Starting at PR Conversations

I made my first post at PR Conversations today - on the question: What is PR?

It is an honour to be asked to be part of the team at this collaborative blog which aims to be “a truly global environment for a debate about public relations and its social impact today”.

What is particularly good about PR Conversations is that it attracts academics and practitioners, and it provides insights from those working in different countries.

Traditionally, PR has been dominated by the US, and to a lesser extent, the UK - giving a rather narrow cultural and reflective base for the profession’s past, present and future development.

We are fortunate that today we can benefit from wider thinking as PR undoubtedly needs global and international perspectives.  Society is increasingly diverse - whilst at the same time being more and more interconnected.  As PR professionals we often encounter the same challenges wherever we are based - and can learn from the experiences and knowledge of others.

I love the way in which the online environment enables a global community of those who are interested in PR to come together through ventures such as PR Conversations. 

However, it is important that such places for discussion do not become inclusive, but reach out to those who have different viewpoints, who may be new to PR, or unfamiliar with previous conversations.

I really hope members of the GreenBanana community will take an opportunity to stop by at PR Conversations - and please, check the archives there as there have been some really good discussions.

Facts about becoming a driver

Looking at the press release: Consultation on cost of Driving Tests from the Driving Standards Agency, I noticed the use of data, particularly in the Notes to Editors.

The DSA is “carrying out a public consultation on modernising arrangements to take driving tests.”   Downloads of the consultation paper and response form can be readily found on the DSA website, which is good practice.

One of the main aspects of the consultation is the price of driving tests.  If you’d asked me how much I thought it cost to take the theory and practical car tests - I would probably have estimated £200.

Instead, even with a proposed increase of £1.50 for the theory and £8 for the practical elements, these rise to £30 and £56.50 respectively - a total of £86.50.

That’s a one off payment (if you pass), for a lifetime as a motorist - doesn’t that sound cheap to you?

It isn’t cheap to become a driver though.  The AA details its average lesson cost at £22, with 45 lessons typically required to pass - that’s a tenner short of a grand (£990).  And, buying, insuring and running a car are also considerable costs. 

Should it cost more to have the licence itself? 

There were more facts in the Notes to Editors.  The DSA has an annual turnover of around £152.6 million (but “profit” isn’t detailed).  It employs the equivalent of 1,945 full time driving examiners at ”over 432 test centres” (how many is that then?) across mainland Great Britain. Last year, it conducted 1.8 million practical tests for car drivers, 89,000 vocational tests and 78,000 motorcycle rider tests.  A total of 1.5 million theory tests were carried out at 158 centres. At the end of the year there were 39,001 people on the Register of Approved Driving Instructors (ADI).

I’m not really sure what to make of all this data - this seems quite a high number of ADI each with an average of 46 test takers annually.  But of course, a simple analysis doesn’t reflect a real picture.

As PR practitioners, we should provide supporting data in our press releases.  Clear facts help substantiate the main messages being conveyed - but should we seek to clarify facts to add meaning, or leave further interpretation to journalists?

Training PR practitioners in risk assessment

I believe that everyone working in PR needs to be gains better skills and understanding in relation to formal risk assessment.  So I’m taking the opportunity of guesting at the Wardman Wire to ask for some expert health and safety advice to help guide plans to run a course for members of MIPAA.

Compare crash test press releases

An interesting opportunity to compare press releases on the same story today.  Euro NCAP has released its independent assessment of the safety performance of four small cars. 

In the NCAP release Cars with big aspirations: Fiat 500 and Kia Cee’d, it is interesting to see the Cee’d commented upon - as there is news value in it being the first Kia model to achieve a five star rating (even though its pedestrian protection achieves fewer stars than the Peugeot 308).

I am surprised there is no information about Euro NCAP in the release - automotive media will be familiar with the organisation and its system, but a simple statement, even as a Note to Editor could provide official clarification, which might be used in reports read by the general public. 

The release contains useful links to more test information for each of the models tested - but didn’t specifically state this.

Different styles and approaches can be seen in the individual releases from:

• Renault: FOUR STARS IN EURONCAP FOR NEW TWINGO
• Kia: KIA cee’d WINS 5 STAR EURO NCAP RATING
• Peugeot: Euro NCAP AWARDS THE NEW PEUGEOT 308 FIVE STARS
• UPDATE: Fiat (released 31/8): EURO NCAP FIVE-STAR SAFETY RATING FOR FIAT 500

Again, none of these releases explains Euro NCAP.  Although Catherine Riley, Motoring Editor of The Times recently claimed the system was understood, she still explained it:

Most of us, when we buy new cars in Britain and, in fact, across Europe, are familiar with the term “Euro NCAP rating”, a mark, out of five stars, that has been accepted as the standard for safety ratings. Of course, these are not in-depth, totally comprehensive crash tests of every car on the market, as manufacturers are expected to conduct these themselves. They are, however, “a realistic and independent assessment of the safety performance of some of the most popular cars sold in Europe”, according to Euro NCAP, which is also known as the European New Car Assessment Programme.

