A real inspiration
Posted on 04. Sep, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog
I was reading the Daily Telegraph a couple of weeks ago and came across an article which really shocked me. It was an interview with Ellen MacArthur, the fastest woman and youngest sailor to make the solo non-stop circumnavigation. The headline was ‘I just can’t live with the sea any more’
I was really surprised that someone who is clearly so passionate about a sport could just turn her back on it – and then I read on. The piece gives a really interesting insight into Ellen’s life and it comes across that she is still passionate about sailing but something else has caught her eye – sustainability and more importantly the re-usability of products, from carpet tiles to washing machines. Ellen wants people to think more about the environment and how we as individuals can do our bit to reduce waste – a very commendable outlook.
While reading further into the article it started to impress me for a completely different reason. Not only was the piece insightful but if you read between the lines it is very apparent that she is shrewd business woman who has a keen eye on the message she wants to project. In the same way that Open Communications would put together a strategy for a client, first focusing on the message, Ellen appears to have done this with her interview.
She also has a clear understanding of some of the principles that PR agencies use including sponsorship, advertising and general word of mouth communication and how they can create cause and effect. The article is full of examples of how Ellen has a keen eye on engagement and positioning of a message, including the following:
“I could have gone around the world in a boat with a slogan ‘Use Less’ but that would have been just raising awareness. We already know there is an issue. I was to be a part of doing something about it. Persuading people that to rethink the way we do things is the biggest challenge I’ve ever faced.”
“At first my message was negative – use less – but gradually I realised there was another way of looking at things.”
“The message will never be as easy as saying I’m going to be the fastest person round the world. It is complex. I may have been the fastest round the world, but this beats everything I’ve ever done.”
Ellen has put £500,000 of her own money into a start up business, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which is a charity that will work with businesses and students to give young people the vision to think more objectively and positively about how they can create and support a sustainable future.
Regardless of whether you are ‘green’ or not you have to hand it to her, Ellen is a business woman on a mission and I for one wish her every success. It’s great to see that she is considering how her business will come across to others before it launches.
Personally I believe that effective communication is key to the success of any venture or business however large or small and it would seem Ellen for one has her tone of voice just right.
Philanthropy or PR?
Posted on 01. Sep, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog
So today dawns with the announcement that Tony Blair’s memoirs have been published. The papers, TV, radio and internet are all scattered with headlines announcing how Blair has interpreted his time as Prime Minister, the decisions he made and more controversially his true feelings towards Gordon Brown.
While this is all very exciting (yawn) what I found far more interesting was Tony’s initial boost back into the media spotlight when he decided, in a time of pure generosity I’m sure, that he would waver his projected £5 million earnings from the book titled ‘A journey’.
Even for Tony Blair £5 million must be a serious amount of money – but when you consider this fee for a global PR campaign, which was always going to achieve a staggering return on investment if managed properly, that figure suddenly becomes far less impressive, particularly as his book is set to be an international best seller.
When simply using an advertising value equivalent for press alone was this really a philanthropic gesture because Tony had an intrinsic desire to make himself feel better or more for the prestige that a donation of that magnitude to the Royal British Legion would achieve? Remembering that his choice of charity was also controversial under the circumstances.
I have to say that being a complete cynic I thought it rather shameful to go out so publicly with this disclosure, as did many others. If this was a real act of kindness then surely less of a public display would have been more appropriate? Even, god forbid, an anonymous donation?
But Tony isn’t the only one to make announcements of great gesture recently. JK Rowling has also announced that she is to give £10 million of her hard earned cash to a multiple sclerosis research clinic.
Now not to confuse the two donations, JK Rowlings mother, Anne, died at the age of 45 from multiple sclerosis providing an obvious and understandable reason for her to want to make the donation in the first place. The question however remains, why shout about it?
Can you argue that in the case of Rowling it was to raise the profile of the clinic, which any PR agency would recommend is handled sensitively, or again is it just a perfectly placed hook to get the writer out into the public domain before the release of the final Harry Potter movies?
I’m all for philanthropy and for charitable giving but the publicity and coverage that can be derived from such donations leaves me wondering who REALLY gains most from these acts of generosity?
Flat caps and whippets
Posted on 12. Aug, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog, Journalism, news
Reading The Times yesterday an article by journalist, Sathnam Sanghera, caught my eye. The title ‘Yorkshire wine? By ‘eck, it won’t go down well in Dudley’ had to be worth a read. Not least because the implication was that yet again Yorkshire was deemed a place of limited intellect and cultural awareness.
I was surprised that the journalist was in fact questioning whether there really are vineyards in Yorkshire? He was under the illusion that Dudley housed the most northern vineyard in the country.
At this point I got quite excited as, I think I’m right in saying, (and this may have changed over recent years) that the most northern vineyard is actually in Woodlesford, less than a mile from where I live! And more excitingly, the journalist was requesting contact from any vineyard in Yorkshire and I quote:
“So here’s an idea: if you run a vineyard in Britain that lies farther north than junction 10 of the M6, I’ll come and visit you for a tasting.” Then he continues…
“If I get enough participants, and unless another journalist gets there first, the results will appear in this newspaper in some form.”
First job of the day was to get in touch with Leventhorpe Vineyard, which is recommended by chef Rick Stein, and let them know that they had a perfect opportunity to showcase their fantastic selection of wines and prove that Yorkshire has so much more to offer than is perhaps realised.
I’ve decided as a result to start a mini campaign – so, come on, does anyone else have contacts into any other vineyards in Yorkshire? A quick google search suggests there are others in the region.
Let’s get Yorkshire back on the map for all the right reasons and show people that we are able to substitute our flat caps and whippets for, god forbid, a lovely glass of locally produced wine and possibly even some award winning cheese.
CHEERS!
Robots to write the news? No thanks
Posted on 12. Aug, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog, Journalism, headlines, news
Listening to Radio 4 on the way to work this morning I was absolutely astonished to hear that a company in America has developed a computer system that they believe is so good it could replace the skills of a journalist. The system has been created to write copy for sporting events, using a variation of phrases to ensure that it doesn’t become too repetitive.
My immediate reaction was to wonder if I’d got the dates wrong and if this was some crazy April fool but no, as the interviewee got more excited and animated about the prospects of this new found technology, even going as far as to suggest it could be used for economic based stories, I wondered what the world had come too?
