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#FuturePRoof podcast: Socially Mobile update With Stephen and Sarah Waddington Socially Mobile is a not for profit public relations school that aims to help practitioners achieve their earning potential. It is applying an executive education model to help address socio-economic diversity within the industry. The project expects to launch its first cohort of students in October. The learning design is complete and content production underway. We're looking for support sharing the story of Socially Mobile with industry networks, candidate recruitment, and assessment and marketing. We're grateful to the growing Socially Mobile community but especially donors, sponsors and teachers. Our sponsors include Astute.Work, CoverageBook, Curzon PR, Don't Cry Wolf, Porter Novelli, Story Comms and Wadds Inc. For further information please visit sociallymobile.org.uk www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: Socially Mobile launch With Stephen and Sarah Waddington In this latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: Big news as Sarah is awarded a CBE for services to public relations and the voluntary sectors in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. The launch of Socially Mobile – we’d love your support and will shortly be recruiting assessors – please watch this space and get involved. Research from the National Centre for Universities and Business and the University of Cambridge shows the pandemic has caused a hiatus in R&D and innovation. The findings are a matter for concern considering the necessary role of innovation and R&D as the UK moves to strengthen its position as a global science superpower, as set out in the 2021 Queen’s Speech. The lockdown boom for agency startups following publication of the latest Wadds Inc. report. The federal government in Nigeria has banned Twitter. It has serious implications for democracy and public discourse. The Brandwatch Customer Loyalty Report published in conjunction with GWI is worth a look for retailers wanting to know which issues they should be focusing on in 2021. Ethics – the good, bad and the ugly of recent corporate behaviour. www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof: Rethink and reconnect With Stephen and Sarah Waddington The Conservatives had a good local election last week however Labour seems more disconnected than ever. Meanwhile the SNP has extended its lead in Scotland and is demanding a second vote on independence. Actor, director and writer Noel Clarke was awarded the prize for outstanding British contribution to cinema by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA). Two weeks earlier BAFTA was informed about the existence of several allegations of verbal abuse, bullying and sexual harassment. Income for the top 150 agencies was down 4.3% to £1.36 billion in 2020 compared to £1.42 billion in 2019, according to PRWeek. However more than 50 agencies launched during the COVID-19 pandemic between January 2020 to March 2021. The PRCA UK National Conference: Communications and influence in the post-pandemic erais planned as an in-person event on 8 July. The CIPR (19 May) and PRFest (14-18 June) have also announced conferences on sustainability. Both are virtual. ESG is both a label and an organising principle that represents everything about people and the planet. A new report by Stephen and Dr Jon White, published by Vuelio, explores the role of PR in supporting planning, horizon scanning, metrics and reporting. David Gallagher and John O’Brien’s book Truth Be Told is Stephen’s recommendation of the month. Sarah’s shout out is for Rich Leigh and the team at RadioActive who have organised meetups in London and Manchester on 1 and 22 July respectively. www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: lockdown eases in England With Stephen and Sarah Waddington Report backlash: A commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report claims that the UK "no longer" has a system rigged against people from ethnic minorities. Denial doesn’t help anyone Hybrid workplace: Employers reporting increased productivity benefits from homeworking compared to last summer according to the CIPD. We’ve found our home working rhythm Shocking social: Amazon has gone on the offensive last week replying directly to critical tweets. 