Adventure is good for you: blogging the world with The Family Adventure Project

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The Family Adventure Project was recently named in the Top 10 UK Family Travel blogs. Written by husband and wife team Stuart and Kirstie, with additional contributions from their three children, the blog follows the ethos that adventure is good for you. We caught up with Kirstie to find out more about the trips the family takes, the perils of cycling along the Croatian coast and how The Family Adventure Project works with brands and PRs.

What makes your blog stand out?
The Family Adventure Project blog has always had a clear philosophy and reason for being – to encourage ourselves and others to get out and enjoy the outdoors together as a family. I hope this is communicated in everything we say and do. I am a professional journalist and travel writer, and Stuart is a photographer. The teens add their own talents including video skills, and we all aim to make the writing, photography and videography engaging.

What’s the family travel blogging community like?
It’s hugely supportive, and also very useful for planning a trip! Many of us have known each other since our children and our blogs were in the infant stages and constantly swap information about travelling, blogging and parenting. We have even stayed with family blogging friends in the States on our travels. I consider several UK family travel bloggers amongst my closest friends and even those I barely know feel like part of a close, empathetic and fun family.

It also helps that we have communities like BritMums and Tots 100 organising events and championing our work. Their conferences and award ceremonies have connected me with many like-minded people. And being part of a blogger collective means we can offer brands sustained campaigns and outstanding engagement.

Cycling

Where is the best place in the world for families?
We have been all over the word with our kids but there is still no place like home. The UK’s Lake District is pretty unbeatable in our eyes. Whether it’s canoeing to an island or camping on one of the high fells, the views are world class and it doesn’t break the bank even if you take the kids and the grandparents with you!

What’s the scariest experience you’ve had while travelling?
We have jumped into canyons, been shot out of water cannons and zipped across mountains but ironically, our scariest experience was cycling on a road. The Croatian coast in peak summer was no place for a family on bicycles; one of our kids came close to colliding with a bus while the other collapsed with heatstroke. On the same day!

Kirstie and Stuart

Where haven’t you been that you’d still like to visit?
I would like to travel to the far reaches of the USA like Alaska, where everything is bigger and wilder and lonelier. Stuart likes cold places and would like to see the frozen wilderness of Greenland.

What advice would you give families who are worried about travelling?
Take baby steps. Don’t try to do the whole world until you have comfortably done your own back yard. Get the children used to camping by having a go in the garden or your local fell. Take them on short journeys to see how they get on before flying to New Zealand. Like anything in life, adventuring is a skill, and it takes time to build up your confidence.

What one thing should PRS and brands know about you?
We think big, and deliver bold. We love to do ambitious journeys like our six-month cycle tour of South America, our IHG hotels tour of Japan, and our cycle tour from Amsterdam to Venice across the whole of Europe. We are about to conquer Europe again this summer, on an Interrail journey from home to Istanbul and Athens. 16 countries, 19 trains, five family members and five folding bikes. But then we enjoy the small stuff too; the glamping weekends or overnight camps.

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What’s the best campaign you’ve collaborated on?
Our #CastleHostels campaign has been shortlisted for the inaugural World Travel Market International Travel and Tourism awards in the ‘Best Influencer in the Industry’ category. Working with travel blogger Kash Bhattacharya and Jugendherberge German youth hostels’ association, we profiled how families can stay in some of the most historic and incredible buildings in Germany in locations ranging from rural villages to huge cities. We produced a series of free e-books and blog posts for two different sites as well as 22 videos, after a whirlwind summer family tour.

Do you think bloggers need their own industry association?
I am a firm believer in group influence and power. Stuart and I were founder members of the PTBA and I am a committed member of the British Guild of Travel Writers.

What other blogs do you read?
My favourite family travel bloggers are Mummy Travels, Globalmouse Travels, Mummy’s Little Monkey and Mums Do Travel. For good budget travel information, I read Budget Traveller and Nomadic Matt. There’s some great inspiration out there and a big wide world to explore.

The Family Adventure Project is listed in the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other blogs, vlogs, outlets and opportunities.

SEO Tips

3 top tips for creating SEO-friendly digital PR content from David Fraser, founder of Ready10

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SEO (search engine optimisation) and its evolution over the past five years, in particular, has been a boon for the PR industry, says David Fraser, founder and managing director of Ready10, a digital-specialist consumer PR agency that works with Paddy Power and MoneySuperMarket, among others.

Fraser said: ‘I am from a consumer PR background and I believe very strongly that SEO is an absolute gift to the PR industry as it shows how effective our work can be. It is an evaluation gift. In some ways, I find it frustrating that not everyone feels that way, but, of course, it means I see great opportunity too.’

Here are Fraser’s top tips for creating SEO-friendly digital PR content:

1. Bring SEO into your thinking as early as possible
‘The best PR people are the best SEO people, but you need to bring SEO into your planning and preparation as early as possible. The best and most effective way to get to the top of the organic search on Google is with good, natural content that has an intrinsic reason to link and that also causes people to like and share.

‘The key is content and creativity – PR skills and thinking are a huge benefit in cracking both the ideas and the creativity. So the earlier the better when you bring SEO into your thinking; your campaign will be more impactful as a consequence. It can be retro-fitted but it’s harder to do, it’s not as good and it will cost more.’

2. Don’t reinvent the wheel – good PR is integrated and digital doesn’t change this
‘SEO and, indeed, digital should not change the way you work or think about integration. The model still works the same. The best work is always integrated and it’s better to have an all-agency solution if you can.

‘In fact, some of our clients are bringing SEO and PR specialists into teams to work together. It makes sense as you can get SEO in your thinking from the beginning. We see this in sectors, like insurance or gaming, where clients have an online transactional ‘reason for being’. In other words, their website is their lifeblood.

‘We recommend an integrated solution for PR and organic SEO. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel.’

3. Write for people not search engines
‘As far as it goes on the SEO side of the equation, a lot of results are still driven by text and so this features prominently in a lot of our output. But, things are changing very quickly and Google is looking to advance itself through video, voice and image-search and all sorts of content. PR – to succeed – needs to use its ability to connect with people on an emotional level and convey its core message through great creativity. That can involve anything from video to podcast content. Everything has a role in the mix.

‘We never write for search engines. We write everything for people. Good content has to be new or news and has to be something people like and share. If that happens, then search engines will recognise its quality.’

Liam Fox

Political Headlines – Fox’s no deal, Corbyn criticism, EU law and Windrush

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Today’s Political Headlines include Downing Street denying Fox’s claim that a no deal Brexit is probable, criticism of Corbyn’s antisemitism apology, Ministers claiming a no deal Brexit would break EU law and accusations against Javid that he’s buying the silence of the Windrush generation.

Downing Street denies Fox’s claim that no deal Brexit is probable
The Guardian reports that Downing Street has insisted that Theresa May is still confident of agreeing a Brexit deal, despite International Trade Secretary Liam Fox suggesting that it was now probable that no deal would be reached. Whitehall sources claimed that Fox’s intervention was part of a strategy to talk up a no deal Brexit in the hope that EU leaders would take the Government’s Chequers proposals more seriously.

Corbyn’s antisemitism apology met with criticism
The Times says that a new apology by Jeremy Corbyn for the party’s treatment of antisemitism has been met with criticism. He has now pledged to include three of the four excluded examples of antisemitism from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition within Labour’s own definition, but the Board of Deputies of British Jews warned that it ‘won’t accept a watered-down definition designed to let antisemites off the hook.’

