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A Merry Christmas and Happy Hogmanay |
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| Latest News: Brunswick interns in Yorkshire, NLA taken to Tribunal, first ever chartered PRs |
| Well Quoted: Best bits from esPResso interviews this year |
| Ask The Unicorn: Career tips galore for anyone having a rethink this Christmas |
As Christmas gets ever so close, welcome to the final edition of esPResso for 2009. With the festive break upon us, alongside our usual round up of PR news stories, we've also got a selection of quotes from some of our favourite esPResso interviews published this year plus, for anyone planning some personal career reflection over the holidays, a list of links to useful careers advice on the Unicorn Jobs website. But before all that, we would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We will return in 2010 with even more news, interviews and features, all designed to help you become a better PR person, and to ensure you a successful career in communications. Why not share all that with a friend or colleague by telling them to subscribe to esPResso, for free, by sending an email to espressosubscribe@unicornjobs.com?
Wednesday, January 13, 6.30-8.30pm, Pearson PLC, 80 Strand, London
With the General Election less than six months away, this event is designed to enhance your understanding of how to approach and engage with politicians and gives you the opportunity to network with other PR professionals over a glass of wine and refreshments.
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Guest Speaker: Chuka Umunna, Prospective Parliamentary Candidate Chuka is a Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for Streatham in South West London. He has written for the Financial Times, Tribune and the Voice, among other publications. He is also a member of the management committee of political pressure group Compass, and an employment lawyer by profession. |
Those attending will:
• Learn about Chuka’s experiences of interacting with lobbyists and his thoughts on where they have made an impact on local and national issues
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Learn how to engage effectively with politicians
• Understand the key steps lobbyists should consider to get their messages heard by politicians
• Find out about Chuka’s use of outreach and communication activities to engage with his multi-cultural constituency
• Get an overview of how politicians engage with the public around diversity issues
• Have an opportunity to pose questions during the Q&A session
For more information or to book a place click here
About Ignite: Ignite was established in April 2008 as an inclusive networking group for public relations professionals. Its aim is to drive forward the benefits of cultural diversity in the profession. The group hosts networking events every two months, providing a forum for PR practitioners to learn from an expert in their field and an opportunity to network in an informal setting.
Financial PR Executive, Pharma
£30k - £32k
Individuals with bio-tech or pharma industry experience, not necessarily in PR, are sought by this influential and growing financial PR agency. A strong academic background is essential. You should have strong writing skills, a willingness to learn and an eye for detail. Ref: TF98
Associate Director (Perm or Temp-to-perm), Financial/Corporate PR – Salary
to £60k/£350pd neg
Due to substantial new business wins, this top ten consultancy islooking for a senior player to join its corporate personal finance team for the consumer-focussed launch of an internationally available product in early 2010. Ref: TF100
more info
Senior Account Manager, Corporate and B2C, Animal Welfare/Agriculture
Oxford area, to £32k
A minimum of three years experience required, plus knowledge of working within the animal/equine or agriculture sector. Excellent client facing and written skills, plus the passion to really want to help make a difference. Ref: TF95
more info
Senior Account Executive, Consumer/Entertainment/Lifestyle
London, to £26k
Kensington agency seeking additional support for new client gains. Hard working and focussed, your existing agency experience will be valuable in achieving the levels of work expected by these high profile clients. Ref: TF94
more info
Account Director, Consumer Luxury/Drink/Lifestyle
London, to £42k
This Fulham agency are looking for smart people who understand brands. Your credentials in consumer and food, drink or travel PR should be exceptional, as will be your enthusiasm and drive to want to continue to excel. Ref: TF92
AE/SAE/JAM – Consumer/Entertainment & Gaming
London, to £26k (according to experience)
You will have some existing experience of working on high profile events and have an entirely proactive nature. There is a lot of opportunity to learn and some really stimulating clients to learn from, however, a good attitude is required to really be able to make your mark. Ref: TF94S
more info
Snr Account Mgr/Account Director, Consumer/Food & Drink
London, to £40k
A rare opportunity to join this fast paced, consumer agency. The accounts are high profile, aspirational brands so your media contacts and written skills should be tip top. Ref: TF87
more info
Snr Account Manager, Consumer & B2B
Kent, to £34k negotiable
Based in Kent, this full service boutique agency is looking for a skilled Account Manager to join their PR team. You will be experienced at managing a range of high profile, leading name brands (food and retail). Ref: TF88
more info
Account Director, Consumer/Entertainment & Culture
London, to £45k
This exciting opportunity would be to work as part of a creative, supportive and passionate team. Their current client list includes a mix of youth, entertainment and fashion account business. Ref: TF86
more info
Account Manager, Finance & Asset Management
London, £ according to experience
Do you have experience within financial PR, and the ability to demonstrate skill when dealing with clients/journalists? You will work into the client's asset management practice, although the opportunity may also offer work within their capital markets division. Ref: TF90
more info
Online Communications Manager, Aviation
Gatwick, £40k - £50k
Working closely with IT, you will develop a new website and intranet. Past experience of managing online and creative agencies, and responsibility for a large corporate website, required. Good writing and message crafting skills also needed. Ref: SS57
more info
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To apply for any of these roles, email your CV and a covering letter to jobs@unicornjobs.com, quoting the job reference in the subject line
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At the end of November six more black and minority ethnic graduates from the University Of East London completed the second Brunswick Internship Programme, the unique PR training programme run by Unicorn Jobs with our sister company Taylor Bennett and leading communications firm Brunswick, designed to address diversity in the communications industry.
