What is PR?

PR is often used interchangeably with marketing, advertising and is, paradoxically, often misunderstood. While academics, PR gurus and institutions have highly considered descriptions, this vivid explanation attributed to American author S. H. Simmons, sums it up quite nicely.   “If a young man tells his date how handsome, smart and successful he is – that’s advertising. If the young ... [More]

Public relations for the SME

“There Is Only One Thing In The World Worse Than Being Talked About, And That Is Not Being Talked About." Oscar Wilde   If you are a business owner or working for a small or medium sized business, and are contemplating public relations for the first time then, done correctly, PR could be the rocket fuel for your business.   While PR is regarded as essential for larger ... [More]

How to write a press release

It’s easy to tell a story isn’t it? In everyday life we tell stories all the time: from a recent holiday or night out, to a bedtime story (even if it’s made up). A press release is a story – it is one way of relaying information to an audience, whether that be the local newspaper or a trade magazine. So writing a press release should be easy then? Yes – if you know what you are ... [More]

When Twitter campaigns go wrong

Social media is a very useful and powerful tool. Used both personally and in the world of business, it brings friends, clients, competitors and foes together in extreme proximity (I found out what my neighbour was having for tea and desert last night – thanks for that Twitter!) For businesses it can be a great way of advertising new products or services – and it’s all free! Stats from ... [More]

So what’s so scary about a pumpkin?

If you have a glowing, orange orb shining out from your gatepost this week, it’s more likely to give you a cosy feeling of nostalgia than a shrill of terror. So where did the idea of a pumpkin being the scariest of all vegetable originate? Accord decided to investigate…   It seems the pumpkin or Jack-o-lantern originates from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, which was ... [More]

The secret to creating a killer newsletter

Did you ever had friends who did nothing but talk about themselves, and were always bragging? You notice I speak in the past tense there, while I’m guessing the answer is yes, I would also guess that that person is no longer a particularly close friend? I’m no mystic, that behaviour would bore the best of us, however, when creating customer newsletters, so many businesses fall into the trap ... [More]

Five tips for newsletter marketing

news

Get your newsletter right and you will have an effective customer retention and referral tool all rolled into one. 1) Newsletters can help you keep customers: It’s estimated that 68% of customers leave because they think you don’t care. Whether you are in a B2B or B2C market, sharing information in your newsletter helps to build trust and establish rapport. It also helps to keep your company in ... [More]

The value of photography to PR

what we do

A picture is worth a thousand words, so the saying goes, but it is isn’t it? When trying to get a story published, whether it be in a newspaper or magazine, a picture is worth its weight in gold. For an editor who has to fill space on a paper, to one that has to sell magazines, a picture can make or break a story. Given the choice between one article which is accompanied by a picture to one that ... [More]

Small business PR: The power of mobile

Killing the best part of an hour in Crewe Station after letting the ‘train take the strain’ on the day of the iPhone 5S and 5C launch, was a great lesson in why Apple profits are growing. Looking around the waiting room, all but two fellow travellers were on their iPhones (or iPhone looky-likeys). None of them were making a call, rather they were texting, playing games, answering emails, ... [More]

Clwyd community called upon for Christmas card designs

Christmas dog

Schools and community groups across the Vale of Clwyd are being asked to show their artistic side. Denbigh based Artisan Windows, Doors and Conservatories is asking for schools, community groups and the general public to get involved in its competition – to design a Christmas card. The competition will be split in to two categories, under 12s and over 12s, with one winner chosen in each. The ... [More]