Category: Blog

By Frances Bonney, Web Communications Officer – Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust The most extraordinary thing about the first wave of COVID-19 was how we could see it coming. We could see the approaching tsunami on the horizon – we only needed to look at local infection rates and do the calculations. It was […]

By Emma Duke (First published in Influence) Global leadership in the past year has been…underwhelming. At times down-right dangerous. For all the Kamala Harrises, Greta Thunbergs and Jacinda Aderns, other national and global leaders have relied on a heady diet of narcissism, misinformation and double-standards. We all know bad leaders. The ones you’re less likely […]

By Tracey Rimell What does content creation mean in a world where everyone has a mini content-generating device in their pocket? Once upon a time, making good content required expert skill, technical ability, and access to fancy equipment. But those days are long gone. From TikTok to Instagram and a rainbow of platforms in between, […]

By Emma Duke (Originally posted on Influence on 12/10/20)  I’m really not a fan of the American President. Still, I had a moment the other day when it became apparent how many people believed he had faked a case of the ‘rona. What does it say about a person, that in this time of global pandemic, that so […]

By Nicky Smith, TwelvePR   “So, David, what does success look like?” no one ever said to him. We all know what he wants to see happen, what he might consider success: an end to deforestation, dying coral, and global warming; fewer forest fires, less plastic pollution in our oceans and support for bio-diversity to […]

By Emma Duke “As a Type 1 diabetic you are classed as vulnerable but not shielding” my consultant said. Hm. When you think of those words in isolation, taken out of context, they’re pretty scary. I’m more vulnerable to the risks of Covid-19, but not judged risky enough to shield. There are upsides to this: […]

By Emma Duke We’re gearing up for our latest event for PR and Communications professionals across Oxfordshire: Sorry seems to be the hardest word; an event dedicated to the corporate apology. Having worked in crisis comms for more years than I care to remember, this got me thinking about some of the many examples of […]

We’re looking for a dynamic individual to help support Oxford’s vibrant PR community. Our Content and Community Manager is a voluntary role charged with developing content for our website and social channels. You’ll help us to create a content plan for our website, LinkedIn and Facebook presences and then help us execute it: curating and […]

December 2019 marked three years since we created Public Relations Oxford and we thought it would be worth looking back on what has been a busy and fruitful year. We kicked off in March with our first event focusing entirely on internal communications. In a year when professionals are still struggling to prove the value […]

By Jennifer Sanchis 2 in 10 execs don’t know what PR stands for. It is the disturbing conclusion of recent research published by the CIPR’s Influence Magazine. It is in this context that the Public Relations Oxford group held its latest event about PR’s seat at the Board table. We have got to wonder: how can […]

By Nicky Smith This could be the most unpopular blog post I ever write.  It’s about how to work effectively with your local MP. Whatever we think of current politics and parliament, a good public relations professional should have a clear understanding of the role of their local MP and how important they can be […]

by Sarah Wright Millennials have faced a steady stream of criticisms over the past few years — they’re lazy, unmotivated and killing every industry from petrol cars to marriage. ‘Millennial’ has become a catch-all term for the young. But with the oldest millennials nearing 40, a new generation is beginning to enter the workforce: Generation […]

Fourtold is the PRCA’s mid-sized agency of the year, and we caught up with the Oxford-based consultancy to find out more about its success and how the company manages international corporate briefs from Oxford. Tell us more about Fourtold? We specialise in corporate communications and work in some of the most challenging and complex sectors […]

By Maggie Newton CBI research has found that employee engagement is now one of the biggest workforce priorities, and employee engagement assignments are an increasing source of business for PR agencies. Engagement can be defined as the emotional commitment and connection an employee has to the agency and its goals. Connection gives us meaning and […]

Jennifer Sanchis caught up with Lucy Eckley, an independent consultant who has been in the world of PR for more than 20 years. With her mix of marketing, business and communication strategy experience, she has been advising CEOs and leadership teams at some of the UK’s best-known companies for more than a decade. In addition to […]

