Reputation, Reputation, Reputation PR and media blog

Teflon David Cameron

2012-01-25T23:13:00.001Z

'Teflon' David Cameron has done it again - latest Ipsos Mori poll figures show his highest ratings for the best part of two years. This is in stark contrast to the floundering Ed Milliband, wounded by a Union backlash to the Opposition support for the public sector pay freeze.

It's intriguing that the Prime Minister can continue to do well in the polls at a time when the country has faced a remarkable period of civil unrest, Union protest and rising unemployment.

Does it mean that the protesters are not getting their message across, or are in the minority?

I don't think protest movements are failing to get their messages across. They have had mountains of press coverage and real cohesion on social media, ensuring strikes like the NUT one had record attendees this summer.

Rather, it shows Cameron's skill is picking his moment to surface, letting his lieutenants fight the fires while he picks the battles the Daily Mail will support.

As to who can engage the disconnected middle ground I think it's clear that the disconnect is between those affected by the public sector cuts and those who aren't. The language of the 'middle ground' isn't pro-Government or pro-anyone, it is the language of 'working through the recession and looking after number one'. Thus as much as the protest movements are doing a good job in making their voice loud, they struggle to have that voice listened to as the middle ground isn't receptive.

It's difficult for any interest group or political party to become champion of such a difficult to define middle ground but Cameron is clearly finding more drives hit the green then Labour is. And as much mud as Ed Milliband or the protesters throw at the Prime Minister, it's just not sticking to 'Dave'.

Luis Suarez, racism and Liverpool FC's reputation

2012-01-04T23:08:00.000Z

Liverpool Football Club has made a huge PR gaffe in their handling of the Luis Suarez racism charge.

The FA has not charged Mr Suarez with being racist but for providing unreliable evidence and for 'damaging the image of English football around the world'.

The Kopites have obviously challenged it so vigorously as they believe it is one man's word against another and feel they are victims of an overly harsh ban issued with no concrete evidence. A clash of cultures, they say.

Here lies the problem. This defence, led by their manager Kenny Dalglish, is so preoccupied with the defence of the player's reputation that they've allowed the club's to suffer.

With a global following unparalleled by very few clubs in the world, Liverpool FC has a duty of care to uphold the highest standards in the game and act as ambassadors for the sport. They have won many awards for their work - including racism.

By attacking the FA for attempting to uphold the 'Kick It Out' campaign, they are in effect undermining efforts to stamp out racism.

What they should have done straight away, is held their hands up and issued an apology to the FA, to Patrice Evra and to their fans. They could have then explained the offence wasn't intentional but a clash of cultures.

Perhaps Suarez could have met with Evra to launch a new programme to help foreign players coming to England understand the culture and here and educate them. This would have shown a level of contriteness by the club and the player and could have led to the ban being reduced.

Instead, they have ended up sounding very much like disciples of David Brent, stumbling around racism so tactlessly that they give the very impression they were trying to avoid.

The club should have received better PR advice. Put the club before the man and be contrite. Then you can salvage the player's reputation and turn the situation around.

Telegraph coverage of Student protests over tuition fees

2011-11-09T21:41:00.002Z

The Telegraph 's coverage of today's latest student and Union protests was a multimedia masterclass.

Although the paper's politics clearly clash with that of the protest movement, the Telegraph reports and website team managed to produce a fairly balanced and innovative live blog featuring video, live images and Twitter reaction from across the political spectrum.

In terms of accessibility, comment and links to social media platforms I'd put the coverage ahead of the Guardian's, which came across static in comparison.

This seems to be borne out by the Tweet ratio to the pages: 207 to the Guardian's 17.

A good lesson in creating a live news blog that evolves with the story, even without any dramatic twists to report on.

EU referendum vote will merely alienate voters

2011-10-24T23:21:00.001+01:00

Tonight's debate and vote in the Commons on holding an EU referendum was terrific fun, showing the first big rebellion of David Cameron's leadership and causing Government aides to resign.

That is of course, however, if you belong to the chattering classes and enjoy the Commons as an intellectual Albert Square. Which makes me wonder who George Osborne would be - Ian Beale? - but I digress.

Most normal voters, the type belonging to families looking for work after unemployment figures reached a 17 year high, simply do not care about this parliamentary posturing over an issue which while always controversial, isn't a priority for them.

I don't need stats to back this up, it is something I hear listening to communities around Britain and from speaking to friends and relatives more distant to Westminster. I tweeted as such before and received lots of comments from people I don't know, passionate in their condemnation of the political arrogance of those daring to indulge in a five hour cock fight while the country collapses around them.

I completely take the point that the Eurozone crisis is the next big economic threat but as Britain isn't part of the Euro, acting all little Britain now just paints both sides of the debate as arrogant, no wonder the French are hacked off.

It's about time the Commons was as busy for a five hour debate on utility prices, jobs, inflation or something that really matters to everyday voters.

Otherwise politicians are simply spitting in the wind and wondering why they are wet in the polls.

Unions strike action in November

2011-09-14T23:26:00.000+01:00

Unions have called for a day of action on 30 November in what will be a winter of discontent for David Cameron. Or Nick Clegg. No, in fact, David Milliband.

With UK economic growth stalling the coalition and opposition are caught in a balancing act where a lack of certainty over the path to growth means that being perceived to fail to negotiate with the Unions will lead to damaged credibility to David Cameron; yet bending to them will also cause a negative reaction with private sector voters who have also seen pensions and pay cut.

I'm more interested, however, in Ed Milliband's approach. He has already reiterated at TUC Conference that he is doesn't favour action but his leadership of his party may not survive another 'these strikes are wrong' moment.

If Ed does become red then he forgoes the 'squeezed middle' ground he has tried and failed to woo thus far.

Expect to see fiery rhetoric from Ed Balls and co to try and push the Coalition to a solution with the Unions which will spare Labour this no-win no-fee decision.

Guardian data shows Twitter didn't cause riots

2011-08-25T13:16:00.000+01:00

Following on from my recent post, the Guardian has produced a rather useful interactive graph illustrating data of Tweets relating to the riots.

It is no surprise that early indications are that most Tweets were reactive and not pre-planning the next move of the rioters.

Hopefully this will inform Theresa May ahead of her meeting with key social networks and help prevent headline grabbing but ill thought out plans to shut down social networks during times of 'civil unrest'.

London riots caused by social media

2011-08-08T23:33:00.000+01:00

Social media has caused the London riots. That's the implicit message in a much of the coverage on day three of the London riots.

This isn't true. Social media is merely a medium for trouble, a vehicle for organised chaos.The modern day pamphlets of the French revolution.

Yet the use of Blackbery Messenger in the London riots does show that technology is once again putting rioters and the lawless minority one step ahead of the Police and even the Prime Minister who is now cutting short his holiday but because of the speed and relentless nature of the London riots, this looks like a leader showing a distinct lack of leadership.

Social media hasn't caused the London riots, it has shown that the current system of law and order and summer political organisation is no longer working.

The Met would be well advised to appoint a new Chief Constable who realises this before it is too late.

David Cameron would likewise benefit from not misjudging the mood of a country in crisis and briefing stories such as how he returned to tip an Italian waitress when his country's capital is in meltdown. That, is bad PR advice.

George Osborne's Murdoch links exposed

2011-07-26T23:17:00.000+01:00

Big news today that we're supposed to be shocked about the relationship between the Chancellor and News International.

This is, of course, nonsense. Under the communications direction of Alastair Campbell Labour went as far as the other side of the world to woo the proprietor and his family and just as with the MPs' expenses scandal it is just a case of who is sitting at the chair when the music stops and the hacking scandal was exposed.

What is more of interest is how the sharks are circling and jostling for influence, sensing a weakened News International grasp over the political classes.This has resulted in a more hostile 'right wing' press putting pressure on the Government, undoubtedly jockeying to replace the fallen king Rupert.

The Mail has steadily ramped up its anti-Government output in the past few weeks since the hacking story exploded. Today, the Chancellor felt its razor sharp bite and this is on the back of the 'where is the PM?' rhetoric of last week before PMQs and the statement to the House.

The Telegraph too has been quick to out pressure on the PM over the hacking scandal and BSkyB bid and this has meant that the Prime Minister has seen friends disappear faster than Rebekah Brooks in front of a select committee.

Of course, you can argue that Paul Dacre has been the quiet Kingmaker all along. Gordon Brown certainly thought so but with the Daily Mirror now launching its own hacking investigation the chances of the Mail being undisputed after twelve rounds grow stronger by the day.

But a day is a long time with this hacking story.

The Sunday Sun

2011-07-07T21:10:00.000+01:00

The News of the World has closed and The Sunday Sun will replace it.

That's the prediction of Ken Clarke today and the feeling on Twitter at the moment.

So where does that leave the News of the World staff?

Many, as acknowledged by James Murdoch, had nothing to do with the old regime and are victims by association. For them, failure to re-house them would be a legally difficult issue and his statement seems to insinuate a re-branding will allow them to get on with their jobs without the stain of the News of the World hacking scandal.

I don't think, however, that this is going to be enough for campaigners. They will want blood i.e. someone to go down for this.

If that man is linked to the Government, then all of a sudden this will cast massive pressure on the Prime Minister.

Whatever happens, I hope that the honest staff at the News of the World are looked after. It would be hypocritical for a PR, a profession so happy to woo newspapers when it can, to say otherwise.

Interview with NUJ rep about the campaign to save local newspapers

2011-07-03T21:29:00.001+01:00

Tomorrow sees the launch of the NUJ campaign to save local newspapers. It's starting in Enfield, where the 'Enfield nine' group of journalists recently went on strike over the quality of their newspapers.

This is an issue right at the heart of democracy in this country with most of the local and regional newspapers in the UK facing continued cost cutting measures or even closure.

To get a front line perspective on the key issues I spoke to the NUJ union rep at North London & Herts Newspapers (where the interviewee works as a Features Editor) about why the campaign is important, how social media has changed the media landscape and the relationship between PR and the media...

1) The North London and Herts strike seems to be more than about jobs. You refer to accountability and this fits in very much with the idea of Britain's media as the pluralistic fourth estate. What long term damage to local democracy will the death of local newspapers have?

It's a sad fact but over the past few years one in four journalists on local newspapers have lost their jobs. As a consequence councils, courts and public bodies are no longer being properly scrutinised as reporters do not have time to leave their desks and are unable to cover a number of important stories and report them to the public. We have the figures that 64% of editors believe they are not adequately scrutinising local councils and 80% of judges believe courts are not subject to adequate scrutiny. If reporters are not sitting through inquests or badgering local bobbies, or holding those in authority to account or running campaigns we're missing a fundamental cog in our local democracy.

2) The (remaining) staff at the group seem under huge pressure but many of us won't understand to what extent. Just how tight have deadlines been and do you really just have two reporters producing all those editions?

Yes. It's a crazy situation. We currently have two reporters and one news editor to cover nine editions of our paper. To give you some example of how much worse off we are now we used to have seven reporters and two news editors covering the same patch. So we have lost two thirds of the newsdesk. This means that from 9am to 5.30pm on most days the reporters are tied to their desks churning out a great mass of copy to fill these nine editions. Obviously, they don't have time to go out and meet contacts and hunt down original stories because they have a certain amount of pages to fill by a certain time of the week (Actually we have two deadlines because we have so many papers: 4pm on Tuesday and 4pm on Wednesday. The moment these are reached they start on filling the next week's papers. It's more and more becoming like a factory). They might also have a council meeting or a residents' association meeting or an event to attend in the evening so a lot of the time they take work home with them at weekends which is, frankly, unaccceptable.

3) Why do you feel more hasn't been done by the national media to support you? The Guardian and Indy have regularly covered the topic, but do you think it is editorial policy or apathy from the rest?

Yes, we have been surprised by how little has been written about us in the national newspapers in relation to our recent strike and battle for quality papers. The trade press has been good but, bar the odd blog from the likes of Roy Greenslade in The Guardian, there doesn't seem to have been much put out there in the nationals. Why is this? I don't think it's apathy so much but perhaps other newspaper owners are wary of printing stories about strikes or the death of local newspapers in fear of unrest and unease spreading to their publications. That was certainly the case with our opposition papers who took a strong editorial line on not printing anything about our dispute. Interestingly, radio has been very responsive with items on local and regional channels while Jeremy Vine devoted a half hour segment to the death of local papers on his BBC 2 Radio show recently.

4) Has social media helped or hindered local journalism?

I think social media can only be a good thing and local newspapers should adapt and embrace the new technology. In many respects it has helped as people tweet, blog, Facebook etc the moment they see an article they like and help spread the word. The problem is that most newspaper owners have been very slow to embrace social media and are still very suspicious of it so we are playing a big catch-up game. But they can certainly co-exist and help each other.

5) Do you think there is still room for local print media in the age of 'hyper local' websites and blogs?

You can't beat mulling over a newspaper in a cafe or at home with a nice cup of tea. In terms of local print media there's a whole bunch of local information about what's happening in your community that isn't on the web. You can get national stuff online but rarely the kind of information about church fayres, court cases, about the opening times of your local dentist, or a review of a local play which you just can't get on the internet. Or, if you ever do track it down on the web, this information is scattered all over the place and it's not the same as having it all in one simple format of a proper newspaper. Also, it has to be said, these 'hyper-local' websites and blogs are often run by people who are not trained as journalists, who often miss essential facts or get things plain wrong which is very serious from a legal point of view. I would certainly trust my local paper over any of these numerous blogs.

6) How can local blogs and websites be accountable and is the danger that they can be partisan influencers?

As trained journalists we take every care to remain neutral and non-partisan. If we show any bias then it undermines our relationship with our reader. You have to wonder about the bias of many of these blogs which are often an excuse for the writer to let rip with his very personal feelings about any number of issues. I am not saying I am anti-blog - I have my favourites - but the reader should take what they say with a large pinch of salt. In terms of accountability this is a pretty unregulated area and the only way to judge their trustworthiness is reading them over a period of time and making a decision for yourself based on the facts.

7) Who suffers most from a declining local press?

The community. A lot of the time the local press is the only one to stick up for the man and the woman on the street. A weakened local press is symptomatic of a weak society. If you have a robust press then you have a passionate defender of those who might not normally have a voice. There is a reason why the first thing dictators do is to close down any independent press. Words have power.

8) I work in public relations. In your experience does the practice of media relations offer local media valuable opportunities or does it hinder journalism?

In my experience good relations between press and PR can only help the journalist. Part of my job is a reviewer and I have to be careful about getting too close to PRs for obivous reasons as this might impact on my review but there is nothing wrong with maintaining a friendly relationship. In my experience I find the PR is much more forthcoming - sometimes leading to other stories or a different angle on that particular story - if we strike up a decent relationship. We can help each other.

