CIPR Excellence Awards – what does success look like?

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Last night, the great and the good from the PR industry came together to celebrate 29 winners, and each other, at the CIPR Excellence Awards 2019. The big winners of the night will perhaps come as no surprise – it was the agency that’s still on a very long hot streak, Taylor Herring.

Taylor Herring picked up three awards: its Gregory & Gregory campaign for Greggs picked up best Consumer Relations Campaign, its easyJet tackle gender bias in pilot recruitment campaign won best Travel, Leisure or Tourism campaign, while the agency itself scooped the top prize of the night when it was named Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy.

Vuelio spoke to James Herring, co-founder of the agency, last year and he gave detailed advice on how to win PR awards – something he’s been doing for many years now.

Vuelio was also delighted to see Mandy Sharp’s Tin Man pick up the STEM Campaign award for its work with The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) on The Sound of Engineering. Tin Man and IET have both previously joined Vuelio for a webinar, again discussing how to create award-winning campaigns.

Congratulations to every winner on the night, as well as the entire industry that once again showed it knows how to have a good time and celebrate in style. But what does success look like? We’ve put together a Vuelio Canvas using top social posts to show you…

CIPR Excellence Canvas

 

You Could Travel

Travel blogger spotlight: Cory and Gergely Varga, You Could Travel

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Husband and wife team Cory and Gergely Varga are the couple behind You Could Travel. Recently ranked in the Top 10 Travel Blogs, You Could Travel covers travel in all its forms with tips, advice and stunning photography from amazing destinations all over the world. We caught up with the couple to find out how blogging fits in with their lives, the best places to eat in the world and their advice to work successfully with brands.

How do you describe what you do to other people?
At You Could Travel, it is our mission to inspire couples to travel to regain their sense of adventure, capture intimate moments together and pursue experiences during which they can learn about our beautiful blue planet through science, conservation, photography and storytelling.

How do different social channels work with your blog?
We believe social media is for building a community online, where readers can ask us questions with ease. Our social media offers a glimpse of what we do on our blog. Our blog is our soul, full of in-depth information about destinations and experiences. They are very intertwined but oh, so different!

You Could Travel

Do you think travel blogging will be your job forever?
At the moment, we can say with confidence that we are not going anywhere. We love our work and love pouring our soul into our platforms. We can see other travel-related businesses as an extension to our blog and community. We definitely want to stay within the travel industry.

Where’s the best place for street food in the world?
Easy: Japan. Both our favourite cities, Tokyo and Kyoto offer incredible street food. If you are after more traditional or unique experiences, head to the Japanese country side and try the small food stalls at the city centres or at any landmark. Yum!

You Could Travel

Which country has the friendliest locals?
We visited so many countries and while we had so many pleasant encounters, we think Greece had the friendliest locals. Warm, welcoming and genuinely curious.

What’s your favourite mode of transport?
Our car. I’m an avid driver and my husband is an avid passenger so we work really well. Road trips are our forte as driving by car enables us to see so many beautiful things along the way. It also provides us with the flexibility to create our own adventures.

You Could Travel

Do you accept press releases?
We don’t usually. Sometimes, when press releases are in-tune with our blog and audience, we reach out to the PR to arrange a mutually beneficial marketing campaign.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
We recently did a promotional campaign for Destination Canada which was a lot of fun. We also really loved working on a true Intercontinental trip in partnership with Intercontinental Hotel Groups. We enjoy working on campaigns and collaborations where our marketing ideas are valued and taken into account. We have over a decade of experience working with digital agencies and both of us have a marketing background, thus it is refreshing when we are partnering up as marketers and not just content creators.

You Could Travel

What advice would you give to PRs/brands reaching out to you?
We both come from a corporate and marketing background, and we’d love to partner up with you in order to maximise the ROI of your campaign. We are more than just content creators and we want to work closely with you and your client to come up with innovative solutions that lead to long-lasting results. Working with us will enable you to gain access to a team of professionals eager to offer creative ideas.

What other blogs do you read?
We tend to focus more on travel magazines. When it comes to blogs, we like to check Japan-related blogs so TokyoCheapo or TrulyTokyo. I sometimes check Hand Luggage Only and The Blonde Abroad as I enjoy their photography.

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Kash

Travel blogger spotlight: Kash Bhattacharya, BudgetTraveller

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Kash is the man behind BudgetTraveller a new entry in the top 10 UK travel blogs. An experienced luxury-on-a-budget traveler, Kash is also an author and professional speaker. We caught up Kash to find out how many strings he has to bow, why South Africa has the friendliest people, his use of social and how he works with PRs.

How do you describe what you do to other people?
There are so many layers when it comes to working with a professional, experienced blogger – explaining the work we do is often my hardest challenge. I don’t thinks there is a word to describe the work I do.

I’m first and foremost a blogger, publisher and the man behind the BudgetTraveller blog. I’m also ‘the hostel guy’ and a published author; in August last year I published ‘The Grand Hostels: Luxury Hostels of the World’. I’m also a speaker and have been invited to speak at several digital tourism conferences on the topic of content and influencer marketing. In order for people to understand the value of our work I also became a content marketeer and developed a number of campaigns involving influencers some of which have won major tourism marketing awards. Examples of projects include MustLoveFestivals.com with Expedia, a project developed in partnership with 20 Destination Marketing Organisations (DMO) that included Visit Finland, Visit Austria, German National Tourism Office, BlogVille for Emilia Romagna & Blogmanay for Visit Scotland & Unique Events in partnership with iAmbassador and Film Traveller Cote d’Azur for Cote d’Azur Tourism.

How do different social channel work with your blog?
Instagram has been particularly effective in helping me building a community, especially stories which are great at keeping people posted about my recent travel adventures but also a place to ask questions, get ideas and learn more about travel trends that might be the focus of my blog in the future.

Twitter also has been great for cultivating a network – from bloggers and journalists to agencies, marketing directors of DMOs and brands. It’s a great source of contacts, work and also inspiration.

Facebook remains the best platform for seeding video content from campaigns but again requires some form of budget spend.

With all the platforms throttling organic reach increasingly, I’ve started to be invest less time in social and keeping it the bare minimum. The blog remains the key platform I focus on and I’ve also been focusing also on my newsletter, which offers a much better reach vs social.

Do you think travel blogging will be your job forever?
I can’t see myself doing anything else to be honest! I love helping people travel better, love writing and sharing my stories and obviously love how a life of travel has brought me into contact with so many amazing people from across several hemispheres. It is a job, a gift that continues to give and help me grow.

Where’s the best place for street food in the world?
It would be a tossup between Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Nothing makes me happier than a bowl of steaming noodles or a Pad Thai or simple Khao Man Gai – Thai-style chicken rice. The variety of food stalls and the quality is mind boggling. Plus the price.

Which country has the friendliest locals?
South Africa. The most beautiful, warm and passionate people I’ve met in the world. I’ve been twice and each time, the people welcome me with open arms. I can’t wait to go back.

What’s your favourite mode of transport?
Give me a train any day, especially in Europe. Nothing beats seeing the world from a train window. With a beer or a glass of wine in hand. I can walk around, read a book and it gets from A to B with minimum fuss, even if it takes a few hours more. Flying is so stressful nowadays.

