Meet the Journalist Sunday Express city and financial editor Geoff Ho

Meet the Journalist: Sunday Express city and financial editor Geoff Ho

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Geoff Ho, city and financial editor of the Sunday Express, describes how varied his working days can be, what stories he’s looking for and the big business stories in 2018.

You’re a keen martial artist, is there any crossover between martial arts and your work as a journalist?

Martial arts teaches you and reinforces discipline. It’s also a great way to relieve stress, as you can take out your frustrations in training or sparring!

Describe a typical day at the Sunday Express.

I don’t really have a “typical day”! Every day at the paper is different for me, one day I’m rushing from one part of the city to another and in and out of meetings; the next day someone dressed as Snoopy will be in the lobby to greet me.

My week begins on the Tuesday, which involves lots of admin, a few meetings and phone calls with companies and, in the afternoon, overseeing the Daily Express’ personal finance pages. Wednesday is the day for meetings and news gathering.

Thursday morning is spent condensing all of my story leads into a list, which is presented to the editor, while the afternoon is spent proof reading our money pages. Friday is when everything is written and Saturday is our live news day.

How does working for a Sunday paper differ from working for a daily?

With a Sunday paper the emphasis is more on original stories or being able to move an existing story on. You also have more time, at least in my experience, to delve into stories and dig things up.

What is the one goal the city desk has in mind when finding and writing stories?

For me they have to be interesting to a wide, general audience.

With that in mind, what sort of business and financial news are your readers most interested in?

Mostly ones involving either house hold names or things that are personal to them such as pensions, property, banks behaving badly, care homes.

How would you describe your relationship with PRs? And what are you looking for from them in terms of pitching and content?

Cordial. I’d like to think that PRs view me as a no-nonsense, but fair, operator who ultimately just wants to have a productive relationship with people. I’m more than willing to hear a PR out but they need to do their homework.

That means knowing what I’m after, which is COMPLETELY NEW stories or a way to move a big, existing story on. Any PR that sends a press release dated for a Wednesday and then calls to ask me if it will make the cut for Sunday just wastes both my time and theirs.

If you are going to pitch me, it either has to involve a big household name or be interesting to a general audience.

What has been the most interesting story you’ve covered during your career?

It’s a coin toss between the bank bailouts of 2008 and the final salary pension scheme closures crisis of the early 2000s. The collapse of Phones4U was a good one too.

What do you expect the big business stories to be in 2018?

Brexit trade deals or lack of; consumer spending feeling the squeeze and hurting retailers as a result; more conduct fines for banks; and last but not least, energy prices.

Finally, you’re a big Manchester United fan; do you think there’s a way for you to overhaul Manchester City this season?

No. Eventually City will fall away though – once the petro dollars fuelling the club run out, the natural order will reassert itself and they won’t trouble us. We will always be the biggest club in the world.

  • Picture credit: Mark Kehoe
Quill PR appoints Emma Murphy as director

Quill PR appoints Emma Murphy as director

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Quill PR has appointed Emma Murphy, a former director of Citigate Dewe Rogerson’s corporate practice, as a director.

At Citigate, she worked with a range of financial services clients in the investment, retail banking and wealth management sectors.

Before that, Murphy was an account director at Broadgate Mainland – now Four Broadgate – where she worked for six years with a range of financial sector clients.

Murphy has also been an in-house press officer for Bradford & Bingley Group and worked for Porter Novelli and Sefiani Communications Group.

Fiona Harris, chairman at Quill PR, said: “We are delighted to welcome Emma to the team. She brings some strong and highly relevant experience to our offering and is the first of a number of exciting new appointments we expect to announce in the coming months.”

Ketchum new executive committee and hires Jamie Robertson

Ketchum launches executive committee and appoints corporate MD

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Ketchum has created an executive committee reporting to recently appointed London CEO Jo-ann Robertson.

The committee will be responsible for talent development, client service and setting the agency’s strategic agenda to drive business performance in the UK.

Ketchum has also hired Jamie Robertson as its managing director of corporate and public affairs. He will sit on the executive committee and lead the office’s corporate practice. He has 14 years of experience in corporate reputation management and has previously held senior roles at FTI Consulting and The Communication Group.

Jo-ann Robertson said: “As the communications industry continues to evolve at lightening pace, and as clients demand more impactful and compelling campaigns, it is vital that Ketchum London has a leadership team focused on innovation, creativity and delivering outstanding client work.”

