✅ Final call for applications for Socially Mobile management training
Corporate communications and public relations management insight
There are two weeks left to apply for a fully funded place on the final Socially Mobile cohort of the year, which will start in September.
The 10-week executive education programme supports corporate communications and public relations practitioners from underserved communities to gain management expertise and develop a supportive community.
Modules include ethics, creativity, planning and measurement, financial management, technology, people management, crisis, and more.
The graduate outcomes speak for themselves. 88% report that the programme has positively impacted their career. This includes promotion (16%), new and better jobs (28%) and salary increases (20%).
We also offer self-funded places for agencies and organisations that want to develop the management expertise of their employees. This helps fund the programme and keep it sustainable.
To find out more, go to the website and click the button at the top right to apply for a place. Alternatively, if you’d like to find out more, hit reply or direct message me.
Have an excellent week.
Data and research
🗣️ CORPORATE ADVOCACY: Corporate engagement on social issues is shifting, with businesses retreating from public statements to focus on employees. This change reflects the complex balance between public expectations, employee needs, and the evolving socio-political landscape. Source: Wadds Inc.
💼 EMPLOYMENT STABILITY: The UK PR job market remains steady, with around 100 openings at major agencies for each of the last six months. Economic indicators, including GDP growth and services output increase, suggest cautious optimism for the sector's potential upturn. Source: Wadds Inc.
Diversity and equality
🚫 DIVERSITY CHALLENGE: The UK PR industry shows limited progress in addressing diversity, with black practitioners facing cultural issues and discrimination. The One Step Forward Two Black report published by the UK Black Comms Network reports barriers to progression, highlighting the need for collective action. Source: Wadds Inc.
📚 GENDER INEQUITY: A new anthology, Women's Work in Public Relations, highlights persistent challenges for women in public relations. The book reveals ongoing issues of undervaluation, work-life balance struggles, and discrimination despite public relations being a female-dominated field. Source: Wadds Inc.
🌟 DIVERSITY NETWORK: A new Asian Communications Network has been launched to champion ethnic diversity in UK media, marketing and public relations. The initiative aims to address the underrepresentation of Asian professionals, focusing on connection, collaboration, and curiosity to foster inclusivity and combat misinformation. Source: Asian Communications Network.
Fake news and misinformation
🤖 UNCENSORED AI: X has incorporated the Grok-2 model into the platform for paid subscribers. It features limited safeguards and enables offensive content generation. It is particularly concerning given X's recent role in spreading misinformation during UK far-right riots, raising fears about potential misuse and further social division. Source: The Guardian.
🌪️ SOCIAL CHAOS: Social media algorithms fuelled far-right riots across the UK following the Southport killings. Experts warn that these platforms act as "polarisation engines," rapidly spreading disinformation and mobilising angry mobs, creating a perfect storm for extremism. Source: The Guardian.
📚 FAKE NEWS LESSONS: UK schools will teach students how to spot extremist content, fake news, and conspiracy theories online. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has announced plans to embed critical thinking skills across multiple subjects to warn children against social media misinformation. Source: The Manc.
Social media and platforms
🐦 TWITTER TWILIGHT: Public sector organisations' X accounts show high dormancy rates, with 65-88% inactive followers. While X remains relevant for emergencies and reaching journalists, daily engagement has shifted to WhatsApp, Facebook groups and Nextdoor platforms. Source: Dan Slee.
🔍 SEMANTIC SEARCH: LinkedIn has changed its content search engine with new semantic capabilities, enhancing complex query understanding and result relevance. The system boosts on-topic rates and user engagement by more than 10% while improving overall platform interaction. Source: LinkedIn.
📈 GOOGLE TRENDING UPGRADE: Google has upgraded its Trending Now tool with a new forecasting engine. The tool now detects ten times more emerging trends, refreshes every 10 minutes, and provides detailed context, helping users understand the latest search patterns worldwide. Source: Google.
Best and bad practice
🧑⚖️ ALLERGY LAWSUIT: Disney’s response to a legal case is a case study of what happens when lawyers lead on reputational issues. The company claims Jeffrey Piccolo, who's suing over his wife's death at Disney World, must settle out of court based on arbitration clauses he accepted when signing up for Disney+. Source: BBC.
📱INFLUENCER AD BAN: The UK's advertising regulator has banned ads featuring Dragons' Den star Steven Bartlett for nutrition brands Huel and Zoe. The ASA ruled the sponsored social media posts were misleading as they failed to disclose Bartlett's financial ties to the companies - he's an investor in Zoe and a director at Huel. Source: Sky TV.
Thank you to Alan Morrison, Clare Quansah, Kulwinder Singh Rai, Dan Slee, Andrew Bruce Smith, Sarah Waddington CBE, and everyone who shares and debates the stories in the newsletter via our community. You’re welcome to join us.