Part of the module for new media focused on delivering a viral campaign. I picked a concept idea from the PR agency i freelance at (Splendid Communications) and gave it an Innocent makeover. I made a short 30 second video to support the campaign, The idea focused on the idea that "you have all you need".
Stats from Aviva 2011 declared that 26% of 18-25 year olds consumer 2 or more of the recommended 5 a day, saying they don't have time, money or tools. 78% of the same respondents say they feel they haven't achieved their ambition because of the same restraints. Using Innocent, I paralleled this "you have all you need" concept to their INNOCENT and simple belief. The idea being an innocent smoothie provides your 5 a day without breaking the bank and is served in a fraction of the time. A social extension to the campaign focused on the product, "You have all the ingredients you need".
Here is the video.. Hope you like it!
Tuesday, 10 April 2012
But is it right?
Is There Such a Thing as Public Relations Ethics?
Current research supports a historical trend of associating public relations with all things unethical – lying and spin-doctoring. Many critics argue that there can be no ethical public relations because the practice itself is promotes manipulation and propaganda. An unfortunate belief among many journalists and policy makers, is the belief that the term ‘public relations’ is just 'smoke and mirrors' to hide deception.
Certain groups criticise the public relations industry for a lack of ethics, counting the influence of public relations and lobbying as one of the primary threats to 'truthful journalism'. The industry professionals and fathers of PR haven't really helped disparage these rumours, with Hill & Knowlton notoriously saying
Is ethical public relations even possible? Are public relations professionals really the ‘invisible professionals’ who influence. Apparent in every posting on this blog lies a continuity - transparency. Social media is the greatest asset and biggest woe to the pr practitioner. It can make a campaign, individual or brand in seconds and yet ruin it in the same moment.
Social media has become the new guardian of responsible communication, it holds value to every brand, consumer, politician and belief seeking a voice. This tool doesn't criticise individual ethics or belief, but in order to maximise its potential, it commands honesty.
Current research supports a historical trend of associating public relations with all things unethical – lying and spin-doctoring. Many critics argue that there can be no ethical public relations because the practice itself is promotes manipulation and propaganda. An unfortunate belief among many journalists and policy makers, is the belief that the term ‘public relations’ is just 'smoke and mirrors' to hide deception.
Certain groups criticise the public relations industry for a lack of ethics, counting the influence of public relations and lobbying as one of the primary threats to 'truthful journalism'. The industry professionals and fathers of PR haven't really helped disparage these rumours, with Hill & Knowlton notoriously saying
“We’d represent Satan if he paid” (http://backissues.cjrarchives.org/year/92/5/pr.asp).
Is ethical public relations even possible? Are public relations professionals really the ‘invisible professionals’ who influence. Apparent in every posting on this blog lies a continuity - transparency. Social media is the greatest asset and biggest woe to the pr practitioner. It can make a campaign, individual or brand in seconds and yet ruin it in the same moment.
Social media has become the new guardian of responsible communication, it holds value to every brand, consumer, politician and belief seeking a voice. This tool doesn't criticise individual ethics or belief, but in order to maximise its potential, it commands honesty.
An MA in PR? Don't be stupid
It's simple, a degree is not important in this media landscape! To enter above a junior level in this industry you need experience, a good attitude and a great network of contacts. No matter how hard you study on your degree, it will go unnoticed. Does this make it a complete waste of time?
The cost of university fees has escalated dramatically in the last year. Is it financially worth it? Students are in debt before they even put a foot on the career ladder, what have they gained from an education that an internship can't provide? Research published in PR WEEK 2011 suggests that employers aren't impressed by a PR degree. There is no question that PR is a recent addition to the academic agenda, and those employing didn't have the option to study when they were starting their careers. As graduating students begin to scatter over the PR landscape and rise up the career ladder, The PR Week survey could see a shift in behaviours regarding this attitude. Maybe (and if the profession becomes licensed) it will become a necessity. What is clear is from the MA programme at Westminster, is that the profession isn't just about being a good wordsmith, but about having a range of key skills. It's not just about persuasion or placement anymore, the practitioner needs to develop their 'dexterity' to be able to engage with their audience on a multitude of platforms.
