I heard it through the grapevine!
Go Compare? No – Go Away!
by Rob
I was interested to read in a recent poll for Marketing magazine that Webuyanycar.com's musical ad campaign was named the most irritating in the UK.
As a regular TV viewer I watch my fair share of adverts and often want to throw something at the screen when an annoying ad comes on.
Some of those that make my blood boil, namely the Webuyanycar.com, Go Compare and singing Halifax adverts, not surprisingly all made it into the top 10 in Marketing’s poll. However is the fact that I remember these adverts, for all the wrong reasons, playing into the advertisers’ hands? Is their advertising strategy simply to be irritating so we remember their brand?
The answer of course is yes, as Gio Compario (the Go Compare Man) and Compare the Market’s meerkat, Aleksandr Orlov, are now very well known. But, in my opinion, they are only well known because so many people hate them. They certainly don’t persuade me to buy from them and, to me, the increase in brand awareness is not worth the backlash that a lot of these brands ultimately face.
Go Compare is now as much about a ridiculed opera singer as about car insurance. But it doesn’t need to be like that.
A number of brands have managed to produce ads that you remember but are not annoying – John Lewis being the most recent example. Their ad for Christmas 2011 – a boy eager to give his parents presents to a cover version of The Smiths’ “Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" – was simple, heart warming, ingenious and reflected the ethos of the brand well. To me, this was much more appealing than an irritating opera singer or a run of the mill choir of bankers! It would also encourage me to shop there – although I do base my purchases on much more than just one advertisement.
At the end of the day it is all down to personal taste (whether you have any or not!) but I think it is telling that Go Compare is having a review of its advertising account and the future of Gio Compario is up in the air.
It seems that even Go Compare has tired of its mascot…
Posted at 12:27pm on 20th January 2012
Tribute to Blockbusters legend
by Christina
As a thirty-something who fondly remembers tea-time as a kid watching and thoroughly enjoying the ITV children’s quiz favourite, Blockbusters, I was sad to hear that its legendary host, Bob Holness had died at the age of 83.
Blockbusters had a simple but winning formula, in which sixth-form contestants would answer a series of questions based on letters of the alphabet and no weekday was complete without the half hour show!
The news of Bob’s death also brought back memories of what a truly great, lighthearted show it was – what with the hand jive and gold run, and who could forget the comedy classic - “Can I have a P please Bob?”
Bob Holness became a massive hit with school and undergraduate viewers, who helped to swell the ITV show’s ratings to 11.5million at its peak.
I had the pleasure of meeting Bob Holness and his wife, Mary, when I was a student studying journalism at the University of Central Lancashire in Preston.
Blockbusters came to our Student Union and after the main event, myself and a fellow journalism student went behind the scenes to interview Bob and what a genuinely smashing bloke he was!
A very modest man, Bob was a delight to talk to and I remember him being really enthusiastic about the fact that we were studying journalism at university and he was very positive about the media industry as a whole.
But the main aspect, which was totally obvious from speaking to Bob, was just how much he loved being the host of Blockbusters from 1983 to 1993 and he really did deserve to achieve his cult status at the helm of the show.
A talented and much-loved presenter, Bob will be missed. But as many people continue to pay their tributes to the legend, at least we can rest in the knowledge that his memory will live on as Blockbusters can be seen on digital TV channel, Challenge, which airs a number of the old classics, including Play Your Cards Right and 3-2-1.
I for one will be tuning in.
Posted at 10:54am on 10th January 2012
Thank Dickens it’s Christmas!
by Shaun
' "A merry Christmas, Bob!" said Scrooge, with an earnestness that could not be mistaken, as he clapped him on the back. "A merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than I have given you, for many a year!" '
Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol
I’m a huge fan of Charles Dickens’s work and regular visitors to the Ethos public relations website may have noticed the story on our home page a couple of months ago about my involvement with the Dickens Journals Online project. As part of next year’s Dickens bicentenary celebrations, the project is putting online a weekly journal edited by Charles Dickens in the 19th century.
I have been helping to edit the errors from the journals which resulted when they were scanned onto computer. It is hoped that, by the 200th anniversary of Dickens’s birth on 7 February 2012, over 1,000 magazines will have been completed and, with well over 800 now done, there’s every chance of achieving this. Dickens Journals Online is an open access project which will be launched in March 2012 and will provide a valuable educational and historical resource.