By Jennifer Sanchis Pop the champagne (excuse my Frenchness)! I am celebrating my one-year anniversary as a content editor for the Public Relations Oxford group! This time last year, everyone was preparing for the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). I attended this event at the Jericho Tavern (Public Relations Oxford’s local) to support my PRIME […]

By Anne Whitehouse, Director of Communications and Public Engagement at the Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford Whatever you think of Donald Trump, he has helped to put fake news on the agenda. Whilst opinions might differ about what constitutes fake news, why it should be ‘called out’ and what to do about it, at least […]

My day starts with the nursery run, dropping my kids off before I catch the train to Oxford. Being a working parent of young kids can be hard work, but it helps that the Department of Computer Science is very family friendly, with lots of colleagues in the same boat. Once I have my first […]

By Ben Harwood This will be a short blog post. It needs to stop after ‘mildly annoyed’ and before ‘ranting’, which leaves a small window. Also, just so you know, I won’t be reading the comment section. Do with that what you will. I’d like to dedicate the following to the anonymous author of an […]

As part of our series of posts celebrating women in PR around Oxfordshire, we’ve caught up with Nadin Vernon, a local female leader engaged with AMEC as Vice-Chair of its European Chapter and Strategy Consultant at PRIME Research. With your 20 years of communications and research experience, you seem passionate about PR measurement and evaluation. […]

One of the things I love about working in communications is the variety, and whilst it might be a cliché to say that no two days are the same, it’s certainly true when you work in a large university department. I’m relatively new to my role in the Nuffield Department of Population Health (NDPH) at […]

Kathryn Bowditch, Director of Oxford-based agency Fourtold, on the benefits of leaving London for Oxford’s dreaming spires… A man who is tired of London is tired of life said Samuel Johnson. A philosophy I fully bought into when I first arrived in Bloomsbury as an eager under-graduate determined to shake-off my small country town upbringing. Fast forward […]

When people think about a PR agency, it often conjures up images of writing press releases and ringing journalists. But when you are a creative, brand PR agency like Bottle, it’s as much about content as it is media relations. Whether that’s video, web and digital design, animation, exhibition design, branding, packaging design, infographics and […]

Jennifer Sanchis caught up with BLUE Communications, a PR agency specialised in marine and energy industries, to discuss about their ‘Outstanding Specialist Public Relations Consultancy’ award and celebrate their 10th anniversary. You have recently been awarded as the ‘2018 Outstanding Specialist Public Relations Consultancy’ by the CIPR in London. What does this represent to you? […]

By Colin Cather “We want a really emotional video.” Cool. Video is great capturing and stirring our emotions…but which actual emotion do you want? Hmm. At that point I often find clients to be a bit more bashful or tongue-tied. Here are a few suggestions for emotion-capture. Create an Empathy Map It was Omar from […]

In the coming weeks, Oxford’s 30,000 university students will return to Oxford, adding vibrancy, life, (and not to mention unruly behaviour) to the city. And as the academic year ramps up, some of us will be thinking about the role some students might play in the future of our organisations. There are around 30,000 students […]

By Jennifer Sanchis Today’s digital world offers organisations an unprecedented opportunity to communicate information. Open data is no longer only useful for research, evaluation and measurement. It can only be turned into a powerful PR tactic if practitioners are aware of its advantages and understand its risks. Open data is data that can be freely […]

It is a fair question. Recent news on the topic have caused quite a stir in the digital world so the value of influencer marketing is under scrutiny. I recently reviewed the matter in a Twitter chat with various practitioners. CIPR board and council member Ella Minty started the debate: Is the influencer marketing bubble […]

Jennifer Sanchis caught up with BOTTLE, a PR agency based in Oxford to discuss the power of content and storytelling. What’s Bottle all about? New ways to do the oldest thing in the world, which is to tell great stories. New ways, because there’s a lot that’s changing – the channels and tactics to reach and engage […]

By Jennifer Sanchis I recently had the chance to attend a masterclass held by Dr Jon White at the CIPR headquarters in London. Alongside 17 other practitioners, we gathered to review, discuss and map out the communication challenges brought by Brexit. Nearly two years after the referendum, the CIPR has recently revealed that more than […]