During the time I was at Children's Hospice South Wests Precious Lives Appeal, I went on a visit with both Ella and Mary.
The first was with Ella, the press officer. We visited a group that had raised over a thousand pounds in a lottery scheme. As a press officer it is Ella's responsibility to investigate what exactly they had done by representing the Charity and speaking with the group. It was interesting to observe her in action and she how she spoke about the charity and her professional role outside of the office. I swiftly noticed her abilty to multitask, taking notes, asking questions and meeting people. It became apparent that organisational skills are very important in her role. Once we had meeted and greeted all the members of the group, making sure to take note of there details, names and any other information that may be useful we returned to the office to begin typing the press release. I was given this task, when I got back to the office. Although I have had experience with this before it was really helpful to draft a copy that would actually be used and get some feedback on how it could be improved.
The second visit that I went on was with Mary, on a community based project. Mary was giving a presentation about the charity, its ethos and what it is hoping to achieve in the future. It was again very interesting to see how she interacts with members of the community that are so influencial at raising money for the hospice. Mary beleives the reasons why the friend groups are so successful is because no one has appraoched them to do it, it's all on a voluntary basis because members of the community want to help support a project that benefits the community.
It was also helpful to interact with the member of the group, so that I could gather what they thought of Marys presentation and about the charity as a whole.
Friday, 21 May 2010
Media Relations
Ella, is the press officer responsible for all the press releases and media relations for the region. I was surprised by her workload for just herself but it was very interesting to observe her working. She has been with the charity for a new of years, after gaining a degree and a masters in Advertising.
I worked with her for the majority of time, watching how she selected stories and chose which angle to use when writing press releases. She also showed me the database, with all of her contacts and lists of publications that she sends to in the region. They were sub devided by media type, and then also by readership and circulation figures. The majority of press releases are sent to newspapers, sometimes magazines although Ella explained that they seem less likely to publish feature articles. The most successful way she said, was if there was an editioril piece or an interview then they are more inclined to feature the Children's Hospice South West Precious Lives Appeal.
It is only for occasional major stories that she contacts BBC Spotlight or ITV West country as television appears to be the most difficult to get coverage. In terms of other media, Radio is working very well for the appeal, they have Pirate FM as their media partner which last for one year and they get unlimited free advertising on the station.
They have recognised the importance of social media also, however its not widely used within the P.R strategy as the facebook group has a limited amount of members, updates are not very frequent and they are not on Twitter.
I worked with her for the majority of time, watching how she selected stories and chose which angle to use when writing press releases. She also showed me the database, with all of her contacts and lists of publications that she sends to in the region. They were sub devided by media type, and then also by readership and circulation figures. The majority of press releases are sent to newspapers, sometimes magazines although Ella explained that they seem less likely to publish feature articles. The most successful way she said, was if there was an editioril piece or an interview then they are more inclined to feature the Children's Hospice South West Precious Lives Appeal.
It is only for occasional major stories that she contacts BBC Spotlight or ITV West country as television appears to be the most difficult to get coverage. In terms of other media, Radio is working very well for the appeal, they have Pirate FM as their media partner which last for one year and they get unlimited free advertising on the station.
They have recognised the importance of social media also, however its not widely used within the P.R strategy as the facebook group has a limited amount of members, updates are not very frequent and they are not on Twitter.
First day-Work experience
My first impressions of a charity that was building a childrens hospice that is costing five million pounds was that there would be lots of people involved in making it happen.To my surprise, I found a team of just three, with modest offices all working busily. Emma is the over all manager within the region which is from Plymouth through Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
When I arrived, I met her and immediately liked her as she offered me a cup of tea. She began to tell me the basic history of the charity; that it was founded by Eddie and Jill as there own two children were life limited, meaning they would never reach adulthood. My knowledge of childhood cancer and genetic diseases is quite slim, however I was surprised to learn that there are 1,200 life limited children in the region and that the closest children's hospice is Helen's House in Oxford. Emma went on to explain that after losing his sons, Eddie felt compelled to help other children and their families which is how the charity began in 1991.
