This year, the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) turns 50 and is celebrating with activities throughout 2019.
Founded on 5 November 1969, the membership body now represents over 30,000 PR and communications practitioners across 66 countries.
To mark the 50th anniversary, the PRCA will be using a special logo throughout 2019, releasing a celebratory book, hosting a birthday party in November, alongside a host of other regional and national activities.
Francis Ingham, director general of the PRCA, said: ‘The PR and communications industry has changed fundamentally since the PRCA launched in 1969. But our mission remains the same – to be its voice. And now that the PRCA is the largest PR professional body not just in the UK, or indeed in Europe, but in the world, that voice has never been louder or clearer.
‘The professionalisation of the industry, combined with the proliferation of new skills, means that we face the next 50 years with enormous opportunities. We’re celebrating our 50th anniversary with pride and optimism, and look forward to a year of reflection, celebration, and discussion.’
https://pakxxnxu.top/uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/PRCA-50-years.png430760Phoebe-Jane Boyd/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Vuelio-PR-Comms-Public-Affairs-Logo.pngPhoebe-Jane Boyd2019-01-08 12:23:122019-01-08 12:23:12The PRCA is celebrating its 50th anniversary
We’re only a week into 2019 but there’s already a strong contender for best campaign of the year. Greggs grabbed headlines throughout 2018 with its reactive PR and campaigns and this year is no different.
The launch of a Greggs vegan sausage roll seemed inevitable – there are reportedly over three million vegans in the UK and ‘vegan’ was one of the most requested topics by journalists in 2018.
It was the social strategy that went alongside the launch that received all the attention, particularly when it triggered Piers Morgan into tweeting this:
Nobody was waiting for a vegan bloody sausage, you PC-ravaged clowns. https://t.co/QEiqG9qx2G
This was the start of a series of anti-vegan tweets from the GMB host. Greggs, already dealing with a few ‘upset’ social media users, replied to Morgan with:
This simple, inoffensive reply shot the story into the headlines as the company was seen to be ‘hitting back’ at Piers Morgan. With a slow Government-isn’t-back-in-session-yet start to 2019, stories about the vegan sausage roll started to dominate – the Evening Standard reported that Londoners are split on the ‘insanely popular sausage rolls’, while Good Morning Britain presenters (without Morgan) tried them live on air.
Morgan tried one this morning on air, and spat it into a bin.
Greggs scored a whopping result with a single, simple tweet that wasn’t mean or malicious. A later tweet from Morgan perhaps revealed how much he enjoys getting attention this way, while also highlighting Greggs’ success:
Other brands joined in on the pro-vegan gently-anti-Morgan tweeting, including McDonald’s:
It’s all about choice Piers, our 4m customers per day come for many different reasons – from famous favourites like our Big Mac and vegan-friendly Fries to our Meals Under range. We look forward to seeing you for your usual order soon ?
Or is it the same as every other year: be smart, be responsive and be relatable.
Happy 2019 from your Monday PR Club. Now… where’s the nearest Greggs?
https://pakxxnxu.top/uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Vegan-sausage-roll-.jpg430760Phoebe-Jane Boyd/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Vuelio-PR-Comms-Public-Affairs-Logo.pngPhoebe-Jane Boyd2019-01-07 11:04:542019-01-07 11:04:54The best campaign of the year …so far
Shortlist Media has rebranded as the Stylist Group following the closure of Shortlist magazine at the end of last year. Stylist will continue to be published, while the Shortlist website will live on as a ‘product recommender’.
After 552 issues and 11 years, Shortlist magazine released its final issue on 20 December 2018. Signing off with, ‘Bye, then’, Shortlist staff photos and names were displayed on the final page, marking its end with a short, sharp farewell.
A Shortlist writer told the Press Gazette that staff had been ‘under the impression that the magazine was essentially bulletproof’ before it closed.
Joe Mackertich, editor of the title, explained the appeal of a print product like Shortlist: ‘Magazines, with their beginnings, middles and ends, are a soothing counter agent to the internet’s infinite hall of shrieking mirrors.
‘A good publication flatters you with grown-up language and smart references. The amount of thought, care and attention that went into Shortlist was testament to the respect we had for you.
‘This counts for a lot in a world in which we’re all constantly subjected to a horrifying torrent of hyperbolic, dumb-by-design headlines.’
Shortlist is, for now, still publishing news online with a regular output of stories. It has followed a similar path to The Independent – the first national newspaper to become digital-only.
The benefits of digital publications have been known to PRs for years, though there is still a strong desire at both an agency and in-house level for the prestige of a printed product. While print is by no means dead, the rise of digital – often at the detriment of printed publications – continues.
All the latest moves and changes in the media are updated in the Vuelio Media Database.
https://pakxxnxu.top/uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Shortlist-website.jpg430760Phoebe-Jane Boyd/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Vuelio-PR-Comms-Public-Affairs-Logo.pngPhoebe-Jane Boyd2019-01-06 11:58:352019-01-10 12:27:54Shortlist Media rebrands as the Stylist Group
PRs spend lots of time pitching to journalists in the hopes that it will lead to coverage. But wouldn’t it be easier if we knew exactly what journalists wanted, when they wanted it?
Our latest white paper reveals what journalists have requested through the Journalist Enquiry Service in 2018.
The ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service is now part of Vuelio. This service allows journalists to ask for help, comment and case studies from PRs and comms professionals. Tens of thousands of requests were sent in 2018 and all of them provide an opportunity for coverage.
So, what were the hottest topics of 2018? What can journalist requests teach us about PR pitching? And which member of the royal family were journalists most interested in?
Vuelio is renowned for its rankings, with the top blog rankings, compiled by our in-house media research team, famous the world over. To prepare for what could possibly be the most tumultuous year in politics, we’ve now turned our attention to political influencers from the world of media including broadcasters, editors, columnists, journalists and bloggers.
