I’ve lived in London for just over 7 months now, and as outlined in my last post, I have relished in the opportunities my internship has provided so far. However, to satisfy my passion for politics, I’ve had to look further afield…
Roundabout this time last year, I was lucky enough to be invited to shadow Jason McCartney MP in Parliament, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
I learned a great deal from Mr McCartney, and thought it to be only fitting that I contacted my local MP for Hammersmith, the Rt Hon Andrew Slaughter MP.
Mr Slaughter is also the Shadow Justice Minister (I know, slightly ironic name given his position), and he kindly agreed to be interviewed.
Israel & Palestine
Do you think that a peaceful two state solution in Gaza can ever be achieved?
Well, that is the policy that everybody, including Israel, is signed up too. The issue for the last 5-10 years has not been ‘is that the solution?’ The issue is that the facts on the ground have changed to such an extent that it is practically impossible right now.
If there is continued colonisation of those parts of Palestine that would constitute the Palestinian state, then it becomes practically impossible unless those settlers move back to Israel.
Given the catastrophic mishandling of British involvement in that region in recent history, is foreign interventionism really helping the Palestinians’ struggle?
It is a political problem, and it is not one that can be resolved exclusively by Britain because there is such a disparity in power between the two factions.
Israel has n
uclear arms, which render it the regional superpower and the Palestinians do not have sufficient resources of their own. Unless Israel is willing to compromise, then yes – foreign intervention is absolutely essential.
The problem is that it is not being delivered in the right now. Although the UN and EU certainly have an influence, it’s ultimately America that holds all of the cards in terms of if and when the negotiations take place.
If I were to say to you that ultimately, the fundamental barrier to a two state solution is religion, would you agree?
No I wouldn’t. Religion does play a part depending on what’s happening on the ground. However the Palestinian authority and the party of president Mahmoud Abbas for example is a secular party.
There was a surprise in the Israeli election insofar as some of the secular parties did much better at the polls than some of the more religious parties. A lot of the extremism, certainly on the Israeli side, stems from secularism.
Religious fundamentalism is undoubtedly one of the factors in the mix, but I wouldn’t say it was necessarily the main factor.
It can legitimise illegitimate aims, such as the idea of an Israel that consumes the whole of Palestine. But the geo-politics of the region plays a larger role in terms of barriers to a two state solution.
Religion in Secular Politics
On the broader issue of religion in secular politics, I wanted to ask you whether you think it’s just that religious institutions are exempt from tax in the UK?
There’s been quite a lot of interesting debate on the issue of charitable status –some commentators criticise the charitable status of public schools for example.
There are some Zionist organisations that have charitable status here in the UK, and some have suggested that that may tacitly imply that the UK supports illegal settlements on the West Bank.
You’re very right to question this issue, and we, as MPs, must keep this constantly under review.
Although charity law has been modernised to a degree, it dates back to several centuries ago and is predicated on a lot of issues that are not very contemporary, such as the relief of poverty.
Charity law is strongly biased to religion, because religion played a much larger role in people’s lives when these laws were originally drawn up.
However religious communities would argue that they do a great deal of good and deserve such a status, if you look just over the road you can see the wonderful community centre that Hammersmith Parish Church have recently opened, which is open to everyone.
It’s difficult to disassociate the history of an organization from the work that they actually do.
There was a great deal of pressure on the last Labour government to revoke the charitable statuses of public schools, however what we did instead was to make those schools prove they did actually have a charitable purpose. We don’t look at the origins of the organization – we look at the work they do.
Staying on religion and justice, religious freedom is seen as an integral part of any modern democracy, particularly here in the UK, I know that’s something you’re a strong advocate for, however I wanted to ask you a rather paradoxical question: to what extent should we tolerate the acts of intolerance by the religious such as honour killings, segregation and humiliation of women, arranged marriages and so forth?
We live in a liberal democracy, however all of the things you just mentioned would affront any modern society.
Brutal acts that are more to do with power, racism, sexism etc. often hijack the ‘cloak of religion.’ You can find examples of liberal, generous practice in all of the major religions.
I think it’s often people cloaking what are personal or political aims with a guise of some false religious mandate.
All of things you just mentioned should not be tolerated by any society, and all parties should, and do seek to stamp them out.
What do you make of preachers of hate, such as Abu Qatada, who some would argue exploit our liberal way of life whilst also simultaneously trying to destroy it?
Well, that’s one of the great dilemmas of liberalism isn’t it? Governments have to balance the protec
tion of freedom of speech and other essential liberties against protecting its citizens’ safety and security.
