear.

Digital PR is a huge blanket statement that refers to everything from blogging and the use of social networking sites, to squidoos and webinars (online seminars) – and this list is far, far from complete! Given the small budgets that many companies have left to dedicate to PR, producing interactive web sites and online forums is highly unrealistic and unlikely.

This year is no different with PR publications already making their über predictable predications regarding the huge role that digital / online PR will play for our clients throughout ‘09. I am not disputing this; on the contrary I fully agree, but what I struggle to see is the way in which these experts see Digital PR working for the SME’s who don’t have huge budgets with which to create a stir around their blog / message site.

There are lots of opportunities for smaller companies in this Digital PR age, it’s merely that they seem to be overlooked in the discussion. We are expressing to our clients the need to harness the power of the Web whether this is in the form of blogging or e-letters or simply ensuring that their website is informative and will keep peoples attention. These things do not cost the earth and will help to ensure a continued and strong web presence.

Digital PR is a concept that is rapidly evolving, with new terms and three letter acronyms appearing daily. In my view it’s important that we don’t become bogged down with the technical jargon and realise the importance of simple methods in this new digital age.

Is Anybody Else Fed Up?

With the negative stories dominating the headlines, from the economic downturn to murders and crime it seems as though a positive story is no-where to be found. Some may think this is a PR professional’s dream, the perfect time to get a tenuous story to land. However, it seems that all media professionals have been lulled into this great media depression.

With the media obsessing about the economic downturn and this being the worst year ever on record for a number of different reasons, there must be a positive story out there to tell.

I know a number of our clients have good news to report. Are they really the only ones? I doubt that. It’s more likely that the media have convinced themselves that people want to sit down after a hard day at work and listen to the woes of the country / world.

Where are the positive stories, surely its time for some festive cheer? Is that well known fizzy drinks company not usually forcing Santa down our throats by now? Have the big supermarket chains not normally spent millions on a mildly entertaining ad campaign, and are there not posters displaying Christmas menus in city centres across the UK?

I’m fed up with doom and gloom. I’m fed up with hearing that we are going into a deep and lengthy recession. Much of England would not change their spending habits if they were not being continually reminded of how bad it’s going to get..

I hope the wider media wake up and realise that if these negative stories continue to dominate print and broadcast they will be to blame for the disaster that is set to be 2009.

Midlands East and West

I was flicking through a popular Public Relations publication this week when I came across an article focusing on PR in the Midlands. The article was dominated by Birmingham as being the regional hub for quality Public Relations companies.

I am forced to ask myself, do the other cities in the Midlands have nothing to offer? What of Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Leicestershire? Surely a focus on PR in the Midlands should actually focus on the Midlands; East and West?

The Midlands holds the second largest concentration of PR companies outside of London and for those business who prefer a local company and who do not want to travel for hours to meet their PR team, the Midlands is the obvious solution. With the advantage of being in the middle - the Midlands is a prime PR location. .

With many large corporations and many more SME’s successfully trading in the Midlands there are plenty of clients to go around, but if the press insist on drawing attention to the West it is doubly important to ensure that those in the East broadcast their talent.

As a Leicestershire based Public Relations Company we realise the potential that we have and the quality PR that we can offer to the Midlands mix. It is important that those agencies not concentrated in Birmingham and the West Midlands shout out load to claim their place on the Midlands map.

Obama and a Media Love Affair

As Barack Obama settles into the White House as America's first Black President, I'm forced to ask myself how he managed it. A remarkable victory, merely 50 years after the civil rights movements and in one of the most racially segregated country on earth. One has to look to an incredibly steadfast candidate and an outstanding media campaign.

I believe that impressive crisis management and an air tight media campaign have helped him to victory. With no stone left unturned prior to the start of the campaign, the media already knew all there was to know about him without ever having to dig. Despite McCain's best efforts it seems there really was no dirt to be found on Obama, and even what they did manage to muster up just wouldn't stick.

From the beginning his campaign was targeted with a fully thought through approach. The power of spin worked in over-drive from the very start. Initially defining his approach, and perfecting his message, his media team ensured that the party line was towed at all times. I have no doubt that an entire team have been in place for the past year ensuring that each and every article, statement or photo caption issued to the media has been vetted and re-vetted.

