latest news from the orchard

May 22, 2012

In the hot seat

Filed under: PR, Training — Tags: , , , , — orchardnews @ 10:40 am

Two years after leaving the world of broadcast journalism I was back behind the microphone last week grilling the latest candidates to participate in Orchard PR’s media training course. Orchard PR’s resident media trainer Emma Anderson invited me along to play the “journalist” in the fictional interviews in which the candidates take part on the day.

When I was on air, I clocked up numerous hours trawling through interviews in search of the golden sound bite to help bring stories alive. Most journalists are looking for a sound bite no longer than 15 to 20 seconds in length. In the grand scheme of things, this is not long especially when you factor in pauses and common ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’.  It’s important interviewees are aware of what journalists are looking for and are confident in their key messages and can deliver them in a way that meets the needs of the journalist.

These skills are often the difference between an audience actually engaging in what you say or making them switch off entirely. This is where media training comes in and it can give interviewees the skills to deliver and impress. Where media training helps is in understanding the media, knowing your target audience(s), tailoring your messages to suit those audiences and having a “tool box” to help you prepare and get the most out of an interview.

As Emma often says, communicating through the media (both traditional and digital) is not a dark art, it is a learned skill and once you have built those muscles you need to exercise them to stay in shape.

Posted by Cat.

April 18, 2012

There’s more to Pinterest than cake…

Filed under: PR, Social Media — Tags: , , , , , — orchardnews @ 8:10 am

Pinterest. You’ve heard of it by now, it’s the social network that helps you compile pin boards of your favourite images from anywhere on the web whilst retaining links back to the origin sites. Other users can follow you or your boards and ‘repin’ your pinned images. So far, so simple.

In America the site has become a sensation with the crafting community who use it to collect together DIY tutorials and picture inspirations. Great, but what if you’re not crafty? What if you the sporty type or you’re a business? Fear not, there are many more uses for Pinterest than looking at cakes (though admittedly, this is how I spend most of my time!)

The great thing about Pinterest is that you can use it to gather together information that you want to share and use the images to engage likeminded pinners. If you need any more convincing check out President Obama’s boards: where else can you find information about private sector job stats next to a picture of Obama’s face on a cake? Genius.

Of course, there have been some teething issues as with any new technology. The biggest problem has been for people who earn a living through people looking at their images, like bloggers and photographers. Whilst Pinterest retains a link to the original site these are not always followed and if the image was originally found whilst browsing on Tumblr, for example, the original link is lost. This has led to bloggers like Liberty London Girl protecting themselves by watermarking pictures on their sites.

So it’s not perfect but it has the potential to be a really useful network for businesses and individuals alike. Local hair salon (and Orchard client) The White Room uses it to share hair styling tutorials as well as inspiration, product advice and make-up tips. Crafty blogger Martine a.k.a iMake uses it to showcase her handmade items and lead pinners to the tutorials on the iMake website.

My boards? Well, they’re mostly pictures of cake, but I haven’t heard any complaints from team Orchard about this rather delicious source of inspiration!

Posted by Chloe.

April 16, 2012

Who do you trust?

Filed under: PR, Social Media — Tags: , , , , , , , — orchardnews @ 3:55 pm

Do you trust me? Interesting question…

Aladdin asked Jasmine before she got on his magic carpet and Jack asked Rose in Titanic…before it sank.  It’s a weird concept;  hard to gain and easy to lose – what makes you trust someone over someone else?

What about trust in businesses, media, politicians?

Edelman publishes an annual Trust Barometer which measures trust in governments, companies and the media across 25 countries. This year its findings were interesting but not that surprising considering the recent economic issues and the Leveson inquiry into press standards.

As revealed by PRWeek, the barometer showed an increase in disillusionment with both businesses and the Government in the UK. Trust in governments fell to 43% globally making government officials the least credible spokespeople in the report.  Trust in business also fell with only 30% of UK respondents finding CEOs to be believable spokespeople for their organisation.

This presents PR people with a challenge; finding credible spokespeople stakeholders can warm to and trust is a key part of many communications strategies.

What the research did reveal is that members of the public are increasingly looking to ‘people like themselves’ for credible information. This doesn’t just mean friends and family as with the increase in use of social media, not surprisingly, trust in online peers is at a record high.

This shift in credibility away from government and business towards media and in particularly social media has been described by Edelman as a “dispersion of authority” and represents a major shift in how organisations are having to manage their public relations.

It is now more important than ever to seek third party endorsements and support, and to create ambassadors for your brand that live both inside and outside your organisation. Satisfied customers and happy clients recounting positive experiences, or employees telling their peers about the great things they do every day – these are the things that make a difference to public perceptions in a world influenced by social media.

Posted by Harriet.

April 5, 2012

Getting a feel for working in PR

Filed under: Orchard, PR — Tags: , , , , , — orchardnews @ 2:01 pm

Orchard has been taking part in the IoD Management Shadowing Scheme (sponsored by KPMG) and for a few days this week we have had Laura Butler in the office with us. Laura is really keen to get into PR and plans to study it at degree level after she finishes studying at The Grammar School next year – so she seemed like the ideal candidate to come along to Orchard and see what a manager does here. She will write a report and give a presentation on her experience later in the year, but for a sneak preview – we asked what she thought of her short time here…

The end is nigh for my time at Orchard PR and I can safely say I have thoroughly enjoyed myself and learnt a great deal about the industry I hope to become part of one day.

