#FuturePRoof podcast

#FuturePRoof podcast: Socially Mobile update With Stephen and Sarah Waddington Socially Mobile is a not for profit public relations school that aims to help practitioners achieve their earning potential. It is applying an executive education model to help address socio-economic diversity within the industry. The project expects to launch its first cohort of students in October. The learning design is complete and content production underway. We're looking for support sharing the story of Socially Mobile with industry networks, candidate recruitment, and assessment and marketing. We're grateful to the growing Socially Mobile community but especially donors, sponsors and teachers. Our sponsors include Astute.Work, CoverageBook, Curzon PR, Don't Cry Wolf, Porter Novelli, Story Comms and Wadds Inc. For further information please visit sociallymobile.org.uk www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: Socially Mobile launch With Stephen and Sarah Waddington In this latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: Big news as Sarah is awarded a CBE for services to public relations and the voluntary sectors in the Queen's Birthday Honours. The launch of Socially Mobile – we'd love your support and will shortly be recruiting assessors – please watch this space and get involved. Research from the National Centre for Universities and Business and the University of Cambridge shows the pandemic has caused a hiatus in R&D and innovation. The findings are a matter for concern considering the necessary role of innovation and R&D as the UK moves to strengthen its position as a global science superpower, as set out in the 2021 Queen's Speech. The lockdown boom for agency startups following publication of the latest Wadds Inc. report. The federal government in Nigeria has banned Twitter. It has serious implications for democracy and public discourse. The Brandwatch Customer Loyalty Report published in conjunction with GWI is worth a look for retailers wanting to know which issues they should be focusing on in 2021. Ethics – the good, bad and the ugly of recent corporate behaviour. www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof: Rethink and reconnect With Stephen and Sarah Waddington The Conservatives had a good local election last week however Labour seems more disconnected than ever. Meanwhile the SNP has extended its lead in Scotland and is demanding a second vote on independence. Actor, director and writer Noel Clarke was awarded the prize for outstanding British contribution to cinema by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). Two weeks earlier BAFTA was informed about the existence of several allegations of verbal abuse, bullying and sexual harassment. Income for the top 150 agencies was down 4.3% to £1.36 billion in 2020 compared to £1.42 billion in 2019, according to PRWeek. However more than 50 agencies launched during the COVID-19 pandemic between January 2020 to March 2021. The PRCA UK National Conference: Communications and influence in the post-pandemic erais planned as an in-person event on 8 July. The CIPR (19 May) and PRFest (14-18 June) have also announced conferences on sustainability. Both are virtual. ESG is both a label and an organising principle that represents everything about people and the planet. A new report by Stephen and Dr Jon White, published by Vuelio, explores the role of PR in supporting planning, horizon scanning, metrics and reporting. David Gallagher and John O’Brien’s book Truth Be Told is Stephen’s recommendation of the month. Sarah’s shout out is for Rich Leigh and the team at RadioActive who have organised meetups in London and Manchester on 1 and 22 July respectively. www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: lockdown eases in England With Stephen and Sarah Waddington Report backlash: A commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report claims that the UK "no longer" has a system rigged against people from ethnic minorities. Denial doesn’t help anyone Hybrid workplace: Employers reporting increased productivity benefits from homeworking compared to last summer according to the CIPD. We’ve found our home working rhythm Shocking social: Amazon has gone on the offensive last week replying directly to critical tweets. 'Fake' Twitter users have rushed to Amazon's defense over unions and working conditions Audio copycat: Clubhouse launched as a social audio platform in April 2020. Then Facebook and Twitter created live audio meeting rooms. Now startup Ping Pong allows audio and video messages to be shared in messaging channels Silencing social: Facebook has followed Twitter in allowing users to limit who can respond to posts. The goal is the make social media a safe space but could limit public discourse Volkswagen fools: April Fools was cancelled this year apart from Volkswagen which rebranded as Voltswagen. The results were predictable Round-up: Elizabeth Bananuka has launched the #TheXec leadership scheme for Black, Asian, Mixed Race & Ethnic Minority PR & comms. New books published from John O'Brien and David Gallagher on purpose, and Jenni Field on internal communications www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: can I go back to the office yet? With Stephen and Sarah Waddington When is a PR disaster not a PR disaster? – Ryanair on UK government support for airlines, Allen vs Farrow, and Gordon Beattie’s resignation Royal protocol – statements from both Buckingham Palace and Meghan Markle are an extraordinary breach of traditional protocol Future of the office - we should listen to the voice of the future workforce as we make plans for the future Blowing smoke - British American Tobacco’s use of influencers and emerging forms of media raises ethical issues for the marketing and public relations professions Budget highlights – corporation tax ladder rising from 19% to 25% in 2023, levelling up agenda, furlough extended, and VAT freeze for the hospitality and tourism Leader Like Me Conference - learn from these industry experts who will share stories, strategies and