Last month PR industry leaders across the North East reconvened at the CIPR North East Strategic Communicators Forum to again discuss and debate what we have learnt during the pandemic so far.
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Taking forward the key elements of the previous event discussion cantered around four key areas, when forum members again shared good ideas, and considered how to enhance the value of communications to our organisations, and our region.

The overarching takeaway for me from listening to everyone’s experiences of communication in 2020 is that we should aim to be human, not perfect, as communicators.

Key challenges from the pandemic include focussed on logistical and practical issues relating to change driven by the pandemic as well recruitment and ethical issues

• The need to communicate with employees out of hours
• Introducing new channels overnight
• Logistical issues
• Some employees working from home whilst others are working for the office
• How to replicate the different types of conversations that would take place in an office
• Adapting to new environment
• Ethical issues relating to listening in to conversations, monitoring remote employees
• How to keep connected with team members on furlough
• Recruiting through lockdown

Solutions put forward included

• Having slower conversations, being aware of the external factors on people, consciously building in time and space for meaningful conversations
• Using resources such as the Wellbeing Assessment Plans from MIND
• Creating flexibility in working practices that meets the whole teams needs
• Using slots in regular communication channels to reinforce messages
• Limiting use of communication channels so they have a clear purpose – some for urgent activities, others for office chat
• Happy jar = write out what people say about you and your work
• Staged approach to returning to work after furlough and using keep in touch days
• Keep ourselves motivated and healthy – take care of ourselves – follow the advice we are giving our teams – book in time for yourself
• Not insisting on the use of cameras in meetings– starting off with them but then turning off when screen is shared
• Recruiting through lockdown – adapt interview questions and tasks to meet the current needs of organisation including ability to work independently and remotely
• Don’t forget we can still use the telephone – not everything has to be on Zoom

​The forum will continue in 2021. Date for your diary the first forum will be on Friday 29 January. Look out for more information in the New Year.

North East Strategic Communicators ForumThe Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) North East Regional Group has created a series of professional development and networking events for senior / strategic professionals in the North East's PR & communications industry. If you are the person with overall responsibility for communications in your organisation and you are interested in the forum please tweet or DM @CIPR_NorthEast or email Deb Sharratt.

Further events for strategic communicators from CIPR North East via the North East Strategic Communications Forum are planned throughout 2021. CIPR North East also has a various training, networking and social events across the year for all PR practitioners. Follow @CIPR_NorthEast on Twitter or LinkedIn to keep up to date.
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Taking networking online is not easy. Replicating face to face networking online is hard - you can’t have a casual 1-2-1 chat, the incidental comment whilst getting your coffee, to lingering around at the end to make contact with a certain individual. It’s not possible. I’ve tried it just doesn’t work the same.

This doesn’t mean that online events haven’t been good. I’ve attended many throughout 2020 by speaking at some, being on a panel at others and a passive viewer at others. There are some great online communities on social media platforms. All offering many learning opportunities but not so much networking or opportunities for relationship building.

So how do we replace the support and guidance from others with similar experiences we used to seek from networking events? We create new ones that work for us as individuals.

I hadn’t realised it until speaking to my students this week when I started to talk about The PR Inn, that it is my number one networking activity at the moment. (Plus a bit of #TimsTwitterListeningParty - but that is a whole new conversation).

The PR Inn is a small, evolving, group of PR practitioners from different nations, sectors and areas of practice, but who chat over Zoom on a Friday night.

This weekend was the 33rd PR Inn - that means for 33 weeks of working from home, limited physical contact and no face to face meetings there have been friendly faces on a screen, who were not people I taught or worked with, for or managed, but still understood all of the challenges that had faced me as PR Practitioner, but also as a person, that week.

Some are parents, some are not. Some are single, some are not. We span a couple of decades and have different backgrounds. At one time or another we have all been in different tiers and under different COVID restrictions. What do we all have in common? We care, we are supportive and are accepting.