Do you accept press releases?
I welcome press releases that are tailored to my interests. I like when someone sending a press release has invested some time into reading my blog and at least knows my name. The lack of personalisation in press releases is what drives most bloggers mad. I also welcome introductions via Twitter or Instagram – much more effective than a bland drab press release.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
I’m really proud of the work I’ve done with my friends at iAmbassador to help launch the concept of BlogVille back in 2013 for the Emilia Romagna Tourism Board-project that continues to grow and develop to this day and has spawned several similar ideas. I’ve had a fantastic relationship with the German National Tourism Office over the last few years – we’ve collaborated on a number of wonderful creative content campaigns ranging from promoting the country as a leading youth tourism destination to one that focused on the country’s amazing wealth of street art. Last Autumn I completed a month long residency in Latvia where I created a guide on how to enjoy the country on a budget. The tourism board was very supportive of my ideas and gave me complete creative freedom to create the content-still a rare thing in the world of brand collaborations.

What advice would you give to PRs/brands reaching out to you?
Be open to ideas and also send me yours – let’s start the creative process. Don’t come with a fixed brief and tie me down in umpteen deliverables; that can kill the creativity and passion within me or any decent digital storyteller. Please do take the time to read my blog and DO reach out to me on social. I’m always up for a beer or coffee so let’s meet up if possible.

What other blogs do you read?
Current blogs that I love or follow include: Messy Nessy Chic, Along Dusty Roads, Bridges and Balloons, Uncornered Market, As the Bird Flies and Time Travel Turtle.

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5 PR tips from the hotel industry

5 PR tips from the hotel industry

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This is a guest post from Frank Marr of AM+A Marketing and Media Relations.

Frank has compiled a list of AM+A’s top tips for creating and putting into action an effective hotel PR and marketing strategy, which the whole PR industry can benefit from. From adopting an integrated approach to channelling your inner journalist, every successful PR and marketing campaign should consider these five steps.

1. Regularly update creative strategies
The media, PR and marketing industries are extremely fluid. Regular creative brainstorms are useful for keeping your brand on trend. Launching a hotel or product is easy, keeping it in the press is not. Creating a major annual event or unique promotion will help maintain exposure. Big events should also be supplemented with smaller, tactical ideas. This is a fine line to tread. You want to keep your brand in the media and engaged with customers without bombarding journalists/ audiences to the point of apathy.

2. An organised integrated PR & digital approach
The key to any successful PR campaign is organisation. It’s true that we must react to news and trends as they emerge, but the best campaigns involve a proactive 12 to 18 month plan incorporating key dates throughout the year from national days to major holidays. Creating smaller, six-month plans allows you to regularly catch long lead media and consistently keep your hotel in the news.

3. Build a network of influencers
As social media continues to hold its position, the importance of building a high-quality influencer network cannot be overstated. According to Havas Group’s Meaningful Brands 2019 report, 81% of brands sold across Europe could disappear and consumers would not care. Building a trustworthy brand is therefore vital for engaging consumers. Create a rapport with your influencers, bring them back time and time again and utilise their contacts to create an even greater reach for your brand.

Influencer marketing is still a murky area but there are a few pointers to help you get ahead: to ensure you make the most out of the relationship include looking for an engagement rate of 4% – 6% on posts; define expectations beforehand to ensure they are met; and aim to state what you want before working with them, so if you want 10 photos, ask for 10 photos.

It’s important to research your influencers and ensure they’re a good fit for your target audience to produce content that maximises your assets.

4. Think like a journalist and blogger
To generate publicity for your brand, try to understand what appeals to journalists and online audiences – and what doesn’t. By thinking like a journalist, you can tailor your campaign and present your assets in a way that is far more likely to be picked up. To be able to think like a journalist or your audiences, you should be constantly monitoring media not just within your industry, but a wide variety. Devour the media, find the angles behind features and learn to spot current trends, journalists love anything new and anything that taps into their calendars. Winning the media over is vital to a successful marketing campaign.

5. Maximise your assets and production
Even if you use all of these tactics and create an innovative, well-structured campaign, you cannot succeed if you don’t have the assets in place to maximise your product. Stay on brand and build up a vault of high-quality images, videos, blog posts, graphics, animations, infographics and articles while ensuring any logos and branding materials are designed to the highest standard. This should be your starting point for any successful campaign.

Looking to make new relationships? Monitor the press? Prove and report on your success? You need Vuelio. 

Meera Selva CIPR

CIPR AGM hears from Reuters Institute’s Meera Selva

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The CIPR held its AGM last night, reflecting on last year’s results, the Institute’s accounts and presenting this year’s Sir Stephen Tallents Medal to Laura Sutherland (congratulations from all at Vuelio!). Following official business, the audience heard from Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism’s Meera Selva, who talked through the current state of digital journalism around the world.

Selva discussed the Digital News Report, which is based on 75,000 respondents in 38 countries.

The general theme of the report is one of concern for digital media, which is still struggling to keep up with audience requirements and societal pressure. While some mediums are doing better than others – the popularity of podcasting in particularly is rapidly increasing – there’s still issues of trust, payment and competition.

Selva pointed out that people seem to be putting more trust in news brands, but it is in established brands while others are seen as suspicious. And while more individuals in the US, UK and Nordic countries are willing to pay for quality news, the technology is currently creating a barrier, as readers too often come up against paywall login screens.

A demand for a ‘Spotify for news’, where one login gives you permanent access to all paywalled brands, is very unlikely to materialise according to Selva, as there will always be publishers that believe readers will come directly to them who don’t want to subsidise lesser brands.

There’s also an issue of competition, which is increasingly likely to come from outside traditional news organisations. In the US, most people have one online subscription, but that isn’t just for news. For example, a US citizen might make a choice between the Wall Street Journal or Netflix. Again, funding models have not found a way to compete with slick entertainment services and are therefore falling behind.

Selva also discussed the impact social media has had on news, where people are increasingly likely to access their news via social platforms rather than go directly to news sites. As such, algorithms and tech companies are the de facto news editors while publishers are having to become SEO wizards.

This is a problem for PR and communications because it allows fake news and misinformation to spread unchecked and makes the ‘official line’ of communication harder to determine.

The PR industry should be taking the decline of trust in the media and its reduced ability to hold those in power to account very seriously – without a robust, trusted, independent media, the PR industry cannot survive to serve its current function.

Impact vs Value

Impact vs Value in PR

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One of the questions our clients often ask us is how to calculate the value of editorial coverage. In the past, the accepted measure was Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE) but this is now held in such low esteem that PR industry bodies actively campaign against its use.

AVE is flawed because it doesn’t consider the influence that editorial coverage has beyond advertising. It doesn’t consider that impact on a target audience is determined by the sentiment of coverage or the type (and reach) of a publication. Above all, in a world where Google ranking is king, AVE doesn’t consider search engine optimisation (SEO) benefit.

So, what’s the alternative? The Barcelona Principles 2.0 went a long way to improving how the industry considers evaluation. It reinforced our view that the value of PR is in terms of outcome not output.

To understand outcome, at the beginning of any activity you must define the key audiences you want to reach and the action you want PR activity to prompt. It could be a shift in awareness, understanding or engagement, which is then evaluated using quantitative measures such as website traffic, downloads of content or interactions on social media. For a complete picture, these should be combined with qualitative research into likelihood to recommend and buy.

By aligning PR to strategic targets, the value of PR is in terms of impact against ‘bottom line’ beyond an arbitrary measure of AVE. There’s no doubt this is a more involved approach, but by applying it you’ll create irrefutable evidence of the importance of PR to the ambition of the organisation. It helps move PR from being considered a ‘nice to have’ to essential for overall success.

Want to understand the true value of your PR? Find out how Vuelio can help. 

Terrorism crisis comms

How to manage crisis comms for terrorist related events

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New guidance has been published by the CIPR and CPNI for best practice communication management before, during and after terrorist incidents.

The CIPR has partnered with the Government’s Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) on the 38-page guide, which features a communications toolkit designed to help PR professionals mitigate the harmful effects of terrorist incidents on brands, businesses and communities.