On Jamie Robertson’s hire, she added: “We’re delighted that Jamie has joined our team during what is a very exciting time for our office as we transition to our new leadership team. He has a proven track record of driving growth as well as delivering exceptional work for some of the world’s biggest brands.”

The executive team consists of: Deirdre Murphy, chief operating officer, London; Gavin Cooper, financial director, London; Kirsty Sachrajda, head of HR, Europe; Susan Smith, managing director, London Consumer Brand Practice; Jamie Robertson, managing director, London Corporate and Public Affairs Practice; Kate Paxton, managing director, London Healthcare Practice; and Neil McLelland, managing director, Inspired Science.

  • Pictured: Jamie Robertson
60 Seconds with Hotwire’s global CEO, Barbara Bates

60 Seconds with Barbara Bates, Hotwire’s global CEO

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Barbara Bates, Hotwire’s global CEO, talks about the brand’s global vision, the importance of investing in people and her greatest achievements.

Hotwire CEO Barbara Bates

Barbara Bates

Hotwire unveiled a new brand identity in September. Tell us about the new personality. What does it represent?  

I think it’s really important to talk about what a brand means. It’s so much more than a new logo or website. It’s our new story. It’s how we make people feel when they interact with us. It’s how we feel about what we do, our work, how we interact with our clients and each other.

The new brand sends a loud message, anchored in both the company’s vision to be the best agency our staff and clients will ever work with, and in our 2020 goal to help CMOs better engage and connect with customers. Our new brand shows off who we are: we love to challenge the status quo, we’re direct and we’re fun.

The new branding also ties in with a fresh global outlook for the agency. What does this mean in practice? And how will this benefit your clients?

The rebrand supports the agency’s agenda to evolve its business model, position itself as more than a PR agency, define one brand experience globally and create preference for Hotwire as a challenger brand.

Hotwire’s new brand challenges us to be limitless – beyond PR, beyond borders and beyond B2B. The hot pink is a constant reminder to our staff of the contrast we need to create when working with clients to stand out.

As part of our Hotwire 2020 initiative, we’ve rolled out a new Go Hotwire! programme to fund global travel among our teams, which we have people taking part in already. We’ve opened up our first pop up office in the US and have plans for more globally. We’ve expanded our skillset in digital and content hires as well as naming sector leads for our consumer and fintech business practices. We’ve just hired our first chief client officer to oversee our top global accounts.

All of these initiatives are designed with today’s ambitious CMOs in mind. They’ve told us they want expertise in a wide variety of marketing disciplines, they want creative ideas from top talent.  They want an alternative to the large behemoth holding companies to service their global programmes. These are all areas we are delivering on today.

This refresh comes hot on the heels of your appointment as Hotwire’s global CEO. Are the two related? And what is your vision for the agency?

It’s more related to Hotwire’s position in the market and the opportunity for growth following the Eastwick acquisition and stronger presence in the US. We are ready to step up and take our rightful position as a leading “right-sized” agency that can deliver quality local programmes as well as far-reaching global programmes for leading brands.

Prior to joining Hotwire, you founded Silicon Valley communications firm Eastwick. After more than 25 years running agencies, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned?

Building an employee-first company is the smartest business decision you can make, especially since in our business – our people are our products. I’m really proud of the reputation Eastwick had for creating opportunities for our staff and it’s one of the things that attracted me to Hotwire.

The second biggest lesson is that if you’re not innovating and moving forward, you’re actually falling behind. Change is a necessary part of business strategy in this market.

Of all your experiences and achievements in the comms industry to date, which are you most proud of and why?

There a lot of things I’m proud of but I think the top three are:

  1. The 25-year stellar reputation of Eastwick in Silicon Valley.
  2. The power of the Eastwick network. Employees from 20+ years ago are still loyal fans, clients and even employees. Most former employees are still in touch with each other. That says something about the quality of the people and the relationships.
  3. My role in mentoring agency principals who started their firms long after me and have sought my advice on everything you can imagine. Running and growing an agency is not for the faint of heart so the fact that I can share my experiences to help other entrepreneurs is really fulfilling.

Speaking of “thinking globally” – if you could spend a month living anywhere in the world, where would you choose and why?

Tough question, but I’m going to say Portugal.  I’ve never been and I’ve heard so much about the wine and the food.  I love to spend time in cities like Lisbon, but I would also love to spend time at the beach.

Rule 5 wins Merlin Entertainments brief

Rule 5 wins Merlin Entertainments brief

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Merlin Entertainments has appointed Rule 5 as its retained comms agency for its Sea Life Manchester and Legoland Discovery Centre Manchester venues.

