Applying traditional comms thinking in the digital age

The gloomy reports about dwindling newspaper circulations could lead some to believe that traditional media and the journalism that powers it are on the wane. ABC’s readership stats identified an 8.1 per cent drop in February 2014 compared with the same period last year. While this certainly places traditional publications under pressure, the fact is that journalism itself is now being carried out in less institutionalised forms and across a much wider array of channels. One only has to turn...

9 September 2014 | Advertising Technology

The UK energy Big Six: Why the wrong reputation means the wrong story

The BBC has reported that, according to Ofgem estimates, the UK’s infamous ‘Big Six’ energy suppliers are set to double their profit margins for next year (8%) as compared to a year ago (4%). In a hostile environment (to put it mildly), it’s a headline statistic that’s sure to rankle and makes for yet more bad publicity for an already unpopular group. In a sense, the raised hackles are understandable: consumers living through a recession are likely to be touchy when their energy...

6 August 2014 | Branding

Why there’s so much more to PR than newsjacking for security companies

The technology market place is jam-packed with security companies. And with the NSA revelations fuelling growth and sparking new ideas, both hot new start-ups and established firms are jostling for business and looking to attract mega bucks from investors, writes Aspectus PR’s Sophie Hodgson. The reason is simple. Unlike the rest of the world, hackers weren’t subject to austerity measures or cost cutting. Indeed, cybercrime is believed to cost $445bn to the global economy, making it more...

28 July 2014 | Branding

Examining the many faces of content marketing for brands

Last Thursday, Aspectus PR headed to the Institute of Education’s Logan Hall near Russell Square in London for the Content Marketing Show. Organised by Kelvin Newman at Rough Agenda, the twice-yearly event examines the good, the bad and the ugly of content marketing in rapid-fire sessions delivered by professionals drawn from across the media industry. The core theme underpinning the show was the human aspect of social media. Captured succinctly in the form of an infographic produced by...

21 July 2014 | Campaigns

Wearing thin: Is wearable tech an ethical nightmare for PR and comms professionals?

The CIPR hosted a debate last week at the House of Commons on the implications of wearable technology and how such devices raise ethical concerns around the potential use of the data they provide for marketing and PR purposes. However, these devices pose the same kind of challenges as many current technologies do, argues Aspectus PR’s Garry Dix. Last Monday saw the CIPR ask whether or not ‘wearable technology is an ethical nightmare for PR, marketing and communication professionals’,...

17 July 2014 | Customer Experience

Wolf of Wall Street howls old school comms in the digital age

“Any publicity is good publicity.” This is perhaps one of the less controversial lines from Martin Scorsese’s Wolf of Wall Street. And while it’s easy to overlook amidst a three-hour epic of debauchery, drugs and dwarf tossing, it’s actually one of the more insightful lines from the movie – from a PR perspective at least. The line comes from Belfort’s wife in response to a negative story in Forbes about the unethical practices of her husband’s brokerage firm. The phrase is by...

7 May 2014 | Campaigns

How to keep your PR pitch from ending up in the trash

A journalist can receive hundreds if not thousands of emails each day. In addition to pitches from PR professionals there are emails from companies promoting their latest products, event invitations and more. Due to the sheer volume, most will be deleted before they are ever opened, and even if your email does get opened, it doesn’t mean the journalist will be interested or even have time to write back to you. So how can we ensure that our pitches stand out in a cluttered inbox – and...

25 April 2014 | Commerce

How to create a buzz-worthy social media campaign for B2B clients

Finance. Technology. Energy. These industries can appear complex and are not always easy to understand fully or explain to others, especially through social media. As PR practitioners, our clients count on us to make their news and accomplishments jump off the page, and they increasingly expect these results via social channels. With only 140 characters to work with, the task can seem quite daunting, particularly for business-oriented clients that have strict messaging guidelines, policies...

7 April 2014 | Social Media Marketing

Digital versus print: An exciting PR conundrum

The balance of power between traditional and digital media has been shifting for some time. But the balance has certainly swung in favour of digital. Last week, it was widely reported that Telegraph stalwart Tony Gallagher had lost his long-held position as editor, while Guardian Media Group had sold its cash-cow AutoTrader (claiming that the capital could provide financial support for the next 30 years). In...

10 February 2014 | Branding

How Bitcoin demonstrates the power of brand currency

Hardly a day passes without Bitcoin hitting the headlines. Whether it’s regulators warning over the risks entailed with buying, holding or trading virtual currencies, or Bitcoin’s volatility problem, or its alleged use in the trade of illegal drugs, the one aspect that shines through the drama is the power of Bitcoin as a brand. The virtual or ‘crypto’ currency already has its own PR machinery in place on the Bitcoin wiki, where there is a handy list of dos and don’ts when it comes...

21 January 2014 | Advertising Technology