In-House vs PR Agency: Which is Best When You’re Starting Out in PR?

/in , , , /by

When you’re first starting a career in Public Relations it can feel a bit like standing at a crossroads. One sign says, “In-House PR”, the other says “PR Agency”, and you’re stood there wondering which way to go. I’ve been lucky enough to dip my toes in both worlds early on.  

During my placement year, I worked in-house at Bentley Motors, surrounded by incredible cars and even more incredible people. And now, just after graduating with a First Class Honours Degree from Liverpool John Moores University in Business and Public Relations, I’ve landed my first big girl job at Source PR, a boutique PR and marketing agency in the North West 

Both roles offer a wide range of valuable experiences and opportunities, and this got me thinking where is the best place to begin a career in PR? In-house or agency? With that in mind I thought it might be useful to share what I’ve learned about the pros and cons of each, especially if you’re just starting out and wondering where you’ll thrive. 

 

So, what is in-house PR? 

In-house PR means you’re working directly for one brand. Your job is to live and breathe its personality, values, and voice every single day. 

During my time at Bentley, my world was all about luxury. From press releases to social media posts, everything needed to reflect the craftsmanship and heritage behind the brand. I also got to see how PR connects with the wider business. The communications team was involved in everything, from marketing, events, and product launches to areas you might not expect, like HR, Finance, and even Manufacturing. It’s a truly immersive way to experience PR. 

 

And what about a PR agency? 

An agency is a completely different pace. Instead of representing one brand, you’re working with lots of different clients, each with their own tone of voice, industry, and goals. 

Here at Source PR, one day I might be writing a blog for a construction company, the next I’m helping with a food brand’s product launch. It keeps you on your toes and there’s never really a “same” day twice. 

 

The perks of starting out in-house 

  • You get deep knowledge of one brand. 
  • You see how PR fits into the bigger business picture. 
  • You build close, consistent relationships with the same people. 
  • The pace can be a little more predictable compared to agency life. 

 

The downsides of starting out in-house 

  • It can feel less varied and possibly repetitive, as you work with one brand, with one style of messaging. 
  • You only gain experience in one industry and while it can be great for building deep expertise, it can make it difficult to move into other sectors later.  
  • Career progression can be slower unless there’s a big comms department. 

 

The perks of starting out in an agency 

  • There’s a lot of variety as you work with different clients and industries. 
  • You learn quickly, the faster pace forces you to pick things up fast. 
  • You grow your network beyond one brand, something that is invaluable especially in your early career. 
  • You build a broad portfolio of work early on. 

 

The challenges of agency life 

  • The faster pace can be challenging; you’ll constantly be juggling several clients and projects at the same time. 
  • You don’t always get to see the long-term impact of campaigns. You might work on a fantastic campaign but once it’s done, you’re instantly on to the next project.  
  • Balancing multiple clients means switching priorities at a moment’s notice, something urgent may pop up and a more relaxed day can quickly turn. 

 

The advice I’ve kept hearing  

I’ve received advice from multiple people as I’ve began building a career in PR, my lecturers, my manager at Bentley and other PR professionals. Most of them have said:  

“If you can, start out in an agency, then move in-house later if you want to specialise.” 

Their reasoning? Agency life gives you a huge variety of experiences and skills right at the start, which makes you even more valuable if you do decide to go in-house later. It also gives you the opportunity to explore what areas you enjoy the most.  

It’s not a hard rule, plenty of people do it the other way around but I can already see why it’s popular advice. 

 

How do you choose which is right for you? 

Think about: 

  • Do you like variety and a faster pace, or do you prefer to focus on one brand long-term? 
  • Do you want to explore multiple industries, or go deep into one? 
  • Where do you see yourself in a few years? A brand spokesperson, or a multi-sector PR all-rounder? 

 

Final thought

There’s no one “right” way to start your PR career. My year at Bentley gave me a front-row seat to brand storytelling. Now, at Source PR, I’m learning how to tell lots of different stories all at once. 

Whether you go in-house, agency, or hop between the two, the most important thing is to take every opportunity you can because every experience teaches you something new. 

3 Mistakes You’re Making When Blog Writing

/in , , /by

When I joined Source PR a year and a half ago, I thought I had blog writing in the bag. As an English Literature graduate, I was used to writing thousands of words, unpicking texts from every angle and weaving in as much context as possible. But PR blog writing is a little different to that. 