The agency has been tasked with promoting two new features at the attractions and deliver a sustained national media relations campaign for both family destinations and support Sea Life Manchester’s conservation programme.

Jenn McDonough, general manager Manchester cluster at Merlin Entertainments, said: “With the forthcoming launch of two new features the time was right for us to review our marketing approach and appoint a new agency to support us in driving the business forward.

She added: “It was a competitive process that saw some great pitches but the communications plan presented by Rule 5 was head and shoulders above the rest, combining strong creative ideas with a solid and strategic approach. We really bought into the team.”

Julie Wilson, Rule 5 co-founder, concluded: “This is a brief we were passionate about winning. The scope of opportunity presented by the attractions, the forthcoming new features and incredible conservation work undertaken by Sea Life Manchester is great and appealed to us both personally and professionally. It’s a privilege to be involved.”

Dominic Weeks joins Madano

Madano launches new technology practice

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Strategic communications consultancy Madano has launched a new technology practice and appointed Dominic Weeks as head of technology.

Weeks joins Madano from its sister agency, SHIFT, where he was a vice president in its Boston office and specialised in data-driven comms programmes for tech clients.

He has spearheaded the expansion of SHIFT’s international network over the past three years and has 13 years’ comms experience, split evenly across both sides of the Atlantic.

The tech practice will advise clients on challenges and opportunities that either affect the sector directly or affect technology in other sectors.

It will help clients with insights and intelligence, brand development and positioning, reputation management, stakeholder engagement, integrated communications, bid and project support and issues management.

“Madano shares with SHIFT a passion for evidence-based insights fuelling strategic and creative communications plans,” said Weeks. “I am excited to be joining the team at Madano and returning to London at a fascinating time for both the UK technology and communications industries.”

Michael Evans, Madano’s managing partner, continued: “The creation of a new technology practice is an exciting step in Madano’s growth strategy, complementing the creation of a new transport sector in October last year.”

He added: “Dominic is a perfect fit for Madano, with deep knowledge of technology coupled with experience advising businesses and organisations at the very highest level.”

  • Pictured: Dominic Weeks

Meet the Journalist: Mario Di Stasi, Controcampus

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Mario Di Stasi, managing director of Controcampus, talks to Cision’s Mario Cipriano about the magazine’s evolution from university title to an Italian national publication.

Mario Di Stasi, Controcampus

Mario Di Stasi

Controcampus was launched in 2001 as a magazine dedicated to the University of Salerno. But, since then it has expanded and developed a national distribution and reach. How did it develop a readership of students from all over Italy?

Controcampus started as a university print magazine, but expanded to become a digital magazine concerning school, university, research, training and work.

Today, it is an informative and educational reference point for young people. It provides useful tools for their education and development. We do not aim to replace institutional bodies such as universities or schools, but to complement them and be as useful as possible among students.

Our success is mainly due to two things: how we produce information and how good we are at promoting it. The former relies on the choice of editorial line, which has always been on the side of students – the beating heart of this publishing initiative. Proficiency in promotion is needed today to spread news on the net.

Although SEO skills are an important factor, truthfulness, authenticity and the quality of news also play a huge part. “Content is king,” as insiders say.

We have never written fake news. We have always considered that quality content should dominate not just our project, but information in general. Today, more than ever, it is the reader who chooses the news and not a few editorial forces. At the same time, readers have become experts in knowing how to choose them. They want answers to their questions and want them to be as comprehensive and quick as possible.

There is no magic formula in the success of Controcampus. But it depends on delivering information in response to the classic journalist rule of the five Ws (who? what? why? where? and when?) comprehensively and immediately.

Controcampus’ success has been built on its successful transition to digital. In a world where journalism is facing structural challenges, does print journalism have a future?

Blogs, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram are all useful tools to give and get information. They also create a wider opinion. More sources are read and only afterwards are positions taken. I believe this phenomenon is very democratic.

Of course, we need to increase the controls over information disseminated on the internet, and apparently the giants of the net, starting from Mountain View, are working in this direction.

Print journalism has changed and will further change its role. It’s a better format to use for a story that cannot be told in 300 words on a blog. Print newspapers and magazines will become more detail-oriented.

You have worked at Controcampus since launch, when you were still a student. What keeps you motivated?

I do not consider what I do at Controcampus as a job. I enjoy being in the editorial office. The passion I put in this project is so much that I can’t consider it as a job.

