Luke scores a hat-trick!

Following our RoSPA contract renewal there were even more celebrations at 72 Francis Road as our PR division won a hat-trick of accounts with 3M, one of the world’s most innovative and enterprising companies.

We’ve handled media relations for 3M’s Construction Division since November 2008 and have a strong relationship stretching back some 25 years with 3M and, after a highly competitive pitch, we’ll now also represent the company’s Automotive Aftermarket, Industrial Tapes & Adhesives, and Abrasive Systems divisions.

John Klee, Corporate Communications Manager at 3M, commented: “The Wyatt team have met the high standards we set for our Construction business and we are now looking forward to working with them on the three new accounts.”

These three wins represent the strength of the relationship we’ve developed with 3M. To now be representing four of 3M’s divisions is a massive achievement for us and we’re relishing the opportunity to continue to deliver effective communications for leading blue chip companies.

As for Account Director Luke Bull, who handles all the accounts - he was just glad when the photoshoot was over! Never mind Luke, at least the pictures didn’t end up on the internet…

A decade of service for RoSPA

Client retention is something we’re especially proud of at Wyatt. Many of our clients stay with us for five, ten and even twenty-plus years with our relationships continuing to flourish.

So we’re very proud to announce that yet another of our long-standing client partnerships, with The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), will soon move into a decade of continuous service. We’ve been reappointed on a two-year contract to continue to handle the design and production of three of its membership journals - The RoSPA Occupational Safety & Health Journal (OS&H), The RoSPA OS&H Bulletin and Safety express. All three journals are distributed to RoSPA members working across industry, commerce, the public sector, healthcare and government.

For nine years now, our own Dave Jones has overseen the design, production and print management of the in-depth monthly and bi-monthly journals in his role as project manager.

Dave has really enjoyed working on the RoSPA journals for over 12 years now, originally being based at RoSPA and then being part of the move over to the Wyatt creative operation nine years ago.

We’ve developed specialist knowledge over many years of working with RoSPA and have an excellent working relationship with the team. The RoSPA journals are vital in raising awareness of important and topical issues and we’re thrilled to have been entrusted with their delivery once again.

RoSPA is a registered charity, established over 90 years ago. It works to save lives and reduce injuries in the workplace, in the home, on the roads, and at leisure.

Social media – the issue of control

Pootling around the BBC News website, I happened upon the interesting ‘Twitter and Facebook aid small firms’ which sparked a desire to blog. Not because of the main theme – who hasn’t heard of the baker who tweets when the bread’s fresh? – but because of the ‘expert’ opinion on the issue of control.

Online, the draconian moderation of blog, photo and video comments amounts to professional suicide. Simply put, if a disgruntled customer takes umbrage with your service online and you delete their comment, you validate it. The disgruntled customer remains un-placated and other visitors to your blog, twitter or profile will wonder where it went. “Could it have been deleted because it was true and Company X wants to sweep it under the carpet?” they’ll think.

The full quote from Professor Sundararajan could be dangerously misleading. "You are losing control of your message by inviting customers in to a dialogue and that could be problematic if they criticise you." Is he implying that criticisms must therefore be quickly quashed by removal? Some might make that inference. If they do, they’re doomed.

'Janet' responds to wall feedback on a Dell special offer - and will no doubt soon act to mollify Ms Corradin

Dell's Facebook page also allows new 'discussion' topics to be posted - whatever the subject

Many thought Dell was doomed when their Twitter feed was bombarded with complaints of non-delivery, missing parts, poor customer service. It would have been tempting to shut the feed down in an attempt to save face, but anyone can see that would have achieved the reverse. Instead of controlling the situation through censorship, they managed the situation through mediation.

Each customer was responded to personally; still today, Twitter and the sister Facebook company page are sounding boards for those unhappy with Dell’s service; but they’re responded to either individually or as a group where there is a common concern. Balanced with special offers, competitions, news and stunts, the page is not overrun with complaints – but they’re still visible. What’s even more important is that the measured, helpful and personal responses are also visible. Even with the negative posts, social media is enhancing Dell’s reputation – without the need for airbrushing and dictatorship.

