Sovastock

Autumn Budget speculation 2017

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The Autumn Budget will be delivered on 22 November. While the exact content remains a secret until then, there are a few areas where the Chancellor is likely to make bold moves.

This is the second budget of the year, after the Chancellor scrapped the Spring Budget to have one, simpler, fiscal event in autumn. As the last budget was only eight months ago, this will likely be more stripped back than usual; but with Brexit on the horizon and a weak election to recover from, there’s still a lot of ground for the Chancellor to cover. Here are the Vuelio Political Team’s predictions of what will be in the Autumn Budget 2017.

 

First Time Buyers
It is expected that Philip Hammond will target first time buyers in the budget with a reduction in stamp duty. This kind of move would prove popular with young people looking to get on the housing ladder, but disappoint the wider market as it would only apply to first time buyers. A move such as this would have the biggest impact in London where the cost of living and property is higher than across the rest of the country.

 

Pensions
Hammond looks likely to make an announcement concerning pensions, and he has a few options to choose from. The most controversial move would be to make changes to the triple-lock on pensions; however given the DUP’s fondness of it, this looks unlikely. The Taylor Review suggested that the self-employed should be auto-enrolled onto a pension scheme through the self-assessment process, but the most likely change Spreadsheet Phil would make is reducing the annual pension contribution. If this change goes forward, it will hit very high earners the hardest, making it more politically palatable and easier to put before Parliament.

 

Investment schemes
The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) – designed to attract investors to small UK companies – also looks likely to be targeted. The scheme provides up to 30% tax relief on investments of this kind which, while a useful funding source for high risk companies, has attracted criticism from those who believe it is used by wealthy individuals to avoid tax. Along with the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS), EIS has been under review for the last year. It is likely that tax relief will be cut to 20% as a result of changes.

 

Student loans
The student loan shake-up was first announced at the Conservative Party Conference. Proposals include a tuition fee freeze at £9,250, and it is expected that the repayment threshold will increase from £21,000 to £25,000. Research from the Institute of Fiscal Studies shows that 77% of graduates do not repay their loan in full under the current system, and it estimate this will go up to 83% if this rise is put in place. The fact the Conservatives are considering the increase is testament to the threat of Corbyn.

While high interest rates on student loan repayments have been a toxic issue for the government, it seems Hammond has heeded calls to reconsider decreasing them. Meanwhile, it has also been reported that the Chancellor may force universities to use different pricing structures depending on the employment rate of each course.

 

Public Sector Pay cap
Hammond is under increasing pressure to lift the cap that has seen public sector pay limited to a 1% annual increase since 2013. Jeremy Hunt and Justine Greening are understood to be leading cross-departmental efforts to lobby the Chancellor to increase pay across all sectors, as he has done for the police and prison services. It looks likely that the budget will see the cap lifted, with the possibility of a staggered approach to offset costs, focusing on the shortest-staffed areas first.

 

Whisky tax
Back in March, the Chancellor used the Spring Budget to raise the excise duty on Scotch, leading to an increase of 36p per bottle. However, figures released by HMRC show one million fewer bottles were sold in the first half of 2017 than the year before, and the industry is now lobbying hard to see this tax hike reversed. Given that this move would also appease Conservative MSPs, this rumour will be worth keeping an eye on.

 

Business rates
With business rates expected to increase 4% next year, leading lobby groups have come together in a concerted effort to ensure the increase is put on hold in the Budget. The coalition, which includes the Confederation of British Industry, British Chambers of Commerce and Federation of Small Business, is arguing that a rise of this level could be the tipping point during an already uncertain time for business. It now looks likely that the planned rise will be scrapped and business rate increases will instead be aligned with the consumer price index.

 

Don’t want to miss anything from the Autumn Budget? Sign up to receive our comprehensive summaries of key policy announcements direct to your inbox.

Politics on Sunday – 12 November 2017

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Missed any of the political coverage from the weekend?

There was a reduced schedule this week in honour of Remembrance Sunday, but it was a busy Sunday for politics nonetheless.

Conservative stability was the topic of the week, as rumours circulate of 40 MPs ready to back a vote of no confidence in Theresa May: none of the Conservative MPs doing the rounds this week were keen to expand on this. After the comments made about Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe at a Select Committee session last week, Boris Johnson’s future was also a talking point, with Sadiq Khan calling for his resignation while David Davis and Michael Gove both defended his actions.

On Paterson, the tables were turned against Labour as Peter Dowd was questioned over Jeremy Corbyn’s criticism of Boris Johnson, which the host referred to as ‘a bit rich’ given his past dealings with the Iranian Government. On Brexit, Sir James Dyson gave no-deal supporters something to smile about when he said ‘If you walk away, they will come to us’.

Check out our dedicated Canvas of political coverage by clicking here or on the image below. Want to make your own canvas? Find out how. 

Sunday Politics 12 November

 

 

Event

10 ways to get the most out of events

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Events are a big part of a PR pro’s life, both as a host and as an attendee. But how can you ensure you’re going to get the most out of an event? Whether it’s the Vuelio Blog Awards or a roundtable of five, here are 10 rules to follow so you can get the most out of any event.

1. Prepare
Check timings, the date and location to avoid missing out or accidentally turning up at a yoga class the week before. Make sure you know the dress code so you feel comfortable in your surroundings. And find out who else going so you can plan who in your team is best to attend – make sure they’re audience appropriate.

2. Set goals
Professionally speaking, this should extend beyond ‘getting boozed up and having a good time’. Do you have clients or contacts attending? Do you want to meet new people? A huge benefit of events is being able to put a face to a name and have real-life chats – something that is often lost in the social media age. Don’t know if someone is going? There’s no shame in asking people directly: ‘will I see you at the Vuelio Blog Awards next week?’ (Of course you will!).  And if you’re a sponsor or host, make sure you’re monitoring event terms in association with your brand, both online and in print.

3. Plan your entrance (and exit)
Do you know your route to the event and the means that will get you there on time? Traffic, public transport delays and even slow tourists blocking your path while pointing at St Paul’s cathedral, can make the difference between attending the drinks reception (and all that valuable networking time) and just missing out. And when the event is over, how are you getting back to the office or home? A daytime exhibition is easier to manage but an evening awards? No one wants to be stranded at 1am.

4. Don’t be afraid to network
Meeting new people, meeting old friends, laughing, joking and enjoying the company of others is why you’re at the event. It doesn’t matter if you’re hosting and you feel like you’re running around like a headless chicken, you still need to make time to stop and chat. Don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with someone new. Start with, ‘hello’ and follow it up with: ‘What brings you here?’

5. Don’t just hang out with old friends
Sometimes you don’t have networking fear because you already have your buddies with you. Maybe you’re attending with colleagues, maybe you’ve planned to meet contacts on arrival, but you’ll get more value out of new connections and conversations. So, if you’re in a group and someone is alone next to you, bring them into the conversation. Chances are they’re trying to find people to talk to and the more welcoming you are, the better it’ll be for everyone.

6. Relax when it comes to sales
No one is going to be impressed with the salesperson of the year, hitting as many contacts as possible while pressing business cards into hands as they shake. Good networking takes time to know your new contact: talk about them, what do they do, why they’re at the event and share the same info about yourself. Talk about your product or service only if it naturally occurs in the conversation, and business cards are reserved for people that will want to talk to you again. If it’s an awards ceremony, you can contact finalists beforehand and wish them good luck – and then the winners afterwards, especially if you’re a sponsor!

