Be an exhibitionist!

There are just weeks to go until RWM 2010 and as Prova are seasoned professionals at RWM, I thought I’d write a blog about how to get the most out of exhibiting.

 

It’s imperative to prepare fully for exhibitions, rather than approaching the various elements of the event on a piecemeal basis, to ensure that your company gives out a clear, coordinated and consistent message.

 

Visitors to exhibitions are bombarded with hundreds of different messages, so work out your message and aim to communicate it in a simple, yet engaging way to attract attention and encourage conversation with visitors.

 

The next step is to ensure all of your communications tools – press relations, print advertising, Twitter, website, stand design, handouts, seminar topics and catalogue entries – all communicate the same message.

 

Don’t forget the all important pre-event period, so be sure to invite customers, suppliers and other contacts to the show. Spend time developing informative press material to hand out and make sure it’s full of news, product information, company background and relevant pictures.

 

Thinking further ahead to next year, make the most of the RWM by planning ahead; arrange to attend pre-event networking opportunities and put a company spokesperson forward for a seminar speaking slot.

 

This can all seem like a lot of work which is why many companies call on the services of professional marketing and PR firms to provide support in this area. As well as having a consultancy that can write copy and ensure the messages are consistent, it’s often beneficial to use a third party, to make sure the project receives that attention it deserves.

 

If you are going to invest time and money to exhibit at a show like RWM 2010, you’ve got to make the most of it so draw up an action plan, agree a hard hitting message and make it happen!

 

See you at RWM 2010 – Stand 502!

 

St John

Is scrapping the default retirement age a good thing?

The debate sparked by the announcement that the government is due to phase out the compulsory retirement age of 65 has certainly been interesting and at times extremely heated. The baby boomers have been accused of having their cake and eating it (once again) while the younger generation suffer from an ever reduced job pool as the older generation hold on to the their jobs.

 

I graduated last year so I’m well versed in the lack of jobs for graduates (a letter I wrote about this situation was even published in the Daily Mail last year!) but I honestly don’t think older people working for longer will prevent members of my generation being appointed to the entry level jobs we crave. The majority of jobs in this country are in the service sector where experience and knowledge are valuable to both the company and other employees. Instead of being booted out the door at 65, the expertise of older workers should be passed down the company so younger workers can benefit.

 

We’re constantly being reminded of the financial time bomb for tax payers burdened with supporting an ever increasing generation of pensioners who are often coerced into a life of leisure and poverty. It makes sense for those who are still fit and willing to work to continue to do so as they’d be better off than on the state pension. Also they would continue contributing to society, instead of being sidelined and forgotten. The health benefits of work are generally accepted, with some doctors even saying that retirement is a death sentence. If we’re living longer, then it makes sense to be working longer.

 

Lauren

Learning from Fruit and Veg

I’m a bit of a sucker for those ‘business doctor’ programmes when the proven expert (be it Gordon Ramsay, Gerry Robinson or Alan Sugar) rolls into town, verbally abuses the clueless owners of the company, then rides off into the sunset, having cured every strategic ill under the sun and turned them into happy, profitable entrepreneurs.

 

I recently saw retail guru Mary Portas helping a fruit and veg shop in Liverpool, run by three sisters, who had not quite grasped the concept of customer service, promotion or even the calculation of a profit margin!

 

In the end, after a fair amount of conflict and inevitable drama, the girls pulled together and made a huge success of the shop, increasing weekly income from £2,000 to £2,700.

 

It occurred to me that some of the basic lessons of business learnt here could teach us all a trick or two. Here are some of the gems I picked up from the programme:

 

Understand your market – get out there and talk to your customers. What do they think about you? What do they want? What are the competition doing well? Where can you compete with them? Here, the sisters were up against the convenience of Sainsbury’s and Tesco, so needed to come up with a different offer.

 

Focus on quality – look at the quality of your product or service and be hard on yourself. The sisters at the veg shop didn’t see the benefit of getting to the market early – before 5am! – to bag the best produce every day for their customers, but soon realised that this was a key part of their plan.

 

Be innovative and think about your customers – you can never stop thinking about what your customers want and how the market is constantly changing. Our purveyors of fine fruit and vegetables just didn’t get the idea of veg boxes until Mary pounded the streets drumming up customers. In just half an hour, they had signed up half a dozen regulars.

 

Know your mission – I know they can be a bit old hat, but having a clear, simple mission can really help to focus minds. In this case, the sisters’ mantra was something along the lines of; “Local, Fresh, Less”. They are a local retailer (sourcing local produce); the fruit and veg is always high quality and bought that morning at market and they encourage people to buy less but to buy more often to ensure freshness. They will always try to be less expensive than the big supermarkets too. So simple, but so effective!