Launching in January, the Top 50 Political Influencers is being compiled using automated metrics as well as human intelligence. It will be the most comprehensive guide to media commentators, and those with the power of persuasion, ever produced.
Each entry in the ranking will be profiled, making it the who’s who of political media influencers of 2019.
Vuelio specialises in both media and political communications software, allowing a truly integrated approach to both stakeholder and reputation management. There’s an increasing expectation on many PR teams to also understand the political landscape, and those in public affairs to also understand the media.
Find out more about identifying, understanding and engaging with both media and political influencers.
https://pakxxnxu.top/uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Top-50-political-influencers.png430760Phoebe-Jane Boyd/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Vuelio-PR-Comms-Public-Affairs-Logo.pngPhoebe-Jane Boyd2018-12-20 17:18:422018-12-20 17:18:42Coming January 2019: the UK’s Top 50 Political Influencers
Jessica Ozdemir, senior marketing manager, international at WE communications, has been elected as the vice-chairman of the PRCA’s PR and Communications Council 2019.
The PR and Communications Council provides a formal mechanism to consult with the industry’s most senior practitioners on the issues PR and communications faces, it acts as a think-tank for the industry, informs the PRCA’s strategic priorities and produces helpful commentary, advice, and best-practice guidance for professionals.
Jessica was elected by the 2019 Council members, who were themselves elected in November. She will take on the role in January 2019, at the same time Amanda Coleman, head of corporate communication at Greater Manchester Police, becomes PR and Communications Council chairman. Jessica will then succeed Amanda as chairman of the Council in January 2020.
At WE communications, Jessica is responsible for leading a cross-functional team of marketing specialists across the entire marketing mix: increasing brand awareness, driving demand for WE services and converting demand into business opportunities.
Jessica said: ‘I am thrilled to be elected as vice-chairman at such a pivotal time for the PR industry. There is much to do to help solidify our industry’s stance, particularly around diversity and inclusion, and I’m really looking forward to working with Amanda and the terrific team at PRCA to help make a difference.’
https://pakxxnxu.top/uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/PRCA.jpg430760Phoebe-Jane Boyd/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Vuelio-PR-Comms-Public-Affairs-Logo.pngPhoebe-Jane Boyd2018-12-20 14:54:162018-12-20 14:56:06Jessica Ozdemir elected vice chair of the PR and Communications Council 2019
Amuse Your Bouche began as a hobby but Becca Heyes quickly found success with her food content and recipes and has turned the blog into a huge success. Aside from Becca’s love of cheesy pasta bakes, she shares a great range of useful and tasty vegetarian food content that her readers love. By creating multiple recipes using single products, Becca enjoys showing the versatility of the brands she works with.
How has your blog changed over time?
I started my blog in 2011 after I graduated from uni, to give me something to do while I was searching for a job. It was originally only intended to be a hobby – I never even considered that it could turn into what it has (my full-time job!). At first, I talked about my daily life, and posted whatever I felt like, with no real thought for what my readers would actually find useful. As the blog has evolved, I’ve tried to think a lot more about what my readers will actually want to see, and now I try to make my blog posts as valuable as I can. It’s definitely more of a food resource now, rather than functioning as my personal diary.
How much does your audience influence your content? I always try to think about my readers when I’m creating recipes. I only post recipes that I truly enjoyed, but I do try to produce a wide variety of content that will keep my readers engaged – otherwise it’d be cheesy pasta bakes day after day! My readers make it possible for me to run my blog as my job, so if they’re not happy, I’m not happy either.
What are the best channels for promoting your content? It’s getting harder and harder to get noticed on social media, with Facebook’s constantly changing algorithms, and new food blogs being started every minute of the day. At the moment I’m really enjoying my private Facebook group, Easy Vegetarian Dinners. I’ve built a community of over 1,700 people who love interacting every single day – it’s a big community but feels intimate. It’s so nice to get real feedback on the posts I publish there – on my public Facebook page, it sometimes feels like I’m shouting into a black hole!
What’s your favourite ingredient? I’m known for my love of cheese! I have to consciously rein myself in and publish non-cheesy recipes every now and then, as I know not everyone is as much of a cheese fiend as I am. Most things are improved by cheese!
What’s the best restaurant you’ve ever eaten in? Honestly, I’m not one for fancy restaurants (especially now I have a toddler; a noisy baby and a posh restaurant aren’t a good mix!). I prefer a casual, family-friendly place with decent food – to me, a relaxed atmosphere and nice meal is much more attractive than going somewhere posher, even if it serves outstanding food.
What’s your favourite dish to make?
Apart from cheesy pasta bakes?! I do love making a good curry, with plenty of veggies – it can be perfectly healthy, but still feels like a real treat. Especially with onion bhajis on the side!
What one thing should PRs and brands know about you?
I LOVE what I do, and I truly care about my blog and my readers. This is more than just a job to me – I love nothing more than truly connecting with my readers and helping them to discover new brands and products that can make their life easier (and tastier!). It genuinely makes my day when a reader messages me to tell me they loved one of my recipes, and discovered a new product because of something I’ve posted.
Do you like being sent food by PRs and brands? Who doesn’t love being sent food?! I don’t generally accept free samples of food, as I never used to have the hours in the day to promote everything I was sent, but if I’m working with a brand on some recipe development, it’s always fun to receive a parcel. I love to experiment with a product for a week or so before coming up with a recipe, so I can really think about how it can best be shown off.
What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on? I prefer long-term collaborations with brands, where I can show off their products in multiple recipes. It helps to show the versatility of a product, and I’m sure it feels more genuine for my readers to see how I’ve used a product many times, rather than just mentioning it once. This autumn I worked on a three-recipe campaign with St Helen’s Farm, who make gorgeous goat’s milk products, and it was really fun to be able to show off several different ways that their products could be used.
