In2Summit EMEA https://www.provokemedia.com/ In2Summit EMEA https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/in-pictures-2019-in2summit-emea https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/in-pictures-2019-in2summit-emea news@provokemedia.com In2Summit EMEAIn2 Innovation SummitEvents In Pictures: 2019 In2Summit EMEA Photos from the 2019 In2Summit EMEA, which took place in London on 22 May. Mon, 27 May 2019 04:32:23 Z 2019-05-27T04:32:23Z https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/in2summitemea-do-pr-agencies-really-care-about-diversity https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/in2summitemea-do-pr-agencies-really-care-about-diversity maja@provokemedia.com Diversity & InclusionIn2 Innovation SummitIn2SummitEMEANewsIn2Summit EMEAGolinDiversityDiffusionBME PR PROsAmnesty InternationalAgencies IN2SummitEMEA: Do PR Agencies Really Care About Diversity? BME PR Pros founder Elizabeth Bananuka says while many agencies have diversity policies, most “just don’t get it”. Wed, 22 May 2019 16:43:09 Z 2019-05-22T16:43:09Z LONDON — Most PR agencies simply "don’t get" how to tackle diversity, according to Elizabeth Bananuka, founder of BME PR Pros.

At the IN2Summit EMEA in London today, Bananuka spoke passionately about her frustration with PR agencies: “Calling it a crisis assumes that people understand the value of diversity, but I would be very surprised if many top agencies had policies in place, or care, and they may even have deep-rooted prejudices about hiring people who are not like them.

“I’m not willing to accept you need white skin to write a press release or advise people on crisis, but I actually think very few agencies really get it and want to do anything about it.”

The numbers bear out Bananuka’s view that the industry is still struggling to follow through on diversity policies: the CIPR’s latest research into the state of the PR industry found that 92% of practitioners describe themselves as white – a five-year low in levels of diversity.

Conversely, Bananuka said clients were more aware of the need for diverse agency teams to represent consumer audiences than ever: “I have conversations with companies that you’d probably want in your portfolio; I would say that agencies that don’t grapple diversity and don’t see the business case will find that big global brands will increasingly ask these kinds of questions.”

She said one agency boss she was working with recently admitted losing a client because their team was so homogenous: “The sector is meant to be creative, but I’m shocked at how conservative it is,” she said.

Bananuka believes recruitment is often part of the problem: “If you aren’t getting BME talent in, there’s something fundamentally wrong with your recruitment process and culture. Review your recruitment structures: do you genuinely have an objective process? This is about long-term commitment and accountability.”

Also on the panel was Reesha Rajani, group commercial director at Golin and Virgo – one of the agencies praised by Bananuka for being willing to have “difficult conversations” and take action, along with Ketchum and Weber Shandwick.

Rajani agreed that recruitment was an issue: “Preconceptions will always be a problem in any recruitment process. At Golin we have removed bias from the process and 50% of all CVs are now from people from diverse backgrounds. We also anonymise CVs so we’re purely skills matching, and have a diverse interview panel that makes a joint decision on whether someone is right for the role. We have a score card to check we are being objective, including what that candidate can bring to our commitment to D&I.”

And she said that a lack of visible role models for BME people was another factor for PR: “We need someone to look up to when we’re at entry level so we can see this is a viable career option and this is an industry we can thrive in.”

Fellow panellist Daljit Bhurji, CEO of PR agency Diffusion, agreed a shortage of role models in the industry, as well as PR not being seen as aspirational by some communities, were also factors: “We’re trying to recruit at every level and support growth with the best people possible and we’re ignoring the talent in the BME community. I’m Punjabi Sikh and a lot of my cousins, nieces and nephews are super-excited about joining digital marketing agencies, which they see as the future. They just don’t see that PR is for them.”

Asked by The Unmistakables founder Asad Dhunna what practical steps agencies could take immediately, Bhurji suggested: “If you’re lucky enough to have charismatic BME employees, I would urge you to make some time for them to go back to their schools and universities and communities to be role models and evangelise about PR. Giving someone a day off to do that can boost applications from a particular audience.”