The fundamentals of any strong media campaign were adhered to throughout. A strong knowledgeable team who were in bed (so to speak) with the media long before the campaign began, laying the ground work and making contacts. A follow up campaign hit every media outlet including on-line opportunities, with his own facebook and myspace page, websites, blogs ... the World Wide Web was conquered. A strong press campaign followed, with novels published, interviews conducted and the main print and broadcast media all wanting a piece of him. He even managed to have his own celebrity endorsed pop song on u-tube, hype created by his team that the media have lapped up.
At no point did the Obama campaign flounder; there were no internal leaks, no dissention from the ranks. Never has towing the party line been so adhered to and the Obama camp is reaping the rewards now with a campaign that will go down in history.

The media team behind Obama's campaign have proven that with a perfectly executed media campaign anything is achievable. Obviously a charismatic candidate who has no doubt been priming himself, his friends and family for this moment for the majority of his life also helps. Congratulations Barack Obama, a job well done.

Now, all eyes are on the future.

Public Relations in Leicester?

I was interested to see in the business press last week that Leicester has more at home start up companies than anywhere else in the UK. This surprised me as I would not consider Leicester as a hub for pioneering business, which led me to thinking Leicester could do with a PR boost.

Public Relations in Leicester has a lot of fodder to feed off, with lots of businesses basing themselves here, a diverse society, excellent transport links both nationally and internationally - PR for Leicester is essential.

Look at the structure of any large corporation today and you will see that PR and communications plays a large role. However ask many small businesses whether they have factored in PR in their annual budgets and the response will probably be very different.

Perhaps it is this notion that PR is only for the large corporations or those businesses with big budgets; however PR can be for everyone. Public Relations is a concept which aims to increase awareness of your brand, company and or products. Whatever the size of your company, raising awareness has a direct link to profits meaning that it should play an essential part in every business.

In fact PR is probably more important for smaller, start-up businesses who need to voice there offerings to the masses. So wake up Leicester and realise your Public Relations Potential!

The Importance of Silverware

Scour the net and you will no doubt be surprised at the number of small business awards which are out there for the taking. Large corporations are increasingly recognising and supporting SME's, from BT to Microsoft to Shell, not to mention the numerous federations that have been set up purely to encourage and recognise small businesses.

With the credit crisis leading to a serious tightening of belts, it is more important than ever to differentiate your business from your competitors. Awards are an excellent way of getting this message across, proving that what you offer is worth recognition and therefore worth investing in.

Differentiating your business through a developed and strategic marketing and PR strategy is important, especially in today's competitive market. Backing up a campaign with industry awards will only strengthen your brand and awareness of your brand.

Winning awards shows that you are market leaders in your field and what better way to do this than by collecting the silverware to show off to existing as-well as potential clients? They are also a fabulous way of rewarding your workforce not only with the slap up award winning ceremony, but also with ammunition to approach potential clients.

Within any industry today you will notice that most companies are proud to talk about which awards they have won. Awards are a great way of connecting with the public as well as other businesses to highlight the quality of your company. Search for awards within your industry and get entering. Collecting silverware will prove to your competitors that you are one to watch and prove to potential clients that you are worth their investment.

Stop the Credit Crunch from Biting You

Look at the front of any newspaper over the past few weeks and you'd think that the next great depression was on the way.

Every business deals with a certain degree of risk or threat to its reputation during it's lifetime, so it's best to be prepared, especially in these turbulent financial times.

With the recent fall of major high street banks and financial institutions, it's more important now than ever before to have a crisis communications plan at the ready which can minimise, or even eliminate, damage to one of your company's most valuable assets - its reputation - in the unfortunate event that it runs into stormy waters.

1. What is the worst that can happen to your business and how can you guard against it? Work up plans and strategies ahead of time and test them with your colleagues to ensure suitability and accuracy.
2. Have someone ready and able to speak to the press should you be approached. Make sure that your chosen person is comfortable and happy to talk to the press and if necessary invest in some media training
3. Never try and bamboozle or deflect the press - they will only believe that there is more to the story than meets their eyes and they'll dig deeper. Maintaining good relations with the press is vital and being as honest as you possibly can be - essential.

Over and above crisis management planning, what else should you do? The market will be even more competitive in a downturn, so it really is essential to keep up momentum with an effective marketing and PR strategy. If you've got a positive story to tell, tell it and keep your business in the public eye so your customers don't go elsewhere. Spending doesn't stop completely in a downturn, people just become more careful. Keep driving the business forward and you'll ride out the storm.

Good PR and a sound crisis communications plan will also keep staff motivated and reassured that the company they work for is still doing okay.

The Credit Crunch and Press Opportunities

Do you have a positive piece of news to tell?

