Category: Blog

Don’t dismiss the opportunities on your doorstep

Posted on June 10, 2013 by

As you would expect of a PR agency, we are often asked to recommend media channels for brands and businesses when developing campaigns, events and stunts.

Although many agencies would quickly recommend national media with larger audiences (and not surprisingly commanding bigger budgets) we always think about the objectives of that particular activity and how the message will be communicated by our chosen medium.

It is always surprising when businesses and agencies dismiss regional media whether for advertising or editorial opportunities. We term these titles heartland, as they are usually located at the heart of a community where a brand or business is based.

Although many companies believe that the CEO or Managing Director of a business will only read leading trade and national titles it’s fair to say that in our experience that isn’t true. Many leading senior executives will read regional media to find out what is going on in their local area.

What is most frustrating about this situation is when people are dismissive of regional titles to then get excited when they feature in them – it’s one way or another!

We have long been an advocate of regional media and the opportunities that print and broadcast media offer; promotions, competitions, editorial, features, advertorials and of course standard advertising.

Next time you are considering a campaign think about the businesses that are based in your local area. Are they large or small? Would you send the MD of a multi-million pound business packing because he was local? Unlikely, so perhaps the same thought process should go to working and engaging with regional titles and channels.

The beauty of PR is that you don’t have to be restrictive so if your preferred agency dismisses regional media ask them why. If they say people don’t read the papers, listen to the radio stations or watch the local news take this simple test – ask people you meet in everyday life what the last paper, radio station or TV news programme they engaged with was. I bet there is at least 6 out of 10 who will mention a regional title, station or programme then you have your answer.

The truth is that people do read, listen to and watch regional media and as a result this makes them a valid medium for engagement with prospects and customers. 

Good old community engagement

Posted on June 7, 2013 by

 

As brands branch out and look for national profiling it’s often at the expense of their heartland activity and support that they offer within their local community.

This is not helped by shrinking budgets and a brands quest to maximise their reach and in turn the investment in all aspects of product and service promotion.

Heartland activity can and should be an important part of a brands plans and we actively recommend this to all of our clients, whether that’s developing regional editorial, promotion and profiling, sponsorship or charitable activities.

With this in mind it was great to see Halifax bank so heavily involved in a community campaign at the weekend.

Halifax ran a Big Lunch charitable event and organised a number of fundraising activities at one of my local parks, Hemsworth Waterpark. They were raising funds for air ambulance through tombola’s, facepainting and obviously sandwiches and snacks – all in return for donations. It was a great example of a grassroot campaign and demonstrated just how impactful it is to get into the heart not just of the community but of local people too.

Now there wasn’t 1000’s of people there but enough to warrant effort and time; it was all about the quality of engagement. It was also a great example of how keeping things simple can really works – it shouldn’t always be fanfare and fireworks.

As a family we really enjoyed the experience, who doesn’t enjoy dipping into the tombola – even if you’re only winning bubble bath! They even ran a dog show and my husband was persuaded to enter our own pooch. Now it certainly wasn’t about the best dog in class or breeding but the dogs that were most obedient (mmm), cutest and had the waggiest tail!

I’m pleased to say that Obi (our dog) proudly has two rosettes to show off and happily slavered over three chewy treats. Thank you Halifax we had a great afternoon.

Obi Proudly showing off his rosettes

Have we all gone a tribunal too far?

Posted on June 6, 2013 by

 

It was one of those really worrying situations where you’re not sure if you’re watching a comedy, a spoof or a real life documentary. Yes people, on Tuesday evening we sat down to ‘The Call Centre’ and I am SO pleased that we did.

Firstly this is car crash TV at its very best but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be watched and enjoyed – just be warned, if you or your other half work in HR you may need a stiff drink to get you through.

For those of you who have not had the absolute pleasure, The Call Centre is real life business based in Swansea. As the name would suggest, it is a call centre employing hundreds of staff from the local area.

As you would imagine from an office of this size, there are more than your average number of characters – as if this alone wasn’t a recipe for TV documentary success, enter stage left, the owner, ‘uncle’ Nev.

We watched this programme for half an hour still debating if it was in fact real or if it was one of those strange programmes we now get where half of it is made up and half of it is ‘kind of’ realish’. As I never watch programmes that can’t make up their mind what they want to be, I was considering turning over when we ‘Googled’ (because Google is the fountain of all knowledge) and realised, despite our absolute horror and amazement, it is in fact real – every last comedy gold part of it.

So, anyway, here’s the thing. Nev clearly doesn’t go by the book. He tells his staff to shut up, throws things at them and screams ‘GET OUT’ at the top of his voice to those he has just interviewed – better still, they are the poor individuals that got the job! He also engages in conversations that in any normal office environment would be an absolute NO GO!

