PRCA announces Reginald Watts Prize shortlist

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The PRCA has announced the shortlist for the inaugural Burson-Marsteller-backed Reginald Watts Prize for PR Insight, which saw PR professionals aged 25 or under enter essays on their vision for what the industry will be like in 2020 and beyond.

Following the passing in April of former PRCA chairman, CIPR president and UK CEO of Burson-Marsteller, Reginald Watts,PRCA the annual prize will commemorate his thought leadership, writing, and forethought.

The competition challengs participants to write “thought-provoking” essays on the PR and comms industry. A different question will be set each year.

This year, PR and comms practitioners aged 25 or under were asked to enter essays up to 1,000 words on the following brief: Please present your vision of the PR and communications industry in 2020 and beyond, using any relevant evidence.

The shortlisted entrants are:

  • David Amos, senior account executive, I See PR
  • Abs Hassanali, PR and content consultant, Montpellier
  • Charlotte Lawson MPRCA, Public Relations & Content Consultant, Montpellier
  • Rolf Merchant MPRCA, Consultant, Instinctif Partners
  • Simona Morar MPRCA, PR Coordinator, A Marr + Associates
  • Matt Silver MPRCA, Account Executive – Corporate, Technology & Public Affairs, Ketchum

The shortlist was decided by a judging panel of Amanda Pierce, UK CEO at Burson Marsteller, Andy Green, founder of Andy Green Creativity, and Francis Ingham, director general of the PRCA. Entries were judged on their demonstration of intelligence and the forward-looking viewpoints that are displayed.

Burson-Marsteller, for whom Reginald Watts worked for 18 years including ten years as UK CEO, is matching the £500 in the existing prize fund put forward by the PRCA, meaning that the winner of the competition will receive a bursary of £1,000 in total.

All of the finalists are invited to attend the awards ceremony taking place on Tuesday 20 September at Burson-Marsteller’s offices in London.

PHA Media secures two wins

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PHA Media has been handed an awareness raising brief by charity Music Venue Trust and the agency has been hired by 4th Base Cosmetics to launch its new beauty brand NKBb.

PHA Media

Image courtesy of sadiefederspiel on Flickr

Launched in 2014, Music Venue Trust is a national charity working to protect, secure and improve the UK’s grassroots music venues.

PHA Media has been briefed to raise awareness of the role these venues play in the development of British music, nurturing local talent and providing a platform for artists to build their careers.

The three month campaign will focus on strategic feature placement and media relations, alongside a social media campaign.

Mark Davyd, founder and CEO of the Music Venue Trust, said: “We have to act together to ensure musicians and music fans continue to have access to this essential part of UK music heritage.

“We’re delighted to be working with the team at PHA Media who have the passion and expertise to make this campaign an absolute success.”

Separately, PHA Media has been briefed by 4th Base Cosmetics to launch its beauty brand NKBb in the UK.

The agency will also manage the comms strategy for 4th Base Cosmetics, which aims to create successful female entrepreneurs with a franchise business model.

Founded by Lisa Dodds and author and serial entrepreneur Marco Robinson, NKDb will launch on  September 1.

The six-month PR campaign will have a strong focus on strategic product and feature placement, as well as business profiling of NKDb’s two co-founders.

Dodds said: “We’re thrilled to be working with PHA Media to launch NKDb. We are extremely excited to be finally launching the range after a rigorous development process and we feel confident in PHA Media’s ability to work with us as an extension of the team to make the launch a success.”

Yellow Jersey appoints Adam Wurf

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Yellow Jersey has appointed Adam Wurf as consultant in order to broaden its service offering and drive new business activities.

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Adam Wurf

Wurf previously worked as chief marketing officer for Crowdmix and, prior to that, for Fourfront Group. He also worked as a communications director for ISS UK, a facilities services provider.

While in consultancy at Chime Communications and the madano partnership, which he co-founded, Wurf worked with the executive teams of brands including Honda, Philips, Commerzbank, Ebay, Skanska, INREV, Gatehouse Bank, Cable & Wireless, LA Fitness, Cemex, Rexam, Smithfield Foods, Mitie and Elle Macpherson.

