Is product placement a Spectre haunting the media world?

With a new Bond film comes a sudden surge of 007 experts. Spectre, the latest release, saw cinemas packed out and suddenly my Twitter feed played host to self-appointed movie critiques and cinematographers. Unbeknownst to the masses, the not so subtle product placement - synonymous of Bond movies – had crept into the minds of the viewers as they commented on luxury brands endorsed within the movie.

However, it’s not just the big screen that is susceptible to the endorsement treatment. We now live in a world where your social media presence can offer you an alternative to a ‘regular’ job (that can be extremely lucrative) as brands have noticed the pull that social media influencers have via their platforms.

Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest and a variety of other social media platforms have become virtual workplaces and individuals can earn income via brand deals and by far the most notorious for this is YouTube.

Due to an Oreo fuelled debacle in 2014, there was a shift in YouTube protocol. Confectionary conglomerate Mondelez enrolled YouTubers to take part in an Oreo licking challenge (yes, really) to promote a new product. The Youtubers were given a brief and paid to create specific videos with editorial guidance from the brand. However, last year, a complaint was made to the ASA (Advertising Standard Authority) that the commercial content was not obvious enough due to the videos keeping to the style of the individuals’ usual content and thus undistinguishable from the vloggers non-sponsored videos.

It is now mandatory for videos that contain commercial material from the brand via the vlogger to be distinguished with ‘AD’ in the thumbnail and title of the video. Failure to do so can not only tarnish reputations, but is also considered a criminal offence, as the viewer must be aware when they are being marketed to so that they can make informed decisions.

The social media advertising pool is still extremely muddy as some content providers consider the declaration of ‘AD’ a dent on their credibility as it is widely agreed that you do not whole heartedly trust the word of an individual paid to promote products.

Product placement within the Bond movie franchise is often questionable but harmless. Bond movie viewers are enthralled by 007’s lifestyle of seduction, drinking and fast cars and take it for what is. This awareness of product placement allows the Bond franchise to sell a lifestyle (or not) to an older, more affluent and aspirational audience.

A fourteen-year-old social media fanatic with WIFI access is inevitably naïve to the advertising ways of YouTube and if the creator momentarily ‘forgets’ to include ‘AD’ in the designated spaces the life-changing glittery moisturiser is believed to be just that and instantly gets put on the Christmas list…despite the vlogger forgetting to take the seal off the pot.

With YouTube only reporting statistics of users aged 18 and up, billions of teenagers that inevitably make up one of the largest demographics of social media users are statistically invisible and therefore any concerns on their online experience goes unrecognised. The World Wide Web is not a place restricted to adults and although under 18s cannot be protected from every internet nasty surely it is not too much to suggest that vast corporations such as YouTube should crack down on misleading content and ensure all creators abide by the rules.

Before you brandish the pitchforks towards all vloggers - thinking every single individual is pushing products for pay - rest assured that the vast majority of content creators give full disclosure or do not dabble in sponsored content. As a relatively successful YouTuber myself I feel like I have behind-the-scenes access to the camera shy side of working in social media that consumers aren’t aware of. However, for every crafty video there are thousands more providing inspiring and trustworthy information.

Christmas is coming...an insight into the mind of today's luxury shopper

Only seven weeks to the big one! With our current launch for Goldsmiths, we were talking this morning about the modern shopper and how people will be buying into luxury this festive season: it’s not about just flashing the cash, but truly appreciating artisan skills and enduring craftsmanship.

It reminded us of our award-winning Champagne Assembly events and Professor Karen Pine (the wonderful developmental psychologist who helped us with our Believability™ mantra and way of working).  She delivered a cracking lecture that had our luxury opinion former and media audience enthralled, chuckling - and nodding in recognition - by turns.

A couple of years have passed since her talk, but it’s still bang on the button now too. Here’s what she said:

The best things come to those who anticipate

Here's a quote I came across recently by the managing director of Harrods, Michael Ward, who apparently said:

“What luxury is about is having the most beautiful experience,

 that’s what people love.”

Do you agree? I think he’s only partly right. Because experiences, however beautiful, are also often fleeting, transient, gone in an instant.

