What is SEO PR? Why using a combined Digital PR and SEO strategy is the key to success

What is SEO PR? Why using a combined Digital PR and SEO strategy is the key to success

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Good content and outreach are the foundation of digital PR and SEO, so it makes sense to formulate a combined strategy to help drive traffic, increase visibility and generate valuable publicity for your content.

In this article, we’ll explore how Digital PR and SEO can come together to form an integrated SEO PR strategy and the benefits of bringing these disciplines together to accelerate success online.

What is SEO?

SEO, short for Search Engine Optimisation, refers to the process of driving organic traffic from search engines to your website, using a set of practices designed to get your content to rank better in the SERPs (search engine results page).

Most people discover content online from organic search results, so a good SEO strategy is key for driving traffic to your website.

Google’s algorithm is responsible for determining where pages rank for a specific search query, and this is dependent on how compliant pages and content are with Google’s ranking factors.

To optimise your content to rank highly in search engines, you’ll need to consider:

1. Keyword research

Keyword research is the vital first step when optimising your content for SEO purposes. Paid SEO tools such as SEMrush, Moz and Ahrefs provide extensive keyword data, covering everything from competitor analysis, gaps in your keyword research and keyword difficulty to help you make informed decisions when finding keywords to target in your content.

However, free platforms such as Google’s Keyword Planner and Google Trends are also valuable for finding relevant keywords. You’ll still find essential insights like search volume to help you select the higher-priority keywords that will help you drive traffic, but paid sites offer more data to ensure you utilise the right keywords for your content.

2. On-page SEO and page structure

On-page SEO is the vital optimisation stage. Once you know which keywords you’re targeting and you have your content written up, on-page SEO techniques are essential if you’re hoping to drive traffic and get your content ranking highly in the SERPs. On-page SEO includes:

Header tags
Structuring your content with appropriate header tags. This not only makes your content more readable for both users and search engines, but gives you the opportunity to highlight your primary and secondary keywords. The H1 on your page should also include the primary keyword and acts as the main title at the very top of your page, while H2s and H3s mark the following subheadings.

Page title and meta description
A page title and meta description are the first element of your content users will interact with in the SERPs, giving them a chance to preview the subject of your content as a snippet, ultimately influencing whether they engage and whether your snippets attract clicks. Beyond that, a well-structured page title and meta description, including your keywords, will indicate to crawlers and search engines what your page is trying to rank for.

Keywords
So, now you’ve done all your keyword research and selected the most relevant phrases with significant search volume, using keywords doesn’t stop at your header tags. Using your keyword throughout the body of your content is essential for indicating to both users and search engines that the entirety of your content is relevant and adequately answers the search query the keywords are targeting.

While the first section of your content is arguably most important for engaging the user and keeping them reading on to lessen the chance of a high bounce rate, using variations of your keyword throughout you can signal to search engines what your content is about, helping you rank higher in the SERPs for your primary keyword.

However, using keywords in the body of your content will only be effective if you avoid keyword stuffing. Only include your keywords if it feels natural and purposeful, as search engines like Google can pick up on the relevancy of keyword use, and black hat SEO tactics often do more harm than good.

Images and videos
Using visual aids on the page works alongside your content by enhancing your overall message and engaging the user by splitting up large chunks of text that would appear weighty. According to Search Engine Land, web content done right should be designed for skim reading, as it’s found that online audiences ‘scan through it in order to find quick visual cues that will help them get the information they want. When they see something that appeals to them, they’ll stop and read more thoroughly’.

But, beyond ensuring your content is user-friendly and readable, optimising your images and videos with relevant file names and alt text helps to boost both SEO and accessibility. From an SEO perspective, descriptive alt text helps Google understand your image and how it relates to your content.

Internal and external links
Internal and external links with optimised anchor text focused on relevant keywords are vital for your content to rank highly in the SERPs. The first step is to understand the difference between internal and external links.

Internal links direct to a target page on your site, increasing engagement by providing users with a call-to-action where they can follow up on further information about a particular topic. As well as that internal links also help to direct crawlers around your site, helping search engine bots navigate your site and find other related pages. On the other hand, external links point to another website – linking to trustworthy material that helps to back up your content from an authoritative source improving your content’s credibility.

When using internal and external links, it’s also essential to optimise your anchor text to ensure users and search engines understand what the webpage you’re linking to is about and how it relates to your content. Anchor text, or link text is the clickable text of a link within the body of your content; it’s typically displayed in blue and underlined. Using keyword-rich anchor text that’s relevant, natural and varied will help your content rank.

3. Building links to your content

Link building is arguably one of Google’s most significant ranking factors in SEO. As mentioned in the above point outlining internal and external links, relevant links pointing out from your content to authoritative sites can help to position the article as trustworthy in the eyes of Google.

The other side of that, however, is that other websites can also link to your content, positioning it as an authoritative and expert source of reference – in SEO, these are called backlinks. An easy way to think of a backlink is as a ‘vote of confidence’; the more backlinks you acquire from credible sites, the higher your content can rank in the SERPs.

Acquiring backlinks are where traditional PR techniques come to play, as outreach is a common theme for both PR and SEO. While creating high-quality content means you’ll increase the chance of your article being found and linked to organically, SEOs regularly practise outreach for link building to promote the article and ask relevant people, bloggers, organisations or websites to link to your content.

Knowing this, the natural affinity between PR and SEO is apparent. Backlinks are one of the most fundamental elements of successful SEO, and Digital PR methods can aid this enormously.

What is SEO PR, and how is it different to traditional PR?

Aided by the knowledge of SEO foundations, it’s time to apply all you already know about Digital PR with SEO techniques to build your SEO PR strategy.

Now more than ever, PR and SEO are being thought of less as separate disciplines but as intrinsically linked due to their shared requirements for success – high-quality content and credible and authoritative media coverage or backlinks.

So, what is SEO PR, and how can it be understood? In short, SEO PR isn’t too dissimilar from traditional PR. SEO PR is still centred around creating high-quality content or campaigns and pitching to media to secure coverage but with the bonus of SEO-optimised content stemming from keyword research and on and off-page SEO tactics to generate organic traffic and discoveries from the SERPs.

SEO PR shouldn’t be considered a replacement for traditional PR methods but as PR and SEO working together and complementing each other for even greater success within campaigns, content and coverage.

However, one key difference is how PR and SEO professionals track the success of content and campaigns and the metrics they measure. While traditional PRs measure content success using metrics such as volume, reach, media opportunities, social engagement, and sentiment, SEOs measure organic traffic, keyword rankings, search visibility, revenue, sessions, and bounce rate.

The beauty of Digital PR and its primary focus on online forums is that PRs can use SEO metrics to measure the success of their online campaigns, all while propelling the reach of their content through SEO optimisation. On the flip side, SEO benefits from quality backlinks and general brand awareness – strengthened and supported by Digital PR expertise.

Top ways to implement a SEO PR strategy as a Digital PR professional

So, now you know how to optimise your content using SEO techniques, it’s time to combine what you already know about Digital PR and SEO to implement your winning SEO PR strategy.

Below, we’ll explore the synergy of PR and SEO to weave out the top ways you can actualise your combined strategy as a Digital PR professional:

Better understand your target audience with keyword research

The best way to guarantee your content creates a buzz and becomes a newsworthy piece picked up in the media is by directly appealing to your audience and what they’re currently talking about online.

With keyword research tools, as previously discussed, you can find out which keywords your audience is interested in and the volume of the search queries surrounding a specific subject.

Once you have a better idea of your audience, the topics of interest, and the keywords they’re using to discuss the subject online, you can tailor your word usage to reflect your target audience and become more aware of the media outlets your target audience are likely to engage with.

Target sites with a high Domain Authority (DA)

Domain Authority (DA) is a metric devised by Moz to measure how authoritative a site is. Websites are given a score from 1 – 100, 100 being the best possible score and a greater probability of ranking highly in the SERPs.

Link data is the principal determiner of an authority score. Sites with a large amount of high-quality external links will have a higher DA, and smaller sites with fewer external links pointing to them will have a lower DA.

With this in mind, it makes sense to consider the DA of sites you’re outreaching as part of your SEO PR strategy. Use SEO tools, such as Moz and SEMrush, to factor in a site’s DA when compiling your media outreach hit list, as a backlink from a website with a high authority score is an SEO PR win.

PR link building: focus on building high-authority backlinks through Digital PR campaigns

As we all know, PRs are experts in outreach, which is why Digital PR and SEO work together so well. Once you’ve compiled a list of relevant websites with high DAs, it’s time to start the SEO PR outreach effort to ‘earn’ high-authority backlinks.

Digital PRs are specialists in media relations, pitching and press release distribution, making them experts in outreach and acquiring links – something many SEOs describe as one of the hardest parts of the job.

In SEO, for a backlink to be considered high-authority, the links must be ‘earned’ and not paid for, meaning obtaining links from sites with high DAs, such as the BBC or Forbes, is a challenging endeavour that can often take time.

Digital PRs have the expertise of putting time into researching journalists and knowing how to grab their interest with a tailored pitch, making Digital PR link-building essential to successful SEO.

So, is SEO PR the future for Digital PR professionals?

The natural synergies between Digital PR and SEO make both disciplines invaluable to the other. By using these SEO techniques, PRs can optimise their content to increase visibility across search engines, drive traffic for your brand and monitor the success of Digital PR campaigns. On the other hand, SEOs can utilise the expertise of Digital PRs to acquire high-quality backlinks to increase the authoritativeness of a website.

While SEO PR isn’t a replacement for traditional PR techniques, it embraces the natural link between Digital PR and SEO that professionals can combine to form a strategy that brings substantial success.

For more guidance on SEO best practices, download our white paper.

How have the UK media been covering industrial action in the travel sector

Trends in UK journalism: How is the media covering industrial action in transport?

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In the last few months, the news headlines have been dominated by the ongoing strikes across different sectors. Nurses, train drivers and Post Office workers have been among those calling for wage increases to match the rises in inflation.

One of the sectors calling for industrial action that has probably impacted the most people is the transport industry. Regular train strike days have affected commuters, airport and passport office strikes have altered holidaymakers plans, while bus and taxi drivers have also taken action.

We decided to take a look at what newspapers and broadcasters have been requesting and researching on this topic via the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service, alongside other subjects trending in the media.

Sign up to start receiving requests from the UK media direct to your inbox with the Journalist Enquiry Service.

There are 25 categories in total on the Journalist Enquiry Service but we’re honing in on four that are most relevant to the transport industry: Transport & Logistics, Motoring, Travel and Public Sector, and Third Sector & Legal.

If we look at all four categories over the last six months, 61% of the journalists sending requests are staff while 21% are freelance journalists. There is then quite an even spread for the media types they are coming from. Trade/business/professional media just comes out on top with 30% of the total requests, with consumer media just behind on 29% and national newspaper/current affairs on 23%. Journalists sending requests in these categories have mainly been looking for information for an article (36%), with enquiries for a spokesperson or expert next on 28%, review products on 12% and personal case studies on 10%.

This gives us an overall picture, but we can delve further into each category and see what media types and publications are sending requests. Firstly, we will look at the Transport & Logistics category. 47% of requests in this category came from trade/business/professional media titles. These included the likes of Logistics Manager, Industrial News and BizClik.

There was also a request from Future Rail magazine looking for the ‘rail industry trends for 2023’. The majority of the journalists sending requests in this category were also looking for information for an article (48%) with 30% asking for a spokesperson or expert. This provides ample opportunity for PRs to get experts and information featured within the trade media.

National press journalists are the next biggest users of this category with 23% sending an enquiry. Newspapers like The Daily Telegraph and The Times used the service. The nature of the requests varied quite widely with an I paper journalist looking for information on how to handle travel disruption, a Daily Star reporter looking to speak to a female pilot in the airline industry and a MailOnline writer asking for case studies around the ULEZ expansion.

This gives lots of opportunities to get clients featured in national press across a variety of different angles. There is also a fair amount of broadcast media journalists sending requests in this category with 12% coming from the radio & television media type. This has included the likes of ITV News, 5 News and GB News. Mainly, they have been focused on covering the strikes, either looking for locations to film at or case studies of commuters/people affected by the industrial action.

The Motoring category differs from Transport & Logistics, with national press journalists being the biggest users (42%) here over the last six months. This has included titles such as The Sun Online, The Independent and Metro. Requests have not focused specifically on the industrial action, but instead looking for an expert on petrol stations (for The Mirror Online) and case studies of slashing car insurance by buying a dash cam (for The Sun).

Consumer media is the second biggest media type within the motoring category, on 26%, with titles like Parkers sending requests, followed by trade media on 13%, with outlets such as Automotive World and Car Mechanics.

One of the keywords that comes up within the motoring category over the last six months is ‘EV’ or electric vehicle. This has occurred in over 4% of requests within this category. EV Magazine, Saga Exceptional, Verdict and ITV News have been among those looking for information and expert comment within this area. Any clients with expertise in this field could therefore be featured in consumer, trade or broadcast news.

The Public Sector, Third Sector & Legal category is not specifically aimed at the transport industry but a lot of requests around topical issues such as the strikes mean that journalists will select this category to get different viewpoints.

