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Dating Blogger Spotlight with Natalie Lue, Baggage Reclaim

February 20, 2020/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Christina Pirilla

Sometimes blogs are inspired by bad dates, sometimes by a mix of ‘bubble guts and a busy mind’. Natalie Lue’s Baggage Reclaim was born from a combination of all three and has since become our top relationship and dating blog in the UK.

If you aren’t yet a Reclaimer, read on for more on that killer combo that kickstarted Natalie’s love affair with blogging, as well as the most romantic places in the world and some baggage-related dramas.

How did you originally get started with writing about relationships?
It started with a bad date and me wondering why I’d say that I wanted to be with a ‘nice guy’ but then feel bored and turned off by them. I woke up in the middle of the night with bubble guts and a busy mind thanks to the dodgy date dinner – ten minutes later, I had my then-personal blog. And here I am almost sixteen years later.

How do you stay enthusiastic (and not cynical) about Valentine’s Day?
I’m not, and never really have been, into Valentine’s Day. Even as a child, it bemused me how it changed people for a week or two! It was the anxiety over gifts and cards, and whether they were loved. My husband and I pick and choose which year we want to give each other cards. We do it for a laugh and to get sentimental.

What’s the most romantic place in the world?
Tough call, as I absolutely love New York and have wonderful memories of trips there with my husband. I’m going to say Paris, as he surprised me with a trip there for my 40th. There is something magical about it. I highly recommend going on an electric bike tour for a few hours.

What is the worst date you’ve ever been on?
Too many to choose from. I’ve previously said it was a guy who was stoned out of his tree (I didn’t realise until towards the end of our date). He was very pervy straight away, and after I tried keeping him at bay, he tried to make a move when he dropped me home. I declined and so he proceeded to touch himself up as I exited the car…

Has blogging about relationships ever impacted your own relationships in real life?
Yes. One acquaintance stopped talking to me – she read my blog after finding out about it in a newspaper and fumed that I’d said she served us all Blue Nun at her party (she did). And someone else thought I was talking about their relationship (I wasn’t) and that I’d written about them revenge-cheating on their ex.

What are your favourite dating shows?
I don’t really watch dating shows any more, although I loved watching Take Me Out – it’s a fascinating social experiment that teaches a lot about misconceptions around compatibility and attractiveness. My husband watches Dinner Date and Dress To Impress religiously, so I sometimes catch a bit of those.

How do you collaborate with brands and which kind do you really like working with?
I don’t currently collaborate with brands for Baggage Reclaim. I built a lot of brand relationships from when I ran Bambini Goodies and the now-defunct Nest Goodies, so if I am occasionally gifted something it’s through personal relationships.

For PRs looking to work with you and your blog/website, how would you prefer they approach you and with what kind of content?
I am open to working with brands, but I do get turned off by stock approaches and requests for reviews. DM me on Instagram or drop me an email. In order for me to work with a brand, it has to offer as much value to my audience as it does to me, so we have to share core values. The likelihood is that it would be for the podcast, Instagram or for collaborating on an event. Book publishers, wellness, eco-friendly, and sustainable and creative brands are certainly of interest.

PR Spotlight with Missive’s associate director Gemma Dunn

February 20, 2020/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, Technology, PR Spotlight PR, Press and Bloggers, Media Database Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

‘Technology is ubiquitous so has evolved to become a byword for disruption. Every business is underpinned by technology, so tech PR now covers everything.’ Working in a sector of public relations that now encompasses almost every industry, Missive’s multilingual and multi-skilled Gemma Dunn brings experience from her time in journalism as well as a passion for communication. Having spent ten years in PR, Gemma has seen measurement move from press clippings to email alerts and the evolution of the industry’s approach to campaigning, collaboration and supporting staff under pressure.

As one of the forces behind PRWeek’s UK Best Place to Work (Small Agency) for 2019, Gemma shares the importance of integration in the work and the working environment to produce disruptive – and effective – results.

Tell us a bit about how you got into PR originally, and what keeps you passionate about the work?
I studied languages at university, which I chose because I loved communication and travel. This led me to move to Chile where I had a brief stint in journalism. I loved the storytelling required as a journalist, but the job was too solitary for me – I spent most of each day completing research or writing on my own. I wanted the chance to be part of a team and spend my days being interactive, which led me to look at PR. Fast forward ten years and the teamwork aspect of my job is a big factor in why I’ve stayed passionate in my career. Between my team and clients, I meet and learn from a huge range of people from different cultures and with very different experiences. It makes the job hugely varied.

Missive works with clients in the technology sector – what have been some of the big changes you’ve noticed in tech PR during your time in the sector?
I’ve seen two fundamental changes in tech PR in recent years. Just like in other sectors, clients expect tech PR campaigns to be fully integrated. PR used to be siloed from the rest of the comms mix but in an ever-integrated content world that doesn’t make sense anymore. Getting ahead of what clients (and their customers) need means we have to be channel agnostic and use audience insight to determine what is the best way to reach customers – whatever that might be.

Another big change is that tech is ubiquitous so has evolved to become a byword for disruption. Every business is underpinned by technology so tech PR now covers everything from the banking and insurance industries to veterinary services, property and commodities trading.

Is there anything you really miss about how the PR industry worked when you started?
I used to love that moment of popping into a newsagent to get the paper and find my client’s coverage. The thrill of seeing a story do well is still there but it isn’t as much of a moment when the email alert arrives. Of course, the flip side is that nobody has to scan press clippings anymore!

Missive won the PRCA best place to work award last year – what are the best things about working at Missive and how do you keep employees happy and fulfilled in their work?
It meant a lot to us to win the PRCA Best Place to Work and receive recognition of the distinct culture we have – and the hard work of the founders to create something special. They wanted Missive to be a brilliant agency where people had the opportunity to take ownership of their career and have a say in how the agency is run. It sounds obvious but we treat people like adults and expect people to manage their own time – this means if you decide to work from home last minute, or leave early to play tennis, it’s fine as long as you get the job done.

We also have a healthy rewards programme that includes benefits ranging from an all-company annual holiday abroad to a weekly personal trainer as well as an annual wellbeing and tech allowance. Underpinning all of this is a commitment to innovative, ethical and open behaviour that the team is a part of creating and sustaining.

What do you think it is about the creative industries that can result in mental health issues, and how can companies work to prevent it/support their workforce?
The challenge of being in a creative industry is that your work is always under scrutiny and has to be delivered to a deadline (and in budget). This can create a real pressure cooker, which becomes even more of a problem when you’re trying to navigate the overwhelming amount of information we have to get through. It’s why there are such sustained mental health issues in the industry.

Tackling the problem has to start with being open about when people are experiencing difficulty and working together to tackle the pressure someone might feel under. We check in with our team at Missive to encourage people to find a work/life balance that works for them including a daily routine that is focused to their overall wellbeing.

Do Missive work with influencers/bloggers? What are the pros and cons of working with ‘new’ media versus print?
With every brief we get from a client, we start with research into the target audience to gain insights into who (and what channel) will have greatest impact; this could be an influencer, blogger, broadcaster, politician or journalist. For some of our audiences, influencers will be the most credible way to have impact. For others, it could be through the FT newsdesk.

The benefit of working with this new media of influencers is that you more often have the chance to partner and collaborate on the content you create. Whatever the channel or the individual, the most important thing is to be authentic to the audience.

Missive have been shortlisted for more awards recently for client work – how important are awards for PR agencies?
I think awards are a great way of showcasing results delivered to clients and giving the industry an idea of how you create success. What they don’t always show is overall value to clients in terms of strategy, commercial objectives or brand awareness. When clients are choosing agencies, I think it’s important they look at both awards and style of working to understand whether the agency is a ‘fit’. For example, do they have a strong track record in strategic consultancy that may not be highlighted through award wins?

What is the process for creating content/encouraging ideas for campaigns at Missive?
We have a really collaborative work environment with regular team-wide brainstorms for clients and those we are pitching to. We try to look outside of our immediate industry to get inspiration from other areas, and we’re not afraid to steal ideas where we see something that worked well in a different sector!

How have you noticed the relationship between PR and journalism changing during your career and what do you think is next for both?
PRs now outnumber journalists (64,000 journos to 95,000 PR) which has changed the relationship fundamentally. Journalists are more time-poor than they’ve ever been so on the one hand they need help from PRs to find stories, experts and case studies but on the other hand they are inundated with content they don’t often need, ruining relationships between the two sides.

Understanding the right journalists and industry analysts to take a story to isn’t hard if you have the right tools and a bit of common sense, and I think PRs who invest time in this are always those who have better relationships with the media (and probably with their clients as a result).