Wurf said: “Yellow Jersey is ideally placed to help many companies. It has a strong client base, a genuinely bright team and a culture of exceeding expectations. We plan to broaden our service offering and to help clients achieve their commercial objectives with smart, effective communications.”

At Yellow Jersey, Adam will advise listed and non-listed companies on their growing and protecting their brands, stakeholder engagement and customer acquisition.

Dominic Barretto, managing director of Yellow Jersey, added: “Our business is maturing. We are working in more sectors, with clients from more countries and doing more and more for them. Adam’s skillset and experience will allow us to continue this evolution. It is great to find someone with in-house experience of blue-chips and start-ups and who is a proven consultant.”

Opinion: How PRs can optimise content for consumers

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Communicators can deliver content optimised to reach consumers at the right time and in the right format if they put themselves in the driving seat, says Marcus Sorour, general manager at WE UK.

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Marcus Sorour

My wife and I spent months researching the perfect car to buy for weekend getaways, emergency trips to the vet and the occasional recycling depot visit. We wanted it to be safe, stylish, environmentally-friendly and economical to run, and went about finding a car that matched all of our criteria.

After a period of contemplation and research, the car we eventually settled on was an apparently controversial choice.

I won’t name and shame, but it is a model or marque that many of our friends, review websites and, even, strangers on social media, described as ‘Marmite’ thanks to the way that people either love or hate it.

Clearly, I’m in the former camp, but the the whole car-buying experience, and many ways it can be influenced, got me thinking about how complex the modern buying journey is and how challenging it is for brands to get their messaging across to the right people, in the right way and at the right point in the customer’s decision-making process.

In order to better understand the impact that a third party can have during the sales process, WE teamed up with YouGov to produce a report that looked into consumer buying habits across a number of sectors, including electronics, personal care and automotive.

The survey, conducted in the UK and Germany, found that word-of-mouth and search engines are the go-to sources for information pre-purchase, followed by review sites.

Beyond these channels, customers are further influenced by so-called ‘dark social’ platforms, such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. When I started out on my car-buying journey, I chose to send an instant message with an embedded video link to my wife. But this method of communication creates a challenge for public relations and social media managers, as it can be tricky to influence and measure.

However, this fragmented buying landscape, spanning multiple stakeholder touch points, media channels and devices, also creates an opportunity for PR professionals. It gives communicators the chance to deliver distinctive content and memorable engagements, optimised to land at the right time, in the right format and on the right device or platform. The content could both educate and influence those opposed to recommending a brand based on a previous experience or misconception.

A recent example of a brand who got this right is Nissan – which kept audiences engaged with its #DoItForUs Olympics campaign. The campaign pranked Team GB athletes, filming their reactions on hidden cameras. The TV spot was supported by activity on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube throughout the games, and coincided with the launch of the electric car, Nissan LEAF.

As I was forming my decision to buy the ‘Marmite’ car, I was influenced by the mixed reviews I heard and read both on and offline. At any point, a timely piece of content or campaign-work could have diverted me from that buying journey. That’s why multi-channel, optimised content is a valuable tool for PR professionals.

  • Marcus Sorour is general manager and VP at WE Communications. Before moving to the UK with the company, Sorour worked in South Africa. He worked for Text 100 before joining WE in 2010.

Abchurch chosen by Roxi Petroleum

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Abchurch has been appointed to handle financial PR and investor relations for Kazakhstan-based oil and gas exploration and production company Roxi Petroleum (Roxi).

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An oil field

Roxi is an AIM-listed company which is looking to acquire and develop interests in oil and gas assets in Central Asia, with a focus on Kazakhstan.

Abchurch senior partner TimThompson will lead the account.

Abchurch is a  financial PR, IR and corporate comms consultancy.

Lord Bell resigns as chairman of Bell Pottinger

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Lord Tim Bell has resigned as chairman of Bell Pottinger, 30 years after he founded the agency. He plans to set up a strategic consultancy called Sans Frontières next year.

Lord Bell 1

Lord Tim Bell

Bell, a former adviser to Margaret Thatcher, has decided he would like to step back from the day-to-day running of the business, according to a statement released by Bell Pottinger today (Thursday).

