Media Evaluation

Whistle-blowing: How to get it wrong

2009-11-18T12:03:00.003Z

Listened with interest last night to the reports on the sale of data by T-Mobile. The first reports were followed with denials by all the leading players and a no comment from T-Mobile, the clear implication being that this was the 'guilty' party. Only later were we to learn that it was indeed T-Mobile who had drawn the attention of the authorities to the situation - surely at some point it might have been considered wise to have a statement prepared which could have been released in a timely fashion when the news entered the public domain. It could conceivably have turned this negative in to a positive.

Interested to know if T-Mobile has some crisis comms evaluation in place.

PR Evaluation Award

2009-07-21T16:40:00.002+01:00

If you are “into” PR research and measurement, and have used it extensively in one of your PR campaigns this past year, you might want to consider entering the Jack Felton Golden Ruler Award for Excellence in PR Measurement and Evaluation. Entries of all types are welcome – including research using social media! The award recognizes superb examples of research used to support public relations practice. Winners are feted at the Institute for Public Relations Summit on Measurement in October in Portsmouth, NH, and it’s quite a big deal. But hurry! Entries are due August 15th. Here’s How to Enter, and see these terrific examples of previous winners’ entries: Padilla Speer Beardsley's Winning Entry 2007 or Shell's Award Winning Entry 2008 for ideas – and there are more on the site.

The fear of flu

2009-05-05T15:00:00.004+01:00

The growing debate surrounding Swine Flu, or should I say Influenza A, or even H1N1, has turned to the media handling of this event, causing many to argue that it has been overhyped. So as consumers of media become more analytical and savvy, how do we know which media to trust and will this become a case of crying wolf? Many argue that other viruses such as SARS were hyped so the news is now falling on deaf ears. We’ve had the credit crunch spreading through the papers for months now; this is something new.

Maureen Taylor, previously the national medical reporter for CBC Television News, gave some timely advice to journalists in a recent article in which she advises against predicting outcomes. Radio 2 recently discussed the ‘worst case scenario’ and the Guardian ran the headline ‘Up to 1.2 million could be hospitalized in Britain in event of pandemic’. Hardly reassuring news and it is speculation not fact, as we continuously hear of the ‘possible’ pandemic. Thomas Abraham, spokesman for the WHO added: ‘We have consistently said a pandemic is imminent’ but the outcome is about as uncertain as the name we are meant to use for the virus, so why does the British media assume the worst? The fact is it makes a more dramatic story than the news that 27 people in Britain have the virus and seem to be okay.

The US government are now saying that it will be ‘less severe than feared’ yet despite having fewer cases and no deaths, we in Britain remain more cautious with Sir Liam Donaldson calling this ‘premature’. Perhaps it’s a cultural difference that we prefer to focus on the negative. Maureen writes that she doesn’t feel the Canadian media hyped SARS and it would be interesting to compare this with the reporting in the UK.

Our media industry analysis at Mediatrack for clients around the globe often calls for a comparison of markets and how the media report international events. What is clear about Swine Flu is that readers are losing a degree of faith and trust in the media they read, posing a bigger threat to the future of public relations, which is not to be sneezed at.

The value of evaluation

2009-03-26T16:08:00.002Z

In the words of Francis Ingham, PRCA director general: “the best way to fight budget cuts is to demonstrate the value you are adding.” It is certainly encouraging to see that as the PR industry matures, more MDs are recognising the need for evaluation; a survey complied by the PRCA revealed that 84 per cent consider it “very important to the credibility of PR”. We couldn’t agree more.

You would be forgiven for thinking, we would say that. Yet we are finding that as the recession overshadows business it is ever more crucial to be aware of factors affecting reputation. Many organizations are fighting a crisis in confidence so it is key to send out the right signals to your audience.

Media industry analysis will soon tell you which areas of your strategy are working, as well as identifying those that aren’t. It might be that you choose to condense your source list to the titles that really matter to your audiences because targeted, quality measurement is more relevant. It’s also crucial to hone your messages and channel resources effectively to weather the storm.

Social Media: A Healthy Balance

2009-02-20T15:02:00.001Z

The news that social media can damage your health has sparked much debate yet it is ironically the very forums such as Twitter that have propagated discussion on the matter. These sites do enable connections to be made across society and create active publics who can engage in debates more freely. They also make the world a smaller place; it is now possible to chat to people anywhere on the planet with ease, and to find out what’s happening in the world.

