Hello all. Is it your first day back in the office too?
Sad? Don’t be. This is a time to be positive and act on all those good intentions you promised you would act upon at 00:01 hours on Saturday 1st January 2011.
Time to push for that promotion, win that big contract or get that next jump on the career ladder (or give that new project / PR contract to Press Ahead).
The people I feel sorry for are the likes of James Milner (England footballer) and Michael Stipe (lead singer of REM). Today (4th January) is their birthday.
Do you think they get many birthday presents so soon after Christmas?!
Happy New Year from all at Press Ahead and remember, don’t worry, be happy....
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
Monday, 6 December 2010
'Snow Go Bingo'
Ok then. It’s December. We live in Britain. And yes, it’s snowing. Is this a complete shock?
It would be good to report on some original stories, but I’m afraid I can’t.
Instead I would like to invite you to a game of ‘Snow Go Bingo’ to see if you recognise any of the following:
• ‘Well, the local council didn’t get the gritters out early enough’
• ‘I bet the traffic and businesses don’t come to a standstill in Germany’
• ‘My kid’s local school is closed but nobody told me’
• ‘As it’s now snowing on the M25, the weather is the lead story on the national TV news – we’ve (in the North East) had six inches for a week’
• ‘This type of snow means that we can’t possibly run Eurostar’
Along with the above, spot the following images and / or stories:
• ‘Child being pulled to school on sledge’
• ‘Workers sleeping overnight at office’
• ‘Neighbourhood hero delivers shopping for older neighbours’
• ‘Farmer struggling to feed his / her animals’
• ‘Traffic at standstill on the main roads’.
Have you got a full house? If yes, well done.
I look forward another game of ‘Snow Go Bingo’ during the next cold snap.
It would be good to report on some original stories, but I’m afraid I can’t.
Instead I would like to invite you to a game of ‘Snow Go Bingo’ to see if you recognise any of the following:
• ‘Well, the local council didn’t get the gritters out early enough’
• ‘I bet the traffic and businesses don’t come to a standstill in Germany’
• ‘My kid’s local school is closed but nobody told me’
• ‘As it’s now snowing on the M25, the weather is the lead story on the national TV news – we’ve (in the North East) had six inches for a week’
• ‘This type of snow means that we can’t possibly run Eurostar’
Along with the above, spot the following images and / or stories:
• ‘Child being pulled to school on sledge’
• ‘Workers sleeping overnight at office’
• ‘Neighbourhood hero delivers shopping for older neighbours’
• ‘Farmer struggling to feed his / her animals’
• ‘Traffic at standstill on the main roads’.
Have you got a full house? If yes, well done.
I look forward another game of ‘Snow Go Bingo’ during the next cold snap.
Thursday, 18 November 2010
Powerful communication doesn’t always need words
As a marketing, media and communications agency, words are a major and pretty integral part of what we do.
However, alongside well written, appropriate copy, the use of imagery and pictures can really bring a story to life.
When we are working with clients on PR-related material, we consistently examine whether the story will carry more interest and will be more likely to be picked up by the target media if the words are accompanied by an interesting and creative picture.
This is equally true when working on a brochure, or any other type of promotional document.
For me, the power of visual communication was highlighted across the course of the past week with the Remembrance Day tributes.
The powerful nature of the two-minutes silence on the 11th hour of the 11th day, allied to the silence before major sporting events and on Remembrance Sunday itself were vivid demonstrations of visual strength.
Whether it was seeing major cities come to a standstill, or over 80,000 rugby fans stand in silence at Twickenham, or the playing of the Last Post at the Cenotaph, each of these emotive and powerful images didn’t need words to enhance the depth and feeling of their meaning.
The old saying certainly still rings true.
A picture really can paint a thousand words.
However, alongside well written, appropriate copy, the use of imagery and pictures can really bring a story to life.
When we are working with clients on PR-related material, we consistently examine whether the story will carry more interest and will be more likely to be picked up by the target media if the words are accompanied by an interesting and creative picture.
This is equally true when working on a brochure, or any other type of promotional document.
For me, the power of visual communication was highlighted across the course of the past week with the Remembrance Day tributes.