While the headlines reek with stories of despair, as thousands of people face redundancy and unemployment with suggestions that ‘Around two in five unemployed workers over the age of 50 have been out of work for more than a year’ I find it astounding that this story was given air time.
Despite the rumours that PR practitioners and journalists don’t see eye-to-eye, I happen to think that there are some exceptional reporters that we rely on to deliver the headlines every day, whether that be in the paper, on the radio, internet or on the TV.
How can a computer inject any sense of personality into a story? Irony, suggestion and humour will be lost and we will be left with robotic commentary that literally relays the facts in the five or six suggested ways it has been programmed to use. Any predictions, foresight or anecdotal commentary can be forgotten too, how could a computer possibly be expected to make a story exciting? To capture the audience and whip them up into a frenzy of deserving applause or humiliating disappointment.
May be it’s just me and this is a great idea. But I think it’s a step too far. Journalism, like PR, is about passion and personality. It is about getting to the heart of a story and bringing it to life. It’s about the highs and the lows and I don’t think that any machine can replace a good, quality journalist – sporting or otherwise.
People buy people
Posted on 04. Aug, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog
People buy people. I’ve heard this phrase a lot recently when we have been out and about attending networking events in the region. It got me wondering, is it really true?
It can be true enough of small businesses because that is what you buy into; their philosophy, vision and values, which ultimately come from them personally.
Take Open Communications as an example. We went out with a clear message. We are different. We are straight talking, what you see is what you get and if you want results and realistic campaigns then great – if you want air kissing and champagne you’re probably barking up the wrong tree.
That said, how different are we? Doesn’t everyone in an industry like PR offer a much of a muchness service and approach? Well, no. No two people can ever start a public relations agency like Open Communications again because it was our personality and passion that went into creating it. Ours. It was our want to do things differently and our attitudes to work and our clients that have moulded the agency to become what it is today.
Like many brands we rely on our clients to want to work with us and to allow us to become an extension of their teams. This is a big ask when you think about the facts and figures we have access to on a daily basis.
But is it just smaller businesses that can build a brand around a personality and is it actually a fact that you get to a particular size and become one of many, rather than the one that people rely on and believe in.
Having thought about this quite a lot recently I have come to the conclusion that there are many successful businesses that still rely on personality – take Virgin as an example. Few people will hear the brand name and not associate it immediately with Richard Branson. Or what about The Body Shop or Morrisons? They all have strong characters behind them who have shaped, moulded and made these brands what they are today.
I’m intrigued about what other people think. Do you believe the person makes the business, or is it down to good marketing, a sustainable PR strategy and being in the right place at the right time?
Can you get owt for nowt?
Posted on 22. Jul, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog
We took a call recently regarding a copy writing brief. As we write copy for brochures, websites, leaflets and newsletters we agreed a date and time and put a meeting in the diary.
The day came, coffee and biscuits at the ready, we sat the gentleman down and as we always do, asked what he wanted to achieve from the project and what his specific aims were in relation to the work.
Did he want a new brochure to target a specific audience? Was it an overhaul of his current communications or was it simply an update and a fresh approach he was looking for that would update his website and general business literature?
None of the above.
It turned out, as it can do on occasion, that he wasn’t really sure what he wanted but he had budget and felt that appointing a PR agency would be the best thing to do.
At this point we could have taken his money and run but that isn’t what we are about so instead we sat down and discussed the options. It turned out that what he actually needed was to brainstorm some creative ideas that he could put into practice himself – free of charge!
We sat for an hour chatting through some ideas and quirky options that just might attract attention and in turn generate new business leads for him.
What did we get out of it? A lovely email thanking us for being so honest and expressing how grateful he was that we hadn’t done what he felt others would have and charged him for something that wouldn’t have achieved the results he wanted or met with the objectives he had in mind.
As a result he is now one of our biggest ambassadors and is able to tell people with confidence that Open Communications is a straight talking, open and honest PR agency.
We don’t think you could pay for that kind of endorsement, so maybe the saying is wrong – you don’t get owt for nowt – in this case, we all did.
Remember your P’s and Q’s
Posted on 21. Jul, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog
Recently, while on Twitter, Graduates Yorkshire asked for guest bloggers to come forward and submit their thoughts about the current job market. Never one to shy away from an opportunity, we submitted the following post providing some thoughts on the subject and most importantly what we feel really helps graduates to land their perfect position. We hope you enjoy it…
When I was at University I remember people saying that all you had to do was get your head down, get the grades, get the pieces of paper signed and sealed and then the world was your oyster.
Now this is the point where you should hear a car screech – a bit like you do on naff PowerPoint slides. It simply doesn’t happen like that. It didn’t happen then and it doesn’t happen now.
Let me explain. It should go without saying that qualifications are important but they are not and I repeat NOT everything. I was never academically gifted and had to try really hard at school and during University. Things didn’t come naturally and often I would wonder why I was bothering.
Never the less, 4 years and a sandwich course down the line and I was three steps in – I’d got my head down, got the grades and even got the paperwork but what now? Get a job. Easier said than done.
After applying for a few roles I quickly found that although the paperwork was a necessity, it wasn’t the be all and end all. Just because I didn’t have a ‘first’ it didn’t mean that those who did would necessarily be any better at the job – they just interpreted the books about the subject better than I did.
I realised very quickly that if I wanted to land my perfect job it was actually more about attitude and passion than paper. It was about really wanting the position and about researching the company and understanding as much as you could before an interview. It was about the natural ability to talk to someone, whoever that might be – cleaner or Managing Director – and finding a way of connecting with them. To some degree it was also about how I looked and presented myself and of course, the firm hand shake.
The job I ended up getting wasn’t even in PR, it was as a Marketing Assistant for a European Print Company. I had to make the tea and get lunches ready, prepare sales presentations and cover reception, none of which were mentioned in any of the books I had been studying during the previous years!
Despite that it was one of the best jobs I could have wished for because it threw me in at the deep end and as well as working in a male dominated environment, we had to deliver day in and day out and no two days were ever the same.
