Got your A-Level results? So how do you get into PR?

August 19th, 2010

As you’ve all no doubt seen, A-Level results have been announced today in England, so conversation around qualifications and careers are rife.

On a day like this it certainly takes me back to my own experiences of education, and the path I took to reach my current career. Today though, things are tougher than ever. According to today’s Guardian A-Level students are facing one of the most intense battles ever seen to get into university, simply due to a higher number of students looking for a decreasing number of places. In fact, the total number of places at English universities this year is 365,000, and each University will face fines of £3,700 per student if they exceed their limit.

This means that knowing what you want to do, and getting the correct advice on how to get there, is perhaps more essential than ever.

That got me thinking, how would I advise a student looking to get into the PR sector? To be fair this is a question I have been asked many times, and to be honest I always struggle to answer it with clear and straight-forward advice. Fundamentally, that’s because there is no single, clear and straight-forward route to success.

In my case, I started out in PR 12 years ago, and crossed the divide into social media around 2006. My degree is in Business, but to be honest I had no idea what I wanted to be when I applied or left University, in fact I stayed on at University to add an honours to my degree just to get another year of student life. However, the day finally came when I had to start my career proper, and again, if I’m honest I only took a role as an account executive at a PR agency because I thought PR sounded interesting, not much in the way of career planning there!

Back to the current situation, if graduates or students ask me how to get into PR or social media or hopefully even both, the simple truth is there is no guaranteed method. Having taken my own straw poll of colleagues throughout my career, I would estimate that less than 20% did a degree relevant to PR, now of course you could argue many degrees are relevant to PR, and you would be right, but I’m talking marketing, PR courses, etc.

Why is this the case? Well I would argue it’s simply because in the PR industry everybody starts at the bottom, you learn your trade from the ground up. It used to be the case that a degree was just a pass to get an interview, from that point on it was down to you, your qualifications counted for nothing.

In the past, and in my experience being an interviewer for various agencies, the issue with PR degrees is that the course doesn’t keep pace with the industry, although I’m now assured this is improving. I also realise this is a common complaint with many industries. Therefore, when I am recruiting, I don’t particularly give any advantage to those that have done a PR degree over those that have done History, Geography or English, for example.

This issue is now further complicated by the digital skills required to perform the roll of a PR. Or if you want to go into a specific career focusing on social media, you need to choose how you approach it, i.e. from the comms side, the technology side, web development side or creative side, and ideally with elements of all of the above.

In terms of choosing PR as a career, the number one issue in my opinion is the false reputation PR has developed among graduates, and in fact the general public, as this piece in the Independent proves, and I quote: “Why PR? Because PR is glamorous. You get to go to launch parties and meet interesting people and talk to celebrities.”

Anyone coming into PR with that opinion soon gets hit square in the face with a 2×4 of reality. But then I guess the reality for anyone starting out in PR is a little off putting - terrible pay, long hours, hard and demanding work. However, you will learn a whole host of new skills including many that will set you up for life, and your value, both of self and as an employee, will rocket.

So, to get into PR do you need to do a PR, or PR relevant, course? I would still argue no, but it should help to give you a more realistic picture of the career you have chosen.

Should you try to get work experience before leaving University? Yes, this is something that employers look for, and again it will give you a more realistic picture of the job at hand.

Do you need digital/social media skills? (there are plenty of social media-type courses around ) Yes, I probably would value this, as an introduction, because I’m part of an integrated agency.

I’m certainly not envious of those starting out at University today, well, okay I am envious of the 3-4 years of student life and all the fun that comes with it, but the jobs market and eventual value of the qualification, plus the debt we all come out with, are not attractive at all.

Those that invest time to develop a real picture of the careers options open to them will in my opinion succeed. Again when I was at Uni, careers advice basically came down to ‘what do you want to do when you leave?’ but today there are better options.

Many students take the opportunity to embrace the social web and ask advice from those in the industry, do their research and try to get involved while still studying. This is a smart move; most of us in the industry remember how difficult it was and will help out where we can.

There are also new careers services and guidance available, one of which we are involved in that will be launching soon called WYGU, (When You Grow Up), which is a social careers guidance and mentoring platform that aims to bring people of all ages and backgrounds together to get real information about careers from real people who are in those careers. Take advantage of these services as they offer invaluable advice that you just don’t find elsewhere or through official channels.

In summary, the PR industry is changing, which means the skills required are also evolving. The opportunities to get involved, if you can offer some of the skills mentioned above, are probably better than ever, but be warned if you thought a PR had to be an all-rounder before, it’s stepped up another level, there’s much more to learn.

