Archive

What does your festival say about you?

21-May-10 16:40

The summer is officially here and the flip flops are out in force at Ascent PR! It is weather like this that instantly turns my attention to the forthcoming festivals with the first official one being this weekend and the last ones usually at the end of August.

The media has obviously been thinking about festivals much earlier than me, with the monthlies talking about the latest festival attire; whether that is hats, wellies or day-glo underwear! I also spotted this amusing story on bbc.co.uk this morning too (what does a music festival say about you?)

"Your choice definitely says something about your identity," says Professor George McKay of the University of Salford, who has written extensively on festival culture, including the book Glastonbury: A Very English Fair. He says that Glastonbury goers are probably interested in ethical issues around the environment or multiculturalism or a global consciousness. You may even have an organic allotment! Reading and Leeds are a teenage rite of passage and all about the music, The Isle of Wight festival is about big heritage acts like Paul McCartney, so attracts a slightly older crowd.

The article also mentions that festivals have a certain degree of snobbery associated with them and that it is not about which bands you are seeing, but who you are seeing them with. Well I don't know if that is true, but I for one am looking forward to getting out in the sun with a few ciders and my friends and listening to great music. I will also be consulting the ‘top festival fashion' features such as Glamour's to really get into the spirit of things!

Louise

Better to be safe than sorry?

17-May-10 16:27

The volcanic ash cloud has once again been in the news this week for causing chaos across UK airports. Even though I can completely understand how frustrating this must be for travellers, safety in my mind always has to come first.

So, whilst glancing through the papers this morning I was really annoyed to see Richard Branson and representatives from other airlines claiming that we should allow flights to depart, as tests had proven it was safe. Apparently Branson had called the closure of Manchester airport "beyond a joke".

He is understandably using the media to vent both his and many passengers' anger at the situation, but surely we have to realise that we can't control the effects of natural disasters and despite our frustrations we have to trust the judgements and advice from the CAA.

Unfortunately Branson's quotes in the press stating its safe to fly together with the CAA's warnings that flying conditions were deemed dangerous is only going to cause confusion amongst passengers. It will be interesting to see how this discussion develops in the media as tensions between the airlines and the aviation safety watchdog continue.

Angela

 

Turning off your mobile phone....

14-May-10 10:53

The news that Cameron has banned all mobile telephones from cabinet office meetings has sent us into elation at the Bristol office this morning.  It's such a minor tactical activity - turning off a mobile before a meeting, but the sound of a mobile going off in a meeting, stirs emotions in me that quite frankly shouldn't come to light in a professional situation.

So, why on earth do people do it?  A quick straw poll of the team reveals:

There are many, many people that are incredibly important. So much so that every call matters. Nothing can go to voicemail.   And everyone in the meeting needs to know it too - especially if your PR agency is calling you with an interview opportunity with the media.

Addiction: the phone just cannot be left alone, whether its voice, email, texting, IM, it's all there in an instant and we need it all now.

In our small, highly charged discussion this morning, we've decided that people answer their telephones in meetings is because they are bored - they've listened to colleagues for ten minutes and said their piece and now they are ready to go, so let's answer the phone, disrupt the meeting and hopefully get it to the point where the meeting is disbanded because the phone call is just too important to cut short.  Job done.

Ban mobile phones in every meeting we say - internal or external. 

Sara

Take a chill pill

13-May-10 09:43

We all get a bit flustered at work and at home from time to time; we are only human after all. Juggling a work-life balance is not an easy task, as priorities can take over and play havoc on our lives. The Guardian today reveals that high-pressured jobs can double the risk of cardiac problems, which shows that women's health could be at risk if a work-life balance is not maintained.

This does not come as a surprise as some of us are expected to work insanely long hours. Working from 8am to 8pm is most certainly not healthy, resulting in very little sociable activity outside work. Whether it's a case of spending more time with your family, partner or friends, those precious hours we have in the evening are vital in order to help wind down and switch off after a full day at work.

My motto is to work hard and play hard, to maximise your potential and to reap the benefits. I like to think that we have a great work-life culture here at Ascent PR Reading, as we work well as a team and make sure we do the very best for our clients. We always work to complete our weekly tasks, but we also ensure that we leave at a sociable hour to enjoy the soaps on the box or a glass of wine down the pub. It shouldn't be about burning the candle at both ends, it's about being happy.

Donna

The morning after the night before – is negotiation the key to a successful relationship?

13-May-10 09:06

This week saw the establishment of the UK’s first coalition government and two leaders from opposing parties brought together to lead the country. Over the forthcoming months it will be interesting to see whether David Cameron and Nick Clegg are able to establish an effective working relationship. I imagine that right now they feel much like one might the morning after an arranged marriage, or marriage of convenience, and they are now left sharing a bed with someone they barely know.  

I’ve heard before that the key to success in a marriage is negotiation. I’m sure negotiation skills will be vital between Cameron and Clegg to ensure their relationship, and the country’s government, is a success.