Real luxury, I would argue, is about anticipating the most beautiful experience.

That’s because brain research now tells us that pleasure isn’t just experiential. It’s anticipatory. We know our brains have pleasure detectors. When we acquire an object of desire, or see a lover’s smile or taste a wonderful champagne, a rush of happy chemicals go sloshing through the brain.

But those happy chemicals also get released when we anticipate something we love. In fact we get a bigger rush from anticipating than we do from experiencing.

Scientists from the University Medical Centre in Hamburg recently conducted tests that measure brain activity and found that our brains experience more pleasure when we are working towards something than when we actually achieve it. 
(So that's why makers of designer handbags create waiting lists)

That’s why luxury in the form of real quality brings lasting satisfaction, it’s why craftsmanship persists and why bling will only ever bring transient satisfaction, to the producer and to the consumer.

Science has proved that it’s anticipation that makes us happy, that long-termism always trumps short-termism and that a delayed reward brings more pleasure than an instant reward.

Interestingly the scientists found also discovered that regular hints about the upcoming reward can boost our feelings of pleasure, when people in the lab were reminded of something that was worth waiting for the pleasure centres in their brains lit up.

So if you have a special bottle of GH Mumm champagne tucked away for a special occasion, having a quick peek at it on regular occasions will be sure to boost your happiness levels.

Think about holidays too. We’re all supposed to love holidays.  Do you like planning a holiday, looking at images of tropical beaches, beautiful sunsets, sumptuous hotels, imagining a place where the sun always shines and you’ve left all your worries behind in Heathrow’s departure lounge? 

Well researchers in the Netherlands recently showed that we get a larger boost in happiness from planning a holiday than we do from the holiday itself. They studied the happiness levels of over 1000 Dutch adults and found that happiness levels were highest when people were planning their holiday.

In fact they argue that if you really want holidays to make you happier you shouldn’t just have one long one, you should have lots of shorter ones so you maximise the time spent in anticipation.

Intuitively we all know this and evolutionary psychology accounts for why we’re drawn to products that embody this waiting process, that stand for timelessless and are characterised by tradition and craftsmanship.

Ironically though nowadays we are rarely encouraged to wait. We live in an immediate gratification society, instant messaging, fast food, ready credit and computer games where you can kill your enemies at the touch of a button.

Are we all going to lose the ability to delay our pleasures? During boom times that is always a risk but during a recession different types of processes operate. That’s when delayed gratification comes to the fore.

  

Because psychological research shows being able to delay gratification is a sign of higher cognitive ability, one that’s more recently evolved. A sign of maturity that’s even linked to quality of life.

You may have heard of the famous marshmallow test that an American psychologist called Walter Mischel carried out on children in the 1960’s. Mischel offered young children, around 3 and 4 years of age, a marshmallow. He put it in front of them and said they could eat it now OR if they could wait while he stepped out for a few minutes when he came back they could have two marshmallows.

Most children couldn’t wait. They either ate it as soon as he was out of the room or sat and squirmed for a while and then caved in and ate it. Some covered their eyes with their hands or turned their back on the marshmallow so that they can’t see it.

One girl stroked the marshmallow lovingly; another boy looked carefully around the room to make sure that nobody could see him then picked it up sucked it and put it back!

But about 30% of the children wrestled with temptation but stuck it out for a full fifteen minutes. They were ones who could delay gratification in return for a second marshmallow. Years later the experimenters followed up the children to adulthood.

The ones who could wait did better at school, were more successful in their careers and in their relationships.

The instant gratifiers, the ones who couldn’t wait, on the other hand were more likely to have behavioural problems at school, or problems at home.

The moral of this story is that waiting is a higher-cognitive skill, a sign of maturity and those who can delay gratification have a better quality of life.

More recently brain researchers have found the key to the link between delayed gratification and intelligence. Different parts of the brain get activated by immediate and delayed rewards.

The need for immediate reward is driven by the more primitive part of the brain – the part that might impel the purchaser towards quick fixes, impulse buys, bling and disposable luxury.

