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Articles by Andrew Holt
Why the e Statistic “Just 100 companies responsible for 71% of global emissions” annoys me so much.
On 10 July 2017, The Guardian released an article titled “Just 100 companies responsible for 71% of global emissions, study says” and since then the internet has used it in the most annoying way possible. But to understand that, we first have to understand the article and the report it’s based on. The article is reporting on the Carbon Majors Report by the Carbon Disclosure Project.
Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert film coming to Disney+ Canada in March
The Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert film will begin streaming on Disney+ worldwide, including in Canada, on March 15th. Notably, it’s being dubbed Taylor’s Version as it’s the first time the concert will be available in its entirety, given that . It’s a major get for Disney+, as The Eras Tour film has only been available at home via rental on streaming video on demand platforms like iTunes and Google Play since December following its highly successful theatrical run.
Accenture’s winning media strategy
Having picked up two consecutive trophies for Best In-house Media Relations Team, it's time to find out what makes Accenture tick https://d1kpft7v16hlam.cloudfront.net/uploads/2023/05/Accenture-s-winning-.m4a Andy Rowlands would not call Accenture’s appearance on The One Show a career high, but, as the corporate communications lead for Europe would be the first to admit, the BBC’s early evening chat show is not a natural home for an information technology professional services company.
Brands in the age of condolence: Part 3
As Benjamin Franklin allegedly said: nothing is certain except death and taxes. The death of Her Majesty the Queen may have been an unsavoury topic to discuss, but at 96 and increasingly frail, it is surprising that so many companies appear to have been caught off guard by the news. And none more so than Centre Parcs, which proudly declares ‘this is family togetherness’ on its website while encouraging visitors to book early.
F is for follow-up call
The A to Z of media relations Supported by Unicepta F is for Follow up Call Imagine receiving a piece of unwanted mail. And then receiving a phone call to check you had received that unwanted mail. Yes, we’re talking about the follow up call: ‘I’m just ringing to check that you received the press release.’ Of course, not every press release is viewed as unwanted mail. But a fair few might be.
Category: Strategic Comms Awards
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Telford Homes: sustainability built on strong foundations
The oft cited United Nations Sustainable Development Goals are designed to be a ‘blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all’. It is therefore important for sustainability to be an essential part of a corporate’s ability to adapt to the sustainable challenges in a changing world. The prestige of winning the Best Sustainability Report at the inaugural Strategic Comms Awards is clear evidence of so many sustainable indicators instigated by a corporate.
E is for Embargo
The A to Z of media relations Supported by Unicepta Embargo Noun An embargoed press release is an announcement that is shared with journalists ahead of a specified time or date when it can be published. This affords them sufficient time to prepare and research their articles. They can be used when the subject matter is time sensitive, such as a stock market announcement, the delivery of a speech or the launch of a new product. Embargos are not, however, legally binding.
Adding ESG fizz to Britvic
Britvic won the Best Integration of ESG into an Annual Report at the Strategic Comms Awards thanks, in part, to the company taking the opportunity to create a tailored annual report in 2020 that communicated its ESG story in a more compelling way. ‘Our new business strategy, combined with new regulatory requirements, was the perfect opportunity to tell the Britvic story in a more engaging way,’ explains the company’s director of sustainable business Sarah Webster.
bp targets transparency to offer clear picture on diversity and inclusion
The new ethical standard for many corporates is that of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). In its 2020 annual report bp set a high standard, resulting in the inaugural award for Best Approach to Diversity & Inclusion at the Strategic Comms Awards. The commitment to DEI saw bp create a standalone diversity and inclusion report to not only highlight, but also address, the issue.
D is for denial
The A to Z of media relations Supported by Unicepta Denial Noun In the main, most PRs do not tend to deny stories even if they are wrong, preferring instead to hide behind the ‘no comment’ excuse. They do so because it is a safer strategy. PRs who constantly deny incorrect stories find themselves in a hole when the journalist finally calls with a real, live scoop. What do they say?
D is for deadlines
The A to Z of media relations Supported by Unicepta Deadline Noun Deadlines Ah, the bane of journalists’ lives. We live by them, so it’s only fair that PRs should live by them too. A deadline represents the latest time that a journalist can file their story. With online journalism, the deadline can be incredibly tight but for feature writers on weeklies or monthly publications, there will be a longer time scale.
