Claire Stokes

Some interesting insights from Chris Bignell.

1

Our weekly 'View from the Street: Live' series is designed to cut through the noise of the general election, with a focus on what really matters. Join us to discuss the big issues, key moments, and how these might shape the campaign in its final three weeks. Please sign up via the link below. #GeneralElection #PublicAffairs #UK #Westminster #Scotland #Government #GovernmentRelations #Policy #Holyrood

1

Denis Healey is credited with first using the term ‘hinterland’ in a political context - using it to critique the lack of interests outside politics of the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. It’s now used commonly to describe an individual's depth and breadth of knowledge (or lack thereof), of matters outside politics, specifically of academic, artistic, cultural, literary and scientific pursuits. Everyone needs a hinterland, not just politicians. I have always had a tendency to throw myself fully into the roles I have taken on, both employed and voluntary. To me it’s important that I give my best when I’ve committed to something. However, in recent years I’ve actively sought to get a better balance. When I stepped down as Chair of Tower Hamlets Labour Party in 2018 - what was effectively a second full time (unpaid) job - I suddenly found myself with much more spare time. I’m not much one for doing nothing, so I was starting to think about what I might do with my time instead. An advert on social media caught my eye - encouraging people to take up bell ringing as part of efforts to mark the centenary of the Armistice. I knew I had various ancestors who had ring church bells and it seemed interesting, new and different, so I signed up. It’s become a firm part of my personal hinterland, combining elements of arts, culture and mathematics, as well as mild exercise. As well as providing a contrast to my working life, the mental and physical nature of it contributes to my wellbeing and makes me better at my job. It’s never a case of either/or. I also try to take opportunities to experience new things and to keep on learning about the world. The English biologist and anthropologist Thomas Henry Huxley encouraged people to ‘try to learn something about everything and everything about something’. It’s great advice. I’d love to know what your hinterland is, or what you’d like it to be. Please do let me know in the comments.

14

1 Comment

🚫 Don’t be a mug! 🚫 I'm excited to announce that my anti-social behaviour campaign is officially live! Over the last few months, I've been working with the talented team at Mobas Group to create a Suffolk-wide campaign aimed at changing the behaviour of those involved in anti-social activities — and even those who may not realise the harm they’re causing. The message is clear: Having your mugshot taken and ending up on police files can stick with you, and it could have lasting consequences on your future. We want to encourage people to think twice and make better choices. This campaign is not just about prevention; it’s about education and creating awareness around the impact of anti-social behaviour. To learn more about the types of anti-social behaviour and how you can help, check out our full campaign page here: https://lnkd.in/eas2gUut Let’s work together to make Suffolk a safer, more positive place for everyone. 💪 #AntiSocialBehaviour #CommunityAwareness #Suffolk #SocialChange #MobasGroup #CampaignLaunch #MakingCommunitiesSafer

31

7 Comments

A few comments from folks that London Tech Week's 2024 home at Olympia was a bit of a downgrade from last year's event at the distinguished QEII Centre; hopefully not portentous for the state of the wider sector going into the election... However, on the ground, the buzz and excitement was palpable. Some fantastic panels too, here are a few points that sparked my interest. 👮‍♂️ Do we need a dedicated AI regulator? Yatin Mahandru at Cognizant suggested this during a discussion on regulation vs innovation. Maybe an FCA or CMA lookalike here in the UK would be a good step. Businesses need more certainty on regulation to spur investment and we need to get the balance right - as Emma Wright said, regulation and innovation are two sides of the same coin. 📰 Should founders hire a PR agency? Introducing a panel on storytelling, Hannah Prevett just stopped short of directly answering this question she posed, leaving agency bods in the audience with bated breath! Understandably journalists like to build direct relationships with founders, but Matt Phillips and I agreed that this and having an agency aren't mutually exclusive. Hannah's useful tips that any PR should know but founders/marketers might not are - read what the specific journalist actually writes about and tailor the pitch accordingly. Companies often get wrapped up in the tech but finding the human and what the solution means for the lives of customers is what gets journos going. 🗣 Should everyone talk the same way at work? A bold idea from Ty Rottare when highlighting that the volume of communication has never been higher yet is often of dubious quality and poor communication is costing businesses in time and money. Grammarly's B2B AI solution can ensure everyone in an organisation uses exactly the same language (an example given was to avoid accidentally saying the 'wrong thing' to a colleague and blowing up on X). The moderator quipped this would be the PR team's dream - perhaps, but at the cost of personality and individuality? Bit of a slippery slope to say the least. #LTW #LTW2024 #InformaTech

