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| Latest News: NLA backtracks, PR industry on the up, poster causes Mumsnet outrage |
| Media Review: Chris Evans, Jonathan Ross, possible changes at The Independent |
| Career tips: Some New Year career resolutions |
| Events: A round up of forthcoming PR conferences, seminars and debates |
| Blog Of The Week: Isn't it time to end the war between PR and advertising? |
| Well Quoted: Katie Bawler, Eulogy! |
| Useful Distractions: How about we explode something cute? |
London, salary based on experience
This central London agency is looking for someone who is able to get up front and personal with big brands. Previous experience working with food brands is desirable, as up to 60% of your time will be spent working on one large blue chip foodie client. You will be a team player who is able to combine practical skills with a strategic mind to create unique results. Ideally you will have experience of managing a team, a can-do attitude, creative flair and bags of initiative. Ref: TF110
more info
Account Director, Luxury Beauty Brands
London
This central London fashion, beauty and lifestyle agency is looking for an inspiring individual to join their team with a proven background in beauty PR. This in itself is a niche role which requires an unrelenting passion for beauty and a core understanding of the health industry. Your print, broadcast and online media knowledge will also be proven, as will your written and communication skills. An excellent salary, support team and wonderful client list is waiting for you. Ref: TF112
more info
Senior Account Manager/Account Manager, Consumer Finance
London, to £35k
Working with a broad range of financial services clients, this City-based consultancy is looking for a candidate with experience working at a similar level with clients from the retail or consumer-facing financial services sectors. Accounts include asset and wealth managers, equity and fund research companies, friendly societies and related software platforms. Ref: TF106
more info
Senior Press Officer, Corporate Affairs/Education
London, £35k
Experience working in a corporate affairs department, with expertise of education, trade associations and/or membership organisations, would be an advantage here. A media relations led role, this position will communicate the views and findings of this organisation to stakeholders and other relevant external audiences, including journalists. Ref: TF109
more info
Junior Account Manager, Consumer/Interiors/Lifestyle
London, £28k
This boutique, luxury-focussed agency, which boasts an impressive mix of lifestyle and FMCG clients, is looking for a skilled individual to work across its exciting portfolio of homes and interiors clients. Ideally you will come from an interiors or retail PR background and are now looking for a new environment in which your career can really grow. Ref: TF102
more info
Junior Account Manager, B2B Tech
London, £30k
This established and vibrant agency is looking to add to its growing team. Ideally you will have a passion for technology client work, and already have worked with big brand clients within this environment. This role includes managing campaigns, maintaining day-to-day client relationships, and assisting in the creation of new initiatives and business development. Ref: TF108
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
The Newspaper Licensing Agency has put its new 'links licence' on hold pending a Copyright Tribunal ruling.
As previously reported, the NLA, which traditionally provides licenses to companies who want to frequently photocopy newspaper articles for commercial reasons, including PR firms and clippings agencies, last year announced its plan to licence those companies who now provide links to online versions of articles rather than physical copies, as has become the trend in the media relations sector in recent years.
The announcement was controversial because most of the companies providing such links deny they need to be licensed. They argue that because no actual copies of any articles are made when links are provided, copyright issues are irrelevant, and therefore so are licensing concerns. As also previously reported, last month media monitors Meltwater announced they would take the NLA to the UK's Copyright Tribunal - the court that considers copyright disputes - in a bid to get judicial backing for this viewpoint.
Given that action, the NLA has said it will put the introduction of the new links licence on hold, and will not bill those agencies providing commercial link services.
The boss of the Public Relations Consultants Assocition, who had previously spoken out against the link licence proposals, welcomed the NLA's announcement. Writing on his blog, Francis Ingham wrote: "The fundamental point is this. If they [the NLA] were confident of their position, they wouldn't have blinked. But they have. And in our view, it's because their bluff's been called. Now their plans are in limbo. And they'll remain there for between nine and twelve months while the Tribunal completes its work. We're considering what our next step is, and we'll keep the industry up-to-date about how we're fighting for their interests. But be in no doubt -this is a terrible day for the NLA; a good day for the PR industry".
