A message from the Mayor to the Chancellor..

As part of the Budget announcement today, the Government made a promise that public sector procurement from small firms would rise fivefold.  As a small business owner I’m not going to hold my breath before diving in to swim with the big fish.  We’re a 10 person PR agency that would like nothing better than to help promote the important programmes and projects that are kicked off each year, and have the track-record to compete against the bigger players.  But access to the tax-funded pounds remains a difficult struggle based on our size.  There are three areas that make the Government’s promise more hot air than warm revenue.  Firstly, access to information about tenders often comes at a price.  Online services that conveniently collate relevant opportunities require paid-for-subscriptions, an expense prohibitive to small businesses.  Secondly, the time it takes to complete a full scale tender could engage half a small company’s workforce to research, draft and illustrate, especially with the often short deadlines.  And finally, the big fish suppliers in the public sector are able to keep costs so low that they can almost ensure a monopoly.  As a reasonably priced agency that has bid for work through formal tendering, we’ve been told our fees can be double the price of other bids that come from larger suppliers.  Big fish able to use economies of scale on other clients to win high profile work.  It’s a big pond of opportunity perhaps?  But while the processes favour the larger sharks, it’s unlikely the little fish will get a bite.

By Lucy George

Seeking a connection

Many people now feel their phone is their lifeline. I am one of these people.  It’s the first thing I check in the morning and the last thing I look at before I go to sleep (sad I know).  Add to this the fact I work in PR, one of the most communicative industries out there, and you’ll begin to see that my phone is so much more than a phone; It’s my livelihood, my connection to colleagues, my clients and the world. I use my phone for nearly everything and it’s always with me. This means there is always a round-the-clock temptation to take mobile phone calls and consult emails, you could say I’m one of those ’24-hour culture’ people.

My close friends and family are used to my ‘condition’ and I’ve heard them mutter ‘it can’t be good for her, never switching off’, ‘does she ever relax’ and (my personal favourite) ‘she loves her phone more than us.’

I’m off to Nepal in a few days for an extended break to see my family. It’s been about five years since my last visit but the almost daily power cuts and unreliable wi-fi remains a vivid and horrific memory.

For the next couple of weeks, the simple task of charging my phone and connecting to the world will become a whole lot more complicated- the very thought of it brings me out in a cold sweat. This means that I’ve approached this holiday with a mix of excitement and trepidation and have spent many a night asking myself whether connectivity is a reasonable price to pay for a temperate climate.

Call it what you will- fate or coincidence, but shortly after booking my holiday late in 2012, we started working with BBOXX, a clean energy company which designs, manufactures and distributes solar-powered battery packs to off-grid communities. Eager to get to know my clients better (and for no personal gain whatsoever) I have decided to take a BBOXX to Nepal.

Once there, I plan to keep a journal to give you the user’s perspective on my BBOXX. My overriding concern right now is that I won’t be able to put the thing together- DIY or electrical goods have always been the bane of my life. Keep your fingers crossed, otherwise my journal will be very heavy on the text, light on the images and no fun for anyone.

By Pema Seely

London Fashion Week gets social

Last week, the eyes of the fashion world focused on London as the capital hosted Fashion Week. Fashion Week has always generated news, showcasing the garments that, no matter how ridiculous they look now, we’ll undoubtedly be sporting in six months time. The events themselves however have always presented something of an enigma to me; blurred impressions of undernourished women being ushered in and out of expensive venues. Just like the brands showcased, the events have always been exclusive.

This year however, London Fashion Week got social.

It wasn’t just the rubber skirts and dresses at Burberry Prorsum making the headlines. The all-British brand launched a number of new social media initiatives, confirming its long-held reputation as a trailblazer in the social space. 

From start to finish, the Burberry catwalk was one big assault on social, commencing with The“Burberry Beauty Booth". This promoted backstage interaction with models who were able to share catwalk-ready images in real-time by tweeting with the #BeautyBooth hashtag.

Once fans had seen the models pouting backstage, they then had the opportunity to watch the show itself, live-streamed within Burberry's Twitter feed for the first time. Additional access was provided through two Instagram accounts: @Burberry and the more detailed @Burberry_Live.

As if that wasn’t enough, hard-core Burberry obsessives could prolong the excitement yet further by tweeting with the hashtag #madefor the day after the show. This qualified them to receive an image of their own Burberry nameplate- a new personalisation option for Burberry products launched at LFW.

But this year, Burberry had a rival for the social crown. 

British retailer Topshop and Internet giant Google teamed up to create ‘The Future of the Fashion Show’, a series of interactive experiences designed to bring the show to life.