Ministers claim no deal Brexit would break EU law
The Daily Telegraph asserts that ministers have warned the EU that if it doesn’t compromise on Brexit, it is breaking its own laws. They claim that Article 8 of the Lisbon Treaty imposes a duty on the Eu to ‘develop a special relationship’ with its neighbours. ‘Senior Whitehall sources’ told the paper that if there was no deal, ‘we will make it clear whose fault it was’.

Labour accuses Javid of buying the silence of Windrush generation
According to The Guardian, Labour has accused Home Secretary Sajid Javid of attempting to ‘buy the silence’ of the Windrush generation by imposing non-disclosure agreements on those receiving fast-track compensation payments. Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott said Javid had ‘gone back on his word’, describing the agreements as ‘totally unacceptable’.

Women could be forced to give up work if EU care workers not prioritised after Brexit
The Daily Telegraph reports that a Department of Health and Social Care dossier warns that women will be forced to give up work to look after ageing parents and grandparents unless EU care workers are given priority after Brexit. In a worst case scenario within five years there would be a shortfall of 6,000 doctors, 12,000 nurses and 28,000 care staff.

Building on green belt will not solve housing crisis, CPRE claims
The Times carries details of a report by the Campaign to Protect Rural England, which claims that the number of homes being proposed by local authorities on the green belt has increased from 425,000 to 459,000 in the last year, but that just 22% of those already granted planning permission are affordable. According to the CPRE, this shows that building on the green belt will not address the ‘affordable housing crisis’.

Opt-out organ system to be in place by 2020
The Daily Mirror reveals that a new opt-out system for organ donation will be in place in England by 2020 if Parliament approves plans for ‘Max’s law’ in the autumn. According to health minister Jackie Doyle-Price the plans could save up to 700 lives a year.

Hammond warns of French-led attempts to drown City in red tape
The Financial Times claims that Chancellor Philip Hammond warned senior figures in the City of London that they ought to be preparing for the EU to bind the UK’s financial services industry in red tape after Brexit, led by the French, which could lead to a loss of access to European markets. Instead he suggested that firms should develop ‘alternative pathways for growth’.

Want to know who is doing what? Vuelio Political Services can create bespoke reports on issues that matter to you. 

Five Things: TV, Radio, Mobile, Internet and Post

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Ofcom has published its 2018 Communications Market Report, which covers television, radio, phones, the internet, online content and post. It covers a lot and there’s a lot for the PR, communications and media industry to learn from it – and plan their future strategies – so, without further ado, here are five things you shouldn’t have missed from Ofcom’s report.

1. TV

TV stats

Broadcast TV is in decline, with revenue falling for the first time since Ofcom started measuring it in 2012. It is down from £14.2bn to £13.6bn. At the same time, online TV revenue has increased for the fifth consecutive year, up to £2.3bn from £1.8bn.

The number of minutes being spent watching TV per day has fallen, as it does every year. It’s now at 203 minutes per person (aged 4+), down from 240.7 in 2012. BBC One is still the most popular channel, followed by ITV, BBC Two, Channel 4 and Channel 5.

Across the four main genres Ofcom categorises programmes into – UK drama, sport, soaps and entertainment – the average age of the audience for each is between 54 and 57.

 

2. Radio

Radio stats

Radio is still a hugely popular medium, reaching 90.2% of the population (since 2012 it has always been about 90%), though each listener is spending fewer weekly hours tuning in, down to 20.8 hours per person a week – the lowest on record.

While the BBC’s share of listening is down to 51.9%, it is investing more in local radio and less in its flagship channels such as Radio 2 and Radio 5 Live.

DAB digital radio devices now have a record share of adult listeners, reaching 63.7% of adults up from 57.9% in 2017 (and 44.3% in 2012). Digital platforms also, for the first time, account for over half of all radio listening.

In terms of age, 29.4% of radio listeners are 15-34 and favour commercial radio; 33.4% of listeners are 35-54, also favouring commercial radio; and 37.2% are 55+ but favour BBC radio.

One-in-ten radio listeners use a smart speaker, such as the Amazon Echo, Google Home or Apple HomePod.

Podcast listeners are also on the up, with around 11% of the population listening to a podcast each week. Two thirds of podcast listeners, who are generally younger listeners, are male.

 

3. Mobile and apps

Mobile stats

A whopping 96% of the population now has a mobile phone, but only 87% have an internet connection.

App usage is on the up, the average adult has 74 app sessions a day, each lasting over six minutes. For social media, the stats for the big four are quite varied:

Facebook is used seven times a day on average, with 18-24 year-olds accessing it the most. Sessions last on average just one minute, though for the over 55s it’s 75 seconds. While 71% of all adults have the Facebook app, 80% of women have it compared to just 66% of men.

There is no information for Twitter sessions but on average people spend 51 seconds each time they visit the Twitter app, with those over 55 spending 64 seconds. Only 37% of adults have the Twitter app, which breaks down into 41% of men and only 30% of women.

Instagram is used on average just three times a day, though 18-24 year olds use it five times. On average, adults are spending just 37 seconds on the app, though this rises to over 40 seconds for over 35s. The Instagram app is used by 39% of all adults, 47% of women and 34% of men.

YouTube is used in just two sessions per person per day, but on average adults are spending 85 seconds on the app, with 25-34 year-olds spending 103 seconds. Matching Facebook, 71% of adults have the YouTube app, though this is almost equally split between genders with 71% of men and  72% of women.

Unsurprisingly, the most popular apps are those categorised as communications or social.

 

4. Internet and online content

Internet stats

The internet continues to be the focal point for 21st century lives, with 42.42 million adults now regularly accessing it. For the first time in 2018, women spent more time online per day (206 minutes) than men (197 minutes).

A huge £11.6bn is now being spent on digital advertising, up from £10.4bn in 2016 and just £6.8bn in 2013. Paid-for search dominates this spend, taking just over 50%.

It is perhaps not surprising then that Google is the most popular site, with 41.9m monthly visitors, followed by Facebook (40.2m), BBC (29.5m) and Amazon (37.7m).

 

5. Post

Post stats

Fewer letters are being sent but more parcels are being sent. That’s the Amazon effect.

 

Did we miss something? Let us know on twitter @Vuelio. 

Mummy Travels

Mummy Travels: top family travel blogger Cathy Winston

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Cathy Winston is the mum who travels and her blog, Mummy Travels, was recently named in the top 10 UK family travel blog ranking. Self-confessed travel-obsessed, Cathy take the mini traveller with her all around the world, from sandy beaches (a fav) to museums and temples. We caught up with Cathy who told us about the uniqueness of her blog, how travel changes as your child grows up and how she works best with brands and PR.

What makes your blog stand out?
I travel solo a lot with my daughter, including long-haul trips such as South East Asia and to the Caribbean, but also short breaks around the UK – on the blog I want to show that anything is possible, whether you’re staying close to home or planning something more exotic, at any age, solo or with family. The blog has also followed our progress since I was pregnant, so anyone looking at our adventures can also see the differences between travels with a baby, a toddler, a preschooler and now with school holiday restrictions, including my tips and advice along the way.

I’m also a professional travel journalist and editor, with several awards for my writing, so I bring that approach and experience to my blog along with the personal element.

