Our walk in York ended with tea in the elegant and historic Grays Court. Neylyan, reflected here, was celebrating her birthday. Photo: Gail Simmons
Posted by: PR@leedsmet | March 17, 2012
A walk in York (with no ghosts)
Posted in General | Tags: international, life, MA
Posted by: PR@leedsmet | March 15, 2012
Dialogue? No thanks.
MA Public Relations graduate Helena Makhotlova has been profiled in a Norwegian business newspaper talking about social media. Here she summarises her argument in English.
‘The article is about a lack of personal engagement in social media. I reject the importance of two-way dialogue in social media since only 1% of users actively engage with brands on Facebook. Users follow brands on Facebook to listen to them, not to engage in dialogue.
‘Social media has evolved over the years. There is not only abundance of content out there, but it’s also great content and it’s categoriesied and sorted in so many flexible ways, that users can just lean back and just consume internet content like they do with the TV.
‘Maybe we should reconsider the way we approach social media for commercial purposes.
‘It’s a little heard view on social media in Norway, and that’s why I made it into our most respected business paper.’
Posted in Graduate, Issues | Tags: international, social media
Posted by: PR@leedsmet | February 26, 2012
Students’ Union elections
To help students, here are all the manifestos of the candidates for the SU elections.
Voting opens on Monday 27 February and closes at 16.00 on Wednesday 29 February. You can sign in and vote online here.
Posted in General
Posted by: PR@leedsmet | February 22, 2012
The definition game
@LinskyIstatkova
In January 2012 the PR Society of America (PRSA) proposed three candidates for a new definition of public relations following a crowdsourcing exercise:
- Public relations is the management function of researching, engaging, communicating, and collaborating with publics to build mutually beneficial relationships.
- Public relations is a strategic communication process that develops and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics.
- Public relations is the strategic process of engagement between organizations and publics to achieve mutual understanding and realize goals.
It looks like little has changed and “updating” the definition makes no sense at all. Why aren’t we talking about new realities and the necessity of PR to adapt? Is the problem with the crowdsourcing exercise?
To move the discussion on, here are two alternative definitions from a practitioner in and commentator on the PR field.
On one side we have Matthew Harrington, president and CEO of Edelman U.S., part of the Edelman consultancy, ranked #1 globally.
His argument? In the age of 24/7 media and the digital nature of brands the role of the PR counsellor is to:
“Help our clients translate and communicate their message in their society and community.” As much as we have new vehicles and new tools, that fundamental definition doesn’t change great deal. We do have more channels and more platforms. The great thing is that more of those platforms than ever give us feedback. The reality now is that there is a whole feedback loop that helps in real time strengthen the company’s relationship with its stakeholders. In all that, the best PR counselor comes to be a translator and strategist.
It sounds like a sound definition, still makes sense but there’s one thing that causes some confusion in my head. First of all, having said PR helps companies translate and communicate their messages to their publics implies that such communication is inside-out driven. The feedback you get is basically listening, which in itself makes up a proper conversation and markets are all about conversation, as we’ve seen with The Cluetrain Manifesto.
But again, it does sound as if it’s driven by the company and conducted on the company’s terms.
On the other side we have Haydn Shaughnessy, a blogger for Forbes.com among others. His definition goes like this:
“PR is about trying to help companies adapt to new realities. The role of PR is to interact with clients to forge a new understanding of their role.”
This one seems somehow different from both Harrington’s and PRCA’s definitions. No strategic processes, no management functions, no mutually beneficial relationships! All is summed up in 2 words – adapt and interact! It sounds more like an outside-in approach to the communication process with the publics leading the conversation and the company adapting to that reality!
If all goes according to plan, both parties get to interact on a consistent basis, thus establishing some form of understanding. It may not be “mutually beneficial relationships”, in fact it almost certainly is not, as Shaughnessy argues that:
“What relationship are PR firms maintaining between me and Microsoft whose software seems to need updating on a monthly basis, but why? I have no idea. I have little idea what Microsoft does to my laptop once a month and I see no effort to create mutually beneficial understanding of it. Nor do I believe that PR agencies aim to extend this mutuality to realizing strategic goals – not my goals anyway, and I am part of this mutuality. My goals in most of my interactions with companies is to help them change their values.”
