To Coyne A Phrase

It’s beginning to feel a lot like….

I POPPED over to Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market yesterday lunchtime just to check that everything was in order on its first day of trading.

And I can report that the Moose is in fine voice again this year, entertaining passers by with his unique interpretation of ‘O Tannebaum’, the weissbier is in excellent nick and the bratwurst is, as ever, wunderbar.

Who says journalists no longer research stories?

I must admit that my spend at the ‘German Market’ over the years has largely been on drink, food and toffee apples for the mother in law – that’s a present not a swap unfortunately.

But a lot of people out there must be spreading their cash more widely because apparently people in the Midlands will spend £3.59bn on Christmas presents, this year.

Research from marketing RadiumOne – presumably after consulting Mystic Meg given it hasn’t happened yet – shows that people in the West Midlands will be the most prolific buyers in Britain in terms of number of presents purchased – buying 17.4 on average.

I’d like something that reminds me of Christmas all year round.

I wonder how much they’d want for the Moose’s head?

Cadbury man passes on some sweet advice

AS he prepares to step down as head of communications for Birmingham confectionary giant Cadbury to go freelance, Tony Bilsborough has passed on some top tips for PR practitioners.

“It’s been fun and for every factory closure, product recall and corporate takeover I’ve managed, there’s been factory investment, product launches and corporate sponsorship such as London 2012,” he said.
 
“So, based on my front-line experience over the years, here are five PR tips for those heading up our region’s businesses and organisations.
 
“Trust your PR advice. I appreciate that’s a two-way street because they first need to earn your trust but they will give you honest counsel and can quickly articulate what you actually stand for. Every business needs a clear voice because there’s a lot of noise out there and a good PR will help shape the wider narrative rather than merely respond to it.

“Don’t just talk about protecting your reputation, fight for it. Too many companies pay lip service to managing ‘corporate reputation’ but don’t invest as they would a capital project. It’s a long term, amorphous thing that your budget-balancing finance director probably doesn’t get but once it’s gone, it’s gone. And so has your business.
 
“Accept you will use social media but it will also use you. It’s liberating but don’t be dazzled by Facebook, Instagram and Twitter because, ultimately, the message is still the message. Tweak it and tweet it but, at the heart of your external strategy, there must be a core message around which all your communication platforms revolve.
 
“Crisis Management? ‘I think we’ve got a plan somewhere’. Not good enough. Take a look at today’s papers and there’ll be at least one business you’d never heard of before which is now slap bang in the middle of its own crisis. So if an issue blows up and TV crews are heading your way, what’s your plan in those first chaotic ten minutes? If you don’t know, you need a detailed, workable crisis management plan in place.
 
“Does your comms team actually enjoy the company of journalists? You’d be amazed how many PR people actually dislike them which, to me, is a little like hating pets and choosing to become a vet. I know they can be difficult (journalists not pets) but they’re really not out to “get” you and a good PR will understand what makes them tick in order to achieve results.”

Difficult! What could he possibly mean?

Good luck in your new venture Tony.

Initial success

ANOTHER PR type (who I hope doesn’t hate me) gets in touch to point out an unusual feature of an otherwise unremarkable appointments story.

Ian Strachan does the PR for Birmingham civil engineering consultancy CWA which is continuing its expansion with three new appointments.

Jennifer Camilletti joins CWA as a structural engineer, John Corbett has been appointed senior Revit technician and John Crowder joins CWA as a structural technician.

“You may have noticed that all three appointments have the initials JC,” points out Ian (I hadn’t).
 
“Joe Cole, Jesus Christ and Julius Caesar all failed the interviews.”

Have a great weekend.