Over ten weeks, six talented communicators at the very start of their PR careers received intensive on-the-ground training, with formal sessions on the media, the City, stakeholders, channels and messages, campaign planning, and general business and communication skills, plus introductions to media relations, investor relations, internal communications, public affairs and financial PR.
They also got to meet leading media and PR practitioners from a wide range of companies, including Reuters, Save The Children, BP, The Financial Times, Glyndebourne, CIPR, and The Observer, while also visiting both the Bank Of England and London Metals Exchange.
For the final two days of the internship at the start of this month, the interns were invited to Yorkshire by PR agency Northern Lights, where they met numerous business leaders and PR professionals from companies and organisations based in Bradford, Leeds and Harrogate. Northern Lights CEO Victoria Tomlinson is currently planning to run a similar diversity programme in Yorkshire during 2010.
Commenting on her interest in the programme, Victoria told esPResso: "Skills in corporate communications are needed by businesses, public sector and voluntary organisations - but there is a shortage of black and minority ethnic candidates choosing this career path. When we heard about this internship, we knew it was right for Yorkshire. These six young people were selected from 200 applicants in a gruelling two day interview process. We are sure they will have successful careers - and we also want them to be ambassadors for Yorkshire as they progress."
Commenting on the Yorkshire visit, one of the interns, Jenard Dyer, added: "As a team, we carried out research before our visit and that started to change our perceptions about Yorkshire. But meeting the region's leaders and seeing Saltaire, Harrogate and Leeds really blew our minds. We had imagined very rural areas before, and a lot of sheep! We couldn't believe how much business there is here - there are definitely opportunities to work with Yorkshire in the future as we go into our communications jobs in London".
You can read about the 2009 Brunswick Internship Programme on the interns' blog here. If you would like to support future programmes in any way contact Sarah Stimson at sarah@unicornjobs.com
Pictured: The Brunswick interns with the team from Northern Lights PR and Unicorn Jobs' Ashka Thacker
A leading online media monitoring company will test the legality of those previously reported attempts by the UK newspaper industry to earn a licence fee from companies who commercially provide links to specific stories on newspaper websites.
As previously reported, the move to charge licence fees to the growing link provider industry is being led by the Newspaper Licensing Agency. They currently licence companies, including PR agencies and traditional media monitors, who regularly make photocopies of specific stories from newspapers, normally stories relating or of interest to their clients. Under UK copyright law, said companies are obligated to pay a licence fee for making commercial copies of newspaper articles.
However, an increasing number of companies in the media relations industry now provide clients or senior executives with lists of links to relevant articles on newspaper websites, instead of actual photocopies of articles from print editions. Aware that this will have a negative impact on their income, as more and more agencies decide to go without a traditional press cuttings licence, earlier this year the NLA announced it would require the PR industry to pay a new licence fee for commercial link provision, which it sees as simply a digital version of the provision of press cuttings.
However, most people in the PR and media monitoring industries disagree. They say that because no copying is done when mere links are provided to a client, there are no obligations under copyright law to pay a royalty. Now the Meltwater Group is planning to put that argument to the test by taking the NLA to the Copyright Tribunal, the British court that adjudicates on copyright disputes.
Meltwater CEO Jorn Lyseggen told esPResso: "Media monitoring services create value for internet users similar to search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing. We use sophisticated search algorithms to help our clients find content they otherwise would have difficulties locating. The NLA's attempt to license our clients is essentially a tax on receiving these internet links. This fee is not only unjust and unreasonable, it is contrary to the very spirit of the internet".