But when people choose longer term options they use the frontal-parietal part of the brain, that is situated in the more recently evolved pre-frontal cortex - the part that differentiates us from animals and from our ancestors – it gives us the ability to reason, to plan ahead and exercise self-control.

So delayed gratification and the ethic of the craftsman overlap and reinforce each other in that both require a certain construction of the future, a certain ideal of stability and longevity.

That’s why brands that are associated with longevity, with craftsmanship and tradition, will continue to have lasting appeal whatever the economic climate but especially when people want every penny they spend to have value.

So Michael Ward was only partly right when he said that luxury is having a beautiful experience, it’s more than that.

The best things come to those who anticipate….

Major-ly Chuffed

If you cast your eyes back to our previous blog post you will see that The View was shortlisted a finalist for The Majors in association with The Drum. We were in the running for both Major Creative and Major PR categories. Despite this being The Majors’ inaugural year the submissions had been flowing in and to be in this position was a triumph in itself.

We waltzed off to the awards ceremony and arrived awkwardly early. There is a fine line to walk with event arrival times and we were veering into the seriously cringe lane so we mooched off to save face. Our second attempt was far more successful and we were greeted with glasses of prosecco which were faithfully topped up throughout the night which was a blessing and a curse. 

The comedian hosting the evening melted our nervousness with laughter which was to be expected as Dane Baptiste was nominated best newcomer at the 2014 Fosters Comedy Awards, The Independent’s ‘Face To Watch’ 2015, and performed at his second Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August.

With only seven categories to present we wouldn’t have to agonize for long. Up first for The View was Major Creative. Unfortunately we were pipped to the post by another deserving finalist but it was a hotly contested category so we weren’t disheartened. 

Next up was Major PR. Dane introduced the category and outlined the positives of the winning entry and by jove it was us! The View won! We are absolutely thrilled, smiles are rife, and the award is standing proud in The View HQ after a night of being mauled for photos over a celebratory glass of bubbly.

We know we are a touch biased because we won, but the night was a real success and huge congratulations to the other finalists, winners, Major Players and The Drum. Here’s to 2016!

By Amber Longhurst

Major-ly Exciting News

When you haven’t blogged in nine months you have two options: to brazenly strut back in as if you were never gone or to skulk in with your tail between your legs. The View is going for the shameless option!

Despite our blogging hiatus The View HQ has been buzzing with activity and it seems these Duracell-bunny months have not gone unrecognised. September saw an email ping into our inbox informing us that The View has been shortlisted as a finalist for The Majors in association with The Drum! This is the first year of The Majors and we are thrilled to be a finalist in two categories: Major PR and Major Creative.

Including work for a military genealogy specialist, The View put together a unique package for each category which was then scrutinized and judged by directors from companies such as Facebook, Google and John Lewis. Being given a nod from these global brands is incredibly exciting.
On the 1 October the View will be heading to the awards ceremony which promises cocktails and canapes, neither of which we will say no to. With a comedian compering the evening we look forward to having a giggle and hopefully bringing home the bacon!

Keep everything crossed for us…

Lastly, if you follow us on Twitter (@wearetheview) you will have seen that The View turned 6 in August! Every birthday should be celebrated with a dogs-in-party-hats themed card and ours was no exception.

By Amber Longhurst

December update!

It’s been a busy couple of months since our last blog post, chock-a-block with great PR and marketing activity. We’ve been working our little socks off, and we’re really pleased with what we’ve achieved, so we thought we’d let you all know what we’ve been up to!

We’ve had two busy launches with TeamSport, with fantastic new tracks opening in both Acton and Reading. Both tracks are already proving popular with journalists and local karting enthusiasts alike, and it looks like it’s going to be a jam-packed Christmas period for everyone at TeamSport.

We’ve had a number of exciting developments with Forces War Records. In September they launched their Forces DNA service, which allows members of the public to find out more about their ancestry going back many generations. We even tested Rory Bremner’s DNA and found that he had Middle Eastern family members in generations past.