Do bloggers need their own industry association? Luckily, we bloggers are an awesome bunch, and most of us are always happy to support others if it’s ever needed. Nobody ever feels alone in this industry. I’m sure if there was an official bloggers’ association, though, it could only be a good thing! Blogging is a relatively new industry, but it’s growing quickly, and is finally starting to be viewed as a viable career option – an official association would help to confirm its legitimacy.
What other blogs do you read? With a toddler to look after and a business to run, I don’t get as much time to relax and read blogs as I used to, but I always try to make time for some of my favourites – especially those written by my good blogging friends. I love Happy Veggie Kitchen, Hungry Healthy Happy, Supergolden Bakes, and Kitchen Sanctuary. Sometimes I just sit and ogle their incredible photos!
https://pakxxnxu.top/uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Becca-Heyes.jpg430760Holly Hodges/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Vuelio-PR-Comms-Public-Affairs-Logo.pngHolly Hodges2018-12-17 16:18:272018-12-17 16:18:27Foodie blog spotlight: Amuse Your Bouche
As we approach the festive period and the end of 2018, Monday PR Club is delighted to present its most popular posts of the year.
Anyone can sign up for the Monday PR Club (here) to receive weekly tips, inspiration and thought leadership to their inbox at the beginning of each week. What better way to start the new year?
The GDPR: your questions answered, part 1 In the first half of 2018, the GDPR was all anyone could talk about so it’s no surprise this piece tops our list. While the world didn’t end on 25 May (phew!), the GDPR is now in force and has even been used to stop AggregateIQ Data Services (linked to the Facebook/Cambridge Analytica scandal) from processing data.
This post gave expert answers to all your GDPR questions, with our GDPR webinar guest Rowenna Fielding, senior data protection lead at the data protection consultancy Protecture.
7 PR News Year’s resolutions We come full circle for our second post, which aimed to kick start 2018 with seven simple resolutions to make everyone’s comms year better. Did you make new friends? Lose the flab? Stop being boring?
Find out how many 2018 resolutions you stuck to.
5 pitch tips from Ben Titchmarsh We spoke to Ben Titchmarsh, head of media and marketing at Propeller Group for our white paper Media Relations in 2018. Ben gave us excellent insights into the perfect pitch from knowing your sector to making it exclusive.
What did Kylie Jenner teach us? While 2018 gave us many Kylie Jenner lessons, it was her tweet that wiped $1bn off Snap’s market value that caught our attention. The lesson we took away from the global headline news? Twitter rules.
Have you updated your Facebook strategy?
Facebook hit the headlines throughout 2018, for a whole host of reasons. Its most popular story in the Monday PR Club followed changes Zuckerberg made in January, to prioritise news posts from trusted sources. While announced back in January, it was the second major Facebook change of 2018 (but by no means the last), after the platform decided to prioritise friends and family’s posts in users’ feeds.
PR lessons from Center Parcs and Richard Littlejohn
Center Parcs pulled its advertising from the Daily Mail after Richard Littlejohn attacked two-father relationships in a column, which followed Tom Daley and his husband Dustin Lance Black’s announcement of their first child together. Find out what should we do as PRs when faced with such controversy.
Monday PR Club is taking a break over the festive period and looks forward to seeing you all in 2019. Merry Christmas everyone!
https://pakxxnxu.top/uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Best-of-2018.jpg430760Phoebe-Jane Boyd/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Vuelio-PR-Comms-Public-Affairs-Logo.pngPhoebe-Jane Boyd2018-12-17 11:11:212018-12-17 11:11:21Monday PR Club: a year in review
Nine agencies will battle it at the next live final of the Creative Shootout, on Thursday 24 January 2019.
The nine agencies submitted 60 seconds worth of ‘creativity’, which was then judged by an industry panel. They will now have the chance to show off their creative clout on stage at BAFTA for a cause that is literally global – plastic pollution – for the Shootout’s cause of the year, A Plastic Planet (APP).
The nine agency finalists span PR, digital and marketing disciplines. They are:
3 Monkeys Zeno, Global creative communications consultancy
As with the 2018 Live Final, where reigning champions Raw London triumphed with their ‘Any shape – any size’ campaign for FareShare, teams will be given a real brief from A Plastic Planet on the day – and then have just four hours to turn it into a compelling creative campaign.
Having drawn straws to determine the running order, they then pitch it on stage at BAFTA in just ten minutes to a live audience and the judges. The winner is crowned live on stage in the evening and the winning agency will get to work with APP to see their idea come to life – as Raw London has done this summer with FareShare.
Serious bragging rights as ‘the UK’s most creative agency’ are up for grabs.
Vuelio is delighted to once again be sponsoring the Creative Shootout and supporting creativity in the industry.
Creative Shootout Founder Johnny Pitt said: ‘The quality of entries was off the scale this year and our brave agencies now have the opportunity for creative fame, as well as to make a marked difference to a blight that affects every single one of us.’
The 2019 judging panel includes:
Ali Hannan, CEO, Creative Equals
Chaka Sobhani, chief creative officer, Leo Burnett
Colette Foster, creative director, Full Fat TV
James Herring, co-founder, Taylor Herring
Nishma Robb, marketing director, Google
Johnny Pitt, founder, The Creative Shootout
Riyadh Khalaf, Influencer
Sian Sutherland, co-founder, A Plastic Planet
https://pakxxnxu.top/uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/creative-shootout.jpg430760Phoebe-Jane Boyd/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Vuelio-PR-Comms-Public-Affairs-Logo.pngPhoebe-Jane Boyd2018-12-14 12:38:522018-12-14 12:38:52Creative Shootout finalists announced
The PRCA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for mutual cooperation with Logeion, the Netherlands association for communications professionals.
Logeion has over 4,000 members and provides a platform for all communication professionals in the Netherlands. It is the second oldest professional communications organisation in the world, and has a rich tradition of innovation since its founding 70 years ago.
Founded in 1969, the PRCA operates in 66 countries and represents practitioners across the whole range of the PR and communications industry.
