Context Public Relations

There was a very helpful piece of advice issued by Mike Johansson recently, posted on the website Social Media Today, called ‘Why are you on Twitter?’

The article should be a wake up call to anyone who thinks social media is a one-way bet for businesses, or individuals, looking to promote their cause.

It’s not just about avoiding a huge gaffe in your tweets; it’s equally a question of tone and relevance. If you are tweeting for business, stick to business.

Mixing your social life and business can work if you’re in the world of showbiz, but for most people it’s a minefield, and only to be indulged in by the very expert.

A great practitioner of this art is Shak at Spotify, who is constantly travelling the world and whose tweets are both interesting and productive for his brand.

But we see others attempting this delicate balancing act, and end up looking about as cool as your dad on the dance floor at a family wedding…

Before you tweet anything personal, think very carefully, and remember what goes on social media stays on social media for all to see: your clients, your boss, your colleagues, the judiciary!

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Journalists are responsible for reporting the news; it’s what they’re trained to do. So is it really fair to prevent them from doing their job, because some high-profile celebrity doesn’t want the world (and their wife) to discover their dark secret?

Even the Prime Minister feels ‘uneasy’ about the increase in strict gagging orders, suggesting this controversial intervention is not politically nor ethically correct. Newspapers and MP’s now want to challenge the courts, as they believe the imposition of such injunctions should come from Parliament, and not the courts themselves.

But with communication channels expanding rapidly, is there such thing as a secret anymore?

One Twitter user has revealed the names of such celebs, and according to media experts, the celebrities’ lawyers seemed ‘powerless to act’, displaying how easy it is for super injunctions to backfire. But despite the Twitter claims, journalists are still forbidden to elaborate.

Others claim that by taking out a gagging order, celebrities are putting a target on their backs, as people desperately want to discover their identity.

Understandably, the purpose of these super injunctions is to protect peoples personal lives and reputations, but when the truth does finally come out – as alleged on Twitter – then the super injunction may in fact have done more harm than good.

Crises can be difficult to handle, but well-managed and structured issues and crisis management can make all the difference. Admitting to error means a lot to the public, and working hard to fix the problem can save your reputation. Super injunctions on the other hand, are a cowardly approach to dealing with mistakes, causing further damage to reputation and becoming an even larger crisis when revealed.

In the words of Henry Kissinger – ‘An issue ignored is a crisis ensured’.

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Creativity – the magic spark that only a few of us possess. A highly sought after trait, and probably the second most appreciated gene known to man (after the attractive gene of course).

So why are so many reluctant to be creative?

Creativity is particularly useful in certain occupations. It proved handy for Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel, and it definitely comes in handy for us PR people.

Creative PR is highly effective when done properly. It can generate lots of attention and coverage, but it has to be executed perfectly. The timing has to be perfect; the delivery has to be perfect. Everything needs to be perfect.

Get it right and the rewards will be well worth the effort.

Being innovative will ensure you generate talk and interest, create a buzz, work wonders to boost the profile of the client and most importantly secure great coverage!

Perhaps it may seem a little ‘out there’ at first, but innovative and quirky is so much more interesting than playing it safe and sticking to the rules.

Overall, creative PR is for everyone and can be used by all businesses to help them stand out from the crowd. So next time you’re planning a campaign, just try to think creatively – who knows, you might be pleasantly surprised by what you discover.

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The Royal Wedding has been dubbed the ‘media event of the year’, with 2billion people estimated to tune in to the nuptials on 29th April 2011.

But forget Wills & Kate, how will the press deal with the pressure of the big day?

Prince William’s wedding to Kate Middleton will be the first royal wedding since the internet phenomenon began; so journalists now have to communicate via more channels and to larger audiences. The event will be televised and written about in newspapers (as were previous royal weddings) but in this time of modern technology, the public are now looking online for information.

Clarence House has been updating the public about wedding preparations via Twitter, and Westminster Abbey is supposedly going to tweet throughout the day of the wedding, providing us with a live feed of the day’s events. The soon to be newlyweds even have their own wedding website, containing news and information about their special day, displaying the vast development in information technology since the last high profile wedding of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles in 2005.

By embracing all methods of communication, the Royal Wedding is attracting massive amounts of public interest from all around the globe. As a result of this, the press face even more pressure to report accurately and instantaneously on the big day. They must communicate in more detail, more often, to more people.

The amount of social media activity surrounding the big day emphasises the power of online communication and the scale of the audiences that it can reach. It is quick and easy, but most importantly it is instant.

When designing a communication strategy, businesses should too embrace social media, and consider the benefits of using it to reach their target audience or to attract new audiences. Companies can no longer rely purely on the more outdated methods of communication; they must change with the times and use technology to remain relevant in what has become an extremely high-tech society.

So get LinkedIn, start tweeting, and post your way to corporate success!

