Adam Morgan

Looking forward to exploring the future of magazines in today's ever-evolving media landscape at the PPA 2024 Festival with industry leaders Katie Vanneck from #Hearst and Phillip Swinden from #Haymarket. 📚✨ Key issues we will look at include: 🔹 Consumer brands have some of the deepest connections to their readers around. How do you sustain this amidst the rise of creators and influencers? 🤝 🔹 The challenges and realities of consumer media venturing into B2B verticals. Is this shift as seamless as it appears? 🔄 Let me know what your key questions are. #MediaInnovation #PPAFestival2024 #PublishingFuture #DigitalTransformation

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GDP data dropping tomorrow. How's the economy feeling for you? Write away. We'll be sharing your thoughts with the national, local and selected trade media tomorrow AM sharp. https://lnkd.in/e2Ddn-hz

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A bunfight over Brexit and a brand   Is it fair for an investor's political views to impact on a company’s brand? That’s the question raised by the news that Gail’s, the bakery bellwether of gentrification, has been boycotted by activist residents of Walthamstow, seemingly partially due to the fact of Gail’s minority investor’s views on Brexit and Covid lockdowns.   Like it or not, we are living in an increasingly polarised world. For years marketers have implored brands to create a ‘personality’, to share their ‘values’ and to profess their ‘identities’, through customer, social and traditional media engagement. Increasingly brand personas are  shaped by concurrent political and social mores. The trouble comes when the virtues a company (or now investor) signals are not shared by the discerning end purchaser.    While the Gail’s challenge is wrapped up as an impassioned defence of independent stores, Luke Johnson’s personal views were specifically referenced in a local barista’s objections. What if a leader’s beliefs change over time, as we are told has happened in relation to many a Brexit vote?    In a week in which we've seen a campaign highlighting Prince William's hypocrisy for earning a bob or two from car dealers renting his Duchy of Cornwall land, yet creating the environmental Earthshot prize, and Starbucks changing its CEO partly due to customer fall-out over its perceived support for Israel in the Gaza conflict, it is clear that business leaders’ political stances and ESG considerations increasingly collide.     For communicators this poses ongoing challenges. Who is the arbiter of views held by businesspeople, as to whether they are sufficiently acceptable so as not to impact turnover? It’s undoubtedly consumers, but smart comms advisers will spot impending trouble if consulted in time. Balanced decisions can then be made between risk and reward.   Humanising a brand and helping it evolve with the zeitgeist can make it more accessible - but companies enter the shark infested waters of certain debates at their peril – which is why the savvy will have boundaries on their owners’ public engagement. There’s one simple rule these days - if you do make your political views widely known, it risks commercial, and often professional, consequences.   That said, some brands will take the Millwall approach and care little for the views of those who are not already supporters.  Others, however, in a keenly-competitive market place, may well think twice about receiving investment from entities or individuals known to hold polarising views.    In short, if you look to portray a persona, you have to live by all that that stands for, or risk deterring consumers whilst disappointing existing ones too.    I’m just left wondering, in the game of virtues, quis custodiet ipsos custodes? https://lnkd.in/eKfEu-tW #Commschallenges #brands #identity #esg

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Mass Media Scandals Strikes + Redundancies. But you CAN still grow your media coverage results in this troubled and shrinking market. See how we've been doing it in our latest B&T article. Thanks Tom Fogden. #MakePeopleBetter #pr #marketing #media #journalism https://bit.ly/3T0kxG1

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Just shipped some pretty sweet updates to our CoverageImpact free tool project. 1. You can now graph data by day/week/month. Some of those longer term examples were looking pretty mad with daily as the only option. Fixed now. 2. The support for coverage data imported from the likes of Cision, MuckRack, Meltwater, Buzzsumo, Critical Mention etc is so so much better. Just download your data in CSV format from these tools (and many more) and upload into CoverageImpact. We strip out everything apart from the date published data to create your coverage time-line. Then you can layer on impact data. More to come.... #prmeasurement #publicrelations

