What Does Success Look Like?

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Print@HK_London

The UK’s Young PR Lions, Helen Wood and Rachel Matovu, share their highs and lows from Cannes Lions.

This is a question we hear from clients and colleagues on a near daily basis in the PR world. From coverage targets and social media metrics, to driving forward brand preference and changing behaviour; we are constantly measuring our work against the goals we set ourselves.

Being picked as the UK team for this year’s Young PR Lions in Cannes got us thinking a lot about this same question in the context of our own quest for success. It started with the goal of being shortlisted by the PRCA to present our campaign, which was followed by a huge sense of elation at being chosen to represent the UK at Cannes. We at first had succeeded in our ambition to respond to the brief and craft a campaign that we were proud of, and then in realising the even greater ambition to make it to Cannes.

In Cannes, we were in the midst of the competition again with the same ambition to win the gold medal. With 12 hours to turn around a charity brief and a pitch to deliver the very next day, the adrenaline was peaking. When the results were revealed only a few hours later, and we didn’t get awarded a medal, we were not only thoroughly disappointed, but somewhat embarrassed to tell our colleagues who had so much enthusiasm and pride for us. It’s so easy to let an apparent failure make you reassess your abilities and question your process. Both of us like to keep things light hearted and resorted to joking about the awards as though it was no big deal, but the truth was that keeping in mind the journey of our destination is essential to stay on course.

However, success comes in many forms, and with the support of our colleagues and friends, we faced our apparent setback and dragged ourselves into reality. We were at the centre of the most influential event in our industry, had access to the some of the most exciting and current conversations and were soaking it all up. We had momentum and we were riding it and would continue to use this experience as a step in our careers.

Our Director of Social, Candace Kuss, recently did a talk at one of Google’s firestarters events where she revealed how her own career and life unfolded; how she always wanted to  move to London from California but the path she ended up taking wasn’t the one she expected. Hearing Candace’s story we realised the difference between short terms goals and long term dreams.

Listening to a talk from the Sky cycling team yesterday we were intrigued to hear how they make minute changes in their processes to better their performance – these are short terms goals, and some of them may not work out but the bigger dream they are hoping to realise is to win the Tour de France. This was preceded by Jamie Oliver, who spoke passionately about his fight to eliminate unhealthy food from the family table. He surely must have some goals he needs to hit along the way – views on his FoodTube channel, sales of his book, getting funding for his next documentary. But all of these are steps towards a greater ambition, one which might not even be realised in his lifetime.

Having a one to one with Jamie unfortunately wasn’t an option, but we did enjoy a drink with the Young PR Lions winners from Sweden, who told us the story of how they had competed last year and not “succeeded”. They came back this year with plenty of learnings and an even greater determination to win.

The great thing about Cannes is that you don’t know where it might take you. It’s really all about incremental success and if you are happy with your choices and how it has contributed to either making your goals more of a reality or solidifying your own identity then your overall confidence will grow.  We also believe it’s also not always about you as an individual, as sometimes watching the success of other people is as rewarding as having your own wins. It’s concrete evidence of what is possible and keeps you on course to reach for the same results.

Right now our goal is to enjoy the rest of the week, share in the success of others and learn as much as we can. We are extremely privileged to take the learnings of such an inspiring crowd of people and apply it to our own work.

Original Article from Homles Report.

Francis Ingham’s postcard from Cannes

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Written by Francis Ingham

500_francisingham2Print@PRCAIngham

 

So it’s all over bar the boasting, the excuses, and the analysis. And maybe the odd hangover. Cannes has presented its awards, and agency heads are left to work out what if means for them and what it means for the industry

What are my observations?

First, the number of PR practitioners here keeps on growing. Partly because more agencies are entering and partly because PR people simply feel more at home here.

There are more PR wins. MSL walked away happy last night. But so did plenty of other PR agencies. The old lament of ‘PR agencies don’t/can’t win at Cannes’ simply doesn’t hold true any longer. But equally….

Lines really are blurred now. OK. That’s not an original observation. But it’s blindingly obvious when you’re here and when you see the work on display. Is this a bad thing? No. For the simple reason that PR agencies are better placed to eat into rivals (previously larger) territories than they are to eat into ours.

The campaigns that won were the integrated ones that told a compelling story. And more often than not spoke to a higher purpose than just profit or just fulfilling a brief. And yes, #likeagirl ticks all of those boxes.

