Spark The Debate

Ten tips for better B2B in 2012| Official CIM magazine - The Marketer

2012-01-24T10:50:00.000Z

Ten tips for better B2B in 2012| Official CIM magazine - The Marketer: via Blog This

A lot of intelligent predictions here that will drive PR thinking as well as broader marketing thinking for our B2B clients through the coming year. Specifically, the recognition of the importance of data in supporting customer acquisition and the relevance of earned media in winning trust with those potential B2B customers. And the endorsement of what I have said will be a key theme in PR for 2012 -- Integration -- is highlighted as enabling B2B brands to communicate with an engaged audience to which relevance has real value.

'Integrated' Is The Buzz Word For 2012

2012-01-18T21:27:00.000Z

This infographic caught my eye today when published on CMO.com. Over the past few weeks as we have explored the question of measurement and held many conversations with clients about the need for PR to support sales enablement, the issue of integrated campaigns has been debated. We've listened to our clients express great interest in the idea that, by adopting an integrated approach, PR can both be highly measurable and ultimately highly accountable. And when we talk about tracking activities to specific business outcomes that lead directly to sales, eyes tend to open wider.

The challenge it seems is not to convince our client audience of these benefits, but to bring others within the organisation and, dare I say this, the Board, into line with the thinking. The question of ownership rears its head - ownership of the message; ownership of the channel; ownership of the process; ownership of the data. It seems the corporate world is still bogged down by indecision caused primarily by uncertainty and sometimes by lack of content, data and leadership. It's perhaps surprising given the widely available thinking on the topic, that corporations are still reluctant to embrace the potential of truly integrated digitally led marketing.

We see among our client base many examples of where the digital marketing landscape as painted here by Anoop Sahgal of Adobe is well established and where marketing teams are operating at the cutting edge of digital thinking. In many case, we are deeply embedded into the process. But in 2012 we aim to expand this and so will be doing our bit to promote the potential of the digital marketing landscape across our business and to new clients as they visit our agency.

We will continue to help our clients navigate across the various channels that now present themselves, helping them to identify and engage with the right influencers with the right content. And in doing so, we will ensure that PR becomes integrated in to wider marketing programmes that deliver on the promise of delivering measurable value to the business. Hell who knows, we might even force change and foster innovation across the marketing industry. Now that would be a result for the PR guys out there.

Infographic courtesy of Anoop Sahgal, Senior Manager, Suite Marketing, Adobe Systems as published at CMO.com - digital marketing insight for CMOs

Why Fresh Air & Birdsong Work For Me

2012-01-07T17:55:00.002Z

City versus country living? It never ceases to amaze me how the debate is carried on through the lifestyle pages of the media. And it generally seems to written by the disaffected urbanite who craves a return to the bright lights of the City rather than the reverse. The latest double page spread appeared in this week’s London Evening Standard by Lucy Cavendish, a journalist raised in the country but who yearns for a return to London. And who just so happens to live one village up from where I have lived for the past 13 years.

For the sake of early disclosure, I confess to being a country boy. I work during the week in London and crave the reverse of Lucy. I love leaving the city behind and returning to our cottage, the fresh air and the peace. I was therefore very interested in Lucy’s argument and reasons for leaving the rural idyll we are both so lucky to live in. For me, country and in particular village life is all about the community. It’s about feeling safe, about friendships, about a sense of belonging. I accept that this can be found in the city but then so are crowds, noise, traffic, gangs, pollution all of which are largely absent from my area (with the exception of traffic maybe!)

Lucy explains in her article that her children are not outdoor types; that they don’t want to climb trees or get muddy. That’s fair enough. She says her boys don’t need a big garden and they could do do their ‘outside’ play in a park or sports center. I read this with a sense of sadness given the space and natural beauty we have on our doorstep. I would urge any parent with a garden to realise how incredibly important it is for children to have the space to get outside and play in safety. Today’s child is presented with so much electronic gadgetry and online distraction that we are losing a generation to the PS3. Regardless of city or country, this is a huge concern so I am saddened whenever I read that kids don’t want to get outside.

But it’s not just about providing a great environment for children to grow up in, it’s about retaining the fabric of country life. And it’s here that I perhaps start to see why disaffected individuals should move back to London. I’m sure Lucy has supported her local community but generally what villages need are people who are passionate about getting involved; about supporting local life; and about giving something back. All too often we see houses being bought up by city types in pursuit of a dream but who then shut the door, close the curtains and retreat into their previous exclusive existence albeit in a country cottage.

If Lucy or anyone else for that matter finds the rural life to unexciting, then my suggestion is to up sticks and return to the bright lights. But don’t look back in envy. Don’t write about poor schooling or the cost of going private. Don’t whine about the cost of living in the city or whinge when the children are under your feet all of the time because there is nowhere for them to play other than in the house. And don’t undermine or belittle the wonderful community spirit that exists in many villages around the country. We rural residents who have embraced the life we live find it just as rewarding, just as exciting and just as stimulating as the life Lucy seeks back in the metropolis. We embrace all that is good and we appreciate how fortunate we are. And when we get the need for a culture fix, London is only 35 miles up the road.

App Tip -- Cardmunch for LinkedIn

2012-01-04T09:28:00.000Z

For all who use LinkedIn and who are tired of entering details from business cards, this is the app of the moment. Cardmunch is a free iPhone app (works just as well with iPad) that turns business cards into contacts. It integrates seamlessly with LinkedIn which makes it pretty darn useful. The app takes a picture of the business card and converts it automatically into a contact. It will also show you LinkedIn profile information and connections you have in common. Straightforward to use, simple and really rather useful. Thank you Mashable for highlighting this! Download it here: www.cardmunch.com

'via Blog this'

The Movember Chronicles - A Study in Facial Hilarity

2011-11-30T20:52:00.000Z

Never again! Through the month of November I have been sporting an increasingly ridiculous moustache as part of the Movember Campaign to raise cash to men’s cancer charities. The experience has been chastening as the following sequence of photos will prove:

End of week one and the fuzz is taking shape.

Eleven days in and I am getting nervous (as are people at home in the office)

Yee gads - twenty days in and I am smiling about it. Good job because someone has to.

Twenty three days in and I am really not taking things that seriously. The 50’s bank manager look is really taking shape.

It’s getting towards the end of the month and the misery is really setting in. Twenty seven days of weird looks, astonished glances and frankly, out and out hilarity at the sight of the mo.

And the joy at the realization that Movember is over. Tomorrow is a clean shaven day, smoothness returns.

But overall was it worth it? Yes because just on £500 was raised personally and the Hotwire Mo Crew raised more than a £1000 overall. Will I do it next year? Well at the ‘Mo’ment, no -- but give it 11 months and let’s see.

But if you haven't already sponsored me, you still can at http://mobro.co/andywest.

Movember signing off.

PR Measurement: Standards or Framework?

2011-11-21T22:29:00.000Z

Last Thursday (Nov 17) saw AMEC host its Big Ask conference, bringing together speakers and delegates from across the client, agency, measurement and academic worlds to debate the importance of Social Media Measurement. In setting the stage, Tim Marklein of WCG highlighted the shift from measuring impressions to showing the impact of social media, a sentiment which to my mind is eminently sensible. Tim’s opening remarks were in effect a rallying cry to the delegates to debate and decide on what needs to be done next to progress the perennial question of measurement standards. Work that AMEC is so dutifully undertaking and promoting.

Having laid out the direction, Pete Devery of Microsoft EMEA went on to explain why Microsoft has forged a lone path to create its PRIME system of measurement in response to a lack of acknowledged standards in the industry and why, within Microsoft, the ability to measure RoI is so critical. So despite creating its own model, in effect a proprietary standard, Pete’s call to action was for the PR industry to take a leaf out of the world of Physics and create a Standard Model - in other words, to find a common ground that would unite all of the current measurement theories into one integrated theory of everything.

This rather intellectual analogy by Pete, got me thinking. Firstly, what the hell is the Common Standard in Physics (thank you Wikipedia for providing a vaguely layman’s answer) and secondly, should measurement be enshrined in a common standard or is there room for agencies to find competitive advantage by applying IP to a measurement framework created by the industry for the industry?

To my mind, there is no debate. Of course the industry should develop and adopt a common approach upon which to measure the effect of PR on a business. As Philip Sheldrake of the CIPR so eloquently put it, every other business discipline has to be measurable, why should PR be any different? (more of this in a moment).

The reason I believe is because PR does not operate under any unifying global, regional or local professional body. Unlike other professional services, there is no single association that has the power to mandate rigorous standards and to then monitor member companies for compliance. And given the competitive nature of PR coupled with the low barrier to entry (no required professional qualification), the industry is its own worst enemy.

This is of course why organisations such as AMEC are so critical and why I support its efforts to unify the various PR associations under a single measurement approach. I welcome the guidance it provides and the effort it makes to put measurement onto the agency and client agenda. The Valid Metrics approach developed by AMEC out of the Lisbon and Barcelona Summits provides the first really meaningful framework (note the word: framework) for agencies to interpret and implement across clients.

One challenge among many that I see as a recent observer to the debate around measurement standards is the level of contrarian thinking that still exists across the professional bodies that represent the industry. Philip Sheldrake, who represents the CIPR, presents a compelling intellectual argument around his Influence Scorecard, based as it is on Kaplan and Norton's strategy map tool and Balanced Scorecard Framework. The idea that PR measurement can be based on the same approach as used by the majority of Fortune 500 companies is certainly compelling but I have to confess that I’m left wondering whether this is using a sledgehammer to crack a nut? Yes it is thorough; yes it fits with many other now well accepted formats of business measurement; and yes it delivers an outcome that has resonance in the Boardroom. But what likelihood is there that the industry can educate itself to properly implement it as a common approach? And herein lies the rub.

If the work of AMEC is to succeed, the industry must get behind the concept of developing a set of guidelines that are understandable, effective, flexible and above all accurate. To quote Dr John White of the CIPR “the problem of measurement in PR is a problem of management”. I think you can interpret this in two ways: firstly PR management needs to embrace measurement according to a framework that is universally accepted but should be able to add individual flavour so as to gain competitive advantages. This is why it needs to be a framework and not a rigid standard. And secondly the PR industry both agency and client side must get its own house in order so as to educate, educate, educate. Without this, clients will still be asking for AVEs and practitioners will still be providing them.

Movember & The Facial Growth Starts

2011-10-31T17:52:00.000Z

So here we are on the cusp of November. Today, Monday 31st October, not only marks Halloween but the last day of clean shaven PR types from Hotwire, Skywrite and 33 Digital. As of tomorrow, the facial hair will make its appearance as we grow our respective moustaches as part of the Movember charity initiative. Over 112,000 Mo Bros and Mo Sistas took part in Movember in 2010 raising £11.7million. Here's hoping that 2011 exceeds that impressive figure.

I'm slightly nervous but happy to be supporting Movember. I have no great expectations about the quality of my moustache but will let it grow in whatever way it will. I'll be happy just to get consistent whisker coverage on the upper lip but if genetics allow, then a touch a styling might be the order of the day.

So to those that have sponsored me already, thank you so much. And for anyone else who feels that a donation to this great cause is necessary, please do click here for my fund raising page. I will be posting embarrassing -- sorry, stunning pictures of the West facial hair on a weekly basis during Movember. Do take a look and I fully expect the commentary to be suitably abusive!

American Social Media Habits

2011-10-18T16:14:00.000Z

I've been drawn to the recently launched Nielson Quarterly Social Media Report courtesy of an article in by Brian Solis in Fast Company magazine. And it makes for fascinating reading. The key findings from the research are:

Social networks and blogs continue to dominate Americans’ time online, now accounting for nearly a quarter of total time spent on the Internet
Social media has grown rapidly – today nearly 4 in 5 active Internet users visit social networks and blogs
Americans spend more time on Facebook than they do on any other U.S. website
Close to 40 percent of social media users access social media content from their mobile phone
Social networking apps are the third most-used among U.S. smartphone owners
Internet users over the age of 55 are driving the growth of social network-ing through the Mobile Internet
Although a larger number of women view online video on social networks and blogs, men are the heaviest online video users overall streaming more videos and watching them longer
70 percent of active online adult social networkers shop online
12 percent more likely than the average adult Internet user
53 percent of active adult social networkers follow a brand, while 32 percent follow a celebrity
Across a snapshot of 10 major global markets, social networks and blogs reach over three-quarters of active Internet users
Tumblr is an emerging player in social media, nearly tripling its audience from a year ago

One statistic that surprised me (and thank you to @drewb) for pointing this out, was the fact that Internet users in the U.K. viewed 229.6 million pages on Tumblr, the second most page views on any social network or blog in the country after Facebook (20.2 billion page views). But for overall insight into the fast growing social media habits of the American people, do take a look at the report. If only for the fact that it's a barometer to what will likely happen in other parts of the world.