 

Branding – lastly, we should never stop thinking about the brand our business has and how we communicate the values of the company. In the case of our scouse emporium, the shop changed its name from Fosters to 3 Sisters and had a complete refurb, including some marvellous photos of the girls clad in fruit and veg (think calendar girls with carrots!).

 

While these simple, but very powerful messages transformed the shop, I reckon these are lessons that could be adopted by any business; law firms, electronics manufacturers, logistics providers and even PR agencies.

 

St John

 

The Power of PR

Prova set itself the challenge of coming up with a World Cup PR initiative on behalf of our client, fuel brand, Jet.  Trying to avoid anything too ‘cheesy’ or too overtly promotional, we opted to establish a World Cup Football Shirt Amnesty.  A total of 17 Jet forecourts, located throughout the UK, were chosen to take part, with the commercial objective of raising the profile of these forecourts in their local media, getting local communities involved and increasing footfall.

 

We recognised that it was important to find a well respected partner for this project to donate the collected shirts to and, following research, approached and secured a partnership with VSO, the leading international development charity that works through volunteers to fight poverty in developing countries.  Adding a further link to the World Cup, all donated shirts will be sent to South Africa to be distributed to children and adults through VSO’s network of volunteers and local sports education projects.

 

Tailored press releases for local media, as well as supportive POS for the forecourts, helped to launch Jet’s national ‘Dig Out, Drop Off, Donate’ initiative. Customers were asked to bring in last season’s football shirts, or those that they have grown out of.  Prova secured many radio interviews with VSO and Jet forecourt owners promoting the initiative.  Print press coverage was also particularly effective in raising awareness and giving a ‘call to action’ for people to get involved.

 

The initiative ran for just two weeks – timed to finish on the first day of the World Cup to avoid clashing with and getting lost among other World Cup news.   Its success has more than exceeded expectations – more than 1000 football shirts have been donated across the 17 sites, with one individual forecourt receiving more than 250 alone!  Across all the sites, the amnesty has created a buzz among staff and customers.  With the football shirts now on their way to South Africa, local communities here in the UK can feel proud that they have directly helped to make a difference for local communities elsewhere.  Prova is proud to have played its part too!

 

Catherine Scotcher

Prova tries T'ai Chi

For Prova’s ‘Learning at Work Day’, the team decided to try some T'ai Chi and I was invited to instruct the lesson, having taught T’ai Chi for more than 20 years. I arrived at The Studio in Warwick and everyone was really friendly. After a quick warm up we started the class with a few exercises called K'ai Men which means Open Door in Mandarin and is aimed at increasing the flow of chi (energy) in the body. The chi flows best when people are relaxed so I tried to create a relaxed environment and a focused attitude during the class. The Prova team enjoyed a range of exercises which were aimed at improving balance, deep breathing and releasing energy. We did a series of gentle movements called ‘forms’ which enhance and generate the flow of energy in the body. They also increase flexibility and feed the body with much-needed energy by helping chi to flow more freely. Over time, meditative aspects become more integrated into the movements which will lead to a strong mind and internal stillness. Hopefully the lessons learnt will serve the team well.

 

For more information, see our website: www.seahorsearts.co.uk

 

Rachel Simpson (guest blogger)

Snap happy PR in focus

This week I boarded the early commuter train from Birmingham to London for a TNR Communications workshop in PR photography. Photos accompanying press releases from PR agencies (Prova not included) have a reputation for being cheesy and uninspired (think big cheques – so passé) which means it’s important to inject as much inspiration into our photography as possible!

 

The workshop was led by Tim Kerr, the head of photography at TNR Communications (consultants of the Press Association). His decade of experience on the picture desk meant that he was able to give us PRs a good insight into the working life of a picture editor, as well as their likes and dislikes (over branded, messy photos as well as ones of big cheques are pet hates). The picture desks of national newspapers receive up to 20,000 photos a day meaning photos must stand out if they’re to be selected for print. The subject of 50 per cent of the photos picture editors are looking for has already been decided in advance according to the news stories of the day but the rest are quirky photos that catch their eye such as record attempts for the largest pizza, flash mobs and the like.

 

Often on paper, a story can sound uninspiring but if it’s accompanied by an eye catching picture then it can make its way into the nationals. A bell ringing festival doesn’t sound particularly exciting but an artistic photo of a group of bell ringers taken from up the bell tower made the Guardian’s Eyewitness page. Clearly, photography shouldn’t be an afterthought in PR but should be planned in advance to ensure that photos sent to picture desks grab the picture editor’s attention, as well as summing up the essence of the story. If a lot of hard work has been put into a press release, article or PR stunt, then the accompanying image shouldn’t sell this short. Investing in a photographer with a proven track record and taking the time to plan creative shots is well worth it if gets clients more coverage. And that’s what everyone wants!

 

So to summarise, large cheque photos: bad, creative and unusual photos: good.