Some had previously argued that the NLA's proposals were especially unwarranted given plans by many newspaper owners to put the bulk of their content behind 'pay walls'. This would mean that companies receiving link lists from commercial link providers would have to have active subscriptions to see the content linked to, meaning newspaper owners would be receiving due payment from those accessing their content anyway.
While many in the sector had to trim their waist lines and hold their breath during the difficult year that was 2009, some reckon that with hindsight this might turn out to have been a pretty good recession for the PR industry.
That is to say, an increasing number of companies have recognised the value of good communications in protecting corporate reputations during tricky times, and the crucial role public relations - as a more nimble and reactive communications discipline than advertising and marcomms - has to play in successful corporate management. Which means business leaders increasingly recognise the importance of good PR, which has to be good news for the industry as the economy recovers.
And you don't have to believe me about this. An article in the latest edition of The Economist headlined "Good News" reports on the relative good health of the US PR industry following the economic turmoil of the last twelve months, and observes: "PR has done well in part because it is often cheaper than mass advertising campaigns [and] its impact, in the form of favourable coverage in the media or online, can also be more easily measured".
Perhaps stating the obvious to those within the industry, but reaffirming an important trend to the wider business community, the article continues: "PR firms are beginning to encroach on territory that used to be the domain of advertising firms, a sign of their increasing clout. They used chiefly to pitch story ideas to media outlets and try to get their clients mentioned in newspapers. Now they also dream up and orchestrate live events, web launches and the like".
The article adds that it is not just economic turmoil that has helped boost the credibility of PR, with the changed media landscape also playing a role. It observes: "The withering of many traditional media outlets has left fewer journalists from fewer firms covering business. That makes PR doubly important, both for attracting journalists' attention, and for helping firms bypass old routes altogether and disseminate news by posting press releases on their websites, for example. The rise of the internet and social media has given PR a big boost".
If you're enjoying all this "good news" then you might want to check out the full Economist piece for more. It's available here.
And if you've now got a taste for good news, then here, have some more.
New figures from the Institute Of Practitioners In Advertising has reported that, while marketing and communication spends continued to decline in the last quarter of 2009, the level of decline was at its lowest since the start of 2008, leading to the trade body expressing renewed optimism for the wider communication industries in the year to come. The part of the so called Bellwether Report that specifically looks a PR and other 'below-the-line' marketing activities reported that overall budgets declined 4% in the final quarter of 2009, compared to a 24.4% decline in the previous quarter.
Commenting on the stats, Andy Viner, Head of Media at accountants BDO LLP, who sponsor the survey, told reporters: "These results are good news for the marketing services sector. After nine consecutive quarters of reduced marketing spend, it appears that the rate of decline is at its slowest in nearly two years".
He continued:
"There are a number of indicators to demonstrate that confidence is returning, with companies being upbeat about their own sectors and their corporate performance. Marketing budgets in 2010 are now set to grow, with companies re-thinking their budget allocation. [Though] unsurprisingly, companies are continuing to seek cost effective and flexible options where the return on investment can be measured".
A fun one from the advertising industry now, that demonstrates the power of one increasingly news-worthy website, as well as the influence of so called outdoor advertising - so billboards and bus advertising etc.
It centres on a recent marketing campaign staged by the outdoor advertising sector's own trade body, which was designed to prove the power of their ad medium in getting consumers talking. Members of the Outdoor Advertising Association have posted a number of adverts for a website called Britainthinks.com onto the sides of buses and billboard poster sites around the UK. The posters carry deliberately contentious slogans like "educashun isn't working", "1966 - it won't happen this year" and "career women make bad mothers". The ads encourage people to go to the Britainthinks.com website to vote and comment on the remarks in the ads.