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A lot of great people from a lot of great agencies have added their voice to this piece from Siobhan Holt in PRWeek UK, so naturally I’m keen to chip in my two pennies too.    Let me start by saying this: pitches are great. I love that collective agency energy when you’re working on a big response and how they push us to challenge our thinking. Obvs I love them less when we don’t win, but: life. They can be brilliantly run and terribly run, and while I think a pitching code of conduct is a lovely idea, it’s one that perhaps feels a tad lofty in ambition, needing buy-in from, well, everyone - agencies and brands - to work. Until such a time that we enter PR utopia, I think agencies need to figure out what their hard lines are and stand their ground more. There are also plenty of great clients out there who run brilliant pitch processes, and even when we don’t win, we feel valued and respected. Be more like them.   Adding to the list, some of my personal pitching red and green flags include:   🚩 No budget? No thanks. Giving a budget, even a ballpark, is essential because we want to shape our response to fit what the brand has to spend. Otherwise we might come up with a corker of an idea the client can’t afford and that will make them sad 💚 People who give the gift of time. We work quickly but obviously we will deliver a better and more in-depth response when we have been given a decent chuck of time to respond   🚩 8+ agencies on a pitch list. Brands should feel empowered to be braver and only choose the top 3-4 agencies they really want to see 💚 Client teams who equally invest a significant amount of their own time into the process and who who make themselves available outside official check-in moments for clarification and sense checking. Big fan    🚩 “Submit your pitch online and we’ll shortlist the ones who will get to present.” *Shudders*. Time investment from the agency aside, I guarantee we will bring our ideas to life better than you reading them ever will (even if you have a vivid imagination) 💚 Proper post pitch feedback for the ones you don't win - it's hugely appreciated when clients show respect for the effort, the agency and the work that went into the response, and we want to hear where we fell short. Tell us, ideally on a call   🚩 Key decision makers not being involved in each stage of the process. From the Q&A to the tissue to the presentation, everyone has a different point of view, different motivations and different objectives – and we want to hear them! That collective thinking helps us shape the best, most considered response    These are fair questions and challenges to ask from the outset of a pitch, but there will always be some processes you enter which will take you close to your hard lines. Then it’s up to you whether or not you choose to step over them. #pitching #newbusiness #pr #comms

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Impact is our output. We talk about modern marketing being able to deliver two types of impact - cultural and commercial. How do we move beyond the brand purpose debate and into a more grown up and nuanced conversation about the different types of impact we all create as marketers every day? Come and join us to find out.

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Sage thoughts ahead of the Budget from Foresight Group's Exec Chair, Bernard Fairman, in City AM: "I'd have made a dreadful employee. I'm convinced that in the UK we over-index for this personality type. In fact the ambition to build and innovate appears to be more present in those leaving full-time education now than at any time in recent memory. This is a powerful asset for an economy bent on growth, if we make it count." https://lnkd.in/eMDxfnUU #Budget

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So the essential listening for #PR and media people is back - the “When It Hits The Fan” programme and podcast from the BBC. Presented by the modern-day Statler and Waldorf of the strategic communications game, David Yelland and Simon Lewis. Two weeks back (10/9/24) in a bit of a scoop Mr Yelland “revealed” that the Govt’s COBRA committee had commissioned online advertising to target and deter potential rioters during August after the Southport stabbings (Link in Comments). The ads delivered 70m impressions, he said. But how did the Govt actually choose and target potential rioters? First they targeted men, then age and then geography (ie location), Yelland explained. They behaved “just like any advertiser”. But wait, do not savvy advertisers (and certain media platforms) also deliver ads next to content consumed by their target audience? In this case, potential rioters. What would that media plan or online brief look like? What sites would get past the “black list” and what a story it would be if tax-payers’ money was spent advertising in the right “environment” for this unsavoury demographic.