7. Remember you’re still at work
It’s 10.30pm, you’ve had wine with dinner, the dance floor is open and the bars are flowing. It can be easy to forget that you’re still at work, and you still represent your company so should be acting accordingly. Being professional doesn’t mean you have to be a buzzkill, but maybe save the Karate Kid and/or Tina Turner performances for when your professional reputation is not on the line.

8. Follow up afterwards
For event organisers this starts with a survey; mention it at the event and send it a few times so you get as much feedback as possible. If you’re an attendee, don’t let the business cards you’ve collected go to waste – follow each one up with an email saying how excellent it was to meet the individual and then bring in the ‘sales chat’ with what you do and how you could help them. If you spoke to someone about a specific feature, make sure you note it at the time so you can easily follow up.

9. Analyse your goals
Maybe the event was a branding exercise or lead generation. Has your monitoring revealed an upswing in coverage and mentions? Do your key influencers know more about you? Have you made contacts you can now reach out to without a generic email? Present all the benefits back to the bosses, whether that’s a Canvas of the event (like this one we made for the PRWeek Awards) or a presentation of your media analysis.

10. Plan the next
Plan your attendance as far in advance as you can, maybe this means putting sponsorship in the budget or perhaps there is an early bird rate on tickets. Either way, talk to the team that went and work out how next year can be even bigger and better for you.

 

What rules do you follow when you attend events? let us know in the comments below.

Vuelio Brexit Bulletin, 10 November 2017

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As the sixth round of Brexit negotiations conclude this week, we bring you the latest news, developments and stakeholder reaction in our Brexit Bulletin.  After a week which was noticeably light on negotiation meetings, there has been no announcement of major progress, leaving leaders with little time to reach agreement before the December summit of EU leaders.

  • Labour utilised an obscure power to compel the Government to give its Brexit impact assessments to the House of Commons Exiting the European Union Committee. However, Brexit ministers have cast doubt on the nature of the assessments, saying that time will be required to pull together the necessary material and warning that publication in full would not be in the national interest.
  • At the CBI’s conference, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross outlined the changes in regulations needed to secure a trade deal between the UK and the USA, while insisting on the importance of maintaining ‘passporting’ rights for financial services. Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn each outlined their Brexit vision.
  • The Government will amend the EU Withdrawal Bill to specify the date and time of the UK’s departure from the EU, Theresa May has announced. The Government has also introduced its new Trade Bill to the Commons, with the Customs Bill to follow.

 

Want the full bulletin? Sign up to Vuelio Political Updates here. 

Alex Salmond

Five Things You Shouldn’t Have Missed – 10 November 2017

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The latest PR, media and comms stories including the battle of the Christmas ads, Twitter’s increase in character, Sky News’ future, Vogue’s new look and Alex Salmond on RT.

 

1. Advertising is beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Christmas ads

Aldi, Lidl and Argos broke cover early, with Aldi an increasing Christmas ad contender with its Kevin the Carrot sequel. M&S were next, for the first time using the John Lewis template but associating with the Paddington movie to make people feel festive – they’ll have a Paddington store to pull in fans of the Paddington 2 film.

Today John Lewis has released Moz the Monster from under the bed. The advert has already delighted and confused audiences across the nation, dividing opinions on Twitter. The fact it is under so much scrutiny shows its place both in the Christmas advert season and people’s festive celebrations generally.

Sainsbury’s and other brands are expected to launch their own Christmas ads this weekend.

 

2. Twitter’s 280 characters

Twitter bird

It’s a big one. Twitter has doubled the limit of everyone’s tweets so users now have 280 characters to play with. While it’s a struggle for most people to currently reach it, the platform is slowly getting used to longer messages (for better or worse). Whether this allows people to use better grammar and express themselves more clearly or if it is going to double the length of hate and ignorance remains to be seen.

Check out our guide of how to tell if you’ve used all 280 characters, and some of the best examples of brands using it, here.

 

3. Sky News under threat

Sky News

It’s been a big week for 21st Century Fox: the business trying to buy out the rest of Sky was revealed this week to be holding talks about a sale of some of its business to Disney; a Saudi prince, and Murdoch ally, sold his stake in the company; and then Sky explained if the Fox takeover doesn’t go through, the future of Sky News will be reviewed. The Competition and Markets Authority is currently reviewing Fox’s £11.7bn bid for Sky and this threat was setting the CMA straight (after it expressed an assumption Sky News would continue regardless).

The CMA is due to publish its findings in December.

 

4. Vogue’s December issue

British Vogue December

British Vogue’s new editor-in-chief Edward Enninful’s first edition of the magazine is the December issue. Published this week, the cover features Adwoa Aboah styled by Enninful himself. Enninful explained his Vogue is about being inclusive and about diversity – featuring ‘all different colours, shapes, ages, genders, religions’.

 

5. Alex Salmond on Russia Today

Alex Salmond

Former SNP leader and first minister of Scotland Alex Salmond will appear in his own political talk show on the Russian state-backed channel Russia Today. Airing on Thursdays, the show is reported to include guests from business, political and entertainment backgrounds.

Salmond said: ‘Of course, the show will have a sharp focus on politics, but I am not interested in catching people out but in finding out much more about the personalities which lie behind their public positions. My view is that the viewer will gain far more information and entertainment from a relaxed, informal style which allows them to express their point of view.’

Willie Rennie, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, said Salmond was, ‘a former first minister who fancies himself as the Michael Parkinson of Putin’s propaganda channel’.

 

How was your week in media, comms and PR? Let us know in the comments below:

Politics

Today’s Political Headlines – 10 November 2017

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A round-up of the latest political headlines, including Penny Mordaunt’s appointment, the Brexit date, Northern Ireland’s status in the customs union and David Cameron’s lobbying. 

Penny Mordaunt appointed as International Development Secretary
Penny Mordaunt, previously minister for disabled people, has been appointed as the new International Development Secretary, following Priti Patel’s resignation. The Times says the appointment keeps the balance between leave and remain supporters in the cabinet, and suggests that it was a ‘consolation prize’ after Mordaunt emerged as a front-runner for the post of Defence Secretary last week.

 

European Commission calls for Northern Ireland to remain in customs union
The Daily Telegraph and the Financial Times break the story that a European Commission document shows that Ireland wants ‘concrete reassurance’ on the issue of the Irish border before the next EU leaders’ summit in December. It appears to require that the UK remains in a customs union with the EU, or that Northern Ireland has a special status and remains in a customs union, creating a trade border between the rest of the UK and Northern Ireland. A negotiator quoted in the Financial Times described Ireland’s stance as a ‘wild card’ factor.

 

Brexit date to be set in law
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Theresa May has announced an amendment to the EU Withdrawal Bill, setting the date and time of the UK’s departure from the European Union as March 29, 2019 at 11pm GMT. Looking ahead to the next stage of the bill’s scrutiny in the House of Commons, she promises to listen to MPs who suggest improvements.