 

Lauren

 

An education in PR

When I first made the decision to study Public Relations, I realised that not a lot of people understood what PR actually is and what it can do. “You need a Masters to hand out leaflets?” one friend asked me, seeming confused.

 

Now, coming to the final weeks of my course and having been at Prova for four months, I am still learning and feel there is much more to find out and many opportunities to develop my skills in the ever-changing world of PR.

 

First of all, it has been interesting to put the basic practical skills that I have learnt into practice. It is clear that mastering the technique of how to write a press release that a journalist actually wants (which at times felt like we practiced to death in the first semester) as well as when and how to best communicate this to the media is undoubtedly essential to successful PR. What you can’t learn at University is how to communicate with clients on the importance of deadlines or how to tactfully explain why their story is not necessarily always going to make the 10 o'clock news. These skills take time and experience to perfect.

 

In my second semester we looked more at the fundamental issues surrounding PR, the ethics and values, whether there are any ethics and values, how as a professional to control messaging and how this is impacted, helped and hindered by the world of social media.

 

Our ethics classes made us think about the type of PR practitioner we would like to be in an ideal world and the type of clients we would like to work for, which led to many a debate. However, in reality, working in a busy office with demanding deadlines and never ending to-do lists leaves little time to ponder.

 

As I join Prova full time I am looking forward to gaining more knowledge and experience with a wide range of clients. Hopefully I will bring the skills and understanding I have developed to the benefit of the team. Exciting times!

 

Clare

World in crisis communications

I spent seven days stranded in Gran Canaria due to the Icelandic Volcano this month. I personally don’t have a problem with the airspace being closed if there is the slightest risk to air safety (and I’m a good flier). However what has shocked me has been the complete lack of crisis communications plans from airlines. Surely they would have learned from last year’s snow debacle (which I also managed to get caught up in and spent 24 hours in Heathrow, luckily business class lounge) and September 11^th.

What staggered me as a communications specialist was that it took at least two days for the Government to catch on that its citizens were stranded, and it wasn’t until the Monday that alternative solutions were even contemplated.

Furthermore, our airline’s own communication was disgraceful.  The internet is the easiest and not to mention the cheapest way for stranded passengers to keep up to date with the latest developments. However our airline could only put up a statement a day listing cancelled flights – no advice, support or at the very least understanding.

Communication channels have really changed over the last few years, however it’s only when something goes wrong that the backward approach of many leading brands’ comms teams become apparent.  Our airline didn’t use Twitter, Facebook or its own website to communicate with the 60,000 passengers it had stranded.

In our case, we were told to contact via the website or via the special freephone number. OK fine. But don’t add insult to injury, not to mention customers’ misery by not making these work. Show you’re doing your best – get extra people on the ground to handle calls, extend your opening times (seriously, closing at 8pm or for the weekend when people are stuck is OK?) and damn well make sure people respond to the website emails.  We sent four, and we’re still awaiting a reply...

Over the course of four days trying to get eight people off Gran Canaria we spent in excess of 12 hours trying to get through. It amazed me that airlines feel the need to be devious in such circumstances – not using hold music or anything so people hang up as they think they’ve been cut off.  Remember – without these customers you don’t have a business.

Then, to make matters worse, on the flight home (after having to leave half our party for an extra two days due to lack of flights) the airplane was half empty. The airline wasn’t bright enough to realise the people flying out for a week’s holiday never made it out and as a result didn’t need their flight home.

Maybe it’s because of the job I do, but good communication in this situation was paramount. I was extremely shocked and to be honest disappointed that so many communications professionals made a complete hash of what could have been their chance to shine.  After two ‘act of God’ weather incidents ruining my holidays my advice to anyone reading this is not to go on holiday when I do.

P.S. My next holiday is in June.

Becca

Prova meets Rick Stein's MasterChef

Last week saw the Prova team decamp to Padstow in Cornwall, for our away day (and night). We were treated to a mouth-watering meal at Rick Stein’s Cafe and then lay our heads down in the sumptuous hotel rooms above The Seafood Restaurant. Our wake-up call the next morning wasn’t a shrill alarm and a mug of instant coffee as usual, but a cooked breakfast and a brisk morning walk on the beach! What a refreshing change! Our next stop was the Padstow Seafood School to cook a menu inspired by Rick Stein’s Eastern Odyssey. And an odyssey it was! We learnt to gut and cook squid for a zesty salad dish, in addition to preparing meals with ingredients we’d never heard of before!

