Katherine Shenton

During her first year as a PR student, Katherine Shenton wrote a blog post called “So you want to work in sexy, star studded PR?” (It’s still one of the most popular posts on my PR Studies blog, ed). That was back in 2004.

Is PR as glamorous as it’s often made out to be?

“PR may have the reputation of being glamorous, but it is not the case. You need to be hard-working, prepared to work long-hours, start from the bottom and work your way up and continue your learning as the industry and channels available are ever changing,” she tells me.

Katherine graduated in 2006 with a First Class Honours degree from Leeds Metropolitan University. She has since won “CIPR PRide North East Outstanding Young Communicator of the Year 2010” and “CIPR PRide North East Best Freelance Practitioner of the Year 2011”.

During her time at Leeds Met Katherine undertook a number of regular placements with agencies such as Citigate Smarts, Golley Slater and Ketchum.

She also took it upon herself to approach small businesses and offer to do PR for them on an unpaid basis; this experience helped her gain plenty of portfolio items to choose from during her time at university. A combination of Katherine’s First Class degree and large amount of ‘real’ client experience has led her to amazing success during the six years that she has been working in the industry.

The bottom line

I asked for her favourite thing about working in the PR industry:

“As you work your way up in the industry you discover that in PR you really can make a difference to the bottom line – this has been my biggest incentive as it’s not just about page views, likes, followers or number of cuttings it is about what difference you have made for that brand and how you have helped generate new business enquiries or sales.”

I asked Katherine for any advice she could provide for success in the industry, she told me, it’s about hard work and understanding everything before looking for promotion. She also said to keep current (checking Twitter etc.) and to remember that “the PR industry is smaller than you think and you never know when you’ll need to rely on someone or need their help so treat everybody with respect and be helpful, even if you’re busy or stressed as this will be remembered.”

Katherine has seen first hand the changes that have occurred working in the PR industry, “especially the development and importance of social media channels such as Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Tumblr etc.”

There have also been changes that have occurred because of  the recession. “Clients and agencies are a lot more lean and conscious of costs. As a result budgets are smaller so you have to be smarter and more efficient, this is also a reason why I think social media channels have grown as they are relatively cheap to manage compared to large scale events.”

Geordie Shore, a ratings success

Currently Katherine is working freelance as a publicist for MTV’s ‘Geordie Shore’, a campaign she is proud of.

“I worked with the team to promote the show and the cast to drive people to watch the show. This paid off as it is MTV UK’s highest ratings show…ever!”

Katherine also told me about her favourite campaign to date. She described transforming brand Maddi Alexander from a candle brand sold solely online to an expansion to an entire body collection, which is now being sold in Fortnum & Mason as well as being featured in ‘Stylist’s Hot Picks’!

Freelance ups and downs

I asked about the pros and cons of working freelance, as she herself had left an agency to start her own consultancy. She told me: “Working freelance is great is some respects, you have complete control of your day, what hours you work… You also feel closer to companies than you do in an agency as you really are viewed as working for them in a different location. However there are some negatives such as the difficultly in taking holiday, you have to be extremely disciplined to get things done and on time and you have to be able to work by yourself.”

Finally I asked Katherine if when starting her degree she ever envisioned her success to be so great so soon, her answer was so humble, and just reminded me of how much the little things really do matter in PR…

“I think if you just put in the hard work the rest will follow. You can’t be too focused on success or winning awards as you then take your eye off the ball and your job, which is detrimental. I always had a rough idea of where I wanted to be when, and of course I hoped I might pick up an award along the way. I feel exceptionally lucky to be where I am and to be doing what I’m doing, but I know I have got here by putting the hours in and doing the best I can.”

After all people will always remember you for the relationship you have built with them and the impression you have left them with.

Adam Burns (right) with his Two Birds One Stone co-founders at Queen Square

A Leeds-based creative agency which was co-founded by a Leeds Metropolitan University student and two recent University of Leeds graduates has been given funding for office space by the Enterprise Office at Leeds Metropolitan University.

Two Birds One Stone combines the PR expertise of the Bell Pottinger Academy (the student arm of Bell Pottinger) and the design and marketing talent of Magpie Communications, who both have experience working with youth brands such as Oxford Stationery, Leeds Corn Exchange and a number of universities and colleges across the UK.

The young team, which recently announced its third client win in the shape of bagel and coffee chain Bagel Nash, will move in to the new home at the Leeds Met Enterprise Department on Queen Square this week.

Adam Burns, Co-founder of Two Birds One Stone, said: “It’s fantastic the university has recognised what we are trying to create.  Having an office on the university campus is hugely important to us; it gives us access to the insight of thousands of students and for the right brands that is very attractive.”

“As an employer of students and graduates I am well aware of how competitive it is in the job market, so we hope through Two Birds One Stone we can offer students paid opportunities whilst they study to develop skills, build a portfolio and make themselves more employable.”

Andrew Slade, Deputy Vice Chancellor of Research and Enterprise at Leeds Met, said:

“Students are now being asked to pay considerably more for their education, so ventures like this go a long way to enhancing the student experience at Leeds Met and considerably increase the chances of employment after graduation.”

Two Birds One Stone and Bagel Nash

Bagel Nash has appointed Two Birds One Stone, a Leeds-based creative agency, to handle the rebrand of its 11 outlets in Leeds, Huddersfield, Manchester and York.

