UK – 20 October 2017

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Today’s Media Updates covers moves and changes at UK titles including The Telegraph, Scratch and siliconrepublic. 

News & Politics

  • Edward Malnick has been appointed Whitehall editor at The Telegraph. Edward was previously deputy investigations editor at the titles.

Lifestyle

  • Sophie Nutt has been appointed editorial assistant at Scratch Magazine, the publication focused on nails.

Business 

  • Eva Short has been appointed junior careers reporter at siliconrepublic. Eva was previously a broadcast assistant at Newstalk.

 

The Vuelio Media Database lists thousands of journalists, bloggers, publications and media outlets. Find out more more.

Clare Nicholas

Blogger Spotlight: Emmy’s Mummy and Harry’s Too!

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Clare Nicholas is the author of Emmy’s Mummy and Harry’s Too!, which recently ranked in the Top 10 UK Parenting Blogs. Clare was a nanny for 14 years and she draws on her wealth of childcare knowledge to provide expert advice and suggest child-friendly activities. We spoke to Clare about her regular nanny feature, finding your own voice and collaborating with brands to give the children an experience. 

How would you describe your blog?
A parenting and lifestyle blog which shares helpful tips using my nanny experience to help other parents under the popular ‘Top Tips from a Former Nanny’ series.

Why did you start your blog?
As a way to share Emmy’s milestones with family members who didn’t get to see her often as they would have liked. The idea was to print off into a book for her when she was older, six years down the road the book idea may now not be possible but both children have EVERY milestone recorded so they can read for themselves when they are older.

What’s the best thing about being a parent?
Every single moment. It may sound cheesy but having spent many years believing I would never fulfil my dream I really do cherish every moment. Having children of my own was always my dream but after three miscarriages I almost gave up hope of that ever happening. Emmy was my miracle baby as was Harry after suffering another two miscarriages before he came along.

What advice would you give new parents?
Take ALL the help offered. Sleep when you can and housework really can wait for another day – you are no good to anyone if you are sleep deprived and too frazzled to do anything.

What advice would you give new bloggers?
Be yourself, don’t try to copy your favourite bloggers as you need to find your own voice. You are at the beginning of your journey so don’t worry about their stats and following, just do what works for you.

What makes your blog successful?
I’m not sure I would say it’s successful, what is success anyway? My most popular posts are ones written from the heart, my personal posts and of course those rants where I’ve written about something/someone who’s annoyed me, and my Top Tips from a Former Nanny are rather popular and I really love writing those.

How do you like to work with PRs?
I like to mix it up, I am happy to have a brief to follow but prefer to put my own unique spin on these projects.

What’s one of your favourite collaborations?
That would have to be working with Merlin Annual Pass, it was a year of family fun which we could all enjoy!

What one thing should PRs know about you?
That’s a really hard one, I think it would be that family is everything to me – they were the reason for starting this blog in the first place and I like to ensure they have lots of fun… and mummy at home to enjoy that fun with them.

What other blogs do you read?
There are loads I regularly read, a few favourites are PODcast, Mum in the Mad House, The Oliver’s Madhouse, Five Little Doves and Eats Amazing. 

Clare Nicholas and Emmy’s Mummy and Harry’s Too! feature on the market-leading Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

PRWeek Awards 2017

PRWeek Awards 2017: all you need to know

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The PRWeek Awards celebrated its 30th anniversary last night in true 80s’ style. Vuelio were delighted to partner this historic event and celebrate alongside 1,000 guests and 33 winners.

PRWeek’s editor Danny Rogers then introduced the evening’s event, explaining how the nature of PR has changed as we’ve entered the age of stakeholder marketing. He then introduced a very special presentation.

Roger Daltrey, lead singer of The Who, took everyone by surprise when he arrived to induct his friend and colleague Alan Edwards into PR Week’s Hall of Fame. Edwards is the founder and chairman of Outside Organisation, and has over 40 years’ experience working with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Prince and David Bowie.

Edwards’ was the first of many awards on the night, which were presented by Katherine Ryan. The Canadian comedian kept the audience entertained with a hilarious routine, outrageous comments and the occasional sing song.

The biggest prizes on the night, two Gold Awards for Consultancy of the Year and In-House Team of the Year, were won by Weber Shandwick and English Heritage respectively. There’s also a special mention for Iris, who won the Vuelio-sponsored Best Influencer Marketing Campaign award for its Adidas Glitch launch.

Social media was ablaze throughout the evening, with #PRWeekAwards quickly shooting to the top of Twitter’s trending topics in the UK, such was the reach of a room of the best PR professionals in the business. We’ve gathered the our favourite posts from across all forms of social media and online stories to make a dedicated Vuelio Canvas, the simple tool that easily tells your PR story.

Click here to see the full PRWeek Canvas.

PRWeek canvas

 

UK – 19 October 2017

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Today’s Media Updates covers moves and changes at UK titles including BBC World News, MailOnline, GQ Style and The Caterer. 

News & Politics

  • Ellis Palmer has been appointed senior broadcast journalist at BBC World News. Ellis was previously a production junior at Sky.
  • Matt Porter has been appointed Esports journalist at the MailOnline.
  • Suzanne Breen has been appointed political editor at the Belfast Telegraph. Suzanne is the former northern editor of the Sunday Tribune and former senior northern correspondent of the Irish Times.

Lifestyle

  • Sophie Clark has been promoted to fashion editor at GQ Style. Sophie was previously junior fashion editor at the title.
  • Angelo Mitakos has been promoted to senior fashion assistant at GQ Style, having previously been fashion assistant.

