All Publicity Is Good Publicity… Until It Isn’t!

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Anybody that works in PR will be familiar with the phrase “all publicity is good publicity” and perhaps even those who don’t. In fact, oftentimes it’s those who aren’t in the communications industry that tend to agree with this sentiment, thinking it’s better to have a business in the public eye – no matter the reason – than not at all.

The truth is, there are so many times when this statement is absolutely true. There are plenty of tales of brands being able to turn negativity on its head (think the Colin v Cuthbert debacle) and even times where being ‘put on blast’ has also resulted in sympathies, support, and sales for a brand.

Coincidentally, an excellent example of this occurred just this week.

Why Going Viral Is Nearly Always A Good Thing

ASDA has stocked a ‘value’ range on its shelves for years now, as have other supermarkets. Recently, the products underwent a rebrand and can now be identified by bright yellow packaging and a very striking typeface. I know this happened around a month or so ago as I’ve had many a carton of apple juice in my fridge bearing this branding since it changed 😁.

However, it’s only this week that ASDA has been making headlines, and perhaps not for any reason it intended. It was really a post by LadBible that I saw get the most attention; it said that shoppers were complaining that the redesign is ‘embarrassing poorer families’. Many commenters on Facebook agreed.

Since this post, there’ve been plenty of other articles written that bang the same drum, and lots more angry commenters and tweeters too. But something else has happened. With more conversation taking place about the packaging of the products, awareness and intrigue has increased too. Now, I’m seeing more shoppers rave about the range than complain about it – mainly talking about great the value is.

ASDA aren’t alone in offering and even expanding, its budget range amidst the cost of living crisis. But (as far as I know) it’s the only supermarket that’s recently redesigned it. Though the initial sting of criticism certainly wasn’t good for the brand, the aftermath has really helped to elevate the publicity of the products and has caused plenty of positive reactions. ASDA is continuing to promote the range well on social media too, and because of the now instantly recognisable packaging, engagement is through the roof!

So, in this case, what might have initially been a crisis for the brand, instead did a 180 and ended up really putting ASDA’s value range on the map. This has got to be a golden example for all those who’d argue there’s no such thing as bad publicity.

But… I’d still say there is.

Exceptional Situations Should Be Considered In Sweeping Statements

A lot of people that work in PR will argue that all publicity being good publicity is a huge misconception. They’re on to something!

From erstwhile examples such as the iconic case of Jerry Ratner causing the demise of his business by saying his products were ‘total crap’ on TV (yes that really happened!) to more recent debacles such as Colin v Cuthbert, where I actually think that despite Aldi’s triumph, M&S came out a lot worse off image-wise than if the legal case had never been brought about at all. Not to mention Marks & Spencers is now being repeatedly berated by its legal rival which continues to do it no favours as Aldi instead scoops up the affection.

Though I don’t deny that having your brand visible in the public domain is almost always a good thing (I am a PR after all) and going viral is, 9 times out of 10, the dream for any business we work with, I do think there are too many instances to argue that, without question, there’s no such thing as bad publicity. To name a few…

  1. Some things are unforgivable – Sometimes, brands can get rebuked for fairly surface-level things, but think about major mishaps, e.g., the allergen death caused by Pret-A-Manger. That got an incredible amount of ‘publicity’, for all the wrong reasons. Now, when people think of Natasha’s Law, they’ll think of that brand – there’s no way anyone can convince me that’s a good thing.
  2. Fame doesn’t often last long – I’d also argue that a lot of so-called ‘publicity’ is superficial. So yes, your brand may be in the news for one reason or another, it may even go viral, but admittedly weirdly as a PR, I do love that Notting Hill quote “today’s newspapers will be lining tomorrow’s wastepaper bin”. How many of these new ‘fans’ are actually going to stick around, engage with your brand, or buy your products or services? I’ve never heard of anyone selling out after going viral for the wrong This quote is also why I believe in a sustained approach when it comes to PR, instead of looking at quick wins and vanity metrics!
  3. Not everyone is quick to forget – And finally, if all publicity is good publicity, there would be no such thing as crisis communications (incidentally something we at Source are pretty prolific at). No good business would trade in its reputation and trust of stakeholders for 5 minutes of fame. PR is all about strengthening image, and being in the press for the wrong reasons can cause irreparable damage to your brand. As much as we love the idea of going viral, we never like to see our hard work unwinding! Not all debacles cause the decimation of a brand (M&S is still going strong, to give you an example) but in more serious cases, the cost of losing trusting customers can be detrimental.

There’s never a right answer to open questions, but now you know what I think!

And, if you ever find yourself in one of those ‘bad publicity’ situations, we’re always on hand to support with crisis communications. The team has decades of experience under our belt in that area, and we can help. You can reach us via our contact page.

