Recent independent research for Portfolio client, MidlandHR, into HR and payroll shared services in the public sector, provides a perfect example of the value of a well planned and fully integrated research campaign.

A leading supplier of talent management, workforce planning, HR and payroll solutions, MidlandHR commissioned the research to explore the opinions of over 100 UK public sector representatives, from functions spanning HR, payroll, finance, purchasing and IT.

100 pieces of media coverage

Launched in October 2011, the research findings quickly met one of its primary objectives: to get the HR and payroll community talking about shared services, especially when it made the news pages of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD)’s website. News releases announcing the findings generated around 100 pieces of coverage over a three-month period (49% in tier one publications), leading to further requests for the report.

With nearly 200 requests for a full copy of the findings, this initial interest confirmed a lack of authoritative information on the subject. This led MidlandHR to publish a more detailed guide providing an informative introduction on shared services in the public sector.

The guide provided MidlandHR with the opportunity not only to re-visit the research but also draw on the company’s direct customer experience, consultation with experts in the field and general market research. Providing a comprehensive overview of the various shared service models, it covered everything from who can benefit, to partner relationships and presenting the business case.

Authority

This offered the chance to raise more complex issues such as the challenges, cost savings and timeframes involved, and gave MidlandHR the authority it required to prove its credentials in a confusing market. It also provided an opportunity to highlight some real-life case studies taken from the company’s own customer base.

From a PR perspective, the research and the guide have:

• provided valuable material for press releases and press interviews
• been key to driving traffic to the company website
• proved to be a popular subject for the corporate blog
• and a real discussion point on Twitter.

To date, the company has had nearly 150 requests for the guide. This is expected to rise as more in-depth articles on the subject, by-lined to MidlandHR’s shared services specialist, Karen Bull, appear in leading HR and business press and online news sites. As Karen herself reports, the research has been the “perfect all-round communication tool” and provided “an excellent opportunity to clear up any myths about shared services”.

Laundry tablet style packaging for food could be a reality soon! (photo by -RobW- via Flickr)

The headline: Ready-to-eat packaging in stores ‘soon’ is hard to resist. The announcement by MonoSol, a US manufacturer of water-soluble polymer films and Harvard’s Wyse Institute, forecasts that within a year or so, edible packaging will be wrapping items such as hot chocolate and oatmeal (porridge?). So not quite ready for your greens, but presumably products where hot water has to be added.

But, but, but …. attention grabbing though the story is, it’s leaving a lot unanswered. What’s the calorie count, for instance, or the nutritional value? I must say my laundry capsules – possibly made with a MonoSol or similar product – do look pretty yummy, but so far I’ve managed to resist because I don’t know what they’ll do to my diet.

The announcement goes on to say use of the film ‘will help reduce dependency on plastic as well as the overall amount of food waste’. Reading between the lines, that says ‘portion control’, which cynically could be interpreted as higher use of a product than if consumers are left to eke out their own helpings.

More seriously, it overlooks the issue of food safety and sensory properties. If a prime benefit of packaging is protecting a product from contamination and taint, then an edible film will in turn need its own protection from both. Looking at the laundry capsules, this necessitates a plastic box and lid that don’t appear to be readily recyclable, as opposed to a board carton that can. So how much waste is being saved?

Wearing my PR person’s hat, I’d have liked to have seen a few more hard facts to back up the claims about the film’s properties and potential. But if the story gets people talking – guilty as charged – then it’s job done for MonoSol. Must go now, it’s nearly noon, and my stomach’s rumbling. Time to break open the packaging and enjoy a tasty lunch!

I recently went to Foodex, the big trade show covering processing, packaging and logistics in the food industry. With over 350 stalls, there was a lot to see! I was particularly excited by the machines that make hundreds of meringues/puddings every few seconds. Definitely need one of those in my house at Christmas!

There were processing machines whizzing and whirring, packaging conveyors stamping labels and lids and of course the gorgeous packaging itself. The technology behind some of it is just amazing, with more and more companies striving to make their environmental impact by, for instance, using biodegradable or recyclable materials.

This seems to be one of the key trends in the packaging industry, and though it’s been a core element for many years, it seems to be gaining ground. With increasing pressures on companies to go green, people are finding innovative ways to reduce their carbon footprint. I was particularly touched by the story of a butcher in Wales who has invested in fully biodegradable packaging for his meat. His customers, who are all based in rural Wales, are happy to pay that little bit extra for the bags knowing they are environmentally sound. It is stories like these that need to be told as they can really personalise brands and bring significant ROI.

