No doubt you’ve seen the coverage: ASOS has released a nifty new tool that shows customers how a dress might fit on them, before they buy it.
See My Fit uses augmented reality to offer a simulated view of how an outfit looks on a range of models with different dress sizes and body types.
We think this is brilliant. Not because of the coverage, but because it’s a wonderful example of what we call “considered creativity”.
Considered creativity is about applying maximum creativity to solve a communications problem – ruthlessly focused on results, without distraction, without fluff and without ego getting in the way.
In this case, ASOS is addressing a key drawback of online clothes shopping: the lack of changing rooms. Customers have no idea how something will look on them until they’ve made the purchase and tried it on.
The result? A constant stream of returns that waste customers’ time, cost ASOS money and spill excess carbon into the atmosphere. Not to mention the self-esteem hit that can come from clothes not fitting as you’d hoped and expected.
This AR application goes some way to solving these problems. Rather than relying on a flashy PR stunt to get attention, ASOS has made a well-considered and creative change to the customer journey that saves money and buys goodwill.
The attention still comes – because the brand has truly earned it.
You probably have no idea what a ‘gong bath’ is, and recently, neither did I. Then, as part of Aspectus’ winter wellness initiative, a group of us were taken to the GONG studio.
Here, our Gong teacher Selma, explained that a gong bath is an ancient healing practice in which sound waves, produced by a gong, heal the mind and body. Laid back on a matt and equipped with a blanket and eye mask, the gong sounded for 30 minutes, transmitting frequencies to the brain which lulled me to a surprisingly meditative state throughout the session.
According to Selma, the gong sounds are used to restructure the body’s water molecules. As humans are comprised of 70% water, the vibrations flow seamlessly through your body, placing you in a deep state of consciousness and relaxation.
Different sound frequencies stimulate the body and mind into balancing its inner emotions and alleviate existing mental challenges – in other words, into better communicating with itself. Some of the frequencies that we’re unfamiliar with at first can have the greatest effect.
But can we apply these lessons about better communicating with ourselves to improve our communication with others?
The incomprehensible is important
Most interactions between people consist of many unintelligible energies. Despite often going unnoticed they are extremely informative. An indication of any effective human-to-human contact is the ability to read the nuanced, non-verbal messages we convey to each other. For example, through eye contact, body language and tone of voice.
These have the potential to convey our true emotions, not necessarily expressed verbally at surface-level communication. A ‘successful’ interaction ensures that these are listened to by both parties, much like the body listens to the gong.
Sometimes, what seems incomprehensible can be therapeutic. The gong bath process and an effective conversation have various requirements in common.
Receptiveness is required
In order to truly be comfortable during a gong bath, you have to be open-minded and welcome the seemingly obscure process. Your body needs to be loosened and your mind clear of thoughts in order to create an environment conducive to relaxation.
Both parties within a conversation must be open-minded and mutually receptive to the words and emotions transmitted by the other. An interaction must see the emotional aspect accounted for, as opposed to only the verbal one.
Presence is a must A gong bath demands your presence, both physically and mentally. You’ll find yourself navigating between different (often random) seas of thought. The task is to catch yourself doing so and leverage your in-the-moment presence to prevent you from drowning in those thoughts.
We can all be guilty of being somewhere without actually being ‘there’, and we never know how annoying it is until we’re on the wrong end of it. A productive interaction is one in which both parties are fully present throughout.
Listen to the frequencies
Once present, you need to actually be listening. Without listening to the frequencies of the gong, the healing process is ineffective. Similarly, a conversation without listening is futile. ‘Listening’ goes beyond ‘hearing’, but actually interpreting and deciphering the valuable pieces of information.
Acknowledging the information communicated by the gong or your counterpart leads to understanding. This is the overall goal of both a gong bath and an interaction, enabling you to understand other people as well as yourself and your emotions more effectively.
Gong baths might not have been on the job description but, four months into my communications career, I’m recommending that you try one too.
Listen to the gong, listen to people and listen to yourself – they’re all trying to tell you something.
