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Serendipity PR’s New Client: Constructive Voices

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When we work with clients, there is nothing like working with clients that are pushing boundaries and shaking things up, and is why Serendipity PR & Media is enjoying working with Constructive Voices, a new and exciting podcast platform for the construction industry. Constructive Voices is bringing the latest stories from the construction industry globally and is creating the best conversations with industry leaders and change makers, on topics shaping the sector from the economy to sustainability, social good, to mental and physical health, and diversity and inclusion. These are all values that matter to Serendipity PR as a brand.

All the podcasts aim to inspire positive change and it has a strong, talented team of diverse experts behind it, which includes Peter Finn, Ireland’s well-known and favourite TV builder; Henry McDonald, investigative journalist; Jackie De Burca, author and award-wining podcaster; and Steve Randall, radio presenter and podcast trainer.

Constructive Voices latest powerful podcast is out now, where acclaimed journalist and media commentator, Henry McDonald interviews Professor Michael Parkinson CBE, Honorary Professor at the University of Liverpool and Ambassador for its Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place. Professor Parkinson speaks in detail about the proposed Everton football stadium project and Liverpool’s regeneration.

This latest podcast with Professor Parkinson has been well-received and Paul Gallagher

Head of Creative Partnerships, National Museums Liverpool says, “This is a brilliant podcast, incredibly enlightening and insightful. A highly recommended listen.”

 

Here’s a taster of some of the other episodes from Constructive Voices:

Cas Heuvelmans, PR Manager Europe | Trimble says: “I’m truly impressed by what the team have pulled off here.”

Guy Woodford, Aggregates Business says, “A real diversity among the guests, which gives the show pace…Great success story.”

Peter Finn, Ireland’s favourite TV builder says, “At Construction Voices we want to bust those stereotypes that people may have of this sector and showcase the best things that are happening within this sector globally, including bringing to the forefront the latest industry insights and trends. We are creating quality content and we are proud that in such a short space of time we have become the go to podcast in the construction industry and have gained sponsors.”

Constructive Voices is consistently producing original content and future episodes lined-up includes, Peter Finn, TV personality taking listeners on a journey into the highly sensitive restoration of the building, which houses the Book of Kells at Trinity College, Dublin; while Henry McDonald, journalist will be discussing the renovation of the Real Madrid Bernabéu Stadium.

 

Corporate Social Responsibility Is Not Public Relations – Now in the US

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Webinar: How to put CSR at the heart of your company and maximise the business benefits

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Corporate Social Responsibility is Not Public Relations

 

I am running this webinar for the Association of MBA’s (AMBA) on 27 May from 12pm to 1pm – How to put CSR at the heart of your company and maximise business benefits.

AMBA is committed to raising the profile and quality standards of business education internationally, for the benefit of Business Schools, MBA students and graduates and alumni, employers, communities and society.

If free, come along – click here!

In The Top 15 Women Influencers in PR & Comms And In The Top 100 Of The PR Influencer Index

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There’s nothing like a good surprise and finding out that I had made the PR Influencer Index was certainly a good one; am in the top 100 at number 25! It feels good to be up there with my peers and to be recognised for the work Serendipity PR & Media does. Plus, I also made it in the Top 15 Women Influencers in PR & Comms, am at number 10!

A little about  – The PR Influencer Index, is by Commetric, which uses an influencer mapping methodology and human analyst expertise to identify social media influencers working in PR & Communications. The Index is based on both quantitative and qualitative evaluation of English language Twitter data.

SHORTLISTED FOR WOMEN IN MARKETING 2020 AWARDS

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Sangeeta Waldron, founder of Serendipity PR & Media has been been chosen by the judges for the shortlist of this year’s Global WiM Awards organized by Women in Marketing (WiM). The prestigious awards celebrate excellence in the industry across the world and highlight those professionals with a distinct commitment to the future of marketing.The WiM Awards launched in 2010 and were established to recognise the economic, social influence and impact of women to millions. The WiM Awards has given recognition to inspirational women and male equality advocates across the globe, from some of the biggest brands – Google, Facebook, Hearst, HP, WPP, Diageo, Unilever, Burberry, SAP and Live Nation to name but a few.

Sangeeta Waldron said, “To say I am thrilled and honoured is an under-statement; to be recognised in the industry with big global brands is indeed uplifting, particularly in the current climate, which has been challenging for everyone.”