At Amnesty International, director of communications Osama Bhutta said that in this challenging environment, diversity didn’t happen in firms by accident: “It requires institutions and organisations to really be conscious of having a role to play in fostering diversity. What does your business really know about engaging with different communities so people from diverse backgrounds are able to join your organisation?”

Bhutta said the younger generations entering the workforce were more aware of diversity and – crucially – inclusion: “I would put up with all sorts of indignities as a junior member of staff but I’ve noticed that the younger cohort are much more attuned to what a diverse workforce should look like; they are aware of rights and expect a degree of respect. When a cosy office is upturned, everyone has to slightly adapt, and minorities coming in may not initially feel at home, but it’s worth the effort when you pull it off, as you end up with a much more wholesome offering.”

Finally, Bananuka said the issue of diversity had to come back to agencies making business decisions: “It’s about the agency of the past and the future. The talent coming up wants a workforce that looks like them. And one agency said their staff felt they were struggling to win awards because they were all too similar, their groupthink was all the same and they needed different thinking to come in. It’s not about sacking five white people and bringing five black people in, it’s about having a workforce where talent and ability can rise through the ranks.”

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https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/2019-emea-in2summit-to-focus-on-volatility-diversity-purpose https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/2019-emea-in2summit-to-focus-on-volatility-diversity-purpose news@provokemedia.com SABRE AwardsNewsIn2Summit EMEAIn2 Innovation SummitEventsAwards 2019 EMEA IN2Summit To Focus On Volatility, Diversity & Purpose Sixth EMEA In2Summit will include In2 SABRE Awards and again aim to chart disruption across the industry. Mon, 06 May 2019 00:54:46 Z 2019-05-06T00:54:46Z LONDON — The Holmes Report's sixth EMEA IN2 Innovation Summit will explore such critical issues as technological volatility, diversity and inclusion, purpose and behavioural science in London on 22 May.

The 2019 event will again feature the IN2 SABRE Awards at lunchtime, and will precede the 15th EMEA SABRE Awards ceremony that evening. The daytime conference will take place at the De Vere Connaught Rooms, while the SABRE Awards dinner ceremony is being hosted at Battersea Evolution.

The programme for the conference, which is now live, will explore such areas as using purpose to drive sales, along with the perils of "purpose-washing". In addition, there will be a provocative look at why the PR industry continues to fail on diversity. And there will be sessions devoted to the disruptive impact of technology, both in terms of consumer volatility and behavioural decision-making.

Kicking off the conference, meanwhile, the keynote session will explore how UAE companies Mubadala and Adnoc used the Special Olympics to help build tolerance in the region.

Confirmed speakers for the event include IBM Europe communications VP Carola Schaub, Mubadala SVP and external corporate relations head Rashed Al Harmoodi, BME PR Pros founder Elizabeth Bananuka, and a host of agency leaders.

Tickets, for both the conference and awards, are currently available here.

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https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/2019-emea-in2summit-sabre-awards-set-for-london-on-22-may https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/2019-emea-in2summit-sabre-awards-set-for-london-on-22-may news@provokemedia.com SABRE AwardsNewsIn2Summit EMEAIn2 Innovation SummitEventsAwards 2019 EMEA IN2Summit & SABRE Awards Set For London On 22 May Sixth EMEA In2Summit will include In2 SABRE Awards and precede the 15th EMEA SABRE Awards ceremony that evening in London. Early bird tickets now available. Mon, 01 Apr 2019 06:28:21 Z 2019-04-02T12:44:48Z LONDON — The Holmes Report's sixth EMEA IN2 Innovation Summit will take place in London on 22 May.

The 2019 event will again feature the In2 SABRE Awards at lunchtime, and will precede the 15th EMEA SABRE Awards ceremony that evening. The daytime conference will take place at the De Vere Connaught Rooms, while the SABRE Awards dinner ceremony is being hosted at Battersea Evolution.