Labour brought in quite a lot of legislation against racial hatred and incitement pre-2010. I do not think that’s incompatible with having a free and tolerant society. This is not a new issue, John Stuart Mill wrote quite a lot about this very issue in the 19th century. There’s a long tradition of analyzing what is acceptable and what’s not acceptable in a liberal society.
Immigration
I noted on your website, you’re a member of a pressure group called ‘Labour Friends of Poland,’ which I found quite interesting. As I’m sure you’re aware, Polish is now the second most spoken language in the UK. I wanted to know what you think the long term implications of unbridled immigration from EU countries such as Poland are for the UK?
It’s an issue that is taxing the government at the moment, with the restrictions on Bulgarian and Romanian immigrants being lifted at the end of 2013.
We have an established Polish community here in Hammersmith, with Polish community centres and so forth, which I believe are great assets. This demographic dates back to at least before the Second World War.
We had an influx of Polish immigrants following Poland’s acceptance in the EU and many came to Hammersmith and other areas, because of that established community.
It’s difficult labeling it as immigration, as it’s more like the movement of people. You can’t generalise – you’ve got some Polish who come with their families and settle here, and you’ve got people who come here to work and then go back to Poland.
The overall effect, I think, has been very beneficial. The Polish community integrates very well, they almost all speak English, they are notorious for working hard.
The only criticism I’ve had over the years regarding the Polish community is employers undercutting wages. There have been many instances of employers paying Polish workers below minimum for relatively skilled jobs. Clearly, that has a negative effect on the economy.
Disgruntled workers blame the wrong people, you can’t blame immigrants for seeking a better quality of life. Those at fault are the gangs and traffickers who bring them here illegally.
The Labour government and some trade unions have done a great deal of campaigning to sign up Polish workers, so that they know their rights and know that they shouldn’t be working for exploitative wages. Overall, I think it’s a positive development.
Taxation
Ed Miliband has been accused of copying the Lib Dem’s ‘mansion tax’ policy. Now devil’s advocate might say that generally people that reside in these alleged ‘mansions’ have very limited liquid wealth, with most of it tied up in their property, is this a fair policy?
I 
think you’re going to have to examine the details, as this is a policy that is in principle supported by the Lib Dem party and now Labour.
There is a very good piece by Tim Montgomerie in The Times (and I don’t often say that!) which looks at exactly why a mansion tax is a good thing to do, as you’re still targeting people with very high levels of revenue.
Even in Hammersmith, £2 million+ is a lot of money. But even modest homes in some parts of London would have an extremely high value. What would be a definition of luxury is not the same across different parts of the country. I think the key is to set the threshold at £2 million, so you are targeting people with very high levels of assets, and therefore they probably do have that liquidity as well.
Equality
Where do you stand on gay marriage?
I voted for gay marriage, as did 421 to 175 of the vote. I think within Parliament, those figures speak for themselves.
For me, it was simply an issue of achieving equality, while at the same time not disadvantaging religions, which didn’t want to sign up to it. I think we’ve hit the right balance.
Some MPs have said this is an issue that has filled up their post bags, however I’ve had very little commentary from my constituents. However Hammersmith is a very liberal area.
Education
Michael Gove’s U-turn on GCSEs has been a heated topic in the news recently, what’s your take on the education system and Gove’s failed reforms?
I think Gove is a very controversial character. I think he’s a good example of a little knowledge being a dangerous thing.
Along with a group of very right wing advisors, he thinks he knows better than teaching staff
that interact with children all day, every day.
I suspect we’ve seen the first on a number of U-turns because he’s pressing on at break-neck speed without taking appropriate advice. I think some of his objectives are rather obnoxious.
He was talking last month about the possibility of free schools making a profit, which he initially said he wouldn’t allow them to do. And the bringing in of private companies and organisations, some of which have very close links with the Conservative Party to effectively marketise education, just like their notion of privatising healthcare. I think that’s something that shouldn’t, and won’t get any support.
Although everyone in government would sometimes like to see things move more quickly, on issues as important as education, you have to take advice and you have to tread carefully, and as we’ve seen he’s got his fingers burnt.
I think the damage has already been done by what he’s already said about GCSEs, and many students feel their qualifications have been publically devalued.
I think that’s absolutely right. And it’s disgraceful in a way. I speak to young people all the time in my constituency and I don’t find cynicism and laziness, I find people who want to succeed.