their own learnings on 23 March WaddsCon – up next on 26 March: search listening, the PR post COVID-19, qualitative research using bots, and PR’s opportunity to win back SEO budgets www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: We are all Jackie Weaver With Stephen and Sarah Waddington Democracy is alive and well – Clerk Jackie Weaver bring orders to a chaotic and bad tempered Handforth Parish Council Share of search - The IPA is promoting share of search as a metric for advertising effectiveness. There’s limited evidence of its validity outside large FMCG markets Charity Commission - Charities that support contentious causes should expect scrutiny if they campaign on those issues according to the outgoing chair of the Charity Commission Tina Stowell PR industry bounce back - Recruitment is a leading indicator of an economic recovery. In PR and digital marketing it has returned to pre-COVID-19 levels but several sectors remain challenged Exit from lockdown – While we await the publication of the Government’s plan to exit lockdown, organisations are planning a move to a hybrid working environment. It’s unlikely we see the end of the office Free market economies are damaging the natural environment by failing to place a value on natural assets according to The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review Talking to Strangers – Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book explores the biases that we bring to meeting new people Lockdown Unconference – You’re invited to join a new Unconference learning and development event on 26 February   www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: An end of year thank you letter With Stephen and Sarah Waddington ·       Communicators:  Marcus Rashford, Burger King, and Unilever’s Alan Jope ·       Media: BBC’s Hugh Pym, Sky’s Kay Burley, Manchester Evening News’ Jennifer Williams and editorial teams at CNN, The New York Times and Tortoise ·       Writing we’ve admired: Marina Hyde, Nafisa Ali Shafiq, Katrina Marshall, and Sharon O’Dea ·       Communities of change: Elizabeth Bananuka’s BME PR Pros, and Priya Bates and Advita Patel’s A Leader Like Me ·       Membership organisations: CBI, NHS Providers, CIPR and PRCA ·       Ones to watch: Shayoni Lynn’s Lynn PR, Kristian Hogard’s Simply Thought, Paul Stollery and Darryl Sparey’s Hard Numbers, and Nik Govier’s Blurred ·       Best books: Charlie Mackesy’s The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, and Scott Galloway’s Algebra of Happiness and Post Corona ·       Reasons to be optimistic: vaccine, community and altruism, ESG agenda and the opportunity for a green recovery www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: a week is a long time in PR With Stephen and Sarah Waddington As the US election count continues the US media has found its voice and is calling out the President’s lies. What took you so long? Sarah is proofing the fifth edition of #FuturePRoof. It tells the story of how the NHS managed the first wave of the crisis through the voices of communication practitioners Stephen has been investigating search listening. It’s a way of understanding what people are saying about brands and markets and the questions that they are asking England entered its second lockdown this week as Wales emerged from a so-called circuit breaker. Scotland is under lock restrictions. How are you coping? Organisations face scrutiny over their purpose as COVID-19 continues. Sainsbury’s is set to issue a £231m dividend after benefiting from £230m business rates relief. Presenting via a video camera over the internet is an entirely different skill to presenting at a physical event. We’re all learning as we go. We’ve got some suggestions The ICCO and PRII Conferences spotlighted opportunity for public relations in helping organisations emerge from the crisis and manage BREXIT The Pros Winter Series on 2 December is a date for your diary. Headline speakers include Lord Simon Wooley, Zing Tsjeng, Trevor Robinson and Samira Ahmed www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: Asif Choudry is our #CommsHero With Stephen and Sarah Waddington The latest #FuturePRoof practitioner survey finds one in five PR teams hit by COVID-19 infections, with a quarter managing furloughs and redundancies Sarah handed over #FuturePRoof to the BAME community for her latest book. Topics range from audience targeting to social media and from internal comms to the psychology of decision-making It's CIPR election time. We’re both backing Pete Holt for President in 2022, a moderniser with fresh thinking on governance and member engagement, and areas of practice including ESG and IC. All the candidate states are on the CIPR site Stephen plotted COVID-19 against a well-known crisis planning model and spoke to crisis communication experts. It provides a clear rationale for our current mood. It will pass Asif Choudry and the team at Resource pulled off a fantastic #CommsHero event with more than 40 speakers and 150 delegates. The content is now available to view on demand www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: new books in the works With Stephen and Sarah Waddington In the latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: Agencies and communication teams continue to navigate a challenging environment, but their work has never been more valued The UK’s reputation internationally is under scrutiny because of Brexit negotiations Demos finds society more divided than ever before, and no sign of leadership to bring together polarised factions Kellogg’s, the manufacturer of Pringles, and Rio Tinto are two companies under scrutiny because of corporate and social responsibility issues Sarah has two new #FuturePRoof books in the works: a special BAME edition and an exploration of how NHS communicators responded to COVID-19 Upcoming events: the PRCA Annual Conference and CommsHero week The latest #FuturePRoof survey aims to explore how the PR industry continues to be impacted by COVID-19. Please share your views www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/  