Download Crisis Management for Terrorist Related Events here

The guidance explains that communications can help deter terrorists and encourages professionals to be wary of the diverse threats facing organisations, from left- and right-wing terrorism to cybercrime and hacktivism.

The comprehensive toolkit is a valuable resource for anyone working in communications (in any industry) and includes guidance on working with the police, the steps to takes before, during and after an incident, and how to deal with different types of terror-related events.

It is informed by CPNI research based on interviews with 30 communications heads and security professionals from 24 organisations that have experienced a terrorist-related incident. The research found that the success of communication is often determined by the strength of security culture within the organisation. As a result, the guidance encourages PR professionals to align closely with the security function as part of crisis preparations.

Emma Leech, president of the CIPR, said: ‘The fear and horror we feel when people and places we work for or represent are targeted by terrorists has to be separated from the way we manage communication in a time of unique crisis. It demands a clear and calm response that demonstrates empathy and understanding for those affected by these tragic incidents.

‘It is imperative that we consider the operational and emotional needs of the organisation and its stakeholders, and allow sufficient time for planning and recovery. I’d like to thank the CPNI for working closely with the CIPR on the guide and hope that the lessons we’ve highlighted provide support and assurance to PR professionals across the UK.’

Sally Alsop, MD of Agfora, which worked on the research, said: ‘Agfora interviewed 30 comms professionals in high risk businesses; 13 had been directly involved in a major crisis. Although generally well prepared, they readily admit they could always do more. The assumption is that a terror related crisis should be treated like any other, but the research shows there are clear differences and demand for specific guidance. Participants shared their experiences with us, the lessons they learned and tips for fellow colleagues who might one day face such an incident.’

The guidance was produced for the CIPR by Sarah Pinch, Dan Gerrella and Claire Spencer.

Podcasts

What’s your podcast strategy?

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Podcasts have finally become mainstream media, with big tech companies creating infrastructure to support millions of global users. With listener numbers rapidly increasing, podcasts are now a viable channel for PRs to reach new and existing audiences.

Since The Ricky Gervais Show in 2005, every year has been the year of the podcast. They’ve always been the ‘Next Big Thing’ and if you weren’t into podcasts you were probably behind the times (or even worse, too old!). While anecdotally this may have seemed true, it’s only now – in 2019 – that technology is supporting large-scale growth and podcasts are going mainstream.

Whether it’s Spotify making a number of podcast acquisitions and changing its UI to separate music and podcasts; Apple killing iTunes and replacing it with Music, TV and Podcasts; or the BBC launching BBC sounds – podcasts are big business.

How do podcasts fit into your comms strategy?
In many ways, podcast content is still finding its feet. While there are distinct categories – such as fiction stories, comedy, true crime and health – the types of content PRs are used to working with is now playing catch up.

But it’s playing catch up in a big way – the BBC has its own platform and the Guardian and Economist have been creating popular podcasts for years. They’re now joined by many other national titles who cover everything from the arts to business and politics. Presenters and guests are typically traditional journalists and columnists, which means PRs don’t even need to create relationships with new people to reach a podcast’s audience.

Remember it’s a podcast
It may seem obvious but there are a couple of key things to remember that make podcasts different to print or digital content. First, this is a channel for intelligence and thought leadership, which means – at the moment – it’s probably not the right place for campaign promotions. Podcasts are often discussions, so find ways to add value with informed speakers or valuable information. Check out the Journalist Enquiry Service for the typical requests journalists send out for podcast contributions.

The second, and perhaps most obvious point, is this channel is audio only, which means no visual contributions. If you have radio PR experience, then you’ll already be ahead of the competition.

Outside of media relations, PRs can also get involved through advertising – whether that’s via the presenters themselves (in which case it’s very similar to the influencer marketing model) or on the platforms.

The Drum reports that Spotify now allows advertisers to target free users based on podcast preferences, the first time it has segmented its audience by podcasts rather than music. This will allow you to target relevant audiences from business and tech to lifestyle and health. It’s being rolled out across 10 territories with Samsung and 3M already testing the tool.

This is just the beginning for what’s finally deserved the title of the Next Big Thing. As podcasts grow even more popular throughout 2019, expect more sophisticated targeting and advertising, as well as new content types, formats and PR opportunities to emerge.

Did you know Vuelio lists podcasts alongside newspapers, magazines, websites, blogs, vlogs and broadcasters? Find out how the Vuelio Media Database can help you get ahead.

AI Summit feature

Does AI hate women? Female role models in data and AI

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For the past two days, The AI Summit has played host to the brightest brains in AI and technology from around the world. Ethics was high on the agenda, and as AI technologies advance, this discussion becomes more important, particularly around gender – both in development of the technology and ensuring it works effectively for all.

‘The importance of female role models in data and AI’ was a panel session chaired by David Reed, editor of DataIQ, who opened the discussion with the question on everyone’s lips: does AI hate women?

On the panel to answer this loaded question was Angela Livingstone, founder of Pitch Bitch; Diana Akhanho, senior insights manager at Tech Nation; Caroline Carruthers, director at Carruthers & Jackson; Clare Mortimer, executive partner, cognitive and analytics leader UK and Ireland at IBM; and Magda Piatkowska, head of data science solutions at the BBC.

While the panel were in agreement that AI was less favourable to women, they saw this problem as an opportunity for change, rather than a restriction. Mortimer said, ‘The more AI comes into our lives, the more conversations happen’, reinforcing Carruthers’ point that we need to ensure the people developing this technology are aware of the world outside of their own to create solutions that work for all.

All the panel members are part of Women in Data, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to supporting and empowering women in an industry historically dominated by men. Akhanho explained the organisation’s purpose, she said, ‘The reason why Women in Data exists is to empower people to help alleviate this issue’.

The conversation moved on to whether we can, or perhaps should, classify something as ‘female’. Livingstone said, ‘It’s not helpful to split things into male/female’ and Carruthers supported this point, she said: ‘We need to put the human into AI rather than assume gender’.

One of the challenges of creating AI technology that works for all is the lack of women in the industry; 2.1 million people work in UK tech but only 17% of these are women. Piatkowska commented that she’s found it easier to recruit female data scientists rather than female developers and believes this is due to the role of data scientist being a reasonably new profession.

The panel agreed that while they struggled to identify with the title of role model, they wanted to encourage and empower as many girls and women into STEM, creating more visibility. Mortimer summarised this: ‘We define diversity by what we see, but we need to be diverse by mindset, creating true diversity’.

As the creators of this new and evolving technology, we have the power to make AI work effectively for all, involving a diverse range of people along the way at every stage of development.

The AI Summit took place at the ExCel Centre in London on 12-13 June 2019. Hundreds of exhibitors were joined by speakers from the likes of Google, Microsoft and IBM, covering topics such as how AI is transforming the lives of NHS staff and using AI for good.

Tim Liew Slouching towards thatcham

Daddy blogger spotlight: Tim Liew, Slouching Towards Thatcham

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Tim Liew is the blogger behind Slouching Towards Thatcham, which was recently ranked in the top 10 UK Daddy Blogs once again. Covering life as a father of three – with his fitness journey and incredible musical parodies along the way – Tim’s blog is known for its honest and insightful take on being a dad. We caught up with Tim to find out about being able to pick and choose collaborations, the changing roles of fathers in society and his broad range of favourite blogs.

How do you describe what you do to other people?
I often describe myself as ‘a writer who just happens to have a blog’ rather than being a ‘blogger’ in the more commercial sense. I don’t write for a living and I don’t necessarily write to nurture an audience either.