As a PR person I am only too aware of the importance of negotiation in relationships. My role is to ensure a client meets its business objectives through successful PR campaigns, whilst also providing the media with newsworthy stories. Negotiating between what the client wants to say to raise the profile of their business, and what a journalist wants to hear to put together an exciting story that will sell their publication, is therefore fundamental.

Whilst at times this can be a juggling act, with a full understanding of the motives of both parties, open and honest dialogue and the management of expectations, an agreement can be made to everyone’s benefit.  

Let’s just hope our new leaders can use the same skills to lead the country back into the black and on the path towards a strong future.

Lindsay

 

 

When is the Internet a useful tool, and when is it a distraction?

07-May-10 17:24

Hiding under the masses of election coverage, this story on the BBC caught my eye this morning, looking at how the Internet and e-mails are distracting us from our everyday tasks. Whilst I agree that e-mails are sometimes a distraction (I have, on more than one occasion, been distracted by an un-urgent email from a client or a journalist which has thrown me off of my current task), I have learnt that the trick is to make lists! If I set myself tasks for the day then no amount of emails entering my inbox will stop me from getting to the end of my list!

Damon Young's article also explores the psychological impact that the Internet and social networking is having on us. He explains, "Unfortunately these diversions are less rewarding than they appear...rather than cultivating our faculties, these distractions can weaken them, leaving us unproductive, muddled or fettered. They are truly distractions...they wrench us from what's best in ourselves."

It is true that as a society, we are spending increasing amounts of time online, whether that is for work or pleasure, and while sometimes I find that I have spent an hour on Twitter or Facebook...whether I would say this time is wasted or not is another thing. I am a big fan of Twitter, Facebook and all things social and I believe that it serves its purpose in connecting people. Twitter, for example, is a great way of building relationships with journalists and in some cases, this has replaced email and other forms of communication.

Social networking constantly receives a fair amount of criticism but I think this is because it is an easy target. Yes, it is never going to replace face to face contact, but it serves its purpose and as long as it is used in the correct way and in sensible doses, it will remain a powerful tool both for work and pleasure.

Louise

How much has the media swayed your vote?

06-May-10 15:25

Finally, after being exposed to masses of media coverage, the day has arrived when over 44 million UK people can decide who to vote for in the General Election. It's been interesting to see what tactics the different parties have used to raise their profiles over the past few weeks; using celebrity endorsement, debating policies on live television and meeting the general public face to face.

It's obvious when you read some of the national newspapers which party they are backing, with some giving warnings to their readers of the consequences of voting for the other parties and stating why they think one leader would be better than the rest. For instance, this morning's Mirror was warning its readers not to be conned by David Cameron, Sun readers were left pondering if Britain could take five more years of hard labour and the Daily Express told us that David Cameron is our only hope.

It really makes me wonder how many people actually take notice and really base their decision on the views of their favourite newspaper. I'm sure this is the case for some voters as the power of the media is very strong, particularly on a day like today. But, I hope that most of us will actually make up our own mind as to which party would best serve both our local area and country and not be too swayed by scare tactics plastered across most of today's nationals.

Angela

Pitches – the good the bad and the ugly

04-May-10 16:56

Time and time again I've questioned what makes a good ‘pitch' from a PR perspective? It's a question that many of us in the agency world are obsessed by. PR Week has published an interesting piece today as a result of a survey of senior communications directors, asking them to recall their experiences of their best and worst PR pitches. Not forgetting for one minute that everyone has a different view on this subject and there could be a whole range of reasons why one individual views it one way and someone else in another. But for me it always comes down to the same fundamental ingredient; chemistry.

Trust your instincts, if you don't feel you can work with someone, the chances are it will fail somewhere along the line for those reasons alone. I believe that far too many agencies become so absorbed in the detail during a pitch process that they often lose sight of what it is they are trying to achieve from that meeting. Sure, you need good ideas, and of course you need to demonstrate a solid understanding of PR and that you understand the business in question if you are to convince people that you are the right person/agency for the job. But that doesn't mean boring your audience senseless with the same old boilerplate ‘Powerpoint slides'. You can probably tell that I'm not a great fan of this approach! I'd rather talk to people about my ideas and thoughts, take time to listen and understand what they want to achieve from PR and if I can make a connection that helps both parties to feel more at ease about the prospect of working together, even better. Don't get me wrong, pitch content is important but it's equally important to retain the ‘human element' of any presentation or first-time meeting - after all, we're not PR robots!

People buy people - that is a fact. It's for that very reason that I always take the team with me that will work on the account (and that includes me). It's pointless to pitch with an enthusiastic team that from the prospect's point of view, won't be around a week later. I've always worked on that basis and thankfully we have great relationships with all of our clients which is not only built on results but also on mutual respect and a genuine passion for what they are trying to achieve.

Natalie