The guys over at Forces War Records have also been busy transcribing and digitising thousands of records from a collection of over 1.5 military hospital records. To celebrate the release of these records, TV historian Neil Oliver helped us explain the records to people all over the country in a very successful radio day (over 150 pieces of broadcast coverage!)

We’ve also helped provide historical information and insights to a number of stories over the last couple of months with great results. In fact, we even got a sneak preview of Sainsbury’s beautiful World War 1 themed Christmas advert when they asked FWR for their thoughts.

Closer to home we’ve also been helping launch the new The North Face and Timberland store in Guildford. We started out with a bang with a joint event with the Guildford Book Festival; we managed to entice Griff Rhys Jones into the store, and he gave a great talk about his new book.

Since the event we’ve been keeping our foot on the pedal with regular railway station concourse take-overs, promotional events on Guildford High Street and three very popular competitions. We also took over social media promotion for the store, with successful campaigns both on Twitter and Facebook.

With Christmas fast approaching we’ve managed to squeeze in a lot of preparation for our newest client; The Live-In Homecare Information Hub, a group of 13 of the UK’s leading live-in homecare providers. Homecare offers a real alternative to residential and nursing care. Our clients feel so passionately about what they do that they have put competition aside to promote this little known service together.

Together we’ve developed a beautiful logo and informative website: www.stayinmyhome.co.uk. We’ve also started up a Twitter account as a platform to promote all the good work they’re doing to those making decisions about the care of elderly relatives.

PRCA Audit Success

More great news at The View headquarters this week: we have just passed our biennial PRCA audit. The Public Relations Consultants Association has a strict control process to make sure that all their members reach the very highest standards. This means that we are working in ways which are efficient, effective, properly run, fair and accountable. Which is wonderful news all round!

The Communications Management Standard (CMS) is the accepted kitemark of PR excellence and professionalism.  Independently audited, it was created by the PRCA in 1997 and it is based on ISO 9001 and Investors In People, with criteria specifically tailored to the needs of public relations consultancies.

Lovely news for the weekend!

Blackadder goes forth into vodcasts!

We just couldn’t resist blogging again to share the exciting news that the podcast we created for our recent Blackadder story for our client Forces War Records has gone live. You can find it in a number of places online, now including here! Hope you enjoy watching it as much as we did. 

Operation Cunning Plan

We here at The View are massive Blackadder fans, so you can imagine our excitement when we found a real-life namesake for the fictional Edmund Blackadder. Forces War Records, a leading genealogy website and one of our clients, help thousands of people to locate their family in millions of war records, and to subsequently make sense of the information they find, so it was fascinating to see the process being applied to the cast of Blackadder.

Once we had received confirmation that all of the characters had real-life counterparts, the process of excavation began. We were particularly keen to find photographs of all the characters, and so wrote to the universities and schools which the namesakes had attended to try to track them down. Sadly, we were only able to find Lieutenant George, although he does cut quite a figure in his uniform. Staff, both here and at Forces War Records trawled The National Archives for more information to flesh out the story, and give the characters life. We even sent one of our own, Sarah Wright, down there to gather some key images.

Forces War Records were able to uncover some amazing information about the lives of the real-life namesakes for the Blackadder cast, proving that while all the characters shared their surnames and ranks some were more like their First World War counterparts than others. Both Blackadders were career soldiers, who rose up the ranks before the war, serving overseas before fighting in the Somme. Similarly both Lieutenant Georges attended Cambridge, where they rowed for their colleges, were artists, eventually pilots, and, tragically, died in the trenches.

From here the characters diverge slightly from their fictional counterparts – the real Baldrick, although also from humble origins, was able to read and write, and is listed on the 1901 census as a scholar. However, the most dissimilar was Captain Darling. The fictional Darling was a shirker, educated at Ipplethorpe Primary, who had a girlfriend called Doris. The real Captain Darling was a hero, fighting at most of the major battles; Mons, Marne, Aisne and Ypres, he was educated at Eton, and married with two children.