Kanayo is a Spanish with International Relations graduate from the University of Southampton now working as an Account Executive in the Financial Services PR team at Aspectus Group.
Jenny Corlett, Blockchain PR specialist at Aspectus Group
In City AM last week, I discussed the rocky waters surrounding Libra’s struggle for acceptance and whether Facebook is the right company for the job.
This stemmed from a discussion at the World Blockchain Forum in New York. One of the speakers asked who in the audience thought Libra was likely to succeed in taking cryptocurrencies mainstream. About half the room raised their hands. He then followed with: “Who wants it to be Facebook that achieves this?” All hands were hastily lowered.
It isn’t just the crypto industry who have responded like this. Several governments have moved to block it and 7 of its 28 backers have gotten cold feet and abandoned the project altogether.
This is a shame, because at its core Libra is an excellent idea. Currently, 1.7 billion adults in the world don’t have access to a bank account, however the percentage of that demographic which doesn’t have access to social media or a smartphone is dramatically lower.
Having a stable digital currency which transcends borders and is useable by anyone with access to a smartphone would democratise global payments, allowing people who have previously been shut out by the financial system to send and receive cash on a daily basis.
Open up a financial magazine today and you can be sure to find the words “impact investing”, or at least “sustainable investing” or “ESG”, written somewhere. Even one year ago this was a rare occurrence in mainstream trade publications; five years ago, it was practically unheard of.
Through Aspectus Group’s work with leading players in the impact investment ecosystem, including the Global Impact Investing Network, Big Path Capital and ImpactUs, we have played a role in popularising the impact investing narrative.
But the journey isn’t over yet; there are still many myths to dispel, and values and metrics to champion. Thoughtful and smart communication on behalf of impact investing clients requires clear and compelling communications principles. To ensure the movement is not sidelined as a passing trend but establishes itself in the mainstream, you need to get the story right. To that end, we have developed four steps to effective impact investing communications.
Think global, communicate local. Impact investing is enormous in its scope and means different things to different countries, regions and people. Rather than painting with broad strokes, it’s critical to remember that impact investing is not one size fits all. What makes a real impact will be different for every community, as will the unique challenges in achieving and measuring it. When introducing or expanding on impact investing and its various concepts to different people around the world, tailor your messaging accordingly, while tying it into the wider global narrative.
Get past the alphabet soup. Aligning values with investment can take many forms, as evidenced by impact practices such as ESG, SRI and CSR and mechanisms such as CDFIs, ETFs and ITCs. While it’s necessary to understand these concepts, it’s even more important to look beyond them to explain what impact investing is and how it looks at investment capital differently; that it goes beyond avoiding doing harm and focuses on creating a measurable, positive impact. All impact investments are responsible investments, but not all responsible investments are impact investments. Responsible investing is important, but don’t let the acronyms and abbreviations distract from impact investing’s powerful narrative.
Be a network ninja. The impact investing universe is vast and diverse, involving all manner of businesses and philanthropic organisations. Communicating impact means working with a multitude of constituencies and developing a common language. Non-profit organisations, for-profit companies, investment firms and government agencies all have their own needs and methods. To be effective means collaborating with all these different players. Take the time to understand both the differences and commonalities of all the groups you are working with on a given campaign and see how you can help them drive a narrative that suits everyone.
Embrace the sceptic. The value of impact investing has been proven time and time again, through research and returns as well as anecdotally. Demand has grown exponentially. Still, there are and will always be sceptics. Some question the power of capital to change things. Some want to call out the potential for abuse, acutely sensitive to programmes that might exploit the poor or be used as greenwashing. While it’s tempting to pull out defensive comms strategies, it’s important to remember that these critics usually at their core share the commitment of impact investors to make positive social and environmental change. Resist the urge to paint them as sour naysayers. Every good argument needs its devil’s advocates. At a time when the industry is scaling so rapidly, impact investing needs a critical eye, and can and should withstand the utmost scrutiny. Learn to engage with the critics, invite them to look closer and be there to answer their questions.