I was involved in board meetings, business decisions and brain storms and to this day one story that still makes me cringe was the day I sent an email, copied in to all board Directors and Senior Managers of the business, titled “Second shit of the day”. It should actually have said “Second shift of the day” so I also learnt a quick lesson about attention to detail.
Some time has passed since then and as an employer I now understand there were two lessons that I learnt; you have to be yourself and expect that your personality will be as important as your results and you have to start at the bottom and never believe that any job is beneath you.
So ultimately it’s about your P’s (personality) AND your Q’s (qualifications).
At Open Communications, the PR agency I now own with my business partner Emma, we don’t look for candidates with exceptional academia, we look for someone with confidence, personality, the necessary basic skills and more importantly someone who we can trust implicitly with our clients.
We need to know that the people we employ fit well within the business and whether they get a 2:2 a 2:1 or a first class honours degree, at the end of the day if they are passionate about PR and prepared to work hard there is little more that any business could ask for.
Open supports special visit to HARIBO
Posted on 14. Jul, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog
Open Communications supported client HARIBO during a visit of a very different kind last week when Her Royal Highness Princess Anne, the Princess Royal, came to Pontefract to experience the sweeter side to the town during a planned tour.
Keen to speak with factory workers at the site, the Princess was invited to the HARIBO manufacturing facility, which employs more than 500 local people and has been producing sweet treats for more than 250 years.
During the visit the Princess was shown the process used to create the brands world famous Starmix treats, as well as its Tangfastics product. Following the tour a bouquet of flowers was presented to the Princess by local boy, Cameron Ramsden (8) from Pontefract whose Mother works at the site.
Says Cameron: “It was great to meet the Princess. When I found out that I would be the one to hand over the bouquet I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep! We are learning about royalty at school so I know that I have the best story to tell and some fab pictures to show the class.”
This is the second Royal visit Open Communications has supported, following a visit by HRH The Countess of Wessex to Delicious Alchemy, the suppliers of gluten and wheat free foods, last November.
With Passion Comes Possibility
Posted on 08. Jul, 2010 by Emma Lupton in Blog
I’m a strong believer in passion – ok, before I continue let me just add that this is in a purely professional sense and by passion I mean having genuine enthusiasm for whatever I do.
As a PR professional this certainly helps, after all if you’re passionate about a project or campaign you’re much better placed to pass this on to inspire journalists or third parties to get involved and share the message. To me it’s also about having a genuine desire to do a really good job and support the people that we work with. In fact it’s our passion for PR that led to the launch of Open Comms.
Through our work with Enterprise UK, we’ve been lucky enough to see how passion can make a real difference and transform lives; whether this is through a group of youngsters inspired by enterprise – like the team from Birkdale School in Sheffield who have clocked up ten awards for their enterprise skills, or fellow Enterprise UK ambassadors who have turned their passion into a business idea.
One such ambassador is Samantha Hodgson from Art49. Samantha changed her career in banking to become a full time artist, and in doing so transformed her home and work life.
I recently had the pleasure of seeing Samantha celebrate the opening of her first solo exhibition ‘Reflecting Light’ at Shine in Leeds.
Here Samantha unveiled her passion and her talent through beautiful, original pieces. She certainly inspired me, not just through her paintings but also through her enterprise journey that shows that with passion comes possibility.
If you’re looking for inspiration or simply love art, pop along to Sam’s exhibition at Shine in Leeds – after all passion is infectious.
Open scores with double account win
Posted on 05. Jul, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog
Open Communications, the Wakefield based PR agency, has secured two new clients over recent weeks, extending the range of consumer and locally based businesses it works with.
Farmer Copleys, the award winning farm shop, and Delicious Alchemy, the suppliers of gluten and wheat free foods, have both agreed ongoing retained fees with the agency to deliver consumer, regional profiling and social media support.
Managing Director of Delicious Alchemy, Emma Killilea said: ‘We used to handle our own PR but as the company got bigger and our workload grew heavier. As a result our PR activity just dropped away. Outsourcing it to the team at Open Communications has got us back in the press again overnight and provided insight into how we can benefit from social media.’
Director of Open Communications, Lindsey Davies said: “Having completed projects for both Farmer Copleys and Delicious Alchemy over recent months, we are pleased that they have both chosen to work with us on a retained basis.”
She added: “We offer our clients creative but realistic recommendations and we are honest in our approach to public relations and what we are able to deliver. We are looking forward to working with both companies and to supporting them with some exciting announcements that they have to share.”
Open Communications, based at Nostell Priory Estate Yard, launched in September 2008. The agency has since developed a diverse client list working with brands including the Paragon Group, Enterprise UK, Jigsaw@work, Media Displays and HARIBO.
Festival @ The Farm – fun and free!
Posted on 29. Jun, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog
W
e know it’s only Tuesday but we had to tell you all about an event that our client, Farmer Copleys, has organised with Pontefract Heritage Group.
This will be the second time Festival @ The Farm has taken place at Farmer Copleys and if you are looking for a free, yes FREE, event to take your family to this Sunday (4 July), it’s a must.
Based just outside of Pontefract, planned activities include a pie eating competition, vegetable archery, axe throwing and dancing diggers – with so much going on there really is something for everyone.
There will also be local producers on site to showcase some of the wonderful foods that are grown and produced by the people of Yorkshire. For more details please ring Farmer Copleys on tel. 01977 600200.
Some things really are just too good to miss, so we look forward to seeing you there!
CIPR on a quest to find the best
Posted on 28. Jun, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog
The CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations) has announced that it will once again be on the look out for what it describes as the industries best, brightest and most inspirational young talent.
Anyone can be nominated for the competition, called unsurprisingly 29 under 29, as long as they work in PR (agency, in-house, freelance or client side) and are 29 or under on 30 May 2010.
Director of Open Communications, Lindsey Davies, was named one of the 29 under 29 last year and had the pleasure of meeting with other public relations professionals who had been nominated during a photo shoot in London.
Not only is it great to have your work recognised by others in the PR sector and to be nominated but you get to meet some really interesting people who may work in the same industry but have completely different remits.
So to all those PR professionals out there who want to put someone forward you have until the 15 July. For more details about what you have to do to nominate a colleague, contact or friend visit the PR Week website.
When I grow up I want to be…
Posted on 28. Jun, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog
When I was growing up I never questioned that I would be in a position to choose what career path I wanted to follow when I finally came of age and left home. I didn’t realise at the time just how fortunate I was.