Lionesses Score For The Rights Of Women – But We Have A Long Way To Go

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Sunday saw one of the most momentous triumphs in English football history as the female England football team did what their male counterparts had been trying to do for over 50 years – they brought football home. The England V Germany Euro 2022 final was watched by a peak BBC television audience of 17.4 million (with a further 5.9m streams on iPlayer and BBC Sport), making it the most-watched women’s football match in UK-TV history.

This victory and the hype around it are the perfect opportunity to utilise the chance to truly champion sports for women and girls, and the outstanding performance of the Lionesses feels like it has been the beginning of a positive shift in the right direction.

 The history of football in England

As many of us have learnt in the last week, the Football Association banned women playing the game in 1921 for 50 years. To put that into context, here are just some ground-breaking things that happened for women in the UK during that time period:

  • 1928 – All women in Britain gain the same voting rights as men
  • 1956 – Legal reforms take place to say female teachers and civil servants should receive equal pay
  • 1961 – The contraceptive Pill was introduced and widely available in the UK – for married women only
  • 1967 – Unmarried women were deemed trustworthy enough to control their own reproductive organs and therefore allowed to be prescribed the pill

You catch my drift.

 Riding the wave to create positive change

What makes this group of women’s victory even more special is that they have come from a generation where playing the game is not the norm. When you think about it, their mothers will likely have grown up as children and teenagers during the time the sport was banned for them. Not only have the England squad likely inspired a whole generation of girls (and boys, I hope) to play football, they’ve also called for the next Prime Minister to allow girls to  play football in school. Their open letter has been shared by the likes of Ian Wright, Rio Ferdinand and Jordan Henderson, using the hashtag #LetGirlsPlay.

An open letter to the next PM

The amount of media coverage surrounding the England victory and its aftermath has been brilliant to see, as historically women’s sports receive only around four per cent of all sports media coverage, despite 40% of sports participants being women. It would be naive to think that this one event will now mean that media outlets start to equalise coverage of men and women’s sport, however it’s progressive and I hope it begins to create a shift and go towards helping with gender stereotypes.

Looking to the future

For many women, the win on Sunday wasn’t JUST about the football, but in fact another small step towards equality in all female sports on and off the pitch. In sports journalism, commentating, coaching, refereeing: the list goes on. I hope that this watershed moment will help to shape the present and future for women in sport and the media portrayal of women’s sport.

If you think the team at Source could help you score with your PR or media relations, get in touch!

 

Exploring A Korean PR Jack(pot) In The Box

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Written by our PR intern and university student Bridie Buckingham…

Sometimes the universe serves up an opportunity on a golden platter…

As I’m currently living in South Korea whilst interning at Source PR one day a week remotely, I thought it only fitting to write about this recent homonymic occurrence that worked out pretty well for those involved. Have you ever heard of the American fast-food chain “Jack in the Box”? How about global k-pop sensation BTS?

Well recently, Jack in the Box’s social-media team woke up to find the fast-food chain’s mentions inexplicably spiking on numerous platforms. It was all thanks to BTS’ J-hope who had just announced the title of his solo debut album: Jack in the Box.

Fans of BTS were already starting to connect the Jacks — “Jack in the box should do a meal for Hobi,” one tweeted, referencing J-Hope’s nickname.

Small Girls PR, who represents the fast-food restaurant of the same name,

recognized the opportunity for an authentic social connection and jumped into action by creating a social media and in-store campaign to take advantage of the coincidence. The efforts earned more than 600,000 social media impressions, hits in Billboard, The LA Times and TODAY.com all for no budget.

The tweets on the official @jackinthebox account were playful and clever: “can’t believe he wrote an album in my honour,” read the first…

…Followed by a double-Spiderman meme marked “me” and “J-Hope.”

The official @BTS_twt account liked both tweets.

As for its in-store campaign, Jack in the Box announced it would be giving fans a free drink in the K-pop star’s honour. The fast-food chain worked with Sprite (widely known as J-Hope’s favourite thirst quencher) to hype a new free-drink-with-a-meal plan. “I love anything named after me annnddd Sprite. This Friday use the code ANDSPRITE in the Jack in the Box app to redeem a FREE Medium Sprite with any purchase. #IYKYK #JackInTheBox,”

The resulting promotion took advantage of free advertising, all without contacting BTS or its music company, HYBE. It’s an unusual corporate connection for the BTS team, which aggressively markets its own music and merch worldwide (BT21 anyone?).

Despite drawing nearly 39,000 likes for its free-drinks tweet, many from the BTS ARMY, Jack in the Box did not have to pay for anything in a sponsorship deal — though the chain is open to one, much like its competitor did.

