PR clangers not restricted to former PM’s

A little less than a month ago I blogged about the PR gaffe involving Gordon Brown’s rant regarding a Rochdale senior citizen that arguably left the Labour re-election campaign in tatters. It now seems however, that it is not the former PM alone that is capable of PR Clangers but more worryingly, supposed PR experts that are the subjects of the latest faux pa.

In what is being billed as a staggering lack of professional decorum, PR Week have reported that a social media PR company have taken to their blog to verbally berate a rival company, for what they perceived as their inability to manage social media. The smaller agency’s crime; to send unsolicited press releases to a database of bloggers - hardly the crime of the century.

The blog post itself reeks of an overeager need to ‘get one over’ on a competitor that won a pitch (the very pitch that forms the subject of the blog) they were interested in. Not only is it excessively hasty in its criticisms of a growing company, it is exceptionally hypocritical. The blog post makes fun of grammar that is correct whilst the post itself is riddled with grammatical errors for which the writer atoned by explaining it was ‘hastily’ written, highlighting at the very least the incompetency of the individual in question.

What is most concerning about the post is not its flagrant transparency or the spiteful tone it adopts, it’s not even the mistakes that litter the text, it is the fact that the offending company has done little to assuage the contempt felt by fellow industry professionals. In fact, they seem content to add to their woes by attempting to excuse their actions under the pretence it was ‘for the good of the industry.’

NixonMcInnes MD Will McInnes said of the issue: 'Inevitably we all make mistakes so we shouldn't point the knife when someone slips up. Effectively we exist in what is like a village so we should act like a community. We're all in this together.'

Had they removed the post and apologised for any offence then the matter may have been forgotten. But they have not seen fit to do this and all the blog has succeeded in doing is cause one to question the integrity of said company and its Managing Director, who cleared the post for publication. With 95% of the comments on the blog being negative, future relations with PR professionals will no doubt prove difficult for the company in the coming weeks.

11th May 2010 Review: Blood Brothers the Musical

The iconic Blood Brothers returns to Wolverhampton in this sublime interpretation guaranteed to have you laughing hysterically one minute and in floods of tears the next. Surrounding the exploits of the Johnstone twins Mickey and Edward who, when separated at birth, grow up on opposite sides of the tracks in tough Liverpool. Despite Edward enjoying all the advantages of wealth while Mickey has struggled in depression hit Liverpool, the two strike up an unlikely friendship, forging a blood pact. As the poison of the secret increases the ‘mother’ of Edward descends into madness fearing the truth will be revealed. Ultimately the friendship of the two brothers proves disastrous. Sufficed to say this is not one for those who enjoy a happy ending!

The cast of this latest interpretation were superb and have continued the long, distinguished history of this play. Throughout the crowd are treaded to the mesmerising vocals of Lyn Paul, former member of 70’s group New Seekers. She is excellent in her reprisal of the role that she first took in 1997. Her portrayal of loving mother and hard Liverpudlian is excellent, even maintaining traces of the accent in her musical scores. She engages with the audience who can’t help empathise with her plight.

This play is also rich with young talent whom display a wealth of maturity and experience. Notable performance of the evening was the charismatic Sean Jones who played Mickey. Also reprising his role, he seamlessly flowed between the cheeky, lovable rogue that Mickey is through the first half into the depressive drug addicted Mickey, who has been hardened by the toughness of his upbringing. He was responsible for the largest laughs and the largest tears.

Other notable performances come from Tracey Spencer and Robbie Scotcher. Spencer played the part of Mrs Lyons, the ‘mother’ of Edward. Her portrayal of a woman descending into madness had an eerie feel to it and made the hairs stand on the back of your neck. Her desperation to conceal the secret that has blighted their lives oozes from her performance.

Likewise, Scotcher who played the narrator generated an immense sense of foreboding and was an ominous presence on the stage - like a shadow of the tragedy that was about to unfold. While his timing was sometimes off, the manner in which he skulked around the stage was exquisite.