Interestingly the responses to the BBC article included many people who are already isolated in society and find solace in social media which enables those with disabilities for example to connect with others; Second Life has proved popular with the disabled community.

However for others it has become a replacement for being sociable, adding another time-consuming layer to our lives. The word ‘social’ is really a paradox - defined as being part of a community rather than being alone, but spending hours on the internet can be a lonely process. I can see how that could be deemed unhealthy.

Nonetheless social media is an inherent part of the future of public relations, particularly as the next generation are early adopters of new technology. Some of the recent public relations successes have used these platforms to reach their key audiences in a medium they understand. Cadbury’s Wispa campaign is a point in case and as PR professionals embrace social media in their campaigns, so too will they need to apply media content analysis to the medium.

So it can be good for business but on a personal level I follow that old mantra – everything in moderation.

Winter worries

2009-02-02T16:32:00.003Z

As we observe the distinct lack of emails on a day when parts of the country are seeing the first real snow for 18 years, I noticed some interesting comments on the BBC website. Robert Penn, co-author of The Wrong Kind of Snow: The Complete Daily Companion to the British Weather notes that there is not much “Dunkirk spirit” and Steve Hopwood adds “We seem to be getting worse at coping”. This news has overshadowed a report out today about the children of Britain, which emphasises the changing nature of the media agenda. So why do we crumble amidst extreme conditions? Perhaps we are used to having it easy – and that could easily apply to another type of crunch we’re feeling at the moment.

Reinventing a reputation

2009-01-23T15:31:00.004Z

As a professional in media industry analysis I found the series ‘Big Chef Little Chef’ intriguing. It made compulsive viewing for anyone involved in public relations and marketing as the organization sought to reinvent their brand. Heston Blumenthal was enlisted for his “blue sky thinking” and he went to work at recreating good quality traditional dishes for the British institution.

What made it interesting was the battle for reputation between Heston and Little Chef; ironically Heston feared that the project may have been a publicity stunt for the ailing brand, whilst his own restaurant featured very heavily in the show. It was frustrating to see that they didn't seek feedback from their existing customers, which set things back as the first attempts failed to impress. Fortunately they got it right in the end and the opening night was a huge success; the team were transformed in terms of motivation. What remains to be seen is how much profit they will make in light of the credit crunch, particularly as the focus has shifted from value, to quality.

Technorati Profile

Crunch time for the media

2009-01-13T12:30:00.008Z

In one BBC article a member of the public asked “How much do you think the BBC has created the ‘downturn’ and should they be allowed to make forecasts or just report the news?” This is a question many are asking as the crisis moves into the stage of apportioning blame. In America, a poll revealed that 77% blame the media for making the economic crisis worse by instilling fear into the public psyche. So is it partly a self-fulfilling prophecy as the media seeks to add drama to the headlines? Toni Muzi Falconi points out in his blog that we were warned and the BBC did report on 10th August 2007 that “problems in the mortgage market may prompt a global credit crunch”. He comments that the public didn’t want to believe that it would happen as we were enjoying the ‘boom’ too much, suggesting that the media were acting responsibly in forewarning us.

However the ensuing reporting has included much hyperbole and speculation, which does breed fear. You only have to witness the panic buying which goes on (‘Warning over petrol panic buying’) to know how panic spreads uncontrollably when fuelled by the media. One headline in the Daily Mail quoted Alan Greenspan that is was a ‘once-in-a-century credit tsunami’ for example. Aside from tone, perhaps it is simply the sheer volume of articles which have been linked to the crisis which adds up to an obsession with doom. Reports penetrate every aspect of life, from the potential effect on the divorce rates to scientific research to name two examples. PR firms are likely to come under fire for supplying journalists with such stories so it is more critical than ever for a responsible approach to be taken, avoiding public relations spin.

Yet figures showed in December that the recession is likely to be worse than expected, suggesting that the fear is justified and the predictions were not exaggerated. So the response from the BBC was ‘please don’t shoot the messenger’.

For some light relief in these gloomy days take a look at the Credit Crunch Times which puts a different spin on things.

And the winner is....

2008-11-25T16:52:00.002Z

Following considerable effort to demonstrate the work we do for our clients on just two pages, we submitted our entry for this year’s AMEC industry awards earlier this year. The six months passed very quickly and as winter appeared to arrive, so did the awards evening. It was certainly very enjoyable and made all the more special by our silver award for our work with Bupa, to add to the collection. Beating off stiff competition in this B2B category, the judges commented that we had positioned ourselves as “true advisers, offering honest help for the client.” This is exactly what we aim to do so it was nice to have that recognized. Now we just have to find some more wall space!