The agreement between the two bodies will include the exchange of knowledge via events and whitepapers; board cooperation; co-promotion of events to the respective members of each organisation; and shared insights on topics such as ethical codes. Logeion has also designated London as the destination of its annual study trip in 2019.
Francis Ingham, director general of the PRCA, said: ‘We are very pleased to forge this new bilateral relationship with Logeion, an association which plays a hugely important role within the Dutch communications community.
‘Our two associations share many values – including a belief in the huge importance of ethical standards, and the need to raise them all around the world. Working together, we will be able to deliver significant new benefits and links to our respective members.’
Andre Manning, director of Logeion, said: ‘Working closely together with the PRCA has been high on the wish list of Logeion as it will give our members access to one of the most respected communications organisations in the world. The PRCA is well respected and a proven thought leader on many topics that our relevant for the communications function, such as ethical codes.
‘We are thrilled to share knowledge and best-practices and learn from each other to make sure we continue to further develop the communications profession and the skillset of our members.’
https://pakxxnxu.top/uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/PRCA-logeion.jpg430760Phoebe-Jane Boyd/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Vuelio-PR-Comms-Public-Affairs-Logo.pngPhoebe-Jane Boyd2018-12-13 15:47:092018-12-13 16:01:01PRCA signs agreement with Netherlands-based Logeion
Relevance International is celebrating the recent success of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants after increasing its media coverage, social engagement and global footprint.
The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, the worldwide ranking scheme for high-quality dining, wanted to expand the amount of positive coverage – and the spread of coverage across the world – for its 16th annual awards ceremony, held in Bilbao, Spain in June 2018.
Relevance International was instructed to handle PR for the 2018 awards, and the agency created media interest in the lead up to the big event through a number of strategic initiatives.
Building excitement Every fortnight from April onwards, individual winners of special awards were announced, which created a pipeline of content in the lead up to the awards ceremony. Categories included BBVA Scholarship, Diners Club Lifetime Achievement Award, Miele One to Watch, and elit Vodka Best Female Chef.
The Best Female Chef was launched with a targeted international media lunch held at winner Clare Smyth’s Core restaurant in central London. This location was kept secret to build anticipation and journalists from key markets, both relevant to Clare’s background as well as from target countries, were invited.
The campaign achieved 1,972 pieces of coverage, predominately within two weeks, fuelled by a debate over the merits of such an award.
Further interest in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants was generated one week before the main event with the announcement of the 51-100 list, leading to speculation – in traditional media and on social platforms – about who would make the top 50.
Other activities organised around the awards included #50BestTalks, featuring top chefs discussing industry issues and trends; a ‘meet the chefs’ speed dating-style media event; an official press conference; a food-meets-art event; and several press moments with previously announced individual chef winners for one-to-one meetings.
On recommendation of the agency, the launch of a Female Advisory Board saw seven of the world’s best female chefs come together for an open discussion around industry issues and brand initiatives.
Global coverage New for 2018 were the 21 broadcast stations – international, national and local – secured to attend and cover the main event. Mirroring the approach of The Oscars, and to open the event up to general consumers, people were able to follow the main ceremony on TV and via a Reuters live stream. Other stations that covered the event included RAI 1, France 2, BBC World and Channel 5 Asia.
Relevance International planned the media management of the 2018 event programme, overseeing more than 300media attendees during the awards week, with 59,601 pieces of coverage over five months – a 24% increase on 2017 (47,879). Coverage was in 51 languages, a 6.25% on 2017, and 127 countries, a 9.5% increase on 2017.
In four key markets alone, there were 125 pieces of broadcast coverage over one week (radio: 84, TV: 41). The number of social media posts featuring The World’s 50 Best grew from 33,797 in the five months in 2017 to 53,717 across the same period in 2018. It was aided by a surge in social media activity during the live stream, as well as the attendance of influencer-ambassadors at the ceremony.
Overall, 99% of coverage was positive, despite the controversy over the Best Female Chef category.
Retained global agency Following the campaign, Relevance International became the brand’s first retained global agency of record.
Hélène Pietrini, director of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, said, ‘During Relevance’s time working with us in our initial engagement, the firm achieved greater media exposure than ever received in the brand’s 16-year history.’
Suzanne Rosnowski, CEO and founder of Relevance International, said: ‘Our work with The World’s 50 Best Restaurants showcases our strength as an agency with a boutique offering and global sensibilities.
https://pakxxnxu.top/uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Media-wall.jpg430760Phoebe-Jane Boyd/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Vuelio-PR-Comms-Public-Affairs-Logo.pngPhoebe-Jane Boyd2018-12-12 10:00:352018-12-12 16:31:14Case study: Relevance International and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants
It was a great evening for the FT at the British Journalism Awards, which scooped the top award, News Provider of the Year, alongside three other awards – the most for any newspaper.
The outlet also achieved the Innovation award, while journalist Laura Hughes took the Political Journalist prize, and Matthew Garrahan won for Arts and Entertainment.
Other big winners on the night include Journalist of the Year, Amelia Gentleman of The Guardian, and Carole Cadwalladr who won both the Technology Journalism and Investigation of the Year awards.
The Times and Sunday Times also won big this year, achieving a total of five awards across the publications.
More than 400 entries were submitted over the 22 categories this year, and a total of 50 independent judges examined the entries.
