ESG marketing - the perils of greenwashing

In the post-pandemic era, consumers are more focused than ever on sustainability issues. In response, many companies have sought to place ESG concerns at the centre of their business strategies. Policies and practices informed by the sustainability debate are being rolled out across the corporate world. But businesses must be careful to ensure that there is real substance behind their actions. Those who just pay lip service to ESG or inadvertently make false claims risk being accused of greenwashing, essentially misrepresentation of their sustainability credentials. It is a serious charge that can result in substantial reputational damage and legal action. As such, companies should stress-test their ESG values and record and make sure they stand up to scrutiny. Sustainability policies must have solid foundations and be well-thought-through. Otherwise, what should be a CSR opportunity runs the risk of becoming a PR disaster.

Thought leadership - it is not content marketing

Thought leadership (TL) is emerging as an important content strand in the communications mix, but it may be undermined by a misconception about its purpose and form. Unlike content marketing, TL is not about promoting goods and services or corporate brands. In essence, it requires businesses to give away some of their IP, express an opinion or analyse a problem with the aim of building trust and loyalty with purchasing audience - subliminal marketing, if you will. There is ample evidence that the approach is effective. It is now widely considered as a top-of-the-sales-funnel activity. But it will not work if there is any hint of self-promotion in the content. For business leaders accustomed to sale-driven messages, there may be resistance to the concept or bewilderment at the very idea of it. But marketers must try to persuade the sceptics of its value and avoid dressing up content marketing as TL, as often happens. That only undermines both.

How a PR on your board bolsters crisis response

Corporate risks have multiplied in recent years. Cybercrime, social media-generated reputational crises, investor disputes and business integrity controversies are just some of the sensitive and challenging issues boards are increasingly having to address. Business leaders will naturally turn to their comms teams at these times, tasking them with countering any ensuing bad publicity and restoring credibility. It is hard to legislate for some of these risks, but there is little doubt that if more PRs were present on boards, they would be better placed to deal with the fallouts. Communications responses would be more considered and robust, as they will have been firmly embedded in strategy documents addressing preparation and tactics for navigating various crisis scenarios. Moreover, when crises strike, having PRs at helm would enhance the coordination and execution of the crisis strategy.

Post-Brexit, the UK should be talking to emerging market audiences

Since Britain's departure from the EU, the government has been working hard to negotiate trade deals with advanced and developing countries. But with the focus on bilateral talks, it's important not to overlook or diminish the importance of communicating the 'Global Britain' story to audiences in the countries we are looking to partner with. That is particularly the case with emerging markets where the UK's new-found status as an independent economic actor not so well understood. Developing countries, particularly in Asia, are the growth markets that the government is prioritising, but to secure deals it must do as much as it can to ensure that public opinion in these jurisdictions is on board. Scepticism or ignorance of Britain's intentions and aims could complicate trade negotiations or even undermine them, which is why communicating the mutual benefits of prospective deals to local media has clear value.

Why comms consultancies should embrace diversity

Diversity these days is much talked about in the business world. While it's often regarded as a reputational issue, I would argue that it also has significant bottom-line implications. And I can cite the example of the communications industry to explain. Consultancies in the UK need to understand the complex needs and aspirations of the country's increasingly diverse population to function effectively. It is no longer sufficient to commission marketing research to understand a particular audience, as the consumer and business dynamic within minority ethnic and national groups is constantly shifting. Having team members with different backgrounds and countries of origin helps consultancies to better understand and respond to these changes. And post-Brexit, as we in the industry look to advise foreign investors seeking to access British markets, the benefits of having consultants with a good grasp of their interests and concerns are self-evident.

Adopt a broadcast journalist's mindset to maximise podcast potential

Podcasting is booming. And rightly so. It can be a tremendously effective communications tool. Yet rather like the rise of content marketing in recent years, its utility diminishes unless high creative, intellectual and production standards are maintained. For maximum impact, marketers need to think like broadcast journalists. Most pre-recorded interviews on a BBC news or current affairs programme are tightly edited, moving seamlessly from one point to another with a clear structure. Even broadcasters conducting live interviews will keep them very focused, often interrupting when an interviewee strays off the topic in hand. It all makes for compelling radio. And podcasters should adopt the same approach. Too many podcasts are long and rambling, offering a poor return on investment for clients as audiences are inclined to quickly lose interest and switch off. If you go about producing podcast as you would drafting an informative, well-structured article, then chances are you will end up with a compelling listen.

Covid underlined need for caring leadership - internal comms can help deliver it

The trials and tribulations experienced by workers during the pandemic is placing a greater onus on business leaders to be more empathetic. Indeed, it is already becoming increasingly evident that businesses need to be more demonstrably considerate to their staff in order to motivate and retain them. Now more than ever, people want to work for employers who care about their circumstances and are willing to adjust working practices when they face difficulties. Business owners keen to take up this emerging leadership approach should view internal communications as an important ally, as if used effectively it can help establish a dialogue with staff on issues and concerns that most matter to them. So instead of its traditional role as means of delivering company news and engaging employees, internal communications can become more of a feedback loop. This not only allows business leaders to remain well-informed about workplace pressures and challenges but also to develop policies that can alleviate them.

Clients often sit on great stories - it's up to PRs to unearth them

I've often felt there's a passivity around media relations work. We tend to wait for clients to come up with something they want to say, advise on how best to communicate it, and then do our best to generate press coverage. But I think we often miss a trick. Clients in my experience tend to be much more interesting than they might first appear. They generate data, ideas and insights that have the potential to make strong media stories. Yet few do so because clients are not good at recognising their PR value. Consultants need to do more to prise out information nuggets. This can be achieved in a number of ways. Fundamentally, it's about being much more proactive in terms of sourcing potential news lines from clients. Regular story ideation meetings with departmental heads, access to internal communications channels and monitoring of senior staff's work-related LinkedIn posts and tweets are just a few ways of building up a stock of media release material. If organised efficiently, it doesn't have to be time-consuming and if it becomes so, the justification for extra budget is a strong one.