Media Relations Archives - No Brainer Agency

Why is thought leadership content important in B2B PR and marketing?

Laura Rudd — Thu, 16 Dec 2021 10:25:11 +0000

Thought leadership is a term often bandied around in marketing and PR, especially in B2B circles. But what does it really mean? How important is it? And how can organisations utilise it for the best possible outcomes?

What is thought leadership in public relations?

Thought leadership in PR is a strategy to get influential media coverage on the opinions of key people from within the brand or organisation. This means that their voice is heard by a relevant audience, with thought leadership designed to build trust and influence with potential customers/clients, media and industry experts over time.

Thought leadership content can be outworked in PR in a number of different ways, which can include:

A key individual from the organisation providing ‘expert’ quotes or commentary to journalists or trade media on something relevant that is happening in the news, whether that’s in print, online, or via a TV or radio interview.
The key person producing their own ‘thought leadership content’ such as blogs, articles, whitepapers, talking-head videos, guest posts in relevant publications, newspaper columns, podcasts (as a host or guest) or webinars.
The key individual writing a book on their area of expertise.
The individual speaking/presenting at seminars and conferences or being on roundtables or expert panels at industry events. This could also include being on judging panels for industry awards.

Why does thought leadership matter in PR?

Is there any evidence that someone becoming a thought leader has an impact on the business or organisation they represent? A 2020 report found that nearly half of B2B decision-makers spend at least an hour a week consuming thought leadership content and a similar number say that it influences their decisions. Another study indicates that around 83% of buyers value the thought leadership content they find.

In the B2B arena, where buying decisions are often made based on a wide range of different factors, using thought leadership to help increase brand awareness and foster trust within your target market can’t be a bad thing. Many businesses, by their very nature, are risk-averse. Therefore, PR activity that reinforces the impression that your organisation is the ‘real deal’ and are true experts in your industry can be a game-changer.

The benefits of effective thought leadership content

With an effective thought leadership content strategy, the benefits can include:

Increased brand awareness – your organisation gets a mention every time the key individual is referenced/featured in the media.
Building authoritative links – online publications will often link to the organisation that a thought leader represents, especially if they have an in-depth bio page on their website for that individual, containing information not found elsewhere, as this provides the reason to link. Links form a major part in helping to build an effective SEO strategy.
Building the brand narrative – having thought leaders within your organisation helps to ensure you’re seen as a brand on the cutting edge of industry expertise, trailblazers within your field, and can assist with telling your story, especially concerning the future.
It gives you a USP over competitors – being known as thought leaders can be a great way to help your organisation stand out from others and give potential buyers the differentiating factor they are looking for to help with their purchase decision.
Attracting the best talent – people want to work for an employer who is a market leader, knowledgeable and progressive. They also want to see that an organisation they work for will value them as an individual and help them develop their own knowledge, skills and industry profile. A 2021 study found that 50% of buyers believed that thought leadership content helped companies attract the best talent.

How to leverage thought leadership content in B2B PR

Having established how beneficial that effective thought leadership content can be to a business, it’s important to make sure that your organisation leverages it in a way that stands the best chance of producing the best possible outcomes. It isn’t something that happens overnight, but, over time, it is possible for key individuals within a business to become a real ‘go-to person’ for local, national and sometimes even global media on certain issues, which can help to amplify the brand, products or services and their other thought leadership activity.

Choose the right key individuals to produce thought leadership content

It’s essential for anyone who will be representing your business to be someone who is:

Passionate about what they do and what your business does
An expert in their subject matter
Already active in industry conversations, whether that’s on social media, forums, through blogging or at in-person/online industry events
Media trained (or willing to be) and enjoys speaking in front of an audience
A good communicator and able to effectively explain complex topics in simple terms
Happy to represent the organisation and build the company brand as well as their own
Critically-minded and willing to challenge established ways of doing things – taking things into potentially new territory and offering fresh insights on the wider industry as well as their niche

Often, this person already holds a fairly senior position in the organisation, such as CEO, director or the business owner/founder, but this isn’t always the case.

