#PR2014 - Trends and issues affecting public relations in 2014

CHARTERED INSTITUTE
WORKSHOPS
OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

#PR2014

A LOOK AT THE TRENDS AND ISSUES
AFFECTING PUBLIC RELATIONS IN
2014 WITH INSIGHT AND EXPERTISE
FROM THE REGIONAL, NATIONAL AND
SECTOR GROUPS OF THE CHARTERED
INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC RELATIONS

designed by tothepoint

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FOREWORD FROM 2014 CIPR PRESIDENT
One of my pledges as President for 2014 was to
foster a stronger sense of community within the CIPR.
The organisation is the sum of its members who hail from
its 14 regional and national, and 11 sector groups.
To kickoff 2014 we’ve asked each of the groups to look
forward to the next 12 months and share what hot topics
and issues are on the horizon for their members.
Their viewpoints are contained in this ebook. It’s a
powerful snapshot of the state of the public relations
profession in the UK.
There are many common themes: organisational
storytelling, changing media consumption and
disintermediation, an increasing recognition of
the strategic value of public relations,
the blurring of internal and external audiences,
and measurement of the economic contribution
of public relations.
Ours is a profession adapting to media change
and coming to terms with uncertainty in the

global economy. It is a profession confident
of its purpose and future, underpinned by the
CIPR’s drive to improve professional standards.
Thanks to Andy Ross at the CIPR for managing
this project and developing this report.
His drive and determination is the reason that
this publication has been realised. I’m confident
that you will find it useful.

Stephen Waddington MCIPR
CIPR President 2014
@cipr_uk
CIPR-Chartered-Institute-Public-Relations
CIPR.UK

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CONTENTS
1

FOREWORD FROM 2014 CIPR PRESIDENT

SECTORS
3 CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY
4 CORPORATE & FINANCIAL
5 EDUCATION & SKILLS
6 FIFTH ESTATE
7 PUBLIC AFFAIRS
8 HEALTH & MEDICAL
9 CIPR INSIDE
10 CIPR INTERNATIONAL
11 LOCAL PUBLIC SERVICES
12 MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
13 STEM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING & MATHS)
NATIONS AND REGIONS
14 SCOTLAND
15 NORTHERN IRELAND
16 WALES
17 CHANNEL ISLANDS
18 EAST ANGLIA
19 GREATER LONDON
20 MIDLANDS
21 NORTH EAST
22 NORTH WEST
23 SOUTH WEST
24 WESSEX
25 YORKSHIRE & LINCOLNSHIRE

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CONSTRUCTION & PROPERTY
THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY HAS A HUGE
IMPACT ON GDP AND IS OFTEN TOUTED BY
MINISTERS AS A KEY PART OF ANY SUSTAINED
ECONOMIC RECOVERY. ITS IMPORTANCE
TO THE WEALTH OF THE UK CANNOT BE
UNDERESTIMATED. WITH AN ELECTION DUE IN
2015, THE CHALLENGE FOR PR PROFESSIONALS
IN 2014 WILL BE TO HAVE THE SECTOR UNDERSTANDING AND
FLEXIBILITY TO RESPOND TO A SHIFTING MARKET.

It will also secure your position; as the industry
concentrates on achieving value for money
for its customers, it is only natural that they
will review their internal structure and external
supply chain. The impact on PR agencies and
in-house practitioners has been felt over the
last few years, with budgets tightened and
resources slimmed down. Never has it been
more important to demonstrate clear results and
a positive return on investment.

For both the construction industry and
consumers, sentiment has improved in 2013. It is
likely that the upward curve will continue albeit
with one caveat; this cautious positivity is heavily
linked to the housing market. Whether this will
be enough to carry the wider industry forward
remains to be seen.

As a traditional sector, construction has been
slower than most to adopt a true appreciation
and use of social media. Digital communications
is seen as niche and there is a useful gap for
people willing to take up the challenge.

Clients, industry bodies and government are all
emphasising the need to deliver projects more
efficiently and with less waste. It means the
goalposts are regularly moving and firms need
to innovate to grow market share and keep
ahead of the competition.
The Government’s recently published
Construction 2025 strategy outlines five key
areas of focus for the industry, related to
people, sustainability, working smarter and more
efficiently with technology, driving economic
growth and providing clear industry leadership.
It is essential that communicators understand
these drivers and wider consumer sentiment to
ensure that the right strategy and messaging
are developed. Any changes to legislation or

approach must be described in a clear and
meaningful way and consistently link back to
the wider industry objectives.
At times, practitioners will need to explain and
support ideas within the industry which have
wider social importance, for example the current
sustainability agenda being pushed forward.
The missing link is bringing the public along
with the discussion, as demonstrated by the
lack of understanding when the Green Deal
was launched.
Similarly, there is considerable focus on
Building Information Modelling (BIM), which
will impact across all aspects of the built
environment and be a big factor in the drive
towards Construction 2025.
When responsible for clients within a specific
industry, general knowledge about the sector
is essential. Being a good PR professional
should be taken as a given and it is the wider
understanding of your client’s field that will tell
you apart from the competition and ensure that
you are viewed as a credible advisor.

With this in mind, there is room for
improvement.

The audience has more control over media
consumption, with portable devices changing
the style of communication required. For the
construction industry there are two immediate
benefits. Firstly, it provides an opportunity
for firms to differentiate themselves and
engage directly with audiences. This should be
supported by a bespoke, targeted approach
which focuses on adding value to customers;
with so much information available at people’s
fingertips, it is the firms that promote ideas and
share insights that will climb to the top.
Secondly, and from a more inward facing
perspective, it can play an important role
in attracting new recruits. Throughout
the recession many people have left the
construction industry and it is having a clear
impact on diversity and approach. Retention
is difficult in a flat market in which progression
(both monetary and seniority) is in short supply

and efforts need to be made to promote
construction as a viable industry.
There is the added factor that mobile devices
are changing the construction industry’s
approach to work. For PRs, this means
keeping abreast of some of the disciplinespecific uses of technology; not just the
changes in social media.
With increasing pressure on the industry to raise
its game, 2014 promises to be interesting. There
is plenty of opportunity for PR practitioners in
the sector, who will need to work hard to get
messages out to key stakeholders, working in a
lean and responsive way.
Hopefully, for those not in construction, there’s
something here for you as well.

Daniel Gerella MCIPR
Secretary of CIPR Construction & Property

Key issues
1
Trade press will continue to be
challenged
2 Social should stand out
3 Increase in collaboration

@CIPR_CAPSIG
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CORPORATE FINANCIAL
WITH INDICATIONS THAT THE FRAGILE
ECONOMIC RECOVERY IS STRENGTHENING,
THE OUTLOOK FOR PRS WORKING IN THE
CORPORATE AND FINANCIAL SECTOR IN
2014 IS LARGELY ONE OF OPPORTUNITIES.
OPPORTUNITIES IN CHANNELS, WITH THE
WIDENING IMPACT OF NUMEROUS SOCIAL
MEDIA PLATFORMS AND THE CONTINUING EXPANSION OF
BROADCAST OUTLETS; OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW BUSINESS
IN THE AGENCY WORLD, AS MORE CORPORATES AND
START-UPS GROW IN CONFIDENCE; AND OPPORTUNITIES TO
DEMONSTRATE THE BUSINESS VALUE OF PR AS THE INFLUENCE
OF COMMUNICATIONS EXPANDS AT BOARDROOM LEVEL.
In particular, in the Corporate and Financial
sector, we expect to see an increase in the
recent trend for overseas investors to seek
funding and IPOs in London. High potential
businesses in Latin America, Africa, South
East Asia and especially China are looking to
London as the global centre from which to
fund their ambitious business plans, but in
many cases UK and European investors need
persuading that the perceived risks in these
developing economies have waned. Some of
our agency and consultancy members report
that this is proving an interesting source of
new business as a result, and they expect this
to continue in 2014.
While on the subject of funding, we have also
been tracking the impact of changes in sources
of funding for businesses. While conventional
IPOs and rights issues are still an option, the

financial crisis has driven innovation in funding
such as crowd funding and peer-to-peer
lending, as well as the now well-established
venture capital, private equity and ‘business
angel’ routes. The CIPR Corporate and Financial
Group is planning a panel debate in 2014 to
explore the impact these changes in business
funding are having on the way financial PR
needs to be done, and whether traditional
investor relations approaches may have had
their day.
Another phenomenon we expect to persist
next year is the cult of the celebrity even within
business news. More and more we see that
complicated business matters are played out
in the media only as human interest or scandal
stories. And while individual businessmen (and
rarely women) have always grabbed headlines,
such as Richard Branson or Alan Sugar, it was

Key issues
1
The changing attitude of
financial regulators to
social media
2
The ROI (Return on Investment)
of PR for businesses
3
Business news as human
interest stories

possible in the past to promote businesses
without a charismatic celebrity at the centre of
the story. Will an economic recovery bring back
‘business’ stories in their own right, or is the
personality-driven news agenda here to stay?
One thing we can be sure of in 2014 is that the
CIPR Corporate and Financial Group (CFG) will
continue to thrive. With around 600 members
and a well-established programme of lunchtime
speaker meetings and visits, next year we will
be continuing improvement and development
of our online and social media content. In the
summer of 2013, for the first time in many years,
we conducted some old-fashioned customer
research among our members, and the results
were interesting. 28% of CFG members are
based outside London, with particular hubs in
Scotland, the Midlands, North West and around
Leeds. As a result, we are also looking at how

the Group can take some of its events beyond
London and work collaboratively with other
regional and sector groups.
So I conclude as I began, believing 2014 will be
a year of opportunity – opportunity for increased
business and influence for corporate and
financial PRs, and opportunity for the Corporate
and Financial Group itself.