Business 

  • There have been a number of changes announced at The Caterer:
    • Chris Gumm has been appointed editor. Chris is the current publisher of Better Wholesaling and editor of RN will be joining the team in the New Year.
    • Outgoing editor Amanda Afiya, who leaves at the end of October, has been retained part-time to support the group in an advisory and ambassadorial role
    • Hotels editor Janet Harmer has been promoted to the role of associate editor and will take over from Neil Gerrard who leaves The Caterer at the end of the year to join an online residential property title.

 

The Vuelio Media Database lists thousands of journalists, bloggers, publications and media outlets. Find out more more.

Slummy Single Mummy

Blogger Spotlight: Jo Middleton, Slummy Single Mummy

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Jo Middleton is the multi-award-winning influencer behind the UK’s biggest parenting blog Slummy Single Mummy. Jo has been writing about family life since 2009 and is also now an expert in social media, marketing and copywriting. Slummy Single Mummy is the number one blog in the Top 10 UK Parenting Blogs, and we caught up with Jo to discuss the importance of not comparing, her advice for new bloggers and working with brands.

How would you describe your blog?
That’s a tricky one, because it has changed a lot over the years as my kids have grown up. I think in a way that’s the beauty of ‘parenting’ as a theme though – pretty much anything can fall under that umbrella if you try hard enough! I like to think my blog doesn’t take itself too seriously, it’s just a bit of light entertainment – like a friendly chat with a friend.

Why did you start your blog?
I actually started it as a way to promote the freelance journalism and copywriting I was doing, way back before brands had really started engaging with bloggers meaningfully, so I never imagined it would evolve into my main source of income.

What’s the best thing about being a parent?
Wow, that’s a big question?? Aside from the unconditional love, joy of seeing your kids grow etc?? Probably that you get to watch Disney films at the cinema and go to theme parks and eat Big Macs and pretend it’s all just because you have to.

What advice would you give new parents?
I think just do your best. Accept that at some point in the future they are going to blame you for ruining their lives in some way – it’s how parenting works – so just do your best from day to day and don’t compare your child to others.

What advice would you give new bloggers?
This is such a tough one, because I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to come into the market place now with so much competition. I think I’d say firstly to just go for it – don’t spend too much time over-thinking things, as you can always grow and develop as you go along. Secondly though I’d say you have to be prepared to work hard and be professional at all times. You can’t expect big brand partnerships to fall into your lap from day one – it takes a while to build up a readership and a reputation. Also, a bit like parenting, don’t compare your blog to other blogs. Comparison really IS the thief of joy.

What makes your blog successful?
I like to think that I have a very consistent, approachable tone of voice, that makes it easy to read and makes people feel like they want to come back and read it again. Commercially, I think honesty is a big part of my success, and professionalism. I always do everything on time, I try to make even the dullest subject interesting – all that stuff that brands love!

How do you like to work with PRs?
I’m pretty open to any kind of approach as long as it’s well researched, friendly and honest. I’m not saying I end up working with everyone who gets in touch, but I try to read most things. I like it best when I’m given plenty of rein creatively, but with clear goals too – I want the brand to be able to measure whether or not they’ve got what they want from working with me, so they come back!

What’s one of your favourite collaborations?
Thinking long term, I really loved working with Bailey of Bristol, who make motorhomes. For a couple of summers they leant us a motorhome so that we could go off on adventures around the UK and Ireland – what’s not to love about that??

What one thing should PRs know about you?
I am NOT interested in reviewing potty training apps. Yes I have children, but they are 15 and 22.

What other blogs do you read?
I have to admit that when I’m not working I prefer to be away from screens if I possibly can, so although I dabble, I’m much more of an old fashioned magazine or book kind of girl.

Jo Middleton and Slummy Single Mummy feature on the market-leading Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

Mum in the Madhouse

Blogger Spotlight: Jen Walshaw, Mum in the Mad House

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Jen Walshaw recently ranked on the Top 10 UK Parenting Blogs with her award-winning Mum in the Mad House. Chronicling the life of a family of four, Jen also uses her blog to share creative makes and recipe ideas. We caught up with Jen to talk about the rewards of family life, working with PRs and being creative!

How would you describe your blog?
Mum in the Mad House is a one-stop shop for people trying to live a creative family life in the digital age on a budget. I am passionate about raising creative children whilst instilling them with skills that will last a lifetime, which can be quite a challenge in this digital age!

So, my blog is filled with crafting, art, cooking with kids, realistic parenting tips and screen-free activities to encourage people to try and live a creative family life.

Why did you start your blog?
My blog started out as a dairy after a health scare. I had two boys under three with 14 months between them. It was my way of recording our day to day life whilst reclaiming time for me. I had always wanted to be one of those people that had a batch of journals to look back on but never found pen and paper that appealing long term. I loved being able to create my own digital photo album with words!

What’s the best thing about being a parent?
Parenting is the hardest thing that I have ever done, but it is also the most rewarding. I adore watching my children develop and grow and seeing their potential. Each stage of parenting has been different and amazing in its own way. Now we are entering the teen years and it will be interesting to see what they bring!

What advice would you give new parents?
The best advice I ever received was not to listen to what other people said you have to do but to trust your own instincts. For me, parenting confidence came with experience and it took time to learn that I had to do what was right for my family and that wasn’t necessarily the same as someone else’s.

What advice would you give new bloggers?
Starting a blog was one of the best things I did, I would encourage anyone thinking about it to just do it. But you do need to have a thick skin. I am aware that by putting myself out into the public eye I am inviting comments and opinions that I might not necessarily get in real life. Think about why you want to blog and what you want to get out of it. I started as an online diary and it has developed organically over the years. I think it has become much harder to be heard since I started as the market is much more saturated. There are some great communities out there so get involved, have fun and connect with people.