Develop a proactive thought leadership content and PR strategy

Having a thought leadership strategy that has a strand which the key individual themself sets is important – as it’s truly authentic and led by the real expert. They already have their finger on the pulse of the industry and have opinions on certain aspects of it. That doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t benefit from some ideas about different types and forms of content that can be produced, as well as specialist digital PR expertise when it comes to getting it in front of the right people. Whether that’s guesting on a podcast, producing a whitepaper or research report, speaking at a conference or doing an interview about a specific topic, coverage gained here can be a great foundation to build on and provide evidence of expertise and a heightened profile for future opportunities too.

As well as planning in opinion-led pieces that are not necessarily linked to certain dates, seasons or events, it’s important to stay on top of things reactively as well.

While some things that enter the news agenda can’t be predicted, there is a lot that can be for most industries, and you can plan content and PR opportunities around this to some degree. For example, if you know that relevant regulatory legislation will be changing at a certain point in time (or is under review/out for consultation), be ready with relevant content, quotes and pitches ahead of time whenever possible.

Reacting quickly to the changing news agenda

On days when something relevant does hit the news, whether it’s a surprise budget announcement or something else completely unexpected, reacting quickly is key, and that’s where experienced PR professionals with existing relationships at key publications and media can be worth their weight in gold. Getting in ahead of others and being available for comment or interview when needed can make a huge difference to whether you achieve coverage or not.

Thought leadership is about selling narrative, expertise and opinion, not products or services

Thought leadership content is about leveraging the expertise and opinions of a key individual to help build brand profile, along with media and audience trust, rather than pushing products or services, and the distinction here is important to help build and retain credibility. The good news, as mentioned earlier, is that thought leadership content does positively influence conversions too, as well as the many other benefits it can bring to an organisation. Once an individual’s profile has been raised, and people find their opinions interesting, the rest generally follows automatically.

If you want assistance with a thought leadership PR strategy or would like more information on media training for thought leadership activity, get in touch using the form below.

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Five simple ways to earn media coverage

Helen Lang — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 21:43:00 +0000

Earned media coverage is one of the most powerful tools brands can use to build awareness, credibility and trust with their target audience. On top of this, the SEO benefits of gaining quality coverage with a link back to your website are huge.

In PR, earning media coverage is the bread and butter of what we do, and it is an essential part of any integrated communications and marketing strategy.

But the reality is, when it comes to earning coverage, it isn’t enough to simply throw a press release together, send it out to a couple of journalists and keep your fingers crossed that the story lands – if only it was that easy!

Having a couple of handy tips in your back pocket to ensure your news gets covered can make all the difference. Here are just five simple ways to earn media coverage…

Consider your story, asking yourself: who’d want to read this?

Although you might be confident that your story is absolutely newsworthy, you may need to put yourself in the shoes of the journalist who will be receiving it. What’s the real news line? What’s going to entice people to read this article? Would you read it yourself?

They say you have seven seconds to make a good impression when you meet someone new, and the same approach should be taken when pitching to journalists. Start with the most attractive, newsworthy element of your story to pique their interest.

I speak to journalists on a daily basis and in my experience, if the subject line doesn’t grab their attention, then you have little chance of them opening your email to find out more.

Tailor-made media lists

As an agency, researching key journalists and building bespoke media lists for every new story is an approach we pride ourselves on – and one we find highly effective.

Although it may seem time-consuming, making the effort to research which journalists will find your story relevant will save you a lot of headaches in the future and will help you in building positive relationships with key journalists too.

You wouldn’t want to put all your efforts into writing a great press release, only to receive emails from journalists telling you it isn’t their patch! A scattergun approach is very unlikely to get you results.

Maintain your relationships with key contacts

As PR professionals, building relationships with journalists is a vital part of what we do. Making connections and maintaining positive relationships with key journalists will have a massive impact on the coverage you’re able to gain in the future.