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Stop aiming for perfection seems to be a recurring theme. This is a great article from Laura Harnett in The Grocer, a couple of months ago, about the need for B Corp to keep evolving. And it very much aligns with a piece I wrote back in October last year about sustainability being a journey not destination. https://lnkd.in/e6k7cgvd Perfection is an illusion - there's always room for improvement Challenge perceptions. Talk to Hummingbird Insights #foodandbeverage #sustainability #insights #bcorp https://lnkd.in/eNMeF4tn

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Our new interactive dashboard analyses: Topic UK General Election 🇬🇧 - Discover voter concerns, news stories attracting the most clicks! You may be surprised....https://lnkd.in/etDxUwiw #labourparty #conservativeparty #liberaldemocrats

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Fascinating London Knowledge Café last night, thanks David Gurteen. The event was hosted by Simon Atkinson and Aynsley Taylor of Ipsos, who walked us through their Generations Report 2024. The rate of population growth is slowing down, and we know some countries are already experiencing population decline. In the conversation which followed a number of significant points were raised, though, despite its far-reaching implications, the subject of population decline remains puzzlingly absent from our collective discourse. There are profound implications of population decline for workforce planning and economic growth. However, this competes for attention with more immediate and visible issues, and never more so than in a year when two billion voters are heading to the polls around the world. It was a thought-provoking discussion because population decline is interconnected with other pressing issues. CLIMATE CHANGE - Fewer people means lower greenhouse gas emissions and reduced environmental impact. On the other hand, an aging population can lead to higher per capita emissions, as older individuals tend to consume more energy and resources. In Japan, the ageing population has led to a growing demand for energy-intensive healthcare services. POLITICAL INSTABILITY - Rapid or uneven population shift can lead to political instability, as it often disrupts social structures, economic systems, and cultural identities. We’re living through the emergence of populist movements because of migration. China’s population decline, projected to shrink to 50% of its current size by 2100, will inevitably have an impact on geopolitical ambitions. ECONOMIC CRISIS - Population decline can also exacerbate economic crises, as a shrinking workforce reduces a country's productive capacity and economic growth potential. We are already rethinking what retirement looks like, how we encourage collaboration between employees of all ages, creating opportunities for intergenerational knowledge-sharing. While the overall global population is still increasing, the decline in specific regions highlights the need to address demographic challenges at both national and international levels. The time I’ve spent in sub-Saharan Africa supporting Action Through Enterprise has kept this topic top of mind for me. The reality is that for the next few decades, this part of Africa will be the big demographic player. Who wants another existential threat! Though as we teeter on the precipice of a demographics Rubicon, this is something we really should be talking about.

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Really grateful to two market-leading Editors of subscription-led businesses and terrific ex-colleagues of mine, Catrin Griffiths and Alastair McLellan, for spending time with me last week on B2B content strategy. If you want to watch on-demand there is a link below. Highlights for me included: Impact on content strategy of the move to a paid subscription business model 17min46 Building a high value B2B content proposition 14min02, 23min05, & 31min29 How to motivate editors & editorial teams 29min42 & 50min47 Removing Print as a platform 45min02: https://lnkd.in/gbwftfwR

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As ever an insightful article in The Media Leader regarding the GB News and Ofcom situation from Ray Snoddy There is a possibility that GB News are actively undermining the right wing vote by adding to the split between the Conservatives and Reform, thus helping Labour. The presence on GB News of Nigel Farage, a vocal critic of the Conservatives, will reinforce this rift. If so, the losses that Ray refers to in the article will have been even less well-spent.