With the story fully researched, and releases drafted, edited, polished and finally approved, it was time to wait for broadcast day. Media sell-in had started the day before and so by the time we got to the office we had acquired a number of national newspapers and soon were busy clipping out articles, trawling the internet for stories, and tweeting away to share the good news! Meanwhile Sarah was in London, schmoozing with celebrities and historians. Between this, she managed to shoehorn in 26 radio interviews with Tim McInnerny (who played Captain Darling) and Tom Bennington (the amazing young researcher who uncovered the information), which is amazing, considering that normally broadcast days average around 10-15.

The pick-up on the story has been incredible and we’ve been very busy in the office ever since capturing articles in print and online, as well as social media mentions, which have abounded! All this despite the fact that our story broke on a very busy news day, shows how strong the story was. All in all it was a really great validation of all the hard work and effort which went into creating as well as promoting the story, and we’re pretty proud of how well the story has done.

by Ellen Whitehead

Five reasons why doing work experience in a PR agency is a great idea

Like many other people graduating from University I found myself struggling to find gainful employment because, as I was told, repeatedly, in rejection emails (when I was lucky enough to be sent a reply at all) I had no relevant experience. At first this made me despondent, I had two degrees from a high ranking Russell Group university, and felt like I should be able to find work. However, as the rejections continued to flood in, I decided to apply for work experience, which it turns out was one of the best things I could have done. So today I’m going to share with you Five Reasons Why Doing Work Experience in a PR Agency is a Great Idea.

Ellen has five great tips

1. You learn new skills.
In the 4 short weeks that I have been working at The View, I feel like I have learned so many new skills, from how to use Media databases like Gorkana, to tips on media sell-ins and capturing news coverage. There are so many different strands which make up the work which companies like The View do, that I found I was doing different jobs every day, and learning all the time. The great thing about working in a small, and (thankfully!) jargon-free, office, has been that everyone has been really keen to tailor my experience to what I want to do, and also help me to learn and master certain basic skills.

2. You get to use the skills you gained elsewhere.
I’ve found that, despite all the mocking, my English degree is actually very useful (take that ‘hilarious’ relatives!) After five years of university, I like to think of my research skills as finely honed, and it’s nice that they are being given a new lease of life. Writing up précises of my reading feels comfortingly like the one-page reading responses of my university days. Finally,   writing and editing press releases, and emails means I’m writing again, and like my supervisor at uni, the commercial world appreciates succinct writing, so my editing skills are back!

3. You start looking at your CV in a whole new way.
This links in to the previous point quite strongly, but actually being on the ground as it were, getting a flavour of what it is to do PR work, actually allows you an insight to what those recruiting are looking for. Knowing what the day-to-day workings of a PR office looks like has made me think about how I structure my CV and what skills I need to showcase to potential employers. I think, along with most recent graduates, I’m not very familiar with what I’ve always looked at as “the real world” wants, so being out there and experiencing it first hand, really helps.

4. You can start to work on a portfolio of your work.
At  smaller agencies, like The View, everyone gets stuck into all the tasks, which means that, even after just a month, I can list a number of places where I have gotten material into press and publications, I have written press releases, and have helped create a pitch. The View is remarkably busy and works on really exciting and creative projects, resulting in the chance for me to take part in some really interesting activities, and complete work for some unusual clients.

5. The refreshments are ruddy fantastic.
I’m fairly certain this is universal across all PR firms, and is definitely one of the reasons I’m hanging around the office. From nearly the minute I started at The View there has been a near constant flow of tea, and despite all the warnings, I have not been the main tea-maker – everyone pitches in. Aside from the almost startling array of teas and herbal infusions I have also been offered cookies, and several enormous and very delicious cupcakes, which I have instagrammed with glee. Indeed as I write this I have been presented with a bag of popcorn. Yum.

In short, every job seeker should do some work experience, it’s a great opportunity which I’m very thankful for, and I am so grateful to everyone at The View for having me, and making me feel so welcome, I’ve really enjoyed being part of the team.

By Ellen Whitehead

Digging for History

Partnered with our new client Forces War Records, The View took a trip to the home of all records, The National Archives in the beautiful location of Kew, South West London. 