Jack in the Box isn’t the first fast-food chain to hop on the BTS bandwagon. In April 2021, the k-pop group teamed up with McDonald’s for the restaurant’s Famous Orders campaign, which led to the release of a limited-edition BTS 10-piece McNugget meal and two special sauces.

Such serendipity doesn’t happen every day, but when it does it’s a sight to behold.

I loved this classic PR tale and watching it unfold, especially from Korea itself!

‘A Whole New Ball Game’ – Unorthodox PR stunts In The Early Premier League

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The new Premier League season begins in just under a month and that prospect whether tantalising or harrowing, depending on your allegiances, means that the big league’s 30th birthday is also just around the corner.

Now in its fourth decade, the Premier League is recognised as the biggest in the world with an audience of 3 billion+ from 188 out of the 193 countries recognised by the UN, tuning in to games over the course of the season.

This is complemented by a slick international marketing campaign that is unique to different territories and highly engaging.

However, 30 years ago, this reality was the stuff of fantasy for Premier League chiefs who were looking to marketing agencies to improve football’s reach, at a time when the sport’s potential had been largely left untapped.

The ‘slum sport’ and the Italia 90 revolution

During the late 1980s, English football was headed into sharp decline.

Stadiums were crumbling, finances were precarious, and attendances were plummeting.

A European ban meant that many of the English game’s biggest stars were seeking pastures new on the continent or north of the border, reducing the quality of First Division football.

Meanwhile, hooliganism was rife, which turned many fans away from football and the violence prompted the Times to brand it as a ‘slum sport’.

However, Italia 90 marked a sea change as all of a sudden through England’s success and the country’s transfixion with the trials and tribulations of the World Cup that year, there was a marketing opportunity.

Jim White of the Telegraph noted that ‘lights [went] on in brains’ of the next generation of media and marketing moguls who spotted the mass appeal of football.

Up until 1992 the Football League had had four divisions, but a breakaway league was proposed by top-flight chairmen that year, as a means of bringing more money into the game and Rupert Murdoch’s BskyB, who saw the earning potential, were willing to bankroll it.

So, with the multi-million pound backing of Sky Television the clubs of the First Division broke away from the century old Football League to form the Premier League.

‘A Whole New Ball Game’

In anticipation for the launch of the Premier League, Sky had assembled a marketing team who had hurriedly set about coming up with a number of PR strategies in the close season, that would attempt to launch the league into the stratosphere.

A number of lessons had been learned from the US about how to market a sport, with takeaways from how merchandising, advertising and entertainment could help brand the league effectively.

Stadiums were kitted out with rolling advertising boards and with extra TV coverage, companies would have to pay more to have their names around the pitch.

Another of the key lessons from the States was to introduce ‘Monday Night Football’, a concept that had enjoyed tremendous popularity across the Atlantic and that was statistically a timeslot which attracted the most women, an important demographic for Sky to reach.

This would bolster interest in the sport from a new audience and the wider branding strategies would increase the awareness of the Premier League.

However, no marketing campaign is complete without a slogan befitting of its seismic nature.

‘A whole new ball game’, was almost exactly what football in the Premier League eventually became, a sport completely alien from its previous down-to-earth but rather unfashionable Football League forerunner.

The phrase almost foresaw the inexorable rise of the league and was particularly important as it used sporting language to show the public that this was a break with the troubled recent past.

This was further emphasised by the accompanying television advert sound-tracked by Simple Minds’ Alive and Kicking which has proved to be equally as iconic.

The unorthodox side of the Premier League’s early marketing

In truth, however, it wasn’t all Simple Minds and clever advertising strategies when it came to marketing an infant Premier League.

No, the early days were marked by trial-and-error PR stunts that, nonetheless, garnered a bewildered sort of interest in what was happening to English football’s top division from the public.

The first ‘Monday Night Football’ match of the new season was between Manchester City and Queens Park Rangers on a sunny August evening.

It provided Sky with the perfect opportunity to showcase their more unorthodox marketing tactics due to the larger anticipated audience share.

As soon as the opening titles abate, however, the chaos unfolds.

The second verse of Alive and Kicking immediately come into earshot, amid a cheerleading routine from the on-brand ‘Sky Strikers’ who would bring American-style pre-match entertainment to Moss Side.

Anchor Richard Keys continued to emphasise the ubiquitous appeal of the new Premier League by declaring it ‘fun for the family’.

The camera then quickly pans away from the cheerleaders to a plane carrying the Sky logo and the ‘whole new ball game’ slogan.

Inside 2 minutes, a whole host of marketing has been packed in but most of it rather unconventional.

By the end of the season, the ‘Sky Strikers’ would be gone after the channel realised that this American-style entertainment didn’t whet the appetite of viewers on this side of the Atlantic and the flyovers would cease.