I have done and I do other jobs. I am a lawyer and I am also working for the Università degli Studi di Salerno. But producing information to me is different: it is in my nature. I am living for this, and the recognition of life is life itself.

In general, what are the challenges that motivate and stimulate you the most to work in the world of journalism?

I feel stimulated in doing things well. People who know me well say this is my strength and my weakness. I cannot be easily satisfied, but I am always looking for the maximum result. In regards to Controcampus, it turns into wanting to be in the first search results.

What things do you look for in a press release? 

A press release has an importance in itself. It is the voice of a public authority, an institution or an entity. Mainly it is written by the same institution that spreads it. It is useful to make initiatives and activities known, but it cannot replace real news.

We are thinking of creating a channel dedicated to this type of communications that today come to us from the main cities, universities and schools, but keeping it separate from the information that we produce that of writers that are not connected to the “house” in which they live.

What is the most memorable story that you have reported on?

Between the most interesting stories, I can’t forget the story of Enrico [a former bully, whose story you can read here] or the story of the candidate to the lawyer exam [which you can find here]. Those are real stories of young people. We focus on factual stories and what others would have avoided.

60 Seconds with CIPR president Sarah Hall

CIPR president Sarah Hall outlines her vision for PR in 2018

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Sarah Hall, the CIPR’s 2018 president, talks about her plans promote diversity in PR, give younger practitioners a voice and establish PR as a strategic management function. 

What made you decide to run for the CIPR presidency?

I’ve volunteered with the CIPR for 18 years in a range of guises, from regional chair through to board and council member.

While I’ve always been an avid supporter, I have had frustrations with the organisation at times. I stood for president because I want to reassert the CIPR’s value within the public relations community and align its purpose and offer accordingly.

How have you found your first few days in the role?

I had some anxiety before taking up the role but actually the first few days have emboldened me. Publishing the organisation’s 2018 plan in a bid to be completely transparent made me feel vulnerable. But the response has been overwhelmingly positive.

What makes it so strong is that it’s a plan by the members for the members and this creates an opportunity to react to feedback in an agile way.

What are the key challenges facing the PR industry in 2018?

Where to start? We have some big challenges, but these are equally big opportunities. Take Brexit – it’s hard to predict what will happen next, but PR professionals are best placed to help their employers and clients navigate change.

Artificial Intelligence is a major threat and we’re already starting to feel the impact of machines in at least three areas: content production; content distribution and publication; and workflow.  We’re creating a panel at the CIPR to look at this in depth to help members get to grips with what this means for daily practice.

Finally, an ongoing challenge is other service lines eating our lunch. I believe we can establish ourselves as the dominant discipline if we treat public relations as a strategic management function.

One of your key objectives is promoting PR as a strategic management function. What benefits will that bring to the industry?

This is my biggest goal for 2018 and builds on the work of the #FuturePRoof community that I founded two years ago.

There are two parts to this. Firstly, if we treat public relations as a strategic management function it changes how we approach our continuing professional development, because it requires a focus on strategic, ethical and leadership capabilities. The CIPR Charter status requires exactly this skill set. So, the aim is to get to a point where this badge of professional excellence and integrity is the norm.

Secondly, if we want to speak the language of the C-suite and advise at board level, we need to have the appropriate competencies to do this and prove that we practice the highest standards. That’s why the above is so important. It’s a way of demonstrating our worth, reinforcing our value and demonstrating our role in achieving organisational success.

In this way, we’ll create more opportunities and command bigger budgets, as well as perhaps one day lead the whole marketing and communications function.

You’re also looking to improve diversity both at the CIPR and across the industry as a whole. How do you plan on doing that?

We already work with the Taylor Bennett Foundation and we intend to build on this throughout 2018, also working with the PRCA.

Within the CIPR, I’m already ringing the changes. For the first time we have two BAME practitioners on board, including a younger practitioner at the start of her career. Traditionally we’ve only elected or co-opted experienced professionals but it’s clear we need to be open to the views of younger generations too.

Social mobility is a big challenge for the industry. Public relations is becoming a closed shop for those from disadvantaged backgrounds and this is an issue I’m very passionate about. If I hadn’t received a council grant, I wouldn’t have gone to university or be doing the job I am today.

As such, we’ll be announcing a partnership with a charity called Career Ready that will hopefully help combat this problem.

Finally, if you could pick one thing to achieve by the end of your tenure, what would it be?

If by the end of my tenure the business community and employers have a better understanding of what public relations is, as well as the value it can bring, I’ll be happy.