What makes your blog successful?
I think that Mum in the Mad House is so successful as it is relevant and I am relatable to people. Over the years it has gone from strength to strength, some readers have been with us from the beginning, others found us whilst looking for a specific solution. It has stood the test of time and remains a trusted voice in a saturated market.

Jen Walshaw

How do you like to work with PRs?
I love working with brands and companies. I prefer to produce unique quality content based on their needs. Over the years we have produced and featured in videos, attended events and press trips, featured on company websites, offered competitions and much, much more. For us, it is about thinking creatively and finding an angle that connects with our readers. I am more than happy to chat to a PR about what they are looking to do and come up with something that meets both our needs.

What’s one of your favourite collaborations?
It is so hard to pin it down to just one collaboration. We are big fans of family experiences and have been lucky enough to work with some fantastic brands and have lots of fun at the same time. There have been different favourites depending on the stages of our family life. The man of the house loves car or holiday collaborations, the boys are particularly keen on theme parks and festivals, whilst me, like most mums, are happy when the rest of the family is, however, I do love going to concerts, visiting new places and experiencing new things.

What one thing should PRs know about you?
That I am a proud Northerner, so invites to events in the capital mean quite a chunk of travel! I want PRs to understand what I can offer them and their clients and to develop long-term relationships. Things really need to be relevant to me and my readers. More and more it is about being a trusted voice. It is great to connect with people that understand what you do and see how you can work together for the benefit of their client. Also, I think that it is time for brands to understand just how much impact working with a blogger can have. I can reach so much more people than the traditional press, but often they are still not willing to pay a commensurate fee.

What other blogs do you read?
I am an avid blog reader and love being part of such a wide-ranging and diverse community. I turn to blogs for pretty much everything, looking for a recipe then there is a great blog for that, planning a party, again I turn to a blog.

Jen Walshaw and Mum in the Madhouse feature on the market-leading Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

UK – 18 October 2017

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Today’s Media Updates covers moves and changes at UK titles including The Scottish Sun, Daily Express, HELLO and Drapers. 

News & Politics

  • Craig Jackson has been appointed news editor at The Scottish Sun. Craig was previously news editor at the Sunday Post.
  • Adam Miller has been promoted to TV editor at the Daily Express Online. Adam was previously senior TV reporter at the site.

Lifestyle

  • Elle Sixsmith has been appointed beauty writer across HELLO Fashion Monthly and Hello Fashion. Elle was previously a beauty assistant at Marie Claire.
  • Colm Ahern has been promoted to deputy editor at VIDEOGAMER.com. Colm was previously content editor at the site.

Business 

  • Incisive Media has moved to a new office at New London House at 172 Drury Lane, close to both Holborn and Covent Garden tube stations. This follows a management buyout in April this year. The company has also refreshed its logo and corporate design.
  • Alice Sholl has been appointed senior reporter at Drapers.

 

The Vuelio Media Database lists thousands of journalists, bloggers, publications and media outlets. Learn more about the database.

Bianca Derhy

Blogger Spotlight: Bianca Derhy, Bibi Goes Chic

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Bianca Derhy is the international digital influencer behind Bibi Goes Chic. Covering a range of topics from fashion to travel, Bianca has a significant social media presence and is a rising Instagram star. We spoke to Bianca about her blog, making it big on Instagram and working with a network of PRs around the world.

How would you describe your blog?
My blog is a combination of what I love most: fashion, beauty, travel and luxury lifestyle. Specialising in the best of both, premium luxury and high-street fashion, Bibi Goes Chic aims to inspire women to style fashion-forward looks for different occasions through a combination of personal fashion posts, product reviews and trend tips – with professional photography to accompany each story.

What took your Instagram account to the next level in terms of followers?
Back in 2014, when I started blogging, growing on Instagram was definitely easier as public accounts gained more visibility. I think what worked best for me, and what continued to do so, was when I would get reposted on a popular accounts’ page. For example, if I would wear an outfit from Missguided and tag them, that picture could get shared on their page, driving a couple of hundred or even thousands over to mine. I definitely think interacting and collaborating with others on Instagram is a tool that works!

Bianca DerhyWhat advice would you give someone trying to make it big on Instagram?
I think nowadays, with Instagram’s algorithm having affected a lot of us in terms of reach and growth, big numbers isn’t everything. Rather, focus on creating amazing quality content, interacting with your followers, using the Stories and Live feature to get more personal, and the rest will follow!

How do your other social channels work with Instagram and your blog?
My main social media is definitely Instagram at the moment, as it serves as the main storyteller where I keep my viewers most up to date about what goes on in my life. I do love to blog when I feel like I have a lot to say about a particular topic, and feel like my readers would enjoy that depth a bit more. I’ve recently started YouTube where I film more about my university studies, lookbook and style tips, vlogs etc, so my readers can get to know me better.

What’s your favourite topic to blog about?
At the moment I’m loving writing about travel, as it’s been a passion of mine since I was young. I’m so grateful for each opportunity that comes my way, and having the ability to travel, see the world and immerse myself in a new culture is certainly an unforgettable feeling! I hope to capture that sensation as much as possible in my content on social media and my blog.

Who takes your pictures and what’s your process uploading content?
It definitely varies – if I’m collaborating with a brand or writing a blog post I would work with a photographer, yet I mostly use my iPhone 7 Plus for shooting daily content on the go (the quality is certainly up there and it’s the easiest tool we have!).