Jumping in at the deep end of the culinary world reminded me a little of beginning work with a new client. It’s vital that we immerse ourselves in our clients’ worlds so we can work most successfully. That’s why we make numerous visits to see the work our clients do firsthand in order to understand them better. At the cookery school, both of our teachers were experienced and talented chefs, so it must have been frustrating for them to see us make simple mistakes. Thankfully, they didn’t conform to the irate Gordon Ramsey stereotype and were patient with us; explaining where we were going wrong and gently setting us on the right path again. Sometimes, clients have to be just as patient with us as their PR company. As PR professionals, our strength lies in communications, not as technical experts, so it might take a little longer for us to understand all the science, but once we do, we can shout effectively on behalf of our clients. Similarly, we have to be just as understanding when dealing with clients who are unused to working with the media. If we are patient and properly brief our clients then we can get them on board in no time at all to produce real results for them in their target media.

Another interesting point was raised by a number of us at Prova; the service at all of Rick Stein’s establishments was not only impeccable, the members of staff went the extra mile for their customers. As soon as our minibus stopped outside our destination, we were welcomed by a member of staff who was expecting us, coats were kept warm by the radiator while we ate to make the chilly sea air more acceptable when we left and we were even chased down the road by a waiter with forgotten keys! These establishments could trade on Rick Stein’s name alone but their staff purposely work that bit harder for their customers. Likewise, it’s important for us as a PR agency to work just as hard for our clients, particularly as our clients are so passionate and hardworking for their customers.

All in all, it was a successful trip; us newbies bonded with the Prova ‘old guard’, we all enjoyed taking the sea air and, most importantly, we learnt to cook some delicious new dishes to add to our culinary repertoire. Oh – and I even cooked the Babi kecap at the weekend, so it was definitely worth it!

To see photos of our jaunt to Cornwall and our culinary adventure, go to the Prova facebook page http://bit.ly/bfV8cD

Lauren

The definition of irony

A friend asked me the other day what my definition of irony was. I pondered the question and replied that it was when a bank, owned 85% by the taxpayer, had financed the takeover of a UK company, which ended with a factory closure and job losses a week after the deal was done. Sound familiar?

 

That is just what happened in the case of Kraft acquiring that bastion of Quaker principles, Cadbury. While it’s an outrage that 400 jobs are to go at their plant in Keynsham, near Bristol, the whole deal raises other questions about corporate responsibility and government policy in the area of mergers and acquisitions.

 

While it could be argued that the Kraft board never made a cast iron guarantee to keep the plant open, it was certainly disingenuous in its assertion that it would ‘hope’ to save the factory once the deal was done. In retrospect, it’s easy to see how the workers at Keynsham have been left with a very bitter taste indeed. Perhaps lessons will be learnt here and the government, now looking characteristically toothless, will realise that without greater regulation, the UK’s family jewels of brands and skills will continue to be plundered by global corporations. Maybe what is needed is a ‘public interest’ test for all proposed takeovers, to ensure UK workers are not mere casualties of the M&A world.

 

The Kraft episode goes back to the basics of good public relations; which despite the influence of tabloids and spin doctors, is still about honesty, clear communication and making the right choices. Although criticised for being a bit slow off the mark, Toyota is proving the old adage that ‘fessing up’ and making good your mistakes will come good in the end. Life must be very testing for everyone at the world’s biggest carmaker at the moment, but I am confident that they will come out the other side in far better shape than a certain American FMCG brand.

 

What seems to get missed in the feeding frenzy of mergers, takeovers, product recalls and corporate communications is that in the end, it should be all about people’s welfare – be it staff, customers, shareholders or suppliers. Responsible industries should look after the needs of all their ‘publics’, not screwing suppliers for the best deal or exploiting workers with low wages and poor conditions.

 

Good companies take a far longer view, with some in the past even building whole communities, village halls, swimming pools and gardens for their staff. Now doesn’t that sound vaguely familiar?

 

St John

 

The Case Is Altered...

I’ve just come to the end of two weeks of jury service – spending day after day waiting to be called on cases. Obviously, one is not allowed to discuss any specifics, but as an educational process, as well as it being a civic duty necessary to undertake, it’s been a fascinating time to juxtapose the worlds of the law and PR.

 

The PR and media arenas demand quick thinking, gut reaction and clear choices. We have to be able to capitalise upon situations, under a clear strategic route, for the good of our clients, while turning the needs and demands of journalists round quickly in order to offer the best possible service.

 

The pace of the judicial system has, however, taken me by surprise. Everything is at a far more measured rhythm and the reasons behind that are clear. Decisions made in the courts have massive consequences for people - a far bigger impact than anything we might do in our professional lives in PR and for that reason, evidence has to be considered in far greater detail and process followed more rigorously. That is only right - the judicial system is a foundation block of our hopefully liberal, just and decent society and the role of the jury in that process is a critical one.

 

It does mean, however, that there is a lot of sitting around for the members of the jury. It is a world of second hand newspapers, endless cups of coffee and long, long delays. Such an atmosphere could breed an element of anger amongst people, but from what I have seen, it is an air of cheerful stoicism that binds the ranks of jurors. Everybody’s lives are touched by a common purpose, a common inconvenience and a common challenge to get to the courts despite the weather. Yet, people seem to implicitly take it on board that it is their civic duty to play their part in the judicial process. And it’s not often that we see the civic imperative play a part in a modern society where the pursuit of the self seems to be, sometimes, the chief driver.