Now looking at my own degree programme, I must confess I find the grading criteria subjective. What was considered an Oscar worthy piece of viral campaigning from a colleague wouldn't rank highly in the real world at all. Their beliefs of what would make a good viral video borders on silly, and the grade was (yes, I'll say it) unfounded. With such a subjective assessment on assignments, does it void PR academia? Now some would say I was suffering from sour grapes, but here is my point. This is exactly what it is like in the real world, opinions clash all the time, not everyone is going to like or agree with your idea no matter how brilliant it may be. It's not just about educating yourself in the profession, it's about harnessing your beliefs and learning how to co-exist in a work environment.
What education provides is a confidence that allows you to see insight into your work ethic, whether it be: your potential, your ability to stand out from the crowd, your creativity, your social skills or your ability to work under pressure. It allows you to know your limits, and there is a quiet confidence in this. With knowledge comes confidence, with confidence comes determination, and determination usually walks hand in hand with success. Knowing exactly who you are and what you can offer a company is key. Afterall, if you can't promote yourself in the interview process, how on earth are you going to promote a client?
Yes, you are at your most creative in this space. If you fail to shine creatively at university, then that's a pretty good indication of where you will stand in the industry.
The cost of university fees has escalated dramatically in the last year. Is it financially worth it? Students are in debt before they even put a foot on the career ladder, what have they gained from an education that an internship can't provide? Research published in PR WEEK 2011 suggests that employers aren't impressed by a PR degree. There is no question that PR is a recent addition to the academic agenda, and those employing didn't have the option to study when they were starting their careers. As graduating students begin to scatter over the PR landscape and rise up the career ladder, The PR Week survey could see a shift in behaviours regarding this attitude. Maybe (and if the profession becomes licensed) it will become a necessity. What is clear is from the MA programme at Westminster, is that the profession isn't just about being a good wordsmith, but about having a range of key skills. It's not just about persuasion or placement anymore, the practitioner needs to develop their 'dexterity' to be able to engage with their audience on a multitude of platforms.
Now looking at my own degree programme, I must confess I find the grading criteria subjective. What was considered an Oscar worthy piece of viral campaigning from a colleague wouldn't rank highly in the real world at all. Their beliefs of what would make a good viral video borders on silly, and the grade was (yes, I'll say it) unfounded. With such a subjective assessment on assignments, does it void PR academia? Now some would say I was suffering from sour grapes, but here is my point. This is exactly what it is like in the real world, opinions clash all the time, not everyone is going to like or agree with your idea no matter how brilliant it may be. It's not just about educating yourself in the profession, it's about harnessing your beliefs and learning how to co-exist in a work environment.
What education provides is a confidence that allows you to see insight into your work ethic, whether it be: your potential, your ability to stand out from the crowd, your creativity, your social skills or your ability to work under pressure. It allows you to know your limits, and there is a quiet confidence in this. With knowledge comes confidence, with confidence comes determination, and determination usually walks hand in hand with success. Knowing exactly who you are and what you can offer a company is key. Afterall, if you can't promote yourself in the interview process, how on earth are you going to promote a client?
Yes, you are at your most creative in this space. If you fail to shine creatively at university, then that's a pretty good indication of where you will stand in the industry.
Politically Speaking
Political communications is the target and influence on supporters and voters. It can often become blurred when diluted with government communication which ultimately leads to spin.
Political comms involves a multitude of sectors including: lobbying, political marketing, media relations, and of course campaigning.
A professional within the sector has one fundamental intention.. to promote the interests of the party and secure votes (and if necessary attack the opposition). There are many tools available to any campaigner promoting a message, but one less desirable yet deadly, is spin.