To provide some context, I was never really very good at school. I found it difficult to sit exams and once I felt I had fallen behind I didn’t really have the discipline to catch up. I managed to scrape into College – no thanks to the teacher at school who branded me a waster and told me a job as a typist was the best I could hope for – and from there went on to university, more by default than good career management.
Now here’s the thing – not once during this series of events did I stop to think how much it would cost my parents to send me to university. Not once did I consider that it wouldn’t be an option. And not once did I think about what they would have to give up in order to allow me to build the foundations of my career.
Was I selfish? No, not really. I just didn’t realise that as I wasn’t eligible for a grant my parents would have to stump up the cash and hope for the best. Quite a risk when you think back to the fact that I wasn’t academic.
Although I was a part time waitress the pay hardly covered the extensive reading list of books that I had to buy while doing a four year course at Leeds Metropolitan University in PR, never mind the rent and of course obligatory nights out that come with the lifestyle when you leave home at 18 and realise that the world is one big beer garden.
This whole episode was brought back to me earlier this week when I read a piece about student loans and university fees, as well as the cost of graduation ceremonies – which in my day were free! How do we expect the future business minds of tomorrow to step up when we are literally turning opportunity into a paid for privilege?
Do we really think that those with money are more able or academic, are they more worthy of a decent shot at a career? Are those better funded more competent, committed and deserving? I really don’t think so.
That’s not to say that the tables should turn the other way either – just that we should do all that we can to offer opportunity and support young business minds, irrelevant of background or bank balance.
A piece in today’s Guardian places some thought into alternative methods of funding, with Ed Miliband requesting that an additional ‘tax’ is given to students asking that they pay between 0.25 per cent and 2 per cent of their income over a 20 year period.
Although I appreciate that the funding has to come from somewhere do we really feel that taxing students for 20 years is a suitable alternative? There has to be a better way.
Ultimately we are creating an elitist society whereby only the fortunate will have the opportunity to develop academically and with the employment market at its most fragile in my lifetime that is a very real and likely concern.
My advice to any budding young entrepreneurs is to get as much hands on experience as you can. Make your mark and volunteer or if possible get paid work placements to build the foundations of a career in your chosen sector regardless of paper based qualifications.
On a positive note I suspect that over time more and more employers will offer training, and the funding that is required with it, to ensure they have the best workforce and access to skills in the market. Until then, I guess it’s down to good old hard work and of course start saving up!
KICK OFF!
Posted on 23. Jun, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog
It’s 15:00 on Wednesday 23 June 2010 and the football has just kicked off. Quiet anticipation and almost a sense of nervous unease has veiled the country. Despite the fact that five minutes ago it was a normal working day, there is now an eerie silence with people stopping to listen to or watch the big game.
Now as I’m sat writing this blog it goes without saying that football has never been my big passion. I don’t really ‘get it’ like some people seem too and I absolutely can’t get my head around the off side rule as hard as I try and as slowly as people try to explain it to me.
I’m sure there are many men and women reading this wondering what planet I live on (Emma, my business partner and Director of Open Communications being no exception!) but in my defence what I do like about the football is the camaraderie and patriotism that it creates.
OK so red and white flags flapping wildly on cars and from house windows may be tacky but it raises a smile. People seem to come together during sporting events and you find yourself discussing ‘that great pass’ or ‘that terrible goal’ with strangers in the street or in the pub. Adults walk around quite openly with a giddy sense of what is to come (at least before the game) with painted faces and eager children, so getting excited about it can’t be a bad thing, can it?
Or at least that is what we thought until recently when talking to clients they raised the more serious side to the football – the quandary do you send employees home early or set up televisions in offices? Are you unfair to expect that people will want to work during the world cup or is it to be expected that as an ‘investor in people’ you should send people home? And more seriously are you breaching health and safety laws – never mind TV licensing requirements – if you do let your employees have a sneaky peak while they are working?
In one instance a client has had to arrange for their children to be picked up from school early as the teachers had decided to ‘assist parents’ and give them an early finish to ensure they could watch the game as a family.
Now, like I said, I’m all for the atmosphere and of course I want England to win but surely sending children home from school is taking it all a bit far? Plus what happens if England do win? Where does it end? Do we all get a national holiday?
There have been lots of reports about sickness during games and taking time off work for the football and I can’t decide whether like ASDA, Sainsbury’s and McDonalds the easiest thing to do would be to just give people flexitime or whether we’re just taking the whole thing a little bit too far, especially as businesses are expecting to lose up to £1 billion as a result.
With websites giving you a ready made skive schedule, excuse generator and a sick note, while Nokia has launched an app to generate excuses as to why you aren’t at work during the game, it seems that there is a consistent theme that people will do anything to take time off.
Now as a game of two halves I know that people will have lots of opinions about this and I will come across as a miserable old git but I have to confess that while the nation waits with bated breath and Twitter overloads with updates from those who can’t let a pass go by without a comment, I’m going to watch quietly from a distance.
May be I will change my mind if the result is a positive one – and we’ve just heard the cheering and squealing to confirm that the score is 1-0 to England – but I have to admit until we get to the final games I certainly won’t be shutting the office door or painting my face with a huge England flag.
Well, like I said, not just yet anyway!
Why networking shouldn’t be a hard sell
Posted on 09. Jun, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog
After launching the agency in September 2008 one of the very first things we did was learn more about the networking groups that meet in and around Wakefield and the Yorkshire region. We were passionate about capitalising on our local area and had decided we didn’t want to be the biggest PR agency but we did want to be considered one of the best.
As a result, we had to get out and meet with people so that they were aware of the business and services we offer. The first group we joined was MBE Networking. It is a good group with less formal attitudes to networking than most. That doesn’t mean that the people in the group are any less committed, they just want to enjoy the couple of hours that we have together every Tuesday morning without the regimented approach that others can have.
I really enjoy networking but recently have been irritated when at a few events I’ve been ‘jumped on’ by over energetic sales people letting me know that “We could work together.” Sound’s fine in principle, only it becomes quickly apparent that actually what these people mean is “You could pay for my services but I have no interest in what you offer.”