Annette Spencer MCIPR
Chair of CIPR Corporate Financial
@CIPR_CFG
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EDUCATION SKILLS
AS ALWAYS, THE EDUCATION AND SKILLS SECTOR
IS EVER CHANGING AND 2013 WAS NO EXCEPTION.
FOR COMMUNICATIONS PROFESSIONALS
WORKING IN THE SECTOR THE CHALLENGE
REMAINS STAYING FLEET OF FOOT – KEEPING UP
WITH CHANGES IN POLICY AND BEING QUICK TO
ADAPT TO MARKET TRENDS.

In higher education for instance, the rise in
tuition fees has altered the way universities
promote themselves to prospective students.
The transparency in rankings – including the
success rate of graduates in gaining graduatelevel employment after they leave university –
has necessitated a change of PR and marketing
focus for many. Young people are looking to get
the best value for their money and maximise
their career prospects. Some are now opting not
to attend university at all, having been put off
by the amount of debt they are likely to incur
and the headlines about the growing number of
recent graduates who are currently employed in
low-skilled jobs.
Higher education institutions will need to adapt
their messaging and their approach to gain a
competitive advantage – and consider how they
can engage with prospective students much
earlier than they have historically. And it isn’t just
students universities are vying for; they have to
compete for research funding too. Assessment
under the new Research Excellence Framework
(REF) is designed to ensure accountability for
public investment in research. Funding from
2015-16 will be selectively allocated against
those submissions which clearly demonstrate

the outcomes and impact of the research
concerned. Savvy academics will ensure they
involve their universities’ communications teams
throughout the submission process to ensure the
wider impact and benefits are clearly articulated
from the outset.
Successful reputation management has never
been more important for the HE sector. In some
cases, institutional survival may be at stake.
The coming 12 months could see a decline in
the number of HEIs. Some may opt to merge,
but others may not survive at all. This state
of flux within the university sector provides a
real opportunity for FE colleges to establish
themselves as much more than an option for
‘those who didn’t quite make the grade’. Private
training providers and large employers with their
own learning facilities should also be ramping
up communications in relation to their offer of
work-relevant training and qualifications.
The level of Parliamentary interest in vocational
education and training – and in particular,
Apprenticeships – is at an all time high,
following the government-commissioned
reviews from Doug Richards, Nigel Whitehead,
and Lord Heseltine. Apprenticeships are on

the rise – and are being extended to cover
a broad range of disciplines. Perceptions of
Apprenticeships are changing and an increasing
number of high achieving students are now
considering them as a serious option to a
traditional academic career route – attracted
by their relevance to the workplace and the
opportunity to earn while they learn.
The outcomes of the Apprenticeship reviews,
and the subsequent reforms to be introduced,
herald a period of significant change – with
greater control being given to employers.
For communications teams responsible for
promoting Apprenticeships, it’s a policy jungle
and a case of ‘watch this space’. It’s unlikely
that the reality will reflect everything currently
being proposed, but quite how far the reforms
will go is open for debate. As a result, many
organisations may be forced to restructure and
will require strategic PR support to scope their
messaging and communicate their offer.
Schools too, require help with PR, which can
be unchartered territory for many. Independent
schools typically have an in-house team and/
or support from consultants or agencies – as
do some academies and free schools – but
there is generally no such luxury for the state
sector. Rather than having a dedicated team –
or even individual – with sole responsibility for
PR and communications, the role often falls on
the shoulders of time-pressed head teachers
or staff who already have busy day jobs. The
majority are unlikely to have any formal PR and
communications experience, so don’t know
‘what good looks like’ and have nothing to
benchmark against. This can sometimes leave
them open to exploitation from unscrupulous
‘branding experts’ who are not signed up to the

CIPR Code of Conduct and are simply looking to
make a fast buck.
The Education Skills Group’s 10th Anniversary
year runs through to June 2014. To mark this
milestone, a number of CPD events have either
already taken place or are planned, and we are
creating a bank of resources for our members
to draw on. One of our works in progress is
a communications toolkit for schools to help
them deliver some basic PR tasks in house,
and suggest the sort of questions they should
be asking should they need to consider the
appointment of an external consultant or
agency. Our aim is to constantly expand the
content of this free online resource on an
ongoing basis to help schools with limited
PR budgets self-deliver – and/or ensure
their investment in any external expertise is
maximised.

Louise Jaggs MCIPR
Chair of CIPR Education Skills

“ Successful reputation
management has never been more
important for the HE sector.
In some cases, institutional survival
may be at stake.“
@CIPR_EdSkills
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FIFTH ESTATE
INTEGRATION AND CONVERGENCE WILL GROW IN
IMPORTANCE AND WILL BE KEY THEMES FOR 2014,
IN WHAT IS A FAST-CHANGING ENVIRONMENT IN
PUBLIC RELATIONS WITHIN THE CHARITY AND
NOT-FOR-PROFIT SECTOR.

Perhaps not surprisingly, there is a big gap
between the brand leaders in the sector and
what the large number of smaller organisations
are doing. In a sector of over 163,000 charities
and many other not-for-profit organisations,
there is great variety. There is frequently a big
difference between those focused on public
fundraising and those focusing on advocacy.
Or at least there can be for those of us involved.
Across the sector, we see better strategic
planning, and embedding of public relations
within strategy. This has become common
among the large charities. We will see it more
with small charities, who may be struggling to
keep the plates spinning but are increasingly
aware that they get more impact by planning
and integrating their communications and
engagement work. Part of this is an increasing
reliance on data and evidence to inform
public relations activities. This is followed by
more resourced and effective monitoring and
evaluation. Of course, in an imperfect world
this doesn’t always happen, but I do see it
happening in a larger number of organisations.
Another aspect of these changes is less reliance
on traditional media and more on social media

platforms to communicate about fundraising
and advocacy issues. We all have a greater
understanding of the role of social media
and what it can deliver, but perhaps more
importantly, we have a growing understanding
of how people connect with each other, and
this enables more convergence between public
relations and fundraising teams.
At the Fifth Estate group, we worked with
the Institute of Fundraising on an event on
convergence in the autumn. This convergence
is already the bread and butter for many, but
some are still struggling with how to make social
media work in fundraising, even though PR
teams have embraced it to raise awareness and
engage supporters in issue-based campaigns.
As more of us move to fully responsive, mobilefriendly websites for campaigns and fundraising,
we may see more successes and more
integration between teams.
Integration doesn’t stop with better working
across teams and between disciplines, we
will also see more organisations coming
together in 2014. I don’t mean full mergers,
but organisations recognising the effectiveness
of working together, particularly for policy

Key issues
1. Strategic planning
2. Fundraising and public relations
working together
3. Organisations campaigning
together

work and advocacy. In short, there is more
understanding of the need to communicate both
through and within partnerships and coalitions.
I don’t think this is a matter of financial
expediency (although you can get more bang
for your buck) but reflects the political realities
for public relations professionals focussed on
working with policymakers and the widest range
of supporters. Many of us already work this
way, I do at the Men’s Health Forum and a Fifth
Estate colleague does at the RNIB. Coalition
and partnership working will become the
standard approach for many working in policy
campaigning. Again, social media is enabling
this. It makes coalitions’ collaborative work and
internal communications more effective, and
enables the member organisations to engage
supporters with the coalition’s work and reach
new audiences

becoming a threat to existing membership and
campaigning models. Expertise, engagement
and the ability to generate widespread
participation are no longer limited to charities
with research, campaigns and communications
teams. Bloggers and small local groups can now
build and demonstrate expertise and activate
followers and supporters on specific issues. They
may remind us why we became involved in our
work but they will help us stay on our toes.

Colin Penning MCIPR
Honorary Treasurer of CIPR Fifth Estate
@fifth_estate
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Transparency is key in effective use of social
media, and there’s a growing need to develop
and protect reputation by communicating
and explaining structural and governance
issues such as campaigning decisions, funding
transparency and mergers between charities.
I think some could also see social media
6 // #PR2014

PUBLIC AFFAIRS
IN 2014, DIGITAL COMMUNICATION GENERALLY AND
SOCIAL MEDIA IN PARTICULAR WILL CONTINUE TO RESHAPE
POLITICAL DISCOURSE BY DEMOCRATISING ACCESS, AS MPS
AND OTHERS INCREASINGLY BECOME DIGITAL NATIVES AND
GOVERNMENT ADOPTS A “DIGITAL BY DEFAULT” APPROACH.