The youth- focused agency has also been appointed to handle the company’s PR account ahead of its 25^th anniversary next year.

The appointment comes just months after the private equity-backed management buy-in by Andy Micklethwaite and Sara Hildreth. The new owners have plans to expand the chain of coffee and bagel bars in the North, North West and West Midlands.

Two Birds One Stone combines the PR expertise of the Bell Pottinger Academy, the youth department of Bell Pottinger, and the design and marketing talent of Magpie Comms, who both have experience working with brands such as Oxford Stationery, Leeds Corn Exchange and a number of universities and colleges across the UK.

Sara Hildreth, retail operations director at Bagel Nash, said:

“We are looking to breathe new life into the brand and to turn Bagel Nash into the number one retail bagel business in the UK. Two Birds One Stone offer bright ideas, lots of energy and experience in working with the youth market.”

Two Birds One Stone recently won funding from Leeds Metropolitan University and is now based in the Enterprise Department on the university campus. The core team of eight is made up of graduates and students who are managed by senior professionals from Bell Pottinger and Magpie.

Ged Savva, director at Magpie Comms and co-founder of Two Birds One Stone, said:

“Bagel Nash is a very strong brand in the north of England and we are delighted to have been appointed to handle the rebrand. With such ambitious expansion plans we hope our design concepts and PR strategy can ensure that Bagel Nash succeeds in its planned growth.”

Two Birds One Stone founders Ged Savva, Becky Edlin and Adam Burns outside their new office in Leeds

Two Birds One Stone, which specialises in the youth market, is looking to recruit five students to work on a part-time basis in paid roles within the agency.

Two Birds One Stone, which was set-up by a current Leeds Metropolitan student and two recent University of Leeds graduates, has experience working with youth brands including Oxford Stationery, Leeds Corn Exchange and a number of universities and colleges across the UK.

Students are being invited to an initial interview process on Monday 17 October, at which they will have two minutes to impress the panel.

Successful candidates will be put into groups of five and given the live brief from King of Shaves. The five groups will pitch their campaign on Friday 28 October to a panel including Paul Adrian, Director of Sales & Marketing UK and EMEA at King of Shaves; Alex Epstein, star of The Apprentice 2011; and Nathan Lane, managing director of Bell Pottinger.

Paul Adrian said: “It’s fantastic to see young people being enterprising and we are looking forward to hearing the ideas the students have for our brand.”

Alex Epstein, star of the BBC Apprentice and former head of communications at Yorkshire-based Masternaut, said: “Unemployment amongst young people is a big problem in Britain, so initiatives like this can really help people develop skills and become more employable.

“Two Birds One Stone is a brilliant concept and I know the team are very keen to offer their peers opportunities, which is great. I am looking forward to sitting on the panel and listening to all the bright ideas.”

As well as staking a claim for a paid job the students will also gain experience in developing a campaign as a team and pitching to industry professionals.

Adam Burns, co-founder of Two Birds One Stone said: “We are looking for creative students who want to succeed in business. Our clients value the youth insight we bring, so having a young team of energetic and innovative students is vitally important.”

“It is a fantastic opportunity for students to gain experience and secure a job, at a time when finding employment is tough.

“Students will only have two minutes to sell themselves at the initial interview stage, so we are encouraging them to be creative and try to catch our eye before the day.”

Students who are interested in attending the initial interview stage should email hello@twobirdsonestone or tweet www.twitter.com/Leeds_TBOS

Or like the Facebook page and add your details to the wall www.facebook.com/TwoBirdsOneStoneLeeds

Will Ryder, said: “We are looking for a professional and self motivated student to come and help the company grow by raising the awareness of our brand locally and nationally. These days social media is a big part of life and we would expect candidates to have a good grasp of how brands can utilise these platforms”

WR Active Learning provides sports coaching for schools and at private coaching camps in school holidays. The company currently operates in Leeds, Bradford and Wakefield and employs around 15 coaches.

Job Description

You will be a highly committed undergraduate, seeking to develop your career and challenge yourself. You will have ideas, a passion for detail and the drive to push our company to even greater success.

• You will actively participate in a wide variety of social media networks and other online outlets such as blogging, social bookmarking and forum discussions.

• You will help to drive traffic to the company website, engage audiences, improve rates of conversion online and increase organic search results for our clients’ keywords.

• You will actively build Twitter presence with great content, contests, promotions and conversations, using innovative ways to develop followers and gain brand mentions.

• Demonstrated excellence in writing and editing: specifically writing for the web

• A clear understanding of Twitter and Facebook is necessary

Rate of pay:

• All travel expenses will be paid, and bonus structure will be set in place for exceptional work.
• Those that show demonstrated ability in the opportunity will be given the chance to be considered for a full time role

Requirements and Qualifications:

We are looking for someone who has a genuine passion for marketing and understanding of our customers. You will be expected to hit the ground running so will need to be a confident self starter. Ideally, you will have previous relevant work experience and have or be expecting at least a 2:1 degree or equivalent to apply.

To apply please send your CV to steve@wractivelearning.com

Carr Manor pupils with Laura Eardley and Alicia Chadwick (centre) and Victoria Grimes (right)

Three Leeds Met students currently in their second year studying Public Relations with Marketing designed and delivered a presentation and workshop at local Leeds high school, Carr Manor.

