Laura Weston

PRmoment Leaders update: We've just launched the PRmoment Leaders In-house Programme for people working in comms roles in the corporate world. The new programme starts in September, alongside our separate agency-side one. It includes the same 11 core elements that enable people to learn from industry experts, to network with peers in similar roles and to prepare for leadership roles. Focus and content are the key differentiators. Our new programme features industry experts delivering masterclasses on topics that address the specific challenges and opportunities faced by comms people in client-side roles. I explain why we've launched the programme below. Let me know if you'd like to hear more...

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"Advertising is a potent tool and now is the time for us all to step up, recognising the urgency of the climate crisis and the need to get ahead of disinformation. When information is delivered in a way that resonates with the audience, it can drive positive change. We can do three things: safeguard the public against misinformation by reaching them with a positive message, reframe by communicating the benefits of climate policy, or rebut misinformation with the relevant facts. The elections and the climate crisis will not wait, and neither can we. It’s time to act now," says Harriet Kingaby at ACT Climate Labs. Excellent piece c/o Sustainability Beat looking at why it’s important for climate communicators to help combat misinformation during the upcoming political elections. Well worth a read... 👇🏻 🌱 🗳️ https://lnkd.in/ehiCNDHw

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‘You can’t really measure the impact of PR’. I hear that said so often that sometimes even those of us working in the sector can be at risk of internalising that belief. Which is why it’s so uplifting when a client takes the time to write in on a Friday afternoon to say ‘the result of the press coverage [that Rostrum generated] is a 25% increase in website traffic and a 50% increase in form completions’. That’s a measurable return on investment from your PR programme.

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Why gain a qualification in crisis communication. We talk to professionals who are not only qualified in crisis communication but are also Chartered Practitioners. First in the series is Chloe Chescoe Chart.PR, ACIPR, speaking from an agency perspective. https://lnkd.in/eP_8MSYi

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Some of the benefits of a retained monthly PR programme vs a short burst below. In summary, it’s having the time and team allocation to… ✅ Take a deep dive into your competitive landscape ✅ Perform a media audit on you and your competitors ✅ Spend time building (and building on) a detailed media list of journalist contacts ✅ Spend time pitching these journalists, building up new assets to pitch them, and scouring the internet for opportunities to pitch If you can, it’s always beneficial to take a longer term approach to PR. What else would you add?

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Are you a media professional constantly in need of finding the right expert to corroborate your work? www.expertsources.co.uk EXPERTSOURCES is an online platform ‘WHERE JOURNALISTS FIND PEOPLE WITH EXPERTISE’. We have over 7,700 Media Members representing every branch of the media; from regional, national and international TV, radio, newspapers; trade & monthly magazines, conference organisers, blogs & podcasts. Join here in less than 20 seconds FREE OF CHARGE https://lnkd.in/gWTuBX5 and search with keywords related to your topic to find matching keywords from the expert profiles, and then contact those directly when there’s a match! If you’re an expert wanting to further enhance your reputation, and wanting to increase your revenue through potentially gaining valuable media publicity join here https://lnkd.in/dbnVv_m at a greatly reduced fee.  If you’d prefer to pay us via bank transfer, contact us on the Contact Us page https://lnkd.in/dNqkfNh3 USEFUL LINKS: 🌸 Watch Founder Bob Mills in an interview talking about ExpertSources https://lnkd.in/gBJZyHs 🌻 Testimonials by previous and existing Media & Expert members https://lnkd.in/gzxMcmN 🌼 Search Advice - https://lnkd.in/dzPiP74 🌷 Who’s Searching https://lnkd.in/dqWTe9k #Publicity #Media #MediaProfessionals #Journalist #Journalists #MediaExposure #Revenue #PR #PublicRelations #Expert #Experts #Charity #University #Business #Journalism #Editorial #Podcast #Vlog #Magazines #TV #Radio #SocialMedia #ROI #Business #StartUp #Entrepreneur #Success #BusinessSuccess #Revenue #YourDream #Reputation #Journalism Photo by Dan Dumitriu on Unsplash

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Media Comms is all Very Personal

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Some tips from me on entering these (or indeed any) awards. 🏆 On discussing Press For Attention PR’s sponsored category, Responsible Business, Greg shared: “First up, tell us judges a story. We don’t need to hear about what you do, your history and inside leg measurements. Set the scene by all means but grab our attention early on by explaining the problem or challenge as it stood and how you tackled it and crucially…why? How did you change things? What does it mean for the user/stakeholder? Remember, nobody wants a drill…they want a hole in the wall. Show us the results.