 

Budget news: Hammond refuses to loosen the purse springs, plans NHS spending increase and taxes on diesel cars
According to the Daily Mail, the Chancellor is refusing release billions of pounds for investment and won’t compromise on plans to eliminate the budget deficit by 2025, causing frustration for the Prime Minister. The Times reports that Hammond is planning to include more funding for the NHS in the budget. It says that the Chancellor is considering both ‘a cash injection’ and a pay boost for frontline workers. The Financial Times says that higher taxes will be placed on sales of new diesel vehicles, either by increasing VAT or creating a new levy.

 

Calls for cabinet reshuffle, amid ‘fierce debate’ in Downing Street
A story in The Guardian claims that senior figures in the Conservative party are calling for a ‘bold reshuffle’ of Theresa May’s cabinet, arguing that a ‘new generation’ of Conservative MPs need to be promoted. Others, including civil servants and whips, are warning that this might cause instability.

 

David Cameron lobbied China over planned investment fund
The Times reveals that David Cameron discussed a ‘UK-China fund’ being set up by figures including Lord Chadlington, a Conservative peer, with Chinese vice-premier Ma Kai during a visit to the country. If the fund is set up, the paper reports that Cameron is considering taking a role. As the fund does not currently exist, he did not need to seek official clearance.

 

Carwyn Jones may face investigation over handling of harassment allegations
The Guardian says that Carwyn Jones, the Welsh First Minister, may face an investigation over his handling of the allegations against Carl Sargeant, who was found dead after being sacked last week. Separately, The Daily Telegraph reports that John Bercow, the Commons speaker, has said that Charlie Elphicke, the suspended Tory MP, should be given the details of the allegations against him.

 

Metropolitan police chief calls for tougher sentences for young offenders
The Daily Mail carries remarks made by Cressida Dick, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, in which she called for tougher sentences for young offenders, which would ‘actually deter people’. She was speaking to the Howard league for Penal Reform, whose Chief Executive, Frances Crook said that ‘it is unusual for a police officer to comment on areas outside their expertise, like sentencing’.

 

Want to learn more about the Vuelio political services?

John Lewis Christmas Advert 2017

The John Lewis Christmas advert divides Twitter

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The John Lewis Christmas Advert 2017 has been released and will premiere on TV tonight during Gogglebox. Watch the advert here:

The annual ‘event’ as it now is, is considered by many to be the biggest advert of the Christmas season, though in recent years M&S, Sainsbury’s and Aldi have all been nipping at John Lewis’s heels.

This year’s advert feature’s Moz the Monster (nothing to do with Morrissey, no matter what twitter says). It’s an ‘imaginary’ under-the-bed monster who at first irritates but then befriends a small boy. They have lots of fun at night but the boy sleeps during the day. The monster, seemingly aware of this, gifts the boy a nightlight thus getting rid of him/herself, because monsters don’t like the light, and allowing the boy to get some sleep.

The advert does raise a few questions about whether the boy would want to get rid of his friend (in the final moment he turns the light off and Moz growls again), and why the mother bought the light but made it look like it was from a monster she presumably thought her son was afraid of. And if she didn’t buy it, and it is from the monster, why she didn’t care there was a suspiciously wrapped present under the tree.

These areas of confusion have spread to Twitter whether opinions are divided over the advertising treat of the year.

These people are confused:

 

 

Some seem to have cottoned on to a meaning where the monster ‘had to go’ and all parties involved understood that. For these people, John Lewis has once again hit all the right emotional buttons:

 

 

What’s clear is that since 2011, Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas without the John Lewis advert. And for some people, the fact the advert has arrived is good enough to start celebrating the festive season:

 

What do you think of this year’s advert? Confused? Or crying your eyes out?  

Miss thrifty blog

Blogger Spotlight: Karyn Fleeting, Miss Thrifty Blog

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Miss Thrifty Blog recently ranked in the Top 10 UK Personal Finance Blogs. Written by Karyn Fleeting, the award-winning blog focuses on spending and living well. We spoke to Karyn about the return of fashionable thriftiness, her advice for young adults and why PRs need to get to know her first.

How would you describe your blog?
The Miss Thrifty Blog champions the idea that you can spend less and have more. In other words: you can live within your means, get out of debt and begin saving for the future, without resorting to recycling teabags. My posts tackle all areas of spending, from food and fashion to personal finance.

Why did you start your blog?
When I launched Miss Thrifty in 2008, I was thousands of pounds in debt, but talking about money just wasn’t ‘done’. With the exception of my grandmother, who lived through the Blitz and still makes do and mends, my friends and family had zero interest in hearing about my new passion for making ends meet. So, I began sharing my money-saving tips, tricks and discoveries online instead. As the recession hit, traffic to Miss Thrifty soared. Thriftiness became fashionable again – for the first time since the 1940s.

What’s the biggest issue facing personal finance today?
The pension’s hole and the difficulties facing younger people who want to save. When house prices are going through the roof, rental prices are going the same way; you are saddled with an exorbitant amount of student debt and you are expected to plonk down tens of thousands of pounds for your wedding. What can you – and will you – put aside for your pension?

How do you think Brexit will affect our finances in the UK?
Generally, I avoid writing about politics on Miss Thrifty, because I have found my audience doesn’t engage with that subject on my site. People come to Miss Thrifty to discover good ideas and to cheer up! However, Brexit goes beyond politics, because the financial implications are going to affect so many of us. I think we are going to be in the soup.

What piece of advice would you give a young adult in relation to how they manage their money?
Never borrow against a depreciating asset. Don’t take out a car loan, or pay for electronic goods with a credit card if you can’t pay off the balance immediately.

Struggling to reach influencers? Try the Vuelio Media Database and get access to 11,000 UK Bloggers in personal finance, business, lifestyle & more.

Get in touch

How do you engage with your readership?
I serve Miss Thrifty readers on a variety of platforms. A number of email subscribers communicate with me via email, asking questions and sending ideas. The blog has been around for a long time now, but I always try and reply personally and promptly. Right now, I enjoy engaging with Miss Thrifty readers via Facebook Live. I like the immediacy of it, and the ability to engage with my audience in real time.

What makes your blog successful?
It makes frugality fun and the editorial voice is distinctive. I am not a domestic goddess; nor am I a 1950s housewife. But this, I believe, is where much of the blog’s appeal lies. What really sets the Miss Thrifty Blog apart is its strong, active community of readers, contributors and followers. They range from schoolgirls to great grandmothers. What they share is the love of a good bargain.

How do you like to work with PRs?
I don’t do much with the news releases I get, but I like to work with PRs and their clients on a more meaningful level: brand partnerships and exclusive, in-depth features are more my thing.

What’s the one thing all PR pros should know about you?
I live with my young family, in a modest semi in Greater Manchester. Why am I taking the trouble to point this out? Firstly, if you invite me to your after-work event in London, I probably won’t make it. Secondly, journalists at a women’s magazine once asked if they could come and photograph me in my ‘craft room.’ I was amused by the assumption that I lived in some sort of Pinterest mansion, but had to let them down gently.

What other blogs do you read?
When I started the Miss Thrifty Blog, there weren’t many other UK money blogs around – but now there are lots, and I enjoy reading them. Current favourites include Debt Camel, Be Clever With Your Cash, The Money Principle, Skint Dad and Emma Drew.

 

Karyn Fleeting and Miss Thrifty Blog are both listed in the Vuelio Influencer Database, which is the UK’s leading influencer database available to the PR and communications industries.