They started by giving the class of 20 business studies pupils an overview of university life in Leeds. They described their personal experience of studying PR at Leeds Metropolitan University. Then they explained about public relations through the use of definitions and examples.

The use of video examples, one being the Cancer Research UK anti-sunbed campaign launched to inform teenagers of the dangers of using sunbeds, allowed the pupils to see the creative side of public relations. Showing it to the specific target audience allowed the PR students to see how and if it had any impact. This allowed the pupils to see the importance of relating a campaign specifically to its target audience.

During the presentation they were set two workshop tasks. They were shown two cases of bad media celebrities had received during their career: Kerry Katona on This Morning and Wayne Rooney and his affairs. The pupils were then asked to write the headline and introduction of a press release from the perspective of one of the celebrity’s PR advisers.

They were then asked to organise an event to raise money following the Japanese tsunami and asked how they would obtain press attention for their events.

The one and half session achieved a high level of involvement. The use of workshops allowed the school pupils to learn through practice and was seen as a better approach than talking for the whole session.

The results of the presentation spoke for themselves with 19 out of 20 students finding the presentation useful. 18 out of 20 said that they have a better understanding of what PR is and 12 said that they would consider choosing a PR related degree. The students who gave the presentation were aware that PR would not suit everybody, so the feedback that they received was extremely positive.

Using students to lead the session meant that it was more accessible to the school pupils. The students were in the same situation as the school pupils only a few years ago so were better able to relate to them. They knew what would work and what information they would need to know. Making it as entertaining as it was informative meant that the pupils were interested and involved from the beginning.

“Public Relations is an unknown subject among school pupils as it is not taught or introduced to school or college pupils. In order to ensure that pupils thinking about coming to university choose the correct course, it is important that they are introduced to as many subjects as possible,” said PR student Alicia Chadwick.

“With such a broad range of courses available it is a hard decision to make and the worse thing is to be on a course which you don’t enjoy or does not reach the expectations you had. With the proposed fees for 2012 being so high it is crucial that people coming to university are making the right choices.”

“Many school pupils choose ‘safe’ subjects which leave them with no specialism upon graduating university. This makes finding a job, especially in the current economic climate, difficult. Choosing applied degrees such as public relations creates new opportunities for students as well as allowing the sector to grow.”

Leeds Met students are continuing to give presentations to schools across the Leeds and Bradford areas.

All of the final year BA (Hons) Public Relations students were provided with a PR brief by Grayling. The students formed their own virtual agencies and presented their ideas to a panel of lecturers. The top four groups were then called to pitch in front of public relations experts at the company’s offices in Roundhay, Leeds.

Giraffe PR: Lauren Sedgley, Naomi Farmer, Natalie Smith, Sarah Blackwell, Claire Thomas and Christine Quigley with Grayling's Justin McKeown (centre)

Giraffe PR were announced as this year’s winners following a pitch in front of Grayling’s Justin McKeown and Vicky Murphy (themselves both PR graduates from the same university).

Final year student Sarah Blackwell commented on her team’s win:

“We are all absolutely thrilled – it’s been a great achievement for us all and a real team effort. This competition has provided us with the skills and confidence necessary to tackle any future pitches. Working with such an esteemed agency and on an exciting brief has also been a fantastic opportunity.”

Grayling’s divisional director, Justin McKeown, a Leeds Met graduate, acted as a mentor throughout the pitch process offering support and advice. Justin said:

“Year-on-year we see fresh and innovative ideas from the Leeds Metropolitan’s PR degree students. The course combines theory and practice, which gives its graduates a great understanding of the profession. The PR industry needs more qualified practitioners who can survive in a commercial environment, and this competition helps prepare the students for the workplace in some important ways.

“This year, the gap between first and second place was mightily close, and we congratulate the thoroughly-deserving winners. As these talented students are soon to be graduates,  I hope this experience will help launch they careers.”

Leeds Met Course Leader and Senior Lecturer, Lucy Laville added:

“Links with professionals is a core feature of our PR courses at Leeds Met. Grayling has supported the BA PR since its inception 20 years ago with a range of initiatives including the competitive pitch, guest lectures and placements for which we’re very grateful. With 20 years of alumni now working in the PR profession our links with employers have gone from strength to strength and our graduate employability remains exceptionally strong even in today’s economic climate.”

The organisers of ‘Art for the Heart’ are giving art students from Leeds College of Art the chance to show their talent to the public.

The art will be exhibited and sold with all proceeds going to Heart Research UK.

The Yorkshire-based charity, which was founded 40 years ago, invests in innovative research into heart health.

The event organisers Joanna Hughes, Faye Keatley and Marie Zeraati are all first year PR students.

Barbara Harpham, National Director of Heart Research UK said:

“It’s great to see students raising money for our charity. We look forward to seeing the brilliant heart-related artwork on show. Without valuable fundraisers like Joanna, Marie and Faye we could not continue our pioneering research into the prevention, treatment and cure of heart disease.”

Marie Zeraati, 21, said: ‘This event is a great way to showcase the art students’ talent but most importantly it is raising awareness and money for Heart Research. We feel that this event is a great opportunity to get people aware of the charity and what great work they do.’