Understanding how search can be used to
distribute information and adapting to new
means of engagement will become increasingly
important. The rise of digital channels will
increase the convergence of disciplines,
with public affairs campaigns becoming
multi-channel and requiring a wider range of
communications skills. Despite having more
information immediately at their disposal,
MPs are increasingly time poor and lobbyists
need to make their communication succinct
and accessible.
With less than 1% of the population in
membership of any political party, the parties
will have to face to up to the decline in
participation in the build up to the general
election scheduled for 2015. Traditional
methods of campaigning are not delivering

non-voters to the ballot box. In order to engage
with them, the parties will need to mobilise their
declining memberships and meet them on their
own terms. In the short term, politicians will be
looking for opportunities through which they can
engage with wider social groups. With this in
mind, expect MPs to become more entrenched
in their constituencies as the election gets closer
and potentially even less likely to toe the line.
The future of coalition government will also be
factor in political debate next year. Whilst the
public were briefly fascinated with the process
of building the coalition government in 2010,
it remains to be seen whether they will accept
the kingmaker role devolving onto the least
popular of the three parties again.
For those who haven’t already responded, the
debate around independence in Scotland will

change thinking in organisations that operate
on a UK wide basis. In the event of a no vote,
the status quo will not be restored postreferendum. It will be a sensible approach to
consider national factors within the UK in 2014
and beyond.
Public affairs professionals are facing the thin
end of a regulatory wedge in 2014 with the
introduction of a register of consultant lobbyists
set to pass its final legislative hurdles. Although
the register is intended not to excessively
burden the few lobbyists it may capture, there is
a possibility that the result will be unsustainably
small and that it will not meet the expectation
that it should increase public knowledge and
understanding of lobbying activity. To head
off future regulatory action it is imperative that
more lobbyists address their own professional

“ To head off future regulatory
action it is imperative that more
lobbyists address their own
professional standards.“

standards. We must demonstrate that we
can effectively self-regulate. We also need to
consider how we manage codes of conduct –
in my view they must be accompanied by ethical
training and wider access to education and skills
training to ensure that we set the bar high as an
industry and do more to drive up standards.

Phil Morgan MCIPR
Director of Policy Communication at the
Chartered Institute of Public Relations
@CIPR_PA
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HEALTH MEDICAL
THE NHS OPERATES IN AN
ENVIRONMENT THAT IS POLITICALLY
CHARGED, FINANCIALLY CHALLENGED
AND HEAVILY REGULATED. NEVER IN
ITS 65 YEAR HISTORY HAS IT FACED
MORE TESTING TIMES.

As we welcome in the New Year so the major
political parties are already looking further
ahead and preparing the battleground for the
2015 national elections. The NHS is certain
to be high on the campaign agenda and will
provide an important barometer for gauging
the public support and trust of politicians at
a local and national level. The stakes are high
and reflected in David Cameron’s decision to
oversee the detailed contingency planning for
NHS services this winter amid fears that any rise
in waiting times or delays in AE treatment will
be politically damaging for the Conservatives.
The impact that the financial squeeze (aka The
Nicholson Challenge) is having on patient care is
sure to become even more evident during 2014.
This will be demonstrated by longer waiting
times, increased post code prescribing and the
rationing of non-urgent surgery.
An ageing population living with long-term and
chronic conditions matched against decreasing
healthcare budgets means that changes to
established ways of working are required.
However, the pace of any meaningful and

effective change is unlikely to keep up with
increasing patient demands and expectations.
London provides a good example of the
challenges and benefits of introducing change in
the NHS. Current variations in the quality of care
provided by hospitals, including higher mortality
rates for patients treated at night or during the
weekend need to be addressed. Detailed plans
have been prepared for the reconfiguration of
acute care across the capital in order to establish
centres of excellence where more expertise
will be available more of the time. These plans
have clinical support but in the vast majority
of cases struggle to win the hearts and minds
of the public. Where change has happened, in
specialist areas such as stroke and major trauma,
then the evidence clearly shows that care has
improved and that lives are being saved.
The regulation and oversight of healthcare
across the country is complex and diffused, with
an array of organisations including the CQC,
Monitor, MHRA and various professional bodies
all playing their part. During 2014 the role of the
CQC will become more prominent as the new

“ The NHS is certain to be high
on campaign agenda and will
provide an important barometer
for gauging the public support and
trust of politicians at a local and
national level.”

hospital inspection regime for England begins
to roll out in earnest. Under the previous system
hospitals were judged against a bewildering
number of 1200 indicators. By cutting that
number to 150 and ensuring that practising
doctors and nurses, together with patients, are
involved in the process then a clearer picture will
emerge of where good hospital care is being
provided and where weaknesses exist. 2014 will
also see the CQC’s inspection of GP practices
begin to ensure that patients have access to
care that is safe, compassionate and responsive
to their needs.

rooted in a culture of transparency, openness
and continual learning with patients firmly at its
heart. The need to emphasise the importance
of patient care may seem at odds with the ethos
of the health service but in a highly complex
organisation, driven by a range of competing
priorities and interests it is a sad fact that the
patient can too often be forgotten. However,
it is also true that the NHS provides excellent
care to millions of patients every year and over
its 65 years has shown a resilience that will stand
it in good stead for the many challenges that
lay ahead.

These changes in regulation have at their heart
the findings of the Francis Report into the Mid
Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust scandal
which has cast a long shadow over the NHS.
Among the report’s recommendations is a call
for the creation of the right culture in healthcare
organisations, one that puts the patient first. The
Francis Report led in turn to the Berwick Report
which makes recommendations for the NHS,
its regulators and the government in building
a robust nationwide system for patient safety

Jean Pierre-Moser MCIPR
Committee Member of CIPR Health Medical
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CIPR INSIDE
THIS YEAR HAS BEEN A VIBRANT AND STIMULATING
ONE FOR CIPR INSIDE, THE SECTOR GROUP FOR
INTERNAL COMMUNICATION PROFESSIONALS, AND
WE’RE EXCITED TO SEE WHAT 2014 HOLDS.

We’re fortunate to have a brilliant committee
full of dedicated communications professionals,
and have worked hard to listen to members
and use their feedback to shape our awards,
webinars, conferences and events.
The start of 2013 saw us celebrating the new
#insidestory awards at The Hospital Club with
180 guests. They are the first CIPR Awards solely
dedicated to internal communication and we
had a fantastic night recognising and honouring
some outstanding internal communicators.
Successful campaigns and initiatives included
Gatwick Airport winning Best Internal Social
Media Programme, HSBC NOW winning
Best International Programme, Essex
County Council scooping Best Employee
Engagement Programme, NSPCC as Best
In-house team, HH as Best Agency, CocaCola Enterprises winning Best Intranet and
Morrison Supermarkets Plc had the Best Change
Communication Programme.
We heard some of those success stories
directly from the teams involved at our 12th
annual internal communication conference in
September as I chaired a plenary session with
Jonathan Phillips from Coca-Cola Enterprises,
Linda Mortimer from Gatwick Airport and Wendy
Jordan from Wheatley Housing Group.

The #insidestory awards are back for 2014,
celebrating at the iconic Gherkin building in
London.
Building capability
We are increasingly seeing and hearing
from CIPR Inside members that their leaders
understand the importance of internal
communication. The focus on employee
engagement means that IC is being talked
about at board level, but what we’re hearing
loud and clear from members is the need for
more strategic/business focused and business
partner level internal communicators. This
means we all need to raise our game.
As a committee we recognise this, and the role
that professional associations have in helping
to develop learning which will meet that gap.
So we’ve been working to equip members
with tools and resources to help, such as the
recent webinar with our Chair, James Harkness,
on Being a strategic business partner. Further
professional development through courses and
talks offered by CIPR, will remain important next
year.
Blurring of internal and external
communications
The lines between internal and external
communication roles and responsibilities are

blurring and that looks set to continue into 2014
and beyond.
Why’s that happening? Well old distinctions
between traditional communication audiences
are becoming increasingly blurred too and
corporations are no longer in control of the
message. If they ever were. Reputation is
everything and can rise and fall in a single Tweet.
What we’re focusing on as a sector group is how
IC can better align with external communication
colleagues to support organisations’ reputations.
Sarah Larvor, Global Head of Strategic
Communication Brand Strategy at National
Grid plc spoke about this topic at our 12th
annual CIPR Inside internal comms conference
in September. The overall theme was Building
our Future and she looked at how we can
both advance and protect the interests of our
employers while at the same time engaging
employees, and whether there’s a future for the
traditional model.
Sarah described it as: “It’s often the IC people
who are the best at defining messages and
developing comms around them, so it makes
sense to work together.”
Digital evolution
This year has been another one of rapid
developments in the world of social media and
the rise of the digital workplace. However, as
communicators, the fundamental principles of
good, effective communication remain the same
and underpin everything we do.

beyond. Rather than be distracted by shiny
new tools that are available, a focus for the
committee and for communicators as a whole,
is the desire to do what we’ve always done –
make smart choices for the organisations we
work in and for when it comes to sharing and
creating information and facilitating effective
conversations.
This is done best by thoroughly understanding
how our companies communicate. This is at the
heart of good internal communication and is
what we’ve always done, but now the range of
options has increased.
I’m certain the additional activities for members,
such as Ask the Guru sessions, will continue to
provide opportunities for CIPR Inside members
and non-members alike to work together to
keep updated and choose wisely.