The show was a lot of fun, and it’s clear that there is a lot happening in the industry. There were dough-making lessons, robotics demos and even a cupcake masterclass, as well as talks on anaerobic digestion, microbial shelf life and how to launch your own bakery. The exhibitors I spoke to had enjoyed a good show, so hopefully it’s a sign of happy days ahead. I met a lot of lovely people, which just goes to show that food really does bring the best out in people!

Image by likeablerodent, via Flickr

The days when you could control the timing and geographic pick-up of press material are long gone. Not just because the media have little enthusiasm for an embargo but also because electronic distribution means that once it hits the web it is fair game for anyone.

The process of dissemination is accelerated by search engine crawlers – as well as the online portals and websites, many of which are not moderated and are little more than holding depots for onward transmission of content.

In most cases, this is not much of a problem.  But for organisations where sharing information may be regulated, such as publicly-quoted companies, financial and investment firms, it can be a headache.  How do you restrict coverage, for example, of a financial product in a territory for which it is not licensed? Keep a prospective bid for a listed company under wraps? Or avoid being accused of soliciting unauthorised investments.

The simple answer is that you can’t. Like super injunctions, once it is on the web, the news is out – and probably on a server somewhere forever.

That explains why some legal disclaimers are longer than the announcement itself!

Packaging Innovations 2012

Maybe because it was March 1^st and spring was in the air, but there was definitely more optimism at this year’s Packaging Innovations NEC show. Visitors were up, or the quality was higher, or both. It looked busy, it felt buzzy and fewer exhibitors told me to buzz off. Smiles all round.

Where a pack comes from and what happens at the end of its life is increasingly covered. Carbon footprints and sustainability of raw materials in the beginning, through to compostability and recyclability after use, weren’t just a feature of the EcoPack stands but a concern for many exhibitors.

Highlight for me was seeing a 3D printer in action. Having been alerted to their possibilities on Channel 4’s Home of the Future, in the sense that we’ll all want one to make our own creative plastic, er, objets d’art or spare parts, I was a bit cynical. But seeing it turn out packaging prototypes or more mind-bogglingly intricate designs was amazing. And I never knew before how much I would enjoy the smell of warm plastic…

Wonder if it will work with wood pulp?

What’s prompting the move is the ability to self-publish online and across social media. It makes sense for content produced for one medium, such as a printed magazine, to extend its life in another medium, in the interest of increasing sales or retaining customers. Content marketing also removes the emphasis from the ‘media’ part of ‘social media’ and back onto the messages we are creating instead.

Good content may be trusted more than advertising and shared with colleagues and friends. You can control the message, although it won’t enjoy the endorsement of that same message by independent media or bloggers until it’s picked up by them. It can entertain, educate and enhance your reputation as well as your SEO rating.

Here’s a reminder to what makes effective content:

-       Tell a story. Who’s the hero, the villain, what’s the happy ending?

-       Put yourself in your customers’ shoes and help them in their business

-       Be creative

-       Use pictures and infographics

-       Turn your readers into experts

-       Explore the future

-       Provide authoritative research findings

-       Avoid overt brand or corporate messages

At this point, you may be wondering just what is the difference between PR and content marketing, and I feel a Venn diagram coming on:

PR, content marketing, and the grey area in between!

The lines are blurry and cynical readers may point out that PR people have long been raiding the corporate media store for stories as well as contributing to it.  But overall PR uses reputation management and communications to meet all of an organisation’s aims, encompassing but not exclusively dedicated to marketing and sales.

So if you want to take the plunge, content marketing is an established part of what we do. We can do it for you, and yes, we’re actually very happy doing it too!

(photo by Sascha Pohflepp)

Part of a PR person’s role is to come up with new names for concepts and activities. Sometimes this is condemned as a ‘PR exercise’, in trying to find ways of making the unacceptable, acceptable. But more often than not, it’s a valid response to change and a way of influencing perceptions for the better.

Remember the time when ‘distribution’ became ‘logistics’? A new word was required to encompass so much more than just deliveries – storage, stock management, vehicle tracking and so on. Although I’m not quite sure how they managed to bag a monopoly on logic for their activities, everyone is now familiar with logistics just as we are with ‘human resources’ replacing ‘personnel’ and ‘procurement’ for ‘buying’.

So it’s interesting there’s a challenge going on for ownership of the word ‘resource’, from the people who previously processed waste, refuse or scrap. The launch of the new Resource Association (November 2011) has been welcomed as ‘a watershed moment in the transition from a wasteful to a resource-efficient society’.

Is this a cynical ploy to disguise the smellier side of an industry? Not so, it’s a reflection of the way the world is turning. Non-renewable resources, such as rare earths, are already running out, or procured with unacceptable side effects, such as Coltan, a mineral used in capacitors for mobile phones and other smart electronic must-haves and mined in conflict-torn Congo.