The shift from academic writing to clear, concise, client-focused blogs has been a learning curve. So, if you’re just starting out in PR or are looking to fine-tune your blog writing, here are my top three mistakes to avoid. 

 

  1. Not Taking Your Time

When I first started out, I had no idea how long a blog should take me. Was I being slow? Too quick? Should research take me 30 minutes or two hours?  

I quickly learned that there’s no “perfect” timeframe for blog writing and what matters far more is the quality of what you write.  

Often, research takes longer than writing and that’s okay. I’d actually encourage it. The time you spend gathering information is what’s going to make your blog unique and valuable, not just to the reader, but to the client too. I’ve had times where researching has helped uncover new industry insights that even the client hadn’t come across before. 

Especially in B2B PR, where topics can be niche or technical, giving yourself time to read, plan and write is essential. Sometimes you’ll be in the zone and finish a blog in two hours; other times, especially post-lunch on a cosy afternoon, it might take a little longer, and because we’re not AI bots, that’s normal. Likewise, if you’re working on one client that you know inside out, and one that you are only just becoming familiar with, one is going to be a far quicker feat than the other.  

 

  1. Not Evaluating Your Research Properly

We’ve all heard the “don’t use Wikipedia” speech from teachers, and while that might sound a bit outdated, the principle still applies. You mustn’t take what you find online at face value. At the end of the day, if you search ‘is the Earth flat?’ you’ll find the majority of articles saying ‘no’ but there will still be one out there that inaccurately says ‘yes, the Earth is flat’. 

When you’re referencing statistics or studies, look at how the data was gathered. A survey of 50 people won’t be nearly as robust as one with 500+ respondents. Reputable sources like Statista, Mintel Reports, or official government and industry publications are extremely reliable sources so stick to these if you are unsure.  

Don’t be afraid to check in with your client either. You may be the expert when it comes to comms, but they are the industry expert. PR work is ultimately a partnership, so don’t hesitate to flag anything with them. After all, it’ll only show you’re keen on the account.  

 

  1. Writing Too Much

Early on, I thought the longer the blog, the better. I’d aim for 1,000+ words because more words means more value, right? I quickly learned that that’s not necessarily true. 

SEO experts (like Yoast) generally recommend that client blogs sit around 700 words. It’s enough to explain your point, support it with relevant data and keep your audience engaged, without overwhelming them. 

The same goes for social media content too. While it’s tempting to write all you’ve just researched on ‘pressure-vacuum relief valves’, it won’t be punchy on social media unless you keep it short and impactful. Harness blogs for long form content, but even there, make sure you’re being proportionately concise.  

 

Some Personal Advice 

I feel like it’s so easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you ought to write more or are even being too slow when blog writing. It can be easy to compare yourself to others and then fall into all these common mistakes. This is all part of the learning process. If you’re new to PR, my best advice would be to take your time, utilise researching for blogs as a way of getting to know your client and make sure the content you provide is valuable rather than vast. 

Whether you’re in-house or agency-side, blog content is a powerful tool for brand building and thought leadership. If you’d like help making clear, SEO-friendly blogs that resonate with your audience, get in touch with us at Source PR. We’d love to help! 

 

6 Ways to Maximise Your B2B Marketing on LinkedIn

/in , , , , /by

As the top platform for networking, lead searching and career development, LinkedIn has become a game changer for B2B marketers. With over 1 billion people and 67 million companies now using the platform, it sure is a goldmine, and the stats will tell you just that:  

  • 80% of B2B marketers advertise on LinkedIn 
  • 77% of marketers agree that they see the best organic results from LinkedIn 
  • LinkedIn Ads reach over 14% of the global population 
  • In 2022, LinkedIn saw a 22% increase in engagement 

While LinkedIn is the key to unlocking your B2B audience, it can be easy to get stuck in cycle of only posting product promotion and company updates. So, if you’re looking to spice up your engagement, here are some of our favourite ways to maximise your LinkedIn marketing. 