Legal & General up to the task on climate change
With a stated purpose to improve lives through inclusive capitalism, financial services giant Legal & General (L&G) recognised that addressing climate change is the next step in delivering on that promise. L&G’s 2020 Climate Report did that so successfully it won the Most Effective Alignment with Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) category at the inaugural Strategic Comms Awards.
Anglian Water conveys its purpose story through its annual report
Anglian Water structured its annual report around its seven key stakeholder groups Anglian Water achieved the feat of winning two awards at the inaugural Strategic Comms Awards, showing how its annual report was the best, while presenting purpose as a business driver To win one award a is an achievement, to win two is deeply impressive. But this is the accomplishment of Anglian Water, picking up two gongs: the best annual report and best use of purpose as a business driver.
C is for contact details
The A to Z of Media Relations Supported by Unicepta Contact details Cobuild When a well-known journalist finally got hold of the press officer at a respected organisation after hours of trying, he asked (not unreasonably) why the team’s phone numbers were not on its website. Ah, said the press officer, everybody who needs our numbers already has them. It’s logical, but it’s also illogical. The journalist in question had been assigned an unfamiliar beat to cover a colleague’s absence.
B is for briefing
The A to Z of media relations Supported by Unicepta Briefing Variable noun Simply what it says on the can. A briefing should offer a journalist, either on a one-to-one basis or, if unavoidable, in a press conference, information that adds to their knowledge of the subject in question. A briefing should not simply repeat the details of a press release, but instead should add context and colour.
Best in-house team: corporate communications
Winner 2021 Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service Like so many other corporate communications departments, the team at Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) spent 2020 focused on Covid. They played a major role in educating prisoners and keeping them safe: Covid deaths in British prisons were 90 per cent below the projections suggested by Public Health England.
Best in-house team: media relations
Winner 2021 Accenture There are just five people in Accenture UK’s media relations team but, despite navigating the professional services business through some of the biggest changes in recent history and working remotely, in March 2021, the quintet, and its agencies, achieved a record 160 pieces of coverage. From the outset, the team prioritised human connections to keep their spirits up and a sense of togetherness during lockdown.
Best in-house team: internal communications
Winner 2021 Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust Internal communications has been at the heart of the pandemic response at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust since the outset. Its focus was on regular and honest communications with around 22,700 colleagues, keeping them fully informed, promoting health and wellbeing and thanking them for their efforts.
Best diversity and inclusion initiative
Winner 2021 Calling Time on Racism Greene King In June, Greene King unveiled Calling Time on Racism, a plan setting out four long-term commitments to drive cultural change in the way that the pub operator recruits and develops its people and to ensure that its venues are welcoming to all.
Most creative use of content
Winner 2021 A shave too close Lloyds Banking Group Agency: Grayling When consumer research revealed that 85 per cent of men were confident that they could spot a scam (against 78 per cent of women) but that one in three Brits were unsure whether they had shared information on social media, Lloyds Bank elected to find a new creative way to raise awareness of male over-confidence as part of its commitment to fighting fraud.
Best employee engagement initiative
Winner 2021 Flu campaign The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust Every year, the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust offers the seasonal flu vaccination to all staff to protect themselves, their families and friends and, crucially, their patients. As a world-leading cancer centre, this is particularly important as patients are often immuno-suppressed and vulnerable to viruses like the flu, which can prove fatal.
Best external event
Winner 2021 A night on the cobbles Airbnb Agency: Hope & Glory With the looming Staycation Summer of 2021, Airbnb wanted to create a UK-based campaign, targeted at families, that would bring to life the unique range of properties that were only available on its platform. But, as agency Hope & Glory saw it, the campaign was also about driving traffic to Airbnb’s site at a crucial point for its business and to boost interest in domestic breaks.
Best social media campaign
Winner 2021 21 Days Green Cola UK Agency: One Fifty Consultancy Back in 1960, cosmetic surgeon Maxwell Maltz published a self-help book proclaiming that it takes 21 days to form a habit. But it also widely believed that it takes 21 days to break one. Green Cola is an independent British brand currently setting new standards in the soft drinks industry by ditching sugar, phosphoric acid, preservatives and artificial sweetener aspartame without compromising on taste.
Best media relations campaign
Winner 2021 Shop Small: We’re open American Express Agency: Hope & Glory American Express has a history of supporting small businesses, through its Shop Small initiative and through Small Business Saturday, of which it is a founding and principal supporter. As part of the Shop Small initiative, card members are offered £5 credit for every £10 that they spend in a registered small business during December, providing an incentive for them to seek out local shops.