Media spotlight on Jamie

2008-10-09T11:14:00.004+01:00

Jamie Oliver is back on our screens with his latest mission ‘Jamie’s Ministry of Food’ which demonstrates his use of public relations tactics. A clever stunt was to set it in Rotherham where plain-speaking Julie Critchlow was last filmed supplying children with junk food whilst Jamie was fighting for healthy school dinners. However, when faced with a football stadium full this idea backfires and only a few are tempted to try his steak sandwich, and more importantly his ‘pass it on’ experiment. You have to admire his tenacity when he returns to the stadium and inspires the men who came forward, with his visual display of the philosophy. His programme has been slated in the media for “stereotyping the northern working classes as intellectually challenged junk-munchers” and John Gilding, leader of the Conservative group of Rotherham council defended his town amid the concerns of stereotyping. Yet it's Julie, who seems intent on Jamie failing, that led him to the town in the first place. However, one thing he has certainly achieved is media coverage and the start of a debate around this important life skill, which has to be a good thing.

Battling into the blogosphere

2008-10-02T15:46:00.003+01:00

In the midst of the current economic crisis, both the Labour and Tory parties are turning their crisis management techniques to their own reputations first. It was reported in PR Week that they are applying tactics to the blogosphere – that risky ground where anyone can rise up as an influential voice, damaging the reputation of an organization. However, if harnessed well it can be another powerful tool in the armory of public relations strategies. The Conservative party is using a local blogger charm offensive at its annual conference this week for example, having identified the key influencers.

This increasing reliance on social media provides a challenge for those involved in media content analysis and we have a range of solutions which we can discuss with our clients. The blogosphere is a vast arena to get to grips with, making evaluation all the more important for assessing the impact your public relations programs are having. This challenge facing public relations firms was succinctly put by Ashely Friedlein at e-consultancy.com:

“Traditional PR was mostly about focusing lots of effort on a smaller number of key influencers, for example journalists at a national or trade press, whereas online PR is now more about the intelligent and efficient distribution of content, management of conversations, monitoring of hundreds if not thousands of media outlets, and measurement. A good online PR would be like a spider at the centre of a web sensing and reacting to the slightest reverberations across its network and moving fast to capitalise on opportunities as they arose.”

Tennis to have an image coach

2008-07-16T11:22:00.003+01:00

I was interested to read in PR Week that Max Clifford has been hired to ‘help shed tennis’ middle-class image.’ Having been the lucky ballot winner of front row seats at the spectacular final recently I can safely say that he will have a tough job with tickets such as mine at £90 a head and the price of a salad at around £15. I’m not complaining; it was worth every penny (perhaps not the salad) but being a ticket holder at this prestigious event for the first time I was struck by the difference in experience between the determined member of the famous queue and the honored ticket holder. For anyone who has stood in that queue, and I have done my fair share of queuing in the past, you can wait for hours on end, generally in the rain (if you’re me) and then you can queue again once in the grounds in the blind hope that you will get a return for one of the main courts. It takes about as much determination and willpower as it does to win Wimbledon. The class divide is then further emphasized by the Debentures who pay a high price for guaranteed tickets and their own exclusive restaurants.

The suggestion that tennis could be used to coax children off the streets and get them fit is a great idea and also good public relations spin as it fits the agenda of tackling obesity and crime in young people; topics which regularly feature in our media industry analysis. Whilst I’m all in support of making tennis free of charge at local authority tennis courts there is a long way to go to tackle the image of exclusivity which is propelled by events such as Wimbledon. Champagne and strawberries anyone?

Terminal 5

2008-07-04T14:54:00.003+01:00

I had the misfortune to fly out of T5 in the midst of the chaos of the opening week. Although painfully delayed and some shocking incompetence I resisted to turn the knife via the blog - I thought that others were doing a pretty good job in creating the latest case-study in how not to handle crisis communication. It was therefore with some trepidation that I arrived for my flight to Geneva this week.

The whole experience was nigh on perfect, passing seamlessly through security to the gate, with time to buy a couple of items from smiling shop assistants. The return leg proved equally impressive, taxiing on to a stand in good fashion to sailing through passport control without a hint of a queue. As a media evaluator it got me thinking, well you would expect nothing less. Where were the good news stories about the turnaround of the terminal? - have the good ladies and gentlemen of BA and BAA been told to keep their own counsel for fear of reminding the potential customer of the previous 'challenges'. Or is it the media are simply not interested in a good news story and would rather sharpen their knives on another victim (another slice of M&S anyone?).

