‘Greenwashing could be the sword of Damocles’—how corporate comms will become ‘complex comms’ in 2023
Corporate comms has always needed to adapt and allow for consideration of a wide range of factors—and that load has by no means lightened for 2023.
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UK royal comms team slammed in Harry and Meghan Netflix doc
The Duke of Sussex criticised the royals’ press offices for playing a ‘dirty game’ in the latest instalment of his Netflix docuseries.
PR industry becoming more profitable despite underlying issues, say agency bosses
PR firms across the world expect to become more profitable within the next year, having higher expectations than in 2021, according to a new ICCO survey.
Big brands are losing money by not in-housing influencer marketing
Brands spending more than half a million annually on influencer strategies should use an internal team instead of external agency partners, says UK creator economy company HYDP.
Is the PR industry finally addressing women's health?
In the run-up to World Menopause Day, we’ve seen plenty of PR campaigns raising awareness of women’s health matters, and aiming to remove stigma, but is the industry also addressing this internally?
UN boss slams PR for 'raking in billions' by enabling fossil fuel companies
UN secretary-general António Guterres called out the PR industry for its willingness to “shield the fossil-fuel industry from scrutiny” in a speech yesterday.
Is Google's helpful content update helpful to PR?
The search engine change will prioritise results that provide ‘unique, authentic information’ to readers over SEO-optimised content.
Will brands ‘trade down’, financially, to PR as recession bites?
With the Bank of England predicting that we will soon enter a recession, the UK waits nervously, but there is hope that, among the chaos, the consumer PR industry will be afforded a new opportunity to shine.
PR fights back against greenwashing
Almost every respondent (96%) in a new PRCA study in the UK said they advised their clients and colleagues on the climate crisis, a figure that has jumped 14% in the past year.
Journalists ignore 97% of PR pitches
The average journalist response rate to media pitches is down 10 per cent on last year, with the vast majority of pitch emails being ignored.
FleishmanHillard’s head of influence fuels outrage at PR firms’ ties with energy companies
TikTok creator Rob Mayhew posted a sketch on LinkedIn yesterday calling out the hypocrisy of agencies working with fossil fuel clients, which now has over 100,000 views.
Edelman hires Gen Z cohort and appoints ‘ZEO’
Edelman’s ‘Gen Z lab’ will employ 100 under-25s, in order to offer insight into the Gen Z consumer mindset.
Dentsu appoints agency to handle commercial rights
Entourage Sport & Entertainment will handle all commercial rights for Dentsu’s global inventory of events, including the Copa América.
Influencer campaigns lack memorability and impact, new study shows
More than half of the UK consumers surveyed admitted they could not recall a brand’s name after seeing it in an influencer post, with only a quarter having purchased a product recommended by an influencer.
Ogilvy influence chief Rahul Titus announces exit from WPP
The global head of influence at Ogilvy and WPP Open X is set to leave the business.
Engagement grew on X despite controversy, research finds
Peak engagement on X (formerly Twitter) increased last year, despite some brands choosing to limit their social strategies on the social media platform, according to new data.
Clean Creatives hands 'awards' to Edelman
Campaign group Clean Creatives has announced its 2024 F-List ‘award’-winners – deeming them ‘the awards no agency wants to win’.
Comms pros are 'walking into an AI trap' report finds
Comms professionals feel unprepared for the threat of AI to organisational or brand reputation, with 97% saying they are concerned about it, according to a survey commissioned by Golin.
Does comms need a 'Men in PR' group? Industry debates
The PR industry has been discussing whether now is the time to launch an advocacy group for men working in comms, in light of International Men’s Day last weekend.
Consumers prefer AI content from influencers, research suggests
More than half of consumers (60%) prefer creator content designed by generative AI, a new study has found.
TikTok trumps Google as a search engine, research finds
Social media platform TikTok has begun to surpass Google with its user search function, according to analysis from search-first creative agency Rise at Seven.
Most large companies guilty of 'greenhushing', report finds
Two in three FTSE 100 companies (63%) are quietly disclosing their ESG progress but not actively communicating it to the public, new research has found.
Most marcomms pros can't prove value of their work, research finds
Two in three PR and marketing professionals (66 per cent) are unable to demonstrate that their work helps their business or client, new data suggests.
Clean Creatives on decision not to disrupt Cannes 2024
Climate activist group Clean Creatives has told PRWeek UK it has no plans for stunts at this year’s Cannes Lions, calling the festival ‘a difficult and expensive place to engage’.