 

So, it is humbling to be involved in that process, albeit briefly; to know that we have a greater role to play in society than just worrying about ourselves, our own people and our own immediate environment. It’s a big but welcome lesson – and one that I’ve found very positive. We just need to find a way of cutting back on quite so much downtime!

 

Richard

Let it snow…..

We’ve all faced the slings and arrows of outrageous weather over the last few weeks. But in a funny way, given the slow thaw we are seeing at Prova Towers in Warwick, I kind of miss the snow, writes St. John White.

 

Not that I like to see old ladies falling over in the ice or inexperienced drivers playing bumper cars along unmarked roads that are more like rinks. What has been good to see is the emergence of the indomitable spirit, of people lending a hand and looking out for others. I’ve heard no end of good stories about blokes helping push strangers out of snow drifts, people checking on elderly neighbours and hospital workers sleeping on the premises to make sure A&E departments are manned.

 

On a more mundane level, the bad weather gives us a common point of reference – which is what really defines what academics call the ‘human condition’. What really counts is connecting with people. And the adversity we have all faced getting to work or stocking up on the essentials, has in many ways given us all an excuse to do this. Despite the wet socks and bruised backsides some of us have experienced in the snow, I say bring it on! Shaking up the norm is always a good thing and anything that gives us the opportunity to make new friends or contacts and see the world from a new perspective has to be a good thing.

 

After all, isn’t that what good PR is really about? Making new connections and forging relationships based in mutual understanding and respect? If the bad weather has helped us to do that, let it snow.

 

London Calling

It was Prova’s turn to be dishing out the awards last week, when it attended the Guild of Motoring Writers’ annual awards dinner at the RAC Club on Pall Mall in London, on the 3^rd December. The automotive industry’s great and good were all in attendance, including the cream of the country’s automotive and technology journalists.

 

We were sponsoring a new award, entitled ‘Prova PR Business Writer of the Year’, which came with a handsome trophy and an even more attractive cheque for the winning journalist. Entries for the award were of an extremely high calibre but it was eventually decided, in conjunction with the Guild, that the first ever winner should be Ralph Morton.

 

Entries came from the across the business, trade and technology arenas but it was Morton’s work with Business Car Manager that caught the judges’ eyes. Yet, it was also extremely positive to see the environmental question being addressed by entries. Bridging two areas of expertise for Prova, the environmental question and debate with regard to the transport and fuel of tomorrow are issues that we as an agency are extremely keen to see highlighted. 

 

Richard

Prova has a winning night out

Birmingham didn’t know what had hit it last Friday night when hundreds of PRs descended upon the ICC for the CIPR Midlands PRide Awards. Emma, StJohn and I went along to represent Prova; hopeful but not expectant of an award.

 

The theme of the evening was ‘circus’ and we were greeted by a mime artist (who took quite a shine to Emma!), a juggler and an expert hoola hooper. After a couple of drinks, everyone took their seats. The tables were adorned with all sorts of goodies – fake moustaches, red noses and joke glasses to keep in the circus spirit. Unfortunately our table didn’t win the free champagne on offer but it didn’t dampen the fantastic atmosphere.

 

It was a great night – not only did me and Emma manage to stay on our heels all evening, Prova won two awards! We scooped gold in the Corporate and Business Communications category and silver for the Best Use of Photography or Design. StJohn had to dash off for a romantic (and slightly flooded) weekend in Shrewsbury, so Emma and I did the dutiful thing and shared the glory between the two of us, knowing StJohn was there in spirit…

 

If you want to see photos of us grinning and looking very lovely, just search Prova PR on Facebook.

 

Ellie

Press road trip

Three journalists, one client and two PRs went on a road trip last week. Well, we went on a plane too, all to see an industrial scale anaerobic digestion plant deep in eastern Germany that will soon be replicated in Doncaster. 

 

With Marks and Spencer’s biscuits, haribo and glacier fruits to fuel us and our 9 seater ‘fun’ bus, we travelled through rural Germany to see how they used local food waste from caterers, retailers and establishments to generate renewable energy and a digestate for local agriculture.

 

We were treated to a very informative tour around the site, which recycles around 50,000 tonnes of food waste each year and saw how food is received, processed, pasturised and digested. We were even able to climb up the 300m digesters to see the process in action, which was very interesting. But coming down the external mesh stairs in the dark and in high heels was slightly unnerving to say the least.

 

All in all, it was a very informative trip, which although required a lot of planning and a lot of travelling really helped bring our discussions on anaerobic digestion to life for the media.