Checking in with journalists when you notice a relevant story and offering your organisations expertise can streamline the PR/journalist relationship and will help position your company and spokespeople as the go-to on their specialist subject. Don’t forget to follow and engage with them on social!

Consider the SEO strategy

PR, like the rest of the world, is moving at a rapid pace towards a more digital approach. Google rankings matter now more than ever before, and brands want to be on the first page of Google searches wherever possible.

Taking the time to research the relevant keywords and search terms and building them into your content will help with searchability, and as a result articles have a better chance of reaching the desired audience. Keep this consistent across all content you write; not just press releases, but social media and web copy too.

Digital PR also provides a fantastic opportunity to earn high quality links to your website. Backlinks from high authority sites, such as media outlets, are a signal to search engines that your site is a trusted source. Therefore, high quality backlinks will generally increase your websites authority and as a result, will improve its search engine ranking.

Be persistent

Statistics show that PR professionals outnumber journalists five to one nowadays, so just imagine how many press releases drop into the average journalist’s inbox. Understandably, your story might get missed, so it’s never a bad idea to follow up if you think your release has true news value.

It’s also worth noting that your story might not land right the first time, but don’t be disheartened – the worst thing you can do is pass it off as a bad lot. Back yourself, and your story, and gently remind journalists of your angle. Sometimes, the news angle you’ve presented might not work, but be accommodating and offer to adapt the story to suit what they’re looking for.

Whatever your industry, there are outlets and journalists out there looking to draw on your expertise, share your news and help tell your story. The hard part is knowing how to forge valuable relationships with them, and that’s where our bespoke PR advice can make all the difference.

If you’d like to chat to one of the team about how we could help tell your story, get in touch via team@nobraineragency.co.uk

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The role of PR in your B2B marketing strategy

Alex Whiteside — Thu, 30 Jul 2020 21:45:00 +0000

What is PR and why is it important in B2B marketing?

It’s fair to say that PR isn’t easy to define. In fact, Google Trends data shows that ‘What is PR’ is one of the most frequently searched terms on the topic of public relations.

However, to put it simply, PR is all about building reputation through communication. A PR person’s job is to build trust, awareness and credibility for brands by engaging with audiences through a number of different channels.

There isn’t a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to good PR. Strategies will be dependent on the business, its target audience and its goals. At No Brainer, our B2B PR campaigns combine earned, paid, shared and owned techniques to deliver meaningful results that align with bespoke objectives for each client.

Our experience shows us that when it comes to marketing and PR, the opportunity for B2B organisations is huge, but the thinking has to go beyond just media coverage. Here’s why…

PR is an important brand-building tool

PR can open up a host of growth opportunities for businesses, especially in today’s highly competitive market.

I recently came across an interesting report that stated ‘B2B marketers need to start looking at brand-building to drive long-term growth.’ The research showed that brand-building reduces price sensitivity and increases margins and as a result, is one of the main drivers of long-term growth and profit.

Image Source: The B2B Institute

The same report also highlighted the importance of share of voice. Whilst the share of voice rule, which states that ‘brands that set their share of voice above their share of the market, will tend to grow’, has been tried and tested in the B2C arena for over 50 years, plenty of studies suggest that the same rules also apply in B2B markets.

With the evolution of the digital landscape, consumers have a myriad of options when it comes to choosing a product or service. People trust established brands and in such a competitive market, it’s clear that brand reputation and share of voice is more important now than it ever has been before.

Whether it’s through shared tactics such as online reviews and organic social or through earned media such as blogs, podcasts, whitepapers or media coverage – when companies invest in their brand reputation, the results are staggering.

Brand trust matters

Brand trust is a big deal when it comes to purchasing decisions. In the most recent Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report, 81% of people agreed ‘I must be able to trust a brand to do what is right.’

Additionally, the coronavirus pandemic has sharpened consumer attitudes and brand trust has become a valuable asset during this time. In times of crisis, people turn to the brands that they know and trust – the ones they can rely on.