Fashion’s latest darling Cara Delevingne (bushy eyebrows, dated Harry Styles and falls out of houses at five in the morning. You know the one I mean), was one of three models commissioned to wear miniature HD video cameras to give fans the full 'model cam' experience. The specially adapted Topshop YouTube channel hosted the live-streamed coverage generated from these and from around the show.

After the show a 'Be The Buyer' app let users create mood boards out of individual pieces from the collection. International buyers and Topshop's in-house buying team also gave out video advice and industry tips to aspiring fashionistas.

Burberry and Topshop’s efforts to create and project content may seem slightly excessive when listed, but for once, I find myself congratulating the big brands.

The fashion industry, high-end fashion in particular, has a bad reputation for being bitchy and exclusive. Even if I had the time/ money/ press-pass to attend a LFW event, the prospect of sitting in the same room as Anna Wintour would be enough to drive me from the city.

Burberry and Topshop’s social media efforts are helping to dissolve this impression in a way that benefits the whole industry. They democratise fashion; remembering brand fans that are not rich or famous and recognising their desire and right for inclusion.

Models, like the athletes at the 2012 Olympics are using social media to project their personalities. A fearsome strut and stony-faced pout are not the most endearing qualities, but once you’ve seen them messing around backstage maybe even… grabbing a slice of pizza (gasp), they seem a lot more human consequently elevating them from clothes horses to positive brand ambassadors.

By Polly Robinson

Lessons learnt from Mr Selfridge

Since the New Year, my Sunday evenings have been brightened by the arrival Mr Selfridge.  For the uninitiated, this is the latest offering from ITV, a heady mix of fashion, flirtation and drama, all set against the eye-achingly beautiful backdrop of the freshly opened Selfridge’s store. The programme fills the hole left by Downton Abby but, with its partial focus on Selfridge’s battle to drive people to his store, it is also teaching me something.

Harry Selfridge is a PR and marketing mastermind and every week his activities highlight fundamental rules of our profession to be forgotten at our peril.

1. Get to know the press- Selfridge understands the power of the press to influence the public’s reception of his new store. One of the first things he does upon arrival in London is befriend the editor of the London Evening Standard. Unfortunately for us in 21^st century PR world, things are not so simple (taking Sarah Sands out for an evening of show tunes and light gambling seem somewhat improbable), but basic theory is the same. Be good to the press; take the time to get to know what client-relevant journalists want because they have the last say in what gets published.

2. Be a news hound- Today’s news is tomorrow’s fish paper so if you’re going to contribute to a current conversation, you have to do it fast. When Mr Selfridge hears news of Louis Bleriot’s inaugural cross-channel flight, he is quick to connect the Selfridges brand with the discussion. Upon the plane’s arrival and in front of the congregated media, Selfridge commandeers the plane for exhibition in store and by the next day has a full range of red, white and blue scarves made up for sale alongside it. Selfridge’s speed and decisiveness is key to his success here. His approach is similar to modern guerilla advertising campaigns (see below example), which succeed due to their quick-witted connection of brand and news.

 3. Choose a brand ambassador- Selfridge wants his store to be viewed as cutting edge, daring and sexy. In order to project this to the public he appoints beautiful and independent showgirl, Ellen Love, to be the ‘Spirit of Selfridges’.  The Selfridges, Ellen, agreement works in exactly the same way as modern celebrity endorsement; Heston Blumenthal and Waitrose for example. By associating a brand with an aspirational figure, which its target market wishes to emulate, the brand becomes more appealing.

4. … But take care in doing so- Although publicly an object of admiration, Ellen is privately a bit of a train-wreck, (with her alcoholism and drug addiction looking to become an increasing embarrassment for Selfridge in the coming weeks). The predicament is a familiar one: When an ambassador no longer represents brand values, the association turns from beneficial to blighting. Modern examples include Kate Moss, who was dropped by Burberry, Rimmel and Chanel following the exposure of her drug taking, and Lance Armstrong, ditched by Nike, Anheuser-Busch and Giro due to his use of performance enhancing drugs. The lesson is clear: Ambassadors can bring negative as well as positive press so take care when choosing them.  

5. Put on a show- Mr Selfridge understands the power of an event to make news and grasps any opportunity to generate exciting activity in-store.  When Anna Pavlova, arrives in London, people are desperate to see her and experience the glamour and grace she represents. Selfridge’s answer is to host a reception for Pavolva, where members of the public may come in-store and do just this. The stunt woks well as a PR campaign because the underlying message; that ‘every woman should have a Pavlova moment’, applies equally well to the event and the store famed for bringing high-end fashion to the masses.   

By Polly Robinson

Are social networks losing their appeal?