It’s very irresponsible of politicians to behave in that way. The only silver lining to what’s happened is he’s become effectively a cynical figure, and not many people will take what he says in future overly seriously.
Media Ethics
Lastly, I wanted to ask you about the Leveson Inquiry: ‘independent self-regulation’ to me sounds like a bit of contradiction in terms. What’s your take on Leveson and the recommendations?
Where the press has a vested interest, you’ve always got to be terribly suspicious. You’ve got to take what the press say about Leveson with a pinch of salt.
The press is very much in favour of the Defamation Bill because it weakens people’s ability to engage in court proceedings against newspapers that publish unsavory stories about them.
As you would expect, they are against Leveson’s recommendations because it gives powers to those abused by the press.
David Cameron and The Conservatives, just like all of the parties, have given into those vested interests in the past, because in a liberal democracy, the media play an extremely large role in the voting process.
I think all of the evidence from Leveson has outlined quite clearly you cannot trust the press to regulate itself, and you must have a formal system which the media cannot avoid. It doesn’t mean state censorship, it means an ability to enforce law on illegal activity.
‘You’re only as good as the last email you sent’
December 22, 2012
An interview with Matt Grossman, VP for Publicity, Communications & CSR at The Walt Disney Company EMEA
It’s been quite some time since my last post and a great deal has happened in the meantime, the biggest of which has been the start of my internship at The Walt Disney Company (TWDC).
Disney’s Pop-Up Boutique at Harrods, Knightsbridge
Since I started back in July, I have worked on a number of campaigns and initiatives including the Inspired by Minnie Mouse designers collection, the Winnie the Pooh Storytelling Academy and most recently the collaboration with Harrods to create a Disney Boutique, the first Disney Cafe in the UK and a Disney Princess Windows Extravaganza in the Knightsbridge store.
I have enjoyed access to some of the most senior executives at TWDC EMEA, all of which I’ve found to be extremely passionate and inspirational people with a real desire to develop their staff, in particular their interns, as much as they can.
With this in mind, I approached Matt Grossman, Vice President for Publicity, Communications and CSR at The Walt Disney Company, who kindly agreed to let me interview him.
CV and Experience
Matt’s path into PR is an indirect one, which emerged from his love for film and entertainment. Matt studied his undergraduate degree in Film & Production at Middlebury College in Vermont, USA. It was at this time that Matt began to get his first real taste of the entertainment industry, including working as a ‘runner’ for Woodstock 94 – the 25th Anniversary Concert of the famous Woodstock in 1969.
Matt Grossman joined Disney in 2008
Soon after that, Matt was taken on by worldwide talent agency for writers, actors and directors, William Morris, as a trainee – despite failing his typing test!
“I loved working for the William Morris Agency; I got to see the whole film process from start to finish.”
Matt knew he wanted to work in the entertainment industry, but hadn’t quite found his calling. It was at this stage Matt decided to study for a MBA in Marketing and Entertainment at the highly revered Anderson School of Management, UCLA.
Having gained an invaluable network of influential contacts during his time at UCLA, Matt was soon snapped up by First Look Entertainment, an internet company that promoted upcoming movie, music, games and TV releases with sneak peak previews on the internet.
Matt was then quickly snapped up by The Motion Picture Association (MPA) in 2001, working on Digital Strategy and Corporate Communications. The MPA is funded by the major US studios, 7 at the time, including MGM, Sony, Universal, Fox, Warner Bros., Paramount and of course Disney. Matt’s network multiplied significantly during his time at MPA, as he liaised with all of the Comms Heads across the 7 studios on a regular basis. During this period, internet piracy was beginning to emerge as a serious threat to the future of entertainment business.
“What we had to communicate was that illegally downloading content was stealing! People just didn’t seem to understand that they were harming the industry they enjoyed so much.’
In response to this growing problem, Matt and his team at MPA launched localized and adapted an industry-wide education program in more than 40 countries to raise consumer awareness on the impact of new technologies and piracy. Although Matt was keen to stress that getting 7 competitors to form a consensus was “difficult” to say the least!
Matt then decided to use his expertise in the increasingly significant digital world as Senior Vice President of Digital Entertainment, Rights & Technology at Edelman, in California in 2005, before moving across the pond to Paris in 2007. Matt’s clients at Edelman included the likes of Microsoft, Warner Bros, MySpace, Avid Tech and Xbox.
“In an agency environment, attention to detail should be at the core of everything you do. When I was at Edelman, I used to preach to my team that you’re only as good as the last thing you sent – so make sure it’s perfect!”
