No Tea For Me

by Beth Stallman

According to the usual internship guidelines, I was fully prepared for my first day as the new work experience girl at Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger. I could file papers virtually at the speed of light, I was a whiz-kid on the photocopier and I could make a mean cup of tea, or coffee, according to a range of preferences. ‘Rich roast with a splash of milk and half a teaspoon of sugar you say? Coming right up!’

So you can imagine my surprise when I walked into the (very cool loft-space) office that first morning and after being shown to my desk – which, for the record, was not in the gloomiest corner of the office (the MD has that spot!), as tends to be the favoured abode to seat a lowly intern –I was asked to write a press release for the agency. A press release? I thought I’d have to make at least a month’s worth of tea before I was allowed to write one of those!

But in the short time I have been at Ptarmigan I have already produced a photocall notice, helped evaluate a press campaign, gotten to grips with industry related computer software such as Mediadisk and Lexisnexis, explored social networking sites to map audiences for a current campaign – there is definitely no Facebook ban in this office as online social media is now an important part of PR! – and of course, written a press release.

For any wannabe interns out there I have compiled a short list of things I have learnt so far for getting the most out of a PR work experience placement:

1. Keep your ears open – Listen to what people in the office are saying, whether they are discussing a current campaign, new campaign strategies or are on the phone to journalists or clients. Listen to the way they handle different people and situations and the way they adapt accordingly. You will be sure to pick something up or will at least familiarise yourself with some PR-jargon.

2. Have a go – This is not an industry for those who need their hand holding through tasks. If you are asked to do a piece of work, have a go and then ask for feedback afterwards.

3. Ask questions – You are in the company of PR practitioners; take an active interest in what is going on.

4. Keep on top of media issues – “Did you hear about that…” is the start of oh-so-many conversations. You don’t want to be the only one who looks vacant when a current topic is brought up. If you know what’s going on you can form an opinion and actually play a part in the conversation rather than having to make do with the odd nod here and there. 

But if you’ll excuse me now, the chat time is over…I’ve got to get back to some real work!

Coughupforideas.com

by Terry Gilligan

So confused.com has offered to cough up for the creative ideas from a couple of the unsuccessful  agencies that pitched for its business recently.  If you work agency side no doubt you will have experienced it. You pitch a great idea to a client, don’t win the business and low and behold see your idea brought to life a few months later just as you had originally visualized!

It’s hugely frustrating when it happens but its part and parcel of the pitching process. That is until Confused.com offered to pay for ideas from three agencies after appointing one to handle its business. The problem here is a familiar one. The client doesn’t know what it wants. If a rounded campaign wasn’t suggested by the successful agency then why were they appointed? Why did their strategy and tactics need boosting by ideas from other agencies? It’s the PR equivalent of a pick n’ mix.
 
In my opinion, this cannot be good for the PR industry as a whole. The PRCA has welcomed the move though.

Any agency worth its salt should remain creative or proactive throughout the duration of the relationship. This demonstrates how important that client is to the agency and that the agency is keen to retain the business. If you believe in your own ideas you will also believe that nobody could bring them to life as you could. It all boils down to pride in the job. I would feel massively let down if a cracking idea was sold and then executed badly by a rival agency or inhouse team.

It’s impossible to put a value on creativity.  Especially in the context of a client inferring that ‘we love X idea but we’re not so keen on you.’ A pitch winning idea can come from anywhere in an agency, from the MD or an eager account exec.  But how do you put a price tag on that idea that could’ve taken shape in either a matter of seconds or over the course of a few weeks? Do you overcharge for a one off idea because you know that there’s no chance of building a relationship. Or do you undercharge in the hope that they will come back and buy more?

As an industry we mostly subscribe to hourly rates to cost things. Which works fine in most instances but not particularly well for the very essence of what we do and in reality what clients are prepared to pay the most for – coming up with creative ideas. The thing they appointed you for in the first place. What they liked about you. What set you apart from the rival agencies. Probably.