To say that this is infuriating is an understatement. Do these people honestly think that I have invested two hours or more out of my day to attend a networking event so that I can be given a hard sell? Not likely.
I want to get out and meet people. Share advice and best practice and then if I choose to work with them great – if not then that’s fine too. They become a contact and if we are able to pass on a referral we will do so. So after more than eighteen months of networking in and around the Wakefield district I have come up with my own top ten tips to successful networking:
1. Be open and honest – there is no point in meeting with people and offering services that you can’t fulfil. It wastes time and results in poor relationships, plus no one person can be everything to everyone.
2. Consider how you can genuinely work together – which means referrals both ways, not just a hard sell.
3. Be friendly but not over familiar. Getting to know people in business is part of the fun but there has to be a line between professional and personal.
4. Give honest leads. Don’t just buy something from someone for a referral. Ticking boxes is fine but most companies would rather get one genuine referral a year which makes a difference to their business.
5. Use the facilities available to you. We have a website at MBE, which means that outside of the meetings we are able to keep in touch. It’s great to rely on these resources, make best use of them and it can be fun too.
6. Make your pitches interesting and add value. If you can offer a tip or a hint that will help those around the table or in the room they will be more thankful and it’s often more memorable.
7. Speak to as many people as you can but don’t look over people’s shoulders. Not only is this rude but it will almost certainly put them off doing business with you in the future.
8. Make recommendations outside of each group you network with – or if you’re new to networking then think about friends, family and colleagues who could benefit from the product or service offered by the person you are speaking to.
9. Invest time in networking. Don’t just turn up for the two hours or so you have but think beyond that. If you go to a regular meeting take half an hour to plan what you are going to say beforehand.
10. Make sure you remember to reinforce who you are and what your business does and always have lots of business cards with you!
If, like some people, you don’t really enjoy networking then try a number of groups and see what you think. At MBE for example we are looking for a photographer, designer, plumber, builder and mechanic. A varied mix of people but this is what makes the group work.
It’s amazing what business leads you can get from good networking groups, so have a look. In this area there are lots of groups that you can choose from and it’s always good to meet up with the same people and to expand your contacts – after all, as the saying goes it’s not what you know…
Is the grass always greener?
Posted on 03. Jun, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog
Like thousands of other people who were previously living and working in the UK, a number of friends over the past couple of years have announced that they are upping sticks and moving – in some instances to the other side of the world.
The most common reason for doing this? To get off the daily ‘tread mill’ and experience more exotic parts of the world that can offer a better work life balance and in some cases greater opportunities.
There was also the recession to take into account, leaving people with choices that would perhaps have taken longer to present themselves under ‘normal’ circumstances.
Now at this point it is worth pointing out that I have never had the travel bug. I’ve never wanted to do the ‘year out’ or take a ‘gap year’, all I ever wanted was to get a job and start my career in PR.
Some people may think that sad or strange but to me I had worked hard during my four years at Leeds Metropolitan University and now I wanted to put some of the skills I had learnt into practice.
A friend of mine on the other hand had travelled the world, owned a share in a business, dabbled as a wedding dress fitter and was now discussing with me the benefits that come with a move to Dubai.
Lindsay Fletcher was a PR Account Executive at the time with good credentials, an impressive client list and excellent results in her portfolio – the whole conversation baffled me. Why move? Her prospects were good and her career in PR (also known to some as the dark side) was just getting going.
So more than one year on, what was the inspiration behind her move and has living and working abroad achieved all she expected. Ultimately, is the grass greener on the other side or does she really miss the excitement of PR?
1. What was the inspiration behind your move from the UK?
I’m a firm believer that you shouldn’t have any ‘what if’s’ in your life so the offer of 52 weeks of sun, a chance to experience a completely new culture, and the tax free financial benefit really outweighed any reason to not accept the opportunity.
2. Were your skills transferable in Dubai?
I found it difficult to use my skills to find a job in PR, particularly as I was on my husband’s Visa due to the many working laws here. Along with that I have no previous experience of working in the UAE and as I am unable to speak Arabic I was at quite a disadvantage to say the least.
Although I didn ’t realise it at first I came across a wonderful opportunity and am actually working as a Nursery Teacher, a job I wouldn’t have been able to do in the UK without a formal teaching qualification. I quickly learnt that sites such as www.expatwoman.com offer the best advice and help when trying to find a job abroad.
3. What cultural differences did you have to take into account?
The biggest cultural difference I have had to accept is the hierarchy of nationalities, it has been difficult to learn and accept the Salary that the UAE are allowed to pay and see first hand how it affects others – it really does open your eyes and make you realise how materialistic your life can be if you choose to lead it that way.
The second is the language barrier, I teach children from many nationalities, and in some instances Muslim parents speak very little English, which can make certain situations frustrating. I quickly had to learn what is acceptable in other cultures.
4. Did you find it difficult to be accepted as a professional in a new country?
Not at all it’s quite common to find expat’s on their Husband’s Visa’s working in Nurseries, there are a few protocol’s and hoops that you go through initially, such as attested schooling certificates and labour / medical card approvals, but you soon find that every expat has a story and in a way it unites everyone.
5. What major changes are there between working in the UK and in Dubai?
The atmosphere here in Dubai is very much that you ‘work to live’. Your evenings and weekends are very much about relaxing and spending time with your friends and family, there is much less pressure to feel the need to be arrive early and work late to complete endless deadlines – and if you do the rewards are endless.
6. Has anything influenced your life since moving to another country?
Having the opportunity to work as a Nursery Teacher has been an invaluable lesson. I wake up every morning knowing that each day will be different and rewarding, not always a straightforward task in PR with some clients. Dubai as a country believes if you want something you find a way to achieve it no matter how long it takes, for example this wonderful building www.burjkhalifa.ae. I feel that the principles behind this are the same as life in some respects – they have encouraged me to stay focussed on my life and goals and to find a way to emigrate to Australia.
7. Do you think that there are lessons we can learn from other countries and the way they work?
Most definitely! In both Australia and Dubai the great outdoors is the key to families and friends being able to spend time together and stay united. Dubai has the strictest of laws that if you break them you face a harsh punishment; however, it is the safest place I have ever lived. I do not fear youths on street corners or drunken brawls in bars it is simply not accepted – it is all about practicing and learning to respect.