The Young Money Blog

Blogger Spotlight: Iona Bain, The Young Money Blog

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Iona Bain is a freelance journalist and speaker who writes The Young Money Blog. Covering advice for young people’s finances including housing, stocks and pensions, The Young Money Blog recently ranked in the Top 10 UK Personal Finance Blogs. We spoke to Iona about the financial issues facing today’s youth, using valuable research from PR sources and engaging her audience.

How would you describe your blog?
My blog is the first and pretty much only UK blog dedicated to covering young people’s financial problems – what they are, how they came about and what we could do to solve them.

Why did you start your blog?
I started my blog in 2011 when I was 23 because there was no coverage of financial issues that affected young people in the mainstream media at that time. We were entering a new era where teens and 20 somethings faced unprecedented financial problems, from student debt to unaffordable housing, but were getting very little guidance or representation. I used to be a musician and music journalist, but the work started drying up and I moved back home. It was a difficult time. My dad used to be a financial journalist before he retired last year, and he said I could start a financial blog. That way, I would build my confidence around money and possibly help others at the same time. I am very glad I did.

What’s the biggest issue facing personal finance today?
Hopelessness and the feeling of alienation among young people. If we start to think there is no chance of saving any meaningful money or having a healthier relationship with spending, then we are destroying any chance of cementing our long-term financial security AND happiness. It is possible to be frustrated about the status quo and determined to not let it defeat or demoralise you at the same time.

How do you think Brexit will affect our finances in the UK?
I don’t know. I see very little point in speculating about the future. Waste of time. None of us know how things will pan out. Anyone who pretends otherwise is putting on a very good show.

What piece of advice would you give a young adult in relation to how they manage their money?
Don’t get a credit card. If a company offers you one, delete the email, close the webpage, throw the letter in the bin. They’re not worth the huge psychological price you will end up paying throughout your twenties. I don’t have one because I can’t trust myself. We’re only human – credit cards pander to our weaknesses and make us pay dearly for them.

Struggling to reach influencers? Try the Vuelio Media Database and get access to 11,000 UK Bloggers in personal finance, business, lifestyle & more.

Get in touch

How do you engage with your readership?
I am sympathetic to my readers – I’m not constantly telling them what to do. I say, ‘Hey, I get it. Handling money is tough – particularly these days.’

It helps that I’m not an old fogey. But I don’t talk down to readers either. I don’t assume that they’re thick, wrong-headed or easily bored just because they’re young. I don’t write insultingly short blogs in big font with simple words. I try to write the kind of blog I’d like to read – intelligent, witty, thoughtful and insightful. I don’t always succeed but hey, I think people appreciate the effort. I respond to comments and I’m always trying to reflect the zeitgeist, what young folk are thinking and worrying about.

What makes your blog successful?
I think the title says it all. Young Money. It’s simple but it represents something important. Nobody really cared about my generation and its money problems when I started in 2011, bar a few articles/news items here and there. Now we’re starting to recognise that young people need to be listened to, understood and helped when it comes to their money. And I think the blog has become a very visible focal point for that feeling. And it helps that I’m a journalist, applying certain standards to what I write.

How do you like to work with PRs?
I like PRs who really understand what journalism is about. Any research or insights have to be commensurate with that. Good PRs think about what the blog is, what it’s trying to do and make a real effort to come to me with something valuable (maybe even something I could use as a freelance journalist).

What’s the one thing all PR pros should know about you?
The blog doesn’t accept advertising or guest posts provided by companies. It’s independent – readers trust that I’m not swayed by commercial considerations. But I am definitely always interested in hearing about genuinely original research or insights into young money issues.

What other blogs do you read?
To be honest, I have massively cut down my online time recently. It was quietly driving me around the bend and dulling my creativity/free-thinking. So, I’m making more time to read offline. Newspapers, The Week…and magical things called books. There are blogs I admire and respect, but in the end, you’ve got to go your own way. That’s the only way you create something original or significant.

Iona Bain and The Young money Blog are both listed in the Vuelio Influencer Database, which is the UK’s leading influencer database available to the PR and communications industries.

Politics

Today’s Political Headlines – 9 November 2017

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A round-up of the latest political headlines from the UK’s media, including Priti Patel’s resignation, a Brexit ‘crisis’, the sexual harassment scandal and Corbyn’s call for sprinklers. 

Priti Patel resigns amid unauthorised meetings scandal
Yesterday evening Priti Patel resigned as International Development Secretary, having been summoned back to London by Theresa May following further revelations about her authorised meetings with Israeli officials. The BBC explains the scandal, whilst The Times says that friends of Patel believe that the story was leaked by the Foreign Office to kill off an attempt by her to change Government policy towards Israel. The Daily Telegraph reports that allies of Patel claim that she is ‘livid’ and ‘could do some pretty hard damage’ to the Government from the backbenches.

 

EU leaders fear Government instability could lead to Brexit crisis
The Times says that ‘fears are growing in Brussels’ that instability in the British Government could lead to a new Prime Minister or new elections, resulting in a Labour victory. Brussels is therefore planning for a disorderly ‘no deal’ exit or even for the UK to decide to stay in the EU. The Financial Times reports that the UK will offer more clarity on budget commitments if the EU simultaneously outlines a transition deal, but that the EU will only do this the UK makes ‘sufficient process’ on financial issues, quoting a diplomat who described this as a ‘chicken and egg’ dilemma.

 

Sexual harassment scandal: bar manager speaks out and Welsh First Minister criticised
Alice Bailey, a former bar manager at Parliament’s Sports & Social Bar spoke to The Sun about her experiences of harassment by MPs whilst working at the bar. When she asked bosses about reporting one incident, in which an MP followed her onto her bus home, she was told that she would not be believed. Meanwhile, the Daily Mail reports calls for Welsh First Minister Carwyn Jones to resign as a result of his handling of allegations against Carl Sargeant, who was found dead earlier this week having been sacked from his cabinet post.

 

NHS Chief Executive warns of soaring waiting lists
The Guardian reports that Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of NHS England, has called for NHS England to be given at least £4 billion more in 2018-19, and for the Government to emulate German, French and Swedish levels of health spending. He warned that waiting lists could reach 5 million if action wasn’t taken.

 

Corbyn calls for high rises to be fitted with sprinklers
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is to call for £1 billion to be set aside in the budget in order to fit all social housing blocks with sprinklers, starting with those over 30m (ten storeys), to prevent a repetition of the fire at Grenfell Tower, The Mirror says.

 

Gove backs ban of neonicotinoids
The Guardian reveals that Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary Michael Gove is to back a proposed ban of neonicotinoids across the European Union. In an article for the paper, Gove writes that ‘the risks neonicotinoids pose to our environment, particularly to the bees and other pollinators which play such a key part in our £100bn food industry, is greater than previously understood’.

 

Iranian prisoner’s husband asks to accompany Boris on Iranian visit
The husband of the Iranian prisoner Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has told The Sun that he will ask if he can accompany Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson when he visits Iran. Richard Ratcliffe told the paper that he had not seen his wife for 18 months and that Johnson had repeatedly turned down requests to meet. The Foreign Office told the paper that Johnson would meet Ratcliffe and try to arrange a family reunion.

