We’re all far too familiar with the term “crisis” after everything this year’s thrown at us. Crisis communications is a key area of PR that may play out in a reactive way, but actually, is something that companies can and should plan ahead for.
Once the preserve of big multi-nationals, this year has shown that even small companies can be propelled into the spotlight, so it’s worth discussing what might need to be in place. I gave my comments in a crisis PR feature in this month’s South West Business Insider. As I said in the article, there’s no one-size-fits all response as your communications approach should vary with the kind of crisis you’re facing. However there are some golden rules as I’ve outlined below:
Please feel free to get in touch to find out more about the kinds of PR support we offer small and medium-sized businesses.
At Carnsight Communications we’re very excited to share that this January we’re celebrating five years of business and having worked with over 50 happy clients!
Founded by Jessica Morgan in 2016, Carnsight is built upon 20 years’ of industry experience in London and now Bath and has a strong grounding in media relations.
We’ve been through so much change in the last five months, let alone the last five years, so it’s brilliant to pause and look back on what’s been achieved. We’re sending a big thank you to every one of the 53 clients we’ve worked alongside, to the media we work with day to day and our partners and mostly, to our amazing team.
2020 marked the expansion of the permanent team at Carnsight. Jessica and Account Executive Leigh-Ann welcomed new Account Manager, Georgia, to the business in September. We were also joined by Intern, Megan in November and have continued to work alongside trusted freelancers throughout the year.
2020 also saw Jessica featured on Insider’s South West 42 under 42 list upon which the publication profiles 42 young entrepreneurs and business leaders who should be on your radar.
We will be celebrating this 5-year milestone through a series of five different charity fundraising challenges determined throughout the year and have chosen two charities that mean a great deal to us personally: Target Ovarian Cancer and the British Heart Foundation. Due to some of these challenges involving getting active outdoors, we have put things on hold for a short while during lockdown, but have committed to carrying out all five challenges by the end of 2021.
We never could have predicted the challenges and successes of the past year or so but we are incredibly proud of what we and our clients have been able to achieve. We’re very excited to see what the future holds for Carnsight Communications.
It’s almost five years since Carnsight Communications opened its doors, over ten years since I switched to PR and almost twenty years since I started in marketing. It’s a time for reflections, so here’s one of mine. Looking back, working in marketing was a fantastic grounding for great PR. It continues to be as the two roles move ever closer.
One of the things we regularly get asked is ‘what is the difference between PR and marketing?’ In simple terms, PR is about earned media – earning your place in publications. Whereas marketing is generally about paid-for placement – such as adverts, sponsored pieces or what we used to call advertorials.
But the lines are continuing to blur. It’s no secret that the media sector has struggled this year, with publications closing their doors and a number of job losses. There are far fewer staff roles (permanent positions) and many more freelancers. We try and do our part as a PR agency by subscribing to many of the publications we pitch to. We’ve also given support by donating and contributing this year, as well as working with journalists as freelance consultants.
We pride ourselves on pitching in quality editorial content and products to relevant titles. But we also know that alone is not enough to keep publications up and running. So, we also encourage clients to get involved by subscribing, considering sponsored opportunities if the opportunity is right, and getting involved with events and awards.
We also work closely with marketing and media teams to see if they’re planning to run ads and where they might be placing them. This is particularly pertinent for local press and smaller publications where editorial and commercial are more closely aligned. We wouldn’t ever expect editorial placement purely because of advertising, but it’s important to understand how it all fits together. And that’s not to mention the rise in influencers which takes this to a different place again.
Starting out in marketing gave me a great grounding for understanding commercials. Managing budgets and managing spend comes in a lot earlier – especially if you’re in client services. In my experience, commerciality isn’t a big part of PR training, but I think it should be – especially now.
Understanding messaging and brand and campaign propositions has also been key. Advertising campaigns start with a brief and key message: a line or two that everything can be boiled down to. What’s the essence of the product or service? That is something that’s at the very heart of PR, which is why we often start with a Three Lens Messaging Session in our client work.
A journalist once asked me to give my pitch to him in 10 seconds during a phone call. Scary, but actually a really excellent idea. If you can’t get across what you’re trying to say in that time, how can you expect it to be an idea they can buy into? We spend a long time crafting press releases and accompanying emails to make sure the essence can be communicated quickly and simply. We use that approach over the phone or in person, too (or we used to!)
Working closely with marketing agencies such as Sharp Thinking Marketing and Rapport Digital makes for a really effective, joined up process. For example, PR and marketing often work to different timelines, and while messages could be led by advertising, they’re likely to be interrogated more in the PR process.
So, being able to understand marketing’s role and approach and ensure it fits alongside ours makes for the most successful campaigns. We can also share resources, such as information on the target audience, tone of voice and good, high res photography.
PR is very much about relationships. Relationships with your team, your clients, journalists and influencers. It’s about building trust, being respectful, delivering and helping each other out. The power of building relationships was definitely something I first learnt in the world of advertising. It’s relationships and connections which make for the best results.
We work with a range of creative and strategic marketing agencies, helping to promote their work and profile their key people. I still have a very special place in my heart for the advertising world. And having worked with the sector press for over 10 years, it’s a landscape I know very well.
Advertising is something I’ve loved since I was little – I actually used to fast forward programmes on my VCR to get to the adverts! I remember the great campaigns from Levi’s, Guinness and even the Green Cross Code (!) word-for-word to this day. I hope I’ve passed that on to the wider team. As we’ve seen this year, good advertising can be pivotal to creating movements and changing lives.
So, starting in marketing and advertising has been invaluable for me, and continues to be as we move into a brand new year. I can echo everyone’s thoughts in saying I’m hoping for much better things for us all in 2021.
Georgia Christley has joined the Carnsight Communications team as Account Manager and will work alongside business owner Jessica Morgan and Account Executive Leigh-Ann Hewer; who became a permanent member of the team in March following a three-month internship with Carnsight.
Georgia’s appointment marks the expansion of the permanent team at Carnsight Communications and promises an exciting future for the small business.
Jessica Morgan, Business Owner, commented, “Georgia has natural ability to build strong professional relationships with clients and colleagues alike. She is a positive and driven individual and I am thrilled to welcome her to the business.”
Georgia added, “Having worked within Office Management roles for over 10 years, I felt ready for a new and exciting change in my career. I have always had a passion for writing and media and feel very fortunate to have crossed paths and worked closely with the team at Carnsight Communications on a professional level.
From my initial meeting with Jess and Leigh-Ann, I instantly bonded with them. I just knew I wanted to work with this fabulous team! The company ethos is something that I longed for in an Employer, the flexibility and support from the team is second to none.
I am so excited to be a part of this modern, fresh and innovative company and to learn and develop in PR alongside a great team of professionals who immediately made me feel like part of the team.”
Carnsight is built upon 17 years’ of industry experience in London and now Bath.
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