8. Do you plan to come back to the UK any time soon?
I hope to spend one more year in Dubai; within this time I plan on taking my CACHE qualification in Early Years development, which will allow me to continue teaching in the UK and other countries. The UK will always be home to me, but in the future I plan on having children and would love for them to grow up in a country that puts family and education top of their priority list.
9. What do you miss most, if anything about working in the UK?
Honestly – very little. I do miss opening the newspaper / viewing a website and seeing a product I have placed knowing it was my efforts that got it there. But in comparison to feeling rewarded daily in my current role I can’t imagine wanting to take on the pressure again. Of course I have ‘bad days’ but they are few and far between compared with the fast paced life of the UK where work never ends and when the sun appears you can guarantee you’ll be stuck in the office.
I have always wanted to travel and experience how different cultures live, but it isn’t for everyone. To live abroad I have had to learn to have a large amount of patience, as learning a new culture is often hard work and frustrating. Also being able to accept something even if you do not agree with it is the key to being able to settle. The phrase ‘to turn a blind eye’ has often come into play in my current location – but not because it is morally wrong but because it is ’just the way it is’.
My top 5 tips to living aboard:
1 –Research and learn your new country and its laws. Be aware of what is acceptable before you leave. It saves any unease upon arrival.
2-Make sure you have all your inoculations based on the country you are moving too, foods may be very different to what your immune system is used to, you don’t want to arrive and be sick in a foreign country.
3 –Make friends with expats / locals – those that have lived in your new country the longest are more likely to tell you where to find things that a website overlooks.
4 –Be prepared to be homesick, have such sites as Skype set up before hand so calling home does not cost a fortune.
5-Explore – don’t be afraid to travel, remember ‘life isn’t a dress rehearsal’ you only get one chance.
So does this make me want to hop on a plane to meet my friend at the other side of a very large pond – not really. For one I am scared of flying(!) but the other point is that what this blog shows is that everyone is different and although sometimes we crave the chance to live someone elses life the reality can be very different.
At the moment running Open Communications is keeping me busy and we have lots of exciting plans. We also believe there are some interesting times ahead for PR in Wakefield and the Yorkshire region. A holiday however is another matter entirely - beach towels, tacky novels and sunshine - get the camp beds ready Lindsay, here we come!
No news is good news – really?
Posted on 02. Jun, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog
Imagine a life without news. No headlines in the newspapers, no bulletins on the radio and no breaking news on the TV or the internet. It’s strange to imagine how daily life would continue and businesses would function without the news feeds that keep us all informed about what is happening in our local towns, in regions within the UK and throughout the world.
That’s why recently when during a conversation I heard the phrase “no news is good news” that I wondered how that could ever be the case?
The phrase is actually attributed to King James I in 1616 who apparently said: ‘No news is better than evil news.’ Now never let it be said that I want to meddle with history or in fact a King of England but I’m afraid that I disagree.
Although it isn’t always pleasant to hear daily news which includes details of disasters, deaths, murders, tragic situations, starvation and world poverty there is something to be said for having the news feeds that we have available to us.
As an obvious positive, we are able to help out when world disasters occur. We can send aid, call volunteers to action and raise money. Locally we are able to pull together and as a country we can make decisions and find new ways of working that ensure that certain mistakes are never made again.
In addition to the negative, having no news would also have a huge impact on business. Brands would no longer have the opportunity to launch products to the market, success stories would have limited profile and achievements would be dumbed down by geographic location – ultimately to find out what was going on from one day to the next we would all have to rely almost entirely on word of mouth.
There is an argument that we take communication for granted in today’s society with twitter updates, facebook status and breaking news as it happens. We expect to the be kept up to date minute by minute and we even have alerts that make sure we know when something potentially exciting or devastating has been announced by the first news channel to get hold of the all important details.
We are able to make an informed decision about the news that we read. We can choose to believe the stories that appear or conduct some more research (likely to be from another news feed) and then make our conclusions. We are able to put our own ‘spin’ on a situation based on our beliefs, culture and knowledge of a given situation.
All in all I think that no news would be devastating. For one, as a PR professional I would be quickly out of a job, but more so I like to know what’s going on and I like to have the opportunity to comment about it and to put my thoughts across, which of course is what makes the news so entertaining in today’s society.
So next time you hear the phrase ‘no news is good news’, take the time to stop and think. With no news life would be a very dull place, like a song played in monotone or a picture in greyscale – but with it we have greater opportunity, cause for celebration and more importantly knowledge at our disposal.
Now, where did I put that paper…
The good that came of the downturn
Posted on 20. May, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog
Irrelevant of what party you follow or who you felt performed the best in the election debates, between all of the candidates was one consistent theme – jobs and the economy.
This got me thinking. There is no doubt that the last eighteen months have been difficult. Thousands of people have lost their jobs and industries that were once both stable and profitable have all but ground to a halt. No one in their right mind could say that this was a positive time – or could they?
Thinking about it more logically, the down turn has changed something for the better – enterprise. As just one of many people who took the opportunity to launch a business during the recession, I know first hand what difficulties and benefits it brought.
Obviously we didn’t wait purposely until an economic downturn to launch Open Communications. It was simply good or bad timing, depending on how you look at it. We were faced with a now or never decision and thankfully for both Directors, launching a PR agency in Wakefield was a resounding ‘now’.
Most people said we were mad but others could see the determination that we had to make Open Communications work and to position the business as being slightly different to all other Yorkshire based PR agencies. Knowing how difficult trading conditions were made us all the more determined to make a go of things and as two passionate PR professionals we weren’t going to let something like a recession hold us back.
I wonder sometimes if knowing that the recession had taken hold made us all the more committed to what we wanted to achieve in the early days.
Our very first client, Enterprise UK, was a great support and showcased what we, like many others, were trying to do – start a business. As the organisation created to encourage people to turn passion into profits, Enterprise UK features businesses and individuals who have made it work. With partners they offer advice and guidance to those who are starting out, whether that be private or a social enterprise. In addition the charity uses examples of people, known as Ambassadors, who have gone through an enterprise journey and can use the skills and knowledge they have developed to help others.