Over the weeks around ten people have been part of PR Inn. Some regulars, some less frequent - it doesn’t matter just like in any community space. It’s evolved organically. Some have been there from the start - it began as a one-off zoom chat that we found helpful and wanted to repeat. Some involved have decided it wasn’t for them or clashed with other online or offline activities. Others have seen comments on Twitter, asked more and joined in. It’s private but not exclusive - just like making conversations with neighbours in the pub - sometimes they develop, sometimes not.

I equate it to meeting your mates in a pub on Friday night (although those days seem so long ago) except now I don’t need a babysitter and those mates can be miles away.

Yes, there is often alcohol involved but not all attendees do drink, although on occasion we may have drunk too much. Nothing better though then the realisation you can be in bed in less than two minutes after closing time.

If you need or want to talk you can, or you can just listen. Just like going to your local you don’t have to get dressed up. No-one cares whether you are glammed you or in your dressing gown. You might be eating, doing your laundry, catching up on emails or just chilling out - it doesn’t matter. What makes the difference to everyone else on the video call, is that you are there.

​Often seen as a chore, measurement and evaluation is an essential part of any plan or project. A way of monitoring progress, knowing if you are where you need to be.
 
Measurement is about collecting the data, and evaluation is a separate concept in assessing the impact and value of actions concerning the objectives. AMEC’s Integrated Evaluation framework helps communication professionals must show the effect that their work has had on the objectives of their respective organisations.
 
AMEC along with many professional communication bodies such as CIPR, are encouraging consultancy and in-house PR professionals to regard measurement and evaluation as an everyday part of what they do. Yet it is still an area where the profession could do so much more to ensure measurement and evaluation are vital 'tools of the trade'.

​In bricklaying one of the first things we were taught is that measurement and evaluation are key. Plans are drawn up; foundations are made, and preparations thoroughly executed all to exact measurements. Risks and external factors also must be considered with potential different courses of action identified to accommodate changes in circumstances from the weather to the economy.
 
Necessary tools include a trowel and spot board for the bricks and mortar. However, the right tool must be used at the right time for the right job. As I learnt a Philadelphia trowel is no good inside a cement mixer, but a bucket trowel performs that task perfectly.
 
One of the most important and frequently used tools was a tape measure. As well as a spirit level and a gauge (for measuring the height of the bricks).
 
After each brick is placed a tape measure comes out to check it follows the plan. The spirit level ensures each brick has been laid correctly and the gauge so that we can see where we are going meets the vision.

And importantly what do we then do to make sure the project is on track? Do we tweak, make adjustments, or do we need to create an additional activity?
 
If we don’t know why we are doing something, it’s hard to collect the evidence to demonstrate that it has been successful.
 
However, if we collect data but then don’t interpret and learn from the insights then it is also a waste of time and the project may fail and not be fit for purpose and I discovered this week this equally applies to my day job of public relations or my basic bricklaying DIY skills.

Earlier this month CIPR North East held an event for PR practitioners focusing on the discipline of media relations, and pitching to broadcast media in particular.

Media relations is what many people, who don’t have a full understanding of the profession and industry, associate with public relations.
 
Public relations can be done very successfully without using media relations, yet media relations does not exist without PR. However as a discipline media relations remains, for many practitioners at all levels, an integral part of their PR activity, both pro-actively and re-actively.

I do though want to stress that public relations is not just media relations. And it doesn’t and shouldn’t define us as a profession. As current CIPR President Emma Leech said in response to a BBC Radio 4’s episode of The Media Show on public relations that focused solely on publicity through the media.
 
“What we deliver goes far beyond media relations. The truth is tens of thousands of public relations professionals provide ethical and strategic support to businesses of all sectors. We help build trust in organisations by establishing and improving relationships with key stakeholders - not just journalists. Many aspects of PR such as community engagement, digital communication and internal communication involve no media relations.”

​But I also want to stress how important it is to get it right. Although media relations is not what we do all the time - PR encompasses so much more - when we do engage in media relations on behalf of clients and our organisations it is important to do it well and appropriately for the business and target media. 