Industry Trends and Thought Leadership 

One of your goals on LinkedIn should be to establish yourself as an expert in your field. Consistently sharing industry trends and insights will help you do just that. Whether you’re sharing company blogs or articles from industry magazines, being a thought leader will help you keep connected with industry peers and potential clients. This will not only build a community around your brand but will also help keep your employees informed and engaged with the industry.  

Case Studies & Success Stories 

Case studies are a powerful tool in your marketing kit. In fact, according to the 13th Annual B2B Content Marketing Report, case studies are among the top three most popular content assets. Case studies often are kept at bay on company websites, but this only limits their potential. Make sure you are promoting them and repurposing them on your socials. Highlighting these real-world success stories will only showcase your expertise and provide reasons why prospective customers should work with you.  

Behind-the-Scenes Content 

Humans are inherently nosy by nature so naturally we love to know what’s going on behind-the-scenes. Sharing this type of content will allow people to get a transparent view into your company’s culture and operations. Whether it’s a day in the life video, showing the process behind making a product, or sharing your company’s values, this content humanises your brand and allows people to connect with it on a more authentic level.  

Carousels 

Gaining five times as many clicks as any other post format, carousels are a hot shot on LinkedIn. A Linkedin carousel is a content format where viewers swipe through to read short clips of text, images and infographics. These swipeable posts offer a new and dynamic way to present information, making them highly effective. With these, the trick is to start with clear and concise messaging and use visually appealing designs. However, carousels can take a lot of experimentation, and it takes time to find your footing and see what resonates best with your audience but once you’ve cracked this, they are a winning tool.  

Employee Spotlights  

Highlighting your employees not only acknowledges their contributions but also humanises your brand. By sharing their stories, skills and accomplishments, you can boost morale and encourage reposts whilst painting your company as a desirable place to work. It’s a win-win: your employees feel valued, and your brand gains authenticity.   

Polls  

LinkedIn polls are a simple yet effective way to engage your audience and gather insights. They allow you to ask direct questions and receive instant feedback. Polls are also a great way to open up a two-way communication between you and your audience, helping you understand their preferences and opinions. This can be valuable in terms of shaping your content strategy, making informed business decisions and generating further engagement.  

 

Getting to grips with ever-changing features on social media can be tricky, so why not outsource your social media strategy? At Source PR, we can create a bespoke social media strategy that works for your business. Click here to find out more.  

 

What Social Media Platforms Are Right For Your Business?

/in , , /by

Looking to give your business an edge on social media but not sure where to start? Well, your first step is to choose the right social media platform. Between Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok and Pinterest, it can be tempting to join them all. However, an effective social media strategy involves time, consistency and financial investment. There is a lot of traction to be gained through social media, so it’s important to only pick the platforms that are right for your business. 

Understanding Your Business Needs 

Are you looking to demonstrate the usefulness of a particular product? Are you wanting to network with others in the industry? Are you a freelancer looking to showcase your work? Or perhaps you’re looking to connect with customers and interact with them. 

Knowing what your business needs are is important when deciphering your social media marketing goals. There are hundreds of different platforms out there, each with their own bespoke algorithm and unique features. So, knowing your business needs and what kind of content you want to post will help matchmake the right social media platform for you.  

Social Media Platforms (In A Nutshell) 

Traditional Social Media Outlets: Facebook, LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) allow you to share both text and visual content to whomever you like. They share features like networking, event organising, polling and advertising. 

Image-Based: Other platforms such as Instagram, Pinterest and Snapchat are image-lead and allow you to showcase your aesthetic business portfolio. They come with features that allow you to shop in-app which eliminates the need to drive traffic to an external site. 

Short-Form Video Content: TikTok, YouTube Shorts and Instagram Reels allow you to share short-form video content. These platforms leave a lot of room for getting creative with product tutorials and brand storytelling. Short-form video content platforms are high on the rise with 73% of consumers now saying they prefer short-form video content to search for products or services.  

Discussion Forums: Though a little trickier to implement in your social media strategy, Reddit and Quora can be unique ways to engage with specific online communities, join in on industry chat and help with product/service questions.  

Private Community Groups: Online groups such as Facebook Groups, Discord or Patreon pull people together making for great ways to share exclusive business insight, interact with users and connect with them on a more personal scale.  