The full list of winners from the night:
Technology Journalism: Carole Cadwalladr, The Observer Features Journalism: Duncan Leatherdale, BBC News Innovation of the Year: Financial Times Arts and Entertainment: Matthew Garrahan, Financial Times Business, Finance and Economics Journalism: Jeff Prestridge, Mail on Sunday Politics Journalism: Laura Hughes, Financial Times Comment Journalism: Janice Turner, The Times Campaign of the Year: Larisa Brown, Daily Mail Photojournalism: Paula Bronstein, The Sunday Time Science and Health Journalism: Helen McArdle, The Herald Sports Journalism: Jonathan Calvert and George Arbunthnott, The Sunday Times Popular Journalism: Ian Birrell, Mail on Sunday Foreign Affairs Journalism: Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, Reuters Local Heroes: Stephen Noland and David Thomson, BBC Radio Ulster New Journalist of the Year: Richard Holmes, Buzzfeed UK Specialist Journalism: Patrick Strudwick, Buzzfeed UK Scoop of the Year: Sean O’Neill, The Times Investigation of the Year (Global): Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo Investigation of the Year: Carole Cadwalladr, The Observer Marie Colvin Award: Louise Callaghan, The Sunday Times Journalist of the Year 2018: Amelia Gentleman, The Guardian News Provider of the Year 2018: Financial Times
https://pakxxnxu.top/uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/British-Journalism-Awards.png430760Phoebe-Jane Boyd/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Vuelio-PR-Comms-Public-Affairs-Logo.pngPhoebe-Jane Boyd2018-12-11 15:21:132018-12-11 15:21:13The Financial Times wins four awards at the British Journalism Awards
Rachel Spencer started The Paw Post in 2017 to talk about everything pet related with her dog Daisy. Sadly, Daisy passed away earlier this year. Here, Rachel has opened up about the loss of her beloved pet, how the blogging community supported her and how The Paw Post has carried on in Daisy’s memory and also now features Patch.
Could you tell us how things have changed recently? We lost our dog Daisy [pictured with Rachel, right] in April this year. She was a senior dog at 13 but was always so young. In October last year she had pancreatitis and was very poorly but recovered. Then in December we started noticing changes in her. She lost her depth perception, became restless at night and started growling at sudden movements. It was out of character and she had a few accidents in the house.
When we learned she had dementia, it really hit home she was getting old. But I did lots of research and had amazing support from her vets, and we were positive about the future.
But after a few months she deteriorated, becoming anxious and started vocalising, one of the advanced dementia symptoms. We became worried about her vision as she couldn’t see her favourite blue ball and kept walking into things.
The vet checked her visual field and confirmed our fears. She suspected a tumour was pressing on her optic nerve. We took some time to consider having an MRI scan to see what was there but she went downhill so quickly and we knew around the corner would be a seizure or haemorrhage which would have been terrifying and painful. We wanted her to go peacefully and in April we made the decision to put her to sleep.
What’s it like having to deal with a loss so publicly? I didn’t tell anyone apart from people we knew in real life or who had grown close to on social media and in the pet world for the first couple of weeks. But I knew I had to publicly share it and it took a lot of strength to write the post saying goodbye.
Although she was old, it was a shock. Daisy was so young at heart and was still chasing sheep and squirrels just a few weeks before we lost her. Like all dog owners, I expect them to live forever.
Things escalated really quickly – she went from playing with her ball on the beach to being scared of the outside world because she could no longer see and was in pain in the space of a week.
What happened afterwards was amazing. People were so lovely and supportive and sent cards, flowers and gifts. It completely blew me away and it totally opened my eyes to the lovely community the pet blogging world is. I felt really grateful because had I not done the blog I never would have had that.
What did you think you’d do with the blog after Daisy died? I didn’t know what to do with myself at the time but after the lovely response I had, I decided to carry it on in her memory. She is still on my profile on all our social media channels – I can’t bring myself to change it yet. And I decided that I’d continue to write about the things that affected Daisy, how to cope with a senior dog and how to cope with loss. I’ve tried to use our experience to help others.
What advice would you give anyone who loses a pet? Nothing can prepare you for how you feel but the main thing is to give yourself time and be kind to yourself. It’s ok to grieve for a pet and I even spoke to a bereavement counsellor to find out the best ways to cope, how to handle telling my partner Tommy’s young daughters and things like that. I know some people might feel like it sounds a little over the top but it helped me.
Can you tell us about getting Patch? We knew we wanted to adopt another dog rather than get a puppy. I felt we were in a situation where we could adopt – we didn’t have small children and were fairly experienced with having had Daisy – so that’s what we did.
We found Patch on a rehoming page for Patterdale Terriers on Facebook. I knew straight away he was the one. His family were rehoming him as his owner had died. We stay in touch with them and we’re so glad to have found such a lovely dog.
Are you conscious of Patch filling in on the blog where Daisy did before? Yes, he’s a different dog, he’s only two whereas Daisy was a senior dog, so I write about him and try to put his personality across. He’s in training so we’re doing his training diaries, and we’re looking forward to writing about his holidays, new things he’s tried out and what life is like with a young dog.
But I also still write about issues affecting dogs of all ages, like anxiety and the importance of dogs being trained and well mannered. I feature Daisy whenever I can too.
Do you still work with PRs/brands in the same way? Yes, I have a lot of PRs who come to me as a journalist first then that leads to content for my blog.
Because I have a younger dog, I can do things like ‘running for dogs’ and other activities that might not have been possible or appropriate for a senior dog.
I ensure my posts are well researched, produce informative posts that aim to be helpful to my readers and always meet deadlines.
I would love more PRs to approach me as a blogger – I only write about things I (or someone I know well and trust) have tried and tested and I don’t use guest posts but other than that, I’m open to all kinds of ideas.
https://pakxxnxu.top/uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Rachel-Spencer-the-paw-post.jpg430760Holly Hodges/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Vuelio-PR-Comms-Public-Affairs-Logo.pngHolly Hodges2018-12-11 10:39:122018-12-11 11:25:22Pet blog spotlight: Rachel Spencer, The Paw Post
The Vuelio Blog Awards annually recognise the best bloggers in the UK, but how do these champions work with PRs and brands?
This year’s winners have all appeared in one of our renowned Top 10 Blog Rankings and many have taking part in interviews. We know how they like to work with PRs and brands because they’ve shared best practice advice for collaborations.