During the season there would be other unusual PR stunts but none quite as bizarre as the sumo wrestling fight that took place before a night fixture at Leeds’ Elland Road.

Two men carrying giant inflated sumo wrestlers rolled and tumbled towards each other in a pitiful ‘fight’ in the middle of the pitch and were met with a somewhat cool reception from the Yorkshire crowd.

In other instances, groups like The Shamen and Undercover would perform before kick-off or at half time to ensure that the crowd were entertained and back at Maine Road, Frank Sidebottom would appear on the pitch in front of the Manchester City faithful.

Ultimately, though, there was method to the madness.

One of the key marketing figures Jon Smith said, in response to the chaotic entertainment and PR stunts, that his team wanted to ‘do better than a brass band at half time’.

It may have been bizarre at times, but the philosophy of not doing things quietly was born and it would set the tone for the Premier League in years to come.

If you think the team at Source could help you with your PR or media relations, get in touch!

The Jump from Studying PR To Working In PR

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It’s been three months since I started my first ever PR job at Source, so I thought it would be a good time to reflect on my journey so far, and how university set me up for my role as a Junior Account Executive.

First off, I can truly say my role within Source PR has been everything I imagined and more! As a new graduate, the company has really been the place where I can put my knowledge to the test, as well as grow and develop my career.

As you may have guessed from the title, I studied Business and Public Relations at John Moors University. Over the three years, I covered a wide range of modules, from crisis management, campaign management and digital marketing, just to name a few!

The jump from university to my first PR job was scary. After all, my only knowledge of the PR world was just from what I had learned in the classroom. Although I felt that it didn’t hinder my knowledge when it came to starting my new job role. With some degrees, the things you learn within the lecture halls won’t carry through when actually working within a role, but I think my PR course was different.

I started my role at Source in May 2022, and was introduced to the wonderful world of PR. With a large client base and a range of different responsibilities, it was time to get stuck in. My role as a Junior Account Executive covers a wide basis. Every client has different needs; therefore, every day brings something new. I could be writing blogs, managing social media posts, or writing press releases. One thing I love about my job is getting to venture out to any campaigns clients have and meeting new people, there’s always something exciting going on.

What I have learned at university had really helped me when starting at Source PR, having dabbled in so many areas like blog writing and press releases, thankfully made the transition from university to work that bit smoother.

Of course, working here, the learning never stops! The team I work with have been amazing at helping me settle in and learn the ropes and I can’t wait to continue my journey here at Source, It’s safe to say I picked the perfect PR role.

Working With Influencers – Takeaways From The Cheshire Creatives Club Workshop

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Last month, I was very honoured to be on the panel of the Cheshire Creative Club’s ‘A Content Creators Toolkit’ workshop in Alderley Edge. The group describes itself as an inclusive network for North West based creatives, and naturally, we’re pleased to be members at Source PR.

The workshop was all around how influencers can work with brands, and vice versa really – it’s a two way street! I was there to offer advice from a PR’s perspective on how content creators can approach agencies who represent brands they’d like to work with, and also to sing the praises of influencer marketing to the businesses I met with too.

I left the Churchill Tree, where the event was held, though, feeling as though I took away even more than I gave. The room was packed full of influencers from all over the North West who had no end of interesting insights and anecdotes. I learned so much from them, and I wanted to write up my takeaways today in a roundup of everything you need to know about working with influencers in 2022. The communications industry is ever changing, an influencer marketing is a strand that’s no different, so it’s important for us at Source PR that we’re working in the latest landscape!

3 Things I Learned About Working With Influencers In 2022

Understand ASA guidelines

One of the most tangible elements of influencer marketing, are the boundaries around working with content creators and respecting the rules they have to follow too. The information from the Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) changes regularly, and this can heavily regulate the content that an influencer may share on your behalf. Not only as a PR or business should you be mindful of this and never ask someone that you’re working with to bend the rules (which I found out had been the case for some!), but you should also be including this within your terms and agreements too, to maintain a good ethical marketing practice.

You can find out more information on the ASA website, but a friend of Source PR and who I sat alongside on the panel, Bethany Francesca, was extremely clued up on the whole thing and gave a succinct rundown which was pretty much… Whether you’ve been gifted it, or paid to promote it, you must mark it as an ad. A good format to follow is:

  • Ad (gifted) – acknowledging something was sent to you for free, but that you have not been asked to promote it in any way
  • Ad (PR) – acknowledging something was sent to you for free, and you have been asked to promote it on your feed
  • Ad / Promotion – acknowledging that you have been paid to promote a product, or service, and that copy and prompts may have been provided to you

It’s not just about being ethical as a brand either. Influencers that make sure that they follow guidelines rigidly are also likely to have more trust from their followers, who know that they’re being shown authentic content with genuine opinions.