I met the other two staff members, Ella the press officer and Mary the community fundriaser. I didnt really understand the difference between their three seperate roles and exactly what they did. However, after the morning with Emma she explained that her role is focused upon gaining corporate donations which also help to improve their CSR. She also targets very wealthy individuals with personalised communication so that they feel compelled to make a donation also.
After my conversation with Emma, she showed me some of the events that they have organised for the charity, I saw photos and learnt about some of the families that used the facilities of the hospices that are already open, Little Bridge House and Charlton Farm.
After Lunch, I spent the afternoon with Mary and Ella. They both ran through what their roles included. I learnt how Mary's role as a community fundraiser involves meeting many different types of people and actively engaging with the public. She has establish friend groups which range from just a few members to many in larger towns across cornwall that host meetings and events to raise money to donate to the Precious Lives Appeal. One of the largest is the Falmouth group which as raised a quarter of a million pounds for Children's Hospice South West since it began supporting the charity over ten years ago.
At the end of my first day, I felt slightly over loaded with infornation but I also understood a brief history of how and why the charity was founded and what it wanted to achieve with a basic understanding of the communications differing roles.
When I arrived, I met her and immediately liked her as she offered me a cup of tea. She began to tell me the basic history of the charity; that it was founded by Eddie and Jill as there own two children were life limited, meaning they would never reach adulthood. My knowledge of childhood cancer and genetic diseases is quite slim, however I was surprised to learn that there are 1,200 life limited children in the region and that the closest children's hospice is Helen's House in Oxford. Emma went on to explain that after losing his sons, Eddie felt compelled to help other children and their families which is how the charity began in 1991.
I met the other two staff members, Ella the press officer and Mary the community fundriaser. I didnt really understand the difference between their three seperate roles and exactly what they did. However, after the morning with Emma she explained that her role is focused upon gaining corporate donations which also help to improve their CSR. She also targets very wealthy individuals with personalised communication so that they feel compelled to make a donation also.
After my conversation with Emma, she showed me some of the events that they have organised for the charity, I saw photos and learnt about some of the families that used the facilities of the hospices that are already open, Little Bridge House and Charlton Farm.
After Lunch, I spent the afternoon with Mary and Ella. They both ran through what their roles included. I learnt how Mary's role as a community fundraiser involves meeting many different types of people and actively engaging with the public. She has establish friend groups which range from just a few members to many in larger towns across cornwall that host meetings and events to raise money to donate to the Precious Lives Appeal. One of the largest is the Falmouth group which as raised a quarter of a million pounds for Children's Hospice South West since it began supporting the charity over ten years ago.
At the end of my first day, I felt slightly over loaded with infornation but I also understood a brief history of how and why the charity was founded and what it wanted to achieve with a basic understanding of the communications differing roles.
Wednesday, 18 November 2009
The Daily Mirror
The most recent figure from the Audit Bureau of Circulation, for The Daily Mirror was 1,295,972. This is its average net circulation, for the UK the figure is 1,183,450. From the National Readership Survey it appears the The Mirror has a readership of 3.49 million, which reflects 7.2% of the adults in the survey.
5.1% of these readers are of the social class ABC1, while 9.9% are C2DE.
The majority of readers are over forty-five with 8.5% and are also male 7.9% compared with the 6.6% readership of women and those aged under 45 with 5.9%.
The Mirror adopts the political stance of central yet slightly favoring the Labour Government.
The Editor of the daily Mirror is Richard Wallace. He has upheld this position since 2004 following Piers Morgan's resignation from the role. Other Editors of the paper are listed below:
5.1% of these readers are of the social class ABC1, while 9.9% are C2DE.
The majority of readers are over forty-five with 8.5% and are also male 7.9% compared with the 6.6% readership of women and those aged under 45 with 5.9%.
The Mirror adopts the political stance of central yet slightly favoring the Labour Government.
The Editor of the daily Mirror is Richard Wallace. He has upheld this position since 2004 following Piers Morgan's resignation from the role. Other Editors of the paper are listed below:
- Features Editor- Matt Kelly
- Business Editor- Clinton Manning
- News Editor- Andy Rudd
- Sports Editor- Dan Silver
- Showbiz Editor- Jody Thompson
- Political Editor- Bob Roberts
- Consumer Editor- Ruki Sayid
- Advice Editor- Hannah Wood
- Fashion Editor- Amber Morales
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
Astrazeneca Task Force
Astrazeneca are a global pharmaceutical company. However on January the 17th 2009 the Medicines and Health care Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) complained about a Zoladex advertisement issued by Astrazeneca UK Limited which had appeared in the Pharmaceutical Journal.
