Fiona Hughes

The latest 'One Step Forward, Two Steps Black' survey from UK Black Comms Network (supported by Opinium and PRWeek UK) is a stark reminder of the continued need for creating more inclusive and equitable workplaces. Overlooked for promotions and awards, experiencing microaggressions and racism, while feeling like they have to tone down their personalities to 'fit in'. No wonder two thirds of Black PR pros consider leaving the industry. As Kamiqua Lake (nèe Pearce) says "For an industry that prides itself on being able to engage, influence and understand people - we have no excuses for not doing better on inclusion." 🎯 I encourage you to: - Read the report. Then read it again and think about how your company can be different - Speak and listen to your Black employees - Ask yourself what you could do better As a process lover, I'd also suggest you: - Check your promotion and retention data. Who is leaving, when and why? Who is being promoted and why (not)? - Review and set clear promotion criteria. Agencies in particular are historically bad at promoting the loudest or popular voices or those that fit a certain image. Make it super clear what someone needs to achieve to get to the next level - What policies do/should you have in place and are they being acted upon? No point having something on paper if people don't know it exists or feel like they can refer to it - Look at how you can provide mentoring and sponsorship for your Black talent. If it isn't available in-house, look externally - Review your training and development offer. Yes, the EDI related training, but also ensure that people are being given the tools and skills they need to excel in their job. You can check out the full report here: https://lnkd.in/esYp6XcK

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🤔 Who should I be pitching to? 🤔 Is a press release still a good idea? 🤔 Why aren’t my pitches getting any coverage? 🤔 What should my PR strategy be? 📢 If you’re a small organisation struggling to answer all these, come join us in January. 📢 Some places have the budget for an agency to help them figure out PR and make it happen, and that’s great. But if you don’t…. Hi. 👋  We see you. We get it.  We made something for you. I’ve teamed up with Celia Venables to give you access to more than 40 years (gulp) of combined PR expertise with brands like Headspace, Pregnant then Screwed, Kelloggs, Mars, Mind and Moonpig. All the good bits that actually work condensed down into 2 hours a week for 6 weeks. All sessions will be recorded too. And it’s a bloody bargain. Because we wanted to work with and share our expertise with businesses that wouldn’t otherwise be able to speak up and grab life by the headlines. DM me or Celia, or email [email protected] for more info. ------------ 💡 Hi I’m the Founder of Litmus Communications — helping people and teams communicate in a way that’s anything but neutral.💡 🔔 Follow me for more on collaboration, making a lasting impression and, team dynamics. 

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🚦Crisis Comms Prep: Lessons from the Heinz Controversy🚦 It must have been a busy evening for the Heinz comms team last night, and this has got me thinking about the most important aspect for brands facing a crisis – PREPARATION. Here are some insights I have learnt over my many, many years in the comms industry: 🟡Clarity is Key: you need a system in place to provide quick, clear information. If consumers find the messaging confusing, it undermines the intent. Social media thrives on clarity—make your message easy to understand. 🟡Consistency Matters: your brand messaging should be consistent across all platforms. Inconsistencies can lead to mistrust and mixed messages. 🟡Engagement Through Feedback: the Heinz debate highlights the importance of listening to your audience. Brands should be responsive to consumer feedback and adjust strategies accordingly. 🟡Transparency Builds Trust: consumers appreciate honesty. A well-structured comms system should provide transparency, fostering trust and loyalty. 🟡Use Data Wisely: brands should leverage analytics to refine their social media strategies, ensuring they meet audience needs and preferences. Want to talk more about crisis comms and prepare together, get in touch. #Branding #CommunicationStrategy #SocialMedia #ConsumerTrust #MarketingInsights

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***NEW EPISODE OF THE PERFECT PRESS RELEASE OUT NOW!*** Featuring the fantastic Emma Padden from PR Mums. Tune in to hear Emma talk about the amazing work PR Mums is doing to help women rejoin the PR workforce after having a baby. (And, of course, provide expert tips on writing press releases!) Links to the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts are in the comments. Jay Vydelingum Clement Stories #podcast #PR #PRMums #pressreleases #ThePerfectPressRelease

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I love what I do, but there are some things you really shouldn’t hire me for. JFDI tasks where thinking and listening isn’t asked for or expected. Scenarios where PR is made to sit in the corner and only speak when spoken too. Supporting the ‘all publicity is good publicity’ delusion. Not everyone is a celebrity with a redemption story to use…. Thoughts on what colour to wear other than black, gym routines, or how the LI algorithm actually works What you can absolutely hire me for, whether a brand, business or agency, is: Comms strategy and clarity in making sense of all the threads you are trying to tie into one Honest appraisal, review, fixing or retooling of your story, messages, narrative and place. Board level advisory,  mentoring, positive challenge, fractional support, and helping with the 'stuff' that just keeps you awake at night. Opinions and an experienced view of what works brilliantly in PR and what crashes and burns like an overconfident ‘freebie clothes' strategy  The thinking time you know you don’t have for big tasks, live projects or the crucial things currently gathering dust. Fashion advice can be offered if you insist, but the honest answer will probably still be ’wear black’