9) Some local politicians have said that local media only wants to hear bad news and is therefore skewed. This is one justifications for council-run publications. What is your response to this?

That argument is incredibly lazy and boorish. We report on the news and, unfortunately, the majority of that may be "bad". But if "bad" means writing about a hit and run and putting an appeal out to find the perpetrator then that surely is a good thing. If that means offering a fitting tribute to the young girl killed in the hit and run which might make her parents proud then that might be a positive. Council run publications are generally stuffed full of council propaganda - you will never find one of those rags criticising the council! - and I like to think readers are mature enough to know the difference and desire a publication that looks at the good and the bad without any political bias.

Mail Online overtakes BBC

2011-06-23T20:18:00.001+01:00

So, it's finally happened! The Mail online has finally smashed the monthly traffic record for a UK website and has overtaken BBC online.

The Mail has been gunning for the Beeb for many years but this is a moment for anyone interested in online communications to sit back and applaud the strategy.

In reaching for an international audience, as pointed out by Asda's Dom Burch in a CIPR North West summer social event yesterday, the Mail has become the gossip and celebrity site of choice for web users on both sides of the Atlantic.

The publication clearly aims for a wider audience than its sister print channel and in PR circles, it is becoming widely seen as the place to launch a consumer or celebrity story; especially as many newspapers and news sites now unashamedly take the Mail online's content as their own.

While the Mail isn't a popular newspaper among the left, this web achievement is certainly something paying dividends for them and Mr Murdoch will no doubt be looking to address this soon.

Facebook makes another PR Fail

2011-06-08T22:54:00.001+01:00

My wife is an interesting and talented woman, yet she has no time for marketing. She likes what she likes, she goes by her own instincts. So when, three weeks ago, I came in to see her deleting many of her Facebook albums, I was curious why this was?

Her response? "I don't trust it (Facebook), you don't know who is looking at them."

So it was with great interest that I digested the latest PR fail from Facebook which has seen the company on the defensive today over the use of facial recognition to tag photos, a feature they launched in the US last year but have now introduced globally.

I don't have a problem with big brands, I imagine working in PR would be a challenge otherwise. So for that reason I don't buy in to the 'Facebook bashing' which seems to be the preoccupation of many bloggers; yet the issue for Facebook is that there have been so many of these slip-ups that it's now a mainstream issue - my wife wouldn't be worried about it if it wasn't.

To put it another way, Facebook is becoming famous for having a poor privacy policy. If you put 'Facebook privacy' in to a news reader you will get between 450-700 recent articles from across the globe. That's a statistic which doesn't need to be analysed.

Privacy becomes even more important when one considers the growth of content curation (read @JamesCrawford at his blog for more on this) and the growth of the cloud consumer.

As discussed in this interesting Marketing Week article, the growth of social channels is being driven by cloud consumers who, typically, create 90 pieces of content a week on Facebook.

Now this content is why every brand is flocking to Facebook, they want this content to link to, endorse and interact with their brands. So the more data Facebook gives them, the more accurate this spend can be.

But here's the rub. For every brand page, Facebook still grew on the bread and butter of people sharing very personal information with their friends in a way never done before. My wife is, effectively, a cloud consumer in the rawest sense. She uses the technology and channels to live her life and take part in online communities, she uses it to keep friends and family up to date with the progress of our children. Clearly, however, Facebook's reputation has altered enough for this cloud to turn a shade of grey and the negative media coverage has affected her behaviour.

A personal example, yes, but not a one-off. It's an issue Facebook's reputation managers need to address as it reaches the heart of debate over privacy versus marketing and there's nothing to say that if the cloud consumers don't like what they here that they couldn't float away elsewhere.

Because behind every cloud is a competitor with some silver lining.

Ken Clarke defends rape comments

2011-05-19T23:20:00.000+01:00

Ken Clarke was either brave or foolish to go on Question Time tonight. As it is, it was probably a wise move thanks to the shocking introduction of grown up debate from Jack Straw and Shami Chakrabarti amongst others.

Mr Clarke undoubtedly made a mistake but the feeding frenzy was sensationalist and the arguments deserved a better quality of debate. That would have done justice to the millions of victims and their families who deserve not only justice but an intelligent argument about how to improve the law, especially the often horrific trial process which I have read about.

That doesn't mean cutting sentences is right, that's not my point, the fact is that it's a serious issue and the news coverage was sensationalist, personality politics not befitting the severity of the topic.

Why the collective responsibility of ministers needs refreshing in a coalition

2011-05-10T22:14:00.002+01:00

When I was a young whippersnapper, my favourite lesson of the week was politics. Mr Wood was the teacher, a portly chap with a touch of that famous chef detective. I digress, anyhow, he used to ensure all the boys and girls memorised parliamentary conventions and quotes, it was a truly throwback way of teaching but it did wonders for one's grasp of democracy.

Events this week have led me to delve the Commons' Library in search of developments on my favourite such convention, that of ministerial collective responsibility. It's a fascinating read and important to keep front of mind as the coalition cabinet looks to a new age of more diverse and challenging decision making.

The coalition looked to address this early on with 'agreements to differ' within its coalition agreement yet many policies, such as NHS reforms, were not included in this. So either the proposals by the health secretary were originally passed through cabinet and it was only negative stakeholder reaction which influenced the changes; or the Lib Dems kept their counsel because of the convention.

Either way, Nick Clegg needs to test the convention as as much as possible, starting with NHS reforms if he is to repair the damage inflicted on his party in the 'midterms' - although backtracking in the wake of election defeat is not the most sincere way of achieving this.

I think the convention needs redefining beyond the 'agreement to differ' convention in a modern, coalition government. For voters deserve the right to know the balance between Lib Dem/Conservative in to decision making, as the smokescreen of collective responsibility is simply leading to claim and counter-claim.

Granted, this is somewhat of a minor issue to most people, yet I can't help but wonder if modernising the convention for this unique time we live in would improve the quality of coalition cabinet decisions and transparency for voters.

N.B. I tried to find something else on the topic and stumbled across this opinion piece from Lib Dem voice. There wasn't much else out there but the sentiments expressed are similar.

AV campaigns falling on deaf ears

2011-04-19T21:51:00.001+01:00

I have every admiration for some of the excellent reports on the AV referendum debate, such as the Guardian's but it's quite clear that this referendum isn't going to turn out well.

You can't blame Prince William and Kate Middleton for getting married but I'm sure 'yes' campaigners would appreciate it if they had decided not to. It's just one of a plethora of news stories smashing the AV debate out of mainstream news.

I don't mean it's not getting coverage, course it is. Yet today I read every tabloid and broadsheet and did some social media listening. All the debate is being generated through the core group of journalists, commentators, creatives and geeks who usually get excited about Westminster.

The man on the street is gearing up for Bank Holidays, the Royal Wedding, the FA Cup and so forth.

Now I realise this is always the case in politics yet this debate should be so much more. It should be more than a vote on AV, the miserable little compromise, it should have momentum, generate real debate outside of the political elite.

Alas, it is not. It hasn't captured the public's imagination and even the image of Nick Clegg weeping to Simply Red isn't going to salvage enough sympathy for the public to come out on his ticket, so he is left in the shadows.

It's therefore down to the wonderful couple that never was, 'Ed and Vince', to parade around and rally the 'yes' campaign - rally in the Tim Henman sense, over before it has started.

So what will this debate teach us about the future of British politics? Nothing, I guess. I'll estimate turnout at around 40% and first past the post will remain. This will be pretty rotten considering the protests, cuts and age of revolution we live in.

But that's the problem with this referendum. It's evolution when the people demand more. Or at least they would, if they were listening.

Ed Milliband's address to forget

2011-03-27T22:49:00.000+01:00

#March26 will live long in the memory for many reasons - but Ed Milliband may well wish otherwise.

The Labour leader must have known he was taking a huge risk addressing a TUC rally that would see the largest protest in the capital since the anti-war movement of 2003.

What did Ed have to gain from it? Many in the crowd will have been sceptical of his role in the economic crisis anyhow and it wasn't as if he was marching, he wasn't.

His gamble backfired on live TV when anarchists picked that very moment to launch a series of violent attacks - meaning Sky News and the BBC both carries his words over images of violent outbreaks: http://www.economist.com/blogs/bagehot/2011/03/britain_and_public_spending_cuts

That was a mistake, and an avoidable; yet perhaps he didn't have a choice - the younger Milliband famously owes the Unions his leadership victory over his brother, David (http://www.spectator.co.uk/politics/all/6320223/ed-miliband-owes-his-victory-to-the-unions-and-whatever-pact-he-made-with-them-may-haunt-him.thtml)

If the Unions did force his hand then they can't be blamed for the speech itself which questionably linked the anti-cuts protest with the suffragettes and anti-apartheid movements. Unsurprisingly, this has caused consternation even in the left-leaning press: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/mar/27/tuc-march-ed-miliband-labour-rally

It caps off a poor week for Mr Milliband who has to handle the juxtaposition of a party poll lead and poor personal approval ratings.

I have previously said that 'Red Ed' needs a cause to make his own but until he has clearly made the case for the 'alternative' he speaks so passionately about, he will struggle to reach those voters beyond the Unions and leave himself open to allegations of hypocrisy.

David Cameron started his early years as leader riding huskies and hugging trees - how Ed Milliband must wish he had the time to dip his toe in such less contentious waters.

Budget 2011 predictions

2011-03-20T21:14:00.000Z

The Sundays are full of 'predictions' and ''source' based info on this week's budget. Why on earth they just don't say 'The Treasury tells us' is another thing! A miss the good old days when Ministerial announcements weren't leaked in advance; although when those days were is another thing...

James Quinn in the Sunday Telegraph focuses on how George Osborne will attempt to convince big business to stay in Britain, whilst sending a message to the public that these same organisations must pay their way http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/budget/8392894/Budget-2011-Double-edge-to-George-Osbornes-Budget-for-growth.html.

This is the Catch 22 budget, Osborne is arguably damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. Either way, his 'enterprise' policies to promote growth in Britain and to send the army of enterprise (some of the metaphors being briefed are truly cringe-worthy) in to battle, need to hit the mark. The public will not tolerate spin over substance this time, any gloss will melt away rather quickly under scrutiny.

Can the Conservative Chancellor succeed in delivering a budget that pleases Joe Public, The City, small businesses and his Cabinet colleagues?

Of course not. It's who he chooses to prioritise which will define this budget.

Matt Baker asks Prime Minister David Cameron "how do you sleep at night?"

2011-03-09T14:19:00.000Z

This is worth a watch - did he or didn't he mean it?!

The reaction of the co-presenter seems to indicate Matt Baker's question was unscripted, which suddenly makes the One Show interesting!

I think Matt knew exactly what he was saying.

A rare moment of controversy from the Beeb's early evening snooze-fest.

'Churnalism' website must not be used as an attack dog on PR industry

2011-03-01T13:56:00.002Z

Flat Earth News (Nick Davies) was a monumental game changer in the debate as to how the 24/7 new media culture has had a damaging impact on the quality of journalism.

In the book, Davies is scathing about the 'copy and paste' techniques used by certain publications upon receipt of a press release. Now, the Media Standards Trust has launched the website http://churnalism.com/ to help people check press releases against articles and see how much of this has simply been copied and disseminated around the world.

The website itself has the potential to have a positive impact on journalism if it encourages fact checking and real journalism in place of copying and pasting. It could also, however, be detrimental for several reasons.

Firstly, if an article becomes infamous for its appearance on the site, then a journalist could feasibly receive real damage to their career; yet we have no background as to why the decision to publish the press release in full took place. It could have been a line manager's decision. The reality is also that commercial pressures require spaces to be filled and if the release is 'non commercial' and of genuine interest, then large parts of it could be of legitimate use.

At this point I must point out that although I work in public relations, I value relationship building and acting as a door to a source for journalists, I have no interest in 'forcing' copy on to a page or not recognising the value of an independent and pluralistic media - I even defended the media in my MA dissertation after John Lloyd's What the Media is Doing to Our Politics book.

I think it will also be a shame if the site is used as an attack dog against PR per se. Public relations is about managing reputations. It is every organisation's right to manage their reputation and the practice has been going on since the dawn of society. Yes, from time to time, methods can be criticsed but so can journalists'http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11306595.

So, simply using content from a press release isn't a crime. There might be legitimate insights via statistics, quotes or facts. A journalist can write around this and use counter arguments if needed, but there could be a large number of words used in a release and an article; without the article being compromised.

So, churnalism.com certainly puts the cat amongst the pigeons but whether or not it is here to say, who knows. It also strikes very much as a 'PR stunt' by the Media Standards Trust, does it not?

And there's the irony, simply defining something as 'PR' is in many ways an anachronistic exercise and one would be better served to understand the way reputation managers work with the media in today's climate.

The face of the Big Society

2011-02-13T09:34:00.000Z

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-12394034

In answer to my previous post, we now have a face for the Big Society and classic case studies from north and south but the question remains - will voters care about these groups? If so then they could become Cameron's super-advocates. I am still sceptical about the first batch, however, and bet No.10 is still desperately seeking that 'golden ticket' example of the Big Society which it craves.

How big can the Big Society be?

2011-02-03T23:04:00.000Z

There's been lots of noise this week on the perceived crisis of the 'Big Society' programme.

Labour Councillors are refusing to play ball after public sector cuts, none more so than in Liverpool - an eerie reminder of the problem Tory-led Governments face when Labour are in power on Merseyside: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/feb/03/liverpool-big-society

As a concept, the Big Society doesn't resonate easy with ordinary voters - this is illustrated by a recent poll which found that two thirds of the public were 'baffled' by the policy: http://www.prweek.com/news/1051960/Almost-two-thirds-public-baffled-David-Camerons-Big-Society/?DCMP=ILC-SEARCH.

Phillip Blond isn't universally loved by Conservatives but he's honest enough about the challenges faced by policy makers at Number 10. What Cameron needs, at the very least, is some great case studies - the cornerstone of successful PR in policy.

Blair had his mums and cute babies, the ambassadors of Sure Start - a powerful image which people truly embraced. What image can get the Big Society idea across?

I'm not for one second advocating PR over policy. My point is that you need to consider how to translate policies into the vernacular and policies that fail this test usually falter.

It'll be interesting to see what if this decline can be reversed but I'm doubtful the Coalition know exactly how to sell this idea and until they do expect further councils to follow Liverpool's example.

Andy Gray sacked by Sky

2011-01-25T16:39:00.000Z

Andy Gray was today sacked by Sky after acting as anchor for their coverage since 1992.

To say that there was no way back from his comments on womens' ability to officiate at football matches is, however, incorrect.