Learn more about the Missive team and their work on the website here.

Music Blogger Spotlight with Stefan Toren, A&R Factory

February 18, 2020/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Holly Hodges

How does the music blogging sector continue to adapt as the way we share and stream music changes? For A&R Factory’s Stefan Toren, it’s ‘the creativity in connecting people’, whether through traditional features and interviews, curated playlists or Instagram stories.

Aiming to explore the meaning behind the music rather than straight-forward industry updates, Stefan’s blog has become a ‘hotspot’ for professionals in the sector. Read on for his approach to writing about music, how the music industry is changing and whether reality TV is a good thing for artists.

How did you get started with writing about music?
A+R Factory started around 10 years ago when I was working as a music manager for a few bands. Originally I just wanted to write about the different artists I had the pleasure of working with, but it started to evolve into something much bigger when I found we had organically become a hotspot for music industry professionals – ranging from unsigned talent to A+Rs from some of the world’s top labels. I guess the answer is almost boringly simple: I began because I wanted my own platform to give a voice to the unheard musician. A decade on, here we are.

What’s your favourite thing to post about on your website/blog?
Just go on over to our homepage and take a look for yourself. We don’t tend to focus on industry news and developments – we focus purely on music and what it (might) mean to the listener. Exploring artists and their new projects is therefore, by far, our favorite stuff to post.

What makes the music blogging community different (and better!) than others?
Oh, it’s different alright – in all the good ways (and some bad, but let’s not get into that here!). One of the parts that make it so good is the ability for a blog to help curate a listener’s taste, and get them to explore new artists and new music that (literally) resonates with them. We’re also seeing the blog community explore different avenues to tell those artists’ stories too; some of the best music bloggers don’t even write these days, they curate playlists, create videos and post insta stories. I think the creativity in connecting people with art is the special something that makes music blogging stay relevant as online culture evolves.

Do you think shows like The Voice and Britain’s Got Talent are still a good route into the music industry for wannabe musicians? What are the pros and cons?
Have they ever been? Facetiousness aside, I think these shows have a cultural value to offer and do help show artists that they don’t just need to be good musicians – they need to be characters and have a story to tell. But I think it goes without saying that ten times out of ten, an artist should focus on their art and marketing before considering a musical reality show to be a viable option for getting into the industry.

Do you see the increase in the intersection of tech with music as a good thing – VR shows, holograms of musicians who are no longer with us, etc.?
I think most people look at tech in the music industry as these ‘flashy’ PR pieces – and that’s fair because a Tupac hologram catches eyes and ears. The real tech in the music industry is a lot more hidden and it’s all about data. Just like a brand needs data about its customers, music labels all need data about their listeners, and platforms like Spotify have all the value in this space. Because of this data, we’re seeing music labels adopt different approaches to new releases to maximise streaming value, perhaps at the risk of compromising artistic value. But for many artists, data can be their most powerful tool in building a following and cracking the online space – so there’s lots of pros and cons on all sides for tech being adopted more heavily in the music industry.

What was the first song/album you bought (and would you still listen to it)?
Eric B and Rakim’s Paid in Full. Who doesn’t still listen to it? It’s one of the seminal hip-hop albums.

Favourite song lyric of all time?
‘All my exes live in Texas’ by George Strait. I can’t explain why. I’ve never been to Texas.

How do you work with PRs and brands?
Our approach is heavily tied to our original and simple vision of spotlighting the world’s best independent artists and musicians. So of course when we work with PRs and brands, we only choose the ones with an offer that can bring something truly helpful to the table for unsigned musicians. There’s so many incredible services out there that act in line with A+R factory’s values, and we make sure each one we work with gives artists a real digital leg up in this crazy industry.

For PRs looking to work with you and your blog/website, how would you prefer they approach you?
We have a delightfully simple contact page here where you can reach out to us.

What other blogs do you read (whether music-related or not)?
Earmilk is great. Indie Shuffle and Resident Advisor are two other staples.

How to build a charity brand

February 17, 2020/in PR, Press and Bloggers /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

How do you build a successful charity brand?

At a time when public trust in charities is at an all time low and Brexit has put a strain on funding in the sector, it’s more important than ever to build a solid brand with a proactive communications strategy.

Our webinar, How to build a charity brand hears from industry experts on how to strengthen relationships with brand supporters while communicating effectively with all stakeholders, from families and healthcare professionals to journalists and MPs.

We are delighted to host Scouts‘ Director of Communications and Marketing, David Hamilton and Brand and Ambassador Manager, Chris James. We also hear from Lauren Kay-Lambert, co-managing director at purpose-led creative agency, Shape History, who shares insights in working exclusively with good causes.

Watch the webinar to learn:

Why proving trust is central to brand building in 2020
How to improve insight and action in charities
Why charities have the potential to gain the most engaged audiences

6 stats to help agencies work with comms directors

February 17, 2020/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, communications research, Event, PR Club Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

Over 200 senior communications directors, consultancies and agencies gather at The Richmond Communication Director’s Forum each year and their views and opinions of the industry form the conference’s annual research report.

From the numbers on how comms professionals are allocating their budgets to sourcing new agencies to work with, here are six useful statistics to help you improve your agency’s work.

1. Change management is the biggest business challenge (even more than the prospect of Brexit)
When asked about the biggest challenges they were facing back in November, respondents’ answers fell into the five categories of Change, Resources, Technology, Political and Talent and Value. Change came out as the most challenging, with over half replying with concern. Surprisingly, worries concerning Brexit (rather a big change) had gone down since the year before – from 36% to 19%.

2. Budget reduction is down – only 13% were planning to decrease their budget spend for 2020
Whether careful and canny spending or a sign of belt-tightening, a reduction in budget spend wasn’t a big concern for the delegates at the forum – of 2019’s delegates, 20% had planned to reduce their communications budget, for 2020, it’s down to 13%. Hopefully a sign of healthy budgets to work with. Over half (58%) reported they’d be spending the same, and 29% reporting an increase.

3. Comms directors use an average of seven agencies, but new projects mean new appointments
Exploring how respondents interact with and choose new suppliers to work with, the Forum discovered that comms directors use an average of seven agencies. A further seven are likely to be spoken with as prospects, and 3.2 new agencies a year are appointed. What causes delegates to look for new agencies to work with? New projects (for over 80%) and the need for new technology (for just over 50%). Less than half were looking for cheaper or better alternatives.

4. 70% of those making the decisions on agency appointments are looking for new products and technologies to try out
What most of the directors who decide on budget spend – and which new agencies they’ll be spending it on – are looking to hear about are new-launch products and technology. Less important for them – discussing the outlook for the economy (10%), agency employees (under 20%) and the competition people are pitching against (20%). So, shiny new things that will make their work easier, and not so much with the bad-mouthing of competitors or staid economy talk when pitching.

5. Cold calling is bad: over 90% of sellers of services and over 50% of buyers still prefer face-to-face contact over email or telephone for building professional relationships
Both word-of-mouth recommendations and face-to-face meetings are what those surveyed said were most important with forming new business connections and choosing suppliers to work with. Telephone calls were not popular with buyers of services and products – 0% of those surveyed mentioned it as they way they find new suppliers to work with.

6. What most (60%) comms directors are looking for when picking a supplier or agency? Personal chemistry
Reinforcing that face-to-face is the way to attract companies and brands to work with you, rather than email or phone, is the 60% of comms directors looking for personal chemistry with the suppliers they sign with. Price (over 50%) and innovation (almost 50%) were the next most important considerations. What may turn people off from working with you and dim the chemistry, though, is desperation – ‘Hunger for my business’ was a positive for only 30% of the people at the latest Richmond Communication Directors Forum.

Find out more about The Richmond Communication Directors’ Forum Industry Research Report 2020 on the Richmond Events website.

Dating Blogger Spotlight: Eve Greenow, Never Settle

February 14, 2020/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Christina Pirilla

‘Shows like Take Me Out and Dinner Date, to me, are just for people who fancy five minutes of fame – sorry!’ Hoping to build more genuine connections with people looking for advice and support in love is Never Settle blogger Eve Greenow. Originally launched in November 2014 as ‘Eve’s Blog’, its first posts helped Eve come out of a toxic relationship, and has since evolved into an ‘honest, confidence-building go-to of what to do when dating, in a relationship, breaking up, having sex, dealing with mental health issues… you name it, I want to help people with it’.

Even if you’re choosing to ignore Valentine’s Day completely, make a commitment to checking out Eve’s thoughts on dating shows, her worst date ever and whether blogging about dating is a good or bad thing for her own relationships…

How did you originally get started with writing about relationships?
Truth be told, I never started my blog with the intention of writing solely about dating, sex, relationships and millennial lifestyle. Actually, Never Settle was founded in November 2014, as it’s original conception of ‘Eve’s Blog’ (revolutionary name, right?) six months after I came out of a four-year toxic relationship.