The Six Attitudes Leaders Take Towards Social Media via Harvard Business Review

2011-10-18T11:06:00.000Z

So often we are challenged by clients in the B2B space to justify or explain the benefits of social media. This article in the Harvard Business Review provides a useful framework through which we can try and understand the attitudes of business leaders and hopefully then overcome their resistance.

The Six Attitudes Leaders Take Towards Social Media - Anthony J. Bradley and Mark P. McDonald - Harvard Business Review:

'via Blog this'

Why B2P selling is so important - Forget B2B

2011-09-29T11:25:00.000Z

As an agency that has a large number of clients that sell predominantly to business, this blog written on the MP Daily Fix.com caught my eye when it was flagged to me by our Australian MD, Jorn Sande (thanks Jorn!)

I love the fact that the author Carlos Hidalgo highlights the importance of the relationship; whether that be on or offline. When selling to anyone, whether a business or a consumer, there is one inescapable fact: you are selling to a person. True, procurement might sometimes challenge that notion (sorry procurement types) but I could not agree more with Carlos when he says "many organizations are still not clueing into the fact that we are selling and marketing to people. People are the ones who make the buying decisions and vendor choices. Those people have thoughts and emotions that affect their buying decisions. We must remember that."

Over the years as I have been on the sharp end of new business for my agency, I have in effect been doing B2B sales. And it's safe to say, that the most successful sales pitches and ultimately the most rewarding and stable client engagements are with individuals that I or my colleagues have built strong relationships with. I completely accept that selling PR is not exactly equivalent to selling enterprise software, but what Carlos is saying is that regardless of the product, we should all remember the importance of the personal touch. It is about creating an experience for the buyer and in doing so, building trust.

So I like Carlos' top tips which are listed here below:

Stop Trying to Sell

Randy Aronis of Ingenuity Sales Consulting has taught many that the first sales call should be focused on the building of rapport. In other words, start by getting to know your buyer. It seems crazy, but try it sometime. The first time I tried this was early in my career. I was selling into the largest IBM distributor in the world and had secured a call with one of the key decision-makers.

After the obligatory introductions and overview, we spent the next 25 minutes talking about golf, our favorite courses, etc.(Keep in mind the call was scheduled for 30 minutes.) We ended the call by scheduling a follow-up onsite that, of course, included a round of golf. Long story short: They were one of my best accounts for my remaining two years at the company. Why? My contact told me, “You guys were not the lowest cost nor did you have the largest staff, but I liked your company and knew I could call you directly if we were ever going to have a problem. I felt that you would personally address it.” Instead of selling, I built a relationship. Marketers would do well to begin thinking this way.

Put the Social Back in Social

The term “social media” is interesting to me. Yes, there is indeed a component that is social. Yet, social media also provides a false sense of relationship. Too many marketers are using this channel to provide one-way communication, doing nothing but sending out facts, figures, and business information. They forget to use social media to engage. What does that look like? Well, for starters, don’t be afraid to have some fun with social media. Comment on posts, answer questions in forums, and engage in online conversations. This will significantly enhance relationships with your buyers online and socially. Buyers want to know there are people behind the walls. So, listen and respond.

Act Like a Politician

OK, before you stop reading, don’t worry. By suggesting you act like a politician, I am not suggesting you give yourself a pay raise every year, slander your competition, or tell lies to divert attention from your mistakes. What I am suggesting is, like many politicians, seek to get personal with your buyers. This doesn’t necessarily mean a marketing/sales bus tour. However, it does mean adding face-to-face interactions to the mix. Marketers erroneously think that the face-to-face stuff is for sales to handle. Not so! Marketers need to stop hiding behind technology and to start meeting with buyers. This can be done by attending sales calls, conferences, and even one-on-one meetings. Nothing will replace a face-to-face interaction and connection. Sitting down across the table from your buyers (or playing a round of golf) will go a long way.

Be Slow to Speak

This goes hand in hand with the “Stop Trying to Sell” tip. My brother tells his kids all the time, “God gave you two ears and one mouth to remind you that listening is more important than speaking.” He may have something there.

By listening to your buyer and asking questions, you will gain (as will they) more from them than from all the things you so desperately want to tell them. You will also show them that you are genuinely interested in them and in meeting their needs. In the course of building a relationship, you’ll have plenty of time to talk about your product or service. So, be patient.

No matter how advanced technology becomes or how easy it gets to dole out information about our products and services, we’ll always be marketing and selling to people. That fact is something we cannot afford to forget.

Five Tips To Avoid Another Recession

2011-09-22T21:34:00.000Z

Late night after a delayed commute home (points failure outside Southall) and I'm musing on the world economy. Like millions of others, my pension is wrapped up in the performance of our stock markets and so as a bloke in the latter half his forties, I'm increasingly focused on how that pension is performing. And I'll tell you what, it's pretty bloody scary.

So what can be done? Well I reckon if you leave it to the economists, politicians, bankers, forecasters and pundits, we are screwed. So my suggestion is to pose the question to the man on the street: What would you do to reinvigorate the economy and get the markets back to where we see growth? My starters for ten are:

Let Greece do what it does best and become purely a holiday destination where we spend a quaint currency called the Drachma. As I recall, it was a lot cheaper to buy beer and kebabs back in the day
Ignore the doom-sayers and focus on a 'glass is half-full' mentality when it comes to predicting growth. Talk yourself into a positive mood and banish all hindering thoughts of a recession
Relegate any news of financial crash to the 'in brief' or 'finally' sections of new bulletins. This way you avoid panic and keep the general population is a state of blissful ignorance thus preventing unnecessary runs of banks (think about that Northern Rock....)
Start spending and investing in stuff that people approve of. Make the railways better, mend the roads, build better hospitals, pay nurses more (my wife is a nurse), equip our school, give the police and the armed forces more resources. This way, a vast swathe of the population will feel better about themselves and we'll bask in a collective glow of satisfaction
Pay the bankers, stock brokers, traders and all others in the financial sector the minimum wage for six months (or the wage of a nurse) and see how they then look after our money and investments. Make the buggers accountable for their actions

It strikes me that the fear of recession is almost as damaging as a recession itself. So come on world leaders, start to lead for god sake. Don't sit back and pass the buck, Make decisions, work together and get us out of this bloody mess.

First Great Western Deliver the Unexpected

2011-09-14T11:47:00.000Z

As a generally disgruntled commuter, I have low tolerance for the standard of service found on our railways. And as a First Great Western ticket holder, I sadly see the worst of what passes for a service provided by that company. So last night when I encountered two particularly rude 'gate assistance' staff, my blood boiled to dangerous levels and I vented on Twitter to @FGW.

I'm delighted to say that I received a reply via Twitter early this morning and then a personal email when I responded from a person call Jo in what I assume is their customer service centre. I'm impressed that FGW has embraced Twitter and that it provides a place for angry commuters like myself to vent. The normal experience when one is unhappy with service received is that the complaint disappears into a black hole. Step one in good customer service, is I believe to acknowledge the incident in a prompt manner. Step two is to then follow up and close the loop with the customer.

Time will tell whether there is any further correspondence from FGW on this matter but if it means that the two gate assistance individuals in question receive special training in what constitutes good manners and a good customer service attitude, then the outcome will be good. It will be even better for FGW if, through a process of listening and responding to their customers in this way, they really do raise the standard of service provided by its staff. Now all they need is to upgrade the trains and to teach drivers how to use heating and I might just start to enjoy the commute.

Ten Principles For Success in a Competitive World

2011-09-12T13:01:00.001Z

This list of principles to live by in a fiercely competitive world was published in Fast Company and caught my eye this morning. They are written by Tony Schwartz, President and CEO of The Energy Project, a company that helps individuals and organizations fuel energy, engagement, focus and productivity by harnessing the science of high performance.

In particular I was taken by the realisation that no matter how good you are you can do better. I think we all realise this but how many of us accept that this is the case? Having just gone through an exercise in trying to capture the essence of what makes for amazing client service in the PR industry, this list of principles suggests to me two things. One, that we can all improve on what we do, day in and day out; and second, that achieving excellence is as much about a mind set as it is about ability.

The ten principles are:

Always challenge certainty, especially your own. When you think you're undeniably right, ask yourself "What might I be missing here?" If we could truly figure it all out, what else would there be left to do?
Excellence is an unrelenting struggle, but it's also the surest route to enduring satisfaction. Amy Chua, the over-the-top "Tiger Mother," was right that there's no shortcut to excellence. Getting there requires practicing deliberately, delaying gratification, and forever challenging your current comfort zone.
Emotions are contagious, so it pays to know what you're feeling. Think of the best boss you ever had. How did he or she make you feel? That's the way you want to make others feel.
When in doubt, ask yourself, "How would I behave here at my best?" We know instinctively what it means to do the right thing, even when we're inclined to do the opposite. If you find it impossible, in a challenging moment, to envision how you'd behave at your best, try imagining how someone you admire would respond.
If you do what you love, the money may or may not follow, but you'll love what you do. It's magical thinking to assume you'll be rewarded with riches for following your heart. What it will give you is a richer life. If material riches don't follow, and you decide they're important, there's always time for Plan B.
You need less than you think you do. All your life, you've been led to believe that more is better, and that whatever you have isn't enough. It's a prescription for disappointment. Instead ask yourself this: How much of what you already have truly adds value in your life? What could you do without?
Accept yourself exactly as you are but never stop trying to learn and grow.One without the other just doesn't cut it. The first, by itself, leads to complacency, the second to self-flagellation. The paradoxical trick is to embrace these opposites, using self-acceptance as an antidote to fear and as a cushion in the face of setbacks.
Meaning isn't something you discover, it's something you create, one step at a time. Meaning is derived from finding a way to express your unique skills and passion in the service of something larger than yourself. Figuring out how best to contribute is a lifelong challenge, reborn every day.
You can't change what you don't notice and not noticing won't make it go away. Each of us has an infinite capacity for self-deception. To avoid pain, we rationalize, minimize, deny, and go numb. The antidote is the willingness to look at yourself with unsparing honesty, and to hold yourself accountable to the person you want to be.
When in doubt, take responsibility. It's called being a true adult.

These certainly struck a chord with me. Are there any that strike you? Let me know.

The Dangers of Whispering - Facebook Busted by Google in FT

2011-05-12T13:50:00.000Z

A very interesting and relevant story caught my eye in today's FT. The opening paragraphs read:

Facebook has admitted that it hired a public-relations firm in the US with the aim of placing stories critical of Google’s approach to privacy in the media.

The embarrassing disclosure is the latest sign of the increasing rivalry between Facebook and Google, as they go head-to-head over internet users’ time and advertisers’ budgets.

There is a lesson here for those who have been asked over the years to "have a quiet word" in the ears of those with influence. While undoubtedly a common practice, this example begs the question of whether under a professional code of conduct, should PR agencies disclose who they are working for? If there is one lesson to be taken from this. When briefing anonymously, don't get caught out.

For the full story in the FT -- Facebook admits its PR firm briefed against Google | FT Tech Hub | FTtechhub - Industry analysis – FT.com

Where Have All The Sales Skills Gone?

2011-05-09T11:51:00.000Z

I wrote earlier about the importance of innovation in the agency business and of how we as an industry have to innovate and evolve in order to remain competitive and profitable in today’s economy. Since doing so, I have reflected on the writings of the prominent PR bloggers and have arrived at the conclusion that perhaps we are sometime blinded by the glare of innovation and therefore miss some of the basics that underpin the very fabric of what we do as agency leaders.

I’m not contradicting my previous post – far from it. Innovation remains central to my value set as an agency principal. But I am sometimes shocked that we let ourselves down in the basics to the extent that we undermine the impact of the great thinking that exists across the industry. And one area where we let ourselves down is in sales technique and more specifically, in the way we present our credentials to prospective clients.

Over the years I have been involved in dozens of credential presentations. Of course I would say that the vast majority led to full blown pitches and that we did an excellent job in all of them. But if I look at how we present our services and then compare this to professional sales organisations, then I don’t think we stack up. Why?

Because I don’t believe PR types are sufficiently trained in sales skills. This is weird when you consider a major part of job is ‘selling’ or more correctly, convincing third parties as to a particular point of view. So what can be done about it?

Good credential presentations are not difficult. I am sure many will already claim to have them nailed in terms of length, content, design and delivery. My experience on both sides of the fence suggests otherwise. I think agencies are often self-centred and self-opinionated. We love to talk about what we do and how great we are. We bang on about what great clients we have and how we deliver amazing services. How often do we stop and think about what the prospect really wants to hear from us?

I believe PR is a classic benefit sell. Yes, prospects want to know that you can do the job but nine times out of ten, the fact that you have been invited to present credentials means you have been ‘pre-qualified’ for inclusion. So why spend 45 minutes and 25 slides on telling them about the agency? Focus on what benefits you bring to the particular prospect; give them insight into your thinking and understanding of their business today and provide some examples of how you have approached similar assignments for others. Keep the presentation short and make a point of preparing good quality questions that are the basis for any consultancy based solution.