It’s mainly been used by trade titles over the last six months, with 53% of all requests coming from this media type. This has often been focused on the sustainability angle with ‘sustainable’ as a keyword appearing in 4% of all enquiries across all four categories we’ve focused on. Open Access Government, for example, was looking at sustainable development in the UK transport sector and achieving net zero emissions by 2050.

National press journalists are second in this category with 21% of all requests coming from them. The Daily Express, PA Media and Reuters all sent enquiries in the last six months. The vast majority were looking for a spokesperson or expert, which was the most popular enquiry type on 48%, followed by information for an article on 36%.

The Travel category is usually more consumer-facing and therefore it’s little surprise to see consumer media as the biggest user on 45%. Titles like GoodtoKnow and Pick Me Up! have sent enquiries around industrial action and strikes, but generally these enquiries are geared more towards holidays and tourism.

Overall, the keyword we saw most frequently across all four categories was ‘import’ which appeared in over 4% of the total requests.

‘Environment’ cropped up in 3% with ‘customers’ back on 2.5% and ‘strike’ at just over 1%. ‘Road’, ‘train’ and ‘rail’ all finished at around 1% with ‘airport’ and ‘aviation’ in about 0.5% of all the enquiries.

Depending on what you or your client has to offer, there are opportunities to get featured across all of the various media types. Experts on the transport sector and sustainability and information and case studies around the strikes and imports and exports are just some of the areas that you can look to target.

For more on how the UK media are reporting industrial strikes action in the travel sector, read our Vuelio Insights report ‘On the right track – which train companies are derailing negative press?‘. 

Want to start receiving requests from UK journalists with detailed information on what they want from PRs? Check out how to make the most of the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service. 

The impact of journalism on AI so far

The impact of AI-generated content on journalism so far

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The UK media industry is generating plenty of think pieces on the potential impacts of artificial intelligence and news on the changes it is already making. Going beyond the headlines, how concerned are journalists in reality about AI when it comes to their own work? Will the adoption of technologies like ChatGPT and Bard ultimately be a positive or negative innovation for journalism?

Our Journalist Voices by Vuelio panel considering the implications of AI included Press Gazette associate editor and New Statesman media correspondent William Turvill, Helena Pozniak, an independent journalist writing for the Telegraph, The Guardian, the Institute of Engineering and Technology and more, and freelance writer Amelia Tait, who contributes to outlets including The Guardian, The New York Times, Wired, the New Statesman, and VICE.

Already affected in their work by AI, the panellists discussed the possible problem areas ahead alongside the opportunities, as well as what PRs need to know about AI assistance in the creative industries.

It’s still early days for AI

As pointed out by William, even ChatGPT and Bard would admit that their technology is not 100% reliable and fool-proof just yet, and each of the panellists had examples of AI going wrong.

‘I was pitching an article, and I used ChatGPT for fact finding,’ shared Helena, who regularly writes about the impact of technology on society – ‘clean energy, to freedom of information, smart motorways to the environment’. The accuracy of information and reliability of sources is of utmost importance in her work – how did the AI app perform?

‘I’m so glad I double-checked the information it offered, because it had completely fabricated a massive landslide that killed thousands that never happened. So, I’m very wary and just playing around with it at the moment.’

William, who reports on the inner workings of the media itself, pointed out problems with bias already creeping into AI:

‘I’ve messed around with it. I asked it to provide a summary of the day’s news for me, and it wasn’t too good. When asked which UK news sources I could trust, it was very pro The Guardian and the BBC, but told me I couldn’t trust the Mail, the Mirror or The Sun. But I feel there is potential there’.

For Amelia, its use as an alternative to Thesaurus.com when searching for the right word came with feelings of uncertainty –

‘I asked ChatGPT to rework a sentence for me; I ultimately didn’t use what it suggested. It opened my mind a little more, but I felt a little bit dirty. I didn’t know what the ethics were on it’.

Helena offered that AI can already provide assistance on some elements of research for journalists – ‘It can summarise a research paper brilliantly and can do a lot of background research.’

What isn’t so great – the writing itself:

‘It’s just so bland. The copy AI apps come out with is so dire’.

Understanding the difference between content and journalism

‘I would distinguish between what is journalism and what is content,’ said Amelia.

‘I’ve worked for websites where you’re churning out content, and for that kind of thing, companies that aren’t investing much in talent could start using AI. And that comes with dangers on misinformation.’

That many journalists – and PRs – start their careers with duties that could be automated in future was a concern William spoke about:

‘It could be challenging for media companies that produce ‘clickbait’, or repurpose information from other sources. Those jobs are definitely at risk.’

‘Many journos don’t want to be doing that anyway, but there’s a danger of cutting off the entry level jobs into journalism; those jobs you have to do to find your bearings as a journalist. I would be concerned as someone entering the industry now.’

‘I’m sure it’s the same in PR – when you start out, you’re doing the unglamorous jobs. When doing work experience, I was walking a dog every day. AI couldn’t do that, but it could do the background research for a law firm. The ‘bottom rung’ could be in a difficult position’.

For Helena, the negatives would also reach audiences: ‘There might be a diminishing desire for longreads. You can see it on websites already with short-form summaries at the top. When time-pressed, are people really going to read something you’ve slaved over for days?’

Quality journalism requires human journalists (and journalists need human sources)

While coverage of AI can come with fearmongering, it is already embedded in parts of the journalist job successfully – as pointed out by Amelia, journalists regularly use AI transcription services for interviews, cutting hours out of the work of a writer:

‘We need to perceive these things as tools that we’ll use, that can help us rather than replace us.

I could waste ten minutes thinking of a particular word, and that’s not a skill or talent, that’s just time consuming. Using AI as a tool, that’s really encouraging and exciting’.

William underlined the importance of the human aspect of journalism. Ultimately, journalism has a human audience interested in human stories, and who better to share that than fellow humans (with assistance from AI on the admin side):

‘This has really solidified for me which journalism is going to be important in future as AI takes on some of the more basic writing and research – the journalism that journalists are going to want to do is original journalism. We will be looking for more personalisation, more research, more insightful interviews from PRs and a lot of thought going into pitches.

Something I’ve really been thinking about is stories I should be writing, I’ve set myself a test – could an AI do this research, if not now in five years. Is this useful? We’ll be looking for original stuff and any help with that is always appreciated.’

For more on how the media industry is covering AI, read our Vuelio Insights Report ‘Media attitudes to AI journalism’.

Want to connect with human journalists with stories of interest to their human readers? Check out how you can help them with sourcing experts, spokespeople, case studies and data via the Journalist Enquiry Service and find journalists covering your specialist topics on the Vuelio Media Database.

PR predictions for 2023

5 predictions for PR in 2023

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This is a guest post from Chris Norton, founder of B2B PR agency Prohibition, former University lecturer, author of “Share This Too” and his social media training blog.

The PR landscape is changing at a fast pace. New PR approaches are coming up every day and PR professionals have to always think outside the box to run effective campaigns.

In light of all this, there are a few overarching trends that are expected to have ripple effects across the public relations field. They are, ultimately, expected to shape the public relations landscape in 2023.

I’ll take you through five main PR predictions for the year 2023 so you can tap into them for PR success. Let’s get started!

1. More Prevalent Use of ChatGPT

Since OpenAI released ChatGPT in 2022, the hype about the tool has raged on. That isn’t about to change in 2023. After all, tech giant Microsoft has inked a $10-billion deal with the startup, vowing to incorporate the technology into Bing. Also, Google has declared a Code Red in response to the release of the tool. All these developments only mean one thing: we can expect a better ChatGPT and more similar tools to crop up in the near future.

Although ChatGPT is expected to continue to revolutionise the way we do PR and marketing, I still believe it won’t lead to smaller teams and massive layoffs.

Instead, the tool will further streamline PR processes to help PR professionals become more productive. So, the tool will only get better at proofreading your press release, refining your PR pitch, and helping you come up with ideas for a PR brainstorming session or social media posts. The tool will also get better at ensuring consistency across your PR (and marketing) material.

With an increased awareness of the ways an improved ChatGPT can help in PR, expect a more prevalent use of the tool in the field in 2023.

More PR professionals will adopt the technology and similar ones seamlessly into their workflow in 2023. The goal is to not be left behind by their colleagues who have already had the foresight to adapt to changes in the technological landscape early on. I covered how ChatGPT could improve PR processes in much more detail last month here.

2. Growth of Influencer Marketing

There’s no doubt that influencer marketing will continue to grow in 2023. The Influencer Marketing Benchmark Report 2023 predicts that influencer marketing will be worth $21.1 billion in 2023.

By definition, influencer marketing involves brands tapping into online influencers so they can market or promote the brands’ own services or products. This is an effective strategy since the influencer holds sway. After all, they have hundreds or thousands of followers.

Companies that harness the power of influencer marketing and add it to their PR budgets will create structured systems of sourcing and engaging influencers.

3. Continued Importance of Social Media

One notable PR prediction for 2023 is the continued importance of social media in PR.

Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook allow brands to have two-way communications with their customers and followers.

This helps them build a community of like-minded people around their products and services.

So, businesses won’t just continue to build their brands using social media. In the end, as customer engagement becomes even more important, they will continue to build social communities as well. They will strive further to get more Instagram followers, increase Facebook shares, and boost retweets in the hopes of expanding those social communities.

But Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other major social media platforms won’t be the only ways brands will engage with their customers and prospects.

Brands will tap into newer social platforms like TikTok for brand marketing and social commerce. This is especially so since it has been shown that TikTok is effective as a sales and marketing platform:

Additionally, one of the PR predictions is that owned platforms like social media will be more of a focus for brands than paid media. Around 60% of communicators said that their organisation is placing more emphasis on these.

With this greater emphasis on their own online platforms, brands are also expected to increase their cybersecurity budgets.

4. Greater Focus on Transparency and Authenticity

Audiences are expected to value transparency and authenticity even more when choosing the brands to transact with. As a result, in 2023, brands will be more open with their prospects and customers. Whenever any newsworthy events occur in the company, they will continue to reach out to niche media outlets that will help them reach their target audience.

Consumers will be even more exacting in their standards during a PR crisis. Businesses are expected to admit when things go wrong. They will be expected to communicate the clear action steps they’ll take to solve the problem. With the rising role of technologies that enable quick communication, consumers will expect brand responses in an even more immediate manner.

As brands place more value on transparency and accountability, I expect to see the digital storytelling angle of PR taking the lead in 2023. This will be even more important in 2023 as more people use social media and other communication platforms online. Businesses that continue to refuse to incorporate the use of online channels into their PR strategy will be left behind.

Brands will also share even more personal stories and authentic content. The goal is to establish brand relevance and make their business more relatable to the audience.

This is because as they look back on their interactions with consumers, brands will be more aware that authentic conversations help build strong brand communities. They will also understand that transparency will boost customer trust and portray brands as companies that care about their buyers’ needs.

5. More Targeted and Personalised Messaging

Here’s another one of my PR predictions for 2023: Targeted messaging will be even more important.

Consumers will have an even more heightened awareness of the continued development and growth of technology. As such, brands that don’t use these technologies to tailor their messages to them aren’t likely to make it.

This demand for more targeted and personalised messaging applies to journalists as well.

As it is, journalists don’t only love to see their names on pitch emails. They also want to see that brands are familiar with the work they do and what they represent.

Therefore, we will see more communication pros creating pitches that speak directly to each individual journalist’s niche and interests. In other words, the one-size-fits-all pitch approach will no longer work in the future of PR. Personalisation gives brands a better chance of being published by their target media outlets.

We will also see PR pros and communications teams embracing more diverse media in 2023. Instead of only focusing on traditional media outlets, brands will reach out with their personalised messages to podcasters, video content creators, and YouTubers for coverage.

In Closing

With the public relations landscape constantly changing, public relations professionals have to remain on top of their game to keep their companies afloat. A knowledge of PR predictions can help them do just that.

You learned five of these PR predictions from this article.

The first PR prediction is the more prevalent use of ChatGPT for PR. We will also see the increased importance of influencer marketing and the continued rise of social networks for PR. Expect to see PR pros focusing more on transparency and authenticity as consumers become even more exacting in their standards.

Finally, a more targeted and personal approach will continue to play a critical role as PR professionals pitch, not just to their target consumers, but to media outlets, podcasters, and other content creators.

If you use these PR predictions to your advantage, getting through 2023 will be a breeze for your brand.

For more trends to watch out for in 2023 in PR and comms, check out these predictions from industry experts. 

Ready to start reaching out to the media with targeted contributions? Try the Vuelio Media Database and the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service. 

Why we need to take online misinformation and disinformation seriously

Vuelio webinar: Why PRs need to take online misinformation and disinformation seriously

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Disruptive technologies from ChatGPT to AI image generators are revolutionising the way we share information. While there are many benefits to this new technology, unethical use of AI is also on the rise and fuelling the spread of misinformation in online spaces.

A recent US global trends report found that our inability to agree on what the facts are poses the biggest threat to social trust over the next 20 years. From false content around vaccines to global politics, social media users in the UK are frequently faced with the threat of disinformation.

How can PRs act now on the misinformation crisis?