Victoria Magrath, Inthefrow
I like to be straightforward wherever possible. It’s great to get a friendly introductory email where you can discover a new agency, brand or designer but there’s nothing that stands out more to me, than someone who is professional and forthcoming with how they can see us working together and what the both of us can gain from partnering. That way, as a team, we can instantly work out if our brands are well suited and if working together successfully is a possibility for all parties. Efficiency is a big priority for me, and most important with everyone’s schedules being so hectic.
Lloyd and Yaya, Hand Luggage Only
I guess that we are pretty openminded and always flexible in how we work with people. No two destinations or brands are exactly the same, no two people are and so it would be unrealistic to expect two projects to be. We always see collaborations as a two-way conversation (not just one party telling the other what to do or not do), which always helps when working with brands.
Kate Watson-Smyth, Mad About The House
I like them to get my name right – the emails addressed to ‘Mad’ tend not to get opened! There are so many blogs now that I really appreciate when a PR has taken the time to read the blog and work out if I really am the right person for their idea. These days I think it’s much more about focused collaboration and I tend not to work on huge campaigns that everyone else is doing if at all possible.
Jo Middleton, Slummy Single Mummy
I’m pretty open to any kind of approach as long as it’s well researched, friendly and honest. I’m not saying I end up working with everyone who gets in touch, but I try to read most things. I like it best when I’m given plenty of rein creatively, but with clear goals too – I want the brand to be able to measure whether or not they’ve got what they want from working with me, so they come back!
Dave Hornby, The DADventurer
My blog is a business and that this is my job. Blogging as a career is still pretty new and some brands/PRs haven’t fully grasped that this means it should be viewed as business-to-business. On the whole, the majority of brands I work with get this and value what a blogger brings to the table – some are still learning though. They wouldn’t be happy having to continually chase late payments, having briefs changed with no warning or being asked to work for free – neither should bloggers.
Stephanie Walton, Steph and the Spaniels In many ways, we really love campaigns with substance and that can really get us creating fun and interesting content. We love being able to collaborate with pet brands, as well as lifestyle brands that we can bring a dog aspect into, as it shows how important pets really are to everyone.
https://pakxxnxu.top/uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/6-tips-from-the-top.jpg430760Phoebe-Jane Boyd/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Vuelio-PR-Comms-Public-Affairs-Logo.pngPhoebe-Jane Boyd2018-12-10 12:22:572018-12-10 12:22:57Working with bloggers: 6 tips from the top
Last week the CIPR National Conference brought together 200 PR and business professionals to explore social purpose and the role of business in creating a better world for society. Among the speakers was Richard Walker, managing director of Iceland.
Iceland is in the spotlight following its ‘banned’ Christmas advert, which highlights the environmental impact of palm oil products. Walker claimed the Greenpeace-created cartoon has been viewed more than 65m times online, making it the most viewed Christmas advert ever.
Keen to outline the responsibility each individual has when it comes to social purpose, Walker said: ‘We’re all focused on Brexit but we’re sleepwalking into an environmental crisis. From deforestation to plastics and palm oil. As businesses invested in those debates, we can find solutions and alternatives that make a difference to our world.’
PR responsibility was advocated by Josh Hardie, deputy director general at CBI, who said: ‘90% of the public want businesses to speak out on social issues that matter to them. That makes it a business imperative.
‘A lack of trust in business often stems from bad communication. Mistrust fills the void when people don’t know what a business does. There’s a huge responsibility for PR pros in today’s world.’
As any business’ primary communicators, PRs must lead from the front when it comes to social purpose and responsibility. They’re also facing an uphill battle – John O’Brien, European managing partner at ONE HUNDRED, explained that corporate social responsibility had become ‘defunct’ as businesses tend to think of it as distinct from their core strategy.
For M&C Saatchi PR’s global CEO Molly Aldridge, this isn’t good enough. She said: ‘Purpose has to be authentically rooted into a brand’s DNA. It can’t be superficial or difficult to understand. It’s then down to businesses to find and engage the right people to deliver on that purpose.’
Having genuine purpose – and one which matters both to your business and your clients – is not something that can be manufactured. While it may not be the role of PR to determine that purpose, it’s certainly their job to advocate its need, engage the right people and communicate the message – embodying the brand’s values and making sure the right story is being told in the right way.
Sarah Hall, president of the CIPR, said: ‘As PR professionals, we have a tremendous opportunity to shape the way our organisations operate in society. This conference showcased the value we can offer in helping businesses find their why and define their how, to deliver long-term benefits for all.’
https://pakxxnxu.top/uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Richard-Walker-at-the-CIPR-Conference.jpg430760Phoebe-Jane Boyd/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Vuelio-PR-Comms-Public-Affairs-Logo.pngPhoebe-Jane Boyd2018-12-06 14:17:292018-12-06 14:17:29Your business needs purpose – creating a better world at #CIPRconf18
Women in PR (WIPR) has launched an ambassador programme to help promote its goal of greater equality and diversity across PR leadership teams and the wider industry.
The group of ten female and male ambassadors have been chosen for their influence, and will provide resources, information and awareness across their networks of professional contacts. The role will not be about governance, which is still managed by an elected committee, but will provide a focus on spreading the overall aims of WIPR across the industry.
WIPR UK said: ‘While men have always been welcome as speakers and attendees at Women in PR events, this is the first time the organisation is welcoming men in an official capacity, recognising that we need male as well as female change agents.’
Bibi Hilton, president of Women in PR and MD at Golin, said: ‘Two-thirds of the industry is female, yet at board director level this drops to 42 per cent, according to this year’s PRCA PR Census. To close our above UK average 23 per cent industry gender pay gap in agencies and stop brilliant women leaving the industry, we have to increase the number and diversity of women in leadership roles and create a more equal workplace. This new ambassador programme will help increase the speed of change, and Women in PR is really excited to work with this group in 2019.’
