Claire Dixon

Great that you raise this Alan Hardacre, PhD.. in my experience (as a headhunter and previously as a lobbyist ) it depends. Many of the C-level clients I have worked for fully appreciate the value of a top public affairs professional, often the challenge is then translating that through the company or organisation. The usual challenges materialise, difficult to make it relevant for the business, long-term focus of a public affairs strategy and challenge to measure the impact and results.. your approach is sound and this McKinsey & Company study from 2013 is still relevant.. https://lnkd.in/eUv3QJe5 😉

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📰 The Future of News: A Two-Tier Media Landscape? A stark warning from parliament.uk: without action, we risk a fractured news ecosystem, with informed citizens on one side and disengaged communities on the other. 💡 “Having informed citizens with a shared understanding of facts isn’t guaranteed—and may not endure.” The UK’s media has defied the odds these past 15 years, with exciting new formats and diverse perspectives. But it’s not all good news… 📉💔 🔎 Trust in journalism is falling 🙈 News avoidance is rising 💸 Revenue streams are drying up 🤖 And AI? It’s shaking up EVERYTHING The risk? A “two-tier” system where some stay informed while others fall into news deserts or questionable online sources. So, what’s next? Tax breaks for local news 🏡, smarter AI policies 🤝, and more innovation💡 could help us steer away from the cliff edge. We are doing our bit at Contribly by trying to innovate the audience engagement side of the news, by getting real people’s voices included and heard in a safe way that social media doesn’t provide. The aim is to build trust and relevance! Let’s keep the news serving everyone, not just the privileged few. 🌍💪 What’s your take on this? Let’s chat! 👇🗣️ https://lnkd.in/enjesFrY

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🚨 REVEALED 🚨 : What the local election results mean for your planning application. ...and drum roll please.... Nothing. Huh? New political administrations, new councillors, lots of briefings needed - right? No, not really. Ask yourself, are members of planning committees still going to be influenced by NIMBYs? If the answer is 'yes' to this question, then it's 'yes' to the next. Will members of planning committees be influenced by supporters? So your plan to focus on generating meaningful support is still the right one. Unless that's not your plan, in which case.... ... do you think it should be? #planning #housing #realestate

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When I run media training I talk about the energy that well chosen words can bring to a short media piece. Often times industry spokespeople are contributing to a wider story, and are not able to deliver a lengthy monologue. This makes the chosen words even more important. I absolutely love this clip of the Henley Mermaids contributing to a Channel4 News piece last week about shoddy management from Thames Water (scroll to 30 seconds in). Things she does to ensure her piece goes...ummmm...swimmingly 🏊‍♀️ "We feel let down" - makes it very human 🏊‍♀️ "Thames Water serves 1 in 4 of us" - hugely inclusive...this matters to a lot of us 🏊‍♀️ "It's a total monopoly, we have no choice who we go to" - emphasis and really accessible language. You may not think you need to explain a word like monopoly, but doing it deftly like this can be helpful 🏊‍♀️ "It's just poo and pipes" - alliterative perfection. A clever phrase that in 5 words ridicules TW's mismanagement and makes her point emphatically 🏊‍♀️ "If I did my job that badly..." - elaboration through a personal example 🏊‍♀️ "They need to go!" - call to action The interviewer doesn't need to ask her any questions or interrupt her in anyway as she is engaging, energetic and clearly voices strong opinions. Chef's kiss! https://lnkd.in/eTmC6_h8

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Today’s King’s Speech has 40 Bills setting out the legislative agenda for the new Labour Government. 🌹 💡The WA Communications team have analysed the detail across key sectors of the economy. Includes detailed insight from our Strategic Advisors - senior Labour adviser Jennifer Gerber and former Permanent Secretary Philip Rutnam - read more below 👇 What do you think?

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A soft launch is an excuse to just not have a rollout plan. I've been working on change programmes and internal comms initiatives for the best part of 20 years, and I have never - never - seen a soft launch actually work. So why do we do it, time and time again? 😱 Fear that no one will adapt to the change? 📋 An unwillingness to plan properly? 🤔 Business and cognitive overload? ❓️Or simply not knowing where to start? A soft launch sounds like the best of both worlds: you get your thing out there, but you can still tweak and adjust as needed. But that's not a soft launch. That's agile. Whatever the good intention, soft launches end up with, at best, half the business (at least) having no clue about the new thing/process/way of working, or, at worst, having to go back to the drawing board and come up with a proper plan. So I say again: a soft launch is used as an excuse for not having a rollout plan. Tell me I'm wrong. 😉 #ChangeManagement #ChangeComms #SoftLaunch