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There’s a familiar awkward feeling that takes hold when you become aware of the big ‘A’ - Awards. The application pack lands on your desk, there’s a buzz around the office that this could be the year…but is it all just too much hassle?

There are always more important things to attend to - no one can be blamed for putting the application to the bottom of the work pile. It’s a tricky situation - the black-tie glamour is certainly appealing but many companies believe, in the grand scheme of things, awards aren’t going to make a great difference.

Not wanting to preach, there are actually plenty of plus-sides to applying for (and hopefully winning) an award.

Winning an award not only looks attractive to prospects and customers, but also instils faith in any current clients. Plus, accolades can open doors. The event itself is a perfect opportunity for ‘networking’ and to build awareness that your company is succeeding.

Awards are good for your team. Even a nomination is an achievement in itself and will boost morale; giving staff encouragement that their hard work is recognised.

So, hunt out that application pack and get your dinner suit ready!

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I liked Leo Ryan’s piece in PR Week talking about who should take the lead in running social media campaigns: PR, digital marketing or advertising.  In answer to the question: “which agencies are winning the digital race?” he said: “the good ones.”

This simplistic sounding answer unlocks the whole debate for me, in that it doesn’t have to be one type of agency or the other, it may even have to be a combination or partners working together to get the best outcome for the client.

I do think PR has been too modest in staking its claim to date in the social media space. Part of the reason we could lead the way is the transparency of our revenue model. We tend not to make money from flogging one creative idea that then spins off into lots of lucrative work for production departments. Because we work on a consultancy basis we can take a broader view and possibly recommend that clients get their product and service levels right before embarking on a social media campaign at all.

PR agencies also have lots of experience in tracking issues which is enormously helpful in social media campaigns where association with an issue is often the lynchphin of the programme. But the PR world could benefit from more interaction at an early stage with ad agencies, digital marketing agencies and SEO specialists.

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Picking up on an article in the Sunday Times - why do hotels just not get it when it comes to free WiFi?  I get free internet access at just about every office I visit, at the library, the local coffee shop, so why do hotels charge the equivalent of a month’s rental for an hour online?  The ST report says it’s to stop people watching porn for free rather than using the hotel’s own adult pay TV channel.

I had a meeting in Oxford on Friday and I spent around £50 on coffee and sandwiches for two for the privilege of having a short meeting in their lounge. You would think there is enough margin in that to give me free WiFi. It’s not like it’s a variable cost. They might was well charge for the car park (better not give them ideas!).

Here’s the deal: Make your hotel business friendly and business will come your way. People will then recommend your hotel on TripAdvisor, LinkedIn and Twitter and even more business will come your way. Charging for WiFi that costs almost nothing once installed seems like a cheap scam and it annoys people. Make your money on over-priced coffee and sandwiches. People understand that you have to make a profit, I just think charging WiFi is like charging for the loo. Don’t take advantage of customers who are desperate for a wee or Wee-Fee (as they say in France).

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Wikileaks is down. Mastercard and Visa have suspended payments to the whistle blowing website. And the founder is under arrest. What a few weeks it has been for the site, which must now be one of the most talked about websites in the World.

Whatever your stance on the Wikileaks situation, it has yet again highlighted the power of the Internet. Websites, blogs and social media, they all offer a forum for thoughts, views, findings – and leaks – which can, if not carefully managed, have a huge impact on your business.

Some companies are nervous about embracing the web and social media, partly because of this public profile, but also because of the time it needs to get it right. The thing is, that in the current market very few businesses can afford to ignore their online activity – it generates content, links, profile and ultimately the customers that we all need.

So why not take the opportunity to get to grips with your social media, blog and website, and really drive it forward – or better still, outsource it to ensure you’re keeping your website up to date with news, your blog current, your Twitter interesting, and your social media co-ordinated. Find out more about how Context can help.

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This wise PR maxim was reinforced last week when in an unguarded moment at an ‘off-the-record’ briefing for journalists, French President Nicolas Sarkozy made some comments that were soon reported worldwide.

The events have sparked a row with the media and as such have highlighted two important points. First, that there is no such thing as off-the-record – anything said to a journalist, either in passing or at press briefings, may be reported and can leave you having to defend your actions in front of both the world media and the public.

Second, with the assistance of web media news can circulate worldwide in minutes and social media further accelerates this trend. That’s why it’s even more important to be guarded over what you say and always be aware that journalists, as the eyes and ears of the public, will never be too far from your side.

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If I am going to follow you on Twitter I want something in return. Either you amuse me or give me some insight or point me in the direction of something useful. Don’t tell me what you had for tea (Manchester speak for supper). Maybe I am missing something but idle musings that are neither witty nor informative don’t do it for me and just make you look rather desperate. So “tweet less but tweet good” would be my motto. And if you can’t find anything good to say, pass on some of the useful stuff others have published as a re-tweet.  Our friends at Pareto Law sales training use the term; WIFM which stands for “what’s in it for me”. Next time you tweet, think of the other person’s WIFM requirement.

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