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In issue one of esPResso...

Rail Industry, Head of Media Relations
London, £45,000 - £50,000

Don't let your career go off the rails, stay on track with this exciting and challenging opportunity at one of the UK’s largest passenger rail operators.

We are on the hunt for a Head of Media Relations. Reporting to the Director of Communications, you will manage the external communications team and be responsible for implementation of the media relations strategy.  You will develop and improve relationships with the national, regional, local and trade media and implement PR and stakeholder liaison programmes.  You will also have line management responsibilities.

You should have extensive experience of consumer PR, ideally in the transport or retail industry but broader experience will also be considered.  You must be a team player with an eye for a story and a creative approach to media relations.  Proven crisis management experience is essential. 

This is your opportunity to stamp your mark on a key role in the team, and make a real difference.

To apply, send your CV and covering letter stating your current salary and why you are right for this role to jobs@unicornjobs.com quoting reference SS32

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Public Affairs Executive
London, £20,000 - £22,000

This recently formed Advisory Council is comprised of leading figures from British business. They are active in the media, commission research, lobby government and EU and hold an assortment of events. They are particularly committed to highlighting the benefits of the UK-EU relationship among the business community.

They are on the hunt for an enthusiastic and eager Public Affairs Executive to assist the Director with the work of the organisation.

You will be responsible for organising events, management of the contacts database, maintenance of the website, proof reading documents and representing the organisation at a range of meetings. You will also draft letters, articles and memos.

You must be well organised with good networking skills and a charming telephone manner. Ideally you will have some previous public affairs experience – you may have had an internship or summer job for example.

This is a fabulous opportunity to take a leap into the world of public affairs. This role could lead to a lot of responsibility in a short space of time for the right candidate.

To apply, send your CV and covering letter stating why you are right for this role to jobs@unicornjobs.com quoting reference SS31.

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PR Executive
Mayfair, £26,000 - £28,000 (depending on experience)

Looking to make the move in-house? Think that you can cut it on the client side? This is a fabulous opportunity to make your mark at the heart of a busy communications team.

One of the largest and most successful independent property partnerships in the UK is looking for a hard-working, fun and friendly person to join their PR team.

Ideally you will have property PR experience with a good understanding and knowledge of the industry and existing property journalist contacts. You will work very closely with the Head of Marketing and Communications and Head of PR. This role will require you to be quick and efficient in responding to high volume of PR requests as well as having a creative approach to developing an interesting story to pitch proactively. Your responsibilities will include managing the evaluation and press clipping information and providing regular reports internally on results of specific PR activities. You must be articulate with good verbal, written, presentation and communication skills, be a self starter, motivated, conscientious, calm under pressure, able to think laterally and have good attention to detail.

To apply, send your CV and covering letter stating why you are right for this role to jobs@unicornjobs.com quoting reference SS29.

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Game Group, Group UK PR Manager, PR Job
Basingstoke, Attractive salary

"Video games are the new rock 'n' roll" – even the Daily Telegraph thinks so!

GAME Group plc is Europe's leading video games retailer. The popularity of our GAME and Gamestation brands has helped us grow rapidly to become one of the UK's largest retail groups.

We are on the hunt for a Group UK PR Manager to create and deliver our PR strategy in the UK. It's a brand new position, so we need someone who can deliver outstanding campaigns in a creative, fast-paced environment.

You'll need to use and grow your relationships with key UK media to manage day-to-day press enquires and implement proactive campaigns. You will also have to deal with senior management and manage a PR Exec, so strong interpersonal skills are required.

You must be a PR practitioner with consumer and trade experience in either the retail or entertainment industries and have an eye for a good story. You should be calm under pressure and be self-motivated as well as having excellent attention to detail and a sense of humour.

To apply, send your CV and a covering letter stating your current salary and why you are the right person for this role to jobs@unicornjobs.com quoting reference SS27.

That said, in the online world, where the distinction between advertising and editorial is often harder to spot, it probably pays to have fingers in many pies when it comes to the wider world of advertising, marketing and communications. And if there's one thing to be said about WPP, they have fingers in many pies. Perhaps it's that fact that helped him score highly in the Guardian media list.

Other PR people in the Guardian media 100 included Alan Parker, founder and chairman of Brunswick, who moved up to 77; Trevor Beattie, another ad man with interests in the PR business, who enters the list for the first time at 87; high profile PR chief Matthew Freud down a couple of spots at 88; and former FT journalist turned Finsbury founder Roland Rudd, who is at 95.

It being a 'media list' you'd expect the likes of BBC Director General Mark Thompson, Daily Mail Editor Paul Dacre and two Murdochs (Rupert and James) to be in the Top 5, as they are, though the survey was topped by Sergey Brin and Larry Page, the founders and VPs of Google. With Apple boss Steve Jobs at 6 and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer at 7, it seems neither media nor PR people now control the media. It's in the hands of the tech guys.

The BBC has announced it will stop selling sponsorship on its events following an investigation by the BBC Trust into the sponsorship of its Sports Personality Of The Year Award by soft drinks brand Robinsons.