The powerful nature of the two-minutes silence on the 11th hour of the 11th day, allied to the silence before major sporting events and on Remembrance Sunday itself were vivid demonstrations of visual strength.
Whether it was seeing major cities come to a standstill, or over 80,000 rugby fans stand in silence at Twickenham, or the playing of the Last Post at the Cenotaph, each of these emotive and powerful images didn’t need words to enhance the depth and feeling of their meaning.
The old saying certainly still rings true.
A picture really can paint a thousand words.
Tuesday, 5 October 2010
What did we do BG (before Google)?
It started off as BackRub and has become a worldwide phenomenon that is now often part of our everyday lexicon – ‘oh I’m not sure, let me Google it’.
When Larry Page and Sergey Brin met at Stanford University, it would be reasonable to think when their collaboration started that they did not envisage their creation transforming the way in which we found, sourced and accessed information from the web.
The domain Google.com was registered two years later as a rebranding of BackRub. The revised name was a play on the word ‘googol’, a mathematical term for the number represented by the numeral 1 followed by 100 zeros – (i.e. – an infinite number/amount of information).
Google’s 12th birthday passed by with moderate fanfare across the media recently (I guess the number 12 is not particularly catchy – in wedding terms a linen and silk anniversary), but is surely worth a blog or two given how it has changed the way in which we consume information or data.
Just think, what would you have done in 1998. Use a book? Or an encyclopaedia? Or phone a friend?
Google is indicative of the instant information world in which we live. It has not just facilitated rapid and immediate data search, but also contributed to other developments that we now take for granted such as Google Ad Words and new spheres of business such as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
So when you think to yourself today, who won the first series of X Factor; or how do I ensure that as many people read my press release as possible; or what is best way to make a Victoria Sponge, I wonder what you will do next.
Maybe you’ll ‘Google’ it?
When Larry Page and Sergey Brin met at Stanford University, it would be reasonable to think when their collaboration started that they did not envisage their creation transforming the way in which we found, sourced and accessed information from the web.
The domain Google.com was registered two years later as a rebranding of BackRub. The revised name was a play on the word ‘googol’, a mathematical term for the number represented by the numeral 1 followed by 100 zeros – (i.e. – an infinite number/amount of information).
Google’s 12th birthday passed by with moderate fanfare across the media recently (I guess the number 12 is not particularly catchy – in wedding terms a linen and silk anniversary), but is surely worth a blog or two given how it has changed the way in which we consume information or data.
Just think, what would you have done in 1998. Use a book? Or an encyclopaedia? Or phone a friend?
Google is indicative of the instant information world in which we live. It has not just facilitated rapid and immediate data search, but also contributed to other developments that we now take for granted such as Google Ad Words and new spheres of business such as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO).
So when you think to yourself today, who won the first series of X Factor; or how do I ensure that as many people read my press release as possible; or what is best way to make a Victoria Sponge, I wonder what you will do next.
Maybe you’ll ‘Google’ it?
Thursday, 16 September 2010
Cuba: Sun, sea & sibling rivalry....
Good to know that family loyalty is alive and well in Cuba.
I see Fidel Castro released a statement earlier this week saying that his quote – "the Cuban model doesn't even work for us anymore" - was misinterpreted by US magazine The Atlantic.
Well I am glad. As one of six, I know how important it is to keep your siblings sweet – and the best way to do that is to agree with them at all times! I am sure Fidel’s little brother Raúl, the country’s current President, is delighted to hear that he has the full backing of his older sibling, who himself led Cuba under the ‘model’ for more than 15 years. The last thing we’d want is for sibling rivalry to interfere with politics.... take note David and Ed... why don’t you take turns? Or perhaps share the leadership like good little boys – a sort of coalition leadership – Dedward has a certain ring to it, I think?! Anyway, I digress....
I see Fidel Castro released a statement earlier this week saying that his quote – "the Cuban model doesn't even work for us anymore" - was misinterpreted by US magazine The Atlantic.
Well I am glad. As one of six, I know how important it is to keep your siblings sweet – and the best way to do that is to agree with them at all times! I am sure Fidel’s little brother Raúl, the country’s current President, is delighted to hear that he has the full backing of his older sibling, who himself led Cuba under the ‘model’ for more than 15 years. The last thing we’d want is for sibling rivalry to interfere with politics.... take note David and Ed... why don’t you take turns? Or perhaps share the leadership like good little boys – a sort of coalition leadership – Dedward has a certain ring to it, I think?! Anyway, I digress....