'Fake' Twitter users have rushed to Amazon's defense over unions and working conditions Audio copycat: Clubhouse launched as a social audio platform in April 2020. Then Facebook and Twitter created live audio meeting rooms. Now startup Ping Pong allows audio and video messages to be shared in messaging channels Silencing social: Facebook has followed Twitter in allowing users to limit who can respond to posts. The goal is the make social media a safe space but could limit public discourse Volkswagen fools: April Fools was cancelled this year apart from Volkswagen which rebranded as Voltswagen. The results were predictable Round-up: Elizabeth Bananuka has launched the #TheXec leadership scheme for Black, Asian, Mixed Race & Ethnic Minority PR & comms. New books published from John O'Brien and David Gallagher on purpose, and Jenni Field on internal communications www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: can I go back to the office yet? With Stephen and Sarah Waddington When is a PR disaster not a PR disaster? – Ryanair on UK government support for airlines, Allen vs Farrow, and Gordon Beattie’s resignation Royal protocol – statements from both Buckingham Palace and Meghan Markle are an extraordinary breach of traditional protocol Future of the office - we should listen to the voice of the future workforce as we make plans for the future Blowing smoke - British American Tobacco’s use of influencers and emerging forms of media raises ethical issues for the marketing and public relations professions Budget highlights – corporation tax ladder rising from 19% to 25% in 2023, levelling up agenda, furlough extended, and VAT freeze for the hospitality and tourism Leader Like Me Conference - learn from these industry experts who will share stories, strategies and their own learnings on 23 March WaddsCon – up next on 26 March: search listening, the PR post COVID-19, qualitative research using bots, and PR’s opportunity to win back SEO budgets www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: We are all Jackie Weaver With Stephen and Sarah Waddington Democracy is alive and well – Clerk Jackie Weaver bring orders to a chaotic and bad tempered Handforth Parish Council Share of search - The IPA is promoting share of search as a metric for advertising effectiveness. There’s limited evidence of its validity outside large FMCG markets Charity Commission - Charities that support contentious causes should expect scrutiny if they campaign on those issues according to the outgoing chair of the Charity Commission Tina Stowell PR industry bounce back - Recruitment is a leading indicator of an economic recovery. In PR and digital marketing it has returned to pre-COVID-19 levels but several sectors remain challenged Exit from lockdown – While we await the publication of the Government’s plan to exit lockdown, organisations are planning a move to a hybrid working environment. It’s unlikely we see the end of the office Free market economies are damaging the natural environment by failing to place a value on natural assets according to The Economics of Biodiversity: The Dasgupta Review Talking to Strangers – Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book explores the biases that we bring to meeting new people Lockdown Unconference – You’re invited to join a new Unconference learning and development event on 26 February   www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: An end of year thank you letter With Stephen and Sarah Waddington ·       Communicators:  Marcus Rashford, Burger King, and Unilever’s Alan Jope ·       Media: BBC’s Hugh Pym, Sky’s Kay Burley, Manchester Evening News’ Jennifer Williams and editorial teams at CNN, The New York Times and Tortoise ·       Writing we’ve admired: Marina Hyde, Nafisa Ali Shafiq, Katrina Marshall, and Sharon O’Dea ·       Communities of change: Elizabeth Bananuka’s BME PR Pros, and Priya Bates and Advita Patel’s A Leader Like Me ·       Membership organisations: CBI, NHS Providers, CIPR and PRCA ·       Ones to watch: Shayoni Lynn’s Lynn PR, Kristian Hogard’s Simply Thought, Paul Stollery and Darryl Sparey’s Hard Numbers, and Nik Govier’s Blurred ·       Best books: Charlie Mackesy’s The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, and Scott Galloway’s Algebra of Happiness and Post Corona ·       Reasons to be optimistic: vaccine, community and altruism, ESG agenda and the opportunity for a green recovery www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: a week is a long time in PR With Stephen and Sarah Waddington As the US election count continues the US media has found its voice and is calling out the President’s lies. What took you so long? Sarah is proofing the fifth edition of #FuturePRoof. It tells the story of how the NHS managed the first wave of the crisis through the voices of communication practitioners Stephen has been investigating search listening. It’s a way of understanding what people are saying about brands and markets and the questions that they are asking England entered its second lockdown this week as Wales emerged from a so-called circuit breaker. Scotland is under lock restrictions. How are you coping? Organisations face scrutiny over their purpose as COVID-19 continues. Sainsbury’s is set to issue a £231m dividend after benefiting from £230m business rates relief. Presenting via a video camera over the internet is an entirely different skill to presenting at a physical event. We’re all learning as we go. We’ve got some suggestions The ICCO