So, in the end it may not be about any relationships! If so, why these are so persistently present in any definition of PR? Is Shaughnessy saying something fundamentally new by scrapping “relationships” out of it or just finding another way around to get to the same point?
Posted in Issues, Student | Tags: international, MA, PRSA, reflection, social media
Posted by: PR@leedsmet | February 9, 2012
Students wanted for creative input
Global PR consultancy Ketchum welcomes Leeds Met PR and comms students into its Mindfire crowdsourcing community.
Sign up, follow the rules, respond to the live briefs – and you may win rewards and recognition.
Posted in General, Student | Tags: consultancy, creativity
Posted by: PR@leedsmet | November 16, 2011
Course helps with challenging problems
Erica Machado graduated in 2006 gaining an MA in Public Relations with Merit. Her former Leeds Met classmate Miriam Pelusi reports on her current role and her memories of Leeds Met:
Erica Machado is currently a public relations manager at Carma International, a traditional and social media analysis company.
She began there in May 2011, after having worked for three years in Braskem, one of the top ten petrochemical companies in America. Stakeholder relationship was her main responsibility, aimed at improving the company’s institutional image.
A commitment to upgrade her PR career skills and broader her PR path moved her from Brazil, where she had already gained a degree at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul and had gained some PR experience, to Leeds Met in September 2005. Erica loved the course at Leeds Met:
“The course was astonishing with a variety of cross-cultural students as well as all new perspectives with studies of Power of Discourse from Norman Fairclough and also the James Grunig four models of communication. In fact the classes did help me and made me an even more enthusiastic professional. I believe that the contact with PR scholars and the exchange with my colleagues brought me experiences that enabled me to find out that I was going in the right way. The experience was so rewarding that after five years I still keep the knowledge alive in my daily career, and use the concepts to help me out in a competitive market full of open-ended problems.”
For Erica, the PR role is still different in Brazil: PR is becoming recognised as an important strategic asset in business, but still has a long way to go to reach the European level.
Posted by: PR@leedsmet | November 13, 2011
Natural born communicator
MA Public Relations student Maria Khalid explains her choice of course and university. Maria is on Behind the Spin’s #socialstudent list of students on social media.
I was born to be a professional communicator.
But I did not realize this until a year after completing my undergraduate degree in business in the UAE, where my family had settled many years ago after leaving our native country Pakistan.
Months after starting a job in marketing I decided I had to search for something more inspiring and began applying to PR agencies in Dubai.
My first interview at The Guild PR and subsequent writing test defined my destiny. I eagerly awoke each morning looking forward to contributing to the world of media, in both print and broadcast channels.
Two years after taking on this role, I realized that the world was changing. With increasing frequency I saw myself choosing online media as a source of news and features as opposed to traditional outlets.
I recognized that the evolving habits of my audience members meant I needed to continue learning and start following trends in order to survive in the industry.
So I began researching PR education options and soon came across Leeds Metropolitan University’s website. The MA in Public Relations seemed like an interesting course and after cyberstalking the faculty members I found myself impressed and eager to apply to the course.
Once my classes started I realized that the scope of PR was much wider than I had ever thought. Each lecture was a treat and after the first week I knew I had made the right choice.
Now halfway through my second semester, I am already sad that I only have another month of PR classes to attend. Still, I am happy to have learned invaluable lessons that have strengthened and increased my knowledge about the field. I have no doubt that the time I have spent at Leeds Met will make me more effective as a communicator once I return to work.
Posted in Courses, Student | Tags: MA, media, social media
Posted by: PR@leedsmet | November 10, 2011
‘Life is local’ has lessons for PR
Charlotte Pittock-Holdsworth reports on our latest CIPR guest lecture:
This week our CIPR guest lecture came from Brian Beech (MD) and Jenni Bamford (Senior Account Executive) at Euro RSCG PR UK.
Brian Beech (Photo by Vicky Matthers iconphotomedia for Leeds Met)
Brian started the lecture by talking about the positives of PR vs advertising. He pointed out that advertising is guaranteed but editorial coverage is trusted three times more than advertising by consumers.
