Hue & Cry wins Waterford brief

Hue & Cry to provide Waterford’s global press office

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Consumer goods firm Fiskars has appointed Hue & Cry to support the global press office for luxury crystalware brand Waterford, following a competitive pitch.

The lifestyle PR agency will support Waterford’s forthcoming product launches and influencer campaigns – the latter of which will be announced in 2018.

“We are thrilled to be working with Hue & Cry,” said Vicki Mapplebeck, global head of marketing and communications at Fiskars. “They were the obvious choice to help us communicate our heritage while also looking to the future and helping us to engage the brand with a younger demographic and modern Irish lifestyle.

“The team brings a wealth of experience spanning both communications and brand development and we look forward to what will hopefully be a long-standing relationship.”

Carla Burt, Hue & Cry’s co-owner, added: “We are absolutely delighted to be representing a brand that has such a rich heritage and true passion for craft – 2018 will mark 235 years for the brand and we are excited to be leading the global press office as Waterford embarks on a new chapter in its story.”

Rob Lester Good Relations

Opinion: If you can’t communicate, you can’t lead

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As former prime minister Gordon Brown’s new book, My Life, Our Times launches, Rob Lester, head of issues and crisis management at Good Relations, argues that leadership has always required great communication.

Gordon Brown admits in his new book that he didn’t show enough emotion to win the 2010 election and failed to communicate his ideas to the nation. Sound familiar?

Brown’s words could just as easily apply to Theresa May’s ill-fated attempt to increase her majority in a snap election earlier this year. Both examples serve as a reminder that the ability to be an inspiring communicator is an absolute imperative for anyone wanting to lead – in politics and beyond.

So, has Brown finally acknowledged that style is as important as substance? Not quite. He still talks like a man entirely unimpressed with the notion that there’s a requirement to bring policy to life in a way that means something to people.

He also suggests the need to communicate ideas clearly is some kind of modern phenomenon, referring to a “far more touchy-feely era”.

But communication has always been a vital part of leading. Martin Luther King, JFK and Nelson Mandela would never have made the impact they did if they weren’t able to express themselves in a way that resonated with their audiences.

Of course, the internet and social media have changed how people communicate – but the basic principles of good communication remain the same as always. It comes down to being someone people can relate to. And that applies just as much in business as it does in politics, whether you’re a CEO or the president.

Style has always mattered, and it always will

Good interview and presentation coaching should accentuate a person’s strengths and work to improve their weaknesses – not train them to be someone they’re not.

There isn’t a communications professional in the world who could train Gordon Brown to be Barack Obama – nor should anyone try. But if Brown had really valued the power of communications, there are plenty of very capable people who could have made him a lot better than he was.

Many people who know Brown say he’s actually very good company in private – dry, witty and fiercely intelligent. Those are the qualities we should have seen more of as prime minister.

Style doesn’t necessarily have to mean stylish – it’s about finding the right approach for you. But, for those to whom it comes less naturally, that can take a considerable amount of time and effort.

Brown fell into the same trap as a lot of business leaders – he saw communications as an afterthought.

But history is littered with people who underestimated the importance of communication. If you can’t inspire your audiences (your employees, the media, your customers, the public) you’ll never be a true leader. Like it or not, style matters. Always has, always will.

Hume Brophy acquires Madaket+Co

Hume Brophy acquires Madaket+Co

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Global comms firm Hume Brophy has acquired Madaket+Co in order to establish its first office in Hong Kong and to expand its US corporate comms and public affairs offering.

Josh Nova, Madaket+Co’s founder, will assume the role of managing director of Hume Brophy US and will report to CEO Conall McDevitt. He will lead a team of five consultants in New York and oversee the company’s North American growth strategy.

The move will also see Madaket+Co’s team of six corporate and financial comms specialists in Hong Kong join Hume Brophy’s existing Asia team. Thomas Kwan will assume the role of director, Hong Kong and oversee day-to-day operations, with the company’s Asian headquarters still located in Singapore and led by Asia managing director Martin Reidy.

The acquisition adds geographic reach to Hume Brophy’s global corporate and financial comms practice, which currently covers London, Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt, Singapore and Dublin.

Conall McDevitt said: “This acquisition is a strong statement of intent to continue building an international, independent communications and corporate affairs firm. Bringing Madaket into the Hume Brophy network strengthens our offering across the world’s three biggest capital markets – and gives us strong, deep and expert-led teams in every key global hub.”

Josh Nova added: “I speak for the whole Madaket team in sharing my excitement at joining Hume Brophy. Together we have built a strong and thriving business because of our client-centric philosophy.