and PRII Conferences spotlighted opportunity for public relations in helping organisations emerge from the crisis and manage BREXIT The Pros Winter Series on 2 December is a date for your diary. Headline speakers include Lord Simon Wooley, Zing Tsjeng, Trevor Robinson and Samira Ahmed www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: Asif Choudry is our #CommsHero With Stephen and Sarah Waddington The latest #FuturePRoof practitioner survey finds one in five PR teams hit by COVID-19 infections, with a quarter managing furloughs and redundancies Sarah handed over #FuturePRoof to the BAME community for her latest book. Topics range from audience targeting to social media and from internal comms to the psychology of decision-making It's CIPR election time. We’re both backing Pete Holt for President in 2022, a moderniser with fresh thinking on governance and member engagement, and areas of practice including ESG and IC. All the candidate states are on the CIPR site Stephen plotted COVID-19 against a well-known crisis planning model and spoke to crisis communication experts. It provides a clear rationale for our current mood. It will pass Asif Choudry and the team at Resource pulled off a fantastic #CommsHero event with more than 40 speakers and 150 delegates. The content is now available to view on demand www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: new books in the works With Stephen and Sarah Waddington In the latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: Agencies and communication teams continue to navigate a challenging environment, but their work has never been more valued The UK’s reputation internationally is under scrutiny because of Brexit negotiations Demos finds society more divided than ever before, and no sign of leadership to bring together polarised factions Kellogg’s, the manufacturer of Pringles, and Rio Tinto are two companies under scrutiny because of corporate and social responsibility issues Sarah has two new #FuturePRoof books in the works: a special BAME edition and an exploration of how NHS communicators responded to COVID-19 Upcoming events: the PRCA Annual Conference and CommsHero week The latest #FuturePRoof survey aims to explore how the PR industry continues to be impacted by COVID-19. Please share your views www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/  

#FuturePRoof podcast: tackling the PR industry’s lack of diversity and organisational racism With Stephen and Sarah Waddington In the latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: Cultural grief following the tragic and unlawful death of George Floyd in the US and how organisations should respond, with reference to Katrina Marshall’s thoughtful article for #FuturePRoof, published on #BlackoutTuesday  Why the white community needs to educate itself about the #BlackLivesMatter movement and practical steps we can all take, with thanks to guidance from BME PR Pros founder Elizabeth Bananuka The good - and mainly bad - of recent brand responses and the need for actions over words Some news about the launch of Stephen’s new professional advisory firm – gun for hire! A reminder about the latest events and support out there including PRFest www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/

#FuturePRoof podcast: Business interventions for COVID19 With Stephen and Sarah Waddington In the latest edition of the #FuturePRoof podcast we discuss: The #FuturePRoof COVID-19 survey finds industry bosses continuing to come to terms with rapid change and uncertainty: (35.9%) and access to customers (53.0%). 45.9% of employers are worried about trading through the crisis. The survey remains open and the data continues to be passed to CIPR, PRCA and the Government to inform interventions. The CIPR and PRCA have been lobbying central Government. Both organisations have published advice and toolkits for members. Financial support announced so far is listed on the Government website. The BBC has restated its public service commitment and the NHS is at the heart of the Government’s response. The marketing and PR has shifted to education and public information. The last two weeks have seen massive technology onboarding across society. At work and home video has become the norm. Privacy concerns have evaporated. This hyper connectivity is creating its own issues. That in itself creates its own wave of anxiety. We are reorganising and reprioritising our lives. The long term cost of the crisis will be measured in terms of mental health. At a time when human connection and intimacy is most needed it’s being denied. It’s worth checking out the article Wadds wrote this week unpicking this very issue. The UK lockdown has led to a series of thoughtful, reflective articles. We’ve particularly enjoyed Paul Sutton on bad behaviour by brands; Maja Pawinska Sims on the psychological impact; and David Gallagher on what might come next. www.futureproofingcomms.co.uk/