Media analysis on Murray

2008-07-01T14:06:00.002+01:00

Andy Murray’s image has suffered some blows in the past particularly for his jokes deriding England and his emphasis on his Scottish heritage. In the build-up to the tournament two years ago he joked he wanted "anyone but England" to win the World Cup which didn’t go down too well south of the border and this jibe at Henman was misrepresented in the papers. A little media training would have been helpful here and indeed Andy took on a PR agency earlier this year.

Public relations in sports are notoriously precarious as reputation is based on a concoction of personality and results. It was Murray’s seemingly dour personality which has been criticized in the past as many commented that he doesn’t smile enough. There was a glimmer of a grin as he turned the match around last night beating Richard Gasquet and as he started to make his long comeback suddenly the crowd had something to cheer about. It seems the fickle public are backing him now he’s winning because let’s face it if he makes it to the semis we’ll see him as British and, as Murray commented: “once I got ahead they got behind me more than they ever have before.”

This was in stark contrast to reports earlier in the tournament that there was “hardly a painted face, union jack, Saltire or ill-advised red, white and blue ensemble in sight.” They may go as far as to put it down to his strong Scottish determination if he continues to do well, which would prove that a message can be turned on its head. It just goes to show how reactions can change overnight based on performance, which is something we often find when measuring PR impact.

As for Murray’s image it’s been said that he’s been advised to be more like McEnroe than Henman yet one spectator commented: “I preferred Henman’s personality. He belonged to a time when Tennis was a little more refined.” Henman fitted in as he was more the English gent, though he was at times criticized for being just that and labeled “boring.” The firey Scot is slowly rallying the crowd as Boris Becker remarked: “the whole country is now expecting greatness from him.” I’m backing him, but then I am half-Scottish!

A few words say it all

2008-06-30T15:37:00.004+01:00

To mark Gordon Brown’s first year in office, The Guardian published the article ‘Brownspeak: the year in words’ which takes a look at his statements in response to key events throughout the last, shall we say eventful, year. As experts in media industry analysis we are naturally adept at evaluating key messages and have identified a telling change in tone during this ‘year in words’. What starts as a confident, determined, moralistic tone becomes progressively more apologetic and uncertain as times goes on with the latest comment regarding the elections starting on the vague note “perhaps”.

Perhaps it’s time for Gordon to employ some tactics of crisis public relations as his reputation is in trouble and therefore strong, honest statements are called for. As journalist Jackie Ashley comments: “Inside No 10, they are planning for a new autumn offensive. Brown's core theme will be pared back to "fairness" and he will try to admit his mistakes more openly and, in effect, ask for a second chance.” Let’s see what he has to say as his second year in office unfolds.

In May 2007 on announcing his taking over of the premiership
My father was a minister of the church. For me, my parents were - and their inspiration still is - my moral compass.'

In Downing Street as prime minister, June 27
'On this day I remember words that have stayed with me since my childhood and which matter a great deal to me today, my school motto: "I will try my utmost."

First speech to Labour conference as PM, September 24
'This is our vision: Britain leading the global economy by our skills and creativity...drawing on the talents of all to create British jobs for British workers.'

On the election that never was, October 9
'I considered an election but my first instinct is always to keep on with the job of governing and to set out my vision for the future.'

On the nationalisation of Northern Rock, February 18
'The right move at the right time for the right reasons'

On the U-turn over scrapping the 10p tax band, April 23
'I don't think I've been pushed about at all. What I've done is listen and made the right long-term decision.

On disaster in the local elections, May 4
Perhaps I've spent too little time thinking about how we can get our arguments across to the public.

To the suggestion he might step down, May 4
I am resolute and determined, and I've got convictions and ideas, and I'm not going to be put off by a few days' headlines.

Event Timeline Launched

2008-06-06T15:55:00.000+01:00

As we recognise the importance to our clients of being able to monitor events, we have developed a nifty new tool to view the impact of these at a glance. Following much hard slog in our IT department we are proud to launch the ‘Event Timeline’ which can be viewed alongside the overall volume and favourability chart on our online system.

This enables you to view the top ten events which are having an impact on your reputation, and our event coding covers your proactive work as well as unexpected influences on your coverage. By simply hovering over the bars you will see the event description and you can click through to see the headline listing for any event you might be interested in. As it sits below the overall chart, you can see at a glance how the events have affected the overall outcome.