Nowadays, Never Settle pushes the latest trends to the forefront of discussion, tackling controversial and taboo subjects head on, and looks to provide a range of outcomes and a way of achieving them, based on a mixture of personal experience and extensive psychological and sociological research. I’ve even got my own Ask Eve section where I accept anonymous questions, and podcast…

What’s your favourite thing to post about and why?
My favourite thing to write about is real, honest posts for people who find themselves in difficult dating situations. Often my Ask Eve inbox is full of lovely, brilliant people who are stuck in a difficult scenario and are so confused. Helping people just feel heard or listened to is my favourite thing. It’s not even giving advice, because often those who write in already know in their heart of hearts what they need to do; it’s just allowing them to have the cathartic experience of writing down their issues and knowing it’ll be read, and that they’re not alone.

I know many bloggers who blog for brand collaborations and the perks, but that was never why I created Never Settle – it’s to help people feel less alone and realise their true potential. Knowing I’ve helped someone is the best thing I ever get out of the blog.

How do you stay enthusiastic about Valentine’s Day?
Valentine’s Day is an interesting one. I used to be super into it, but as I’ve got older, I’ve not become cynical as such, but I’ve just realised that while Valentine’s Day is nice to celebrate your partner, it’s super-important to not just exclusively do so on this one day. I do think it’s become commercialised, and ultimately real relationships shouldn’t need the grand gestures and the expensive presents (depending on their love languages of course). Also, it can make singletons feel super-rubbish, and frankly, even more alone. So I think if someone would like to celebrate Valentine’s Day – absolutely, enjoy it! But if you’re single, honestly, it’s not the end of the world – 15 February is just a day away.

What’s the most romantic place in the world?
Oooh, that’s a toughy. Probably not the answer you’re looking for, but the most romantic place in the world is somewhere that means the most to you. It doesn’t need to be Paris or Rome, it can just be somewhere that makes you feel happy and romantic. It may be a place you share with your partner and means something, or somewhere you love to visit. Memories make the romance, and it builds to a whole new level when you love that place.

What is the worst date you’ve ever been on?
I guess the worst one-off dating experience for me started off as a really nice evening. We had some drinks in a Soho bar, and got on well initially. I was surprisingly calm, and just spoke naturally about what we do, our jobs, hobbies, etc. – had a laugh, even. After a few drinks and no dinner, he spoke about my blog and the fact that I review ‘lots of dildos’… and, as expected, things took a turn for the worse. Not only am I very protective of my blog, but I also find it says a lot about a person in the way they talk about intimacy. Before I knew it, he was complaining about his ex-girlfriend (who he’d been with for a long time), telling me intimate details about her and generally being really derogatory… safe to say, I took his ex-girlfriend’s side. Which went down like a lead balloon. He wanted a second date, remarkably. I did not.

Has blogging about relationships ever impacted your own relationships in real life?
Ha! Oh gosh yeah, unfortunately. People think I write about my life, my dating experiences and private information – which is simply not true. I’ve found people presume when I write a post, it’s about me or my boyfriend. Unfortunately, I have lost a few friends because of the blog. They’ve seen me as a hypocrite for doing something which goes against my own blog advice, or just ‘don’t get it’. It’s amazing how many people will give you backhanded compliments about your achievements, or always find the negative in something you hold pride in.

When I was single, men thought they would become a new feature on my blog. It was regularly said ‘oh, I guess this will end up on the blog then,’ which, again, if they’d read any of it, they’d know they would definitely not. My boyfriend’s friends took the mickey out of him about it too for a long time, which was tough. But to be honest, where I am with the blog, and what I’ve achieved, shows me that it was all worth it.

What are your favourite dating shows?
Ahh, I really hate many of the dating shows. Only because they don’t really do well to pair people up in the best way and basically it nearly always ends in a flop relationship – which is just a bit pointless.

I really like First Dates because they actually try and match people appropriately based on a variety of factors, and often that means you won’t waste your time. Celebs Go Dating is another one I really like. The matchmaking and coaching allow people to actually handle their baggage and deal with their problems, rather than jump from relationship to relationship and make the same mistakes.

Shows like Take Me Out and Dinner Date, to me, are just for people who fancy five minutes of fame – sorry!

How do you collaborate with brands and which kind of brands do you really like working with?
I really do love collaborating with brands. I’ve worked with sooo many and have a handful I love to work with. Ann Summers, LELO, Lovehoney are among my favourite pleasure brands, and I love that they continuously push towards smashing taboos around female pleasure. Brands which are relevant to women’s health, relationships or dating are what I look for, and anything promoting equality and feminism is a big plus!

For PRs looking to work with you and your blog/website, how would you prefer they approach you and with what kind of content?
If you actually research my blog, it will get you so far! I get all sorts of emails, but recently received one from a PR agency who had actually clearly done their research and I felt so warm towards them. It really helps! Brands who care about a mutual relationship really tick my box – someone who just wants to use my blog, or make out like they’re doing me a favour for free promotion will most likely never hear back from me.

What other blogs do you check out regularly (whether relationship-related or not)?
I have so many! I still love to read Naomi Narrative, Lucy Goes Dating and Alice in Wonder. Also love Natasha Atlas and my blogging besties, Hannah of The Giraffe’s Life and Jess from Fierce & Fabulous Revolution. These are some of the hardest working ladies in the blogging world!

Film Blogger Spotlight: Alton Williams, BRWC

February 13, 2020/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Holly Hodges

Alton’s Williams BRWC – that’s Battle Royale With Cheese, to give it the full Pulp Fiction-inspired title – started life as emails between film-fanatic friends. Now a popular blog, BRWC serves up the freshest of movie morsels to Alton’s fellow cinephiles across the world and has taken him to some exciting launches and events along the way (including a rather special one…).

How did you get started with writing about film?
I was exchanging film-related emails with friends and colleagues at a dead-end job years ago. This led to contributing to Brendon Connelly’s influential Film Ick blog for a while. I then saw an ad to buy a website for a pound…

What’s your favourite thing to post about on your website/blog?
Definitely uploading our contributor’s reviews. Sharing their thoughts on film and receiving thanks and feedback from the filmmakers and readers is the greatest feeling. It’s so rewarding.

What makes the film/entertainment blogging community different (and better!) than others?
The community is great at the moment as there are SO MANY bloggers doing this. Loads! And everyone has their own thoughts and own way of doing things. It’s great to see. The passion for film is awesome!

What’s the most exciting industry event you’ve been invited to?
We’ve been lucky to attend a load of screenings, events, festivals, etc. The one that springs to mind was the visit to the BBFC offices! What an eye opener. And of course, the Online Influence Awards!

What were your thoughts on the controversy around the lack of diversity in his year’s Oscar nominations line-up?
We need diversity in every industry, not just entertainment. Regarding film, diversity needs to mean different types of people being represented in every part of the industry. And diversity for me also means diversity of stories. We need to see new ideas, from new voices.

Do you agree with Martin Scorsese’s thoughts on superhero movies?
I love superhero movies, but I understand Scorsese’s thoughts. Perhaps they are becoming a little formulaic? There’s been a number of interesting directors leaving superhero films and franchises due to ‘creative differences’…

Favourite three films of all time?
Rear Window, Superman II, Punch-Drunk Love. In that order!

How do you work with PRs and brands?
We get a lot of emails about screener and screenings and I get them sent out to review. As soon as we’ve watched and reviewed, I send them links. With brands, I like to find out more about them before we look into working together.

For PRs hoping to work with you and your blog/website, how would you prefer they approach you?
I prefer email – there’s record of the correspondence and it’s easier to organise.

What other blogs do you read (whether film-related or not)?
Blazing Minds, Slashfilm, Live For Films, SquareBlind and A Touchline Rant.

2020: The new political landscape – how social media has reshaped political campaigning

February 13, 2020/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, Politics, Event, Public Affairs Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

How do policy makers become vital to the new Government in an era where social media has reshaped political campaigning? Join us for a discussion on standing out in the new landscape of social media-driven activism in the Vuelio panel event 2020: The new political landscape, Thursday 27 February at our office in Hatton Garden.