It’s key for businesses to work with these types of creators.

Working with influencers in 2022

Be careful with how you contact

Despite being on the panel at the workshop, it was great to hear from the other side of the room too. The session was so interactive, and for every point I was made there was always something to support it. One thing I was particularly interested to hear about, was how influencers like to be contacted. When working with influencers, especially in 2022 after a couple of turbulent years, it’s important to establish a positive relationship as soon as possible.

It’s important to acknowledge that everyone has different communication preferences from brands and PRs, some prefer email whilst others would rather be ‘DMed’ on social directly. As a business it’s our job to determine that, but usually it’s pretty easy to work out. If an influencer has their email address in their bio, then send them a note that way. If they don’t but their DMs are open, then that’s the option you should take.

It should really go without saying, but I learned that so many still get it wrong. Your pitch to an influencer should always be personal. Most people (including me despite having barely any followers) have had those “Hi babe, we love your page, would you like to promote our product?” messages to their social. Instant delete. As a genuine business with an authentic proposition, you want to make sure your message isn’t coming across in the same way – make your words targeted and honest, and most importantly, make sure the influencer knows you’re speaking to them.

Instigating a positive response from the first contact sets a good foundation for a healthy relationship moving forward, and when working with influencers this is really important in ensuring your partnership works for both of you.

Pay people what they’re worth

Finally, and a big message from Jenny and Amanda who hosted the workshop, was a resounding one. Freelance doesn’t mean FREE. If you’re asking an influencer to share your messages and promote your product or service, you have to expect to offer some remunerations. You wouldn’t ask a magazine for a free advertising space, would you?

Of course, not all gifted opportunities are paid, and the influencers in the room agreed that they would only take one of these partnerships if it fit their brand, but also was something that they wanted to have or wanted to do (or would have done or bought already). For example, a parenting influencer may really appreciate complimentary tickets to an event, but we can’t always expect content creators to want to talk about your product for no money. After all, they need to pay the bills too.

The key message really, is to not take the mick. If you’d pay for this kind of promotion in a magazine, then you should be paying an influencer for it too. Building a good rapport is done on mutual respect, and the more you can offer the creators you work with, the more they’ll be able to do for you in return too.

Influencer Marketing In 2022

If this all sounds like a world you’d like to explore, but you’ve not got the time to handle it – why not talk to us? We have great relationships with influencers in Cheshire and have databases of those across the country. We also have years of experience in influencer marketing and have lived through the many changes of this discipline first hand. If you’d like to get in touch, do reach out and we’ll have a chat about how influencers could help your business.

Working with influencers in 2022

Credit: Yasmin Thomas Photography

Thank You!

And finally, I’d just like to say a massive thank you to Jenny Schippers and Amanda Cope for asking me to be on the panel at the Cheshire Creatives Club workshop. I absolutely love being a part of the group and it was so good to learn from the others in the room, as well as offer my advice too.

Is Love Island To Blame For The Rise And Impending Fall Of Fast Fashion?

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Love Island is set to grace our screens for the next six weeks, and for the first time ever, islanders will be wearing pre-loved clothing with eBay as its official partner, ‘dumping’ former fashion sponsor of several years, I Saw It First.

This news came as global fashion giant Missguided announced its administration plans, which led us to question – can a reality dating show be to blame for the rise and subsequent fall of the fast-fashion empire?

Adopting A New Approach

This year, Love Island is adopting a more sustainable approach when it comes to dressing its islanders. The show has teamed up with eBay, alongside vintage stores, and charity shops to showcase what preloved items you can find online. This came as a great surprise at first, especially seeing as previous series of the show have been sponsored by fast fashion brands including Boohoo, Pretty Little Thing and most recently, I Saw It First. Islanders could be seen in the brand’s clothing, which people at home could purchase for as little as £5 (and they did!).

Love Island’s Influence On Buying Habits

Love Island is undoubtedly a pioneer within the fast fashion industry. With an 11% rise in clothing sales observed whilst the show ran last summer, it has a massive influence on what young people buy and where they buy from. On social media, it’s widely known that young people follow the show’s participants and other reality stars, which influences their dress choices. Following their appearances on television, these celebrities frequently remain in the public spotlight, using their platforms to promote fashion businesses. Ex islander Molly-Mae made a name for herself and the brand Pretty Little Thing (PLT) when she became Creative Director of the company in 2022. Her following has risen exponentially since her appearance on the show, which in turn contributes to the millions of sales from her collaboration with PLT.