Rachel Miller MCIPR
Deputy Chair of CIPR Inside

Key issues
1. Blurring of internal and
external comms
2. Building capability
3. Digital evolution
@ciprinside
CIPR-Inside
CIPR-Inside
W CIPR-cipr-inside

The impact of social media on internal
communication will continue in 2014 and
9 // #PR2014

CIPR INTERNATIONAL
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS IS CHANGING AND SO IS THE
WORKFORCE. WE ARE SEEING IMMENSE SHIFTS IN WORKING
PATTERNS AND CORPORATE CULTURES WITH MORE AND MORE
PEOPLE ENCOURAGED TO WORK FROM HOME, MILLENNIALS
TAKING UP THEIR FIRST JOBS, AND EXPERIENCED EMPLOYEES
OPTING FOR PART-TIME ASSIGNMENTS.

Job security is gone and blind employee
loyalty to a business has been replaced by the
“What’s in it for me?” consideration. New online
tools and mobile applications come on-stream
every day.
“The seismic shift will be the change from
focusing on channels and processes to focusing
on results,” says Pamela Mounter FCIPR, who
is co-authoring A Manual of Effective Internal
Communication to be published by Kogan
Page in spring 2014, “and we must be ready
to quantify them.”
What are the implications for internal
communicators in international businesses?
New roles
With the change of the age structure of the
workforce, internal communicators have already
started shifting into new roles – away from
corporate messaging and turning into content
curators and facilitators of conversations.

2014 will be the year of the virtual Town
Hall. Gently nudged by innovative internal
communicators, international businesses will
continue embracing new social media which
will help them interact with employees.
For example, staff in far-flung locations will be
able to take part in YamJam sessions alongside
senior executives and thus actively shape
the conversation.
New tools
Corporate content will make another hop
– from social to mobile. Mobile devices
are now ubiquitous and so will be internal
communication. In fact it will follow employees
to their homes, where some of them will be
spending their whole working day anyway being
agile or home-based workers. Corporate content
will be re-shaped to fit different platforms and
will be constantly updated by members of
the internal communication teams at different
geographic locations. Internal mobile sites
will proliferate.

New trends
Global businesses have global workforces.
With every passing year they come to appreciate
the cultural diversity within their organisations.
For example, businesses in the UK have
already started organising Diwali celebrations
for their Indian staff. Internal communicators will
be expected to focus more on understanding
cultural differences. Opening the profession to
practitioners whose mother tongue is not English
will also lead to increased cultural awareness.

Key issues
1. New role: content curator
2. New tool: mobile
3. New trend: cultural differences

Velin Velkov MCIPR
Secretary CIPR International
@CIPR_Int
CIPR-International
CIPR-International
W CIPR-cipr-international

10 // #PR2014

LOCAL PUBLIC SERVICES
BEFORE WRITING THIS, I CROWDSOURCED
VIEWS FROM OUR TWITTER FOLLOWERS ON
WHAT THEY FEEL WILL BE THE TRENDS AND
THEMES IN 2014. ONE WORD KEPT COMING
BACK. CUTS.

Local public services have been hard hit by the
cuts over the last few years. Millions have had to
be saved, but 2014 isn’t the end of cuts.
Those millions each organisation has saved will
now be looked on as easy savings. The situation
now is so severe that it’s not a case of top slicing
some budgets or to stop doing the ‘nicer things’
(if there are any nice things left actually?).
Demand for local public services is rising.
Our population is getting older and that puts
pressure on everything from health services to
adult care services. Now is the time we have to
seriously consider that we are getting close to a
situation where local public services will have to
stop delivering services. And so this is the time
for local public services to innovate, transform
and change completely - and communications
professionals need to be at the heart of this.
Communicators in local public services should
no longer be a press officer or a marketing
specialist. Our teams are getting smaller but
need to do much more. We need to be skilled
at selling in a media story, to using social media
channels to improve the reputation of our

organisations, to engaging employees.
And there are skills probably outside of the
day to day communications discipline that
we must embrace (of course some in the
sector will say these are already part of the
communications discipline). We should be
driving engagement and research, working with
partners and stakeholders and leading customer
service approaches.
Above all we need to be our organisations
innovators as well as multi-skilled
communicators. As communication professionals
we have so much to add to our organisations
to help them to meet the challenges ahead.
We will drive employee engagement. We know
that unless our employees are advocates we will
not push ahead with organisational priorities.
But now more than ever employee engagement
is even more important - engaged employees
will help our organisations innovate and change.
Explaining to our service users why we are
reducing services is going to be a massive
challenge. People expect our services to be
there but unless we drive our organisations

Key issues
1. Continued push to digital
2. Continuing restrictions
3. Employee engagement

to involve service users and residents to work
with us on what services need to be maintained
and encourage our communities to think about
services they could provide in the future, our
sector faces massive challenges.
Challenges for local public services are not just
cuts and resource based of course. Legislative
changes to issues around health, the referendum
in Scotland and possible local government
reorganisation in Wales will keep us on our toes.
Keeping on top of a fast paced, ever changing
landscape is what every communications
professional needs to do.

I’ve realised this might sound that life in the
sector is all doom and gloom. It certainly isn’t.
Ultimately we give people information that
allows them to make, sometimes, life changing
decisions. What we do does make a difference
to people’s lives.

The CIPR local public services committee knows
that in 2014 our members will need our support
even more. We are committed to giving our
members a voice at a national level. We will
continue to promote the fantastic work coming
from our sector and help members learn and get
the skills they need. We want to make sure we
keep you informed of the changes taking place
nationally that you need to be acting on.

Ashley Scott-Wilcox MCIPR
Chair of CIPR Local Public Services

Challenges continually get thrown at us. We hit
them head on, find a solution that works and get
on with it. We are a resilient lot - it drives our
creativity and pushes us to do why we do local
public services communications - we want to
make a difference.

@ciprlps
CIPR-Local-Public-Services-Group
CIPR-Local-Public-Services-Group
W CIPR-local-public-services

By working with regional and other sector
groups and by holding our annual conference
and regional training events we will do this.
11 // #PR2014

MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A MORE EXCITING
TIME TO WORK IN MARKETING
COMMUNICATIONS AND 2014 WILL BRING
NEW CHALLENGES. TODAY’S ’ALWAYS-ON’
COMMUNICATION MEANS THAT MANY PEOPLE
BOTH WELCOME AND RESIST TECHNOLOGY‘S
PRESENCE IN THEIR LIVES.

Some are questioning the effect on their
privacy and are starting to tune out a lot of
the irrelevant, repetitious marcomms content
being pushed their way. Others are embracing
content that is compelling because it connects
emotionally and enhances their lives. The trick
for marketing communicators is to produce
original, relevant content based on consumer/
customer insight and still get noticed. So, the
key trends for 2014 that will affect this challenge
are as follows.
Multi-disciplinary teams
Marketing communications has always pulled
together the best to form an integrated
campaign, but with the proliferation of channels
and mediums, creating meaningful content has
never been more important. Distraction is a
reality. Just think about the number of marketing
messages that are thrown at you from the
moment you wake up to the moment you arrive
in work. Messaging will become less about SEO
and more about creating really good content

that people want to engage with. The teams of
the future will be shaped by those who can think
like photo journalists, script and speech writers,
film producers, art directors, video journalists,
news editors and customer service experts. The
content they create will be shaped by strategic
planners who know how to find and use insight.
Tone of voice
‘Marketing tends to demand a more aggressive,
hyperbolic selling mindset; whereas public
relations often demands a more conciliatory,
peacemaking approach’. Marketing
communications sits right in the middle and this
presents a challenge when deciding what tone
of voice to use.
It’s so easy to get it wrong and if the whole
world is watching on Twitter then you can have
a situation arise similar to that of #McDStories
and #waitrosereasons. @sainsburyspr seem to
get it right. Why? The social team sit closely with
the customer service/careline team and the PR

“ The trick for marketing
communicators is to produce
original, relevant content based on
consumer/customer insight and
still get noticed.”

team and their policy allows the social media
team to use their own personality. In the future,
marketing communicators will need to be more
astute in deciding not so much what to say, but
how to say it. Tone of voice will reign supreme.
Real time communication
Campaign planners will need to rethink. In
theory, marketing communications campaigns
are great. They focus effort and take the
consumer on a journey, but that journey can
operate too much on a company based timeline,
with some social media or real time customer
engagement bolted on.
But real time communication is what the
consumer is doing – whether it’s from a mobile,
tablet, laptop or desktop. Faster technologies,
combined with people’s desire for the new
means that they will be demanding immediate
access, not access in a campaign timeline. For
example, people want to use their favourite
services 24 hours a day – anytime, anyplace.

Location based marcomms will become crucial
and marketing communicators will need to focus
more on real time communications through
social, website, ambient and experiential. In
2014, success will come from engaging with
your audience when they are ready – not when it
is convenient for you.
With this in mind, mobile marcomms is the
theme of the CIPR Marketing Communications
group’s first event of 2014, taking place on 4
March 2014 in London.