Gray faced a media storm, especially as it enabled opponents of Sky to give them a kicking. His comments were crude and represented the 'old boys' club' - the antithesis of the generation of family viewers Sky Sports is looking to attract.

Despite this, I think Gray's job could have been saved. Ricard Keys' immediate on the record denial was stupid, and the silence that followed was filled with the views of Karen Brady and journalists criticising Gray. If Andy Gray had shown a genuine remorse and met the official he criticised in person, he could have begun to publicly repair his reputation by admitting he was wrong and showing a willingness to change.

A visit to an anti-discrimination charity, an open letter on the Sky website - there was a myriad of options available to begin the healing process and to show some public humility.

Perhaps, in the end, Andy Gray was a victim of a position where he is asked to always stick by his opinion. Or, perhaps bosses looked over his shoulder, saw the fresh face of Jamie Redknapp and decided the time was right.

If you're interested, Andy, then I'm sure Jamie can recommend a good holiday company.

Cameron resurrects the ghost of Blair

2011-01-17T22:59:00.000Z

It was interesting to read today about an 'intriguing' book name checked by David Cameron in reference to the NHS...Tony Blair's autobiography, nonetheless http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2011/jan/17/critics-public-service-reform-grow-up-cameron

Strange that the Prime Minister would look to Blair's original plans for the NHS as aspirational. No doubt Mr Blair lacked the conviction to deliver on the NHS reforms he could have. The ones he did deliver on where a mixture of success (breakthroughs in treatment for cancer patients) and criminal wastes of resources (money spent on dubious IT projects).

The Prime Minister was actually trying to paint the critics of his plans (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12203000) such as as the BMA, as Luddites, blocking the road to reform.

The big area of contention is how big a role can the private sector play in NHS reform and what checks and balances on this can be introduced to placate the millions of public sector workers and the rest of the Coalition.

Ultimately, the NHS needs to its serve patients first and foremost and I think it's going to come down to the arguments made by Andrew Lansley and his department over how the money spent is going to improve on Labour's record. If the private sector can facilitate this then will swinging voters actually care where the services come from? I doubt it, but the millions of public sector workers will protect their ground. Meaning we will see more Union clashes for the Coalition.

One thing is for certain - Tony Blair couldn't survive losing the public and neither will Mr Cameron. Which is why I predict we can expect a surprise budget carrot to go with all this stick.

Cameron's Regional Growth Fund runs risk of Dragon's Den comparison

2011-01-06T21:54:00.000Z

David Cameron and Lord Heseltine have unveiled their Regional Growth Fund - yet the announcement adds no clarity to how regional economies will benefit any further than they did under the previous Government's system of RDAs.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-12131202

The reason it's not clear is that it is all rather ambiguous, it seems to tick the boxes of what regional business leaders will want to hear without the concrete detail. So we're told that regions heavily reliant on public sector spending will have a better chance of succeeding in the applications - what he taketh away with one hand...

My view is that this policy should have had clearer messaging. It's all coming across a bit Dragon's Den. The rich London kids in the middle are offering the poor people the chance to pitch their crazy 'Northern' ideas - I can imagine many of the Treasury team will find it quite natural to say 'I'm out'.

It's another example of how the Coalition isn't connecting regionally. In the North West, Vince Cable this week ran a comment in Insider magazine outlining his hope for regional growth in 2011 http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/north-west/44668-vince-cable-tells-insider-2010-was-turbulent-year/index.html

On the same day, Manchester Council leader Sir Richard Leese warned 2011 could be 'awful' as the private sector comes under pressure to fill the gap left by savage cuts http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/north-west/44800-2011-will-be-dreadful-year-sir-richard

I'm not saying these opposing views are unusual (!) but the point is these two articles came into my inbox on the same email - clearly highlighting the lack of confidence currently inspired by the current plan reducing small business rates and the new Regional Growth Fund.

Will regional business eventually be inspired by what they are hearing or will it need more than the Dragon's Den to resurface from the economic slump? I'll ask Evan Davis...

Lib Dems drop to lowest poll rating for 19 years as Ed Milliband fails to win support

2010-12-14T23:03:00.000Z

Interesting poll from Ipsos Mori and the Guardian today showing support for the Lib Dems at only 11% - a 19 year low:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/dec/14/chris-huhne-liberal-democrats-poll

The other stand out statistic is that Ed Milliband only has a +1 satisfaction rating after 3 months in office - the lowest for a new leader since Michael Foot.

Despite all this, David Cameron and the Conservatives seem to have retained support - despite controlling the majority of Government offices in a time of unprecedented cuts.

I put this down to perceptions of principle. Voters know Cameron and Osborne's agenda. They have made a clear and concise statement - we are going to cut and cut deeply. They have no plan B (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/spending-review/8077541/Spending-review-2010-Theres-no-Plan-B-says-George-Osborne.html).

This strategy has been extremely unpopular yet still the Conservatives have been perceived to be straight talking and the venom of the liberal left has been directed at the 'betrayal' of Nick Clegg and the Lib Dems.

Even big business leaders such as Phillip Green have been attacked ahead of the Chancellor.

I believe this is because voters seem to be anxious to see the results of this plan. Yet they are still suffering and hurting and who better to take it out on than a Lib Dem party flip flopping over student fees and one uncomfortable in its own skin at the present time.

Nick Clegg needs to find definition to salvage his reputation.

Definition is also something lacking for Ed Milliband. Normally, I wouldn't see this as a problem but I was concerned to see the younger Milliband brother hold the first of new regular press conferences this week.

Press conferences, after three months and without any clear policy direction? The strategy seems to be hold this rather grand sounding review, then drag it out whilst taking pot shots at the government. That may have worked for another Leader of the Opposition but not one who was a Minister in the last Cabinet months ago.

I'm afraid Mr Milliband will need to shelve the press briefings and find a niche, a cause. Even Cameron defined himself in the early days - even though the 'green' credentials were shed, logo aside.

Expect the Labour logo re-design soon.

Tuition Fees Increase and Riots put UK Democracy under spotlight

2010-12-10T09:02:00.001Z

"If we amplify everything, we hear nothing" Jon Stewart

As the Lib Dem and Tory Whips scuttled round the Commons effectively coercing a majority of 21 to pass a vote to increase tuition fees which will increase some fees to £9k a year, London was anarchic.

My brother sent me a picture of the police 'kettling' and it looked truly terrifying. He also reported to me gangs of young trouble makers in masks, clearly not there for a peaceful protest and with little passion about the cause of the protest. He remarked that it was similar to a gang of football hooligans infiltrating a peaceful march.

The images of Charles and Camilla's car being attacked, of original windows in the Supreme Court being smashed, of a disabled man being dragged by police out of his wheel chair - they shame this country by revealing the dearth of democracy on our streets.

More than that, the true tragedy is that the hard working students who have tried to press the debate, such as the NUS leaders, have been let down. They'll now be painted as rioters, as selfish, as the one niche in society unwilling to pay their way when the going gets tough.

Nick Clegg will fair no better. He has been dismissive of the student voice, so shamed by the picture of him proudly signing a pledge not to increase tuition fees which he gladly posed for before the election.

Rather than delay this law and try and form a truly open dialogue, the Coalition has got into a 'tit for tat' public argument. Hyperbole has been the order of the day.

For example, only a day before the vote, the Deputy Prime Minister uses the media to talk of 'dreamers' and over simplistic syntax - this adds fuel to the protesters' fire, it takes the debate nowhere:

''I would feel ashamed if I didn't deal with the way that the world is, not simply dream of the way the world I would like it to be,'' the Deputy Prime Minister said.

''In the circumstances in which we face, where there isn't very much money around, where many millions of other people are being asked to make sacrifices, where many young people in the future want to go to university – we have to find the solution for all of that.

''I believe that asking graduates to make a contribution – and only make a contribution after they have left university, no upfront fees whatsoever, and only when they have earned a considerably more amount of money than they do under the present system – that is the best possible choice we could have taken.''

This is paralleled by the physical hyperbole of some of the violence last night. It is an eye for an eye, the 'haves versus the have nots'.

Only, it is not that simple. It is the physical embodiment of a vacuous space void of true dialogue, of engagement - of democracy.

Britain has always turned to violence when democracy fails, from the Corn Laws to the Poll Tax. It is a nasty underbelly which gives lie to our projection of a civilised Western society.

For the real loser hear has been democracy. In extinguishing the flames on Trafalgar Squares Christmas Tree last night, officers signaled the dawn of a new dark age of ideas. Trapped by a blanket of reaction, our politicians are fed by fear and our public is at odds with the debate, unable to find a door to enter the debate. Without this, the UK will be led kicking and screaming through the fall-out from the recession.

Thought, reason and judgement will be muffled through the prism of apathy.

Jon Stewart was right, when we amplify everything, we hear nothing.

WikiLeaks US Embassy Cables and democracy

2010-11-28T20:40:00.000Z

Everyone needs to be following the Guardian's rolling blog of the WikiLeaks US Embassy Cables http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/blog/2010/nov/28/wikileaks-us-embassy-cables-live-blog?intcmp=239

It's going to take hours to digest the information but what's clear from initial responses from the US Secretary of State is that WikiLeaks will be condemned by officials around the glove for what it has done; as will the media who report the stories.

My first question is, why? Surely states will already know most of the details from their own intelligence? I think it's more of a case that is alters the position of the world the US has tried to give people through its own propaganda and media operation.

What this story gives people, because it has been syndicated throughout the globe using the internet, is a genuine insight into the real relationship between the world's leading superpower and other states and this is a game changer, make no mistake.

How it impacts on investigative reporting and journalism should also be fascinating - will it redefine the rules of engagement? WikiLeaks has already reported it is under denial of service attack today.

Ultimately the most important question is whether the leak is positive for democracy or damaging to it? I don't think we will truly be able to assess this until it plays out but what's clear is that this is the most controversial leak in history and a day we will never forget.

Rupert Murdoch creating digital newspaper for iPad

2010-11-21T22:52:00.000Z

Rupert Murdoch has been absolute in his determination that online journalism should be payed for and now CNN reports, via WDD, that he's taking this to the next level with a bespoke digital newspaper for iPad: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/mobile/11/21/ipad.daily/index.html?eref=mrss_igoogle_cnn

The news is no surprise as Mr Murdoch indicated back in August that he saw Apple's latest invention as a 'game changer' and a device which had the potential to rejuvenate journalism: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2010/aug/05/ipad-rupert-murdoch-apple-newscorp

If the story is correct then I think that it is a positive move for the future of journalism as it could undoubtedly help the transition from print to digital news which has so far seen traditional media try to stem the flow and catch up, but not create or innovate - leaving journalism under threat in the age of Google and Facebook.

And, of course, rather like the launch of the Independent's 'I', it leads to accusations that could the new format cannibalise its print brethren; yet no one knows at this juncture and with advertising revenues continuing to falter around the word then there's no reason not to try and forge a viable economic model for the industry from new technology like the iPad.

Murdoch's detractors may not like it but yet again the mogul seems to be one step ahead.

New York, New York

2010-11-11T16:26:00.000Z

I'm here in the Big Apple working with the fabulous Euro RSCG Worldwide PR team.

It's great to be able to spend time with Marian Salzman and her colleagues - it's an honour, in fact. During my time here I am looking at traditional and social media conversations in the US and how they compare and contrast to the UK. It's been a fascinating couple of days and I'll make sure I blog my findings.

I've also found time to take in a trip to the theater and I saw Al Pacino in the Merchant of Venice. Never the easiest play to perform, I have to say it was brilliant. Pacino's Shylock struck the right balance between humour, bitterness and did what the character is meant to in my humble opinion - leave you questioning whether you sympathise with him or whether you applaud his downfall. Not something to debate here given the anti-Semite themes there may or may not be, depending on how one critiques the play.

Anyhow, just a quick update from me, I'll be sure to report back soon.

Minister Jeremy Browne branded racist on Question Time

2010-11-04T23:56:00.000Z

Just watched Foreign Office Minister, Jeremy Browne be branded racist by a heckler on Question Times because of a comment he made about the French.

I don't think Mr Browne intended it to come across as anything but a satirical joke - but instead the awkward delivery just sounded vaguely racist.

When briefing public figures on unscripted interviews or panels you simply must ensure they don't ad lib jokes - it never works.

Just ask President Obama: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=7129997&page=1

Boris Johnson's 'social cleansing' comment will damage coalition

2010-10-28T23:03:00.001+01:00

Thomas Paine wrote 'that the summer solider.. will, in crisis, shrink from the service of his country.'

For the Prime Minister, he must be cursing the first summer soldier to stick his head above the parapet, the blonde mop of the Mayor of London.

This is because Boris Johnson's comments that he won't allow welfare cuts in London to be 'Kosovo like social cleansing' are more than just another 'Bojo' gaffe http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/borisjohnson/8094281/David-Cameron-criticises-Boris-Johnson-over-Kosovo-social-cleansing-comments.html

What is shows is that with a Mayoral election on the horizon, Boris is prepared to put the coalition's neck on the line ahead of his own. The summer soldier is ready to turn his rifle on his own party.

This is before the full effect of any cuts have become apparent.

I am confident this public use of such strong (and completely unnecessary) language will damage the coalition because it sets a precedent.

Long into the night, when the winter of discontent has left its bite on the country, Lib Dem and Tory MPs will face the same decision as the Mayor.

Do we stick to the coalition line or do we play to the crowd, to try and battle Labour on the anti-coalition vote?

They may well take a glance at Boris, daring to march against the agreed line and see if he still holds power in the Capital.

If he does, then temptation will take hold.

It's not just a gaffe, Boris, it's a damaging blow to the coalition's internal and external reputation.

Rescue of the Chilean miners is a public relations operation

2010-10-12T23:11:00.000+01:00

In the UK, our public figures do not miss an opportunity to comment on the issues of the day, no matter how trivial. If it means they can get in the media or win a vote, they will do it.

What better example than Gordon Brown wading in to the 2008 Brand-Ross scandal http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2008/oct/28/gordon-brown-russell-brand-jonathan-ross

So it should be no surprise to see the President of Chile live on Chilean news and around the world tonight as the trapped miners emerge from the subterranean prison after two long and dangerous months.

Neither should the mountain side media center and choreographed celebration shock us, it's a rare chance for the world to see Chile and they deserve a smooth PR operation to facilitate this.

It's not that the Chileans are taking advantage, they are simply following the tried and tested public relations exercises Western governments have used for years; often in cringe-worthy circumstances or in moments of national sorrow such as Tony Blair during the aftermath of Diana's passing.

Only this event is set to be a celebration, the victory of life over certain death. It's also one with huge commercial benefits to Chile as a nation and will see the miners transformed into celebrities, even as I write this.