In 2008, Joyce Lorigan left her role as Vice President of Corporate Communications at TWDC EMEA and one of Matt’s contacts at Disney from his MPA days put him forward as a candidate and he was offered his current role.
Marketing vs PR
Working at such a vast, transnational company has reignited my interest in the turf war between Marketing and PR, and the extent to which one ends and the other begins. When asked for his opinion, Matt claimed there was a fundamental difference in the two fields.
“Marketing can be seen as one to many, where as PR is one to one, then to many. Marketers just want to get their message out there, there’s not really a dialogue—think of most advertising for example. Where PR is concerned, there is an argument to make, which makes getting our message out there and presented in the desired way somewhat more challenging.”
Matt argues that Marketing is either owned or bought, where as PR is earned – resonating with Richard Bailey’s advocacy of Fred Hoar’s saying: ‘advertising is pay for play, PR is pray for play.’
Who owns social media?
I asked Matt about his views on social media, and more specifically should it owned by PR? Or Marketing? Or neither?
Matt claims that managing social media should certainly not be a standalone business function and instead should be utilized by both Marketing and PR initiatives, depending on the nature of the message or call to action. According to Matt, there’s no reason why Facebook and Twitter should be exclusively used by either discipline. Although, blogging and blogger relations has to be handled by PRs.
However, as the discussion developed, Matt illustrated how it’s not always as simple as that and the nature and sector of the organisation will dictate the division of ownership over social media.
For example, the social media channels of an FMCG brand like P&G will be dominated by Marketing. However as Disney’s multichannel business model derives from a heritage of storytelling and quality content, the way in which Disney leverage social media is split between the two disciplines.
“I think people get caught up in who ‘owns’ social media. Slice and dice it however you like – as long as your messages are aligned and coherent.”
In-house or agency?
I asked Matt to critically analyse his experiences of in-house and agency roles in terms of skills gained from each and which he thought would be more suitable for a graduate.
Matt responded immediately with ”time management skills! When you work for an agency, you have multiple clients to cater for – all expecting you to devote the most time to their account, you learn how to prioritise your work much more effectively.”
The randomness of the clients you work with at agency is also beneficial to developing your skillset, according to Matt. In addition, in an agency, you work on products you don’t always want to sell, which really tests your PR skills. As Matt puts it ‘you get really creative when you have to sell s*** products!’ But you have to be at the edge of changing industry and are expected not only to embrace new trends, but also be an instant expert.
“Agencies compete for intellectual capital. Therefore to thrive in the extremely competitive market, you have to have a rigorous work ethic. Your clients expect exceptional results, and if you don’t deliver, there’s always someone else who will. But the main advantage for a graduate is agencies are always looking for new people.’
Matt then talked about how in-house roles are generally more secure, but you don’t get the breadth of work in the same way do in an agency.
What’s the best way to evaluate PR?
During my degree, I’ve found that evaluation of PR is a tricky subject to talk about. Despite the CIPR trying to curtail the use of AVE as an evaluative tool, Disney heavily relies on AVE its main measurement of success.
When asked about his views on evaluation of PR, Matt cited a quote by Sir Martin Sorrell: “I’d cut 50% of our marketing budget, if only I knew which 50% to cut!”
Matt advocated that although PR initiatives are not always easy to evaluate when studied under the objective lens of ROI, it is still a vital business function. Positive, editorial coverage in the media is something you can’t put a price on.
Matt highlighted how Microsoft evaluated their outreach initiatives during his time at Edelman based on impact. Microsoft would set a target of a certain number of what they deemed “top stories”. But the criteria for a top story included among other things:
· That the brand name is in the title of the article
· The article must be exclusively about the brand
· It must feature a powerful quote from one of the brand’s executives
· It should include a placed image
Matt then claimed that thinking of PR in terms of ROI is a fundamentally flawed way of thinking as reputation is not always a monetarily quantifiable thing. Evaluation of PR should consist of comparing the results of your initiatives against the initial objectives of what the initiative wanted to achieve- whether that is awareness, sales, brand elevation, social engagement, tune-in etc.
On the future of PR
As a student entering the PR industry, I find the turbulent interefficatious relationship between PRs and journalists fascinating. I asked Matt how he envisages the future of PR in a changing media landscape.
Matt commented on how every journalist has increasing workloads, shrinking resources and less expertise and influence.
“Consumers get their info from so many different sources nowadays. New technology, such as Google Alerts has changed everyone’s mind-set – we no longer look for news, news finds us.”