While the Britainthinks.com website claims that it's been "created to give people a new voice and support the vibrant democracy that the people of Britain already participate in up and down the country - in the pubs, living rooms and street corners of our nation", in fact the whole thing has been set up by an ad agency called Beta to prove that, despite the growth of digital advertising and viral marketing, traditional posters on a wall (or bus) are capable of attracting consumer attention and generating public debate.
It's the "career women make bad mothers" remark that has proven that is indeed the case, albeit with the help of the increasingly vocal website-for-mothers Mumsnet. Seemingly unaware that the ads were deliberately contentious, or that the whole thing was set up to demonstrate the power of outdoor marketing, Mumsnet readers have been hitting out at the posters. According to The Guardian, one reader commented on one of the site's message boards: "The poster I saw on the side of a building today felt like a kick in the stomach".
As outrage grew a spokeswoman for Beta recently announced its career mum ads would be taken down, partly to appease the outraged, and partly, possibly, because the aim of their campaign has sort of been achieved.
Beta's Sharon Johnson told reporters: "There has been a misunderstanding with an important mothers' forum about this campaign which is about sparking a debate. It is not what the campaign thinks. But rather than offend people the decision has been taken to replace the posters saying 'career women make bad mothers' with other slogans which work just as effectively".
A cautionary tale now for those in the business of celebrity endorsement, and no, it's nothing to do with Tiger Woods.
A government supported campaign to tackle the rise of so called cyber-bullying in schools - where bullys target their victims via email, text or social networks - last year signed up popular urban pop outfit N-Dubz to front their campaign. When the trio released a special anti-bullying song to mark the launch of the BeatBullying campaign last November, Schools Minister Ed Balls said the group were "great ambassadors" for the project.
But the association turned sour last week thanks to the actions of the most maverick member of the N-Dubz set up, Dino 'Dappy' Contostavlos. During an interview on the Chris Moyles show on Radio 1 one listener sent a text message to the studio dissing the band and branding Dappy "a little boy with a silly hat". Not happy with the comments, the rapper seemingly wrote down the mobile number of the listener and later sent her threatening emails. This included the message: "Your gonna die, U sent a very bad msg towards N Dubz on The Chris Moyels show yesterday Morning and for that reason u will never be left alone!!".
Once the listener started sharing the messages with the press both the band and Radio 1 were quick to apologise, but it was the PR team at BeatBullying who arguably had the biggest challenge on their hands, given their ambassador was doing the very thing they were campaigning against - cyberbullying.
A spokesman for the campaign quickly announced they would no longer be working with N-Dubz, telling reporters: "BeatBullying in no way condones this behaviour and we stress that sending any threatening messages of any kind is completely unacceptable. Dappy's behaviour is not becoming of an ambassador to young people. We have no further plans to work with the band".
Meanwhile Balls was forced to review his opinion of the urban act, telling reporters: "This text message was completely unacceptable and it is right that he has not only apologised, but accepted there was no excuse for his behaviour. I know that many artists work with Beatbullying because they genuinely want to use their influence with young people to campaign against bullying. But that starts with ensuring their own behaviour sets the right example".
| esPResso Publisher Chris Cooke also heads of London-based UnLimited Media, and reports on the media industry for the company's CMU and CreativeBusiness News-Blogs. |  |
As well as packing in the cigarettes and losing a few pounds it's time to overhaul your career and become a better PR person. Follow our ten career resolutions and you can't go wrong.
1. Use the phone. A surprising number of people are phone-phobic. Emails are great, particularly if you need to keep a record of an agreement or deadline, but phone calls are a much easier way to build a personal relationship with a client or journalist.
2. Find a mentor. Sometimes you just need someone to bounce ideas off of or a fresh pair of eyes on your career. Ask someone you respect to be your mentor. It may be someone in your current work place or an ex-boss, or just someone you admire from the industry. Arrange to meet them once a month to discuss your career goals and achievements to keep you on track.
