✅ Monday briefing: Back to the future, AI over claims, sewage clean-up, Labour briefing, news verification, words to axe, and more
Strategic briefing, media, artificial intelligence, measurement, and upcoming events
I revisit Strategic Communication Management every six months or so in my studies. It was written by Dr Jon White and Laura Mazur, and published almost 30 years ago by the Economist Intelligence Unit.
It’s an excellent book that remains a standout text about the contribution of public relations to management. It’s a mix of theory, practice, and case studies.
The book is still available as a re-print for around £10. You might even get lucky and find an original edition via a second-hand reseller.
I revisit the book regularly because it illustrates the limited progress that has been made in advancing the role of public relations in management over the past 30 years.
In the newsletter this week you’ll find themes that are recurrent in practice: a lack of investment in research, issues related to the measurement of public relations practice, and the need to reorientate the purpose of business around societal and environmental concerns.
Jon has mentored me for several years and regularly calls out my use of the phrase “work in progress” in my writing about public relations.
There is a reason: organisations and management repeatedly fail to take full advantage of the contribution of public relations practice. How can we, as public relations practitioners, improve this situation?
Strategic Communication Management grounds me and takes me back to the future.
Strategic briefing
🤖 AI OVER CLAIMS: The Government has been criticised over its AI leadership claims following a meeting of G7 leaders. Its AI White Paper offered limited protection and a CMA review will not be published until September. Meanwhile the EU is preparing to vote on an AI Act in June. Spotted Stephen Waddington.
🧹 SEWAGE CLEAN-UP:: Water utility industry body Water UK has pledged to invest £10bn this decade to upgrade sewers and clean up pollution. This was criticised as spin. The cost will be funded by a typical increase of £425 on top of an increase of £624 to fund dividend payments according to calculations by Greenwich University.. Spotted Sarah Waddington CBE.
📑 LABOUR BRIEFING: Starmer’s Britain is a collection of essays that paints a picture of the choices facing Starmer on the road to 10 Downing Street. It includes insights from Portland’s in-house research team and Labour insiders. Source Gabriel Milland.
Media
✔️ NEWS VERIFICATION: BBC Verify is a team of investigative journalists, a brand, and a physical area in the BBC newsroom in London. Experts will regularly appear across BBC news content, including on the BBC News website live pages, radio and the BBC News channel. Spotted Alan Morrison.
🪓 WORDS TO AXE: Countdown wordsmith and lexicographer Susie Dent asked Twitter followers to share the words her followers love to hate. Responses included “going forward”, “no disrespect but” and “like” used as a filler. Gash, discharge, minge, moist and phlegm topped the list when I last asked readers of my blog. Spotted Alan Morrison.
🎧 AUDIO DATA: The Q1 2023 RAJAR data on audio media find that live radio reaches 89% of the population. Podcast listening reached almost 25% of the population. Surprisingly cassettes/CDs (11%) remain ahead of audiobooks (10%), catch-up radio (10%), and vinyl (4%). Source Stephen Waddington.
Artificial intelligence
🐢 AI LAGGARDS: The public relations industry is slow to experiment with artificial intelligence (AI). Innovation is not the norm within public relations practice. We have a limited relationship with academia and do not invest in research and development. The issue is compounded by tightening budgets within agencies and communication teams. Source Stephen Waddington.
📰 PRESS RELEASE TOOL: EZ Newswire uses text prompts and the Open AI GPTchat engine to draft and distribute press releases. It aims to compete with public relations agencies and press release distribution services at a fraction of the price. 2,500 companies, including 3M and Alibaba, have trialled an early version of the product. Spotted Andrew Bruce Smith.
📊 ANALYTICS MIGRATION: Google Analytics 4 is replacing Universal Analytics on 1 July 2023. The new analytics tool provides improved management and privacy features. Google has published a case study of its own migration. Spotted Andrew Bruce Smith.
Measurement
💯 DATA CONFIDENCE: Half of public relations practitioners have presented a metric that they did not fully understand according to CoverageBook. Last week, it launched a campaign at the AMEC Conference in Miami to help practitioners build data literacy skills. Source Stella Bayles.
Upcoming events
🎥 BROADCAST MEDIA: Sarah Waddington CBE is hosting a free online IoD event 12-1pm on Tuesday, 23 May with BeBroadcast’s Josh Wheeler. The pair will discuss the role of broadcast media as part of a public relations strategy.
🏢 AGENCY LEADERS: Alison Clarke and Stephen Waddington are hosting a PRogress meeting for agency leaders in London on Tuesday, 23 May. The guest speaker is the economist Dr Rebecca Harding.
🏴☠️ INNER REBEL: Unleash Your Inner Rebel 2023 is back on Wednesday, 14 June at The Studio, Manchester. It addresses issues related to the intersection of communications, public relations, marketing, human resource and operations. Use Waddington20 to get a fifth off.