I don’t think the credentials stage is difficult but given that first impressions count, it is possibly the most important part of the pitch process. Cookie cutter presentations given by poorly trained PR people only serve to undermine the credibility of our industry. Therefore I’d like to see more emphasis given to sales skills throughout our industry from graduate right up to board level. We are fortunate to be in a growth sector, a fact that perhaps means we don’t need to be too worried by this but as we all want to expand our businesses, I’d suggest that a little attention in this area would go a long way.

The Neighbourhood Lives

2011-04-12T13:47:00.000Z

In our busy connected world, it’s very cool sometimes to uncover great examples of old fashioned neighbourhood services. Here on the borders of Clerkenwell and Farringdon, we are lucky to be surrounded not just by cool companies, trendy bars, cafes and restaurants but by a number of small ‘traditional’ businesses that epitomise all that is good about London village life. And being strong advocates for the online world that we are, we can’t help but compare and contrast how these businesses succeed in the traditional offline world when all the buzz is about doing business online through social media.

When you look closely, the ingredients of success behind these establishments mirrors the fundamentals behind any social media campaign. To start with, they are great listeners. They understand what is being said and recognise and adapt to the changing needs of their customers. Secondly they experiment. They try different menus and seek to innovate in the service they provide to their regular customers. And when the feedback is good, they continue; when it’s poor they change tack.

But most importantly they engage. They build up a loyal following (community) simply by doing business slightly differently. It’s business with passion. Typically they are fronted by individuals with a real love of what they do. And they pass this love on. In jargon speak they have the evangelists necessary for any type of direct customer engagement. But for me it’s simpler than that. They show they care and so I reciprocate by caring about them. It builds support and loyalty.

And what are these amazing businesses? The one that prompted me to write this post is De Santis, a great Italian that’s owned and run by the charming Enzo (http://bit.ly/dRCInI). The other, while different in so many respects is our local Starbucks. They are on opposite ends of the corporate scale and yet they are connected by passion. For me this is the basic foundation behind building any business, whether engaging to a local audience offline or seeking to build presence online. So while we now do business in the ‘global village’, there’s much to be learned by observing what work in your local neighbourhood.

Although authored by me, this post was first published on the Hotwire PR blog at http://bit.ly/ePT0na

The Importance of Innovation

2011-04-06T08:38:00.000Z

As the international MD of Hotwire, I have always found it fascinating travelling between our offices in Europe and Australia to compare and contrast work and service delivery. En-route to my current destination here in Sydney, I had the pleasure of spending a couple of days in Singapore talking to our Affiliate Partner, Rice Communications, and a bunch of clients, contacts and friends. And throughout these travels, what has struck me most is how regularly the word ‘innovation’ comes into the conversation.

Increasingly, agencies are realising that they have to innovate in order to survive in today's volatile global economy. It is very clear that the pressure on budgets and the evolving client landscape are changing the scope of services PR firms must offer in order to prosper and grow. As a result, innovation is the name of the game.

I witnessed some great innovation first hand in Australia recently. Speaking to clients and prospects as well as my team, it’s clear that the Australian market is demanding new thinking and new levels of both engagement and evaluation. Clients tell me that the status quo needs to be challenged and that they have a real level of expectation that agencies in this market have to innovate in order to retain and grown business. It’s a competitive market out there.

For us this has meant developing a new set of services built around the area of community engagement. This is more than just a buzz word to my Sydney based colleagues. It is a rallying cry to our local clients who all seem eager to understand what community engagement means and how it directly benefits their business in terms of brand and demand creation. And these benefits have to be measurable in terms of return on investment – and fortunately this is getting easier and more transparent.

It’s precisely this type of approach that typifies the nimble and adaptive nature of PR the world over but which is, I believe, particularly evident in this market. Rather than staying static and trying to simply rely on conventional press relations services, everyone is pushing boundaries and looking for ways to maintain a competitive edge. This is exciting stuff, the result of which extends beyond national borders in that it influences our thinking as a global firm and helps shape the development of our service portfolio elsewhere in the world. It is a great example of where local innovation has global impact.

My view is that as innovation takes hold and firms like ours develop and offer services that extend beyond the traditional media relations centric view of PR, we as an industry need to reposition and re-tool in terms of skills and resources. We must take our own medicine and constantly educate clients on the meaning and value of new services such as community engagement. We must also embrace the new communication channels that typically would fall under other sectors of the marketing community, to engage with the community clusters our clients now seek to interact with. Innovation will provide PR with the armoury of new services to do this and the fact that Australia leads the way comes as no surprise.

This post first appeared on the Hotwire PR blog on March 16th.

Follow That Fire Engine & Help Lung Cancer Research

2011-02-17T11:33:00.001Z

My colleague at Hotwire PR, Gemma Rowlan, is off tomorrow on an adventure. She is joining her boyfriend to take part in what I consider to be one of the most mad cap but worthwhile charity endeavours I've heard about for a long time. A group of friends are driving a Fire Engine around the world, visiting 28 countries, covering 26,000 miles on 5 continents raising money for three tremendous charities.

This incredible journey is in memory of London Firefighter Garth Moore, who passed away on 18th July 2009 at the age of 63, after a brave battle with lung cancer. Garth's son Steve is leading the expedition and is being joined by a rota of friends, each of whom is taking time off from work to complete the route and to raise money for the three chosen charities - Macmillan Cancer Support, The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and the Firefighters Charity.

It's a truly incredible journey and one which deserves huge recognition and support. Anyone who has been touched by cancer of any sort, but particularly lung cancer, will know how devastating the disease is. With one of the highest mortality rates of any type of cancer, the more money that can be raised to fund support for sufferers and to invest into research has to be the right thing. And of course we all respect and admire our Firemen and women so it's only fitting this is the third charity that will benefit from Steve's dedication.

To date the team has raised over £87,000 pounds which a tremendous achievement. And it's worth noting that 100% of all money donated goes directly to the charities thanks in no small part to an amazing group of commercial sponsors who are supporting the trip.

So I take my hat off to Steve and his crew. The team is now making its way across the US and judging by the reports on the website, are well on track to achieve this amazing endeavour. Good luck to them all and good luck to Gemma as she joins the fire engine.

Please visit the www.followthatfireengine.com and donate generously at Virgin Giving (click the link) to help these guys raise the maximum amount possible.

The Great Australian Business Card Debate

2010-11-30T10:13:00.000Z

What’s French and possibly outdated?

Our Australian MD, Jörn Sanda has posted a thought provoking blog on the simple subject of business cards. As ever with Jörn, he poses a question to which he’s inviting response. And it’s telling that in only 24-hours, it’s created some good debate. Take a look on the Hotwire Australia blog and comment for yourself. Or, comment here and let’s get the debate going.

Jörn Sanda, 30/11/2010 - I’ve tried, but just simply can’t imagine how many business cards are exchanged in the world on a daily basis. Imagine whatever that number is, and at least halving it. Lots of trees saved.

But I’m in business services, so I get even more excited at saving half the inefficiency created by a custom invented in France, ruled by Louis XIV.

The other day I began my little experiment of not reciprocating an offered business card with mine. Instead I offer to contact the person, who just presented me with their contact details on card, through LinkedIn by the next morning.

With taking the card I create a debt. A debt which I suspect must originate from when we used to trade. By accepting her card but not returning the favour with a card of my own, I created an IOU. But by creating a connection, as promised through LinkedIn, I now actually impress by resolving a debt, plus, plus, plus.

And I’m not going to insult anyone’s understanding of LinkedIn by even attempting to describe what the added benefits are of being connected through LinkedIn, rather than at best entering the details of each other’s cards in a contacts database.

Instead, I’d like to gauge what you think. Is it rude of me not to reciprocate an offered business card? Do you think the business card is still a real differentiator on which reputations are built? Do you think, as I suspect there may be, some cultural taboos transgressed if we were to obliterate business cards from Hotwire?

And a closing thought. While a colleague remarked how impressive Hotwire cards are, given everyone comments on their gate fold uniqueness including a corporate portrait, I suspect they still land up in a business card holder at best, but usually in the bin, soon forgotten.

The owner outlives her/his business card… So far, LinkedIn keeps pace with professional life. (who knows what happens when it all comes to an end)

The Kings Speech - A True Oscar Contender

2010-11-26T09:48:00.000Z

I was lucky enough to attend a screening of the yet to be released new movie The Kings Speech last night at the UK Film and TV School over in Beaconsfield. The Kings Speech, a historical drama, directed by Tom Hooper and written by David Seidler recounts the tale of how King George VI overcame his stammer to lead this country through the war time years. The film stars Colin Firth as King George VI, Helena Bonham Carter as Queen Elizabeth and Geoffrey Rush as Lionel Logue.

The background is interesting. Because of his stammer, Albert (the future George VI) dreaded public speaking. After his closing speech at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley on 31 October 1925, which was an ordeal for both him and the listeners, he began to see Lionel Logue, an Australian-born speech therapist. The film charts the relationship between the King and Logue as he seeks to overcome his speech problem. The backdrop of course is the developing constitutional crisis caused by the abdication of King Edward VIII in December 1936, Albert’s ascension to the Throne and then onset of War in 1939.

I’m not a fan of historical dramas but I have to say that this film ticked all the boxes for me. Colin Firth is immense as Albert, portraying the personal agony of a man indentured to his country but inflicted with a debilitating condition caused, in no small part, by his upbringing. The chemistry, not just between Firth and Rush as therapist and patient but also with Bonhan Carter as the supportive wife was electrifying. The script provided a real insight into the lives of our Royal Family providing just the right balance of the pomposity you expect with tender moments and humorous interludes.

The Kings Speech has already won The People’s Choice Award at the Toronto Film Festival and has been well received by critics ahead of its release in the US today and the UK on January 7^th. Given that the film financing was put in place by our good friend, Tim Smith of the Aegis Film Fund, I’m really hoping that The Kings Speech gets the recognition it deserves and goes all the way to Oscar success in 2011. It’s a hugely enjoyable film that will tap into the Royal fever around the William and Kate wedding in April next year.

Scribd Stats: The Next Generation of PR Measurement?

2010-11-19T02:36:00.000Z

Interested to read on Techcrunch today that document sharing hub Scribd has announced a new feature that will allow publishers on the site to more accurately measure how their content is performing. I’ll confess not to have come across Scribd before but with 60 million readers and 20 million embeds, it is clearly a popular service.

Jason Kincaid's article aroused my interest through its headline: ‘A Google Analytics For Documents’. By coincidence, @davidmcculloch, Director of PR at Cisco was saying just the other night about the need for more analytics in PR and how PR agencies must take the opportunity to not just demonstrate knowledge of media influence but of the impact specific items of online content have.

The Scribd Stats service, although limited to documents uploaded onto Scribd (from what I can see), serves a very useful purpose in that it goes far beyond just saying how many hits a given document has received. The idea that a brand can dive into the way a specific document has been received, which portion of the document was most interesting, which search queries led people to find the document and what they’re searching for within the document seems to me to be incredibly powerful. It gives the PR team the ability to tailor messaging, target audiences more precisely and adapt search terms in an even more precise manner.

So while Scribd may not be a service that is intended for the majority of clients I work with, I’d like to see a day when other sites that are relevant to a B2B business offer the same sort of service. Perhaps this is an opportunity for Scribd to make its technology more widely available to sites such as LinkedIn or SlideShare or indeed to be embedded in an organisation’s website?

Either way, it seems to me that Scribd Stats is the latest in a series of innovations in analytics that will allow us to become more targeted, more measureable and ultimately, more effective in communicating our clients message. And that surely is the holy grail of PR?

Living The US Dream

2010-10-10T23:40:00.000Z

Over the past week I've been 'Brit in residence' in San Francisco. I've been meeting agencies, chatting to clients, catching up with old friends and generally getting acquainted to the US again. And so here we are on a Sunday afternoon. The sun is shining, my credit cards are maxed and it's time to avail myself of Starbucks' free wifi to wile away some time blogging.

So what have I learned from the past five days? Well it seems as if people are optimistic. Agencies seem to be doing well, new business is out there and people are starting to become more mobile. The hunkering down of the last two years; the caution; and the fear seem to have left the market. At least for now. And as in the UK, everyone is talking social media. Perhaps not unsurprisingly, this topic seems to have replaced the measurement debate, at least for the time being. I wonder what will be next to occupy the thoughts of the chattering PR classes?