My process when it comes to shooting and uploading content is always to first brainstorm for new and exciting ideas I can share with my readers, whether that be for a blog post, Instagram photo or YouTube video. Once the content is created, I will use several editing tools such as Lightroom, and plan a schedule for when each post should go live. However, I always keep my content current and so most of what I post will have been shot that same week so my readers are most up to date!

What’s the next big trend going to be for influencers?
That’s a tough one! Instagram has just launched a polling tool, where viewers on Insta Stories can click which option they prefer between two things (say, do you prefer this Valentino bag or this Chanel clutch?) and see voting results live. I think surveys and testing is huge for both brands and influencers, and can help get a better insight into what our readers want to see from us in order to create more tailored experiences.

How do you like to work with PRs?
I love working with PRs and have a global network with them so that whenever I’m traveling, I’m still able to attend events and work with international brands. They also have loads of connections already built within the industry, and serve as a great introduction should you want to build a relationship with someone. Networking is definitely key!

What one thing should PRs know about you?
I would introduce myself as an international digital influencer, having grown up in the fashion capital of Paris and now living in another major fashion city, London. I’m also very passionate about what I do, and certainly motivated!

What other blogs do you read or vlogs do you watch?
I love to read, and am a big fan of popular blogs such as Chiara Ferragni (now turned into an e-commerce/digital magazine), but I am loving YouTube and regularly watch Kane and Pia, Jon Olsson and Clothes Encounters to name a few.

P.S. I also recently started a YouTube channel as well!

Bianca and her blog feature on the market-leading Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

Aurelie Four

Blogger Spotlight: Aurélie Four, Marcel Le Corgi

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Marcel Le Corgi is the fluffy Pembroke Welsh Corgi that features on the eponymous blog written by Aurélie Four. Recently ranked in the top 10 UK pet blogs, we caught with Aurélie to talk about Marcel’s fame, favourite pet products and working directly with brands.

How would you describe your blog?
Our blog is all about sharing what we love (and sharing the love), Marcel and having him as part of our family, travelling (which we do with him when reasonable), good food and nice things… in a fun and pawsitive tone which reflects what Marcel is and what he has brought to our lives.

Why did you start your blog?
A friend of ours suggested I did. We were enjoying running Marcel’s social media so much and his audience loves the travelling and London life part! It can be a struggle to find information on dog-friendly things and posts on social media only stay visible for a few hours, so I thought why not use and share all the pictures I would never have released otherwise, and the information I gather whilst researching trips, food (etc) on a blog where they can be found more easily!

Marcel

What’s it like having a famous pet?
Fun! We get to do so many amazing things and go to places where I never thought he’d be able to go! We’re now used to him being recognized in the streets, but the first few times it was very overwhelming (for us; he loves the attention). We get a lot of love and it’s great being able to share it with charities.

Having people leap in front of us to take photos without asking makes me understand why some human celebrities ‘snap’ – just ask and I will happily make him pose! There is an element of responsibility too – I want to make sure people understand what having a dog means and always make sure people do not get a corgi pup because ‘Marcel’s pictures are so cute’. We also make sure we are not encouraging anything that might impact all other dogs and owners, for example, picturing him on seats on public transport, in uncomfortable situations, taking him to places where he is nervous or endorsing a product we would not use.

Registered trademarkHow does Marcel cope with the pressure?
He does not, because I make sure that he never gets pressured to do anything. Photo sessions are kept fun, short, and rewards are key. We ask for regular breaks when filming/shooting and I have cut short or refused jobs when I knew he would not be comfortable or has had enough. At the end of the day, he is a dog and I fully intend to allow him to enjoy being a dog. As for the attention, he loves it and again I just remove him from the situation if it ever gets too much.

What’s your favourite pet product?
We’re lucky enough to get many amazing products to try, including prototypes, so picking one is impossible. His travel essentials are DogRobes drying coats (which doubled as a life-saving cooling coat when we were stuck with extreme temperatures during our summer road trip), Hindquarters leads and dog beds (practical yet super stylish), Hownd’s on the go wipes, Hiro+Wolf’s hands-free lead when I’m on my own with Marcel and the Fish4Dogs squid and salmon treats.

What’s your favourite post?
I only post about things we love (I have a policy to forget about things I would not recommend and always disclose those paid or where we received a free product to feature – I think we owe that to our amazing audience) so all of them really, the travel ones especially.

How do you like to work with PRs?
I like to work directly rather than with too many people in between, where communication can get lost. Being honest (both ways) and knowing exactly what is expected and agreeing on that before any campaign or shoot is key. I also like to feel like we and our work are respected, be it the dog’s welfare, our time, or my photography.

What one thing should PRs know about you?
We’re a team that comprises of an adorable and super friendly, well-trained and camera-ready dog, a semi-pro photographer and pet industry specialist, and a Michelin-star-trained chef. We won’t compromise Marcel’s welfare for anything. Working with us will mean we bring our fun, positivity and experience to selected brands or campaigns we will be dedicated to.

What’s a memorable campaign you’ve worked on?
There are many but this year’s highlights were helping raise awareness for the amazing work of volunteers at the Therapaws programme (by visiting a hospital’s dementia ward with Marcel for Alzheimer’s month – we ourselves regularly visit hospitals as volunteers), and Marcel being invited to the Chelsea Flower Show by RHS (a first for a dog and a dream come true for me) – his photo [above] ended up on the front page of The Times!

What other blogs do you read?
Most of the other blogs I read are fellow dog-friendly travel and lifestyle blogs (mostly UK or France based) or human travel and food blogs.

 

Aurélie Four and Marcel Le Corgi feature on the market-leading Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

Jeremy Vine presenter

Crimewatch axed after 33 years

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One of the UK’s longest continuously airing programmes has been cancelled by the BBC. The announcement was originally reported by the Sun, which claims BBC bosses want to ‘spend more on dramas’.