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Enjoyed reading this insightful article in the Sunday Times. It discusses how a founder of a new PR agency used their experiences of working with freelancers to think about how they can work differently. Here's the full article: https://lnkd.in/d77uwcr7 In what areas could your industry improve its processes? H/T Avital Eusgeld

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Ready Media Group Ltd will be submitting it’s figures to the PRWeek UK & People Like Us Pay Gaps Project again this year, as we have since 2021. If you run an agency, please consider doing the same, although be warned that it will likely result in the following: ✅ You will feel super-worried and vulnerable about being so transparent so publicly about your organisation ✅ You will most likely be publicly disclosing that you have a pay gap in your agency. ✅ It will be seen and read by the women in your company and your colleagues from ethnic backgrounds …despite all that - *because* of all that - you should still do it anyway. It’s not fair that anyone should earn less than a colleague at the same level simply because they are a woman or from an ethnic minority. Transparency – and that transparency driving accountability – is the best way it can be addressed. Publishing your figures is not an end destination, it’s a stop along the journey but if you want to be as fair a place as possible, a vital part of that is to be open on this stuff. We don’t live in utopia and so almost every organisation has work to do in this area. We use the issues that the study throws up to stare back at us and ensure we confront them. If you've not entered before, please do think about it. The more the merrier for this study. If you have any questions either confidentially or not, please do ask me.

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Really proud of this PR activation. Great brand awareness but more importantly it actually makes a real difference: https://lnkd.in/egAKM_r3

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📣 Calling all agency leaders - this one is for you 📣 Have you submitted your data for PRWeek UK and People Like Us's pay gap report yet? If you have not, you need to and here's why: 🖼 The collective data helps paint a bigger picture of the Ethnicity & Gender pay gap in the PR industry and where change is needed - with the knowledge we can then implement real change 💰 It demonstrates the industry's commitment to paying employees fairly - if you are not on the list does this say more about what you are not doing and create more questions than answers?! 🔎 It ensures we analyse our pay gaps every year and holds us to account spotting issues and giving us impetus to fix the problem 👀 It holds us all accountable - without accountability, we are set to continue on a path of unfairness, inequality and show an unwillingness for progress I urge you to commit time to filling out this data. We are all VERY busy but if we don't do this as agency leaders we stifle the opportunity for change. The deadline is Monday 27th August. I want to be clear, our data is by no means perfect but by understanding the issues we will be better tomorrow and that is a commitment we can all easily get behind. It is all about the 1%. #PayEquity #PayGapReport #accountability

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"What do you do for a living?" Working in PR and comms, I'm never quite sure how to answer this one. Few people really know what PR is (even if they think they do) and there's definitely no one simple answer. I even had a distant relative laugh in my face once when he asked what I did and I said 'I work in PR'. I think he thought it meant I worked in a night club (not that there's anything wrong with that). I didn't have enough bother in me about his opinion to enlighten him, although it did make me rethink how best to answer the question in the future, so as not to do the industry or the many hard-working people in it an injustice. My answers now are usually one or a mix of the following: - I help raise the profile of people and companies - I secure positive media coverage for clients - I help companies develop the brand identity, language and tone of voice they want to use - I secure speaking slots, award judging opportunities, media appearances and interview spots for clients - I do lots of copywriting, including media articles, expert pieces, website content, video scripts and white papers. I also ghost write for clients when they haven't got the time, or writing's not their thing - I develop appropriate communications for companies and individuals in times of crisis - I train people how best to conduct themselves in media interviews How do you answer the question?

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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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How can single-industry comms agencies thrive in a niche? 🤔 With over 21,000 PR agencies in the UK, competition for talent and clients is fierce. So how do independent, single-industry agencies stand out and succeed against the creative giants that do it all? In our latest podcast, we dive deep into this with Ravi Vijh, MD of Bastion – the UK’s top video games comms agency, which is on an incredible growth journey. From launching new divisions to hiring passionate people, Bastion is a shining example of how a focused approach can yield extraordinary results. 🙌 Tune in as we explore how a single-industry focus helps Bastion accelerate growth, foster diversity, and attract top talent in a competitive landscape. It's a must-listen for any agency looking to thrive in a single-industry niche! 🎙️Full episode available on Spotify - https://lnkd.in/g6uRNvWz #videogames #videogamescomms #publicrelations #pragency

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Why brands need to turn to the creative industries to retain their customers. As the UK slumps further into a black hole, the creative industries will become the beacon of light brands need to reach for. #CulturalRelevance #CommunityandCulture Quick read! https://lnkd.in/escReNVT