Welcome Jenni!

2008-02-05T09:24:00.000Z

We are delighted to welcome Jenni Mitchell to Mediatrack Research. Jenni joined as an Account Manager at the beginning of the year and has already proved a huge asset to the team, putting her experience of PR and digital media to effective and immediate use.

New additions at Mediatrack Research

2007-11-26T14:41:00.000Z

Our congratulations to the two proud providers of the latest Mediatrack offspring. Account Director Janet has had a little boy to go with her daughter. Whilst Mike Matthews, Head of Data Operations, has become a dad for the first time. We are thrilled for them both, and hope that the disturbed sleep does not go on for too long.

Bluetongue - evaluating the latest threat to civilisation

2007-09-25T15:29:00.000+01:00

How the media love a story that contains all if not any of the following...cuddly animals, politicians desperately trying to appear knowledgeable, a threat to the nation's health, a chance to rehash an old story. All of these came together in the latest animal health scare: Bluetongue.

The media, as one, pronounce this as yet another cataclysmic assault on the livelihoods of the farming community. Yet the facts seem to be far less interesting. The outbreak has been predicted for some time as the virus has been carried by midges across Northern Europe, and there are several approaches that can be taken to ensure the continued wellbeing of cattle, as well as milk and meat supplies. So what is the fuss all about? Well from where I sit, not a lot. The real threat to the farming industry remains Foot & Mouth and Bluetongue whilst still an unpleasant and unwelcome arrival is of considerably less significance, I would be surprised to see it appearing in the mainstream media again next month.

Evaluating the media at the Rugby World Cup

2007-09-12T18:49:00.000+01:00

Last Friday the 2007 Rugby World Cup kicked off with a bang... on the head for Les Bleus. Overnight an exuberant, vital and excited Paris bursting with gallic pride turned to the blues (the other type) as a sense of national gloom descended. As the second half progressed and the final whistle approached the whole idea of "Mais c'est impossible!" loomed larger and larger until the nightmare turned true as Argentina defeated France, the host nation, on the opening night of this most magnificent, stylish and thoroughly comprehensive festival of rugby.

The media spotlight was intense with rugby heroes, past and present, parading before the sell-out 80,000 crowd in the imposing Stade de France, one of the best rugby stadia in the world, and in a tinge of dramatic irony also the home of the Argentinian fly-half Felipe Contepomi who tore France apart with his lethally accurate goal-kicking, for he plays his club rugby for none other than Stade de France.

But that was not the only reason why the media spotlight was intense. For a Jonah Lomu size row between the press and the RWC organising committee had erupted in the build up to the biggest day in modern rugby. Interestingly this ruck and maul has been characterised throughout as a dispute between the press and the RWC, when in reality it was nothing of the kind. In the modern world television audiences for the third largest global sporting event make or break the economics not only of the event but also of the sport itself for the sponsorship, marketing and advertising investment ploughed in pay for the development of the sport, particularly in the developing world.

Naturally, when television has paid such extraordinary sums for the exclusive rights they expect to be taken pretty seriously. And so when the new kids on the block - press media experimenting with every conceivable digital and online format - try and horn-in on the action, it seems like time for a yellow card and a ten-minute sin-binning. The RWC organising team - pressured by the broadcasters - had asked for a fixed limit on the number of digital pictures that could be transmitted from the ground which seems not unreasonable. From the reaction of many notable newsprint organisations, you could be forgiven for thinking it was time to storm the Bastille all over again. The shouts of "liberte, egalite, fraternite!" could be heard all the way from from one side of Paris to the other. The barricades were up and the tumbrils rolling over the cobbles. "It's about the freedom of the press," cried the mob, "our freedom to go wherever we want, write what we want, take pictures of what we want, in a totally free and unfettered way, so that the rights of all the free peoples of the world are protected...to buy our newspapers!" And of course it's advertisers who support newspapers and journalist jobs just as television and sponsors support the RWC.

On second thoughts, perhaps a red card would be more appropriate. Of course there are vitally important principles at stake in the true and genuine freedom of the press, but this ain't it! This is just so much cant and hypocrisy.

The battle between the social networks

2007-09-06T11:53:00.000+01:00

Many users have chosen sides when it comes to two of the most popular networking Web sites today, Facebook and myspace.