It has been in existence now for 10 years, providing motoring consumers - that’s both you and me and car manufacturers - with a standard by which we may judge a car’s safety. It has got some weight behind it, too - Euro NCAP is backed by five European Governments and the European Commission, as well as motoring and consumer organisations in every EU country. When it was first conceived, manufacturers shunned it, but the programme gained acceptance once it was seen to be technically correct - not forgetting, of course, that cars which received good ratings saw an increase in sales figures and those that did badly saw a decrease.

I’m not convinced there is a high level of understanding among the general public and mainstream media of Euro NCAP, despite the system being 10 years old.  In any case, just because something may be obvious within an industry and to its specialist media, can it hurt to clarify by providing additional information? 

I think this also applies to issuing individual releases in the case of this story.  Although most of the online coverage seems to have been picked up from the Euro NCAP release, specialist media will be interested in information from particular perspectives - such as the Korean Times for Kia).

Expanding Green Banana

My blogging world is expanding - this week, I’m guesting at The Wardman Wire whilst Matt is away - see my post: PR perspective on Health & Safety.

I’ve also been invited to join the collaborative blog PR Conversations, where I look forward to stimulating some interesting debate.  There are a couple of topics that I am working on at present - so will let you know when you can check them out there.

In the meantime, there are some great reflections there including Toni Muzi Falconi’s latest piece that highlights some concerning aspects of PR in the US. 

And, there’ll be more usual Green Banana thoughts of course. 

Bank holiday blues

I know we’ve been promised good weather for once, but the realisation that this is the last Bank Holiday before Christmas is depressing.

They’ll huff and they’ll puff…

Judy Gombita emailed me regarding Monstropedia - “the largest encyclopedia about monsters”.  It is a wiki of information on scary myths and legends.

Such narrative tales are interesting in terms of how society passes on messages - life lessons - to encourage or control behaviour. 

For children, the idea is they learn from monsters and heroes - enabling us to manage our fears in a safe environment.  But, I remember my nephew when he was six years old being scared by as a result of tall tales.  In Florida, he screamed at a lizard, which he thought was a baby dragon.  At CentreParcs, he was worried about wolves lurking in the woods outside our chalet.  Of course, we reassured him these were just tales - but it does seem odd to scare a child in this way.

My favourite is the Revolting Rhymes book by Roald Dahl where the tables are turned by Red Riding Hood:

The small girl smiles. One eyelid flickers.
She whips a pistol from her knickers.
She aims it at the creature’s head
And bang bang bang, she shoots him dead,
A few weeks later, in the wood,
I came across Miss Riding Hood.
But what a change! No cloak of red,
No silly hood upon her head.
She said, “Hello, and do please note
My lovely furry wolfskin coat.”

 And then, when asked for help by the 3 Little Pigs:

A short while later, through the wood,
Came striding brave Miss Riding Hood.
The Wolf stood there, his eyes ablaze,
And yellowish, like mayonnaise.
His teeth were sharp, his gums were raw,
And spit was dripping from his jaw.
Once more the maiden’s eyelid flickers.
She draws the pistol from her knickers.
Once more she hits the vital spot,
And kills him with a single shot.
Pig, peeping through the window, stood
And yelled, “Well done, Miss Riding Hood!”
Ah, Piglet, you must never trust
Young ladies from the upper crust.
For now, Miss Riding Hood, one notes,
Not only has two wolfskin coats,
But when she goes from place to place,
She has a PIGSKIN TRAVELING CASE.

I use these tales in a writing exercises for PR students, which is always great fun.  The set up is to write a speech for Red Riding Hood for the annual nursery rhyme character conference, warning about dangerous wolves. 

The results are always excellent - students learn how to make a speech persuasive and alive with examples, relevance and narrative.  We even have the personal connection as she retells the tragedy that befell her grandmother. 

Familiar tales make good content for press release and other writing exercises.  They are also useful for looking at cultural similarities and differences.

It is also an excuse to read Roald Dahl who has to be one of the greatest story tellers of the 20th century.  Not only in terms of his unique writing for children, but also through his “Tales of the Unexpected“.  The ending of Lamb to the Slaughter is a pure classic - and a reminder, that sometimes, the scariest stories are those closest to real life.

Bee-careful - another esure press release

Esure are at it again - another daft press release: Bee-careful: 650,000 car accidents are caused by uninvited insects.

Apparently the DVLA Driver Census 2006 (which I couldn’t find via the DVLA or government statistic sites) reveals that “over half a million motorists have had a car accident thanks to distractions caused by insects and bugs”.

A torturous equation (ie % of motorists x average cost claim / 23.37 years – the average period of time a person drives for) is used to reveal this amounts to “an estimated £44 million of car damage each year”.

The ubiquitous motorists’ survey then reveals that “insects proved to cause the second biggest disturbance”, and:

“three quarters (75 per cent) of drivers revealed that rogue bugs drove them to distraction, so much so that over a million (four per cent) motorists admitted to slamming on the brakes when an insect flew into their car.  Worryingly, an additional fifth of motorists (21 per cent) said they took their hands off the wheel to either swat or flick out an unwanted bug.”