Tickets cost £2 which includes a raffle ticket, giving guests the chance to win prizes. There will also be tea, cake and good music.

‘Art for the Heart’ will be held on 9^th April (4-6pm) at Cafe Lopez, Great George Street, Leeds. Tickets can be bought in advance from Joanna Hughes at art4heart@hotmail.co.uk.

Zoe Baldwin

Zoe Baldwin graduated from BA Public Relations at Leeds Met in 2007, she then moved to London to work for Channel 4 and now works for Romley Davies Publicity, an Entertainment PR agency.

Alongside both her studies and career in the PR industry Zoe has also been working on a brand new website Students Love Uni (SLU) since her first year at university.

Students Love Uni is an information website aimed at prospective and current university students. The website is both a city and town specific guide, advising students about the best things in their city such as clubs, bars, restaurants, things to do when the parents come to stay and much more. Equally we have a guide on generic student living such as student loans advice, health and careers.

During her course Zoe knew that it was crucial to get as much work experience under her belt as possible if she wanted to succeed in the PR industry.

“I always loved the vocational nature of the Leeds Met PR degree. I was always encouraged to secure placements to build my CV, portfolio and above all work experience. Whilst at Leeds Met I tried to cover a variety of PR sectors including working at Beattie Communications working with clients such as Specsavers and Leeds United, in the NHS Direct press office (which later became a paid role as an internal comms officer) the West Yorkshire Fire Service and for Halifax Town AFC where I organised a half-time dance with a local dance school.”

Zoe also opted to do a placement year in industry after the second year of her course and managed to secure a year in London working as a European Publicity Intern within the Marketing department at Warner Bros. There she worked across a variety of films including Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, Superman and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

When preparing for her first interview Zoe says she read and rehearsed a lot of practice questions, making good use of the Guardian’s Careers Section.

“I think the key is to have an example of every quality you mention on your CV. I always read my CV cover to cover before my first interview and every interview ever since.”

Zoe had always loved film and TV so, for her, working in entertainment PR was the perfect combination.  Although a popular choice for lots of PR students it can prove a difficult area to work in. The hours and dedication to the job can sometimes cover seven days a week 24 hours a day. For example Premieres are always on an evening or weekend as are journalist screenings and, as an entertainment PR , you do your daily 9-6 job and then cover the evening and weekend work usually without time in lieu or overtime.

Zoe decided to create the Students Love Uni website as while she was studying in Leeds she couldn’t find a one stop shop for up to date nights in Leeds. She wanted somewhere you could log on to and get a quick overview of what were the best and cheapest student nights out. This is where Students Love Uni stemmed from and has since grown from a Leeds guide to a national website.

Zoe chose to involve current PR students in the creation of the website for generating the content.

“I remembered how difficult it was to get work experience so I wanted to help current students and I wanted SLU to have a student voice, and I think that comes across.

I think it is great to get work experience on your CV, but what I sometimes found frustrating was not having much actual work at the end of a placement so I think the work our student writers have completed is so beneficial because they now have an actual published piece of copy for their portfolio and CV and prospective employers can click on the URL and read it.”

As you can imagine it wasn’t always easy for Zoe to balance a full-time career in Entertainment PR with creating a brand new website from scratch. The main challenge she faced was time-management, a skill which every PR professional needs.

“My priority was always my full-time role but I had to be very clever with my time, especially on a weekend to get the most out of my free time. I also found the overall web design process a challenge but I have thoroughly enjoyed working closely with the web designers.”

The Students Love Uni website will be launching within the next week and the future looks bright. As long as the site is current, updated and fresh Zoe hopes it will be a popular information resource for current students and students of the future.

“My advice to somebody studying in their final year of PR would be to reflect on what experience you have gathered so far and what you have enjoyed. Then I would suggest a final year PR should focus on the area of PR they have enjoyed the most i.e. agency, events, NHS, Corporate or Government PR etc. That way they can start to build up the experience and contacts immediately. If you’re unsure keep trying all aspects until you know which area of PR you want to work in.”

Students Love Uni is always looking for contributors. Although they might not be able to provide work for everyone as it is very much dependent on which city a student has studied in and whether they’ve already had copy written for that city or town. But there will always be other writing projects whether that’s feature news pieces or reviews.

If you would like to get involved with the Students Love Uni website please contact Zoe hello@studentsloveuni.co.uk

Rose Bowl (Leeds Business School)

The jobs market is becoming ever more competitive and PR remains one of the top career choices for graduates.

Top qualifications and voluntary work experience are sometimes still not enough to break into PR and carve a successful career in the industry. So how do you stand out and make the right contacts? And how do employers choose the right talent from the mass of speculative applications they receive?

Find out at the CIPR Yorkshire and Lincolnshire’s Young Practitioners Networking Event, which will bring together students, new graduates, young practitioners and top employers in the region to network and gain tips and advice.

This FREE event will provide the opportunity to discuss the issues facing young practitioners and employers in today’s competitive, ever changing PR industry and the chance to find out what potential jobs and new talent is out there. It will also launch Leeds Metropolitan University’s Centre for Public Relations’ mentoring programme and provide the opportunity for non-CIPR members to take up an extended offer of three months’ free membership with no admission fee.