But how can brands build trust?

As well as having a strong brand reputation, having clear communication is at the heart of achieving brand trust. A well-executed PR campaign combines tactics that will create and develop valuable relationships with a business’s target audience – often this is through media coverage online, in print or shared through social media.

Emotion also plays a key role, if a buyer has positive feelings towards your brand, they are much more likely to convert and as long as the experience matches up to expectations, they will likely come back again. Reputation is everything and people are much more likely to work with businesses they perceive to be trustworthy.

The decision-making process is complex

The B2B buying journey is often longer and involves multiple touchpoints and decision-makers, each armed with their own research and knowledge. As such, the buying process is much more complex and it’s crucial that marketers take this into consideration in their strategy.

Alongside credibility and trust, B2B buyers are looking for businesses that prove to be highly knowledgeable and have expertise in their field. That’s why positioning yourself as a thought leader is so important.

As a thought leader, an individual can provide answers to detailed questions a target audience is asking but also direct a conversation with their own knowledge and experience.

LinkedIn recently teamed up with Edelman to produce a ‘B2B Thought leadership impact study’ and the results really do speak for themselves. A total of 89% of respondents said thought leadership had enhanced their perceptions of a brand, with 49% suggesting it would influence their purchasing decisions.

Many see LinkedIn as just a networking platform, but in reality, it’s an incredibly powerful tool for positioning yourself as an expert in your field and reaching your target audience. It’s a tactic we recommend implementing into most B2B strategies and it proves to work time and time again.

B2B PR is a need not a want

Often marketing – including public relations – is seen as a luxury within the B2B sector, but hopefully we’ve proven that it’s an essential tool for companies who are looking to grow and evolve their business.

There is increasingly more competition and companies can’t rely on customers simply finding their business. You have to stick your head above the parapet and make sure you are being noticed, and for the right reasons.

These are just a few examples of the impact PR can have on your B2B marketing strategy, but if you’re interested in exploring this further, get in touch and we’d be happy to tell you more.

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Why every brand should have media-trained spokespeople (and five great examples to prove it)

Lee Cullen — Mon, 04 May 2020 11:54:33 +0000

Having spokespeople with the confidence and the skills to speak directly to the media can do wonders for a brand’s reputation.

The very best spokespeople have credibility, authority and can remain calm under pressure. They come across as someone the audience can relate to and they convey their messages clearly and concisely.

With a rolling 24-hour news agenda, there are plenty of opportunities for company spokespeople to get ‘out there’ and talk to the media. And if anything, the impact of coronavirus has created a situation where journalists have become even more reliant on good spokespeople to help them craft interesting or informative stories. Particularly TV and radio outlets.

Done right, a great media interview can be a fantastic PR tactic, adding credibility and personality to a brand, helping to position it positively in the minds of the audience. It’s also a great way for a company to stand out from its competition.

But when done wrong, they can have the exact opposite effect and actually damage a brand’s reputation – something which can take a long time to recover from. This is especially true when it comes to handling a crisis (if you haven’t already seen it, take a look at our eight-step guide on the best ways to manage crises from a communications perspective!).

Mastering the art of media interviews

We’ve worked with a whole range of different people over the years and it’s fair to say that when it comes to media interviews, some people love them, and others loathe them.

But the good news is that learning how to handle a journalist’s questions – whether that be for TV, radio, print or online – is a skill that can be taught. In our view, it’s also an essential investment.

We encourage all of our clients to have at least one person within the business that is media trained and understands some of the key techniques needed to manage a media interview.

They need to feel comfortable speaking to the press and as an agency, we only want to put clients into those situations when we’re happy that they feel confident.

With COVID-19 creating a very different set of circumstances for media outreach right now, we’ve adapted our training methods to include media interviews over Zoom – an option we’re seeing more and more media outlets take right now, and something we expect to see carry on in the future too.

Is media training just for TV and radio interviews?

Media relations is just one of the tactics in the PR toolkit, and there are also lots of different ways to effectively do media outreach for a brand.