He has no plans to retire and, from next year, will provide advice to clients through a new business called Sans Frontières.

In 2012, Bell helped to buy Bell Pottinger branded agencies out of Chime Communications in a deal worth £26.5 million.

James Henderson, CEO of Bell Pottinger, said: “Tim has been the founder and driver of this business since he started it in 1987. We are grateful for all he has achieved for both the PR industry globally and in building Bell Pottinger into a household name.

“He does not intend to retire totally and next year will be setting up a strategic consultancy to be named Sans Frontières. He will always be the founder of this business and we will find ways of mutually working together with him in his new business where there are clients that need a combined expertise.”

Mark Smith, currently a non-executive director at Bell Pottinger, will become chairman with immediate effect.

Smith’s connection to Bell Pottinger goes back to the company’s foundation. He was both CFO and COO of Chime Plc, and played a major role in the flotation of Chime through a reverse takeover and its eventual sale to Providence Equity in 2015.

Opinion: Five ways the Great British Bake Off can enhance a brand’s profile

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Great British Bake Off returned to the screens last night and, with last year’s average audience comprising more than 12 million people, there is huge opportunity for brands to increase their profile, sales and reach, according to Chris Baldwin, director of consumer programmes at Protravel, part of employee benefits and rewards company Sodexo.

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Chris Baldwin offers five top tips on how brands can take advantage of the GBBO phenomenon

The BBC has strict rules on using its intellectual property when not licensed to do so, but with some creative thinking there are opportunities for many brands to harness the theme and emotion of the competition to maximise sales and boost their profile, Baldwin says.

Baldwin offers five top tips on how brands can take advantage of this culinary phenomenon:

Capture creativity

With boasts of being “best baker” peaking among friends, colleagues and families, brands can expand this conversation into a social media led competition. Invite consumers to share pictures of their best bake or send in their magic recipes, with one winner being announced in line with each week’s episode. This is organic material for a website and provides great social media content too.

Join the #GBBO conversation

Between the 2014 and 2015 series, the use of #GBBO on Twitter increased by 217%, and this is only set to continue this year. Brands must join the conversation, use the hashtag and run parallel, complimentary campaigns that reflect the sentiment and excitement of the programme among its audience. Spending money on promoting tweets, posts and pictures across social media platforms will increase the exposure amongst the online noise.

Experience competitions

GBBO is not just a chance to increase sales of baking products, but provides brands with an opportunity to reach a target audience which is aligned with the show’s viewers. Hosting competitions to win baking lessons or afternoon tea experiences can change consumer behaviour by offering them something additional to the product in question. Using the “Bake Off hype” to maximise interest in such campaigns will promote the product to a larger audience.

Pick a partnership

Partnering with well-known individuals who have a connection to the baking world is guaranteed to be of interest to both the consumer and the celebrity, who will also be looking to piggyback off the series’ popularity.

Opportunities beyond baking

The opportunities for brand exposure beyond cooking related products are widespread and, often, not immediately obvious. In 2015, a jacket worn by Mary Berry sold out within the hour long show; brands with similar items did well to quickly join the buzz and invest in ways to promote their products whilst the weekly buzz peaked. Brands should consider how their product offering could be reflected in the wider show, from fashion, to home décor to horticultural features.

Chris Baldwin is director of consumer programmes at Protravel, part of employee benefits and rewards company Sodexo. Protravel helps agencies come up with prizes for competitions and reward programmes for TV and radio programmes as well as retail and supermarket brands.

How Golin tackles the ‘motherhood penalty’ and recruits untapped talent

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Golin is looking to close the wage gap encountered by working mothers and reap the benefit of recruiting ‘untapped’ talent as it launches its second ‘returnship’ programme this week.

The Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) reported this week that there is a 33% pay gap between working mothers and men by the time their children are twelve-years old. This ‘motherhood penalty’ is what Golin wants to help to tackle in PR by offering women returning professional internships or ‘returnships’.

A returnship should act as a “bridge” back to senior roles for experienced professional women who have taken an extended, voluntary, career break. They are given short-term employment contracts and the returner takes on “commercially significant” assignments based on skill set, interests and prior experience, according to Women Returners, which organises returnship programmes with Golin and other businesses.