So what do you do when in the epicentre of the technology economy? Go watch the movie about Facebook, The Social Network of course. So last night at the Sundance Movie Theatre I sat sadly enthralled as this 7 year old company was put in the spotlight by Hollywood. So what of it? Well if you really want to see and understand the beginnings of the Facebook phenomenon, then it's a film to go see. But if you really are not bothered by how it happened, whether Zuckerberg ripped off the Winklevoss' idea, or whether he really did shaft his best friend while under the influence of a Svengali like Sean Parker of Spotify fame, then best avoid the movie. But for any tech PR person or anyone remotely interested in the birth of a global business, I would say it's a must see.

And for me, the movie pretty much encapsulated my week in SF. It's about excitement, opportunity, pace and innovation. It's about making things happen and seizing the moment. And that's why I love the City and why it calls me back time and time again.

The Hourly Rate Bricklayer Debate

2010-08-13T10:05:00.001Z

I dipped my toe into a LinkedIn Tech PR Group debate recently by asking a question about typical hourly rates for a tech agency on the West Coast (of the US – Jörn, take note!) The response and subsequent debate has taken me by surprise.

Here at Hotwire we have a very transparent billing model based upon hourly rates. This has worked extremely well for the agency over the past ten years and has been the cornerstone of our success. It is our belief that hourly rates combined with clear deliverables costed alongside those rates provides for ultimate accountability. And guess what? Client’s appreciate the approach and keep coming back for more. So this tells me it works.

A couple of the comments made by the Tech PR Group highlighted opinions that hourly rates suggested inexperience and contribute nothing to the client’s peace of mind. Indeed one response put forward the view that charging out at hourly rates put us in the same league as bricklayers. Now this in itself is no bad thing. I have tremendous respect for bricklayers. After all, they can stand back and look at something they have built. No questions about measurement or RoI there. But let’s not get into that debate.

No, the argument seems to be that PR professionals should quote a price for an assignment and price it according to the nature of the activity. I have sympathy for the ‘value based pricing model’ and can see how, in certain circumstances, it can work for both client and agency. Indeed, Graham Goodkind of Frank PR argued as such only recently when branding times sheets as “meaningless”.

My view however is that for core press relations activity and the majority of assignments handled by agencies of our type, a model based on hourly rates works best. Let’s be clear, Hotwire charges retainers along with the rest of the industry for all the right reasons of resource planning etc. Our difference is that we are not afraid of breaking these down in detail and providing our clients with insight into the time spent delivering the specific actions required of the campaign.

Times might change and while we are seeing an increasing number of projects that fit an alternative pricing model, the transparency and accountability inherent in the hourly rate approach will remain in place for the time being here at Hotwire Towers.

Help - I Think I'm Overheating

2010-07-26T20:29:00.000Z

I'm sat alone tonight as the family is away visiting friends. And for the first time, I have a decent wireless capability which means I'm sat in the lounge with the laptop open. Now this will not sound exciting for the vast majority who have been connected for several years. But let me tell you, here in Hambleden, this is major progress. Not quite up there with certain great inventions down through history but very significant in my life.

And as I ponder this new found capability, I'm feeling frazzled. Frazzled by the myriad of online opportunities open to me; slightly befuddled by the range of platforms I need to update; and amazed at the digital footprint I'm leaving around the place. Only three years ago I was anonymous (some will likely say I still am). Now you can view my CV, see what I'm doing, see where I am, see what I like and recommend and see what my friends are doing. I no longer hide behind the cloak of proverbial anonymity. And as a result, I think I'm overheating.

I look in envy at the digitally savvy who Tweet interesting and original content. At those who regularly update their blogs and get a following as a result. I'll confess, I wonder about those who clearly love Foursquare and have the badges to show for it (a bit like being a scout but less worthy I guess). And as a self confessed LinkedIn addict, I stress at whether I can reach the magic 1000 contacts mark. All this is before I embrace new platforms that the likes of @drewb, head of33-Digital discover and exploit.

So as I ponder this in the child free / wife free environment of tonight, I'm left wondering where all this digital stuff is going to end. When is the consolidation going to happen? Can we continue to expand our digital horizons by adding and sharing yet more information about ourselves? Or will there come a time when we simply saturate the senses? When will the backlash come and what will it look like? If I knew, I'd back the right horse and focus my energies in that direction. But for now, I have a confession to make: I'm not sure I can keep up the pace of the digital demands that seem to dictate our modern lives. I'm trying, but I fear I may overheat in the process.

Hotwire Group Boot Camp - International PR in Action

2010-07-08T08:49:00.000Z

Today's the day of the Hotwire Group Boot Camp. A day when everyone from across our three businesses - Hotwire, Skywrite and 33 Digital - comes together for a mix of training and fun. This year we are holding at the Chartered Institute of Marketing's training centre in Cookham, Berkshire -- a venue that I think is very apt for an agency that is diversifying and innovating in the comms arena.

It's always great to get an entire business together. Time and again I have seen the value of face to face engagement, bringing international colleagues together to share experiences, laughs and banter. Even in today's massively connected world, there's no replacement for time spent in each other's company. I'm really looking forward to working with my fellow 'Hotties' (as our new Australian MD has christened the Hotwire side of the business) and to meeting new faces and welcoming old friends.

The challenge in a fast growing international business like ours is to maintain commitment to meetings such as Boot Camp. There will come a point when it will simply be too expensive or too disruptive to bring everyone together. Even this year, we are missing our new Australian colleagues for the simple reason of travel time and cost to attend an event on this side of the world. Sydney and Melbourne -- we wish you were here!!

But for now, we aim to enjoy the next two days. We'll learn, listen, talk, drink, laugh and hopefully dance together. More later on the content and hopefully links to some of the embarrassing photos that always accompany events such as this.

Following a Dream and Scaling Everest at 22!

2010-05-17T11:59:00.000Z

I reckon it's worth taking 20 minutes out of our humdrum day to recognise and celebrate the achievement of a certain 22-year old lady from Wokingham in Berkshire. Far from her comfortable home base, Bonita Norris has realised her dream to climb Everest and become the youngest British woman to achieve that feat.

I had the pleasure of meeting Bonita and her family literally minutes before she left for Heathrow for Katmandu. What struck me was her attitude. She is the sort of person who does not let events or problems get in the way. She was just completely calm (on the outside anyway), handling a last minute TV interview with great skill.

I just love meeting people who set their sights on a goal and then pursue that dream with a passion. Bonita is everything we would want from 'young people' today. Dedicated, ambitious and ultimately incredibly brave and resourceful. Congratulations to her and her support team for summiting Everest. A fantastic achievement.

For full details of the ascent, visit Bonita's website - http://www.bonitanorris.com/, her blog http://bit.ly/9zq6md or follow her on Twitter -- @bonitanorris. You'll see she was sponsored by Mobile Phone Top Up at ATM - part of VocaLink, a Hotwire client.

Ryanair & O'Leary's U-Turn

2010-04-23T13:45:00.000Z

Hot on the heels of yesterday’s blog-post, it seems that Mr. O’Leary has climbed down from his previously reactionary stance. Many Ryanair customers will, no doubt, be relieved to hear that they will be recompensed for their prolonged stays abroad, but what now for the reputation of the most controversial man in the air-industry?

The fact is that the damage has already been done. Despite this u-turn, O’Leary has once again demonstrated that he would prefer to put the bottom line above customer service. The fact he has now given in to EU pressure is, if anything, a humiliating defeat for the pugnacious CEO. I would like to predict that this latest episode will lead to fewer customers deciding to fly with Ryanair, but it is hard to call. Despite an almost willful disregard for the opinions of his customers, many have continued to fly with Ryanair and many will continue to do so. The ash cloud was a one off, what will remain is Ryanair’s reputation for cheap flights that do what they say on the tin. For many this is more important than actually liking the experience.

But there are signs that things may be about for change. I for one know colleagues who prefer to fly with other low-cost airlines due to the more inviting customer experience offered by Ryanair’s competitors, and I would be surprised if there are not many more out there. There are even indications today that O’Leary is beginning to realise that he needs to do more to keep his customers loyal. The full page ads the company has taken out in the nationals today offering flights for as little as £3 show that O’Leary believes he can still buy his customers’ loyalty. The question is, how long will he be able to maintain this approach? I for one believe that in the long-term reputation and customer experience will eventually win out over price. Only time will tell.

This and my previous post from yesterday are both also published on Hotwire PR's blog to be found at:
http://interactive.hotwirepr.com/uk/

Ryanair & Michael O'Leary -- Beware the power of the crowd

2010-04-22T09:31:00.000Z

Time will tell if the maverick CEO of Ryanair, Mr Michael O'Leary, is forced to reconsider his stance on compensation to passengers left stranded by the Icelandic ash cloud. His frankly disgraceful attitude toward his customers must surely be about to damage not just Ryanair's already fragile reputation but its business success.

What are the odds on a Facebook group springing up calling for people to boycott Ryanair? Surely all it will take is for one savvy highly disgruntled passenger to galvanise the legions of unhappy punters for a boycott of Ryanair to gather momentum? You just have to check out the company's own Facebook page to see the level of feeling being generated right now.

The company delights in its anti-establishment image but as it - or should I say O'Leary - continues to stretch traveller's patience through its policy of charging for everything, I'm wondering where the breaking point will be? By challenging established European Law on such a high profile issue as passenger compensation, O'Leary is treading a very fine line. Many will believe on this occasion he has crossed that line and that Ryanair is no longer a company they wish to travel with.

The precedent goes back many years with the Ratner experience. Time will tell whether O'Leary's comments and his cavalier attitude to Ryanair's customers will cause the downfall not just of his airline but him personally.

Brand mavericks such as O'Leary often feel untouchable because of their huge levels of self-belief in their product and approach. Providing a 'maverick experience' works up to a point but when the line is crossed and thousands are left out of pocket by an arrogant decision such as refusing to comply with European legislation on such a fundamental customer issues as compensation, the maverick becomes an outcast. The crowd will decide.

Honour the Embargo, Damn YOU!

2010-03-09T11:53:00.000Z

Ah the joy of a YouTube video that ever so gently takes the proverbial out of the fine profession of PR. After all embargoes are so important...

Another for the annals of cringe worthy examples of where PR goes wrong. A fine post by http://www.twitter.com/sohear

Social Media Monitoring - Some Useful Insight

2010-02-22T16:09:00.000Z

Today seems to be a day for insightful articles on social media monitoring, statistics and general information to be posted by various experts.

mycustomer.com has published an interesting summary on social media monitoring (note: registration required) that looks at how organisations can tap into the rich vein of market intelligence provided by the plethora of social media sites. The article quotes research from the IAB that almost three quarters of respondents found the main challenge in the social media context was in proving that it could generate ROI. This is something we would definitely endorse judging by the conversations we have with clients, particularly in the B2B sector.

Quoting directly from the article - "The value of social media can only be measured if you are able to use it to understand not only how many people are talking about you, but also what they are saying, and how those conversations are changing over time."

This to me is a fundemental element when looking at whether to invest in social media as part of any PR programme. There's a lot pressure out there to engage in social media come what may so this is useful advice to anyone considering dipping a toe into the waters of online engagement. How often do we dive in without fully understanding the end goal? And how may campaigns fail to use the information provided by social media campaigns to track sentiment and hence better manage brand reputation?

The author, Jennifer Major, (Disclosure: Jennifer works at SAS UK - a Hotwire client) arrives at the sensible conclusion that as an enabler in measuring social media ROI, sentiment analysis is only a piece in the jigsaw puzzle. Companies need to go through a number of steps, and employ a number of techniques to achieve an accurate measurement of the value of social media to their organisation:

Identify the goals of their social media engagement – is it for customer service, brand recognition or market research?
Identify the scope of social media impact that you are going to measure – are you going to try to capture all mentions in blogs, newsfeeds etc, or are you going to focus on your own discussion forums, twitter feeds and other social media presences such as Facebook pages.
Identify and agree the criteria that you will capture information across over time.
Identify other external factors that will also have an impact on these measures – and see if you can also measure these.
Set up a collection strategy to collect the content of social media discussions.
Consider other data sources that should be analysed alongside social media conversations – for example, customer contacts through other channels, such as the call centre or email.
Use text mining to determine the main themes being discussed – for example, what attributes of the brand/company/product are being talked about.
Use content categorisation to identify themes and topics being discussed in any post/comment/blog, to get a measure of how much the different topics/themes are being discussed.
Use sentiment analysis to identify whether comments regarding the brand/company/products are positive or negative.
Set up strategies (marketing plans/customer engagement plans) to influence the KPIs that are being measured.
Review and refine your social media measures over time.
Be patient! Social media campaigns will take 3-12 months to show a tangible result.

Not unsurprisingly, the tone of the conversation is something that often can define the RoI of any social media interaction. As Jennifer points out, had Toyota been monitoring the chat, would it have been better able to manage the resultant damage to its global brand?