What’s the family travel blogging community like?
It’s a lovely community to be part of – very supportive, and wonderful to be surrounded by people who understand exactly why you want to keep travelling with kids, just how fast you can get itchy feet once you get back, and who are full of inspiration and advice when it comes to planning the next trip.

Where is the best place in the world for families?
I don’t think there’s any single best place – it’s wherever you love to be. We’ve been on city breaks, to museums, art galleries, and in temples, which aren’t necessarily considered family-friendly. And so many destinations around the world are hugely welcoming to kids, so if you visit with children, you’re greeted with open arms. Having said that, both my daughter and I love being by the beach: any beach! Although one with sunshine (and a bit of shade) and warm water to paddle in is a bonus.

What’s the scariest experience you’ve had while travelling?
The scariest experiences I’ve had while travelling with my daughter have been some of my ‘firsts’ – the first flight with her as a baby, when I’d been told so many horror stories (we were delayed but it was still fine), my first solo flight, my first long-haul flight. It’s easy to imagine the worst, but most of the time, it’s never as bad as you fear – and if things do go wrong, you manage.

My daughter also had a habit of teething or catching an infection on our travels when she was younger – nothing major but finding myself in St Lucia when she had an (at first undiagnosed) ear infection was worrying. But the staff at our hotel were brilliant, arranged a visit to the local hospital and within hours she’d bounced back to her normal cheerful self.

cathy winston

Where haven’t you been that you’d still like to visit?
So many places! I do love South East Asia and there are quite a few countries I’d love to see still – Vietnam is high on my list, as is Indonesia and the Philippines. I’d also love to go back to Japan with my daughter too, which is something that will hopefully happen in 2019. I’ve explored very little of South and Central America too, so Peru is another bucket list favourite, along with Costa Rica and Cuba. I’d love to see Namibia too, while Reunion fascinates me.

And I never say no to a tropical island – the Andaman Islands sound intriguing but pretty much anywhere in the Indian Ocean, Caribbean, South Pacific! For starters…

What advice would you give families who are worried about travelling?
Firstly, don’t be put off – despite what people might say, travelling with kids is an amazing experience. The memories you create together, their wonder at seeing the world, is worth every frustrated moment trying to fit all the paraphernalia in your suitcase. There’s almost nowhere you can’t go, after all there are kids worldwide – just plan ahead and take it slow.

My other tips are to start early – a lot of people are understandably nervous about travelling with a baby and leave it until they’re toddling, which is actually one of the hardest times to fly with kids. And don’t assume: you never know until you try – it’s easy to write somewhere off because you think it’s too hot, too far, too boring for kids. Try it, and they might well surprise you. Although a hotel with a pool is always a good idea.

What one thing should PRs and brands know about you?
I get hundreds of emails every day, so the ones who have taken the time to read my blog, to address me by name (rather than just my email address) and who have a specific suggestion, will always get prioritised. I pride myself on being very professional and I often work with the same PRs and brands again and again, so I like to build up working relationships, to ensure that the collaboration is a success for both of us.

I’m always open to creative ideas but sending a generic press release and asking if I want to share it on my blog is unlikely to work. They also understand that with a six-year-old, I’m limited to weekends and school holidays rather than travelling by myself on weekdays.

Because I have other freelance travel outlets, it’s always helpful if people are clear about where they’re looking for coverage when they get in touch too. And I’m not a big fan of tents (luxury lodges: yes).

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What is the best campaign(s) you’ve collaborated on?
The best campaigns always tend to have the same thing in common – the brand is clear about what they’re hoping to achieve from it, and any specific deliverables are agreed, but they’re also happy for input from my side, and to take my suggestions about what will work with my daughter alongside and for the blog’s readers. For example, I know that certain activities, late nights or a crammed itinerary will just result in a cross, tired small girl or no time to actually share my impressions, which won’t get the best results for anyone.

The actual campaigns have been quite varied – a drive around East Anglia with Hyundai, an island hop in Greece with Olympic Holidays, and two weeks exploring Cambodia with Stubborn Mule for example – but all fantastic experiences and a joy to write about.

Do you think bloggers need their own industry association?
I think there’s such huge variety across different blogs and blogging niches that it might be tricky to have one association to suit all – one of the great aspects of blogging is being able to take a corner of the internet and make it completely your own. Things have already changed so much over the past decade, even the past few years, so with blogs becoming more important to brands, with the understanding of what influence and impact good blog coverage can have, I can see how it would have advantages.

What other blogs do you read?
Almost too many to list – as well as those in the Vuelio Top 10 Family Travel bloggers, I love My Travel Monkey, Wander Mum, Mums Do Travel and Suitcases and Sandcastles among others, while I’ve also loved discovering Travelynn Family on their amazing Africa road trip, plus Otis & Us and Dais Like These more recently.

 

Cathy and her blog are both listed in the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, vloggers, journalists and opportunities.

Corbyn

Political Headlines – Corbyn, May, Macron, Wollaston and the NHS

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Today’s Political Headlines include the Jewish Museum blocking Corbyn’s speech, May set to meet Macron, another Tory MP backing a second Brexit referendum and the need to speed up NHS training. 

Jewish Museum blocks Corbyn speech
The Telegraph is reporting that the Jewish Museum has rejected Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn’s request to make a speech at the venue, over fears that the event would be a stunt rather than a constructive exercise. This follows the decision by Momentum to pull their support for NEC candidate Peter Willsman, after he questioned legitimacy of anti-Semitism complaints, a decision that The Guardian has said split Corbyn’s allies. The Times also reports that a former wizard of the Ku Klux Klan praised the election of Corbyn in 2015, saying that it proved that people were recognising ‘Zionist power’.

May set to meet Macron for Brexit crunch talks
Theresa May is set to meet with French president Emmanuel Macron today, in an attempt to gain support for her Chequers plan, according to The Guardian. May is hopeful that she can win over Macron, a move that would help influence other EU partners and potentially shift chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier away from his opposition to the deal.

Tory MP backs second Brexit referendum
According to Business Insider, Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston has pledged her support for the People’s Vote campaign, a group that is calling for a vote on the final Brexit deal. Wollaston joins party colleagues Justine Greening, Anna Soubry and Philip Lee in calling for a second vote, but is only the second Tory MP to publicly back the People’s Vote campaign itself. Fellow Conservative MPs Amber Russ, Nicky Morgan and Antoinette Sandbach are also rumoured to be joining the People’s Vote.

Speed up NHS training to solve Brexit shortages, says Health Minister
The Telegraph reports that Health Minister Stephen Barclay has suggested NHS staff shortages after Brexit could be solved by accelerating the qualification process. Currently medical students must train for five years before becoming doctors, however Barclay has suggested this could be shortened to ease staffing pressures. Patients’ groups have warned against any watering down of training, saying that patient safety must not be compromised.

Government department under fire for advertising low-paying jobs
The Times has revealed that an initiative by the Department for Work and Pensions to get young people into summer employment has listed job vacancies paying as little as £2 an hour. The scheme, overseen by work and pensions secretary Esther McVey, has been exposed for offering positions paying lower than the national minimum wage, with some adverts described as apprenticeships and others offering zero-hour contracts.

No investigation into DUP spending during the EU referendum
The Guardian is reporting that the Electoral Commission will not open an investigation into spending by the Democratic Unionist Party during the EU referendum. Allegations that the party had coordinated spending with the Vote Leave campaign in order to break legal spending limits have been dismissed, with the commission citing a lack of evidence for the claims.

