#futureproof Podcast

#FuturePRoof podcast: Socially Mobile update With Stephen and Sarah Waddington Socially Mobile is a not for profit public relations school that aims to help practitioners achieve their earning potential. It is applying an executive education model to help address socio-economic diversity within the industry. The project expects to launch its first cohort of students in October. The learning design is complete and content production underway. We're looking for support sharing the story of Socially Mobile with industry networks, candidate recruitment, and assessment and marketing. We're grateful to the growing Socially Mobile community but especially donors, sponsors and teachers. Our sponsors include Astute.Work, CoverageBook, Curzon PR, Don't Cry Wolf, Porter Novelli, Story Comms and Wadds Inc. For further information please visit sociallymobile.org.uk www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: Socially Mobile launch With Stephen and Sarah Waddington In this latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: Big news as Sarah is awarded a CBE for services to public relations and the voluntary sectors in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. The launch of Socially Mobile – we’d love your support and will shortly be recruiting assessors – please watch this space and get involved. Research from the National Centre for Universities and Business and the University of Cambridge shows the pandemic has caused a hiatus in R&D and innovation. The findings are a matter for concern considering the necessary role of innovation and R&D as the UK moves to strengthen its position as a global science superpower, as set out in the 2021 Queen’s Speech. The lockdown boom for agency startups following publication of the latest Wadds Inc. report. The federal government in Nigeria has banned Twitter. It has serious implications for democracy and public discourse. The Brandwatch Customer Loyalty

#FuturePRoof: Rethink and reconnect With Stephen and Sarah Waddington The Conservatives had a good local election last week however Labour seems more disconnected than ever. Meanwhile the SNP has extended its lead in Scotland and is demanding a second vote on independence. Actor, director and writer Noel Clarke was awarded the prize for outstanding British contribution to cinema by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). Two weeks earlier BAFTA was informed about the existence of several allegations of verbal abuse, bullying and sexual harassment. Income for the top 150 agencies was down 4.3% to £1.36 billion in 2020 compared to £1.42 billion in 2019, according to PRWeek. However more than 50 agencies launched during the COVID-19 pandemic between January 2020 to March 2021. The PRCA UK National Conference: Communications and influence in the post-pandemic erais planned as an in-person event on 8 July. The CIPR (19 May) and PRFest (14-18 June) have also announced conferences on sustainability.

#FuturePRoof podcast: lockdown eases in England With Stephen and Sarah Waddington Report backlash: A commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report claims that the UK "no longer" has a system rigged against people from ethnic minorities. Denial doesn’t help anyone Hybrid workplace: Employers reporting increased productivity benefits from homeworking compared to last summer according to the CIPD. We’ve found our home working rhythm Shocking social: Amazon has gone on the offensive last week replying directly to critical tweets. 'Fake' Twitter users have rushed to Amazon's defense over unions and working conditions Audio copycat: Clubhouse launched as a social audio platform in April 2020. Then Facebook and Twitter created live audio meeting rooms. Now startup Ping Pong allows audio and video messages to be shared in messaging channels Silencing social: Facebook has followed Twitter in allowing users to limit who can respond to posts. The goal is the make social media a safe space

#FuturePRoof podcast: can I go back to the office yet? With Stephen and Sarah Waddington When is a PR disaster not a PR disaster? – Ryanair on UK government support for airlines, Allen vs Farrow, and Gordon Beattie’s resignation Royal protocol – statements from both Buckingham Palace and Meghan Markle are an extraordinary breach of traditional protocol Future of the office - we should listen to the voice of the future workforce as we make plans for the future Blowing smoke - British American Tobacco’s use of influencers and emerging forms of media raises ethical issues for the marketing and public relations professions Budget highlights – corporation tax ladder rising from 19% to 25% in 2023, levelling up agenda, furlough extended, and VAT freeze for the hospitality and tourism Leader Like Me Conference - learn from these industry experts who will share stories, strategies and their own learnings on 23 March WaddsCon – up next on 26 March: search listening, the PR post COVID-19, qualitative research using bot