Francis Ingham of the Public Relations Consultants Association, who are also opposed to the NLA's proposals, added: "This is an absurd tax which we believe has no legal justification. We are delighted Meltwater is taking a stand against the NLA and will examine whether we can intervene to strengthen their case in the interest of our members. It is ludicrous for organisations to need a licence to receive links to coverage that is freely available to view online".
The NLA's proposals are backed by many, though not all, of the UK newspaper publishers. How the Agency's new licence claims will stand up in court remains to be seen. Presumably the fact a number of British newspapers plan to start putting a lot of their content behind 'virtual walls' in 2010, charging a subscription fee for access, will make the NLA's claim even harder to justify, given the link providers' clients will have to pay to access the content they are directed to anyway, paying via a subscription to each newspaper's website rather than an NLA licencing system.
The CIPR recently announced the names of the first ever 'chartered PR practitioners', the people who have successfully completed the trade body's new professional qualification.
CIPR Acting Director General Ann Mealor told esPResso: "Those receiving Chartered Practitioner status this year are all pioneers, setting the bar for future generations of PR leaders. They've had to successfully complete a rigorous assessment process to emerge as the profession's first Chartered PR Practitioners and are to be congratulated. This is a landmark for the CIPR and the PR profession as a whole. This status delivers parity with other business disciplines, and supports our Royal Charter obligation to promote, for the public benefit, high levels of skill, knowledge, competence, standards of practice and professional conduct".
Those to achieve the chartered status are: Matt Appleby, Golley Slater; Hilary Berg, Corporate Culture Ltd; Paul Corry, Rethink; Jonathan Cross, People, Words & Pictures Ltd; David Crundwell, PR Consultant; Jane Cumming, Platform PR Group Limited; Tricia Defty, Thinc PR; Susan Fox, Information Commissioner's Office; Pat Gaudin; Jane Howard, Mandate Communications; Emma Leech, University of Nottingham; Matthew McKay, BioMed Central; Anne Moir, Institution of Civil Engineers; Paul Mylrea, Department For International Development; Paul Noble, Noble Ink; Jay O'Connor, Influence Crowd; David Russell, East Lothian Council; Alan Smith, Altium Limited; Paul Smyth, River PR; Matt Tee, Cabinet Office; Martin Turner, NHS Warwickshire; Francoise Van Buuren; Peter Walker, Pielle Consulting Group; Jason Wassell, DLA Piper UK LLP; and Sue Wolstenholme, Ashley Public Relations.
Michael Heseltine recently announced he would stand down as the Executive Chairman of the Haymarket Media Group, the publishing company who, among other things, publish PR Week and a number of advertising and marketing industry trade magazines. The former Deputy Prime Minister has led Haymarket since its creation in 1957. He will continue to act as Chairman for the company, but his son Rupert will take over the running of the firm on a day-to-day basis from the New Year.
The change in management follows a difficult year for the wider publishing industry, and a resulting restructure at Haymarket, particularly within its marketing industry titles, where Media Week will become an online only operation. Commenting on changes in the media industry, and how he planned to respond to them, Rupert Heseltine told the Telegraph: "The power of the internet is ever growing so we have to find new revenue streams, new business models. We have an advantage with incredibly powerful brands. That strength will be the key to our success but what we will need to do is to move to different sorts of products".
While many in the PR industry have seen their workload winding down this week as the Christmas break approaches, the decidedly wintery weather has made it a particularly demanding few days for communicators at certain travel companies.
Not least Eurostar, who are facing a big 'reputation repair' challenge in the New Year after icy temperatures put their trains out of action for three days. Much of the media coverage of the cancelled trains has focused on disgruntled passengers stranded at St Pancras station in London complaining about the lack of communication on Eurostar's part.
Typical of the quotes being run by the TV and papers this weekend was one carried in the Financial Times, with one stranded passenger complaining: "The biggest problem is a lack of communication. Yesterday we got a phone number for Eurostar from a member of staff and there was no answer".
With the faltering cross-channel service dominating the headlines in both France and the UK since Saturday, and with the French government calling for action, Eurostar's PR efforts did seem to be ramped up yesterday, with the all important CEO statement delivered to the cameras in time for the tea time news bulletins.
Of course there was similar chaos at some UK airports, which were also negatively impacted by the snow. Though, while some stranded passengers were complaining about poor communication there as well, no one company has been saddled with the blame, with both airport owners and numerous airlines being involved. Though credit to Manchester Airport for making sure TV cameras saw that their MD was on the ground dealing directly with customer complaints.