#FuturePRoof podcast: tackling the PR industry’s lack of diversity and organisational racism With Stephen and Sarah Waddington In the latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: Cultural grief following the tragic and unlawful death of George Floyd in the US and how organisations should respond, with reference to Katrina Marshall’s thoughtful article for #FuturePRoof, published on #BlackoutTuesday  Why the white community needs to educate itself about the #BlackLivesMatter movement and practical steps we can all take, with thanks to guidance from BME PR Pros founder Elizabeth Bananuka The good - and mainly bad - of recent brand responses and the need for actions over words Some news about the launch of Stephen’s new professional advisory firm – gun for hire! A reminder about the latest events and support out there including PRFest www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: Business interventions for COVID19 With Stephen and Sarah Waddington In the latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: The #FuturePRoof COVID-19 survey finds industry bosses continuing to come to terms with rapid change and uncertainty: (35.9%) and access to customers (53.0%). 45.9% of employers are worried about trading through the crisis. The survey remains open and the data continues to be passed to CIPR, PRCA and the Government to inform interventions. The CIPR and PRCA have been lobbying central Government. Both organisations have published advice and toolkits for members. Financial support announced so far is listed on the Government website. The BBC has restated its public service commitment and the NHS is at the heart of the Government’s response. The marketing and PR has shifted to education and public information. The last two weeks have seen massive technology onboarding across society. At work and home video has become the norm. Privacy concerns have evaporated. This hyper connectivity is creating its own issues. That in itself creates its own wave of anxiety. We are reorganising and reprioritising our lives. The long term cost of the crisis will be measured in terms of mental health. At a time when human connection and intimacy is most needed it’s being denied. It’s worth checking out the article Wadds wrote this week unpicking this very issue. The UK lockdown has led to a series of thoughtful, reflective articles. We’ve particularly enjoyed Paul Sutton on bad behaviour by brands; Maja Pawinska Sims on the psychological impact; and David Gallagher on what might come next. www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/  

#FuturePRoof podcast: do your best, keep calm, wash your hands, and carry on With Stephen and Sarah Waddington In the latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: It’s been a long week as COVID-19 impacts the UK The challenge of shifting a workforce to virtual working How to manage uncertainty, leadership and practical steps to take Job security and finding PR and marketing work Dealing with disinformation: social media and messaging The crisis response starts in the community www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

 #FuturePRoof podcast: #bekind With Stephen and Sarah Waddington In the latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: Press and social media regulation following the Caroline Flack story. It’s an issue that Paul Sutton covers in the latest edition of Digital Download Not your cup of tea? Where is the limit for brand banter? LNER and Yorkshire Tea take different approaches to customer service and promotion Noisy news cycle: Boris baby has bumped big news stories down the agenda including floods, Coronavirus and high profile political resignations Coronavirus: clarity, consistency and honesty are critical to allaying public fear and restricting the spread. The Department of Health and Social Care, NHS and WHO provide exemplars Diary dates: PRCA Schools outreach programme, inaugural #FuturePRoof conference with PRCA and the IoD, and PRFest www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: media in a mess In the latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: City PR firm Tulchan has appointed former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson as an advisor. You can’t legislate and lobby Are you helping your organisation prepare for Brexit? We talk about the opportunity for PR practitioners It’s not just social media that is being used to share disinformation. Journalists need to be critical voices and name sources Facebook is facing pressure in the UK and US over political ads. Legislation is urgently required but isn’t forthcoming A new #FuturePRoof project aims to give public relations a voice in the fast growing market of influencer marketing. The BBC is in danger of losing younger audiences, and its journalists need to up their game. BME PR Pros and W Communications initiatives to tackle diversity in public relations are welcomed