Knowing Your Audience 

Knowing who your target audience is, their age group, language, gender, etc, is key to finding what platforms they hang out on. If your audience isn’t active on a certain social media platform, then it is not worth pumping time and money into it.  

Reading into demographic data matters and using tools such as Sprout Social to identify your audience’s respective go-to platform is a must:  

Know Your Competitors Too 

What platforms are your competitors on? Which platforms are working well for them? What type of posts are performing better?  

It may feel like a cheat code, but looking at what your competitors are doing on their socials is a useful (and free) market research tool when it comes to deciding which platform to invest in and what type of content to post. 

Look At Your Resources  

Building brand awareness is about the long game. Momentum and credibility is far more important than a ‘go big or go home’ viral post that will peak and trough in a short amount of time.  

As far as posting frequency goes, it’s best to post around 2-5 times a week. However, do leave some room for experimentation. If your audience engages better when you post less frequently, and that works for you, then carry on. At the same time, make sure to measure what resources you have. Having too many platforms on your plate can quickly spread your business thin, resulting in posts that may not be so tailored to your brand. Unless you have a huge budget, keeping to 2-3 social media platforms is the recommended golden number. 

Make The Most Out Of The Platform You Choose 

Once you’ve decided which platforms you would like to build a brand profile on, make sure to make the most out of them. Here are some top tips for helping you do so: 

  • Don’t be too ‘salesy’: avoid simply broadcasting to your audience – entertaining and insightful content will go a lot further. 
  • Keep up with what’s trending: the latest news, memes, industry updates, TikTok sounds, memes. 
  • Don’t forget to use hashtags: they’re a trusty way to win over the algorithm. 
  • Post consistently and regularly: it’s important that when someone clicks onto your brand’s profile, there is enough content to find out who you are and what you do 
  • Repost and interact with audiences: starting polls, responding to direct messages and replying to comments will help your brand build both a strong relationship with users and a loyal customer base. 

With Source PR, you can outsource your social media strategy. Click here to find out more. 

 

 

Neuromarketing: Why Building An Emotional Connection Is Important

/in , , /by

Ever wondered why we make those impulse buys, why we choose one colour over another and why some brands resonate with us whilst others don’t? 

The truth is, whilst we like to think that our decisions are underpinned by logic, a lot of the time our decision making is actually driven by our subconscious minds. In fact, Harvard Professor Gerald Zaltman says that 95% percent of our purchase decision making takes place in the subconscious.  

Over the last decade, marketeers have caught onto the idea of looking into consumer ‘brainfluences’ to predict consumer preferences. This has led to a newfound and exciting way of conducting market research known as neuromarketing.  

What Is Neuromarketing? 

Neuromarketing, or consumer neuroscience, explores how we can use neuroscience to examine how our minds work and gain insight into consumer behaviour.  

Whilst traditional market research relies on the likes of engagement analytics and surveys, neuromarketing uses advanced scientific metrics such as heart rate monitoring, facial expressions tracking, eye-tracking, electroencephalograms (EEGs) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).  

In essence, neuromarketing looks into the nitty-gritty of what makes us tick and can be an incredibly useful tool for gathering consumer insight. 

How Has Neuromarketing Been Used So Far?

Neuromarketing is a very pricey method of market research and only super brands such as Coca-Cola, Yahoo and Facebook have been able to check out the field so far.  

In 2018, Hyundai created a unique experiment to find out what consumers would consider as the most positive colour. In the experiment, participants were placed in a blank room that lit up one colour at a time. These participants were also hooked up to EEGs, that read the electrical activity inside their brains, and other bio-sensory tools that read heart rate and galvanic skin response. Hyundai were then able to extract emotional data as to what the individual was feeling in response to a certain colour i.e., bored, excited, relaxed or focused. The result: the colour blue was found to be the happiest colour. Despite ‘feeling blue’ giving it a bad rep, blue was found to be stimulating, energising and comforting. Since the experiment, Hyundai have injected touches of blue through its vehicles.  

Hilton Hotels have been another to experiment with neuromarketing. In 2020, during a conference in Liverpool, guests toured around displays and event stands. Hilton Hotels had placed 24 carefully positioned cameras that tracked each person’s movements and changes in expression as they moved between stalls. This Zenus Emotion AI technology was able to monitor even the most subtle of contractions in an individual’s facial muscles. By using facial expressions tracking to gauge how guests were feeling, the results found that a puppies-and-ice-cream stall was more engaging than the open bar. Though sounding a touch trivial (I know), the same system can be used to detect threat at border checkpoints, evaluate job candidates and monitor levels of boredom. 