 

Leading US General warns against cuts to the UK’s armed forces
Lieutenant-General Ben Hodges, who commands the US Army in Europe, has told the BBC that if the British armed forces ‘got any smaller’, the UK’s position as a US ally and leading NATO member would be at risk, and the country would struggle to meet is global commitments.

 

Find out more about Vuelio political services. 

The Money Shed

Blogger Spotlight: Jonathan Gutteridge, The Money Shed

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Jonathan Gutteridge is the author of The Money Shed, which recently ranked in the Top 10 UK Personal Finance Blogs. The largest community websites focused on earning money online, The Money Shed helps people find home-based opportunities and shares experiences of making money in the digital world. We spoke to Jonathan about avoiding judgement, engaging his readership, working with PRs and his absolute favourite blogger.

How would you describe your blog?
The Money Shed is the UK’s largest community website dedicated to earning money from home. People can come to our site and instantly find out how to earn £1,000+ a month from home without any trouble. We have a community forum with over 100,000 posts on it as well, which is chocked full of thousands of UK members all talking about how they earn money from home.

Why did you start your blog?
I wanted to create an alternative to MoneySavingExpert. I wanted to create somewhere where people could ask questions and get helpful replies instantly to get them earning money as soon as possible. I wanted to create a culture that wasn’t just advising people to do surveys for pennies but would promote higher paying things such as Web Search Evalulator work or Risk Free Matched Betting .

What’s the biggest issue facing personal finance today?
Judgement. People made decisions a lot of the time because they are right for them at that point in their life. Sadly, that can come with a lot of judgement, either from their family or friends or from the banks. There’s sadly a real culture of looking down on people who are just trying to crawl their way out of debt in the best way they can.

How do you think Brexit, once enacted, will affect our finances in the UK?
Well it’s already affected our exchange rate with the Dollar. I remember working the night of Brexit and literally watching it nosedive as it became clear ‘out’ was going to win. Apart from that I just think it’s too difficult to say at the moment how it will change things financially, heck, not even the Government seem to know!

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What piece of advice would you give a young adult in relation to how they manage their money?
Make a spreadsheet. I know it sounds boring to anyone under 40 but visually being able to track where your money is going can really set you up for life. If spreadsheets really aren’t your thing then you can look at using one of the many money tracking smartphone apps around so you can keep on top of things.

How do you engage with your readership?
The forum is the number one place to find me. As the UK’s largest community site dedicated to earning from home, it is always busy but I personally connect with every new user who signs up to get an understanding of what drew them to The Money Shed and what I can do to help get them earning and improve their financial situation. On top of that I would say social media is a biggie, it can feel like you are on a conveyor belt sometimes trying to manage Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc. all at once but it’s worth it when you connect with people and are able to help them out.

What makes your blog successful?
It’s been featured in The Sun, Daily Mail, The Mirror and all sorts of other places but I wouldn’t say that’s what makes successful. Instead I look at how many lives The Money Shed has been able to change. People have been able to have holidays or even just been able to afford the bills easier thanks to my site once they are shown how easy it is to earn a decent amount from home.

How do you like to work with PRs?
Always, until I get told there isn’t a budget and ‘others’ have worked for free and they sort of expected me to do the same. Lol.

What’s the one thing all PR pros should know about you?
That I don’t work for free but your content will get cross promoted across both our blog AND our forum so you get double the bang for your buck!

What other blogs do you read?
Slummy Single Mummy is probably the only regular one that I read every few days if only because I like to see her latest middle-class japes.

 

Jonathan Gutterridge and The Money Shed are just two entries on the Vuelio Influencer Database, which is the UK’s leading influencer database available to the PR and communications industries.

Tweeting

Everyone has #280characters

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Twitter has finally rolled out 280-character tweets across the platform, after trialling the initiative with a handful of users at the end of September. As with any change on social media, the general consensus is to be outraged – but some brands are making use of the new limit to have ‘fun’.

*unneccesary warning* this post is much longer than it would have been before the new 280-character limit.  

To check that your account has been accepted into the 280 club, either write a really long tweet or check for a little blue ring, which has replaced character count, when you write a new tweet. It should look like this:

280 characters

280 characters

280 characters

A character count appears for the final 20 characters and the ring then turns yellow:

280characters

When you hit zero and beyond, it turns red and your numbers become negative:

280 characters

Not everyone on Twitter is delighted with the change, and for many social media managers this is seen as ruining Twitter’s USP.

Our own social media manager, Kirsti Kauronen, said: ‘One of the main reasons Twitter became so successful was because of the brevity of posts – if you can’t say what you want in 140 characters (which I think is most people’s attention span anyway) you might begin to bore people and Twitter might not be the right platform for you.

‘From a communications perspective, I can see why many social media managers would be happy to avoid the everyday battle with the character limit but, personally, I’d prefer to keep it!’

Keeping to such a short limit encouraged creativity and so some are planning to stick to 140 characters:

For charities, and those that generally have more worth saying, the new limit is being welcomed (and used to make a point):

But for other brands, the new limit seems to be more of a challenging target to reach:

Of course, the new character limit explicitly ignores the only technical request users ever seem to make to Twitter. And so, this morning, the most popular tweet is variations on:

What do you think of Twitter’s new limit? Is it killing creativity, or have tweeters now got a chance to express themselves properly?

Politics

Today’s Political Headlines – 8 November 2017

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A round-up of the latest political headlines from the UK’s media, including Priti Patel, Brexit, Paradise Papers and the NHS. 

Priti Patel returns to London amid further accusations
Priti Patel, the International Development Secretary, is flying back to London, following further revelations about unauthorised meetings in Israel. The Times reports that she breached Government protocol by visiting the Golan Heights, had further unauthorised meetings after returning, and that Lord Polak, ‘a leading figure in a corporate lobbying group’, sat in on meetings. The Daily Telegraph claims that Priti Patel departed for Uganda earlier than originally planned yesterday, missing questions in Parliament.

Brussels says that the UK needs to concede to secure trade talks, banks warn of job moves and Government handling of negotiations faces public disapproval
The Guardian has been told by Brussels officials that there is less than a month for the UK to make a concession to secure trade talks. The Financial Times says that a group of large financial institutions warned the US commerce secretary that slow progress with Brexit planning and an unstable government may force them to move thousands of jobs out of London. The Daily Telegraph has a poll showing that the Government’s handling of Brexit negotiations has a 66% disapproval rating.

Paradise Papers revelations continue
The BBC and Guardian are continuing to publish revelations from the ‘Paradise Papers’. Recent revelations include that the Prince of Wales has a ‘conflict of interest’ (according to Sir Alistair Graham, former chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life) between his investments and his environmental lobbying, and the use of the Isle of Man as a tax haven, with Margaret Hodge suggesting that Lewis Hamilton should not receive a knighthood. The Times has revelations about the use of tax havens by Labour councils.

NHS will need £24bn more funding by 2022
The Guardian reports that Jim Mackey, Chief Executive of NHS Improvement, told the NHS Providers conference that the NHS in England could need as much as £24.2 billion more funding than currently pledged by 2022, or it will have to scale back services. A report produced by the King’s Fund found that ‘there will be a significant and growing gap between the resources given to the NHS and the demands it faces’.

Corbyn aide suspended
The Mirror says that David Prescott, Jeremy Corbyn’s aide and son of the former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has been suspended ‘amid the sexual harassment crisis’. He has not commented on the allegation, and the Labour Party would not comment on this specific case.