“I have long felt that being part of a bigger and global offering is the best way for this team and our business to reach its potential, but it was crucial that we shared a philosophy of dedication to our clients, creative thinking and entrepreneurship in our people and strategic vision in our approach.”

Pictured: Hume Brophy’s senior team

How the Museum of London doubled its visitor numbers with PR measurement

How the Museum of London boosted its visitor numbers with PR measurement

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The Museum of London had a problem.

Its Barbican location isn’t easily visible to the public, and for this reason it has decided to relocate that site to Farringdon in 2022. But ahead of the move, it needed to get the word out about its plans.

To help with this, Cision partnered with the museum to develop a measurement framework that achieved three core objectives:

First, the museum wanted to raise awareness of its existing locations and plans for the future. Then, it wanted to show that its comms programmes can help to attract more visitors, and thirdly to determine the popularity of individual exhibits.

Building a PR measurement framework that aligns comms activities with corporate objectives

To achieve this, Cision worked with market research firm Opinion Matters to survey 10,000 UK residents on a wide range of topics – including their lifestyle preferences, attitudinal statements, purchasing intents and media consumption habits.

This information was then combined with media content analysis to paint a complete picture of how best to reach the museum’s target audience and create a shortlist of publications to pitch to.

Finally, Cision helped the museum monitor and optimise its outreach activities by providing it with access to real-time analysis tools, monthly updates and quarterly evaluation reports.

Laura Bates, the Museum of London’s PR manager, explains: “To do our jobs most effectively, we need to gauge our successes and see if we’re reaching the right people through the right medium.”

She adds: “We worked closely with Cision to share our audience research, target media, key messages and visitor number information so we can accurately track the links between our media relations and what that means for our KPIs.”

Proof that earned media programmes raise awareness and drive visitor numbers

Over 75% of the coverage in the museum’s target publications included its key messages, while social media engagement rose 60% year-on-year.

Bates concludes: “We are now able to use media intelligence to better target our audience, tweak messaging in forthcoming announcements based on previous message cut through, compare stats year on year to draw comparisons and directly link visitor spikes to boosted media coverage.”

Cision’s latest white paper, Driving growth with PR measurement, reveals how you can apply the same techniques in your own comms strategy.

With case studies from Bacardi, The Stroke Association, Slimming World and more – it outlines how the latest measurement techniques can help you maximise the impact of your earned media programmes. What’s more, it provides a closer look at the technology set to revolutionise the PR industry in the coming months.

Download Driving growth with PR measurement today using the form below today to discover the analysis breakthroughs set to bring earned media to the top of the marketing mix.

Incorrect information? Clear the form.

Driving growth with PR measurement

Debenhams Personal Finance appoints Lucre

Lucre wins Debenhams Personal Finance account

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Debenhams Personal Finance has appointed Lucre to increase its brand and product awareness following a competitive pitch process.

Lucre will profile the company’s key product offerings, such as store cards, credit cards, travel money and insurance, through media engagement, product launches and elevated news campaigns.

Andy Newman, head of personal finance at Debenhams, said: “We were extremely impressed with Lucre’s experience. They had an in-depth understanding of the retail financial services sector and our product offerings.

“Their creativity and insight into our brand was second to none and we look forward to working with them to build awareness and communicate our key messages through what’s set to be a series of creative campaigns and a strong media relations programme.”

Tamarind Wilson-Flint, Lucre co-owner and director added: “As a household name Debenhams has already built a reputation as experts in retail. With market-leading Financial Services products and now with over 100 travel money bureaus across the UK and an extensive range of online services, we very much look forward to working with the team to ensure its personal finance offering is front of mind for consumers.”

Pictured: Lucre’s Debenhams account management team

Hugh Taggart joins Edelman

Edelman UK appoints Bell Pottinger veteran as general manager

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Edelman UK has appointed Hugh Taggart, the former Bell Pottinger managing director and partner, as its general manager for corporate affairs.

As part of Edelman UK’s executive operations team, Taggart will be responsible for leading the corporate affairs and Ireland teams, growing its integrated client work and driving collaboration across the business.

He will use his 15 years’ experience of building teams and providing strategic counsel to blue chip organisations to manage a combined team of over 150 consultants.

At Bell Pottinger, Taggart spent five years in leadership positions, most recently as managing director of its award-winning Engage practice.

In launching Engage, he brought together Bell Pottinger’s corporate, brand, digital and content teams to create an integrated communications offering for its clients, many of which were also serviced by the firm’s political and financial practices.

Before that, Taggart worked in senior communications and corporate affairs roles at online gaming company Betfair in the UK and Australia.