As always the musical score was exceptional as was the set design and use of props, particularly from Mickey and his green jumper. Despite its age, this play has the ability to captivate audiences of all ages and is assured a long future to come. In what was certainly the best performance I have seen this year, I laughed, I cried and I’d do it all again.

Fabio’s PR own goal disallowed by FA

It seemed to have crossed the line but the FA has evidently seen fit to intervene in the latest scandal to have hit football. Whilst not quite on the national scale of Ashley Cole’s numerous affairs or John Terry’s infidelities, it does pose the most significant threat to the harmony of the England team and strikes at the heart of the credibility of the one time untouchable England Manager, Fabio Capello.

The subject of the controversy is Capello’s new business venture unveiled on 10^th May, which would have seen him publish his post match reports from the World Cup in order to collate a performance table/ranking system. The goal of the service termed the Capello Index, would have been to create an accurate scoring system that would be implemented into Capello’s soon to be released video game Capello XI. The move was immediately branded as a ‘PR own Goal’ from the usually suave Capello.

Imagine if you will having submitted a tender or proposal, that the first thing your bosses did was to immediately Tweet about your performance even going so far as to give you a score out of ten. The embarrassment alone would impair your judgement on your next case and cause you to question yourself, making decisions that normally you would not. That in effect, is the system that Capello was hoping to deploy.

Amidst the growing debate Capello’s employer (the FA) have stepped in and put the kibosh on the deal suggesting that the move is insensitive and could affect the mood of the players. This comes as a massive blow for both Capello and Pitch who were brought in to handle PR for the account. In the wake of all the bad press and with an indefinite postponement and distancing from Capello, it will be interesting in the coming weeks to see how Pitch can disencumber the rubble of their campaign.

A Taste of the East for the HP Site

In 2007 the new owners of HP moved production from its Birmingham site to Holland in cost cutting measures that left the iconic HP factory dormant and derelict for three years, along with the loss of 125 jobs. Now though East End food company, who have been producing authentic Eastern cuisine for over 30 years in the Birmingham area, have bought the site and revealed a £25 million plan that will rejuvenate the area and put Birmingham back on the food map.

The ambitious plans for the site include a 15 storey building that will host a cash and carry warehouse, a 150 bed hotel with conference facilities and a new based of operations for the Indian food company. The company even hope to create kitchen space in which people can come and learn the art of cooking authentic Eastern cuisine.

Committee member Keith Linnecor had this to say “This is an excellent development. A great looking building and will lead to the creation of so many jobs in the area…far more than there were on the site previously.”

Since the closing of the factory the area has suffered a great deal. But these plans will undoubtedly bring the site back to its former glory and will provide twice the number of jobs previously employed at the site. The firm have stated that it would very much like to hear from HP staff that have been unable to find work and promises “quite a mixture of employment.”

With construction set to end within the next 18 months, East End food has proven its commitment and confidence in the Birmingham area and hopes that this rejuvenation project will inspire other such projects in the area.

Oh Gordon...

Nick Clegg and David Cameron need not flex their creative muscles when it comes to smearing the current PM as it seems that Gordon Brown, shovel in hand, is more than happy to dig his own gave.

Having been advised recently to engage more with the public as it was felt he was previously seen as being too aloof, the PM has gone on the offensive meeting the public left right and centre. It seems though that his advisers forgot who their candidate was; the George Bush of British Politics.

The PM was in Rochdale when he came across life-long Labour voter Gillian Duffy. Towering over the pensioner, Brown began confidently defending policies on pensions and accepting praise for the state of the school system in Rochdale. When presses on the issue of migration the PM (seeming somewhat flustered at this point) tried to deflect the question stating “a million people come into here…but a million British people have gone into Europe”. Deflecting the question he returned to policies where Labour has had some success in an attempt to end the matter on a high.

However Brown was unaware as he extradited himself from the situation that his microphone was still. He began engaging in a personal conversation with one of his assistants in which he blames ‘Sue’ for making him speak with the woman and called the woman in question a ‘bigot’, assumedly relating to her pressing on the immigration issue.