With this in mind, Matt advocates that PRs should be extremely mindful of what journalists and the demographics and psychographics they write for want.
Advice for students and aspiring communicators
Matt was keen to stress the importance of experience to any budding PR, but not in the conventional sense.
“Of course climbing the ladder is important, but students and young professionals need to look at the importance of inspiration, broadly speaking. The next step in enhancing your career and personal development is not always upward or linear.”
Matt then went on to discuss how choosing to study an MBA in Marketing and Entertainment presented a pivot point on how to develop his broader skillset with a more business-focussed lens.
When asked for advice on my own academic path, Matt recommended that I gained 3-6 years work experience after obtaining my BA before considering studying a Master’s degree, as this will ensure my skillset will be developed enough to maximise my value for money and indeed time.
All in all, Matt Grossman is an incredibly fascinating, knowledgeable guy who relishes in sharing his wisdom to employees of all levels, and I hope to emulate his success in my own career.
A Day to Remember
February 1, 2012
Recently I have become infatuated with the British political process and the notion of distributive justice. Often finding myself glued to BBC Parliament, I felt it was time to visit the Mother of Parliaments and set about co
ntacting prominent MP and former Leeds Met PR & Journalism lecturer Jason McCartney. Jason had honoured the Faculty of Business & Law last year with a guest lecture on his colourful past and his inspiring work in his time spent thus far as MP for Colne Valley. After contacting Jason, he kindly invited me to Westminster, where I would attend several committee meetings, parliamentary receptions and cabinet question sessions in the House of Commons.
Upon arrival at the historic building, I was overwhelmed by the awe-inspiring architecture, enchanting artwork and intoxicating atmosphere. After several minutes of dumb-founded wonderment at the magnificence of Central Lobby, I was greeted by a very charming and knowledgeable Martine Martin, parliamentary assistant to Jason whom graciously offered to give me a tour of Parliament. A keen political commentator herself, Martine and I discussed many topics from the relevance of clergy in the House of Lords to MPs tweeting in the Commons.
After a tantalizing tour, I met with Jason one-on-one where we discussed his recent appointment to the UK Delegation to NATO Parliamentary Assembly, his involvement in a campaign to bring in compulsory carbon monoxide detectors in UK homes and his time spent as a news and sport presenter at ITV Yorkshire.
I then attended Treasury Questions in the public gallery, which was followed by a statement by Foreign Secretary William Hague on the immediate ban on all new contracts to import, purchase or transport Iranian crude oil and petroleum products, a move which will undoubtedly step up pressure on Tehran to adhere the UN’s resolutions. I then had the privilege of joining Jason in meeting with Business Desk Yorkshire’s Deputy Editor James Reed in the MP’s lounge.
In the evening, I accompanied Jason and Martine to the Trade Union Reform Campaign launch reception, where keynote speaker and Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles spoke about how Public bodies, funded by the taxpayer, should not pay for time spent by employees on trade union activity. Among the attendees was former Defence Secretary, Liam Fox and political blogger Guido Fawkes.
I was then invited to a Digital Switchover reception, situated in a marquee on the House of Parliament balcony, which consisted of various speakers discussing the progress of the switch from analogue to digital. The national digital switchover is set to be complete this October. After the speeches, I had the pleasure of meeting one of Jason’s good friends and former colleagues Margaret Emsley, a producer at ITV Calendar.
The next day, Jason was kind enough to give me a highly sought after ticket to Prime Minister’s Questions. Lively and contentious as always, it was a novelty to see Cameron and Miliband’s exchanges in person rather than a television screen (it should be noted that the House of Commons looks significantly bigger on TV!).
It was an incredible opportunity and inspirational experience. I learnt a great deal about Parliament and what it takes to be a successive member of parliament. Jason is a model MP, prioritizing people over ideology and tirelessly working for the betterment of his constituents. He’s a credit to the Commons and a testament to transparent, accountable and reliable politics.
The breathtaking view from Parliament balcony
“What Happens in Vegas, stays on Facebook”
November 8, 2011
The fourth of the CIPR Autumn Guest Lecture Series at Leeds Met was hosted by Managing Director of the northern arm of Euro RSCG, Brian Beech, accompanied by Jenni Bamford, a recent Leeds Met graduate now working as an Account Executive at Euro RSCG.
Brian began with an entertaining metaphor: “PR practitioners are like rhinos – thick skinned and charge a lot!” He then stressed the importance of the utilization of the news agenda and topical word of mouth, citing the death of Schmeichel (a dog from Coronation Street) and Pets at Home’s information campaign to advise pet owners on how to deal with a death of a family pet.