So whereas public relations is the act of maintaining, fostering and improving relations between others and your business, media relations is limited to an organisations interaction with stakeholders who are journalists, bloggers, editors, reporters and others in the media business. Placing stories in the media is just one way that PR can help an organisation reach their audience. But as PR professionals we should be aiming to be trusted advisers to the media not just sending out press releases.

Why is it important to get it right? Read this blog post by Ella Minty in which she says about getting it wrong “We can damage a client’s reputation even if we’re paid to protect it!”

Success in media relations means anticipating not just the story that will appeal, but the treatment of it, other assets it must include and a method of pitching that attracts the journalist’s attention.

Technology has transformed filming, editing and broadcasting meaning there is little need to edit in the studio anymore however less processing time means stories can be edited and programmed up to broadcast time resulting in more pressure on producers.And with fewer resources newsrooms are stretched.
 
So with that in mind CIPR North East (of which I am Vice-Chair) held an event on media relations and broadcast media in particular, with Adrian Pitches, BBC Look North TV Planning Editor, and Matt Jones, Bauer Radio News Operations Manager. all about how to nail your pitch. The duo has over 30 years' experience - so know what makes a good story for TV and Radio!

Here’s what we learnt. Put these tips into practice and your client or organisation could be the topic of the next ‘did you hear xxx on the news this morning’ and ‘have you heard about xxx’ conversations.

1. Get to the point straight away. Take the time to craft your opening two paragraphs of your email. You need these words to get you through the first filter on the planning desk. Your initial call or email is your opportunity to convince the panning desks you have story right for their media outlet.
2. Make it accessible. Cut the acronyms and jargon. Jargon, company speak and no news won’t pass the filter threshold.
3. Suggest content that is engaging. Where is the human interest? Have you got great case studies happy to be interviewed? Is it news, is it interesting or is it funny and will it make people smile.
4. Ensure it is visual or talk-able. But don’t forget everything is multimedia now and even with radio video can be used for website and social media. Think about and help identify how images and sounds will be created – send stills to help it be visualised but only send them if they help. A head shot is not going to help. When doing radio interviews by phone hold the device away from the face so the microphone picks up the sound properly. 
5. Can it be embargoed and previewed? Media previews and behind the scenes still important so content is embargoed but ready to go when it becomes news
6. Could it be an exclusive? Think about approaching one media outlet first and see if they are interested. Check out the organisations current themes and own campaigns – do you fit their agenda?
7. Think about timing. The Tuesday after a Bank Holiday Monday is a slow news day (maybe not any more if we all follow these tips) but an embargoed news story ready to film on a Tuesday following a bank holiday can be arranged the before the holiday weekend. Look to place weekend stories on Tuesday or Wednesday embargoed for weekend. News is planned day before and thee more notice that can be given the more thought can go into it. But don't hesitate to phone on the day - if the  story is good enough it will get covered. But also bear in mind the need to be flexible - local news can go out the window for the national agenda.
8. Think about the audience. The TV audience is fairly middle-aged and older and family orientated but not all news is created for them only. Viewer research shows that they’ve watched the national news and now want something more relaxing, informative, different to the national agenda and with a feel-good factor about their own region.
9. Is it good enough? There is less than 28 minutes to till in a regional TV news programme, which means only 6 – 8 stories per week day can be covered. Radio bulletins are about 2 minutes long.
10. Make contact. Don’t forget you can always email or call to gauge interest in a story before you spend time on a pitch – that is what developing media relations is all about.

May 2019 saw the first mayoral election for the North of Tyne Combined Authority, with registered voters in three local councils: Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland eligible to take part. The North of Tyne devolution deal secured £600m over the next 30 years, aiming to create 10,000 jobs and boosting the local economy by over £1bn.

As well as representing every single person in Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland, they will ensure the area’s voice is clearly heard by Government and champion the North of Tyne nationally and internationally. The deal means more decisions will be taken locally rather than by central government which means we as communicators will have a big part to play in influencing these decisions. It’s no longer just about what is happening in Westminster.

The Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) North East Regional Group has created a series of professional development and networking events for senior / strategic professionals in the North East's PR & communications industry. The first event with Heathrow Airport focused on putting PR at the heart of your organisation and how to get PR a seat at the boardroom table.

Organised by CIPR North East committee member Huw Lewis (Nexus) and Vice-chair Deb Sharratt (Independent Practitioner) the Strategic Communicators Forum North East aims to provide events which meet the needs of a targeted audience, focused on leadership and strategic communications rather than purely practical and technical PR skills, whilst providing an opportunity to network with colleagues, as well as meeting new people with similar roles, experience and insight. This fits with the vision of the CIPR to be at the heart of a professional and diverse public relations profession that organisations, government and the public understand and value.

Further events for strategic communicators from CIPR North East via the North East Strategic Communications Forum are planned throughout the year. To get involved tweet or DM @CIPR_NorthEast or email CIPR North East Vice Chair Deb Sharratt.

CIPR North East also has a various training, networking and social events across the year for all PR practitioners. Follow @CIPR_NorthEast on Twitter or LinkedIn to keep up to date.

10 Ways to Open Up Two Way Communication Channels

I’d love to make number one appoint a PR person as your Executive Director, start with PR & Communications and then take the rest from there, as Sunderland have done but as that’s not an imminent change for most organisations so I’ll actually start my ten points here, with examples of how Sunderland AFC are putting them into practice.

1. Establish the purpose of an organisation. Remember what you are there to do and re-imagine what that should look like now.
2. Do and not say. The football manager spends over three hours every week talking to both traditional and online new media.
3. Walk the walk. Non-verbal communication is as important as what is said. A player’s body language and the comments they make in interviews is important but equally so is them genuinely applauding fans at the end of a game and not wearing headphones when getting off the team coach and engaging with fans.
4. Demonstrate you value feedback. Fans were asked what’s the one thing they want to change. They said the seats which had turned pink from the sunshine (and yes, we do have sunshine up north). The seats were changed.
5. Make open communication part of the organisation's culture. Charlie explained to us how the overall communications strategy has an integral role in internal communication right from the recruitment process, for all employees including that of the football manager.
6. Become an authoritative voice. To do this you need to gain the trust of your audience. You must answer the difficult questions, no matter who they come from.
7. Identify the most appropriate channels for communication. For example, a club cannot criticise their players after a game, as well as players they are also employees. Fans want post-match coverage to deconstruct games. This is best delivered by a fan channel, with the support of the club. Management and players take part in podcasts. Match reports are still written for the regional press.
8. Be adult about what might happen. Football is very emotive and disappointing results will bring an outpouring of anger. Be ready for it, expect it, embrace it, even encourage it but then analyse that data and learn from it.
9. Build your reputation bank Increase your credibility with all stakeholders including employees, media and fans. Introducing a fear factor in your media relations with an aggressive defensive stance will only contribute to a club’s downfall in the end.
10. Lead and be a disruptor in your industry. Push boundaries and take the time to influence internally within your organisation as to why this is necessary.

 
One last point. Charlie told us how he’d studied Theology at Oxford University before becoming and journalist and then moving into public relations. He didn’t think was a relevant subject for a sports journalist however we all know that football is a religion in the north east.

I doubt that better communications are going to change many supporter’s allegiances, however it may strengthen existing support, enable you to re-engage with your fan base, and maybe attract those new to football.
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The approach is fascinating, so far Sunderland have had pretty good times on and off the pitch, it will be even more fascinating to watch how it develops with the inevitable ups and downs of football.

Communication is ever changing and has changed so much since I started my career.

There are now so many more people to communicate with and importantly, those people can also make a lot of noise, very easily. No matter how few of them there actually are.
 
So as Andrew Mitchell, Director of Strategic Communications and Policy, at Heathrow Airport said at a CIPR North East event last week for Strategic Communicators, “the best approach for any organisation is to be open and show that we are here to listen … and stay on front foot by communicating with people”.
 
I don’t think any of us would disagree with that. But how do we get our directors and ultimate decision makers in our organisations, to take this on board.
 