Our webinar ‘Why we need to take online misinformation and disinformation seriously’ with Polis founder and CEO Thomas Barton on 27 April 2023 from 11.00 – 11.30 BST will explore how the PR industry can mitigate the threat and impact of false information through an effective comms strategy. Thomas will also talk about his work educating on the threat of misinformation and disinformation in UK Government and in schools.

Sign up here to learn:

• How legislation such as the Online Safety Bill and the Digital Services Act provide an opportunity to protect your brand and spokespeople online
• The importance of understanding the use and effects of AI generator tools
• Which audiences are most vulnerable to the impact of misinformation

Can’t join us live? Register and we’ll send you the recording.

Find more information about Thomas Barton’s work with Polis and the extent of the misinformation problem in our previous interview covering the opportunities of the Online Safety Bill and the importance of education.

For pointers on the impact of misinformation in medical communications, download our Vuelio white paper ‘Medical Misinformation: How PRs can stop the spread’.

On the right track – which train companies are derailing negative press? 

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Alongside a prolonged increase in coverage related to industrial action, train companies have been generating more national coverage in other topics too — year on year since the end of COVID-19 lockdown.

National events and crises, like the SNP leadership election and ongoing inflation, have been strong drivers in this increase of transport-related media discussion. As a result, general media interest has grown in lesser known services and smaller, company-related stories that were not otherwise generating national awareness prior to 2021.

According to the International Union of Railways, the British train sector only managed to ‘get back on track’ from COVID 19-related losses in 2022 — the Department for Transport (DfT) reported ridership as high as 95% against pre-lockdown figures.

Key Takeaways

  • Throughout Q1, Merseyrail received the highest positive and lowest negative coverage compared to competitors.
  • Avanti West Coast were a prominent feature in two of the top five news stories so far in 2023.
  • Tourism acted as a consistent source of positive coverage for Eurostar, with a particular focus on money-saving tips from families visiting Disneyland Paris and Germany.
  • When not reporting on industrial action, media interest gravitates towards examples of ‘value-led’ customer service that reflects sustainability, diversity, and inclusion.
  • ‘Reliability’ has been the most-used term used in national headlines since 1 Jan, with significant attention around Avanti West Coast and the companies that make up Govia Thameslink Railway.

Despite this slow but steady success, new challenges are arising — particularly in regards to climate goals, industrial action and ticket costs — that could quickly undo the state of economic recovery that was lost throughout the pandemic. According to independent watchdog Transport Focus, less than half of passengers feel railways deliver value for money, meaning coverage around fares and customer service will continue to be in the spotlight.

Share of Voice

 

*Data shown above was collected between 1 Jan – 1 Apr 2023 and reflects all national news coverage mentioning UK train companies in the headline or body of text. The final six companies above received the highest volume of coverage overall.

Throughout the measured period, Merseyrail received the highest positive and lowest negative coverage compared to competitors. The company’s most popular positive story was in relation to its long-awaited , which was covered by national news outlets between 22 Jan and 2 Mar 2023.

However, coverage took a slight dip between 3 – 14 Mar when all new trains had to be temporarily withdrawn due to a ‘software issue’, but negative coverage remained lower than the initial, positive response to the launch. Suzanne Grant, Commercial Director at Merseyrail, was quoted in 57% of regional and local coverage on this story, commenting that the introduction is ‘going well’ and that it’s ‘not unusual to have to make some adjustments’ with new trains entering service.

Overall coverage for Avanti West Coast, Caledonian Sleeper and ScotRail was more negative than not, while Eurostar had a relatively balanced sentiment score across the board. Over 85% of Eurostar’s positive coverage was accrued between 23 – 28 Jan, when new Brexit-related passport rules created delays that meant trains were ‘forced’ to run with empty seats. Eurostar bosses were quoted stating how this doesn’t align with the ‘huge demand’ the service now gets as the ‘greenest form of travel’ – a descriptor used in 52% of coverage.

 

Top Themes

*Data shown above was collected between 1 Jan – 1 Apr 2023 and reflects all national news coverage mentioning UK train companies in the headline or body of text.

Between 1 Jan to 1 Apr, industrial action wasn’t always the most popular topic of media interest. But in the second week of January, health and safety became the leading concern due to an attack in Paris that took place near the Gare du Nord Eurostar railway hub, though the company was mostly mentioned in headlines rather than the body of the text.

In the third week, national discussion around record-breaking fare prices was introduced and stayed of interest until the first week of February. UK rail minister Huw Merriman was quoted in 69% of this coverage, stating that the rise was ‘capped well below inflation’ and was ‘delayed’ coming into force. ScotRail was the most-mentioned company in relation to this theme, but in a more positive light when it was announced that peak fares are to be ‘axed’ for six months to encourage train travel.

During the last week of January, Brexit-related travel complications became of interest due to the aforementioned Eurostar passport incident, while the topic as a whole became a wider point of international journalistic study in the four weeks that followed.

Tourism coverage was consistent throughout the study period and supported Eurostar in diluting negative coverage each month. The most common story type was money-saving tips for families who are planning trips to Disneyland Paris or Germany.

Top Stories

*Data shown above was collected between 1 Jan – 1 Apr 2023 and reflects all national news coverage mentioning UK train companies in the headline or body of text. Top stories are calculated by volume and unique visitor reach combined.

Avanti West Coast was the only company to appear twice on the top stories chart throughout the study period. Both were closely linked, with the first covering cancellations tied to ‘record-low’ reliability ratings in an analysis by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). The term ‘reliability’ has been used negatively in 468 national headlines since September last year, but saw a significant peak between 21 Jan – 5 Mar 2023. Southeastern, Govia Thameslink Railway (which consists of Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express) and TransPennine Express were also mentioned as being ‘unreliable’ in a collective 82% of this national coverage.

The second story covered a statement released on 20 Mar by the DfT on the government website, declaring that Avanti West Coast (AWC) was granted a six-month contract extension after seeing ‘significant improvements’ in service, with cancellations falling from almost 6% to 4.2%.

Between 20 – 26 Mar, 102 national and regional news sources and 58 train and transport media outlets covered this announcement. While trade publications were relatively neutral towards the news, national sources were 42% more negative. The term ‘rewarding failure’ was used in headlines by ITV and The Guardian, which was paraphrased from public statements given by Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh, and General Secretary of the ASLEF union Mick Whelan. On the other hand, Financial Times and The Telegraph did not expose the more critical perspectives and chose to only focus on the successful statistics.

Transpennine Express

Around the same time, issues around contract termination were also of peak interest for AWC’s sister company Transpennine Express. This followed announcements by PM Rishi Sunak that the service was also at great risk due to high cancellation volumes. This coverage spanned much further than AWC, as the first article on the matter was released on 25 Jan but the conversation didn’t die down until 6 Mar.

Caledonian Sleeper

Between 24 – 28 Feb, the Caledonian Sleeper made headlines following an announcement by Transport Minister Jenny Gilruth, stating the train service will soon be switched to public hands — like ScotRail only last year.

This story emerged not long after a highly syndicated piece by The Telegraph, which reported an analysis showing that every passenger on ‘Nicola Sturgeon’s Caledonian Sleeper’ was costing taxpayers approximately £95. These statistics were repurposed in 122 other local and regional articles following this report, over 85% of which were across Scotland and Wales.

The most effective ways of demonstrating value for money

It’s no surprise under the current economical climate that the term emerging across all coverage is ‘value for money’ and relative dissatisfaction across the British Government and public. When not reporting on industrial action, the media appears to most often opt for coverage related to better fares and ESG topics — primarily sustainability goals, staff treatment, and health and safety.

Leveraging any achievements in these areas can be a great way to build positive media awareness at a type of prolonged industrial crisis. Benefits pay off even when the achievement is not relative to the issue at hand— for example, when Eurostar used the passport crisis to comment on how it’s the ‘greenest’ and most sought after way to travel, overall sentiment evolved from mostly neutral to positive until the story died down.

Between 27 – 31 Mar, South Western Railway (SWR) got a brief but highly prominent peak in national, well-received coverage when it proactively announced the launch of the UK’s ‘first ever Intersex-Inclusive Pride train’, a design that was created to ‘show support and solidarity for LGBTQIA+ customers, colleagues, and community at large’. As a result of this press release, SWR produced the most positive and prominent national coverage related to train service compared to competitors for the entire five-day period that followed.

Both examples demonstrate how positive contributions to ESG topics, primarily in sustainability, diversity, and inclusion, are a sure-fire way to overshadow negative coverage even briefly. While these investments may not be a long-term solution to crisis-related media discussions, they do bring awareness to the value-led service customers over the course of 2023.

Want to know more about this data or how media insights can support your PR and communications? Find out more.

The future of the media

What PR and comms needs to know about the future of the media

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The media industry is constantly changing – to prepare for the future, PR and comms will need to change alongside it.

How is the UK media looking to the future? Here are key takeaways from The Society of Editors’ Media Freedom Conference – panels covered the importance of investing in mental health, rebuilding trust with audiences and holding power to account.

1) Mental health coverage matters

Journalists are under increasing pressure, with smaller editorial teams with responsibilities across a variety of formats. This, combined with the topics and issues that they have to cover, can put a real strain on their mental health.

Headlines Network founder and co-director Hannan Storm advised the creation of a culture in newsrooms where journalists feel safe to talk mental health.

Suggestions included regular ‘town halls’, where colleagues can share resources, or Google hangouts. Leaders were advised to openly share any problems they have faced themselves to show empathy and vulnerability with their staff. Also, wellbeing workshops or sleep clinics can be a big help at relieving stress and fatigue from the job.

2) Rebuilding trust with audiences

The rise of misinformation has caused audiences to lose trust in news providers and outlets – the future of news depends on rebuilding this. Sky News deputy head of newsgathering Sarah Whitehead shared the broadcasters’ introduction of more Q and As in an effort to open the door to the audience. Welcoming audience involvement via social media allows to public to tell their truth and call out disinformation.

Freelance journalist Abbianca Makoni shared that there is more trust in local reporters, as people see them out in their communities regularly covering local stories. Young people are keen to see more collaboration between the national and local press as a result.

It was also advised for newsrooms to be as transparent as possible about their procedures and processes, admitting when a mistake has been made.

As shared by Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) chief executive Charlotte Dewar, journalists value being held to account. There is a willingness to learn and change, and hopefully regain trust and respect as a result.

3) The future is multi-channel

Publishers now offer print products, a website, a podcast, newsletters, a YouTube channel and much more besides.

Polis founder director Professor Charlie Beckett believes the future of news will be found in data, which will be passed to journalists to distil down to what will interest and engage their audience most.

This increase in the number of places that publishers are sharing their content means there is a huge amount for audiences to consume. Professor Beckett said that abundance could therefore be the biggest problem for the media and possibly result in news avoidance. Ultimately, though, it will be a good thing for people to have a healthy news diet that they are in control of.

VICE World News senior news reporter Sophie Smith-Galer feels it is important that the media adopts a future proof ethos. VICE has done this by focusing on more agenda setting stories and building expertise in silos/fields that aren’t being covered by the bigger news outlets. The audience are therefore more likely to seek this out as it is content they will not find anywhere else.

How PRs can help with this? Give journalists something they can use to retain and build their audiences, rebuild trust and make the most of all the channels at their disposal.

For more on how PRs can help journalists in the fight against misinformation, read our previous interview with Polis’s founder Thomas Barton: ‘The fight against misinformation, disinformation and fake news is just beginning‘. 

Media attitudes towards AI journalism

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Following the rise of ChatGPT, Metaverse and NFTs, the ways in which publishers engage with AI and other tech innovation has rapidly evolved over the past few years. While profit and data preservation are some of the proposed benefits, job security and misinformation are some of the biggest concerns in the sector.

Key Takeaways

  • Among the 2.5k articles analysed over the study period, 38% mentioned job losses and 32% mentioned concerns around misinformation.
  • Several trade and regulation bodies from around the world have released media statements around the risk of revenue loss tied to AI.
  • Approximately 12% of coverage explored how the Metaverse can pose several profitable opportunities for publishers, whereas 15% mentioned how AI bots run the risk of overriding paywalls.
  • The publications discussing AI in relation to publishing were wide-reaching: 36% were general news outlets, 30% were tech outlets, 20% business and finance and 14% publishing.

In 2021, Microsoft president Brad Smith told a US congressional hearing that tech companies had ‘not been sufficiently paying media companies’ for the news content that helps fuel search engines like Bing and Google.

Flashforward to 2023 and Microsoft’s ChatGPT competitor, Sydney, is under as much scepticism as other AI chatbots in the publishing industry. Trade and regulatory bodies are sharing their concerns with the press on a global scale — Danielle Coffey, VP at News Media Alliance, described the launch of such services as ‘highly problematic for [our] industry’, adding that there’s ‘no revenue coming back to news publications’ unless specific agreements are to be put in place.

What themes are leading the conversation?  

*Data shown above was collected between 1 December – 20 March 2023. 100% equates to all content discussing progressive technology in relation to the publishing sector (2,433 articles). Publication types focused on general/PR news, tech/publishing/business and finance publications.  

Over the past four months, the leading topic of conversation across all publication types has been AI-generated content. Forbes predicted ‘AI in the publishing industry’ as one of the major trends of 2023, while What’s New in Publishing (WNIP) reported that AI as a whole will become ‘an essential and necessary media tool’ that could ‘significantly improve efficiency and effectiveness’.