Of course, Christmas is the time of year most associated with Dickens. In fact, Dickens is often credited with inventing the modern Christmas – the domestic celebrations, the charitable acts and the perennial “white Christmas”. Without Dickens, Christmas wouldn’t be what it is today and I’m sure it will be hard to escape the Dickens films, TV adaptations and musicals over the festive period.
In the days of tweets, texts and blogs, reading Dickens can sometimes seem daunting, but many of his most famous stories are very accessible. A Christmas Carol is a great place to start with its seasonal blend of comedy, pathos and the supernatural. Nobody characterises the breadth and depth of human nature better than Dickens and A Christmas Carol is full of joy and sadness and all the emotions in between.
So when you’re munching on your turkey this Christmas, don’t be a Scrooge – think of all the Tiny Tim’s out there and spread a little happiness…
Merry Christmas!
www.djo.org.uk www.dickens2012.org
Posted at 2:25pm on 21st December 2011
Local radio must be safeguarded
by John Walding, Honorary Secretary, CIPR North West Group
In an industry where many organisations value the importance of local coverage, our BBC Local Radio stations provide an important and vital platform for people to promote our events, our expertise and our successes, something that could change under the proposed changes to Local Radio outlined in Mark Thompson's 'Delivering Quality First'.
Nearly 400 jobs are set to go in local broadcasting across England as part of the BBC's plan to reduce its budget by 20% over the next five years. 280 of the posts under threat are from BBC Local Radio across England, with potentially almost a quarter of the workforce under threat at BBC Radio Manchester. There will also be a move towards stations sharing some afternoon, evening and weekend programmes - with one pan-England programme from 19:00 until 22:00.
Local Radio is being asked to find savings of 12% (10% after re-investment). The BBC as a whole has been tasked with making savings of between 16-20% – so Local Radio has been relatively protected. However this does feel higher because the cost of buildings and technology which are required to broadcast in 40 locations and means that the cuts inevitably fall on the people who make the programmes.
Love it or loathe it our BBC Local Radio Stations provide vital information on what is going on and an opportunity to tune in and listen at length to the people, issues and events that affect and shape our localities. It provides us as communicators with an unrivalled local channel with which to speak in our local community. Without it we will find the local broadcast landscape an even more challenging place in which to be heard.
When our regions face challenging times be it weather, riots, or times of great tragedy it’s often our local BBC station we turn to give us up to date news and analysis of what is going on. It is hard to see how commercial radio can devote the same time and resource to this, and the BBC stations will retain the ability to stay local when people depend on them most.
Local radio has also been the training ground for a whole host of our broadcasting talent, many who have gone on to become household names after cutting their teeth reporting on the people and issues affecting our regions. Will it still be the same post cuts?
We realise that the BBC is facing some tough challenges in responding to the impact on its budgets but it is vital that we ensure that local radio is left in a position to deliver the quality of programming that our regions deserve. We can all make our voices heard by taking part in the current consultation into the BBC’s Delivering Quality First proposals which runs until 21 December.
All too often we have watched as cuts have changed the nature of our local news and programming. Let's make our voices heard to help safeguard the potential threat to yet another.
Posted at 3:26pm on 13th December 2011
Made in the UK – I wish
by Sean
Finally, my 14 year old Pioneer CD player has given up the ghost. I am a bit of a gadget geek, but I’ve never been too fussed about my music system as I mostly listen to music in the background.
I can’t even really remember buying this ‘hi-fi’ system but as I was taking it out of the cabinet to consign it to the municipal electrical recycling skip, I noticed on the back a small plate with the words ‘Made in the UK’.
Now, I must confess that I do try and support products made in the UK, although that is becoming increasingly difficult. I don’t do it for any nationalistic or xenophobic reasons, purely from the point of view that if I buy stuff made here, I am more likely to be helping to keep jobs in the UK.
Don’t get me wrong, it isn't always made in the UK for me. I am more than happy to buy products from elsewhere in the world – pasta has to come from Italy and paella rice needs to come from Spain – but I am never (knowingly) going to buy apples imported from China, for example.
I think it is important that key manufacturing skills are kept in the UK. Until recently, I thought that the exodus of manufacturing to the Far East was driven by consumers demanding cheaper and cheaper products, but when looking around for a new CD player – yes I know that it now has to include a docking station and DAB radio (told you I liked gadgets) – products made in China can be as expensive as those made in Europe.
I am assuming that there are two possible reasons for this. Firstly, that some companies manufacture their products cheaply in China and sell at a high price to maximise their profits, without thinking through the knock-on effects on local communities in this country, or that China (and other countries) now have the skills that are sadly lacking in the UK so can justify the higher prices, as we can’t make the things here.