And finally, the future really is bright. ICCO sponsored and made possible the Young Lions. Bigger than last year, and attracting entries from 18 countries, it was a fantastic showcase of the industry’s future. And showed, incidentally, that for all that the UK and the USA are the most advanced markets, our two countries have no monopoly on talent. The winning team came from Sweden. Last year, It came from Japan.

And on that note go and open up the ICCO House of PR. There are a lot of sore heads to tend to this morning…..

Francis Ingham's postcard from Cannes

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500_francisingham2Print@PRCAIngham   So it’s all over bar the boasting, the excuses, and the analysis. And maybe the odd hangover. Cannes has presented its awards, and agency heads are left to work out what if means for them and what it means for the industry What are my observations? First, the number of PR practitioners here keeps on growing. Partly because more agencies are entering and partly because PR people simply feel more at home here. There are more PR wins. MSL walked away happy last night. But so did plenty of other PR agencies. The old lament of ‘PR agencies don’t/can’t win at Cannes’ simply doesn’t hold true any longer. But equally…. Lines really are blurred now. OK. That’s not an original observation. But it’s blindingly obvious when you’re here and when you see the work on display. Is this a bad thing? No. For the simple reason that PR agencies are better placed to eat into rivals (previously larger) territories than they are to eat into ours. The campaigns that won were the integrated ones that told a compelling story. And more often than not spoke to a higher purpose than just profit or just fulfilling a brief. And yes, #likeagirl ticks all of those boxes. And finally, the future really is bright. ICCO sponsored and made possible the Young Lions. Bigger than last year, and attracting entries from 18 countries, it was a fantastic showcase of the industry’s future. And showed, incidentally, that for all that the UK and the USA are the most advanced markets, our two countries have no monopoly on talent. The winning team came from Sweden. Last year, It came from Japan. And on that note go and open up the ICCO House of PR. There are a lot of sore heads to tend to this morning…..

Getting ready for your first Cannes Lions?

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by Gabriela Lungu, integrated creative director & Cannes Lions veteran

gabriela lungu

@GabrielaLungu

 

 

Congratulations! Your firm is sending you to Cannes Lions!  It’s the most important International Festival of Creativity for the Marcom industry, so you should be very proud that you were chosen (the pass for the festival, plus the transport, the accommodation and other expenses, are quite a significant investment for any company; and yours is investing in you!).

The best thing to do now is to make the most out of this awesome experience. But the truth is that going to Cannes Lions for the first time can be quite intimidating.

This is no small event. It’s one who practically takes over an entire city for a full week. Huge main venue, and many other smaller ones. 12,000 people attending. Lots of things, all very interesting, happening in parallel. Amazing superstars, from the industry and beyond, to see and meet at the different gatherings – some official and some not so official. And all the temptations of the French Riviera at walking distance. What to choose? How to make sure you’re not missing out?

As a Cannes Lions veteran, I’m asked lots of questions every year.

Here are my top 7 tips:

  1. Download the official Cannes Lions App. This app is your best friend. Read what’s happening at this year’s edition and start planning. Decide who you want to see, where you want to go and put together a personalized agenda. Make a plan A, but also a plan B. You’ll have to be flexible to fully enjoy the week
  2. When you get there, take the official “HOW TO CANNES DAILY TOUR” to find your way around the Festival’s main venue, Le Palais des Festivals. After you know your Grand Audi from your Debussy, you’ll instantly feel more confident.
  3. From the Palais, take a walk on the Croisette and maybe even a little sightseeing tour around Cannes. Remember where the biggest hotels (especially Majestic, Carlton and Martinez) and the beaches are. Many events, especially the evening ones, are happening outside the Palais, in one of these locations.
  4. Keep in mind that you’ll be one of the 12,000 people who come to be inspired at Cannes Lions. If a seminar sounds very interesting to you, chances are the other 11,999 people will think the same. If you really want to be in the same room with an inspiring speaker, make sure you are in that room really early (with 2-3 hours in advance) and you don’t leave it. Not even for bathroom breaks.
  5. If you can’t get in for one of the big seminars, don’t be disappointed. Go to a workshop instead. Many times, the most valuable and practical information are shared in the smaller sessions.
  6. Go to the parties you’re invited to. There are amazing networking opportunities. Go to the after-parties too; there are many planned and unplanned ones all over the city. Enjoy the rosé (they call it ‘the Festival’s water’). But make sure you’re up and running again early in the morning. There must be parties all the time where you’re coming from; but there’s only one Cannes Lions Festival every year.
  7. Go to The House of PR (Grand Palais Beach, Cabana 11), a fun and comfortable meeting space for the PR community. Get involved with the scheduled activities from Monday 22nd June to Wednesday 24th June, from 9am till 6pm. Throughout the festival the House of PR will play host to interviews, live streaming and much more. Look out for the live updates – twitter: @ICCOpr, #WELOVEPR.