Another common theme has been Web3. As the core concept of Web3 is decentralisation, discussion in the press has been largely focused on how journalists can use this to get more direct recognition and reward for the work they produce.

NFTs play a central role in the structure of Web3, which has already been adopted by several publishers. Pearson, Time, Le Parisien and The Economist are some of many to have received international coverage last year for their successful experimentation with the digital currency.

AI models in publishing

The second-highest topic of conversation across all publication types has been the launch of ChatGPT, the new OpenAI model, as well as the competitor bots that followed.

The vast capabilities of such technology has taken the potential of AI-generated content to a whole new level – an opportunity that has not been discussed positively across creative trade publications.

Job Losses and fake news

Among the 2.5k articles that the Vuelio Insights Team analysed over this study period, 38% warned the risk of job losses that could come from AI in publishing. Coverage has remained consistently high since 22 Dec 2022, with a slight increase when OpenAI released Jasper in February — a business-specific, subscription-based model that can be tailored to strategic needs.

An additional 32% of media coverage expressed concerns over misinformation and lack of transparency if human journalists are replaced; Toby Walsh, Professor of AI at UNSW Sydney, was quoted in a WNIP article warning publishers that excess discretion has been a ‘trigger for bad behaviour in tech spaces’ many times before.

Similarly, Paul Deegan, President and CEO of Trade Body News Media Canada, was quoted in a high-reaching Wired article, saying that they and other trade groups are ‘very concerned about the role this revolutionary technology, which has the potential to do good, can play in the exponential proliferation of misinformation’.

Profitable Opportunities

Approximately 12% of coverage explored how the Metaverse can pose several profitable opportunities for publishers, whereas 15% mentioned how AI bots run the risk of overriding paywalls.

What are the top stories?

Specific to publishing, the leading story since December has been about job losses as AI evolves. Coverage has been consistent over this time, as new studies looking into the reality of the risk begin to emerge.

Coverage peaked between 27 February – 4 March when German media group Axel Springer publicly announced its belief that AI will be making ‘major cuts’ to journalism in the near future. Several quotes from CEO Mathias Doepfner, in an internal letter to employees, were mentioned in 62% of the 93 national and regional articles that covered this story. One of which described AI a having the potential to ‘make independent journalism better than it ever was – or simply replace it’.

Within the body of the text, approximately 90% of these articles referenced how Buzzfeed have been trialling AI as a content creation tool. This came after the news publisher was widely mentioned in the press between 24 – 28 January, declaring AI will ‘enhance’ both its content and quizzes.

AI-Narrated Audiobooks

Slightly more unique in comparison, Apple made national headlines between 4 – 8 January when it ‘quietly’ launched its new audiobooks read by text-to-speech AI software.

The term ‘quietly launched’ was used in 79% of coverage across all publication types, while an additional 10% mentioned it in the body of the text. Apple describes the new ‘digital narration’ feature on its website as making ‘the creation of audiobooks more accessible to all’, by reducing ‘the cost and complexity’ of producing them for authors and publishers.

Alongside Buzzfeed’s content ‘enhancements’, this was the only other top story to have a high positive/neutral sentiment and a low negativity score.

Excess Submissions

Between 21 – 26 February, prestigious science-fiction magazine, Clarkesworld, was mentioned across national and international news headlines when it had to close writing submissions due to unprecedented volumes of bot-authors. 92% of this coverage mentioned that in February alone, it banned nearly 500 bot-authors from submitting again.

Where is this discussion happening?

Between December 2022 and March 2023, the pros and cons of AI in publishing has been widely discussed across general news, publishing and tech publications.

WNIP drew on the widest array of topics and demonstrated the largest diversity of authors, while Fintech Times came closely behind but focused most of its efforts on Web3 and NFT content.

Overall, 36% were news outlets, 30% were tech outlets, 14% publishing and 20% business and finance.

What does the future of AI journalism look like?

On 20 December, shortly after the ChatGPT launch, Bloomberg described the service as ‘just another Silicon Valley effort to churn out mediocre, disposable content’. Between trade regulation bodies and international news outlets, the overarching opinion towards AI as a tool for content creation appears largely pessimistic. We can see this reflected in the sentiment of the top stories, where 3 out of 5 have a negative sentiment score above 70%.

A few months later, on 9 March, Press Gazette was one of many to continue echoing this opinion in an article that started with ‘ChatGPT just got fired’. The piece outlined the extensive misinformation that emerged when AI chatbots were tested as a journalist replacement.

Given that most of the technologies leading the conversation are in their early stages, the ways in which they will impact the publishing industry will likely continue to be of interest in the press as major innovative steps emerge within each of them. For example, OpenAI officially connected ChatGPT to the internet only six days ago, taking its learning abilities to a whole new level.

Tech publications are strongly encouraging investors and other media sources to begin thorough research into Metaverse and Web3 at the very least. While both may lack the necessary software right now, it is widely speculated that more evolved models of the future will generate ‘substantial economic value’ for all media types.

Want to know more about this data or how media insights can support your PR and communications? Find out more.

What has the UK media been requesting from PRs

How are national press and broadcast news using the Journalist Enquiry Service?

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The headlines across national newspapers and news broadcasts have been dominated in recent months by the cost-of-living crisis, numerous strikes in different sectors, the Russia/Ukraine war and the fallout from Prince Harry’s book ‘Spare’. However, plenty of other stories have made their way into the UK news cycle, and many start with a request sent by a writer via the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service.

What exactly have national press and broadcast journos been looking for recently? Below we take a deep dive into the main categories that our users have been interested in and the keywords that we are seeing most frequently. Read on to see how you can get your expert coverage or the best place to get that case study out.

Sign up to start receiving requests from the UK media direct to your inbox with the Journalist Enquiry Service.

Firstly, we will have a look into national newspapers as journalists from these titles use the service more frequently than broadcast – 26% of all requests in 2022 came from national press. Outlets like The Daily Express, PA Media and The Daily Telegraph also regularly feature in our top ten outlets sending requests from month to month.

We looked at all the requests sent from the start of November until today and the category with the most enquiries was Women’s Interest & Beauty, representing 11% of all national press requests. This proves particularly popular with the tabloid papers as The Sun, The Daily Express and The Daily Mail all feature in the top five outlets sending requests for this category.

National press enquiry types

In terms of what they are looking for within this category, it tends to be for products to review or feature on their website. This varies from lipsticks and eyeliners to new beauty treatments and jewellery and fashion accessories. There are also requests around men’s beauty and grooming including requests for face creams and beard shavers. This presents a great opportunity to get client products featured in national newspapers or on their websites.

Often picked alongside the Women’s Interest & Beauty category is the Health category, which was the second most popular and made up 10% of the total requests from national newspapers. The Daily Express was again among the top senders with journalists from The i paper and Metro also sending numerous requests for health stories.

The trend here is more for spokespeople and experts and for case studies. A lot of requests are for doctors and GPs to give medical advice on certain conditions and there are frequent requests as well looking for case studies for people with certain conditions or illnesses. Both provide avenues to get clients and experts national press coverage.

The Health category also features several strongly performing keywords with ‘fitness’ appearing in 4% of all national press requests, ‘diet’ in 2% and ‘wellbeing’ in just over 1%. Again, this is often linked to enquiries for experts such as nutritionists, psychologists, mental health experts and sleep experts. This also links to the strong performance of both the Food & Drink and Leisure & Hobbies categories as they both received around 6% of the total national press requests.

Men’s Interest finished as the third most popular category. As we touched upon earlier, men’s grooming and beauty were part of these requests along with many around men’s health and also fashion too. This also links into the strong performance of ‘fitness’ as a keyword with requests for personal trainers and male gym instructors.

Fourth on the list for national press categories is Personal Finance which links into another key phrase that we have mentioned often in our monthly reports, which is the ‘cost of living’. This appeared in just over 3.5% of all national press requests with associated words like ‘energy’ on 3%, ‘bills’ on 2% and ‘mortgage’ on 1%.

This category attracted different national press outlets with both The Daily Telegraph and The Times featuring in the top ten. The type of enquiry did vary but a lot were looking for finance experts to give advice on ways to make savings during the cost-of-living crisis. There we are also enquiries for energy experts to provide analysis of the rising gas and electricity bills. Plus, mortgage experts to provide suggestions for what first-time buyers should do and those looking to renew their mortgage during increasing interest rates.

There has also been requests from the national press looking for case studies to find out how families are coping during the tough economic times and also to provide information on what businesses can do. This gives lots of scope to push out information and experts around personal finance.

The bigger news stories over the last few months have created a bit of traction on the Journalist Enquiry Service. ‘Strikes’ appeared as a keyword in 1% of all national press requests as papers like The Independent and Daily Mirror looked to cover the issue by getting case studies. ‘Royal’ was in around 3% with The Daily Express and The Guardian among others looking for royal experts to cover news around Prince Harry and Meghan and the Royal family in general. However, there have only been a handful of requests around the Russia/Ukraine war.

The focus for broadcast journalists using the service has been quite different with the most requests going to the Business & Finance category. 7% of the total requests from broadcast were for this category with 5 News and ITV News sending the majority.

These have tended to be for case studies and most often looking to speak with businesses that have been affected by the cost-of-living crisis. Just over 8% of the total requests in broadcast included the key phrase ‘cost of living’ and over 7% were for ‘energy’. This shows a much greater need from broadcast outlets to cover this issue and a great chance to get your clients featured on television, speaking about how their business has been impacted – especially in regard to rising energy bills.

Broadcast media enquiry types

They have also dedicated more coverage to the strikes as well and ‘strikes’ as a keyword appears in 9% of the total requests from broadcast. This also links into the strong performance of the Public Sector, Third Sector & Legal category which was the fifth most popular for broadcast journalists. All three of the big broadcasters (BBC, Sky and ITV) appear in the top five outlets here.

These enquiries were again focused mainly on getting personal case studies and seeing how businesses and people were being affected. The majority of requests were for the rail strikes but broadcast contacts were also covering the nurses strike, the teachers, Royal Mail, ambulances and buses. With more strike action likely in the coming months then this should present more opportunities for television coverage.

The more consumer related categories of Food & Drink and Women’s Interest & Beauty both received 6% of the total broadcast requests, placing them second and third overall. The Food & Drink category was used quite frequently for Steph’s Packed Lunch, whereas the Women’s Interest & Beauty category had several enquiries from This Morning.

Again, several requests were for case studies, providing opportunities for people to feature on the show. However, we saw more enquiries looking for products. This varied from health and fitness gadgets to make up and fashion items to new chocolate and sweet brands. A good chance to get products featured on two well established daytime shows.

The Health category had around 6% of all the broadcast requests and finished as the fourth most selected. ITV and 5 News were again sending regular requests in this category along with GB News and BBC Radio 4.

Personal case studies were the main focus of requests looking to cover issues around social care and also around illnesses such as Strep-A. There were also several requests for experts as well, looking for medical experts to give advice and information.

Overall, while the media coverage may seem to focus on certain issues, there is room and opportunities for products, experts and case studies to get coverage on both national press and broadcast media for a variety of topics and matters. The news cycle is difficult to predict but the cost-of-living crisis looks set to rumble on, along with strike action. We are also starting to see more requests around ‘TikTok’ which as a keyword appeared in 1% of all national press requests and just over 1% of broadcast requests. Therefore, any experts or info around the media app could be vital to journalists in the coming months.

For more on how the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service can help with getting your stories into the UK media, read our previous how-tos: 

No PR budget? No problem – using the Journalist Enquiry Service to gain coverage as a small business

How to tackle vague requests from journalists

6 reasons to stop searching #JournoRequest and try the Journalist Enquiry Service

 

How to take advantage of awareness days for your PR

Which awareness days should you take advantage of for your PR?

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This is a guest post from Niamh Boylan, junior PR account manager at Hatch.

There is an industry term that has been known to divide opinion amongst PR and social professionals: awareness days. While some view them as a less creative approach to generating media coverage, it cannot be denied that awareness days are an incredibly useful newsjacking tool for PRs and a great way to leverage seasonality.

Not only do they serve a great purpose in drawing attention to important calendar events and charitable causes but awareness days offer an opportunity to give your PR campaigns, stunts or social content a relevant news hook. By jumping onto a topic or event that’s already got some newsworthy attention, it is an effective way of gaining brand exposure, positioning your client as a thought-leader in its specific sector, and driving all-important engagement for your campaign.

Whether it is food, drink, sport or leisure, there is an awareness day for absolutely everything.

What 2023 awareness days and events should you make note of

We can break down our newsjacking into three key areas: recurring annual holidays, 2023-specific events and hero awareness days. All three of these are easy to plan for, so long as you have the right strategy.

Annual Holidays

First and foremost, we have our recurring holiday dates that everyone should have marked in their calendars. These are usually centred around seasonal celebrations; think Pancake Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Halloween and Christmas – you know the drill. All of these holidays offer a wealth of opportunities for PRs to create campaigns. While the media is heavily saturated around these occasions, they are simple to prepare for as we know what they are all about and we know when the journalist requests start to come through.