Find out why you need Vuelio Political Services in your life. 

Award winning

Award-winning campaigns webinar: Insight and engagement are key elements in successful campaigns

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Clear insight into your target audiences and ensuring you have the ability to engage them with your core messages are essential elements in successful campaigns, said Mandy Sharp, founder and CEO of creative PR agency Tin Man and Hannah Kellett, external communications manager at The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), in our recent webinar on Award-winning Campaigns.

In the webinar, Sharp and Kellett explained the success of the 2017 #ISeeMore campaign. The campaign was a digital and social-led campaign aimed at encouraging more people, particularly girls and teenagers, to consider engineering as a career. Impressive results, including the finding that they raised the percentage of 9-12 year-olds considering engineering as a career from 31% to 78%, has meant that not only was The IET happy with the campaign and has renewed Tin Man’s services for 2018, but #ISeeMore has also picked up a number of awards, including winning the STEM campaign category at the CIPR’s Excellence Awards. 

Here are four elements that make an award-winning campaign:

The power of influencers
‘Young people believe what they say and they follow them for a reason’, said Kellett who acknowledged the importance of influencers, such as Lauren Platt, the presenter and singer, to the campaign. Five YouTube and Instagram influencers were chosen and the idea was that they would create content after going behind the scenes to find out more about the engineering behind popular brands, such as Twitter, Shazam and The Harry Potter Studio Tour.

These are not the only influencers that are important for young people, of course. Kellett added: ‘We have to make sure we are targeting parents too, as they are young kids’ biggest influences.’

Emotional engagement is key
‘We had to engage tweens and teens emotionally about engineering’, said Sharp. The idea was that lots of the brands teens engage with on a daily basis have engineering at their heart. ‘We wanted to talk to teenagers in a way that resonates with them.’

This also meant that the campaign did not just involve influencers finding out about engineering, it wanted to get ‘kids to engage and experience it for themselves’. In partnership with Cadburys/Mondelez, children were invited to ‘engineer’ their own chocolate bar in a competition with more than 200 entries. The winning design, selected by judges including Andy Smyth, engineer and GBBO star, was the Rocket Fuel chocolate bar.

Build on past success
The IET has been running an annual Engineering Open House Day ‘to showcase the really cool’ aspects of engineering but the 2017 campaign saw a host of new venues – a total of 44 – and more than 3,000 attendees across the UK. ‘Watch this space,’ said Sharp as the IET’s new campaign launches later this week (3 August).

Apart from ensuring a successful campaign, Sharp was asked – considering its award-winning status – what makes an award-winning entry. ‘Make your entries interesting to read,’ she said. ‘You have got to make them engaging and, as a judge, you read hundreds of entries. You need to explain the insight and reasoning behind the campaign and explain the background of why you did it. You need to do something interesting and creative, and, of course, share some results.’

Know your budget
One of the most popular questions from the webinar asked how much the budget was and how it broke down into each element. A year-long campaign of this size can be delivered for under £100k. Looking at specific elements, you can expect to pay vloggers between £1-4k each (but this will depend on target reach, how long you want the videos promoted for, etc). Commissioning research to give stories newsworthy results can cost anything between £3k-7k.  Working with talent can come with a price tag too – this heavily depends on who they are and how close they are to the cause. Post-campaign evaluation is a must, especially for Awards submissions, and this can cost anything in the region of £1-5k, depending again on whether you need to commission a survey or can build an evaluation process into an event.

 

If you would like to work with influencers, bloggers or vloggers, check out the Vuelio Influencer Database. The recording of this webinar will be available next week. 

Karen beddow

Spotlight on family travel blog Mini Travellers

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Mini Travellers is the family travel blog written by mother-of-three Karen Beddow. Recently ranked in the top 10 in the UK, Mini Travellers charts the Beddow family’s travels from Wales to Rwanda. We recently caught up with Karen to learn about her scary close encounter with a mountain gorilla, advice for families that want to travel and how she likes to work on creative campaigns.

What’s the family travel blogging community like?
Genuinely incredibly supportive, I have some wonderful friends that I’ve made over the last few years and was lucky enough to spend a long weekend with a lot of them in Tuscany at the beginning of this year.

Where is the best place in the world for families?
A really hard question to answer as I think that’s different for every family. For us its Greece and Africa!

What’s the scariest experience you’ve had while travelling?
Well this encounter with a huge mountain gorilla comes pretty high up!

Where haven’t you been that you’d still like to visit?
Too many places but Japan, Zambia, Vietnam, Chile and Argentina are really high up my list.

What advice would you give families who are worried about travelling?
Read up on where you are going (there are so many articles, blogs, reviews out there these days) and ask questions. Many people will be happy to reply to you and help reassure you about where you are thinking of going.

I also always think that the journey will be worth it. You just need to take the first step. Our family motto is in the words of Mark Twain to explore, dream, discover.

What one thing should PRs and brands know about you?
We love to try lots of new experiences, we love an adventure and will always cover the trip in an honest and fun way. We love to make video and our Facebook videos, which are getting some really good traffic at the moment.

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What is the best campaign you’ve collaborated on?
It has to be the collaboration I did with Malawi Tourism at Easter this year as we just saw some incredible places and had a wonderful 14-day adventure as a family. I do, however, work very closely with Simpson Travel too and have worked with them over the last four years to develop their family offering.

Do you think bloggers need their own industry association?
I do think it would be a really good idea but I know that there have been people that have tried and there doesn’t seem to be one that is overwhelmingly the one to be part of.

What other blogs do you read?
Lots and lots. I genuinely read loads, but some of my favourite travel blogs are The Travel Hack and Cruising With Kids.

Karen and her blog are both listings in the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, vloggers, journalists and opportunities.

BCW

BCW’s Nick Williams joins PRCA Board of Management

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Nick Williams, managing director of public affairs and issue management at Burson Cohn & Wolfe (BCW), has been appointed to the Board of Management at the PRCA.

His appointment follows the recent merger of WPP firms Burson-Marsteller and Cohn & Wolfe, creating BCW.

Williams was promoted to the role of public and corporate MD at Burson-Marsteller earlier this year. He joined the agency as a senior director in 2015 from Fleishman-Hillard, where he was a senior partner for public affairs.

On his appointment to the PRCA Board, Williams said: ‘The communications sector is facing greater challenges and opportunities than ever before. I am delighted to be able to bring over 25 years’ worth of experience in the industry to help build upon the great work the PRCA is currently doing.’

Francis Ingham MPRCA, director general of the PRCA said: ‘We are delighted to welcome Nick to the PRCA’s Board of Management. His knowledge and experience in both public and corporate affairs will bring a unique insight to the board.’

Jeremy Corbyn

Political Headlines – Corbyn, Home Office, Shapps and the big society

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Today’s Political Headlines include pressure on Corbyn over anti-Semitism, the Home Office ignoring the forced marriages of British teenagers, Shapps’ cryptic deal and the big society is failing. 

Pressure increases on Corbyn over anti-Semitism
The Times reports on a speech made in 2010 by Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn in which he compared Israel’s actions to those of Nazi Germany. The Telegraph has also splashed on allegations that Corbyn silenced a Holocaust survivor after they objected to the comparisons being made between Israel and Nazi Germany. The Guardian has added to the claims, reporting that Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell supported an anti-Zionist group accused of anti-Semitism.

