BlueSky Education’s Post

Is it ever good PR to bad-mouth a competitor? 👀💬 When creating a PR strategy, it’s easy to feel tempted to criticise competitors. This often comes from the belief that customers and resources are limited, making success seem like a zero-sum game where one brand’s gain means another’s loss. However, it’s essential to resist this impulse. In the long run, speaking negatively about competitors can backfire, potentially eroding trust and credibility with your audience rather than strengthening it. ✂️🪢 This approach may cause customers to view your brand as unprofessional or untrustworthy, ultimately harming your reputation and relationship with your consumer base. Our PR Consultant Jamie Hose shares five reasons why it is never good PR for universities and business schools to belittle the competition. Read Jamie’s blog by following the link below! ⬇️ https://lnkd.in/eBEsZR6H #BlueSkyEducation #PRstrategy #BusinessEducationPR #BrandReputation

At the end of my second semester at Cardiff University / Prifysgol Caerdydd, it has been an incredible journey filled with valuable learning experiences through assignments, and workshops. I've rediscovered reason why I enjoy being PR Practitioner. It has encouraged me to explore new innovative ways with my creativity and ideation. I've understood - Importance of research: Crafting a PR campaign for chosen company in the International PR practice module emphasised the important role of research. Understanding the brand's context and industry landscape is key. Research uncovers gaps, allowing us to formulate precise problem statements, SMART objectives, and strategic approaches supported by diverse tactics. Stakeholder Prioritisation and Tailored Communication: One of the crucial aspects of campaign development is prioritizing key stakeholders and understanding their roles. Based on their level of involvement and influence, tailored messaging can be crafted for each group, facilitating effective relationship management. Trust, transparency, and credibility in communication are fundamental principles for building strong relationships with all. Measurable Objectives and Evaluation: Setting concise and measurable objectives is crucial for selecting appropriate tactics and evaluating their effectiveness. Evaluation measures enable brands to identify areas for improvement, capitalise on successful strategies, and retain customers for an extended period by providing optimal services. Comprehensive Campaign Planning: Designing a successful PR campaign requires a 360-degree perspective, considering all angles and potential challenges. Proactive planning for preventive measures at every level, for every method and messaging, is essential to mitigate potential crises during the campaign's execution. PR is a multitasking profession that demands a thorough understanding and oversight of every aspect to achieve the brand's goals and objectives. Adapting to Trends and Audience Preferences: In today's dynamic world, relying solely on traditional PR won't cut out to meet client expectations and drive results, PR pros must evolve according to new trends relevant to the audience, industry, and brand. As society and people continuously evolve, their preferences for information consumption and engagement also change. PR practitioners must create transparent, trustworthy, and credible bonds between companies and their publics, making them feel valued and involved. Managing relationships with diverse stakeholders, creating strategies, and devising tactics that resonate with each public is a challenging yet rewarding endeavor. It encourages the exploration of new and innovative ways to engage audiences and create lasting change. Thank you all my professors Hugh Griffiths, Richard Thomas, Nicola Hooper, Simon Williams, Ash Dawotal and Nick Mosdell for this amazing journey. Now I am pumped up for my dissertation! #PR #Creativity #campainplanning #LearningJourney

"They don't see the value of PR, they think it is just a freebie for struggling clients" Something I have seen over the past couple of years is PRs feeling that our service isn't understood. The problem here is that it can leave your PR team feeling undervalued 😥 It is important for PRs to feel that the service they are offering is as valued as any other, because it is. So, I have a few tips to share on how to iron this out: 1) Share weekly wins from the PR team so other departments can see their success. 2) Deliver training (NOT JUST ONE SESSION) on with case studies to show Digital PR is done at your company and why it is a crucial part of an omni-channel approach. 3) Allow delivery team members from your PR team to share departmental updates in company wide meetings so they can show their enthusiasm for the job. It is crucial for PRs to feel respected. It is a challenging role with spinning plates and having the support of the organisation helps to lessen that burden. So if you think your PRs are feeling misunderstood, try a few of these steps and let me know how you get on. #DigitalPR #publicrelations #PRTips (See completely unrelated photo from my afternoon tea)

Learning and increased knowledge is so important and it is great to see the team getting involved.