To get ahead of the game, the best thing to do is to start planning your campaigns well in advance and try to think outside of the box to ensure cut through in the highly saturated media landscape. For example, if you have a foodie client, avoid just reworking last year’s lamb roast recipe in the lead up to Easter. Why not work with an acclaimed sommelier to curate the best wine pairings to go with your Easter roast dinner? Or work with an expert tablescaper to share top tips on the best table layout for first-time hosts? There are endless angles that you can explore to really position your brand as a thought-leader on the subject matter.

Some key 2023 annual holidays for the diary:
• Easter Sunday – 9 April
• Father’s Day – 18 June
• Halloween – 31 October
• Bonfire Night – 5 November
• Thanksgiving – 23 November
• Christmas – 25 December

2023-specific holidays

Next up, we have our 2023-specific holidays. As PR professionals, it is our job to predict what key events are going to be most-talked about in the press, identifying what is relevant to our clients and how we can take advantage of these occasions for campaigns.

These events are typically highly-anticipated national events, usually around sporting occasions, big anniversaries or anything to do with the state and the royals. For example, this year marks HRH King Charles III’s Coronation, which we know already will be a huge focus for the press. To get ahead of the curve, think about whether or not your clients’ offerings have something to say about this occasion. Perhaps you represent a sparkling wine brand that can offer some predictions on what the royal family may be drinking to toast the occasion? Or maybe you have a party decor company that can launch a new range of street party decks in honour of the big day? There are many ways in which you can take one big event and royally impress the media…

Some key 2023-specific holidays for the diary:
• HRH King Charles III’s Coronation, London UK – 6 May
• Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final, Liverpool UK – 13 May
• FIFA Women’s World Cup, Australia & New Zealand – 20 July-20 August
• Netball World Cup, South Africa, July 28–6 August
• Rugby World Cup, France – 8 September–28 October
• Ryder Cup 2023, Italy – 29 September–1 October
• ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, India – October-November

Awareness Days

Finally, we have our classic Awareness Days. These are a little trickier to plan for but we can easily prep content in advance once we have identified the right awareness day for the job. One thing to keep in mind is that there are now endless awareness days, some of them so niche that the media may not have heard of them, never mind the end-consumer. This can make things trickier to land coverage, but on the flipside, the more niche the awareness day, the more opportunity there is for your client to really ‘own’ the space that they are an expert in.

Cornish Pasty Week, you say? Time for the Cornish Pasty Co. to launch their latest perfect bake. Zero Waste week? Perfect opportunity for your makeup brand to shout about their zero-plastic packaging credentials. Awareness days are one of the best ways to really take a niche corner of an industry and give your press releases an added layer of authority and relevance for the press.

Some awareness days to expect in 2023:
• Earth Day – 22 April
• Pride Month – June
• National BBQ Week – 29 May-4 June
• World Environment Day – 5 June
• Clean Beaches Week – 1-7 July
• Great British Pea Week – 3-9 July
• Breast Cancer Awareness Month – October
• Black History Month – October
• Yorkshire Pudding Day – 13 October
• Cheese Toastie Day – 27 October
• World Television Day – 21 November
• Pigs in Blankets Day – 5 December

Top tip for using awareness days: Be authentic

The key to successful newsjacking with awareness days is ensuring that you are always being authentic. Avoid jumping on the bandwagon of an awareness day because it loosely links to your brand. It must be relevant, it must make sense that you are using this particular day as a hook, and above all else, you must be adding something to the conversation. If your brand does not feel authentic, consumers will see right through it and you could be doing more damage than good. Always remember, your authenticity is your USP.

Good luck with your newsjacking and I’ll reshare this blog on National Awareness Days Day. Or perhaps not…

For more information on making the most of awareness days throughout the year, check out this previous guest post from Bottle PR’s Jamie Wilson on nailing your PR story to an awareness day. 

Want to track how your story is being reported in the press, or looking for an easy way to receive requests from journalists directly? Try Vuelio Media Monitoring and the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service. 

How women can achieve the PR career of their dreams

How women in PR can create the career of their dreams

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This is a guest post by Ariatu PR founder Ronke Lawal, who specialises in PR and communications for clients in a range of B2C industries; including lifestyle, consumer goods and the creative enterprise sector, with a particular focus on reaching Black audiences and engaging with African and Caribbean diaspora communities.

To be a woman in PR is to sometimes be erased, under-appreciated and undervalued. According to statistics shared by Women in PR, the PR and communications industry is female-dominated (67%) overall, yet at senior levels it becomes male-dominated, with only a third of boardroom positions filled by women.

Despite this, PR can also be a phenomenally rewarding career path for women, particularly Black women. In an industry in which PR professionals often stay ‘behind the scenes’, I wanted to take the time to shine a spotlight on the work of some phenomenal women. This industry is as diverse as the people who work within it, so here are a few life lessons from Addy Frederick, Kamiqua Lake, Ebony Gayle and Karen Campbell to celebrate Women’s Month.

Success is very much subjective. Some would argue that in our industry it is tied to client outcomes, financial goals or awards won. I wanted to know what these women think makes a successful PR professional.

‘You have to be as good at listening as you are at speaking or writing’

Addy Frederick

For Addy Frederick – Admiral’s head of group communications – listening is an essential part of success:

‘To fully appreciate what is relevant to your internal and external stakeholders, you need to hear what they want or need, be able to read between the lines – then you can offer a solution.

‘You also need to have a sense of perspective, especially when things don’t pan out, which is easier said than done. You have to be able to prioritise and reprioritise as the day progresses and your early morning to-do list becomes a wish list…and it then graduates to be a page that you occasionally glance at as you do the big task of the day or week that hadn’t even featured.

‘You have to be curious (and sometimes creative) as to how emerging trends, issues and channels could provide opportunities for you to deliver against your current objectives.’

‘You have to actually want to do a good job’

Karen Campbell

‘I’d say a strong contacts book, great sense of what makes a good story and excellent relationship building skills is important,’ believes Shiloh PR co-founder Karen Campbell.

For Kamiqua Lake, founder and CEO of the UK Black Comms Network and Coldr, being discerning, adept at problem-solving, a good listener and fearless about asking the right questions, are invaluable.

Kamiqua Lake

Ebony Gayle, independent consultant and founder of Ebony Communications, agrees with Addy that communication and creative thinking are important:

‘You need to have a passion about your work and enjoy finding new and creative ways to tell your clients stories that hit home. Staying on top of new trends and developing compelling messaging that resonate with your target audience. You also need to be comfortable being uncomfortable. Having a thick skin is needed for working in PR as we often are dealing with demanding clients and deadlines. It’s very important to be able to challenge your client where necessary, leaning on your skills and experience and not be afraid to speak up on ethical issues.’

Ebony Gayle

‘Heritage and identity have been important parts of my journey’

As a British Nigerian woman born in Hackney, heritage and identity have been important parts of my journey. I asked these women if they felt the same way and whether their backgrounds empowered them at all throughout the course of their careers.

Karen believes that having a strong connection with, and understanding of her heritage and identity has given her a certain level of security and assurance in herself:

‘Throughout my journey, it has not only kept me centred, but also empowered me to see value in my lived experience.’

Ebony is South London born and raised, with Caribbean heritage:

‘I feel my background has helped to empower me to go for what I want and embrace stepping outside of my comfort zone. It also encouraged me to find my voice, and to not be afraid to challenge and speak up for myself, which is an important skill to have working in the PR industry. ‘

Addy takes a slightly different view:

‘I’ve only ever been me, so without any ‘Sliding Doors’ scenes, we’ll never know what my career would look like if any part of my identity changed. However, I think there are several experiences that have shaped me and my approach to all aspects of my life: having parents that supported all of my ever-changing dreams (you can do anything you want); going to an all-girls’ school (your gender doesn’t limit you); being an army cadet (don’t underestimate the power of focus and discipline); and playing rugby (it may hurt but it probably won’t kill you – so do it).’

For Kamiqua, family has shaped who she is today:
‘More and more I can see that I am a blend of my mum, dad and Nonna (my gran fell in love with Italy and used to spend lots of time there). I got creativity from my mum who is a fine artist, and consistency from my dad who always used to say, ‘find something you are good at and stick to it’. My gran loved to see the world and she inspired my curiosity about life, the world we live in, and my love for travel.’

‘I can be too helpful’

Throughout my business career I have faced challenges, which at the time felt like they would break me. However, I always managed to overcome them and ultimately come out on the other side wiser. I wanted to know how these women dealt with challenges in their own lives.

Dedication to work for herself opened up challenges for Ebony:

‘Making the transition not only in terms of setting up a business and attracting and securing clients, but also the mental adjustment of going from an employee to business owner. In terms of overcoming it, I really just embraced it and took the opportunity to design my work style, including the types of clients I wanted to work with. As an independent consultant I can choose who I want to work with, which is very empowering.

Addy was candid: ‘It sounds like a cliché interview answer, but I can be too helpful. That’s not actually a positive especially if you’re looking for that work/life balance. I constantly have to remind myself to consider the best and most effective ways I can deliver meaningful results and add true value – and crucially allow others to grow.’

‘One of the things I now do when people come to me with an issue is ask what they think a good solution would be. When people start to realise that they’re just as likely as you to have an answer, many of the “problems” disappear and they grow in confidence.’

For Karen, the biggest challenge has been feeling underrepresented in the PR industry:

‘Less so as a woman – as it feels like there have been significant strides in the numbers of women, but the diversity seems to end there. My experience has often been that there’s very little racial diversity and very few from working class backgrounds, so there’s the challenge of feeling a sense of belonging or even having access to certain environments. Honestly, it is not something I’d say I’ve necessarily overcome (it’s a long-standing industry challenge), but one of the main drivers of what we do at Shiloh PR is to help bring more diversity, not just tokenism, to do our part to change things.’

For Kamiqua, being an outsider has been her challenge:

‘Whether that was not being cool or connected enough when I was studying for my Fashion PR and journalism degree, being stereotyped as a younger mum in my 20s or just generally underrated during my career.’

‘I’ve very much learned to embrace the difference I bring to the table to the point that I’ve established two businesses, Coldr and the UK Black Comms Network, that show the value of thinking, feeling and being different.’

‘I believe that the lessons we learn from our past offer us teachable moments’

I don’t have regrets. I believe that the lessons we learn from our past offer us “teachable moments”, moments which we can use to help ourselves and others. I asked these accomplished women what advice they would give themselves based on their own lessons.

‘I’d definitely say to trust your gut more and be confident in your skills and abilities,’ says Karen.

‘Also, ‘go where you’re celebrated’. It took me longer than I’d like to admit to get to that point, so if I went back in time, I’d like to get that advice much sooner.’

Don’t downplay your achievements, advises Addy:

‘This is a cheat, as it is advice I was actually given by an MD when I was first heading up a team: Don’t use “we” when it should be “me” and don’t downplay your achievements. In life you may come across people who want to diminish what you do for various reasons, and you cannot be one of them. A decade later and he probably doesn’t remember saying it, but I think about that moment often.’

Embrace challenge, says Ebony:

‘If I could go back in time I would say, ‘You are amazing and can do anything you put your mind to’. Don’t get trapped in your comfort zone, step outside and embrace any challenges and be the best version of you.’

Keep learning, says Kamiqua:

‘You’ll learn from every past mistake, there is no need to stress so much about the future, live more in the present.’

PR is a worthy industry to work in and we need more women to ultimately see it as an industry that deserves their time.

Here are some final pieces of advice for aspiring women in PR:

‘Do what makes you scared and makes your brain hurt. No one develops from a place of comfort and fear has a crazy way of sharpening your performance. But don’t take on a task simply because no one else will. If it doesn’t serve you, embrace the silence, sit on your hands – don’t volunteer.’ – Addy Frederick

‘Build relationships and don’t feel like you always have to go it alone. Collaboration, supporting each other and working together makes us so much stronger.’ – Karen Campbell

‘Go for it, PR can be a fun and rewarding career so take the leap of faith and bet on yourself. Make connections, join networks and also consider getting a mentor.’ – Ebony Gayle

‘Don’t shrink yourself to fit in and build your professional circle – those who will celebrate your wins, and provide much-needed levity, advice or support when you need it most!’ – Kamiqua Lake

For more on the challenges women in PR face, check out our International Women’s Day piece for 2023 – How can the PR industry evolve for the better?

Taylor Bennett Foundation report results

PRs from ethnically diverse backgrounds feel discriminated against at work, finds new research

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A large number of ethnic and minority professionals working in the communications industry are regularly made to feel uncomfortable at work due to their background, according to research from the Taylor Bennett Foundation (TBF) and IPSOS Mori.

How can PR and comms teams make recruitment fair?

This landmark research report from the diversity charity supporting ethnically diverse young people to pursue careers in communications and market research company IPSOS Mori makes for stark reading. A high percentage of the 218 report participants from diverse backgrounds shared that they feel both excluded and discriminated against at work:

Working environment

80% of graduates from an ethnically diverse background shared that they had been made to feel uncomfortable in the workplace at some point during their careers.

75% of respondents had experienced demeaning language or hurtful comments related to their ethnic background. Over half (54%) of respondents said their company had provided no provisions for cultural or religious needs, such as accommodating religious holidays or prayer rooms.

