Category: Topical News

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

 

 

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

Budget sparks election fever?

10-Mar-10 14:51

Today's announcement from Gordon Brown that the budget will be held on 24 March is the start of the much anticipated run-up to the election in May. The world of politics doesn't generally spark national interest until the general public is actually given the chance to vote for a leader for their country. This year's election will be no different, but voters who have been affected by the damaging recession will surely want to voice their opinion by voting for a leader who promises to pull the country out of the recession.

The recession, and how leaders promise to resolve this, will certainly form the backbone of each party's PR campaign, but voters will also be looking for other attributes in a leader like; does he have charisma, does he personally appeal to voters, does he work well in a crisis, is he looking out for the well-being of all voters? All of these aspects and so much more will be drilled into each party‘s PR campaign and I'm intrigued to see what kinds of stories develop in the media in the next few months.

I don't think that the forthcoming election will generate the same frenzy and euphoria as the US election did or when Tony Blair first came to power in 1997, but there will still be a massive PR buzz in the build-up, with the world watching who UK voters choose to lead the country.

Angela

 

Are ghost towns on the increase?

14-Apr-09 15:28

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears is apparently going to be making an announcement to put measures in place to make it easier for local groups in England to turn empty stores into galleries or advice centres.

My local high street in Oxfordshire feels like a ghost town and more shops at the moment seem to be failing; pubs are closing and even the local market seems to be getting smaller. It makes me wonder what will happen next, one of my fears is that it will become a land of the '99p store'.

Hearing that some measures will be put in place to revive town centres is good news. However, allowing the local council to take over the premises is not in my opinion, necessarily the cleverest idea!

Hazel Blears states that one of the ideas is to create a social enterprise, a showroom for local artists or an information centre, but if there are no shops, is there a need for an information centre? A local showroom for local artists is a great idea, but again if there is nothing else there to attract visitors are they likely to visit just to see an unknown artist?

In my opinion, for a town centre to survive, rental prices need to come down. Most shops close due to the exorbitant rents they have to pay. If these were lower, different and unique shops would be attracted to the high street making it an exciting place to visit and live.

Working with the British Franchise Association (bfa) I have firsthand knowledge of seeing how franchising could offer a great way-in for opening a new business. With so many empty premises there are some great opportunities on offer for new franchisee to find that ideal location. Franchises cover all spectrums, from coffee shops to dancewear retail shops, creating a vibrant cross section of shops in any town centre. Let’s start focusing on the positive, and do more to encourage new businesses back onto the local high street.

Hallane

Rabbit, Hare or Bilby?

09-Apr-09 15:44

I'm sure I'm not alone in my excitement about a whole four days leave over the Easter break but there are a few things that are quite frankly a little strange; namely the Easter bunny. Aside from the fact that large chocolate Easter eggs are quite appealing to me, the whole concept of a rabbit being in any way connected with the Easter festivities is quite bewildering. For one thing, eggs and rabbits don't mix in my mind (eggs and chickens yes) but rabbits? I did read that the Australians actually wanted to replace the Easter Bunny with a bilby (which is an endangered marsupial that lives in the desert), some supporters of the movement to oust the Easter Bunny (yes, apparently there really is a movement or group of people that are quite passionate about this) actually consider rabbits to be pests.

Here are some interesting Easter Bunny legends for your enjoyment:

The rabbit was originally a hare but was taken over as rabbits are far more common in many countries. Due to its reproductive proclivity, the rabbit is also regarded as a symbol of fertility. Eggs are also symbolic of new life and fertility, hence one of the reasons why the rabbit carries a basket of eggs. However, there are other myths that try to account for this.

Neither hares nor rabbits lay eggs, but hares bring up their young in 'forms'. These forms are hollows in the ground, usually located in fields and meadows. Hares make more than one form so they can divide their offspring among them for safety. Plovers have been known to take over a form as a nest in which to lay their eggs. One legend relates that a woman saw a hare leaving a form and upon investigation, she found a 'nest of eggs', which she consequently believed to have been 'laid' by the hare. According to another myth, Eostre's hare was a large, handsome bird which she one day magically changed into a hare. Because the hare was still a bird at heart, it continued to build a straw nest in which to lay its eggs.

A German legend states that according to custom, a poor woman hid some coloured eggs in a nest for her children to find. As the children approached the nest, a hare hopped away and they therefore believed that the hare had brought the eggs!

Natalie