3. Network. Set yourself a target of ten new people in your contacts list every month. Go to a few networking events and make a conscious effort to actually talk to a few people there. It's not as scary as you might think.
4. Update your skills. When was the last time you had a new skill to add to your CV? Now's the time to make a change. Learn a new language, ask a colleague to teach you how to use a new bit of software, or go on a creative writing course. New skills stop you getting stale and keep you ahead of the curve.
5. Write thank you letters. Every time someone goes out of their way to help you, write to them to say thank you. A hand written note has much more impact than an email as these days we rarely receive letters in the mail. It marks you out as considerate and thoughtful, and is sure to make you stick in the recipient's mind.
6. Take someone under your wing. Just as it's important for you to have someone give you a nudge in the right direction with your career, it's equally important that you help those who can benefit from your experience. Choose a junior colleague or a recent graduate and ask them if they would like some help developing their skills and experience.
7. Improve your writing. Written skills remain a core competency for communications practitioners. Practice makes perfect so start up a blog and get typing.
8. Start a hobby. A well rounded person makes for a good employee. Having an interest outside of work keeps you balanced and having a passion for something gives you great dinner party conversation.
9. Exercise. Stress is inevitable and one of the greatest stress busters of all is regular exercise. It'll get your endorphins pumping and have the added benefit of shifting the excess pounds.
10. Smarten up your image. A professional appearance is essential for a good first impression. Book to have a regular hair cut and manicure (boys, this includes you too) and clear out your wardrobe. If you haven't worn it for over two years you never will.
| esPResso Editor Sarah Stimson has over seven years of PR recruitment experience, and also heads up Unicorn Jobs' diversity and professional development projects. |  |
| PRCA Expert Briefing: Using the law to protect your clients and marketing to children 21 Jan, 8.30am-10.30am, Ketchum, Folgate Street, London This legally themed breakfast seminar will cover two often contentious topics. First the way in which the law - and in particular the laws of privacy and libel - can be used to protect corporate reputations, with insights from Magnus Boyd of Carter-Ruck. And then a look at the rules and guidelines governing PR activity targeting young people, led by Brinsley Dresden of Lewis Silkin. More info |
| PR Week Conference: PR & Social Media In Practice 26 Jan, The Hurlingham Club, London A one day conference looking at all things social media, and how to integrate this ever growing phenomenon into your PR campaigns. More info |
| PRCA Campaign Master-class with MS&L & Bite Communications 9 Feb, 6.00pm-8.00pm, Mandate, Great Portland Street, London These events "are designed to enhance creative thinking and develop strategic thought" by looking at some recent campaign case studies. This month MS&L's work for MORE TH>N BUSINESS and Bite's campaign for Gandi.net. More info |
| Expert Briefing: Measuring Digital 18 Feb, 8.30am-10.30am, Ketchum, Folgate Street, London This digitally themed breakfast seminar will look at measurement in digital PR, discussing the pros and cons of different measuring metrics, whether measuring too many intangibles becomes reductive, and how to demonstrate return on investment. More info |
To include your event here just email listing information to ashka@unicornjobs.com
Reading Jackie Cooper's latest essay I agree with a huge amount of what she says. Almost everything in fact. And why not? Having worked for Edelman in both freelance and permanent roles, I've had a bit of contact with Jackie and have enormous respect for her. As you'd expect, as founder of Jackie Cooper PR she's a true doyenne of the consumer PR world.
But the headline (and also the first line in fact) really jars: "Why It's Time for Ad Agencies to Admit Defeat".
The PR industry has a real complex about the advertising industry - and it's one which isn't generally reciprocated. I can't quite work out whether is an inferiority or superiority complex...but it's a complex. The industry seems to clutch desperately to anything that might sound the death knell for advertising agencies, presumably so PR can nab all the budget that it believes has always been PR's by right. I don't get it. It often reminds me of the desperation in this...PR's Kevin Keegan to advertising's Alex Ferguson.