Career progression

71% of respondents felt their ability to progress within their organisation had been limited by issues related to ethnic background and gender.

Discrimination

65% of respondents said they had experienced snubs at work due to their ethnic background.

Staff retention

Over half (54%) of respondents did not feel comfortable or trust HR processes to raise their concerns. 50% of respondents have considered leaving their jobs as a result of prejudice.

Taylor Bennett Foundation chair Sarah Pinch commented on the ‘deeply troubling’ results:

‘No one should be made to feel awkward and uncomfortable at work, and especially not due to their ethnicity or religious beliefs. There is a huge amount of work still to be done and we call on everyone in the PR and communications industry to take these findings seriously.

‘TBF has been supporting organisations and individuals for 15 years and our mission is to create a diverse and inclusive communications industry. TBF offers practical support to help organisations wishing to evaluate how they can attract and better serve employees.

‘Studies have shown that when organisations embrace diversity it leads to a 20% increase in innovation and a 35% increase in performance compared to their competitor. In addition to the commercial benefits of creating a more inclusive work environment, there is also a moral imperative to provide a safe and welcoming workplace for every professional, regardless of their background. I am proud to have worked in this industry for more than 20 years, but I am embarrassed by this research. It is deeply troubling that the lived experience of our colleagues is so very poor. We must do a lot more to improve, attract and retain diverse talent.’

Sparked by these findings, the Taylor Bennett Foundation will produce a full review and publish recommendations for adoption by the PR industry on improving diversity as well as supporting the wellbeing, prospects and job satisfaction of those from minority groups.

Read more about the research here on the Taylor Bennett Foundation website. 

For more on the work of the Taylor Bennett Foundation, watch our accessmatters session with Melissa Lawrence here and read our previous Spotlight interview.

Are delivery companies seen as ‘green’ in the press?

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Alongside many other major industries, such as pharma and public transport, delivery and logistics companies are having to amend the structure of their operations in the face of the climate crisis.

British news outlets have recently started looking into the green strategies of established companies like Evri, while newer and more sustainable companies such as CitySprint are emerging in response to the call for action. 

Over the past few months, several new service developments have launched across the delivery and logistics sector that demonstrate clear, target-based initiatives in support of climate action.

National media sources have expressed continued interest in reporting on the sustainability efforts of well-known companies, while recently picking up stories from smaller start-ups too.

Key Takeaways

  • Deutsche Post DHL group have produced the highest volume of positive coverage throughout Q1, while coverage for Freightliner and Ocean Network Express (ONE).
  • P&O Ferries had the second-highest Share of Voice, but several negative stories made national news and ultimately diluted positive coverage.
  • Two leading delivery and logistics companies reaped the benefits of partnering with Sky Media.
  • Alike to the pharma industry, companies with additional environmental accreditations and awards are proving to have more of a positive relationship with the press than otherwise.

Which companies are getting the most climate-related coverage?

*Data samples were collected from 1 Jan – 14 Mar 2022. Coverage represents all national/regional online news and trade-related publications discussing climate action from delivery/logistics companies functioning in the UK (663 articles in total).

Throughout the first quarter of 2023, Deutsche Post DHL Group received the strongest share of voice overall in relation to sustainability coverage. This was due to several national headlines in relation to climate efforts, which often cited the ‘record sum’ that the business invested in digitisation and sustainability.

ESG targets were heavily praised in 46% of its coverage, with some headlines claiming they ‘walk the talk’ in green-focused growth. The group has also been significantly mentioned within the conversation about CO2 parcel labels, a net zero initiative in Germany that the UK is considering adopting.

Significant highs and lows for P&O Ferries

Whereas Deutsche Post DHL group coverage was over 80% positive, P&O Ferries have had much more significant highs and lows.

Between 10-14 January, the company’s press release about saving ‘85,00 tons of carbon emissions’ performed well across trade-specific publications.

In March, the company were left ‘red-faced’ when they discovered hybrid ships could not be plugged in at Dover or Calais ports. This was the most prominent and high-reaching story for P&O Ferries, leaving their reputation in a much more vulnerable state than its competitors.

Industry partnerships with Sky

Between 28 February and 8 March, Royal Mail and Unipart Logistics both reaped the benefits of climate-related work with Sky Media.

On 1 March, Sky announced the purchase of 11 new Mercedes-Benz eVito electric panel vans, as part of its net zero 2030 drive. As a repair and customer service partner for the company, Unipart Logistics’ Head of Fleet Rob Hannam was quoted in 62% this coverage – which mostly spanned across auto and other trade publications. Even though Unipart were not the core focus of the coverage, this has been its highest quality brand coverage in relation to climate efforts this year.

On the other hand, Royal Mail recently gained coverage around its ‘Footprints’ campaign encouraging UK consumers to send parcels in greener ways. The advert was a product of winning £250,000 in broadcast coverage as part of Sky’s Zero Footprint Fund. Sonia Sudhakar, MD of Marketing and Digital at Royal Mail, was cited in 38% of this coverage stating how they’ll continue to ‘campaign for the entire industry to empower customers and help tackle climate change’.

While Royal Mail have launched several green initiatives this year alone, coverage appears to fall short. Compared to other organisations in this sector, the service has published less sustainability-focused press releases to the public; which could be a contributing factor towards its smaller media presence than competitors.

Growth of ESG discussion in general news sources

References to ESG in news sources has grown rapidly since the pandemic, which in turn speaks to the growing interest in this term from the wider public, as shown in the Google search data — as web searches grow, so have media mentions and vice versa. We have seen this in the pharma industry, where the public demand for better sustainability comms has been widely discussed over the past three years.

Last week, WSJ reported that companies working to promote ESG in the workplace have proven to outperform their peers through improved innovation, higher sales growth and profitability, while those that are slow to adapt will face increasing regulatory and reputational risks.

Top Stories and Sentiment 

*Data samples were collected from 1 January – 14 Mar 2022. Coverage represents all national/regional online news and trade-related publications discussing climate action from delivery/logistics companies functioning in the UK. Sentiment figures represent all coverage generated in relation to the relevant brands.

While Deutsche Post DHL Group maintained the strongest share of voice, Freightliner and Ocean Network Express (ONE) achieved the strongest ratio of positive coverage overall. This was due to a partnership between the two companies that allows Freightliner to travel using biodegradable oil, purchased by ONE.

This headline was widely distributed across national news publications from 22 to 28 February, while 68% of trade publications cited ONE Director Simon Parsons as ‘hopeful’ to further expand green networks throughout the UK moving forward.

Over 90% of coverage was due to the release of research detailing opportunity in the UK to electrify 95% of rail freight operations by the 2040s. While volumes were low against competitors, CILT received the most prominent media mentions; mostly discussed across transport-specific publications, CILT was mentioned in 96% of headlines.

Despite being one of the biggest public delivery services in the UK, Evri has had the least positive coverage in relation to climate efforts. The company has been active in its sustainable initiatives, such as e-cargo bike deliveries, but overall media interest has been low. This is likely due to the onslaught of negative coverage that emerged at the same time in other areas of the business. During this analysis period, media attention was focused on concerns around labour rights; which massively overshadowed positive initiatives.

The company has shared several climate-related press releases, but were released during or after negative news emerged. When enduring a PR crisis, our research suggests that timing is key — the media are much less likely to pick up positive stories following a negative spike.

Sustainability is no longer an optional investment

Overall, it seems that the media consensus is that sustainability is no longer secondary to profitability across delivery and logistics. Rather, it is ‘viewed as a driver of future growth’ as cleaner transport options are being taken ever more seriously.

Nancy Hobhouse, Head of ESG at Evri, reported to the press that ‘businesses who have a sustainable purpose, or a robust sustainability strategy, are outperforming competitors’, while Richard Cook, Fleet Director at DHL added that “customers are increasingly environmentally conscious and will hold businesses to high standards of sustainability, making it a critical focus”.

Media interest around net zero targets are not going away any time soon and journalists are particularly interested in reliable claims. Deutsche Post DHL Group, which has outperformed competitors in the way of sustainability coverage, has recently joined the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) which helps companies to make clear and actionable climate strategies.

Across Vuelio Insights’ wider crisis research, we have found that companies who have additional accreditations, awards and initiatives (i.e., SBTi) are more likely to maintain positive media interest than those who have not, all the while reducing the risk of greenwashing allegations.

In recent years, sustainability has become a necessary investment that could greatly impact shareholder prices if neglected. From e-scooters to hybrid ships, efforts across the sector are clear and are more abundant than ever.

Want to know more about this data or how media insights can support your PR and communications? Find out more.

Access Intelligence

FT names Access Intelligence one of Europe’s fastest growing companies

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Vuelio parent company Access Intelligence has been recognised as one of Europe’s fastest growing companies in the FT 1000, a yearly ranking by the Financial Times and German data platform Statista. The FT 1000, now in its 7th edition, ranks the 1,000 companies in Europe that have achieved the highest percentage growth in revenues.

Access Intelligence is an AIM-listed tech innovator, delivering high quality SaaS products that address the fundamental business needs of clients in the marketing and communications industries.

‘Understanding audiences has become essential for organisations across industries and geographies: we’re seeing that need grow every day, as more and more of our clients put media insights, reputation and audience intelligence at the center of their strategy,’ said Joanna Arnold, CEO of Access Intelligence.

The group powers the world’s most relevant brands across regions and industries: with over 6,000 clients worldwide, Access Intelligence helps clients like Apple, Coca-Cola, Pfizer, the UK House of Commons, HSBC, Twitter, and the Australian Government understand their audiences and monitor the media landscape.

The evolving Access Intelligence portfolio includes Isentia, the market-leading media monitoring, intelligence and insights solution provider; Pulsar, the audience intelligence and social listening platform; Vuelio, which provides monitoring, insight, engagement and evaluation tools for politics, editorial and social media in one place; and ResponseSource, the network that connects journalists and influencers to the PR and communications industry.

Speak Up or Shut Down: The Value of Proactive PR in a Crisis

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When crisis strikes, do you believe that the best PR is to be invisible?

Choosing discretion in a crisis can be highly damaging to your brand. In fact, our research shows that those who choose to maintain regular, proactive media outreach throughout the year demonstrate much higher control over negative coverage if, or when, things take a turn for the worse.

In this webinar,Speak Up or Shut Down: The Value of Proactive PR in a Crisis,we explored how companies across different industries have responded to short, mid and long-term crises over the past three years. Watch the recording to hear Vuelio Insights Lead Hollie Parry explain why choosing to stay silent in times of crisis can be highly damaging for your brand.

Fill in the form below to check out our webinar 👇

PR Club

Should you speak up or shut down in a PR crisis?

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A reputational crisis is on the horizon for your brand or client – what do you do next? Should you set up a press conference to get ahead of any criticism heading your way, or wait for things to blow over? Should you address the matter at hand, or draw attention elsewhere?

In the Vuelio webinar ‘Speak Up or Shut Down: The Value of Proactive PR in a Crisis’, we explored three examples of short, medium and long-term crisis to uncover PR approaches that are proven to work.

Watch the full webinar here. 

Read on for insight on why timing is pivotal in a crisis, the necessity of being proactive over reactive and data on what worked for brands including FIFA, Coca-Cola, Hyundai/Kia, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Samsung Biologics.

Approaches to short-term crisis: 2022 FIFA World Cup

A recent much-reported crisis was the Qatar-based FIFA World Cup of 2022, which was surrounded by political controversy and human rights concerns. As a result, brands and public figures who chose to participate in the event were met with widespread disapproval from the public and even boycotting of products and services.

To measure this, Vuelio Insights compared how each partner for the event handled the evolving crisis and their overall performance in the media throughout November and December of 2022.

FIFA World Cup 2022 brand coverage

This Share of Voice chart for the FIFA partners shows how proactive each was with their write-ups in the UK media.

Throughout the event, Adidas, Hyundai/Kia and Visa were the most proactive, utilising a diverse range of messaging tactics. While they addressed human rights in public statements, they drove more awareness towards positive ESG actions that were unrelated to the event.

Hyundai/Kia’s ‘Goal of the Century’ campaign focused on sustainability, becoming one of their strongest sources of coverage throughout the event. Why this worked so well – this was also the time of COP27 and tied in to positive ESG efforts.

Not quite as successful was Coca-Cola, which released its ‘Believing is Magic’ campaign very early on, only vaguely referencing social solidarity and human rights. This did not make any significant reference to the crisis itself and therefore resulted in much stronger negative sentiment in related reporting.

Timing is key with proactive outreach – Coca-Cola’s messaging was released so early that related media interest died down by the time the company started to receive event-related criticism.

Qatar Airways, Wanda Group and QatarEnergy were almost silent throughout the entire period and it shows in their volume of coverage. Not only is their Share of Voice lowest, the reporting that did focus on them mostly consisted of passive criticisms on who they are and what their ethics may be.

Wanda Group’s approach was interesting. The brand had previously released a successful ‘Women First’ campaign for the 2018 World Cup. For 2022, in contrast, it released nothing, and positive sentiment for the brand dropped by 56%. Coverage this time around was ‘who are Wanda Group and do they even care about human rights’, without any public statements to mitigate negativity.