Print and online media journalists tend to be a mixed bag, with many happy to take pre-written content, whilst some others prefer speaking directly to senior people within an organisation to help shape their stories.

But when it comes to TV and radio outlets, it really is essential to have senior people available (often at very short notice) who can offer interesting and informative soundbites.

Whatever the media format, the fundamental principles of a good press interview carry many of the same characteristics.

Here are five key things you can expect to be covered by the media training we offer, with some high-profile examples of interviewees not quite hitting the mark…

Think about your interview setting

COVID-19 has moved the goalposts somewhat and the option of online interviews are becoming more commonplace. It’s always important to consider your background and the environment for any interview, and that rule still applies even if you are working from home.

Professor Robert Kelly – an American political analyst on inter-Korean affairs – went viral with this BBC interview back in 2017, which was gate-crashed by his children. Far from damaging his reputation, such was the outpouring of support from the public that this incident actually enhanced his public profile as a ‘working from home’ dad.

It’s an amusing and topical reminder of how important it is to make sure that you consider your surroundings before launching into a media interview.

Define your key messages

Understanding the key messages you want to get across in any media interview is crucial, and the secret to it lies in good training and preparation.

Working with a great agency will help to ensure you are fully briefed and know the important points you want to get across to the audience. But, it’s important to have some variation in your answers. And you need to sound like a human being – not a robot on repeat.

This interview with Ed Miliband back in 2011 highlights what can go wrong if you don’t take the time to prepare fully and rely too much on just a couple of key messages…

How to handle tricky questions

Taking on a media interview means you have to be prepared to take the rough with the smooth. You will get a chance to talk about all the good things you or your company has achieved if you handle the questions in the right way (there’s a great technique we teach for that!), but you must also accept that you might get asked some tricky questions along the way.

It’s a journalist’s prerogative to ask a range of questions that will be of interest to their audience, so make sure to consider anything and everything that might come up. Having a response in mind for any difficult questions, along with using clever media training techniques, will stand you in good stead.

Here’s an example from former Persimmon CEO, Jeff Fairburn, showing what not to do when faced with a question you’d rather not answer:

Staying focused and never switching off

One of the very best tips we’ll give for free is to always ask a journalist what their first question will be. If you’re working with an agency, they should have already given you a good steer of what to expect, but before the interview it’s absolutely fine to ask a journalist what the first question will be. It can help settle your nerves and give you time to think about an answer so you can get off to a strong start.

Never, ever, switch off either. That applies before the interview and after it too. You need to remain professional the whole time and remember that someone will probably be listening or recording, even if you’re not aware of it.

In 2018, Sainsbury’s chief executive Mike Coupe was caught singing ‘We’re in the money’ just before a TV interview, where he was going to talk about a proposed merger with Asda. He was forced to apologise soon after, but the clip was picked up by media outlets all over the country.

It is worth highlighting, however, that Sainsbury’s is one of the brands that has been highly praised for its response and communications strategy around COVID-19. Coupe has been a key element of that too, so credit where it’s due, but that clip was a moment that will still live long in the memory for all the wrong reasons.

Read the room – conduct your interview with clarity, sincerity, compassion or whatever else may be required

As well as being confident in your answers, it’s important to understand the context of your interview and consider what pre-conceptions the audience may have already about the topics you’re discussing.

If you’re a legal expert for example, it would be wrong to assume that the audience has the same level of understanding as you for complex areas of law. It’s vital to simplify things (without being patronising of course) and keep in mind the thoughts and feelings of viewers, listeners or readers. If the topic is a sensitive one, or you’re responding to a crisis, you need to convey compassion and empathy towards anyone that may have been affected by it.

A recent example of someone getting this spectacularly wrong was Prince Andrews’ BBC interview in 2019, where he talked about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein. Speaking to Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis, the Duke came across as completely out of touch with public opinion on the topic and was, quite rightly, criticised for showing a lack of empathy for victims in the case.