My blog has always been a form of self-therapy that helps make sense of my thoughts and experiences and record them for posterity. If some of my stories resonate with people or reassure them that they’re not alone on the rollercoaster ride that is fatherhood, that’s a bonus – but it’s not why I write. If I’m being pretentious (which I will admit I often am) I would say ‘scribo ergo sum’: I write therefore I am.

How do social channels work with your blog – are any more important than others?
I primarily use a combination of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Broadly speaking, Facebook is for traffic, Twitter for conversation and Instagram for fun.

Determining the ideal mix is really up to you, though. Some people rely on Pinterest a lot. Others will openly admit they just don’t get Twitter but feel they need to be on there. There’s a lot of pressure, particularly for those trying to make a living from blogging, to be always-on on every channel. But my advice to any blogger is to focus on a few channels that you enjoy the most and to share the best possible content across them. It’s better to have a big presence on a few channels than to spread yourself too thinly across all of them.

What’s the perfect Father’s Day?
A little bit of ‘me’ time and a lot of family time. I’m not bothered by material gifts at all. Most years the best presents I get are hand-drawn cards from the kids and their proud grins as they serve up breakfast in bed.

How much does Father’s Day affect your content?
It doesn’t, really. I have often written about my Father’s Day experiences in the past but I don’t make a point of generating lots of Father’s Day content such as gift guides or best days out every year. If I have something original to write, I will, but I don’t force it.

How is the role of dad changing in society?
It still has some way to go but it has changed enormously in my lifetime alone. So many dads are much more involved and present in their children’s lives than our fathers were. And it goes way beyond changing the odd nappy or ‘babysitting’ the children while mum’s out. You can see it in the increasing number of stay-at-home dads or the number of fathers who do the school run or share childcare responsibilities. The lines between ‘dads’ and ‘mums’ have blurred. Increasingly we’re now ‘parents’ and more of us expect – and thrive on – the added responsibility and time with our kids.

What’s the best balance between visual and written content?
A little from column A, a little from column B. Visuals – whether it’s photos, longer-form video or Instagram Stories – are increasingly important and can make a blogger really stand out from the crowd. But – and I knowingly say this with the bias of someone who has always been a writer first – the words are still important. A blogger’s visuals are the equivalent of a film trailer that draws you in but it’s their words that are the movie itself, adding substance to the style. These days you need to be good with both.

Do you accept press releases?
I do occasionally but only if it is something that genuinely interests me or sparks off some creative ideas of my own.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
I do very little commercial work nowadays so I can afford to pick and choose. But all my best collaborations have been built on two-way relationships with brands I have an emotional collection with. I respond best when working with a brand who is genuinely receptive to my ideas, as opposed to ‘We just need a blog post and an Instagram story by Friday’. And, of course, it’s always easier to produce great content about products you already feel good about. I’ve always been honest with my reviews and I won’t write half-hearted platitudes just to keep a marketer happy.

What advice would you give to PRs/brands reaching out to you?
Appreciate the value that bloggers can bring and treat us as creative partners rather than blank advertising hoardings. Yes, I know you need us to deliver audiences and numbers. And I know you’re talking to 100 different bloggers about ten different campaigns at the same time but treat a blogger well and they will not only deliver great content for this campaign but will be a willing partner for you on future projects too.

What other blogs do you read?
I read several of the other dad blogs in your top ten but I also read across a variety of different genres beyond parenting. As a lifelong Arsenal fan, I religiously read Arseblog and listen to its sister podcast, the Arsecast. I love professional cycling so my go-tos are The Inner Ring for his expertise and Velovoices for their fan-led views (full disclosure: I founded the latter, although I’m not involved with it any more.) And, as a former TV reviewer, my first port of call is often The AV Club for their in-depth and thoughtful observations on my favourite US shows.

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Barry Leggetter PRCA international president

PRCA goes global with membership drive and new chapter in Lebanon

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The PRCA has made two international announcements: it has launched its global membership drive, with 16 corporate members already signed up, and announced a new chapter opening in Lebanon.

The global membership initiative was announced at the PRCA’s inaugural International Conference by Barry Leggetter, who was recently appointed international president. He said: ‘Today, the PRCA announces that we are going global. As the world’s largest and most dynamic PR professional body, we have a duty to grow the industry and the profession worldwide.

‘PRCA international membership will allow all international practitioners to grow their careers, their talents and their knowledge. Crucially, PRCA international membership will provide the gold standard of ethical accreditation – adherence to the PRCA Professional Charter and Codes of Conduct.’

The first 16 members to join are:

  • Action Global
  • Absolute
  • Ardency
  • Bellbird
  • Best Communications
  • BNY Mellon
  • Boman Communications
  • EMG
  • Fabiola Morera Comunicationes Ltd
  • Golin
  • GPLUS
  • SEC Global
  • Strategic Communications Africa
  • Strateus Group
  • TandT Consultants
  • Weber Shandwick

PRCA Lebanon
Following this announcement, the PRCA has also launched PRCA Lebanon as the latest chapter of PRCA MENA. It will be chaired by Beirut-based industry leaders Suzanne Talhouk MPRCA, General Manager, Levant, H+K Strategies, Joumana Rizk-Yarak MPRCA, Managing Director, Mirros and Myrna Abou Mrad el Khoury MPRCA, CEO, The Full Circles.

Founding members include leading Lebanese consultancies Asdaa BCW, H+K Strategies, MIRROS Communication & Media Services, Quantum, and The Full Circles.

PRCA Lebanon is holding its launch event on Tuesday, 25 June, 2019 at The Gathering, Pasteur Street, Gemmayze, Beirut, from 18:30 to 21:00. If you would like to join as a founding PRCA Lebanon members to be announced at the launch night, please get in touch with [email protected].

Diary of the Dad

Daddy Blog Spotlight: Tom Briggs, Diary of the Dad

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Tom Briggs is the man behind Diary of the Dad, which recently shot up the charts in the Top 10 UK Daddy Blogs. Started in 2010, Diary of the Dad has gone from hobby to full-time profession as Tom tracks life parenting three kids. We caught up with Tom to find out what makes father’s day special, why his own dad is his hero and how he works with different brands and PRs.

How do you describe what you do to other people?
I just tell them I’m a full-time blogger. People sometimes still ask how that works but blogging for a living seems to have become much more recognised as ‘a thing’ in the last couple of years.

This doesn’t necessarily equate to people respecting it as much as other career choices yet, but it’s just a matter of time. Perceptions of social media jobs have changed dramatically since the first ones were advertised and the same will happen here.

How do social channels work with your blog – are any more important than others?
I think they’re all important as they appeal to different audiences so I have a presence on all of the main platforms.

Personally, I’ve always preferred Twitter but I think it’s vital to be on a few – particularly if you make a living out of blogging.

What’s the perfect father’s day?
This probably sounds really cheesy but spending the day with my family is all I need. The usual routine is breakfast in bed with a gift and cards from the kids.

We often go to my parents’ house for a barbecue, so I get to spend time with my dad too. In fact, we play five-a-side together every Sunday evening as well. I hope I’m still playing when I’m almost 70 – it’s one of the many reasons he’s my hero!

Tom Briggs and dad

How much does father’s day affect your content?
It has always been my busiest time of year in terms of approaches from brands and PRs, so that translates to my blog content.

It’s also a good opportunity to write about topics related to being a dad. Last year, for example, I wrote posts calling out dad-bashing and dad skills lists.

How is the role of dad changing in society?
I think we’re in the early stages of a cultural shift in attitude but it will still take years or even decades for dads to be truly recognised as equal parents. Workplace legislation has a key part to play here. It needs to change to help things along.