Last week we held our first Strategic Communications Forum in the North East. A new space where senior communications professionals can meet, network, learn from their peers, and debate issues pertinent to the communications sector.
 
Attended by PR professionals with the responsibility for communications in their organisation, it was facilitated by CIPR North East. It was open to CIPR and non-CIPR members from across North East England.
 
The main speaker at the first event was Andrew Mitchell from Heathrow Airport, and the following people were panel members

• Caroline Darnbrook, Director of Products and Marketing at Darlington Building Society,
• Chris Taylor, Managing Director of PR & Marketing agency DTW, and
• Laura Foster, Business Scale-up Partner at RTC North East. 

Putting PR at the heart of your business
 
The subject of the first event was putting PR at the heart of your business. So what tips can we share from our 30+ strategic communicators? From both the speaker and panel members and indeed the enormous talent that was in the room.
 
Improving your communications has got to be based on building pride and trust. But how do we get a seat at the boardroom table and make organisations realise the power of communication.

1. ROI is key. Demonstrate its worth and value to the business. Strive to get Communications as a key KPI for the business.
2. Explain the importance of reputation. Measure your reputation not just with the media but with all key audiences including politicians, regulators, employees and the local community.
3. Ensure that communications support all of the key business priorities.
4. Integrate the communications team into the organisation. Too often they are seen as being separate to, and therefore not integral to the business, but communications need to be seen and valued throughout the business.
5. Get active and involved throughout the organisation. Be ahead of the game and build credibility by offering solutions.
6. Encourage great working partnerships.
7. Speak about actions not just words and choose those words carefully.

This week I start back to work properly in 2019, but taking the time during the first few days of the year, to look back at 2018 last week has really shown me how much commitment and effort I've put into developing myself both professionally and personally. 

In addition to my day job as both a PR practitioner & lecturer, and a lifestyle blogger, in 2018 I've attended industry events and conferences, hosted a webinar for Vuelio, spoken at the Mojo Nation conference, written for the CIPR Influence online blog, organised the #CIPRNorthernConf, held the elected positions of Vice Chair and Social Media Manager for CIPR North East and organised the #PRideNE awards where I also won an award as Outstanding PR Practitioner in the North East. ​

CPD takes time and effort but is worth it. I started my Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) CPD after returning to work after maternity leave (at the time being on maternity leave didn't exempt you from having to accrue CPD points - thankfully that has now changed and you can read the CIPR Maternity Leave Package here). 

It's all too easy just to keep on doing the same thing all the time. No matter how successful you are at it. However to grow as a person and as a professional then you need to challenge yourself. In 2018 I spoke at a national conference for the very first time with a colleague. Yes it was nerve-wracking, yes it was quite scary. I was named and promoted as a speaker; and that felt really strange but also rewarding; however once I stepped onto the stage the nerves went. 

Co-hosting a webinar for Vuelio was both an unnerving and exciting proposition. Not being able to receive any verbal or physical feedback from your audience as you speak really makes you think about what you are saying and doing. I was very glad when it was over but also very glad that I'd done it. My biggest tip is to make sure you are speaking about something you understand well, are passionate about and wiling to debate. The feedback after both sessions whether on stage or online were both big confidence boosters. Taking a 'risk' is a great way to grow.

Through blogging I have discovered so much about SEO and coding that I never would have learnt through my day job. The ethics of which are a daily challenge it has to be said, but my lifestyle blog has made me understand the skills and writing abilities required to enable my clients to perform better in this respect too. Over Christmas I've also re-branded, researched font trends for 2019, (outline fonts with their modern, industrial look makes brands look cutting-edge and mature - apparently), analysed the website data and evaluated the content in terms of readers wants and needs - all of which has taught me new skills.

Whether it is attending an event, volunteering on a committee or standing for election, getting involved with a professional body such as the CIPR is worth it. Aside from the personal and professional development, some of my closest friends are people I've met through volunteering with CIPR, who are a great support both personally and professionally. We all need people to lean on from time to time. Yes they are colleagues, but more than colleagues, they are people with similar values, aims and objectives to you, who understand what you do on a day to day basis, which makes for better mutual understanding all round.