So how could this all pan out? With Christmas just around the corner, we agencies are keen to secure as much client business as possible. So keen that if we’ve come up with an idea that you particularly like and you are prepared to pay handsomely for it, we’ll give you another one. Absolutely free.

And if clients don’t like the ideas generated by one particular agency or it doesn’t deliver, there’s always the option to go and buy an alternative idea from someone else on the pitch list!

Our EuroMillions coverage reaches new heights!

When the Ptarmigan team enlisted the help of Europe’s tallest living man, Neil Fingleton, to reveal that tonight’s EuroMillions Mega Jackpot is an estimated £85 million, we had no idea he’d send our coverage levels through the roof!

Neil’s visit to Leeds made front page news and if you get lucky and scoop what could be UK’s biggest ever lottery jackpot, the next person to star on the front cover could be you. Don’t forget your ticket!

Ban alcohol advertising and special offers? Are you drunk?

by Terry Gilligan

All alcohol advertising, including sport and music sponsorship, should be outlawed to discourage young people from taking advantage of cheap drinks promotions.  So said the BMA this week. Seven days after I got the 2009-10 season Liverpool shirt. You know the one with the Carlsberg logo on. Boo. Then again, I’m 39 years old (just). No longer classified as a young person. The BMA obviously doesn’t care if I down 14 pints of Stella and half a dozen JDs this weekend. Yet, despite being a Liverpool fan I don’t drink Carlsberg (just export!).

The BMA is calling for a radical rethink of public health policy and even recommending prohibitions in bars, pubs and clubs which would see the end of happy hours, BOGOF offers and promos such as “ladies’ nights” when women drink for free.

Call me a spoilsport but I believe when prohibition was introduced in 1920s America it caused a few problems. Many of Chicago’s most notorious gangsters, including Al Capone made millions of dollars through illegal alcohol sales. By the end of the decade Capone controlled 10,000 speakeasies in Chicago and ruled the bootlegging  business from Canada to Florida. Widespread theft, murder and other crimes were directly linked to criminal activities in Chicago and elsewhere in violation of prohibition. Not a good move then.

Fast forward to Britain as we emerge from the noughties in a drunken stupour. The problem occifer (hic) is that our attitudes towards drinking need to change. As Vic Reeves warned us in the mid nineties, “You can’t give booze t’baby!” Well that baby is now a Burberry clad 15 year old keen to sample life and all that it has to offer. Sex. Drugs. Rock n’ roll.

Taking the Carlsberg logo off my Liverpool shirt or changing T in the Park to Ovaltine in the Park won’t make a difference in my opinion. Everyone knows that excessive alcohol consumption and binge drinking in particular is hazardous to health and the very fabric of society. I don’t doubt that. Or the enormous strain that it exerts on a beleaguered NHS literally bursting at the seams with people who can’t stop scoffing Big Macs. But banning advertising and price promotions (which appeal to all drinkers, not just young ones) will only compel people to find other ways to get their alcoholic kicks. You can keep your toffee vodka though!

Life is all about experiences and the very thing that put me and my mates off overdoing it was downing a bottle of Southern Comfort. Stupid. Yes. Definitely not big. And not very clever. Twenty-five years later if I even get a whiff of the stuff I get this unpleasant queasy feeling and the whole horrific episode comes flooding back. Vomit. Legs don’t work. Fall. Head injury. Stomach pumped. A week long hangover that no fried breakfast will ever get the better of. Here’s a revelation or a radical thought for you – binge drinking is not new! It’s a British sport. And we’ve always been good at it. World-class athletes in fact.