Well now might be just the time to tell it. With the credit crunch currently adversely affecting specific industries such as construction, retail and the motor trade, publications relating specifically to these industries, plus general high quality business press are struggling to attract newsworthy stories.

Why? Well some companies just want to keep their heads down and don't want to talk about what they're experiencing. Some smaller companies are busy concentrating on getting the sales in ... and the money.

That means that there is an opportunity for other companies out there to get into press that they may have found previously inaccessible. But, be warned, the usual rules apply - namely ensuring that your press release is relevant to the press it's being issued to, that it's well written and that it is, in actual fact, genuinely newsworthy.

So, don't be shy. See this as your opportunity and get talking to the press you want to appear in and send those effective press releases in!

... and of course ... if you’re struggling to find the right words, or the right ideas we know a great little agency that can help you!!!

A Public Relations Gold for China?

So, once more the Olympics are almost upon us, offering the prospect of cut-throat competition, world records, triumph for some and disaster for others.
No, we're not talking about the sport, it's the battle for ratings, reputation and brand supremacy - we'll be watching most closely.
This is one of those times when corporations will be going head to head to get their brands seen in advertising and sponsorship deals .... and nations can be seen trying to out-do one another as players on the world stage.
The next few weeks will see Public Relations success and failure on a daily basis and central to it all will be China's efforts.
Once known for it's eagerness to stay out of the limelight (a policy summed up as "hiding its capacity and biding its time") China is now at the centre of attention, undertaking what is possibly the biggest PR campaign ever - its brief to show the world China has changed and is truely open for business.
Their PR team are on the blocks now waiting for the starting gun. We predict this won't be a sprint however but a steeple chase with many a barrier to hurdle. It will be interesting to see how they will fare, given their lack of real competiton experience.

Have you ever had a news film crew on-site?

Have you ever had a news film crew on-site? There are some simple things you can do to ensure you emerge positively from the experience.

First might be to invest in a big bottle of Grecian 2000 as you're bound to sprout a few grey hairs during the filming!

Next you will want to be really clear what it is they want to film and what if anything they want to talk about. This is your chance to think through how you want to be seen and what key messages you want to place before the type of people who will watch the programme the filming is for. Once you've decided stick with it, don't be tempted to add more in to your answers it will just confuse the audience - at most you leave an audience with just three bits of information.

Max Mosley court case

The media today are full of the outcome of the Max Mosley court case and the judgment that a well known Sunday newspaper was unjustified in splashing details of his private life across its front page earlier this year.

In PR, stories like this (and they come around as regular as clockwork every couple of years) are the profession's equivalent of car crash TV.

As someone who cares about reputation and its management, you really have to watch - but you feel guilty about doing so because you can see the inevitable outcome. Once a story gets to court everyone's dirty washing has to come out and no-one's reputation comes out untainted - winner or loser.

Whilst the case has been a success for Mr Mosley in legal and financial terms, you have to wonder what further impact the evidence revealed in open court about his private life will have on his reputation.

For the News of the World, the case has revealed details of their dealings in the somewhat murky world of investigative journalism and "sting" operations. Even if they had won, the evidence raises questions over the tactics used by some journalists investigating people's private lives which they now have to answer.

So, we sit back and wait for the next "kiss and tell" car crash case. As a PR professional all I can hope is it isn't me or one of my clients and that I have a good vantage point to watch it unfold - with my hands over my eyes of course!

Tesco are pulling out of Zimbabwe

Interesting to hear in the news that Tesco are pulling out of Zimbabwe just weeks after committing to remain in the troubled African nation.

This is a significant change of direction and shows that even a multinational has to be in tune with public opinion and prepared to alter course to ensure its reputation remains on course. They clearly feel the media coverage of the recent elections and Mr Mugabe's hold on power isn't something they wish to be associated with in the eyes of their customers.

How different to London based mining giant Anglo American, a company with no real public customer base in the UK, though it may have many UK investors.

Just days before the Tesco announcement they committed 200 million pounds to a project in Zimbabwe, an announcement which led to difficult questions for its Chairman on Radio 4's PM programme and subsequent ministerial involvement in a wider debate about investments from the UK propping up the regime.

This was clearly a risky decision in terms of reputation which, one assumes, they have thought through carefully based on a real understanding of their investors and the potential for the Zimbabwe situation to get worse before it gets better.

It's a gamble with their company's reputation which they might be regretting as they see how positively Tesco's move has been reported.