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

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

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

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'?

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

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

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

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?

"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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.