So don't blame Chile as we lap up the coverage, admire their shrewdness. And let's hope that none of the miners leave a part of themselves when they emerge to deal with what is now a very different world than the one they used to live in.

David Milliband's procrastination was his downfall - not his brother

2010-09-29T21:14:00.000+01:00

So, David Milliband has retreated to the backbenchers and the media are pouring over the 'fratricide' committed by Ed Milliband.

Enough has been written about that to last several months but what I don't understand is why nobody has discussed the fact that David Milliband's chance of power didn't just vanish when the Unions backed his brother; it traces back to 2009 and the resignation of James Purnell http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6434068.ece.

David Milliband and James Purnell were long regarded as the bright young stars of the Labour party and as Gordon Brown's popularity first hit rock bottom, they were regarded by many as rivals for top position http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/plot-to-dump-brown-878260.html

Yet it is clear that the two men wanted to avoid the fate of their predecessors and work together, with David Milliband taking on the roll as party leader and James Purnell presumably promoted to a senior Cabinet or Shadow Cabinet role.

Yet when Purnell resigned to force the deeply unpopular Prime Minister from office, Milliband had his Hamlet moment. Instead of pulling the trigger, he dithered. After a weekend of procrastination, David Milliband chose not to follow his friend and instead offer lukewarm support to the besieged Prime Minister; a trick he repeated in January this year: http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23791989-senior-cabinet-ministers-backed-ousting-gordon-brown.do

Perhaps this failure to act has haunted Milliband, who had reportedly discussed bringing Purnell back into the fold should he had become leader http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/185173/Will-James-Purnell-Labour-s-forgotten-man-make-a-comeback-

Yet it's all too late now for the elder Milliband brother. No matter what the commentators say, his brother did win legitimately and David Milliband has probably forever lost his chance at power - unless something extraordinary happens.

So David Milliband must regret his failure to follow James Purnell out and force the leadership contest that would have guaranteed him leadership and potentially the title of Prime Minister - an aspiration now held by his younger brother.

Hyper-local newspapers article in Monocle magazine

2010-09-20T21:53:00.000+01:00

I felt I had to draw attention to the fascinating report on the future of hyper-local newspapers in MONOCLE magazine this month http://www.monocle.com/sections/culture/Magazine-Articles/Talk-of-the-town---Global/

Having family in Inverness I was especially interested in the West Highland Free Press case study. The message of the article is clear, at a time when people are abandoning some bigger regional and national newspapers, hyper-local newspapers have the advantage of knowing their readers better than anybody - because they are the readers.

Yet many of these hyper-local newspapers do not carry copy or full copy on their websites, meaning they are distinct from hyper-local websites. That's interesting, as I have spoken before about how great some of the hyper-local websites are, especially for engaging community groups and giving them a voice to replace the content axed from many regional papers.

But if hyper-local newspapers are going to focus away from daily content, they may end up giving more. The MONOCLE article speaks of niches they have developed globally; from 'scoop' specialists in New Zealand, to student orginated newspapers in South Africa. It's local people giving local news without joining the daily copy arms race faced by regional papers. It's almost as if these hyper-local papers don't feel the pressure and they are liberated by it.

Life is local, and we'd all better get used to it. What a great article, go and give it a read.

The Pope visits Britain

2010-09-16T21:47:00.000+01:00

Did anyone watch the Pope in 3D today? HD? It's amazing isn't it, to be able to watch the first papal visit to Britain since 1982 in such resplendent colour, such crisp images. I had to go to the lavatory a few times, but luckily I was able to pause the Pope on my Sky+ and come back.

The Popemobile as well, did you see it? Made the batmobile look like a shed on wheels. I hear Mercedes made it specially, where can you get one? Now that IS a company car.

Wall to wall Pope TV coverage, brand recongition, this is truly great PR, he is just unlucky he missed ultimate Big Brother by a week.

Can you imagine the Holy See and Davina, 'I'm coming to get you!' - TV gold.

So well done, your Holiness, you have turned this secular world on its head. You've rebuilt the trust in the Church with some old fashioned PR and a great set of wheels.

Who said Britain was devoured by secularism?

Sunday Mirror to run 'Wayne Rooney 'vice girl' exclusive'?

2010-09-04T22:31:00.000+01:00

Rumours have it on Twitter that the Sunday Mirror is running a new story on Wayne Rooney regarding a 'vice girl'.

What this means for one of Britian's most lucrative brands, we will have to wait and see. (Personally, I think it means the Labour Leadership battle is again off the front pages and you'll find candidates cursing the rumours as we speak!)

Seriously though, the response from the Rooney camp to the rumours - as that's all they are as I write this - will be interesting as Steven Gerrard was recently forced to issue a public statement in the face of similar rumours.

But do the public still have an appetite for these stories? I'm afraid so, sad as it may be - Sunday Mirror sales will already jump on the back of Twitter buzz.

My drum article on social media

2010-09-03T21:32:00.000+01:00

Sorry for a self promoting post, but here's an article I have written in The Drum on Social Media - give it a gander and see if you agree...

http://www.thedrum.co.uk/knowledge-bank/advertising/2045/social-media-when-it-s-time-to-say-

The death of AVE can't come soon enough

2010-08-24T21:44:00.000+01:00

I was talking to a friend recently who asked me what I do. It's the sort of conversation that makes a PRO shudder as it inevitably leads to a blank face and a 'what does that mean again' supplementary. Eventually I explained how I look after organisations' reputations and their conversations with key audiences. It almost made me feel proud! Then, of course, my friend asked 'how do you measure success?' Simple, we just work out what they would have paid for another marketing discipline and gloat about how cheap we are...

It's the sort of conversation that lurks in the room every time a PR agency pitches to a new client. We all talk a good game on evaluation but ultimately the industry lacks the conviction to stand up for itself.

So here's the truth - AVE/PRVE are inconsequential numbers which bear no impact on reputation or the emotional connection an audience has with an organisation.

And industry bodies continue to let us down. The seven key principles recently agreed at Barcelona's European Summit on Measurement may have pledged to remove AVE but did they come up with a better solution? No, it was yet more hot air and procrastination.

AVE is unreliable as it concerns one discipline and uses it to evaluate another. Advertisers don't compare their work to PR, so why do we evaluate ours on theirs?

Public relations is one of the most criticised and misunderstood of all marketing disciplines. It is seen as a cheap win, a dark art, all fluff and no substance. This does the thousands of intelligent and creative practitioners in this country a huge disservice; yet until we can show the effectiveness of our work and how it can impact on an organisation, we will always have one foot in the mud.

My own view is that no PR campaign should commence without some prior research into reputation. There are many important models to make this evaluation, I won't go into it here.

Then, once you have this starting point you need to clearly define a set of goals. How do you want your audience to see your brand or organisation? What behaviour do you wish to change and over what period of time do you wish to do this?

Evaluating the impact of the campaign must then be measured against this test group of results, to derive impact. The impact on bottom line will of course always play a part but PR shouldn't be isolated from claiming the credit for this, as so often happens.

I know many people will argue that most organisations won't want to pay for this level of research but I think that if you are going to pay for expertise, pay for it to be used properly.

Until the industry moves more quickly to educate clients and boards on the true value of PR then we can continue to deceive ourselves and ensure awkward conversations on what the profession stands for will continue for a long time.

David Cameron in Manchester - review

2010-08-10T20:48:00.002+01:00

It was at the point of my fifth security check when it dawned on me just how important David Cameron had now become. He is Prime Minister. It's not the 'Dave and Nick' show, it is Dave and the gang. This recess sees the man formerly known as 'call me Dave' leave his marriage of convenience and carry on his 'Cameron Direct' tour of the provinces. Although it is now called 'PM Direct'.

I have noticed that Dave rarely wears a jacket on these occasions and so it was today in Manchester. The slight hint of man breast poking through his shirt might well force his hand in this respect, but alas that isn't content suitable for this blog.

Manchester is a diverse city and, as if by magic, the audience directly behind Dave was as diverse as they come. It was a game of ethnic equality bingo and Dave had a full house.

The audience themselves were rather quiet. Is this really the Manchester of the industrial revolution, the birthplace of Brit Pop and other short lived successes? Perhaps it was a quiet respect for the man taking money from us, after all, it is for our own good.

The range on the audience was like Tiger Woods, post affair. Benefits, cuts, green energy, Sure Start, it was like being ankle deep in the sea without your trunks - there just wasn't enough depth in the room to go further.

This of course suited Dave. He listened, he answered a completely different question and he moved on before people could follow up or think about his answers. But this isn't Dave's fault, blame those 'assistants' he referred to - he'd loved to have talked all day if he could. To us, not with us, I presumed.

Cameron Direct is all rather pointless in the end but he did get out of the 'Westminster bubble', so that is to be applauded. And, let's be frank here, he is insane to do them at all. Hopefully, Andy Coulson can have a word and return to PMs seen on the TV but not heard locally. That's the good old days; where's Mandy when you need him?

Oh, he was at Smith's in Manchester - don't think there was a queue.

How do you solve a problem like Vince?

2010-07-26T10:32:00.000+01:00

"Brokeback Coalition" was a crude and rather flippant put down *allegedly* by David Davis but it was just the latest in a long line of snide remarks from alienated grassroots members of both the Tories and the Liberal Democrats.

David Cameron and Nick Clegg's senior teams are undoubtedly prepared for these attacks and have so far adopted consistent rebuttals without appearing to worry about them.

What the coalition aren't prepared for at this early stage is off message briefings from the front line. This is exactly what has started to happen with the Lib Dems though whose Ministers seem to be unable to turn down the chance to speak into a microphone without considering the implications first.

From Clegg's attack on Jack Straw at PMQs to Lynne Featherstone's rantings over woman's breasts, the party seems incapable of learning from David Laws' early blunder.

All these issues pale into comparison when compared to Vince Cable.

Vince Cable, the man who could do no wrong is no Vince the feeble, a man choking on his famous 'Mr Bean' criticism of Gordon Brown.

From graduate tax to bank lending (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/7909709/Banks-told-lend-more-or-lose-bonuses.html) Vince is ploughing his own field, the anguish of compromise written all over his face.

This compromise is undermining the coalition's fiscal credibility at a crucial time for the economy. There is no time to play the hard done man, Cable must commit himself to the work of government and designate more briefings or Osborne and Cameron must remove him.

With every mixed message the dissenting party voices will grow bolder. The PM needs to find out if Cable can truly commit to the work ahead and if not he simply must remove him from office before Christmas.

South Africa can look to the World Cup final after successful PR operation - but what next?

2010-07-08T20:56:00.000+01:00

Sunday will see a new name on the World Cup as Spain and Holland battle it out but for the host nation, the Public Relations team can breathe a sigh of relief.

A tournament marked by pre-event mutterings of discontent from the Western media didn't get off to the best of starts with steward strikes, as locals saw the opportunity to improve working conditions with a well timed strike: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story ?id=660956&cc=5739

Some swift action by the government put the strike down and out of the news agenda and since then most of the media coverage has been focused on the football taking place.

In this respect, South African officials must be relieved. Yet this campaign will be judged by the long term economic impact on the country and no matter how much officials look to control the flow of information the world will expect results.

It seems, however, that the world should not hold its breathe. Only recently a major pay strike amongst construction workers was avoided that could have jeopardised the World Cup final (http://www.mmegi.bw/index.php?sid=9&aid=3476&dir=2010/July/Thursday8) and this adds to the sense that once the TV cameras have stopped rolling, the money in the local economy will leave with them.

This is why it is so important to return to South Africa, to find out exactly how the country has developed. From their perspective, they must be open and proactive in giving the world's media the examples of development and increased local prosperity which can drive the legacy of the tournament.

Whether or not these examples exist, we shall see.

BP oil slick shows reputation cannot be driven without action

2010-06-20T22:15:00.000+01:00

Ever since the explosion off the Gulf of Mexico, BP has been in a 24/7 battle to rescue its reputation in the wake of an environmental disaster the President of the United States has compared to 9/11.

The BP Chief, Tony Hayward, has famously made several high profile PR gaffes - the most recent visiting a yacht race off the Isle of Wight this week days after a poor performance in front of the Senate http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/7840720/US-anger-as-BP-oil-spill-chief-Tony-Hayward-watches-his-yacht-sail-round-the-Isle-of-Wight.html

Despite this, BP are of course no fools when it comes to PR. Of course they aren't. The company has employed a rapid response unit to deal with the constant flow of criticism (excuse the pun) and some of this has been successful - the purchase of Google adwords such as 'oil slick' for example - and the use of video and social media shows the company is using every modern method to try and repair the damage.

So why does the negative PR persist to the extent it does? Firstly, the fact is reputation must be built on actions and trust and until the spill is stopped, BP is always going to be on the back foot. That rule applies to any organisation in the world.

The next problem is that BP seems to be trying to control the messaging, rather than enter in a true dialogue. Web 2.0 techniques falter when used outside a conversation prism, they simply don't work when a business isn't prepared to listen.

So with every Twitter parody forced to admit it isn't part of BP, for every protest video pulled, BP gives the impression that it is trying to silence freedom of speech; thus alienating the local communities affected by the spill, not mentioning the US political elite.

To turn the situation around the company needs to start listening more and talking less. Mr Hayward simply must use any upcoming appearances to reflect a humility, a sorrow, an empathy with local communities - not just the President.

Most of all, it needs to stop the spill before attempting to turn the tide of publicity, more 'Mea culpa' and less 'it's not me, bruv'.

The Times Paywall

2010-05-27T23:10:00.000+01:00

I've been exploring the preview of The Times paywall. A few things have stood out for me.

1. The Times are attempting a 'news plus' model - it isn't trying to sell articles you can get elsewhere for free, it is attempting to sell bespoke digital content

2. It is an extension of the Times membership card scheme and therefore giving readers a feeling of inclusion, and belonging

3. Interactivity will be king. Blogs, discussions, comments are in

4. The use of embedded videos and multimedia galleries will be frequent but will carry a much more artistic feel

5. The Times will attempt to carry the following for their star writers behind the paywall, such as Mike Atherton in sport

Overall, I would be willing to extend my membership when the final paywall comes down if I can be sure I'm getting fresh, thought provoking content that will allow me to join discussion and debate.

My next question is how this could provide opportunity or threat for PRs? The first points I would make is that it can allow for truly exclusive opportunities.

For example, my brother is an artist and if he could secure an exclusive preview for his shows with The Times then the power of that would be in reaching a niche audience of bespoke minds. For businesses, the editorial team will surely be looking for interviews and opportunities with CEOs that can remain within the paywall and I imagine there will be many businesses happy to discuss this with them.