Once more, in 2021, Procter & Gamble used an eye-tracking software to monitor participant eye movement and focus when watching some P&G mobile ads. The tool was able to detect which parts of the ads were more engaging and how consumer gaze patterns changed over time. This allowed P&G to tailor their content to better capture consumer attention and evoke the desired emotional response.  

The Future Of Neuromarketing  

Neuromarketing is an advanced method of helping brands to further personalise messages to suit individual customers, understand their emotional responses and use that data to better design products and services. Over the coming years, neuromarketing is expected to witness exponential growth and has a predicted 2029 market worth of USD 2.41 billion. 

That said, looking scientifically into consumer emotions is a difficult metric to capture and far too out of budget for most. However, what we can take away from this emerging discipline is the idea that forging an emotional connection with audiences adds tremendous value.  

Consumers are more driven by emotional responses than we think. The 2024 marketing statistics show:  

  • Ads portraying above-average emotional responses have a 23% potential sales increase 
  • Negative headlines have 30% higher click-through rates than ones with positive superlatives 
  • 82% of highly emotional brand-engaged consumers buy from their brand based on loyalty 

So, the science shows that emotions get the better of us. Building trust, echoing warm values, sparking excitement or even outrage is what draws customers the most. Putting emphasis on what you want to make your target audience feel and how you are going to make them feel that way should be an essential in your PR and marketing strategy.  

At Source PR, our range of marketing and digital strategies allow us to create a bespoke service that suits your chosen audience’s needs. To find out more, click here.  

How To Create A Successful B2B Campaign In 2023

/in , , , /by

One of the reasons public relations (PR) is such an exciting role to work in is that to thrive in the industry you need to be dynamic and adaptable, and the same can be said for campaigns. When it comes to a B2B PR campaign, first and foremost, it’s vital to know your key messaging and desired outcomes before you even think about putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and brainstorming ideas. Let’s explore the fundamentals to creating a successful B2B campaign.

 

First of all, what is B2B PR?

B2B is short for business-to-business and B2B PR is essentially a way of one business communicating with another business. On the other hand, B2C means business to consumer.

So, when it comes to creating a successful B2B PR campaign, what do you need to know?

 

Set objectives

 As mentioned at the start of the blog, before you do anything else it’s important to examine what the desired outcome of the campaign is. Raising awareness of the business is likely to be part of the campaign KPIs, or perhaps it’s a specific issue or topic that the business would like to champion. Maybe you want to build-up your email database, generate interest in an event or up for a webinar or event or increase social media followers. Whatever the campaign objectives it is vital that they are clear from the start.

 

Know your audience and how to target them

Now you have your objectives set, it’s time to delve into your target audiences. For some clients, they may want to reach the key decision makers in a business, for others, maybe it’s a specific company department they need to get in front of. A recent example of this is a campaign we did here at Source for Evolve 4 where we had two very different target customers, food manufacturers and primary schools.

In order to establish exactly who those key audiences should be targeted and therefore how we could create a campaign to reach them, we gathered the team at Evolve and Source together and ran a persona workshop. Though these kinds of workshops can be lengthy, they are important as along with objectives they form the foundations of the campaign.

 

Research and brainstorming for a PR campaign

 The fun part! Now it’s time to gather your team and have a brainstorming session. There’s no one size fits all approach to researching and brainstorming and every agency or business will work individually. A good rule of thumb to live by here is that no idea is a bad idea, give everyone the space to gather their thoughts and ideas, air them, write them down on paper or type them out – whatever works best. This shouldn’t be confined to the office, though. Many of us get our best ideas when on a walk, in the shower or during a conversation with a friend.

 

Channels to use for your PR campaign

 If you work in PR, you’ll have likely heard of the staple PESO model. PESO stands for paid, earned, shared and owned media channels, all of which naturally overlap to generate that integrated campaign. Analysing this model can help to determine which channels you’ll be using for your campaign.