Crimewatch is currently hosted by Jeremy Vine and Tina Deheley, who took over in September 2016. The companion daytime programme Crimewatch Roadshow will continue to air, and will actually increase its number of episodes.

The BBC said: ‘We believe the successful Crimewatch Roadshow format in daytime is the best fit for the brand going forward and we will increase the number of episodes to make two series a year’.

The show has a history of helping in famous cases, including the murders of James Bulger and the schoolgirl Sarah Payne. It also featured the murder of Jill Dando, who co-presented Crimewatch until her death in 1999.

While the Sun has claimed the move will anger police, the show’s dwindling ratings have somewhat diminished its function as a ‘public service’ for solving crimes.

Nick Ross, who was a presenter from Crimewatch’s launch in 1984 until 2007, told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme: ‘If you get 15 million people watching a programme and you have an appeal, the chance of finding somebody, that one witness who saw something they had no idea was connected with the crime… they can ring in.

‘Once your audience starts plummeting, you go back to two million, one million, your chances of finding that person are so remote.’

On Twitter, Crimewatch’s demise has upset and amused fans alike:

Do you think Crimewatch was more than its ratings? Or do you think it had lost its crime-solving powers? Let us know in the comments below.

UK – 17 October 2017

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Today’s Media Updates covers moves and changes at UK titles including the James Harding, Glamour, Question Time, Healthy.

News & Politics

  • James Harding, director of News and Current Affairs at the BBC, will stand down at the beginning of the new year. James is leaving the BBC to set up his own news media venture.
  • Hilary O’Neill has been appointed editor of BBC One’s Question Time. She has worked in senior editorial positions at the BBC for 20 years, most recently as deputy editor of the BBC News at Six and Ten bulletins. Hilary will take up her new role in coming weeks and will be based in Mentorn Scotland’s Glasgow office.

Lifestyle

  • Glamour magazine has announced a new ‘digital first’ strategy that will see it’s monthly print edition become biannual. The final monthly issue of Glamour will be December’s.
  • Hattie Parish has been appointed lifestyle writer at Healthy, the magazine for Holland & Barrett. Hattie was previously editorial assistant at WI Life.

Business 

  • Katie McQuater has been appointed deputy editor across Research Live and IMPACT. Katie was previously magazine editor at The Drum.

 

The Vuelio Media Database lists thousands of journalists, bloggers, publications and media outlets. Get the database here.

Prime minister

Energy Price Caps: Is Theresa May a Marxist?

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The Conservative Government has published proposals for a bill to allow a cap on energy tariffs, which it previously described as ‘Marxist’.

The proposals followed on from Theresa May’s announcement of a cap on energy prices in her speech to the Conservative Party Conference, and the inclusion of the policy in the party’s manifesto at the general election earlier this year.

Proponents of the measure say that it will prevent overcharging of vulnerable consumers and that the current system loads the dice against new entrants to the industry, limiting competition. Over two decades after energy privatisation, 80% of customers are still with one of the ‘big six’ firms and many challenger firms believe that a price cap will increase competition in the market.

Opponents warn that the proposal could lead to vulnerable customers paying more, and that competition in the sector is already working.

A time traveller from 2015, when Ed Miliband’s proposals for an energy price cap were being derided by Tory politicians as ‘Marxist’, ‘Wonga-like’ and ‘extremely dangerous’ would be startled to see a Conservative Government proposing something similar.

So, how did we get here?

Those of us monitoring politics have noticed a shift in the political mood as a campaign inside and outside Parliament gathered pace. Its figurehead has been the Conservative MP John Penrose, who has made frequent media appearances promoting the idea, sponsored a debate in the House of Commons, and on the very evening that Parliament was dissolved in May was addressing the All-Party Parliamentary Group on energy costs. Other innovations included a website showing how much people in each constituency were overpaying, produced by one of the industry’s challenger firms.

Together, these elements formed a successful campaign which brought this issue firmly onto the political agenda and into Government policy, and MPs have signed-up to the cause in ever-increasing numbers.

Vuelio attended a Conservative Party Conference fringe event, the day before May’s conference speech, at which Penrose revealed that 212 MPs had signed a letter supporting the cap – an increase of 20 in just a week. He also paid tribute to the work of the campaigning organisation 38 Degrees, whose petition had helped to put pressure on MPs.

However, the final form of the bill is still up for grabs. In his statement, the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Greg Clark told the House of Commons that the draft bill was to be scrutinised by the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee. That committee has already organised a session in which it will take evidence from energy firms, Ofgem, and an expert on economic regulation.

As currently written, the bill leaves many of the precise details to Ofgem, so interested parties will also need to keep a very close eye on their thoughts. Already there are signs of conflict: Labour are claiming that the bill is ‘inadequate’, whilst the Lib Dem MP and former Energy and Climate Change Secretary Sir Ed Davey is arguing that the measure will damage competition and increase prices for vulnerable consumers.

Even Penrose has concerns about the form of the cap: he has been arguing for a relative price cap, not an absolute one. In layman’s terms, this means that the Government would limit the difference between a company’s highest and lowest tariffs, rather than setting a maximum price. Those affected by the proposed cap will need to monitor the progress of the bill through Parliament very closely.

If you would like to know more about political monitoring and the services Vuelio offers, get in touch.

JustinRoiland on twitter

When isn’t bad PR, bad PR? When it’s Szechuan sauce

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McDonald’s made headline news last week because of a cult cartoon’s obsession with a promotional dipping sauce that was last seen in 1998. But was the lack of Szechuan sauce really a PR disaster? Or was it a stroke of genius worthy of Rick Sanchez Dimension C-137 himself?