Prince Andrew has since taken a step back from Royal duties in the public eye and it remains to be seen if he will ever be able to recover the damage that was done to his reputation following this interview.

Honing your media training skills

Whether you’re looking to brush up on your media interview skills or learn them from scratch, using some of the time we have right now to practice your techniques will be time well spent.

No Brainer is able to offer media training packages via Zoom right now with a key focus on TV and Radio, delivered by highly experienced journalists. These sessions include practical tips and key message preparation, followed by roleplay interviews, playback and feedback.

If you want to know more about the training on offer, please get in touch with us.

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When crisis hits, put communications at the centre of your response

Gary Jenkins — Tue, 31 Mar 2020 12:51:00 +0000

As an agency, we’ve always understood the power of connecting people through content.

Whether it’s press, social media, content marketing, crisis communications, speech writing or email newsletters, our focus always remains the same – and that is the audience it has to connect with or inspire action from.

The world is currently in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic, with ever-increasing uncertainty and challenges facing many companies and brands.

And communications is right at the centre of this challenge.

Proving PR isn’t the ‘fluffy stuff’

Every company right now has a need to let their world know – whether that’s employees, customers, partners or suppliers – that they have things under control.

Just check your inbox over the last week and count how many messages you received from the people you bank with, buy from, use and trust?

Frustratingly, PR services can often be seen as the “fluffy stuff”, but times like this are when its true value becomes apparent to those who are serious about handling a crisis, managing its impacts and seeing it through.

It’s also a time when those companies and brands who have invested in PR for the long term are reaping the benefits of that investment, because they’ve already spent time and effort building trust with their team and their respective audiences. You can’t buy this, you have to earn it over the long-term.

I guess you’d expect me to say all that, but so often the PR industry is perceived as a ‘luxury’ and the first to face cuts when budgets are under review.

That’s not the case for the clients we’re proud to work alongside however, and we’ve worked more closely than ever with them over the past couple of weeks to manage and mitigate the risks that this pandemic brings.

And there’s no doubt this will continue to be the case in the weeks to come and beyond, so they’re ready to capitalise on the boom when this crisis has died down. And it will.

Don’t forget to keep connected

This is time to communicate more than ever. Over-communicate if you have to. The alternative is that you leave people unsure, unloved or unaware, and that can leave a lasting mark on you and your company.

The reality is now, more than ever, people need to feel connected whilst in their homes – and smart content, delivered through integrated communications can help.

It’s important to remember, a vast amount of the world’s population is looking for content to consume, to make them feel connected again, to feel reassured.

Isolation can be a lonely place, but the Internet is a wonderful platform for bringing people together, so use it as a chance to connect – or reconnect – to the audiences that most matter to you.

Comms professionals know that a crisis isn’t the time for hard sell on products or services. It’s about educating and entertaining or offering some much-needed advice and support to those who need it.

The world is crying out for useful content that not only helps them, but that takes away the negativity of the current climate too.

Right now, we’re helping our clients to mitigate the immediate need to tell their audiences what is happening following the pandemic and ongoing advice from the government and medical experts.

But we’re also finding ways to help them connect through content – to inspire, educate and entertain them. And that’s key in all this too.

By keeping conversation alive consistently you’ll better be able to maintain the trust and respect of your audiences through difficult times and the brighter days that are beyond – and that where opportunity and rewards will follow.

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Six tips for getting into a career in PR and Marketing

Lee Cullen — Fri, 23 Aug 2019 13:49:36 +0000

Whether you’re currently studying, a recent graduate or are thinking about a career change at any time of life into PR and/or marketing, it can sometimes feel like a daunting prospect, and you might not really know where to start.

Following these tips can help not only with the practical side of building up essential skills and finding ways to stand out on your CV and in interviews, but also in giving you the confidence in your own ability to forge a successful career in PR and marketing.

