Video might well have killed the radio star but live events are far from being done in by the webinar and conference call and are embracing new technologies to reach out beyond the confines of the conference theatre. This is having a huge impact on how businesses portray themselves on this very public and international platform.
We at Pelican believe that you cannot simply replace personal communication with email and the internet. Giving your business a human face and the opportunity to demonstrate your competencies in person has always been the major attraction of exhibitions. Far from hampering this, new technologies can allow businesses and individuals to effectively prepare for an event, by communicating during that event and continue to grow the relationships that they have begun on the return to the office.

Preparation has always been instrumental in getting the most out of an event; twitter hashtags, discussion boards and webinars, give attendees the tools they need to plan their time and network effectively.

Whilst at an event, exhibitors and speakers can make sure that their business really stands out through the use of new technologies to effectively communicate their business to other attendees.

And once the show is over, a strong online presence allows organisations to continue the discussion, through webcasts and by building relationships on social networking sites such as LinkedIn.

Live events remain essential in any business calendar and by utilising online and digital technology, businesses are able to make sure that those opportunities to meet with industry experts really count, bolstering strong business partnerships and creative development.

But there is certainly a balancing process to bear in mind in ensuring that reducing packaging does not dent the appeal of brands to consumers.
Do consumers see think packaging means lesser quality? The argument could be that this is indeed the case – lightweight champagne bottles and disposable milk bags are risking turning customers off.

Brands are however under increasing demand from consumers to become more “environmental” and are also facing political pressure to refine packaging along sustainable lines. Many major brands are already beginning to take up this challenge in reducing packaging whilst maintaining a shelf presence.

The likes of Persil’s Small and Mighty detergent and many own brand soft drinks cordials are already doing this successfully with smaller packaging that retains existing branding but others have rushed into poor decisions, such as using recycled card sometimes containing toxic chemicals from newspapers.

Clearly the first step is not to rush into decisions about sustainable packaging and carefully consider the options and long-term impact on the brand. Drinks giant Diageo for example published its sustainable packaging guidelines before Christmas which committed to reducing the weight of its bottles by 10% by 2015. It may not be a seismic shift to the paper wine bottle but nevertheless Andy Fennell, chief marketing officer said: “Our new guidelines will be adopted throughout our business to ensure we drive year-on-year improvements.”

Taking a holistic approach enables the entire brand process to be taken into account when adopting a sustainable approach, from aesthetic design to safety and functionality through to marketing and communications. The challenge from a communications perspective is not to create this change in packaging but to communicate to consumers that the value, quality or indeed safety of the product remains the same. To find out more about Pelican’s specialist packaging team click here.

All this a week after the Times ran front page stories on cycling TWO days in a row as part of its Save our Cyclists campaign. And with a GB cycling team for the Olympics looking hot to trot, cycling in the mainstream media looks set to continue.What’s different this time around is the consistency of coverage, and that can only help to get more people on two wheels. It’s part of an ongoing trend that has seen British Cycling membership surge past the 40,000 mark (doubling since 2007) and Pelican’s own client, the North East’s Cyclone festival , saw more than 4,000 riders gather for the Cyclone Challenge rides last year. It has consistently grown by 15% or more every year since it was launched, something not many events outside cycling can boast in these difficult times.

All this hasn’t gone unnoticed by the big brands. Outdoors stalwart The North Face has had a dedicated cycling range for a few years now and has really been pushing its mountain biking kit of late. And if you thought sat nav for bikes was a step too far, think again: Garmin has had a range for years, and Mio has just joined in too.

With that consistent coverage constantly reminding people that riding your bike might just be a good idea, cycling looks set to continue its growth, and it’s something we are really proud to be a part of. For more about how Pelican can help to promote your brand or organisation to cyclists, click here.

Solid preparation, a coordinated team and a well thought through plan can make the difference in maintaining a company’s reputation during a crisis and in its aftermath.

It is not only the crisis period that is important – the preparations before and the evaluation after should receive attention when considering crisis communications. Good crisis management can be planned according to the below key stages:

1.    Prevention: Actions to prevent a crisis
2.    Preparation: What you can do to be well prepared in a crisis
3.    Control: How you can control the crisis as much as possible
4.    Follow up & evaluation: What to do after the crisis to prevent future reoccurrence.