 

Image from spinsucks.com

 

Execution and measurement

Skipping straight to execution and measurement, once you’ve set out what channels you’ll be using during your campaign, you’ll need to actually do the work – that goes without saying! Draft and distribute the press releases, pitching in the feature articles, generate the video content, the list goes on.

Once your campaign is complete it’s time to measure results. Measuring results in PR is famously a sticky point and will depend on which channels you utilised for the campaign and the desired outcomes. At Source we have tools in place such as Ace Media which allows the team to capture and track print and online media coverage, as well as brand mentions, audience and lots more. This is just one example of how we measure success for our client’s B2B campaigns.

There we have it, that was B2B campaigns in a nutshell. If you think our team could help you with your next product launch, profile raising activity or social media content then get in touch.

Prime Time: The Impact Of Scarcity Marketing

/in , , /by

When you look at Prime, it’s your standard energy drink. Loud and colourful with a name that suggests that inspires some sort of hyper-performance.

With Logan Paul and KSI behind the brand Prime was always likely to be popular, but the inflated prices and irrational behaviour it has caused cannot be attributed to the two’s stardom alone.

Somehow there’s an unquenchable thirst for this drink and its had people driving to a Wakefield off-license for an £100 bottle in a cost-of-living crisis, as well as hordes of customers descending on supermarkets that stock it.

So how has, on the face of it, a rather ordinary energy drink led to so many believing it to be Lourdes water’s equivalent? Scarcity marketing.

 

What is Prime?

Over the last few months, we’ve seen snaking queues and dives into shelves that would give Tom Daly a run for his money. All of this for KSI and Logan Paul’s new business venture, Prime Hydration.

The duo have enormous respective followings on social media and are two of the highest profile YouTubers in the world, which, of course, gives them an excellent platform for any product launch.

Paul and KSI teamed up to create the energy drink, in conjunction with supplier and distributor Congo Brands, and launched Prime in January 2022.

Since then it has become the official sports drink supplier for Premier League table-topping Arsenal and the UFC with its CEO Dana White signing the drink up on a multi-year basis.

 

What is scarcity marketing?

 Scarcity marketing is not a new phenomenon and it’s a basic economic principle. Well-worn phrases such as while stocks last, flash sales and limited-time offers are used to create a sense of product rarity and urgency among consumers. Limited supply = high demand.

One of the most infamous cases of scarcity marketing involves the diamond market.

We’re led to believe that a diamond is a scarce resource and gifting a partner one is a sign of true love.

Well, in actual fact during the nineteenth century the DeBeers mining company, who had a monopoly on diamonds, began stifling supply to create scarcity and therefore, increase demand for the stone.

The tight control of the supply of diamonds created artificially high prices and, subsequently, high demand.

However, when the price of a diamond decreased during the 1930s, the very same company created a clever marketing campaign involving celebrities of the day, to convince the world that the rare diamond was a true indication of love.

Essentially, as part of the campaign, it was claimed that the size of a diamond ring was exactly equal to the love a man had for his fiancée, which has created the lasting engagement tradition.

Scarcity marketing is a tactic that’s been deployed for over 200 years, but it’s become even more effective with the advent of social media and platforms such as YouTube and TikTok have been instrumental in spreading the narrative that Prime is a scarce resource.

 

From Aldi to Wakey: How Prime became ‘scarce’

Having been released to the US market much earlier in 2022, Prime first became available in the UK back in October when Asda began selling the drink and retailed at around £1.80.

However, the drink quickly became rather elusive and, although ostensibly limiting the supply of the drink was never part of the marketing strategy, Asda had to set a limit on the product to three per person due to finite stocks and concerns over resales.

The literal scramble for Prime grew more urgent when Aldi temporarily stocked the drink in its special buy section and limited sales to one per customer. Videos soon emerged of people desperately trying to get their hands on the drink, with one video even showing a grown man swiping a bottle from a child.

The aforementioned limited time nature of this offer by Aldi stirred urgency among consumers who felt they couldn’t miss out on having this product and with the videos of the supermarket scrambles spreading rapidly on TikTok, the craze surrounding Prime grew.

Then from amidst the chaos, an unlikely TikTok ‘star’ emerged, Mohammed Azar Nazir, the owner of the Wakey Wines off license. Clips of Nazir with customers who’d misguidedly bought bottles of prime for a disgustingly exorbitant price, began to go viral.