It took three flights of stairs before we reached registration and were issued a reader’s card: The red, rectangular pass that gives us the right to search through years of military history!
Walking into what can only be described as a detective’s room, we were faced with a sea of hexagonal tables, with researchers on each corner delving into ancestor’s pasts and discovering memoirs from the trenches.

Many people came armed with magnifying glasses and white gloves, but The View came with bare knuckles to fact find with a team of experts.

One fantastic find was the dietary records of a World War 1 soldier. A the start of the war, British soldiers at the front line were allocated 10oz of meat and 8oz of vegetables per day, which was a luxury compared to what would be provided in the years to come. Food parcels from home would be loaded with biscuits and tinned fish which would provide extra nourishment.

By 1916, the meat ration was down to 6oz a day, where later on this was reduced to meat intake once every nine days. When food reached extreme rations, reports showed that vegetable patches were being planted in the trenches. 

Whilst at The National Archives, I overheard that a man just two days ago found a key part of his family history by finding out who his great, great grandfather was. This man had also discovered that his great grandfather had won a significant amount of medals. Overhearing this triggered a thought that we all have a personal connection to The Great War.

All at The View are looking forward to using the Forces War Records database to research our own family tree and connection to the war, whilst discovering more information about brave WW1 soldiers that fought for our country.  
                                 
 By Charlotte Dear

Whoo hoo - Outstanding Small Consultancy

Rather belatedly in View Towers this morning and before everyone bunks of for Christmas, we are congratulating ourselves on our recent awards successes.

Why is it always easier to crow about one’s clients than oneself?  There must be a rule for that, like Parkinson’s Law or something, but there it is.

Anyway, earlier this month, once again we scooped ‘Outstanding Small Consultancy’ in the CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations) PRide Awards, taking the title at a glittering ceremony at the Brighton Metropole.  So chuffed!  We’d first won it in 2011 and didn’t enter last year – so it was very exciting to scoop it back.

The awards are judged by our industry peers, so it’s hugely gratifying to be recognised by them as the best of the best.

We also notched up a silver for ‘Best Sporting Campaign’ for our work with TeamSport, Europe’s no.1 indoor go-karting operator – and were finalists in ‘Corporate & Business Communications’ and ‘Best Use of Media Relations’.

In November, we were also a finalist in the PRCS (Public Relations Consultants Association) annual awards – in the ‘Automotive’ category.

We better start planning for 2014…

Ready, steady, shortlist! The View shortlisted for the PRCA Automotive Award

We’re thrilled to have been shortlisted for the PRCA Automotive Award for our work on TeamSport’s expansion.

TeamSport asked us to raise awareness of:
-    its fantastic achievements;
-    the management buyout;
-    its profile and reputation as a major success story within motorsport and leisure.

Well, that’s just what we did.

Amongst many other titles, coverage was secured in: The Sunday Times, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, Huffington Post, The Sun, The Portsmouth News, The South Wales Echo. 

Broadcast included a 30 minute BBC radio interview and a slot the XFM breakfast crew.

Total opportunities to see: 136,911,864 - to date!

The PRCA is the professional body that represents UK PR consultancies. These awards are voted for by our peers so it feels great to be recognised by them.

We’re up against a bit of stiff competition but as usual we’re looking forward to the awards ceremony!

Are you going too? Do come and say hello.

All fun on the Northern front! TeamSport relaunches new Warrington track

Our friend and long term client, Teamsport, is re-launching Speedkarting Warrington, the largest indoor go-kart track in the UK.

With nine existing tracks across the South, TeamSport was already Europe’s biggest and most successful indoor go-kart operator. But now by moving further north TeamSport has added yet another string to its bow – or track to its set!

It has upgraded and revamped the venue to offer state-of-the-art thrills for adrenaline junkies of all ages.  TeamSport now has 10 tracks across the UK and is set to double in size in the next three years.

Already a regular celebrity haunt, with names such as Justin Timberlake, Johnny Vegas and David Beckham racing, it’s also a firm favourite for families, stag and hen parties and committed petrolheads.  It’s a magnet for corporate days out and team building too.