Comments from followers are the lifeblood of social media. It shows your followers are truly engaged with your content and are sharing that content further afield. That they’re really listening, rather than just following.

Disallowing or censoring comments is seen as dishonest and deceitful in a social media landscape that strips companies bare, revealing their personalities and ‘true colours’. Losing a small amount of control over content could prove to be the most beneficial thing to your online reputation – you could even overtake Dell as the poster child for free speech on Facebook.

WIIFM?

(What’s in it for me?)

It’s a phrase we hear more and more often in today’s society. Kids expect payment in sweets for emptying the dishwasher and the likes of Orange (RockCorps) and Disney (Give a Day. Get a Disney Day) even have to bribe people into volunteering.

Popular theory points the finger of blame at digital TV and the interwebz. We’ve less free time than ever, but a greater choice of ‘stuff’ to fill it with. If it doesn’t make an instant impact, we’re off.

But why am I telling you this? Indeed, what’s in it for you?

Social media, as discussed in our earlier pub analogy, is about joining conversations and speaking to people on their terms, in their language. It’s also about (and I loathe to use this phrase) ‘adding value’. But I do mean adding genuine value, value appropriate to the situation. To do this you have to put yourself in the place of your audiences and ask – what’s in it for them?

WIIFM isn’t corporate information style-guided to within an inch of its life. If someone genuinely wants to read page after page of your latest press releases, they’ll go to your website and look at your news section. Verbatim copying and pasting of releases, into a blog or other feed, is missing the point and (most likely) duplicating your website. What does that offer a visitor?

Think about when people use social media and what they’re hoping to get out of it. Most companies block Facebook, Twitter etc, so most employees only access these sites at home – in their own free time. What you do in your free time – do you watch funny YouTube clips you’ve been sent, strain your eyes playing Bejeweled Blitz and enter the odd competition?

Probably. You do those things because there’s something in it for you. They make you laugh, you enjoy doing them, you might get free stuff. There’s no hard-sell, no preaching, no pressure.

That’s how you engage people with your social media. Not every post has to be fluff, of course, and it’s perfectly OK to post more heavyweight items since they offer value to readers too. Balance it out. But by drawing potential customers in through offering them something of value for free (a proverbial carrot of clips, relevant articles or prizes and samples), or inviting them to interact with you (polls, competitions or surveys) then you open them up to the wider world of your business. Not just them but their friends – they share your funny clip with their mates; their mates now know who you are. They retweet your article; their followers are sent to your blog.

And we’re back in the Newt & Cucumber again – the couple you initially struck up a conversation with might have no need for your product, but since they like you so much they’ll introduce you to someone who does.

Measuring Social Media?

I was forwarded a very interesting article this week by Gill. In it, Liana Evans of Search Engine Watch discussed “What is your ‘R’ for ROI in Social Media?”

Evans brings up an interesting problem, one which we as a B2B specialist agency are undoubtedly going to face when forming social media strategies for our clients…

If not for sales, then why do it?

“…defining the "return" on a social media activity doesn't always have to be a direct sale. It's actually very rare…This is why it's a difficult to sell senior leadership on the idea that attempting to tie your direct return to a sale will prove that social media works…”

When trying to explain the value of social media, you can’t fall back on “because everyone else is doing it” – that’s the wrong reason to do anything, as many of you will remember from the delightful cliff and jump cliché many of our parents treated us to.

You can’t even try “because social media just isn’t going to go away”. No, it isn’t and businesses need to be aware of that – however it doesn’t mean you have to do everything, tackle every network, set up fifty profiles. Not every social medium is right for every business.