Impact investing is all about inclusivity, not the creation of an exclusive club of moral ‘elites’. The focus on directing capital towards what’s good, rather than simply excluding what’s bad, is what makes impact investing unique. As with any investing strategy, impact investing is going to have different philosophies and approaches. Greater institutional involvement is changing the field, but the core commitment will stay the same: changing the world for the better one investment at a time. And that’s a narrative worth communicating.
Bridget McArthur is a Senior Account Executive with Aspectus Group, a global communications and public relations agency with a dedicated impact investing practice.
Last week, I spent two days at EIT InnoEnergy’s The Business Booster (TBB) event in Paris. It was a whirlwind of energy, innovations and insights. During the first day, I had the privilege of sitting in with Dr Steven Chu, former US Secretary of Energy and Nobel prize winner for Physics, on a media interview with the Guardian. While the journalist questioned him on the energy transition and the role of fossil fuels, he said something which struck me – “Oil and gas companies have to be part of the solution, but reinvention will be key, otherwise they face the same fate as Kodak”.
Kodak famously stayed steadfast to the film industry as digital photography, which they helped invent, took hold of the market. In fact, Kodak’s demise was characterised by the management team’s inability to see digital as a disruptive technology that could truly change the sector.
While we know that’s not true of the oil and gas sector, not everyone will embrace the energy transition quickly enough and in the right way. So, what can companies operating in the space learn from other industries that have faced similar, pivotal challenges?
Let’s take a look at an iconic brand like IBM. In 1896 it was a tabulating machine company, then during the 1940s it helped collect data during the war effort and in the 1960s it became a business computer specialist selling large computers to corporates and governments. The 1980s came around and IBM led the personal computer revolution, followed by a swift change in the 1990s into a services company, at the time it was making $6 billion from services. Fast forward to the 2000s and it was making $33 billion. This shape-shifting attitude is what has made IBM successful – quick to anticipate and respond to market changes to stay relevant.
Now, if we look at the oil and gas space, there are some brands already revitalising and reinventing themselves – just look at Equinor. Its name change in March 2018 was a huge leap. The Norwegian oil and gas operator had been known as Statoil for almost 50 years. But the company knew that the energy transition was coming and it made the bold move to be one of the first companies to dive in headfirst and its name was only the start. However, it’s not only operators who face this decision, oilfield services companies who serve the sector also need to consider refreshing their brands too.
In fact, this is such a hot topic, that for the first time, TBB, as a sustainable energy event, ran a session on new horizons for the oil industry, including speakers from Equinor, GA Drilling and Total Ventures.
Perhaps next year in Berlin, we’ll see more oil and gas (energy) companies involved in TBB? One thing is for sure, the energy transition is here – the real question is, which oil and gas companies will lead the sector’s reinvention and who will face the fate of Kodak?
If you want to know more about how we can help revitalise and refresh your brand for the energy transition – get in touch.
When Lin-Manuel Miranda – the composer of Hamilton – visited London last week, I immediately began to reflect on my recent dissertation – an exploration of Hamilton as a cultural phenomenon. Having just started a job in tech PR, I was surprised by how much I found the concepts of Miranda’s production and PR to overlap.
Hamilton is the hip-hop musical phenomenon dominating the musical theatre scene. It’s won eleven Tonys, a Grammy, seven Oliviers and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. But what can we take away from the show as PR professionals?
The musical unveils the story of Alexander Hamilton, spanning from 1776 after he arrived in New York City, through the American Revolution all the way to his death in 1802, it could have been an excruciatingly boring history lesson. Instead, composer Lin-Manuel Miranda turned it into something spectacular – schooling us all in communications.
Innovation:
“Passionately smashin’ every expectation” (-My Shot)
Hamilton’s unique concept means not only is the show about revolution, it is a revolution. One day Miranda decided that Hamilton – the guy from the history books with powdered hair and tights – was ‘so gangsta.’ Then, he built a whole musical around the idea.