In terms of marketing creativity, the paywall may also offer a full marketing solution for businesses as the Times will be able to offer data on readers which can in its own way prove as equally as attractive of some of the information sold by social networking sites such as Facebook.

So, interesting times ahead. I'll be looking to refresh my views when the new paywall is up and running properly.

Millibands in Labour leadership battle

2010-05-16T21:43:00.000+01:00

The Labour Leadership battle sees the candidates with a unique chance to build relationships with party members using the internet in a way never before possible. David and Ed Milliband are both Twitter users and must engage and invite debate with members in frsh and exciting ways - especially if they are to gain ground over the Union favourite, Ed Balls.

David has a new holding page for his campaign - http://www.davidmiliband.net/ and I imagine he will look to build in some web 2.0 technology in order to promote himself as 'accessible to the people'.

The coalition Government is going to remain top of the news agenda for a long time, so Labour candidates must take their time and use web engagement with Labour members and ordinary voters to build a campaign narrative.

If they are able to do this or not will determine whether or not the former Government can be an effective opposition.

I personally think Ed and David should team up for a 'dream ticket' with David at the head - but that might be some way down the line.

When Cameron met Clegg

2010-05-09T21:27:00.000+01:00

The UK now has the most uncertain political climate for decades, as the Conservatives and the Lib Dems continue discussions over a coalition that would see David Cameron enter Number 10 and oust the stubborn Gordon Brown from his role as PM.

Look out for the language coming from both parties, who need to show willing yet ensure party members do not feel their core values are compromised.

For Nick Clegg, he knows he must represent the Statesman, transcending his party's dismal election performance and cementing his place as King-maker supreme.

His statement yesterday was that of a mini manifesto, clearly showing the electorate that the Lib Dems are focused and can be trusted to deliver 'change':

"I'm very keen that the Liberal Democrats should play a constructive role at a time of great economic uncertainty to provide a good government that this country deserves.

"Throughout that we will continue to be guided by the big changes we want - tax reform, improving education for all children, sorting out the banks and building a new economy from the rubble of the old, and extensive fundamental political reform."

The Tories on the other hand must shake hands in public but be careful not to make any public promises to Clegg. This morning. Michael Gove talked about the 'spirit of cooperation' but fell short of promising Cabinet positions for Lib Dems.

It is crucial that Clegg doesn't over reach himself and demand stipulations that will be rejected - his position in the media is stronger than his political bargaining position, despite the Tory desire for a majority.

Cameron must ensure he comes across as a leader, the man who brings the situation to conclusion - not Nick Clegg. By showing strength Cameron can reassure the frail markets and Tory backers, nervous after a disaster of a campaign which failed to secure a majority against one of the most unpopular PMs in many years.

Over the next few days, every statement uttered by Cameron and Clegg will be laced with the language of negotiation, every word filled with subliminal messages to their own parties.

Language will rarely have been so crucial to either man.

Swing to Tories

2010-05-07T01:09:00.002+01:00

As I type there are reports of a 8-9% Tory swing in some key seats such as Kingswood and Basildon South.

This would give Cameron a majority, if replicated across the Country...

Let's see how this plays out.

General Election Exit Poll Results

2010-05-05T22:59:00.000+01:00

The one thing about this campaign that has stood out has been the unreliability of polls, especially the You Gov polls, yet the media have continued to push them in order to keep the election fire buring and satisfy the 24 hr coverage. Which is fair enough.

Exit polls are even more unreliable, however, and it will be interesting to see how honest voters are tomorrow after they cast their vote.

If this Populus poll is accurate then the exit polls may tell us that the Tories are on the brink of a majority: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7117385.ece

For my money, the hung parliament is still the most likely outcome but I think that the Lib Dems will fail to make the impact many have predicted.

Bring on tomorrow.

Gordon Brown gaffe: calls old lady a bigot

2010-04-28T12:44:00.000+01:00

Gordon Brown has committed the first big leaders' gaffe - calling an old lady a "bigot".

This one will run all day but the choice Labour spin doctors must now make is whether to apologise and apologise again; or try and hang the old lady out to dry; portraying Gordon as a sort of racial equality champion.

Either options spells trouble - Gordon Brown will lose further ground in the polls because of this.

Disaster for Labour.

Election media special: Sophy Ridge, Consumer and Political Correspondent, News of the World

2010-04-20T13:34:00.001+01:00

The 2010 General Election has so far stood out for its 24/7 digital media coverage. To find out more, I have spoken to Sophy Ridge, Consumer and Political Correspondent with the News of the World, to find out how the News of the World is using social media to engage its readers in the 2010 General Election. Here's what Sophy had to say:

Q) The News of the World election Blog is noticeable for its social media integration.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/News-of-the-World-politics/109511402409188

It seems to be designed to make the election accessible to the voter. Can you tell me a bit more about the decision to cover the election in this way?

People are engaging with politics on many different platforms – whether that’s via Twitter, Facebook, internet blogs or TV debates. We wanted to reach out to a whole different section of politically-active people who may not read newspapers but are still switched on and want to find out more about the election. By linking our coverage on Twitter, Facebook and the News of the World blog – as well as our newspaper coverage – we’re maximising the number of people reading our content. Plus I personally am very excited with the way social media has changed the way people interact with politicians and journalists.

Q) The Mums’ Manifesto is obviously right at the heart of the election campaign. Why has Netmums become so important to politicians?

Every year there is a group of voters identified as the “Holy Grail” who will decide the outcome of the election – whether Mondeo Man or Worcester Woman. This year politicians are scrambling to attract the votes of Britain’s mothers.
They’re the ones who have really felt the brunt of the credit crunch – whether it’s rocketing petrol and supermarket bills or the devastated job market – and they’ve also got big views on things like class sizes.

http://blogs.notw.co.uk/politics/2010/04/calling-all-mums--we-want-to-hear-your-opinions-before-the-general-election--the-political-parties-are---the-news-of-the-w.html

Q) Have you found the Mums to be a tough sell for the politicians?

I think politicians often see “mums” in quite a patronising way. Many of them underestimate what Netmums will quiz them about in these webchats – they think it’s all going to be about soft subjects. But actually Netmums members are experts in the complicated benefits system because they are the ones who are pouring over the intricacies of everything from tax credits to the Tory marriage plans – because an extra £40 a month means a lot to how they juggle their bills. So they are an incredibly tough sell and it’s impossible for politicians to pull the wool over their eyes.

Q) You’ve been on the road producing video diaries for Facebook on the campaign. http://blogs.notw.co.uk/politics/2010/04/battleground-britain-video-reports-from-around-the-uk.html
Who, at this stage, has impressed you the most and why?

I think it’s important to stay neutral as a journalist. But as a newspaper, we have decided to back the Tories.

Q) Do you think the TV debates will tell voters anything new?

The important of the TV debates has already been demonstrated –the Lib Dems have taken the lead in the polls for the first time in a century! Everyone thought the TV debates would have some influence, but I don’t think anyone realised quite how much. However, Thursday’s debate could change all that because this time David Cameron and Gordon Brown will be gunning for Nick Clegg. He had an easy ride last time.

Q) Finally, what reaction has the News of the World had to its interactive election coverage? Have your readers responded well?

Our readers have responded incredibly positively to our interactive coverage. However – best of all – many other people have started engaging with the News of the World’s coverage for the first time.

Twitter and the Leaders' debate

2010-04-15T22:27:00.000+01:00

Well, the first Leaders' debate was spellbinding television, a true moment of history. I had the pleasure of spending it with hundreds of people from all sides of the political spectrum on Twitter.

Apparently there were over 100,000 tweets during the debate and this is evidence that for real time media, Twitter is King.

Tweets seemed to verge between the comic and the serious, most people on my feed approaching the debate with a cynical eye on how staged managed it was but, crucially, the response was that the debate was a success.

It's best out of three so no winner, but as this stage (out of 5) I would give: Clegg 3.5, Brown 3 and Cameron 3. All to play for.

50 economists sign letter backing Gordon Brown's economic plans

2010-04-14T22:02:00.000+01:00

Apparently 50 economists have signed a letter backing Labour's plans for the economy: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/election-2010/7591279/General-Election-2010-Gordon-Brown-finally-finds-experts-to-back-economic-plans.html

This tat for tat game of 'my expert is bigger than yours' is getting rather tiresome. I wonder what impact, if any, it is having on voters?

My guess is they care more about their own family finances and unless politicans can find a way of demonstrating how their policies can ease some of this financial strain, then the game of economic tennis will prove fruitless in the long term context of the election.

Financial Times stikes deal with Foursquare

2010-04-13T22:21:00.001+01:00

This week saw the FT strike a deal with Foursquare to allow people to check in and unlock its pay wall

(http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2010/apr/12/foursquare-ft)

For me, this shows how it's not just brands who needs to find a way of operating within exisitng social media platforms, it's the media too.

Although all the major media have a presense on the leading platforms, very few have matched brands in finding innovative ways to engage potential readers (and therefore customers) in the way brands have.

I think media marketing teaams have been lazy in this respect.

If you are the Times, about to get a shiny new paywall, your social media strategy must be geared towards increasing entry into your paywall and boosting revenue streams.

Simply being on Facebook, or having a Twitter feed, isn't enough to deliver new, unique and paying users; and by new I mean online consumers who would otherwise not think of visitng a website.

By looking to creative partnerships with social media platforms - and even brands - British media can get away from the 'free DVD on Sunday' approach and seek to engage consumers in the same way as the biggest brands have done successfully.

So, well done, FT. Let's see some more of this type of innovation.

General Election 2010 and the Media

2010-04-10T20:54:00.000+01:00

We are nearly a week in so I've decided to do a synopsis of some of the main GE2010 coverage to date, and where I think the most innovative journalism is happening.

BBC
The much maligned BBC website continues to strike fear into the heart of newspapers everywhere with a dedicated GE2010 micro site, complete with up to date, minute by minute news feed incorporating tweets. This is a strong addition to the BBC's already excellent blogs, with Nick Robinson and the team blogging with the gusto of a Government in Waiting. Verdict: Excellent start for the Beeb BUT they must not drop the ball with the leaders' debates.

Sky News
Sky has gone for strength in numbers, utilising their large budgets for live camera pieces throughout the day with heavyweights Adam Boulton and Kay Burley working almost 24/7 it would seem. The production is slick but the coverage is, in my opinion, let down by the sensationalism - the yellow 'breaking news' bar is at time cringe worthy. Unlike the BBC and ITV, SKY News has nothing to lose with the leaders' debates and I expect it the production to be the slickest and most American in style.

ITV
The third channel on the remote has struggled to keep pace with the social media integration of BBC and Sky and isn’t leading on many stories at present. The news team needs a big exclusive from the election soon to make up ground.

News International (minus Sky)
The Times has produced the solid coverage you would expect of it but the website remains in a league behind the Telegraph and Guardian. The Sun has already taken the scalp of one Scottish Labour candidate and led the debate on the use of Twitter by politicians. News of the World has produced an excellent series of Facebook videos and a dedicated NOTW GE2010 Facebook fan page. This is making politics more accessible to young voters and the videos are updated on a constant basis. Along with the aforementioned SKY production, there is no arguing with James Murdoch's focus on this election.

The Guardian
Highlight has been the balance of opinion and commentary, emphasised by the excellent GE2010 pull out on the first day of the official campaign. Website combines humour and commentary well and the grand old paper will continue to balance the right wing views of the Mail and company.
The Mail
Middle England's voice has backed Cameron's moves on National Insurance and Marriage Tax Breaks but has also focused on the micro battles of local councils - mainly as a vehicle to discuss the worries of the large swing vote outside London. Within this, they have already launched campaigns on the usual grounds of immigration and expect more of the same from the Mail: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/election/article-1264966/Migrant-citys-help-Anguished-letter-Brown-Cameron-reveals-devastating-toll-immigration.html

Telegraph
Up there with the Guardian for social media and website content, the Telegraph has succeeded with some great blogs from Charles Moore and Robert Moore amongst others. Strongest business coverage outside the FT.

Twittersphere
Twitter has been electric since the start of the campaign, fed by the Tory masters Iain Dale and Tim Montgomerie. Their battle against the many Labour MPs and candidates has been fierce and no holds barred - witness the Labour campaign to #sackgrayling and the sacking of the Scottish Labour candidate who proved too many tweets do make a...

Others
Some excellent tweets and blogs from Paul Waugh have seen the ever improving new look Evening Standard cement its place alongside the nationals. Guido Fawkes has been a consistent thorn in Labour's side - as you would expect. The John Prescott team have taken his traditional battle bus tour and combined it well with social media, epitomised by some very funny tweets and coverage from Aintree racecourse.

This isn't an exhaustive audit but it's clear that the media have embraced the challenge of the 'digital election' and are providing voters with a veritable feast of political news and opinion.

For me, the biggest challenges will now come with the next unknown area and that is, of course, the three leaders' debates on BBC, ITV and Sky. Worries over format and scripts have been voiced and if they are not addressed, the shouts of #stagemangedelection could become louder and cause problems for all three main parties in the latter weeks of the election.

Darling must continue to stand firm over NI

2010-04-05T22:03:00.000+01:00

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/election-2010/7555818/Chancellor-Alistair-Darling-attacks-Conservatives-over-National-Insurance.html

The Chancellor has shown impressive resilience over the past 10 days as business leaders, trade unions, journalists and economists have attacked his plan to increase NI contributions for employers and employees alike.

The Government messaging over this period has been consistent; despite the pressure he (Darling) must be under to give the public a carrot to accompany this stick.

When any organisation decides to make a change which could have a negative effect on some of its audiences, it is of vital importance that decisions are made and stuck to. Only then can the conviction behind the messaging penetrate a hostile debate.

In politics, however, it is often all to easy to flip-flop and backtrack. The public are wary of New Labour especially for this - characterised in the genius first episode of The Thick of It.

So, as sceptical voters look for truth behind the spin can the Chancellor's resilience appeal more to voters searching for honest decisions on reducing deficits, than even respected businessmen like Sir Stuart Rose?

If I were the opposition parties I would carefully look at how voters react to the brickbats heading Mr Darling's way as the public are proving difficult to predict in this, the recession election - hence the ever changing polls, as reliable as a builder's free estimate.

Gordon Brown tries to win over women

2010-03-15T21:09:00.000Z

The Prime Minister was the latest party leader on Woman's Hour today (http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/), the latest in a series of attempt by the main parties to sway the female vote.

Swing seats can often hinge on the female vote and the narrowing of the polls is evidence that votes are there to be won.

The key figures have become 'Sam Cam' and Sarah Brown, who have been brought to the fore to soften the campaign and create (in the case of Samantha) a softer element to the party.

It's been a similar story digitally with Netmums given a political prominence it can (probably) scarcely believe.