In case of a crisis, a ‘modus operandi’ should be agreed. Normally a crisis management team should meet as soon as possible, and then have regular meetings to agree appropriate actions and media responses to the situation. So vital information is not lost, a log of all resulting policy and actions should be made.

In case of a crisis, employees, the media, customers and the public want to have as much information as possible. Some general external communication guidelines always apply in times of a crisis:

1.    Take the initiative
2.    Be open, be honest and be human
3.    Be careful and consistent with your information
4.    Personalise communication towards all your target groups
5.    Have a clear communications goal in mind
6.    Don’t forget internal communications
7.    Indicate the right frame of reference
8.    Find allies to support you.

In case of a media interview, some golden rules should be followed:

1.    Select your spokesperson carefully (don’t send the general to the battlefield first)
2.    If possible have an arrangement to check press information before it is published
3.    Have a tape running to record media interviews
4.    If possible, choose a place for interviews where you feel comfortable
5.    Have confident body language
6.    Think about an appropriate appearance and dress code
7.    Ensure your spoken word is measured, sincere and practical.

Click here for more information on Pelican’s media relations services, including crisis communications.

It comes after rising complaints from homeowners that alternate collections brought in by Labour have led to rises in pest populations and ‘smelly waste’ left uncollected.
David Prout, director general of localism at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) said: “It’s about three things: it’s about reinstating or retaining a weekly black bag collection – in other words, so you as a household get your rubbish collected every week – and it’s about improving environmental performance, and it’s about improving value for money.”

Whilst the fund was initially meant for councils committing to weekly residual waste collections, it has been revealed that bids for food waste collections will also be considered.

Pickles said it will “literally help stop the rot” but already numerous councils have snubbed the Government cash for weekly residual waste collections saying they will not ditch their alternate weekly collections.

Whilst giving local authorities the freedom to choose which collections work best in their own area should be welcomed, waste and recycling services can be too complex at times. Here at Pelican PR we believe the most important thing is to make services simple to ensure it’s as easy as possible for householders to recycle. More on Environmental PR

As seen with the Royal Wedding last year, this summer’s momentous occasions of the Queen’s Jubilee and the London Olympics are expected to lift national pride and, in turn, economic performance.

The UK is set to benefit from a £750 million spending boost over the seven-week period with the retail, leisure and travel sector set to take the largest share of £508 million.

However, the hospitality industry has been urged to price fairly, using the games as this country’s shop window to the world – to demonstrate what makes Britain ‘great’.

Culture secretary Jeremy Hunt addressed hoteliers and tourism bodies during a 2012 tour, he said: “It is impossible to underestimate the scale of what is going to happen in London this year. It will be the first time in our lives that we’ve hosted a live sporting evening that’s watched by more than half the world’s population.”

Hunt is urging operators to sign up to the 20.12% discount scheme to make the games more accessible for domestic tourists – who will be targeted in a £5million advertising campaign launching in March.

He continued to say that if London 2012 was managed successfully it would be the moment when the domestic tourism industry competed properly with the rest of the world.

“The inevitable moans and groans in the run-up to an Olympics must not cloud the scale of the opportunity – including our biggest-ever tourism marketing campaign to make sure we get a lasting benefit from being in the global spotlight.”

Pelican believes the hospitality industry needs to view the Olympics as part of their longer term strategy, rather than to make short-term gains… it reminds us of the story of the tortoise and the hare! To see how PR can help make the most of 2012 click here.

The eight week campaign launched in Northern Ireland with local authority waste partnership arc 21 and waste management partner Bryson Recycling, is based on a pilot programme developed by the Beverage Can Makers Europe (BCME), Novelis and Tata Steel, and supported by the Waste and Resources Action Programme. The 2010 pilot scheme saw capture rates for metals increase by up to 40% in some collection rounds, as well as increases in collections of other dry recyclables.
Alupro executive director, Rick Hindley, said: “MetalMatters was born out of detailed research and analysis into householders’ understanding of recycling and their recycling behaviour.  The results to date have convinced the metals industry, and its partners in the packaging chain, that this approach can have a significant and lasting impact on participation and capture rates.”