This is not the first gaffe the Prime Minister has made but it may prove to be the final one. In Dec 2008 he was ridiculed in the House of Commons when giving a speech regarding the banking system. Meaning to say he saved the banks he instead professed to having ‘saved the world’. Needless to say, the Tories pounced on this momentary slip and the session descended into a debacle. Then in 2009 at the 65th anniversary of D-Day the Prime Minister, seemingly gushing over his new friend President Obama, repeatedly referred to Omaha Beach as ‘Obama Beach’.

So whilst Brown tries to extricate his foot from his mouth (in the process blaming the news company who owned the microphone for taping a private conversation), Nick Clegg and David Cameron are certainly not going to be hiding their smiles in the wake of the latest Brown gaffe.

Cruise Ship Rescue is PR Gold

Celebrity Cruises have put an indefinite hold on the launch program of their latest super vessel the Eclipse. It was scheduled to begin a week’s worth of events to celebrate the launch including onboard parties with some very special guests. But in the wake of the chaos reaped by the Icelandic volcano the cruise company made the dramatic decision to abandon party plans and head for Spain to mount a daring rescue mission of Brits that have been stranded their amidst the air chaos. Dan Hanrahan, President of Celebrity Cruises stated: “A party at this time didn’t seem right – we had to help out.” And help they have.

Arriving at the Spanish docks in the early hours of the morning the ship was a sight for sore eyes for the 2000 plus Brits unsure of how they would ever make it back home. The cruise company have made plans to pick up customers on all inclusive breaks from Thompson, the Co-Operative group and Thomas Cook. On board the relieved travellers will have the run of the ship and be able to take advantage of the luxury facilities including multiple pools and a 24hr Casino, all free of charge in a deal with their travel providers. But after all the families have been through recently I’m sure they are just happy for a warm bed and the prospect of home.

But lets not be naive about this as certainly this is an act of humanitarianism but it is not without its merits for the cruise company. The media and press attention that this ‘rescue mission’ is receiving is worth considerably more than the attention the launch would have gained originally. A stroke of PR genius, the Eclipse has been thrust into the spotlight and has become the figure head of the British rescue efforts. It’s not quite Moses parting the Red Sea, but it’s as close as we are going to get in these cynical times.

Review: Rolo Tomassi, Trash Talks and Throats @ the Flapper, Birmingham 19/04/10

From the underground dungeon that's forms the Flapper, it is only the impenetrable mixture of bricks and mortar that can contain the hellish sounds of Trash Talk, Throats and Rolo Tomassi. Only from the belly of the beast, this den of iniquity can one savour the offering before them. It leaves only one question-am I getting shorter or is everyone getting taller?

Throats

Beginning what is an impressive double header line up Throats come to Birmingham off the back of their recent kerrang acknowledgement echoing in the background. It only takes a couple of songs for you to realise that this five piece are worthy of the attention as they provide an awe inspiring performance that could prove difficult to follow.

With the front man Mark Taking centre of stage to literally mean standing in the middle of the crowd; his fleetingly brief appearances among the nodding heads present a consummate performer ahead of his years. Whilst perhaps not to the taste of most no one cannot deny that their sound reminiscent of breed or benediction, is something to behold and chances are this is the smallest venue you will see them in for some time to come.

Trash Talk

It's not hard to see why these intense Californians get their name from. With a pre gig sparring match ending in the trading of a couple of blows between the bassist and a member of the crowd, something tells me that if the gig unfolds with ten per cent of the passion displayed in the pre gig antics we are in for something very special indeed. And with that the pit has begun!

The intensity that the band showed before the gig, not to mention the unity, transpires into a terrifying display! During the show with the heavy guitar riffs you come to realise you’re scared and you like it. "F**k Iceland and fuck your volcano" shouts lead singer Spencer, in regards to the recent chaos "now our two fans in Iceland understand why we never come over!" Continuing the music, which by this point is strangely coursing through the femoral artery in my thigh, new song explosion brings upon the crowd a palpable building of tension that waits to be unleashed through some better known songs. With the announcement "this is the last date on our tour" the stage once more erupts into manicness.