Yet it is increasingly difficult to get coverage in the media with fewer journalists covering more areas with an online media presence which has to be maintained.
Brian originally worked in radio and is still a firm believer that radio and TV is an important aspect of getting coverage with 274 national radio stations and 152 local commercial radio stations.
Brian then moved his focus on to community engagement. Brands are now building their reputation regionally. There was always a focus for PRs to get national coverage for their clients but this should not be at the expense of local engagement. Euro RSCG clients such as Asda and Pets at Home put on an events to generate media coverage and get people in the community involved with what they are doing.
33 million people read a local paper each week and this is the most widely-read print media in the country. Brian said:
“Life is local these days, with people turning to local communities where they feel their influence and presence has some meaning. That is why many companies are building brands region-by-region, community-by-community. For a brand to be truly national it has to think local. PR consultancies, therefore, have to access local and regional media and make sure that their client shouts loudest in what is a very crowded marketplace.”
Social media was the next topic of conversation. 96% of people under the age of 30 have joined an online social networking site at some point in their lives. This is a huge opportunity for companies to engage with their stakeholders. If Facebook were a country, it would be the third largest in the world. They are pretty astounding figures but that is not the only thing. 80% of Twitter users do so on their mobile devices and can access their accounts at any time of day, anywhere.
Although social media is a great tool, Euro RSCG’s main focus is on getting print or online media coverage.
Another tool that Euro RSCG uses effectively is newsworthy photography and Brian gave the lecture theatre some examples of the good, the bad and the ugly.
He told us that the key to a great photo is giving the photographer a very precise and strong brief. The photographer then has guidelines to follow and can capture the image that tells the story. Another tip for local coverage is to involve the local community, this always works effectively because it creates a buzz around that local area. Most importantly of all though is being able to step in if the shot is not going to plan.
Even though it is not a PR’s job to take that photograph, it is important that if something goes wrong, you need to be able to direct the photograph. And with every picture you need to capture the brand’s logo in a way where it cannot be edited out.
The final part of the lecture was presented to give the students an idea of a typical day in the life of a PR. Jenni Bamford finished her degree in PR with Marketing from Leeds Metropolitan in 2010 and she now works as a senior account executive for Euro RSCG. Jenni’s role involves:
- Writing press releases.
- Pulling together research articles.
- Selling in features for her clients.
- Negotiating interviews.
- Keeping clients out of the press when there is a sticky situation.
- Placing competitions.
- Chasing new business.
She also attends events such as the launch of Kim Kardashian’s perfume launch and has also met JLS.
The lecture was brilliant because it told the group what ‘actually’ happens in an agency and where the focus is shifting to with community reputation building. When studying you learn so much about the industry but it is only by going on placement that you learn how to apply this knowledge and appreciate how an agency operates.
Posted in General, Graduate | Tags: consultancy, guest lecture
Posted by: PR@leedsmet | October 26, 2011
From home to halls alone
First year student Chelsea Galpin describes her feelings on leaving home and settling in to student life.
Chelsea Galpin: adjusting to independence
Sat here in my halls of residence bedroom, it’s hard to believe that just a month ago I was in my home town looking forward to moving to Leeds.
Having finished my A-Levels a few months earlier, I had experienced my first summer holiday with friends – but nothing could prepare me for how much growing up I would need to do in my first month away from home!
As any student would say, it’s a very big transition. However, I can already see the positive effects of learning to be independent, and my parents can too!
On moving-in day I fully grasped that I would be virtually by myself from here on in. Upon meeting my flatmates, I was pleasantly surprised and began to settle into student life straight away with my first night out in Leeds.
Being from a small town, the clubs were sure to be different, and they didn’t disappoint! There is always something to do and whenever you fancy a night out, it’s guaranteed that an event will be happening. The prices are very cheap too and no matter what your taste, there is a club to suit.
During fresher’s week I began my introductions into Leeds Metropolitan University. Meeting personal tutors and lecturers finally made me realise that I was actually starting a degree course.
It may be daunting for any person to be walking into a class full of strangers but everybody is in the same position as yourself so just be friendly and you’re sure to make friends – which is exactly what I did.