The event will feature talks from Helen Standing, the CIPR Yorkshire and Lincolnshire’s current ‘Outstanding Young Communicator’ on how to boost your credentials and make your mark on the PR industry early in your career, as well as top in-house and agency employers in the region on what they look for in new recruits and how to get a foot in the door

Register here and join us at the Rose Bowl in Leeds from 6pm for registration and refreshments with networking finishing around 8.30pm.

Claire Antsey and her book Sort Out Your Crap Life

Students from Leeds Metropolitan University and Bournemouth University have been offered the chance to work on a real life PR campaign for Claire Anstey’s new book Sort out Your Crap Life. Claire Anstey is a prominent TV star that has had experience working with Nickelodeon and GMTV and is currently the voice of MTV.

Students include Leah Eser and Victoria Grimes, both Level 2 Public Relations with Marketing Student at Leeds Metropolitan University, Chloe Mcgee, a first year Public Relations student at Leeds Met and Nathan Paice, a student from Bournemouth University studying Public Relations.

The students have been working hard on the campaign, securing coverage with national publications and recently securing an interview on Talk Sport for Claire.  The book was produced after Claire battled drugs and drinks and mourned her partner’s suicide. After waking up to reality, she wants to help others and has embarked on a remarkable journey that has changed her life.  Helping those that are in a time of crisis is close to the author’s heart and Claire is donating 10% of print sales and 20% of eBook sales to the charity C.A.L.M, the Campaign Against Living Miserably, a charity which strives to help young men aged 18-35 in similar troubles and whom Claire is an ambassador for.

Leah Eser,  a Leeds Met student working on the campaign, said, “We have been offered a fantastic opportunity from Claire – not only does this allow us to gain fantastic work experience and experience a real life campaign but it has opened our eyes to a fantastic book that others should read. This book is fantastic for students. It really inspires you to take hold of your life and make the best of it. It provides motivation, inspiration and the courage to do what you want!”

The book provides powerful and emotional content as edgy and to the point as its title. The book includes diary entry insights into her once collapsing world and truly inspirational quotes from those who inspired her. With over 30 engaging techniques and an enlightening 21-day plan to reach your goals, this book is a lifeline.

Steg the Stationerysauraus could send Mark to Rio

A Leeds Metropolitan University student could be enjoying the holiday of a lifetime in 2011, a trip for two to the Rio Carnival in Brazil, after entering a competition launched by Asda Stationery. Mark Mitchell, a final year Public Relations and Marketing student, is currently in first place with six votes after entering his creation “Steg the Stationerysauraus” in to The Asda Rio Carnival Competition.

Asda Stationery are encouraging students to create works of art using the Asda stationery range and then upload it to The Asda Rio Carnival Facebook page. The entry with the most ‘likes’ by the 3^rd of November will win the dream holiday for two.

Mark said: “I wouldn’t say I was incredibly arty, but thought I would give it a shot. I’m surprised at the outcome as people seem to like what I have created, so it just shows if I can do it anyone can. I’m sure I will have to put my PR skills to use once more entries start to come in.

“I have always wanted to go to Brazil and to experience the Rio Carnival would be amazing.”

The competition is open to any student in full time education, the entry with the most Facebook likes by the 3^rd of November will win a trip for two to the Rio Carnival in Brazil. For more information on how to enter please visit www.facebook.com/TheAsdaRioCarnivalCompetition

The Faculty of Business & Law at Leeds Metropolitan University has taken the social media plunge in an attempt to communicate with students more effectively. With the growth in popularity of social media among students it seemed a natural step that the faculty had to take.

The Faculty of Business & Law welcomes a large percentage of international students to the university and social media is an extremely useful tool in doing so. With the use of its blog, prospective students can see a more personal side to the faculty and see real-life student experiences, as well as stories and current students are given a voice and a platform to share their experiences.  Using a blog, Facebook and Twitter ensures communicating with students becomes a dialog and does not mean that students are simply bombarded with information.

Lisa Hiscoe, Marketing & Communications Officer at Leeds Metropolitan University said: “The key to social media is to listen, engage and build relationships. The Faculty of Business & Law at Leeds Metropolitan University communicates to students on their level by using their chosen networks and the media that they prefer.”

“We communicate not just with UK students, but the many international students who apply to us each year and who want to know more about Leeds, their chosen course and most importantly to make new friends before they get here.”

 The university itself is already very active on social media with a number of Tweeters and an award winning YouTube Channel.

To follow the progress of the Faculty of Business and Law you can follow them on Twitter ’like’ them on Facebook or enjoy a read of their Blog

This year has seen a change to the political campaigns we are used to, thanks to the rapid rise in social media use and also what could be perceived as an increase in the ferocity of political smear campaigns. It also promises to be the closest campaign in my lifetime.

From afar it could seem as though sites such as mydavidcameron and order-order and conversations on new media sites like Twitter are the big influence on voters. It’s easy to get caught up in the online world and think that the election will be won digitally.

Jason McCartney with Clare Callery

However, the real campaign for parliamentary seats lies much closer to home, as I discovered when I had the opportunity to shadow Jason McCartney, the Conservative parliamentary candidate for Colne Valley.

The constituency covers a large area: Lindley, Holmfirth, Meltham, Marsden, Brockholes, Slaithwaite, Honley, Linthwaite, New Mill, Golcar and Netherton.