The ‘Cabinet Battles’ capture Miranda’s innovation perfectly; history is retold when Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton have heated debates – or rap battles – over the future of America. “Stand with me in the land of the free, pray to God we never see Hamilton’s candidacy. Look, when Britain taxed our tea, we got frisky. Imagine what gon’ happen when you try to tax our whisky…” says Jefferson. It’s ingenious having the founding fathers dressed in period clothing, rapping and using slang – and it certainly hasn’t been done before.
Similarly, communications is all about new ideas. Like the musical theatre industry, the PR industry is competitive, and the only way to stand out in a crowded market is to innovate. As PR professionals it’s our job to get our clients in the media but it’s not enough to send out a generic press release, we have to get creative. For example, taking something current, whether this is a movie premier or current affairs, then intertwining that with a story from your client, can get you noticed.
Working in harmony:
“Move as one” (-Yorktown)
During a performance, all aspects of Hamilton come together like pieces in a puzzle. The cast shift between R&B hip-hop and musical theatre, the dancing seamlessly transitions between civilian and military life, the orchestra includes a pop rhythm section alongside a string quartet and there is not one, but two revolving floors.
As an audience member, it’s easy to forget how much work goes into a production like this because everything’s so slick. But these performances don’t just happen, they are a by-product of countless rehearsals and ongoing activities on and off stage. Likewise, coverage is the by-product of a whole series of tasks PR’s undertake.
Agencies are often judged on the coverage they secure, but what goes on behind that is a well-oiled machine – just like Hamilton. First PR’s have to come up with an (innovative) idea, then they have to identify the desired audience, research suitable publications, create press lists, pitch to journalists, draft the article, get approval from the client and finally wait for it to appear. The Hamilton cast might sing 20,520 words over the course of a show, but PR professionals type that many in their emails.
Key messages:
“I wanna build something that’s gonna outlive me” (-The Room Where it Happens)
Every company needs a clear idea of what they want to be known for, which is why brand strategy is the foundation of any successful PR and marketing programme. Hamilton is no different and aside from being a great piece of theatre, it carries explicit cultural messages too. If you’ve not seen the show you might not know the cast look anything like their historical counterparts – they are totally ethnically diverse. Of the original Broadway production it was said to be the “story of America then, told by America now.”
The musical promotes acceptance of all cultures outlining that Hamilton was “an immigrant coming up from the bottom”, “immigrants get the job done” and “we’ll never be free until we end slavery”. It’s also not a coincidence that hip-hop is a genre born from raw struggle. Hamilton gives a voice to minorities which musicals are not traditionally known for.
Hamilton’s messaging doesn’t stop at its performances; Miranda and the performers promote equality on social media, the production raised money for a suffering Puerto Rico and the Broadway cast even called out VP Mike Pence at curtain call declaring that “we, sir, are the diverse America who is alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us” – the definition of ‘practice what you preach.’
When fans watch Hamilton they don’t just feel they are going to see a show, they feel part of a movement. Businesses should aim to create something similar whereby they are known for more than just a product or service, this could be anything from having an expertise in a certain field or serving a wider social purpose. In order to communicate the desired ethos of your company, clear and consistent messages must underpin everything you do.
So, Hamilton has more in common with PR than you might have originally thought – it is innovative, it only works when all elements are integrated, and messaging is at its heart. Who knew?
Stacey is a Durham University Education and English graduate now working as a Junior Account Executive for the Technology PR team at Aspectus Group.
The Granite City. The Oil Capital of Europe. The Silver City with the Golden Sands (well most of the time). Aberdeen has gained many a moniker over the years. But as we approach another Offshore Europe, it’s worth asking: do these names capture the spirit of our city today?
One thing is for certain, while Aberdeen might be grey, it’s far from monotone. We’re the only UK city to feature on the New York Times’ list of must-see global destinations in 2019, City Fibre will make Aberdeen Scotland’s first gigabit city by 2021 and we’re the home of iconic craft beer maker BrewDog.