Obviously there are some important exceptions to this, with very high end audio manufacturers still making excellent products in the UK, along with quality British made shoes, and clothing for example. Made in the UK still adorns by shoes and belt and cutlery.
Current Government policy (or rhetoric) is fully behind UK manufacturing, but I have yet to hear any broader discussion from them about the importance of consumers (and businesses) buying British. Clearly, in a free global market, and especially within the EU, there are issues about promoting one country over another, but surely consumers should spend in a way which keeps a large proportion of their money in the local economy?
As a Europhile, my default position is to purchase European products if I can’t find a suitable British one. So, I will soon be buying a Loewe Soundbox.
UK manufacturing’s loss is Germany’s economic gain.
Posted at 5:01pm on 29th November 2011
Does the rebranding of football stadiums damage brand reputation?
by Rob
As a PR agency, one of the things we have to consider when working with clients is the value of their brand. Although many people think of brands as big names such as The Co-operative, Persil or Staples – every single business is a brand.
The perception of a company’s brand is extremely important because, if the public respect or get excited about the brand, then they are more inclined to come back – which usually results in increased sales, profit and awareness. Therefore it is essential that the heritage and trustworthiness of a brand is intact and defended.
The News of the World, Tiger Woods and BP are examples of brands that have suffered terrible damage to their reputations and may never be viewed in the same light again.
As a football fan, I was interested to read recently about the decision of Newcastle United owner, Mike Ashley, to rename the stadium of his football team. He has changed the St James’ Park name to the Sports Direct Arena – after the company he owns.
The owner already had a fractious relationship with the Newcastle fans and many of them now think he has just gone too far – dismissing the heritage of the club’s illustrious past. But has the renaming of the stadium damaged the Newcastle United brand like many suggest?
Mr Ashley says he has renamed the stadium so that potential new sponsors can see the potential of having a big and atmospheric stadium emblazoned with their name and branding. But if Newcastle fans are so up in arms about this, then are they going to be anymore accepting of any other brand? To them it is, and forever will be, St James’ Park.
Other football clubs have rebranded and the renaming of their stadiums seems to have worked – for example, Etihad Stadium, Reebok Stadium, Emirates Stadium. But the problem to me is when the sponsor’s contract comes to an end.
York City, who now play at Bootham Crescent (their original name), signed a deal with Nestlé that saw their stadium rebranded as the KitKat Crescent. And AFC Bournemouth renamed their stadium (Dean Court) the Fitness First Stadium – and now that that contract has ended it is now called Seward Stadium after rights were sold to the Seward Motor Group. How long until their stadium name changes again?
Mr Ashley says that renaming the stadium will bring in £10 million a year which will enable them to build a better team. But if the renaming damages the brand, isolates the fans and causes them to not attend matches, then what is the point of having a good team playing in a half empty stadium?
Posted at 11:46am on 22nd November 2011
Local newspapers are dying – and the owners are to blame
by Chris Morley, Northern & Midlands Organiser, National Union of Journalists
Local newspapers are not dead but they are being killed by remote and irresponsible owners who care nothing for them but as a source of ready cash. The damage is being compounded by the air of defeatism being generated by often timid editors (with a few honourable exceptions) who refuse to challenge the bean counters to protect their own titles.
The fact is that the public has been conditioned to believe circulations are inevitably falling due to once-loyal readers switching to on-line news and other fancy new distractions. The old line is trotted out that young people are not reading newspapers and older readers are being lost due to life’s attrition.
No doubt some consumer tastes have changed to some extent. But let’s get real: younger people have never typically bought newspapers and aren’t we all supposed to be living longer in any case?
The true situation is that newspaper titles changed hands from the old family owners who saw their titles as giving them a virtuous and prestigious place in the community to a small band of corporate giants totally divorced from the consumers they are trying to reach. The new breed of owners consistently starved their local newspapers of investment because circulation income was only a small part of their earnings. So long as the advertisers kept on coming back, the money still came rolling in they thought.
And to wow the City, the profits rose higher not through new income streams or winning new customers but by cutting back, on staff and on quality. This happened in the boom times and so when things turned tougher the answer was to cut more to keep profit margins of 25-30 per cent going. And in this respect I charge the newspaper companies with sabotaging their own titles. They have done this by culling the most experienced journalists and circulation staff who had the best knowledge of what worked in retaining and winning more readers - but were the most expensive in wages.