Home Office ignores the forced marriage of British teenagers
The Times reports that the Home Office granted visas to the husbands of British teenagers forced into marriage abroad. Their investigation found that despite appeals from the women for the applications to be blocked, just under half of the visa requests were approved.

Shapps’ cryptic deal
The FT has revealed that former Conservative Party Chairman Grant Shapps has resigned from two appointments after a secret pay deal was discovered, despite Shapps listing his role as ‘unpaid’. The MP was set to receive cryptocurrency tokens ahead of public sale, which could have amounted to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Cameron’s failing ‘big society’
The Guardian reports that a youth scheme set up by former Prime Minister David Cameron is failing to reach teenagers. Councils have called for ministers to divert funds into local government schemes rather than into the National Citizen Service (NCS), set up by Cameron in 2010. According to the Local Government Association, just 12% of eligible people used the NCS in 2016.

Vaz accused of bullying Commons clerk over expenses
The Guardian reports on claims broadcast by Newsnight on Wednesday that Labour MP Keith Vaz intimidated a House of Commons clerk, after she tried to control Vaz’s behaviour on trips abroad. Vaz is alleged to have bullied the clerk of the home affairs select committee, which he chaired at the time, after she raised concerns over an unscheduled dinner he attended in 2008 on a trip to Ukraine.

Scottish Government criticised over education tests
The Telegraph has reported on hundreds of complaints made to the SNP Government over primary school assessments introduced this year. The criticisms were revealed following a Freedom of Information request, which revealed 172 pages of comments detailing the ‘soul destroying’ impact of the tests.

Feeling the pressure to keep up with all the latest political news? You need Vuelio Political Services. 

Claire Hall

The top family travel blog in the UK: Tin Box Traveller

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Tin Box Traveller has just been named the number one family travel blog in the UK. Written by Claire Hall, the blog follows the adventures of the Tin Box family as they travel around the UK and Europe experiencing everything from holiday homes and spas to the best beaches and cruises! We spoke to Claire about the joy of staycations, the amazing family travel blogging community and the best campaign she’s worked on.

What makes your blog stand out?
I think my blog represents achievable travel for everyone. I focus on the UK and Europe because that’s what our travel budget and limited days off work can stretch to. I also seriously love writing. My blog has turned from hobby into a business thanks to my experience in journalism and PR. I enjoy trying out new ways of sharing our adventures in video and on social media to reach new audiences.

What’s the family travel blogging community like?
Amazing! I’ve made some lifelong friends in the blogging community and even discovered a long-lost cousin (Carrie who writes Flying with a Baby) over a few glasses of wine at a networking event. Everyone is so supportive and keen to see each other succeed.

Where is the best place in the world for families?
There’s no place like home! I’m a great believer in staycations and, with so many people feeling the pinch since the Brexit referendum, why not consider a holiday in the UK? There are some incredible destinations like the Lake District, Peak District and Wales where families with older kids can find adventure and the South West is wonderful for beach holidays with children of all ages.

Tin Box Family

What’s the scariest experience you’ve had while travelling?
We’re lucky not to have had any major dramas while travelling with our kids. But one occasion when my heart was in my mouth was a late-night taxi journey from Barcelona airport into the city with my then 13-month-old baby on my lap and arm around my then three-year-old to hold her down. Our driver had a very heavy right foot and thought he was on Circuit de Barcelona. We’ve flown with car seats ever since.

Where haven’t you been that you’d still like to visit?
I’d love to do a road trip around Scotland with our caravan. Croatia is also high up my wish list, as are the Isles of Scilly and Porto in Portugal.

What advice would you give families who are worried about travelling?
It’s really not as scary as it seems. Take the advice of people who have visited a destination before you. Family travel blogs are a great source of information and tips. Most importantly, make sure you give yourself plenty of time, work around your kids’ normal routines and know that children are adaptable.

What one thing should PRs and brands know about you?
As well as running my blog I also work in the PR industry so I understand they have to deliver against targets. I can help get the right results when I know the campaign messages and objectives.

Claire Hall

What is the best campaign you’ve collaborated on?
This year I worked with Parkdean Resorts on their #CoastalAdventures campaign to create blog, YouTube and social media content highlighting the brilliant things to do close to one of their holiday resorts on the Isle of Wight. It was great fun to film and we managed to get three generations of my family involved, including our dog. I’ve had some excellent feedback on the content and from The Home Agency who ran the campaign.

Do you think bloggers need their own industry association?
Yes and I think that a lot of people who have taken their blog beyond being just a hobby would say the same. The time has come for more robust guidance and support for the blogging community, giving bloggers the recognition they deserve and standards to uphold if they want to be treated as digital professionals.

What other blogs do you read?
There’s too many to mention but I love reading about the amazing experiences of TraveLynn Family, the world-wide adventures of Go Live Young and scrolling through the gorgeous travel photos on Otis & Us.

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France

Political Headlines – May, Macron and Corbyn

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Today’s Political Headlines include May to meet Macron, further anti-Semitism claims against Labour, gender pay gap report and criticism of the Home Office’s approach to child refugees from Calais. 

May to meet Macron after cutting short summer holiday
The Times reports that Theresa May is set to meet Emmanuel Macron on Friday for a Brexit summit at his summer residence in the south of France. May is seeking to persuade Macron to agree to her Chequers deal, and to soften his stance on security cooperation and financial services. The Guardian claims that Macron is unlikely to make an agreement without the approval of Brussels.

Further anti-Semitism claims against Labour
The Times’ Henry Zeffman has revealed that Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn hosted an event at the House of Commons in 2010 which compared the Israeli government to the Nazis. Jeremy Corbyn has since released an apology for the event. The latest revelations come after leading figures in the party condemned NEC member Peter Willsman for questioning the legitimacy of anti-Semitism claims in Labour.

Report on gender pay gap calls for new approach to pay negotiation
The Telegraph is reporting on guidance set to be released today by the Government Equalities Office, which aims to address the issue of pay disparity. The guidance suggests women should seek salary increases by focusing on ‘pay ranges’ rather than specific figures. It also calls for employers to increase the number of women on job shortlists, in order to increase selection of female candidates.

Home Office criticised for approach to child refugees from Calais
The Telegraph reports on the recent Court of Appeal ruling which criticised the Home Office for its treatment of child refugees. Judges said there were flaws in the assessment process, saying that inadequate reasons were provided for their refusal, with the Government acting in an ‘unfair and unlawful’ manner.

Hunt says possibility of no-deal Brexit is increasing
The Telegraph has reported on Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt’s remarks that the likelihood of the UK leaving the EU without a deal are ‘increasing by the day’. Hunt met with counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian in Paris on Tuesday and called for the European Commission to change its approach to Theresa May’s Chequers deal.

Kent lorry park may remain in place years after Brexit, Conservative councils say
Sky have obtained Brexit impact reports from Conservative-run Dover District Council and Kent County Council, that suggest the conversion of the M20 motorway into a lorry park could remain in place for ‘many years’ after the UK leaves the EU. The report from Dover District Council also expressed exasperation at the pace of the Government’s preparations for Brexit.

Latest Tory leadership contenders
The FT reports that Home Secretary Sajid Javid is the favourite to succeed Theresa May as Prime Minister, following a strong return to ministerial office after previously being described by an ally of May as a ministerial flop. However, The Times reports that Boris Johnson is the favourite among Conservative party members, despite being backed by just 8% of members a month ago in a poll by ConservativeHome.