Since we established the Aberdeen office of Aspectus three and a half years ago in the midst of one of the oil industry’s worst downturns, I’ve seen the city transform akin to that of a snake shedding its skin. What’s left behind isn’t dissimilar to what was there before, but it’s fresh, shiny and has a renewed sense of self.
Gone are the days where Aberdeen was mostly an oil companies’ playground; instead the city is awash with opportunity from renewables, infrastructure, food and drink, financial services and tech too. At Aspectus, we’ve always had faith in this city, that’s why we set up here when the chips were down. We knew that in a downturn, we could offer true expertise and counsel to businesses looking to survive and thrive. To us, it just made business sense. And as the oil and gas sector feels renewed, and Aberdeen flourishes with new opportunity, the team at Aspectus also feels a sense of optimism and excitement.
Don’t get us wrong, oil and gas is one of Aspectus’ areas of specialism. But so is the broader energy industry, and right now the oil and gas sector in particular, is in the midst of a transition. The sector is figuring out its image and how it wants to play on the world stage with pressing issues, such as climate change at the front of society’s mind.
This shouldn’t be seen as a risk, but an opportunity for oil and gas, and in part Aberdeen, to refresh its brand. Rather than the oil capital of Europe, what about the energy capital of Europe or even the engineering capital of Europe? On the map for more than our oil rich roots and instead positioned as a pioneering city, one that is driving us towards a sustainable future.
But we mustn’t forget our heritage, we should celebrate it, it’s made us who we are as a city and has given us the experience to take that step forward. Whatever that looks like. Our city shouldn’t follow in the footsteps of its infamous AWPR by-pass: too little, and perhaps too late for its citizens.
So what’s next for Aberdeen? Well one thing’s for sure, it needs to grasp hold of the energy transition with both hands and jump on board. Seventy-five per cent of the world’s subsea engineering talent is situated here – how do we market to wind developers and utilities? How do we become more than an energy hub but a tech hub – attracting fresh talent and pioneering new mobility options or the latest digital offerings? And how can we create models to help oilfield services sell their propositions to a wider customer pool?
The answer lies not only in the companies themselves and the exceptionally talented people behind them, but businesses like Aspectus, who can support organisations on this journey. Aberdeen can be an energy hub, a tech hub, a financial services hub.
So as we look forward to Offshore Europe next week. Let’s forget the tired, grey image of Aberdeen. It’s a city full of colour and opportunity at every turn – let’s grasp it.
You’ve made it this far. You’ve weathered sweaty palms, the doubters and the self-doubt. You think you’re getting to grips with things when you get handed your first task and someone needs to brief you. No need to panic – here’s my intern’s guide.
As with whenever chartering unfamiliar territory, it all starts with Intel.
The Intel
Knowing what questions to ask and the sort of answers you want is your symbolic campfire. It protects you from looming dangers, the workplace kind. Get this right and the future should be bright.
Who is the client? Can you send me any background on them? Where do they operate? What information do they want? Which sources are valid?
What is the task? Content? Media list? Pitching? Research? Can you give me examples? What would be perfection? Is there anything else I should know? Knowing what a good standard to go by is will save you time.
Most of the time, the person briefing you has forgotten what it’s like to be an intern. To start from the beginning. And perhaps, will explain things at their level, using unfamiliar jargon. There’s no shame in asking questions. Ask. It’s much worse to sit silently at your desk wondering what on earth they have asked you to do.
Comms people, in general, are already operating at full capacity. Maintaining their attention long enough for you to extract the necessary information is a key element of survival. However, being skilled in negotiating deadlines and timeframes, is another trait all survivalists formerly known as interns will have to master.
The Negotiation
Strap on your cargo boots. Imagine yourself with your very own Rambo headband and get stuck in.
Like wandering bears, hungry for what all you’ve managed to forage; the person briefing will be hungry for your ‘yes’ – use it wisely.
Manage expectations
After you feel your questions have been answered sufficiently and you have gathered the necessary Intel to do the task, ensure the deadline is feasible. Interns are typically briefed on different jobs by multiple people and this person may not have a good picture of what else you have on.