Brian then identified the key issues surrounding the future of the PR industry:
- Significant growth in online media
- Less journalists covering more areas
- Explosion of social media
- Development of consumer-generated content
Nonetheless, he was quick to outline that British people remain the most avid newspaper readers in the world, with 33 million print readers a week, this is unlikely to change anytime soon. Moreover 71% of people read regional papers in contrast with 57% of people who read nationals and the percentage increases the further north you go due to a growing perception that nationals are too London-centric. This outlines the redundancy of ‘mass’ comms and the need to target micro, rather than macro-environments when communicating a message.
“The growth in new media is the biggest paradigm shift since the industrial revolution. It’s not a fad, it’s here to stay,”
Brian quoted the fact that 96% of people have used social media at some point, and the new phenomenon has overtaken pornography as the number one activity on the web. 1 in 5 couples met online. However as Brian ironically pointed out 1 in 5 marriages that end in divorce are because of Facebook.
“ 50% of pensioners in the UK use Facebook and a third use Youtube, every minute 24 hours of video is uploaded to Youtube; there are even babies in Egypt named ‘Facebook!’”
These statistics illustrated the need for PR students to transcend beyond mere enthusiastic amateurs to experts in digital media. Social media is instant, mobile and permanent and professional communicators will need to respond rather than deny – to quote Brian “What happens in Vegas, stays on Facebook!”
Brian concluded a rather entertaining lecture by emphasising the need for students to be doing work experience throughout their studies, otherwise how will you know what you like and you are good at? Brian was also keen to outline the need for PRs to specialise, or be negatively regarded as generalists. Ending with on a comical note, when asked what he specializes in, Brian replied “Bullshit!”
David Miliband Visits Leeds Met
October 21, 2011
Rt Hon MP David Miliband was welcomed by a full house at the Rose Bowl today in what was a very lively and interesting Q&A event. The former Foreign Secretary’s first question was focused on the transition of economic power from West to East. Miliband referenced the prediction that China’s economy is expected to overtake the US by 2020 and the need for us to adapt to the changing world order.
Miliband was keen to emphasize the shift in power from bourgeoisie to the people, using the Arab Spring and Occupy Wall Street as an example. He attributed this shift to new technology, citing the Zimbabwean electorate using their phones to take pictures of their vote to prevent foul play by despot Mugabe.
On the subject of democratic process, Miliband pointed out that many express concerns over the future of Libyan politics, fearing a fundamentalist Islamist majority. Mr Miliband rejected these concerns, calling for us to promote democracy, regardless of its consequences. Furthermore, he reiterated the fact that the tide of revolution that has swept the North Africa is home grown, devoid of western intervention, therefore we must support those seeking democratic change.
Questions then moved onto Syria and the Assad regime. “Despite the deaths of 2900 protestors, the situation in Syria differs significantly different to that in Libya,” Miliband said. He then highlighted China & Russia’s veto on any form of action against President Assad and the divide of philosophy among the international community on foreign interventionism.
When asked if we should ignore the veto, Miliband replied “yes, if there is a humanitarian need, a viable military solution and the geo-political positives outweigh the negatives,” citing the Sunni-Shea Muslim divide and the connections with Iran as political antagonists for military action.
On the subject the 2010 election, Miliband conceded that his party lost because “we didn’t give people enough reasons to vote for us.” He was very keen to reject a claim from a member of the audience that Labour because of the Iraq War, arguing that those that defected because of Iraq defected in 2005, yet Labour still won. However another member added that Labour’s return to opposition was overdue, citing 5 million voters lost in 2005.
When pushed for a position on university staff strikes by Professor Paul Blackledge, Miliband claimed “strikes should be used as a last resort tactic, there needs to be a greater, coherent strategy,” referencing the historic Jarrow March of 1936 and the movement’s failure to achieve anything because of a lack of strategy and leadership.
One member of audience protested “if you support the will of the people in the Arab world, you are heavily contradicting yourself by not supporting our strike against pension cuts.” A slightly rumbled looking Miliband replied saying that he is not against strike action; however he fears the political resolve of the uni staff maybe lost if there is no clear strategy that will achieve the desired results.
Miliband advocated multi-lateral disarmament when quizzed on the relevance of Trident in the 21st century and confirmed his support for the plight of the Kurdish population against Turkish aggression. Moreover, Mr Miliband supported the call for a compulsory register of Lobbyists “anything to control lobbyists” he remarked, much to the dismay of aspiring public affairs professionals in the audience.