As an example, one of his staff was feeling particularly down after being dumped (it happens to us all), so Nev says ‘You’ve been a right miserable b*stard for the last month and we all know why’. As if this wasn’t bad enough he then parades this poor girl around the office asking anyone if they want to take her out on a date.

It doesn’t even stop there… he then sets up a speed dating event, yes an arranged function with hundreds of people, just to get this girl a date. He then sends her home with ‘said match’ and makes them bake cakes!

Then we move on to the recently appointed tea lady. Having tried to work in the call centre this young girl realises it’s just not for her but rather than get rid, Nev decides there is a role for her to make tea and coffee for everyone. What was astounding and heart-warming was that this girl takes this job really seriously. It’s apparent if she’s going to be a tea lady she is clearly going to be the best tea lady.

When her delightful co-workers decide to hide her tea bags and teaspoons all hell breaks loose and there are tears, tantrums and warnings – I kid you not, you couldn’t make it up!

What was amazing about this programme was that although there must have been at least 20 scenarios where we turned to each other and said ‘He can’t do that’, ‘You can’t say that’, ‘He is going to end up in a tribunal’, surprisingly I think there’s a lot that we can all learn from Nev.

He has a happy workforce for a start and people who are committed to his business. Ok, they know he’s nuts and openly admit that he is one-of-a-kind but that’s no bad thing. As a result of Nev and his attitude (his team meetings are called a s*it sandwich because you have a sandwich and he gives you s*it) people respect and to some degree appreciate him and his straight forward and no nonsense style.

Move over Sir Alan Sugar, Nev is in town and as far as the Davies’ household goes, he’s leaps and bounds in front of any car crash TV that you can produce and after the most recent series of The Unemployable – sorry I mean Apprentice – I didn’t think I would be saying that.

At the very least you can have some sympathy, empathy and dare I add respect for these people. They are real and perhaps we all need a Nev in our lives to remind us of what ‘being yourself’ can achieve. There are definite lessons I’m taking from Nev and perhaps we need to stop looking for reasons to criticise employers and employees. May be what we need to do instead is get some personality back to the workplace and god forbid have some fun!  

I don’t think we will be throwing things at people in Open any time soon or screaming at the top of our lungs but we just may think more about how we can inject some of Nevs better ideas into the agency.

Anyone for a s*it sandwich?

AR / QR codes serving a real purpose

Posted on May 30, 2013 by

Working with the creative industries can be challenging at times because although the technologies and tools that we have access to are exciting and in many instances revolutionary it is important that we do our job, and that means recommending that clients invest in new innovations for the right reasons.

 

AR (augmented reality) can be a very testing example. Using Blippar, AR codes bring a product or service ‘to life’ creating an interactive visual for consumers to watch and engage with. This technology was a real triumph for the UK, after launching in 2011 it has become a subject that is regularly debated around agency and client boardrooms.

 

The same can be said for QR (quick response) codes, which are more frequently cropping up on posters, marketing materials, packaging and even business cards! Consumers are used to seeing these codes now and I don’t argue that they are attracting attention but how successful a campaign will be as a result of a QR code featuring on pack remains to be seen.

 

Turning this theory completely on its head, I read a piece recently about Mercedes Benz who have clearly thought long and hard about how this technology can be used to massive benefit, and are now featuring QR codes on all of their vehicles.

 

The reason they are doing this is to help to save car crash victims. When the QR code is scanned it will take the viewer to a webpage which will give details of how to cut into each vehicle to save those trapped inside as a result of a road traffic accident.

 

What’s even more commendable about this story is that Daimler have waivered the right to patent the innovation and are actually encouraging other manufacturers to include QR codes on their vehicles. 

 

Now this is a campaign that uses QR codes and I can completely understand why. Equally however those responsible for choosing to use this technological innovation in this way have sat down and thought about objectives – how can this technology add value to our customers and make life easier for others.

 

All they now have to rely on is police, firemen and paramedics carrying around SmartPhones but perhaps this is an opportunity for forces, brigades and NHS services to ensure that their employees are equipped with the tools that they need to do the job. Better still, perhaps one of the leading phone brands could commit to providing a number of Smart enabled devices per force, brigade and service?

 

There is no doubt that times continue to change and if ever there was a PR stunt ready for the taking it’s right here. So come on West Yorkshire police force, fire service and NHS Trust, step forward, I know a good PR agency who will support you with this investment story!

I’m not down with the kids but…

Posted on May 23, 2013 by

 

…I do know the importance of keeping it real! I’ve been in a number of meetings lately and it always surprises me when people commend the fact that what you see is what you get with Open Communications.

We’ve been going for nearly five years now (phew – where did that time go?) and we’ve always done the same. The business has evolved but our values have remained the same – if you want a PR agency that can do the job and do it well then our number is on the contact page, if however you want air kissing and champagne then we’re not for you.