My personal go-to analogy is as follows. Imagine…

A young couple are enjoying a Staropramen (other premium lagers are available) and a dry white wine in their local. Unannounced and uninvited, a salesman draws up a chair. They tolerate him for the first few seconds as he’s told them an amazing and slightly inappropriate joke, but after that he becomes tiresome. They’re not interested in any of his wares and, moreover, they’re in the pub. They’re trying to relax and are not looking, not buying. Cue a friendly yet firm "sod off, mate."

Social media is that local boozer, café or park bench. That young couple are your customers – you are that salesman. If that’s not how you’d behave in the real world (and it isn't, hopefully), why do it online?

Now picture the same young couple, same bar. You’re the salesman, and you’ve been listening to their conversation for a good few minutes. You know what they’re drinking, you know she prefers salted while he likes a dry roasted, you know what they do, where they holiday, what they drive. You have an idea of their aspirations and hobbies. Now you can go in with your killer joke, and strike up a friendly conversation instead of giving them the sales pitch. When mutual trust has been built up, and this may take a fair few sessions in the Newt and Cucumber, you might mention a product of yours – with no hard sell and no obligation on their part. Even if they don’t buy, you remain friends.

What have you gained – what’s your “return”? A friend, a receptive ear, a good reputation. Reputation. The cornerstone of PR which has somehow been lost online. You might have made a sale, you might not, but you’re engaging with your audiences.

Putting this into a social media scenario, your “friends” might forward your details to someone they know who does want your product. They might post your killer joke and funny clip to Facebook, ensuring more hits and aiding SEO. They’re helping get your name out there.

“…those can all be measured as a "return." …increase the number of subscribers to your blog, get people to your website to take a quiz of some sort… get people to participate in a contest that raises brand awareness. All of these can be measured…”

Work for us

After recently welcoming two new additions to our creative team, it’s time for us to expand our marketing division too!

We’re looking for a Client Communications Manager to cover everything from marketing, branding, events, digital and internal comms for a major international B2B client – one of our biggest. A working knowledge of French will give you an advantage.

If you’re embarking on a new career in marketing communications after graduating, we have an opportunity for you too. Our team is in need of a Client Communications Administrator, to support our account handlers on clients in a variety of sectors and pitch in on projects from advertising production to brand development.

More information on these posts, including how to apply, can be found on our website.

We’d love to hear from you – please get in touch and find out what’s it like working behind the orange front door…

Wyatt raises £870 for Acorns...

…but with your help we could still reach £1,000!

The conditions were perfect last Saturday night for the Acorns Midnight Walk– warm and clear with a slight and welcome breeze – as our eight intrepid volunteers traversed the city of Birmingham taking in well-known landmarks from the Jewellery Quarter to Victoria Square.

Gill set the pace to take an early lead but as everyone settled into their rhythms the pack was split with Nuala and Louise coming home in 1 hour 48 minutes and the chase group of Gill, Nicola, Emily, Lisa, Sarah and sister Michelle finishing in dead-on two hours to the dulcet tones of R Kelly’s “The World’s Greatest”. Prizes were awarded to the best dressed participants – sadly a late suggestion for a Wyatt ‘Spice Girls’ theme was vetoed although the ‘Wizard of Oz’ group were certainly worthy winners!

We were truly moved by the sight of so many women walking in memory of their own children – a sombre and timely reminder of just how sorely this charity is needed in the region and how much it means to those it has helped.

It’s never too late to lend some support to Acorns, who offer nursing care and support to children with life-limiting and life threatening conditions. Our secure JustGiving page is still open for donations and you can find out more about Acorns by visiting their website. Huge thanks to all those who have generously donated already.

Sore legs aside the general consensus was that we’d all happily do it again – roll on 2010!

The Lost Art of Conversation

A lot of PR agencies sell themselves on their proactivity, editor contacts and the fact that they do not just simply undertake the ‘blanket’ issue of press releases. But as times goes on, my own dealings with journalists – mainly trade press editors and freelance writers – are forcing me to question how many agencies are actually true to their word - says Luke Bull, PR Account Director.