Paternity leave is woefully inadequate while shared parental leave is open to relatively few, so dads are already at a disadvantage. I’d love to see the UK following in the footsteps of countries like Sweden by making it easier for fathers to spend time with their families from day one.

What’s the best balance between visual and written content?
I started out as a journalist so written content has always been more important to me. Achieving a balance is vital though and, to a certain degree, blog posts will succeed or fail based on how they look at first glance.

I’ve really upped my game with photography in recent years and need to get braver when it comes to creating more video content too.

Do you accept press releases?
Yes, I’m always open to receiving press releases and they’ve led to some brilliant collaborations as well as ideas for content that has performed really well.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
There have been so many over the years and I’ve only ever agreed to things that really appeal to me, so most have been great. Going to Berlin with Coca-Cola to blog about its annual grassroots football event ranks highly though.

I witnessed kids from all over the world making friends over the common language of football, met three World Cup winners and even scored a diving header in the match arranged for media and PR!

What advice would you give to PRs/brands reaching out to you?
The best approaches I’ve received are where the PRs or brands have taken time to read my ‘work with me’ page plus a post or two to get a feel for who I am and the kind of content I work on.

Those that come with a detailed brief are always good too. Having all of the important information in one place makes collaborations so much easier, particularly if a quick turnaround is required.

What other blogs do you read?
I read a lot of other parenting blogs and, perhaps unsurprisingly, many of them are written by other dads. Dad Blog UK, DIY Daddy and Father Hood are among those that I read most often.

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Chameleon brands

The right blend: how ‘chameleon’ brands do it

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This a guest post by Katy Bloomfield, comms director at TopLine Comms.

Nineteen years ago, an Admap editorial defined ‘chameleon brands’ as organisations with a strong, consistent core that can nevertheless be adapted to different target audiences, different needs, and different media. They retain their ‘shapes’, but the ‘colours’ of what they offer tend to vary; they’re usually multi-product, multi-variant, and if they’re particularly successful, they can even become part of everyday life.

Microsoft started out as a developer of operating systems and grew into a multi-billion-dollar empire covering software, video games, cloud computing, VR and much more. WPP started out making wire baskets (Wire and Plastic Products) before it was acquired and became one of the biggest PR, advertising, and marketing companies globally.

These brands are defined by their ability to change. Preferences, fads and demographics come and go, but these companies endure – even in the wake of controversy and tumultuous market changes.

What makes a ‘chameleonic’ brand?

Chameleon culture
Disney is a classic example. In 1928, it was a humble animation studio experimenting with radical techniques such as synchronized sound.

In 2019, it’s an entertainment juggernaut that plays host to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Star Wars Saga; a number of theme parks; a chain of stores; a major American television network (ABC) and a range of cable networks; a streaming service set to launch later this year; and yes, its own animation studios (as well as those it has acquired, like Pixar). And all that’s before you count all the properties acquired since purchasing 21st century Fox in March.

Disney’s succeeded because it ventured out of its general ballpark – animation and children’s movies – while staying roughly in the same neighbourhood of entertainment. Its scope has expanded, but it’s stayed true to its founder’s famous maxim: ‘Whatever you do, do it well’. Disney’s created a niche, a culture and a reputation for quality that bleeds into everything else.

Disney, of course, came to prominence when cinema was dominant, and television was not yet a fixture of every household. So how might a similar company rise to prominence in the digital-first era?

Chameleons in the age of digital disruption
Its most obvious digital heir is Netflix – a company at the cutting edge of everything new and interesting happening in the world of entertainment.

But 20 years ago, it was a mail-order DVD rental service. In an age where Blockbuster forced you to travel to its physical locations, adhere to its strict one-seven day rental terms, and which punished you with fines if you didn’t, it was quietly revolutionary. But Netflix’s owners realised that the business’ true potential didn’t lie in a waning DVD market – it was in creating its own content.

So mail-order DVD rentals went, the platform was built, and eventually, it invested in its own content, licensing series that weren’t available elsewhere (Breaking Bad was a Netflix exclusive in the UK for its final seasons), launching its own in-house series such as House of Cards and BoJack Horseman, and reaching a point where it spent an estimated $12 billion on original series in 2018. The company’s business model has changed, but the core understanding – that consumer preference is always paramount – has not. That’s why the transition from mail-order DVDs to streaming behemoth makes sense; audiences come by content, the platform logs their preferences, and these preferences inform what they watch next and what gets commissioned.

Netflix and Disney have two very different stories, but they’re successful for the same reasons: they’re all things to all consumers. The former is producing romcoms, action films and thoughtful, Oscar-winning dramas, and the latter has Captain America for the kids and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia for the grownups.

What’s next for chameleon brands?
Facebook has achieved a similar status to Netflix and Disney – and the company’s new direction may be no less dramatic than Netflix’s transition to streaming or Disney’s acquisition of pretty much everything. Following several data protection scandals, it’s moving away from ‘making connections’ and towards a fundamental shift that puts private communications at the centre of everything.

As Mark Zuckerberg said, ‘the future is private’. Small groups and encrypted one-to-one messaging have led to digital ‘living rooms’, rather than ‘virtual town halls’. It’s an acknowledgement that the way we use social media has changed, but it’s also something else: an attempt to become chameleonic – to attune Facebook to the needs of its audience in a world where their preferences are evolving.

Facebook is likely not in any real danger of disappearing like Blockbuster, or receding into irrelevance like MySpace. But it’s showing what it means to become a chameleon brand: to change what it was, while retaining its core appeal – to take part in a future that the audience wants, rather than attempting to create one that it doesn’t.

It’s a lesson all brands, big and small, could take to heart.

Sarah Hall, Sarah Hall Consulting

Sarah Hall named chair of PRCA Borderlands and North East Group

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The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) has appointed founder and editor of #FuturePRoof, Sarah Hall FPRCA, as its Borderlands and North East Group Chair. She will be joined by PR and communications consultant, Katy Barden MPRCA, who has been appointed group coordinator.

Former CIPR president (and current vice president), Sarah is a pioneer of best practice and a champion of increasing diversity in the industry. She has previously been awarded the CIPR’s Sir Stephen Tallents Medal for exceptional achievement in public relations, and the PRCA’s Outstanding Contribution in Digital Award.

The Borderlands and North East Group, announced earlier this year, organises and oversees PRCA activity in the south of Scotland, including the Scottish Borders and Dumfries & Galloway, down into Cumbria, and spanning across to Newcastle and the North East area of the UK.

Sarah said: ‘It’s hugely positive to see the PRCA continuing to develop on-the-ground support for its members. Chairing the Borderlands and North East group is a real privilege and I’m looking forward to working with Katy Barden and others to establish something really useful on the patch.

‘The first few months will be spent listening to member needs so we can deliver the greatest value both directly and through events. Katy is already working hard to strengthen relationships and understand views.

‘We’re keen not to duplicate what’s already out there and will be looking to collaborate on issues where the industry needs a more unified voice. If you’re a PRCA member or even if you’re not yet, come and get involved!’

Francis Ingham MPRCA, director general of the PRCA, said: ‘It is a personal and professional honour to welcome Sarah as the chair of our inaugural PRCA Borderlands and North East Group. Sarah’s leadership of #FuturePRoof was truly inspirational, and it was a pleasure to work with her during her term as CIPR President. Her passion and her insight will be very welcome indeed in this new PRCA role as together we drive our industry towards ever higher standards.’

For more information on joining the new Borderlands and North East Group please email Katy Barden at [email protected].

Everyone at Vuelio would also like to congratulate Sarah on her recent marriage to Stephen Waddington – a true industry power couple.