Wish you could stay on holiday AND get the latest political briefings? Find out more about Vuelio Political Services. 

Nichola West

Interview with leading family travel blog: Globalmouse Travels

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Nichola West writes Globalmouse Travels, which was recently ranked in the Top 10 UK Family Travel Blogs. Travelling off the beaten track and giving her audience a taste of adventure, Nichola explores the world with her family of five. In this interview, Nichola tells us about the best places in the world, working with brands and PRs and exploring the unexpected family-friendly side of global travel.

What makes your blog stand out?
We always say we don’t like being tourists, so we get off the beaten track and search out the unusual. We love to turn any destination in to a family-friendly one and we really enjoy trying out places that aren’t seen as being particularly family friendly, such as Russia, and showing how much fun you can have there. We love taking our readers on the journey with us and the quality of our output is really important to everything we do.

What’s the family travel blogging community like?
It’s lovely, the family travel blogging community is so friendly and supportive. I love working on campaigns with fellow bloggers and there are a group of us that work together to increase our reach and drive results for the brands we’re working with, which works really well. It’s a very collaborative place.

Where is the best place in the world for families?
Oh gosh that’s so hard. Our favourite country so far has been Oman as it felt like it had everything – stunning beach resorts, forts and castles to climb, nomadic camps in the desert to spend the night in and turtles hatching on the beach! And best of all, it was such a friendly country. Every time I travel to somewhere new I think it’s the best place though, we’re just back from Aruba and I had serious pangs of wanting to live there as it has the coolest, laid back lifestyle.

Nichola West

What’s the scariest experience you’ve had while travelling?
Thankfully I haven’t had any really scary experiences but one of the more unpleasant experiences was taking a night train through Vietnam when my then four-year-old spotted a ‘squirrel’ in the carriage with us (after he described it there was no doubt he’d seen a large rat). We could hear it scuttling about and I spent the rest of the night with a sheet over my head, despite the heat, wishing the time would past faster as I was so worried it was going to jump on me.

Where haven’t you been that you’d still like to visit?
There are so many places I still really want to visit from Namibia to Costa Rica and the Philippines to Texas. My three children absolutely adore travelling too and get so excited when we’re planning a new trip and are starting to come up with their own requests (including New York and the Maldives) so we still have lots to see and do.

What advice would you give families who are worried about travelling?
I would say start small but most of all just start. It’s easy to build up travelling with children as something that’s daunting but you soon realise how adaptable kids are and also how wonderful it is to see the world through their eyes. The welcome we receive, around the world, when travelling with kids is always so warm and children really help to break down barriers. Just book that first trip and I have no doubt it will be the start of something wonderful for you and your family.

What one thing should PRs and brands know about you?
I’d like PRs and brands to know that I love writing and storytelling and spend time crafting the pieces I put out. It isn’t simply about snapping a few photos and video clips and putting some words down, for me it’s about really taking my readers on a journey with us, to make destinations come alive. From everywhere we travel we have people booking trips based on our reviews so it’s really important to me to put the time and care in to everything we do as I think travel blogging holds real responsibility to its readers. So, I would say it’s important for us to make sure that everything we are doing is authentic and that we can have some input to help direct the trip to things we know we will love and that our readers will love too.

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What are the best campaigns you’ve collaborated on?
We’ve been lucky enough to work on some amazing campaigns. I’ve got a great relationship with Universal Orlando Resort and have worked with them on some really fun trips, which have also allowed us to explore different areas of the USA (Georgia, for example, was beautiful) so they have been wonderful to work with. I also adore Crystal Ski who really understand that we want to visit different, interesting places and we have a shared vision of making skiing more accessible for families, so I absolutely love working with them. Some of the smaller campaigns have also been fun, a beautiful winter trip to Ayrshire last year felt quite magical and stands out as being really memorable.

Do you think bloggers need their own industry association?
Yes, I think that would be great. I think to have guidance on things like privacy policies and even standardise the rates to some extent would really help.

What other blogs do you read?
I love reading blogs, from the beautiful Tigerlilly Quin to more family travel inspiration with Mums do travel. I love checking in with Five Adventurers, The Family Adventure Project, My Travel Monkey, mummytravels and the Pigeon Pair and Me amongst many others.

Nichola West and Globalmouse Travels are both listings in the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, vloggers, journalists and opportunities.

Creative moment

Why PR and comms is as creative as ever says PRMoment’s Ben Smith

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The backlash from Cannes this year – and the relatively poor showing of PR agencies at the International Festival of Creativity – has again raised the question of how creative the comms and PR industry really is. In the Q&A below, Ben Smith, founder of PR Moment and the recently launched Creative Moment believes the industry is as creative as it has ever been, but it needs to concentrate on effectiveness and relevance as well.

How creative is PR as an industry?
Public relations is such a broad sector this is a difficult question to answer. Creativity needs to be seen within the context that it exists to be judged.

Many corporate and indeed public affairs work can be deeply creative because they involve an insight and a creative solution to a problem. But they are hard to compare with what most people think of as creativity, those consumer campaigns, be that in whatever form – advertising, PR, video, experiential, etc.

But to answer your question in the way I think you meant it, there is a growing argument that the prominence of earned-media success within most high-profile consumer marketing campaigns currently requires an understanding of the news cycle and how to engage consumers through it. If you’ve had a career in consumer PR, you are probably more likely to have that news and earned-media insight than if you’ve spent your career at an advertising agency, either as a creative or as part of an account team.

I discussed this a bit more in a recent podcast I did with Hope&Glory’s James Gordon-Macintosh.

 

Any great examples of campaigns/work to showcase this?
Trying to identify one or two campaigns is too tough – there are some examples of great work and frankly some examples of pretty poor work that we can all learn from. The best thing to do if you want this insight is to head over to Creative Moment and subscribe to our weekly campaign review updates.

 

Has PR become more creative as an industry – how is this expressed and what factors are at work?
I suspect this is like trying to compare Messi with Pele, or Faggio with Hamilton. Advertising and PR campaigns from yesteryear may sometimes look tired, but at the time they may have had a significant impact.

So no, I don’t believe PR today is more creative than it has been in the past, I suspect some PR people have always been pretty creative. It’s important to recognise not all PR people are creative, and to to be fair they may not need to be. I call it the Cannes effect – there is a danger we by default believe all marketing needs to be creative to be effective. That is not always the case.

Creativity needs to be used when it is appropriate. And when creativity is appropriate it is definitely the case that if a creative campaign based in a true insight can deliver far more impact than a non creative campaign.

From a PR perspective what has changed is that digital and social media have increased the budgets that PR people have the potential to get, which has broadened the scope of the most PR work and increased its potential impact. As a result, currently PR’s creativity is perhaps more vocal and more powerful than it has ever been.

 

Are there more creative directors in PR than before – why? And what do they do?
Yes, without a doubt. PR firms have to an extent replicated the creative director role that advertising agencies have successfully used for decades.

The scope of those creative directors does vary across PR firms. Some of them are there to encourage company wide creativity through culture and structure, others (and there are far fewer of these types of creative in PR) are pure creatives – the ‘go away not talk to anyone for a couple of days and come back with an amazing idea’ creatives.

There are also a few examples of a combination of the two, where a creative expert creates a range of processes in an agency that are designed to encourage company wide creative thinking.