The Cult of Personality Overshadows Editorial Quality

2010-01-29T09:40:00.000Z

I'm somewhat staggered today by Stephen Fry's report on the launch of Apple's iPad published in today's edition of The Guardian - http://bit.ly/c1MQqM. I can understand people's passion when it comes to Apple's products (even if they are sometimes blinded by a bad case of style over substance) but I cannot understand why a supposedly quality national newspaper of The Guardian's standing permits such a sycophantic essay to be published. What did Stephen have to do to get the Editor to publish his article in such length? I can only assume that his amusing Wodehousian prose and current position as a 'national treasure' influenced the editorial process.

Fair play to Apple however. I am sure its PR department is rubbing its hands in glee this morning. The combination of Apple's innovation coupled with the power of two big personalities in Stephen Fry and Steve Jobs effectively caused a bad case of editorial blindness in the newsroom. In fairness to The Guardian however, most of the UK's press has been similarly beguiled by the launch of the iPad. But at least in most there has been objective reporting rather than such a one sided piece of creative writing -- or ad copy as it is also known.

Snow Scenes December 2009

2009-12-18T09:23:00.000Z

Ahhhh, you gotta love it. Hambleden in the snow. Happy boys, a day of sledging ahead. Picture postcard scenes. This is what winter should be like.

Hambleden Church from the playroom window.

Harry and Ben ready for action (and happy)

The Old Bakery looking quaint in the snow

Fingers crossed for more snow today and tonight. Happy Christmas one and all.

What’s the buzz about buzz monitoring?

2009-12-03T09:29:00.001Z

I was quoted this week in PR Week postulating on the importance and usage of online social media monitoring off the back of a report that said 46% of respondents did not use reputation or 'buzz' monitoring tools to discover what was being said about their brand on the web. And having reviewed three such systems very recently, I have to say I am not surprised.

While there is no doubting the importance of monitoring online reputation, the experience of reviewing left me wondering how ‘market-ready’ the technology for measuring the ‘buzz’ really is. It’s true to say that all of the various methods, algorithms, charting and analysis approaches failed to meet expectations. As might be expected, there were high points and low points in each firm’s offer but overall, the reviewing panel was left confused at best and disillusioned at worst. We were left wanting more. So were we being too idealistic or is the discipline of buzz monitoring not yet up to scratch?

There seemed to be a lack of consistency in definition for example. One of the firms (who shall remain nameless) contradicted itself when it came to defining the difference between a blog and an online media site. A certain advanced analytical service also failed to convince when its algorithm for ranking influence and popularity was challenged. And while accepting that sentiment measurement will always be less than accurate due to the inability of machines to understand irony, the results, when examined closely, seemed inconsistent.

So is the science of buzz monitoring realistic or should we as PR practitioners reset our hopes and expectations? Without doubt, elements of each service we saw had merit. The workflow functionality that allows customer complaints on social media sites to be routed to appropriate people for action was compelling. This is an accepted approach practised by many large and enlightened companies today. It was also interesting to see what sites and individuals ranked as influential, even if the underlying methodology caused some consternation and debate among the panel.

There can be no doubting the importance of monitoring what’s being said about a brand online. There have been too many examples, all well documented, of customer or brand crisis starting from the humble beginnings of a disgruntled individual. But as one member of the panel observed, is the integrity of the data that is produced by these systems robust enough to base critical decisions on? Many brands today do just that. But what of the more cautious brands out there? Can they / should they trust the data? Is it a case of information overload given the huge volume of chatter out there in the online world?

I think as with all these things, the data is only as good as the eventual human interaction in terms of the final interpretation. And as with all research, the end result can always be manipulated to say what the user wants it to. So I went away from the sessions with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Excitement at the potential to monitor, harness and possibly leverage the chatter for the benefit of my client’s reputation but trepidation at the risk of misinterpretation, inaccuracies and dare I say it, inexperience that could lead to wrong decisions being made.

So the research quoted in PR Week for once is probably accurate. I can well understand the reluctance of clients to spend on this area given it is an inexact science. But equally I can see, as Will McInness asserts in the same PR Week article, that through 2010, the importance of monitoring will grow. So let’s measure adoption in a year’s time and see if the technology is ready and more importantly if more brands are using it.

Many a true word said in jest.....LinkedIn Spoof

2009-11-25T12:58:00.005Z

LinkedIn. We all use it. Some of us more than others. So does watching this make you feel uncomfortable? Does it strike a chord? Are we LinkedIn for the sake of it?

COI Takes Lead On Measurement

2009-11-12T14:00:00.000Z

The measurement debate rumbles on with the announcement this week of a review undertaken by the Central Office of Information (COI). It has carried out research that moves the AVE metric to one side, preferring instead to develop a cost of impact metric. This moves the debate in the right direction but is still not the answer.

Cost of impact, as defined by the COI, is the amount spent on PR divided by impact. Impact is the number of times the article is seen (reach multiplied by opportunities to see).

The approach interests me on a couple of levels:

1. Cost: Clients are still very reluctant to either allocate a portion of retainer to measurement or to find additional budget for the service. And let's be honest, simple reporting can eat into already tight budgets. Add in a method that relies on several different quantitative metrics and you start to starve the budget of proactive campaign work (unless you swallow a bitter pill and provide it as part of client service). I wonder if the COI will increase budgets to accommodate the new method?

2. Availability: The quantitative metrics are all well and good in a traditional media world where circulation can be audited or where position of the page can be accurately mapped. But where does the COI intend to find accurate and consistent date on the % of target audience reached? Or the reach, impact and influence of blogs for that matter? The data is available, but not easily or cheaply obtained. For a standard method to be adopted industry wide, we need to agree on highly available, accurate input data. Perhaps this is one for the analysis firms to worry about?

3. Relevance: The debate still seems to revolve around media relations. All when and good when you are generating thousands of pages of column inches but not so great if you are trying to influence the influencers through social media. I'm left to wonder whether the COI is taking a similar lead in recommending a consistent methodology for measurement in this area?

It's not all critical. The COI has at least taken a leadership position and managed to agree among its own internal stakeholders/clients a standard approach that moves away from the dreaded and outdated AVE method (no mean feat in my opinion). It also provides those of us not working as part of the COI roster with some best practice on which we can base our own recommendations. The work of the COI sounds thorough, well considered and ultimately of use to the 'big client' -- the Government. It's not the silver bullet for the remainder of the industry but it certainly is a step in the right direction.

Lest We Forget -- Shared Dignity

2009-11-06T16:35:00.001Z

Pride and grief seem to be very common themes in our news media these days. As we count the bodies home from Afghanistan, I am very moved by the dignity shown by the wives, mothers, fathers and relatives of the victims of the conflict.

Christina Schmidt, the widow of bomb disposal expert Olaf Schmidt personifies this with her comments in the news today: "I am very pleased to have my husband home, he is an absolute hero..... He was a very brave man, there was no other man above him, I am so proud of him"

This level of dignity is something that those of us not directly affected by death and tragedy in Afghanistan might find hard to understand. But is it this spirit and moral fibre that supports the troops still out in theatre. And as a nation, we have to share this dignity and show our unstinting support for what they are trying to achieve. We must do this regardless of our political beliefs; our religious persuasions; or our own circumstances.

As we stand in silence on Sunday, I am sure the nation will reflect on the sacrifice made by heroes like Olaf Schmidt and place them in our memories. This year, more so than for a generation, we must remember them.

reBlog from socialwebschool.com: What You Need to Know About the new FTC Rules for Bloggers

2009-11-06T14:10:00.002Z

One of my favourite sources of information on social media published a great post today on the US FTC rules on online endorsement. Made me wonder which quango in the UK will look into similar legislation in this country. Will it be OFCOM, Advertising Standards, Broadcasting Standards etc? And when will the UK catch up with the US in terms of knowledge and appreciation of the online endorsement issue? Perhaps it's a case (or an opportunity) for the PR industry to lobby for appropriate and sensible controls to be considered? After all, we are part of the problem so we should offer up the solution.

Here's an extract from the blog post by Kara Smith on Social Web School

The rules governing how marketers disclose reimbursement for their online content are about to change. Beginning on December 1, 2009, the new FTC rules on endorsements and testimonials in marketing will become effective, and all of us online content writers who review products and services are going to have to disclose the receipt of free merchandise or payment for the items we write about. You can be fined up to $11,000 for not disclosing that you were compensated for an endorsement.socialwebschool.com, What You Need to Know About the new FTC Rules for Bloggers, Nov 2009

You should read the whole article.

BBC Question Time, Nick Griffin & the 'Art' of Ambush

2009-10-25T20:00:00.000Z

OK, so not an ambush because Griffin must have known what he was letting himself in for. But nevertheless, I’m intrigued and not a little concerned to see some senior journalists openly question the BBC for its handling of the one-sided edition of QT last Thursday.

Putting aside the question of whether or not the BBC was right to give the BNP a platform (I think it was right in the interests of true free speech), the manner in which the ‘debate’ was orchestrated was nothing short of brutal. Many will argue that Griffin and the BNP deserved such as ambush. Five panellists and a chairman, all of who likely colluded on the strategy for the debate, facing down the demonised outsider. But has the strategy backfired?

Rather than provide the BNP and Griffin with another platform on which to generate publicity, would it not have been better to expose his views through honest, balanced and less sensationalist means? Turning the entire programme into an attack on the BNP was, in my opinion counter-productive. The four other panellists were more than intellectually capable of demolishing Griffin and exposing his party’s warped ideology for what it really is.

But as a result of the format of the programme, the debate has now taken some interesting turns with commentators looking at how the whole affair was managed. When individuals of the calibre of Sue MacGregor ask the question and make the front pages of the Sunday newspapers, then surely the BBC have succeeded in handing the BNP an ill-deserved victory?

So while I applaud the BBC for having the strength to invite Griffin onto Question Time, I have to express some dismay at its handling of the situation. As communicators, one would expect the BBC to understand the psyche of its public and to appreciate the British spirit of fair play. Clearly however, the BBC underestimated the mood and has succeeded in only prolonging the BNP’s 15minutes of fame.

A thoroughly good use of Twitter

2009-10-21T11:03:00.003Z

I've not come across this before. Twibbon.com, a small utility that allows you to show your support for a cause by adding a 'ribbon' onto your piccie or avatar on Twitter. I'm impressed with this and particularly pleased that the Royal British Legion has embraced it as part of this year's Poppy Appeal. And hopefully it will also appear on this blog.

This year especially, we should all wear our poppies with pride given the sacrifice our boys and girls are making over in Afghanistan. Adding this into our web world is a smart move in raising awareness by the Legion. Good work.

Reputation & Trust in a Recovering Economy - Edelman

2009-10-13T16:08:00.007Z

It's worth taking 8 minutes or so to listen to Richard Edelman talking to McKinsey about the importance of collaboration and stakeholder engagement in today's recovering economy. Some interesting points here, perhaps sometimes idealistic but as ever Mr Edelman is informed and articulate.

I'm particularly drawn to his thinking around every organisation must be its own media company. That business needs to create and publish content and then point people to it. In our B2B world, this is still in it infancy but I believe there's a lot to be said for encouraging organisations to recognise the importance and impact of hosting conversations. And as Mr Edelman says, you have to be willing to put up the good, the bad and the ugly -- something many will find difficult to accept.

Payment for PR Pitches

2009-10-13T11:14:00.000Z

There's some interesting buzz today around a PR Week survey thats says clients should pay for pitch ideas they use. The kicker in this is the simple fact that the report does not make clear whether those surveyed were agency or client side. I have to assume that those who responded were agency side as I can't see 83% of clients agreeing to such a notion. If they did - why do we not see payment for ideas right now?

Stephen Waddington makes the point in his blog that campaigning leadership is required from either the PRCA or from PR Week if we are to see this happen. I agree but have to say with a degree of jaded cyniscim that over the years, some have taken up the cause but have always failed. Sadly I don't think either institution has the clout to make it happen.

We operate in a world where there is an over supply of agencies; where agencies are fighting for growth; and where procurement is taking a growing role in the management and selection of agency resources. Having been involved in too many major pitches than I care to remember and having seen the cost of staging these pitches, I would welcome payment in some form. I'm just realistic and cannot see the time when clients will offer as a matter of course.

But as in so many things, I'm happy to be proved wrong!

Does Ritual Have A Place in The Modern PR World?

2009-10-07T11:50:00.003Z

Last night I was privileged to be invited to attend the Installation Dinner for the new Master of the City of London Guild of Public Relations Practitioners. Having never been to a Livery Company event before, I was taken with the ritual and tradition that shaped the evening. From the clapping in of the Court to the various formal toasts to the Queen and the Royal Family, the formality pervaded the evening. Although very enjoyable, with excellent conversation and interesting fellow guests, I was left pondering how relevant such pomp and ceremony is in today’s world of the PR practitioner.

By way of background, the City of London Guild of Public Relations Practitioners was formed in June 2000, with the same aims that have inspired all Livery Companies over the centuries: to promote and maintain excellence in the practice of our profession; to support education and training of practitioners; and to build charitable funds through which the public relations profession can give back to the communities it serves.