Amanda Coleman, head of corporate communication, Greater Manchester Police, said: ‘I am saddened that in 2018 many women are still not receiving equal pay, feel prevented from getting where they want to be and have to fight for their position. But we all have a chance to make a difference and this is what I want to do as an ambassador.’
The full list of ambassadors is as follows:
Amanda Coleman, head of corporate communication, Greater Manchester Police
Evadney Campbell, co-founder, Shiloh PR
Jackie Cooper, senior advisor, Edelman
Joan O’Connor, PR director, Coca-Cola Europe
Nicola Green, director of corporate affairs, O2
Andrew Soar, freelance creative communications director
David Gallagher, president, international, Omnicom Public Relations Group
David Holdstock, director of communications, Local Government Association
James Coyle, head of PR, social media and CSR, Samsung Electronics UK
Tony Langham, co-founder and CEO, Lansons
https://pakxxnxu.top/uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Women-in-PR.jpg430760Phoebe-Jane Boyd/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Vuelio-PR-Comms-Public-Affairs-Logo.pngPhoebe-Jane Boyd2018-12-06 11:53:122018-12-06 11:53:12Women in PR appoints ten industry ambassadors
The Vuelio Blog Awards 2018 took place on Friday night and were once again a huge success, trending on Twitter and reaching tens of millions across social media.
The Best UK Blog is awarded to one outstanding award-winner whose work transcends their own blog, inspiring the wider community. Victoria was considered by the judges to be a consummate professional who has, for some time now, been at the top of her game, and following the publication of her recent fashion bible ‘The New Fashion Rules’, she has shown how she can impact the whole fashion industry both inside and outside of the blogosphere.
Alongside the winners, the Vuelio Blog Awards celebrates all the finalists AND bloggers, vloggers and content creators who join us for a good time. It’s also a chance to bring together both sides of the commercial relationship, with PR and brand guests also deserving a mention for their collaborative work with the UK’s brightest and best.
We’ve put together a Vuelio Canvas of highlights from the event, including top social posts and official photos. Click here or on the image below to see the full Canvas.
Canvas is a simple way to present content, whether its campaign coverage, news stories, galleries, company information or social media activity. Everything appears on one page, making repetitive slides a thing of the past. Each Canvas takes just minutes to create and can be shared with a simple link.
Find out more about Canvas, and how easy it is to make your own, by clicking here.
https://pakxxnxu.top/uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Vuelio-Blog-Awards-2018-.jpg430760Phoebe-Jane Boyd/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Vuelio-PR-Comms-Public-Affairs-Logo.pngPhoebe-Jane Boyd2018-12-05 10:00:102018-12-05 15:35:27#Trending: Vuelio Blog Awards 2018
For the second year running, Interel was the big winners at the PRCA Public Affairs Awards, picking up four prizes including Consultant of the Year for Katherine Morgan, and the Outstanding Contribution award for George McGregor.
Now in its fifth year, the PRCA Public Affairs Awards took place last week to celebrate the best of the best in public affairs in 2018.
In-house Professional of the Year was awarded to Lis Wallace of Malaria No More UK, who took to Twitter to say she was ‘Beyond thrilled and a little stunned’ to have won.
Other winners included Cicero, named Consultancy of the Year; Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, which took home In-House Team of the Year; and National Farmers Union (NFU) for Trade Body Campaign of the Year and Party Conference Stand of the Year. Judges said the NFU ‘Back British Farming’ campaign was ‘a campaign impossible to miss’.
Newington Communications left with a double win of Planning Campaign of the Year and Voluntary Sector Campaign of the Year for its work with Capital and PupAid.
This year the Douglas Smith Prize was awarded to Christine McKenna, account manager at Grayling. Christine said: ‘I am thrilled to have received the Douglas Smith award for Young Public Affairs Professional of the Year. A tough process and a real honour.’
Francis Ingham, director general, PRCA, said: ‘The quality and standard of every entry into the awards this year continues to exceed expectations, each entry a glowing a testament to the resilience, growth, and forte of the UK’s public affairs and lobbying industry. Huge congratulations to all those who are taking home an award tonight, I look forward to seeing all of you again next year.’
The full list of winners from the night:
Best Campaign in Scotland: Marie Curie/MND Scotland
Best Campaign in Wales: Boots UK/Deryn
Best Campaign in Northern Ireland: Weber Shandwick
Corporate Campaign of the Year: Siemens
Trade Body Campaign of the Year: NFU
Local Government Campaign of the Year: Forty Shillings/Muse Developments/Dartford Borough Council
Planning Campaign of the Year: Newington Communications/Ciel Capital
Voluntary Sector Campaign of the Year: Newington Communications/PupAid
Social Media Campaign of the Year: ABI/Third City
Think Tank of the Year: Big Innovation Centre
Party Conference Fringe Event of the Year: MHP Communications
Party Conference Reception of the Year: Interel
Party Conference Stand of the Year: NFU
Best In-House Consultancy Collaboration: Connect/Resolution
Consultancy Campaign of the Year: Interel
In-house Professional of the Year: Lis Wallace, Malaria No More UK
In-House Team of the Year: Battersea Dogs & Cats Home
Consultant of the Year: Katherine Morgan, Interel
Consultancy of the Year: Cicero
Douglas Smith Prize: Christine McKenna, Grayling
Outstanding Contribution: George McGregor, Interel
https://pakxxnxu.top/uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/PRCA-Public-Affairs-Awards.jpg430760Phoebe-Jane Boyd/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Vuelio-PR-Comms-Public-Affairs-Logo.pngPhoebe-Jane Boyd2018-12-04 15:34:202018-12-04 15:35:44Another great year for Interel at the PRCA Public Affairs Awards
LifeStyleLinked is the fashion, travel, food, beauty and lifestyle blog that author Becky Bowden started 16 years ago. With everything from product reviews and tasting notes to car-buying advice and interiors tips, LifeStyleLinked is a one-stop-shop for lifestyle content. Becky spoke to us about Christmas, planning content, getting creative with brands and the joy of homecooking.