Fancy taking the karts for a spin? We’re holding an exclusive media launch day on 7th November.  For more information, just get in touch: 01483 331927, ilona.mckie@theviewcommunications.com

Pride where PRide is due: we’ve been shortlisted for four CIPR PRide Awards

The CIPR PRide awards recognise the outstanding talents and achievements of public relations practitioners across the UK’s regions and nations. They are the most prestigious and rigorous awards of their kind.  Which is why we’re pleased to announce that we’ve been shortlisted for no less than four awards at the 2013 CIPR Home Counties South Pride Awards.



We’ve been nominated for:

• Outstanding small consultancy
• Best sporting campaign
• Best use of media relations
• Best business and corporate campaign.

And, needless to say, we’re rather chuffed about it! Our nominated work includes a campaign for Farnham-based TeamSport, which is Europe’s number one go-karting operator – and for Champagne for Pernod Ricard, the world’s co-leader in wines and spirits. 

Although we are just three and a half years old, we've won the Outstanding Small Consultancy award at the CIPR PRide awards before, and were a finalist in the same category in last year’s CIPR Excellence awards.

The full service PR & marketing consultancy that we offer works across consumer lifestyle, business and corporate clients.  From food & drink to retail, or sport & leisure to CSR and more our key areas are manifold – and growing!

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the CIPR PRide awards, which will be held at the Hilton Brighton Metropole on 4 December.

Commenting on this year’s shortlist announcement, CIPR President Sue Wolstenhome FCIPR, said: “The CIPR PRide Awards celebrate the very best in public relations from across the UK’s regions and nations. This year’s entries were all of an incredibly high standard, highlighting the industry-leading work that is taking place right across the UK.

“I would like to congratulate all of those who have been shortlisted for an award; their success demonstrates their exemplary achievements in such a thriving profession, and recognises the impact they have made in their region and beyond.”

Thanks, President Sue!

The CIPR Excellence Awards

Yet more recognition for The View's work.

Hot on the heels of once again passing the PRCA's quality assurance gold standard, the CMS accreditation - and our FIVE CIPR PRide awards at the end of last year, we were out celebrating again last night.

The View was finalist (one of only six in the UK) for Outstanding Small Consultancy in the CIPR Excellence awards at the Park Lane Hilton last night. The absolute top of the tree. Phewee! (By the way, which clever clogs at the CIPR decided to hold their awards on a Monday night?)  And the hottest night of the year to boot.  So hot in fact that some of the team nipped out for a breather and missed the official snap.  Hence, seen here: a View Lite gathering.

Here's to the next awards!

Shortlisted for five CIPR PRide awards, including Outstanding Small Consultancy

We are tremendously proud that The View has once again been recognised by our industry peers as being one of the best of the best in the PR industry.

At the tender age of two and a half, we have been shortlisted for Outstanding Small Consultancy category in the CIPR (Chartered Institute of Marketing) Excellence Awards 2012, one of just six agencies nationwide.

It took into account our work for Pernod Ricard UK, Berkeley Group, TeamSport and others, plus all-round excellence in business and management standards.

Companies and individuals for the awards have been drawn from 700 entries, with winners announced at the Excellence Awards black tie dinner at the Park Lane Hilton on 28 May. The awards dinner, now in its 27th year, is the most prestigious annual celebration of the public relations profession with up to 900 guests attending from across the industry.

Jane Wilson, CEO of the CIPR, said on Friday: “To make the CIPR Excellence Awards shortlist is a statement of achievement for any organisation. The sheer number of high quality entries received this year, especially when things are still pretty tough out there economically, is testament to a thriving industry. There really is no greater recognition of professionalism, creativity and hard work than to reach the final stages of the Excellence Awards.”

This shortlisting follows hot on the heels of our Outstanding Small Consultancy gold award (and string of other accolades – see news reported earlier) at the CIPR PRide awards (SE) in Brighton last November.

Happy Christmas - spread the love

19 December 2011

2011 has been a great year with a whole heap of award-winning work (see blog below) – and for working with some wonderful people, none more so than the hugely inspirational Race2Recovery boys whom we introduced to TeamSport as their corporate charity this year.