So how is this phase of the election panning out? Not very well in my eyes. None of the politicans have shown any true connect with the audience and it comes across as rather tokenistic as a result.

Samantha and Sarah's roles are also the subject of hyperbole and although Sarah is a savvy PR operator and emerging digital presence, she has yet to prove that she is able to work her skills on her husband.

I think that this is an experimental phase of the campaign and predict we will see much more negative campaigning before too long as the Conservatives look to go on the offensive.

BBC cuts should not halt diversifcation of content

2010-03-02T21:29:00.000Z

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/bbc/7352167/BBC-staff-revolt-after-spending-cuts-announced.html

Today's BBC cuts, ironically leaked last week in The Times, are remarkable only in that the Corporation has chosen some of its lowest audience but most diverse areas to close.

The Asian network, BBC Switch and 6 music all arguably dared to try something different. The lesson it seems, is that whilst the BBC may want to stop its expansion, it doesn't want to lose its audience share.

That is the dicotomy of a tax payer funded public service broadcaster in 2010 and that's why the licence fee can't survive forever.

It will, however, increase the pressure to restrict BBC online content further and thus open up the competition in the market. This can only be good for a pluralistic democracy but only if other media outlets can finally adapt to a new media age and offer the sort of online content people will be willing to pay for.

The BBC didn't force the rest of the media to fail so miserably at this and it didn't force them to give away their content for free.

Let's see if the BBC backing down (or at least starting to) will signal the beginning of a media resurgence starting with successful pay walls...

There are no PR winners in the Gordon Brown Bullying row

2010-02-23T22:07:00.000Z

I thought I would share my thoughts on who is winning the media battle over the current Number 10 'bullying' row.

There are currently two sides to the argument.

One, Gordon Brown is a 'bully':

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/feb/23/gordon-brown-bullying-andrew-rawnsley

Two, the Head of the National Bullying Helpline is a 'Tory pawn' and a 'prat':
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/feb/23/gordon-brown-bullying-andrew-rawnsley

This whole ugly mess epitomises the very reason the public are fed up with spin, unfounded allegations and UK politics. The media are also to blame for leading on gossip, non-stories and hearsay; rather than facts and evidence.

From a PR perspective neither party wins as no one is improving their image with voters over this row. Constituents have jobs in which they see this sort of stress and intimidation every day, frankly there is little traction in the debate for either party.

Again, the coverage will leave yet another PR scapegoat in Christine Pratt - although appointing Max Clifford suggests this is more of a 'phone and tell' rather than 'good woman, done-bad' hard luck story:

http://www.prweek.com/news/rss/985842/National-Bullying-Helpline-chief-Christine-Pratt-approaches-Max-Clifford-help/

Again, making this news public is a PR disaster for the Charity which must surely now undergo crisis comms to avoid imploding.

So with the Government, Opposition and a major charity all failing to secure positive coverage, who are the winners from this row?

The answer is nobody, bar Andrew Lawnsley who will no doubt sell some more copies of is book...nice work, Andrew!

I just wish politicians would wake up and realise that politics needs high quality debate right now and this whole story is a nonsense, "The Thick of It" style mess which adds no credence to any party.

P.S. Could it just be a coincedence that this story is keeping the Falklands row out of the main headlines? Perhaps it isn't as silly as it seems...

Microsoft and Yahoo search merger approved

2010-02-18T22:38:00.000Z

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/microsoft/7266252/Microsoft-and-Yahoo-search-deal-given-green-light.html

The European Commission has approved the merger of Microsoft and Yahoo's search engines, with Bing now set to power Yahoo search.

Although this is a step in the right direction for Microsoft, they aren't the ones Google is concerned with anymore - that is Facebook.

With Google Buzz and Wave now launched and last year's Facebook acquisiton of FriendFeed (http://blog.friendfeed.com/2009/08/friendfeed-accepts-facebook-friend.html) these two giants are set for a titanic battle in 2010 as they fight for dominence over the updatesphere.

(Twitter of course continues to grow but they are arguably more likely to be acquired than join the arms race in the way the other two have).

In terms of where this leaves Microsoft, they need to ensure their investment in Bing doesn't fail and they need to address the impact mobile technology has on the once untouchable Windows.

Saying that, I'm not a tech expert so I'd love to hear from those in the know on who you think is set to triumph...

Toyota uses Digg to save its reputation

2010-02-07T23:03:00.001Z

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/commerce/100205/toyota-recall-public-relations-digg

Toyota is attempting to salvage its reputation with customers by using the social media site Digg to discuss the faulty accelerator crisis directly with customers.

This is a last throw of the dice for a company which has seen the news agenda intensify and a feeding frenzy of bad press take huge chunks out of their long standing reputation for consumer confidence.

Some may point out that opening up to social media could expose the company to even more horror stories and negative questioning but what it gives the company is the chance to be transparent - and that speaks volumes.

There's a reason why business leaders like Andy Bond of Asda are obessed with transparency. It says 'we have nothing to hide' and it allows organisations the opportunity to open a direct conversations with their publics.

Social media offers this opportunity in abudence and will allow Toyota to ensure their positive messages move up the google rankings - crucial when worried consumers turn to the internet with their worries.

Time will tell if Toyota can Digg its way out of the biggest crisis in its history but as a strategy 'going social' is the correct move.

How to improve the inconvenient PR truth campaign

2010-01-31T22:15:00.000Z

Real Wire have reacted to the intense recent debate over PR spam by setting up their own campaign to give journalists a 'bill of rights' when dealing with PRs:

http://www.prweek.com/uk/news/980491/PR-industry-backs-new-campaign-aimed-cutting-PR-spam/

In terms of being an effective tool for focusing the debate and looking for a conclusion, I think the campaign is a powerful one. I do not, however, believe it gets to the root of the problem - the lack of personal training for junior PROs and the use of crude evaluation processes like AVE which force desperate PRs to mass mail journalists in the hope of getting their figures up.

Here's my three-step theory on how to help solve the situation:

1) As I said on Charles Arthur's blog recently (http://www.charlesarthur.com/blog/?comments_popup=1123), the CIPR and/or PRCA need to talk to the NUJ and agree on a code of practice which can be integrated into official CIPR and PRCA training courses. This can help reach grassroots PROs and will lead directly to the agencies responsible for the 'spamming' in the first place.

2) PROs need to be stronger with their clients. AVEs, number of cuttings - this leads to a shoot from the hip, rushed approach to comms and leaves no time to build quality campaigns and relationships with the media. Change needs to come from the top, and this will filter down and mean the poor junior execs won't have to sweat about achieving x amount of 'hits' for a stagnant press release.

3) Gorkana and the other media databases need to provide more detailed information and links to journalists' own websites, to help time poor PRs by pointing them in the direction of proper research rather than a rushed 'easy win'. Note I said point them in the direction of research, not do it for them. They could even remove the mail merge feature and there should be a note before the 'send' button is pressed - ARE YOU SURE THE CONTACTS ON THIS LIST ARE RELEVANT?

There you go, three steps which in my opinion will help more than giving journalists 'rights'.

Confused.com - Accident Avenue

2010-01-27T23:01:00.000Z

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1246509/Britains-accident-prone-street-safe--bubblewrap.html

Every now and again a PR campaign makes you sit back and applaud.

@CakeGroup have delivered such a campaign for Confused.com with 'Accident Avenue', Britian's most accident prone street covered in bubble wrap!

Not only is this a creative masterpiece from the Euro RSCG owned company but the follow up is a work of genius - the bubble wrap is being donated to Oxfam to help send aid to Haiti.

Congratulations to Cake and Kelly Davies the Confused PR Manager.

Bob Ainsworth leaks election date of 6 May

2010-01-24T20:27:00.002Z

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7000510.ece

The Times, quite rightly, points out the latest Ministerial 'leak' of a May 6th date for the General Election is so clumsy it must be an attempt to throw the Conservatives off the trail.

Bob Ainsworth is now the third Minister to give us all an 'insight' into the mind of Gordo and it is quite clear this is an awkward attempt to try and get the Tories to blow some of their considerable bank balance on preparing for a false date.

To be honest, the date isn't crucial as there's only a small window of time when it's likely to be called. Of more concern was today's report in the same article that Gordon Brown wants a leaders' debate audience to be comprised of 2-1 in favour of Labour and that David Cameron wants no questions from the audience!

If these men want our votes then they should be prepared for anything and let the public have their say in a 'Question Time' style debate.

Surely they should relish this opportunity and not try and make life easy for themselves? As Alan Partridge said, "this country"!

Who will be the British Obama?

2010-01-14T22:48:00.000Z

I've been inspired by Paul Armstrong's blog (http://community.prweek.com/blogs/firehose/archive/2010/01/14/5-tips-for-the-labour-party-and-conservatives.aspx) to keep a regular watch on which British political figures will take the 'Obama' crown for best digital election campaign.

Please feel free to share links and best practice. And I'll be looking for truly innovative campaigning so that rules out Web Cameron...

Here's a good article from The Guardian on the subject from a few weeks ago - well worth a read:http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/jan/03/labour-tory-internet-campaigns

Alastair Campbell tweets during Iraq inquiry

2010-01-12T21:03:00.001Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCJr8rV0HSM

Today's appearance by @campbellclaret in front of the Iraq inquiry drew a predictable deluge of media coverage.

During the day Mr Campbell tweeted just 4 times - and only 3 of the Tweets were related to the Inquiry.

This was a master stroke, reflecting the sense that Campbell took the Inquiry serious enough to focus but allowing him to make a swift rebuttal to the media before the next day's print.

Contrast these two examples:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6984775.ece

http://twitter.com/campbellclaret/

The Times leads on the Blair letters to Bush, suggesting this is new information. Campbell is able to correct this with one Tweet, which ensures his message has been heard by thousands who would otherwise only read the media version of the story.

(Incidentally, if you look from page 600+ of 'the Blair years' you will find that Alastair Campbell is correct in that the letters are not a new story).

This is a perfect example of how the story has moved on before the print versions of the papers have even arrived through the letterbox.

The second insight was the sheer number of vitriolic Tweets from journalists attempting to pour scorn on Campbell. It revealed the vendetta behind the headlines and acts as an ironic counter-weight to the 'spin' the journalists were so against.

I won't name names here, if you follow today's feed you will see it for yourself.

So thank you Twitter, again you have made the news more real and more immediate than even the live BBC news feed - after all, that was delayed by one minute.

New Sun poll suggests ditching Brown won't sway voters

2010-01-07T22:36:00.000Z

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/Politics/Ditching-Gordon-Brown-Might-Not-Help-Labours-General-Election-Changes-YouGov-The-Sun-Poll-Suggests/Article/201001115515872?lpos=Politics_First_Poilitics_Article_Teaser_Regi_2&lid=ARTICLE_15515872_Ditching_Gordon_Brown_Might_Not_Help_Labours_General_Election_Changes%2C_YouGovThe_Sun_Poll_Suggests

Sky News is one of many outlets running today's Sun sponsored poll in which 58% of respondents said a new Labour leader wouldn't affect their vote.

Polls are unreliable but I give this one credence as this close to an election, it is policy which should be important, not personality politics.

(Ironic isn't it that Labour Ministers have spent the past 2 years accusing Cameron of being personality before policy yet here we are months away from an election and it's Labour attempting a cosmetic makeover.)

So which policy areas will become the real election battleground when the dust settles? Here's five to look out for during the election cold war over the coming weeks:

1) Foreign policy: Will Dave or Gordo risk an attempt to bridge the icy divide to Obama?

2) Public sector spending: voters want to know which cuts they can expect but they also want assurances over frontline services - trust lies with neither party.

3) Education: How will the parties stop a generation of wasted school leavers ending up on the recession scrap heap? Parents will want to hear assurances.

4) Law and order: Dealing with the escalating anti-social behaviour and youth crime in our biggest cities - especially knife crime. So far Britian is failing and this is reflected in tragedy.

5) Immigration: the far right will play this card locally, yet Labour and Conservatives seem to underestimate the impact their lack of clarity on the issue can have in marginal seats.

Out of the five highlighted areas, I'd say the two main parties could each hope to make ground in each area, as neither has demonstrated a winning rhetorical hand. It will be interesting to see if Tory Spring conference brings any new commitments from 'Dave' whilst Brown will need to hope his 'business as usual' mantra actually brings him some results.

Hewitt and Hoon Coup

2010-01-06T22:28:00.000Z

Let me be cruel, not unnatural;

I will speak daggers to her, but use none. (Hamlet, Act III, scene ii).

Today's attempt by Geoff Hoon and Patricia Hewitt to force a secret ballot on the Labour Party leadership was not only unconstitutional within the Labour Party, it signified the tragic third act of the coup that never was.

Since the death of the Prince of Downing Street, Anthony Blair, Hamlet has procrastinated over taking vengeance on the King, Gordon Brown.

They've even had visions of John Hutton but alas inactivity still speaks loudest.

This whole wretched play will become political folklore but the question may always remain - who is Hamlet?

The answer lies in the above quote, I will speak daggers to her but use none.

Todays coup was nothing more than a play, an act by mechanicals to serve the whims of a Cabinet frozen by their collective failure.

Just like in the movie, Spartacus, each Cabinet member should rise and say: I am Hamlet.

For Milliband, Straw, Harman, Johnson and the other Cabinet would-be plotters know the old King cannot hold on to his throne but they have been unable to act.

The result is that for all their work over the past 12 years, they will be forever remembered as being the lame duck Cabinet that allowed the Tories to return to power and didn't have the guts to do what was neccessary.

As Shakespeare said,

The rest is silence.

A New Year message

2010-01-03T22:12:00.000Z

Happy New Year!

2010 has the potential to start the new decade off in truly game changing style. The highlights for me will be:

- Will we see a much-feared 'double dip' recession?

- Can Gordon Brown make the most unlikely political comeback of all time?

- Will Barack Obama emerge as the great leader the world hopes?

- Is it possible for the Western allies to succeed in the Middle East?

- Who will win the World Cup?!

So, have a great 2010 and let's see how it unfolds!

Best,

Jonathan

Prince William sleeps rough for Centrepoint

2009-12-22T20:46:00.000Z

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8426630.stm

Many charities have high profile patrons but fail to utilise their PR potential effectively.

Hats off then to the comms team at Centrepoint for their brilliantly executed story about how Prince William spent the night sleeping rough in London (apart from a few armed guards no doubt!)

The story was perfectly timed so close to Christmas and the quotes from the Prince and the Centrepoint Chief Exec Seyi Obakin ensured that the message behind the campaign wasn't overshadowed by its use of our probable future King.

This is a campaign that will help raise money and awareness for homeless people during this treacherous weather and it's a great piece of PR because of the messaging; not just because of the Prince.