Introducing new track ‘Pushed Aside’ lead singer jokingly remarks "this is a fast one". Soon the crowd descend into an obeying mass ready for orders and obligingly the lead singer commands them to raise the roof of this quaint venue and he doesn’t have to wait long for a response and is duly mobbed by the crowd. “This is for the fist punchers” he introduces new song ‘Rapid Horn’ but fist punching makes way to stage diving and more mobbing of the lead singer and the band in general. Spencer takes it in his stride and seemingly shares a moment/connection with each of those who have taken to the stage with him in what is one of the most respectful (to the fans) performances I have ever seen.

Rolo Tomassi

Roll up roll up for the main event of the evening. Gracing the stage is the mesmerising Eva Spence whose small petite frame disguises the set of lungs, each the size of my face, encased within her chest and would fool even the most evasive X-ray machines. With possibly the best looking lead singer this side of Flyleaf, Tomassi are an impressive prospect as the scope and beauty of their ability transcends their impressive physical appearance. The whole band exuded an energy and humble nature that puts other bands to shame.

Their mixture of raw guttural uttering’s and polished tunes makes them a favourite with many. It's like Mr and Mrs Gallows having a fight on a Friday night with the interjection of some angelic musings in-between. A CD quality performance at its best, these guys were so tight I could have held my phone up and sold it to iTunes! At the climax of the performance the band left little unexposed. Eva had commanded the stage with amazing grace and had mesmerised the audience. The rest of the band put on an inspiring performance that saw each of them venture into the crowd at on point or another.

It was a fitting last night of the tour and another superb gig brought together by Birmingham Promoters. What next for Rolo Tomassi? “Well we are gonna have a couple of days off and then we go on tour with Biffy Clyro! It’s really cool because they asked for us…it’s very humbling” (Eva Spence). One thing’s for certain-this band won’t be supporting many bands for too much longer they are headliners through and through.

PR Sector Hailed as the ‘Go To’ Sector for Accurate Information

The ability of the internet to be accurate and factual has long been in question and now as social networking sites spiral out of control the question has been asked-when does news become noise?

A new survey of senior journalists featured in PR Week, has revealed the implications that the sudden and exponential rise of social networking sites has had on the traditional media sector, and is being blamed for cost cutting measures that are currently plaguing the Media sector. In Europe as cuts are being attributed to the economic crisis, Journalists have communicated a severe decline in their numbers and the quality of work available. With sites like Twitter and Facebook seemingly becoming a vehicle for breaking news this worrying trend has led some to believe it has become almost impossible to discern ‘news from noise’ as falsities run rampant in the digital realm.

In a survey led by Burson-Marsteller which interviewed some 115 journalists from 27 countries, the majority felt that PR industries played an increasingly crucial role in the traditional media sectors. Most confirmed that they worked more now with PR agencies than in previous years as agencies are being heralded as the deliverers of accurate information and providers of substantial leads for stories. It makes sense as PR companies have their fingers on the pulse of society and are adept in recognising even the most subtle changes and are at forefront of client representation.

I myself, fell prey to this web of social network inaccuracies recently regarding Martin O’Neill quitting Aston Villa. The story spread like wildfire amongst my friends and on different sites and it was difficult to discern if this was fact or fiction. I contacted one of my sources at Villa who told me the rumours were totally unfounded. I conveyed this to my friends and fellow Villa supporters but despite my efforts they chose to follow the rumours. Perhaps this is more a reflexion on the gullibility of my friends but I think it represents how social media is able to breed and fuel wild fire rumours on a world wide scale.

Social media sites are certainly the future of communication but beware of the information they impart on you as it may be fact but it's more likely to be fiction. For clarification seek out a PR expert for they shall show you the way!