Wakey Wines became part of the national lexicon overnight and the shop’s fame outgrew the boundaries of West Yorkshire, overnight. The shop had capitalised on the absurd consumer demand for this ‘rare commodity’ and charge excessive prices, all the while taking full advantage of power of social media

Meanwhile on eBay, the energy drinks that were released in early January, have been selling at as much as £2,000. Such prices are morally reprehensible, particularly when you consider how so many people are struggling at the moment.

 

Prime: A perfect storm

In the nineteenth century DeBeers didn’t have social media to market their ‘rare commodity’ but if they did, it’s interesting to consider how this would have affected the demand for diamonds.

In the case of Prime, you have the combination of two of the world’s biggest YouTubers being the face of the brand, a product in limited supply and social media.

These three factors help fuel both the idea that the drink is a scarce resource and the fear of missing out.

Although the scarcity marketing tactic has been denied by KSI and Logan Paul, Prime is an example of just how powerful the idea of rarity is in advertising and marketing.

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

/in , , /by

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!

Our Take On The Latest Social Advertising Bans

/in , , , /by

The news broke last week that adverts promoting cosmetic procedures to under-18-year-olds have been banned in the UK. And that got us thinking… Is blacklisting the best way to eliminate controversial campaigns?

 

According to The Guardian, adverts promoting “breast enlargement, nose jobs and liposuction at under-18s” are included in the crackdown, which was orchestrated by the UK advertising watchdog.

 

Where won’t they be?

 

The new rules, which come into force from May 2022, bar these ads from appearing on all media outlets, from Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, to billboards, posters, and newspapers. Magazines and radio are also subject to this new legislation, and influencers don’t get off scot-free either – they can no longer advertise to young, impressionable audiences.

 

Why has this happened?

 

Over the last ten years, the rise of social media, reality TV shows and the ‘influencer’ have led to more and more of us striving to achieve unattainable physiques, looks, and even new personality traits.

 

The saying ‘with great power comes great responsibility’ is quite apt here, and, sadly, many of the companies and individuals advertising these products and procedures have, in some cases, taken advantage of their younger audiences.

 

Arguably, we’ve all become a lot more impressionable throughout the pandemic because all we’ve been able to do is scroll and chat online. We’ve spent time looking into other people’s lives, routines, and health and fitness regimes on the socials to distract ourselves from the external circumstances, like the pandemic.

 

Has anything else changed?

 

Yes. Not only are companies unable to advertise their cosmetic procedures, but private doctors also aren’t allowed to practice them either. If they continue carrying out cosmetic operations to under-18s, they’re at risk of going to jail and paying fines.

 

Is this the first time this has happened?

 

This isn’t the first-time adverts and marketing campaigns have gotten out of hand. First, it was tobacco companies with the Tobacco Advertising & Promotion Act 2002 that prohibited tobacco products from advertising and sponsorship, and then more recently fast food and ‘junk food’ industries have been told to put a muzzle on their television and online advertising campaigns after 9 pm starting from 2023.

 

By implementing this latest ban, the UK government hopes it can reduce the obesity crisis and lower the number of people eating late in the day. The online aspect of the ban affects all aspects of paid online marketing, such as Facebook ads and promotions on Instagram.

 

 Are bans like these a good idea?

 

Yes, I think so. Don’t get me wrong, we’ve had some great campaigns in the past connected with food, cars, and even cigars and makeup. But, in the olden days, once you switched off the television or radio, they were gone. Now, they make their way into our inboxes, social media direct messages, and into our SMS messages.

 

These bans will prevent younger people from being too heavily influenced by their idols and feeling under pressure to purchase a product, or undergo a potentially costly and unnecessary procedure, to be relevant or to ‘fit in’.

 

7 Times ‘Squid Game’ Impacted Marketing Campaigns – For Better or Worse

/in , , , /by

The South Korean mega-hit ‘Squid Game,’ Netflix’s most popular show ever (officially!), hasn’t just been dominating streaming figures, conversation, and online memes – it’s also been leaving a cultural footprint on the marketing world, too.