 

Becca

Prova get a mind make-over

Being the creative sort we are, Prova has launched a series of monthly ‘Chill Out’ sessions, where guest speakers are asked to come along to Church Street, and share their experience and insights with the team. Obviously, some wine and obligatory nibbles are involved.

 

This month saw Angi Egan, public speaker and retail consultant, talk to the Prova folks about her experiences at The Body Shop, IKEA and her ethos on romancing the customer. Her lively discussion really struck a chord with us.

 

We knew Angi initially through her training and coaching skills, helping clients with their presentations at seminars and events. However, her insights and inspiration in terms of customer relations is something that other businesses can really learn from. We’re already talking about introducing some of the ideas raised at our first ‘Chill Out’ into our business.

 

For future events, Prova is planning to invite guest speakers from all sorts of different areas including the media, industry and Government. It’s all too easy to continue doing things in the same way – and these sessions are really designed to help us look at issues in a new way. Angi has certainly helped us to do that!

 

St John

 

 

One rally down, one rally to go

October 22 -25 saw some of the Prova team head to South Wales for the Rally of Great Britain 2009. This year, Rally HQ and the Service Park were based in the heart of Cardiff Bay, with the spectator area directly in front of the magnificent Wales Millennium Centre.

 

Zoe and Flick were based in Rally HQ, in the Millennium Centre handling any media enquiries that arose throughout the four day event. Meanwhile, David, Hugh and Keith formed the information team that had the brilliant task of driving into the Welsh forests and interviewing drivers at the end of stages. Although definitely one of the more challenging tasks (try standing in the middle of a forest, in the rain, trying to pry open an angry driver’s door to get a comment) the guys did a brilliant job, with the motorsport media praising it as some the best end-of-stage commentary from the entire world rally championship.

 

David even ended up helping Jari-Matti Latvala fix his car at the end of one of the stages, but now he’s back after recovering for a week following the rally, I’ll let him tell you all about it…

Memoirs of a graduate…

It’s been over a month since I joined the world of work and ended my rather unhealthy relationship with daytime television. Gone is the time when whole days slipped away, with only Phil and Fern to provide any sort of intellectual stimulation.

 

The Prova team welcomed me with open arms (not, I hope, because they’d realised the benefit of having another person around to make cups of tea) and I quickly settled in. It has to be said that the transition from slothful student to PR professional and general ‘proper person’ has been made a lot easier by a constant supply of cakes, biscuits and sweeties, as well as regular Friday pub lunches.

 

Before I convince you all that I am still living the lethargic life of a recent graduate, it’s not all been cakes and sweeties. I’ve got stuck in to various projects; writing press releases, researching different media, ‘selling in’ competitions and generally getting involved in office life.

 

I’m learning a lot about PR each day, which I love. I do still miss being able to lie in until midday and spend the majority of my time in my pjs though…

 

Ellie

Making friends with Google…

Never let it be said that Prova isn’t embracing the digital revolution with open arms, we’ve all been working hard to master new techniques and technologies that will give clients a dynamic online presence.

 

So a couple of weeks ago we got Mark P Summers from Monkey Design House to come along to teach us all about search engine optimisation (SEO). We focused on the global superpower that is Google, looking at how to improve Google placement organically. Certainly an interesting day, Google and the way it works has always fascinated me. When Google goes down, millions of sites are affected – through advertising, gmail and many more functions. Google isn’t just a search engine – it’s pretty much THE internet as we know it today.

 

Though we might never know any of its top secret algorithms, it is vital that companies wanting to keep control of their online communications understand a little about how Google works and categorizes sites. We’re taking all of Mark’s SEO tips and starting off with this site, and I’ll let you know how it goes…

 

Flick

Prova Rocks!

Last Friday saw the return of Prova Rocks in which we sponsored the legendary Earl Grey & the Tealeaves as they stormed Stratford’s Cox’s Yard with classic tunes from the past four decades. Clients, friends and partners were invited along to bop to the likes of Don’t Look Back in Anger, Purple Rain and other banging tunes from the Kinks, the Stones and Blur.

And if that wasn’t enough of a treat, guests left the night with a party bag filled with retro sweets and Prova’s very own Winter Warmers CD – an eclectic mix of our favourite tunes.

If you couldn’t make Prova Rocks, keep your ears peeled as we are already planning our next shindig and you can check out the photos on our Facebook page.

Emma

LCV 2009 demonstrates ‘tipping point' for low carbon vehicle sector

The Prova event team has just returned from two days at the Millbrook Proving Ground, running the press office at LCV 2009. The event is the biggest low carbon vehicle event of its kind, attracting delegates for two days of informal discussion, technology briefings and ride and drive experience.

This year’s LCV saw visitor and exhibitor numbers surpassing everyone’s expectations, building on the firm foundation of the inaugural 2008 event. Media attendance was also up this year and the Prova team worked very hard to ensure that the 80 plus journalists’ and photographers’ every need was catered for.  