These are worthy aims but how does the Guild sit alongside other PR associations such as the CIPR and the PRCA? Surely as a profession, PR is better qualified than most to see the benefits of having a single voice and a common purpose in the pursuit of professional excellence? Many have commented that the industry does not speak with one voice and that it would benefit from a more joined up strategy across the various associations that represent the interests of all stakeholders in the PR community.

So what role does the Guild have? There’s no doubt that the traditions of the livery companies are at odds with the often youthful nature of the PR industry. To many it will appear anachronistic in today’s era of micro-blogs, social networking and 24-hour media consumption. It may be considered quaint, typically British and of appeal only to a past generation of PRs. But this has to be looked at in context of the aims, not just of the Guild of PR, but the Livery Companies in general. The City of London has for centuries supported its trades through education and charitable endeavours and has provided a framework of professional governance that has helped create the City into what it is today.

The Guild therefore reflects a commitment by senior members of our industry to give something back and to create a forum that encourages good conversation and the interchange of ideas with peers both inside and outside the profession. The altruistic goals of the Guild and the links it promotes to other City institutions and Livery Companies must be welcomed. For sure the other professional bodies share some of this and for those who wish to get involved, they may be better representative of the industry at a grass roots level. But for those who enjoy the tradition, old fashioned courtesies and a bit of glamorous pomp and circumstance, then the Guild of Public Relations Practitioners has its place even in today’s frenetic communications world.

NOTE: This post can also be found on Hotwire's blog - click here.

Twitter & the Platform of Embarrassment

2009-10-07T09:44:00.003Z

Although some of the early pioneers of Twitter may be claiming its star is waning, the continued growth of micro blogging seems to be providing celebrities and the general public with abundant opportunities to embarrass themselves. Everything from over-zealous statements about team selection; Australian opener Philip Hughes letting the cat out of the bag before the team for the 3rd test was officially announced, to Sion Simon, Labour MP and Government Minister joking that Susan Boyle was responsible for swine flu. It is interesting to see that the old adage of engaging brain before opening mouth stands true in today’s digital world.

But what does this mean for those companies who are either using Twitter or dipping their toe into the waters of Twitter as part of corporate communications? There’s a dichotomy between the controlled and often dull nature of corporate posts with the requirement to be interesting, succinct and even provocative. Used correctly Twitter builds influence, reaches into new audiences and provides opportunities to engage directly in conversation. Used inappropriately it can open up a whole can of proverbial whoop ass. One example to note is the Skittles marketing campaign that was created with the best intentions but was overrun by pranksters flooding the page with unflattering and damaging comments.

So what advice should be given to the use of Twitter as part of a communications campaign? Quite simply to think before posting and be prepared for the open dialogue it will create. Don’t blame Twitter when things don’t quite go to plan. Remember that all forms of media are open to abuse; the key is to weed out the abusers and engage with those looking for sensible dialogue. By managing it closely, abiding by common sense principles and by embracing its potential, Twitter continues to have its place in the corporate communications armoury. Just engage that brain before tapping out those 140 characters.

NOTE: This post first appeared on here. Go to Hotwire's blog for more comment.

Sweet Darn Revenge

2009-07-22T16:47:00.004Z

The wonder of Twitter and the power of social media as tool for writing the wrongs of the world. Mr Will Sturgeon brought this example of consumer 'revenge' to my attention and I have to say, it strikes a chord with me. Sorry -- pun fully intended!

In brief. Man sees United baggage handler mishandling his precious instrument. Complaints go no where. United Airlines think they've got away with it. But oh no. Cue a song recorded on video, posted on YouTube and viewed by several million potential United customers. Love it. Take that United and any other corporation who doesn't recognise the power of the 'crowd'.

Procurement: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

2009-06-25T15:15:00.003Z

I'm left wondering after the experiences of the past week, whether the growing role of procurement in PR pitching is good or bad thing. Back in October/November when we pitched and won a major European account, the experience with procurement was overwhelmingly positive. The client in question got the balance between involvement and interference just right. Minimal interference during the pitch process but major involvement through the contract and budget negotiation as you would expect.

But just recently I've had the opposite experience. Procurement interfering in the pitch process to the extent that it created barriers that were ultimately insurmountable. The classic symptom of this process is the refusal to grant access to the prospect before the pitch. Now how the heck are you supposed to really understand the needs of the prospect unless you can get in front of them and ask them intelligent questions?

We all appreciate the need to 'protect' the prospect from the attentions of large numbers of pitching agencies. After all , time is short for every one. So why invite six, seven or even eight agencies into the final round? When a pitch goes through an initial RFI before arriving at a short list for the final presentation, surely this short list should be just that -- short? And if its three or four agencies, then surely it's not too much to ask to take an hour of the prospect's time to provide deeper insight into the needs of the business?

The argument has to be that if the agency invests in the pitch, then surely so must the prospect? After all, the end result will be higher calibre pitches and the right agency then being appointed. No one expects to win every pitch, but being given the best possible chance by having access to the prospect is surely not too much expect? So procurement, while I admire your ability to save money and get the best deal, please don't do so at the expense of a proper, unencumbered pitching process.

And don't get me started on the subject of e-auctions......

A New Day, A New Company -- 33 Digital

2009-05-07T17:07:00.004Z

Well, the end of the day that saw our incubated baby finally get its official launch. 33 Digital, Hotwire's new digital PR and marketing business was launched to a not so unsuspecting public this morning. The guys led by Drew have had an amazing day full of Twitter, Blogs, Flowers (thanks Diffusion), LinkedIn and probably Facebook.

It's an exciting proposition - one that demonstrates Hotwire's innovative DNA and which will be a growth driver for our business during the coming year. Yes, I am being the company man on this because I've seen what these guys can deliver. And I am also pretty proud that Hotwire has the balls to launch a company during the downturn. But then what do you expect of Ms Syltevik?

So good luck to Drew and the team. Watch this space for good news to come out of our new baby and for reports on its growth during the coming weeks and months.

Is This A Cause For Optimism?

2009-04-07T08:23:00.004Z

Perhaps it’s the fall-out of the G20 summit or the early Spring effect at the end of a long dark (and cold) winter but there seems to be a faint glow of optimism spreading around at the moment. The latest IPA Bellwether survey makes for slightly better reading than previous reports with the rate of decline in marketing budgets appearing to slow. According to the report, the data supports the view that the bottom of the market has been reached. This is a significant turning point which every agency must welcome. But as the author of the report, Chris Williamson warned, it will be sometime yet before we see a full recovery.

Here at Hotwire Towers we have seen both sides of the recession with a steady stream of exciting account wins matched with some expected reductions in client budgets. Our view however has always been that the recession is a time of opportunity. After all the agency was launched in the tech downturn and grew rapidly. While 2008 and 2009 might not be a period of rapid growth, we are seeing increased interest from clients for cost-effective, highly transparent PR services.

Our view is that the recovery, when it does arrive, will not herald a new age of limitless spending but will see a more prudent approach to PR budgeting by battle-hardened marketing executives. So while we share the hope that this report does perhaps signal the first green shoots of recovery, we'll keep our optimism somewhat in check until the shoots grow and the roots takes hold.

Interesting snippets for agency types from SXSW

2009-04-06T10:02:00.006Z

Having not had the opportunity to visit SXSW, the eponymous music and media conference held in Austin Texas, I feel one step removed from the buzz that it seems to create. Fortunately some kind and cool people make it their business to walk the talk and share snippets of wisdom to UK bound types like me.

Rebecca Caroe, whose blog Creative Industry Secrets contains many words of wisdom, was extremely active in the US and has supplied a good summary - with links - of items of interest to the marketing services world over here. The following is taken directly from her email blast sent out today:

Firstly - the panel I spoke on was called My boss doesn't get it: championing social media to 'the Man'. With well-known B2B blogger, Peter Kim and the Small World Labs team we had a good discussion including taking questions by Twitter!

If you have an interest in Advertising and Branding - read about how Alex Bogusky from Crispin Porter+Bogusky is introducing new collaborative partnership business models to their repertoire. Chris Heuer speculated on The Future of Advertising and 'hot' agency boss Pete Lerma from Click Here/The Richards Group led a great talk on Models for agency integration http://bit.ly/ysrgJ read this if you are a traditional agency adding digital teams to your offering.

British Filmmaker Jess Search of C4 Britdoc facilitated a discussion on how Brands are driving content for branded entertainment http://bit.ly/vlo1k It seems Advertiser funded programming has come to maturity.

The PR and Marketing communications world came under attack at the session "Are PR agencies a dying breed?" http://bit.ly/oPfFx which was very animated - the common view was that social media is natural territory for PR folk but that we've got to get out and claim it for ourselves. Building online commmunities in B2C and B2B were covered in two separate gigs: Nerd network: building a B2B online community http://bit.ly/uU140 and Building your audience online http://bit.ly/3qVcd8

Design and Digital businesses spoke about pitching and how to win work via the internet. This focused on some of the 'free' pitching websites in the session called Is spec work evil? http://bit.ly/176VLg. Probably the hottest argument of the conference occurred here and the debate continued in the comments on my blog post. Please join in and add your views about whether agencies should do speculative work and free pitching.

Thank you to Rebecca for summarising all of this.

PR Heritage circa 1995

2009-03-30T08:24:00.003Z

It's probably not appropriate to embed a video promoting my old agency but I can't help but want to share this piece of PR memorabilia. The man responsible, Mr Stuart Handley, has now gone onto bigger things over at Dell but we still doff a cap to his creative genius. The lad showed promise 13 years ago.

And those of us at the 1st World Service held over in the Netherlands at a 'Farm Park' will remember some very very good times. It's alwaysgood to remember the past in these days of trying to pontificate over the future.

Avanti - Quick Update

2009-03-16T18:01:00.003Z

Pressure works. Not only did I receive a very well thought out and carefully worded letter of apology but also confirmation of a discount on the monthly fee. Now that's all I was looking for in the first case. Why can't customer facing companies realise how really very simple it is to keep people happy.

I may have burned a bridge or two getting to this solution but it was worth it to finally have a working internet connection in the wilds of South Oxfordshire.

Thank you Avanti - you came good in the end!

Shoddy, Unprofessional & Unreliable: Avanti Communications Group plc

2009-03-03T09:41:00.005Z

It's unfortunate in these days of economic austerity that we have to suffer from corporate incompetance. But that's exactly what my local community has been subjected to courtesy of Avanti Communications Group PLC, a 'provider' of satellite communications services for business, institutional and residential customers. In short, the service failed and was down for nine days during which time home workers, students and house bound residents were without any form of internet access.

Using what social media tools I have at my disposal, I posted a comment and a poll on ISP Review - http://tinyurl.com/bjp7r9; wrote a review on the site - http://tinyurl.com/boztgx; and succeeded in getting a short news article posted: http://tinyurl.com/c55gp3.

But of course there's no substitute for a strongly written letter - if only to vent and get all the frustration off one's chest! Here are some summary words from the letter I have sent to the CEO, Chairman and non-executive director of this AIM listed company:

....... The Hambleden broadband service went down on or around February 20th. I personally rang your support desk on Monday 23rd and spoke to an extremely unhelpful and frankly rude individual. This person offered up no apology nor did she seem to appreciate the problem caused by the system downtime.......

..... calls to your customer support line were met with a pre-recorded message saying all lines were busy. I remained on hold at my expense for more than 10 minutes on several occasions before giving up. I then called your office on the morning of March 2nd asking to speak to either to a support representative, the support manager or yourself. As of 4.00pm, I have received no return call. And my final point is that I called your office main number at 4.15pm on the 2nd only to get a night service message telling me that office hours were 9.00am to 5.30pm......

..... your company’s lack of customer care astonishing and the level of service provision shoddy, unprofessional and wholly unacceptable.....

.... All this could have been avoided if we had been given the full facts, if customer communications had been better handled and if the reasons for the delay in the service being fixed had been honest and true.....

Fortunately it turns out that a non-executive director of the Group company is known to me from a former life so I am hoping this particular issue will be sorted out and that Avanti will recognise it cannot treat its customers with such disdain.

But it is sad, frustrating and time consuming to have to rattle cages in such an agressiove manner to get heard by a company that provides such an important service to my local community.

OK - rant over.

The Importance of Understanding

2009-01-15T10:35:00.003Z

It's been interesting today to see various Tweets flying around on the subject of email etiquette. I'm disturbed if there are still PR people who don't understand the basic principle of media outreach: know your journalist and better still, know their preferred method of contact.

Back in the day of telephones, a PR person had to understand about news deadlines and when not to pick up the phone (obviously still applies today but how often is it ignored??). Then came the fax machine and some saw this as an opportunity to insist they be contacted only by fax. Admittedly this didn't last long because email burst onto the scene. So from the year dot, we've had to understand the needs, demands and preferences of our media colleagues. And for the past ten years, we've been discussing email etiquette...... Jeez!