*Warning: this post contains references to Rick and Morty – wubalubadubdub*

McDonald’s originally launched the Szechuan sauce for the release of Disney’s Mulan, but season three of Rick and Morty drew a new focus to the ‘delicious sauce’. Rick claimed: ‘it’s what it’s all about’ and he doesn’t care if it takes nine more series to get it back.

Fans were quick to pick up the campaign on social media and this was enough for McDonald’s to leap onto the good PR opportunity, gifting the show’s creator a giant container of the sauce.

Obviously, this fuelled the fanbase’s desire for what was effectively teriyaki and ketchup mixed together (let’s put that to one side). Keeping its PR cool, McDonald’s was coy, announcing a limited-edition release of the sauce for one day only.

Fans went mad for it, camping outside McDonald’s restaurant locations and travelling hundreds of miles to get a taste. And what happened? McDonald’s didn’t supply enough – some locations had none and many more had a measly 20 samples.

Who the squanch believes this was anything but a carefully choreographed strategy? Are we really expected to think THE fast-food giant couldn’t organise enough sauce deliveries?

The ‘disaster’ hit headline news around the world, as people were left disappointed by not having enough of a McDonald’s product. How would you feel if your product or service was in the news because people couldn’t get enough of it? Probably pretty good.

And what did McDonald’s do next?

That’s right, as an ‘apology’ it’s making the sauce more widely available so fans can get it everywhere. Bravo McDonald’s, bravo.

So how can you Get Schwifty like McDonald’s? Follow these simple rules:

  1. Track mentions of your brand on and offline – if McDonald’s hadn’t been aware of Rick and Morty’s fandom’s desire for Szechuan sauce, this would have been dead in the water. Make sure you have the best monitoring available so you don’t miss a single opportunity.
  2. Don’t be afraid to engage with your audience – speaking to fans and responding to their demands is one of the main purposes of social media for brands; get stuck in and have fun with it.
  3. Approach the right influencers first – McDonald’s sent the product to Justin Roiland, co-creator of the show and voice of leading characters Rick and Morty. Don’t know who your influencers are? Get a database that does the work for you.
  4. You’re allowed to have ‘bad press’ – McDonald’s aced this situation by undersupplying the promotional product. There’s very few ways this could have backfired – if no one had claimed the sauce then it wouldn’t have mattered. You shouldn’t be worried about your fans wanting more, this gives you all the power. And if the media thinks you’ve made a mistake? Ride it out, all the press does is make you seem more desirable.
  5. Give the people what they want – McDonald’s has now made moves to make the sauce available for everyone. If it had remained elusive, they could have pushed fans away. It moved quickly to ‘rectify’ the ‘mistake’ giving the fans their pay off.

No one wants to be a PR Morty, and McDonald’s has shown how easy it is to be a PR Rick. What did you think of McDonald’s stunt? Let us know in the comments below:

UK – 16 October 2017

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Media-Updates-New-Featured

Today’s Media Updates covers moves and changes at UK titles including the Mail on Sunday, the Sunday Times, Research Live and IMPACT.

News & Politics

  • Jamie Nimmo has been appointed City correspondent at the Mail on Sunday. Jamie was previously a business reporter at the London Evening Standard.
  • Ruth Emery has returned from maternity leave to resume her role as deputy money editor at the Sunday Times.

Lifestyle

  • Akilah Russell has been appointed digital TV and news journalist at OK! Online. Akilah was previously a video journalist and entertainment reporter at the MailOnline.

Business 

  • Katie McQuater has been appointed deputy editor across Research Live and IMPACT. Katie was previously magazine editor at The Drum.

 

The Vuelio Media Database lists thousands of journalists, bloggers, publications and media outlets. Find out more about the database here.

Blogger Spotlight: Mark Sanders, Adventures of Monty Dogge

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Monty is a large white-and-black Newfoundland dog which has inspired his owner Mark Sanders to start a blog and Facebook fan page written from the perspective of Monty Dogge. This year Monty and Mark even released their own children’s book based on his adventures, entitled I’m Not a Pandacow. Recently featured in our first Top 10 Pet Blog ranking, we spoke to Mark about the blog, how Monty Dogge literally stops traffic and some of the campaigns that they have worked on so far. 

 

How would you describe your blog? 
Life According to Monty Dogge is a light-hearted look at life through the eyes of a huge Newfoundland dog. He shares his insight and wisdom on things such as ‘hoomans’ and how odd they can be, and other dog breeds, particularly ‘Cockeyed Spangles’ who he has to share a home with. He also enjoys interviewing famous people and asking them the questions others may fear to raise. He is a keen poet (he is in fact the self-styled poet, Newfiette) and regularly shares his prose with his admiring public. 

 

Why did you start your blog? 
The blog was started originally because Monty was such a difficult puppy that it was felt he needed another way to express himself rather than trying to eat the postman or chew through walls. That is all behind him now and he is a pillar of the community, as a mascot for the charity Shoulder to Soldier – having helped raise over £30,000 for the Poppy appeal over recent years, as well as his other charity work and his visits to schools and nursing homes. 

 

What’s it like having a famous pet? 
I am known as Monty’s dad and I regularly have to stop so that people can say hello. Most of our post is addressed to Monty Dogge and photographers constantly want to move me out of the picture… Despite this I’m not bitter… honestly! 

 

How does your Monty cope with the pressure? 
Monty takes everything in his massive stride. He blogs live from Crufts every year and meets literally hundreds of people, but nothing fazes him. He can sleep through a school assembly and recently, at Edinburgh fringe, all of the performers sat down as everyone was crowding around Monty. He just turns to face the cameras and when he’s had enough, he has a nap. 