I must admit, I was a little slow on the uptake with news of Fidel’s ‘second’ wind’. I was on holiday when he emerged to give his first public speech in four years though. The fact that I was in Cuba at the time kind of weakens my excuse for not following the news, but the media is not quite the same there as it is here, and my Spanish is a bit sketchy!
But seriously, between sipping Mojitos, I did tune in to BBC World News to catch up on goings on! In truth, unlike my namesake Nick, I am not a big political boffin, and probably would have taken little notice of Fidel’s speech if it wasn’t for the fact that I was visiting his homeland. Likewise, I would probably have never taken any real interest in Cuba itself, if it wasn’t for the fact that I was holidaying there. But once you go to somewhere like that, and see the set up of the place, you really do become fascinated by it. Well I did!
Cuba is genuinely unlike anywhere I have ever been. I knew before I went there that it was a communist state, but didn’t quite know what that meant in real terms – I wondered if it would even be possible to have a classless society and how it would change life. Well, I reckon it pretty well is possible, and it changes life immeasurably. Arriving in Cuba and driving to the hotel you see people leading their cattle along the roadside, hitchhikers (Cuba’s transport systems aren’t great, so the Government has created laws to make sure that certain vehicles are legally obliged to pick up hitchhikers, and those not legally obliged are encouraged to) and families travelling around on horse and carts. A few buses transporting tourists and Cadillacs are about all you see on main roads – and that’s during rush hour. Oh and speed cameras don’t exist in Cuba; the police guess your speed (seriously!) and give points if they think you are driving too quickly – much better I think!
Right along the roadside are small clusters of houses, little communities, but unlike here, there is no ‘keeping up with the Jones’s’. Everyone is equally poor, or equally rich, depending on how you look at life. Some have precious little more than others – the odd family has a car – but generally speaking, there is a state of equality – no one is really better off than anyone else.
So how does this benefit people? How does it make for a better society? The Cubans benefit from a very good standard of education. Youngsters can stay on for further education at no cost, so there is no real culture of elitism – everyone has the same opportunities. The healthcare system is considered to be excellent. And, Cuba has a very low crime rate; as people can only inherit cars and houses (that’s right, they can’t buy them!), there is very little benefit in having money, so crime is probably pretty pointless.
It’s not a scientific way of measuring the success or failure of communism in Cuba, but all I know from my time there is that from the moment you arrive, to the moment you leave (and step on the plane to see miserable British tourists and travel reps, in my case!), you are welcomed with a smile, and a ‘hola amigo’, and you feel part of a real community, where everyone helps each other, and no-one is out for themselves.
I have pondered it, and I still don’t really know if Fidel was right or wrong - I couldn’t possibly say if life is better in a state of shared wealth. I suppose nothing is black and white, so maybe it is not as simple as ‘better’ or ‘worse’. So, I think, as I normally do, I will sit on the ‘grey fence’! Right now, suffering from jet lag, and looking out at the cold English sky, I think I would probably quite like to be sitting on that fence somewhere in Cuba, saying ‘hola’ to my neighbours, with a Mojito in my left hand, and maybe a nice big Cohiba cigar in my right (well, got to embrace the culture!)....
Friday, 10 September 2010
Haguegate – can anything be private anymore?
Unless you worked within the Westminster bubble, it is unlikely that until the middle of last week you had ever heard of Christopher Myers.
Depending on future stories, it is also unlikely that you will hear from much from Mr Myers, if ever, again.
For those of you who have missed the story, Mr Myers was one of William Hague’s special advisers. He resigned last week following the ‘revelations(!?)’ that he had shared a room with the Foreign Secretary on political trips.
Regardless of the wisdom of this move – ahead of the Strategic Spending Review, some may applaud Mr Hague’s thrift – his subsequent and very personal media statement, brought into sharp focus what can be said about a public figure on the web.
Basically anything.
The story originated from the self-styled controversial political blogger, Guido Fawkes – it was based around the use of public money and the inappropriateness of Mr Myers for the role, but with more than a hint of innuendo.