#FuturePRoof podcast: We are all Jackie Weaver With Stephen and Sarah Waddington Democracy is alive and well – Clerk Jackie Weaver bring orders to a chaotic and bad tempered Handforth Parish Council Share of search - The IPA is promoting share of search as a metric for advertising effectiveness. There’s limited evidence of its validity outside large FMCG markets Charity Commission - Charities that support contentious causes should expect scrutiny if they campaign on those issues according to the outgoing chair of the Charity Commission Tina Stowell PR industry bounce back - Recruitment is a leading indicator of an economic recovery. In PR and digital marketing it has returned to pre-COVID-19 levels but several sectors remain challenged Exit from lockdown – While we await the publication of the Government’s plan to exit lockdown, organisations are planning a move to a hybrid working environment. It’s unlikely we see the end of the office Free market economies are damaging the natural environment by failing to

#FuturePRoof podcast: An end of year thank you letter With Stephen and Sarah Waddington ·       Communicators:  Marcus Rashford, Burger King, and Unilever’s Alan Jope ·       Media: BBC’s Hugh Pym, Sky’s Kay Burley, Manchester Evening News’ Jennifer Williams and editorial teams at CNN, The New York Times and Tortoise ·       Writing we’ve admired: Marina Hyde, Nafisa Ali Shafiq, Katrina Marshall, and Sharon O’Dea ·       Communities of change: Elizabeth Bananuka’s

#FuturePRoof podcast: a week is a long time in PR With Stephen and Sarah Waddington As the US election count continues the US media has found its voice and is calling out the President’s lies. What took you so long? Sarah is proofing the fifth edition of #FuturePRoof. It tells the story of how the NHS managed the first wave of the crisis through the voices of communication practitioners Stephen has been investigating search listening. It’s a way of understanding what people are saying about brands and markets and the questions that they are asking England entered its second lockdown this week as Wales emerged from a so-called circuit breaker. Scotland is under lock restrictions. How are you coping? Organisations face scrutiny over their purpose as COVID-19 continues. Sainsbury’s is set to issue a £231m dividend after benefiting from £230m business rates relief. Presenting via a video camera over the internet is an entirely different skill to presenting at a physical event. We’re all learning as we go. We’ve

#FuturePRoof podcast: Asif Choudry is our #CommsHero With Stephen and Sarah Waddington The latest #FuturePRoof practitioner survey finds one in five PR teams hit by COVID-19 infections, with a quarter managing furloughs and redundancies Sarah handed over #FuturePRoof to the BAME community for her latest book. Topics range from audience targeting to social media and from internal comms to the psychology of decision-making It's CIPR election time. We’re both backing Pete Holt for President in 2022, a moderniser with fresh thinking on governance and member engagement, and areas of practice including ESG and IC. All the candidate states are on the CIPR site Stephen plotted COVID-19 against a well-known crisis planning model and spoke to crisis communication experts. It provides a clear rationale for our current mood. It will pass Asif Choudry and the team at Resource pulled off a fantastic #CommsHero event with more than 40 speakers and 150 delegates. The content is now available to view on demand www.futu

#FuturePRoof podcast: new books in the works With Stephen and Sarah Waddington In the latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: Agencies and communication teams continue to navigate a challenging environment, but their work has never been more valued The UK’s reputation internationally is under scrutiny because of Brexit negotiations Demos finds society more divided than ever before, and no sign of leadership to bring together polarised factions Kellogg’s, the manufacturer of Pringles, and Rio Tinto are two companies under scrutiny because of corporate and social responsibility issues Sarah has two new #FuturePRoof books in the works: a special BAME edition and an exploration of how NHS communicators responded to COVID-19 Upcoming events: the PRCA Annual Conference and CommsHero week The latest #FuturePRoof survey aims to explore how the PR industry continues to be impacted by COVID-19. Please share your views www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/  

#FuturePRoof podcast: tackling the PR industry’s lack of diversity and organisational racism With Stephen and Sarah Waddington In the latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: Cultural grief following the tragic and unlawful death of George Floyd in the US and how organisations should respond, with reference to Katrina Marshall’s thoughtful article for #FuturePRoof, published on #BlackoutTuesday  Why the white community needs to educate itself about the #BlackLivesMatter movement and practical steps we can all take, with thanks to guidance from BME PR Pros founder Elizabeth Bananuka The good - and mainly bad - of recent brand responses and the need for actions over words Some news about the launch of Stephen’s new professional advisory firm – gun for hire! A reminder about the latest events and support out there including PRFest www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: Business interventions for COVID19 With Stephen and Sarah Waddington In the latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: The #FuturePRoof COVID-19 survey finds industry bosses continuing to come to terms with rapid change and uncertainty: (35.9%) and access to customers (53.0%). 45.9% of employers are worried about trading through the crisis. The survey remains open and the data continues to be passed to CIPR, PRCA and the Government to inform interventions. The CIPR and PRCA have been lobbying central Government. Both organisations have published advice and toolkits for members. Financial support announced so far is listed on the Government website. The BBC has restated its public service commitment and the NHS is at the heart of the Government’s response. The marketing and PR has shifted to education and public information. The last two weeks have seen massive technology onboarding across society. At work and home video has become the norm. Privacy concerns have evaporate