Posted in Blog, Blogging, Content, Digital communications, Digital media, Industry events, PR, Social media, Social networking, Trends and research | No Comments »

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Apple is on course to become the world’s most valuable technology company

July 20th, 2010

As a brief update to the earlier post about Apple winning the PR battle around iPhone 4.0 – Apple is rocking! If there were any doubts that the concerted attack on the handset’s accepted shortcomings has had no significant effect, then the financials would lay these to rest.

More than that, they would run a shiver down the antennas of Android-based competitors. As of today, Apple is very, very close to overtaking Microsoft as the world’s most valuable technology company.

You can listen to the financials here.

I’m a reluctant Apple evangelist. The company’s retentive communications are plainly weird and its elitist brand persona jars with what I believe – but it continues to innovate and sell in a unique and very beautiful way.

You could say that Apple is Steve Jobs in corporal form. His genius is to find the very best people and ideas – and then build these into objects of desire. Apple expresses – it lives – this genius.

Despite the iPhone 4.0 issues, we are lucky to have this unique talent moving the mobile space forward. Think of the Sony Ericsson, Nokia, Motorola, Samsung strategies over the past five years. They just seemed to be dealing with mobile commodity decline, and not the enormous potential of the handset as a Smartphone.

Apple shook the market and Google responded. The Droids are a serious and ongoing threat to the cultural dominance of Apple in the marketplace. That’s really welcomed and if HTC, Motorola or any other handset company can deliver a device that monsters the iPhone, then what’s to worry?

Meantime, have we seen news of the iPad sales? HP is saying it won’t deliver this year on its original Slate and Microsoft is scurrying. Is the price point beyond the desire-pain threshold for the iPad? Will we see newspapers offering free giveaways (contract-based, naturally) of the iPad in the late summer, early autumn? They need to move – and quick.

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How iPhone 4.0 opened Apple’s walled garden of communications

July 20th, 2010

If nothing else, the antenna problem on the iPhone 4.0 has prodded Apple into a more open, web-embracing approach to its communications strategies.

It’s still about controlling the messages but a multi-way conversation has been started – and that means letting go of the command structure. Apple has, rightly or wrongly, been seen as anti-web and seeking to dominate, closing off the areas where it operates online.

The PR campaign around the iPhone 4.0’s problems has a different flavour. Commentators are saying that Steve Jobs was prodded into a reaction by the spectacular online/offline criticisms of the wildly popular handset and certainly an un-timetabled Apple press conference is a very rare event.

But what was most intriguing about Steve Jobs’ session in Cupertino on Friday was not the apology or the free-case offer; rather, it was his contention that other Smartphone manufacturers had models with signal problems similar to those of the iPhone 4.0.

Now, Steve could have followed the classic Apple tactic of not mentioning the competition, promoting the advantages and innovations of the handset. This time he opened the door to the walled garden and practically invited the world and their cousin to respond. He stoked an external debate – almost unheard of at Apple.

Not surprisingly, the rival handset manufacturers have come out with communications guns blazing as CNET’s Caroline McCarthy reported.

They are more than miffed by Apple’s statements but significantly at the moment they all stop short of claiming that there are no antenna issues on their models. While their responses are very robust, they are on the back foot now, as Apple releases its internal tests on rival handsets, delivering a video website http://www.apple.com/antenna/ with detailed comparative information.

Ah, but here’s where the Apple openness stops short. The site, while informative and stylish, is a one-way street. No chance to comment or share, which is a missed opportunity and one that I hope Steve Jobs reconsiders. Right now, he’s winning the PR battle by using openness effectively – and maybe Apple will recognise the enormous benefits of opening the door to walled garden even further.

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Social Media is not a separate channel

July 19th, 2010

Felix Wetzel, Group Marketing Director for Jobsite, has posted a blog on The Wall, voicing views that are often overlooked as part of the social media debate - and it’s refreshing to see a senior in-house marketing professional lay his social media cards on the table in such a direct way.

Felix says: “Social media needs to be implemented in the relevant functions and not built as another separate entity. If it’s a separate entity it will fail and will only always remain as another communication channel. Social media has to become part of the DNA, not another add on. Which leads me to one additional point: Any communication agency with a separate social media arm misses the point completely and waves a big sign that reads: ‘We jumped on the band wagon, but we don’t get it!’”

These may seem like brave words to some, but in a climate where too many companies still tend to rank discussions about Social Media in the ‘know we need to, but not 100% sure why’ file, which often leads to implementing social media as a box ticking exercise alone, I would argue it’s necessary to have this debate.