Of course, the most important thing is to… relax. If you ever feel confused, remember that even the smug veterans had their first Cannes Lions once. Enjoy it to the maximum, let yourself be inspired, and then share this inspiration with your colleagues back home.

See you there!

US: YOUNG PR PHENOMS SHOW THEY ‘CANNES’ COMPETE!

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The Competition… Given two weeks to research, conceptualize, and draft a comprehensive PR plan around a global nonprofit, the first ever US Young Lions PR Competition tested the boundaries of creativity, strategy, and determination.

imgresDesigned for teams of two PR professionals 28-years-old or younger, the competition brief examined ‘Every Mother Counts,’ an organization aiming to make pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother. This year’s assignment forced teams to dig deep into their communications repertoire – it required the right mix of innovative tactics and traditional PR methods. (As if this were not enough, these tireless young professionals did not get any reprieve from their regular account work).

As the sole sponsor of the PR competition, the PR Council worked closely with USA Today, the official US representative to the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. As Betsy Alekman, Director, Trade Marketing USA TODAY describes, “launching the first-ever PR Young Lions competition in the US has been an incredible experience on many levels… PR had a huge year in Cannes last summer and this sector of the industry is involved with the Festival more than ever.”

cannes-lions-2The incentive…Besides the obvious prestige of being recognized as the ‘cream of the crop’ of up-and-coming talent in the communications industry, we threw in an all-expense-paid trip to Cannes to represent the United States in the global competition and battle against other young PR prodigies.

The result… After reviewing dozens of entries from savvy PR duos across the US, our esteemed judging panel selected six finalists to present their submissions live in New York City. With about ten days to prepare, and in some cases traveling coast to coast, the caliber of talent on display that day is best characterized as “Exceptional.” As Paul Newman, President of MSLGroup North America, describes “they represented the brightest talent of the younger generation with skill and verve. Based on their strong strategic insights, multi-channel understanding, and truly creative tactics, we can safely expect PR to enjoy a very healthy future, for our clients, partners, and agencies. It was exciting and humbling to see the overall quality of the entries.”

However, for one hungry young lion team, this only served as the appetizer to the main course. Overcoming five of the most talented PR pairs in the country, Angela Mears and Margaux Pepper of Weber Shandwick held the perfect combination of planning and poise to be crowned the first ever US Young Lion PR Champion. Here’s what they had to say about the experience…

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Can you briefly tell a little about your career path so far, how you got involved in PR?
M: I’ve always been pulled in a few different creative directions – I pursued acting, filmmaking, graphic design, and marketing before entering the world of Public Relations. The environment at Weber Shandwick and changes in the industry have stretched the limits of what a “career in PR” can look like, so I’ve been able to weave a lot of my creative interests into my work.

A: I think my calling has always been storytelling. I started my career in entertainment, working as a production assistant on The Simpsons and writing script coverage for New Line Cinema. Then I made a shift into freelance writing before joining Weber Shandwick’s creative team. I honestly didn’t know much about PR before joining the agency, but its holistic and audience-centric approach to campaigns and storytelling is what drew me in, and what keeps me engaged even after four years in the industry.

How did you hear about the competition and what made you decide to participate?
M: Weber Shandwick nominated us!

A: That’s right – I first heard about the PR competition when I received the note that I’d be competing. I was aware of the Young Lions competition, but the introduction of the PR category was news to me.

How were you paired up as teammates?
M: Angela transferred from our Chicago office to San Francisco right before I joined the team, so we’d never met before this competition. We got introduced over email (and stalked each other on LinkedIn), then got started working cross-country. By the time we met up in Chicago to put everything together, we were fast friends!

A: Even though we’d never met or collaborated before the competition, looking back I can’t imagine a better teammate. We have perfectly complementary, synergistic skills and points of view.

What was your first reaction after meeting one another for the first time?
A: We clicked perfectly, like two puzzle pieces coming together. Between the two of us, we have copy and design skills, PR and digital expertise, storytelling and distribution strategy.

Once you received the brief, what was your strategy?
M: Research, research, research. We spent the overwhelming majority of our time getting to know the challenge and developing the right strategy, then brought the idea to life from that point.