Gordon Brown to call snap election

2009-12-15T21:47:00.000Z

After months of being hammered in the polls there is evidence that the vote is returning to Labour with the latest poll showing a 9% Tory lead. http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/dec/14/tory-lead-nine-points-guardian-icm-poll

This is no surprise as mid term voters are more likely to protest against the government, with polls in between notoriously unreliable as lead identifiers for elections.

The big problem facing the Conservatives is the low key response from George Osborne and David Cameron to the Pre Budget Report. It has left voters, many of whom are unhappy with the Government, unsure as to what the opposition stands for.

Here in my local constituency we have had 3 recent glossy Tory pamphlets, with non from any other party.

This is evidence that although the Tories are awash with money, they have in many ways been fighting a campaign alone for 12 months and this means voters can become bored, to put it simplistically.

So the odds are Gordon Brown will go for a March election to try and capitalise on the small momentum Labour's core voters can create by returning to the fold.

This would greatly reduce the odds of a hung parliament and this narrative is one you can expect to see more of in the media over the coming weeks.

I will be speaking to my former employer's office in the red corner over the coming days, so hope to get a further insight then.

Scientists unveil formula for perfect parking...but Vauxhall Motors story was released by Esure just months earlier

2009-12-13T22:22:00.000Z

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/6784428/Scientists-create-formula-for-perfect-parking.html

Textbook piece of Christmas PR from the Vauxhall motors PR team today. Their story about scientists finding a formula for perfect parking is a tried and tested recipe for coverage but, excuse the pun, there's clearly no need to re-invent the wheel with a story like this.

Third party scientific research? Check. Survey showing regional divides? Check. An issue most Sunday newspaper readers can identify with? Check. Add in bylined quotes from the brand and you have a great story, well executed.

But, however, I'm sure I've seen this exact story before? Oh, yes, I have:

http://www.prnewswire.co.uk/cgi/news/release?id=101098

So as well executed as the story is I'm sure Esure won't be as complimentary of Vauxhall Motors as I've been. Well, let's face it, they probably nicked the idea off someone else too...it seems Flat Earth News really does travel!

Pre-Budget Report 09: Tories buy Pre-Budget Report Adwords

2009-12-09T15:28:00.004Z

The interesting news to come out of the Pre-Budget report was that the Conservative digital team (according to Mesha Chhabra) immediately purchased key Adwords on google, such as 'boiler scrappage' and 'PBR'.

The first thing to say is to hold your hands up and admit that they have gone on the front foot and gained a digital advantage.

I would, however, argue that political parties need tighter regulations over online ad spend and indeed strict rules about the content they can and can't pay for.

I'm all for digital campaigns and creative platforms, it's just the data sharing and paid for elements of online advertising that I'd like to see made fairer so come election time it doesn't become a free for all.

Not only can digital spend be harder to track, it can also be unfair. To have one party's ads come up when an ordinary voter looks to learn about the Pre-Budget Report means that, in my opinion, that party gains an unfair advantage. I think all parties should declare their digital spend in a transparent way and that they should not be allowed to pay to link themselves to topics or key words in such a manner.

I realise this sounds rather ridiculous given that it's hardly new but this particular examples re-enforces my uneasiness over how digital democracy can suffer if we don't have stricter online advertising rules.

The question is where do you draw the line between creativity and advertising - I think it's clearly on paid for links and Adwords.

Google unveils real time search results

2009-12-07T22:09:00.004Z

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8400230.stm

Google's new real time search results and 'google goggles' will add further fuel to the 24 news hr cycle and increase pressure on public figures and comms professionals around the world...and I love it.

Real time news and search can often be a distraction if organisations don't have a strategy to deal with it but it can also be a force for democratic good - witness the MP's scandal and the waves of pressure unearthing truths in minutes that would have previously been buried.

The new real time searches will mean blogs and twitter will play an even greater role in forming opinions and reacting to stories, which should make for an intriguing backdrop to the mainstream media.

For PROs and comms teams the challenge will not just be on reacting but on monitoring and evaluation. Where do we have a genuine concern vs who is a lone voice?

It's these choices which will make or break an organisation's online reputation in the age of real time searches and the best thing PRs can do to prepare is to take a step back before reacting and ensure they know the key opinion formers for the relevant sector; rather than diving in ignorantly and adding fuel to a non-fire.

It's the difference between an unmissable opportunity and an irrelevant drop in the ocean yet the real time comms professional must be able to distinguish between both - it might not always be as obvious as it seems.

Exciting times ahead.

Harriet Harman condemns RBS board

2009-12-03T23:31:00.000Z

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6942789.ece

Harriet Harman has attacked the RBS board in Parliament today for having 'no recognition of the public fury over bonuses'.

I'm sorry Harriet but politicians are mistaken if they think that they simply need to express their outrage over the action of bankers, whilst doing nothing about it.

All the parties are treading water on this issue until after the election as the truth is none of them truly want to alienate the city and both Labour and the Tories are aware that it would be stupid to handicap RBS in the face of aggressive market moves by Lloyds.

Admit this, tell us your policy for dealing with it and you can start winning our respect; but until then politicians should not patronise voters.

David Cameron to water down plans for tax breaks for married couples

2009-11-29T22:41:00.000Z

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1231868/Cameron-water-plans-married-couples-tax-breaks-fears-unaffordable.html

If a report in the Mail on Sunday is accurate, then David Cameron is already facing up to the same problems faced by President Obama in Amercia - gaining power during the global recession means it is near impossible to implement policies dreamt up in opposition.

For Cameron this could be especially damaging given the fan fare made over the announcement that the Tories would 'support marriage' and this formed the basis of his cure for fixing what he called 'broken Britain'.

If this report is accurate then expect problems in the coming weeks for the Conservatives as they struggle with the release of policy plans in an election campaign where their best strategy is to commit to as little as possible.

Neil Benson is right to look at new revenue streams but newspapers shouldn't seek to rival PR agencies

2009-11-22T22:08:00.000Z

Following Trinity Mirror's deal with Northumberland Council to provide hyperlocal websites, Neil Benson of Trinity Mirror has argued that newspapers should team up with councils to provide 'arms length' PR services:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/nov/16/trinity-mirror-regional-papers

I admire the sentiments, as without new revenue streams then the regional print media will continue to die, but offering 'PR services' is not the way to do it.

To succeed in PR you need a myriad of skills, the most important lying away from the public face of 'press releases' and focusing on business planning and client management. In short, in takes years to master and is constantly evolving and this would come as an expensive shock to those newspaper groups who fail to commit to it properly.

In a pitch situation, it wouldn't be possible to hold an advantage by being linked to a particular newspaper group, as that would destroy editorial independence and would cause uproar, a crisis for the PRCA and that's just for starters.

Instead of trying to succeed in a different and shark infested sector, newspaper groups should focus on setting up and growing online micro communities so the move to online news doesn't destroy the communities represented by regional news. Rather, it's a massive opportunity to provide even more relevant and local news to the people who want it. So, the content of local news could differ depending on the profile of the reader. This could also help local democracy - especially during local council elections.

To acheive this dream newspapers need to stop trying to survive in the old world and further develop their hyperlocal offering, which aren't yet hyperlocal enough.

Finally, there's a great post by Rick Waghorn on this subject where he compares the NUJ with the old monks trying to fight off the printed press:

http://outwithabang.rickwaghorn.co.uk/?p=329

Tony Blair loses EU President job but dodges a bullet

2009-11-19T22:02:00.000Z

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2737974/Blair-loses-EU-president-job-to-Rompuy.html

So, Tony Blair hasn't been chosen as first EU President and the job has gone to the Belgian Prime Minister, Herman Van Rompuy.

Although the former PM hadn't officially thrown his hat into the ring, he had clearly given serious thought to the role.

The news that he has been 'overlooked' is welcome, as his profile and influence would immediately been greater than most of the Prime and First Ministers in the EU countries, all of which are elected.

Furthermore, there's no denying that his role in the Iraq war would also have helped far right parties across Europe promote an anti-EU agenda, especially in the UK with the BNP. UKIP would also have benefited, although they are of course not an extremist party in that sense, so this is merely a comment about the effect on Labour votes at council and marginal seat level.

A Blair presidency would also have given David Cameron a chance to unite both sides of his party in an area much closer to the Tories' natural right - this could have provided him with a massive boost on the one area that still genuinely worries the Conservative leader.

So, the man who can breathe a sigh of release is Gordon Brown, especially given the new prominent role of Lord Ashton - a Brown favourite.

Newspaper circulations continuing to fall

2009-11-15T22:21:00.000Z

http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/news/newspaper-circulation-continues-to-slide/3006722.article

The latest newspaper circulation figures show a decrease in circulation of between 0.5-4.5% for all the nationals, bar the Times and the Financial Times, who should be applauded for marginal increases.

It will be interesting to see how the online figures compare - I'm sure Rupert Murdoch is especially interested as he continues to push forward his plans to charge for online content.

Either way, with circulations decreasing at this rate the industry will need to propose a blanket solution to the problems before some of the national papers follow the lead of the regionals and fold. At the very least, some may need to consider going completely online as printing millions of copies to sell less than a third is not sustainable.

The problem is that no one wants to pay per article or per paper, as competition is too intense - there will always be a free source of news.

The BBC also poses a problem as it provides top quality content for free - that's reflected in the way so many in the media are clamouring to take pot shots at the BBC.

I'd like to see a DCMS review into the future of the industry made up of an expert panel of suitable talent such as Greg Dyke, for example.

It's essential for democracy and needs to happen sooner rather than later.

P.S. the Telegraph decline is interesting. Does this show a move to online readership or does it prove that in today's media marketplace, no matter how big the scoop - MP's scandal - a reader's loyalties cannot be sustained beyond the next story...

Observer shuts three out of its four monthly magazines

2009-11-10T22:15:00.000Z

http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/the-observer-axes-majority-of-monthly-mags/3006439.article

News that the Observer is shutting its sport, music and woman monthly magazines is shocking only in that it's not a wholesale closure.

I enjoy the Observer and will miss the sport magazine especially, but in a marketplace made ultra competitive by online news and features, blogs and gossip, only truly niche offerings will survive. That's what the Observer has in its food magazine, an unrivalled quality of supplement, proudly measuing up to the weekly offerings of writers like AA Gill.

So in the long term, the move will be seen as a success if it helps focus resource on keeping (or making) the Observer a competitive newspaper and perhaps also allow it to direct more time and energy into the successful Guardian blogs and Comment is Free sections.

That being said, it's probbaly the first of many changes to our national press as we know it and that's why, as I mentioned in a previous post, News International is trying to stay as master of its own destiny by an aggressive approach to online news content, the BBC and the Labour Government.

The Sun: Prime Minister refused to apologise to dead soldier's mother

2009-11-09T22:30:00.000Z

James Murdoch is trying to restore The Sun's fearsome political reputation and Gordon Brown is the victim. Rupert Murdoch, a quasi-ally and fan of the Prime Minister, would never have sought to vilify him in the way The Sun did today.

The story over the mis-spelt letter to the deceased soldier's mother is one of the most personal attacks on a British PM in living memory and is set to get worse tomorrow - when the Sun publishes a transcript of the PM's call with the mother, claiming he didn't say sorry.

Make no mistake, this is James Murdoch seeking to destroy the PM and reimpose The Sun's reputation as the paper of influence. And that's why his Father is happy to support the move, as it's an aggressive strategy in line with how News International aims to survive the changing media landscape - with ruthless aggression.

This is further evident by Rupert Murdoch's threat that he may sue the BBC over plagiarism of content:
http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/fourth-estate/2009/11/murdoch-news-bbc-sue-stories

Tough times for Gordon Brown and make or break time for News International. I know who I'd back to survive...

Nadine Dorries and Kerry McCarthy need less haste

2009-11-06T12:24:00.002Z

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/11/06/tory-shame-as-sir-nicholas-winterton-slaps-a-labour-mp-s-bottom-115875-21800935/

The Daily Mirror story about a Tory MP accused of slapping the bottom of a female Labour MP has dragged two of Westminster's most prominent tweeters into the gutter.

Both @NadineDorriesMP and @kerrymp have begun a series of 'tit for tat' tweets, with further accusations of indecency and unproffessional conduct by MPs on both sides, flying around faster than a second home allowance.

My plea to both these MPs is please take a breath and not let the election play out in such a childish way - it will only turn off voters at a time when we need to build trust.

Both MPs should be applauded for their use of twitter and promoting open politics but please - there must be standards, even online.

Virtual Berlin wall campaign from Reporters Without Borders

2009-11-04T21:21:00.000Z

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/a-virtual-berlin-wall-to-destroy-on-the-internet-1814754.html

The often innovative Reporters Without Borders have launched a virtual Berlin wall which the public can destroy via text message.

This is a brilliant idea and I'm keen to find out which creative agency is involved. I hope that they also include a provision for Twitter - Facebook is mention in the Indy report - and that plenty of historical images and facts are used to ensure the message of freedom and democracy shines through in the correct context, especially to educate younger people who don't remember the wall.

The media played a vital role in the collapse of the wall, especially reporting on the night the wall came down, so it is a fitting way to mark freedom of an industry still threatened today, as shown by the Guardian Trafigura affair (http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/oct/13/guardian-gagged-parliamentary-question)

5Live step in to cover the story of the Dorking Albino Squirrel

2009-11-04T14:19:00.001Z

It appears as though the hit and run murder of 'Percy', the famous albino squirrel from Dorking, is set to go national.

Someone from 5Live has been in touch via Facebook to appeal for memories for tonight's drive time show:

CXXX from 5Live here
We're looking for someone to tell us about Percy's life, his death and the hole he'll leave behind.

We want someone who can be near a phone for 5-10 mins just before 7pm.

Are you that person?

My number's 02*** *** ***

Thanks

Chris

Lisbon Treaty ratification spells trouble for David Cameron

2009-11-03T22:39:00.001Z

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8340664.stm

News that the Czechs have signed the Lisbon Treaty is a massive blow to David Cameron. He will now be forced to confront the reality that a post ratifcation referendum is a null and void task, meaning he must make a decision now as to how to pre-empt ratification.

This means he will undoubtedly need to upset the right of the party BEFORE the election - giving Labour an opportunity to show voters the Tories aren't the cohesive unit they claim to be.

If, however, Cameron can keep control over both sides of his party until after the election, then he has earned his shot at power.

Will Labour be able to seize this opportunity to crank up the pressure on Cameron? All of a sudden, David Milliband has a chance to step back in to the spotlight and make amends for a poor 12 months in the mainstream political arena.

How Milliband performs could decide if he gets the chance for a David v David election battle next time round.