The area is particularly important as there is only 3% between the Conservatives and Labour, who currently hold the seat.

If just 600 people change their vote, McCartney would become an MP and the Conservatives will be one seat closer to taking power in May.

So the pressure is on for the Leeds Metropolitan University lecturer, who took a sabbatical from his post at the start of the year, to campaign full time.

Pavement politics

The day began with a train journey to Slaithwaite, a small village near Huddersfield which also happens to be home to the Labour MP – McCartney’s competition. The task for the day was traditional door-to-door campaigning, speaking to locals right outside their homes. As I soon learnt, there are many advantages to this approach.

Jason McCartney (centre, in suit) with young supporters

The first is that the locals can place a face and a personality to the Conservative flyers they have probably been handed in town or received through their door. This is particularly important to McCartney, who feels that connecting to voters on a personal level is the key to gaining support.

As he has served in the RAF, he uses this to connect with people and show that he is passionate about his country. He likes to chat about Huddersfield Town, the local football team he follows. He can also make the most of the fact that he was born in Yorkshire and has lived in the area since the 1980s. These factors help him connect with his potential voters.

Secondly, McCartney has the chance to talk to locals about things that affect them and find out what they would like changed. This is a great opportunity for feedback; to find out what the locals want, to show them that you are willing to listen and to assure them that you take what they say on board.

In the feedback loop

Door to door campaigning

From a PR point of view, we understand how essential feedback is – but how hard it can be to get – so doorstep conversation is a fantastic tool. It is also the best time to tell your potential voters directly what you have done for the area. McCartney took the time to tell locals about how he had acted on issues that affect the area such as the snow over winter and vandalism.

Finally, McCartney also takes the chance to quash any of the rumours spread by other parties through word of mouth or in flyers. He says this has become a problem recently, and in fact during the day he received a call saying that a batch of flyers from another party was going out this morning with incorrect information about him in them.

The best way to correct the problem is to speak to those who have heard it directly and to reassure them of the facts, though it is slow and there is no guarantee you will set the story right with everyone that believes the untruths.

Door-to-door campaigning is very effective, but it is also incredibly hard work. As we move nearer the election, McCartney does two and a half hours of doorstep visiting every day and has visited tens of thousands of homes since he began his campaign.

He is polite to every home owner, no matter how they behave towards him and what party they support.

Money matters

We walked all around the hilly area of Slaithwaite on the Saturday we shadowed him, which was exhausting in itself. Campaign literature is also expensive, and McCartney takes part it lots of fundraisers like coffee mornings and pay-per-head dining events to pay for flyers and other literature. McCartney does not receive any wage until he is elected and becomes an MP or loses the seat and returns to work; a huge risk and commitment and an indication of his passion.

McCartney stands by the door-to-door approach and says it is 100% effective and truly is the best way to influence voters. Though Jason does actively blog and use Twitter, he says social media only has limited effect. Twitter is good for reaching journalists and blogging is a great way to keep the more tech-savvy voters involved.

However, many of the voters in the Colne Valley constituency are older people who don’t use the internet and won’t see social media campaigns online. For these people, the face-to-face approach is essential, and for those with a postal vote as they are unable to get around easily, it could be the only chance they get to find out information and ask their questions. Indeed when we shadowed McCartney, it was elderly voters who engaged most and seemed most interest in what he had to say and wanted to debate issues.

That’s not to say the younger generations aren’t involved. McCartney has been to Huddersfield University to speak to the students there, and the lecturers say more 18-25-years-olds are asking about politics than ever before. Further to this, there are a lot of young pro-Conservatives, as is evident with the Conservative Youth, the largest youth political party in the UK. There were members helping out that Saturday as well as other teenagers who wanted to get involved and learn more about politics.

So what was McCartney telling his supporters and potential voters? The main message was one that the Conservatives have been using to front their campaign, ‘Vote for Change’. He says he wants to fix the broken society, the troubled economy and the state of politics. He says if the Conservatives get in they will cut the number of MPs and reduce ministers’ pay and put the money saved back into targeted public spending, like more police officers on the streets.

McCartney met David Cameron when he visited the area a few weeks ago, and said that not only was he pleasant to talk to, but he has worked very hard to get where he is today in such a short space of time which deserves respect.

The main message I interpreted from the day was not so much support for any particular party, but more an understanding of how elections really work. Sitting at my desk absorbed in the likes of Twitter and Facebook, it is easy to believe that the digital world dictates what goes on outside and that the online smear campaigns and social media can shape an election. After seeing door-to-door campaigning, I know this couldn’t be further from the truth.

This election will be won on the doorstep. It’s a bold statement, but one I will stand by.

But how long will this remain the case? According to one of the Conservative Youth members I spoke to, this will be the last election as we know it. Others I have spoken to argue that doorstep campaigning has life left in it for a few years yet. We’ll know better when the votes are counted.

PR students Elizabeth Taylor and Becky Knowles are joined by Tom's mum Halina and cousin Natalie

PR students from Leeds Metropolitan University have launched a campaign try and raise awareness of SADS (sudden arrhythmic death syndrome.) which claims the lives of at least 12 apparently “fit and healthy” young people a wek in the U.K.