When I first started in PR 15 years ago, we didn’t have e-mail. The only way to contact an editor was to write them a letter (a bit formal, even then, if you just wanted a chat about the magazine and what they were seeking for a particular feature) or pick up the phone.

And so I did pick up the phone, and it actually started to work. Because I could communicate to editors – far more effectively – why my client was the best person to speak to on a particular issue and why they should take a day out of their hard-pressed schedules to come and visit my client and see for themselves how wonderful they were.

A visit invariably results in a major feature article written by the journalist (no work for me, and a delighted client), a major feature article that I have to write (a bit more work for me, but then I came into PR because I like writing and the result’s the same as far as the client is concerned) and usually the prospect of more opportunities down the line. One meeting I arranged earlier this year resulted in requests for four separate feature articles from a busy editor who wasn’t allowed freelance support but still had a sizeable publication to fill each month. Need I say more?

Put simply, one face-to-face meeting with a journalist does more than a thousand e-mails ever could. And if you throw in lunch, you’ve made a friend for life.

Of course, if I’m dealing with several clients with an interest in that publication, they get the benefit too. Because from what many journalists tell me, I’m among a minority of PR people who make the effort to speak to them direct rather than just stuffing their inbox with stories which might or might not be relevant. Amazing, really, given that we’re supposed to be professional communicators.

The results

Nowadays, the phone rarely leaves my ear. I spend up to a day a week on the phone to journalists trying to drum up opportunities, and it’s without doubt the most effective time I spend. They don’t all come off, but I’ve still never been tempted to hide behind e-mail just because one editor tells me that a particular feature isn’t covering an issue my client can comment on. Ultimately, it’s a selling job, and if one editor isn’t interested in something then it’s just a case of moving on to the next one who might be.

Even now I pick up the phone to journalists who I met perhaps once more than a decade ago and they still remember me – usually for the right reasons. And as a result they are far more receptive to whatever it is I’m trying to get them to buy into this time.

But I question how many of them would do so if I’d never taken the time to call them or meet them in the first place.

We're heroes for Villa

After our recent appointment by Aston Villa FC to transform and redevelop its junior members club JV-Life, our redesigned club mascots have made their home debut against Fulham – plus one new addition!

Aston Villa felt it was time to revamp their junior membership programme with the aim of appealing to a broader audience across the city of Birmingham. So, we developed a concept around the positioning ‘Where Heroes Are Made’, which encapsulates the idea that in this club children can become something special and achieve great things. From beating mates in an online game to charting football skills development, JV-Life is a fun and inclusive place where normal kids turn into heroes.

To bring this idea to life, we redesigned long term club mascots Hercules and Bella to ensure they embodied the new superhero personality of ‘JV-Life’ with their own unique superpowers and a new third mascot character, cheeky scamp Chip, was introduced.

Ravinder Masih from Aston Villa FC, pictured above with Wyatt's Mario Morby and the Mascots, said: “We’re extremely pleased with the new positioning of JV-Life and the terrific transformation of Hercules and Bella as well as the new surprise addition of Chip. The Mascots made a triumphant return to Villa Park at the recent home game against Fulham and were well received by all fans.”

To complete the redesign, we oversaw the development of various communications initiatives from the brand logo to animated character footage, and also redesigned the Trinity Road Family Area with giant murals of the new characters.

Limber up for creative brainstorming

Snap! Crackle! Pop!

We all want great ideas to fizz into our minds on cue. But let's face it: you're not always going to be blessed with mental effervescence. The next creative epiphany may not come bubbling into your head just when you feel you need it most.

Whether it's Monday morning, Wednesday afternoon, or Friday lunchtime - there's no good or bad time to gather round with your colleagues and blitz your brains for the next big idea. The important thing is to be ready, to be mentally open.

There are few things more irksome than having a bout of creative lethargy during a brainstorm. I say a few things - there are probably millions. It’s still irritating, nevertheless. So, the question is: how do you make sure you’re ready to fire off a string of technicolour gems quicker than your colleague can scribble them down on the flip chart?