Although the BBC cannot sell sponsorship on its TV shows, they have had sponsorship relationships with brands for their self-produced live events. Because those events are televised the brand partnership often gained some on-air exposure – good for the brand, but bad for the BBC, who can't be seen to have on-air sponsors.

ITV and the RadioCentre, which represents commercial radio, complained to the BBC Trust about the event brand partnerships, and the Trust this week said it shared the commercial broadcasters' concerns. 

Beeb bosses quickly responded by saying all sponsorship relationships were off. They said in a statement: "In the context of today's findings, the management of the BBC has reviewed its sponsorship policy and has concluded that it should no longer accept sponsorship from commercial bodies for any on-air BBC event".

Affected events will include Proms In The Park, sponsored by National Savings & Investments, the Radio 3 New Generation Artists Scheme, sponsored by Aviva, the aforementioned Sports Personality of the Year, sponsored by Robinsons, and the BBC Four World Cinema venture, previously sponsored by Pioneer. The decision will not affect sponsored third party events that the BBC screens, such as the BAFTAs and MOBOs.

Activists from the Oxford Climate Action group objected to Edelman's work for energy conglom E.ON, claiming they were advising the power firm to 'greenwash' the public. Campaigners claim Edelman have advised their clients to make what the activists reckon are dubious claims about technology being employed to reduce the carbon footprint of new coal power stations. The spin, they argue, is designed to make a climate-change-concerned public less anti E.ON's new coal-based ventures.

The campaigners protested outside Edelman's offices, some gaining entrance to the building itself, and others hauling a big banner onto their roof. The boss of Edelman UK, Robert Phillips, posted an entry on his blog about the protests, claiming the activists had turned down an offer to meet and discuss their work on the E.ON account, preferring to fight with banners instead.

Meanwhile, according to PR Week, one of the protestors said: "We are here to reclaim the PR machine for normal people who want to see real action on climate change, not another dose of corporate greenwash". I'm not really up to speed on either E.ONs carbon reducing technologies or Oxford Climate Action's problems with it, so can't really comment on the politics of this. But I'm not sure the PR machine was ever owned by 'normal people'.

Ad agency M&C Saatchi have done just that in a study on how consumers are responding to this recession we seem to be sliding into, and their conclusions should interest PR people too. Saatchi chief Tim Duffy told reporters: "This study looks at the different responses to economic pressures. Companies need to understand which segments their customers are in. They can then adapt their strategies to get a greater share of wallet and win new customers".

To cut a long story short, the study identifies eight groups of people.

The 'crash dieters' have abruptly cut all unnecessary expenditure out of their lives, so no muffin with the rush hour espresso. Actually, probably no espresso come to think of it – Nescafe instant only from now on.

'Scrimpers' are also already cost-cutting, but they are trying to do so without radically changing their lives. So, they'll continue to pick up a coffee and muffin on the way into work, they'll just find a cheaper coffee shop to buy it from.

Next are the 'abstainers', who are postponing major expenditure until the front pages stop carrying quite so much economic doom and gloom. So they'll still be buying their coffee each morning, but may hold off buying that state of the art home espresso machine.

Then there's 'clothcutters', who are budgeting more carefully, but still making some bigger purchases. They may decide the espresso machine is a goer because they've decided to put off buying a new oven until next year and have a little extra in the bank.

'Treaters' are making cuts in their lives, but still award themselves little indulgences. Such as a double shot after an especially stressful commute.

'Justifiers' are a bit like the 'clothcutters' in that they are still buying, but being a bit more careful with their planning. They'll spend if they know they can justify it. Buy an espresso machine, have your coffee before you leave the house, save two pounds a day.

The 'ostriches', as you'd probably guess, are carrying on spending regardless of all the credit crunch talk on the news. Triple espressos all round.

And finally, 'Vultures' are those who love an economic crash. They're holding back on spending waiting for the closing down sales, then they'll be in there to get that state of the art espresso maker, reduced to 50p.

Make of all that what you will. And remember, however bad things get, this particular esPResso is free.

The uber-publicist was on Irish TV last week where the presenters were most interested in Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood who, as you've probably seen, was getting up to all kinds of things in Ireland on an 'art holiday' with a Russian girl called Ekaterina Ivanova. The tabloids said it was an affair, his wife initially denied it was so, but then announced she was leaving him amid reports the Stone's alcoholism was out of control.

Clifford doesn't represent Wood, but the 'Xpose' show on Ireland's TV3 wanted to know what the PR man thought the whole tabloid story would do for the rocker's reputation. "No damage at all" was Clifford's conclusion. His "calibre of fame" was too high for him to be negatively affected, and the whole sordid affair could "add to his rockstar status". And with a Faces reunion on the cards that could work out well.

Clifford does represent Kerry Katona, the face of Iceland to us in the UK, the wife to former Westlife man Brian McFadden to the Irish. Asked about her various appearances in the tabloids in recent years, Clifford admitted the former Atomic Kitten was a "real handful" to represent, and that he'd had to assign one member of staff to deal with her career alone. He told the show: "It's just non-stop with Kerry. She could ring any hour of the day or night but she is a really good person, she's just someone who really needs some TLC".