16

2 Comments

📢 23 coverage placements secured in 5 working days! ✍🏽 The backstory: Two weeks ago Friday on 12 July I had a call 📲 with client team and my MD Josephine (Jo) Eyre founder of Voxeon Communications to discuss our media plan for climate tech company Plentify's latest funding announcement https://lnkd.in/dvjWmvbE 🛣 4 working days to ensure all PR assets are approved. (The release was already done and dusted by client, yay to that!) 🗣 3 working days to secure interest under embargo with key media targets 🗞 Start of this week on Monday 22 July, the embargo was lifted and then it was a week of media follow-ups and wider distribution. 📰 Thanks to an awesome team effort, we secured 23 coverage placements (to date, with a couple more expected) across news sites that speak to audiences interested in tech in Africa, business, finance, investments, startups, climate tech etc. 👏🏽 Kudos to Josephine (Jo) Eyre for being my strategic comms guide, it's great to know I can very quickly bounce off ideas and thoughts. Client comms/ marketing team: Lerato T. Tamsyn Lunt Zinhle Dhlamini and Jade Clelland for pure awesome team work. Not forgetting the support and quick responses from Cofounders Jon Kornik and Kailas Nair. What I enjoyed about this past week, is seeing how excited all the investor teams were and how they pushed out the news to their networks etc. #teamwork #clientnews #fundingannouncements #investornews #climatetech #techinafrica

16

4 Comments

Well done to Team GB achieving 10 Gold medals so far! 🥇   It's that time of the week again! CARMA International has released our weekly briefing on the TOP sponsors of the Paris 2024 Olympics. The decisions made by sponsors of such major events can have significant and lasting impacts -both positive and negative- on their business reputation. With these major brands in the spotlight on the world's most visible stage, they are vulnerable to various criticisms, from greenwashing to monopolisation.   I have summarised each week below and linked to each briefing for ease.   Week 1 Highlights: Samsung Electronics's Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6 devices are enhancing athletes' performance. Visa's Go app aligns with eco-friendly goals and elevates fan experience. Alibaba Group Cloud’s Energy Expert tool optimises energy use at competition venues. The Coca-Cola Company faces environmental criticism while promoting global unity.   Week 2 Highlights: Allianz insuring the games and supporting over 160 athletes and para-athletes. The Coca-Cola Company cutting plastic use by 50%' Toyota Motor Corporation rolling out hydrogen-fuel cell vehicles. Alibaba Group Cloud optimizing energy consumption.  Week 3 Highlights: Samsung enhances the Olympic experience with its devices and a private 5G network for real-time broadcasting during the Opening Ceremony. Intel’s AI platform, improves talent discovery, athlete safety, event management, and viewer engagement at the Paris Olympics 2024. Alibaba uses AI to restore and colorize historical photos of female athletes, emphasizing its commitment to gender equality and technological innovation.   #Olympics2024 #Paris2024 #MediaInsights #Innovation #Technology   🔗Access week 1 full report here: https://bit.ly/3WtFtaI 🔗Access week 2 full report here: https://bit.ly/3zYngJv 🔗Access week 3 full report here: https://bit.ly/3WKndKe

8

2 Comments

I wrote a blog about some of the highlights from the AI sessions attended by the Black Vanilla team. As we head towards an AI-driven future, the overarching sentiment seems to be “embrace AI or risk falling behind.” While this sounds fairly straightforward, the practical implementation varies sector by sector. Conversations I've had with industry peers have highlighted differences in the ethical implications of gen AI tools and have shed some light on the opportunities (and challenges) that lie ahead. Key takeaway? Improve your prompts.