My few days here have really surprised me as this is certainly not your average 9-5 desk job. It was good to see early on that PR would not just be about being in an office when straight away, before I’d even had the chance to take my jacket off, I was off to the Guernsey Press to get a real understanding of how working with the media and PR go hand in hand and are key in this industry.

During the time I’ve spent here I’ve witnessed client meetings, brainstorming and seen how you need to have one eye on the media at all times. I’ve learnt that timing is everything in PR – it’s not all about being punctual but having an understanding of how the media and the clients’ days pan out.

I have enjoyed my week at Orchard and have learned a great deal from Brooke and the team. I have seen the process of how the local paper is made and even helped give out Easter goodies to the rest of the media around the island. Doing my management shadowing at Orchard has certainly shown me that in PR no two work days are the same and this is why I’m glad I chose to do the scheme and will hopefully (fingers crossed) work in the industry in the future.

Posted by Brooke.

March 15, 2012

Gearing up for an election

Filed under: PR — Tags: , , , , , , — orchardnews @ 10:33 am

Guernsey is preparing to head to the polls to choose their next 45 deputies and indications are that this could be the States’ first ‘social media’ election. This shift could help to engage younger voters in the political process and change the way politicians communicate with the public.

Young people and politics in Guernsey enjoy an uneasy relationship for many different reasons. These issues aren’t unique to Guernsey as democracies throughout the world are struggling to engage with young people. However there are several factors unique to island politics that create barriers to participation. Despite these underlying structural political issues, there is also cause for optimism.

Firstly it cannot be stressed enough that the problem is not young people. Young people are passionate about the issues that affect them and have strong opinions across a wide range of topics. Whether it is education, welfare, jobs or the environment young people have valuable and insightful views. However they are frustrated by what can be an arcane and remote political process that all too often moves at a glacial pace. Young people see the issues important to them slip further and further down the agenda, and the solutions to important problems fall further and further away. Naturally this breeds apathy and distance between young voters and the politicians that are meant to serve them.

As with young people, the States isn’t entirely to blame. The States has taken bold steps forward in engaging young people. By lowering the voting age to 16 Guernsey is ahead of almost the entire democratic world when it comes to constitutional empowerment of young voters. Sadly however, many young people won’t go to the polls due to apathy and a lack of interest in what the States is doing. They might be interested in the issues but find the States’ solutions unpalatable and incomprehensible. A large part of the problem is down to communication.

(more…)

February 17, 2012

Regulation would kill creative PR

Filed under: PR — Tags: , , , , , — orchardnews @ 4:41 pm

The day that PR becomes regulated like a financial services product or household utility will be the day I go for an early bus pass.

The House of Lords Communications Committee this week released its report on the future of the media, in which it described investigative journalism as vital to democracy. That’s alright then.

On the face of it the timing of the report was no surprise, in the wake of much phone-tapping hysteria, resignations, closures and Leveson frenzy.

But the worrying part was the report’s reference to not journalism but PR as a threat to democracy; claiming that PR is unchecked and without a comprehensive system of self-regulation.

I’m right behind the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and Public Relations Consultants’ Association, who have happily called half time on their differences to jointly slam this suggestion.

I’m proud to be a Fellow of the Chartered Institute with its robust Code of Conduct – I sit on Council with some members of the disciplinary committee and trust me I don’t want to appear before them any time soon.

More so, I believe that any PR practitioner worth their salt is strictly self-regulating, not least to safeguard their own reputation as well as that of their employer (if in-house), consultancy and clients.

A free and open market allows creative, constructive and professional PR practice to thrive outside of the confines of the regulator’s shackles – and long may it continue!

Posted by Steve.

February 10, 2012

January 26, 2012

CSR should be more than just fluff…

Filed under: PR — Tags: , , , , , — orchardnews @ 1:06 pm

I went along to the seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility yesterday that was put on by Susie Andrade, of the Channel Island Skills Academy, and the Guernsey Chamber of Commerce. I expect it was a good introduction to the subject for many attendees but perhaps it did not go far enough. The area of CSR is one that is often misconstrued and many businesses need to be challenged on why they engage in CSR and how. More detail was needed on stressing the importance of changing the fundamental operations of a business to appropriately embrace CSR. Many use CSR to outwardly promote good practises while nothing significant really changes internally.

In PR we love CSR – when it is done right. We can make compelling stories about businesses acting responsibly, choosing ethical suppliers and making business decisions that have the needs of the community (local or global) at their heart. Apple recently hit the news with their announcement that they had been reviewing their supply chain to ensure all employees in a variety of geographies are treated equitably. Admittedly they did this after facing pressure from activist groups and the media which lessened the impact of their action. If, as a global business they had done this proactively it would have made a strong, PR-able story for the business, and, more importantly, won them the respect of their customers.