In conclusion, a very insightful and worldly talk by the MP for South Shields was commended with thundering applause from an over-capacity lecture theatre.
“Follow Me, I’m Right Behind You!”
October 12, 2011
The second CIPR Guest Lecture attracted yet another full house as Kevin Murray
, CEO of the Bell Potinger Group delivered a fascinating lecture, based on his forthcoming book: The Language of Leaders.
Murray wrote the book after interviewing 54 chairmen, CEOs & Business Leaders as well as 3 military generals and 2 Police Commissioners to ascertain how leaders inspire and influence others to achieve the results the desire.
“It was my years spent as a journalist that I decided I was never going to stop learning and reporting on what it is I had learnt.”
In an era of radical transparency, leadership has also changed quite radically. The speed at which reputation can be damaged is accelerating and leaders need to build organisations that respond at the same speed. Murray illustrated this point by referencing the McLaren ‘Ferrarigate’ crisis that he was burdened with handling: “In the space of 30 minutes, the false rumour that McLaren had been kicked out the World Championship had been reported and dropped by media all over the globe.” This reiterates his notion of the ‘double edged sword of the modern digital world.’
The two fundamental concepts that Murray found imperative to effective leadership and organisational success were trust & engagement. Lack of trust in an organisation costs money, in terms of loss of sales and rebuilding a brand. With reference to Professor Gregory’s lecture and her example of Coca Cola’s valuation, Murray said “there is a shifting culture from managing tangibles, to enhancing the intangibles.”
Murray then highlighted the importance of emotional engagement with stakeholders using his interview with Sir Frank Williams, CEO of F1, as an example: all Sir Frank ever wanted to do was race, and his employees were worried that his successor would not have the same passion as he did.
“He couldn’t move himself, but he managed to move everyone in the organisation.” Murray advocates that passionate values are at the heart of reputation management. All members of the organisation must be empathetic to communicate effectively with stakeholder groups.
Another crucial part of an effective corporate communication is storytelling. Stories are powerful, and audiences co-create the story with you – they are the superglue of ‘conviction communication.’ Murray’s sentiment echoes one of Richard Bailey’s favourite quotes: “Branding is for cows, stories are for people!”
Murray concluded with the key message that professional communicators need to advise their leaders to inspire all stakeholders, as it is these people that are pivotal the success or failure of any organisation, quoting a paradoxical statement often used in modern leadership “Follow me, I’m right behind you!”
Leeds Met Graduate to Run 100 Marathons in 100 Weeks!
September 23, 2011
Simon Buckden
from Leeds is running 100 marathons in 100 weeks to raise money for Help For Heroes and boost awareness of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Currently on Week 30, Simon has just completed a 30 mile run in Suffolk in 6 hours, despite sustaining a knee ligament injury only a week ago.
The Leeds Met Bsc Sport graduate had never run a marathon before starting his challenge way back in March, however he is adamant that strong mental determination can conquer anything, giving hope and inspiration to other servicemen and women who suffer from PTSD.
It was Simon’s time spent serving with the UN peacekeeping forces in the Bosnian conflict in the mid-90s that he began to suffer from PTSD. Simon is determined to raise awareness and funds for support of current sufferers of PTSD coming back from recent conflicts such as Afghanistan.
Show your support for this incredible man by donating at http://www.bmycharity.com/100marathons
Liking him on Facebook & following him on Twitter
Also, you can listen to Simon’s podcasts at http://www.raceto100.co.uk/
Google: Too Many Pies, Not Enough Fingers
April 11, 2011
A leaked memo from Google CEO Larry Page has confirmed that 25% of all employee annual bonuses will be determined by the success Google’s social strategy in 2011. 
This initiative coincides with the launch of the new +1 feature. Page is asking all employees to test the new social product, tell friends and family and feedback. This tactic infuses an incentive for employees to spread word of mouth and hype about Google’s social products – after all; it could affect their pay packet!
Google’s previous attempts to leverage the social-sphere have been dubious at best. Twitter rival Dodgeball was abandoned in 2007, the ambigious Wave was shut down in summer 2010, Buzz is mired in e-commerce controversy laws and Groupon turned down Google’s $6 billion takeover offer.
It’s not ALL doom and gloom
Youtube (acquired for $1.65 billion in 2006) has continued to build a significant global community of users across 23 countries, viewing in excess of 2 billion views a day.
Orkut (launched in 2004) has a huge density of users in Brazil, although those figures are beginning to decline.