Pharamceutical companies in the UK comply with the codes of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) . This is the trade association for a vast majority of companies in the UK producing prescription medicines for human use, supplying 80% of the medicines used through the National Health Service.
The MHRA alleged that the reference in the advertisement by Astrazeneca about the MHRA was in breach of clause 9.5 of the code. Astrazeneca's response to these allegations was an unreserved apology to the MHRA, and that the breach of clause 9.5 of the code was a genuine error. This issue came to light when a complaint was registered on the 27th of January and the case was marked completed on the 24th of February 2009.
This is one type of issue that face large Pharmaceutical companies, which is why roles and responsibilities are assigned to successfully manage issues that may arise.
These are the members of the Astrazeneca task force:
Pharamceutical companies in the UK comply with the codes of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI) . This is the trade association for a vast majority of companies in the UK producing prescription medicines for human use, supplying 80% of the medicines used through the National Health Service.
The MHRA alleged that the reference in the advertisement by Astrazeneca about the MHRA was in breach of clause 9.5 of the code. Astrazeneca's response to these allegations was an unreserved apology to the MHRA, and that the breach of clause 9.5 of the code was a genuine error. This issue came to light when a complaint was registered on the 27th of January and the case was marked completed on the 24th of February 2009.
This is one type of issue that face large Pharmaceutical companies, which is why roles and responsibilities are assigned to successfully manage issues that may arise.
These are the members of the Astrazeneca task force:
- Philippa Rodriguez- President of Astrazeneca UK
- Simon Moore- Head of UK Corporate Communications
- Samantha Pearce- Specialist care director UK (Leading over 200 staff across the UK who manage the sales and marketing of commercial brands used in specialist care therapy.)
- Pinder Sahota- Primary Care Director ( He is responsible for primary care field force, respiratory and cardiovascular marketing and established brand marketing.)
- Beatrice Ronsle-Nadaud- Finance Director (She is responsible for finance, I.T, supply chain and all insight and analytical activity.)
- Kieth Wilson- HR Director (He is responsible for employee relations, HR administration and HR Business partner.)
- Guy Yeoman- Medical and Regulatory Affairs Director ( He is responsible for negotiating between businesses and the stockholder to ensure the medicines reach the consumers.)
- Luke Talbutt- Legal and Corporate Affairs Director (He is responsible for legal, compliance, government affairs and communications within UK marketing communications. Overall with his team their job is to safeguard the reputation of Astrazeneca.)
- Pete Digger- Government Affairs team leader
- Martin Coones- Scottish Affairs Manager
- Audrey Wernaut- External Affairs Manager
- Saj Shah- Head of Legal UK Marketing Company
Tuesday, 27 October 2009
Marks and Spenser's Corporate Sales Responsibility Plan
In January 2007 Marks and Spenser launched Plan A, setting out on hundred commitments to achieve in five years. They claim they are doing so because it is what the customers want and also what is the right thing to do. Plan A is broken down into five key areas that M&S believe faces them as a retailer:
M&S' goal is to be carbon neutral by 2012 in the UK and Republic of Ireland operations. They plan to achieve this by reducing energy consumption and increasing the use of renewable energy sources. They have also established a relationship with Westbridge Furniture to develop 'a truly sustainable factory'. They have also opened their first Eco factory in Sri Lanka.
Waste:
Their aim is to try and make sure that none of M&S' clothing or packaging ends up as landfill. To prevent this they are reducing packaging, improving recycling and cutting down on the use of plastic bags.
To ensure high standards M&S have focused on animal welfare, sustainable fishing and Farming as well as the manufacturing of polyester, wood and water use. They have done this by:
- Climate Change
- Waste
- Sustainable Raw Materials
- Fair Partner
- Health
M&S' goal is to be carbon neutral by 2012 in the UK and Republic of Ireland operations. They plan to achieve this by reducing energy consumption and increasing the use of renewable energy sources. They have also established a relationship with Westbridge Furniture to develop 'a truly sustainable factory'. They have also opened their first Eco factory in Sri Lanka.