Since launching in 2014,  the IN2Summit EMEA has featured senior comms and social media executives from SBTV, Unilever, Twitter, Nissan, Microsoft, Electrolux, Salesforce, Tata, Rocket Internet, Xerox, AirBnB and more. 

The 2019 edition will continue this commitment to the future of engagement, focusing in particular on how tomorrow's brands, talent, technology and campaigns are reshaping the communications world before our eyes. A handpicked roster of senior in-house speakers will lead discussions, along with some of the brightest minds from the agency world. 

Tickets, for both the conference and awards, are currently available here at early bird discount rates, which will expire on 20 April. Programme and speaker details will be unveiled soon.

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https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/in2summit-clients-urge-pr-teams-to-go-beyond-measuring-reach https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/in2summit-clients-urge-pr-teams-to-go-beyond-measuring-reach maja@provokemedia.com AVEWeber ShandwickUnileverNewsMeasurementIn2Summit EMEAIn2 Innovation SummitFEVEEventsEvaluation In2Summit: Clients Urge PR Teams To Go Beyond Measuring Reach Evaluation must focus on business results of communications work, says Unilever’s European head of external affairs Annick Boyen. Mon, 28 May 2018 00:04:07 Z 2018-05-28T00:04:07Z AMSTERDAM — PR professionals need to move beyond measuring reach and focus on finding ways to prove the impact of their work on business results, according to speakers at the In2 Innovation Summit EMEA in Amsterdam last week.

On a panel entitled ‘Cracking the PR Industry's Measurement Challenge’, hosted by Weber Shandwick’s EMEA head of client experience Hugh Baillie, speakers urged agency teams to make a clearer connection between PR and business results from reputation to sales.

Unilever’s Annick Boyen, VP of sustainable business, communications and head of external affairs Europe, said: “If comms results don’t link back to business results, it’s a no-go area. We have a sustainability plan and everything we measure ties back to the key elements of increasing revenue and decoupling from environment impact. There’s a good business case for being a purpose-driven company, so everything we do from a communications, marketing, HR and supply chain point of view has to link back to that, whether it’s measuring being the preferred employer among graduates in 48 countries, sustainably sourced ingredients, reputation, CO2 reduction, or zero waste to landfill.”

And Boyen — who was latterly CEO of Weber Shandwick Benelux — said she wanted her PR agencies to be “business partners” who spoke the same language: “Can you talk shop, can you talk business insights? This industry doesn’t need to compare itself with advertising: it’s in the position of being very close to business results, and having unique relationships. As long as the measurement model comes back to business, I’m happy.”

The other client on the panel, Michael Delle Selve, senior communications manager at European Container Glass Federation FEVE, said measurement had been one of the biggest challenges for the organisation: “We moved from traditional press campaigns to social platforms, measuring likes, views, engagements, sentiment and content of these engagements. We had great marcomms results, and won awards and recognition, but of course this is not enough for a CEO-level discussion, and for our members, this level of measurement was not enough.

“So in 2016 we ran a major campaign and translated the engagement to whether consumers had changed their behaviour around glass packaging in the supermarket, and we found 64% of people had changed their behaviour. We haven’t solved the problem, but it has evolved and we are making the jump from comms to business results.”

Paul Holmes, founder and chair of the Holmes Report, said the clients on the panel were still unusual in their emphasis on business impact: “Something like two out of three SABRE award entries are still measured exclusively in terms of reach. The metrics vary, from opportunities to see, to mentions, to advertising equivalency, but essentially it comes down to ‘we bombarded this many people with our message’. When it goes a step beyond that, it’s typically to likes, followers, engagement, and those numbers I simply don’t trust. Every agency has developed some sort of measurement tool, but CMOs just want something to measure volume so they can make that direct comparison with advertising. It’s utterly facile and makes no sense. If AVE is objectionable then reach and OTS are equally as objectionable.”