M-O-D-E-R-A-T-I-O-N.  This is what the kids and young people need to learn. And yes, maybe even the hard way like I, and no doubt millions of others, did. We’ll never be like the French. ‘Cultured’ drinkers who think we are animals. But don’t take it out on me because someone 20 years my junior can’t take their drink. And at least this way I can still take advantage of a box of 12 Peroni in Morrisons for under a tenner. And I promise it will last me the weekend…

Multi-media panic stations Springfield style

by Nathan Lane

The Simpsons is funny because it holds a mirror to the world. When the citizens of Springfield face any sort of difficulty they usually fly into a blind panic that ends in a riot and every father will secretly see a little of himself in Homer.

The media world is in a panic of Springfield proportions. The recession has accelerated long term structural trends to leave many media owners with some tough decisions to make about their future directions. Declining audiences for many media brands has reduced revenues and driven the need to reassess how they interact with consumers or even if they have a future. 

The omnipresence of content in a digital world means that we can all tailor our consumption to our whims. Want to watch six hours straight of Top Gear or a channel dedicated to fishing? You’ve got it. Want to read this mornings news in San Francisco? You’ve got it.

The consumer can access infinite content, in a range of formats, 24 hours a day and they can remove the adverts if they wish. The soothsayers are having a great time. It’s the end of TV, social media will rule the world with citizen journalists holding the line against corporations that are too scared to use their hard won brands. 

The truth is that radio didn’t kill print, TV didn’t kill radio and the web won’t wipe out all that has gone before and make Perez Hilton the most powerful man in America.  The savvy media corporations have engaged with today’s reality to realise they are media brands and content owners in a multi-media world. National newspaper brands have raced to distribute content through paper, mobile and the web. It probably won’t belong before we get Guardian TV and The Observer starts its own TV channel for foodies.

The challenge for business is to understand how to reach customers in this multi-media world. The choices are baffling and laced with pitfalls that have landed some of the worlds biggest brands in trouble when they have stepped into the wrong social media conversation.

These pitfalls should not lead to paralysis through prevarication. If you turn the problem on its head the proliferation of media presents a huge opportunity. People have never consumed media in such great quantities in such a diverse and often immediate way. Get the approach right and the benefits to business can be immense.

There seems little point in predicting what the media world will look like ten or even five years from now. There are plenty of commentators out there trotting out the same hackneyed points of view. The pace of technological advance will continue to accelerate as manufacturers scramble to out do each other. Eventually the iphone will be yesterday’s news and I am sure Apple has planned it that way.

The old marketing truths remain so today. If you take the time to understand your audience and develop a message that engages them in a more compelling way than the competition you will gain market share. You can keep your customers closer than ever before thanks to their digitally enabled lives.  

Take the time to understand what information your customers want, when and in what format. In our own experience recent months have seen this approach build Facebook groups of over 10,000, with no incentives to bring people to it, enabling the business to communicate with its customers at minimal cost.

The only certainty is change and the businesses that succeed will embrace it and put constant innovation at the heart of their business model and their marketing programmes. Get it right and the riches of Mr Burns are there for the taking.

Last one out turn off the lights…

by Simon Brown

Yet more depressing news for regional newspapers this week with the release of the latest ABC figures showing that all regional dailies saw a drop in circulation. Throw in the recent news that the Birmingham Post looks likely to go weekly and it paints a pretty depressing picture for regional news.

So why are circulations dropping so much? Is it all the fault of free, instant news on the internet or are newspaper readers, like bitter drinkers, an aging bunch with younger folk preferring the instant ‘hit’ of a flaming Sambuca?

I may be showing my age but I remember when there were only four TV channels, there was no internet and Bruno Brookes ruled the airwaves (ask your older brother). Until recently newspapers, particularly regional ones, were the ultimate force in news delivery.

The question now is whether or not regional newspapers still have a role to play? The need for dedicated regional news isn’t in question; it’s the method of delivery that is open to debate. Online news consumption presents two major headaches to regional newspaper – cost and timing. The fact that I can now access all the news I want, such as reading the latest news about my football team, instantly online means I no longer have to wait for tomorrow’s newspaper. But perhaps more crucial than the timing is the fact that this online content is free.