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Five comms lessons from the US presidential election 🫏🐘 As a US politics obsessive, I love the major role that comms plays in US presidential campaigns. Messaging, narratives and framing never matter more. Here are a few lessons I’m taking from the 2024 campaign so far: 1. The power of attention – A lot of analysts are arguing that this election demonstrates the “attention theory” of success – that whoever can gain and keep the most attention in earned media and social buzz ultimately wins. They are momentum and energy made manifest. Trump was better at attracting attention than Biden. Now Harris has more. The polls follow. (Brands can learn from this too.) 2. Cater to strong emotions – One of Trump’s skills is in riling up the passions of his base. He taps into a degree of rage at a system that many feel doesn’t work for them. Now the Harris campaign has countered with a sense of joy that is rejuvenating her followers. In past campaigns, Obama famously inspired hope and Reagan optimism. These strong emotions are vital to driving engagement. 3. Moderated messaging works – The breakthrough moment of the campaign so far was when Tim Walz called Trump and Vance “weird”. It reframed them and their agenda in the public imagination. And because it was more concrete and relatable, it resonated with people better than high-pitched attacks on the existential threat they posed to democracy. Sometimes, moderating your message can be more persuasive than dialling up the strongest version. 4. Leaders matter – Almost all of the people working on the Harris comms team were also working in Biden’s operation. But they’ve been unleashed with a new sense of energy and a new tone. Press releases are sassier and more combative. Messaging is bolder and more direct. The framework provided by leadership really matters in how comms teams operate. 5. Empower digital natives on social – The Harris social media operation has 175 staff and its TikTok account is run by a 24- and 25-year-old. It’s a team fluent in the language and vibe of social content. Trusting young staff to run key comms channels is the only way to truly thrive in those spaces. Let me know if you agree with these points or not. What are the comms lessons you’ve taken from election campaign so far?

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It's going to be an interesting week in comms. The 2024 US election presents unique challenges and opportunities for brands considering leveraging it for their PR. Here are some pointers: 1. Exercise extreme caution, as the election is likely to be highly divisive. Avoid explicit political stances, as research shows only 21% of US consumers want brands to take political positions. Instead, focus on nonpartisan messages encouraging civic engagement. 2. Leverage contextual advertising carefully, ensuring ads appear alongside appropriate content. Consider alternative channels to reach audiences, as news programming will likely be saturated with political content. Emphasise authenticity and brand values rather than opportunistically jumping on election trends. 3. Only explore cause-related marketing aligned with nonpartisan issues. Utilise social listening to understand audience reactions to election-related content. Focus on long-term strategy rather than sacrificing brand positioning for short-term gains. Remember, while the election presents engagement opportunities, the risks of backlash and negative associations are significant. Carefully weigh potential benefits against risks before incorporating election-related themes into marketing strategies.

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Ahead of the first televised head-to-head UK General Election debate tonight between Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer, bringing back a piece I wrote for The Times Red Box on how to prepare for high-stakes election TV debates. Drawing from experiences preparing senior Cabinet Ministers during the UK 2017 General Election and the EU Referendum campaign, the fundamentals for all participants remain constant: 🔹 A particularly time and resource intense format, debates require participants – and their support teams – to expect the unexpected. 🔹Taking the time to role-play, anticipate your opponents' weak spots, and come up with zingers is crucial. 🔹Real-world examples and empathy are needed to connect emotionally with viewers. 🔹All sides need their players to look and sound like they come from “Planet Normal”. Not just paying lip-service, the principals need to show empathy, that they get people’s everyday concerns, understand their lives and what makes them tick. 🔹 There should also be zingers a-plenty. The sharp ripostes designed to get noticed, ignite the next day’s press and have a lifespan throughout the campaign and beyond. 🔹Think about the viewer at home experience, not just the people in the room. Body language, looking and sounding like you are doing the top job, and befriending the main camera are vital. 🔹This format means lots of demands to “level with people” and “rule things in or out”. Falling into the trap of the off-the-cuff thinking can be an advisor’s worst nightmare, but for the viewer and voter, how someone reacts in the moment can be illuminating. 👇 Edelman Global Advisory #GeneralElection

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COP29 is now underway, and as usual there's plenty of controversy - ranging from who's attending (and who's not...); the appropriateness of hosting in a state who's economy not just reliant on oil and gas but increasing fossil fuel capacity; the conduct of the organisers (the BBC's expose of Elnur Soltanov was pretty astonishing); to accusations of 'fake news' (President Ilham Aliyev today) and much much more... Brands, whether they're attending in Baku or not, who are considering using COP as an opportune moment to talk up their sustainability credentials should proceed with caution... COPs in recent years have often been tarred with the brush (no pun intended, exactly) of greenwashing - an accusation with can quickly erode brand trust and reputation. Scott Addison and I have written a piece on all this for Green Business Journal, which hopefully provides some useful tidbits for brands and marketers. https://lnkd.in/e4RaNQYp

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‘You can’t really measure the impact of PR’. I hear that said so often that sometimes even those of us working in the sector can be at risk of internalising that belief. Which is why it’s so uplifting when a client takes the time to write in on a Friday afternoon to say ‘the result of the press coverage [that Rostrum generated] is a 25% increase in website traffic and a 50% increase in form completions’. That’s a measurable return on investment from your PR programme.