Google’s new mobile app Latitude looks promising however. The location-sharing app is similar in design to Foursquare and Facebook, however with an innovative angle – users can only obtain latitude-endorsed offers (20% off at Macy’s for example) if they unlock certain statuses i.e. Regular, VIP, Guru.
Nonetheless, the status-based offers don’t work on the iOS app and are only redeemable in the US – excluding a massive chunk of users.
Google’s social conquest remains largely dubious. Although according to DigiTimes, 20-25 million Andriod smartphones are expected to be sold globally in 2011, surpassing Symbian to become the largest smartphone platform, with emerging markets such as China accouting for 10-13 million sales. The accuracy of these predictions has yet to be seen.
Although the apple-shaped elephant in the room sold 3 times more iPads in their first week than Motorola have sold Xooms thus far according to the Deutsche Bank who got this estimate after looking at the Andriod developer website to see how many people are using Honeycomb.
You have to admire Google’s persistence in the face of consistent failure to dominate the social and smartphone markets. That said, Google have been slow to react to the actions of the organisations they are trying to contend with. Maybe Google should concentrate on what they excel at – search technology.
StumbleUpon – Gift or Curse?
March 27, 2011
After becoming fed up of checking the same old websites religiously, I thought I’d try the network StumbleUpon to see what all the fuss was about. It soon became my new addiction!
The idea is simple, yet genius – users pick their interests from a lengthy list of topics from fashion to space exploration, then begin stumbling through a plethora of randomised web pages that other users have stumbled upon while surfing and felt the need to share it with fellow users.
The database of websites grows and grows as more users share content onto the network. Stumblers have the option to share content with their Facebook & Twitter accounts.
All of these qualities result in a user-friendly social network that cures boredom constructively – by allowing you to access information and media you may have otherwise been oblivious too – a far cry from ‘So Bored! 5 People like this.’
But is the seemingly lucrative fountain of knowledge a curse? Because of its simplicity and effectiveness it entices you to keep clicking the magic stumble button. The network has managed to hardness mans’ innate desire to k
now, and overcome man’s natural indolence.
Our techno centric culture has the potential for unhealthy obsession. Many people are self-confessed Facebook or Twitter addicts – with super-fast broadband and smart phone technology, it’s hard not be engrossed in the online culture and StumbleUpon is just another form of social-media that has the potential to make us anti-social, neglecting our physical lives in favour of this digital information goldmine.
But is this really as sinister as this image would have you believe? The thing that makes StumbleUpon different from the other fads is its insightfully interesting tailor-made content. Its nature inherently encourages the sharing of learning – for free!, which can only be a positive. I’m a keen user of the network, regardless of how long I spend glued to the screen!
The Importance of Customer Centricity in a Changing World
March 24, 2011
If I had to choose one thing to take away from the Marketing Dynamics module this semester, it would definitely be the importance of customer-orientated marketing objectives in seemingly cut-throat market places.
In most industries, there are an increasing number of competitors constantly trying to expand their market share. With the growth of globalization, e-commerce and developing economies in Asia, South America and Africa, businesses of all status must adapt to the needs and wants of their clientele.
Neil Richardson (Course Leader for Marketing at Leeds Met) is keen to emphasise that in any business, customers are paramount to the success of the organisation and businesses that fail to satisfy the expectations of their customers will not prosper.
This is not a difficult concept to understand. Although old-school marketing academics stress the importance of the marketing mix (product, place, price, promotion), in a rapidly changing world, people who buy your products or services should be the centre of your universe because the 4 P’s would not exist without the big C.
It’s astonishing how many businesses do not know who their customer-base are, what they really want and what they want improved.
Get to know your customers!
A business that is not customer centric and market-orientated is on the path to failure, but it’s not too late to change your ways!
- Carry out primary and secondary market research on your target customer group.
- Organize focus groups, get involved in your community – just like a Tesco’s kids’ football scheme (taking the sprogs off mum and dad’s hands over the school holiday will definitely affect the family’s choice of supermarket the following week!).
- Get your staff onside – use internal comms to get your staff on your wave length (it must be remembered that customers are the stakeholders who pay everyones’ wages!).
- Be flexible to your customers’ needs – or someone else will!
Increasingly so, globalization is providing a new group of consumers, but also a new group of competitors eager to steal your customers. In tough economic times with rising inflation and unemployment, it is quite simply a case of evolve or die.
Customer service is the key ingredient in the recipe of a successful business – happy customers will come back! It’s not rocket science 