George Gallop, Reporter from WA Times Today says
Read more: http://www.watoday.com.au/opinion/politics/what-is-spin-20120402-1w8g2.html#ixzz1rdtF9zqb
In an age where transparency dominates all agendas, spin is almost impossible. A new tool available to the professional in the political comms sector, and on the same platform, is on the social network - Twitter.
Twitter actively identifies and engages with key audiences without having to travel miles and miles on a campaign trail. It is immediate, cost effective and can influence the most important person for a campaign - the floating voter. Maximising this outlet can really harness a campaign and encourage two-way communication between politicians and the public. Engaging communities through social media promotes transparency and benefits both parties.
Political comms involves a multitude of sectors including: lobbying, political marketing, media relations, and of course campaigning.
A professional within the sector has one fundamental intention.. to promote the interests of the party and secure votes (and if necessary attack the opposition). There are many tools available to any campaigner promoting a message, but one less desirable yet deadly, is spin.
George Gallop, Reporter from WA Times Today says
spin is a particular form of political communication that is undesirable but seemingly entrenched in our adversarial and media-drenched system. However it's not the only option and as a means to gain and sustain power it is risky because amongst the factors that influence electors are judgements about character and credibility.
Read more: http://www.watoday.com.au/opinion/politics/what-is-spin-20120402-1w8g2.html#ixzz1rdtF9zqb
In an age where transparency dominates all agendas, spin is almost impossible. A new tool available to the professional in the political comms sector, and on the same platform, is on the social network - Twitter.
Twitter actively identifies and engages with key audiences without having to travel miles and miles on a campaign trail. It is immediate, cost effective and can influence the most important person for a campaign - the floating voter. Maximising this outlet can really harness a campaign and encourage two-way communication between politicians and the public. Engaging communities through social media promotes transparency and benefits both parties.
Corporate Social Responsibility & Social Media
With the advent of social media, brands have had to gain the consumers trust again. The floodgate of transparency drowning any hidden agenda a brand, organisation or politician might be nurturing has led to a shift in power.
This shift in power from brand to consumer means that social media has made CSR more prominent!
Facebook now boasts in excess of 800m users worldwide, Twitter has more than 200m users, LinkedIn has 64m (and growing), and 23% of all time spent online is on social networks. Brands are beginning to communicate their social responsibility initiatives more openly utilising these platforms.
If you want a demonstration of the power of social media to bring people together around real-world causes you only have to look back at the summer riots. According to Natalie Cowan from First Direct:
Social Media has provided a great opportunity for companies, brands and all of the above to re-align their beliefs and start again. It has led us the age of accountability and can no longer go ignored.
Social Media Stats
This shift in power from brand to consumer means that social media has made CSR more prominent!
Facebook now boasts in excess of 800m users worldwide, Twitter has more than 200m users, LinkedIn has 64m (and growing), and 23% of all time spent online is on social networks. Brands are beginning to communicate their social responsibility initiatives more openly utilising these platforms.
If you want a demonstration of the power of social media to bring people together around real-world causes you only have to look back at the summer riots. According to Natalie Cowan from First Direct:
A disaffected youth came together through BBM to riot, but then residential communities across the country worked together to rebuild their communities - all organised and enabled through social media.
The latter was lauded as the ‘Big Society’ in action but as our CEO said in a Guardian piece last week, the ‘Big Society’ isn’t a new concept - it’s just a new phrase to describe good social leadership, and highlight what’s often already there."
Natalie Cowan, Head of Brand and Communications at first direct
Social Media has provided a great opportunity for companies, brands and all of the above to re-align their beliefs and start again. It has led us the age of accountability and can no longer go ignored.
Social Media Stats
Friday, 9 March 2012
PR POWER
As part of our MA degree, we were asked to make a 6 minute video with the title "PR may have a bad reputation, but society needs it". It was paramount that this wasn't to be a puff piece. We wanted to show the addiction and power of PR. The easiest way was to invent an addictive product that would parallel the dependency of PR.