Felix’s key point, that ‘appointing a Social Media manager will hinder the harnessing of the social web’s true potential‘ is valid in my opinion, simply because that job is too often focused on creating a silo where listening, conversation and communication are contained, rather than about opening up these crucial elements to the rest of the business and of course the wider community.

If organisations think that hiring an individual to take care of social media for the whole company is ‘job done’ then it’s a sure route to failure.

If social media strategies are to succeed, they need to be an integral part of the organisation. Social Media isn’t just about marketing, nor is it a tactic, it’s a different way of approaching your business, moving real conversation, reputation and usefulness to the centre of the business, while addressing some of the fundamental issues that businesses of all types face on a daily basis.

You can follow Felix at Felix Wetzel.  He’s also the author of the ‘People, Brands, & Random Thoughts’.

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iPhone 4.0, Steve Jobs and killer PR

July 18th, 2010

Hands up, who does not want an iPhone 4.0? No really, be straight. Thought so – and just about everyone else wants one too. They did before the Apple press conference on Friday – and they do – more – now.

Want to see marketing and PR on a roll? Just watch Steve Jobs hitting the stage at 10 am Cupertino time. His audience? The financial analysts. He wooed them with absolutely the right messages at the right time and place.

He annoyed just about everybody else, except the distributors (that largely the network operators) but won the day. Why? He talked about how, right now, handsets (and networks) don’t deliver.

Sure, they connect, they can play, they can download and roll, The Smartphones have a way to go – but, as Steve Jobs said on Friday, they’re all getting there. It’s just that the iPhone is getting there quicker and with more style

Is the iPhone an issue? Not now, not really. Steve told us that the other “Smarts” have the same, solvable problem. At the technical layer its about a hardware/software workaround. Next time they’ll get it right.

At the network layer, it’s about integration – exactly how disparate mobile devices connect and communicate through this thing we call “the Web”. A theme for another post… but yours idea would be very welcome.

At the marketing layer, it’s about feeding desire – and Steve nailed this on Friday. Here’s the script: apologise, involve people with the problem, make it general, offer a bonus – then stoke the market with a time-limit. Beautiful.

So here’s the thing. In the next year, who do you think will sell more handsets – Apple or the Droids? My bet is still on Jobs to deliver, because the iPhone is still an object of desire.

Price-point is an issue but the difference between the Droids and Apple deals here and in the US mean that the corporates can still justify the added spend, if only on the base of desire. Professionals want to be seen using them.

But the iPhone does not only win there. Its nearest rival, HTC has produced beautiful products, the Desire and the Hero among them. The reviews are brilliant and all just point to a central sales flaw – the base. Open Source obviously means less control, more potential but at the same time means less control at the User Interface. If the Droids get the UI right, they will win the Apple war.

At the same time as we’re debating the benefits of Open Source, Apple, in the mobile sector, is winning because it has brand trust, brand affiliation, and a deep sense of its own rightness. It also does killer PR – in ways that we need to learn.

Posted in Blog, PR, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

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BBC Radio 4 You & Yours – forensic approach behind the daily consumer programme

July 15th, 2010

The BBC’s You & Yours consumer affairs programme has just covered research findings by our client, the search and social conversion agency Tamar. The patient process involved in getting that five-minute interview with Winifred Robinson (my vote for radio Voice of the Year) was another reminder of how much respect the Beeb has for its listeners.

I began talking to the producer/reporter Kevin Mousley months ago about the YouGov survey commissioned annually by Tamar – Search Attitudes. Kevin is a straight up professional who does not waste your time or his so the fact that we were able to continue the discussions was a big bonus for me.

Kevin prised apart the data, reworked the ideas and came back several times with detailed, probing questions about the value, relevance and legitimacy of the Search Attitudes series, as well as the current study. He then worked on the detailed outline script, which was revised and assessed by his team before discussing the question-set and interview flow with Neil Jackson, Tamar’s Search Strategy Director.

Kevin then arranged for studio time in London so that Neil could be interviewed by Winifred via direct link to the Manchester studio where You & Yours was being produced.

Put that all together and we’re looking at least a couple of days’ work, for five-minutes of focussed Radio 4 airtime. I was mightily impressed!

You can hear Neil’s interview and learn more about You & Your team here as well as review the Tamar research, blogs and news on its website.

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What can Bellwether actually tell us?

July 13th, 2010

As you may have seen on Monday, a one-off supplement to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the IPA BDO Bellwether Report, was released this week.

This of course includes comment from agency sage, and Über marketing/ad sector financial commentator Sir Martin Sorrell, WPP chief executive.