Why did you start your blog?
I started my blog when my (now 16-year-old) daughter was born. My Dad actually suggested it and even paid for my very first theme and registered the domain name. I have always loved writing and it felt like a great way to share my thoughts and meet other likeminded people online. I knew nothing about the ability to earn from a blog at that stage or how to work with brands and PRs so it really always has been a labour of love!
How has your blog changed over time?
I think as with all bloggers mine has gone through a number of different changes. I found that I wanted to cover many more topics than I initially planned and as the years went by there were so many amazing WordPress themes available that it made designing the blog itself so much easier and effective to navigate.
How do you plan content around such a broad topic base?
I spend a lot of time researching the different trends in all areas that LifeStyleLinked covers. I’ve been lucky enough to build up some amazing contacts with brands and PRs over the years and I do find that it really helps to be on their radar when it comes to new launches and news. These will very often spark an idea for a feature series or a product review that I think my readers would like. I also keep a pretty tight editorial calendar on my PC and a huge notebook of ideas, schedules and daily to-do lists. I’m a bit of a workaholic deep down but I think that comes when you are really passionate about your industry!
What’s your favourite restaurant?
I’m a bit of a home-bird so I love to cook or order in and curl up with the family. If we go for day trips I love finding sweet little country pubs with a cosy vibe. Or just point me in the direction of anywhere that sells amazing pizza and pasta and I’m happy!
How important is Christmas to your blog?
Christmas is such an exciting time of the year for me. I absolutely love planning our yearly gift guides and readers really seem to enjoy those along with all of the festive features. I think there’s such scope at this time of the year to really get creative with your content and write everything from personal blogs about how you celebrate, to image-driven features and gift guides with inspiration and shoppable links.
How do your social channels feed into your blog? Which one is the most important?
I think social obviously still plays a big part in how we promote content and it is great for keeping that line of communication open with everyone. I know Instagram has its ups and downs but I do think it’s still my favourite social platform. I love how interactive the ‘stories’ aspect of Instagram allow me to be and although I don’t shoot the beautifully edited ‘selfie’ type shots that seem to get the big hits on Instagram these days, I do still love giving sneak peeks of products and features that are going out and putting my own spin on things.
What’s going to be the big topic for you in 2019?
Home decor, for sure! We have just bought our first family home here in Somerset and we’re really excited about renovating it. I’m a huge fan of home decor blogs myself so I’m really excited to create blog content around any work that we do to the house over the next few years as well as how we eventually style it. It is such a beautiful Victorian house that there’s going to be some real scope to get creative.
What one thing should PRs and brands know about you?
That I’m always open to new and exciting ways to create content online. I really want to push boundaries with blog content going forward and think that online editorial and exciting copy is still such a solid way to share our passions.
What are the best collaborations you’ve worked on?
I absolutely loved working with Thatchers cider in the summer. Not just because I got to sample a lot of cider-based drinks (honest!) but because they let me be so creative with the campaign. I came up with a summer cocktail using Thatchers and the brand loved my finished drink so much that they ended up taking it one step further and commissioning it for their official website! I really enjoyed styling and shooting the imagery for this one too.
Tesco Jersey Royals was an amazing campaign to work on and once again really allowed me to get creative. I was cooking, shooting and styling content to show some delicious ways to use the potatoes in your summer meals.
I also love beauty and fragrance collaborations. One recent campaign that was really fun to work on was with Nivea. I was challenged to shoot and style an Instagram post for a shower gel release and I really enjoyed using Instagram stories alongside this to explain a bit about why I chose a specific family photo alongside this and what the inspiration behind the finished image really was.
Essentially, I just really love when brands communicate to you the basic elements of what they want from the campaign but allow you that creativity to really put your own spin on the finished coverage.
What other blogs do you read?
I read a lot of renovation blogs at the moment for obvious reasons and I’m loving seeing what other people have done to their homes. I’ll also always have a love of beauty blogs and lifestyle blogs as there’s always something exciting to read about in these topics!
The Winners have been revealed at the Vuelio Blog Awards 2018. The fourth annual event, the Vuelio Blog Awards are firmly established as the most respected accolades available to bloggers and annually recognise the best of the best.
Check the winners of our most recent awards, the Online Influence Awards 2019 here.
Tonight’s event brought together hundreds of bloggers, vloggers, Instagrammers and content creators where winners were chosen across 15 categories.
We are delighted to reveal to full list of winners, which for 2018 is as follows:
Beauty – Caroline Hirons
Daddy – The DADventurer
Food & Drink – Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary
Health & Fitness – Carly Rowena
Interior Design – Mad About The House
London Lifestyle – Poppy Loves
Men’s Fashion – Ape to Gentleman
Mummy – Slummy Single Mummy
Pet – Steph and the Spaniels
Political – Guido Fawkes
PR & Comms – PR Examples
Travel & Leisure – Hand Luggage Only
Wedding – Love My Dress
Women’s Fashion – Inthefrow
We are also delighted to announced that this year’s winner of the Best UK Blog is Inthefrow.
Victoria Magrath was chosen by judges not only for her outstanding blog, incredible visuals and recent redesign, but also due to her ability to set trends, publish industry tomes and embody everything an inspiration is and should be – not just in the fashion, but in the whole blogosphere.
Looking to work with bloggers, vloggers, instagrammers, podcasters and influencers? You need the Vuelio Influencer Database.
https://pakxxnxu.top/uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Vuelio-blog-Awards-2018-winners.jpg430760Phoebe-Jane Boyd/uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Vuelio-PR-Comms-Public-Affairs-Logo.pngPhoebe-Jane Boyd2018-12-01 02:42:362020-06-15 09:44:13Vuelio Blog Awards 2018: The Winners
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