Likely they will need to review it. Have patience with yourself, breathe and accept that you will probably need more time than stated to do the task. And if you’re not sure what to prioritise – ask. No one will expect you to make that call.
Once you agree to a time you are bound to it. It can either be your route to success, or path to failure.
The Correspondence
Maintaining a consistent line of communication between yourself and the person who briefed you is your symbolic ‘shelter’ in this office wilderness. Send a short follow up email summarising the main points of the task.
Deliver a daily email outlining your priorities.
Comms, especially agency work, has been likened to the art of spinning plates. It most certainly is. To poorly quote Uncle Ben from Spiderman, ‘with more responsibility comes more plates’. Making comms professionals a slightly jittery bunch. Help calm their nerves. Proactively keep the team updated with the task’s progress and you will make their lives much easier.
Overall
With this survival kit you may grow to love and master this PR wilderness. Whatever is the outcome of the internship, these pointers can help even the shortest-staying intern survive. Exhale.
Thud. Banging your head on the table. It’s dubbed thought leadership. But why aren’t your thoughts leading? It can’t be as long-winded as a novel yet not as objective as a news article. Scrunch! That’s the third idea in the bin.
You’re not alone!
Forever nudging the copywriters to have a look at my ‘revised’ version and dodging their subsequent stares, I committed myself to master this medium.
Barricaded in my very own Batcave, dimly-lit lamps and two or three empty coffee mugs, I began to crack the Da Vinci Code.
The world’s largest rush hour
Generally, people are very busy, so we want to catch them when they have a few minutes to spare. Whether it is on the train, at lunchtime etc.
If you imagine London’s congestion multiplied by 100,000, it would still fall short of the amount of traffic on the internet. Thus, the internet is the noisiest market known to man. All bloggers are fishermen. And all fishermen need bait.
As the profession suggests, you should be a master of the (inter-)‘net’ and ‘hooks’. And titling is the bloggers’ best weapon.
Frame your titles in ways which let the reader know the value the blog provides, as simply as possible. Jargon? Implied concepts? Don’t! Your audience needs to be ‘spoon-fed’ why your blog is the ‘right’ distraction. Your headtitle needs to lay out exactly what they will get in a clever catchy way. Think about why you bothered to read this blog.
Once you have them ‘hooked’, you need to keep them. Include quirky yet relevant subtitles to segment different sections. Make them bold (it sticks out better when scrolling). It’s a subtle reminder of the value your blog provides. A combination of carefully worded and chosen titles can make all the difference.
Respect the Scroll
Whether it be a click, drag, slide or roll, the ability of web surfers to scroll up and down changes the reading experience fundamentally.
Under gleaming screen light, scrolling transforms human beings into goldfish. Well, just their memory. Their retention span becomes thin and their patience thinner.
People read books but skim blogs. The scroll bar gets through content more quickly than turning pages. And, sadly, online content is consumed in an almost narcotic fashion. We want our fix. Anything that seems too dense loses our interest and won’t survive the scroll bar.
Keep to the point. Use condensed paragraphs and sentences: five lines per paragraph should be the maximum. If you can’t make the point in that way then you need to think again – maybe this isn’t suited to a blog post after all.
Add your own flavour
When someone reads your blog, they devoted some precious seconds in order to read it, so be brave enough to add in your own opinion and flair. The reader chose you for a reason. The reader is hoping you’ll succeed, to prove they didn’t waste their time.
It’s tempting to stay on the fence, in fear of saying something stupid because you’re the newbie. But you still have experiences and opinions. Share them. And someone will doubtless review it before it goes public!
Summary
Blogs bank on the unfortunate ‘goldfish’ in us, surfing the net looking for something relevant and entertaining. It’s called the ‘net’ for a reason. Become the best fisherman by tailoring your repertoire with the medium and audience in mind. With these tips, you may be ready to set up shop in the world’s largest rush hour. Just remember to respect the scroll.