In the first line of her essay, Jackie says: "When ad agencies are rebranding themselves as "short form content agencies", and media agencies are suddenly sprouting production arms you know the jig is up."
Hardly. The world of marketing is changing. Marketing services agencies of all types are having to adapt to a world dominated by conversation, community-building and engaging content: advertising, PR, media planning, direct marketing...it's a challenge for them all. But to think that there aren't very smart people sitting in ad agencies working out how they can remain relevant is crazy. And the changes that Jackie points out above are evidence of that.
It's true that many advertising agencies haven't traditionally been skilled in creating and delivering on-going consumer engagement campaigns; campaigns that start, develop and manage communities in which brands can participate. Their focus has been on 30-second spots, full-page ads and billboards.
But that doesn't mean that they can't learn how to adapt (or, more likely, hire the expertise, as many are currently doing). They have the resources to do so and, more importantly, they often enjoy a direct line into the senior marketing decision-maker within brands and already have their hands on the bulk of the budget. 'All' they need to do is convince the client that they've re-engineered their business and crack on with the job.
Unfortunately, despite arguably having an existing set of skills that are ideally suited to an 'engagement' marketing model, PR agencies are (generally) a step away from the marketing director and often pigeonholed as providing a specific set of services at a certain proportion of budget. The barriers to changing that are significant.
In reality (or the very near reality) there should be no PR v. advertising discussion. Some PR agencies will thrive, some will fail. Ditto for the ad guys.
So can we stop it now?
Katie studied PR at Bournemouth University, graduating from there last June. During the course she did a one year placement at Cow PR, working with a range of consumer clients, including Bandai, fish4jobs, Aunt Bessie's and Whole Earth. Since graduating she has stayed in the consumer PR domain, now based at Eulogy! and working with clients like Santander, moneysupermarket.com, Royal Mail Special Stamps and the Post Office.
How did you first get into PR?
I studied PR at University, so was introduced to the industry through various lecturers and projects undertaken on my course, one of which was a year long placement. I undertook my placement at Cow PR and got a real hands on experience of working in communications, which really set me up for a future career in the industry.
Has your degree been useful? Would you recommend other young people considering a communications career consider a PR degree?
There are many PR courses out there but through my experience, and from speaking to others, the course at Bournemouth really is second to none. The programme leaders have got a blend of theory, practical knowledge and industry insight that is spot on. For me the course, and the placement in particular, proved invaluable in setting me up for life in the PR industry. However, I don't think it's absolutely necessary to have a PR degree. A passion for the industry, a desire to learn about the way PR works and a dedication to achieving great results are equally as important
What's been the highlight of your career so far?
It was whilst working on a campaign for Aunt Bessie's to raise awareness of their frozen mashed potato. It sounds pretty boring but we had a brilliant creative that involved turning an ice cream van into a 'mash van' and a 99 ice cream into a 'mash cone' (so the mash was the ice cream, the sausage was the flake, the peas the sprinkles and the gravy the chocolate sauce). The night before we launched the story Metro had a written an article on their website slating the mash cone. This caused a lot of nerves within the team about how the story would go down.
The next day we were doing a media house tour with the mash van that included the top-security building where Metro were based. Wanting to avenge the bad write up of the story, I opportunistically approached a man standing outside the building having a cigarette. Luckily he worked in the accounts department for Associated Newspapers and agreed to sneak me in to their offices. So in I went with two mash cones hidden under my coat and made the journalist eat his proverbial words and actually taste the mash. To everyone's delight he pulled down the bad article and replaced it with a glowing write up of the mash cone. It was this coup that made me think that I was going to be alright at this PR lark.
Find out more about Katies's career and some of her more recent projects, in the full interview here.
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CUTE THINGS EXPLODING Not one for the faint hearted, how about we start the year with lots of cute things exploding? Simple. www.youtube.com/user/CuteThingsExploding |
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