Staying silent will not always reduce media awareness of problematic issues and can mean less control for a brand when crisis arises.

A diversity of brand positive messages, addressing the crisis and perhaps other ESG concerns, can be a powerful tool for diluting negative press.

Approaches to medium-term crisis: 2022’s UK airline strikes

The airline industry took a hit last year due to strikes, cancellations, oil prices and the war in Ukraine.
From January to June 2022, the Vuelio team explored how UK airlines responded to the extended criticism across print, online and broadcast media. Here are the common threads among those who performed well in the press:

Airline crisis coverage in 2022

This chart demonstrates the peaks in coverage for travel brands throughout this period – BA and Ryanair, who were the least proactive and most reactive, had the least control over negative peaks in coverage.
Similar to Coca-Cola during the World Cup, TUI demonstrated mid-range control over negative coverage by pushing proactive statements from its executive Fritz Joussen, but were otherwise less vocal when it came to press releases and social messaging.

While most brands here faced significant peaks and falls in crisis coverage, Virgin Atlantic maintained a ‘low and controlled’ approach throughout – despite being equally effected by all of the same issues.

Virgin Atlantic successfully navigated this crisis with regular, proactive campaigns and diverse messaging tactics and it shows in the resulting consistently low and controlled coverage.

Lessons from this: time your press releases and ensure their messages are diverse, and do not rely on reactivity – the media are much less likely to pick up on positive efforts after negative news has surfaced.

Approaches to long-term crisis: Pharma and net zero targets

Net Zero targets within the pharmaceutical industry are a long-term crisis in the making. At COP27 in November 2022, pharma companies were tasked with putting visible and actionable climate strategies in place or risk their operational licences.

The Vuelio Insights team measured all international climate-related pharma coverage between 1 Nov 2022 – 9 Jan 2023 (approx. 13,700 articles) – here are the commonalities in in coverage among the most prominent companies.

Pharma net zero coverage

These Share of Voice charts show that the UK produced the strongest volume of coverage throughout this period.

Due to such a large event, most brands were generating international media interest as journalists sought out their climate strategies leading up to and following COP27. The reality of pharma-related carbon footprints was a huge discussion in the media, which created urgency throughout the industry to begin communicating green initiatives.

The top stories and sentiment were largely positive among the majority of the most prominent brands – most of their top stories are positive or neutral.

Pharma net zero coverage

While 13,700 articles surfaced throughout our study period, one specific headline emerged again and again as a top headline – ‘Seven CEOs announce effort to curb emissions in healthcare’. This emphasises the benefits of partnering up with other brands who may be suffering under the same crisis. This approach served the seven pharma brands involved in diluting negative coverage about pharma’s carbon footprint.

Showing just how impactful accreditations can be for brands also was Samsung Biologics – its top story during this period was its Terra Carta seal of approval for sustainability. This displayed a tangible and reliable effort backed up by external recognition – negating any possible accusations of ‘greenwashing’ or ‘wokewashing’.

Doing research on how you can enhance your reliability as a trusted brand – be it via awards or accreditations – is really worthwhile for boosting media awareness in a crisis.

Want to know more about Vuelio Insights and media monitoring? Find out more here and here. 

Getting ready for Web3

Getting ready for Web3: Interview with Citizen Relations’ deputy managing director Jules Day

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Web3, ChatGPT and all-things AI-assisted and generated are big news in the communications and creative industries right now, and the Citizen Relations team has been paying attention to changing needs in the sector:

‘The volume of work that we’ve been doing in influencer marketing, community building and management and SEO has been growing exponentially,’ says deputy managing director Jules Day on the launch of the agency’s new ‘dComm3’ digital practice.

‘Our clients have experienced the power of integrated digital solutions and there’s a growing appetite to respond to, and prepare for, evolving consumer behaviours’.

Ready to reach the next step of PR and comms evolution? Read on for why brands need to be ready for the metaverse and which companies are already making the most of the opportunities it offers.

Why do brands need to be ready for Web3?

Simply, brands want to be where their consumers are. We’re in the business of helping them create awareness and consideration and, of course, generating and harnessing advocacy. Increasingly, we also play a role in driving people to purchase.

We see three consumer behaviour shifts that brands should be preparing for:
● The dynamics of communities will change as they shift to more niche, topical and emerging community platforms.
● Web3-forward digital experiences will include extended reality and modern AI integration.
● The dynamics of value exchange are changing and we’re helping brands understand how to work better with the next generation of creators, commerce and exchange online.

How will the international team be working together?

It is a straightforward model – a centralised, specialist function. The 15-plus team comprises digital comms experts in performance content, technology, analytics and experiences. Our account teams will continue to lead their integrated programmes, drawing in specialist support where relevant. We’ve been working closely together for some weeks now, and the beauty of today’s heavy reliance on video conferencing is that we’ve built strong working relationships very quickly.

Why is Web3 more than just a flash in the pan for comms?

I remember launching mobile video technology at Mobile World Congress about a million years ago and the spokespeople working so hard to convince people that we really would watch TV on-demand on our mobile devices. How we humans do things evolves – we’ve already had two iterations of the internet and you can be confident that our expectations of what the internet can deliver, and our role within it, will continue to advance.

From a Citizen perspective, our team sees Web3 shifts in AI, XR and anonymity as substantial drivers of new opportunities for brands.

Which big brands are already doing well with their Web3 strategy?

High fashion and luxury brands have jumped in head-first and generated a slew of programmes. They’re largely in testing mode but are succeeding in earning impressions and buzz.

Our team are huge fans of Nike’s acquisition and partnership with RTFKT in the creation of really interesting and meaningful ‘phygital’ activations. What works so well with their partnership is that it is already well-suited for the category, and plays into existing human behaviour, creating new ways to own Nike coveted products.

I’ve been watching H&M with interest for a while – since spotting my daughter dressing her avatar in H&M in Toca Life, the digital collection landed just ahead of the physical collection and really captured both of our imaginations. H&M has also partnered with Animal Crossing and Roblox, experimenting with virtual garments and, now, using the integrations to focus its comms on sustainability. I’m interested to see what comes next.

Which campaigns haven’t done so well with this so far?

It is hard to judge without knowing brand or campaign objectives – and we wouldn’t like to.

We’ve seen brands creating storefronts in the metaverse, launching Discord servers and adding augmented reality shopping experiences to retail, in many cases they’ve driven plenty of noise but it is difficult to tell if they answered customers’ needs or brought the brands into new demographics in any substantial way. Of course, if those campaign objectives were to test and learn, then the brands may well have found value in them.

How would you advise brands to start with Web3 and determining how it could work for them?

We’d advise brands to start by looking at their consumers’ behaviours to better understand where unmet needs exist. For example, doing a conversation map to show where people are looking for solutions online, or evaluating user intent in search to help determine where we could better show up based on new behaviours. From there, we’d suggest evaluating the wide array of new communities, tech and offerings to help test modern digital solutions to user challenges. Web-next ideas have what all great ideas provide, something of value to real citizens. That remains unchanged.

Metrics and measuring success can already be difficult in comms – how can success be measured with Web3-centred campaigns?

Some examples of the different impact models we’ve been building and leveraging:

● Content effectiveness: if you make no other change this year, start measuring the effectiveness of content by variable. If your influencer content includes a product or a CTA does it perform better? If we include a real person does it change the outcomes? Citizen’s dComm3 practice has built a content effectiveness algorithm that allows us to do better briefing, track outcomes and shift campaign results in a programmatic way.
● Earned SEO: search behaviours are changing for the first time in decades. Gen Zers leverage platforms like TikTok and Instagram for search more than Google. A weight of product searches originate in Amazon. Voice search has become something our kids do. Earned off-page search can drive significant value for a brand capturing share of search and driving inbound links. Start by getting a baseline of search performance and measure against it in earned.
● Earned attribution and econometrics: buzzy, earned-led campaigns don’t just drive headlines and impressions; they can drive demand. The dComm3 team is briefing in against demand and building tagging infrastructures to show the value of earned well beyond standard attribution.

What do you find particularly exciting about the Web3 space?

The possibilities. What will humans adopt versus reject? How will people evolve around the tech versus how the tech will evolve to human behaviour? This is perhaps the most exciting time in the history of the web and we are ready for the opportunities it poses. Tactically, we’re bullish on community evolution. People are going back to anonymous, topical-centred conversations and things like organic community are returning in a way that is truly exciting for communicators and brands.

For more on Web3, read our previous posts on the topic: ‘How to communicate in the metaverse… also, what is the metaverse?‘ and ‘Three reasons to get started with Web 3.0‘.

International Women's Day 2023

International Women’s Day 2023 – How can the PR industry evolve for the better?

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Does the world really still need International Women’s Day? For all those asking this question, the answer is very much ‘yes’. Gender inequality continues to thrive in 2023 – especially when it intersects with racism, homophobia, transphobia, classism, ableism – the list goes on.

And despite being made up of a workforce filled with women – a 67% majority, apparently – PR has a gender problem.

Here are takes from women working in comms on how the industry can evolve and why International Women’s Day should be circled on the calendar:

‘When misogyny is still allowed to breed in our society, at the highest levels and most trusted ranks, we need counter pressures to dismantle toxic views which seek to constrain and harm women – be that at work, at home, or in society at large,’ believes Ketchum’s Alicia Solanki.

‘For that reason, IWD is critical and absolutely has a place in 2023. The dialogue must not stop once IWD has passed, but it is fine if on this day specifically, we crank up the volume’.

Break up bias in the boardroom

‘We have to address the fact that women and ethnic minorities are still not being represented enough in companies. 2022 stats show us that in the UK only 19.7% of employees on boards are women – why is this? Because patriarchy is rife on company boards. Also in the UK, the employment rate in every ethnic group was higher for men than women.

‘My experience working in PR and as the owner of a PR agency, is that when dealing with some male clients, I’m not taken seriously. Despite running our own business and managing their brand and reputation, we see a lot of mansplaining. This isn’t across the board, and things are improving but we still feel we’re working hard to have a seat at a very male table.’
Sophie Kermani, director at In The Bag PR

‘As ever, there are benefits to having PR people more closely represent the societies in which we live. As PR practitioners, we aim to communicate messages effectively to various audiences. Having a diverse team that reflects the demographics of those audiences can help ensure that messages are communicated in a way that resonates with them as well as results in more creative and innovative solutions to communication challenges. Overall, ethnic diversity in the PR industry can lead to better communication, increased innovation, and more inclusive and respectful messaging.’
Hanisha Ganwani, senior PR manager for Global University Systems

‘Like many industries, women still have to choose between a career and a family. Hopefully, now more men are taking paternity leave, we might start seeing the balance change.’
Claire Powell, managing director of The CAN Group

Drop the tokenism

‘While the workplace has become a lot more accommodating for women, there’s still a lot of headway to be made.

‘A lot of LGBTQ+ people often get put into a separate box or seen as the ‘token diverse person’ that companies can use to promote during Pride month. In reality, I don’t want to be seen as any different, which is why a lot of people don’t even express labels when at work.

‘In a PR agency, you’re often in communication with an in-house representative that’s older and typically male, so you definitely get the odd person speaking over you and subtly treating you differently. It’s especially hard when you’re at the start of your career and trying to gain more confidence in a new industry’.
Stacie Plast, Senior account executive at Stone Junction

Drop the ageism

‘I think that there are still divides when it comes to women in PR and ageism is one of those.

‘In many circles, PR is seen as a young person’s industry and when women go on maternity leave this can mark a dramatic change in their career. Being able to come back on a flexible or part-time basis can be hard and I believe that we often lose women who hold huge value and experience because making it work is just too hard.’
Natalie Trice, PR author, PR coach, PR trainer, Devon Trice Public Relations

‘There has been a huge issue around ageism in PR; a typical PR worker would be cited as a female in her 20s. Women in PR’s recent survey showed over 34% of women working in comms have experienced ageism in the workplace. However, businesses are now waking up to the wealth of experience and knowledge that those of us who have been around for longer can bring.’
Sara Mak, PR & external communications manager for Verastar

No ‘gender-washing’

‘Say no to gender-washing BS. Businesses need to set themselves real goals to deliver on inclusion, equality and equity. Transparency, accountability and measurement are critical to track real progress. How can we assess progress if we don’t know what it is we’re measuring? In the data economy, the PR industry needs to get better at using data insights to inform the right strategy, create the right vision and achieve.’
Claire Williamson, founder and managing director of Resonance, current PRCA Council Chair, and co-chair of the PRCA AR Group

Be transparent on pay

‘I think businesses in the private sector need to be transparent about salaries. But I think the real changes can then only come from individuals. Bias needs to be called out, whether it’s racism, sexism or transphobia – those who see it happening and let it slide are just as complicit.’
Jessica McDonnell, account manager for Source PR

‘As a Black woman working in PR, I think in order to address all the intersectionalities of gender, sexuality and race within pay and promotions, there needs to be honest and transparent conversations within the workplace. This would create transparency for marginalised groups to see how they compare with other counterparts (males, white people, cis people, etc). If we are transparent about pay scales and the reasons behind it, then there is no room for gaps. This gives everyone a level playing field to progress in comparison to others.’
Buce Satimburwa, account executive at Full Fat

‘We need to stop making excuses for the reasons things happen in the workplace. If you’re struggling to attract diverse talent, check your company culture, policies and external comms. If you are attracting diverse talent but seeing them check out, lift the lid on your employee experience and career development touchpoints. Do more to promote and champion diverse talent into the board – you can’t be what you can’t see which will continue to inflame the promotion and pay gap across gender, race or sexuality.’
Alicia Solanki, chief client and innovation officer at Ketchum UK

Don’t be part of the problem

‘PR and the press in general is, crucially, part of the problem. One scan of articles focus in on women’s marital status, weight and whatever else women are spoon-fed on a daily basis to erode their joy. While countless aggressive murders, crimes and violence committed by men, are simply reported as ‘genderless’ crimes. Oh, unless it’s a debate on transgender women in prison… yikes.