 

What’s your favourite pet product? 
His favourite pet product has to be Angell Petco fish treats. Monty won’t do so much as shake a paw but if you have one of these in your hand, well… he’s like puppy in your hands. 

 

What’s your favourite post? 
We have so many favourite posts, but one I particularly remember is when Monty stopped the traffic in York City Centre, as one by one twenty Japanese tourists posed with Monty, while the other 19 took photos – from the middle of the main road in the city centre! 

 

How do you like to work with PRs? 
Monty loves working with anyone that makes him more famous. He likes everyone, especially if they have treats. 

 

What one thing should PRs know about you? 
PRs should know that Monty can be a bit of a diva sometimes and if things are taking too long he will sleep, anywhere and anytime. 

 

What’s a memorable campaign you’ve worked on?  
Our first children’s book, I’m not a Pandacow, has been very memorable as we had the opportunity to travel the country. However, according to Monty Dogge, Crufts is always special. 

 

What other blogs do you read?  
I like idreambooks and often dig into that when I have time. 

 

Mark and Monty Dogge feature on the market-leading Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

UK – 13 October 2017

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Media-Updates-New-Featured

Today’s Media Updates covers moves and changes at UK titles including Mail on Sunday, Glamour, Time Inc and TheBusinessDesk.com.

News & Politics

  • Eve Simmons has been appointed health reporter at the Mail on Sunday. Eve was previously a digital production editor at The Sun. Eve will remain co-editor of the blog NOT PLANT BASED.
  • The Birmingham Mail, Birmingham Post and Sunday Mercury are set to move back to Birmingham City Centre. Currently located at Fort Dunlop, the titles are due to relocate to Embassy House on Church Street by the end of the year.

Lifestyle

  • Jo Elvin has decided to stand down from her role as editor in chief at Glamour. This follows the recent announcement that Glamour is to adopt a ‘digital first’ strategy and become a biannual publication.
  • Charlotte Moore, editor-in-chief of InStyle UK, is expanding her role to become digital content director across Time Inc. Alongside her role at InStyle, Charlotte will work with Trish Halpin, editor-in-chief of Marie Claire, to continue the editorial development of marieclaire.co.uk. In addition, Holly Rains has been promoted to digital editor of marieclaire.co.uk. Holly joined the team as deputy digital editor in May 2016.

Business 

  • Helen Carter has been appointed North West editor at TheBusinessDesk.com. Helen has most recently been a BBC journalist at North West Tonight and BBC News Online. Previously, she covered the north for the Guardian for 12 years.

The Vuelio Media Database lists thousands of journalists, bloggers, publications and media outlets. Find out more about our media database here.

Blogger Spotlight: Marc-Andre Runcie-Unger, Katzenworld

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Katzenworld is a Top 10 Pet Blog which is written by a group of international friends who all share a love of cats. As well as being a source of adorable cat pictures, humorous stories and mishaps, the blog is home to interesting content including research, news from around the world and product reviews (reviewed by the cats themselves) for your feline friends. We spoke to one of the blogs writers Marc-Andre about what it’s like to run a pet blog, why they decided to start it and the campaigns that they’ve worked on. 

 

How would you describe your blog?
Katzenworld is all about being a fun and informative place that promotes all things cats. Our goal is to unite the cat-loving audience of the world to come together and share their stories with each other, while promoting important cat welfare topics. 

Why did you start your blog?
It all started over a board game one evening at my place back in 2014. My partner Iain and I had just adopted two shelter cats (Oliver & Nubia) from the Celia Hammond Trust, and as Yuki was already looking after her own cats, the evening soon turned into a great discussion about cats. Back then there weren’t many community-focused online publications so a plan was developed to change all that! 

Many readers wonder where our name came from. Well, I’m German, and Katzen means Cats, so in English the blog means “Cats World” though many people think it means Cat Zen World! 

What’s it like having famous pets?
It’s fun! We are always amazed at how many people know the stories of Oliver & Nubia and we’ve even met some people at events that have named their own cats after ours.

 

How do your pets cope with the pressure?
Very well. Nubia thrives on her many photo shoot moments and knows exactly how to pose for the camera whenever we need her for an event post or a product review! 

What’s your favourite pet product?
Ah that is a difficult one as there are so many great products out there! I’d say we’d have to pick a few here.  

For pet food, our favourite product has to be Almo Nature, as their food addresses the carnivore needs of our pets – plus the brand has a great ethos on animal welfare (both pets and wildlife alike). 

For cat toys, it’s the 4cats catnip and Valerian Toys, as not only are they hand-finished in Germany and use a secret organic catnip mix that works on more cats than others, but they too have a great brand ethos and support local and international cat charity projects. 
Lastly, we think that the Kiki cat cave is one of the most unique cat caves we’ve ever trialled that not only fits perfectly into a stylish home, but also addresses the specific needs of cats at the same time. 

What’s your favourite post?
Our favourite post was the collaboration with International Cat Care on where to stroke a cat. This was a fun research study and taught us and our readers alike much about cats! The post was read by more than 100,000 people in a single month across our blog and news apps, so we think our audience may agree on our choice here.

Oliver-and-Nubia

How do you like to work with PRs?

For us it’s all about working as partners! We ideally like to work with PRs that understand what we are about and work for or on behalf of a brand that’s looking for a long-term brand partnership. Of course, we are open to short term campaigns as well, but we do thrive on the long-term work. 

