Charlie Conchie

There are few whose names are more synonymous with the UK #PR industry than Matthew Freud. He pretty much invented the concept of networking... Anyone in our industry - or with an interest in politics, the cult of celebrity or the power of the media - should listen to this podcast from When it Hits the Fan with David Yelland and Simon Lewis (you can find it on BBC Sounds). There's so much to unpick, but one fascinating claim Freud makes is that reputation - which the PR function is responsible for - can increase the value of a business by 50%. He argues that if you have two identical, publicly listed companies but one is more 'widely admired' than another, it would command a 100% premium. A powerful statistic. Why don’t PR or communications budgets reflect this? We’ve tended historically to be the poor relation to marketing in terms of spend. Reputation should be the biggest priority for the C-suite; whether that's ensuring the workforce (internal comms) is clear on the values and vision of the business; or sending out the right messages to the market. Also, a good reputation means current and prospective customers will respect, value and aspire to connect with the business. You don't have to be a celebrity or politician to care about reputation - every business should be ensuring that everything they do reflects the values they want to adhere by - whether that's through their #ESG reporting, their #socialmedia community or their #mediarelations. Does the PR industry have a reputation crisis of its own?

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51 Comments

(In a crisis) ‘90% of what people are going to think of you is contingent of what they thought of you before the crisis’. Another superb PR analysis of recent crisis management respectfully focusing on Huw Edwards & the BBC, and the Household Cavalry horses that bolted in London. All highlighting the importance in investing in Brand, and from a individual perspective always considering the shadow you cast. A recommended listen. 🎧 https://bbc.in/3JTdjOY

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Take the leap or lose the chance. I'm thrilled to embark on this new venture, Aura Elite Media, because it's something I'm passionate about and have been learning a lot about over the past two years. We've had our share of trials and errors, but through perseverance, we've built structures that have not only driven sales but also shaped a solid foundation. Here's the thing: I strongly believe social media and digital marketing should be kept in-house. Over the years, I've hired several companies to handle this, but despite lengthy and costly inductions and frequent meetings, they never quite met our expectations. Third-party agencies, no matter how skilled, aren't immersed in your business. They don't share the vision and the daily experiences of the team. I may be taking a bold stance, but at Aura Elite Media, we aim to empower business owners and their teams to think outside the box, to embrace failure as a learning process, and to take control of the digital age. It isn't easy, but we're here to guide you through it. If you're attending the Sussex Business Show on the 26th September, please stop by and say hello. I'd love to connect and share more about our approach to marketing and video production.

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Last week I got a request for a quote to send a press release and get coverage in 2-3 TV stations, 1 print publication and 1 online publication. My response: You need an Ad placement, not help distributing a release. Please read Alex Hunter's post to understand how we work. We don't do media placement, we work on a pitch based on angles we know might land with some media. We make your story appealing to media houses. This takes time, effort, experience and a great understanding of how journalists work. PR is not sponsored posts, you don't need us for sponsored posts. Please get in touch if you are struggling getting noticed by media houses, we can help you with your key messages and your media strategy! #TruthBehindCommunications #PR #MediaRelations

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Do you realise that you’re sat on PR content? Content that will get you into the media- so you can reach more people and build your credibility and visibility through being elevated and celebrated. So often in business we just get on with what we think is normal. Book launches, event planning, thought leadership - we often forget to capitalize on it. The media can amplify your message, it can shine a light on your work, it creates a new level of energy around you when you step into celebration mode What are you doing in your business that you should be celebrating?? I’ll bet there’s something!!!

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