 

The show isn’t for everyone: it’s action-packed but ultraviolent, and, despite moments of light-heartedness, can make for heavy watching. Despite this, it’s become a worldwide phenomenon – and it’s little wonder businesses are hopping on the trend wherever possible.

 

However, as ‘Squid Game’ is a very clear critique of what show creator Hwang Dong-hyuk describes as the ‘extreme competition’ of ‘modern capitalism’ – which has strong echoes of ‘Parasite,’ the South Korean Oscar-winning film by Bong Joon-ho – a misjudgement may have been made by some marketing teams on exactly what the appeal of Squid Game is: and, crucially, why their product might not be apt for a themed campaign.

 

Below, we’ve put together the good and the not-so-good ‘Squid Game’ campaigns…

 

The Good

 

 

Food websites and bloggers alike have jumped at the opportunity to provide recipes for South Korean food featured in Squid Game. This include Delish’s recipe for Dalgona Candy, used in Episode 3 of the show, a simple but effective way of catching the attention of those looking to try the sweet treat. There’s also Kcal, a Glasgow-based restaurant that has come up with its own Dalgona-inspired pancakes: if you can cut the shape out using only your knife without breaking it, they’re yours for free! We think this is a genius way of involving the fun in their food – and definitely less dire consequences than in the show…

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kcal Kitchen Glasgow (@kcalkitchen)

 

Along with the ‘Good’ are the extremely cute Squid Game pet costumes on Etsy – which come in both contestant and guard form. As any pet owner knows, some of our furry friends are bloodthirsty enough, so it’s more than fitting to have them join in the fun…especially as Halloween is right around the corner.

 

Via Bustle.com

 

Heineken’s use of the star in its logo is also another inventive and interesting way of hopping on the bandwagon; similarly, competitor Budweiser imposed their logo into a Dalgona biscuit (not quite as ingenious, but some quick thinking nonetheless).

 

There’s also debt management company Relief, who used the craze to print and distribute 10,000 lookalike business cards that have the now-infamous shapes across the front of the card. On the back reads: ‘There’s a better way to get out of debt.’

 

Via The Drum

 

 

No matter how successful it may be, the nature of a TV craze like ‘Squid Game’ means that it’s a flash in the pan moment – here today, gone tomorrow – meaning brands have to think on their feet to come up with a campaign both fitting and eye-catching.

 

This sometimes can, unfortunately, mean that companies don’t take enough time to correctly judge the tone and meaning behind exactly what’s got the public in a frenzy about a certain piece of media. Which brings us on to…

 

The Not-So-Good

 

With ‘Squid Game’ being a show about characters crippled by debt – the very reason they sign up to the game in the first place – there couldn’t be a more inappropriate campaign than by Klarna, the payment company that allows users to pay in instalments.

 

Via Twitter

 

 

The company was fired at on social media after sending out a push notification offering customers to pay for ‘Squid Game’-themed costumes…in instalments. This controversial system of payment has also recently been under fire recently after a Facebook advertisement for Zilch went viral: a company that provides instalment payment plans for takeaways such as Domino’s and Papa Johns.

 

It doesn’t take a genius to realise that the idea of promoting this kind of app, in association with a show that depicts debt problems as so debilitating that desperate individuals would choose fighting to the death rather than overcoming it, is a bit of a misguided move.

 

Though Klarna does not charge fees or interest to users, it has been compared to payday loan companies for its encouragement of overspending. According to the Guardian, ‘The debt charity StepChange says it has an increasing number of clients who have money owing on “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) among their debts when they turn to it for help. Klarna is easily the largest BNPL player in the UK market.’

 

It’s a no-brainer: though it might take a bit more time, ultimately, weighing up whether or not your brand actually fits in with the latest viral craze or not is far more beneficial than a temporary hop on the bandwagon that might get you into hot water. It’s tempting to fire at all cylinders in accordance with the online chatter, but, as Klarna have found, that’s not always the wisest move.

 

My colleague Jess recently wrote a blog debunking the myth that you’re only as good as your last 30 days of PR. In it, she suggests that the pressure of hopping onto trends may lead to only half-hearted efforts – and, crucially, that the best campaigns always take a bit of time. And that’s ok.

 

At Source, we’d love to help you and your business with all things marketing, digital and PR. Head to our contact page or drop us a line on 01829 720 789 today to speak to one of our team.