It will be interesting to see what measures Eurostar take after the Christmas break in a bid to restore their previously good reputation following the technical faults and much reported customer complaints of poor communications.
Bear this in mind as you're handed yet another chocolate on Christmas day - despite the sector's reputation for excessive partying and boozing, the PR industry is actually one of the healthiest. Which presumably means too much turkey this Christmas and you will stand out among all your healthy colleagues.
The PR sector's good health was declared by cash plan provider Medicash, who conducted an online survey about the lifestyles of people in various different professions. It seems PR professionals, and their colleagues in marketing and advertising, drink less and are less likely to smoke. It's the hospitality industry where people eat the most junk food and indulge in plenty of cigarettes and alcohol.
PR Week quote Medicash Sales & Marketing Director Peter Lauris, presumably fresh from a very healthy booze-free lunch, as saying: "The survey showed that stress and unsociable hours can have a negative effect on people's ability to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The fact that employees in this sector find work demanding but still manage to limit the effect this has on their lifestyle is testimony to their resilience".
Simon Cowell has reportedly offered communications jobs to the couple who managed to beat him and his 'X-Factor' machine to the Christmas number one slot this week. Though I'm not sure they are all that interested in the offer.
As you have surely seen, Essex-based couple Jon and Tracy Morter staged a grass roots Facebook campaign to try and get a 1992 track by shouty rockers Rage Against The Machine into the Christmas number one slot, instead of a cover version by the winner of Cowell's talent show franchise.
Despite staging their campaign from their living room, while Cowell had a prime time TV show, major record company, high street presence and large marketing budget on his side, it was the Morters who were celebrating when the Christmas chart was announced on Sunday. It was a real victory for organised online communications, and another demonstration of how social networking has really come of age in 2009.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Cowell revealed he had called Jon Morter and offered him a job at his record company. He said: "I am genuinely impressed by the campaign they have run. It has been a good campaign with no dirty tricks and without any funding. This is their first attempt at putting out a record and they got a Christmas number one, so they have not done badly at all. [I called them], I wanted them to come and work for me. I was deadly serious, but they haven't taken me up on the offer".
PRhq's Kizzi Nkwocha describes the kind of celebrity PR he specialises in: "Most of it is deal making – marketing and selling great stories to the right media, and taking a percentage of the fee. I get approached by some amazing characters – sometimes funny, sometimes sad. Last week it was the man auctioning off his dad’s ashes, the week before it was the young guy who at 24 became the youngest man in Britain to be diagnosed with breast cancer. A few months back it was Reggae, Reggae Sauce businessman Levi Roots. Needless to say, it makes for a pretty eclectic time. Most of what I do is down to wit, grit and bullshit! I take ideas and turn them into headlines. I think PR Week said that if each PR person was a city I’d be Las Vegas. I guess that’s more or less right". Full interview here
Firebox.com Press Officer James Rowe offers some advice for aspiring PR people: "The old proverb, 'don't try to run before you can walk'. PR encapsulates a great many skills, all of which take time to learn, develop and make your own. When I started out I used to get frustrated that all of these differing practices didn’t immediately come to me. There's no harm in being keen but don’t kick yourself if things take a little time to 'click' – it’ll be all that much more sweeter when they do". Full interview here
Well, many of us review our lives and careers as the New Year approaches, so, with that in mind, we thought we'd provide you with some links to past Ask The Unicorn articles. Together these provide a wide range of careers advice so, if your first task of 2010 is planning that move into a new role, you will be well equipped to do so...
How do I find find the right jobs?
Some tips on looking at job ads, and picking the right ones for you. Answer here
Are my PR skills any use in a marketing job?
Perhaps you want to widen your job search to increase your chances. Are your PR skills of value in sectors other than straight public relations? Answer here
What should I be reading?
Make yourself more employable, and arm yourself with interesting things to say in interview, by keeping up with the news, PR and media media. Answer here
How important is networking?
Very important. Find out why and how. Answer here
What should I say at job interviews?
10 golden interview rules. Answer here
What should I wear?
And some tips on interview dress codes. Answer here
What if I have to give a presentation?
10 tips on how to give the perfect presentation. Answer here
How do I discuss salary?
This is always a tricky one. Here's some advice. Answer here
What will it mean if I go freelance?
If this is something you're seriously considering, here is an outline of the pros and cons of being a freelancer to help you decide if it's right for you. Answer here
What if I am aiming for the very top?
That's the spirit, don't let the gloomy economy hamper your ambitions. Here's some tips for anyone planning (PR) world domination. Answer here
Your feedback is always welcomed - email esPResso@unicornjobs.com to get in touch.