A: Yes, we knew that developing an unassailable creative strategy, deeply rooted in audience truths, would be the key to a winning idea. Once we nailed that piece, we only had a few days to develop the creative executions and media pieces.

After the finalists were announced, how did you prepare for the live presentation?
M: Five minutes to present is no time at all, so we spent a lot of time cutting things from our presentation. We wanted to distill the campaign down to one simple idea and let the visuals we created speak for themselves.

A: We probably rehearsed a dozen times before we got the story down to its most essential pieces. Any bit of a stutter or tangent would keep us from hitting the five minute mark. By the time we presented, we had it down to a science.

What was your reaction when hearing you won the competition and will represent the US in the PR competition at Cannes?
M: We went into the presentation feeling confident, but the prospect of going to France for the global competition is so huge that winning still felt like a shock. We just couldn’t be more proud.

A: I’m still pinching myself. The odds seemed astronomical. Walking out of our presentation we felt like we nailed it, and that was really what we hoped to accomplish — to do the idea justice. Hearing we’d won was (really really awesome) icing on the cake.

Any special preparations for Cannes? Will you see each other prior to the global competition? What are you looking forward to most?
M: It’s truly an honor and a privilege to represent the agency and the country. I can’t wait to be inspired by all the other great work being showcased at Cannes and soak up the adventure of exploring a new place.

A: All I hear from folks who’ve been to Cannes is that it’s a massive dose of inspiration — and I’m most looking forward to that. Food comes in as a close second. We’re just now reviewing the rules for the global competition, but hopefully we can find time to regroup before we take the plunge!

2015 US Young Lions PR Competition Winning Team
Angela Mears & Margaux Pepper, Weber Shandwick
Winnner

PR Council Sponsor Spotlight Recipients
#PRThinking | Entries that best embody what PR is today: an integrated approach that utilizes traditional and new media to create content that compels, stories that resonate, and conversations that engage.

Nicholas Nelson & Matthew Molino, Cohn & Wolfe.

Courtney Rule & Rachel Silverman, Hill + Knowlton Strategies

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PR Council @prcouncil

amizerek@prcouncil.net

ICCO Global Summit: Message from the President

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DG

 

Dear PR agency leader,

Running a successful PR consultancy is not getting any easier, is it?

Clients want more for less. Good people are hard to find and harder to keep. Competition is relentless, and from unexpected quarters.  And technology continues to disrupt business models for clients and agencies alike.

Which is why we are pleased to present the 2015 ICCO Global Summit, Food For Thought – A PR Perspective, in Milan, Italy, 8-9 October in conjunction with the Milan EXPO 2015. Unique among international conferences in our field, the ICCO Summit is designed by PR agency leaders, for PR agency leaders, with the sole purpose of advancing the world of PR consultancy through education, networking and collaboration.

Whether you run an independent agency you started yourself or have responsibility for part of a large global network, the ICCO Global Summit is the best opportunity on the calendar to exchange ideas, make new contacts and learn from your colleagues from around the rapidly changing nature of PR agency management.  We’ve arranged for top leaders to share their perspectives in an open forum, with a program designed for plenty of networking.  And of course, opportunities to enjoy the splendours of beautiful Milan, a global centre for business, fashion and design, and home of the extraordinary Milan EXPO 2015.

You’ll want to book early to avoid disappointment.

See you in Milan!

David Gallagher, Ketchum CEO & ICCO President

 

REGISTER HERE TODAY!

 

 

 

Successful & tasteful VPRA-BPRCA activity in Antwerp

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The first mutual activity between both country PR associations was a real success – nice people, good food and vibrant city, what more do you want?

nederlands

No official presentations but an informal  culinary city tour through Antwerp, with regional specialties like herring with jenever, bolleke with roggeverdommeke, not the usual Belgian fries and chocolate….   It certainly spiced up conversations between Belgian and Dutch agency directors– who found much common ground and all look forward to future friendly cooperations. Linkedin profiles & twitter accounts were exchanged and BPRCA will send a board member to the jury of the next VPRA Awards in Amsterdam. So for any activity you may have in the Netherlands, contact us and we can point you to the right partner – and vice versa of course!