Speaking on the panel alongside Vuelio’s head of political and stakeholder strategy, Kelly Scott are:

– Institute for Government’s programme director for digital, data and transparency, Gavin Freeguard
– Trafalgar Strategy founder and former head of press at Number 10 Downing Street and spokesman for Prime Minister David Cameron, Giles Kenningham
– The British Psychological Society’s psychological Government programme lead, Saskia Perriard-Abdoh
– BDB Pitmans’ head of public affairs, Dr Stuart Thomson

Following the publication of Vuelio’s analysis of MPs’ use of social networks to engage with constituents and sister company Pulsar’s research into social media engagement in the run up to the General Election, the panel will focus on how policy makers and the public affairs industry can work with decision makers to make a difference.

Sign up for 2020: The new political landscape here to join us on Thursday 6.00 – 7.30pm at The Johnston Building, 79 Hatton Garden, London.

Film Blogger Spotlight: Karen Woodham, Blazing Minds

February 11, 2020/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Holly Hodges

With the Oscars just behind us (congratulations, Parasite!), what better time to catch up with Blazing Minds film blogger – and one of our UK top ten – Karen Woodham. Writing about the world of cinema and entertainment for Karen is a joy, as is the supportive and sharing film blogging sector she loves.

Read on for Karen’s thoughts on diversity (or rather, lack thereof) in the Academy Award nominee line-up this year and which films originally sparked her interest in cinema.

How did you get started with writing about film?
It all started after heading to the cinema one night to see Captain America: The First Avenger. I came back home after seeing the film and decided to write a review of the film on my blog that I hadn’t had for long. Shortly after the post went live, the cinema saw it and asked me to review more films for them. My blog developed and over time it’s taken me further into the world of film, events and much more.

What’s your favourite thing to post about?
It has to be the film reviews. I’ve had a passion for film since seeing Star Wars: A New Hope back in 1977 – it blew me away and set me on the path of seeing as many films as I could. Now with the advance of 3D, IMAX and 4DX, going to see a film on the big screen is even more exciting and exhilarating than ever before. Writing about the film afterwards is a joy.

What makes the film/entertainment blogging community different (and better!) than others?
It’s sad to say, but some of the various blogging communities can have an ‘it’s all about me’ issue and don’t like others doing what they are doing. With film/entertainment blogging I’ve not picked up on any of that; we all seem to be willing to help one another out with not only sharing contacts in the industry, but also with spreading the word by sharing articles and helping with website stuff. Now that’s how the blogging community should work.

If you/your team ever attend industry events/launches, what’s the most exciting/fun/weird one you’ve been invited to?
Me and some of the team have been to the usual film-based things such as previews/premieres, but the one thing that kicked off events for me on Blazing Minds was attending my very first Sci-Fi Weekender. It was certainly an eye-opener in the world of ‘geeks and nerds’; film celebrities that take time to chat with fans and the amazing cosplayers that attend the events and put all the effort into their cosplay. I’m now attending my 11th SFW in April this year. I can’t wait – it’s my big diary date for every year.

With #oscarssowhite trending again this year before the Oscars, what were your thoughts on the lack of diversity in 2020 Academy Awards nominations?
As with most film bloggers, I would have to say that I am disappointed by the lack of diversity in this year’s Oscars. We are now in 2020 – it’s time for the Oscars to step into the 21st century and bring much more diversity into the awards.

What’s your take on Martin Scorsese’s thoughts on superhero movies?
I don’t agree with Scorsese, but he has his right to criticise the massive franchise of movies that are packing out the cinemas. Personally, I think they are great for bringing families together for an evening of entertainment, spending quality time watching a movie and then talking about it afterwards.

Favourite three films of all time?
Blade Runner – it’s a movie that I still go back to a lot.

Citizen Kane – a true classic from Orson Welles. It’s a movie that is not only delightful to watch but also beautifully shot.

Star Wars – the original cut from 1977, before those days of it having ‘A New Hope’ attached to it. After all, it’s the film that got me into the world of film and sci-fi in the first place.

How do you work with PRs and brands?
I do like to work with them on regular basis. Many have been great over the years and I still work with many of them for news on new releases, previews and some fantastic competitions that not only spread the word for them, but also for Blazing Minds as well.

For PRs looking to work with you and your blog/website, how would you prefer they approach you?
Probably the best way has always been to get in touch via email, that way I have a record of things that I can go back to when needed. Of course, if needed, there are times that I chat with them over the phone to sort things out that may be urgent, or to work in a price for work to be completed with sponsored articles, etc.

What other blogs do you read (whether film-related or not)?
There are some great blogs out there and I have many of them in my RSS feed in Thunderbird. The main ones I enjoy and read the most are BRWC, Back To The Movies, SparklyPrettyBriiiight and LoupDargent, to name but a few.

Social media surge around Buttigieg ahead of New Hampshire primary

February 11, 2020/0 Comments/in Politics, Social Media, Public Affairs PR, Press and Bloggers, Media Database Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

Interest in Pete Buttigieg has rapidly increased after his strong performance in the Iowa caucuses according to analysis of social media and online conversation from the Pulsar Primary Index. In terms of digital profile, Buttigieg is now catching up to Bernie Sanders who continues to drive the largest online conversation volume of all Democratic Primary candidates.

In the analysis of more than five million social media and online conversations referencing the Democratic Primary candidates over the past week (2 – 8 February), Sanders continued to drive the largest volume of conversation (more than 1.37million mentions, to Buttigieg’s 0.95million). Interest in Buttigieg has been growing faster, however, with a week-on-week growth rate of 440%. Conversation about Buttigieg also showed the fastest velocity in terms of the level of conversation the candidate is able to drive within a given hour.

Pulsar’s analysis takes five factors into account to evaluate audience interest and engagement. This includes how much social media and online interest the candidate generated; how much momentum there is on social media about the candidate; how much interest on social media the candidate can drive in a given hour; whether the conversation about the candidate is stable and consistent, or highly variable; and to what extent the engagement and conversation about the candidate maintains high volumes over time.

The Pulsar Primary Index also shows that audience interest growing around Mike Bloomberg following the Iowa Democratic Party’s inability to accurately report results of the caucuses and the consequent chaos and uncertainty about the winner. Bloomberg benefited from the mainstream media’s analysis about his prospects following what happened in Iowa, seeing a huge week-on-week growth (+290%) in mentions.

‘Audience interest in Buttigieg has skyrocketed after Iowa, and his momentum has continued to grow even after the New Hampshire debate. While Sanders is still the leader of the pack, it’s the first time in our tracking that we’ve seen another candidate generate a higher Velocity of buzz than Bernie – prior to this, no one else had even come close to attracting as many posts per hour,’ said Pulsar VP of research and US strategy Marc Geffen.

‘The big swing in momentum for Buttigieg suggests that the Iowa caucuses remain a pivotal moment in the primary process and can shift audience perception in a big way. In the last week, Bloomberg has also experienced a huge bump in conversation following the caucuses, benefitting from mainstream media analysis about his prospects given the debacle in Iowa.’

Read more analysis from the Vuelio political team here and sign up to the new weekly newsletter Point of Order.

A shiny PR spotlight with author and PR pro Natalie Trice

February 11, 2020/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, PR Spotlight Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

‘We all have an ego but if you want PR to work for you, you need to be seen in the media closest to your tribe on an ongoing basis – that’s when the magic happens.’ Finding the right mix of media contacts for your campaigns is just a taster of the tips PR professional Natalie Trice shares in her second book PR School – Your Time to Shine.

Having worked in the PR industry for 23 years, Natalie recently joined the Women in PR committee and has secured column inches and supported on campaigns for brands including Betty Crocker, Sense and the Discovery Channel. Read on for Natalie’s advice on how and where to shine the spotlight to get your stories coverage, because, in her words, ‘let’s face it, you can’t be everywhere all of the time, unless you are the Beckhams and even they have their off moments’.

What inspired you to write PR School: Your Time to Shine and what are you hoping readers take away from it?
PR School: Your Time to Shine is my second book and it came from meeting so many people who had a story to tell and a product to share, but either didn’t know how to do it, or didn’t feel good enough to go out and shout about themselves. It’s aimed at small businesses, freelancers and entrepreneurs with a story to tell and a voice to be heard. It comes with a side serving of my signature cheerleading approach, giving readers the confidence to put their learning into practice and start securing the column inches that are there for the taking.

There are lessons rather than chapters, homework dotted across the pages and I encourage readers to scribble in it, highlight the bits that work for them and use it is a self-development tool and part of their business strategy.

How would you advise someone looking to make contacts in the media with picking the right mix of print media, online, and influencers?
Each journalist, blogger, vlogger and influencer brings something new to the table and just because they aren’t Vogue, it doesn’t mean they don’t count. If that person has the key to potential success for you and your brand, they matter, and if you want them to work with you, you need to build a relationship with them and don’t think they are just going to come running and do you a favour for free.