Regional newspaper organisations now provide comprehensive online services. The big issue now is how to turn this online content into cash. Rupert Murdoch recently reignited the cash-per-clicks debate. Is charging for online news really that outrageous? After all, we’ve paid for newspapers for years. The problem is that a unified approach by all media organisations would need to be agreed because whilst there is free news on the web why would anyone pay another provider for similar content?

I don’t have the answer but however they figure it out I hope the hardcopy regional newspaper is here to stay, if only because our street corners would be a poorer place without the traditional newspaper sellers.

Football shirt sponsorship is a sound bet for gambling companies

by Rob Stebbings

Football and betting – two of my passions I must admit, especially when you put them together. I’ll usually trawl through the weekend fixtures on a Friday, meticulously checking team news and form convinced that this WILL be my week!

Of course there’s always a surprise here or there hence why the phrase ‘it’s a funny old game’ has stayed the course and certainly applied last week in my first attempt to strike gold for the new season. Wigan managed to scupper my coupon with a shock win at Villa Park last Saturday – but I’ll be back this week for more.

Anyway, its not just me who has caught the bug (in moderation of course!). Texts are often flying around with friends in the lead up to kick-off pronouncing their winning line for this week and who can resist a first goalscorer punt just before the game starts to add that extra spice to proceedings?

It was therefore no surprise then that I’ve read this week that the emergence of more betting companies are apparently saving the Premier League shirt sponsorship industry from a second consecutive fall in value.

According to sports consultancy Sport+Markt, the value of shirt sponsorship deals in the Premier League fell from £69.2 million during the 2007-08 season to £68.2 million last season, after years of continuous growth.

However the value of shirt deals will increase slightly to £70 million for the 2009-10 season thanks to the emergence of new sponsors from the betting industry including 188Bet (Bolton wanderers & Wigan Athletic), Tote Sport (Hull City) and Sporting Bet (Wolves).

Whilst TV money will continue to dominate income streams for Premier League clubs, if we’re talking shirt sponsor ‘synergy’ – then for me football and betting is potentially a perfect match bearing in mind target demographics and the global reach and appeal of the Premier League.

It will be interesting to see just how the likes of newcomer 188Bet (the first company to be shirt sponsor of two Premier League clubs in the same season) maximise their deals with Bolton and Wigan as well as their non-shirt deals with Chelsea and Aston Villa.

Activation is the key to the success of any sponsorship as was the case when we managed 888.com’s shirt sponsorship of Middlesbrough FC for three years. By encompassing experiential, media relations and online engagement activity, an excellent return on investment was achieved way beyond mere brand recognition for the client.

In the meantime, back to my weekend coupon, free scoring Arsenal to beat Portsmouth looks a home banker, surely……..

In her shoes

By Sandrine Powell

There may be a few things that I am renowned for in the Ptarmigan office (my break dancing skills, Michael Jackson obsession, ability to drink an obscene amount of wine to name a few) but I think it is my obsession with shoes that possibly causes the most stir, as I frequently return from a quick nip into town with yet another shoe box in tow.

The power of new shoes should not be underestimated – they can make everything right with the world again. Before when all you could see was pain and misery, a new pair of shoes will make the world seem full of sunshine and flowers. Before where there was sadness and anguish, now there is joy and hope.

After buying a new pair of shoes you will feel instantly euphoric and your newfound positivity will shine through to everyone you meet, who in turn will feel transformed by your pleasant demeanour. Now, what could be better than spreading a little happiness in these credit crunch times?

So, how does one go about buying the perfect pair of shoes to achieve this legal higher state of consciousness I hear you ask? Well, I have compiled my simple but effective tips to help you enter into shoe heaven…

Height
Basically, the higher the better but maybe only for women (the opposite applies for men, unless you’re known as Barbara at the weekend). High heels emphasise the nice things about your legs, so go for killer heels that elongate the body.