At Golin, the programme was set up by ex-SMG HR director Liz Nottingham and f1 recruitment owner Amanda Fone.

Bibi Hilton, Golin’s MD, says: “I think our industry has been complacent about this issue. Where it is a female dominated profession overall (although not at leadership level), we haven’t been forced to scrutinise this issue as closely or take action unlike those in financial services.”

A source of ‘untapped’ talent for the business 

Recent research by the PRCA shows that 64% of the people in the PR/comms industry are women. This drops when it comes to middle management and senior roles such as MD, CEO and partner level, which can be an opportunity for businesses such as Golin, according to Hilton.

“The returnship programme has given us access to an experienced, highly-qualified pool of talent that is currently untapped by the rest of the industry,” she adds.

Laura Weston participated in Golin’s returnship in 2015 and, subsequently, was hired as its permanent marketing director.

Hilton says: “[She] is one of the best hires we have ever made. She describes herself as having the energy and enthusiasm of a graduate with all of the wisdom and experience of a senior leader. Agencies need to banish the old-fashioned notion that because someone has a ‘gap’ on their CV they can’t add value to a business.”

Flexible working can fit with the wider business strategy

Golin wants to be known for creating flexible incentives for its employees. Earlier this year it launched a diversity ‘unternship’ that aims to make the PR sector more accessible for disadvantaged candidates. More recently it introduced unlimited staff holidays.

“We believe diversity in all its forms is critical to creativity. You don’t get great, differentiating ideas if everyone in the team is the same ethnicity, social demographic, gender and went to the same university. To build a diverse team you need to be flexible because you’re not hiring people with the same life goals and perspectives,” says Hilton.

In 2015, all of Golin’s mums who took maternity leave returned to the agency. Furthermore, 12% of employees have formal flexible working arrangements and half of the team are working parents with flexible hours.

Hilton concludes: “If we want to prevent the talent drain, futureproof our business and stay competitive and profitable then agencies have no choice but to think differently and support women through their entire career lifecycle.”

  • This is the second ‘returnship’ Golin will offer, you can find out more about the position and Laura Weston’s experiences here.

 

H+K expands financial and professional services team

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Hill + Knowlton Strategies (H+K) has appointed Jasper Rosenau as head of content and publishing strategy for its financial and professional services team.

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Jasper Rosenau

Rosenau said: “I am thrilled to be joining H+K, and could not wish to join a better agency or work with a more dynamic, focused and intelligent team. I look forward to helping continue the growth of its content and digital offering for both current and prospective clients.”

Rosenau will lead digital and content strategy for the 30-strong professional services team’s current client base, which includes HSBC, Tata and Visa. He will help its new business push too.

Matt Bright, financial and professional services managing director at H+K, added: “Jasper has a valuable set of skills and fits seamlessly into our team. His expertise will enhance the great work we are already doing for clients and will help us offer an even broader range of consultancy and services.”

Previously, Rosenau was director of digital communications at Spider PR, where, in 2011, he founded its digital division.

Gorkana meets…Mantality

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Earlier this year, Super League and Challenge Cup winning 22-year-old pro rugby league star Stevie Ward launched Mantality, an online male lifestyle, sports and mind title to address the issue of mental health in sport. Three months on, Ward talks to Gorkana‘s Louise Pantani about how his own experiences in professional sport fuelled the idea for Mantality, how it fits in with his time at Leeds Rhinos, the challenge of writing for the “millennial male” and his dream of interviewing Ricky Gervais.

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Stevie Ward

Where did the idea for Mantality come from?

I had a realisation about five months ago. In my rugby career, I have been on quite a unique merry-go-round twice. I would play for a spell and win a major trophy – then I would pick up a serious injury. I would then have a very long stint of rehab and training before returning to play and win something again.

I realised that I didn’t just have to be on the same track all of the time and I could go and do something special on a different path. Something a bit unconventional and out there. In rugby, you can go from ultimate physical prowess competing at Wembley stadium to simply trying to get back walking again…This isn’t healthy! Mantality is an avenue to vent my constant drive. It allows me to grow, learn and help people.

You’re also a professional rugby player for the Leeds Rhinos. How does Mantality fit in with all of the training and games?