The Prova team was impressed with the range of technology being demonstrated during the two days. The 200 plus exhibitors included government agencies, key industry suppliers and major vehicle manufacturers, as well as a number of academic organisations showcasing the latest LCV technology with a number offering a glimpse at future developments.

Amongst the technology on display was a range of new low carbon vehicles destined for the UK’s roads in the near future. These included the impressive Tesla sports car, BMW’s Mini e and Mitsubishi’s family car the i-Miev. The impressive seminar programme attracted influential low carbon vehicle advocates including Lord Drayson, CEO of Ricardo David Shemmans and Chelsea Sexton the founder of the Lightening Rod Foundation and driving force behind the award winning film Who Killed The Electric Car?

LCV 2009 was a huge success for everyone involved and Prova is already looking forward to next year’s event. For those that wish to gain more information about LCV 2009 visit the official event website at www.lcv2009.co.uk.

 David

PROVA LAUNCHES THE 13 QUESTION METHOD TO IMPROVE PR

Prova’s St John White provided a series of insights to delegates at the RWM event in Birmingham, to help businesses energise their flagging PR campaigns. Entitled The 13 Question Method, the presentation highlights the key areas where businesses need to focus to bring fresh energy to their communications functions at a time when all organisations are looking to achieve maximum value.

 

He said: “We’re seeing a lot of businesses taking a much more pro-active and strategic approach to their communication in the current climate than we ever imagined. More senior management in industries such as waste, recycling and the environment are harnessing the power of PR to drive home their messages and differentiate themselves in a highly competitive and expanding market.”

 

White has over twenty years' experience in PR, both in-house and within consultancy, and has developed a 13 point plan to help businesses get the most from their public relations function.

 

Prova will also be presenting a seminar on PR Best Practice at the LARAC event in Liverpool on 7^th October.

 

You can see his presentation here

 

St John

 

Prova’s in the running for two PRide Awards

The finalists for the Midlands PRide Awards have been revealed and we’re thrilled to have been shortlisted for two awards!

 

Our ‘Charging Ahead with the Batteries Directive’ campaign for Varta Consumer Batteries has been nominated for the Corporate & Business Communication award. And we’re also a finalist in the Best Use of Photography & Design category for business moving company, Robinsons.  

 

The annual PRide awards, led by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR), recognise outstanding success and achievement in the PR industry. So it’s a real privilege to have been shortlisted.

 

We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed until the ceremony on 20 November!

 

Emma

Many thanks to the Prova Team!

Prova and French PR agency BG Presse recently launched an exchange scheme. The first participant, Julien Eloy, shares his experience…

I would like to give a big Thank-you to the Prova Team. To work with you during the week was a real pleasure and very interesting for several reasons. Probably the first is to understand how an English agency like Prova works compared to my French agency, BG Presse in Paris. Finally, French and English cultures are not so different! Except when it comes to beer and wine! It was also interesting to exchange our different points of view concerning our plans for common customers such as Savoye Logistics and LPR. I’m sure the exchange will have a positive impact on our client campaigns. To conclude, I hope this visit will be the beginning of a great collaboration between our two agencies, with lot of other customers. Again, merci beaucoup and I hope I will have the pleasure to visit the UK again soon!

 

Julien

Prova’s sponsoring the Guild of Motoring Writers Awards 2009

We’re sponsoring a new award for the Guild of Motoring Writers, called the ‘Prova PR Business Writer of the Year’. The award and a cheque for £1,000 will be presented to the winner at the Guild’s annual ceremony which will to be held at the RAC Club on 3^rd December.

 

Guild members are held in high esteem across the industry and we’re really excited to be supporting the new award! The automotive sector is changing at an unprecedented rate in this country and it is heartening to see the Guild looking to recognise the importance of automotive business journalism.

 

Emma

There is a light that never goes out...

Recent reports in the national media confirm that the publishing world, like so many other commercial arenas, is suffering. Circulation figures for consumer titles are heading south, with Nuts and Zoo down 25 and 31 per cent respectively and even FHM losing 15 per cent of its readers over the last year. In addition, advertisers are hardly forming an orderly queue at the offices of the leading publishing houses, clamouring for space. Indeed, media agencies are predicting further falls in advertising revenue over the next few months. So, while some are predicting the end of the recession, the publishing world seems to be lagging a few months behind.

 

Yet some organisations are bucking the trend. Dennis Publishing has seen circulation fall by a mere one per cent and amidst the current downturn, there is some resilience amongst quality-led titles. And it is very much the same in the PR marketplace. Quality is alive and well amongst the agency community – and those offering an innovative, hard-working service based upon tangible results and added value, are starting to emerge from the downturn in a better place.