Both sites aim to serve the same basic purpose: creating communities and connecting people with common interests. Users on both sites can benefit socially, professionally or even romantically due to the availability of information on the large population of users.

Although some users are members on both sites, many have a favourite among the two. The fight to find which site will start to lead the race has taken a distincy PR shift in recent times with the hiring of PR practitioners in an attempt to position their offerings as the safest, coolest, fastest, most accessible etc. Let us hope that they put some solid evaluation principles in place to measure their efforts.

However the time for these sites might have already passed...will we see the growth of more specific networking sites. I have so far not signed up for either MySpace or Facebook, instead I have recently joined MyRagan the network for communication professionals. Although having only dipped a toe into the site it clearly has bags of potential, with forums and offers that will certainly enhance our combined understanding of the issues facing communicators. I look forward to playing an active part in this latest forum.

Rain, Rain go away

2007-07-26T14:04:00.000+01:00

Sitting looking at the monsoon descending outside one is tempted to think the only meaningful mearsurement right now would involve a bucket and a ruler.

What can we as evaluators suggest that could add to the debate? Well we can start on the speculation on who will be the long-term winners and losers after the deluge abates. For starters, it appears not to have been the most sensible move by the Leader of the Opposition to go to Africa when parts of his own constituency is ankle deep in brown (Brown?) water. The rumblings of his own party have contributed to a pretty poor week. Maybe someone would like to commission us to see how the media is being challenged/led by the unnamed discontents?

Meanwhile the PM looks suitably glum and adept at invoking the blitz spirit, ensuring that the Brown Bounce continues for a little longer.

As yet we have seen little coverage that suggests any ineptitude at the water companies, and the calling for the help of the army by Severn Trent may be an extremely clever move from a PR perspective. Please note I am not suggesting that this was their motivation!

In the aftermath of this I suspect that it will be a battle between Government and the Environment Agency over who feels the heat from the media.

Evaluating the blogosphere

2007-06-08T09:38:00.000+01:00

This is currently the hottest of topics for many communication professionals.

In recent weeks we have visited several clients to discuss the impact that the blogosphere may be having on reputation and how we can effectively assist them to monitor and evaluate this for them. While there is no formulaic response for each client we have identified some key questions that need to be answered before we can deliver a solution.

Among these would be:

1. Which online media key journalists use to source information/stories?

2. Which sites people who don’t read newspapers use to find their news information?

3. How much information can organisations reasonably be expected to assimilate? (The enormity and speed of the online world makes it unlikely that all coverage is required)

The response to each of these, and numerous other, questions, will assist in forming a basis for further discussions on how projects can be shaped. Together we are then in a position to work towards a model that allows companies to effectively develop their online reputation management.

Spreading the word against AVE

2007-04-30T13:37:00.000+01:00

Following a correspondence with another blogger, it became clear that we (the media evaluation industry) were in some way being viewed as partly responsible for the continuing use and acceptance of AVE as a measure.

As I am happy to once again restate: For the leading evaluation companies AVE is something that we do provide, but it is (for most) a by-product of the main analysis. Therefore we can, and occasionally do, respond to commercial demand.

We note with interest that while the PR industry bodies are clear in their disdain for the practice, we are still seeing AVE figures still being used in the PRide awards. Until such contradictory positions are rectified, we suspect that the demise of Ave's will be slow and lingering.

No doubt we will be returning to this subject again!

How big is your carbon footprint?!

2007-03-19T12:05:00.000Z

Last year witnessed the explosion of the carbon debate and, since then, there has been a lot of speculation about how the UK will address this, most recently in terms of taxes on car and air travel.

We’re working with a lot of our clients at the moment to incorporate their current company position on their ‘carbon footprint’ and how to capture this in our evaluation of their media profile. Clearly, there is a huge amount of interest in this issue, particularly from the ever increasing online forums and discussions.

However, it’s not just our clients’ viewpoint that we need to be clear on and, as a company, we are currently working with the Carbon Trust to look at our own emissions and the impact that our busy little office might actually be having on the environment. Of course we’re doing all the usual things that other companies are doing; energy-saving light bulbs, turning off our computers (and screens) at the end of each day, relying on public transport or biking to work, limiting our use of air con and heating, but is there more we could be doing? Recent findings have revealed that wasted energy costs companies millions of pounds every year and means that power stations are burning more fossil fuel than necessary. ‘Energy & environment’ is now a regular agenda item on our internal strategy meetings and we’re sure we’re not the only ones stepping up to respond to this issue…