I do accept that in the last five years, the introduction of SMS, IM and now microblogs such as Twitter have complicated the scene somewhat, although I would venture that its still a minority of media who exist in this new world.

So why in the era of highly educated PR professionals, many of whom are educated up to degree level and beyond in the art of PR, are we still having this discussion?

But for those who still need advice and a check list, take a trip to read the top tips on email etiquette from Seth Godwin. It's been subject of many a Tweet today and is as relevent now and it has ever been.

Stating The Bleeding Obvious

2009-01-12T17:35:00.004Z

Sorry, but it makes me so bloody mad when I read news stories of the "warning, may contain nuts" ilk. The latest appeared today on the front page of the D.Telegraph and in the D.Mail today. Apparently Cadburys is being forced to add the warning "may contain milk" on the packaging of its wonderful Dairy Milk chocolate product.

Given that the company already uses the strapline: "A glass and a half of full cream milk in every 250g block" it beggers belief that they are being forced to state the bleeding obvious just to appease some muppet with less sense than a fruit fly.

Taking A Positive View

2009-01-12T09:45:00.003Z

A number of events have conspired this morning to cause me to write this post. Up first was a chance meeting with a friend on the train in from Henley. Our conversation turned as all do at the moment to the prospects for this year. His view as a Sales Director for an information services firm based in the City was neutral to positive. As a pragmatic optimist (is that oxymoronic?), his prediction was for a less than spectacular year albeit one where oppotunity definately existed.

I then picked up an email from Hotwire's own Drew Benvie. He forwarded me news from the FT that Balderton Capital has closed a £250m+ fund for investing in tech and media. This is bitter sweet as we approached Balderton when looking for investment for Friction.tv. But good news that in these so called dark days of 2009, there are still some beacons of hope in the much maligned VC sector.

And finally I read Richard Houghton's latest blog post courtesy of following him on Twitter. Richard quite rightly points out that there is new business around out there for agencies (something I can confirm based on last week's experience here at Hotwire) but that the clients are wanting more for less. This view confirms my own that PR must focus more than ever before on adding tangible value and must ensure it speaks the language of clients at every level. I agree with Richard that clients are looking for a safe pair of hands, something that our youth oriented industry might find hard to accept after so many years of meteoric career opportunities.

So my own outlook for 2009 is based on the old saying that the glass is half full. I'm making it my mission to remain positive and to seek out the opportunities that do exist despite the downturn. As Stephen Waddington has stated, this is the year where the strongest will survive and I'm feeling pretty bloody fit!

Loving the Onion Spoof

2009-01-06T10:44:00.003Z

This is one for all those Apple addicts who eat, think, breathe and s@#t Apple products. Great spoof from The Onion:

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

Thanks to Will Sturgeon on Twitter for sharing.

The Joy of Going Local

2008-12-03T16:38:00.002Z

Take a look at www.streetwire.org. I came across this site courtesy of Charles Arthur of the Guardian. It seem to be a simple yet useful way of keeping track of what is going on locally. With sufficient traffic and content, Streetwire might become the ultimate 'nosy neighbour' tool. It tells me about planning applications, local events, local news happenings, traffic snarl-ups etc. You can see that if the people at Streetwire are smart, they'll develop nice little widgets for my Blackberry and will build add-ins for my LinkedIn and Facebook accounts. And what if they integrate into local advertising sites run by conventional media? Could be a little gold mine. Long tail localisation of this type surely has a place in my digital dashboard of life?

Human Nature - A Shocking Comparison

2008-11-13T15:31:00.003Z

Ever since I saw this in yesterday's press, I've been wanting to shout about this. It's a rant about the extremes of human nature. It just struck me very forcibly that on a day when pages were full of the unselfish heroism of the like of Henry Allingham and William Stone - two of the last four survivors from the Great War - we should read about the opposite end of the human spectrum, the three individuals convicted of killing Baby P.

As in the physical world, humans beings sadly are capable of such extremes. It's just such a shame that the day after we remembered those who made the ultimate sacrifice we had to endure the shocking and disturbing reality of a baby's death. I shan't offer up my opinion on what the three individuals responsible for this heinous crime should suffer, but suffice to say that I hope they are handed down long custodial sentences and that they 'enjoy' a similar level of suffering while they rot in gaol.

Shameless Promotion

2008-11-13T15:16:00.003Z

It had to happen but its weird to see. My new employer, Hotwire, has insisted on posting a photo and some commentary from yours truly on their blog. So if you want to chuckle at the picture and wonder at the incisive observations - hah - visit the blog here.

Actually its great to be in this position and to have the opportunity to make an impact into such a successful agency. There is a real appetite to change things and to use innovation as a platform to buck the recession. So while the wind of 2009 already feels distinctly chilly, we here at Hotwire are wrapping up against the cold by planning some interesting, ambitious and above all fun developments for the year ahead.

And I should also mention that Hotwire sits pretty at the top of the Twitter Preeple league table. And what's more, Stephen Waddington, MD of Rainier PR has posted on his well-known blog a new league table of the Top 50 Most Influential Twitter Preeple. Hotwire once again has come out on top of this latest league table, with no less than 4 of my colleagues featuring on this much revered list! Drew Benvie is placed at number 2, with three of his crew, Ben Matthews, Dom Whitehurst and Phil Sheard ranked at numbers 6, 32 and 49 respectively.

I've some way to go to match these Twitter types so can only look on and gaze in awe at their networks! Truly impressive.

An insight in the brain of Brain

2008-11-05T13:06:00.003Z

I like this post from Hugh Macleod who I will confess I've not come across before. As a cartoonist, he has an amusingly visual take on many of the issues we grapple with. Plus he seems to be dialled into some pretty interesting projects such as advising a South African vineyard on web 2.0 marketing strategies. Now just how do you land a gig like that? And do you get paid in wine?

Anyway, his latest post is worth visting because he poses 10 questions to Mr David Brain. This is not the David Brain of Friction.tv fame. Oh no. It's the David Brain the thought leader and European CEO of Edelman.

Now given that I am now gainfully employed by Hotwire PR, I should not be giving any ink to the competition but I have a lot of respect for what David has to say plus I am reading his book on crowd surfing at the moment.

Establishing A Social Media Practice Made Easy

2008-09-30T08:09:00.003Z

I'm a big fan of Chris Brogan for the way he cuts through the bullshit and just makes simple lists of best practice. This list of 50 steps in establishing a social media practice makes easy reading and more importantly makes sense.

WSJ Revamps Web Site

2008-09-15T13:50:00.004Z

Perhaps Mr Murdoch's influence is being felt at the Wall Street Journal as it seems to be doing some interesting things with its website. According to JD Lasicer's blog and other news reports, the WSJ is launching a revamped site tomorrow (Tuesday) with a range of community features that are intended to take advantage of the million or so subscribers the paper has.

The new features will allow subscribers to comment on every story, pose their own discussion questions, e-mail each other and set up profiles that will allow others to see what they’re doing on the site.

In Mr Lasicer's words, "WSJ.com will offer a social network for business professionals, built around the content of the newspaper and Web site but not limited to it...."

This has to be the way forward for traditional newspaper publishers. It's very obvious that few if any have tapped into the potential of creating a social news network for their subscriber or reader base. For sure the likes of the Guardian and The Telegraph have invested heavily in their online offerings and are attracting huge traffic numbers (or so they claim) but the oppportunity to build a collaborative community using news as the hub for the conversation must be on the agenda for all publishers. This way the newspapers focus on what they do best -- gather news -- and they unleash what the internet does best -- stimulate conversation. It's a win win.

What does this say about parents?

2008-09-08T13:24:00.005Z

Check this out. News story today picked up by Yahoo amongst others.

It may seem obvious to most of us but according to a recent survey one in four children think wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill is the name of the nodding dog in insurance adverts. The survey, which polled 1,000 eight to 11-year-olds, also found that children are much more likely to recognise 'I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here' stars Ant and Dec than they are Gordon Brown. Just 79 per cent could identify the current Prime Minister from a photo, compared to the 94 per cent that recognised the TV hosts.

This is not the first nor will it be the last example of our children's lack of basic history knowledge. Let's not blame the kids. Let's look at the education system and, more importantly, the Parents.

Personal Branding: A Necessary Evil?

2008-09-08T12:10:00.005Z

This caught my eye today from Chris Brogan. He's published a 15 page guide to personal branding. It covers most things you need to know and consider when building your professional brand profile. It's an interesting concept. Take the elements we know are required to build a corporate profile and apply it to yourself. I'm still a bit shy about doing this but Chris knows what he's talking about so it must work! Time will tell.

Jailing Journalists in the US

2008-09-03T13:48:00.005Z

This is frankly shocking and disgusting. I've taken the following directly from JD Lasica's blog:

Award winning journalist and host of "Democracy Now" Amy Goodman was arrested by St. Paul police while covering a protest outside the Republican National Convention. Though clearly identified as press, Goodman was charged with "obstruction of a legal process and interference with a 'peace officer.'" Two of her producers were arrested for "suspicion of felony riot."

Check out the video of her arrest. It's actually quite disturbing particularly when you know you're watching scenes from the US and not some 3rd world dicatorship:

I find this heavy handed treatment of a respected journalist totally abhorrant and wish Ms Goodman and her colleagues a speedy release without charge.

As a country where freedom of speech is enshrined in the Constitution, what does this event say about the US? How can the US possibly censor any country or indeed speak about human rights abuse when it treats its own Press in this way. And this at a time when an unknown, gun toting State seperatist is being lined up as a possible future President....... Wow, those Americans really know how to build trust and respect.

Darling, you're too candid......?

2008-09-02T13:51:00.004Z

How can the people responsible for running our country get it so fundamentally wrong when managing the message to the general public? This seems to have been the mood of the media in response to Alistair Darling's statement about the economy over the weekend. The question becomes: Is Darling really so naive as to believe that 'pure' honesty about the economy is what we or indeed the City wants to hear? What ever the case, his comments in The Guardian Magazine over the weekend have had a profound impact on this country's economy and have also resurrected in my mind, the whole issue of spin and message management.

So I'm intrigued by the furore caused by Darling's statement. There's something of a dilemma for Labour or indeed any Government these days because of the impact of spin over the past 10 years or so. They've shot themselves in the foot so many times dressing up negative news and deliberately misleading us on so many issues. So is honesty the best policy and should we stand by Alistair Darling when he talks the economy down as he did this weekend? Or should we expect our Chancellor to be more adept at messaging and to inspire confidence across all of the stakeholders in UK PLC?

Truth be told, I actually quite admire Darling for his candour. It might be ill-advised in the short term but history shows us that those who speak the truth no matter how tough or unpalatable it might be, often end up being the most trusted. Sadly however in today's political climate Darling's comment make him the latest casualty of the Brown premiership. He's caught up in a mismanaged Government that's lurching from one crisis to another. What is significant is the fact that Brown's highly paid PR advisers seem incapable of managing the message. To have the Chancellor give such a candid interview in such challenging times is frankly quite shocking. For sure, Brown cannot be expected to micro manage every public statement by his Cabinet but I'm darn certain that he wishes he could!

Any executive with a major corporation who made comments that negatively affected the share price, customer confidence or brand reputation, no matter how honest they were being would be shown the door in a heartbeat. It's not a question of misleading anyone, it's simply a matter of ensuring the right message is packaged in the right way to ensure all stakeholders feel a sense of confidence in the situation. So the question is: Does Alistair Darling, as Chancellor, inspire you when he paints such as gloomy picture of the economy ahead? Was he right to be so candid?

The Credit Crunch is Biting

2008-09-01T17:06:00.005Z

The 08.10 Woking to Waterloo chugs in 30 minutes late.

Britain tops Olympic 2012 medal table by playing joker on the last round

Jonathon Ross axed by BBC for refusing move to Manchester

Tesco shows its contempt for its customers in surprising new ad campaign

So who says this has to be a place for serious comment? These came from my sister and I found them amusing on a dreary September morning. I want to see Stuart Hall fronting the Olympics and I reckon most people would love to see the over paid jerk Rossy have his come uppance.

Put Your Underpants Away

2008-08-28T14:19:00.008Z

Can someone tell me why males aged between 14 and 23 (anyone older should be shot or forcibly re-educated) insist on showing their grubby boxer shorts in the name of fashion?

Is it part of some sort of pseudo mating ritual? Is it an attempt to say: "hey look at my underwear - I'll get it off for you". Or is it just the latest daft fashion statement? If it is, it's been going on TOO LONG. I recall seeing a young male in the back of beyond (Vermont actually) and actually laughing out loud. That was 12 years ago. Surely this ridiculous trend can't be that enduring?