The students recently held a SADS awareness day at their university.  The students set up an information stand at the Civic Quarter campus, where they spoke to students and handed out flyers with information about the condition.  

To make their campaign stand out, the team decorated a glass window with multi-colour hearts to spell out the acronym SADS.  The PR students were then able to interact directly with the students by asking people passing by to write the name of something or someone they loved in life and add it to the display.  

Sudden cardiac death is a dramatic and spontaneous death that is thought to be (and usually is) caused by a heart condition. It is a rare and relatively unknown condition and usually shows no symptoms.  It is only preventable when a person can be treated with the correct medication.  SADS can be discovered with ECG tests and checks with a specialist cardiac doctor. Without referral from your GP,  currently this is not an option at Leeds General Infirmary.

A picture of Tom surrounded by the hearts added by Leeds Met Students

The PR students involved are part of the Students’ Union PR department which is run completely by student volunteers.  The students are able to put the theory they have learnt into practice as well as building up their portfolios.  Previous campaigns they have run include ‘Big Boys Should Cry’ in which they promoted their University’s counseling service with excellent success.

The SADS campaign began after PR students, Elizabeth Taylor , Adam Burns and Becky Knowles read about the story of 19 year-old student from Leeds, Tom Reid, who recently died of the condition.  The article contained a statement from the parents who commented that they were going to fund raise in order to allow a number of young people in the area ot have the opportunity of an ECG tests, as it is not available on the NHS, without obvious symptoms.

Elizabeth Taylor, Students’ Union PR officer said: “We are extremely pleased with the reactions we have been getting from students. We have been able to inform many people who had never heard of SADS before, outlining the symptoms and what steps to take if you are worried. We have also been able to create an outstanding and bright piece of artwork which will hopefully allow our campaign to be more memorable.”

As most students are unaware of SADS, the PR students met with Antony and Halina Reid, Tom’s parents, to find out more.  It was agreed that the students would use their PR skills to try and raise awareness of the condition amongst their peers.  The awareness day was supported by Cardiac Risk in the Young  (CRY) who provided literature and campaign posters for the students to use.

Halina Reid, Tom’s mum, added “We would like to thank the PR team for helping us to raise awareness of SADS, especially amongst young people. It means so much to us if we are able to help just one person.”

If you like to donate to the Tom Reid fund please click here.

Ptarmigan Academy has been appointed to provide PR support for Leeds-based design company Tag pac. The student agency, part of PR consultants Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger is made-up of Leeds Metropolitan University BA (Hons) PR students, Adam Burns, Steph Holloway, Lois Ackerley, Katherine Hasselby and Clare Callery 

The academy will build awareness of Tag pac. through international trade and business media communications under the guidance of Ptarmigan’s experienced PR consultants.  The students will identify news stories, draft press materials and handle media relations.

Jonathan Milner, director at Tag pac said: “We’re keen to support local talent, so when the opportunity arose to work with the Ptarmigan Academy we jumped at the chance. We’re really looking forward to working with the team to raise Tag pac’s profile.”

The Ptarmigan Academy with their mentors Nathan Lane and Marie O'Connor.

Nathan Lane, director at Ptarmigan Bell Pottinger said: “The quality of the Ptarmigan Academy team shines through in their creativity and drive on the campaign they are working on. We are grateful for Tag Pac’s support in recognising the opportunity of working with the team and giving them real life work experience.”

Bell Pottinger parent company, Chime Communications plc is one of a number of companies that is supporting an initiative by Business in the Community (BITC) to improve the work experience their companies offer to more than half a million young people.

Brands who would like further information or are interested in working with the student team should contact Marie O’Connor on 0113 237 2821

Andy Carter

Leeds City Council and Leeds Metropolitan University have teamed up to help public relations students get on the job training, assist with their studies and boost their employment chances once they’ve graduated.

A partnership between the two organisations has been developing for several years which gives students the opportunity to do real work for a real organisation. It not only benefits the council, it contributes to the student’s learning and can often make a difference to their final grade.

This year, a number of under graduates from Leeds Met’s public relations school have been carrying out various projects to audit different council activities, for instance, investigating issues such as culture and internal communications.

Andy Carter, head of communications said: “There’s no point in getting students in on work experience only for them to sit there watching what the council’s communications team does.  Instead, they need to be involved and getting their hands dirty.  That’s why our work with Leeds Met is so valuable – the council gets something out of it and the students benefit too.”

One of the latest council and Leeds Met projects is being managed by students Mary O’Shea and Jenny Singh. They are investigating whether the use of social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter are effective as communications channels for the council’s libraries service. The results will be shared with the authority and used to improve the service.

Shirley Beresford from Leeds Met University said: “We have had a strong relationship with Leeds City Council for many years with a number of our students being offered the valuable opportunity to do some ‘real’ work.

“We’ve carried out a range of projects – such as communication audits – in a number of council departments.

 “Feedback from the work is excellent and I’m delighted that we continue to develop new opportunities for students and Leeds City Council in the future.”

Councillor Richard Brett, joint leader and executive board member with responsibility for communications said: “These students are potential council communicators of the future and I’m delighted that we’re able to offer them the opportunity to work closely with us.  Proper ‘on the job’ training is by far the best way of gaining new skills.  The fact their work has the potential to help us improve our services is a definite bonus.”