In the latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: Sarah spent her summer holidays writing a guide to countering disinformation for professional communicators The CIPR Election is underway and both Sarah and Stephen are backing Mandy Pearse for President in 2021 Stephen is working with Scott Guthrie and Vuelio to write a guide to earned and owned media governance for influencer marketing Home Secretary Priti Patel, herself a professional communication, has pitted police social media managers against front line officers this week The PRCA has a pulse survey underway to characterise the market for virtual agencies We share our summer reading list tips: How to be right, The Social CEO, and The Leadership Challenge

In the June edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast Sarah and Stephen Waddington celebrate the latest State of the Internet Report by analyst Mary Meeker. The 300+ page annual report is packed with insights on internet adoption, devices and platforms; the internet ad market; content formats; and observations on disruptive business models and markets.

In the May edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: Protecting your creative ideal and intellectual property with a shout out to Manifest’s work for Brewdog The PRCA Census 2019 which finds the PR industry in the UK is worth £15billion and employs 95,000 people but isn’t making progress on diversity and socioeconomic issues despite best efforts The Cision Global State of the Media Report 2019 with insights for pitching to time-pressed over worked journalists The influence of the Trump playbook in local politics in the North East during the North of Tyne Mayoral election Book recommendations: Airhead by Emily Maitlis and The Joy of Work by Bruce Daisley

In this edition Sarah and Stephen discuss: Tim Berners-Lee and the Internet at 30; the House of Lords Select Committee report on Internet regulation; Senator Elizabeth Warren‘s blast at tech platforms in Presidential bid; Facebook and Instagram outage; the Organ Donation 'opt out' bill receives Royal Assent; Red Nose Day backlash; International Women’s Day washing; #CommsSchool on how to blog; and environmental activist Greta Thunberg.

In this latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we ask whether the Fyre Festival was less a PR disaster or more bad business. We explore the Edelman Trust Barometer and find good news for employee advocacy. Professional blogging is changing as people find news ways to create content and build networks. There’s a new initiative from the CIPR on procuring professional services and the PRCA has launched a virtual agency group. Stephen’s created a virtual school to help students build their professional profile and get ahead, and Sarah’s launching a charity to tackle social mobility through educational grants.

Sarah Hall and Stephen Waddington talk about the highlights of BledCom 2018, the 25th international public research symposium. Presentations and panel discussions tackled the conference headline - A World in Crisis: The Role of Public Relations. Sarah and Stephen talk about PR for good and bad, media, professionalism, organisational purpose, education and the relationship between academia and practice.

In this edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast Sarah Hall and Stephen Waddington discuss: the value of earned media and the Royal Wedding; Twitter timeline troll tweaks; WPP post-Sorrell; the impact of tech on PR skills; Facebook’s dating app; Google Home Assistant and other robots; Childish Gambino’s This is America; the Government Communication Plan 2017/18; a new Platinum podcast with Prof Anne Gregory and Dr Jon White on PR as a management discipline; and the Cluetrain Manifesto.

In this edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast Sarah Hall and Stephen Waddington discuss the CIPR; Facebook; Wetherspoons; #AIinPR; and the #FuturePRoof NHS project. #1 CIPR President’s update: CBI membership It’s been a while since we caught up to record a podcast. Sarah’s been busy juggling her commitments as President of the CIPR, with her day job as agency boss. She‘s reinstated the quarterly report and talks through the highlights of her first three months. The CIPR has joined to CBI to assert the value of public relations to business. #2 Facebook data scrutiny; regulation inevitable The conversation around Facebook and data privacy has grown louder throughout the year. The Cambridge Analytica investigation by The Guardian has brought a fresh round of scrutiny from the UK and US governments. Some form of regulation seems almost inevitable. #3 Social media fails at scale; it’s a conversation Wetherspoon closed down its 600 social media accounts last week. The pub chain had an account per property that was used to push marketing promotions. It’s simply not possible to manage conversations at this scale. #4 Characterising tools and skills #AIinPR The #AIinPR panel has crowdsourced and characterised third party public relations tools. We’ve mapped these against capabilities in public relations to determine the impact of technology and artificial intelligence on practice both now and in the future. CEO Alastair McCapra gave an overview of the project at the World PR Forum in Oslo this week. #5 Watch out for a new #FuturePRoof publication celebrating NHS communicators Sarah’s launching the third version of #FuturePRoof in May. It’s a series of 25 essays celebrating the 70th anniversary of the NHS from the viewpoint of professional communicators. Key themes include the role of communications in achieving organisational outcomes; how organisations can secure and maintain trust; planning and data; digital-first strategies; how to address barriers to technological innovation; and the role of practitioners in managing change.