13

Having just wrapped up a bustling 10 days - Phocuswright EU in Barcelona last week, delving into 'You, Me & the Machine,' and attending Travolution.com's Business Breakfast this morning on behalf of Sojern, I am reflecting on insights from both events. In the spirit of the revolution we are in, leaning into ChatGPT and Jasper AI to make sense of my lengthy notes, here is what I learnt: 🚀 Metaverse Strategy: The future looks promising with potential for augmented reality in hospitality, such as virtual hotel tours and immersive customer experiences. 🏨 Hospitality Trends: The focus is on personalized experiences. Successful tech should be seamless and not interfere with the guest experience. 🌴 Sustainability & Overtourism: Promote lesser-known destinations to combat overtourism. Education and transparent marketing are key and try to preserve the local culture and keeping community at the center. 👩‍💻 Travel Tech Trends: Sustainable travel and virtual experiences are rising trends. AI/ML will continue to shape the industry. Collaborate with experts to meet customer expectations and regulatory standards. Younger travelers are more tech-savvy but VR is still underutilised. 🤖 GenAI Debate: Senior executives require a profound grasp of people, financial, and Generation AI competencies. Accurate data foundations are crucial for successful business transformation. Address ethical concerns and bias through swift risk evaluations, while cultivating reliable partnerships and ethical AI protocols. Emphasize the establishment of trust, privacy, security, and resolution of copyright issues. Stay informed about AI advancements, invest strategically with defined business objectives, and adopt adaptive AI and considerate automation practices. The future lies in combining human insight with machine efficiency, as Gen AI gains traction, focusing on trust and enhancing travel experiences. What do you think? Keen to hear industry trends coming out of London's TravelTech Show this week!

18

3 Comments

Three takeaways from the mayoral elections (beyond the obvious)... 👇 If you're as into local politics as I am, no doubt you've spent the weekend binge-consuming podcasts and other analysis of last week's local and mayoral elections. Naturally, in a General Election year, most of the discussion has focused on what the results could mean for a national vote, but here are my three other takeaways: ♀ Progress on mayoral gender equality - before last Thursday, there were more UK metro mayors called Andy than there were female mayors. But now, Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, the country's first woman elected metro mayor, has been joined by Kim McGuinness in the North East and Claire Ward in the East Midlands. That's still only 25% of the total (and notably Sadiq Khan remains the country's only mayor from an ethnic minority background), but progress is still welcome. Diversity in political leadership leads to different thinking, solutions and outcomes - as Mayor Brabin's focus on safety for women and girls in her Policing Plan shows. As a country we need to do more to encourage people from all backgrounds into politics and local and mayoral government provide a ideal route in. 😐 Disillusionment with the status quo? The steep rise in support for independent and other candidates could be indicative of wider public disengagement in mainstream politics and the two main parties especially. Granted, these results won't be repeated in a General, but combined with reduced voter turnout in many places, it's another sign that people are fed up with our current politics and are looking for real change. If I were a Labour or Conservative politician, I'd be putting democratic renewal and meaningful engagement with the public near the top of my agenda. Corrosion of trust in politicians in the long-term can only be damaging to our democracy and all parties. 🏘 The rise and rise of devolution? Although turnout remains far lower than ideal, this was the first year that the national media and political commentariat really gave mayoral elections the emphasis they deserve. The gripping late result in the West Mids and the sliver of silver lining that Ben Houchen's re-election in the Tees Valley gave an embattled PM all added to the political theatre. Indeed, much has been made of the fact that Lord Houchen's re-election was the result of his personal record of delivery locally, rather than (or despite of) his party affiliation. Both main parties (especially Labour since they now control 11/12 MCAs in England) need to see this as an opportunity to win back trust in politics. By devolving powers out of London to local leaders who can invest in what really matters to local people, voters can see the positive difference that politics can make in their communities and feel a greater stake in the system. Here's hoping for proper devolution that truly empowers places in the #GE2024 manifestos 🤞 #localelections #localgovernment #devolution Social

25

9 Comments

Will the next government bring increased regulation for the UK advertising industry? The UK general election falls on the last day of MAD//FEST LONDON, so by the time Grace Carter gets on stage to start the party in E1, many of the votes for the political parties will have already been cast. One change that the new government could oversee is increased external regulation and governance of the advertising industry - would that be a good thing or a bad thing for you? Let's take AI for example. Katherine Viner, editor of the Guardian, recently called for AI regulation. She said, "Without quality journalism to train and ground large language models, these technologies would struggle to make sense of the world around them." Without quality, trusted data to train the AI models on, it is easy to see how we could get into a vicious circle of AI choking on its own exhaust fumes: 1 - Incorrect content published 2 - AI reads that incorrect content 3 - AI therefore writes incorrect content Crap in, crap out, as they say in the trade! ;-) I would also add that digital advertising relies on quality content that consumers spend time with, so that the advertising has a chance of having an impact. For example: The difference in dwell time on an MFA site, which uses GenAI to create the content and click-bait to get somebody there, to a page with 10 ads, is a world away from the experience of a subscriber to a premium publisher site, who logs on to consume the content they pay for and only sees a single ad next to that valued content. 💬 - What do you think - more government regulation or not? #ai #regulation #advertising