“It’s a big thrill to be joining a company that I’ve admired for a long time,” said Taggart. “And it’s particularly exciting to be joining at a time when the business has made significant investment into its corporate affairs practices.

“We share very similar views on how we need to shape the offer and I’m now looking forward to working with the outstanding individual teams to create a more holistic and powerful corporate affairs proposition for Edelman and its clients.”

Ed Williams, Edelman UK’s CEO, added: “Hugh stands out as one of a small group of people in our industry who truly understands the corporate affairs discipline and the exciting new opportunities to communicate that come from digital and creative.

“It is always personally satisfying to see new talent come into the business, and I am particularly pleased that Hugh is joining us.”

How to great an effective press release in 4 easy steps

How to create a highly effective press release in 4 easy steps

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The press release remains an essential tool of the trade for PRs and communicators alike.

The media landscape may have changed dramatically in recent years. But the fundamentals of media relations remain the same, whether you’re launching a product, handling a crisis or contributing to a topical public debate. And, while it may be evolving, the press release remains a staple of media relations and PR.

So, whether you’re writing your first ever press release, or simply looking to refresh your memory on the basics – take a look at this essential guide to creating great press releases in four easy steps.

1. Identify the “news hook”

If you want to get the attention of the press, you’ve got to think like a journalist. So, the first job when writing a press release is to identify the “news hook”.

This will be the most newsworthy element of the story, and will form the headline and lead of the piece. (As a general rule of thumb, you should be able to sum it up in 27 words or less.)

Remember, different titles cater for different audiences. So the best hook may differ depending on who you are pitching to. For example, titles with differing political slants will routinely put contrasting spins on the same piece of political news.

In many ways, this is the hardest part of the process. It requires familiarity with your target audience and a strong grasp of what makes a story newsworthy. Try looking for stories with a human angle, that can be linked to a prominent public figure or which provide insights through new research.

Once you’ve identified the hook, you’re ready to put together the rest of your press release.

2. Decide which information to include

The aim of newswriting is to inform your reader as efficiently as possible. Try to lay down just the facts, without adding your own commentary to the mix.

When thinking about what information to include in your press release, remember these six questions. They will help you deliver the key information to a reader or journalist:

  • Who are the important people in your story?
  • What are the key facts the reader should know?
  • Why is this something the reader should care about?
  • Where did this news happen, or will it take place?
  • When did this news happen, or will it take place?
  • How did this story come about?

Strong opinions make for great quotes – and if there’s public interest in the person speaking, a great, justifiable, quote can form the basis for a story all by itself.

Journalists like having a selection of sources, especially for longer pieces. So if you think you have an interesting story to tell, try to include two or three different quotes for them to choose from.

3. Put the most newsworthy facts first

When writing your press release, start with the headline. From there, list the information in order of newsworthiness, with the most important facts first. Be sure to weave your brand’s messaging in with the story – ideally in such a way that it’s not easily deleted.

It’s generally best to put all your quotes at the end of the release, as different titles will have different conventions about how they use quotes in their pieces.

Finally, make it as easy as possible for the journalist to answer any questions they might have about your story. Include a “boilerplate” at the end, providing background information about your brand, along with your contact details so the journalist can get in touch directly.

To achieve maximum coverage, you should also have a picture ready to go with your story. This can be attached to your press release when you send it, hosted online or simply kept on hand until someone requests it.

4. Send your release using industry-leading PR software

Once your press release is complete, it’s time to distribute it to relevant journalists using the Cision Communications Cloud.

With more than 1.6 million contacts and 300,000 digital influencers, it’s more than the industry’s largest media database. It also uses smart insights to highlight trending influencers and recommend the best contacts for every press release you send.

Each media list you create is automatically updated behind the scenes, so you can be confident you always have the best details to reach your contacts on.

What’s more, the Cision Communications Cloud’s intuitive email distribution system makes it quick and easy to design, setup and send powerful press releases. You’ll even get clear data on email open rates, clickthrough rates and more – so you can see exactly who is engaging with your content.

This information is essential for maximising the impact of your press releases. If you have a great story to share, you shouldn’t settle for anything less.

So click the link below now to discover more about what the Cision Communications Cloud can do for your business, or email our friendly team at [email protected].

Paul Smith appoints Alex Paige

Alex Paige to join Paul Smith

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Designer fashion brand Paul Smith has appointed Alex Paige to the newly created role of US senior press & VIP manager.

Paige will lead the company’s PR and VIP relations in the US and support the brand’s stores in New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco and Los Angeles. He will also manage its network of wholesale partners across the country.

He will report into Paul Smith’s global headquarters in London and will be based in the office above its New York flagship store.