Remember it’s always important to step back and do some research, rather than diving right in. Also: make emails personal, know your stuff and never presume anything is a given until it’s out there.

What are the pros and cons of working with different sectors of the media to tell a brand’s story?
Really look at your target audience to know what media they consume – is it glossy magazines, TV guides, newspaper websites, trade newsletters, podcasts or blogs?

You may think you need to be in Red magazine but if you are targeting time-poor mums on the go who scroll at the school gates, maybe it’s on Insta and lifestyle blogs that you are going to have the most success?

What do you see as the big upcoming trends for the PR industry in 2020?
One thing I do think will carry on growing is podcasting. Many of my clients now either have a podcast, or want to be guests on podcasts, and this is because they reach the people they want to reach. Podcasting is a brilliant way to self-publish content and be your own media maker. As people continue to experiment with content and formats, this medium will keep growing and can only get better.

Which brands/agencies do you think have been hitting it out of the park over the last year with their PR, and what can others learn from their approach?
As in indie PR, I like to keep up with others in the industry to ensure I’m always learning and like to be inspired so my clients get the best service, and outcomes, possible.

I think that Lesley Singleton at Playtime PR has done a phenomenal job at bringing together a fantastic offering and totally smashes client results time and time again! I also love the work of Angie and her team at Fourth Angel and I love scrolling through social media and watching her and her ‘ministers of truth’ spread the word about their clients and have what looks like a lot of fun, at the same time.

It’s really key to watch what others do and learn, but also key to stay in your own lane because otherwise you can get overwhelmed and ‘comparisonitis’ and imposter syndrome get in the way of anything happening. It’s not about how big the agency is, how fat the budget is, or whether there are duvet days on offer and beer in a fancy fridge on the office floor; it’s about knowing your worth, understanding your ‘why’ and getting results that convert into sales, awareness or change.

With the boundaries between journalism and PR getting blurrier, how have you noticed the relationship between the two industries changing during your career?
I’ve worked on both sides as a PR and a journalist and while the lines are blurred, I do think that there are boundaries to be maintained. PR is all about relationships and I work really hard to ensure that I’m there to give members of the media what they need, be that comment pieces, images, products or interviews.

And finally, with the name of your book being ‘PR School’, what were you like at school?
I was really shy and a bit of a swot and was generally found in the library reading and that is absolutely where I was happiest. I still love the library now and if I ever gave up PR, that old librarian role I had at school might beckon to me.

Natalie Trice is an author and PR Director based in Devon and has worked with CEOs of international TV channels and finance directors at IT companies, to entrepreneurs at the forefront of their industry and ambitious start-ups. Today, as well as retained clients, Natalie mentors people around the world and gives them the PR skills and confidence to go out and talk to the press. When she isn’t working you can find Natalie on the beach in Devon with her husband and two sons as well as their dog and if she isn’t there, she’ll be drinking coffee somewhere and reading a magazine.

ICCO partners with COE to represent PR in European digital policy decision-making process

February 10, 2020/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, Politics, PR Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

The views of the PR industry are to be represented in government as the Council of Europe (COE) has inducted the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) as an official partner for its European policy work on digital information and disinformation.

The COE, responsible for upholding the rule of law, democracy and human rights across the continent, includes 47 member states, with 28 being members of the European Union. Quarterly meetings to support its efforts in upholding human rights in the digital space will be attended by representatives from ICCO alongside those from worldwide organisations including Google, Facebook and Microsoft.

‘This is a powerful endorsement of the strategic value of public relations and a testament to the growing respect businesses and Institutions hold for PR and communications,’ said ICCO deputy CEO Rob Morbin.

‘I’m proud that CCO will play a prominent role in shaping the Council’s policy on digital information. Our members are responsible for the way in which information is communicated with the public; whether via social media, through the press or directly from brand platforms. We are committed to implementing the necessary frameworks to ensure new technologies are used ethically.’

Read more on how PR will be helping to shape policy in the full press release about the ICCO and COE partnership here.

How to become a master of all trades with journalist, blogger, copywriter and PR trainer Sally Whittle

February 7, 2020/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, journalism, PR, Blogger, PR Club, PR Spotlight, Influencers PR, Press and Bloggers, Media Database Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

Already well-known to blogging fans as the writer behind Who’s the Mummy, multi-skilled Sally Whittle is also an experienced B2B technology journalist, creator of copy and expert on working with influencers for PR campaigns.

Realising she could help PRs connect with journalists in more mutually beneficial ways after doing her own share of grumbling, Sally started her 101 workshops for PR professionals looking to improve their own pitching techniques and copywriting.

Now launching new 101 workshops to answer 2020’s big challenges in PR – influencer marketing and social media among them – Sally will share useful tools for measuring ROI, identifying and recruiting relevant influencers and creating impactful content. Regular collaborations with top journalists, PR execs and influencers keep Sally’s skills sharp – read on to start soaking just some of them in…

Tell us a bit about your journey from journalist, blogger, copywriter and now teacher of B2C/social media marketing?
I started my career as a writer then features editor on B2B tech magazines in the 1990s, and then became a freelance journalist and copywriter. I focused on business and technology for a range of B2B magazines, websites and newspapers, alongside copywriting for corporate clients. Like most journalists, I did my share of complaining about the world of PR. In 2002, I saw an opportunity and launched our first 101 workshops, where experienced journalists worked with PR execs to improve things like pitching techniques and copywriting. I also worked in-house at a PR agency as a writing coach for a couple of years.

After my daughter was born, I fell into the world of blogging, through my own blog. I spotted a gap in the market for a ‘media directory of bloggers’ and created Tots100, a community for parent bloggers. Over time, the community grew and expanded to cover travel, lifestyle and food, and incorporate Instagram and YouTube influencers. Today we have over 15,000 community members and we work with dozens of brands to help them with influencer outreach. Although it’s very different to journalism, my job is really still about telling great stories that will capture people’s attention.

In 2020, we’re launching new 101 workshops, which will focus on influencer marketing. It’s harder than ever to deliver and measure ROI on influencer projects, but our workshops will give delegates the tools to create campaigns that deliver ROI, and understand how to measure it. We look at all stages of influencer marketing, from identifying and recruiting influencers to understanding how brands can make the most of influencer content using SEO, tracking, licensing and more. Each workshop will also include top influencers, who will be on hand to offer their insights and experiences.

How did you get started with blogging originally, and what keeps you passionate about it?
I started in 2007, basically because I was a single mum in a new town. I didn’t have anyone to share my (obvs) hilarious stories with – so I wrote them on a blog. I’ve been blogging now for ten years and it’s changed a lot, but at heart my blog is still where I capture and share those stories and moments we’d forget about, otherwise. Sometimes I think about giving up, because parenting a teen is hard, and like most 14-year-old girls, my daughter finds everything I do completely embarrassing. But I love to write, and the longer I blog, the more I cherish that we have all those memories to look back on, and I value the friendships I’ve made with other people, online.

Which other blogs are you a fan of and recommend as great examples for those looking to start?
I would say my number one piece of advice is to do what you love. You see lots of people get into blogging and social media as a way to make a job, or get access to reviews, and so on. But building a blog with consistent traffic can be a long slog, and if you’re not enjoying what you do, it’s going to be a fairly miserable chore. I’d say, make content you would love to follow yourself. Our local farmer just hit 150k subscribers on his YouTube channel, and his most popular video is about muck spreading. So, you know – there’s an audience for everything.

I love influencers who know themselves and share THAT rather than fitting into a pretty preset-defined template. I love Tom Pemberton’s Farm Life on YouTube, and I also really enjoy following Jen Walshaw from Mum In The Madhouse on Instagram Stories, and Nicole Ocran for accessible style that has a personality. Alison Perry, too, who I think is a fantastic example of building an audience while still feeling like a real person you’d want to be friends with in real life. It’s such a skill to be able to do that.

Copywriting is an increasingly sought-after skill, and another way the worlds of PR and journalism are intersecting – how have you noticed the relationship between the two industries changing during your career and what do you think is next?
I think the worlds of journalism and PR are far more collaborative now than when I started out, because journalists often have less time and fewer resources. As a copywriter, I see that storytelling and strong, professional content is more important to brands than ever. When paid advertising is in decline, brands need new ways to connect with audiences, and things like thought leadership, community generation and user-generated content are increasingly at the heart of communications.