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Great piece Andy. The age of accountability demands that organisations step out of their comfort zones and meet heightened expectations for transparency, collaboration, and trust-building. The new political and regulatory landscape will be relentless, and businesses must pivot from “managing” issues to owning them. The message is clear: reputation isn’t about spin, it’s about substance. That means ditching outdated playbooks and embracing authenticity, humility, and action. As communicators, we’re uniquely positioned to lead this charge, pushing for honest conversations in the boardroom and shaping strategies that endure scrutiny. Long-term trust beats short-term fixes every time. Let’s redefine what it means to truly build relationships with all stakeholders. In 2025, standing still is no longer an option. It’s time to lean into the uncomfortable, acknowledge flaws, and lead with care and conscience. #ReputationManagement #AgeOfAccountability #Authenticity #TrustBuilding #Transparency #CorporateCommunications #Leadership #StakeholderEngagement

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The Reuters Institute Digital News Report is out today, which is always a key reference for me - https://lnkd.in/ek7APDHw It suggests more people are turning away from news because they're finding it depressing, relentless and boring, highlighting the role politics and politicians are playing in dragging it down. Interest in news has almost halved since 2015 in the UK. Lots of people say they feel increasingly overwhelmed and confused by the amount of news, and tired of how much focuses on politics. Women and younger people in particular say they feel worn out by it. Trust in the news is still lower than it was at the height of the pandemic. It improved slightly in the UK over the past year, but remains 15% lower than before the Brexit referendum 8 years ago. The BBC remains the most trusted news brand in the UK. Which is timely news, because you can get an insight behind the scenes at the BBC by joining our lunchtime event on Thursday next week, where we'll host by Julia Caesar, Senior Global Broadcast Editor at the BBC, to explore how businesses can leverage the power of broadcast news. Spaces will be limited, so register here - https://lnkd.in/eU-VqSED.

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Will digital exclusion ever really disappear? It's great to see our work with LINK and Adrian Roberts launch today, casting a fresh look at digital exclusion. Despite ongoing efforts to combat digital exclusion, our research shows that it continues to be felt across all age groups - either as a result of affordability or through our increasing reliance on digital skills in all aspects of our life and work. Today's young workforce are acutely aware that having the right digital skills today will not necessarily equip them for the workplace of tomorrow. Read the report here: https://lnkd.in/et7w8WF6

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In an interview this morning, the Prime Minister said he “wasn’t surprised” that more than two million people had signed a petition calling for another election. Rachel Reeves is fighting the Government's corner at the CBI today, trying to convince businesses they can trust her. The list of complaints goes on and on. Take last week's protests from farmers across the UK. 🔣The Treasury, Defra, and the National Farmers’ Union had different figures about how many farmers would be hit by the changes. 📊The facts about why the government introduced the tax got lost, damaging an already precarious relationship with a group of stakeholders that are still warming up towards a Labour government. 💡The Government could have made better use of powerful arguments about the value of the land and big landowners vs family farms. This article in PoliticsHome by former Downing Street director of communications Lee Cain argues that the government has lost control of the narrative over why it is making most decisions and what needs to be done to repair it. In other words, more storytelling and less media management and containment. https://lnkd.in/edFCtSUM

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A few days ago, I published the post below here on LinkedIn and on other social networks about my blog being in Vuelio's listing of the Top 10 UK PR blogs 2024. Some nice reactions here (thanks!) and there. On LinkedIn, though, within a few hours, I'd received email pitches and DMs from people wanting me to publish guest posts, with the promise that they'd promote the posts and "amplify my SEO presence," to quote one. All in exchange for "just a few carefully selected links," to quote another. It’s clear that LinkedIn is fast becoming a breeding ground for inauthentic, spammy, approaches. But the real question is: How do we maintain trust and authenticity in a space that’s increasingly being exploited?

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Would you trust AI to manage your corporate crisis? No, me neither! Listen to the latest episode to find out more and should we laugh or cry at the rise of gilet-man.

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