His quotes include the fairly obvious: ‘The overall share of traditional areas such as television, radio, newspapers, magazines, outdoor and cinema has declined - in favour of consumer insight, PR and public affairs, branding and identity, healthcare, and specialist communications (which embraces direct, interactive and internet).’

Plus a reflection on the move toward integration: ‘Clients want more for the same money and that often means integrated solutions. Different specialities must be brought to bear coherently on a campaign. More and more clients are asking us to put together bespoke teams from across WPP, drawing the best talent from the group’s many renowned company brands.’

So, while it’s good to have these points backed up by the figures, I don’t think this is entirely new news for most of us in the marketing agency sector.

In fact, I would go as far to say that the positive and negative elements of the Bellwether report focus on very similar issues, simply because it is based on financials. This means the conclusions are accurate and trustworthy, but at the same time it also means that the conclusions are retrospective, rather than forward facing.

However, it’s still a good indicator, so what do the figures say? Well, according to PR Week; the ‘all other’ category, which includes PR and events, recorded a -7.9% downward revision in the second quarter of 2010. This revision was a significant drop from -3.5% in Q1.

‘Budgets for nearly all main Bellwether categories were revised down in Q2, with direct marketing and internet the exceptions. The findings suggest that the UK economy is now entering a phase of slower growth.’

To be fair, this was probably expected with the emergency budget announced in the UK recently, combined with a bit or realism hitting the sector as the majority realise we’re very far from being out of the financial crisis that has dogged the industry for two years. It’s also true that the actions of our Government will affect the recovery, or lack of it, but what of the effects we’re experiencing on the ground?

Although it’s a sweeping generalisation, new business across the board seems to be on the up (at least according to the PR and social agencies that I speak to). We all seem to be getting many more enquires, and as far as I can tell, the conversion of these opportunities is good.

Furthermore, of the agency people I’ve spoken to, many point to the fact that there seems to be a lot of agency reviews taking place, which may not always be positive for the incumbent, but suggests clients are either looking for more from their budget, or perhaps something different.

However, although those agencies that I’ve spoken to are generally positive, they have also caveated their excitement with a sense of trepidation about the future in terms of the economy.

So where to go from here? Well, as Sorrell says, we’re in a period of change, a change that has been very necessary for the agency sector for years. As I’ve said many times before on this blog, the change has been accelerated by the ongoing financial challenges, which has made it more painful, but necessary all the same.

In the long term, I believe the focus on integration of services and a more open and conversational approach to communication is certainly the way forward. We have been held back far too long by the rigid agency specialist approach, combined with blind broadcasting of messages.

This should also bring the era of agencies marking their territory and defending it fiercely to an end, as this approach simply isn’t relevant in a multi-skilled environment, where just saying ‘that’s our turf’ doesn’t actually mean anything. The focus has switched to well researched strategies, the ability to deliver and proven experience, whichever sector you originally came from.

For further analysis analysis of the report, check out Mark Sweney’s piece on the Guardian.

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European PR measurement summit - really?

June 28th, 2010

As you may have seen in PR Week last week, the so-called ‘Barcelona declaration of research principles’ was created at the second European summit on measurement, in partnership with AMEC (the Association for Measurement and Evaluation of Communication), and incorporating the CIPR’s Measurement Group,  the Global Alliance for Public Relations, the IPR’s Commission on Measurement and Evaluation, the PRSA and the ICCO to agree a set of measurement and evaluation principles.

On reading the story, my initial reaction was full of hope, finally we can put the ghost of measurement to rest in the PR sector by agreeing relevant industry-wide standards, and hopefully kill off the AVE scores once and for all.

In fact the Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE) system, and its relevance as a PR measurement, was highlighted in the third principle, which reads: ‘AVEs do not measure the value of PR and do not inform future activity; they measure the cost of media space.‘ Spot on!

The full list of seven principles are below:

SEVEN KEY PRINCIPLES
1. Measurement and goal setting are fundamental for any PR programmes
2. Media measurement requires quantity and quality - clip cuts are generally meaningless
3. AVEs do not measure the value of PR and do not inform future activity; they measure the cost of media space
4. Social media can and should be measured
5. Measuring outcomes is preferred to measuring media results
6. Business results can and should be measured where possible
7. Transparency and replicability are paramount to sound measurement

I’m sorry, there must be some mistake, surely this is the agenda for discussion, not the outcome of an ‘expert’ summit that involved 200 delegates from 33 nationalities, supported by 5 global bodies?

Far be it from me to call into question exactly what they did for the rest of the time at this summit, but isn’t this a starting point? And if this is the second event, what exactly took part at the first event?