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There are people who are 'naturals' on stage and make perfect entertainers, and then there are people like me...not so natural🫣😱 One of the reasons I chose PR was to stay behind the scenes - planning, organising, and orchestrating - letting the CEOs and directors take centre stage and - as Rihanna says - shine bright like a diamond!💎 Everything was going smoothly and according to the plan until Mauro Battellini and I started Black Unicorn PR. That's when we had to decide who among us would be 'the face' of the company to drive marketing, which, in turn, leads to attracting potential clients. Given my experience in #PR, the executive decision fell on me, and so it began…🧟‍♀️☕️ Originally, there were no plans for me to 'perform' on stage. I started by delivering workshops for small groups of #startups. Considering the wealth of experience and tips we wanted to share with a broader market, it made sense to 'go big or go home'💥And by that, I mean starting to deliver presentations on a variety of topics in front of diverse audiences. THE FEAR OF FAILING WAS INSANE. Do I speak too fast? Too slow? Is the information too obvious (clearly everyone knows how to pitch journalists)? Do people in the audience think I am a not very smart? And a dozen other crazy questions not only went but keep going through my head. But, years later, I take pride in what and how I deliver. I do, however, try to avoid caffeine, eating, or talking to people before getting on stage, whether it's in front of 50 or 500 people 😜 Every single presentation, workshop, panel moderation, or fireside chat involves enormous preparation, research, and practice in front of a mirror and my family. And, of course, no matter how well each presentation goes, it can always be done much better. That’s why I turned to my #publicspeaking guru, Malcolm Stewart, to help me improve on stage and find my true self. It’s incredibly rewarding when someone says, “Oh, you were a natural on stage”-it means all the hard work paid off! As part of our job, we media train our clients as needed. We never orchestrate what they say, but we do help them feel comfortable and at ease🎙️🧘‍♀️ My top tips to conquer the fear of public speaking: 🦄 Prepare, prepare, and prepare some more. Often for a 20-min presentation, I can spend up to 32 hours doing my research, writing, editing, and practising 🦁 Don’t overthink it in the last days, hours. You should prepare so that you don’t need to second-guess yourself at the last minute 🐼 It’s normal to feel nervous the moments leading up to the talk, embrace it and use the energy to move forward 🐯 Follow the STAR technique (link in comments) 🐻 Be truthful and authentic: there’s nothing wrong with jokes, confusing words, or grammar mishaps (we are only human) 🐍 Seize the opportunities, ask for feedback, always strive to improve Oh, and yes, there'll always be people who can think they can do it better, so don’t let them get in your head😜🔥 📸 TechChill

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Do you blow your own trumpet? If you're a dynamic founder, especially in the comms business, selling yourself should be simple. But even if you've got an amazing black book of journalist contacts, pitching yourself can feel incredibly awkward. Which is where I come in. Don't strain yourself trying to blow your own trumpet - let me do it for you. I'll just put my lips together and blow... your story straight into the media spotlight. With a decade's experience crafting tailored content and nurturing media relationships, I know how to make your story sing (without you having to carry a tune). So don't struggle with self-promotion - get in touch to find out how I can help - website in my bio. #PRAgency #MediaRelations #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship

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As a former PR gal, I often think I missed a trick. Before starting a thought leadership agency 5 years ago, I worked at PR agencies in London for almost a decade. And on reflection, there was a huge opportunity to encourage our clients to explore using LinkedIn. Not from their company page - but from the personal profiles associated with the brand. I'd encourage my clients to utilise Instagram and other channels, but somehow, LinkedIn never crossed my mind. But now, I think differently. For instance - If you work with a founder-led brand, ask yourself, “Could the founder be more active on LinkedIn?” The answer to this is almost always yes. There are lots of ways to use their personal LinkedIn profile to bolster your PR efforts, including sharing: 👉🏽 Their personal experience of creating their product, 👉🏽 Their thoughts around trends or debates affecting their industry, or 👉🏽 Standout media coverage where they or their product are featured. And loads more… If you work with a large corporation, you could consider: 👉🏽 Using the CEO’s LinkedIn profile to share insights into launches, 👉🏽 Encouraging the Brand Manager or PR Director to share press coverage with their audience, or 👉🏽 If you’re deploying a global comms kit to local markets, consider how those teams could use their own LinkedIn profiles to disseminate the campaign info (without templating a caption that’s filled with PR jargon 🤭) These tactics will allow you to reach more people, in a more natural way. Knowing what I know now, I’d have looked at my PR strategy a lot differently, And I would have considered how the people involved in the brand could play a bigger role in telling the brand story. PR friends, would love your thoughts on this. Do you use LinkedIn to support your PR efforts? #LinkedIn #PublicRelations #Communications

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Do you realise that you’re sat on PR content? Content that will get you into the media- so you can reach more people and build your credibility and visibility through being elevated and celebrated. So often in business we just get on with what we think is normal. Book launches, event planning, thought leadership - we often forget to capitalize on it. The media can amplify your message, it can shine a light on your work, it creates a new level of energy around you when you step into celebration mode What are you doing in your business that you should be celebrating?? I’ll bet there’s something!!!

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