As is customary at this time of year when no-one can be bothered to write anything new but simply resorts to recycling old items of copy or broadcast materials, PWP Comms has jumped on the tide of New Year nostalgia to reproduce the five most read/commented upon blog postings of the previous 12 months.
1) The Message used to be delivered by miracles, now it’s spray paint
On the A6 somewhere between Market Harborough and Kettering there is a bridge where one agnostic and artistic soul has spray painted on the side in huge letters, “God is not real, ” a useful piece of graffiti for the benefit of any passing motorists who were perhaps contemplating the meaning of life, the universe and Northamptonshire. Abandoning ecclesiastical debate within the sanctuary of church, an opponent to this view has subsequently ventured out, on one presumably dark evening, and spray painted over the word “not” in paint the colour of concrete. Drivers are now left with the overhead proclamation that actually, “God is (blank space) real” and can now proceed with their journeys with the calm reassurance that the Higher Being has been re-affirmed on Higher Ground.
While driving under the bridge and continuing my journey this week, God’s graffiti messenger on Earth reminded me of classic communications theory and the dissonance that can occur when a Sender sends a Message to the Receiver, assuming it has been perfectly received and understood. Presumably the individual convinced of God’s non-existence went on their way, happy that the message was being perfectly communicated and understood by all who saw it, and that should there be a crash they could expect an ambulance but not divine intervention. Unless they are a regular traveller along that stretch of road, they may now be ignorant of how the message has taken on a new meaning.
This vignette of modern day messaging is a good example of how those who need to communicate should not assume that just because they have said or written something, or indeed spray painted something, that the message has been heard or understood. Likewise, sending an email to an individual or a wider distribution list does not mean that the email has been read by the recipient, understood or acted upon. There is more to communications than issuing a statement or indulging in one-way propaganda and expecting all to agree and believe. Communicators must work with their audiences to develop joint understanding, support and action. After all, we’re only the word “not” away from message corruption.
2) Nottingham PR
This week I became an official ‘Nottingham Ambassador‘, committed to promoting the city at all opportunities, boosting its reputation, raising its profile and helping to attract business investment. As an Ambassador I might have expected a fancy embassy (or at least a plush suite within the Council House) and certainly parties among the glitterati where waiters offer trays of Ferrero Rocher and maybe the ability to ignore all parking tickets for the foreseeable future, but this diplomatic role is in name only, without the trappings of state.
The scheme was launched in 1993 to use local companies and organisations to promote and sell Nottingham through their own networks. It now has a membership of nearly 700 drawn from successful local businesses and representatives from the education, media, property, leisure and retail sectors. Run by the city council: “All our ambassadors are firmly committed to spreading the word about Nottingham and are undeniably dedicated to investing in our city.”
The scheme holds events and network meetings where participants are given information to help them with their task of promoting and raising the city’s profile. More information is available from the council website and if you are interested in signing up for the no-fee scheme, email events@nottinghamcity.gov.uk
To begin my new ambassador career, I offer you not only a virtual tray of the classical spherical chocolate sweets that are generally popular at Christmas time, but a top ten of reasons of why Nottingham.
1) Brian Clough, Peter Taylor and two European Cups
2) Trent Bridge Test matches
3) Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem pub (so old it is spelt ‘olde’)
4) Caves beneath shops
5) Harold Larwood
6) Jesse Boot
7) Captain Albert Ball
8) Laguna curry house
9) Local bus services
10) And, of course, Robin Hood and Maid Marian
Please feel free to let me know of your top ten.