The mind boggles at how this feedback is supposed to be relevant at a time when PR in general is already being left behind in terms of how it measures and justifies spend, let alone how PR understands and utilises social media, and surely point 4, (above) only goes to prove PR is still very far from doing this.

As for the quotes from various ‘industry figures’ and bodies represented in the PR Week article, i agree, it is important, and it is a positive platform to grow from, which we should support. However, it’s really not a huge step, in terms of steps, it’s pretty tiny. Where is the urgency? Where is the delivery? We all know what the PR industry should be doing, but surely the issue is ‘how’.

Perhaps that comes out of the next event? Is it unfair of me to expect more? If this was the outcome of a client-facing event would the client be patting us on the back and saying well done, you’ve stated the obvious, and it’s taken you years to do it, but at least you’re on the right path now.

Yes, i understand the event was developed to set ‘principles’ and in fairness that was achieved, but come on, can we really afford to continue moving at such a slow pace?

It’s great that the PR industry is going to leave AVEs behind, but the truth is, the fact that AVEs are still being discussed underlines how far behind we are.

Oh, and apparently the Barcelona Principles will be refined based on detailed participant feedback, and will be built on by AMEC and its partners over the coming months and years.

I think it’s best that i don’t comment on that little gem.

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A new chapter for Liberate Media

June 21st, 2010

As you may have seen, I recently completed a deal to acquire the remaining shares in Liberate Media from my former business partner.

Since starting the company back in 2006, we’ve focused on integrating more traditional PR methods with social media strategies and approaches. It’s been a very successful time, and we’ve enjoyed living in a sector that has developed so rapidly, and exploded into the mainstream PR, search, digital, marketing and advertising spaces.

The lines between these disciplines are getting increasingly blurred, and although we all have our own opinions on how the future will take shape, it seems the communications sector in whatever guise it appears, will be a very different beast in the years to come.

At Liberate Media, much like our sector, we’re also changing, but it’s a change that I feel is important to position us for the ongoing development in the market. You’ll be seeing a few new focuses and developments in the near future, while maintaining our core expertise in communicating to brand audiences online, offline or where ever they are, but more on that another day.

When we started Liberate Media, I quickly grew to appreciate the advantages and disadvantages of working day-to-day with a business partner. However, in May 2009, when Wendy took a break from the business, returning earlier this year, I realised that my personal ambition for the company was to continue its evolution and focus on delivering a service that not only reflects the sector’s development, but also our client’s growing need. This will be our focus moving forward, and I hope to be introducing a few new faces along the way.

So, for now, please stay in touch and let us know what you think.

Posted in Blog, Blogging, Content, Digital communications, Digital media, Liberate Media news, PR, Social media, Social networking, Trends and research | No Comments »

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Wendy McAuliffe signing off…

June 21st, 2010

Sadly this will be my last contribution to the Liberate Media blog, as after four adrenalin-fueled years, I am leaving my post as director and moving onto pastures new.

Setting-up Liberate has been an incredible experience, and I’m eternally grateful for the support that we’ve received along the way from friends, family (my husband in particular!) and industry peers.

Back in 2006, we saw the huge potential that social media would create for the PR industry, and we wanted to be a part of that change, leading by example. In the four years since, the industry has undergone a rapid transformation, and we’ve always endeavoured to keep Liberate Media evolving in terms of our knowledge, approach and positioning. Last year we set-up our own Social Media News Release service Pressitt, which has been a great success and I will continue to be a part of.

Setting up a business from scratch isn’t easy. At the start there were a lot of lost weekends and holidays, but it was worth it for the satisfaction that you get out of building something that is our own. I’ve always kept a close network of trusted mentors (you know who you are!), and they have been wonderful at guiding and advising me along the way, and sharing leads and contacts where ever they can. We have always taken the approach of building the business through word-of-mouth and recommendation, and from my experience, this has always helped to create great client relationships and distance us from the pitching circuit, which I still believe is an ineffective way of selecting a PR partner.

Time is always what I wanted more of! When you’re working flat out and the business is established, it’s easy to forget to take time out for business planning and creative thinking around the next stage of the business. At times we were guilty of getting too caught up in day-to-day work, but when we did make time for blue sky thinking and planning, it was always worth it in terms of re-inspiring and re-energising, and positive changes always resulted.

For old time’s sake, I thought I’d dig up the first ever post that I wrote for the Liberate blog: ‘Liberating our Online Identity‘. It goes to show how far we’ve come.

If you’ve been a regular reader of my blog posts, thank you for your time.

I wish Liberate Media the best of success for the future.

Over and out!

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