24

5 Comments

Really recommend the weekly PLMR Political Insights newsletter for anyone looking to to stay up to date with General Election news, and read insights & analysis on the key announcements. You can sign up here to catch the next instalment👉 www.plmr.co.uk/newsletter

20

Are you trying to think of really meaningful gift ideas for the children in your life? How about helping them to build a nice big savings pot? We discussed the merits of that on this week's Mouthy Money podcast 👇🏻

3

🚨 Calling all Cannes attendees! 🚨 After a over a decade of planning around Cannes, Rena Jett Kayrala and I know first-hand how taxing pulling your calendar together can be. Endless 'register now' emails, flyers forwarded from friends and registrations you've forgotten about. Wouldn't it be handy if there was a consolidated guide of daily fringe events with registration and RSVP links? Introducing the *Ultimate Cannes Events Guide*, developed by PR Concierge in collaboration with Accomplice. Follow the PR Concierge channel on WhatsApp to gain access to the event guide, and live updates throughout the week of Cannes! Not sure how WhatsApp's brand channel feature works? No problem! Here's a handy step-by-step: 1. Download and/or open your WhatsApp app 2. Click on the bottom left tab/icon which is titled Updates 3. Tap the "+" sign next to Channels and then "Find Channels" 4. Type in "PR Concierge" and tap the "+" icon to follow our channel *In joining our WhatsApp channel your phone number and personal details will not be accessible to any other channel members or admins. You can mute and unmute channel notifications as needed, and will not be added to a group chat. Think of it as the new, more convenient version of Twitter/X/Threads but located inside your WhatsApp chat history!* You can also follow this link: https://lnkd.in/eDSwAHiq #CannesLions #Cannes #Cannes2024 #AdvertisingandMarketing

21

Well worth reading ⬇ This report by NatWest Group underlines that the need for the built environment to reach net zero is about more than mitigating climate change. The transition is also an economic and social opportunity. It also discusses the barriers preventing the UK from scaling energy efficiency in buildings - and potential solutions...

5

1 Comment

Anyone who knows me knows I'm passionate about organisational culture and #place . So you can imagine how excited I am about this event tomorrow! I'll be running a workshop session on how organisations can empower their people and teams to create a place-led approach. #internalcommunications #corporatecomms #companyculture #employeeengagement #wearechangemakers

12

1 Comment

Back in July, I hosted Pompey At The Polls - alongside Dan Lodge and James Birdseye - for Portsmouth's Express FM with eight and a half hours of live overnight UK general election coverage. Of course, this had long been a personal ambition of mine. But, as with any decision you make in radio, this had to be an audience-driven project. National election coverage is an almost overcrowded market and the few who can be arsed to stay up all night couldn’t be more spoiled for choice across TV, radio and other digital streams / blogs - most of which is naturally far better resourced than a community radio station (even one supported by the local newspaper). To make this worth a listen, a clear point of difference had to be king. And that wouldn’t be hard to establish - after all, the whole station’s USP is always putting Portsmouth, as well as the smaller local communities which look to it, first above anywhere or anything else. In addition to the essential legal and compliance matters surrounding due impartiality and right of reply - which would allow us to be opinionated within an overall balanced programme / station - we wanted Pompey At The Polls to be accessible for those who show an interest but may not have extensive political knowledge and / or aren't across every detail. Our colleagues at The News, Portsmouth were across the latest developments over at the Guildhall as counting in both city constituencies took place. There was also a very large national media presence. The exit poll had Penny Mordaunt's Portsmouth North seat down as "too close to call" but with a 25% chance of her holding on and a 70% chance it would go Labour. Mordaunt ran for the Conservative Party leadership following Boris Johnson's resignation in the summer of 2022 and had been widely tipped as a future leader / potential PM ever since. She even took Sunak's place on prime-time BBC and ITV debates during the campaign. Throughout the night, we had endless reports including one that Labour's Amanda Martin had taken it by roughly a thousand votes. There was no recount, much to our surprise, and the result was declared just after 4am. Mordaunt had been defeated by 780 votes. The challenge is, while being so immersed in the national picture, for the local angle not to be an afterthought. Portsmouth was our show's key point of difference and we were speaking directly to people in the city, so this result had a far deeper meaning than it did to the likes of Sky, ITN, LBC and even regional BBC. Presenting my own show meant the political and media geek in me missed out on the traditional election night channel-hopping, but I can at least pay homage to Sky News whose resources - including quality TV coverage we were opting into (via IRN) for live declarations - were on point. https://lnkd.in/epG3uPum

3

1 Comment