‘There is a huge disconnect between the women working in PR and the output of commentary through journalism. This is because it is still male voices that dominate the actual news. Men occupy the vast majority of management and a majority of the jobs in journalism, which means that their narrative is the one represented. There’s still very much a double-standard in the PR industry, too.’
Faye Lewis, head of comms at Viva!

‘I personally still believe there is a lack of education of what Public Relations is, even in today’s world of 2023 (though I feel it’s getting there, we are not there yet). Many still think PR is some form of advertising, marketing or just going out to fancy events.

‘Because of the lack of knowledge, I believe it’s not deemed as important compared to other industries, which is why I believe women are not taken as seriously. This reflects on how women are perceived.

‘Education is needed for PR to be taken more seriously and it should rank among the top of the industry sectors – this would change the dynamic of any issues.’
Am Golhar, media voice and founder of Abstract PR

Set tangible targets for improvement

‘Companies and organisations should commit to creating tangible and achievable targets to close the gender/race/sexuality pay and promotion gaps. This should include setting specific goals for hiring more women, people of colour and members of the LGBTQ+ community, and creating transparent processes for evaluating and promoting them.’
Alana Panton, founder of AP Comms

Show up

‘I think that newer generations reaching the PR industry won’t stand for disparities in gender, race, pay or the like, and rightly so. Some businesses naturally adopt best practice in these areas, but with talent shortages being felt across the industry, it’s going to force all business leaders to show up for this generation – they want to see people doing the right thing or they’ll disengage entirely.

‘There needs to be firm action taken when sexism, racism, ageism or any other form of discrimination is experienced. We have brought contracts to a close that haven’t afforded members of my team the respect they deserve, and I will continue to put people over profits when it comes to addressing behaviours that are not welcome in 2023.’
Alia Al-Doori, Managing Director at Pearl Comms

Provide time for personal development

‘In 2023, there are so many amazing opportunities for women in PR, from leadership courses to workshops and panel discussions – I think it’s imperative that agencies not only encourage their employees to take these opportunities but ensure that they are given the time and support to be able to do so.

‘There are many PR agencies whose lack of diversity is a huge issue that they are just ignoring, and, with so many talented people in the PR world, there’s just no excuse for it!’
Maisie Bamford, PR account director at Tank

Remember why International Women’s Day is still necessary

‘IWD is still important in 2023 because the challenges women face haven’t gone away. It’s the obvious things like the gender pay gap, yes, but it’s also the way every woman I know insists on a text to make sure their friend got home safe and refuses to walk alone at night.

‘It’s the ‘someone’s on their monthly’ comments and the way that I still have to explain to the men I love why I don’t feel as safe or as seen or as heard as they do. It’s how being sexually harassed is literally just a given and my friends and I have unspoken methodologies to protect ourselves and others when we go out for drinks. It’s how music, art and activities enjoyed and/or created primarily by women are belittled and dismissed. How the media would rather discuss female politicians and celebrities weight gain and fashion choices than their policies and actions. How men can get away with saying and doing and being things that women cannot.

‘It’s all the tiny little things I have to take into account, the self-defensive thoughts and actions that have become habit, that I’ve been told by men is ‘a bit paranoid’ or ‘a bit much’. The little things are the hardest to fix – it’s not something that can change overnight – but IWD is about giving women of all races, nationalities, religions and experiences the space and the platform to make their voices heard.’
Leigh-Ann Hewer, account manager at Carnsight Communications

‘Although gender equality is widely understood in many societies, far too many individuals still believe ‘feminism has gone far enough’, some men and women are still reluctant to use the label ‘feminist’, and the popularity of misogynists like Andrew Tate evidences that women’s rights and opportunities are still not guaranteed. Marking International Women’s Day reminds us that there are many different ways to ‘be’ a woman, that womanhood is intersectional with ethnic, racial, LGTBQ+ and disability status complementing our identities and presenting new challenges and opportunities, and that every woman has a different story to tell and something unique to offer the world.’
Aimee Treasure, marketing director at Templeton and Partners

For more on the experiences of women throughout the creative industries in the UK, check out our accessmatters series, including The Social Mobility Foundation’s Sarah Atkinson, the Taylor Bennett Foundation’s Melissa Lawrence and InFusion Comms’ Sara Hawthorn. 

Interview with The CAN Group's Claire Powell on entertainment PR

‘Brief, brief, brief!’ – The CAN Group’s Claire Powell on providing premier PR for the entertainment industry

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‘I never set out with the desire to be in the industry,’ says media, PR and events expert Claire Powell, founder of The CAN Group.

Claire Powell

‘I started working with an events company, undertaking their marketing, when I was approached to work on a new group that were just starting off called Take That.’

At the forefront of the creative industries for almost three decades, Claire’s start with an 18-month tour with Gary, Mark, Robbie, Jason and Howard led to a series of magazine roadshow tours that gave bands like Boyzone, West Life, Ant & Dec and Peter Andre their big breaks.

‘I’ve had so many amazing moments over the years, and worked with many incredible people and businesses, but what continues to drive me is helping people achieve their dreams. My team and I sit with our clients regularly to discuss their ambitions and wishes, and we create plans to make this happen’.

Read on for Claire’s experiences in entertainment PR, the impact of social media on the industry and her thoughts on 2023’s awards season controversies.

How has the entertainment PR industry changed throughout your career?

To use the word ‘massively’ would be an understatement. Long gone are the days when you would create a plan with the media, because there are so many different platforms and outlets now – covering all is a huge task. Previously, you could make major announcements in special agreements with publications, but with mobile phones and social media, pictures can go all over the world in a matter of minutes which makes it difficult to control and secure an exclusive deal.

How has the growth of social media changed ‘traditional’ PR?

There will always be a need for some of the conventional functions that PR has always offered. Even with more digital approaches, traditional methods will be at the crux of the campaigns and keeping good working relationships with journalists is a must. These are the tools of our trade.

However, there has been change particularly with social media and the rise of influencers, and the general decline in readership of magazines and newspapers. So much news is readily available now at our fingertips, which is really sad for journalists and publishers as we see more and more conventional sources of information fold.

You also work in the beauty space – what are the big differences between the entertainment and beauty spheres, and what are the crossovers?

Entertainment is about creating big story lines and it is very picture-based, while beauty is about the products, the people behind the brand and finding a unique point of difference from your competitors. Both require forward-planning, creative strategy, and thinking outside the box to maximise opportunities and get the best coverage for your client – no matter the industry they are in.

It is never a ‘one size fits all’ approach. We work with our clients to create bespoke campaigns that are right for them, and their end goals.

Crisis comms is becoming even more important – what advice would you give to fellow PRs with clients in reputational trouble?

Brief, brief, brief! Be sure to research what they are walking into and only go to a journalist that understands the client you are talking about. It is about protection. Keep to the truth, the facts and guide your client though this critical stage. So many PR and management companies don’t do this in a carefully controlled way which can lead to more damaging situations later down the line.

What is your take on the controversy surrounding this year’s Oscars nominations – does the PR process for performers during Awards season need to change?

I’ve read about the celebrity guerrilla campaign to endorse Andrea Riseborough’s Best Actress nomination. The film didn’t perform well at the box office, but in the final weeks of voting for the 2023 Oscar nominees, it received endorsement from Charlize Theron, Jennifer Aniston and Kate Winslet praising the performance.

It is a difficult one to comment about as nobody knows what happens behind the scenes – maybe these celebrities watched the film and really liked it! But with any award seasons, the nominees will campaign and appear on popular talk shows to discuss their excitement for the upcoming events. Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if this activity is taking place prior to the nomination announcement.

However, I strongly believe awards should be given upon merit and would like to believe a good performance will prosper, and the award will be given to the rightful winner on the night.

What are the big trends the PR industry should be prepared for over the next few years?

I think the cost-of-living crisis will continue to be an important consideration for everyone.

Customers will be making more considered purchase decisions, and brand or spokesperson communications should be aware of this. You often see a lot of brands and celebrities making tone deaf comments with long-standing consequences to their reputation, often beyond the point of repair.

While agencies need to ensure that their PR strategies reflect their client’s business need, all PR plans need to be flexible and responsive to the client’s market. The past has shown all of us that things can change overnight, so you need to be willing to adapt too.

For more on responsive PR, check out our previous piece ‘Reactive PR: Turning something out of nothing‘. Want to connect with entertainment media? Find out more about the Vuelio Media Database here. 

Newsjacking

Tips for spotting the best newsjacking opportunities

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This is a guest post from Alice James, a strategic and creative freelance digital PR, specialising in reactive approaches.

What is newsjacking? Newsjacking is often described as a brand marketing tactic where a brand responds to news or social media trends. Think Ryanair’s witty responses to the wider news agenda.

Tweet from Ryanair

In the PR world, however, newsjacking is a complimentary link building tactic used by digital PRs to gain coverage for a brand and their website. In a nutshell, a Digital PR professional will monitor the media and news to find opportunities for brands to be centerstage with expert insight and exclusive commentary.

It is fast paced, and extremely reactive, but a solid way to earn valuable media coverage. When newsjacking is used as part of a wider PR strategy, it can accelerate expertise, authority, and trustworthiness of a brand – all key markers that Google considers when evaluating your content and website.

So, if you’re looking for a budget friendly way to earn coverage (which could lead to better rankings!), this article will teach you how to spot the best newsjacking opportunities.

How to Spot the Best Newsjacking Opportunities

Utilise Twitter

PR and Media professionals have a strong community on this social media platform. But if you’re keen to capitalise on newsjacking opportunities, you can search through the popular ‘journorequest’ hashtag. Here, you’ll find journalists from all sorts of publications or freelancing who are looking for products to review, expert insights for their articles, or for case studies to include in write ups.

If you’ve got a good list of associated keywords for your services or products, you can use this as part of your search to refine the opportunities available to you. For example: ‘#JournoRequest marketing’

More often than not, a journalist will include their email either in the request, on their profile, or ask you to DM them with a response if you fit the bill.

As Twitter is a public forum, it goes without saying that you need to act fast on these requests. Many other PRs or even brands and businesses themselves will be looking for the same opportunities.

For more on connecting with journalists, read our previous piece ‘6 reasons to stop using #JournoRequest and start using the Journalist Enquiry Service‘. 

Connect with people on forums

Forums are a great place to connect with prospective customers, and to understand the nuances of their ‘pain points’.

Popular forums such as Reddit and Quora are a great place to find trending niche topics, and can give you a unique opportunity to draft some exclusive commentary before pitching to journalists in the field.

While this treasure trove might not have direct opportunities to earn some coverage, it will give you a view on what your prospective audience wants to talk about.

Immerse yourself in the news cycle

In this day and age, with push notifications and the urgency of social media, it is hard to avoid the news. I recommend taking the time to curate your read list and get to know exactly what the press reports on in your industry (and beyond!).

Staying on the pulse of relevant news will give you real-time insight into what your target audience is digesting.

Get ahead of the news

Being immersed is a good place to start, but if you’re able to get ahead of the news, it can be in your favour for a truly reactive approach to PR. I recommend following popular reporting bodies, such as YouGov or ONS, to access exclusive data before it gets reported on by the media.

The ONS event calendar also details upcoming releases which can be searched by keyword. This means you can prepare some reactive content ahead of time and update it when the data is released, before pitching to journalists at exactly the right time.

Follow journalists in your industry

If you are an active Twitter user, consider following journalists in your business or industry. Not only will this create an additional touch point for any instance where you do want to speak to them, but it will also give you insight into the kinds of topics they specifically report on, and the content which does well with your target press.

Being selective in your reactive outreach may seem counterintuitive if your goal is to gain volume coverage. But without pitching to the right people, your carefully put together insight won’t get the pick up it deserves!

Check out more advice on reaching out to the media: ‘How to start your media outreach to gain coverage… without annoying journalists’. 

In summary:

• When it comes to successful newsjacking, it pays to be quick and have your finger on the pulse of your industry.
• Connecting with the press is key. Whether it is with journalists themselves, or simply following your ‘dream publications’ – follow and network with them to understand the kind of content which does well with your audience.
• Although newsjacking is a reactive approach, there’s a lot of preparation you can do ahead of time to improve success rates by preparing comments and insight and adjusting details when the news breaks.

For alternatives to #JournoResources, see how the ResponseSource Journalist Enquiry Service can connect you with journalists writing about your niches directly. 

Want to find journalists in your sector and start building relationships? Try the Vuelio Media Database.