1. Know your stuff

You might have studied marketing and public relations (or maybe not) but all the buzzwords, models and theory in the world are only useful if you can apply them to real-world scenarios, campaigns, and activity. A really useful exercise can be to try and reverse engineer successful campaigns that you’ve seen (and admire) to work out what it took to put them together (or illustrate how you would do it), and also how the campaign actually benefitted the brand involved in a tangible way.

This is the kind of thing you can talk about in a job interview which shows that you really understand marketing principles and have taken the time to really think about why certain campaigns are successful and how it was done.

2. Do an internship or work experience placement in a PR or marketing agency

We’re not talking about the lengthy unpaid internships of old here, but a great way to get real experience of the PR and marketing world is to ask for a one to two-week placement in a marketing or PR agency where you can learn from people at various stages of their career. Not only does this help you with hands-on experience, but it can also help you to start building contacts within the industry, which can prove really useful throughout your future career.

You don’t need to stop at one placement. Getting experience in different agencies or teams is a good way broaden your knowledge and network with even more people.

3. Get some journalism experience if you can

If you want to work in PR, a busy news desk can be the perfect environment for you to learn, because of the close relationship between journalism and public relations. Lots of PR people have previously trained and worked as journalists and the transferrable skills between the two are many. You need to be able to find and pitch stories, write good copy quickly and deal with tight deadlines in both professions. Working alongside journalists can also give you great insight that will help with pitching once you’re working in PR. You’ll see first-hand how journalists choose which stories to use from the dozens or even hundreds they receive every day, along with essential knowledge such as the best time to call a journalist and what makes a good story for a variety of different audiences.

4. Get some other relevant experience

You absolutely don’t need to wait for your first role in PR and/or marketing to find relevant experience, and it can really make securing your first job in this industry a lot easier too. Are there any local charities or non-profit organisations that you can volunteer for to help gain experience in the right areas, and achieve something else positive at the same time?

This could be anything from local radio to sports clubs, community groups or any kind of charity. You often get the freedom to try new things in these types of settings and it can be a great way to learn and get that essential real-world experience, which are a great bonus to have on your CV and to refer back to in interviews.

5. Utilise free training opportunities

PR and marketing may have traditional roots but the present and future is ever more digitally focused. To help ensure you have the necessary knowledge and skills in digital PR and digital marketing, there are numerous free online courses that you can take which not only offer value as a learning tool for everyday use in your working life, they also show that you’re committed to developing your skillset and career. Try Google Digital Garage for a range of digital marketing skills and Facebook Blueprint for learning about marketing on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp. An absolute must for marketers and those working in PR now is a good working knowledge of Google Analytics. You can access the free Google Analytics Academy training courses here.

6. Build your own personal online/offline brand and make sure you network

Anyone applying for a job in any industry should be aware of their public profile on social media and what it says about them as a potential employee. For those looking at a career in PR or marketing, this is even more important as you can proactively build a personal brand that backs up your CV and can also help you network online with professionals in the area you want to work in.

Networking on social media by engaging with other people’s posts is one thing, but networking in person can have a real and lasting value too. Attending free events run by professional bodies such as CIPR and PRCA can help you meet PR professionals you probably wouldn’t run into otherwise, and free conferences like BrightonSEO can not only inspire you in all areas of marketing, including but not limited to SEO, but also act as a great way to meet marketing professionals from across the full spectrum.

At No Brainer, we’re always happy to help people with their first or next step on the career ladder whenever possible. Take a look at our current vacancies here.

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How KFC turned a delivery crisis into a PR masterclass

Gary Jenkins — Tue, 20 Feb 2018 16:50:24 +0000

I’m sure by now you’ve heard about the Great British Chicken Shortage and how the good people of the United Kingdom were deprived of that infamous secret blend of eleven herbs and spices… for a week or so at least.

On February 19, KFC announced that it had shut more than half of its 900 UK restaurants after problems with delivery caused the fast-food chain to run out of chicken…and the internet basked in the misfortune.