Maud Davis FCIPR
Vice Chair of CIPR Marketing Communications
@CIPR_Marcomms
CIPR-Marcomms-Group
CIPRMarComms
W CIPR-marketing-communications

12 // #PR2014

STEM (SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING MATHS)
THE GREAT THING ABOUT WORKING
IN STEM IS THAT BY DEFINITION IT IS
FULL OF BREAKTHROUGHS THAT DEFY
PREDICTION. THE PACE OF CHANGE IS
FAST AND INDEED INCREASING.
IN TECHNOLOGY NEXT YEAR EXPECT TO
HEAR MUCH MORE ABOUT 3D PRINTING, GOOGLE GLASSES,
SMART TVS AND WATCHES, AND EVER MORE SOPHISTICATED
CYBER SECURITY THREATS AND DEFENCE.

In science look for further breakthroughs in DNA
sequencing, novel materials, superconductors
and the continued debate on climate change
prompted by the finalisation of the IPCC’s fifth
assessment report.
Engineering will be seen more as a driver of the
economy and of quality of life as the “E word”
becomes much better understood through third
sector and industry campaigns.
A true rebalancing of the economy will only
occur if the UK can harness the power of
science, engineering and technology to drive
economic growth and quality of life. This is why
communication in this area is really coming into
its own.
One of the main enablers of change will be the
accessibility of data. Open innovation, open
data and open access are all phrases that have
been bandied about for some while – but now

there are real strides being made in open access
publishing and public/private partnerships
where precompetitive collaboration is resulting
in exciting developments. STEM communicators
may be able to take advantage of the change
from the old landscape of pay walled journals
and restrictive IP agreements.
One of the main challenges next year for STEM
communicators working within the public
sector will be the pressure on the BIS budget
as it looks to make substantial savings. This
may result in lower funding for some research
and technology programmes and institutions.
Doubtless, communication budgets for both
internal teams and consultants will be one of the
first areas to come under scrutiny. It’s never been
more important to make (and win) the argument
that it’s likely to be those organizations that do
a good job of demonstrating the impact of their
work who are less likely to feel the axe.

In 2013 the CIPR is awarding the President’s
Medal to someone who has made an
outstanding contribution to the public
understanding of science, and next year is
working with BIS to commission some research
into the role public relations can play in this
area. Both of these things will bring science
communication to the fore within our industry
and more generally. This will result in a higher
profile for STEM communication and in turn
a greater awareness of the power of science,
technology and engineering with the public.

“ A true rebalancing of the economy
will only occur if the UK can harness
the power of science, engineering
and technology to drive economic
growth and quality of life.”

Jim Sutton MCIPR
Chair of CIPR STEM
CIPR-Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics
CIPR-Science-Technology-Engineering-Mathematics
W CIPR-stem-group

13 // #PR2014

SCOTLAND
2013 HAS BEEN A YEAR OF GEARING UP…
FOR 2014. IT’S GOING TO BE A BIG YEAR IN
SCOTLAND, WITH THE XX COMMONWEALTH
GAMES, RYDER CUP AND THE YEAR OF
HOMECOMING. IT’S AN OPPORTUNITY
FOR AGENCIES, IN-HOUSE TEAMS AND
CLIENTS TO GET INVOLVED AND MAXIMISE
OPPORTUNITIES. WITH THE WORLD’S MEDIA FOCUSING ON
SCOTLAND, IT’S AN OPPORTUNITY NOT TO BE MISSED.

The biggest issue and potential game changer
for 2014 will be the Independence Referendum
taking place on 18 September. So, should
Scotland be an independent country, how will
this change our government, taxes, benefits,
businesses and economy, decision making
and much, much more? Some say it will make
Scotland a stronger country and with decisions
solely being made in Scotland, it will greatly
benefit those that live and work there. The other
side of the coin is about detaching Scotland
from the rest of the UK. It will no longer be
a United Kingdom. The nervousness comes
around the lack of debates that have taken place
for ‘real people’ to understand both arguments
and the pros and cons of both.
Back to business, Holyrood ministers plan
to bring forward legislation on the Lobbying
Transparency Scotland Bill, before the next
election, in 2016. In response to a growing
number of public affairs issues and members of

the Scotland group, we have formed a public
affairs sub-group, feeding into the main CIPR
public affairs group, which means greater
representation of members across the UK but
with concentrated effort in Scotland. We expect
2014 to be a busy year for the new sub-group,
as momentum gathers on a number of public
affairs issues.

along with Glasgow City Marketing Bureau,
will be coordinating the media hub as part of the
Commonwealth Games - another opportunity to
jump on.

This brings us nicely to PR in Scotland.
The CIPR is strengthening its membership
service in Scotland and is embarking on a new
strategy…the Scotland group is out and about.
Our events now cover Glasgow, Edinburgh,
Inverness, Aberdeen and shortly, Dundee.
We’re working hard to reach schools and further
education establishments as we recognise this
audience knows little or nothing about PR as a
career choice. Our partnerships are developing
too, with the Institute of Directors and Marketing
Society. Most recently, we have brought
VisitScotland on board and their consumer team,

Laura M. Sutherland MCIPR
Chair of CIPR Scotland

2014 is going to be an exciting year for
everyone in Scotland. We shouldn’t sit back and
watch… we should jump in and get involved.

Key issues
1. Independence vote
2. Commonwealth Games
3. CIPR strengthening its offering
and maintaining membership
value in 2014

@CIPR_Scotland
CIPR-Scotland-Chartered-Institute-Public
CIPRScotland

W CIPR-ciprscotland

14 // #PR2014

NORTHERN IRELAND
NORTHERN IRELAND IS NEVER A DULL
PLACE, AND 2014 PROMISES TO BE
JUST AS BUSY AS PREVIOUS YEARS FOR
COMMUNICATIONS PROFESSIONALS.

The internationally-renowned Giro d’Italia cycle
race pedals off from Northern Ireland for the
first time in May, which guarantees to focus the
eyes of the world’s sporting fans on this corner
of Europe.
It will present a fantastic opportunity for
communications professionals to promote the
‘new’ Northern Ireland, showcasing everything
positive that this region has to offer. Building
on other developments such as the new Titanic
Belfast visitor attraction, which opened in 2012,
and successful large-scale events held here
in 2013 such as the All-Ireland Fleadh, World
Police and Fire Games and G8 conference, the
Giro will further contribute to the reimaging of
Northern Ireland.
The spinning wheels of the world’s top cyclists
are an apt metaphor for the multi-tasking
expertise of our PR professionals, who are

used to living in a part of the world where
being prepared for the unexpected is par for
the course, and the CIPR will be here to
provide support.
The CIPR’s Regional Committee in Northern
Ireland has been working over the past year
to focus its work on helping professionals to
develop their skills and build better relationships
with the media.
Membership has increased by almost 40
percent over the past year, and we will continue
our groundbreaking work with students
and universities in 2014 to nurture the next
generation of PR practitioners, while still
meeting the needs of members at all levels.
Our unique Media Awards, which celebrate the
very best which the broadcast, print and online
media have to offer, enjoyed a resurgence of

interest in 2013. A redesigned Oscars-style
format and new branding ensured that the
awards were the toast of the media industry.
The 21st Media Awards will be held in 2014,
highlighting just how important this unique
ceremony is in both the PR and media calendars.

Gary McKeown MCIPR
Chair of CIPR Northern Ireland

“ The spinning wheels of the world’s
top cyclists are an apt metaphor for
the multi-tasking expertise of our
PR professionals, who are used to
living in a part of the world where
being prepared for the unexpected
is par for the course…”

@CIPR_NI
CIPRNI
W CIPR-northern-ireland

15 // #PR2014

CYMRU / WALES
SPORT, CULTURE AND POLITICS – IT’S ALL ON THE
AGENDA FOR 2014 IN WALES – AND PR BUDDIES
SHOULD SEIZE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO GET INVOLVED,
GET NOTICED AND HELP PUT WALES ON THE MAP.

Just when we thought all the action would be
happening elsewhere – a Scottish Referendum;
Swansea losing out to Hull in the UK City of
Culture 2017 – along come events equally
thought-provoking and headline grabbing to
take their place.
Take for example the announcement by the
Prime Minister that next year’s Nato Summit
will take place at the Celtic Manor in Newport.
This event will bring dozens of Heads of
Government, including the Heads from Nato’s
Member States in Europe and North America.
Time to improve your knowledge of foreign
climes and get to work on impressing the visitors
and their entourages.
And one way to definitely impress them with a
home-grown luminary, infamous the world over,
is by helping to promote the Dylan Thomas
centenary year 2014, with a host of events and
exhibitions planned at venues across Wales,
giving a new generation of poets and artists

the opportunity to celebrate the life, work and
legacy that personifies this famous Swanseaborn poet. The Welsh Government, Arts
Council of Wales and local authority partners
are investing time and effort to make it a year
to remember – and to evoke the pure genius
of the man who gave us Under Milk Wood and
A Child’s Christmas in Wales. And that’s hardly
Llareggub backwards for a memorable 2014.
And while it may not be Ryder Cup 2010 or
Olympics 2012 re-visited, the next 12 months
on the Welsh sporting calendar will see Golf’s
Senior Open Championship coming to Wales
with Ian Woosnam, Bernhard Langer and Greg
Norman expected to boost the sport’s profile in
Wales.
The IPC Athletics European Championships
2014, hosted by Swansea, will also help build
on the legacy of the 2012 Paralympic Games
and mark Wales out as a nation that can deliver
successful, high profile disability sport events.