Of course, if newspapers were just another commodity all this would be sad but just part of market economics. However, they are a lot more than that. They are part of our democratic fabric: scrutinising the powerful, standing up for the minorities and giving a voice to the ordinary citizen. Newspapers have been highly successful in fulfilling this role in our democracy for a couple of hundred years but the new media seen as taking on this task - local blogs and community websites etc - currently often lack the resources, professionalism or objective nature to make them influential, although there are some notable exceptions. And of course, so far, they have real problems in being able to generate the revenue and profits to become sustainable.
All this may just be academic if everything else was standing still. But it isn’t and the 600 journalist jobs under the axe out of the 2,000 posts the BBC has earmarked to go will only make the crisis in journalism – and therefore our democracy – that much more acute.
The cutting has to stop and as a society we have to learn to cherish quality – and pay for it.
Posted at 10:12am on 7th November 2011
Shouldn’t supermarket workers LOVE food
by Sean
This weekend I paid one of my quadannual visits to a large supermarket. Although I usually shop locally in small stores, I have to drive to a larger store every now and again to pick up those things that aren’t available in a convenience store. It was probably all of the talk last week of Apple Day and our work with Co-operatives UK on cider co-ops for the workplace that got me wanting to do some preserving.
Having made some very tasty, if unusual, vanilla apple jelly recently, I thought I’d try some different flavourings this weekend. Which brings me back to my trip to the supermarket. Having perused the aisles for inspiration I bought a number of spices that I thought worth a try.
Piling all the goods on the supermarket conveyor belt, it became obvious that I had bought rather more than just a few spices for apple jelly, but then I give in to the stack end promotions as much as the next man.
As one of the spices was scanned, the checkout operator asked me what it was. I am sure many of us will recognise the situation where you are asked what a particular product is for or worse, ‘is this a nectarine, sir,’ when it is clearly a peach, but I guess it would be hard to know all the varieties and products in a store.
When asked why I love to cook, my answer is always because I am so keen on eating. And because I like eating I like to eat quality food and try new things, rather than consuming the usually bland processed foods on offer.
Being asked what a particular spice tastes of made me wonder whether supermarkets should do more to ensure checkout operators know more about the products they sell, I mean scan.
I’ve always been a firm believer in the power of education not only to make our leisure time more pleasurable but being informed and kept in the loop at work should mean our working lives become more fulfilling too. Maybe food shops could have staff information days where they cook, taste and drink together, all in the name of getting to know the product offering better.
What a ‘super’ market it would be if everyone there really loved their food and were inspired to pass that on to their customers.
Maybe then I’d go more than three or four times a year.
Posted at 11:51am on 24th October 2011
Emma Baylis – An introduction
by Emma Baylis
Hi, I’m Emma Baylis, the newest addition to the team at Ethos public relations.
After just one day in the office I feel very much at home already. Everyone’s been so friendly and a few tips from my predecessor, Sarah, have certainly helped me to understand the key responsibilities of my role here as Account Executive…and how everyone drinks their tea!
I’ve only been living in Manchester for a few months, having travelled across the Pennines from Leeds. I graduated in July from De Montfort University with a 2:1 in Journalism and following that completed a three-month contract as an Assistant Account Executive at another Manchester PR agency.
I’m really excited to be continuing my career in PR with Ethos public relations and look forward to getting to grips with my new clients which include Contour Homes, Frith Rugs, Laserase and Solar Direct Savings as well as getting more involved in social media.
Now the team has a few treats to enjoy in celebration of National Chocolate Week, it’s a nice way to end my first day!
Posted at 3:32pm on 13th October 2011
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye!
by Sarah
Well, today is my very last day as PR Account Executive at Ethos public relations, as I leave for pastures new, and I just wanted to say a big thank you and goodbye!
During the two years I have spent here at Ethos public relations, I have learned a lot from working with the team and particularly from working closely alongside my director, Debbie Kelly, on a number of consumer, business and housing accounts.
What have I learned? To be honest and up-front with journalists, to check and double check everything we send out on behalf of our clients; and that creative brain-storming can often be more effective after work and sitting at a bar!
I have also learned a lot about ethical business principles and picked up a fair few fair trade recipes from our fair trade in house lunches! My teamwork experience has been strengthened but I have also gained a lot more confidence after being allowed to do my own thing.
So, adieu, it’s been a great experience. And although I do feel sad to be leaving my colleagues and clients, I am looking forward to starting a new chapter and progressing my career.
So wish me luck! And if you would like to stay in touch, please contact me via LinkedIn.
Thanks again Ethos public relations!
Bye for now…
Posted at 9:41am on 30th September 2011
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