The fall Of Fast Fashion

More recently, however, the show has been criticised for encouraging fast fashion, coming to a boil when in 2019, Missguided advertised a £1 bikini during an ad break for Love Island, with former contestants modelling the said item of clothing.  This no doubt cemented the link between extreme fast fashion and reality television, which it had been accused of promoting for years. Despite its widely publicised environmental consequences, the industry continues to thrive. Public consciousness has struggled to compete with the low-cost and quick turnaround benefits of mass production.

It’s Cool To Be Sustainable 🌎

Gen Z has long been considered ‘woke’ when it comes to issues that concern the environment today. In a recent study it was seen that this generation is more likely to buy sustainable, high-quality, products. 73% of Generation Z consumers are willing to pay 10% more for sustainable products, in fact! In terms of ‘second hand’ and ‘preloved’ clothing apps we’ve already seen a jump in second-hand clothing sites like Depop and Vinted, buying vintage and thrifted clothing is seen as ‘cool’ amongst young people nowadays. As the islanders grace our screens tonight for the first time this year, will this notion only be cemented as thrifting and re-selling become cemented as ‘trendy’?

Saying Goodbye To Fast Fashion?

Public and viewer buying habits are very much influenced by the people they see on TV, but will we see a decline in sales from fast fashion brands and a rise in second-hand buying?

Of course, only time can tell.

But what we can say, is we hope to see a shift in the fashion industry when it comes to sustainability, many brands like John Lewis and Selfridges have already opted into second-hand shopping services for customers to combat clothing waste. With the new move from love Island, it’s expected that many brands will hopefully follow suit including fast fashion industries.

It’s PR Not ER: Reflecting On Changing Attitudes In PR

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So much has changed over the eight (or so!) years that I’ve spent working in PR, an industry that is known for being one of the most stressful to work in. According to PRWeek, the stress of the job was magnified during the pandemic. With the combination of juggling client relationships, deadlines, meetings and all around wanting to do our best work for clients, it’s easy to see why working at a PR agency particularly has a reputation for being a stressful working environment.

 

However, in the time I’ve worked in the industry, I’ve certainly seen a positive shift in attitudes towards working hours and mental health. In this blog, I reflect on some personal experiences and why the phrase ‘it’s PR not ER’ is one that has stuck with me over the years.

 

Throwback to 2015

 

I started working at my first PR agency in 2015 as a fresh-faced and enthusiastic account executive. I’d had a couple of post-grad jobs before that which were great to get me into the world of full-time work, but I consider the first agency I worked at as when my career really began. Although I loved the variety of work, my team, the clients, the B2B element particularly, I was on the road a lot, often not getting back until very late at night after a few days away at a time and getting back into the office again first thing the morning after. At the time, flexible working in that kind of job was unheard of. Taking TOIL (Time Off in Lieu) for sometimes extra-long hours spent working was not the done thing and the stereotypical old-school attitude of eye-rolls by management for the first person to leave the office at 5.30pm was rife.

 

Back then, working from home for me was not an option, and there was a pressure to always be ‘on’, an attitude that my colleague Jess Pardoe describes perfectly in her blog around mental health awareness in the PR industry. Alongside the travelling, there was a fair amount of alcohol and parties, and don’t get me wrong, I’m not afraid of either! However, I recall nights out in London where we weren’t ‘allowed’ to go home until all the clients had done (I’m older and wiser now and I know I’d be more inclined to stick up for myself if I was told at 3am that I wasn’t allowed to go to bed just because a client wanted to stay up and carry-on drinking). Unfortunately, this attitude wasn’t agency specific, this kind outlook working in PR and marketing agencies seemed to be across the board.

 

However, I’ve seen a shift over the years and thankfully many agencies have begun to recognise that teams don’t want or need a ping pong table or a ball pond in the office, they want flexible working, a fair salary and autonomy over their working day.

 

Is in-house PR better than agency?

 

When entering the PR world, one question on many graduate’s lips is what’s the difference between in house PR and working in a PR agency, or what is working at a PR agency like? Naturally, new grads are curious, as was I.

 

I’d traditionally worked in an agency environment but a lot changed for me during those strange years at the height of the COVID pandemic, and I decided to try something new in my career in a shift to working in-house. I was intrigued to find out what it would be like to be completely focused on one business, rather than juggling multiple clients at once.

 

There are of course pros and cons of both sides of the spectrum, and every place of work is different, but after a few months I found myself missing the agency life. There’s nothing quite like working across a variety of clients and having a team around you that just GET IT. It’s cliche but in an agency no two days are the same. One day you can be working on a new client pitch, conducting a messaging workshop or helping to organise a large-scale event, and the next you’re visiting a client’s factory dressed head-to-toe in PPE conducting a video shoot, or on the rooftop of a skyscraper building taking in the views and learning about the development.

