Persuasion

“The focus should be on great creative ideas, not on functionality for its sake.” Coca-Cola’s use of AI also fell flat because it appeared to some less like true innovation and more like bland box-ticking of a trend adds Ramy Dance, founder and managing partner of Common People Films.

Hats off to Wolff Olins global CEO Sairah Ashman for the first in her new series of leadership lessons going live in Raconteur | B Corp™. In her first article, she tackles how to really listen well – for anyone wanting to become not just a good but a great leader, a critical success factor.    She says active intention, being present, and the willingness to embrace silence (which requires both confidence and self-control) are essential starting points.   It’s always great to hear business leaders—especially female business leaders — shine a light on their path to the top and what they learned along the way.    We’re proud to have helped secure this opportunity, and confident aspiring business leaders, whatever their gender, will find much food for thought in Sairah’s future columns.

As the UK budget continues reverberating across the business world, our founder, Jane Austin, unpacks how Labour’s Budget raided the PR Playbook and offered little in return. The comms strategy surrounding Labour’s historic Autumn 2024 budget was straight out of the PR textbook on delivering bad news, managing expectations and mitigating the shock. So, as promised, a moment of respite in the comments, with the panda going down a slide gif. You're welcome.

We are ‘thrilled’ to see that the use of ‘thrilled’ and 'revolutionary' has officially been added to the word garbage of hyperbole in releases. https://lnkd.in/g2hRp6ij

Thanks to Sairah Ashman for hosting an inspirational event yesterday for #TEDxGreekStWomen.   Three inspiring speakers – global business leader Annabelle Baker, author and “Secret Library” podcast host Caroline Donahue and SCAMP & DUDE Founder and CEO Jo Tutchener Sharp – shared their personal stories and visions on how stories of human connection are transforming our cultural landscape.   Drawing on over two decades in the beauty industry, Baker explained how the landscape is changing from one where beauty was defined by a chosen few to a more empowered community, helped like brands such as Fenty Beauty, male grooming and makeup brand ShakeUp Cosmetics and menopause-focused skincare brand Made for More.   Donahue discussed how books and literature can influence culture – for example, the romance genre, where the “bodice-rippers” of the 1980s are evolving with diversity, queer romance and more empowered female characters.   Tutchener-Sharp powerfully described her own inspiring journey towards entrepreneurship,  which started with a life-threatening brain haemorrhage, leading her to reflect on the impact she would leave on the world. She started her brand with a focus on helping children missing their parents, expanding it into a B-Corp certified clothing range. Her message? Don’t wait to get to the pearly gates and ask yourself about your legacy.   All three speakers left the audience inspired and uplifted, providing a timely reminder that we can all make a difference and impact culture for generations to come. https://lnkd.in/eeUhpHH8 #CultureisConnection

It was great to hear Sairah Ashman, global CEO of Wolff Olins, joining @SeanFarrington on BBC Five Live’s #WakeUpToMoney this week, with her fascinating insights on a whole host of issues currently affecting the world of business. The programme started with a discussion about Tesco using AI with Clubcards to nudge us towards healthier choices - a good thing, said Sairah, explaining on the show: “It’s great that they’re using it in a really practical way, as a lot of stories at the moment are about how dangerous AI is. It’s great that it becomes a bit more everyday and in your shopping basket, as opposed to the terrifying things we hear about. It would need to be elective though.” On the hour-long show, Sairah also talked about interest rates and inflation on both sides of the Atlantic, and how they affect momentum in the markets and business - and how recruitment trends are currently very similar in the US as here in the UK. She also talked about the downfall of #Tupperware, and how it can happen to even the most recognisable brand names. She explained: “This case shows you have to keep reinventing what the product is behind the name so that it’s relevant and valuable for today, not just for the past.” Like many of us, Sairah also revealed she still has a lot of Tupperware hanging around at home - but without any matching lids. The wide-ranging show also saw Sairah comment on zero hours contracts and the shrinking UK workforce, why the latter is such a complicated issue and what needs to be done to address it. Listen below: https://lnkd.in/epAZAYWk #bbcfivelive #bbcfivelivewakeuptomoney #businessinsights #bbcradio #businessleader #wolffolins #ukbusiness

Radiocentre’s Tuning In 2024 opens its doors tomorrow to discuss “Unlocking the Audio Advantage.”  Anyone involved in commercial radio should mark Tuesday 17th September in their diary – Radiocentre’s industry conference is back. Taking place at Picturehouse Central on London’s Shaftesbury Avenue, Tuning In 2024 is themed “Unlocking the Audio Advantage” and will discuss the audio industry’s high return on investment for brands, its growing audiences and the latest insights from industry figures. In a landmark session, Global Radio will reveal more details about it 12 new station launches including Capital Anthems, Classic FM Movies, Radio X Chilled and others. Global’s chief broadcasting and content officer James Rea will discuss the launches with two senior Global executives. To hear how brands are breaking new ground with radio advertising, a session from Specsavers Marketing Strategist Robert Fox will focus on why radio is such an important medium for the optician and audiology chain. Robert will show how innovative, creative audio can deliver an exceptional impact for brands. A host of other sessions will explore the key issues for brands in audio, with some of UK radio’s biggest stars sitting alongside senior media executives to discuss how brands can get the most out of audio.  Radiocentre CEO Matt Payton will offer a market overview and discuss this year’s record commercial audiences. KISS presenter Tyler West returns to host the event. Tuning In is free to attend for advertisers, agencies and Radiocentre members and will be streamed online. Register via https://lnkd.in/eT5wiiNb

CW - suicide and other topics that may trigger readers Explaining the inexplicable, the painful and distressing in a way that is approachable is not an easy feat. However, CALM - Campaign Against Living Miserably has managed this with a striking work that brought 6929 birthday balloons to London’s Westfield shopping mall, each representing a young person who has lost their life to suicide in the past decade. Topics like suicide and the death of young people cannot be described in the form of reportage when it comes to campaigns. They are just too painful to illustrate accurately sometimes. But this doesn’t mean that the work done by charities which support those affected by these events shouldn’t claim their space and draw attention to their needs. There’s a requirement to turn to abstraction - visually explaining the pain of loss in a literal way is not only problematic for families and friends who recognise those sensations, but it can also make people turn away - overwhelmed by the sadness of the impact. CALM’s Missed Birthdays campaign not only highlights the issue but offers a focus on meditation for people to remember those they might have lost. The joyous nature of the birthday balloons may help celebrate the brutally cut short lives, or they can draw attention in a way that’s a little more oblique, a softer approach. Maybe more campaigns can learn from this work when it comes to making an impact without being a sucker punch. We all have a role to play in keeping young people safe. CALM's C.A.R.E. Kit gives you everything you need to be there for them. https://lnkd.in/eZK6cHhN #CALM #WorldSuicidePreventionDay https://lnkd.in/dZbaHhsT

As the headlines around Cannes Lions start to die down, what are the things that stay in front of mind, apart from Elon Musk's dramatics? Between creativity raging against the machine, the return of humour, and AI still dominating conversations, look over the key trends to take away from Cannes Lions 2024. Please sign up at www.persuasioncomms.com to download a copy. 

Totally chuffed to report that Persuasion ranked joint tenth (among those with 5+PR credits), eighth in global PR credits (PR agencies only), and 11th (all PR credits) in PRWeek’s global PR credits tables of this year’s Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity awards.