In my second week lectures and seminars began. It was my first taste of university education and it was exciting to find out which modules I would be studying. During this week students began to be pressed to search for placements, but with so much competition it was always going to be difficult.
However, I think that attending placements is vital to the public relations degree to not only build up a portfolio but to also get an inside view of what PR work is really like. Putting away one day a week to complete work experience is invaluable and as I have seen from many other students, it has really helped them along in their course.
I began to miss home in the following couple of weeks as there was less to occupy me now that freshers’ week was officially over. I have always relied on my parents and it was difficult in grasping that I had to do everything myself.
I began to make home-made meals and wash, clean and iron. However, I soon adjusted and in my fourth week I began to feel fully settled and planned a trip home. The few days spent at home, although good, reminded me why I wanted to move away in the first place.
I have a lot of friends and family at home but I am now adjusted to being independent. I have chosen a course that I love and met some fantastic people. Even if the fees are being increased, I can’t emphasise enough what an exhilarating experience university really is and if you’re in search of a new direction – you won’t regret it.
Posted by: PR@leedsmet | October 11, 2011
Follow me, I’m right behind you
Kevin Murray‘s guest lecture echoed inside and beyond the lecture theatre via Twitter. Here’s a tweet by tweet account of his talk (using #leedsmetpr):
6.02pm @charlottelph: Really looking forward to the guest lecture by Kevin Murray this evening
6.04pm @behindthespin: ‘The Language of Leaders’ is Murray’s forthcoming book. Tonight’s theme is inspiration.
6.08pm @behindthespin: I decided I was never going to stop learning, Murray. Research amongst top companies, leaders and managers.
6.12pm @behindthespin: Radical transparency has radically changed leadership, Murray. Trust, engagement are key.
6.15pm @behindthespin: Reputation has always been important, but can get destroyed faster today, Murray.
6.18pm @amelia_dale: RT @behindthespin: Reputation has always been important, but can get destroyed faster today, Murray.
6.19pm @behindthespin: One way messaging is extinct, Murray. You have to engage through conversations.
6.21pm @DavidGHPhillips: RT @behindthespin: One way messaging is extinct, Murray. You have to engage through conversations.
6.22pm @behindthespin: We hear so much rationally designed communication. But it’s emotion that moves people, Murray.
6.24pm @behindthespin: To be a great communicator, you don’t have to be a great orator, Murray.
6.25pm @behindthespin: You don’t trust people you don’t know, so you have to expose more of yourself, Murray.
6.30pm @behindthespin: Passion in communication is essential, Murray. Who are we? What do we stand for?
6.32pm @behindthespin: Companies need a sense of purpose that goes beyond profit, Murray. It has to be something that matters.
6.38pm @behindthespin: Need to bring the outside in, and respond to outside world. M&S ‘we boobed’ case cited.
6.40pm @behindthespin: Communication is a two-way process. You need to get stuff in as well as get it out.
6.43pm @behindthespin: You cannot communicate with people until you know what’s on their mind, Murray. Need to be audience-centric.
6.45pm @behindthespin: You have to learn to listen to build trust and relationships, Murray.
6.49pm @behindthespin: We need to get better at telling stories, Murray. Stories are the superglue of messages.
6.52pm @behindthespin: Good speeches are all about great connection with the audience, Murray.
7.26pm @A_doll_ @behindthespin he was wicked!
7.31pm @behindthespin: @_Adoll_ I take that as high praise for Kevin Murray.
7.58pm @Danielle1610: RT @behindthespin: You cannot communicate with people until you know what’s on their mind, Murray. Need to be audience-centric.
9.36pm @beccytheone: Follow me, I’m right behind you.
9.41pm @beccytheone: Inspired by tonight’s guest lecture by Kevin Murray!
9.44pm @beccytheone: RT @behindthespin: You have to learn to listen to build trust and relationships, Murray.
10.04pm @charlottelph: Great guest lecture by Kevin Murray this evening, “stories are the super glue of messages”
10.30pm @Chris11Grayson: Kevin Murray was really good tonight. I love #storytelling
Posted in Lecturer | Tags: CIPR, consultancy, guest lecture