WiM CIC is network created to educate, inspire, connect and recognise women in the marketing and associated professions through the cycle of their lives. It takes a holistic approach to the education and wellbeing of women through collaborations and partnerships with organisations that complement its work. From women working in large corporations, charitable organisations through to female entrepreneurs, WiM reflects the evolution of the marketing world.

Born in 2004 by Ade Onilude – a then member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Central London team – out of a need for women in the industry to be recognised, celebrated and empowered to fulfil their potential. This led to Ade conceiving and delivering the first WiM event to coincide with International Women’s Day on Work-Life Balance. Since then, the annual WiM events have grown and tackled topics such as ethical marketing, the creatives, branding and diversity in marketing, with the purpose of provoking discussion and inspiring women in the industry and the wider business community.

Over the years, WiM has enjoyed the support of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM), the Marketing Academy and sponsor organisations such as ITV, Mondelez, Vodafone,HPInc and IPG. And the support of some very special individuals: Gail Gallie, co-founder of Project Everyone, Sarah Speake, Daryl Fielding, Antonio Lucio, and Heide Gardner. WiM has evolved over the past decade, and now serves a global network of influential individuals across the sector.

 

 

WiM Awards 2020 marks its ten year anniversary, reflecting the evolving landscape of marketing.

 

 

Little Bit Of More Book Love For The PR Knowledge Book

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I was delighted to see this unexpected book review for  – The PR Knowledge Book from Rusen Kumar, founder and managing editor of India CSR Network, India’s largest ethical news platform. Rusen is a respected media mogul in India and well-known in the areas of social entrepreneurship, social journalism and social-economic development.

Rusen has been at the forefront in driving change for not only the vulnerable people in society, but also getting corporates to act differently in India.

You can read his full review here and am hugely grateful for all his support.

My Love of Podcasts!

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During lockdown and our changing world, I have been keeping myself busy with writing and podcasts, not just listening to them, but being fortunate enough to be invited on to various shows to share my stories.

I enjoyed sharing my business wisdom and stories and have recently been on two popular US based podcasts shows – CurryUp StartUp Podcast and the #365FirstChallenge

Both shows are hosted by great podcasters who have the mastery of asking great questions and importantly, good listeners, knowing just when to come in to ask that timely question.

Podcasts are great for sharing knowledge, experiences and stories with a wide audience. You can listen to podcasts about politics, business, cooking and more; the options are endless. Data shows that two million podcasts are registered by Google.

According data released from Buzzsprout, Latino podcasts are flourishing due to the large number of Spanish speakers in both the US and South America, with Chile in the lead with a podcast growth rate of 85 percent; followed by Argentina; then Peru and Mexico. The country with the fifth-highest rate is China; and I know that in India, podcasts is a growing market.

While in the UK, 12 percent of adults listen to at least one podcast per week and are the most popular among millennials (21 percent) and only five percent of Baby Boomers have caught the podcast bug.

Other research by Music Oomph shows that brands that advertise products and services during business podcasts have a 14 percent lift in purchase intent! There is plenty of research on customer behaviour proving that podcasts impact brand lift.

Other interesting podcasting statistics on customer behaviour:

  • Brands that have ads in podcasts about society and culture are most likely to have a 9.2 percent lift in purchase intent.
  • Brands that advertise in news and politics podcasts are most likely to have a 12.8 percent lift in purchase intent.
  • Brands that advertise in comedy podcasts are most likely to have a 7.3 percent lift.
  • Brands that advertise in sports podcasts are most likely to have a 9.3 percent lift.

According to Forbes – 36. 39 percent of US small and medium-sized businesses owners are podcast users and 65 percent of them listen to podcasts weekly, according to 2018 podcast listenership stats.

So, if you happen to be looking for something to listen to…give CurryUp StartUp Podcast and the #365FirstChallenge a try.

Twenty Twenty

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I have been working on the PR campaign for this is incredible book(which came to me serendipitously), Twenty, Twenty by the highly-acclaimed author, Nigel Watts, which is a blueprint for 2020, which was originally published in 1995 by Hodder and Stoughton.

The book eerily and accurately predicts a global pandemic that occurs in the year 2020 causing the world to communicate largely through virtual technology, with people wearing masks, a drastic reduction of air travel leading to ‘virtual tourism’, and nature fighting back for its survival due to mankind’s destruction of our planet.