One of the skills highlighted in your workshops are working with influencers – how would you advise brands with picking the right influencer to work with?
One of the easiest mistakes in influencer marketing is to go with the ten biggest accounts in a particular niche. Sometimes, that’s fine, but I always advise clients to come up with a decent profile of who their customer is, and what influencers they’re following. The chances are your customers will live in different places, wear different dress sizes, and live in different sorts of families – don’t assume that just one sort of influencer will connect with those customers. We can identify influencers in virtually any niche, so spend time doing research. I actually love when a brand gives us a real challenge, like finding influencers from ten different cities who love yoga and drink whisky. Because those are the campaigns that end up really connecting with the audience.

What do you think are the benefits with working with influencers versus ‘traditional’ journalists?
Influencer’s audiences can be incredibly targeted, and a good influencer is an expert in knowing what content their audience will enjoy and respond to. There’s a connection that you don’t get in mainstream media.
That said, I’m very clear that influencer content isn’t journalism. I read a post on Instagram recently where an influencer described herself as a friendly, trusted sales associate and I think that’s a pretty good analogy.

Having previously worked as a computer/telco journalist, what are the parts of the tech media industry that you really miss?
I miss writing about emerging technologies, because there’s so much cool stuff going on, and I get a pang when I see old friends heading off to the big industry events. I still do some business/tech copywriting, though, so that scratches the itch, in some ways. What I do now can be exciting in a different way. This job has seen me sit down with bloggers in front of cabinet ministers to debate childcare for working parents, or meet with panels of doctors to discuss meningitis. And then occasionally I edit photos of chocolate biscuits made into penguins.

Do people working in the media, whether PR, journalism, social media or influence, need to have experience or skill sets that can work across each of the disciplines to be successful in 2020 and beyond?
Realistically, we’re all working on content, in one form or another. I think the skillset of a successful PR, copywriter or influencer has a lot in common in 2020. We all need to have excellent writing and communication skills, of course. But all of our jobs now require an understanding of things like GDPR and data handling. We all need to understand the technology that people use to consume content, and have a decent working knowledge of things like SEO, data analysis and structured content. Media as a whole is so crowded, with an increasingly sophisticated audience, and I think the people who will have the edge are the people who have those skills.

Find out more about Sally Whittle’s work at her website sallywhittle.co.uk and sign up for courses via tots100.co.uk/training.

Film Blogger Spotlight: Sean Evans, Back To The Movies

February 7, 2020/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight PR, Press and Bloggers, Media Database Blog Posts /by Holly Hodges

‘I’m getting on a bit now and the site is, too’ – we catch up with veteran movie blogger (and fourth in our Top 10 UK Film Blogs) Sean Evans of Back To The Movies.

With the BAFTAs behind us and the Oscars on their way, find out what Sean thinks of this year’s Academy Award nominees and which superhero movie gets his vote (sorry in advance, Cap).

How did you get started with writing about film?
I was close to turning 21 and my girlfriend at the time wanted to do something special to celebrate my 21st birthday. We had a think of some ideas and we thought that celebrity video messages would be a cool way to remember the occasion. I messaged various official sites and any agency emails I could find. I was surprised at the replies from people who didn’t know who I was sending video messages and even signed gifts. I had video messages from such actors as Jeremy Bullock from Star Wars, Thomas Nicholas from American Pie and Kane Hodder from Friday the 13th. Daniel Craig and Russell Brand even sent signed goodies via their agents.

As a result, I managed to not only get these messages but personal email correspondence with some well-known faces. It was then I had the idea to set up a website where I could interview these people and talk about movies at the same time.

What’s your favourite thing to post about on your website/blog?
I always love posting a good rant or rave about a certain production but interviews are my all-time favourite. Sitting down with an industry legend and just chatting movies is always a good time. I try to make the interviews as easy going as possible. My film site reviews films as fans would and not critics, so my interviews are exactly the same. A casual Skype chat, a quick trip to a local bar or even an interview after many, many drinks. No cameras, no PR agents telling them what they can and can’t say. Just a laid back, good ol’ fashioned chin-wag.

What makes the film/entertainment blogging community different (and better!) than others?
Every single person in this community is like a family. We support each other’s content, we share articles, we share links. We chat regularly on how we can help one another out. You only need to look at Twitter when you guys announced the UK Top 10 and everyone was there congratulating one another, regardless of which position we were voted.

If you or your team ever attend industry events and launches, what’s the most fun or weird one you’ve been invited to?
I always laugh when people say ‘team’. Everyone thinks the site is run by a team rather than a 28-year-old whose hair is turning greyer by the second. The site for 99% of the time I’ve been doing this is a one-man-band. I do get the odd bit of help now and again when I really need it but it’s literally just me.

I love being invited to film premieres, even better getting to walk the red carpet at the BAFTA awards every year. I’m also doing a lot of theme park and entertainment reviews lately so being invited down to be the first to ride a brand new rollercoaster or the first to experience a new attraction opening is amazing.

As far as weird places go, The Viktor Wynd Museum of Curiosity in London is certainly the weirdest place I’ve ever been. A museum of some of the weirdest items you’ll ever see in your life and even a celebrity stool sample collection. Safe to say out of every single place I’ve reviewed, that is the weirdest place I’ve ever been to in my entire life. But I’m a bit weird myself so aside from the stool collection everything else was pretty awesome!

With #oscarssowhite trending again, a lot of people were surprised at the lack of diversity in this year’s Oscar nominations line-up – what are your thoughts on this?
I was incredibly surprised by this year’s line-up. I thought for sure Eddie Murphy would be in the nominations for Dolemite Is My Name, Jennifer Lopez nominated for her incredible role in Hustlers. It’s a real shame. Cynthia Erivo is the only non-white performer in the entire line-up which is crazy to me! She fully deserves to be there and I wish her all the best.

It’s something that does need to be addressed but the academy should never bow down to an agenda because people complain. That’s when things get messy. For example, people up in arms that Little Women wasn’t in the mix this year and Greta Gerwig should be in the mix for best director – it wasn’t a film even close to being on the same level as the nominated films this year. It’s as simple as that. Just my opinion, of course. People should be there because of their talent and talent alone and not for agenda purposes – that’s why I was even more shocked by Eddie and Jennifer not being included, because their performances were incredible and that’s just naming two!

Do you agree with Martin Scorsese’s thoughts on superhero movies, and what do you think of Joker’s chances at the Oscars this year?
I wholeheartedly agree with Martin Scorsese. It was a big topic on Back To The Movies this past year. While I thought Infinity War was a masterpiece, the way they churn out 90% of these superhero films to make a quick buck is ludicrous. Some are so simplistic in their design, amped up with green screen scale and fan service to keep the comic book faithful salivating at a sequel or a new character being added in the next movie. Most (not all) of them aren’t cinema. They’re fluff pieces aimed at making money through simple means, and make money they do.

Joker, on the other hand, is cinema. There’s churning out film after film, year after year to dominate the box office and there’s films that are made with heart, direction, depth and acting that transcends the screen. Joaquin Phoenix will win the Oscar and he deserves every accolade that comes his way. One character and one character alone, not a movie stuffed full of them to the point where saturation of characters leaves us admiring the pretty pictures and technical achievements rather than the film itself (1917, anyone?). Joker is one movie you can look back and go wow, now that’s a cinematic experience. We get to know our character, in a weird twisted way relate to our character, explore his backstory and his character comes full circle, intertwined in a beautifully-crafted world with a near-perfect script. It’s rare we see movies like that nowadays. Especially superhero movies. While I agree with Scorsese for the most part, films like Joker are those rare golden nuggets that are released and put Scorsese’s theory to bed.

Favourite three films of all time?
Back to the Future, The Wolf of Wall Street, Goodfellas (with a special mention to American Pie for corrupting me as a child).

How do you work with PRs and brands?
To tell you the truth, this last year has been so strange. I’ve been working with so many brands it all becomes a blur. From Hooch to 4DX to Sony, it’s a whirlwind.

As I mentioned in last year’s interview, if you haven’t got a budget and want me to promote your product or service then please look elsewhere. I’m not starting out looking for content to publish, I’m getting on a bit now and the site is, too. If you want promotion, be willing to pay for it. Even now, to this day, many PR companies try to milk the free content. It does grind a bit.

For PRs looking to work with you and your blog/website, how would you prefer they approach you?
More than happy to get email through my contact form via the website.

What other blogs do you read (whether film-related or not)?
I’m a huge fan of Blazing Minds. Karen Woodham is one of the nicest people I’ve ever had the privilege of speaking to over the years. We’ve never even met in person and I speak to her more times than half of my own family!

Flickering Myth and Live For Films are always the sites I aim to be like. Lots of writers, lots of content, always reaching, always aiming, always achieving. That’s the mindset those guys give me. They set the benchmark for me to go out there and get my site on a Hollywood trailer or up on a billboard somewhere. Last year’s goal was to get my name on the cover of a studio movie; I achieved that. This year is getting my name on a billboard or even a bus station ad, at least. I’d be cool with that.