Carl Sargeant, former Welsh minister, found dead
Carl Sargeant, former Welsh communities secretary was found dead yesterday, after being sacked from his job and suspended from the Labour party on Friday following accusations about his behaviour. The BBC reports that Welsh First Minister, Carwyn Jones, is facing criticism about his handling of the situation.

Johnson says words were ‘taken out of context’ in Iranian prisoner remarks
The BBC reports on Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson’s said that his remarks about Nazanin Zagheri-Ratcliffe, currently imprisoned in Iran, were ‘taken out of context’ and that he intends to visit Iran to discuss the case before the end of the year. Her husband said that Johnson’s clarification was a ‘good thing’.

IFS warns of uncertainty surrounding Scottish income tax increases
According to The Daily Telegraph, research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies has found that Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s planned tax increases could backfire, with there being ‘a lot of uncertainty’ over whether more money would be raised. The Scottish Government said that it had considered ‘a range of potential revenue impacts’.

Get in touch for more information about Vuelio political services. 

Eva Thompson

Blogger Spotlight: Eva Thompson, Eva and Amelia’s World

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Eva Thompson writes Eva and Amelia’s world about the adventures she has with her Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Amelia. Recently featuring on the Top 10 UK Pet Blogs, Eva and Amelia’s World reviews style products and accessories. We spoke to Eva about the dog-friendly side of London, Amelia’s love of attention and forming friendships with PR professionals.

How would you describe your blog?
Our blog is very picture based, set with a white and light pink theme. I wanted to create more of a lifestyle magazine feel to it than a classic pet blog – a London lifestyle blog with your dog! We live in Knightsbridge and our blog features snippets of our daily life, where we like to go and so forth. We have had the pleasure of working with many companies since our launch this year and product reviews have taken centre stage! Our Instagram account and blog complement each closely.

Why did you start your blog?
Being a dog owner in London is wonderful as so many places are dog friendly. Particularly when you own a small dog it’s very easy to spend all day out with them in London without being turned away from shops or restaurants. I wanted to share my knowledge of dog-friendly locations with others.

What’s it like having a famous pet?
It’s such a joy! Every couple of days someone recognises Amelia and comes up to us wanting to stroke her. It’s very sweet. Some people have been too shy to come up to us directly and message us on Instagram later on to let us know they saw us today. It’s such an incredibly nice feeling to know people around the world know of Amelia and feel connected to her.

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How does your pet cope with the pressure?
Amelia loves being the centre of attention and meeting new people. As soon as the camera comes out she is excited and ready to pose! I think from her point of view every day is just a fun day of meeting people and receiving treats! Of course, when attending full day events or photoshoots it can be very tiring for both human and hound! We try to split up these long days by playing with her favourite ball and having a cuddle in a quiet spot.

What’s your favourite pet product?
I couldn’t live without our Teddy Maximus carrier. Amelia comes with me everywhere I go and it’s very convenient to have a bag with me for her. Whether it be rush hour on the tube or a bed on the go at a cafe having a stylish carrier makes all the difference!

Amelia in a bag

What’s your favourite post?  
My all-time favourite post is one of my first ones, ‘Valentine’s day with your dog’. This was the first post I had planned in my mind when starting our blog. It is set at Peggy Porschen in Belgravia, which has remained our signature spot.

How do you like to work with PRs?
Getting to work with PR companies is a privilege many don’t get to experience. Forming working relationships is based on trust. I like to be very honest and when this is returned from PR executives it forms a lasting working relationship.

What one thing PRs should know about you?
We are very organised. We like to have a clear idea of what is expected and in what time frame. I firmly believe that when both parties feel comfortable and in the know the relationship becomes more of a friendship.

What’s a memorable campaign you’ve worked on?
Amelia was chosen to promote the Just Eat Food Festival this year which was great fun! The team had organised a shoot with dog ice cream that Amelia got to enjoy while being photographed this past summer. We both had a fantastic time on set and at the event itself, thanks to her agent Layla at Urban Paws.

What other blogs do you read? 
A personal favourite of mine is South Molton St Style. Anna has an authentic voice you can relate to and Lopez, her adorable little dog, features in her blogs and Instagram alongside her.

 

Eva and her blog are just two entries on the Vuelio Influencer Database, which is the UK’s leading influencer database available to the PR and communications industries.

Marks and Spencer Christmas ad 2017

Tis the season to take on John Lewis

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Marks & Spencer is launching its Christmas advert this evening during the Pride of Britain awards. The Paddington-fronted #LoveTheBear campaign, goes beyond just a 90-second TV spot, with in-store product tie-ins, charitable fundraising and cross-channel promotion making it a campaign worthy of undisputed Christmas-advert king, John Lewis.

The association with Paddington will be seen in soft toys and duffle coats, just two of the 90 products M&S will sell in its campaign shops in 78 stores. The advert will play in cinemas before screenings of Paddington 2, released this week in UK cinemas.

M&S are also using the Paddington campaign to raise money for the NSPCC to fund its ChildLine service over Christmas, strengthening its family-friendly approach this year.

Turning a Christmas advert into an event has become John Lewis’ speciality and what’s surprising is how long it has taken competitors to catch up. John Lewis reportedly sold £2.5m of campaign-related goods in 2014 with its Monty the Penguin advert, and last year raised money for The Wildlife Trusts with its Buster the Boxer ad.

The biggest difference between this M&S campaign and previous John Lewis efforts, is that John Lewis doesn’t associate with existing products or ideas. Only time will tell if the Paddington relationship will pay off.

M&S are saying the campaign fits with its ‘Spend it Well’ philosophy launched earlier this year, which encourages customers to: ‘focus on the people, experiences and things that matter to them most, something that is never more important than at Christmas.’

It is even going as far as to encourage staff to carry out ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ in stores throughout December, which could include free marmalade sandwiches in cafes and ‘cheeky’ Paddington chocolates at the till.

Though M&S has the jump on John Lewis this year, it is by no means the first Christmas advert of 2017 with Argos, Asda, Aldi (with a welcome return for award-winning Kevin The Carrot) and Lidl’s ads already released. The advert schedule over Christmas could now rival Hollywood, as no one wants to be lost against the big one (ads: John Lewis, Films: Star Wars) but no one wants to go too early and peak too soon.

With the press coverage this Paddington advert has already received, and an organic trend on Twitter with #lovethebear, M&S may have found the sweet spot for 2017 success.

Sascha Taylor-Curtis

Blogger Spotlight: Sascha Taylor-Curtis, Beauty Geek UK

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Sascha Taylor-Curtis writes the top 10 beauty blog, Beauty Geek UK. Reviewing all the latest products, Beauty Geek UK has an expert focus on skincare. We caught up with Sascha to talk about the rise of Korean beauty, building relationships with PR pros and all of her favourite beauty blogs.

How would you describe your blog?
A six-year-old beauty and lifestyle blog with a special interest in problem skin that features passionate reviews on skincare and makeup, interspersed with features on lifestyle, health, life and being a mum.

Why did you start your blog?
I was trying so many different treatments and products to try and clear up my acne, with varying degrees of success. I wanted to share my experiences so that other people with similar issues would be able to make more informed decisions. That’s the main reason, but I also needed to find a way to justify spending horrendously large amounts on lipstick!