And while we're being a sad old git and having a anti-youth rant: why do these specimens also then wear jeans that a) barely cover their pubic regions and b) have them tripping up because they are several inches too long?

Obviously all fashions worn by the Author in the late 70's and 80's were perfectly acceptable and men in their mid 40's had nothing but praise for how good we looked. :)

The Dark Age of PR

2008-08-27T09:58:00.003Z

I'm surprised / concerned / irritated / (delete as appropriate) to read that 89% of the leading PR agencies don't have a blog and that 79% have yet to develop a set of online and social media services. OK, so the research was by a search marketing firm and everyone in PR will recognise that surveys can tell whatever story they like (particularly during the August silly season), but the underlying fact is that PR in the UK is still rooted in a past age.

Over the last two years I've seen a lot of PR agencies and have spoken to agency Principles in both the UK and the US. Several have had very strong and well developed social media services. And it's no coincidence that those that do, are led by individuals who have their own blog and use new media such as Twitter on a daily basis. But there are many who don't. Agencies say they have social media capabilities when in reality they barely recognise their Facebook from their Scoble. And as so many have observed, the skills in building online relationships with bloggers seem sadly lacking.

So why is this? Is social media seen only as the domain of the tech agencies? Are agency leaders in the UK of a different era that fight shy of embracing anything digital? The now well accepted notion of 'digital native' and 'digital immigrant' surely comes into play here. I'd be interested to see some research done that looks at social media expertise across the agency world categorised by age and by specialism. With certain well known exceptions, it wouldn't take a rocket scientist to deduce that younger agencies are better placed while the older, traditional and dare I say it, corporate specialists are the laggards.

But unless the UK agency world wakes up to social media it will be left behind. The threat comes not just from the faster more digitally savvy agencies out there but from other sectors of the marketing services profession. Blink more than twice and a new breed of digital agency will eat PR's lunch.

Conservative Kill Joys

2008-08-21T09:27:00.002Z

I think the Conservative Party has shot itself in the foot over its condemnation of No 10's video response to the Jezza for PM petition. So what if someone in No 10 took half an hour to make the reply -- at least it proved that Brown's ailing Government has a sense of humour.

Chill out David, making one short video does not mean Mr Brown is taking his eye off the ball. Let's face it, Labour is doing a pretty good job of screwing up the running of the country so don't put the boot in over this one. Show yourselves to have a sense of humour and reserve your ongoing campaigning to issues that really matter.

PR Manners

2008-08-20T09:33:00.004Z

Coming back from a wet and windy Cornwall, I've been amazed by the flurry of blog posts attacking and then defending the actions of PR people in the 'digital age'. It seems that common courtesy is not a trait associated with the PR profession and that PRs are 'spamming' bloggers indiscriminately. We all have read with a mix of amusement and irritation, the name and shame lists of PRs who have invoked the ire of the influential bloggers.

My contribution to the debate is to highlight a blog post from Chris Brogan recently. His post on good PR manners struck a chord with me. I was taught from my first days in PR way back before the word blogger was ever invented always to know and do the following:

who you are talking to (obvious really)
understand the readership the journalist writes for
know the deadlines the journalist is under
build a relationship with individual journalists
only send information when its relevant
never follow up with a "will you publish" or "have you received it?"
don't send information in an unsolicited form

And bear in mind this was in the days of fax machines and telephones, before even email! Infact anyone over the age of 35 will remember the days when you had to decide whether a journalist had an email account!

So Chris' post applauding the email he received from the guy at the PR agency was spot on. It's just a shame that this example of best practice merited a post from Chris. Surely this approach to bloggers by PRs should be the norm rather than the exception?

Document Sharing Community

2008-08-20T09:18:00.004Z

An interesting new concept has been launched that's trying to build a community out of people wishing to buy and sell documents across the web. The site Doxmart has been launched with the backing of an old friend Andy Gilbert and is seeking to become the "eBay for shared knowledge".

Looking through it, I see that a lot of documents available at the time of launch are from Andy's main business which is GoMadThinking. Nothing wrong in that - it's a smart way to generate additional cash from the IP Andy and his team have created over the years.

I do wonder however whether there are possible copyright risks and implications from documents being posted for sale that are owned by corporations etc? I'm sure the Doxmart team will have thought about this but it'll be interesting to see how the site deals with the issue when it comes up.

The idea is an interesting one and I wish Andy and his team the very best.

Disruption, Exit or Failure

2008-08-04T13:19:00.003Z

Tom Foremski writes a powerful column on ZD-Net bemoaning the fact that so-called disruptive technology companies are selling out before creating the sort of disruption they promised to cause. I'm wondering at what point a disruptive start-up that is struggling to raise funds from an increasingly demanding VC community takes the exit option if only to preserve the business? I can understand Tom's point of view as a journalist but I also believe that disruption is great if it generates cash. Unfortunately cash is king and without it, even the most principled of entrepreneurs will take the exit route if the price is right. And what's so very wrong in that?

Too Fat For President?

2008-08-03T19:43:00.010Z

I find it absolutely incredible that Obama's run for Presidency is considered to be flagging because voters in many states find him too thin. I'm sorry but what does that say about the mentality of a vast swathe of the US population? Todays Sunday Times covers the topic well. Mind you, we seem to be obsessing about Gordon Brown's satorial habits. Coverage of his holiday attire seems to have caught the media's attention. You've got to pity the poor man in some regards because he's clearly so ill at ease dressing casually.

Again, the Sunday Times ran an interesting editorial ostensibly looking at Boden man but really comparing Brown to Cameron in the fashion department. Perhaps the UK and the US are not so different after all?

Or is it the fact that in August we don't give a damn about policies? Perhaps we just want to see our leaders as ordinary people? Sad then that being overweight holds so much importance to the US populus and worrying that dressing like a Boden model seems to be the desired image for the UK voter.

Or is it simply because it's editorial silly season. You decide!

Social Web & Chris Brogan

2008-08-01T14:30:00.004Z

I found this fascinating quote today from Chris Brogan on his excellent blog:

"The social web has enabled all kinds of new opportunities to communicate. Business and sales are just one portion of a large spectrum of ways we connect and transact. As with everything you and I talk about here, it comes down to clarity of purpose. If you’re selling something, state it. If you’re looking for customers, talk about it. If you’re there to educate, that’s fine, too. They’re YOUR tools. Use them the way you want. Just be clear and open about it." For more on this, click here

There's no doubt that the social web is redefining the way business communicates to customers. As Chris says, its now about a dialogue and about having good online listening skills. It's no longer about push messages but about getting the consumer to engage with a brand or service. And the social web gives us a whole new range of tools to drive this conversation.

I really recommend anyone with an interest in social marketing / social web to visit Chris Brogan's blog. He's a smart guy with a ton of good ideas / observations and opinons.

19 Months On

2008-06-30T12:17:00.003Z

We're now at the end of June 2008. Friction.tv has gone past its 1st birthday, in fact its 18 months old. It's a toddler, crawling, talking, into everything and just about potty trained. Strange how life imitates business.....

Friction TV

2007-03-06T10:10:00.001Z

After the sad debacle that my previous dot com experience turned into, I'm chuffed that www.friction.tv has not only got off the ground but is flourishing. We are a platform dedicated to free speech and debate - a kind of online speakers corner. And judging by the interest to date, we are hitting the right spot.

But what does it all mean? Who will come to the site? And more importantly who will take the time to provide the all important content?

I'm convinced that more and more of us will leave conventional media behind and seek out places where we can participate in the debate. We all have strong opinions and we want our voices to be heard. We can thank web 2.0 for giving us the capability and I guess we can thank YouTube for creating the category of user generated content.

Friction TV fills a gap in the UGC programming line up. YouTube can't deliver quality debates - it's just too entertainment oriented. We offer a new channel where anyone can have their voice heard and where anyone can spark debate on local, national or global issues. The possibilities are endless and if sufficient people take part, the debate may even make a difference.

So the people who will provide content can and will come from any section of society. We are already seeing Politicians using the site to spark debate on policy issues; NGOs and charities are using it to highlight inequalities in their worlds; pressure groups are using it as a platform to air their views; and, most crucially, ordinary people are using it to spark debate around issues that affect them.

We obviously hope that Friction.TV will become established as a credible, enjoyable and authoratitive UGC channel. It's early days but the experience in getting it off the ground is proving exciting, rewarding and most of all fun!

You won't take my word for it so visit Friction.TV for yourself and spark your own debate.

What a Kerfuffle

2007-01-18T10:29:00.000Z

I'm embarrassed to say that I was strangely fascinated by Jade Goody's outburst on Celebrity Big Brother last night. Fascinated is probably the wrong word as it was like witnessing somebody self harming themselves over and over again. What on earth is that woman on? Does she not realise the damage she is doing to her 'celebrity' reputation? Or perhaps this type of mindless outburst is what 'endears' her to the great British public? I truly hope not!

The really sad thing is the way all three English girls behaved. What we saw was school ground gang culture at its very worst. I have to agree with Shilpa when she pointed out the difference between her upbringing, culture and behaviour and that of the three little girls that sadly represent England. I felt like hanging my head in shame.

But does their behaviour justify the diplomatic kerfuffle we've read about? Should his Tonyship have to comment on such banalities? To be honest, if he felt it would boost is popularity, you can be sure he would. But on this occasion, surprise surprise, he didn't confess to being a Celebrity Big Brother addict.

Anyway, are the three girls really racist or are their comments just the by-product of ignorance? Sure, the comments are misguided, perhaps even provocative; but I don't think they are based on any deep rooted racism. What we saw was the gulf between upbringing and intelligence. Shilpa must be admired for maintaining her dignity during one of the most manic, foul-mouthed, excessive displays of temper yet witnessed in reality TV. The only winner will be Shilpa because surely now everyone will see Jade Goody for the vacuous talentless individual she really is.

2006-12-05T08:58:00.000Z

Will Only The Niche Survive?

We're starting to see some interesting developments in the world of the mega social networks. The attempts by YouTube, MySpace, Bebo et al to become all things to all men is backfiring. It's a bit like the debate over supermarkets vs boutique shops. I know where I'd rather shop. So from my perspective, the planets are lining up very nicely for the launch of www.sharethisday.com. Even the kids are now starting to turn their backs on these mega networks in favour of a more personalised experience. And we are seeing evidence that a new, older generation of online user is looking to share important moments among their loved ones. It seems to me that size does not always matter. Sure, if you are reliant on advertising to fund your site, then bums on seats will always be a primary consideration. But spare a thought for the smaller, more personal sites that can offer something different. Of course, they might experience the same phenomenal growth, if so it will be a testament to their appeal. And the beauty of the web is that new properties will spring up in their place.

2006-10-17T11:38:00.000Z

Do TOGs Use BLOGs?

I was amused to hear Terry Wogan this morning refer to the 'Mass Blog In' being organised by the British Library. El Tel's view was "blog? What's a blog? Do you know anyone who blogs?" Yet according to some Harris research published in The Guardian yesterday, more than a quarter of the population have created their own website or blog. Perhaps Terry needs to get with the programme and appreciate that a significant number of his TOGs are actually bloggers and actually do use computers! Either way, it'll be interesting to see how many 'ordinary citizens' respond to the British Library's call to record what happened to them today.

2006-10-16T21:22:00.000Z

Welcome to my family content blog.

I must disclose my interest in this right from the start. I'm the co-founder of a family oriented social networking site going by the name of www.sharethisday.com. We're in late beta at the moment and should launch in the UK very soon.

I'm driven to blog by some random thoughts that have been going around my head since we started this business about eight months ago. We're building the future of our business on the belief that user generated content is not something just for the highly computer literate or the internet generation. It is something that can have a positive effect on anybody who uses a computer and who has a broadband connection. And here in the UK, that's a number that approaches 20 million people.

This means my Father or my Wife's parents. It means friends, families and close communities. People out there for whom MySpace, Bebo, YouTube etc are just names in a newspaper. As Dominic Rushe and Paul Durman write in this weekend's Sunday Times article, many over 30 still haven't heard of these companies. But what is clear is that what these organisations have done through the phenomenon of web 2.0 is to open up a whole new world of possibility to anyone with a computer. I see potential not in joining the throngs who flock to YouTube to post amusing videos for the world to see, but in families and friends creating 'private content (that's private in the true sense not in any inappropriate way). My family for one does not want to 'show off' and share with just anyone my son's first steps or his first words. But my sister, her children, my parents, my wife's parents etc do all want to see these special moments. What's more, they want to share their own moments. In other words, they want to choose what they see and who sees it.

It's not so very different to the whole YouTube phenomenon. As Charles Leadbeater so rightly points out - it's about participation. But it's not about global participation, it's about family participation. It's about privacy, it's about security, it's about personalisation. It's a subset of the phenomenon we know as user generated content - it's what I term 'family generated content'.

That's what I am passionate about. That and so much more.