#FuturePRoof podcast: do your best, keep calm, wash your hands, and carry on With Stephen and Sarah Waddington In the latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: It’s been a long week as COVID-19 impacts the UK The challenge of shifting a workforce to virtual working How to manage uncertainty, leadership and practical steps to take Job security and finding PR and marketing work Dealing with disinformation: social media and messaging The crisis response starts in the community www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

 #FuturePRoof podcast: #bekind With Stephen and Sarah Waddington In the latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: Press and social media regulation following the Caroline Flack story. It’s an issue that Paul Sutton covers in the latest edition of Digital Download Not your cup of tea? Where is the limit for brand banter? LNER and Yorkshire Tea take different approaches to customer service and promotion Noisy news cycle: Boris baby has bumped big news stories down the agenda including floods, Coronavirus and high profile political resignations Coronavirus: clarity, consistency and honesty are critical to allaying public fear and restricting the spread. The Department of Health and Social Care, NHS and WHO provide exemplars Diary dates: PRCA Schools outreach programme, inaugural #FuturePRoof conference with PRCA and the IoD, and PRFest www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: media in a mess In the latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: City PR firm Tulchan has appointed former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson as an advisor. You can’t legislate and lobby Are you helping your organisation prepare for Brexit? We talk about the opportunity for PR practitioners It’s not just social media that is being used to share disinformation. Journalists need to be critical voices and name sources Facebook is facing pressure in the UK and US over political ads. Legislation is urgently required but isn’t forthcoming A new #FuturePRoof project aims to give public relations a voice in the fast growing market of influencer marketing. The BBC is in danger of losing younger audiences, and its journalists need to up their game. BME PR Pros and W Communications initiatives to tackle diversity in public relations are welcomed

In the latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: Sarah spent her summer holidays writing a guide to countering disinformation for professional communicators The CIPR Election is underway and both Sarah and Stephen are backing Mandy Pearse for President in 2021 Stephen is working with Scott Guthrie and Vuelio to write a guide to earned and owned media governance for influencer marketing Home Secretary Priti Patel, herself a professional communication, has pitted police social media managers against front line officers this week The PRCA has a pulse survey underway to characterise the market for virtual agencies We share our summer reading list tips: How to be right, The Social CEO, and The Leadership Challenge

In the June edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast Sarah and Stephen Waddington celebrate the latest State of the Internet Report by analyst Mary Meeker. The 300+ page annual report is packed with insights on internet adoption, devices and platforms; the internet ad market; content formats; and observations on disruptive business models and markets.

In the May edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: Protecting your creative ideal and intellectual property with a shout out to Manifest’s work for Brewdog The PRCA Census 2019 which finds the PR industry in the UK is worth £15billion and employs 95,000 people but isn’t making progress on diversity and socioeconomic issues despite best efforts The Cision Global State of the Media Report 2019 with insights for pitching to time-pressed over worked journalists The influence of the Trump playbook in local politics in the North East during the North of Tyne Mayoral election Book recommendations: Airhead by Emily Maitlis and The Joy of Work by Bruce Daisley

In this edition Sarah and Stephen discuss: Tim Berners-Lee and the Internet at 30; the House of Lords Select Committee report on Internet regulation; Senator Elizabeth Warren‘s blast at tech platforms in Presidential bid; Facebook and Instagram outage; the Organ Donation 'opt out' bill receives Royal Assent; Red Nose Day backlash; International Women’s Day washing; #CommsSchool on how to blog; and environmental activist Greta Thunberg.

In this latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we ask whether the Fyre Festival was less a PR disaster or more bad business. We explore the Edelman Trust Barometer and find good news for employee advocacy. Professional blogging is changing as people find news ways to create content and build networks. There’s a new initiative from the CIPR on procuring professional services and the PRCA has launched a virtual agency group. Stephen’s created a virtual school to help students build their professional profile and get ahead, and Sarah’s launching a charity to tackle social mobility through educational grants.