 

However, the recession in publishing is having a knock on effect in PR-land.  Fewer pages and magazines mean, on the face of it, less editorial opportunities for our work. And at the lower end of the quality spectrum, some business to business publications are seeking ‘colour separation’ charges – a euphemism for straight payment - in return for column inches. However, such publications are not the places for ambitious, forward-thinking organisations looking to build their profile in front of key audiences. And when we hear the cry of a colour separation request, we know its not a place for one of our clients.

 

Indeed, it’s the magazines with staying power and healthy advertising revenues due to organisations wanting to be in them that should be the place where people want to be. And that’s the mantra we’re following – quality never goes out of fashion.

 

While some offline publications are floundering, online outlets are flourishing. Companies who embrace the opportunities offered online, both in terms of publications and new ways of communicating with audiences, are those who will prosper as we all come out of the darkness of recession, blinking in the shimmering light of a new dawn!

 

It is the role of a high quality PR consultancy to lead the way, picking the good from the bad.  So, while the recession maybe shutting some doors, a whole new chapter of opportunities is opening up. We just need to make sure that we are offering media outlets what they want in order to be able to seize upon the opportunities around the corner.

 

Richard

Social media shockers

Last week we stumbled on some interesting facts that highlight the growing popularity of social networking, some of which surprised us more than others and sparked some interesting debate here in the office. So, we thought we’d share some of them with readers of our blog…

 

- 2/3 of the global internet population now visit social networks

 

- Social networking is growing at three times the overall internet rate

 

- 3,600,000,000 photos are archived on Flickr.com – June 2009. That’s roughly one photo per every two people on the planet and means we have a lot to trawl through to populate our new website!!

 

- There is an average of 3,000,000,000 Tweets per day on Twitter.com

 

- If Facebook was a country, it would be the 8^th most populated in the world, just ahead of Japan

 

If you have any interesting social media facts then share them with us at blog@provapr.co.uk

 

PS. We’ve just drawn lots to move desks here at Prova. Will let everyone know how we get on – they do say a change is as good as a holiday after all!

 

Zoe

DVD show was a huge success

The Prova event team have just returned back, hot and sweaty, from two days at the Millbrook Proving Ground running the press office at DVD 2009. The event is Defence Equipment & Support’s (DE&S) key stakeholder platform for the land and support chain communities in the defence sector, attracting attendees for two days of informal discussion and briefing. This year’s DVD saw delegates and exhibitor numbers surpassing everyone’s expectations, improving on 2008 impressive total. Media attendance was also up this year and the Prova team worked very hard to ensure that the 150 plus journalists’ and photographers’ every need were catered for in the hot conditions.  

After six months of hard work promoting the event, the Prova team was still impressed with the actual scale of the event, which occupies almost half of the Millbrook site and showcases some truly incredible equipment. This year’s event saw the launch of some of the latest defence technology, including the MOD’s three new tactical support vehicles Coyote, Wolfhouse and Husky as well as the most up-to-date body armour, which are all heading to the frontline to support British troops on operation. DVD 2009 was a huge success for everyone involved and Prova is already looking forward to next year’s event.

For those that wish to gain more information about DVD 2009 visit the official event website at www.theevent.co.uk.

David

Prova gets up close and personal

I think it’s safe to say that tight fitting harnesses are not a strong look for anyone. And the Prova team was no exception last Friday on our away day to A Day in the Country. After being firmly strapped into what can only be described as ‘leave nothing to the imagination’ harnesses and then galloping around the rope course pretending to be horses, things were never going to be the same again. After that sort of humiliation, the rope course’s initially terrifying Leap of Faith seemed all the more appealing.

 

Saying that, once we got over the initial embarrassment, we had the most fun day, filled with rope climbing, clay pigeon shooting, cream cakes and a hearty stew. This was topped off with at night at the dogs complete with cold food and a head waitress with no teeth. James and Richard meticulously planned each bet but managed to just about break even, so it was amusing when Flick picked two ‘pretty’ dogs and walked away with a sweet £20 win…and the unwanted affections of an Al Murray lookalike. 

 

But words can’t describe the day as well as hard photographic evidence. Take a look for yourself on our Flickr page: http://www.flickr.com/photos/39123853@N05/

 

Emma

Welcome to Prova’s blog

Welcome to Prova’s blog which will be updated regularly on the weird and wonderful goings on in Prova, from new client wins to ongoing debates about the best kind of biscuit, it will hopefully give you an insight into the workings of our very busy and very unique agency.

It’s been all go getting the brand new website up and running and I suspect that Emma in particular will be pleased to see it finally go live after spending weeks pouring over ideas, liaising with designers and chasing copy. But it’s finally live, and I think everyone in the office is breathing a sigh of relief. Keep your eyes peeled for regular updates and feel free to send us your thoughts and comments at blog@provapr.co.uk.

Flick