Tigers return: Not quite a mater class in PR

In the wake of the sex scandals that have left Woods a virtual recluse for months, last weeks Masters was supposed to be the beginning of the way back for the fallen hero. Behind the return were a dedicated PR team that have guided him through his recent turmoil to deliver him to the Masters in what was billed as a triumphant return. But the reality of the story is far from the fairy tale Woods’ remaining sponsors would have hoped for.

In very basic terms for a man that has not played competitive golf for some six months, to be able to contend on such a brutal course as Augusta is a feat in itself. But contending was not nearly enough for Woods making known early his intention was to win. Alas his final day, with its ups and downs, moments of pure genius and foolery saw him finish the tournament in a commendable fourth. But what was the perception of the new Tiger and did he at times revert back to the man people associate with the scandal?

In the build up to the Masters Nike ploughed millions of dollars into adverts that showed a humble Tiger listening to words of wisdom from his departed father. It seems Woods’ father is the only person Woods is willing to answer to and the campaign was at first heralded as a stroke of genius utilising footage of the man regarded as Woods’ moral compass. Whilst the advert may have swayed fans desperate to forgive, his long suffering wife is said to have been less than impressed by the obvious and cheesy use of her (soon to be ex) father in law and could potentially be the last nail in the coffin that is their marriage.

This was seemingly the height in the PR effort that frankly has been less than stellar and tops off a catalogue of errors that, in my humble opinion, have made this situation ten times worse than it was. In the first instance Woods ridiculous first interview commending the efforts of his wife to free him from his crashed vehicle reeked of cover up and opened the floodgates for the press to dig deeper and the gold diggers to line up for their thirty pieces of silver. Subsequent denials and then confirmations and stories of huge payouts to potential tell tale women, have all piled on the agony for the Woods family. This culminated a couple of months ago with his presentation to the world, in front of his friends and family, where he admitted guilt in this matter. But even this was wooden and did little to assuage the anguish felt by fans who had been let down by their hero.

Finally, the Masters week was upon us and what we all expected was a triumphant return in which Woods would storm back and win the first major of the year and gain his way into the hearts of his millions of fans again. It was not to be however and the polished veneer of a new humble Tiger fell away at times as Woods allowed the arrogance associated with the old Woods to seep back into his performance. With a week that started with Woods fist punching crowd members, smiling more than I have ever seen him before and acknowledging the crowd as much as possible, it ended with him sloping off like a petulant child highlighted by his three putt on the 14th. It seems his PR efforts stop when he is not winning and even the eagle on the 15th could not elevate him from his sulking mood.

Let me clarify my position. I am one of those long standing fans who quite honestly could not care less about what he gets up to off the course. For me it’s all about his golf. I respect and understand his sullen nature at times as he is a consummate professional performing under difficult circumstances. He has never conducted himself as a celebrity. You rarely see him attend film premieres or falling out of clubs and that is a representation of his sportsman discipline. Granted, had that same discipline been applied to his love life then none of the last six months would have happened but they have.

With Woods on hiatus for the near future, his PR team will no doubt be dreaming up new ways of presenting brand Woods to the public once more. I just hope that they do a better job in the aftermath of the storm than they did in its eye.

Review: The Besnard Lakes/Wolf People/Mr Bones and the Dreamers @ Hare and Hounds by Lee Hall
March 30th, 2010

Birmingham Promoters are vast making themselves a name in Midlands as a company able to produce when it comes to bringing music to the Birmingham scene and Tuesday promised to be another such occasion. Sporting a line up that consisted of Canadians, cockneys and some good old local talent from the West Midlands in the form of Mr Bones and the Dreamers, the evening was pact full of surprises.