 

Why is this the time right for Creative Moment? Who is it for and why should PRs and communicators visit/read it?
Creative Moment is for marketing and communications professionals who are interested in expert creatives reviewing creative campaigns. It’s not exclusively for PR people, far from it, but I definitely think PR people will be interested in reading expert creatives giving thoughtful, credible and unbiased reviews of different types of creative marketing.

Is it the right time for Creative Moment? Who knows – ask me again in a couple of years!

 

Ben Smith is the founder and editor in chief of PR Moment and the recently launched Creative Moment.

 

Bikes N Stuff

Juliet Elliott: One of the most influential women in cycling

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Juliet Elliott is the former pro-snowboarder, model, PR consultant and journalist behind top cycling blog, Bikes ‘N’ Stuff. Named one of the most influential women in cycling by Bikebiz, Juliet covers all forms of cycling from mountain biking to road racing. We caught up with Juliet who told us about her passion for cycling, her unique perspective and the best work she’s done with brands. Oh, and lots and lots about cycling.

Bikes n stuffWhat makes your blog unique?
My blog has a female perspective but isn’t ‘for women,’ it’s for everyone. I like to mix personal experiences, training tips, reviews and opinion pieces, and share my YouTube videos. I have, and have had, a very unique life, ranging from pro snowboarding and modelling on the catwalk at Milan fashion week, to turning cycling into my career. People seem to be interested in my life and I am more than happy to give them an insight into what makes me, me.

I am honestly taken aback with the response to my channel and really appreciate all the support I have received. Some of my followers have been supporting me for over 10 years! It’s amazing to think just how many people I have influenced over the years, even now it still gives me that warm feeling when I receive messages from people.

What’s the cycling blogging community like to be part of?
Honestly, I don’t feel like I’m part of a cycling blogging community per se, however there is a strong sense of community amongst cycle vloggers such as myself, Francis Cade, Keira McVitty and Levi Blue. We all get on well and like to collaborate, mainly just because it’s fun to do so.

Within the cycling community, especially the fixed gear one, I feel a real sense of kinship. I have formed new friendships, been on amazing trips, raced all over the world and I even met my husband at a trade show. I race a variety of disciplines and love how friendly the scenes are. The cycle community really is like one big family.

What’s the best bike you’ve ever ridden?
Hmm, that’s a super hard question as I’ve ridden a lot of good ones. I really enjoyed testing the Cervelo S5 at the ASSOS London Track Day. My current favourites are my Liv Envie Advanced, my custom Wyndymilla track bike and Marin Wolfridge.

How many bikes do you own?
The number varies as I often borrow bikes and frequently long-term. I have a few frames and wheels sets in my loft too so if I added them all up if would be a lot.

Bikes n Stuff

What’s the best cycle route in the world?
Well I couldn’t say definitively what the best is as I haven’t ridden them all, however the best I’ve ever ridden is the Shiminami Kaido in Japan.

What will the next big thing (technological/cultural/design) in cycling be?
If I knew that I’d be rich! There seems to be a lot of progression at the moment, I suppose disc brakes on road bikes are totally going to take over, but as far as new trends that depends if the UCI changes its rules on frame restrictions etc…

What one thing should PRs know about you?
That I really, really enjoy my job and my enthusiasm comes across – I do this because I truly love it. Cycling, fitness, tech and travel projects are my big passions. My followers enjoy watching what I get up to and like hearing my opinion.

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What is the best campaign you’ve collaborated on?
Working with SKODA is amazing, they’re such great supporters of cycling and it’s an honour to be a part of their team! I’m really enjoying working with them on their women’s cycling projects as encouraging and promoting women’s cycling is really important. I want my daughter to grow up with the same opportunities that men have. Travel wise, going to New South Wales in Australia was incredible.

Do you think bloggers need their own industry association?
I can’t speak for everyone else, but I don’t feel the need to be a part of an association. I enjoy just flying solo.

What other blogs do you read?
I don’t have heaps of time to read other blogs but I have always liked the Radavist and I enjoy seeing what Chris Hall is up to.

Juliet and Bikes ‘N’ Stuff  are both listed on the Vuelio Influencer Database along with thousands of other bloggers, vloggers, journalists and opportunities.

EU

Political Headlines – Barnier, Willsman, Corbyn and the Aid sector

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Today’s Political Headlines include Barnier softening his opposition to Brexit finance plans, Labour NEC Member Peter Willsman attacking Corbyn critics, the culture of denial in Aid sector and John McDonnell’s criticism of Corbyn. 

Barnier softening his opposition to May’s post-Brexit plan
The FT reports that chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier has relaxed his opposition to Theresa May’s Brexit plan for financial services. After initially rejecting May’s proposals, Barnier has amended his position after clarification from the UK that Brussels would have control over the City of London’s access to EU markets.

Labour NEC Member attacks critics of Corbyn
The Jewish Chronicle has revealed a tape of Peter Willsman, an ally of Jeremy Corbyn and member of Labour’s ruling body, in which he angrily questions whether colleagues had experienced anti-Semitism in the Party, blaming Jewish ‘Trump fanatics’ for false anti-Semitism claims. Labour MP Luciana Berger has called for Willsman to be suspended to enable a formal investigation, while Deputy Leader Tom Watson has criticised Willsman on Twitter.

International development committee warns of ‘culture of denial’ in Aid sector
The Guardian leads with the latest report from the international development committee, which condemns the aid sector for failing to deal with endemic sexual abuse. The report has claimed that charities are more concerned for their reputation rather than dealing with cases, with the UN failing to demonstrate leadership in dealing with abuse.

Shadow Chancellor criticises Corbyn over antisemitism
The Times reports that Jeremy Corbyn’s closest ally and Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has met with Corbyn to criticise his handling of anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. He is said to have urged Corbyn to end the disciplinary process underway against Margaret Hodge, who is alleged to have sworn at Corbyn and called him an anti-Semite.

Leaked Labour democracy review calls for online voting at conference
Labour’s ‘Democracy Review’ has been entirely leaked to The Huffington Post, who report that the review proposes to introduce e-voting to Labour meetings. The move is aimed at handing more power to the party membership, allowing online ballots for conference and local constituencies.

Jeremy Hunt gets the nationality of his wife wrong
Sky News reports that during talks with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi and officials, the Foreign Secretary accidentally stated that his wife is Japanese, when she is actually Chinese. As well as risking upsetting his wife, Mr Hunt’s blunder also threatened to offend the Chinese officials sat across the table from him.

Find out more about Vuelio Political Services. 

Sarah Stimson stepping down from the Taylor Bennett Foundation

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The Taylor Bennett Foundation has announced that Sarah Stimson will step down from her role of chief executive in October. Stimson has been with the charity, which works to improve ethnic diversity in and access to the communications industry, since its creation in 2007 and CEO since 2016.

Taylor Bennett FoundationStimson has been at the forefront of the Taylor Bennett Foundation’s work for many years and is a popular figure in the industry. Among her many achievements as CEO, Stimson has seen the Foundation become the PRCA’s charity of the year, quadrupled the number of people it supports and made it more financially sustainable.

Stimson said: ‘I am enormously proud of everything we have achieved at the Foundation since 2007 including charitable status, numerous awards and supporting a generation of young BAME people into the PR industry. I am leaving the organisation with a strong team of staff and dedicated trustees, and I look forward to continuing supporting the Foundation’s cause.’