He didn't reveal how the Iceland queen was responding to the credit crunch. An 'ostrich' I reckon. Iceland gateaux all round.

"Joseph Sharp says that getting the right photograph needs as much careful planning as other aspects of a PR campaign. Pictures can provoke a number of emotional responses: fear, anger, pity, admiration, lust and desire, to name a few. For example, readers of magazines filled with images of celebrities see the pictures in differing ways. Some groups will see the polished images as something to aspire to - big houses, fridges and cars represent success and happiness to them. Others feel pity and even frustration after seeing the pictures because they may believe that the over-consuming lifestyles pictured are damaging the world's physical and social environment."

Read more here

"Knife crime is a great media story. Like all the best stories it really plays to our base instincts. It has knife-wielding villains, death tolls, scapegoats, police sirens and grief-stricken families.

Make no mistake, the issue of young people killing each other is a grave issue and needs to be addressed. But its nigh impossible to do this when the whole issue is debated via the newspapers and 24 hour news channels within the prism of 300 words, with aggressive headline, soundbites for and against and neat, quick solutions.

The media and opposition are right to criticise knife-crime solutions that have been thought up over the weekend in response to three more killings. But the clamour and panic stirred up by the same media demands urgent, quick 'eye-catching initiatives'."

Read more here

	I think I'm due a pay rise but don't know how to ask. How is it done?
	Nobody likes asking for a pay rise. We hope that our efforts will be recognised and rewarded, but sadly that's not always what happens. Managers may be busy focusing on budgets and targets and sometimes you have to stand up and ask, instead of waiting for extra cash to just appear in your pay packet. Factors to consider before you ask for a raise include: Market information. Consult a specialist recruiter in your field to find out what your salary band should be. Keep the whole package in mind. You may find that you are paid at the lower end of the scale for your position in the market, but then you may have a fabulous pension scheme or car allowance which compensates. Pay scales. Find out if there are restrictions in terms of pay scale where you work. You may find that you are already at the top of that scale and your manager is restricted as to how much they can pay you, in which case you need to find out what you would have to do to achieve a promotion and go up to the next grade. Your cash value. Work out how much money you have saved/earned the company in the last 12 months and ask for an increase based on your cash value to the company. The management's point of view. See it from the other side. How valuable are you as an employee? How easy would you be to replace? What precedents would it set for other employees? How to approach the subject of a pay rise with your manager: Find out when the next salary review is due. If it's in the next few weeks you may be better off waiting until then to make your case. If it's not for another six months, request a discussion with your manager. Ask for a face-to-face meeting. An email will not suffice. You need to discuss the issue rationally and calmly and give both your manager and yourself the opportunity to ask questions. Take with you to the meeting a list of achievements and reasons why you deserve a pay rise. Also take with you evidence of your market worth. Take along testimonials from recruiters and salary surveys stating what your skills would be worth elsewhere. What to do if your pay rise request is declined: It may be that your manager is restricted by current budgets. Ask when the next pay review will be and ask if you specifically will be considered for an increase in salary. Negotiate other benefits. There may be no more money in the salary pot, but you may be able to negotiate a higher contribution to your pension, flexible working hours, or extra training opportunities. Ask for extra work and responsibility and have achievements linked to an increase in pay. It may be tempting to threaten to resign in the hope that your employer will try to keep you with the offer of a higher salary. This is a dangerous game to play (particularly if you don't have an offer of a job elsewhere). Remember that you are in your career for the long haul and you want to burn as few bridges as possible. If you give your employer every opportunity to help you boost your salary and there is still no possibility of a raise or increased benefits, then perhaps it's time to start looking around for a new position elsewhere.

If you have a work-related problem, Ask The Unicorn at info@unicornjobs.com

Did you know what you wanted to do when you went to university?
Not really. I've always been quite good at writing and got involved in the student newspaper – York Vision – while I was studying. I wrote for my first and second years and then in my third year I became editor. It was really good fun – and I learnt so much about the media.

So why didn't you become a journalist?
That's a fair question – and I nearly did. In fact I applied to City University and got a place on their postgraduate journalism course. But by then I had decided that journalism wasn't for me. I did work experience on a local paper and just didn't enjoy it. I realised that unless I was absolutely determined and incredibly lucky I wouldn't get on to 'Fleet Street'. And I knew a career on local papers wasn't for me. So I started job-hunting and saw an ad for Waughton PR.

Did you know much about PR before you applied?
No. But the ad mentioned lots of skills which I'd picked up with my journalistic work. I realised how much journalism and PR have in common. In fact I find that every day I use those skills I gained at the paper. It was the best preparation I could have had for a career in PR. For example, I used to receive lots of press releases – many of them shockingly badly written. I learnt a lot of dos and don'ts which are invaluable now that I have to write press releases myself.

Find out what Ben's first job involved, and how he works with journalists, by clicking here.