Social networking sites are becoming increasingly popular and are being used by many organisations to support their PR and marketing activities. Mary and Jenny are keen to collect a range of views and have set up a short online questionnaire which they would be grateful if people would complete. It can be found by clicking here.

Katie Brown

Katie Brown, a final year PR student at Leeds Metropolitan University, was named as the winner of the prestigious Claire Mascall PR Prize at the final CIPR guest lecture last week.

The prize was offered to all final year students and involved submitting an essay entitled, Use of Social Media by the not-for-profit sector.

Katie fought off competition from six other final year students to claim her prize of £1,000 and a two week placement at the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment (CISI), which was donated by Claire Mascall’s family.  Sadie Edwards took second place and a prize of £500 and a two week placement at the Centre for Public Relations Studies. The third prize of £500 and a two week placement at MCG PR went to Julia Lumley.

The four runners-up, Jack Adlam, Jess Briar, Frankie McCamley and Emma Long, all won a copy of Public Relations and the Social Web, written by Rob Brown.

The evening featured a talk from Georgina Mitchell, Head of investment at Redmayne Bentley.  Georgina paid tribute to Claire and how she had taught Redmayne Bentley to “punch above our weight”. Tributes also came from Professor Anne Gregory of Leeds Met and Keith Loudon, senior partner at Redmayne Bentley.

Katie said:  ’I am genuinely shocked that I have won.  It is an honour to win such a prestigious award and after hearing Georgina talk about Claire’s career, it’s obvious that she is a fantastic role model for any young professional.

Claire’s daughter Charlie Canniff was part of the judging panel and presented Katie with her award.  Other members of the judging panel included Pro-Vice-Chancellor at Leeds Met, Professor Anne Gregory, Chair of the Yorkshire and Lincolnshire group of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, Carol Arthur and Co-founder of MCG PR, Christine Mortimer.

The judges were looking for creative and concise submissions that demonstrate a keen interest in the development of social media in the PR industry, with high quality and depth of discussion, contemporary views, creativity and clear recommendations made based on sound industry research and analysis.

Anne Gregory said:

“I’m absolutely delighted that Claire’s family and friends has endowed the University with this prize. It’s a great honour for us to be associated with such a skilled practitioner as Claire and that her family has decided to commemorate her through this living memorial. Claire was always keen to develop new talent and I’m sure she would be pleased to be remembered in this way.  Katie is a worthy recipient of this inaugural prize. Her analysis of the use of social media for the not-for-profit sector was thorough and insightful. It fitted the brief perfectly, but also reflected the spirit of Claire Mascall in its careful application to a complex, real situation – that of Oxfam.”

The Judges said:

“An excellent piece of work, congratulations. This is a cogent and strong examination of social media, with good reference to the literature, drawing our relevant theories.  Katie covers the essential aspects of social media logically and carefully.  The judges particularly liked the use of Oxfam as an example running through the paper.  They thought that not-for-profits would find this especially useful as an exemplar and encourage their own use of social media channels and techniques. The judges also appreciated that your critical reflection on social media was balanced and showed a good level of insight.”

 The evening rounded off what has been another successful semester of CIPR guest lectures at Leeds Met.

David Wonka Cameron

Incensed by the threat of higher student tuition fees while MPs claim absurd expenses on the public purse, two Leeds Met PR students have created a digital letter to David ‘Wonka’ Cameron.

“I am sick of hearing about millionaire politicians abusing the system,” said Adam Burns who created the stunt with Clare Callery.

“If David Cameron was so intent on feeding his interns then why did he not foot the bill? And in my experience having to pay for your own lunch is part and parcel of being an intern. I have got friends who simply could not afford to go to university and it saddens me that a multi millionaire like Cameron is wasting valuable taxpayers money.”

What will Eton- and Oxford-educated David Cameron – a former PR manager – make of the letter sent by Burns and Callery? He may be impressed by their creativity, design and campaigning skills – but he won’t be by the many typos in their letter reproduced below.

Now, remind me. Who teaches them writing? And which university has the lowest fees in the country?

Dear Mr. David “Wonka” Cameron

I was not as fortunate as Charlie Bucket to find a Golden Ticket to pay for my university fees. Instead my education will probably set me back around £18,000 for my 3 year course. So, it comes as no surprise that the recent news of your chocolate purchased on tax payers money, may not be music to the ears of the thousands of UK students building up a mountain of debt. Especially when earlier this year it was revealed that the Conservatives are in support of student fees rising. In fact a BBC article said fees may hit £7,000 a year.

So lets revise the earlier estimate of £18,000 and call it £33,000. Of course Im sure you can already see the problem. For those students who say want to become doctors, thats £55,000 for their studies and living expenses. How many A-level students do you think are really prepared to take on that much debt? This really only leaves those who have the financial backing and went to the likes of Eton for their £20,000 a year education.

I appreciate that money to subsidise fees needs to come from somewhere. Which may mean cuts need to be made elsewhere in the system. I propose your chocolate fund is the first place to start. Thats why we have enclosed a rather large amount of your favorite chocolate. So next time you feel the need to treat yourself or your workers/interns, instead of dipping into the taxpayers funds, why not just dip into our chocolate? It might have cost us money today, but hopefully it will save us more in the long run.

Yours Sincerely,

Adam Burns & Clare Callery