The solution - a special ‘spider web’ insect protection net - which despite the sub-header of “esure unveils bug net innovation” is a concept not a real product.  Anyway, the company is:

“always looking at ways to help drivers reduce the likelihood of having an accident and these car insect nets could help to make the roads safer this summer. And the three per cent of drivers who never wind down their window in fear of an insect flying in, would be able to experience fresh air whilst driving for the very first time.”

Let’s add in the usual gender stereotypes - female motorists are more distracted by insects, but men admit to more insect-related accidents.  The poor little dears are also more likely to cite the pain of being bitten as a concern.

Then its phobias and a quote from Professor Alex Gardner, Chartered Psychologist and phobia specialist (clearly from a Google search a pretty flexible psychologist for PR and media hire). 

Then the release bungs in the regional angle - with “Brummies” the “worst affected”, but 16 per cent of Londoners “safely ignoring unwanted insects”.  Actually, the range of fearful in the regions is 84-87% - and although it is unclear how many people are representative of each region, this is unlikely to be a statistically significant variation.

Of course we have blindingly obvious advice at the tail end of the release and some pretty naff photos.

I plan to ask my automotive journalist contacts their views of such releases - bizarrely, I find myself thrilled to see another such press release appear in my daily feeds.  I’m all for creativity, and esure isn’t exactly a serious brand, so I find myself intrigued to see quite how ridiculous the subject of the next installment will be.

Booze and fags - that’s really bad

Once upon a time, famous folk used to do really mad and bad things - today’s headlines emphasise how stupid society has become, though:

Bill Murray tested for drunk driving of golf cart 

Rolling Stones warned over public smoking

And, via Nige on Brian Appleyard’s blog, I notice a report that:

People who even think about going for a drink face being banned from their town centre for up to two days under wideranging new police powers.

I’m not denying that smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol cause health and other problems - but it does seem ridiculous that these are being turned into heinous crimes.

As a celebrity’ PR practitioner, you must get used to all sorts of calls, but it must be hard not to laugh when your client is accused of having a legal cigarette or a tipple too many.

Hardly Fatty Arbuckle is it?

Back to 1912 for filling stations

I like a good factoid - and noticed, in a press release from the Petrol Retailers Association that: the number of filling stations in the UK is back to level of 1912.

This does leave 9,500 forecourts but already 150 have closed this year.  One of the motoring memories for 1978 noted in the MIPAA Revolve ezine was the closure of 1,400 fuel forecourts as diesel fuel prices increased by 24% and petrol prices by 18%.  But back then, filling stations numbered 74,000 around Britain.

I am reminded of the 1,000 Mile Trial, which I rate as a PR masterclass in changing public attitudes.  Back in 1900, Claude Johnson (who later became known as the hyphen in Rolls-Royce) organised this amazing tour in his role as Secretary of the Automobile Club of Great Britain.  He secured a media partner in the form of Sir Alfred Harmsworth, newspaper owner and founder of the Daily Mail, and “established the legitimacy of the motor car with police, magistrates and in the public imagination”.

One of the many logistical challenges facing Johnson in organising this round Britain event was the lack of fuel stations.  Elizabeth Bennett’s amazing book which commemorated the centenary of the event, explains that 250 gallons of petrol were needed each day and a list of suppliers and price per gallon was compiled for the event programme.

Entrants were required to reserve their supplies and pay for this in advance.  Most petrol was sourced from chemist shops and private supplies kept at country houses by those who owned a car. 

Ensuring the right density of “motor spirit” was another issue - affected by changes in temperature.  It was highly inflammable and largely transported by railway, with the sender or receiver being held “responsible for any damage that may occur through careless handling on the part of the railway companies’ servants.”

Today we take the availability of fuel for granted - hence the government crisis caused by blockades by fuel protestors in 2000 and panic earlier this year over fuel contamination.

Of course, greater fuel efficiency means we don’t have to fill up our cars so often - and the mighty supermarkets are open 24:7, so why worry?

Well, in many towns and rural areas, the fuel station is also the local shop.  It sells newspapers and many other essentials.  Like local post offices, schools and pubs, losing the petrol station is another indication of decline in community services.

The oil companies claim to make little profit from retailing petrol - so maintaining huge networks of filling stations isn’t top of their list of priorities.

Back in 1900, motoring was largely for the rich and their cars were more of a hobby than a necessity.  They had chauffeurs and other servants to help locate fuel - today, we’re on our own. 

Finding fuel doesn’t really seem that difficult today - and environmentalists might argue that making it more of a challenge would be a good thing. 

The decline in the number of filling stations is a good example of the boiled frog syndrome.  This alleges that if a frog is placed in boiling water, it will jump out, but if it is placed in cold water that is slowly heated, it will never jump out.

Likewise, people don’t notice the gradual reduction in filling stations.  When I was the PR Manager at National Breakdown, a vehicle breakdown company (now Green Flag) - I used to issue motoring advice that included never driving with less than a quarter of a tank of fuel and carrying a spare safety can for emergencies. 

Of course, I forgot my own advice on the two occasions where I ran out of fuel.  If filling stations become more and more scarce - you can be sure, more people will find themselves in similar situations.