Most meaningful use of the SDGs
FTSE 250-listed IP Group is a leading intellectual property commercialisation company, which focuses on evolving great ideas, especially from its partner universities, into world-changing businesses, with a special interest in life sciences, cleantech and technology. It has pioneered a unique approach to developing these ideas by providing access to business building expertise, capital, networks, recruitment and other support.
Best online annual report
We connect for good BT Group Agency: Emperor BT’s new corporate purpose We connect for good came to the fore during the global pandemic, when its customers relied on the company to keep businesses running and families and friends connected. But the launch of the purpose was not the only change to the business, as it also refreshed its strategy and set out a new 2030 ambition.
Best annual report - FTSE 250 organisation
Best annual report - FTSE 250 organisation Howdens Agency: Emperor Howdens is the UK’s leading trade kitchen supplier, offering thousands of kitchen options, joinery and hardware products. It is a leading component of the FTSE 250, with a market capitalisation approaching FTSE 100 levels, and was built on the principle that a business should be worthy of all stakeholders. In other words, if its customers do well then its business will do well.
Traumatic Optic Nerve Injury Elevates Plasma Biomarkers of Traumatic Brain Injury in a Porcine Model
Introduction A diagnosis of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is based on patient medical history, a clinical examination, and imaging tests.1–5 The ability to diagnose and classify TBI as well as to decide when imaging is indicated has advanced with the identification of circulating biomarkers often elevated in TBI patients.
Geartunes Live
© photos by Matty Freear It’s not deep, dark fetish. We don’t sing Barbra Streisand whilst in a sling, and it’s pretty difficult to express lyrics in a straight jacket. Never say never though! So, what is Geartunes Live? Well, Imagine a room full of rubber, leather, pup, lycra, cotton and any other gear you can think of. Add Broadway showtunes. Add songbooks. Add a cast of guest singers from our own fetish community, aided by a core team of experienced singers on stage.
Delivering the message with the right tools
The coronavirus has seen companies rush into using messaging and collaboration tools like Slack, Teams, Zoom and Asana. On the face of it this would seem sensible. These are good virtual tools for the job of an economy in lockdown. But given the speed of the situation that has developed under COVID-19 has there been enough thought given by corpcomms teams on how these tools should be used effectively and strategically?
What is the alternative to fossil fuels?
As climate change moves to the top of the agenda, fossil fuels companies are under attack but what is the answer in a world that relies on gas and electricity? Forget arms dealers and tobacco traders. The fossil fuels industry is shaping up as a new pariah, charged with crimes that put those of its predecessors into dramatic perspective. Oil, gas and coal companies stand accused of causing the destruction of planet Earth through the role of their products in fostering climate change.
Leveraging the Lionesses
The success of the Lionesses at the World Cup prompted a wave of interest in women's football but how is it best to build and exploit that? More than 11 million people tuned in to watch England play the USA in the semi-finals of the FIFA Women’s World Cup in July, making it the most watched broadcast of the year – dwarfing ITV2’s Love Island final, which managed a paltry, albeit record, 3.6 million viewers.
Sally Osman is comms professional of the year 2018
Winner Sally Osman Director, Royal Communications As Sally Osman, director, Royal Communications, prepares to depart from Buckingham Palace, it is a timely decision to award her this year’s Communications Professional of the Year honour, coming as it does at the end of a year in which Prince Harry got married, the Queen commemorated 65 years on the throne and Prince Charles celebrated his 70th birthday. But Osman is adamant, that this year was no different from any other.
New report highlights the impact of third sector on Scotland’s communities
New report highlights the impact of third sector on Scotland’s communities Written by Andrew Holt 19/06/12 A new report launched yesterday by Social Investment Scotland highlights the significant social impact that Scotland’s third sector makes on local communities throughout the Scotland. The report is the result of new research amongst 58 social enterprises and community organisations that have been supported by Social Investment Scotland over the past ten years.
Water is a finite resource which is being tested
Companies need to have a water strategy as demand continues to rise but supply does not grow Water, water, everywhere but not a drop to drink. Even in this winter’s floods, this misquote of Coleridge remains an English weather joke. Such is the fickleness of Britain’s weather, jest cynics, that there will probably be hosepipe bans in the nation by July.
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