And we can always bring Public Affairs expertise
to bare and join in the debate about the effect a
possible Yes vote for Scottish independence will
have on the Welsh nation – after all, some tax
raising powers are already on their way to Wales
after last year’s referendum for the devolution of
further powers to the Welsh assembly.

“ Time to improve your knowledge
of foreign climes and get to work
on impressing the visitors and
their entourages.”

If all this helps keep Wales in the public eye,
then let’s show that we PR professionals can add
to the mix, by providing successful, high profile
campaigns.

Val Bodden MCIPR
Chair of CIPR Cymru / Wales
@CIPR_Cymru
CIPRCymruWales
W CIPR-wales

16 // #PR2014

CHANNEL ISLANDS
ALTHOUGH THE CHANNEL ISLANDS OF
GUERNSEY AND JERSEY ARE EACH NO BIGGER
THAN A SMALL TOWN IN THE UK, THEY ARE
BOTH ALSO NATIONAL JURISDICTIONS IN THEIR
OWN RIGHT, WITH THEIR OWN GOVERNMENTS,
LAWS AND CUSTOMS.

This autonomy has suited them well down the
generations and, arguably, has enabled the
islands to carve out their own identities and
industries – previously horticulture/agriculture,
tourism and, more recently, as international low
tax financial services jurisdictions.
For a long while the islands were left to their
own devices, being perhaps best known for such
innocuous specialisms as Jersey royal potatoes,
Guernsey tomatoes and being the location for
the TV detective show Bergerac.
But this has changed. The world has become
smaller as communication has become slicker,
quicker and incessant. An exponential increase
in the amount of financial regulation following
the credit crisis has meant that, more than
ever before, the islands have had to fight
their corners and protect their reputations.
In particular, they have had to battle the
perception that they are “tax havens” with all
the bad connotations that come with that label.
With the post-crisis notion that the UK tax take
has lost-out through wealthy individuals and big
businesses using offshore accounts and a new
take on tax planning, whereby it not only has to

be legal but also “moral”, the islands have been
under the cosh.

we’re better regulated and more transparent
than even the UK.

Fighting such reputational challenges is a Forth
Bridge exercise, yet in 2013 there were some
significant breakthroughs. Jersey commissioned
independent economists to research and
compile a report which showed that its activities
supported more than 100,000 jobs in the UK,
provided UK banks with £118m of funding and a
trillion pounds of foreign investment.

As PR practitioners we’re all used to dealing with
reputational issues concerning our clients or our
employer. But here entire national reputations
and economies are at stake. None of us can be
certain what’s around the corner but it’s safe to
say that the Channel Islands will continue to be
in the spotlight next year and will be required to
defend themselves as lobby groups, politicians,
journalists and commentators challenge their
financial services industries. More than ever
there’ll be the need for constant, clear and
consistent messaging around all the right things
that the islands are doing.

Guernsey wasn’t part of that study but one
would assume its contribution would be equal to
that of Jersey, or thereabouts.
Furthermore, the islands consult and negotiate
with the UK, the EU and US to ensure that they
comply with, if not surpass the highest levels of
international standards.
Guernsey has signed 19 Memoranda of
Understanding with regulators and supervisory
bodies around the globe. It has signed Tax
Information Exchange Agreements with 50
other jurisdictions and 20 Double Taxation
Agreements. Also, among our many controls is
a very strict Anti-Money Laundering regime. Yes,

“ An exponential increase in the
amount of financial regulation
following the credit crisis has
meant that, more than ever
before, the islands have had to
fight their corners and protect
their reputations.”

Steve Falla FCIPR
Chair of CIPR Channel Islands
@CIPR_CI
CIPR-Channel-Islands-Group
CIPR-Channel-Islands
W CIPR-channel-islands

17 // #PR2014

EAST ANGLIA
IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING HOW ADVANCES IN THE
DIGITAL WORLD HAVE IMPROVED COMMUNICATION
AND OPENED UP ACCESS TO A GLOBAL AUDIENCE;
A TREAT AND A CHALLENGE FOR PROFESSIONAL
COMMUNICATORS.
IN EAST ANGLIA, OUR OWN IMPROVEMENTS TO
ACCESS ARE TAKING PLACE BUT THIS TIME ON THE GROUND - LITERALLY.

Physical developments and improvements to
commerce, industry and transportation are afoot
for 2014 making the statement clearer than ever
before that East Anglia is ‘open for business.’

business groups and stakeholders will be a
‘shot in the arm’ for local economy to make
East Anglia one of the best places in the country
to do business.

Any visitor to Norfolk will almost certainly have
had a journey blighted by the A11, the county’s
major access route with notorious patches of
single carriageway prone to congestion and,
inevitably, a slow and laborious trip East.

From the city head eastwards to our remarkable
coastline, where the East Anglia LEP is focusing
attention on the ‘East of England Energy Zone’;
an area expected to benefit from £50 billion of
investment over the next 20 years. The Zone
is leading the way in offshore energy, with
significant players in windpower, gas and nuclear
energy production flocking to the area to do
business in the Enterprise Zone.

Work has been underway to dual the A11 since
January 2013 but come autumn/winter 2014,
the final nine mile stretch of single-carriageway
will be dualled, promising faster journey times,
better access and, hopefully, an end to all jokes
about how impossible it is to reach Norfolk!
Similarly, campaigns such as ‘Norwich in 90’
to provide faster and more reliable trains on
the Great Eastern main line between Norwich
and the Capital gathered momentum in 2013
after George Osborne MP pledged to create
a taskforce to deliver the vision. It is hoped
this continues throughout 2014 and that the
partnership between local authorities, LEP’s,

Energy isn’t the only sector flourishing in
the region. East Anglia is quite rightly giving
Cornwall and Yorkshire a run for their money in
the tourism stakes. With assets like the
‘The Broads’ in Norfolk, punting in Cambridge,
bucket and spade holidays in Essex or the
fascinating Suffolk wool towns, this area packs a
serious punch for holidaymakers both domestic
and international. The region’s media is actively
backing tourism as an economic booster for
industry in East Anglia.

Living in Norwich it wouldn’t be right for me to
neglect to mention the famous sauce, Mustard.
Especially as 2014 sees Colman’s Mustard
celebrate 200 years in business and, in a return
to technology, from March, Mustard TV, will be
broadcast as a fully-fledged TV Channel,
rather than just online.
So what does this mean for communicators?
With better access, improved communication,
faster and more reliable routes in the area and
the spotlight on certain industries to fly the
flag for business in East Anglia, there’s really no
better time for communicators to engage new
audiences, capitalise on wider opportunities and
feel proud to operate in this part of the world.

“ There’s really no better time for
communicators to engage new
audiences, capitalise on wider
opportunities and feel proud to
operate in this part of the world.”
@CIPR_EastAnglia
CIPR-East-Anglia
CIPR-East-Anglia
W CIPR-east-anglia

When I graduated ten years ago, East Anglia
was regarded ‘the graveyard of ambition’. It
seems the region itself has undergone a little
reputation management. What a difference a
decade makes.

Rachael Shakespeare MCIPR
former Chair of CIPR East Anglia
18 // #PR2014

GREATER LONDON
AFTER SUCH A GREAT 2012, WHEN THE EYES OF THE WORLD WERE
FIRMLY ON LONDON AND COMMUNICATIONS BUDGETS WERE
AT AN ALL TIME HIGH, THE PAST YEAR WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE
CHALLENGING.
ECONOMIC AUSTERITY AND VALUE FOR MONEY WERE
WATCHWORDS DURING 2013. BUT WHERE THERE WAS ADVERSITY
THERE WAS OPPORTUNITY.

The CIPR Greater London Group started the
year at Channel 4 where Controller of Press
Publicity Jane Fletcher shared insight on how
the TV channel capitalised on the London 2012
Paralympic Games.

relations. At our event in October Dr Andrew
Garrett from the Royal Statistical Society and
Katharine Peacock from ComRes shared some
tips on the strength of surveys in order to
strengthen communication campaigns.

Communications teams in the private and public
sector continued to slowly embrace social and
digital channels in order to engage with their
respective audiences. And this was reflected in
the events that the group organised, with one of
the most popular being our ‘Mobile: Everything
You Need To Know’ session at Google Campus
in Old Street.

Aside from insight that we gained from our
events, the Information Commissioner’s Office
published guidance on using social media
channels. Regulators are homing in.