The initial response and reaction

After a banquet of memes, viral tweets and the woman who “’ad to go to Burger King!” snowballed across the web, KFC’s marketing managers knew they had to respond and a comeback operation was launched.

Riding on the initial public outcry, KFC did a great job in controlling the message and used various online and offline channels to not only apologise for the cock-up, but to keep the public well informed on how they were attempting to fix the issue. This included full page ads in all the national newspapers (as shown below) and these images sparked a wave of positive responses from the public.

The brand also took to social media to engage in some lighthearted repartee with its customers. KFC’s Facebook and Twitter feeds became populated with the latest information and were constantly filled with updates including the whereabouts of its chicken deliveries. This not only kept its customers informed but also quashed any rumours flying around about the brand being in turmoil.

The social media accounts also published regular Q&A content in a creative way, confirming information posted by the media. Then use of language like “gossip in the hen house” kept the tone playful and in keeping with KFC’s younger target audience, but it was also clear and informative.

Jumping on an empty bandwagon

KFC’s response across social media was a masterclass, but perhaps it was an opportunity missed for some of its competitors. There was little in the way of rivals hijacking the story to steal the limelight (where were you Nando’s?!) and if it wasn’t for Iceland coming in to save the day with some classic brand-to-brand banter, we would have been super disappointed. Here’s what the frozen food giant had to say:

Even This Morning ran a piece on how to make your own home-made bargain bucket yet from McDonald’s, there wasn’t a Chicken Legend mention in sight.

‘We Always Want What We Can’t Have!’

Although quiet on the competitor front, the breaking news of KFC running out of chicken caused a huge surge in public searches for “KFC near me”, with the largest search peaking on 19^th February according to Google Trends data (this was closely followed by hungover New Year’s Eve party-goers clearly looking for a chicken-fix on January 1)

The story put finger licking chicken at the front of mind for consumers, with many searching online for their nearest fix. KFC took that on board and responded beautifully…

#WheresMyChicken

Reacting to this, KFC made great use of Twitter’s automated message system and launched #WheresMyChicken. Kentucky-fried lovers could simply private message the brand’s Twitter account and, using geo-location, Twitter would find the nearest KFC outlet and send directions. The tone was fun again with users encouraged to easily share the results (cleverly expanding the reach of the campaign and a simple but absolutely genius idea from KFC helped to drive customers back into its restaurants.

The hashtag also became the main hub for information, updates and the odd hilarious meme. In the first couple of days, the hashtag created 586,399 impressions on Twitter alone along with top related hashtags #nopatty #gutted and #settlingforfish. Interestingly, while 40 million more women visit Twitter than men each month, it was the guys who topped the use of the hashtag with 62% of men on Twitter engaging with the campaign. Men really do love their fried chicken!

The latest – “We’ve got the chicken but BYO gravy”

Just as we’d got to the bottom of our Bargain Bucket and thought the crisis was over, KFC announced that its restaurants had run out of gravy! Again, this was put down to delivery issues (probably with a large helping from the weather and the Beast from the East) and meant that most KFC restaurants were serving a ‘reduced menu’ in the days that followed.

Conspiracy theorists (and more than a few cynical PR practitioners) argued that the brand was milking the product shortage story for all that it was worth, but the media continued to lap it up and KFC remained one of the most talked about brands on the internet over a fortnight after the crisis first came to light.

Job done? Well, it remains to be seen. Some media outlets were reporting that KFC was losing up to a £1million a day when the vast majority of its restaurants were shut. That’s a big shortfall to make up, but given the perfectly executed response, it doesn’t seem as if the KFC brand will see any long-term reputational damage. If anything, it’s much more likely they’ll see a rise in demand so we’ll be watching with interest to see what comes next in the saga!

The KFC marketing team deserve a lot of credit for their response because they were honest, relatable, calm, and kept the public well informed throughout the issue. All the key elements of a successful crisis communications response.

If you followed the KFC crisis and have some thoughts you’d like to share with us, we’re all ears! Drop a comment in the box below or send us a tweet to @nobraineragency.

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