"PR may have a bad reputation, but society needs it".
In 1917 Edward Bernays stumbled across a most rare and magical herb -- plantae iaceo, which literally means the lying plant - according to a street peddlar had the propensity to get the holder out of even the stickiest of situations using nothing more than rhetoric.
Upon his return to America, Bernays set to work, concocting a potent mixture of ale for confidence, pepper for dramatics and honey to soothe even the foulest of tempers. After weeks of deliberating, Bernays finally decided on a name - PR Power, not least because World War I was breaking out, and Bernay's knew how important it was to stay "on-message". In April 1917, it was finally ready. But how would Bernays sell it? How would he figure out who really deserved his magical drink?
Follow your hosts Sarah Walker & Alberto Pinosa as they take you on a journey into the vaults of PR Power, and understand the influence behind this rising social addiction.
"If you want transparency, drink water. If you want success, drink PR Power!"
Some Production shots to tickle your taste buds.
"PR may have a bad reputation, but society needs it".
In 1917 Edward Bernays stumbled across a most rare and magical herb -- plantae iaceo, which literally means the lying plant - according to a street peddlar had the propensity to get the holder out of even the stickiest of situations using nothing more than rhetoric.
Upon his return to America, Bernays set to work, concocting a potent mixture of ale for confidence, pepper for dramatics and honey to soothe even the foulest of tempers. After weeks of deliberating, Bernays finally decided on a name - PR Power, not least because World War I was breaking out, and Bernay's knew how important it was to stay "on-message". In April 1917, it was finally ready. But how would Bernays sell it? How would he figure out who really deserved his magical drink?
Follow your hosts Sarah Walker & Alberto Pinosa as they take you on a journey into the vaults of PR Power, and understand the influence behind this rising social addiction.
"If you want transparency, drink water. If you want success, drink PR Power!"
Some Production shots to tickle your taste buds.
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
It's so diverse!
This weeks lecture focused on diversity. The speaker was Mavis Amankwah who is the founder of Rich Visions Corporate and Rich Visions small business (2002 & 2009 respectively).
She was an engaging and confident speaker, yet I must admit that at the beginning of the lecture when she felt the need to divulge her financial assets over a 15 minute period, a red flag appeared. She spoke mostly about her and her personal achievements including her net worth whilst plugging her book. Certain exaggerations into the opening statement of financial presence seemed ungrounded (the website appeared to be from Vistaprint). Such wonderful statements included "The costs of getting it wrong can be really costly"... hmm.
It seemed as if the lecture was the prerequisite for standard business practice not a sub-division of industry. Personally I think any practitioner should know who their audience is and what ways to target their niche, they shouldn't need to outsource this insight.
I actually found myself quite annoyed at this lecture. My peers had the opposite reaction, leaving inspired, motivated and eyes bulging at the prospect of making millions. Coming from a background understanding the financial logistics of mid-sized companies, I think the information given might have been sugar coated and her 'pitch' slightly misguiding. With regards to the case studies, there were 3 very basic local community campaigns. The lecture would have been far more plausible if the focus was on content and not on finances.
Nevertheless, I cannot be critical of the great insight into community engagement and focusing on generation to head campaigns. Her knowledge of communities was really perceptive and one cannot dismiss her achievements. In the UK, we are just at conception of diverse communications and this is a really interesting and sensitive area in PR. What Mavis Amankwah has achieved is indeed pioneering and this should be respected. But with the advent of web 2.0 and 'universal' language trending, does it already have a shelf life? Are sensitivities lessening? Naturally, culture has its vulnerabilities and these should absolutely be treated delicately, but can this sector sustain itself with the quick pace of society? One thing Mavis did touch upon that stood out was the 3 barriers to diverse relations - Culture, religion and language. Without these 3 pillars, society would have a very bland and soulless existence.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Rich Visions
Mavis Amankwah
She noticed a gap in the market.
test research for 2 years.