The high intrinsic value of used metal packaging like food and drink cans, foil trays, aerosols and biscuit tins is a key incentive and major economic motivation for increasing recycling. These materials add significant value to kerbside collections at a time when pressure on budgets is greater than ever, while using recycled metal in the manufacturing process saves energy and reduces carbon emissions as well as the amount of waste sent to landfill.

MetalMatters is the latest recycling programme to be launched by Alupro and follows the success of Aerofoil and Every Can Counts. These programmes provide a perfect example of how the different packaging sectors can work together to move more quickly towards a common goal – maximising recycling performance.

The MetalMatters programme aims to increase recycling by raising awareness of existing services showing consumers how their waste metal packaging can be transformed into new products. To find out more about Pelican’s specialist recycling PR team click here.

The report, compiled by foodservice expert Peter Backman, uses past industry data to predict the outlook for the ‘out of home’ market. The report suggests that whilst the flexibility of the industry means the outlook is not nearly as bleak as that of other sectors, the foodservice market will continue to be hit in 2012 with an overall expectation of negative growth. It also forecasts a continued decline in consumer confidence.
However, the report suggests that innovations in discounting and cost control teamed with more discounting can help operators combat this decline.

With consumers looking to spend less on eating out and the cost sector suffering at the hands of government cuts, the pressure is on for foodservice operators to reign in expenditure to combat what is predicted to be a difficult 2012.

But the outlook is not all doom and gloom for the out of home sector. The flexible nature of the foodservice industry to try new discounting techniques and protect the all-important bottom line has somewhat protected itself from the brunt of the economic downturn and taking the right actions now can ensure this continues.

Marketing options including PR and communications activities and discounting, using voucher outlets such as Groupon and LivingSocial can help generate increased footfall for the industry. For more information about how Pelican can help with communication activities click here.

The same research found that 46 per cent would finish with their gym over dropping their mobile, TV contract, holiday or socialising.

As a nation we may be keen to keep fit but with household budgets under pressure, there is surely a great opportunity for people to re-discover the great outdoors. While exotic locations may be inspiring people, the reality is that most people are getting out much closer to home. More than 70,000 people have viewed a trailer for Sheffield’s ShAFF 2012 outdoors film festival which is set to feature 70 of the best adventure, travel and extreme sports films in March. We wouldn’t mind betting it will get more than a few people up into the hills around Sheffield.

With the right PR help, these trends bring the chance for you to boost the customer base for your outdoors brand. But only if you can get your message in front of a mainstream audience. It’s something we’re rather good at. To find out more click here.

With a year of austerity in prospect, the country’s 260,000 eating out establishments, which generate around £42bn-worth of sales per year, will have to work even harder than last year to tempt people to spend their money on eating out.

Since the downturn began many eating out establishments have boosted customer levels by extending opening hours and offering new services such as breakfast, mid-morning coffee, afternoon tea – and even home delivery.

Others have provided free wi-fi for customers, revamped their interior design, invested in staff training and introduced new styles of dishes such as sharing plates, smaller portions and healthier options.

A raft of new concepts have also emerged on the high street, as small, fledgling chains fill gaps in the market and create new areas of business, many taking advantage of cheaper high street rents. A common theme amongst the new brands is good quality and healthy food-to-go with Mexican and Japanese cuisines proving particularly popular.

As a result the foodservice sector overall has proved remarkably resilient, with just a handful of high profile business failures since 2008.

However, as the downturn continues, Horizons warns that 2012 is likely to be a worse trading year for eating out than 2011, despite the influx of visitors generated by the Olympic Games in London and the Golden Jubilee.

Horizons notes that consumer spend fell in 2009 and 2010 and last year was worse, with signs that the market fell in both nominal and real terms. Horizons estimates that the foodservice sector was down 3-5% in volume for 2011. The average price paid by consumers fell as a result of discounting and consumers selecting cheaper menu options and foregoing starters, desserts or side dishes.