It’s not that we aren’t friendly, far from it. I’d like to think that many of our clients have become friends over the years and that this has meant that we have genuinely long standing relationships, which mean we work as an extension of their teams – as if we were internal. This in turn makes it easier to provide honest advice that will help them to develop creative campaigns that meet with their objectives.

We’ve never been a PR agency that goes along with something we don’t believe in, we don’t say ‘yes’ to a contract because it’s there, we feel that being passionate about what we work on is really important and is another reason we are able to do a good job. Our accountant may not agree but there have been times when we have turned work down because although the contract would have been lucrative it didn’t fit with our values or we simply couldn’t see the campaign meeting with the clients expectations.

There has been a lot of news lately about the reputation that the PR industry has and I’ve always been very honest in that I feel many agencies offer the world and deliver very little. The unfortunate situation here is that brands have a bad experience with one agency and then never commission an agency again – and that’s not just the agency who handled the account badly in the first place, it’s any agency!

So for all those who want to work with an agency that DOES delivery and WILL work hard to achieve the results that have been promised, we are here and the kettle is on.

In all seriousness it shouldn’t be surprising to find a PR agency that is open, honest and willing to offer advice and guidance that makes sense. Until our industry realises that then ‘we’ will go on having a reputation that in some cases is very much undeserved.

 

National Accolades for Yorkshire Attractions

Posted on May 23, 2013 by

 

Once again key attractions and visitor destinations from across Yorkshire have put the region on the map after winning a handful of awards at this week’s Visit England Excellence Awards.

 

Yorkshire was recognised in eight categories, from Whitby’s Captain Cook Memorial Museum picking up a gold award for best Small Visitor Attraction of the Year through to Samuel’s at Swinton Park in Masham receiving a Gold accolade for the taste of England category.

 

It was great to see Eureka, the National Children’s Museum recognised too; they collected an award within the Access for All category. My children, who are 9 and 7, have grown up with the attraction and never tire of dropping in to check out their latest exhibition, each time enjoying a new experience and getting something different from the trip as they grow and look at things differently.

 

It’s a well-deserved accolade. We have also recently worked with the Eureka team, during a seasonal campaign for one of our clients, and we were able to see first-hand how hard the team work as well as the outstanding results that they achieve.

 

Closer to home Wakefield Visitor Centre took home a silver award for Visitor Information Provider of the Year, a fab achievement and icing on the cake for the City Centre following the first ever Retailer Awards, which took place last weekend.


Awards create natural opportunities for individuals and organisations to shout about their experience and expertise. They are a fantastic platform for showcasing best practice and shouting about the things that you are doing really well.

 

It’s great seeing people rewarded for their hard work and the pride of those that get on the stage to pick up the accolade. If you’re doing great things, you’re proud of your team and your organisation’s achievements then awards are an excellent way to celebrate what you do. 

 

As a PR agency, we help many of our clients identify awards that would be relevant to them, integrating local and sector award opportunities into their annual communications plan.

 

Why not think about your award potential, it costs nothing to check them out and who knows you could be picking up an accolade too. Not only is it a great boost for your team but gives credibility and acknowledgement of the great work that you are doing. Awards also show that you are confident and proud of what you have achieved.

 

Well done to all of the Visit England winners, especially those for the Yorkshire Region!

Stepping Into PR

Posted on May 22, 2013 by

Over 4½ years ago Open Communications launched into the market, two ambitious PR professionals looking to do things a little differently when it came to delivering outstanding public relations.

We’re pleased to say that we have never looked back and have built an enviable client list, while also working in one of the most idyllic locations within Wakefield.

It’s hard work but equally exciting.

We also have a great team which we’re looking to expand.

Following a number of new account wins we’re looking for someone that shares our passion for PR, someone ambitious and eager to learn whilst working with some of the UK’s leading brands.

The successful candidate will be a good communicator, have excellent writing skills and a good working knowledge of social media.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who is just starting out in their career. If you’re interested in joining our team simply send your CV to emma.lupton@opencomms.co.uk or lindsey.davies@opencomms.co.uk and tell us why you’re passionate about PR.

Feeling the ‘Press’ure

Posted on May 21, 2013 by

There is no doubt that the PR and marketing industry has changed over recent years and will never be the same again. This, in my opinion, is primarily down to people having less time and a shift in media consumption.

Once upon a time you would buy a paper, read it and pass it on. You may watch some TV and listen to the radio too, whereby you were likely to come across some strategically placed advertisements suggesting that you buy this or that.

Press advertising and outdoor displays have been around for as long as I can remember but the use of digital has taken consumer engagement to a completely new level and this is what has impacted on traditional media sales.