For the best Nottingham and national PR, visit www.pwpcomms.co.uk or email enquiries@pwpcomms.co.uk
3) Stickmakers of the world unite and take over
Across the multi-faceted channels of communication that exist in our world today, the humble car sticker is ranked towards the lower end of the scale with regards to sophistication but maybe a little higher in terms of message penetration. Yesterday morning’s offering in the side window of a car travelling through the pork pie country of Melton Mowbray was simply, ‘British Stickmakers Guild’. Really? Is there a collaborative grouping of people whose overwhelming passion for making sticks has led to the formation of a dedicated guild for the general promotion, career enhancement and wider sharing of knowledge and skills for all things stick-related? The answer to that question is unbelievably ‘yes’. Not only is there a Guild but they have a British and UK National Stickmaking Championships and if you think I’m making this up, check out the BSG themselves. It is an “An organisation for stickmakers and collectors, organised by (and I would like to add in here, ‘not surprisingly’) stickmakers and collectors” that was set up in 1984 to meet the insatiable demand in the early Eighties for making and collecting sticks. Which brings us to the ‘unbelievable PWP offer of the week’. If you run a Guild with a more bizarre remit than the BSG, we’ll give you a day of free communications / PR consultancy at a date to be agreed in 2011. Enjoy the weekend, time for a walk.
4) The first Chartered Practitioners of PR
The Chartered Institute of Public Relations introduced its inaugural Chartered Practitioner scheme last year and this week’s AGM saw the first professionals honoured with this status.
The CIPR describes the award of Chartered Practitioner as: “a senior professional status that is awarded to CIPR members who can demonstrate an outstanding level of professional practice and knowledge, and a commitment to continuous professional development.
“For the CIPR and the PR profession this is a milestone. This status delivers parity with other business disciplines and supports our Royal Charter obligation to promote, for the public benefit, high levels of skill, knowledge, competence, and standards of practice and professional conduct.”
The full list of the first Chartered Practitioners in the country can be seen at http://www.cipr.co.uk/content/learning-development/chartered-practitioner/list-chartered-practitioners
Tuesday evening’s AGM at the CIPR’s Russell Square headquarters in London saw the presentations take place in alphabetical order, a decision which led this certain ‘Cross (Jonathan)’ to become the first to pick up the framed certificate from CIPR Past President Kevin Taylor. You could argue, if you were being pedantic and had little better to do, that in so doing, I became the first PR practitioner in the country to receive the award of Chartered Practitioner but I would be above that sort of meaningless competitive claim to fame. Surely.
I am indeed honoured with the award and hope to be able to contribute to the development of the CIPR over coming years through this position.
5) The NHS Word
Life in an apolitical system – the NHS – that is subject to political ownership both centrally through national government and on the doorstep through local government scrutiny is destined to throw up an environment that is lively, challenging and potentially hostile. Add into that mix, an ageing population and an increasing demand on services, the introduction of choice and ‘competition’ between providers, increasing public expectations of shorter waiting times and improved customer service, and the fact that the money’s now run out, may well make that atmosphere livelier still. In such a cauldron of consultation, commissioning and communications, is it ever allowable to by-pass the usual public service speak to get to the point of an argument, succinctly and expressively, through workplace swearing? The recent case of a local NHS boss removed for allegedly swearing – http://bit.ly/cHIXi1 – in a way illustrates some of the tensions that exist within the system and an unwritten office protocol on behaviour. In my first job on a provincial newspaper, swearing, intimidation and general verbal abuse hurled from the newsdesk at hapless junior reporters was accepted, seemingly encouraged and seen as part of the trade apprenticeship, as were full ashtrays, getting out of the office to research stories in ale houses, a strict observance of house style and strikes, all of which are probably outlawed by one decision-making body or another nowadays. In the case of Gary Walker the newspapers quote a former colleague saying that “he was nothing like Gordon Ramsey” which might mean his skills in the kitchen left something to be desired. Criticising someone for swearing is one thing, to then have a go at his cooking seems bang out of order.
There is though an answer to all of this, whether your views on the NHS make you resort to eulogy or expletives, you can now dictate your manifesto for the health service to all three political parties via the HSJ website. Click on their manifesto wiki to have your say – or shout.
For the best Nottingham and national PR, visit www.pwpcomms.co.uk or email enquiries@pwpcomms.co.uk