Brain lunges!

Simples.

Your brain is like an athlete – it needs regular exercise to stay in peak condition. Therefore, to continue the analogy, before your brain engages on a record-breaking sprint for ideas, it needs to limber up. Otherwise, you may find yourself slow from the blocks, off the pace and, dare I say it, pulling a metaphorical muscle.

As all good boy scouts say – be prepared. Making careful preparation is akin to putting your brain through a trial run. Have a good look into your subject at least the day before. Then, while you sleep, your brain will try to solve all those problems you were unable to during your waking hours. The following morning, your brain will have come up with some of the answers – often without you even realising it. That’s the reason why you get some of your best ideas while you’re in the shower or eating toast. (Or is that just me? Crumbs!)

picture - bobpitch.com

If you ever watch an athletics tournament on the telly – or any sporting event for that matter – you’ll see the athletes stretching and twisting, touching their toes and wiggling their arms around. That’s exactly what your brain needs to do. Have a mental stretch. Get rid of all those psychological aches and pains. What I like to do – and you may or may not wish to follow my lead on this – is read the paper.

Not much help, you might think. Actually, you don’t want the news. Or the sport. Or the personal ads. At the back of the Metro and in the middle pages of some of the papers, you’ll find all the cartoons and puzzles. Rather than indulging in some navel-gazing, reading your horoscopes – have a look across the page and see if you can find the brain teasers. Dingbats is a great starter but simple quizzes and riddles can get your brain thinking off on a tangent and, crucially, away from work for five minutes before the real competition begins.

picture - sciencebuddies.org
Take five minutes before your brainstorm to do some brain lunges and you might be surprised at how quick off the mark you are.

Combining your trial runs with some brain lunges will work. You might not turn into Usain Bolt overnight but you may start to win a few races and perhaps a few gold stars along the way.

We're walking for Acorns!

At midnight on Saturday 19th September, as you climb into bed, spare a thought for six of our ladies. For, as your night is ending, theirs will be just beginning as they embark upon the 10km Acorns Midnight Walk.

Pounding the pavements of Birmingham are Louise, Nicola, Gill, Lisa, Sarah and Nuala in support of Midlands-based children’s charity Acorns – Wyatt’s chosen charity.

The ladies-only Midnight Walk begins with an 11.30pm warm-up at Millennium Point and the course will take in Brum’s most famous city centre landmarks including the Bullring and Brindleyplace before returning to the start/finish line within (hopefully!) around two hours.

Nuala (left) and Louise show off their official Midnight Walk t-shirts

In their own words…Acorns Children's Hospice has been offering nursing care and support to children who have life limiting and life threatening conditions, and their families, living in the West Midlands for 21 years. Acorns offers specialist nursing care, psychosocial support, complementary therapies, end-of-life care and bereavement support, at its three children’s hospices located in Selly Oak, Walsall and Worcester, and through its Community Team.

Our training so far has consisted of…well, not a great deal, but it’s the fundraising that counts! Each walker has their own individual sponsor form, but we’ve also created a secure JustGiving page which we hope you’ll take a look at and consider sponsoring our girls. Or for more information on the walk and the charity, visit the official Acorns Midnight Walk website.

It costs £7million each year to keep the Acorns hospices operating. The charity is hoping the walk will raise £30,000 in sponsorship so please support us and this local and very worthy cause if you can.

Full report plus pictures coming on Monday 21st!

Two new recruits!

We’re pleased to announce that, over the summer, we’ve been able to expand our creative operations by appointing two new recruits!

Sarah Poole (left) and Emily Shaw

Emily Shaw is our new Junior Art Director who graduated from Birmingham Institute of Art and Design. While there, she received a commendation from the prestigious D&AD student awards for her integrated advertising campaign. Emily then spent four years as creative at Golley Slater where her role involved directing and contributing to the design and development of brands such as Heart FM, Marston’s Inn and Taverns, the Army and Sandwell Council which was awarded a Gold PRide Award.