Katy and Nicholas

PR and Journalist ‘Blind Date’: When TopLine Communications met a Tech Freelance Journalist

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Our latest professional pairing were Katy Bloomfield, comms director at TopLine Communications and Nicholas Booth, a freelance journalist specialising in tech. Here’s what happened when they met for their PR and journalist lunch. 

How was your lunch?
Katy: Lunch with Nicholas was great. It was quite fun to not know so little about the journalist I was meeting – and as it turned out, I was already familiar with some of Nicholas’ journalism – so the conversation got off to a very easy start. Over lunch we had a good chat about the industry, and how media consumption habits together with the influence of marketing have changed things for PRs and Journalists alike. The food was tasty too!

Nicholas: The lunch was lovely. It was a beautiful day, the setting was superb and my dinner companion was charming and eloquent.

I wasn’t sure what to order, so I just copied Katy’s choice of starters. It’s an old technique I’ve been using since school – copy the person who looks more confident than you.

As a starter, Katy chose New Season Asparagus, with Hazelnut dressing and rapeseed emulsion. And what a coincidence, that’s exactly what I wanted! For the main course Katy had the fish pie. A good choice I thought, but I thought I’d better get something different or it would look odd, so I chose the free range Chicken Kiev with young carrots. I got a side of chips at the prompting of the waiter. Katy had one of my chips, which I guess was a way of saying, ‘we need to break down the old food ordering paradigms’.

My operation has been cancelled- I was due for major surgery – so I chose to have a drink with our meal. I’ve got a clear diary now, so what the hell. Katy was more conscientious of the fact that this was a Monday lunch time meeting and – unlike some people – she has plenty of work to do. So I just had one glass of red wine.

Did you learn anything new about their role? If so, what?
Katy: I learned that Nick started out in the IT industry – before making the switch to writing – it’s always interesting to hear how someone’s career started. We also spoke about the different types of writing he does – I’ll definitely be looking out for some of Nicholas’ comedy pieces too.

Nicholas: Yes, I was surprised by how much her role has evolved. I had pictured Katy and her team having boisterous banter in the office about the challenges of dealing with the Aggrievance (I believe that is the collective noun) of technology journalists on their radar.

But in fact, hacks seem to be a minor irritation. There seems to be a much broader remit for PRs these days. Getting press coverage is still important, but the role has extended into new areas of marketing responsibility. There is a lot more research into the groundswell of public opinion, which influences the way PRs supply news. And once it has been ‘consumed’ (for want of a better word) Katy and her colleagues take a much more active role in managing the response. I suppose technology companies ultimately hire PRs to help them sell more of their products and services, and these days PRs have a much wider remit in demand creation and managing customer enquiries. They’ve extended their brief on the supply and demand side of the equation.

If you could share one top tip from lunch what would it be?
Katy: Nicholas had some great ideas around making more use of online news comment sections – either for gathering insight and opinion, or stoking debate further – which I think has perhaps been a missed opportunity to date.

Nicholas: I think we were both a bit tense. I would have liked to have met on a Friday afternoon and we both got absolutely trollied and shared horror stories about our experiences of the business. That was what it used to be like, back in the golden age of ‘freelunch journalism’.

It was a glorious day too. It’s a shame we didn’t sit outside.

Do you think this lunch will change how you interact with PRs/journalists in the future?
Katy: Meeting Nicholas definitely reinforced a few beliefs on how PRs should communicate with media. The old adage of explaining something as you would to your friends in the pub is so important – but it can become easily tangled up in detail and carefully crafted messaging. There’s definitely a finite balance to achieve!

Nicholas: Well, I do have a greater respect for the wide range of activities they are involved in.

It’s quite humbling in some respect, as you realise how the importance of journalists is diminishing by the day. Mind you, that might just be me.

Did you disagree on anything? If so, what?
Katy: I actually don’t think we did!

Nicholas: Not really. I think we were both being very polite!

If you could change one thing about PRs/journalists what would it be and why?
Katy: I think whether or not it is true, there is a perception that getting journalists out of the office to meet is challenging – particularly if you don’t have an immediate or urgent story to offer. But there’s really no substitute for meeting face to face and getting to know someone on a personal level. So, if I could change one thing, it would be to encourage more casual meetings with PRs.

Nicholas: The strategy for press coverage seems to be very much a numbers game now. Bash out a press release with all the catchphrases that marketing managers expect to see and that netbots and algorithms are looking for. To hell with any human experience. Some press releases are so hard to look at that it’s less painful to rub your eyes on a cheese grater.

Increasing automation hasn’t liberated us at all. It just means the people that we answer to – be they customer or clients – have higher expectations.

Personally, I find very few press releases easy to understand and I’ve had 20 years of experience in trying to translate them from netbot language into English.

If there was one thing I really wish I could change? Some days I wish I could run away from it all and join a circus. Although I’d settle for a nice lunch every Friday with a trusted PR contact. The humanity of the business is being eroded. There are three senses I look for in a good PR contact. Common sense, a sense of humour and a sense of proportion.

Finally, do you think you’ll stay in touch?
Katy: Yes, definitely.

Nicholas: Yes, definitely. It always makes a massive difference if you have met someone and they can talk with you, rather than at you. I think Katy could be a fantastic source of wisdom.

Katy and Nicholas’ ‘blind date’ took place at the Paternoster Chop House aka the First Dates restaurant! If you’re a PR or a journalist and you’d like to be set up on one of Vuelio’s professional ‘blind dates’, please email Rebecca Potts.

nigel higgins

Daddy Blog Spotlight: Nigel Higgins, DIY Daddy

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Nigel Higgins is the brains behind DIY Daddy, recently included in our Top 10 UK Daddy Blogs. DIY Daddy combines Nigel’s years of experience in decorating and DIY with tips and advice on parenting as he brings up 5 kids.

We caught up with Nigel to talk about what makes the perfect father’s day, how the role of dad is changing and the best collaborations he’s worked on.

How do you describe what you do to other people?
This is a great question! Whenever somebody asks me what I do for a living I either say I’m a blogger or an influencer. It definitely gets a varied selection of responses from people, but they mainly ask what that means, followed by asking what my blog is called. Trying to explain to somebody who has no idea what a blog is can be difficult. I usually resort to saying that I write a website and then they appear to understand. When you try to explain that you review products or work with large brands most people instantly think you just get lots of freebies which of course you don’t, you have to work for it.

How do social channels work with your blog – are any more important than others?
Social channels are where you promote your latest blog post and there is no doubt I use them extensively to promote my blog. There is no point in writing something and hoping people will read it without some sort of promotion.

I think they all have a place and are important. Over the years I have seen the popularity change dramatically between social media channels. Without question Instagram is definitely the most popular social media channel at the moment, I probably use that more than the others. While they may be flavour of the day at the moment, but not so long ago Twitter was the one, so I’m sure something will come along and knock Instagram off its perch at some point.

What’s the perfect father’s day?  
The perfect father’s day for me is having all my children around me, even if it’s only for a couple of hours. The icing on the cake would be to have Sunday lunch all together.

How much does father’s day affect your content?
Leading up to father’s day I am offered many opportunities to collaborate with brands so there will always be more blog and social posts relating to father’s day, but I always try to be careful that there are not too many father’s day posts and that I also continue with my normal posts.

How is the role of dad changing in society?
The role of dad in society has changed dramatically over the years. We now see so many more dads becoming the main carer for their children and the reason for this is that mums could be continuing with their careers, or they could be the higher earner. This of course means that dads will become the main carer. I think it’s great that dads are more involved with their children’s lives. It is a positive move to have dads as a major influence on their kid’s lives daily. In my opinion, society has finally realised that dads having family time is vital for their children. It’s early days but it’s moving in the right direction.