For many, a day isn’t a day without a status update or a new hair cut truly appreciated without an uploaded photo. Facebook is almost universal and the majority of people only know one or two people who don’t have an account.

So the news that Facebook lost 600,000 users in Britain certainly came as a shock – to Facebook at least.

I personally have found my interest in the social network waning. I have come to wonder whether those friends I have on Facebook really are genuine friends. I certainly don’t have them all in my phone book and as for paying a fee to promote a specific post to select friends- I think not.

This month Facebook has added a new search engine to its facilities and enabled calls to be made at the touch of a button – all services that have been around before Facebook came on the scene.

It seems to me that since the social giant became public its appeal has suffered. Maybe fans of the site feel shafted. When Mark Zuckerberg launched his venture it was a simple, no adverts website where people could stay in touch with friends and family. Now, it’s trying to be something it’s not – the Tesco of the social media world - trying to offer everything in one place.

Instagram, the Facebook-owned photo sharing app, has also suffered some fall-out from its users. Panic spread after the app that has 90 million users revised its privacy policy, stating it would be selling users photos to advertisers. Following an unprecedented backlash – a 25% decrease in one week among users - it decided to remove this amendment to its policy.  

Have social websites started to lose their appeal? Or have users become wise to the lack of privacy provided by some of these sites? It’s clear that a business needs to keep up with demands from customers, especially in a fast moving environment where there’s no time for the weak. Either way, Facebook looks to be fighting a losing battle.

By Stephanie Rock

New year, new start?

So with January come the dreaded New Year’s resolutions. Up and down the country most people have set themselves something…start a diet, get fitter, stop smoking, drink less… the list goes on. I’ve never been a big fan of New Year’s resolutions. Why all of a sudden, just because it’s January, should I give up my chocolaty treats, join a gym and cut down my drinking? In my opinion it’s the worst month. You end up associating January not only with biting cold, but with post-Christmas guilt and previous years’ failures. I would just be setting myself up to fail.

Instead I urge people to make goals for throughout the year, things that will enhance your life rather than depriving yourself in the most miserable month. In March 2012 I started playing netball, and guess what, nearly a year later I’m part of a regular weekly team. In August, I joined the gym as I wanted to become a better player and now I love my workouts. It’s important to choose things that you want to do rather than the things you think you should do.

My friend is quitting smoking when she turns 25 because that’s when she wants to stop. She’s not jumping on some New Year’s resolution bandwagon; she’s waiting till her birthday. Waiting just four short months will make her, (in my opinion) much more likely to succeed.

January isn’t the only month where we should look to improve ourselves and our lives. Don’t be peer-pressured into New Year’s resolutions, wait till you’re ready. You wouldn’t leave your job just because everyone else did, so why would you make resolutions just because everyone else does. Every day, week, month, year brings an opportunity to make a better you.

By Pema Seely

London Underground:150 and still going strong... well almost

Isn’t it funny, that something we moan about on an almost daily basis can suddenly become a cause for celebration?

This week the London underground turned 150, and in an instant we forget all those mornings crammed under a stranger’s armpit, all those evenings squished against wet umbrellas and late nights inhaling someone else’s McDonlad’s. This week, it seems that even us Londoners have ditched our usual cynicism (and reliable topic of morning conversation), to join in nostalgic affection for this British institution.

And why not? After all, since its opening, the London Underground has played a part, not only in our day-to-day lives, but in historic events that have rocked the capital to its core. This week the underground is cause for celebration, but in the past it has provided shelter, spawned love affairs and been the target of one of the most devastating terrorist attacks in recent history.

PR for the London Underground can’t be the easiest of jobs. Maintaining the reputation of a service subject to the whims of out-dated engineering, the British weather and its own temperamental workforce must feel like a thankless task at times. Nevertheless, the British and wider public’s celebration of the London Underground this week, stands as a testament to the success of a relentlessly creative campaign.  

Initiatives such as ‘Art on the Underground’, which continues to involve numerous revered contemporary artists in creating temporary and permanent installations on the network, brightens an otherwise dreary commute. Similarly, the TFL supported ‘Poetry on the Underground’ programme, which displays poems in 3,000 advertising spaces across the underground, provides a welcome break from adverts for match.com and conference call services.

Schemes such as these have elevated the London Underground in the public eye, from a sterile transport system to a symbol of the city’s art and culture. Out of the ten images chosen by The Royal Mail for its commemorative stamps, the majority are reproductions of the posters and artworks that have graced the walls of the network. Now as a PR I may be biased. But if it’s these images (rather than a sweaty armpit or rain outside Walthamstow) that represent our enduring impression of the London Underground, it has to be handed to TFL PR- they’ve done a good job.

By Polly Robinson