Comfort
No pain no gain! If you have worn your new killer heels on a night out and your feet aren’t crying out in pain then it has not been a good night and the shoes aren’t high enough in the first place (see point above).

Price
Cheap shoes, expensive shoes, it doesn’t really matter – the point is they are shoes and that can only be a good thing!
So now you know how to buy the perfect pair of shoes, I’ll see you in shoe nirvana soon – I’ll be the one sitting down wearing the orthopaedic corrective shoes.

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Surviving a new MD…

by Lou Wylie

Day nine of the most recent development in the Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger journey sees the team adjusting to the arrival of new addition Nathan Lane, who has finally returned to Leeds with a tinge of a brummy accent and a penchant for Philpotts coffee.

As he takes his long awaited seat at the head of the Ptarmigan table, I ponder what the next leg holds for us. With a raft of cool new accounts to get stuck into, a charming bunch of potential clients waiting in the wings and an experienced and enthusiastic team (I wanted to say ‘young’ team, but I’m no fibber), coupled with funky loft space offices (Philpotts is a five min walk away) it’s clear why Nathan chose Ptarmigan as his new baby and from what we’ve seen of him so far, he has great plans and high hopes for us.

But the all-important question. What do we all think of him? Well, a quick straw poll says he’s definitely not what we’ve been used to and that’s no bad thing. He’s confidently understated, quietly assertive, brimming with ideas and seemingly knows just about everyone there is to know in Yorkshire and beyond (well, Birmingham anyway)…

It’s only been nine days and like I said, I reckon we’ve gelled already but it seems to me there is an art to surviving the arrival of a new boss, so in true PR style, here are my top tips for doing just that: 

1. Ply him with food and drink. Never before has the treats table held such a continuous and plentiful array of cakes, buns and, Fizz Whizz (believe it or not)
2. Avoid inappropriate jokes. Hmmm, that’s virtually impossible with Tez around, so maybe laughing at all HIS jokes is a better strategy
3. Wheel him out to client meetings and big up his extensive experience and general all round PR coolness
4. Be careful of physical contact. No PR lovey hugs or high fives or encouraging ‘touches’. Even a birthday-gift-thank-you-hug should be treated with extreme caution at this early stage (his lovely wife will read this and is now based two doors away)
5. And finally, dedicate an entire blog to him for extra brownie points…

Ey up

by Marie O’Connor

Here at Ptarmigan we’re dead proud of our Yorkshire roots. And to celebrate Yorkshire Day – 1st August 2009 – we’re going to be munching on growlers (pork pie), stuffing our cake’ole’s (mouths) with spogs (sweets) and sipping pints of Tetley’s!

And because we’re a nice bunch, we’ve decided that to ensure all you folk, whether you’re Yorkshire born and bred or visiting the Shire for the very first time have a cracking Yorkshire Day, we’ve compiled a quick guide to regional slang words and phrases.

 
Yorkshire Term / Translated term

 
Ey up = Hello
Eh = What
Summat = Something
Sen = Self
Soz = Sorry
Barna = Bound to
Reight = Right
Growler = Pork Pie
Gotta = Got to
Gizzit = Give me it
Bever = Girl
Chiver = Boy
Cake’ole = Mouth
I = Yes
Spog = Sweet
‘tebay = ebay
Sitha = Look! Now

If you’re stuck for something to do on Yorkshire Day 2009, why not check out…

Holbeck Music & Arts Festival
A new, free, one-day music festival celebrating local, home-grown talent, showcasing live music and exhibiting artwork launches in Holbeck Urban Village at 1pm on Saturday 1st August.

Yorkshire V Lancashire – Cricket County Championship
If you weren’t fortunate to get your hands on tickets for the Ashes 4th test at Headingley Stadium, why not watch the mighty Yorkshire take on old rival Lancashire at Lancashire County Cricket Club – 31st July – 3rd August.

But whatever you decide to do this Yorkshire Day make sure you have a reight good time.