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Exciting news! 📣 My client Pukpip’s real frozen bananas dipped in milk chocolate and white chocolate are now available at Ocado. This is first major listing for Pukpip, so we knew we had to create a real buzz within media and online, and help drive sales amongst new and existing customers alike whilst positioning Pukpip's frozen snacks front of mind as THE go-to snacks for people who are looking to eat well and treat themselves. 🍌 🍫 I managed a targeted media sell-in to announce that Pukpip had hit online supermarket shelves which generated more than 40 pieces of coverage across national, consumer and trade media - including Daily Express, Daily Mirror, syndicated coverage across all regional Reach plc newspapers and The Grocer - and more than two million media impressions. 💥 Plus, a paid for influencer campaign, working with relevant lifestyle influencers to showcase how Pukpip makes it easier for consumers to incorporate more fruit into their diet, and allow them to feel good about treating themselves and their families. The results? Fourteen pieces of content across grid and stories with a combined reach of more than 25,000 accounts and 10% average engagement rate, and an uplift in profile visits, followers and clicks through to Pukpip's page on Ocado. If you're a journalist and this post has left you hungry to try some of Pukpip's bananas, don't be shy! 📧 [email protected] If you're a brand and you want to create this much noise around your first or next retail listing or product launch, don't be shy either! Get in touch using the above email and let's have a chat about how I might be able to help you. - #freelancepr #prconsultant #pragency #media #marketing #influencermarketing #socialmedia #foodpr #fmcg #hospitality #leisure #business #comms #foodanddrink #retail #productlaunch

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Well done Instinct Digital and Cassian Scott Stephen Maynard Great traction for the ambitious growth plans at Instinct Digital - “We are delighted to partner with AlbionVC on the next stage of our journey,” said Cassian Scott, CEO.  “Our prestigious clients are fundamental to our success, along with our partners and team who have enabled Instinct to build a product that has the potential to become the benchmark in investment communications and reporting for investors." see Morningstar Synpulse Marouane Bakhtar #fintech #assetmanagement #assetmanagers #investmentmanagers #wealthmanagement #reporting #investors

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Re-launching Jonny Wilkinson's No.1 Living to One Living - kombucha, with purpose. Yesterday we had the pleasure of relaunching Jonny Wilkinson's best-selling, multi-award winning kombucha brand as it enters its next phase as a purpose driven brand. Why re-launch a brand which is already doing so well? There is good reason, One Living are now focused on empowering individuals to ‘feel at one’ by supporting mental health, gut health and overall wellbeing through One Living, One Giving and One Wellbeing. Jonny’s commitment to mental health is deeply personal and through the new One Living they will now do far more than create exceptional products. Just as Jonny lived and breathed rugby during his illustrious career, he is now dedicated to promoting mental wellbeing with the same passion and commitment. By integrating his passion and work in supporting mental health and wellbeing into the One Living brand, they will actively address and support the crucial link between mental health, gut health, and overall wellness, empowering people everywhere to achieve true balance and wellbeing. Together we brought their incredible initiatives to life at an intimate and once in a lifetime private launch event at Twickenham stadium. ✨ One Living - Central to the relaunch is the belief that nurturing your body is fundamental to nurturing your mind. So we talked 'Supporting a Healthy Gut-Brain Axis' with The Gut Stuff and Dr Emily Leeming. ✨ One Giving - Every purchase of one Living products directly funds mental health charities. The first charity One Living will be supporting is Mental Health Foundation, where Jonny has recently become an ambassador and the One Living brand is now their official drinks partner. Mark Rowland, CEO of The Mental Health Foundation talked mental health. Understanding how to better recognise, react and improve our mental health - the take aways were meaningful, relatable and impactful. ✨ One Wellbeing - on all new products there are QR codes which unlock a library of free health and wellbeing content. To bring to this life we took to the pitch at Twickenham for a once-in-a-lifetime life skills workshop led by Jonny. We learnt about pushing past fear, being in the present, trusting yourself, creating not surviving, living in the now, not the past and so much more. The lessons Jonny taught us on connecting to the magic inside, staying in flow and finding and following what feels good will last a lifetime. Not to mention the memory of a kicking lesson on the Twickenham pitch - it was full of laughter, ease, happiness and human connection. Clients and events like these are one in a million and we are both proud and honoured to work alongside such a magnificent, purpose driven company committed to supporting mental health and wellbeing, it is so important. #launch #media #kombucha #wellness #mentalhealth #guthealth #givingback #pr #brandbuilding

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