What’s the current beauty trend we should be aware of?
I think Korean beauty has been slowly gaining credit in the UK beauty market over the last few years, but it’s finally becoming a lot more mainstream, which is great news as it’ll hopefully take UK beauty in an exciting new direction. I also think colourful hair is now a lot more accessible thanks to more modern application techniques, so it isn’t just for the brave and the bold anymore; anyone can add a touch of peekaboo lilac or pink under the top layer of their hair.

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How does video fit in with your blog?
Every few months I decide to start vlogging, as it’s something I think that works so well alongside blogging, but it’s also something that I think you need to be very good at to make a success of, and I’m definitely much more comfortable with writing. Never say never, though!

What makes your blog successful?
I would like to think it’s because I provide detailed and honest features on what I perceive to be important and informative beauty news and reviews. I also think the fact that I talk honestly about my continuing battle with acne (at the age of 33) is useful for those struggling with similar concerns.

How do you like to work with PRs?
I really like to develop mutually beneficial relationships with PRs and I now count many of them as friends. I find the easiest way to work together is to be honest about what we want from each other and how we can deliver it. I also like to have regular catch-ups with PRs to find out what’s new as I find this a lot easier than events or e-mails.

What one thing should PRs know about you?
It might be obvious ,but I don’t always need product to feature a new release – if something is very exciting, I’ll want to share it with my readers as quickly as possible and will happily do that with press releases and imagery for reference.

What campaigns have you enjoyed working on?
I loved featuring Makeup Revolution when it first launched as it was so fresh and innovative. I also love to work with the guys at Deciem as they produce such inspiring products at an impressive rate, so there’s always something to get excited about and I love to feature their news. For me, though, the most exciting features are QVC ‘s TSVs [Today’s Special Values]; you can always feel the excitement surrounding them, especially as they’re often really amazing brands such as Elemis, Decleor, tarte and NIOD, and I always feel like sharing them with my readers develops a real buzz.

What other blogs do you read?
So, so many! I check my Bloglovin’ app at least ten times a day. Jane at British Beauty Blogger is great for breaking beauty stories (I especially love her beauty news updates), Ree at Really Ree is brilliant for product swatches, Laura at Laurzrah.com creates amazing imagery, as does Michelle at Thou Shalt Not Covet, and of course Temptalia is my beauty bible for whenever I want to start building a shopping list. Vicki at Let’s Talk Beauty gets the balance of beautiful pictures and detailed reviews just right, and finally, Laura at Laura Lou Makeup is a great ‘real’ makeup artist, by which I mean, she shows you exactly how to achieve certain looks and techniques which she demonstrates so that it appears entirely achievable, even if you’re like me and lack the skill and talent!

Sascha and Beauty Geek UK are just two entries on the Vuelio Influencer Database, which is the UK’s leading influencer database available to the PR and communications industries.

Politics on Sunday – 5 November 2017

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Missed any of the political coverage from the weekend?

After a week when sexual harassment in Westminster has continued to dominate headlines, it’s no surprise that this issue was the focus of Sunday’s political shows. After a flurry of rumours that Whips had been using information about sexual misconduct in order to maintain party discipline, Home Secretary Amber Rudd used her appearances on Marr and Paterson to deny the existence of any such ‘black book’. Meanwhile, Anna Soubry criticised the ‘trial by media’ taking place against MPs in light of a lack of system to investigate claims made against them.

Labour has also been under pressure to explain its response to harassment allegations. Emily Thornberry said she was ‘ashamed’ of on-goings in her party after it emerged that Kelvin Hopkins had been promoted to shadow cabinet after claims were made against him, while a young party activist was told not to report her rape at a Labour event.

Beyond sexual harassment, Mark Carney appeared on Peston to discuss the ‘Brexit effect’ on the economy, which he claims has lowered the bank’s predictions for foreign investment in Britain by 20% since the month before the referendum.

Check out our dedicated Canvas of political coverage by clicking here or on the image below. Want to make your own canvas? Find out how. 

Canvas for politics 6 November

 

Stranger Things

6 PR lessons from Stranger Things

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While you’re probably not fighting the upside down at work, there’s still plenty we can take from the Stranger Things gang to apply to our everyday PR practices.

*WARNING – mild spoilers lurk ahead, though Stranger Things 2 has been out long enough for everyone to have watched it multiple times over. Totally Tubular!*

1. ‘Mornings are for coffee and contemplation’ – Hopper
You’ve probably checked your emails all the way into work, and once you hit your desk you’re swamped – digging your way through your inbox until it once again has some semblance of sanity. When you first get in take a breather, talk to your colleagues and plan the day ahead – everyone is their most alert and this period of ‘contemplation’ can produce the best creative ideas.

2. ‘Friends don’t lie’ – Eleven (and others)
Working as a team is vital for public relations. While it may seem that you have a different story to tell different stakeholders – and often you do – making sure you’re consistent with your allies lets them pull in the same direction. To make this simple, Vuelio Stakeholder Management allows you to track who in your team has said what and to whom, so everyone is on the same page.

3. ‘Class, please welcome, all the way from sunny California, the latest passenger to join us on our curiosity voyage: Maxine!’ – Mr Clarke
How many teachers would take a call from a child at 10pm to help build a sensory deprivation tank? Mr Clarke is keen to encourage his class to push boundaries and think outside the box. Too often in a PR organisation the most senior directors are pulling the team. Great concepts and knowledge can come from anywhere (including the ‘kids’), and the best agencies push their teams, encouraging ideas no matter what the source is.

4. ‘Nobody normal ever accomplished anything meaningful in this world.’ – Jonathan
Being different and unique is the best way to stand out for both you and your client. It may seem like obvious advice, but don’t always do what’s been done before, don’t stick to accepted wisdom and don’t be normal. Floating something large down the Thames caught everyone’s attention the first time, but it’s now become a norm. Find something new and keep pushing boundaries.

5. ‘I am on a curiosity voyage, and I need my paddles to travel. These books are my paddles.’ – Dustin
Research, research, research. In-house have a distinct advantage here, they should know their brand, product and service inside out. Agencies have to work twice as hard to fully integrate themselves with the client before being able to effectively communicate on their behalf. Sector specific content and finding the right influencers is vital to understanding the company, the company’s aims and the company’s target audience. Research can also predict potential pitfalls along the way, so there is no excuse to end up curiosity creek without a paddle.

6. ‘I may be a pretty s**tty boyfriend, but turns out I’m actually a pretty damn good babysitter.’ – Steve
No you’re desperate to fit Steve into this article. To be honest there were lots of golden Steve moments that could have made the list, but his character arc from confused jock boyfriend to solid advice-wielding parental figure is both heart-warming and spot on. If you find out you’re good at something, there’s no shame consistently being excellent at it. That doesn’t mean you don’t ever leave your comfort zone (see: Steve in the tunnels surrounded by Demadogs), but playing to your strengths is a no-brainer, even if that means staying on the bench to save the day.

What other PR lessons can we take from Stranger Things? Post your comment below.