CSR should mean more than the odd charitable donation or staff shed-painting expedition. Don’t get me wrong, we love the odd bit of PR fluff here at Orchard towers, but we are much happier (and we get better results) when dealing with something that effects real change within a business environment.

Here are my tweets from the event:

@chrischilton

At #csr seminar – 38% of consumers will pay more for socially responsible products or services…

@chrischilton

360 registered charities in Guernsey – seems like quite a lot? #csr

@chrischilton

#csr strategies need to think big, be long term and focus on sustainability not just short term quick wins.

@chrischilton

#csr is not always about money? Can be time, knowledge or facilities. But in most businesses those things cost money?

@chrischilton

#csr activity is very useful for #pr but #pr should not be the only reason you are doing something.

Posted by Chris.

December 30, 2011

Looking forward to 2012

Filed under: Events, Orchard, PR, Social Media — Tags: , , , , — orchardnews @ 1:56 pm

Despite its unfortunate associations with the Mayan calendar, at Orchard we are really looking forward to 2012. It looks set to be another year of innovation in our fast moving sector, with on-line PR where most of the real progress will be made. The team at Orchard have made some predictions, resolutions and observations about what they think the next year will hold for us.

Steve: 2012 will be a year when marketing budgets face a further squeeze as corporate belts are tightened further; we’ll have to work even harder to demonstrate the value that good PR delivered by professional practitioners can add in difficult economic times.

Harry: I’m looking forward to studying towards my CIPR Diploma in 2012. I’ll be dusting off my PR books and getting in the swing of writing essays again!

Brooke: Next year I am looking forward to some more fab events launching some new brands (shhhh can’t tell you about them yet!) into Guernsey and Guernsey Festival is going to rock, I just know it is going to feature in my PR highlights for 2012.  Oh did I mention I am getting married… I think my wedding is going to be a pretty big personal PR event for me!!

Pieter: I am looking forward to gaining more experience with the team at Orchard, assisting them with a wide variety of tasks and projects and putting my media skills to good use whenever I can.

Chloe: I am desperate to get started on a PR qualification! I am currently about half way to getting a degree with the Open University which I am really enjoying. I’m really looking forward to taking on something industry specific though and building on the knowledge that I have acquired as an account executive.

Emma: I am looking forward to conducting more media and presentation skills training. I think 2012 will also be the year that our clients will really get to grips with how the media has changed. By their nature, professional services firms are not known for being early adopters but the wave of proof demonstrating how useful social media is can no longer be ignored. I am looking forward to helping them get the best out of these new communication channels.

So there you have it – 2012 will be about big events, the wedding of the year, developing new skills and showing clients that PR delivers value for money. We expect it’s going to be a busy year.

Posted by Chris.

December 16, 2011

Good, bad and the downright icky…

Filed under: Orchard, PR — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — orchardnews @ 4:18 pm

2011 has been an interesting year in PR. With the media industry in the midst of a crisis of ethics and inquiries and social media opening up communications to the world and their dog to break news, break down stories and go public with their own take on things it has been a difficult – but interesting – time to be thinking about what makes for good PR.

The Orchard team have come up with our three highlights for 2011, showing what is good, bad, and frankly quite weird in the world of PR this year.

First of all, let’s look at the ‘good’. Steve and Cat both suggested the Royal Wedding, which as well as being a good old fashioned knees up for much of the country, was a lesson in absolutely impeccable media and public relations. According to Steve (who knows a thing or two about dealing with Royals) “Paddy Harverson, the director of communications at Clarence House, has done an amazing job in managing the profile of The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall since 2004. The Royal Wedding this year of Prince William and Kate Middleton was a PR masterpiece, combining tradition and ceremony with modern popular touches – and a nice classic car!”

Waving to the crowds

Not everyone had such a good year though, and our resident Aussie Emma had to bring up the ‘pyjama disaster’ at Qantas. As Emma says, if you want an example of bad PR from 2011 “it has to be the Qantas debacle.” She goes on: “Launching a social media campaign a week after the airline grounded its fleet was mind-boggling. Qantas asked users to use the hashtag #QantasLuxury to describe what their “dream luxury inflight experience” would be. Angry and sarcastic Twitter posts flooded Twitter. It was the wrong campaign to be launching at a time when there was an on-going industrial relations dispute with its workers. Lessons should be learned – this was a great example of the power of social media and why PR should not be done in isolation from the rest of the business.”

And finally… No year would be complete without a range of baffling PR stunts gaining coverage despite all norms of taste and decency. While we liked the giant slipper our pick of the year goes to ‘Baby Gaga’, an ice-cream made from human breast milk.

As Harry explains: “Baby Gaga was one of the most out-there stunts of the year. The ice-cream, made from human breast milk, managed to create a number of international headlines for the ice-cream shop in Covent Garden that launched it. It stayed in the news for several days, and caused a lot of controversy even though Westminster Council was reported to have confiscated it amid concerns over safety.

So there you have it: a royal wedding, airline pyjamas and human breast milk ice-cream. Don’t let anyone ever tell you that PR work isn’t varied.

Posted by Chris.

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