Tragically, Watts took his own life in 1999 and now 25 years later, his very brave widow, former BBC presenter and broadcaster, Sahera Chohan has republished this timely and relevant book this August; the book’s anniversary month.

At the time, when it came launched, the book received rave reviews from The Times, Time Out, Sunday Times and more. The Times said: “Twenty Twenty is about the end of the world, viral apocalypse, virtual reality…[it] asks the big questions at a time of global destruction and spiritual uncertainty…an intriguing synthesis between ancient mysticism and the brave new world of virtuality. It is a book to make the pulse race, the mind dance and the heart sink.”

Twenty Twenty foretells the events of the year 2020, where an ageing writer infected with a deadly virus and despairing of mankind’s continuing damage to the planet retreats to a derelict factory in the icy wastes of northern Canada. Meanwhile, at a remote research institute in the Californian desert, William Morrison, a virtual reality test pilot, and Julia

O’Brien, a British anthropologist, are working on a VR simulation of the Amazonian Kogi tribe. William and Julia appear to have little in common, until they discover an uncanny connection that finds them being drawn towards a derelict factory in northern Canada. As the story escalates to its dramatic conclusion, Watts powerfully manipulates the reader’s perceptions of reality, whilst blurring the boundary between creator and created.

Nigel Watts has drawn his name in the sands of time, putting him side-by-side with some of the greatest futuristic authors – Orwell, Huxley and H.G.Wells – securing Twenty Twenty not just as a book of our time, but an enduring and influential novel. Needless to say the book has been drawing lots of media attention and it has been such a great book campaign to work on…to know how it ends you will need to buy the book, which is available on Amazon.

 

 

Online Event – How PR can help SME’s kickstart their businesses post COVID-19 on 24 August

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Hello! On 24 August from 10.00 to 11.30am I will be sharing my knowledge with fellow women in business at this online Federation of Small Business (FSB) Women’s event, which is a platform to learn, share, network and build vital relationships. These regular FSB events are open to all, the format is informal and educational with a female focused networking focus and a chance to hear from expert speakers too.

My session is purposefully called ‘How PR can help SME’s kickstart their businesses post COVID-19’.

Do join us if you can, be great to see you!

Click here on event to book and for more information.

Here Comes Spring

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I can’t believe it’s March, I feel as though I have lived the year. Work has been full throttle and it has been exciting.

In January, I started as a visiting lecturer at Coventry University, teaching my book, The PR Knowledge Book to their second year degree students and am really enjoying it. According to The Guardian University Guide 2020, Coventry is ranked as the 15th best university here in the UK, it is the 1st for Overseas Student Experiences, based on student trips abroad from HESA 2017/18 UK data; is 2nd for Teaching Excellence according to the Times Higher Education UK metrics ranking 2017 and was University of the Year for Student Experience 2019, according to The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019.

Wondering what it is like teaching? Well it’s exhausting, as it demands all your attention and yet inspiring at the same time. It is inspiration to be in a room with the potential next generation of publicists. I am also learning, learning about the future and what will drive the next generation forward.

I have also taken on a few short term client projects and podcasts are popular. I have discovered that everyone seems to have a ‘podcast in them.’ Podcasts are popular because they are an easy-to-consume format for both business and personal topics. This year the podcast industry is going to grow even faster with a flurry of advertising activity and technological changes, which is great news for content creators and listeners. A staggering, 80% of people will listen to an entire podcast episode, or most of it, indicating that podcast listeners are very engaged in the content.

I was invited to moderate a panel organised by A Greener Festival for their annual conference. The session was titled, ‘Sustainable Sponsorship, Brands and The PR Greenwash Wobblies!’ and on the panel were Gary Pitt, Alive Activation, UK; Jacqueline Hochreiter, Budweiser Brewing Group; Adam Pearson, O2 and Zac Fox, Kilimanjaro Live.

During the session we lifted the lid on what impacts brands are having, who is pushing boundaries, what is the best practice, and where do we go from here. It was a great conversation where one of the main takeaways for me – was that brands need desperately need innovation in the sustainability space to allow them to keep making the positive changes that they want to for the planet.

And it is this last line that is going to be a recurring theme with my work this year – making the positive changes that they want to for the planet.