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While commemoration is vital, #FreedomDay also presents a valuable opportunity for growth. By strategically utilising PR tactics, organisations can extend the significance of Freedom Day beyond simply looking back. Create a lasting impact by facilitating dialogue for a brighter future, community engagement through action and elevating untold stories. #HappyFreedomDay #FreedomDayZA #SouthAfricaFreedomDay #CelebratingFreedom #FightForFreedom #PRandCommunications #communication #comms #BrandCommunications #publicrelations #PublicRelationsAgency #focused #BrandfundiPR #PRPartner #PublicRelations

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One step forward two steps Black? We want to hear your experiences of what it’s like to be Black in PR and comms today. Together with PRWeek UK and Opinium, we are opening our One Step Forward Two Steps Black survey to uncover inequity where it exists, recognise successes in creating a diverse pipeline and retaining talent, and crucially - to provide a benchmark for the industry to make change. The inaugural One Step Forward Two Steps Black survey in 2020 found that almost half of Black communication professionals had never received an internal promotion, with talent having to move to a different agency or company to rise up the ranks.  Has progress been made? Are you having a more equitable experience? Are you being hired, recognised and rewarded for your contributions? We need to know so we can shape recommendations to drive change. The anonymous survey takes just 6 minutes to complete. Complete the survey here: https://lnkd.in/eM--X-Fs Kamiqua Lake (nèe Pearce) Founder of UK Black Comms Network says "As the old adage goes: what gets measured gets improved. The industry's focus continues to be on attracting Black talent into entry level roles. We want to understand what progress our industry is making on this and how organisations are rewarding Black talent within their companies."   You can read more in PR Week here: https://lnkd.in/ewPJbcE4 Special thanks to Eliza Wiredu Rhoneece Patterson Priya Minhas

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Here’s why you need a long weekend of not doing comms, so you can be great at doing comms next week, as explained by the brilliant and creative Arvind J. https://lnkd.in/eyeJuXRi

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EXPERTSOURCES is ‘where journalists find people with expertise.’ Use www.expertsources.co.uk if you’re : Ø  A Journalist or Media Professional looking to increase your opportunities by quickly and easily finding real experts in real time; Ø  An Expert looking for the potential of gaining media exposure to further enhance your reputation, and revenue; www.expertsources.co.uk EXPERTSOURCES – ‘Where Journalists find People with Expertise.’ #Publicity #Media #MediaProfessionals #Journalist #Journalists #MediaExposure #Revenue #PR #PublicRelations #Expert #Experts #Charity #University #Business #Journalism #Editorial #Podcast #Vlog #Magazines #TV #Radio #SocialMedia #ROI #Business #StartUp #Entrepreneur #Success #BusinessSuccess #Revenue #YourDream #Reputation #Journalism Photo by Carlos Gil on Unsplash

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70% of the PR sector got a pay rise in the last year. This is down from 79% in the previous year. A survey of over 400 UK in-house and agency corporate communications professionals from The Works, found that 82% of in-house and 76% of agency employees were “feeling OK to very happy” with their pay. This is an increase of 4% and 13% respectively, on the previous year. The Works said this highlighted how a soft market and companies tightening their comms budgets had “taken their toll” on the industry as the reason for the drop in pay rises. It’s really interesting to see the comparison between in-house and agency professionals salaries, bonuses and pay rises.

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Burnout is prevalent in the communications profession “PR professionals continue to have a higher risk of poor mental health than the general UK workforce” said the CIPR & PRCA 2023/24 Mental Wellbeing Audit. Here are some sad statistics: - State of Us 2023 survey found that 1 in 2 communications professionals experienced stress, anxiety, or burnout in the year leading up to the survey - Women in PR 2023 campaign revealed 66% of female PR professionals have considered quitting their PR job due to burnout - CIPR & PRCA 2023/24 Mental Wellbeing Audit showed that 91% of PR professionals reported poor mental health in the last 12 months Communications/PR colleagues do you relate to this? (I know I do) What do you think would help make a difference? #communications #burnout Image description: White quote on a beige background which says “PR professionals continue to have a higher risk of poor mental health than the general UK workforce” 🙋🏻‍♀️ I’m Georgia, I’m a strategic comms specialist with over 13 years' experience 👩🏻‍💻 I post about comms - from neuroinclusive comms to leadership in comms - and the importance of flexible working as a tool to tackle the motherhood penalty 👩🏻‍💼 All opinions are my own, not my employer’s

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There are few whose names are more synonymous with the UK #PR industry than Matthew Freud. He pretty much invented the concept of networking... Anyone in our industry - or with an interest in politics, the cult of celebrity or the power of the media - should listen to this podcast from When it Hits the Fan with David Yelland and Simon Lewis (you can find it on BBC Sounds). There's so much to unpick, but one fascinating claim Freud makes is that reputation - which the PR function is responsible for - can increase the value of a business by 50%. He argues that if you have two identical, publicly listed companies but one is more 'widely admired' than another, it would command a 100% premium. A powerful statistic. Why don’t PR or communications budgets reflect this? We’ve tended historically to be the poor relation to marketing in terms of spend. Reputation should be the biggest priority for the C-suite; whether that's ensuring the workforce (internal comms) is clear on the values and vision of the business; or sending out the right messages to the market. Also, a good reputation means current and prospective customers will respect, value and aspire to connect with the business. You don't have to be a celebrity or politician to care about reputation - every business should be ensuring that everything they do reflects the values they want to adhere by - whether that's through their #ESG reporting, their #socialmedia community or their #mediarelations. Does the PR industry have a reputation crisis of its own?

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People Want real Change - Sunak v Starmer: Green groups call on broadcasters to ensure climate change features in TV debates: https://lnkd.in/eqxDwp3N #elections #UK #UKelections #TVdebates #climatechange

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A day by the sea - or almost - for the #PR360 Conference in Brighton. Hearing discussions on reactive and crisis comms, and how the power of internal communications translates externally too. Great to see the work and stories of others, and encouraging to hear similar challenges and different ways to tackle them. A bonus seaside view always helps! #communications #corporatecomms #internalcomms

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