On her blog, Stimson added: ‘After over a decade it was a terribly hard and emotionally challenging decision to leave, but it is the right time to explore some new opportunities.’

She is launching her own business in the autumn, a creative talent consultancy called Ladder Talent. Ladder Talent will deliver consultancy around attracting, developing and inspiring talent in the creative industries.

Stimson is leaving the Taylor Bennett Foundation in rude health, in the last 11 years, the Foundation has won multiple awards and 97% of graduates who have been through its flagship programme are now in full-time employment.

A process to identify Stimson’s successor is now underway, with the charity keen to appoint someone who will take the Foundation to the next stage of its growth. The Foundation has recently expanded its support and offering to help greater numbers of BAME young people via mentoring and the Summer Stars programme, which successfully launched this year. It also created a shadow board, led by Kuldeep Mehmi, to support the Foundation’s alumni.

Kuldeep recently joined Vuelio for a webinar about diversity in the industry, where he also discussed the work of the Taylor Bennett Foundation.

Sarah Pinch FCIPR, MIoD, Chair of the Taylor Bennett Foundation said: ‘It was with great reluctance that I accepted Sarah’s resignation. She has given so much to the Foundation and affected the lives of many BAME young people, supporting them to forge successful careers in PR. She leaves the Foundation in its strongest position ever, as we continue to work closely with our supporters and partners to achieve the next level of growth.

‘We have ambitious growth plans and we will be searching for a new CEO who shares our passion to continue to improve diversity in the PR industry.’

If you are interested in leading the Foundation, please contact Claudia Mair at Taylor Bennett.

PRWEEK

Taylor Herring and The Romans lead PRWeek Awards shortlist

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Taylor Herring and The Romans are leading the shortlist for the PRWeek Awards 2018 with 13 and 11 nominations across all categories, respectively.

Both agencies are shortlisted in the Small Consultancy of the Year category, along with Talker Tailor Trouble Maker, Cow, Ready10 and Manifest.

In the Large Consultancy of the Year category, Golin, Instinctif Partners, Hill+Knowlton Strategies, Weber Shandwick and FleishmanHillard Fishburn will battle it out for the top prize.

In the Best Influencer Marketing Campaign category, which Vuelio is sponsoring, there are five campaigns shortlisted, including two featuring the work of Tin Man.

The five campaigns nominated are: #ISeeMore by Tin Man for The Institution of Engineering and Technology; I’m On by Tin Man for Pink Parcel; Soapland Security by Unity for ADT; Flight HIV101 by 90TEN for Gilead; and Yay Delay by The Romans for Diageo.

PRWeek will announce the winners at the awards evening on Tuesday, 16 October in central London.

Political Updates 30th July 2018

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Image result for uk government logo  Government Whips

Mark Spencer has been promoted to Comptroller of HM Household.

Andrew Stephenson has been promoted to Vice Chamberlain of HM Household.     

Mike Freer has been promoted to Government Whip (Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury).

Iain Stewart, Michelle Donelan and Jeremy Quin have been appointed Assistant Government Whips.

Image result for uk government logo  Government Departments

Shailesh Vara has been promoted to Minister of State at the Northern Ireland Office. 

Shona Dunn has been appointed as Second Permanent Secretary at the Home Office. (more info)

Mims Davies has been appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Wales Office.

Mark Worthington has been appointed as independent HS2 Construction Commissioner at the Department for Transport. (more info)

Richard Robinson has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer of High Speed 2 Ltd at the Department for Transport. Michael Bradley has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer. (more info)

Chris Gosden has been named as the  Society of Antiquaries trustee of the British Museum at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. (more info)

Max Hill will replace Alison Saunders as Director of Public Prosecutions at the Crown Prosecution Service. (more info)

 

house-of-commons-logo

 

 

House of Commons

Clive Efford has replaced Christian Matheson as a member of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee.

Kate Green has replaced Naz Shah as a member of the Home Affairs Select Committee.

Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi and Teresa Pearce have replaced Mike Amesbury and Jo Platt as members of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee.

Maria Caulfield has replaced Jack Lopresti as a member of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee.

Helen Whately has been appointed as the Conservative Party Vice-Chair for Women.

Tom Pursglove has been appointed as the Conservative Party Vice-Chair for Youth.

The House of Commons will be in recess from 24 July to 4 September.

House of Lords

 

The House of Lords will be in recess from 24 July to 4 September.

Image result for national assembly for wales National Assembly for Wales

Simon Thomas has resigned as Plaid Cymru AM for Mid and West Wales.

 

 

Brexit

Political Headlines – No deal planning, Labour’s dark place, IEA and ID Cards

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Today’s Political Headlines include Tory Brexiteers’ criticism of May’s no-deal planning, Corbyn accused of taking Labour to a dark place, the IEA’s offer to ‘US donors’ and the reintroduction of ID Cards. 

May facing criticism over no-deal Brexit
The Telegraph reports that May is facing further criticism from Brexiteers in her own party over the Government’s planning for a ‘no deal’ Brexit. They are angry at what they perceive to be overly negative planning, after viewing some of the 70 reports due to be released in August that set out Britain’s approach to ‘no-deal’. Jacob Rees-Mogg has added his assessment in the Mail, describing the plans as ‘Fretful, weak and incompetent’.

Corbyn accused of taking Labour to a ‘dark place’
The Times has reported that Jeremy Corbyn is facing further pressure over anti-Semitism in the Labour Party. It follows reports of Labour MP Ian Austin clashing with the party chairman over the failure of the party to adopt the full IHRA definition of anti-Semitism.

IEA offered ‘US donors’ introductions to UK ministers working on Brexit
The Guardian has revealed a video in which the director of the Institute for Economic Affairs is recorded offering possible access to the Brexit ministers. Mark Littlewood is recorded saying his organisation knew high-profile Brexiteers such as Boris Johnson, Michael Gove and Liam Fox, and that donors could fund and shape IEA research, which would always support the argument for free-trade deals.

Policy Exchange calls for a reintroduction of ID Cards
The Times reports on a Policy Exchange paper due to be released later today that calls for the reintroduction of a national identity system after Brexit. The report states that the Government plans to give 3.8 million EU citizens should be administered through an ID card system, with the scheme extended to UK-born citizens.

Fears over Brexit food crisis
The Times reports that plans have been drawn up by Ministers to call in the army if Britain leaves the EU without a deal, to help deliver food, medicines and fuel in the event of shortages. This follows from recent reports that the Government is preparing to stockpile food and essential medicines as part of their ‘no deal’ planning.

Report calls for state loans for young house buyers
The Guardian reports on new analysis released by the Housing and Finance Institute that urges the Government to offer loans to young people to enable them to pay for a deposit. The HFI say the initiative should be part of a wider strategy to increase the number of homeowners by one million by 2035.

Environment secretary Michael Gove summons water companies
The Times reports that Michael Gove has summoned chief executives of several water companies to explain why water leakages targets set by regulator Ofwat have not been met. Gove has said that customers expect a ‘reliable and resilient supply’, despite recent dry weather. The call comes ahead of a ‘drought summit’ between farmers and the Government, to discuss the effect of the recent dry weather on food supplies.

Northern Rail restoring cancelled services
The Telegraph reports that Northern Rail are set to reinstate three-quarters of services initially removed in May. The move comes after hundreds of delays, a situation described by Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham as ‘rail chaos’.

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