What’s the best balance between visual and written content?
I have always considered written content to be the most important. That’s probably because it was what I started out as. Of course, blogging has changed and evolved, and part of your content has to be visual. I write approximately 5 blog posts a week, but nowadays I include a number of Instagram posts with a photo per week.

Video has become a large part of my content this year and I usually do a couple of IGTV videos a week.

Do you accept press releases?
I will accept press releases if they are relevant to the theme of my blog, otherwise I generally don’t accept them.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
The most incredible part of blogging for me has been the incredible opportunities that it has given us as a family and there have been plenty of them. I will always try to collaborate with people that fit in around our family and our family values.

I have to say that possibly the best collaboration that I have done is literally just the weekend gone. We were invited to Bluestone National Park by Persil UK for a weekend of adventure and fun to celebrate their ‘Dirt Is Good’ campaign. It was all about getting outdoors and just getting muddy and enjoying ourselves as a family. It involved a nature trail, cooking marshmallows on an open fire etc and it was just a magical moment being outdoors as a family. The PR team and Persil looked after us brilliantly and made it an awesome weekend.

What advice would you give to PRs/brands reaching out to you?
I get a lot of enquiries from PR’s and many I will just skim read and delete. You may ask why and it’s really simple; they aren’t saying exactly what they want.

If you are a PR or a brand I would like to know exactly what you want, and if a fee is involved what deliverables do you want from me. That way I can then make an informed decision if we are suited for a collaboration.

Thankfully most of the PRs and brands I deal with are very up front from the beginning about what they want from me.

What other blogs do you read?
John Adams who writes Dad Blog UK. I have always read John’s blog. It is always fresh and very interesting.

Tayla who writes Motherhood: The Real Deal. I was on the radio with Tayla this year and we instantly hit off, I started reading her blog and just love her insightful look into parenting.

Finally, I have always, and always will, read my wife Emily’s blog, Twin Mummy and Daddy. I love her incredibly positive outlook on life, and her writing is always so engaging.

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john adams photo

Daddy Blog Spotlight: John Adams, Dad Blog UK

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John Adams is the creator of top Daddy blog, Dad Blog UK, taking the number one spot in our Top 10 UK Daddy Blogs. Dad Blog UK has great advice for parents and John shares the milestones in his children’s lives with his readers alongside offering insight into what it’s like to be a stay-at-home dad in 2019. 

We caught up with John to talk about life as a blogger, the importance of social channels and how father’s day impacts his content.

How do you describe what you do to other people?
Until 18 months ago, I would have described myself as a stay-at-home dad. Blogging was more of a side hustle. With both my daughters having been in the education system for a little while now, I happily describe myself as a “fatherhood, parenting and lifestyle blogger.”

I’m still the kids’ main carer because my wife is out the house 12 hours a day. During school hours, however, I work on the blog.

Generally speaking, younger people, those in their thirties and below, get what I do. For older people, I have to explain what a blogger is and how I earn money. No matter who I am speaking to, I often find I’m an object of curiosity!

How do social channels work with your blog – are any more important than others?
My social channels revolve around Dadbloguk. I own the blog and parent company so it’s my channel. You’re at the whim of algorithms with social channels and they can be de-activated (think Vine and Google+).

Twitter and Facebook are my main channels for promoting blog posts. Pinterest also works well for me, although I only really embraced it properly earlier this year.

That said, I am producing increasing amounts of stand-alone content, especially on Instagram where I have experienced more engagement over the past 12 months. I’ve increased my output on Stories and I am ever so slightly in love with IGTV.

A brand-new venture for me is TikTok. I posted my fourth video to TikTok seven days ago. It was in support of a motoring-themed campaign and at the time of writing, the video had 56,500 views with no paid-for promotion whatsoever. I appreciate many people think it’s a channel for young people, but that, to me, is a sign TikTok has huge potential.

As an aside, short-form video is ideal for the mummy or daddy content creator. We’re often juggling kids and work so pushed-for time and don’t have gangs of friends to help with shooting and editing footage. It’s quick, easier to produce than long-form and is better for authentically portraying the messy nature of family life.

What’s the perfect father’s day?  
I was asked this the other day and I said something about lying a beach in the Seychelles. That’ll never happen, so I’ll settle for a sunny day, a barbecue with the family and a bike ride with the kids.

How much does father’s day affect your content?
The build-up to father’s day is often one of the busiest times of year. I get a lot of requests to write about possible father’s day gifts. There’s also a lot of interest in the media about the role of fathers, so I often find myself giving comment to print and broadcast media about life as a dad. That brings me on nicely to the next question…

How is the role of dad changing in society?
In the decade I’ve been a dad, fathers’ roles have changed hugely. When I became a dad, it was kind-of a question as to whether a man would be a hands-on dad. Now it’s more of a question how hands on a man is going to be.

I’m delighted to see more discussion and debate about flexible working and men. Volvo, Aviva, British Land etc. are among employers who have equalised parental policies. It’s happening slowly, but employers seem to be accepting that men are central figures in their family’s lives. All the evidence shows millennial men and women expect to have their needs as parents respected by their employers and to be treated equally. Flexible working and childcare should not be treated solely as a women’s issues because they aren’t, they impact on men and children too. If you don’t have equal workplace policies in place, you effectively force women out of the workplace and trap men in it.

Okay, I’ll get off my high-horse. Moving on. . .

What’s the best balance between visual and written content?
You need some visual content on a blog. I tend to post a photographic, image-led blog post at the weekends. At the beginning of 2019 I completely revamped Dadbloguk and I considered doing away with this feature. Truth is, I enjoy photography and my visitor stats prove that weekly post is phenomenally popular so it ain’t going anywhere!

I think of myself as a writer so there will always be long-form, written content on my blog. For commercial clients, I would say well-written, long-form content is very valuable because of its evergreen nature. I keep a very close eye on what visitors to my blog are reading and it never ceases to amaze me:
a) How popular review posts are
b) The length of time people spend reading review posts and
c) How much traffic such posts receive months and years after they are written.

It’s a healthy reminder that us bloggers have a responsibility to produce well written, honest, detailed reviews.

Video content I tend to keep on my social channels. This is becoming more important on Instagram and you can expect me to do more on TikTok as well!

Do you accept press releases?
I am very happy to receive media releases and approaches from PR people.

What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
Just recently I’ve worked on a few campaigns with tech companies to highlight the parental controls their products have, working with Apple was a highlight and I did a similar with Xbox also.  I’m passionate about online safety so these campaigns were a great fit for me.

Thinking of road safety, I’ve just worked on a fun campaign with Peugeot in which I had to reverse a van around an obstacle course to test its Surround Rear Vision reversing system. The TikTok video I mentioned was part of this campaign.

What advice would you give to PRs/brands reaching out to you?
I am always happy to hear from PR representatives and brands. If you are inviting me to an event, I need as much notice as possible (us mummy and daddy bloggers often have to arrange childcare).

Ultimately, however, if you have an idea, run it past me.

What other blogs do you read?
This question always makes me feel uncomfortable because I feel like I’m going to miss someone really important off the list!

Believe it or not, I do visit Inthefrow. The fashion and styles on display don’t interest me, but I like to read blogs that operate in completely different spheres to see what other people are doing. It challenges you to think differently and Victoria produces an exceptionally well-designed blog and you can see why the content appeals to her core readership. Time and again I return to Diary of the Dad because I love Tom’s writing. He can also be very funny and witty. I think Daddy and Dad offers a great insight into adoption and life as a same-sex couple. Jamie and Tom are going places I think. I’m a huge fan of Grey Fox because of the way David promotes classic British style. He also deserves recognition for pioneering online style for older guys

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spurs web logo

Football Blog Spotlight: Neil Vaughan, The Spurs Web

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Neil Vaughan is the man behind The Spurs Web, recently included in the Top 10 UK Football Blogs. The Spurs Web is the main source for everything Tottenham Hotspur, from match days to transfer talk and even has an app who need the latest news instantly. We caught up with Neil to talk about his player of the season, how football fandom has changed how we consume football content and the power of social media.