 

The future of PR

 

A wise manager of mine once told me, ‘it’s PR not ER’ and it’s a phrase I’ve never forgotten, because she was absolutely right. As PR professionals, we strive to do the best work we can for our clients, but we can only do this if we aren’t burnt out and allow ourselves to switch off and have down time.

 

I’m glad to see that new grads, often from Generation Z are looking for more from their place of work and many agencies are now offering flexible and hybrid working, as well as more competitive benefits than were offered in the UK when I first entered the world of work.

 

As the buoyant job market and fight to recruit the best talent continues, I hope that this can only be a positive thing for employees, meaning businesses will continue to put people’s mental health first.

 

Source PR’s MD Louis understands the importance of looking after the team’s wellbeing, learn more about Source’s values.

 

Investigating How PR Helped Labour To A Landslide Win 25 Years Ago

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Believe it or not, it is possible to see exactly where ‘Cool Britannia’ reached its high watermark.

It wasn’t at the Trainspotting film premiere or the 1996 Brit Awards, it was in fact at Downing Street of all places.

Why? A transformed Labour Party had just swept to power with an historic election win under its, at the time, charismatic leader Tony Blair.

In the wake of this victory, the new Prime Minister held a drinks reception at Number 10, which saw him host the great and the good of British society.

A now infamous image of him shaking hands with Noel Gallagher emerged from the bash which came to symbolise the unlikely fusion of politics and culture that took place in the mid-1990s.

Between Tony Blair’s election as leader in 1994 and the eve of election three years later, Labour had manoeuvred themselves into a position where they had become inextricably linked to the burgeoning Cool Britannia movement and subsequently the party of hope.

The movement symbolised optimism, hope and new beginnings and was sound tracked by Britpop and characterised by a rare self-assuredness in British culture, highlighted by Trainspotting’s warning to Hollywood that ‘their time was up’.

So how did PR help Labour to victory?

Past PR Failures

 It was no accident that Blair’s Labour found themselves at the heart of this.

Spearheaded by former journalist Alastair Campbell, the party employed a communications and PR strategy that centred on a consistent message of ‘newness’, positivity and the prospect of a ‘new dawn’ for the country.

However, having such a well-oiled media machine was a novelty for the party.

In the 1980s, Labour became synonymous with defeat, after losses in 1983 and 1987. Frankly it needed a brand overhaul.

During the eighties, the ‘Red Wedge’ movement, which saw figures such as Paul Weller promoting the party, seemed to be the perfect PR opportunity but ultimately it failed to translate to election success.

By 1992, however, election success was a real possibility after the Conservatives were deemed responsible for economic failures and Labour responded with the slogan ‘It’s Time for Labour’.

Despite party confidence, victory once again eluded them. This was, in part, down to a huge PR gaffe as reports emerged that a Party Election Broadcast about a sick little girl was fraudulent and this led to ethical questions in the media about the PEB, which damaged the party’s prospects.

The gaffe, known as ‘Jennifer’s Ear’, was a turning point in the election and cost them and the party’s incoherent public relations strategy was floundering in comparison to the Conservatives’ campaign.

With advertising giant Saatchi and Saatchi, the Conservative Party produced a series of slick and powerful billboards such as the famous boxing gloves image claiming a Labour government would bring in a ‘double whammy’ of higher prices on one hand and higher taxes on the other.

The Conservatives’ scare tactics warning against a Labour government worked well and many political commentators opine that the former’s victory was merely as a result of the electorate’s lack of trust in the latter.

Emphasising A ‘Newness’

 From the 1994 election onwards, Blair and his team set about re-branding the party to distance themselves from the past election failures and showcase to the electorate that this was the party of the new century.

With Campbell onboard as a relatively unknown campaign director, Labour had a clear and strategic message which helped them to re-brand.

This was obvious from the outset as in Blair’s first party conference speech as leader, he included the slogan ‘new Labour, new Britain’.

‘New Labour’ would be central to how the party marketed itself and it has been claimed by Blair that it was Campbell who coined the name.

‘New’ was the key buzzword for Labour in their campaigning, highlighting themselves as a modernising force that was in sharp contrast to the Conservatives, who they framed as antiquated and out of touch.

This strategy was key to how they would cast themselves alongside the Cool Britannia movement. In fact, they thrust themselves into the movement at the 1996 Brit Awards when Tony Blair presented the Outstanding Contribution award at that year’s ceremony.

Presenting this award was an opportunity that Blair took to position he and his party as relatable and a far cry from the culturally out-of-touch politics of old.

Cool Britannia symbolised a positivity in the light of the new millennium that was similarly exalted by Blair and his party who rode this wave perfectly.

By emphasising a ‘newness’, Labour were able to position themselves as synonymous with the cultural powerhouses of the time and seemed to offer hope to the electorate, while framing the Conservatives as the polar opposite.