3 barriers to reaching out to diverse culture - culture, religion and language
Here in the UK, we are still at conception.
Rich Visions corporate 2002.
Rich Visions small business 2009.
How to reach the unreachable?
The one size fits all is not the way forward
Cost of getting wrong can lead to disengagement.
Community engagement
Generation is very important and can lead very different campaigns
Focus groups are great for a sensitive message and for terms of translation
Focus groups are also an important qualitative tool for acquiring feedback
To convince, It's about the education.
Do's
Research your target audience
work towards dispelling any cultural myths of taboos
understand the demographics of the target audience you are trying to reach eg - generation
The one size fits all approach is not the way forward
Be aware of cultural sensitivities eg - eye contact
Engage more with your community leaders, opinion formers, faith leaders and specialist agencies
Familiarise yourself with niche media
when doing outreach think about the team
Don't
Hide your campaign success stories and testimonials
Use idioms and jargon
Stereotype
Just 'guess'
Always run campaigns during specific ethnic events
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
This is a terribly basic example of a diverse culture infographic, but it makes its point.
She was an engaging and confident speaker, yet I must admit that at the beginning of the lecture when she felt the need to divulge her financial assets over a 15 minute period, a red flag appeared. She spoke mostly about her and her personal achievements including her net worth whilst plugging her book. Certain exaggerations into the opening statement of financial presence seemed ungrounded (the website appeared to be from Vistaprint). Such wonderful statements included "The costs of getting it wrong can be really costly"... hmm.
It seemed as if the lecture was the prerequisite for standard business practice not a sub-division of industry. Personally I think any practitioner should know who their audience is and what ways to target their niche, they shouldn't need to outsource this insight.
I actually found myself quite annoyed at this lecture. My peers had the opposite reaction, leaving inspired, motivated and eyes bulging at the prospect of making millions. Coming from a background understanding the financial logistics of mid-sized companies, I think the information given might have been sugar coated and her 'pitch' slightly misguiding. With regards to the case studies, there were 3 very basic local community campaigns. The lecture would have been far more plausible if the focus was on content and not on finances.
Nevertheless, I cannot be critical of the great insight into community engagement and focusing on generation to head campaigns. Her knowledge of communities was really perceptive and one cannot dismiss her achievements. In the UK, we are just at conception of diverse communications and this is a really interesting and sensitive area in PR. What Mavis Amankwah has achieved is indeed pioneering and this should be respected. But with the advent of web 2.0 and 'universal' language trending, does it already have a shelf life? Are sensitivities lessening? Naturally, culture has its vulnerabilities and these should absolutely be treated delicately, but can this sector sustain itself with the quick pace of society? One thing Mavis did touch upon that stood out was the 3 barriers to diverse relations - Culture, religion and language. Without these 3 pillars, society would have a very bland and soulless existence.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Rich Visions
Mavis Amankwah
She noticed a gap in the market.
test research for 2 years.
3 barriers to reaching out to diverse culture - culture, religion and language
Here in the UK, we are still at conception.
Rich Visions corporate 2002.
Rich Visions small business 2009.
How to reach the unreachable?
The one size fits all is not the way forward
Cost of getting wrong can lead to disengagement.
Community engagement
Generation is very important and can lead very different campaigns
Focus groups are great for a sensitive message and for terms of translation
Focus groups are also an important qualitative tool for acquiring feedback
To convince, It's about the education.
Do's
Research your target audience
work towards dispelling any cultural myths of taboos
understand the demographics of the target audience you are trying to reach eg - generation
The one size fits all approach is not the way forward
Be aware of cultural sensitivities eg - eye contact
Engage more with your community leaders, opinion formers, faith leaders and specialist agencies
Familiarise yourself with niche media
when doing outreach think about the team
Don't
Hide your campaign success stories and testimonials
Use idioms and jargon
Stereotype
Just 'guess'
Always run campaigns during specific ethnic events
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
This is a terribly basic example of a diverse culture infographic, but it makes its point.
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