Waste:
Their aim is to try and make sure that none of M&S' clothing or packaging ends up as landfill. To prevent this they are reducing packaging, improving recycling and cutting down on the use of plastic bags.
- They have established a relationship with Oxfam to generate the 'clothing exchange'.
- Last January they introduced the Christmas Card recycling Scheme with the Woodland trust and together collected 175 tonnes of cards which is equivalent to almost 9 million cards.
- Since 2006 they have reduced 12% of all non-glass packaging and in 2008 ran 335 packaging reduced products. In 2009 they reduced packaging of Easter Eggs by an average of 30%.
- In 2008 125 million hangers were collected for reuse or recycling.
To ensure high standards M&S have focused on animal welfare, sustainable fishing and Farming as well as the manufacturing of polyester, wood and water use. They have done this by:
- Providing Free range fresh turkey, duck and Geese and are currently trailing fresh free range pork in 100 stores.
- Introduced ranges of clothing made from organic cotton.
- Used plastic bottles to make Polyester instead of oil for use in the homeware, bedding, lingerie and children's wear ranges.
- M&S have worked with the WWF to establish a water footprint and have identified 'hotspots' of water use and are working with suppliers to reduce them.
- M&S also aim to ensure that all wood they use is Forest Stewardship Council certified or recycled.
- Marks & Start is a programme established in 2004 to help groups such as the disabled and the homeless to get into work via placements in M&S stores. 40% of those who completed their placements have gone on to find employment.
- M&S now stock over 300 lines of fair trade products and food sales are up 38% since the launch of plan A.
- M&S have sold over 8 million fair trade cotton garments and home products.
- Customers and employees raised over 2 million pounds for the breakthrough breast cancer charity last year. M&S plans to continue its support to the charity.
- M&S use the Food Standard Agency's traffic light labels on food.
- The number of products with a red label has fallen by 30%.
- M&S have removed all artificial colours and flavouring from their food and soft drinks production as of the 1st of April 2008.
- They have also introduced 1,500 healthy eating assistants in stores with the plan to extend knowledge across the entire food section employees.
- M&S are the sponsors for the Royal Parks half Marathon.
Tuesday, 20 October 2009
Issues management works around a framework of structure to govern how best to resolve issues that may occur. There are five main roles and responsibilities :
Key IM functions:
In accessing the seriousness of an issue it is important to recognise the key players and to which coalition they belong to. Another aspect is threat management and who possible trouble makers may be, for example:
P.E.S.T- Political, Economic, Social and Technology
S.W.O.T- Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
These are two methods of recalling the important aspects to consider and effectively negotiate.
Marketing and Public relations are integrally linked, however their roles do differ. Marketing focuses on bringing a product to market based on it being the right price, placement and time. The other element is promotion, this is the one aspect that P.R is predominately involved with.
Using S.I.V.A ( Solution, Information, Value, Access) P.R is a delivery of a message designed to stimulate awareness and raise interest. Advertising does the same job, however the main difference being that P.R is financially more efficient.
- Strategic Analysis
- Tactical Programmer
- Opinion Facilitator
- Advocate
- Counselor
Key IM functions:
- Identify the issues and trends
- Evaluate their impact
- Set priorities
- Establish customer position
- Design the corporate action and response to help achieve the position
- Implement the plan
In accessing the seriousness of an issue it is important to recognise the key players and to which coalition they belong to. Another aspect is threat management and who possible trouble makers may be, for example:
- Associates
- Government
- Employee
- SIGs
- Public
P.E.S.T- Political, Economic, Social and Technology
S.W.O.T- Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats
These are two methods of recalling the important aspects to consider and effectively negotiate.
Marketing and Public relations are integrally linked, however their roles do differ. Marketing focuses on bringing a product to market based on it being the right price, placement and time. The other element is promotion, this is the one aspect that P.R is predominately involved with.
Using S.I.V.A ( Solution, Information, Value, Access) P.R is a delivery of a message designed to stimulate awareness and raise interest. Advertising does the same job, however the main difference being that P.R is financially more efficient.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)