Contact: secretariat@bprca.be

Successful & tasteful VPRA-BPRCA activity in Antwerp

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nederlands No official presentations but an informal  culinary city tour through Antwerp, with regional specialties like herring with jenever, bolleke with roggeverdommeke, not the usual Belgian fries and chocolate….   It certainly spiced up conversations between Belgian and Dutch agency directors– who found much common ground and all look forward to future friendly cooperations. Linkedin profiles & twitter accounts were exchanged and BPRCA will send a board member to the jury of the next VPRA Awards in Amsterdam. So for any activity you may have in the Netherlands, contact us and we can point you to the right partner – and vice versa of course! Contact: secretariat@bprca.be

ICCO Board of Management Meeting in Vienna

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Last month, senior PR leaders from around the world met in beautiful Vienna, to discuss ICCO’s global development. The bi-annual ICCO Board of Management Meeting was kindly hosted by our Austrian members PRVA. The Board also attended PRVA’s 40th Anniversary where the Federal President of Austria, Heinz Fischer, attended as the guest of honour.
ICCO is proud to be the global voice for the PR industry and we are looking forward to seeing you again in Milan for our Global Summit 8th-9th October 2015.

Lobbying Regulation: An Update on Developments in Ireland

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On March 11th, Ireland became the 15th country with statutory regulations covering lobbying activities when the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 was signed into law. This law will take effect on September 1st 2015 and from that point onward, lobbying activities in Ireland will need to be reported every four months. Given that such regulation is a common issue for ICCO members there are some features of the Irish legislation, and the process surrounding it, that will be of interest. Separately, there are aspects of the Irish legislation that will have implications for consultancies based elsewhere, in particular those that engage with Irish ministers and MEPs on European policy matters.

Firstly, there was the approach taken to the legislation by the Irish Government. In 2011, a new government came into office and promised to “introduce a statutory register of lobbyists”. While there had been a number of initiatives in this area in the past, the relevant Minister and public officials came to addressing this challenge with a fairly open mind. At all stages of the legislative process, there were opportunities for stakeholders (including ourselves) to input. That whole process, including all the discussion papers and stakeholder submissions, is documented on the relevant Department’s website.

As the representative body for PR consultancies, our key concern was to ensure that there was a level playing field among all those who engage in lobbying activities: irrespective of whether they worked in-house or in a consultancy, or for NGOs, businesses, etc. The final legislation clearly applies to all those who engage in lobbying activities. We were also concerned that other professionals who engage in lobbying activities would not be captured by the legislation, but this is not the case and they are equally covered.

The other major concern was to ensure that compliance does not pose a major administrative burden on our members. We won’t know the final answer to that until the system is up and running. The Register will be entirely online, which should aid compliance and we are actively engaged in the user testing of that system.

In terms of the legislation itself, the Act can be accessed here. To briefly summarise, lobbying is defined as communication (in any form) made personally (directly or indirectly) to a designated public official in return for payment or as part of their work, relating to:

  1. “the initiation, development or modification of any public policy or of any public programme
  2. the preparation of an enactment, or
  3. the award of any grant, loan or other financial support, contract or other agreement, or of any licence or other authorisation involving public funds

apart from matters relating only to the implementation of any such policy, programme, enactment or award of a technical nature.”

Obviously, there may be challenges of interpretation i.e. what is a technical matter, and where is the boundary between lobbying on the modification of a policy and lobbying on its implementation.

The communication is not all communication with government, rather it has to be with senior public officials for it to be registerable. These officials are defined as government ministers, any elected member of the parliament or local government, MEPs and senior civil servants. When reporting their lobbying activities, consultants will be required to provide:

  • the details of the client (i.e. the company name and address, their website and other contact details);
  • the details of the officials to whom the activities were directed;
  • the subject matter of those activities;
  • the type and extent of those activities (i.e. whether the contact was through meetings, phone calls, emails, grassroots campaigns, etc.); and
  • the name of the person who had primary responsibility for carrying out the lobbying activities.

This data will then be published every four months. It is important to note that this legislation will apply as equally to firms engaged in lobbying based outside of Ireland, as those inside. So, for example, in the case of a consultancy elsewhere in Europe that contacts an Irish Minister or an Irish MEP about a policy change at European level, they will have to be report to the Irish authorities or an offence will have been committed.

The real challenge is the implementation of the legislation and we will keep ICCO members abreast of how things develop. In the interim, as this is the newest piece of legislation on lobbying out there, and borrows heavily from international experience, it is likely to be drawn upon by legislators in other countries – especially those from common law jurisdictions. We are more than happy to share the experience we have gained during this process with any fellow ICCO members: just ask!

John Carroll is CEO of the Public Relations Consultants Association (Ireland). He can be contacted at john@prii.ie