Creative Artworker, Sarah Poole joins us from McCann Erickson, and brings with her over eight years experience working on creative executions for a wide range of household names, including Alliance & Leicester, Harley Davidson and the Open University. Having graduated from Solihull College in 2001 with a HND in Graphic Design, Sarah was keen to take on a new challenge.

Emily has already been tasked with refreshing the Wyatt brand image which we’ll be launching in the not-too-distant future.

We’re delighted to have two such strong additions to the creative team, and Sarah and Emily will no doubt continue the Wyatt tradition of providing clients with innovative, creative and successful communication campaigns.

In the meantime, both ladies are in training for the sponsored Acorns Midnight Walk on Saturday 19th September along with five colleagues from PR, marketing and central services. Further information coming soon!

What's happened to our local news?

Britain’s regional newspapers are in crisis thanks to the credit crunch and changes in the way people want to consume news. - by Nicola Pledger, Account Manager

A 40%* drop in advertising revenues has meant that Midlands’ newspapers have been among the worst hit in the country. At Trinity Mirror, the region’s main local newspaper group, a massive restructuring programme has been announced with 70 journalist positions lost and nine regional weeklies shut down. Rumours regarding a plans to turn the Birmingham Mail to an overnight paper (with the Post as a weekly insert), are also doing the rounds, and thelondonpaper has folded.

Does it really matter if some regional newspapers close down?
John Lamb, Birmingham Press Club chairman thinks it does: This poses a serious threat to the credibility of the whole region’s news media…The Birmingham Post has been in daily print since 1857, and is an indispensable part of Birmingham’s heritage and in particular its business life.

Local papers are the glue that holds together towns and cities. Regional papers report stories from their communities – including coverage of local sports teams, court cases and local government issues – which are ignored by the national media. But, there’s also an argument that some free papers are just notice boards for advertisers, carrying no news of worth.

The Newspaper Society’s research shows consumers find local newspapers most helpful in deciding where to shop and be entertained. Even though people are communicating with friends on a worldwide, real-time basis, we still care about what’s happening in our local area.

"Your local paper is not just a commercial animal. It's a vital leg in democracy," Kelvin MacKenzie told readers of his column in The Sun. "Who will tell you what local councils are up to in the future? Not Google. Who will cover magistrates’ courts, inquests, local crime, the speech days? Not Google."


What about citizen journalism?
Blogging, camera phones and other new technologies have turned every eyewitness into a ‘citizen journalist’, challenging the ‘professionals’ to reinvent themselves to remain relevant. These advances also allow stories to be assembled and published ‘as-it-happens’ online, putting new pressures on old editorial structures.

New technologies shouldn’t replace the old, but rather alter the ecosystem in which both can co-exist successfully. One example of this was when citizen journalists contributed their own film and footage to the BBC Midlands Today report on a freak wave of mini tornadoes last summer.

These citizen journalists weren’t interested in managing and editing the news but they wanted to contribute in a way that added value – they could be there when the BBC was not. The BBC was able to package the story with context and expert comment – giving it credibility and tackling the subject in an even-handed way.

How will this effect PR professionals?
PR professionals realise that although the roles of local newspapers may be changing, they should not be underestimated.

Relevance is king when targeting local journalists, with convenience a close second. Gone are the days of wooing a journalist over a liquid lunch so we need to make their lives more pleasant in other ways by giving them news that is well-targeted, supplying relevant third party quotes, photography and in some cases film.

A final word from Gill Holtom, our own PR group account director and former journalist from the Express and Star: It’s clear that the regional reporter’s job has changed dramatically over the past decade. The pressure’s on to produce more content than ever before…but with shrinking resources. We in PR can help by making sure we supply the kind of high quality material that will keep the readers reading, and the advertisers spending.


*Birmingham Press Club