Food and drink trends in 2010

2009-11-03T16:33:00.000Z

I've been involved in Biss Lancaster sponsoring a report from Food and Drink Towers into 2010 trends in food and drink.

Our MD, Brian Beech is quoted throughout. It throws up some interesting points on what is a niche market - especially regarding the use of celebrity to promote brands, a move to positivity and quality and how brands need to tap into moods.

Here's some snippets from the report:

The ‘Marks and Spencer Effect’:

Brian Beech, joint managing director, Euro RSCG Biss Lancaster Public Relations:

“In times of austerity, consumers are turning increasingly to two main things: value and quality. Those brands operating outside these two parameters find themselves ostracised. Crucially, brands are turning back the clock to produce anachronistic marketing campaigns, which emphasise their history and origins, providing a link to consumers that reminds them of ‘safe haven’ memories of when things weren’t so bad, childhood or even the first time they saw or heard of the brand. This produces the best friend effect for brands and as far as consumers are concerned, you never forget your best friend”.
Quality and Price:

Beech at Euro RSCG Biss Lancaster Public Relations believes the current market trend is a paradox:
“Consumers with lower budgets are looking for quality at value prices. As the global downturn levels out in 2010, consumers will focus on the quality, origin, sustainability, value and simplicity of food and drink as the recession has seen a return to ‘back to basics’ family meal times. This means simple ingredients at lower prices; the process of cooking has once again become as important as the brand name. The challenge for brands of a local and national level is to prove they can provide the ingredients for families to cook and eat together. If they can do, they may just find an opportunity to infiltrate the family circle, meaning the opportunity is there for those brands brave enough to spot it”.

Celebrity:

“Celebrity has never been as prominent in modern popular culture as it is right now,” said Beech at Euro RSCG Biss Lancaster Public Relations. “Food and drink markets are densely populated with rival brands and products competing for shelf space in every supermarket or deli. The use of a celebrity icon can trigger pester power among families and a sense of implicit trust amongst consumers.”

However, Beech believes that the mistake many brands make is choosing a celebrity ill suited to their brand, an over exposed celebrity or not checking out a celebrity’s credentials for their brand. “A good example of a meaningful celebrity link is Coca-Cola’s relationship with Wayne Rooney to help their Zero brand penetrate the male consumer drink market. Rooney is an icon to many men and the genius of the campaign is that Rooney is yet to do anything than play football in any of the advertising, meaning straight away the link between Coke and football is ingrained in the consumer’s minds. It also plays to the strengths of the celebrity and avoids trying to make the celebrity become something they are not.”

Biss Lancaster sponsors 2010 trends report

jonowelshy83 sent you a video: "A hazelnut dinner with an Albino Squirrel"

2009-11-03T12:30:00.001Z

	help center \| e-mail options \| report spam
jonowelshy83 has shared a video with you on YouTube: A video tribute to the Dorking albino squirrel A hazelnut dinner with an Albino Squirrel I join the white wild albino squirrel in St Marys church graveyard for a light lunch of nuts.
© 2009 YouTube, LLC 901 Cherry Ave, San Bruno, CA 94066

WHO KILLED THE ALBINO SQUIRREL

2009-11-03T09:20:00.001Z

As revealed on the @JamesCrawford blog yesterday, the 'famous' Albino Squirrel of Dorking is dead:

http://jameswdcrawford.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/breaking-news-from-dorking/

New scandal has broken though, as the town asks - "who killed the Albino squirrel"?

http://www.thisissurreytoday.co.uk/news/Dorking-s-famous-albino-squirrel-dead/article-1458385-detail/article.html

This is set to be THE murder case of 2009.

The Truth is Darren Bent is ahead of the game

2009-11-01T21:34:00.001Z

Premiership footballers suffer from poor reputations - as revealed in the recent PR Week survey (http://www.prweek.com/uk/news/search/928100/Footballers-lose-respect-survey-exclusive-PRWeek-finds/)

Despite the importance of footballers to multi-million pound marketing campaigns and the great reputation of the game compared to other sports, the players themselves currently suffer from disconnect from fans. Many have attributed this to increasing wages and money in the game, whilst the price of following a club has led many 'ordinary' fans to watch from afar, unable to afford a ticket to see their team.

That's why it's so refreshing to see @DBtheTruth - the Twitter account of Darren Bent - amassing a real popularity amongst football fans, especially after the recent exposure on Soccer AM.

Now Darren is no stranger to Twitter and was widely lampooned for venting his frustration on the site whilst waiting for a move away from Tottenham.

Rather then let this episode put him off social networking, Darren Bent has redesigned his page and learnt from his mistakes. The launch of the new Umbro football boot, complete with his Twitter username and Twitter logo, shows his team have also realised that Twitter can be a valuble marketing tool for the Darren Bent/Umbro partnership too.

This is especially interesting given the fact Darren Bent is one of several strikers trying to get on the plane to the World Cup. Could the reputation and openess of Darren Bent's Tweeting actually help drive a groundswell of support for the striker over the next eight months?

It's an interesting question and something I'll be watching closely. But hats off to Darren Bent for opening the golden gates of Premiership life and engaging with the public. If he continues to be a success it could lead the way for more footballers to consider their own public reputation rather than just the bank notes gained from marketing campaigns.

Gordon's deeper into the Brown after Recession gaffe

2009-10-25T22:04:00.000Z

"The recession will be over by Christmas"

The statement by Gordon Brown that the recession will be over by Christmas is the final, damaging evidence that the PM is completely disconnected from voters.

Gordon deals in stats and counter-stats, and by the official definition of the term 'recession', the UK economy may indeed no longer be in negative growth, technically at least adding weight to Gordon's theory.

But this is an argument for economists not the PM of a country which will have millions of its families experience one of their bleakest Christmas periods for some time, not to mention thousands of unemployed parents unable to provide for their children. So how does Gordon connect with these voters? By using economic technicalities to tell them everything is all right, to show he has 'saved the world'.

Sadly, and perhaps ominously given the current situation in the Middle East, this has echoes of the misguided 'our troops will be home for Christmas' proclamation of the HH Asquith Government. A sheltered politician telling ordinary people how it isn't.

Labour MPs have a lot of thinking to do between now and the New Year.

Birmingham Post goes weekly

2009-10-20T22:13:00.000+01:00

http://www.holdthefrontpage.co.uk/news/091020brumone.shtml

The news that the Birmingham Post is going weekly, coupled with the move to overnight production of the Mail, follows recent damage to the regional presses in Nottingham, Liverpool and Manchester.

The decline in regional advertising revenue coupled with the need to cut costs and squeeze productivity means that the cull in the regional print media is progressing at an even fast rate.

It's sad to see for those of us who believe in and support the regional media but we must hope that recent improvements to regional newsgroup websites will in the long term secure the future for the regional news which is so important for a pluralistic democracy.

It could also expediate the growth of micro local websites providing truly local content, such as this wonderful news blog in Kent: http://www.romneymarshtimes.com/

To me this means that the web which started the decline in regional newspaper revenues will ultimately secure the future of the vital regional news sector.

Twitter exposes Jan Moir Daily Mail homophobia

2009-10-16T16:12:00.001+01:00

What a day it has been on Twitter, with the "#janmoir" article on Stephen Gatley's death being criticised for its homophobic views.

I've been tweeting on this all day and the point of the outage isn't that the Daily Mail is vile, everybody knows that, it's the sense that people now feel they have a platform to say "we're not going to stand for this anymore."

There are so far unconfirmed reports that the Mail has had to pull advertising from the Moir article. If this is true then it validates the Twitter and Facebook protests, which have also received support from high profile Twitter uses like Stephen Fry and Derren Brown.

Either way, it seems that this time the Mail has indeed gone too far. Some fellow journalists have bemoaned the fact that it will mean Moir is congratulated for a job well done but we won't know this until the news plays out tonight. Sky News are featuring it at 7pm and the Guardian continue to focus on the story.

I sincerely hope Moir is made to retract her sweeping accusations over the late Mr Gately and that the Mail is forced to apologise to his family.

This story is one to watch as a watermark for how much influence the Twitterati can have.

Too many tweets...

2009-10-07T21:49:00.002+01:00

Ben Bradshaw's tweet about the Today programme was a rush of blood to the head the Minister will regret. As culture secretary, he should not be using Twitter to air his criticisms of the BBC in such a flippant and ill thought out way.

I admire Mr Bradshaw as a politician but as a former journalist he should know better than to take such an attack dog stance against Today.

My own view is that Today remains robust against all parties but the new Webb-Davis partnership of recent days lacks a hard hitting presence and Evan Davis tends to be to come across as placid because of his tone - it's not Dragon's Den, Evan!

Sorry Ben but this time too many tweets did indeed make...

Manchester goes blue

2009-10-05T22:58:00.001+01:00

Coming out of work tonight I was met with the amusing site of three large Lexus vehicles with blue suited drivers trying to negotiate their way to their hotel. It can only mean the Tories are here.

I've been sitting back and reading the tweets, watching the message boards and looking for gossip. All of which strikes me as rather desperate on my part but even more so, helps me realise just how little the people of Manchester know about the party they are scrambling to elect.

But that's the point, cry the local journalists, it's our chance to form policy.

Er, it's not.

The Conservatives are holding their party conference safe in the knowledge that all they need to do is avoid echoes of Kinnock in Sheffield 92, talk vaguely on jobs, immigration, Europe and anti-social behavour and then hold out until the election. They will not be listening to the desperate local businesses, journalists, PRs and Councillors seeking to make friends with the new Govt.

The conference is the equivalent of a sporting showcase testimonial match. It looks good, costs millions but is hollow, without essence or meaning.

And that for the boys in blue (and er, a green tree) is exactly the right strategy.

Cable Guy

2009-09-22T22:30:00.000+01:00

Andrew Neil's blog reveals that one of the best things about the Lib Dem conference is the almost comic tension between the leader that should have been and the leader that didn't have the bottle to be.

Clegg may be a lame duck but he still reatins enough allies to attempt to distance Vince from the party mainstream. In doing so, he risks alienating the only member of his 'front bench' trusted by voters.

This will be suicide for next year's election and means the piecemeal conversion of former Tory voters will rapdily unravel. Sadly for the Lib Dems they have built their whole ideology on this rather flacky ground instead of solidifying their own ideological base.

I fear Labour may not be the biggest losers in next year's election. Not in terms of votes but ideological ground. The irony of this is that the last ten years have been a golden opportunity to build this intellectual momentum, not sacking leaders and prostituting for cheap council election votes.

You pays your money you take your choice.

Spot the sad irony of these two stories on the same page of the BBC

2009-09-16T22:27:00.000+01:00

I'll make this quick as I'm angry about it.

Spot the difference between the two news stories. It's a crying shame the second made the Beeb.

It might as well read, 'BLACK SOCIALIST EMPLOYS EVIL IMMIGRANTS'

What a pathetic news story. No surprises where it came from...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8259036.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8260088.stm

End to the gravy train?

2009-09-08T21:52:00.002+01:00

I have to be honest, I was a bit perplexed by two different messages from the Tories today.

The first sees David Cameron warn that subsidised food and drink for MPs would be cut under a Conservative Government.

The second was an email from the man himself inviting me for a pint at a nightclub for 'one of the biggest nights out the city has seen in some time'.

Make your mind up Mr Cameron!

Party for Change, Pure Nightclub, 7 October, 9.30pm till late

Manchester will be buzzing with the Conservative Party Conference between 5th-8th October, and this is your chance to get involved.

They're throwing a huge party at Pure Nightclub with live bands, a roller disco, celebrity DJs, an Xbox area, a chill-out lounge, and a VIP room.

With a 2,000 capacity, it's going to be one of the biggest nights out the city has seen in some time.

They're going all out because they think they've got a good chance of getting in at the next election and they want to reach as many new voters as they can. Go along, meet the party members, and educate yourself about what they have to offer. (And then have a go on the roller disco).

2009-09-02T22:35:00.003+01:00

A sting in the tail

2009-09-02T22:03:00.003+01:00

I can't believe how fast my little boy is growing up. On the way home tonight, I had a call from my wife who told me that the little chap had found a wasp in his room and had attempted to make friends with it! Sadly, he got stung for his efforts - poor lad!

It was only a few weeks ago that he couldn't even crawl. Now his days are filled with seemingly boundless movement and a thirst for exploration. It's a magical time and as he approaches 9-10 months old, I feel a very proud Father.

Just need to get some insect repellant, just in case...

Washing his hands

2009-08-24T22:33:00.003+01:00

Why does GB always insist on hiding when a controverisal decision needs to be made? Cameron has it spot on when he teases him about being elusive. It's just so obvious, it's cringeworthy.

To argue that releasing the only convicted perpetrator of Lockerbie is a decision for the Justice Minister of the devolved Scottish Govt and has nothing to do with Foreign affairs is cowardice.

The decision to hang the SNP out to dry stinks and although it will be lapped up by the media they will turn on Brown next. For a start, the US doesn't even grasp devolution so to most of the world it is a 'UK' decision. Secondly, Gaddafi has already thanked 'my friend Brown'!

GB suffers from either the worst advice or is genuinely the most deluded PM we've seen in modern times.

I despair that the man leading our country can hide over such an important decision.

Money talks

2009-08-12T23:31:00.003+01:00

Lots of criticism today for Alan Duncan being caught on camera by Hayden Prowse (who is gaining quite the reputation for undercover reporting,) saying what every MP has been thinking.

I may not agree with Tory politics but what Duncan implied was the truth - the expenses witchhunt turned into a farce.

Having once worked for an MP, I can honestly say they work harder than 99% of professionals whose remuneration is much greater. Yes, the system needs reforming but let's not have a crusade against Duncan.

If anything, he's the most progressive and liberal Conservative MP and his enemies should not be allowed to exploit this incident to serve their own ends.

End Game

2009-08-06T22:40:00.002+01:00

Rupert Murdoch's extraordinary decision to charge for content on ALL News International websites, effectively forces an End Game in newspaper ad revenues.

If he succeeds, he can potentially solve the revenue stream crisis on Fleet St and across the world. If he fails, then he could potentially drive ad rates down and bring about the early demise of several national newspapers.

Revenue aside, he is also gambling that media consumers will pay for content that they can receive elsewhere for free, such as BBC News and google feeds.

It's a full circle turn for the industry, after early paid for content was phased out.

From my PR perspective, Murdoch's decision seems odd because surely he will expect to lose a large percentage of the people who consume his online media. If this % is high enough, it could play into the hands of his rivals. The Telegraph and the Mail, who many believe have the best British online offer, will be rubbing their hands with glee at his decision.

You never right Murdoch off but I think he has made a very bad decision. Time will tell.