Rachel and Daisy

Blogger Spotlight: Rachel Spencer, The Paw Post

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Rachel Spencer is the author of The Paw Post, which recently ranked in the Top 10 UK Pet Blogs. Rachel is a freelance journalist and content writer who started The Paw Post in 2017 after taking her friend’s dog Daisy in. In this Spotlight, we speak to Rachel about her lovely dog Daisy, working on charitable campaigns and her favourite pet tech.

How would you describe your blog?

It’s a mix of news, human interest stories about animals and people making a difference in the pet world, travel and reviews. My dog Daisy and her adventures feature lots, and I try to create content that’s helpful, interesting and informative.

Why did you start your blog?

I work as a freelance journalist writing pet stories for newspapers and magazines, but there would always be stories I wanted to tell in my own way and that’s where the idea for the blog came from.
I’ve worked with pet businesses writing content and thought a blog would be a way to showcase my writing too.

The more I wrote about pets, the more people approached me with stories and interesting pet brands, and I thought it would be a good idea to create my own platform to share them.

What’s it like having a famous pet?

Oh my gosh, I still don’t see Daisy as famous, she’s a little scruff from Manchester Dog’s Home but she has featured in lots of articles now so I guess she is! It’s lovely.

She has a fun life and still is like a regular dog who loves chasing her ball and rolling in fox poo, but she also has some lovely opportunities come her way too.

How does your pet cope with the pressure?

It doesn’t faze her. She’s very good when it comes to having her photo taken and has done shoots from when she first came to live with me and my photographer friends used to take photos of her.

I think she’s oblivious to it. No one day is the same for her and she relishes her adventures.

What’s your favourite pet product?

I think it would be the PitPatPet activity tracker. It was the first ‘techy’ item we reviewed, and it’s a UK based product that has been picked up worldwide.

We’re thrilled to have been able to review it at the start of their journey back in January 2016.

They went on to appear on Dragon’s Den and now work with insurance companies helping dogs stay healthy.

Rachel and DaisyWhat’s your favourite post?

I did a post for a contact of mine, Liz Haslam of Beds For Bullies rescue. I’ve known her for many years and she was going through a tough time, struggling with bills and was worried she might have to close her rescue.

I set up a JustGiving page and told the story of all 16 of her dogs, many of which I had written about individually, but when I put them all together, I realised just how remarkable she was and readers did too.

The response was overwhelming, it was shared worldwide and people donated £2,000. It was amazing to be able to help her and her dogs. I spent most of that weekend crying happy tears!

How do you like to work with PRs?

Ideally send a pitch via e mail first, then I’m always happy to chat on the phone if I feel it suits the blog.

I look for human interest stories, usually case study led, and I’m interested in trends, products and technology.

The blog is an extension of my work as a journalist and I try to ensure each post either makes people laugh or cry, think ‘Aw that’s cute’, ‘Ooh that’s interesting/helpful’ or ‘Wow, that’s someone doing something really out of the ordinary.’

What one thing should PRs know about you?

I’ve always worked with PRs as a journalist so I’m completely new to doing it as a blogger. One thing that has come up is people saying: ‘can you just put something up on your blog for me?’ and I’d like people to realise that it takes a lot of time for me to do a post and I have bills to pay!

I’m very open to ideas and I like people to be clear about what is expected of me, treat me fairly and understand that I try to make my posts newsworthy because of my background.

What’s a memorable campaign you’ve worked on?

This week I worked with Jade Statt of StreetVet who launched her new website on #worldhomelessday and she approached me as a blogger rather than as a journalist.

I was totally thrilled and spent a day shadowing her as she helped homeless dogs and their owners.

She is such an inspiration and being able to tell stories like hers without having a word limit and having my work edited is what my blog is all about.

What other blogs do you read?

I love Rocky the Traveller, he’s an English Bull Terrier who has travelled the world, and Philleas Dogg, as Atlee is a rescue dog like Daisy and it’s lovely seeing them both on their adventures and having fantastic lives.

I enjoy Twilight Bark UK too, her Instagram photos of her lovely Sausage dogs Ted and Millie are brilliant!

 

Rachel and The Paw post are just two entries on the Vuelio Influencer Database, which is the UK’s leading influencer database available to the PR and communications industries.

03 November

Five Things You Shouldn’t Have Missed – 3 November 2017

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A round up of the biggest PR, comms and media stories this week including the sexual harassment scandals, a spoilt Bake Off, Ian Katz’s appointment, Fake News and Halloween.

1. Sexual harassment dominates the news

The allegations against Harvey Weinstein quickly led to allegations against others in the Hollywood, this week including Kevin Spacey and Dustin Hoffman. But the entertainment industry is not alone in the scandal, a #MeToo campaign on social media – which gave people a chance to share their own experiences of harassment – followed, and now the allegations have hit the UK’s Government and media.

A so-called ‘sleaze list’ (of questionable intent and accuracy), appeared in the media before Michael Fallon MP left his role as Defence Secretary amid the allegations, causing a minor reshuffle.

What’s clear, and obvious to many individuals outside of the mainstream media’s gaze, is that sexism and sexual harassment is rife everywhere. Now that people feel able to share their stories, expect this one to continue to hit the headlines.

 

2. Prue Leith spoils the final Bake

bake Off

The Great British Bake Off has been flying high – the series, which moved to Channel 4, was expected by some to be a flop but the familiar format and atmosphere in the tent has led to sizeable viewing figures and peak-time audience shares for Channel 4. All was right in the world (if you excuse the fact Liam went home two shows too early #JusticeForLiam) before Prue accidentally tweeted the winner 10 hours early.

Yikes.

Though she quickly deleted the message, the damage was done. Prue, who was in Bhutan, claimed the time difference was to be blamed, before telling the Press Association: ‘I’m in too much of a state to talk about it. I fucked up.’ Channel 4 was less concerned (probably due to its record numbers) as Prue, Noel and Sandi will join Paul again for the next series.

 

3. Ian Katz appointed Channel 4’s director of programmes

Newsnight, Channel 4

BBC Newsnight’s editor, Ian Katz has been appointed to the top creative role at Channel 4, following Jay Hunt’s departure in September. While Katz doesn’t have significant programme commissioning experience, he is considered by Channel 4’s CEO Alex Mahon to ‘live and breathe’ the Channel 4 values. The role is considered one of the most influential in the UK’s media – Hunt’s departure followed her acquisition of the programme in our second story. Katz starts his new role in January.

 

4. Fake News is the ‘word’ of the year

Trump figure fak news covefefe

Collins Dictionary once again announced its word of the year, which follows in-depth research of language trends across millions of sources. The ‘word’ that has most increased in usage for the last year is ‘Fake News’. (Yes it’s two words, which has upset a surprising number of people).

The phrase (that’s better) was thrust into the spotlight by Donald Trump who used it repeatedly throughout his Presidential campaign to attack first the ‘mainstream media’ and then anyone who disagreed or cast allegations against him. More recently, Fake News has been flipped against the President, now describing Russia’s influence on the American election results.

 

5. All Hallows’ Marketing

Halloween feature

The Halloween season is now embedded in British society where people wish each other ‘Happy Halloween’ and brands and businesses spend increasing amounts on their Halloween tie-ins. On the Vuelio Blog we’ve rounded up five of the best campaigns, including Google’s heart-warming Doodle (no really), Fanta’s big budget 13th floor experience and the Beano’s investigation into the scariest outfits (pictured).

 

That’s everything from this week – think there’s something we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments below.