Speakers from the world of business, marketing
and journalism shared with us the benefits of
engaging with audiences wherever they are.
One of the key messages is that technology
is no longer a team in the corner of the office,
but a group of professionals that add value to
engagement professionals.
Measurement was also an area that gained
plenty of attention confirming the appetite that
there is for acknowledging the value of public

The Office of the UK’s attorney general also
issued guidance on using social media in order
to protect the legal system from comments
made online that can be opinion-forming.
The coming year is going to see much of the
same – a focus on controlling networks and
conversations. We will also continue to see
more stories that affect reputations break on
social media networks. And this will further
drive communications teams to embed their
social media and knowledge teams into the PR
departments.

media will empower them to be more reactive
and responsive. Some sectors though will
delay this move, but organisations in those
other sectors that embrace this knowledge will
prove to be more nimble and will find it easier
to manage, protect and build their business
offering.
London will set the benchmark for the change
in public relations, with social and digital
channels becoming essential tools not just for
consumer brands, but business and national and
local government.

Key quote
“ London will set the benchmark
for the change in public relations,
with social and digital channels
becoming essential tools not
just for consumer brands, but
business and national and local
government.”

Paul Cullen MCIPR
CIPR Member
@LondonPR
PR-Networking-Group-CIPR-London
CIPR London

W CIPR-greater-london

The knowledge that brands gain from social
19 // #PR2014

MIDLANDS
ACCORDING TO RESEARCH BY YORKSHIRE BANK, 93
PER CENT OF MIDLANDS’ SMES SEE 2014 AS A YEAR FOR
GROWTH, AND PWC’S LATEST UK ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
REPORT SUGGESTS GROWTH OF AROUND 2.4 PER CENT
ACROSS THE MIDLANDS. A POSITIVE OUTLOOK THEN, FOR
A REGION THAT HAS SEEN SO MUCH CHANGE OVER THE
LAST FIVE YEARS.

But in our region of opportunity, who will be
the winners? This was the question asked at
a recent CIPR Midlands networking event at
DeMontfort University, which looked at the likely
trends across the region for 2014. Sponsored by
specialist recruitment agency Pitch Consultants,
the event examined three areas of specific
interest – public sector communications, social
media and recruitment.
The last election saw a massive loss in funding
and jobs throughout the public sector, but
Stuart Baird of SB Communications believes
that is about to change. It’s a safe bet that
government-funded initiatives will be required
to promote Government policies and ensure
the Coalition’s messages are being heard in the
run up to the election in May 2015. With just
2000 Government communicators left after cuts
and marketing budgets falling from £532m to
£264m (and this excludes cuts to comms staff
and budgets in the NHS and local government)
it seems likely that there will be an opportunity
for agile and integrated agencies to fill the gap.
Those working with hyper-local blogs, online
newsfeeds and social media will fare best, and

those who are prepared for the launch of Notts
TV and City TV in Birmingham, will be able to
take advantage of the many PR prospects that
local TV promises to bring.
As an integral part of the PR mix, social media
will be a major platform for agencies and brands
in 2014. In the Midlands, the surge in mobile
browsing and the resulting importance of local
search, gives brands an exciting chance to
attract new customers and build loyalty in a
measurable way. Big Communications predicts
the rise of Medium and Google +, the ‘selfie’
and video. From content-rich advertising to
promoted tweets, it’s clear that PR campaigns
in 2014 will be using digital conversations to
engage their most influential audiences.
But most interestingly, it was the issue of
recruitment that got most people talking. Large
agencies will not just be competing for work,
they’ll also be competing for the best staff.
Rob Markwell from Pitch Consultants explained
the need for an ‘employer brand’, to attract
and retain the very best people. With budgets
increasing and new contracts flowing, agencies

and in-house teams will need to recruit - fast.
And with everyone seeking the very best
candidates, it will take more than just a good
client list and national presence to entice the
right skilled people. Continued training and
development will be essential.
As the CIPR Midlands team plan for 2014, it
will be important to support training, promote
an integrated, multi-skilled approach to PR and
help members take advantage of the growth
and the many opportunities on offer.

Key issues
1. Attracting and retaining
skilled staff
2. Improving transparency
and integrity
3. Launch of local TV in Nottingham
and Birmingham

Lisa Jones MCIPR
Treasurer of CIPR Midlands
@CIPR_Midlands
CIPR-Midlands
CIPRMidlands
W CIPR-midlands

20 // #PR2014

NORTH EAST
2013 WAS ANOTHER BUSY AND EXCITING
YEAR FOR PR IN THE NORTH EAST WITH
THE REGION HOSTING THE NORTHERN
CONFERENCE AND WINNING THE CIPR’S
‘REGIONAL GROUP OF THE YEAR’ TITLE.

“ The North East has a great record
on embracing new technology and
pioneering digital work with thriving
industry hotspots.”

THAT SUCCESS IS SOMETHING WE REALLY
WANT TO TAKE INTO 2014 WITH AN EVEN GREATER FOCUS ON
DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS AND A DETERMINATION TO BUILD ON
THE PROGRAMME OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT THAT WAS
BROUGHT SPECIALLY TO THE REGION.

Our theme last year was ‘power to the people’
and in this increasingly crowd-sourced, ‘two-way
street’, community-led online world, it’s set to
remain at the very top of the PR agenda for the
next 12 months.

People from outside the region are often
slightly surprised to hear of the strong story the
North East has to tell around culture - from the
urban centre at Newcastle/Gateshead to World
heritage sites at Durham and Northumberland.

The North East has a great record on embracing
new technology and pioneering digital work
with thriving industry hotspots at places
including Digital City Teeside, Newcastle’s Tech
Triangle and Sunderland Software City.

As a region we’re searching for sustainable
and creative ways to continue the good work
kicked off at the turn of the millennium, making
the area a touchstone for the arts, cultural
regeneration and major international projects.

The North East CIPR group has pioneered a
successful programme of #CIPRNE Twitter chats,
bringing together members and non-members
in hour-long online discussions about the
profession and in 2014 this idea of community
will really come to the fore.

While many sporting minds this year will
be focused on the rainforests of Brazil, PR
professionals in the region will be thinking of
ways to make the most of the Rugby World Cup
which brings some of the world’s biggest ovalball teams to Newcastle in 2015.

However, 2014 will also bring significant
challenges as the public sector continues to
shrink. In many communities across the North
East the public sector is the major employer,
with some of the highest rates of state
employment in the country.

the region and enabling them to thrive here.

We will be making the case for the North East,
whether that’s for more investment, increased
tourism or greater national recognition for the
most northerly area of England. The Scottish
independence vote will certainly be a talking
point that could fundamentally change the
relationship with our nearest neighbours.

Ross Wigham MCIPR
Committee Member of CIPR North East

The idea of conversation as corporate
communication will continue to run throughout
2014 and that’s one industry where the North
East is never short on words.

@CIPR_NorthEast
CIPR-North-East
CIPR-North-East
W CIPR-north-east

The region’s universities are a key asset and now
provide graduates (including those with CIPR
degrees) that have an international reputation.
The biggest challenge is keeping that talent in
21 // #PR2014

NORTH WEST
AS ALWAYS, WE’RE EXPECTING A MIXTURE
OF THE GOOD, AND NOT-SO-GOOD IN
2014 IN THE NORTH WEST.
ON THE GOOD SIDE, EXCITING THINGS
ARE HAPPENING IN OUR REGION’S TWO
BIGGEST CITIES, BOTH VERY DIFFERENT,
BUT BOTH WITH THE POTENTIAL TO PROMOTE REAL
ECONOMIC GROWTH.

An International Festival for Business will take
place in Liverpool in June and July, and dubbed
a ‘business Olympics’, it’s expected that around
250,000 visitors from across the globe will
gather to trade ideas and contacts. PR and
communications professionals will hopefully
also take the opportunity to build some new
networks, and I’m sure agency bods will be able
to sniff out a potential new pitch opportunity
during the city’s two months of events,
exhibitions and showcases.

film, encompassing studio, gallery and cinema
spaces, as well as digital and broadcast
production facilities.
Although not due to open until spring 2015,
those with foresight will do well to leap onto
these opportunities as they start developing
throughout next year.

Meanwhile, just 30 miles down the road at
Liverpool’s main rival, a new international
production centre is being developed in the city
centre of Manchester.

And on the not-so-good side, graduate and
post-graduate students are already struggling
to get themselves onto work experience
placements or internships in the North West with
some citing to me that it’s some organisations’
renewed focus on school and college-aged
children that has become the barrier.

HOME, which is been the grateful recipient
of £5.5million of Arts Council funding, will
become a state-of-the-art venue for producing
international contemporary art, theatre and

It’s admirable as an industry that we are
working together to promote public relations
and communications as a professional, ethical,
career-worthy industry, but when re-focusing our

efforts to encourage new talent, we shouldn’t
forget those that have already made their career
choice by committing to an academic
PR qualification.
I know from my mind that I’ll be telling as many
university students as possible to start looking
a bit wider than just trying to get themselves
into in-house or agency PR teams, but to get
themselves out there to make the most of these
two fantastic business and cultural opportunities
that are taking place right on their doorstep at
either side of the M62!