We are now Ambassador for Enterprise UK and part of that role involves taking the time to support events that encourage enterprise in students from across Yorkshire and the Humber. I was asked to go along to an event last week to support a competition, which was held at Xscape in Castleford. The students, from five schools throughout Yorkshire, had to come up with business ideas to support the theme – Make it pay in a local, global way.
They had just one hour to do this and to put together a pitch – I’m thankful as a business we usually have a little longer! The suggestions they came up with were superb and the winning school, Holy Trinity, were outstanding. They came up with the idea of turning local waste land into allotments. They would then charge a minimal rent for them and ask that a donation of the produce grown was given to a farm shop that they would set up as a social enterprise. What a fantastic idea!
I for one was really impressed and with students like this in Yorkshire, we can expect great things from the next generation of business owners and entrepreneurs.
So, can it be said that there was some positive to the downturn, I think so. I think people have become more determined and the recession has given those who perhaps would have thought twice the chance to go out there and give it a go. Although starting a business isn’t for everyone, for those who have had a go – I think it’s really commendable. It’s not easy but the positives certainly outweigh the negatives if you truly believe in what you are doing.
Putting coeliac disease back on the menu
Posted on 11. May, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog
Although I myself do not have coeliac disease, our client Emma Killilea was diagnosed with the condition six years ago. As an increasing number of people reportedly live with the condition in the UK and a further half a million await diagnosis, Emma is not the first person to have had to come to terms with the disease.
But what does stand Emma apart from the rest is that rather than let the disease take over her life, she took it as a turning point and an opportunity. Giving up her job as a computer games designer, Emma launched a new business, Delicious Alchemy.
The aim of the business was to supply great tasting foods and get them on the shelves of supermarkets and on the menus of restaurants nationwide. Understanding how difficult it could be to find snacks, lunches and dinners, Emma set about developing recipes that could make life for those with coeliac disease a little simpler.
Since the launch of her business Emma has secured listings with Waitrose, Sainsburys and Booths and she also supplies a number of restaurants with her rolls, loaves and cakes.
The business is now award winning, having achieved national recognition, as well as attracting the attention of Royal, the Countess of Wessex, who visited Emma personally last November.
This week is National Coeliac Awareness Week and Emma is working with Coeliac UK to help others to understand what it is like to live with coeliac disease. More importantly she will be giving those who have been diagnosed the reassurance that you can continue to enjoy life, even when it comes to choosing great tasting foods off the shelves.
Teaming up with Silversmiths Restaurant in Sheffield, Emma worked with the team to create a gluten and wheat free menu that was suitable for people with coeliac disease. The showcase of the menu took place last night, to mark the launch of the week, and was a raving success with those involved tucking in to some fantastic food.
For further details about Delicious Alchemy and the range of great tasting foods that Emma has on offer visit her website at www.deliciousalchemy.com. She is a real ambassador for those with coeliac disease and an award winning entrepreneur.
Party politics or just clowning around?
Posted on 06. May, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog
Everyone has their own political views, and I’m no different, but this election must have most people baffled? Personally, I’m failing to see the difference between a presidential election and this X-Factor style charade that is imposed on us every minute of the day.
Manifestos are one thing but live debates and sniping, what the party leaders wives are wearing and what their feet look like – come on! Surely that’s irrelevant? Just because I prefer the cut of Sarah Brown’s dress to the tailoring of Samantha Cameron’s trousers (or visa versa) is it really likely to change my vote?
One comment I did respect was that of Miriam Gonzalez Durantez, Nick Clegg’s wife, who is quoted on the Times online as saying, “I don’t have a job I can abandon for five weeks and I imagine that’s true for most people”
Here, here Miriam, however I am beginning to feel that taking the last two weeks off would, in hindsight, have been a great idea. Let’s be honest, I could still be stuck in some sunny beach resort with just a pina colada for comfort thanks to the reoccurrence of the ash cloud. Instead I am trying to fight to get our press releases, features and copy in the headlines, like most other public relations agencies in Yorkshire and beyond.
Now the fact that Miriams comment may or may not have been a jibe at other leader’s wives is irrelevant, the fact remains that most of us have continued to work. The difficulty being that when you work in a PR agency you’re already fighting for space in newspapers and online, or for airtime on radio and TV, so when something like this occurs it makes normal working life almost impossible.
Do I think it’s right that good quality news stories should be pushed off the agenda because Gordon called someone in Rochdale a bigot – no. Quite honestly I think there should be a reasonable balance. The world is still turning, despite the election and next week when it’s all over I hope the hysteria will relent and things will get back to normal.
At least then, here at Open Communications, we can get on with our job, irrelevant of the political party in power. We can pick up the phone and have some meaningful conversations with newspapers, radio and TV journalists that don’t start with ‘Sorry but the election…’ and we just might be able to walk out of the front door without being accosted by a political party member manically waving a red, yellow or blue rosette while reeling off what their ‘leader’ will do to change our world.
Well, I for one can’t wait.
So regardless of which party get’s in, my vote goes to getting back to normal.
Another day, another administration
Posted on 27. Apr, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog
As a public relations agency our day starts with a review of the media. This can be a really enjoyable task but recently it seems that column inches are dominated with stories of companies going into administration.
Now I appreciate that we are arguably still in the middle of a recession but the companies that are going into receivership are not those that you would expect.
The first shock, some time ago now, was Woolworths. This brand was part of my heritage. Not just pick ‘n’ mix on a Saturday afternoon but ladybird clothes and shoes. I was without doubt shocked and very aware that it would change the face of the high street forever.
Then more recently Faith shoes – now I’m not an avid follower of fashion, preferring Primark to Prada, but these were the life blood of my university days as a PR undergraduate.
Even more depressingly it is virtually impossible to read anything about the print industry, which is where I started my career, without hearing of another business that has had no choice but to close its doors – in some cases after hundreds of years of trading, leaving a shop floor of workers without jobs.
So what is it that is keeping some companies above water while others are sinking like the titanic? Once up on a time bad business practice, poor quality products or lousy service could be attributed to the subsequent downfall of a company but now it seems that times have changed.
In some cases, but admittedly not all, these businesses have worked hard. They have strategies in place and targets set, their employees work long hours but they also have to rely on others to do the same.
Ultimately what this means is that when their suppliers leave the market at short notice they are often soon to follow. This may always have been the case but prices weren’t driven down to such low margins, resulting in companies losing money to secure an order.