In this edition of the podcast Sarah Hall and Stephen Waddington discuss accountable leadership in the charity sector; persuasion and polarised media; influencing Brexit; the PRCA’s diversity toolkit; tech in public relations; and upcoming events.

In this #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss abuse on social media, diversity, Storify’s closure, Time’s person of the year, #AIinPR and our goals for 2018.

#CIPR70, Twitter discourse, the implications of a declining regional media on society, a new #FuturePRoof project, and new contributions are all among the topics discussed on the latest podcast.

The PRCA's ruling on Bell Pottinger, OFCOM and European Communication Monitor reports, the CIPR election, social media platform updates, and Twitter's application as a customer service tool are all among the topics discussed on the latest #FuturePRoof podcast.

#PRFest, Cannes, the General Election, the Meeker report and image recognition are all among the topics discussed by Sarah Hall and Stephen Waddington on the latest #FuturePRoof podcast.

Fake news, social media speculation, the Croatian Public Relations Association conference and support for students, are all among the topics discussed by Sarah Hall and Stephen Waddington on the latest #FuturePRoof podcast.

A special edition of the FuturePRoof podcast reviewing the upcoming PRFest in Edinburgh.  

Sarah Hall and I recorded a new edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast this week. Here’s what you’ll learn. Big Mac Twitter hack The McDonalds corporate Twitter account posted a tweet criticising President Trump earlier in the month. It was live for around 20 minutes before it got pulled. The management of social media accounts must be incorporated into corporate governance. Use two-factor authentication for the highest level of security. How to fight flawed metrics in public relations Advertising Value Equivalent (AVE) festers as a public relations metric. AMEC’s data suggests that around 20% of organisations worldwide still use AVE. In 2016 AMEC created an Integrated Evaluation Framework that works across all forms of integrated communications. It includes a comprehensive website of resource material and a free interactive tool. Please use it. Three things we need to fix about the internet Sir Tim Berners-Lee wrote an op ed on the 28th anniversary of the Internet citing three things that we need to do to save it. He said that privacy and the harvesting and use of personal data; the sharing of misinformation; and the transparency of political ads all need urgent attention. Crowdsourcing input for a global public relations capabilities framework The University of Huddersfield team developing a global competency framework for public relations is crowdsourcing input from practitioners to help develop its work. The team is building on the work of the Global Alliance to establish a skills matrix for entry-level and mid-level practitioners. The online survey take 10 minutes to complete. Please lend your support. CIPR State of the Profession survey: a profession coming of age but with issues to address The 2017 CIPR State of the Profession survey highlights the benefit of education and learning in public relations. Practitioners committed to qualifications and learning and development earn more. In less positive news, the survey also reports that the gender pay gap persists, with a £5,784 salary discrepancy in favour of men. Mental illness in public relations ignored or treated as a performance issue A #FuturePRoof report published by the PRCA explores the mental health of the public relations profession. It attempts to characterise the issue, signpost potential solutions, and identify best practice. A wide range of issues were identified as symptoms of poor mental health in the workplace ranging from absent mindedness to anxiety, and from anger to depression. Best practice recommendations are included for employers and employees. Planning for the CIPR’s 70th anniversary Sarah is President of the CIPR next year. It’s the 70th anniversary of the Institute. She’s been working with a committee of Fellows led by Simon McVicker to celebrate the anniversary. Planned activities include a celebratory service and reception; Sir Stephen Tallents Memorial Lecture; an anniversary conference; and a year-long initiative to celebrate public relations pioneers. #FuturePRoof at #PRfest #PRfest is a two day festival created by Laura Sutherland that takes place in Edinburgh on 15 and 16 June. Sarah’s speaking about public relations as a management discipline and I’m running a workshop on influencer relations. You’ll find further information on the #PRfest website. About the #FutureProof podcast #FuturePRoof was founded in 2015 by Sarah Hall as community initiative to explore the future of public relations and its contribution to organisations as a management discipline. The project has published two books and numerous reports. A third book is in the works. If you enjoyed this podcast please subscribe via iTunes. If you've comments about the show please say hello via Twitter to @hallmeister and @wadds.

Sarah Hall in conversation with Stephen Waddington on her motivation and plan for standing as CIPR President for 2018. For more information please visit: www.sarahhallconsulting.co.uk/cipr-election/