UN chief calls for ban on fossil fuel ads to combat climate change
UN secretary-general António Guterres has directly called for PR agencies to stop working with fossil fuel clients, and ‘acting as enablers to planetary destruction’.
Rob Mayhew criticises B Lab over lack of Havas action
Rob Mayhew publicly called out B Lab on social media for its unresolved investigation into the Havas-Shell deal.
Is it okay to let agencies pitch ‘as a courtesy’? The industry debates
A LinkedIn post has sparked debate over whether businesses looking for a new communications partner should allow agencies to participate in the RFP if there is little or no intention of choosing the agency.
Unilever influencer focus: Are creators leaving PR in the dust?
As Unilever’s new CEO invests heavily in influencers, casting doubt upon corporate messaging from brands, the state of the comms market is reexamined.
'Reputations will be made and lost': Heathrow closure unpacked by crisis experts
When Europe’s busiest airport, Heathrow, unexpectedly shut down on Friday, its crisis comms team bore the brunt.
Cathay Pacific steers away from 'traditional airline PR' in the UK with agency appointment
International airline Cathay Pacific has enlisted consumer and B2B PR support in the UK, prioritising an ‘insight-driven’ strategy over hiring an agency with prior experience in the airline sector.
PR makes the leap to Bluesky—but what’s the verdict so far?
As social media users appear to flee X in favour of the aptly named alternative—Bluesky—PRWeek UK asks comms pros how they’re finding the new platform in its early days of popularity.
How real is the threat of AI-driven job cuts within PR?
Is the PR industry on the cusp of widespread redundancies or is the truth a little more nuanced and complicated?
One in four influencers want brands to ask before gifting
Almost one in four creators said brands should ask for permission before sending a gifted product, according to new research.
Heinz faces backlash over negative stereotypes in ad
Food company Heinz has apologised after its latest advertising campaign was called out by some for perpetuating racist stereotypes.
Edelman launches global Counter Disinformation Unit
A dedicated global team aims to help organisations protect themselves from ‘the rising tide of mis- and disinformation’.
Unilever merges corporate affairs and sustainability after comms boss departure
Unilever’s sustainability chief has taken on corporate affairs responsibilities as part of a comms reshuffle at the consumer goods multinational.
Clean Creatives targets Richard Edelman at Cannes
Clean Creatives members held placards pointing at agency boss Richard Edelman during the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity yesterday as part of a campaign to stop PR agencies working with fossil fuel corporations.
Half of PR creative chiefs already use AI for campaign generation
A survey conducted by PRWeek found most creative chiefs at UK PR agencies see the potential for AI to be used in their work, with over half (57%) already putting this into practice.
Clean Creatives warns of disruption at Cannes Lions 2023
Clean Creatives has announced its intentions to ‘go bigger and better’ with its disruption of the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity this year.
Edelman creates international president role and names EMEA CEO
Effective from July, Edelman’s new president, international, will be assigned to ‘further diversify the firm’s geographic business mix’.
WPP's global strategy director for Danone joins Ogilvy
Ogilvy has re-hired a former planning director as its new chief strategy officer in Paris.
Singapore Tourism Board seeks UK PR agency
The Singapore Tourism Board’s UK office (STB UK) has put its PR account out to pitch.
Government TikTok ban may have ‘ripple effect’ on brands and creators, warns agency boss
The decision to ban TikTok on devices used by Government officials could ‘spook’ brands and content creators, an influencer agency chief has said.
Extinction Rebellion targets Edelman staff in protest fronted by ex-employee
Extinction Rebellion protested outside Edelman’s London office yesterday, hand-delivering letters to staff and installing a ‘green-washing line’ which asked the agency to ‘cut the ties with fossil fuels’.
Unilever ‘misstepped’ with initial purpose message, says head of comms
At PRWeek’s Corporate and Public Affairs Summit yesterday, Paul Matthews discussed how Unilever has reworked its sustainability messaging in recent years.
'We're all participants in the information war' - how PR continues to fight for Ukraine
To mark the sombre first anniversary of Russia’s invasion, PRWeek explores Ukraine’s current comms landscape, and the role the international PR community has played in aiding the country’s efforts.
'Not just about slapping logos onto jerseys anymore' - Unilever on FIFA Women's World Cup strategy
Samir Singh, global chief marketing officer at Unilever Personal Care, tells PRWeek how he expects the FMCG company’s sponsorship work in the sphere of women’s football to evolve.