When education professionals receive an unexpected text, email, or phone call from a member of the press, their first thought often is, "What has happened now?" The feeling of dread can be mitigated if relationships with the media are proactively built. How can this be done? Read my latest blog post for Inspire PR Group, "Engaging in Proactive Media Outreach Brings Positive Results," to learn how to establish relationships with the media. https://lnkd.in/gxj8cPbd #educationPR #mediaoutreach #K12educationPR

As the back-to-school season kicks off, we are asking industry leaders what they are committed to unlearning. Charlotte Smith, Senior Account Director at Citizen Relations UK, is shunning the pressure to be a PR specialist and embracing the power of learning from trying different things. "It is transferable skills and an open mindset that stand the test of time in our increasingly fragmented and saturated industry." Read the full article via the Creativebrief platform: https://lnkd.in/ePv2q6-8

"Let me recount an experience. I handle knowledge-sharing sessions for some young #publicrelations aficionados. In one of those sessions, I asked a question: ‘How do you measure the results of a PR campaign?’ Everyone chorused, ‘it’s very simple’, and one zestfully responded: ‘Just count the number of print and broadcast mentions’. I wasn’t shocked, because that understanding is rife amongst PR practitioners, and it also reflects how parochially people view PR. My mentee’s answer above is deficient in two ways. First, he didn’t factor ‘quality’ of mentions. He focused on the ‘quantity’ as though that’s all that matters. Second, press mentions do not convincingly prove the impact of a campaign- sometimes, it may just be vanity #media #publicity. We devote so much resources to planning and executing a PR campaign to create value for the brand. Now, having invested this much effort, you then adopt an inaccurate approach to evaluate the campaign, or even fail to evaluate. How do you show that the objective has been met?" How do you measure? Read more in my #thoughtleadership piece on Marketing Edge 'Evaluating PR Efforts for Enhanced Impact'- https://lnkd.in/dSnbCNE #mediarelations #reputationmanagement

"Just write a press release!" "Pop it on social media!" "We can add communications at the end!" Sound familiar? 🤔 I used to think the same about comms before I moved from TV and advertising into this field. After nearly 20 years across media and strategic communications - and especially since completing my professional diploma with PR Academy and CIPR - I've learned just how wrong these myths are. Let me bust them properly: Myth #1: "Just write a press release!" Reality: In my decade in communications, I've never written a single press release. Not one. EVER. Modern communications is about creating targeted, measurable impact and driving real change - whether that's shifting policy, changing behaviours, or mobilising action. Myth #2: "Just pop it on social media!" Reality: Building meaningful engagement takes strategy, time, and consistent effort. It's not about chasing follower counts - it's about reaching the right people with the right message at the right time. Myth #3: "Communications can be added at the end." Reality: Strategic communication needs to be integrated from day one. It's not an afterthought - it's a crucial driver of programme success and sustainable impact. Agree? There's more in this blog I co-wrote, check it out: https://lnkd.in/ea-tjQwi

Calling for business owners, marketers, and communication pros looking to make an impact in PR! Ready to unlock the power of PR? Join us for PR Essentials: Crafting Strategies for Lasting Influence, a masterclass to help you create impactful PR strategies that elevate your brand. What you'll learn: 1. Ivlynn Yap Cheng Theng (Citrine): Why PR is crucial for your business and how to create a standout strategy. 2. Timothy Tiah (Colony): How PR built Colony’s strong brand identity. 3. Roshan Kanesan, CFP (BFM): How to use radio as a powerful PR tool to expand your reach. 4. Karamjit Singh (DNA): Expert tips on writing press releases that media can't ignore. Reserve your spot now: https://lnkd.in/g99rsKjr. Limited seats—participation fee applies. Elevate your brand with the right PR strategies! This workshop is brought to you by Soonicorn Collective - https://lnkd.in/gMZVmpaM

Help your PR team help you: don’t leave them out of the planning process. Not every idea is born fully “PR-able,” so when you come to your PR team with high expectations for media coverage… a week before a launch… and/or with a concept that’s fully baked with no time for any additional input or changes … you might be disappointed. And you’ll probably blame the PR team for the lackluster results. We’d love to achieve all of your goals, but you have to meet us halfway. Bring us in as you’re coming up with strategies and ideas So we can point out red flags that will curtail media interest Or can suggest a tweak that will make your idea a magnet for media And that’s not just important for media results. A PR team that’s informed of new strategic direction early on will ensure that PR initiatives are laddering back and adding consistency The PR results will be much stronger and everyone will be happier with the outcome