What one thing should PRs know about you?
The blogger team and I run the blog as a hobby to bring the best in cat news and cat products to our audience. For us, the well-being of our feline companions and their wild cousins is the most important aspect of what we try to promote and achieve through our blog. 

What’s the most memorable campaign you’ve worked on?
I think the most memorable campaign has to have been our work with the Ebony Horse Trust and James Bowen to help raise awareness and funds for the charity. It was great to help them spread the word, find additional collaboration partners for them to increase their fund raising and of course to meet James and Bob “backstage”. 

What other blogs do you read?
My favourite blogs out of the list of blogs I follow are: Cat Wisdom 101, Cat Chat with Caren and Cody, I Have Cat, The Conscious Cat and LoveMeow. 

 

Marc-Andre Runcie-Unger and Katzenworld feature on the market-leading Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, influencers and journalists.

the rise of the parenting blogs

The rise of the parenting blogs

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Vuelio’s UK Bloggers Survey revealed there’s been a steep rise in parenting bloggers, the category now making up 29% of all bloggers in the UK. This is a marked rise from 2016, when only 16% of parenting bloggers were focused on parenting.

So what’s going on?

One possiblity is that a lot of the new parenting bloggers were already established in other fields and have since had children – shifting their focus to parenting. We know from the study that 43% of bloggers are aged between 25-34 and in the UK the average age of having your first child is 30.4 years.

Bloggers are also mostly female (78%) and many parenting blogs are started during materntity leave to find a new community of understanding people online that can share day-to-day struggles. It’s not just for mums, dads also find comfort in a community and the knowledge they’re not alone.

For many, finding the community but not the right answers is a big impetus to start a parenting blog. Elliott Rae, founder and editor-in-chief of MusicFootballFatherhood.com (MFF) said: ‘I started MFF when my daughter was three months old, on New Year’s Day in 2016. I had loads of questions about fatherhood and wanted to hear about others’ experiences.

‘There was nowhere online that I felt I could read or discuss all the questions I had, so I started MFF to provide that space.’

Jo Middleton, author of top parenting blog Slummy Single Mummy, joined Vuelio for a webinar discussing the Survey results, and she believes that a visible group of successful parenting bloggers are encouraging a new generation to start. As a new mother on maternity leave, seeing bloggers can be sent products and paid to write reviews is an attractive proposition.

Jo has seen a rise in the professional blogger, those who start blogs with the intention of making it commercial from the beginning. This is also reflected in the Survey results, which reveal there has been in a rise in both those making money from their blogs and those intending to in future.

Sometimes a clever solution to a parenting problem can encourage bloggers to start. Jo Addison, who writes Kiddieholidays, said: ‘I’d recently had a baby and struggled to find somewhere to go on holiday which was suitable for babies. I was looking for somewhere that had loads of baby equipment, lots to do in the local area for young children and didn’t cost a fortune, but I couldn’t find many places. Then I had the idea about Kiddieholidays.

‘I want the site to match up amazing baby and toddler friendly destinations and accommodation with parents who are looking for ideas about where to go.’

One of the biggest reasons we’re told parenting bloggers start is they want a way to document their child or children growing up. Tim Liew, who writes Slouching Towards Thatcham, is a typical of this, he said: ‘So much of the early years of parenthood focuses on the big ‘firsts’: first word, first step, first day at school and so on. I also wanted to document all the little moments and observations that otherwise get lost in the mists of time. Bearing in mind this was back in 2008, it didn’t really occur to me at the time that parent blogging or dad blogging could become a ‘thing’. Now, it definitely is!’

Whether this rise in parenting bloggers will continue is difficult to predict, especially when considering the growing number of lifestyle bloggers and the popularity of ‘alternative sharing platforms’ like YouTube and Instagram. Either way, the Vuelio Bloggers Survey in 2018 will reveal all the answers.

UK – 12 October 2017

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Media-Updates-New-Featured

Today’s Media Updates covers moves and changes at titles including Bloomberg News, Woman and Home, Stellar Magazine and Investment Adviser.

News & Politics

  • Laura Benitez has been appointed leveraged finance reporter at Bloomberg News. Laura was previously a corporate bonds reporter at International Financing Review.

Lifestyle

  • Miranda McMinn has been appointed executive editor at Woman and Home. Miranda was previously deputy editor at Marie Claire.
  • Victoria Stokes has been appointed deputy editor at Stellar Magazine. Currently digital editor at the title, she takes up her new role on 23rd October.

Business 

  • The Financial Times has announced that Investment Adviser has closed after 22 years. Former editor Dan Jones remains as editor of Money Management, while former news editor at IA David Baxter is now special projects editor at the title.

The Vuelio Media Database lists thousands of journalists, bloggers, publications and media outlets. Interested in finding out more?

Storytelling with Vuelio Canvas – WEBINAR

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Looking for a creative way to tell a story? 

Whether you’re helping your team make sense of ongoing news, pitching a client, or reporting on a campaign or an event, curating content from a range of channels is a daily chore for most.

Visualising and presenting this data can be a daunting task, but we have just the tool to help you nail yours!

Join us on 24 October 2017 at 11am to learn how you can bring your presentations to life with Vuelio Canvas. Impress your boss, co-workers and clients by transforming your data and content into engaging stories. We will show you how you can bring together individual elements from millions of media sources, be it news stories, social media activity, charts, PDFs, video or audio files into beautiful presentations made in seconds.

Stop wasting time on old fashioned spreadsheets and emails and transform the way you present your PR. Save your spot for our next webinar now! Even if you can’t make the live broadcast, we’ll send you a recording after it airs.

Webinar: Storytelling with Vuelio Canvas
Date: Tuesday 24 October 2017 
Time: 11:00 am BST