As more publications become available online, a greater number of commuters, business men and women, choose to read the press before they get into work – usually on their smart phones or iPads meaning that there is no need or desire for them to purchase a paper, never mind read it during work hours.

As a result of these changes printed media are having to do more to engage with their audience and showcase why they are different and what value a person can gain from both reading in print and online versions of their publications.

Many printed business press have chosen to hold round table events, which bring together market leaders – this gives them the time to debate current industry topics, while also providing the journalist with the chance to sit in a room full of potential content and if they time it right an exclusive or two!

Most publications now have online versions as well as printed options so it’s a balancing act between having what the consumer wants and still showcasing the value of print.

As an agency that has worked within the print market for more than 10 years, we know the value and benefit of print, not least the tangible aspect of a creatively designed, full colour piece. There is no doubt that there is still a place for print and The Drum, a marketing trade publication, has gone one step further.

I received an email yesterday with the subject: ‘My Big Mistake’. Naturally I wondered what that mistake would be – there can be some interesting #fails when you work in our industry. Never did I think this ‘mistake’ would be one of the most insightful, challenging and intriguing ideas I’ve come across.

The Drum have decided to complete an edition of the magazine in front of a live audience – yes, live! Those who attend the event on 3 July will see the team plan the publication layout, make decisions about the front cover story plus what other news will and won’t make the cut. In addition interviews will take place there and then with questions asked about the angles that should be chosen for feature pieces that will appear within the final piece.

Not only is this brave but it’s an incredible way of getting people to understand The Drum and how it works. It will give people a genuine insight into what makes good copy and what questions the team ask before submitting a final piece to go to print.

Unfortunately I won’t be in a position to attend the event but I can’t wait to read the final piece. Everyone attending will get an editorial credit – again, a very good ideas and just one way to get people to really buy in to the publication.

Well done to The Drum – a huge thumbs up! They are taking print to the masses, getting them involved, engaging with their audience, building brand loyalty and injecting some genuine creativity and excitement into what they do – nice work.

What impression do you make?

Posted on May 15, 2013 by

 

We work with lots of local businesses across a range of sectors – not just those who are looking for PR but also suppliers who can provide us with products and services as and when we need them. Where possible we try to work locally as it makes sense to us – why go anywhere else when what you really need is on your doorstep.

And this is how we came across a very good friend and business colleague, Keith Williams. Many of the people reading this blog will already know who Keith is. As a very well networked individual and character, Keith is not shy and imparts his knowledge whenever we meet.

I was therefore intrigued when I received an email from Keith providing the following insights:

“As animals we are programmed to use all our four senses to gain a first impression. This is known to take around 10 seconds. On the telephone you rely on just one sense, hearing, to form an impression so if you take the 10 seconds and divide it by the 4 senses this gives the caller 2.5 seconds to form a favourable impression.

Once the impression has been made, research tells us, it will take a further 7 meetings or conversations before that impression is altered. If you need to form a relationship with a stranger, by telephone, you have 2.5 seconds to establish the basis for a favourable relationship.  If you fail; that contact has been lost to you.”

Now I don’t know about anyone else but I can think of a number of conversations where I have known this to be the case – not just with people I have called but those who have called me. The conversations where I close down usually involve the words ‘synergy’ and ‘can you give me the contact for’.  

So why would I be passing this information on? Well, Keith has a business called the Yes Project and he works with companies of all sizes to build relationships and put processes in place which deliver results. I guess for all intents and purpose this blog is a bit of a plug but with some good theory to back it up.

Keith is currently working with people who want to make a better first impression on the telephone. So, the question is do you believe that your telephone effectiveness is worth more than £35 to you?

 Yes?  Then email Keith at keith@keith-williams.co.uk and arrange to be part of the 60 minute workshop on securing favourable first impressions by telephone.

And if you don’t think it’s worth bothering with, just spend one day considering how many people could have secured your business, or worse how many prospects you could be working with if you took the time to consider what impression you were making EVERY time you used the phone.

Who wants to be a millionaire?

Posted on May 10, 2013 by

Well, how exciting. Hold on to your hats people, we are all going to rolling it in, wadded, busting with cash, minted – rich! Yes rich!

Get your resignation letters at the ready and pack your bags – according to the Yorkshire Evening Post, Yorkshire is one of the luckiest places in the country as a result of the number of lottery winners there have been from the region.

Now, I would take this news with a pinch of salt as it seems to be a press release which I’m guessing has been sent out to all counties to provide a variation on the number of winners in particular postcodes. The good news however is that if you live in Doncaster or Wakefield your chances would appear to be higher than others in the Yorkshire region – so still good news by comparison.

So come on then. How many people will be running to their local corner shop or supermarket this evening to get their lines on? Let’s all hope that lady luck is shining on us this weekend and that we can celebrate a bumper number of millionaires from the region following Saturday’s draw.