I am just on the cusp of returning to playing. But I have been injured for 11 months. So a normal day would be getting treatment on the physio table at around 8am, working in the gym at about 9am, then I undergo rehab for my knee on the field. Then it’s lunch and Mantality straight after! But I love the balance and the new job!

What made you decide to pursue a separate career in media?

It’s different! Being out injured so long means it can be hard to vent your focus on just solely getting your knee better! It can’t work like that. You need something else going on. I feel like I’ve got a good direction for how I want to live and make the most of life, I want to help people, and I love writing! So Mantality seems to be the perfect platform! The opportunity to learn from successful people and meet a set of new and diverse characters is so exciting!

There is such a mix of content on Mantality. How is it different from other sites for men?

Mantality has a massive focus on mindset. To me, this has got to be the first point of call. There is a slow burning appetite for people to discuss mental well-being, but also how to get the most from life. Our category (on the site) of Mind directly addresses that. Some of the articles can feature tips and advice from legacy-leaving athletes, MBE’s, world famous celebrities and ex-SAS sergeants. We also don’t apologise for brutally honest tales of how mental well-being can be in a bad state. Content on Mantality doesn’t scratch the surface. It’s deep and, because that is so rare, it’s riveting.

Who is the target demographic?

This is the millennial male. Let’s say the first point of call is your mind. Then it’s about what you are going to go and do. If you are interested in a conventional, straight forward life then Mantality probably isn’t for you. But if you rate moments over material and want to go out there and “kill it”, we will inform you and do it with you.

I feel like I’ve launched myself into something exciting. I had to reset my dreams as I was so lucky to have accomplished the childhood ones I had. I have managed to win trophies an Old Trafford and Wembley, so now I have had to reset my goals. So I guess we are speaking to people who want to go out there and get it.

What has traffic to the site been like since the launch online?

We have had 205,000 page views since the launch in May. Of course we want to keep growing and growing. For years millennials have been interested in how they look, what gym they use, what they eat. I think ultimately, it’s now time to consider how we feel.

This is obviously a very personal project for you, did you expect the amount of coverage you received? For instance, the article in the Daily Star?

I definitely thought it would have been more of a slow burner. I am in talks with The Sunday Times Magazine regarding a feature at the moment. I have had features with the BBC, Sky Sports and The City Talking. This coverage cannot be bought and I’m so grateful for that, but the main thing is through this I can help people and make a difference.

What is it you are looking for from PRs at this stage?

We do look at uploading content when provided if it’s in alignment with our ethos. We can’t justify stuff just for click bait. We pride ourselves on being a ‘real’ and honest magazine. But then it works great because stuff which we do use, is vouched for by me and Mantality!

I guess we are looking for anything exciting. Even better than that, remarkable. Stuff that ties in with the theme of well being, mindset, drive, travel and exploration is really what we are excited about. There are many different things: music is big for us and so is fitness. But don’t send me a press release on how to look like The Rock in 14 days!

You’re holding a launch party on 14 September. How can PRs help you in the run up to that?

Just get in touch with me personally at [email protected]. It should be an interesting guest list with the athletes and celebrities who are supporting it. We are hoping for it to be a very special night! If you have clients or would like to see what it’s all about yourself get in touch! We are holding it at the awesome Banyan in Leeds.

What is the best way for PRs to really get your attention?

I think that travel is really becoming a natural progression for us. Every part about travel works with what we are trying to get across. We have already been to South Tyrol and Switzerland so we are ready to immerse ourselves in the travel field. The reaction we have had to those has been great. We want to be bold and exciting, so anything that is in alignment with that, try me!

Would you ever expand the platform to print, or will you stay online?

Online is working so well at the moment, we are looking at growing this further and evaluating in 6 months time. Print is a big goal which I do have, it will be interesting to look at further down the line.

Finally, if you could interview anyone in the world for Mantality, who would it be?

That is such a hard question. On a personal level I would love to meet and interview Ricky Gervais, but I would also love to dissect the success of someone like Kendrick Lamar or Kanye West. What little things do they do which have made them who they are today and what is ‘fulfilment’ to those guys?

Stevie Ward was talking to Gorkana’s Louise Pantani