Many people, including me can be quite hesitant about joining online discussions and debates. Especially on Twitter where females are regularly verbally attacked just for having an opinion. I've facilitated Twitter chats before for CIPR North East however joining in other established chats is not so easy, especially when you don't personally know the other regular participants. In 2018 I've joined in with Ella Minty's #PowerandInfluence, #UKBlogHour, #CommsChat, as well as #CIPR specific ones on #AIinPR. These have not only helped me develop new relationships with PR professionals but also increased my knowledge and (hopefully) improved how I communicate on social media - well apart from posting cat gifs and retweeting Peanuts on this day tweets. Contact online forums and professional blogs too such as CIPR's Influence Online and join the conversation there by offering to write for them too.

Not everything we do in our careers has to be about earning money. Yes most of us need to earn a living but only doing things because you are being paid to do it isn't always that healthy a mindset to have. Well not for me anyway. Choosing to take on a project or role without monetary reward is really beneficial and I wish I could afford to do it more often. Organising conferences, awards event and helping to support others is a great way to develop yourself, and when you can support those in need of vital help at the same time, such as encouraging donations to a local foodbank (an idea first suggested by Stephen Waddington that we've continued) or donations to the CIPR's IPRovision at our awards night, makes it even more worthwhile.

Being independent means not having senior colleagues to learn from, to mentor us, to coach and challenge us. But we can still learn every day from clients and colleagues within the sector. So for me having a personal commitment to professional development is a must for independent practitioners to continue to deliver the best possible service to their clients. This is one of 9 key challenges I've identified in becoming a successful independent practitioner.

​I’m about to celebrate my 8th anniversary as an independent PR practitioner. It’s not a role I chose. It was after redundancy, and the need for a flexible working environment, with two small children at home. However, I wouldn’t change a thing. I've worked with some amazing people and clients. I've grown and developed far more as a person and a professional than if I’d remained employed. And I’ve won three CIPR Gold Pride Awards for clients and myself as an independent. I am currently nominated as Best Independent PR Practitioner in the North East in this year’s Pride Awards (fingers crossed for next week). I've also been able to play an active role in the Chartered Institute of Public Relations during this time, and in January I'll join CIPR Council.

However, it’s not always easy, and after 8 years working independently here are 9 challenges that I've found that independent practitioners face every day, yet need to overcome to be successful.
 
9 Challenges Independent PR practitioners Face Every Day
– and how to overcome them
 
Cash Flow
Essentially, how much you earn, and when. I like to give it a business term because that’s what it is. When you work for yourself, your mindset needs to change from being an employee, with a regular salary and benefits, to that of a business. Because that is what you are, a one-person business. Whether you are a limited partnership or a sole-trader it doesn’t matter. When I began working independently, finding myself without all of the support functions around you, that I had been used to, I took a qualification in Business Finance and Project Management. My biggest piece of advice is to think about your work as a business, ensure you forecast and project cash flow, look at income over an entire accounting period rather than monthly and slowly you will start to be less stressed and anxious, as you start to see yourself as an independent practitioner, rather than a freelancer in between jobs.
 
Learn to say no
My most empowering moments as an independent practitioner has been when I’ve said no to contracts. Lucrative contracts too. Be it for ethical or logistical reasons it reminds you of one of the benefits of being independent. You are your own boss and you do not have the responsibility of having to pay other people’s salaries and that is really liberating. Yes it’s very hard, not knowing what may be around the corner, but that is where business planning really helps.
 
Resigning Clients
Just like a larger business may need to fire employees and resign accounts, independents are the same. I have a couple of clients I have now worked with for over seven years and we have grown together. However, some clients who were great to work with in the early days, are not the right fit for my business going forward and long-term. This is never an easy decision, and the choice between turning down guaranteed income for long term gain is a strategic decision that does need to be made. Weigh up all the benefits and really evaluate if you are still the right fit for their business too.