As long as the Foreign Secretary hasn’t used his position and public funds in an appropriate way, what he does in his own life should be his and his wife’s business.
Presuming that his subsequent statement is true – the hurt and anguish to reveal such personal and intimate details must have been deeply disturbing – it does beg the question of when exactly does investigative reporting simply become playground tittle-tatter.
Time will tell if this story goes away. However, it is a sharp reminder for anyone in the public eye that nothing, be it truth, or rumour, is private in the world we live in today.
And sometimes managing rumour may be more difficult than managing facts.
Depending on future stories, it is also unlikely that you will hear from much from Mr Myers, if ever, again.
For those of you who have missed the story, Mr Myers was one of William Hague’s special advisers. He resigned last week following the ‘revelations(!?)’ that he had shared a room with the Foreign Secretary on political trips.
Regardless of the wisdom of this move – ahead of the Strategic Spending Review, some may applaud Mr Hague’s thrift – his subsequent and very personal media statement, brought into sharp focus what can be said about a public figure on the web.
Basically anything.
The story originated from the self-styled controversial political blogger, Guido Fawkes – it was based around the use of public money and the inappropriateness of Mr Myers for the role, but with more than a hint of innuendo.
As long as the Foreign Secretary hasn’t used his position and public funds in an appropriate way, what he does in his own life should be his and his wife’s business.
Presuming that his subsequent statement is true – the hurt and anguish to reveal such personal and intimate details must have been deeply disturbing – it does beg the question of when exactly does investigative reporting simply become playground tittle-tatter.
Time will tell if this story goes away. However, it is a sharp reminder for anyone in the public eye that nothing, be it truth, or rumour, is private in the world we live in today.
And sometimes managing rumour may be more difficult than managing facts.
Wednesday, 8 September 2010
Twit or tweet
It seems that you can’t be anywhere near the England cricket squad at the moment without indulging in a spot of Twitter ranting against your current (or future) employers – in this case, the England and Wales Cricket Board.
The recent exploits of England cricketer Kevin Pietersen and his reaction to being left out of the forthcoming one-day series against Pakistan, demonstrated poor judgement on his part, but also vividly illustrated the power of social media to set the news agenda – both on and offline.
Pietersen’s displeasure with the decision was, albeit briefly, available for the world to see via his Twitter feed.
Regardless of the merits of the content, what this and other similar episodes illustrate is the power of social media to drive the modern news agenda. This example became a lead story for all of the major news channels including broadcast and online within hours of its ‘erroneous’ posting, in addition to leading the way for many of the printed media the following day.
Add that to the suspension of the former England under-19 captain, Azeem Rafiq and the impending disciplinary hearing that probably awaits Hampshire and England’s Dimitri Mascarenhas and there has rarely been a day during the last week or so when this topic hasn’t featured across the media.
This change in the media landscape is inevitably going to continue to grow – whether you are an individual in the public eye, or operate your business social media feeds, it’s essential that your message remains professional, despite the more informal nature of social networking.
Otherwise, you may end up fending off some rather unpleasant bouncers of your own making!
The recent exploits of England cricketer Kevin Pietersen and his reaction to being left out of the forthcoming one-day series against Pakistan, demonstrated poor judgement on his part, but also vividly illustrated the power of social media to set the news agenda – both on and offline.
Pietersen’s displeasure with the decision was, albeit briefly, available for the world to see via his Twitter feed.
Regardless of the merits of the content, what this and other similar episodes illustrate is the power of social media to drive the modern news agenda. This example became a lead story for all of the major news channels including broadcast and online within hours of its ‘erroneous’ posting, in addition to leading the way for many of the printed media the following day.
Add that to the suspension of the former England under-19 captain, Azeem Rafiq and the impending disciplinary hearing that probably awaits Hampshire and England’s Dimitri Mascarenhas and there has rarely been a day during the last week or so when this topic hasn’t featured across the media.
This change in the media landscape is inevitably going to continue to grow – whether you are an individual in the public eye, or operate your business social media feeds, it’s essential that your message remains professional, despite the more informal nature of social networking.
Otherwise, you may end up fending off some rather unpleasant bouncers of your own making!
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