How do you describe what you do to other people?  
I would describe it as providing football fans with a platform to have their opinions heard and read by their fellow supporters from all around the world.

How important are the different social channels when they feed into your blog? 
Social channels are critical to driving visitors to the website. It depends on the demographic of the supporter, some like to hang out on Twitter as the game unfolds, whereas some on Facebook prefer to see the build-up for a match via the Live facility. It also gives the supporter the chance to interact with fan-generated content which we often feature, such as goal celebrations from the stands recorded by fans. This is content which official channels tend not to offer.

Who’s your player of the season?  
Heung-min Son. The South Korean has performed fantastically well in the absence of the injured Harry Kane and has opened a completely new market of supporter to the club with his cult-like following in his homeland of South Korea.

How is football fandom changing the way we consume football content?  
The rise of the ‘vlogger’ is something which is definitely something to watch. You only have to look around any Premier League stadium and you will see vloggers filming themselves watching a match.

What’s your view on esports and the likes of teams having their own esports players/teams? 
The rise of esports has been nothing short of stratospheric over the past ten years and it has been a surprise that it has taken professional football clubs up until only recently to start to embrace the new market. If it means that clubs can generate increased revenue, awareness and attract a new type of supporter then it can only be good.

How important is the community to your blog? Do you accept press releases? 
Critical. Without the football community there is no website. They are the lifeblood of our content and this is how it will remain. Our mantra is ‘for the fans, by the fans’. We are in a unique position where unlike official club websites or major publications, we can provide a level of coverage and passion that you just cannot generate from a paid journalist.

Do you accept press releases?
Yes, we certainly welcome press releases.

What are the best campaigns you’ve collaborated on with PRs/brands? 
Surprisingly, given our vast social media following and website which attracts over three million page views per month, we haven’t really had many PRs/brands collaborating with us. This is something which we hope to change given the fact that they would be engaging with a passionate and bespoke audience that we have built over many years.

What other blogs do you read? 
eConsultancy is a big favourite to try to keep on top of digital trends in order to further improve the service which we offer our visitors.

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PRCA

PRCA announces five new fellows

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The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) has announced today that they have appointed five new Fellows. Congratulations to everyone, we look forward to seeing your ideas for the PR industry in action.

Joining the esteemed list are Paul Bristow FPRCA, managing director, PB Consulting; Mark Glover FPRCA, chief executive, Newington; Richard Millar FPRCA, global president, H+K Strategies; Warwick Smith FPRCA, managing partner, Instinctif Partners; Donna Zurcher FPRCA, former managing partner, Instinctif Partners.

Three of the newly appointed Fellows (Paul Bristow, Mark Glover and Warwick Smith) have all been recognised for the work they have done to integrate the PRCA and APPC into the Public Affairs Board. Bristow says, ‘I’m proud to have worked as a public affairs practitioner and to have played my part in creating the Public Affairs Board.’

Glover praised the PRCA describing it as, ‘the pre-eminent organisation for representing the interests of public affairs practitioners’ and Smith echoed these comments stating, ‘It is humbling to be recognised by the industry which has given me so much satisfaction over the years’.

Both Richard Millar and Donna Zurcher have been recognised as an outgoing member of the PRCA Board of Management. Millar says, ‘Working on the PRCA Board of Management has been very rewarding and I look forward to further working for the good of the industry as a member of the PRCA Fellows’ and Zurcher heartily agrees saying, ‘I am absolutely delighted to have been selected. It is a great honour’.

David Gallagher FPRCA, President, Growth and Development, International, Omnicom Public Relations Group, and Chairman, PRCA Fellows, said: ‘The Fellows have become an essential sounding board for the PRCA and the 2019 class join at an especially exciting time for the association and discipline. Congratulations and welcome.’

On behalf of everyone at Vuelio congratulations to the newly appointed Fellows, we look forward to seeing your ideas for the PR industry in action!

Angie Silver image

Luxury travel spotlight: Angie Silver, SilverSpoon London

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Angie Silver, luxury travel blogger and mum to be, is the brains behind SilverSpoon London. Sharing her travels to incredible destinations across the globe, SilverSpoon London couples detailed reviews and travel stories with beautiful photography, and as a London local, Angie also covers the best things to see and do in the capital. 

We spoke to Angie about out how she uses social channels and what works best, her favourite hotel in the world and the best collaboration she’s worked on.

How do you describe what you do to other people?
I’m a luxury travel blogger with a focus on beautiful destinations, hotels and food. I also cover my home town of London with restaurant reviews, events and other fun things to do.  

How do social channels work with your blog? Are any more important than others?
Social channels are vital for my blog. Twitter is great for promoting my latest posts and for having conversations with like-minded people. I love Instagram as a highlights reel or ‘shop window’ to show off my best photography and I use Instagram Stories for closer interaction with my readers and followers. Pinterest is great for driving traffic. 

Do you feel travel blogging is segmented (luxury/standard/local/family/budget etc)?
It can be, but I think blogs should reflect real life and that means fluidity. A budget traveller for example may stay at a luxury hotel for a special occasion and choose to review it. I don’t think that jars with regular content as their readers may find this useful too. As I’m about to have a baby I’m planning a slight shift in focus. I’ll always write about luxury travel but I’m going to introduce a family angle to my content. Many of my readers have been there since I start my blog over five years ago and I’m hoping for them to grow along with me.

What’s the best balance between visual and written content?
I think it depends on your angle and readership. More and more blogs are becoming curated and photography-led but I started my blog because I loved writing so that is what came first for me. My love of photography came next and I found myself enjoying learning how to create beautiful images too. Part of a blog is showing your personal experience through photography and your own voice, so both will always be important.

What’s your favourite hotel in the world?
Tough question as there are so many that I love! The best I’ve stayed in is Singita Boulders, a safari hotel is South Africa. Not only did I enjoy the magic of safari but the décor of the hotel, service and food were just second to none! I love hotels that are different, unique and special and offer a very personal service.

Which airline is the best (and why)?
I don’t know about them being the best but British Airways are the airline that I travel with most frequently. I have loyalty points with them so it makes sense, plus I find them reliable and the planes are comfortable with good service.

How conscious are you of political upheaval and local issues when travelling?
I’m very conscious. I’ll only travel to places that I feel are safe and would recommend my readers to travel to.

Do you accept press releases?
I would never write a blog post on the basis of a press release as my blog is wholly experiential. However, I do like receiving press releases in order to keep up to date with the latest news in the luxury travel sector.

What’s the best PR campaign/collaboration you’ve worked on?
For me my favourite collaborations also provide rich and unique experiences for me personally. Last September I worked with Original Travel in order to promote their travel planning and bespoke itinerary creation. This saw me saw me travel to Morocco to stay in Richard Branson’s hotel in the Atlas Mountains, as well as enjoy local experiences in Marrakech.

What other blogs do you read?
I love Adventures of a London Kiwi and Binny’s Food and Travel Diaries to read about fun things to do in London and the rest of the world.

The Curious Pixie, Follow Your Sunshine and The Travel Hack are great for family travel. I’ve read The Travelista, Lux Life London, Heroine in Heels, Twins That Travel and Kalanchoe for years. I know all these bloggers personally too, I love reading posts by friends and seeing what they get up to.

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