There’ll soon be a time when the majority of these raw materials run out and can only be obtained cost-effectively from quarrying the goods we previously threw away. Indeed that’s the gist of a report released today (January 9^th) from manufacturers’ association, the EEF. In a survey it found that two-thirds of senior manufacturing leaders say a shortage of raw materials is the top risk to their business, and is looking to the government to change policy regarding access to the waste stream.

Just as well, therefore, that a new description may speed up matters, shifting a perception of what we throw away from being rubbish into something vital to the economy. If it catches on, it wil help emphasise how we can all play a part in a new era of responsible recovery.

Last year's sleepout

Gerrards Cross resident, Mark Davey, will be exchanging the warmth and comfort of his bed for a chilly cardboard box on Friday 2^nd December when he joins dozens of others at The Trinity Big SleepOut at the Hillingdon Athletics Stadium in Uxbridge in support of homeless people.

Mark, who holds down a high-powered job as Executive Vice President, International Solutions Group for FIS, the world’s largest provider of banking and payments technology, aims to help increase awareness of the plight of the homeless and raise vital funds to help Trinity Homeless Projects to continue its valuable work.

“Trinity is a registered charity focused on getting homeless people off the streets and back on their feet, through supported housing, training and employment programmes,” Mark explains. “The programmes play an important role in building individual confidence and providing stability, as well as helping them back into employment – goals which are even more relevant in today’s challenging economy.”

In the current economy, the spectre of homelessness looms for many, some of whom would never in their wildest dreams have considered it a possibility. There are countless stories of people who have been helped by Trinity. Peter James, a former resident and now a Trustee of the charity, sums up the importance of the work that they do very simply, “If it wasn’t for Trinity I wouldn’t be here today.”

“Charities like Trinity provide the basics to help get people through the day, surrounding them with friendship, advice and giving them the tools to make something of their lives,” Mark says. “It’s easy to ignore the significant contribution that charities like Trinity make to the community – and we hope we’ll be able to raise a decent amount towards its work.”

Andy Robertson, Communications Manager at Trinity said “It’s absolutely brilliant that Mark and many others like him have been moved to take part in the Big SleepOut. In the current economic climate the risk of homelessness is much greater for many more people. Trinity are at the cutting edge of a national crisis in a local setting, providing opportunities to climb out of homelessness and regain fulfilled and independent life.”

Mark knows he can expect some challenging conditions. Last year on the same date there was a severe temperature drop to well below freezing but the thousands of pounds that were raised made it well worth the discomfort. This year, they are looking to do even better. Readers who would like to sponsor Mark can do so at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Mark.Davey

For more information about Trinity and the work they do, please visit: www.trinityhomelessprojects.org.uk

The research, launched at a seminar on 7^th November, interviewed 4,500 consumers in nine European countries and the US. Two Sides is an organisation dedicated to promoting an understanding of print and paper’s environmental sustainability to the marketing and business communities.  Further interesting results concerning recycling and paper will be covered in a later blog.

OK quibblers – what is ‘nicer’?  As this is not explained in depth, we’ll just have to go with the flow.  In the same ‘digital native’ age group, 78% feel that compared to other media, paper and print are more pleasant to handle and touch (74% of all consumers).  When it comes to storing important documents 63% of 18-24’s prefer paper (58% all consumers). 

So the research indicates that printed media do have the potential to reach and engage younger people, and not just more conservative older generations. The challenge to the marketing community is how to exploit it, when digital is more commonly seen as the only way to reach this age group.

Photo courtesy of M-real

The answers were explored at the seminar by a panel of marketing and publishing experts, including Joe Clift of Lloyds Banking Group, Kate Scally of A&N Media, Jon Willacy of MCC, Phil Sweeney of Which?, and Julia Hutchison of the APA. There was a consensus on the effectiveness of cross-media marketing campaigns that integrate digital and printed media, the latter encompassing direct and door-drop mail; customer and brand magazines; magazine advertising; and catalogues.  Print is seen as an essential part of the mix, engaging consumers for longer, being more trusted, retained for reference, and prompting response.

What can the PR community take out from this? We need to be part of the decision process ensuring consistent messaging and adding creative ideas in cross-media campaigns. There is a need for our writing skills, whether in PR, own brand publications or marketing material.  And we should be encouraged that not all marketing spend is migrating towards digital and social media – advertising will continue to support printed media and help maintain the independent press that remains the most authoritative source of news and analysis both on and offline.

Want to read more?  Two Sides is publishing a thrice-yearly magazine Print Power, crammed full of facts, case studies and opinions on marketing, print media and sustainability. Oh, and there’s an online version too www.printpoweruk.co.uk. In case that’s your preference!

For the full job description details, please click here