Budgets are about a message, not the maths

Prime minister David Cameron - First Lord of the Treasury - may be the government's PR man by background, but the Budget, the most high stakes public relations event in the politics calendar, is entrusted to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. Whatever you think of George Osborne's politics, as an act...


The Clarkson fracas reveals my biggest crush

Dad-dressing petrol head Jeremy Clarkson has rarely been out of the news in recent weeks. Unless you've been camping in an isolated corner of the Outer Hebrides with only some weather worn goats and a Nokia 3310 for company you won't have failed to notice that the presenter, usually never...


Krispy Kreme advert fiasco

Acronyms can easily turn a perfectly acceptable marketing slogan or business name into a laughing stock – for example, the Authorised Service Shop (ASS), the Wisconsin Tourism Federation (WTF), Seattle’s South Lake Union Trolley (SLUT) or Microsoft’s Critical Update Notification Tool (now wisely renamed the Critical Updated Notification Utility). It then...


A video CV for your firm?

I have just hired a fabulous new PR assistant. I was impressed with her and had a sense of knowing the fit before I interviewed her. The reason was that she sent me a video CV. There’s no doubt that communication landscapes in general are changing and, with respect to employment...


50 Shades of $$$

Whether or not you read the book (did you?) there has been no escaping the 50 Shades of Grey publicity wagon as it rolled into action before the official release of the film on 14th February. It was greeted with the same hysteria as a new Star Wars film or...


Technology, the catwalk and the law?

Fashion week has just happened in the capital. Whether you were aware of the annual style jamboree descending on Somerset House – and venues throughout the city – or not, this is one of the events for which London has become world-famous. This is partly because many of the biggest...


New Year reputation/PR resolutions for the legal sector

“Have you made resolutions this year?” This question seems to have been a part of just about every conversation between returning office workers since the start of the month and is often met by enthusiastically reciting a list of life improvements - or a blank look. However, rather than giving up...


Why Play- Doh and sex toys shouldn’t mix

January is a bit of a grey month and so it’s always nice to come across a good old PR fail in order to inject a bit of humour into this rather flat time of year. This latest story comes courtesy of Play Doh, perhaps one of the most common...


Dry January – toxic digital marketing habits to give up this month

January is upon us once again and for many of us that means a fairly savage detox after all the champagne of New Year’s Eve and the over indulgence of the Christmas period - the arrival of Dry January. Whether or not you’re taking part in the annual denial of booze this...


Why an honest mistake can be just as damaging, PR-wise

Most people assume that, when it comes to reputational damage, you’re only really at risk if you’re intentionally behaving badly. There’s an odd expectation of karma whereby if you’re misusing Twitter or getting into scrapes that can be digitally documented then you’re taking the kind of risks with your reputation...