Mr Bones and the Dreamers

A seven piece folk/Americana group, the Midlands representatives presented a formidable and somewhat confusing sight on stage as their mixture of styles and lack of cohesion left the audience unsure of what was about to transpire. After a visibly nervous and shaky start that included some trembling vocals from lead singer Keiran, the band soon found their feet and pulled off a mature performance. Having put the initial nerves behind him the lead singer, whose voice was a strange mixture of Editors lead singer Tom Smith and Harry McVeigh from the white lies, went on to give one of the most emotional performances I have seen for a long while. Often sitting or kneeling at the front of the stage looking like a broken man, he captured perfectly a good balance of the necessary stage man appeal and endearing shyness that drew the crowd into the performance. His on stage plight was often emphasised by the haunting beauty of the accompanying violin eloquently performed by Anna, resulting in a compelling tenderness and sensitivity that is a rarity today. Mr Bones and the Dreamers managed to redefine my limited views of what folk is and what it is to become.

Wolf People

What the name lacks in presence the performance made up in bundles as this four piece from London lit up the dreary Tuesday skies of Birmingham. Undoubtedly the stars of the evening Wolf People’s polished performance was indicative of their years together honing their craft. Lead singer Jack Sharpe’s voice was faultless as was much of the performance. Whilst Sharpe took most of the focus the rest of the band’s enthusiasm was infectious and their interaction with the crowd appealed to their long serving fans and gained them a few more in the process. Rich in guitar riffs and bluesy influence, the Wolf boys 60’s psychedelic sound interspersed with some contemporary references made a refreshing change to the seemingly symmetric, factory produced music that pollutes the industry today. Wolf People’s nod to the past is the key to their future success.

The Besnard Lakes

The main event for the evening, The Besnard Lakes, were the furthest travellers to the little slice of heaven that is the Hare and Hounds. Hailing from Canada, they are the result of the collaboration of husband and wife team of Jace Lasek and Olga Goreas. A combination of elements borrowed from differing musical facets form the foundations of the Lakes’ music, meaning that one can never attribute The Besnard Lakes to belonging to any particular persuasion of music. This added to their affinity for songs over the five minute mark, translates poorly into live performances, as the constant barrage of moody intro’s and reliance on technology leave the band exposed and the audience awkwardly shifting feet awaiting the beginning of the song. The heavy dependence on Lasek’s often shrill vocals was at times infuriating especially when you get glimpses of how talented this band can be with tracks like “Chicago Train”. Even this ray of light was plighted by an unnecessary flute intro that was out of sync and difficult to hear but saw Lasek return to a pitch that could be enjoyed and lacked the high pitch warbling that were evident in the rest of the performance.

The success of the evening lies firmly with Mr Bones and the Dreamers and most definitely with the Wolf People who are certain to have big things ahead. Perhaps I just didn’t get what The Besnard Lakes were trying to accomplish but everything about the performance, from Lasek’s shrill vocals and John Lennon styling seemed cliché and left me less than captivated. I look forward to seeing what Mr Bones and the Dreamers and Wolf People come up with in the future.

How to mend a broken heart

First, take the two pieces in both hands.
You’ll find them discarded on the floor, next to where you stand.
Turn the pieces up and down,
Until a fit can be found.
Lay them on the table and get some glue,
The words spell ‘I love you!’
Glue part A to part B as clearly demonstrated in diagram c.
Give them a push and let them dry
Come back later, "had your cry?"
Now they’re stuck good as new,
But who to give the whole thing to?
I think… I think… I will try you…again.
But just like before, they are ripped and torn
And discarded once more to adorn my kitchen floor.

Winter Fun?

The sky grows darker and the fires are stoked,
Old windows in cold corners are worn and broke.
Icicles grow older and colder,
Winter has come but does it bring fun?
Or are mischief and mayhem its allies against the sun!

The gritter’s are out,
The ice is on the run!
Children launch snow balls at iron giants
For they ruin their fun!

The night out numbers the day,
The cold is here to stay!
Summer sun seems so long ago
The cold leaves the world feeling hollow.

But do not fret, nothing lasts forever,
The winter will succumb to the fighting spirit of the sun.
And Frosty’s smile will slide into a frown,
As he draws ever closer to the ground.

The end is near as green takes over white.
Told you the cold could not last the fight!
And as Frosty gets up to his neck in trouble,
Have one last blast-make it a double!