Government announces plans to ‘make the UK the safest place to be online’

February 7, 2020/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, Politics Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

A review of laws to increase accountability for online behavior in the UK has been announced by the Government in time for Safer Internet Day on 11 February.

Ensuring that legislation is keeping up with continuing evolutions in technology is just one of the challenges of the upcoming Law Commission review. That illegal online behavior should be held to the same standards and levels of accountability as offline criminal activity, particularly in terms of offensive content, has been championed by many, including The Daily Telegraph.

The role of social media in the posting and sharing of harmful content has been highlighted by the Culture Secretary Baroness Morgan, who has called on social media chiefs to be held responsible – and possibly prosecuted – for duty-of-care breaches. Ofcom will be appointed to enforce statutory rules that will require companies including Google and Facebook to protect children from potentially harmful content.

Whether the incoming laws will either be too ‘abstract or over-reaching’ in their purpose to be effective – a possibility warned by the CIPR – remains to be seen. ‘Accountability and effective enforcement is what is needed here,’ said CIPR president Jenni Field. ‘We would encourage more debate around whether personal liability will actually lead to firms being held to account.’

Read the full announcement from the Government on the review around online behaviour and offensive content and the PR industry’s previous response to the Government’s reversal on Article 13.

Fitness Blogger Spotlight: Faya Nilsson, Fitness on Toast

February 6, 2020/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

‘Stay hydrated’, ‘invest in sleep’ and ‘move more’ are just some of the top tips for staying in tip-top shape from blogger Faya Nilsson in today’s spotlight on Fitness on Toast. One tip Faya has picked up in her time in the fitness industry that she’d advise to stay away from, though? Eating a generous tablespoon of butter every morning… Read on for that as well as more palatable anecdotes from her life as a top fitness blogger.

How did you get started with blogging about fitness?
I originally started Fitness on Toast way back in 2013 as a place to share healthy and unusual recipes, nutritional tips, and to communicate informative workout ideas with my personal training clients, as well as to style fitness fashion looks. It was a way to share a lot of the information I felt I never got the time to share in the short one-hour slot with clients. I also used to take pictures when I was abroad and was often asked about my trips (where I stayed, and how I stayed healthy while travelling, etc.) so wellness escapes and active travel grew to become a thing on FOT, somewhat before the concept was popular. It’s awesome to see the world embracing fitness in so many ways.

What’s your favourite thing to post about on your blog?
I genuinely think I don’t have a favourite. What I enjoy the most is the variation of the different topics which often blend together – travel, fitness, fashion and nutrition. To me, that’s the nature of living a perpetually healthy and balanced life, where all aspects of it are underpinned by a wellbeing ethos. That said, telling the story of great travel, on occasion, can be quite standout – writing about an exceptional trip punctuated by world-class hospitality is something that I very much enjoy.

What are your tips for getting back into an exercise routine for those who’ve fallen out of it?
I’ve written extensively about this on my blog. My top tips would be…
1) Be realistic when setting goals – realistic weekly goals, as well as a realistic deadline (e.g. a three-month window), then break it down into weekly targets.
2) Be consistent – any change takes time.
3) Nourish your body with the most delicious healthy colourful foods. You don’t have to eat bland foods to get results!
4) Stay hydrated – 70% of our bodies are made up of water, so staying hydrated will make a noticeable difference after a few weeks!
5) Invest in sleep – the muscular and mental recovery will compound your ability to perform better during your next session.
6) Move more – it’s not ‘all or nothing’, but ‘as often as possible’. Take the stairs, power-walk to get your salad at lunch and just keep moving!
7) Stretch – it aids recovery, balance and releases built-up tension/stiffness.
8) Keep track of your progress – write down your workout so you don’t end up doing the same weight every week.

What makes the fitness blogging community different (and better!) than others?
I can’t say whether it’s necessarily ‘better’ than other communities; all have their own flavours and purposes. I think the fitness domain comes with its own set of unique challenges. The things I like about the fitness community is it can be very encouraging in the sense that people who genuinely are interested in fitness and have worked in the industry for a while can appreciate each other’s good work and spur one another on. I think it’s become more welcoming and less intimidating to people who are new to the industry in the sense that people can be very open with their struggles; it is increasingly accessible, and that is increasingly aspirational for more and more people.

Weirdest fitness trend you’ve tried/heard about?
I haven’t tried any of the super-exotic ones, because they tend to be diet-related and I like to pursue a more balanced approach. A client of mine was told to pursue the ‘high-fat diet’ and ‘eat a generous tablespoon of butter every morning’ – I thought that sounded pretty horrendous. I’d say I’m happy that some of the more extreme legging fashion trends have passed over now – mega-bold colours and over the top prints induced a sense of ‘hypnotic trip’ during a trip to the gym, or supermarket alike!

What are the best songs to have on your iPod to get you fired up to work out?
I LOVE Disclosure; the Settle album is still a favourite to work out to. Other than that, you simply cannot beat a bit of Taylor Swift for the spark of energy! And failing that, some classic old school Miguel Migs house will do the job very nicely indeed.

How do you work with PRs and brands?
I have an excellent agent at Storm Model Management, who acts as an intermediary for me. She and her team know the type of content I love to produce, and they help to field the outreach accordingly, which is an enormous help, as there is just too little time in the day to tackle all PR emails properly. When we decide on a super exciting project with an agency, then the fun part begins, and I love to get really hands-on at that point – that allows me to really focus on delivery on the creative side of things. Short-term or long-term partnerships – ambassadorial roles as well as hosting fitness classes. I’ve laid out the ways in which I work with marketers and PRs on a separate Disclosure page on my blog, which I think is an important manifesto to consider for any blogger.

For PRs looking to work with you and your blog, how would you prefer they approach you?
I would always prefer that PRs reach out via email, copying in my agent at Storm. The address can be found on my Contact page.

What other blogs do you read (whether fitness-related or not)?
I try not to read too many other blogs, as I think it’s somewhat of an occupational hazard. I mainly read Swedish politics, if anything online. If not, I stick to the old school traditional paper books. That said, occasionally I’ll dip into The Blonde Salad, A Blog To Watch, Sheerluxe, The Food Effect, AJ Odudu’s blog.

CIPR says ‘change must come from the top’ in response to latest Parker Report on diversity

February 5, 2020/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, communications research Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

The latest progress report by The Parker Review Committee, established to review how UK boards can improve their ethnic and cultural diversity, has found that 69% of FTSE 250 companies have no representation of ethnic diversity at board level. For CIPR’s Diversity and Inclusion Forum chair Avril Lee, the results ‘point to complacency and a lack of action’ and are unacceptable in 2020.

Established practice of ‘not actively encouraging talented minority executives and non-executives to choose roles in businesses’ within company cultures is highlighted within the full Parker Report. The negatives that come with ‘familiar and traditional recruitment processes’ are also underlined – how they reinforce status quos in promotional choices, fill teams with practitioners from similar backgrounds and experience levels, and allow lazy hiring practices to continue.
In light of the results, recommendations for companies from The Parker Review Committee include regular reporting on the ethnic diversity of boards and review of policies and efforts to retain and develop BAME team members.

That the current mix of talent within teams and on boards needs to be shaken up, and soon, is clear to the CIPR, who will publish its own research into the experiences of BAME professionals in March.

‘The Parker Report should be a wake up call to the PR profession,’ said Avril Lee. ‘Although progress has been made over the last three years, this progress is too slow.

‘I’m pleased the focus of the review highlights the cultural practices of businesses as a significant factor in failing to address the diversity gap at the top table. Our research comes to similar conclusions and, through the stories of practitioners, should shock the profession. The message is simple – the call to action is on every one of us but, as far as businesses are concerned – whatever their size, change must come from the top.’

Read the full response from the CIPR and download the latest Parker Report.

An interview with Jade Delaney of Epoch Design, this year’s Creative Shootout winners

February 5, 2020/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Charity, PR Spotlight Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

Meet the winning team from Epoch Design who put together the pitch that impressed at this year’s Creative Shootout and won the opportunity to work on a campaign for Crisis. Creative writer (and copy crack shot) Jade Delaney takes us through the work that went into her and Marco (the planner), Tom (the team player) and Aaron’s (the A-gamer) A-Team-level entry.

Tell us a bit about why Epoch Design decided to enter Creative Shootout this year?
It’s a wonderful opportunity to get involved with a charity that does such a great job in supporting homeless people. It’s something close to our hearts personally and also as an agency.