With the D-Ream hit ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ sound tracking the party’s campaign, this newness and fresh-thinking made the public think that things really could only get better.

Getting The Message Across

Back in 1992, the tabloids had waged a war on Labour, denouncing them at every turn.

The Sun were the most vehement opponent of the party, producing infamous headlines such as ‘If Kinnock wins, will the last person to leave Britain turn out the lights?’.

However, in the five years that followed, the party had been able to woo journalists and courted moguls such as Rupert Murdoch into supporting New Labour.

This meant that having once been the denouncer of the party, Britain’s biggest newspapers The Sun and Murdoch’s other red-top The News of the World, were now ardent supporters of New Labour.

Not only did they have the press onside but as part of a new centralised comms organisation at Millbank Tower, New Labour’s message was a unified and well-oiled one, unlike days gone by when it could often be confused and fragmented.

These two factors combined helped the party to deliver key, coherent messages to the electorate about their competencies and deflect attention away from the Conservatives scare-mongering of the ‘new danger’ of New Labour.

Their campaign director Alastair Campbell, a former journalist himself, understood the mechanics of the media and he employed clever soundbites and, the now much maligned, spin to ensure that Labour’s message was clear and positive.

Using the media in such a way, along with centralising communications, meant that the party could communicate to the electorate that they could be trusted on issues such as the economy and crime, with their slogan ‘tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime’ proving effective.

It Was PR Wot Won It

 While the famous Sun headline ‘It was the Sun wot won it’ celebrated a Conservative victory over Labour in 1992, the very same paper was celebrating the reverse result in ’97.

A huge part of Labour’s election win 25 years ago, was down to its ability to communicate and using the media to its advantage.

It also rode the wave of optimism and hope in Britain that was propelled by Britpop, Brit Art a burgeoning film scene and maybe even England’s success at Euro 96 and positioned itself front and centre of this.

This created the perfect electoral cocktail that was guzzled by a triumphant party just as, as they claimed, ‘a new dawn ha[d] broken’.

 

Featured image from Flickr: https://flickr.com/photos/axeley/2526998419/in/photolist-4RiwAg-2kWs6ka-MFQhcH-bs3QPm-7iTDku-bs3QEw-8Gkni8

 

In-article image from Flickr:  https://flickr.com/photos/scottishpoliticalarchive/5181666183/in/photolist-8TToQ8-z7wUJ-4uVxGe-BEC2K-4nFaBr-4nTWc3-z7wt7-z7wrB-7UfLqj-dN9PeL-4nCuTF-3nECci-ASNx5z-BECz3A-4oeqC5-rRRkKQ-4oamyz-4nCuT6-YfBeRg-3nK7JU-3nK7EC-3nEChe-YsX4TT-YcWy3s-95o86E-5RUeW4-4D5JXx-9VdpLH-wu7w43-cAUExd-agCYsg-7Ucvur-7Ucv44-5gwtK8-YuHPaB-2jBMsYK-avHLUm-8u3rbV-2h9sdZ7-2h9sdVV-2h9pDCH-2h9sdP2-2h9sdXD-2h9rprA-2h9pDxH-2h9pDBa-2h9rpvD-2h9rpFZ-dyWDSd-2gM3d

My Experience Studying PR at University

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Moving away for university was something I always wanted to do. Being from a small town in the North of Ireland, it felt like most people followed the same path staying at home for university. I wanted a fresh start in a new city. Following in my brothers’ footsteps I decided Liverpool would be the perfect place to make that new start.

I studied business at A-level, which was something I thoroughly enjoyed, therefore wanting to continue down that path at university.

When applying for university, John Moores really stood out to me. The university’s facility of business offered a range of business degrees and specialist areas. The opportunity of courses the university provided helped me decide on a specialist degree in Business and Public Relations.

Why Did I Choose PR?

Public Relations was something I had little to no knowledge on, but the university modules intrigued me to want to learn more. With modules including ‘Creative Media’, ‘Event Management’ and ‘Marketing Communications’, these were some new areas I was interested in exploring.

Throughout the course I began to see and learn how important Public Relations was within a business, such as with the rise of ‘influencers’ and a whole online world where companies could now promote and market themselves. Whilst working through a range of different modules I got to experience how PR helps to run a businesses, from writing press releases to crisis comms and even dabbling in digital marketing skills like google analytics.

‘Integrated digital marketing’ was one of the most engaging and interesting modules I took at university. The module included the building and design of a holiday website for upmarket clients selling luxury properties. Blogs and email campaigns were also elements within the website creation.

I got to where I am now because of the experience I received throughout the course, particularly in the digital marketing module. I current work as a Junior Account Executive with Source PR, I am pleased to be able to put my newfound knowledge to use.