Words fail us when we look at what the team have gone through, what they have achieved so far – and what they are setting out to achieve. Race2Recovery, we wish you well!

In lieu of Christmas cards this year The View is making a donation. If you’d like to do the same, good for you! Just scroll down to the link. It’s below their story…

Race2Recovery began when a fledging racing team of wounded soldiers were inspired to take up cross-country racing and decided to raise money for the incredible charities that have helped them during their recovery.

R2R driver Tony Harris explains: “We wanted to inspire other service personnel and the wider disabled or disadvantaged community through achieving an extraordinary feat - and raise funds at the same time.”

He continues: “Our goal is competing in and completing the most punishing off-road race on the planet – The Dakar Rally Raid. In January 2013 we’ll start the race in South America after 18 months of training and racing in the UK, Europe and North Africa. The rally covers over 6,000 miles in 15 days through Argentina and Chile. We’ll be driving the ferociously powerful Qt Wildcat”.

With typical speeds of between 70-120mph and up to 700km covered per day through some of the most arduous terrain in the world, the stress and strain on the driving team, vehicle and the mechanics is beyond comprehension.

Tony Harris hopes to be the first amputee driver to compete in International Rally Raids and this will soon become a reality. Tom Neathway, who was Tony’s co-driver on Top Gear, will be the first triple amputee to compete and will be co-driving with an experienced off-road racer, Dave Marsh. The team manager Andrew ‘Pav’ Taylor, who sustained back injuries in Afghanistan, organises the logistics of the team.

Dave Reeve leads the mechanical crew, one of the non-military members of the team, but with more than 20 years of both competing and fixing vehicles. A further 4-6 wounded service personnel make up the vital mechanical team with some of them training to be co-drivers or drivers depending on their injuries.

The wounded soldiers hope that the teamwork, sense of humour and experience of sleep deprivation built up during their time in the military will give them an edge over the other more experienced teams in this event.

More can be found at: http://www.race2recovery.co.uk/. To make a donation, please visit: http://www.bmycharity.com/charities/Race2Recovery

Reputation Management: The Nicest People in Showbiz

18 Nov 2011

In terms of the ones the media (and we) love to love, we reckon some celebrities have their reputation management all sewn up.

A bit of Friday lunchtime fun at View Towers has resulted in our inaugural Top 10 occasional series

Here we are, kicking off our first list: ‘The Nicest People in Showbiz’.

1. Dave Grohl
2. Hugh Jackman
3. George Clooney
4. Lorraine Kelly
5. Lauren Laverne
6. Rolf Harris
7. Gary Barlow
8. Billie Piper
9. Larry Lamb
10. Sebastian Vettel

Agree? Don’t agree? Think of anyone better? Let us know!

This week’s winner will win a bumper box of Jaffa Cakes!

Present at the opening of an envelope - and another - and another

And the winner is...
And the winner is...
And the winner is...

YESSS! No less than THREE golds, plus a silver -
and a 'finalist' too at the CIPR PRide awards last Friday.

Here we are, pictured with CIPR President & BBC Director of Communications, Paul Mylrea.

14 Nov 2011

The View is thrilled to have swept the board in the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ annual PRide awards

The View is thrilled to have swept the board in the Chartered Institute of Public Relations’ annual PRide awards, at the Metropole Hotel in Brighton. The awards are judged by leading PR experts and attracted over 1,000 entries from regions around the UK.


Our awards:

Gold:

• OUTSTANDING SMALL CONSULTANCY
• CONSUMER RELATIONS: Launching TeamSport Tower Bridge
• BEST EVENT: The Champagne Assembly from G.H. Mumm & Perrier-Jouët

Silver:

• CORPORATE & BUSINESS COMMUNICATIONS: The Champagne Assembly from G.H. Mumm & Perrier-Jouët

Shortlisted:

• BEST USE OF MEDIA RELATIONS: Launching TeamSport Tower Bridge

The judges commented: “This is a truly impressive business. We were especially taken by the use of planning and research by the agency. Financial performance was solid and the agency has achieved some very great new business wins. Campaign work is very creative and has clearly got results for clients. This is a thoroughly impressive entry in all respects.”