Who were the team working on the entry on the day, and what skills/experience did each person bring to the final pitch?
We have Marco, a skilled planner and talented public speaker. He brings the strategic story to life in a captivating way.

Tom, one of the creatives, is a strong conceptual thinker and a real team player. Tom approaches things with positivity and always manages to make us laugh.

Aaron is the daddy of the group, a creative well-versed in presenting and conceptualising ideas. He always brings his A game to new challenges.

And I’m Jade, a creative copywriter with a close link to homelessness, able to share my insights (I also bring snacks).

How did you come up with the idea for your entry?
We did our research before the big day. Reading accounts of people who had experienced homelessness and speaking to others who were currently sleeping rough.

As a group, we spoke about our hopes for the day. Agreeing that above all else we had to represent homeless people in a respectful way. We wanted to change the tone of the stories being told about homeless people, instead celebrating the diversity of people living rough or in transient housing, creating something positive and true to our approach as an agency.

Once we had the brief, Marco led the team in building the strategy and piece by piece we formed the story that would set up the creative.

We split into two groups, while Tom and Aaron started thinking conceptually, Marco and I went out to speak to people in London. We gained insights that would inform the next steps we took creatively.

Many rough sleepers in Bristol create art and even perform poetry for money. We wanted a way to showcase the talents of homeless people and put them first in the pitch. That’s when we found a poem written by Ian Smith, who at the time he wrote The Non-Existent Man was sleeping rough in Bristol. His poem really resonated with what we had found in our research. We decided to share this poem in the pitch and put the homeless community first.

Regrouping, we spoke through initial ideas and spent some time fleshing out the concepts. We created the deck and finessed the story.

What is the process like on the day, for teams thinking of entering next year?
It’s not your average day. It’s very intense, quite tiring, but a lot of fun.

What are the advantages of having to put something together so quickly, rather than working on a pitch over a longer period?
The advantage of working under extreme time pressure is that it showed us how well we work together as a team. We didn’t work independently but together throughout the day, making sure to clearly communicate. We were open with each other, welcoming any ideas and also steering clear of being too precious with concepts. Focused throughout, we made sure that what we created aligned with our proposition.

Would you recommend agencies take part in competitions like this – what skills will they strengthen from taking part?
I would recommend it – it allows you to strengthen your bond as a team. It pushes you out of your comfort zone creatively to show an audience of 400 your initial ideas, without amends, in its raw state. The whole performance is very empowering.

At the end of our pitch, each one of us felt like we did our agency proud and ourselves proud. We all felt that regardless of the award we were already winners, in our hearts.

How will this win/what you’ve learned from taking part this year inform how your agency works in the future?
Epoch is a branding agency working with FMCG clients, often hosting design sprints. This style of working has equipped us to work well under pressure and maintain clear communication; perfect for the Creative Shootout.

Is the charity arena somewhere PR can make real change while creating interesting and important work?
At Epoch we put the consumer first, focusing on brand identity, communications and positioning briefs, exclusively for the FMCG sector. It’s a privilege to work on a campaign for Crisis because we see so many people sleeping rough in our home city of Bristol. Traditionally Epoch has created an Xmas gift for our clients, but over the last few years we have decided to put our efforts towards giving to charity. Last Christmas we donated £4,000 to a local homeless charity and we continue with our plans to support homeless charities as part of our CSR. It’s a crisis that can be solved and we believe it’s our duty to help make this happen.

What can we watch out for in your campaign with Crisis?
We are looking forward to forming a relationship with Crisis, learning from them and helping to create a campaign that really reflects their values and respects the wishes of homeless people. We’re excited to push our original ideas further and aim to create something that will help the community.

Read about the day of competition at this January’s Creative Shootout and get tips on creating successful campaigns on a budget with advice from charities Tiny Tickers and The Wildlife Trusts.

Film Blogger Spotlight: Phil Edwards, Live For Films

February 4, 2020/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, Blogger, Blogger Spotlight Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Holly Hodges

Film aficionado Phil Edwards blogs about movies of all genres as well as comic books, video games and TV over at Live For Films. Originally writing for his friends, but now drawing in fans from across the world, Phil shares his feelings about the films he loves and enjoys.

Film blogging isn’t all about reviewing the big hits, however – read on for Phil’s thoughts on getting more diversity up on the screen and in the awards season, and what shakes up a movie screening even more than sneaky secret vampires.

How did you get started with writing about film?
I used to send my friends emails and messages about various bits and pieces of movie news. One day one of them said they loved it, but it was just too many emails for them, so they suggested I put it all on a blog that they could read at their leisure. It all started just for my friends, but it soon became read by people from all over the world. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.

What’s your favourite thing to post about?
I love posting the reviews sent in by our various writers as I always enjoy reading other people’s work. Then again, I love sharing news on new films and then interacting with readers on social media to see what they think of it all.

What’s the most fun or weird press event you’ve been invited to?
I remember there was a screening of a Spike Jonze short film that took place late at night on top of a multistorey car park that had been set up to look like a strange garden. Then there was a Jameson Cult Film Club screening of Hammer’s Dracula in Liverpool. That had a vampire prowling around the theatre where the screening was taking place. Oh, and a screening of Jaws in Liverpool’s Albert Dock had actors portraying Hooper, Quint and Chief Brody showing us their scars and singing to us all before the film started. I do love the imagination that takes place to make all of the experiences memorable.

With #oscarssowhite trending again, a lot of people were surprised at the lack of diversity in this year’s Oscar nominations line-up – what are your thoughts on this?
The main thing about films nominated by the Oscars is that they only get there because the studios push for them with various campaigns. The more money thrown behind a film, the more likely it is to make it through to the nominations. Things are only going to change over time as the old guard retires and new blood is brought in. We can all help by going to see many of the smaller films at the cinema. It is called the movie business for a reason and at the end of the day, studios will listen to the box office. We need to support the filmmakers we love and admire and make sure they get a chance to make more films. I think more people need to go out and make more movies and go and see more movies.

Do you agree with Martin Scorsese’s take on superhero movies?
I can understand his point about some of these comic book blockbusters taking out so many cinema screens on their release. However, I do feel they are still cinema, as is any film that you go out and see. Sometimes you need the light popcorn movie, other times you want a meaty drama, a screwball comedy and so on. Ever since cinema began there have been cycles of film types that do gangbusters at the box office. Gangster movies, gritty crime thrillers, westerns, sci-fi etc. and comic book movies are just another genre in the never-ending cycle. They will eventually decline in popularity and something else will take over.

Favourite three films of all time?
Rear Window, Jaws and John Carpenter’s The Thing.

How do you work with PRs and brands?
I share the news on various movies, review books, films, gadgets and more that PRs send over and basically build relationships with them. Sometimes it can be as simple as being sent something through the post which I tweet about, or a press release about a new film. Other times it can be a full feature on the site. This is all usually done via email and social media, but can involve meetings face-to-face.

For PRs looking to work with you and your blog/website, how would you prefer they approach you?
Emailing is usually the best way to get in touch, but messages via social media also work.

What other blogs do you read (whether film-related or not)?
When I am not working, I usually just check out art or cookery blogs. Never really any particular site.

More downward dog for less deadline stress: Access Intelligence launches free yoga for the PR industry

February 4, 2020/0 Comments/in PR Pulse, PR, Event Media Database, PR, Press and Bloggers Blog Posts /by Phoebe-Jane Boyd

Need to unwind after work? With four in five people in PR and communications struggling with their mental wellbeing and a quarter having taken absence from work due to stress, anxiety or depression, Access Intelligence is opening its doors for a stress-free one-hour yoga class ‘accesswellbeing: Yoga for comms’ on 10 February from 6pm.

Open for free to PR and comms practitioners who sign up here, accesswellbeing is launching with the aim to inspire those in the sector to take action to improve their wellbeing. Already working with more than 3,500 organisations across the globe with a commitment to supporting the growth of the industry, Access Intelligence will hold the classes in its brand new offices in Hatton Garden, Farringdon.

‘Mental health is a significant issue with impact on every aspect of our industry – from the battle for talent to creativity and productivity,’ said Access Intelligence chief marketing officer Natalie Orringe. ‘We all have a part to play in enabling our teams to keep healthy which is why we’ve launched accesswellbeing. Our hope is that we’re part of inspiring positive change that starts with encouraging people to take action to be healthier.’

Sign up for the first come, first served accesswellbeing: Yoga for comms classes here to join us on 10 February from 6pm.

Want more about mental wellbeing in PR and comms? Read our 7 tips for improving mental health in the industry.

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Film Blogger Spotlight: Phil Edwards, Live For Films

More downward dog for less deadline stress: Access Intelligence launches free yoga for the PR industry

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