Key issues
1. Liverpool hosts its own
business ‘Olympics’
2. Development of Manchester’s
international HOME production
centre gathers pace
3. Graduate students battle for
work placements as school-age
internships take off

Erin Portsmouth MCIPR
Chair of CIPR North West
@CIPRNORTHWEST
CIPR-North-West
CIPRNorthWest
W CIPR-north-west

22 // #PR2014

SOUTH WEST
THE SOUTH WEST IS A BEAUTIFUL, DIVERSE,
EXTREMELY LARGE REGION AND AS CHAIR
OF THE CIPR SW COMMITTEE FOR THE LAST
THREE YEARS, I’VE MADE IT OUR MISSION TO
MAKE MEMBERSHIP MEANINGFUL ACROSS THE
REGION. WE’VE SEEN MEMBERSHIP INCREASE
AND THE COMMITTEE HAVE WORKED HARD TO
ENSURE THAT WHEREVER YOU LIVE AND WORK ACROSS OUR REGION
YOUR CHARTERED INSTITUTE IS RELEVANT TO YOUR LOCALITY AND
TO YOUR PROFESSIONAL NEEDS.

We held our largest conference to date in 2013,
with more than 200 communicators coming
together from across the entire region and had
a massive increase in our PRide Awards. I am
passionate about the region, born in Plymouth,
with family in Cornwall and living in Bristol
as I travel around the region, I see the huge
challenges facing our region, particularly in
terms of connectivity and access.
Cornwall, say some commentators, will see the
largest reduction in transport in 2014 that it
has seen for over 30 years. As council budgets
go down, so do bus subsidies and for a region
with the largest % of population in rural areas
(31.6%), the highest proportion of all the English
regions, compared with 17.6% for England,
access to transport – and then onto education,
work; any reduction in public transport is a cause
of major concern.
Electrification of the Great Western Railway will
come to Bristol by 2016 – but not to Plymouth

or Exeter, or Cornwall. The M5 stops at Exeter.
It’s as far to Cornwall from Gloucester as it is to
the border with Scotland.
Connectivity through superfast broadband is
even more vital and at the end of 2012, it was
available to 70% of households in the UK and it’s
hoped that will reach 90.8% by the end of 2015
(it is dependent on the BT/Broadband Delivery
UK rollout sticking to time), but this falls to just
84% in South West England, in 2015.
The region has always been known for its
SMEs (before we called them that) and very
strong regional identities. We have the oldest
population, the lowest crime and unemployment
figures; but our median gross weekly earnings
for full-time adult employees is £477, lower than
the UK median of £506.
Keeping young people in the region is important
for future economic development, and the focus
in many counties on events for young people
and improvement to education, colleges and

“ Keeping young people in the
region is important for future
economic development, and the
focus in many counties on events
for young people and improvement
to education, colleges and
universities is key. ”

universities is key; the CIPR will have a role
here to support our regional education centres.
We are starting to see universities working in
greater and very closer partnerships together
and the development of cross regional working
with things like the Academic Health Science
Networks and Centres can only help.
The South West loves its food and we
have some brilliant independent providers.
Organisations that are growing in reputation and
economic success, including Riverford, Innocent,
Pieminister, many independent breweries
and the growing number of south west chefs
attracting national attention. There are some
great manufacturers with their roots (if not all
of their factories in the region) including Clarks,
Dyson and Mulberry.
We’re also looking forward to our annual
round of fantastic outdoor events, from the
Bristol Balloon Fiesta, to the Tall Ships race in
Falmouth, the South West is the place to be for

outdoor events, great food, independent wines,
gins, beers and a great welcome. But I would
say that wouldn’t I?

Sarah Pinch FCIPR
Chair of CIPR South West
@CIPR_sw
CIPRSouthWest
CIPRSouthWest
W CIPR-south-west

23 // #PR2014

WESSEX
THE CIPR WESSEX REGION IS HOME TO OVER
700 MEMBERS. THE AREA STARTS FROM
CORPORATE CENTRE OF BASINGSTOKE, AND
INCLUDES THE GREAT MARITIME CITIES OF
PORTSMOUTH AND SOUTHAMPTON AS WELL
AS THE CATHEDRAL TOWN OF WINCHESTER.
IT HOSTS BRITAIN’S TOP BEACH RESORT OF
BOURNEMOUTH AND GOES AS FAR AS WEYMOUTH IN THE SOUTH
WEST, HOME TO THE 2012 OLYMPIC GAMES. THE REGION ALSO
INCLUDES THE ISLE OF WIGHT, HOME TO WORLD YACHTING.

The region’s industries include manufacturing,
travel and tourism, the arts, health, financial
services, education and a thriving rural economy.
Wessex is served by a number of excellent midsized PR agencies, and a large freelance PR
network that meets in Winchester every month.
We also work in partnership with Bournemouth
University and Southampton Solent University,
to cultivate tomorrow’s PR leaders, through our
Meet the Professionals events and workshops.
The most eye-catching campaign in the region
was Marland Wildlife’s’ “Go Rhinos” public art
event. If you’ve seen the brightly coloured cows
of New York, then you’re bound to recognise
their cousins, the Rhinos of Southampton, which
raised £124,700 for local charities.

Regeneration strategies will continue to be
at the forefront of economic development in
the Wessex region. Bournemouth Council,
(CIPR Wessex PRide award winners in 2013)
demolished the IMAX tower block, as part
of its new arts and culture quarter on the
seafront, facing the pier. The new site boasts
new restaurants, an open air stage, the Pavilion
Dance South West theatre and a creative centre
for Arts University Bournemouth. The local area
is nicknamed ‘Soho by the Sea’ for its growing
digital film and animation sector.
Also the Chinese Dalian Wanda Group is set
to invest a £1 billion in the luxury boat builder
Sunseeker over the next few years, which has
its manufacturing facility in Poole, Dorset. This
contrasted with the decision by BAE Systems
and Government in 2013 to move its military

shipbuilding from the historic dockyards of
Portsmouth, to sites in Scotland, with the loss of
1,775 jobs locally.
The government’s changes to healthcare
commissioning, and public health devolving
to local authorities, may create further
opportunities for PR professionals.
In 2014, the Wessex Group will be hosting
workshops in Social Media, regional and
digital campaigns, and a number of media
and commercial site visits. We also want to
build relationships with our local Chambers
of Commerce and the Chartered Institute of
Marketing.

“ Regeneration strategies will
continue to be at the forefront
of economic development in the
Wessex region. (In Bournemouth)
the new arts and culture quarter on
the seafront… is nicknamed ‘Soho
by the Sea’ for its growing digital
film and animation sector.”

@CIPR_Wessex
CIPR-Wessex
W CIPR-wessex

Natasha Tobin FCIPR
Vice Chair of CIPR Wessex
24 // #PR2014

YORKSHIRE LINCOLNSHIRE
2014 IS SET TO BRING MANY OPPORTUNITIES
- AND CHALLENGES - FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS
PRACTITIONERS IN YORKSHIRE AND LINCOLNSHIRE.
WITH THE EYES OF THE WORLD ON THE REGION IN
EARLY JULY, THE GRAND DEPART OF THE 2014 TOUR
DE FRANCE IS A CHANCE TO SHOWCASE THE BEST
OF YORKSHIRE - ITS PEOPLE, BUSINESSES AND SPECTACULAR SCENERY.

Stage 1 on Saturday 5 July starts in Leeds and
finishes with a sprint into Harrogate, taking in
the outstanding scenery and breathtakingly
peaceful atmosphere of Yorkshire Dales, while
Stage 2 the day after takes a semi-circular
route from York to Sheffield. Bringing the Tour
to Yorkshire is a coup for local tourism agency
Welcome to Yorkshire - one reason why Head
of Communications, Dee Marshall, was the
Group’s Outstanding Communicator at the 2013
Yorkshire Lincolnshire PRide Awards.
There are lots of award-winning agencies in the
region, and I hope that many of them will be
brought in to take advantage of the Tour’s arrival
to raise awareness of the region nationally and
internationally, bring inward investment and help
boost the local economy.
Despite the UK’s recovery from recession,
training, skills and employment remain a priority,

especially for young people. I expect to see a
greater emphasis on apprenticeships in 2014, as
the UK seeks to raise its manufacturing output
levels and ensure it has a world-class workforce
for the future. Allied to our outstanding
academic institutions, Yorkshire Lincolnshire
has the opportunity to be an economic
powerhouse, with a large, mobile and highlyskilled workforce.

- and, indeed, to promote the people to the
politicians we place our faith in.

Politics will continue to play a big role in the
region too, with European Parliament elections
and local elections being held in May, the
passage of both the Transparency in Lobbying
Bill and the HS2 Hybrid Bill, together with
proposals to devolve responsibility for local
rail services in the north of England all set to
focus on the way government affects the daily
lives of people and of businesses. Here are
opportunities for public relations professionals
to promote the benefits of these plans to people

Gary Taylor MCIPR
Chair of CIPR Yorkshire Lincolnshire

As Chair in 2014, the Committee and I will
endeavour to help our members make the most
of all these opportunities, and more beside.
And with so much happening next year, it’s no
wonder that Lonely Planet voted the region the
third best place to visit in the world!

“ The 2014 Tour de France (is an
opportunity) to raise awareness
of the region nationally and
internationally, bring inward
investment and help boost the local
economy. ”

@CIPRYorksLincs
CIPR-Yorkshire-Lincolnshire-Regional-Group
CIPRYorksLincs

W CIPR-yorkshire-lincolnshire

25 // #PR2014

#PR2014 - Trends and issues affecting public relations in 2014

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