And then, it’s fair to say, others are simply faced with bad luck.
Here at Open Comms we are calling on people to take the rough with the smooth and to start talking about the positives. We don’t have to ignore the fact that businesses are still having a hard time but what about those that have good news stories to tell?
Let’s start shouting about them! There seems to be a good vibe in the Wakefield business district and we are hoping to see some positive stories in the media as a result – a balance between the end of an era and the start of a new, more positive journey.
The day the sky turned black
Posted on 22. Apr, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog
Alright, so that may be a slight exaggeration but who would have thought it? It was like something out of a film to wake up and hear that a cloud of ash from a volcano had grounded all flights in and out of the UK.
Little did we know at this stage that it would dominate world news and cause such immense disruption to travellers and businesses across the globe.
Even smaller businesses like Open Communications felt the affects. Not only were all headlines both on and offline dominated by the story but clients were unable to return to the country and plans had to be put on hold and meetings rearranged.
And just as we thought it was all starting to get back to how it should be – with happy, smiling families returning in their droves – headlines start appearing with suggestions of over caution.
Now the debate has gone on for some days now and is starting to pick up pace with comments about whether flights should have been grounded at all – I have to admit, I would definitely prefer to wait for the all clear than to risk getting on a flight that may have problems as a result.
As the Civil Aviation Authority has said that this was “an immense challenge, unknown in the UK or Europe in living memory” I think the advice that they gave, although disruptive, was in the best interests and safety of all those involved.
Adding another unexpected twist to this story, the European Union then stated that all airlines were legally bound to pay expenses to those stranded, with Ryan Air boss, Michael O’Leary saying he would ‘rather go to court than refund expenses’.
However in a ‘not so surprising’ back track he has now announced he will in fact comply and pay those who are out of pocket.
Now this may just be me being a cynical PR, but I would suspect that this has far more to do with damage limitation to the brand and its reputation than about what he really felt.
So to summarise, the headlines are still dominated with the story; should or shouldn’t flights have been grounded, over cautious or simply safety conscious and now to pay or not to pay expenses but the simple fact remains – the headlines would have been very different this week if it was found that ash does affect engines and flights were grounded involuntarily, killing thousands of innocent passengers as a result.
I know which crisis communications strategy I would rather be working on as a press officer for an airline or the CAA.
To facebook or not to facebook, that is the question
Posted on 14. Apr, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog
Now, it should come as no surprise that as a PR agency we encourage our clients, where appropriate, to engage with social media in order to effectively promote their brand and business.
This could include developing their own blog, using twitter, monitoring social media mentions, posting comments on forums or simply creating a linkedin profile – the list goes on.
At Open Comms we use a slightly different approach to some agencies and we guide our clients into the process, taking small steps with them until they feel comfortable enough to put a full social media strategy in place.
This approach has worked and matching the social media tool to the client has achieved some great results. So, I was quite shocked when a number of friends on my personal facebook page asked why we don’t have a page for Open Comms.
My answer – in all honesty I’m not sure what benefit it will deliver for us as a business. Do we really think that people want to become a ‘fan’ of Open Comms and would people really turn to facebook when looking for a public relations agency?
Now, before some of you combust, we do understand that like any client we would advise, facebook would improve seo and would allow us to engage further with our audience and monitor communications about our brand and business but I just don’t feel it would really support what we want to achieve.
I’m quite open to opinion about this and would really like to hear what others have to say on the matter. Are clients really likely to visit your facebook profile? Do they want to ‘poke’ you or throw a sheep at you? And would a Farmville request for a strawberry bush really help to justify the time we have spent on their account in the last month?
In all honesty, I’m not convinced.
Great news for Delicious Alchemy
Posted on 13. Apr, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog
Our client, Delicious Alchemy, the supplier of gluten and wheat free foods, has secured two new listings in Booths.
Giving people with Coeliac Disease more choice at breakfast time, Delicious Alchemy Gluten Free Rolled Oats and Gluten Free Riceflake Porridge, both feature on the aisles from the start of this month.
Making life a little simpler for those with Coeliac Disease, the new breakfast products help people with the condition to stay fuller for longer. Watch this space for more exiting announcements over the coming months and remember its National Coeliac Awareness Week from 10 – 16 May.
An excuse – it’s Easter
Posted on 01. Apr, 2010 by Lindsey Davies in Blog
Well we all know how difficult it can be to cram in all the last minute work we have to do before a bank holiday – and in this case, a double bank holiday! Although we are all excited - with many a post on Facebook about it really being a Friday - there comes a time when you wonder if there really are enough hours in the day.
So, what are up to at Open? Well, we came in early to get the day off to a great start and then at 4.30pm we are taking a much deserved ‘Excuse, it’s Easter’ break with our friends from the Estate. Hannah from Lightsong Media Group and Yvonne from Yvonne Thurley Design Studio are both coming across for cake and a natter.
Not enough hours in the day? When there’s cake and a quick natter involved there are ALWAYS enough hours in the day.
HAPPY EASTER from all at Open.
Well, hello and welcome to our blog
Posted on 22. Mar, 2010 by admin in Blog
It’s been a long time coming but we are pleased to announce that we will be using it to keep you up to date with all of our news, views, thoughts and perhaps the odd bit of banter here and there from now on.
Despite working on blogs for a number of our clients including Farmer Copleys and Enterprise UK we were guilty of never get around to having our own! Silly really but we have been really busy.
As many of you will already know, we recently moved offices and although we are now happily settled in, all in all it was quite a traumatic experience. Needless to say we called upon a little help from our friends and would like to thank everyone who came to our rescue.
In particular we would like to thank Caroline from Re-Work Office Furniture who provided us with some fantastic desks and a lovely coffee table. Despite the fact that the furniture isn’t ‘new’ it was affordable and fits perfectly with our bid to be as green as we can be.
We would also like to mention Eleventeenth, our previous landlords, who were very accommodating when it came to our ever changing timescales and plentiful questions.
So, anyway, we’re in and looking forward to meeting all of our new neighbours at Nostell Priory Estate Yard. It’s certainly proving to be both a beautiful and creative place to work.
Check in for further updates on what we are up too – there are some exciting plans in the pipelines.