Holmes said the industry needed to focus on one industry standard of measurement: “One of the things that worries me is that all the big agencies see an opportunity in having a black box that delivers a metric that’s more compelling than their competitors, when I think the biggest issue is to unite around an industry standard, which is a problem because we reach across everything from public policy to reputation to consumer marketing. I don’t think we even agree as an industry what the deliverable around PR really is, except we all agree it has to be more than a media clipping or impressions.

“What we are now seeing — in influencer marketing in particular — is measurement that takes you all along the funnel from awareness to sales, and PR is more effective than advertising in that case. To me, the end product of a PR campaign is in how what we do affects relationships with stakeholders — if we could make that the standard measurement for PR I’d be much happier.”

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https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/ai-can-benefit-communicators-but-beware-of-too-much-hype https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/ai-can-benefit-communicators-but-beware-of-too-much-hype pholmes@provokemedia.com In2 Innovation SummitIn2Summit EMEASAPPhilipsFarnerArtificial Intelligence AI Can Benefit Communicators, But Beware Of Too Much Hype An In2Summit EMEA session found it is the job of corporate communicators to focus on reality rather than raising expectations too high. Sun, 27 May 2018 07:00:00 Z 2018-05-27T07:00:02Z AMSTERDAM—With much of the conversation around the rise of artificial intelligence focused around either utopian or dystopian extremes, it is the job of corporate communicators to focus on the reality, a panel of senior communicators at our fifth EMEA region In2 Summit in Amsterdam agreed.

During a conversation on “Building Trusted Brands in the Era of Algorithms,” sponsored by Swiss public relations agency Farner, SAP innovation communications expert Jessica Baxmann explained, “It’s really up to communicators to explain what the technology can do and to engage people in discussions about best practices in this technology and what impact it can have on society.

“I see a lot of marketers exaggerating what it can do today, but we at SAP think there is huge potential. I see a lot of communications from companies and from journalists that are not based on what we can do today. We need to focus on what is there today. We have to help ensure the conversation doesn’t go too far in the direction of over-hyping, which I think is going on right now, or talking about the dangers. The extremes make great stories for reporters, but we have to keep focus on the reality, and on what AI is capable of today.”

Aaron Sherinian, global communications director, Aga Khan Development Network, agreed that there was too much hype, but encouraged communicators to tell a positive story, “We can’t pretend that machines are going to save the world, but we can say that machines are going to open the door but humans are still going to have to solve the problem.”

However, Ed Walsh, SVP, global integrated communications & events at Philips, cautioned against ignoring consumer concerns. “There is very little oversight over how these things are being developed. There’s a human bias embedded in a lot of this. There needs to be human oversight. We can’t just rely on the technology.”

Ultimately, Sherinian argued, communicators find themselves in the role of educators and explainers: “Technology and artificial intelligence are about the people we serve, and they are grappling with these issues. We have a role in helping people figure out what these tools mean.”

Where there was broad agreement among the panel was on the issue of how AI could benefit marketers and communicators.

Daniel Jörg, partner and head of digital at Farner, said AI was helping communicators answer critical questions: “How can we get closer to our stakeholders. How can we be part of the customer journey, and be sure we are delivering the right messages at the right time? Those are the questions AI can help us answer right now.”

Said Baxmann, “AI will ultimately deliver a better brand experience.”

Walsh got more specific: “There are tools that can help us assess sentiment across a broad spectrum of media and help us as communicators understand when and how we need to intervene.”

In both addressing the communications issues around AI and making sure it contributes positively to communications management, PR people need to be involved in the innovation process at an early stage, panelists agreed.

“Communication is a key part of the innovation process, especially in tech where new technology comes up all the time,” said Baxmann. “It plays a role in recruiting the right talent to take you into new fields and new products, and it provides you with feedback on what people want, what they like about the product and how they will actually use the product. It helps you refine the story you want to tell.”

Walsh, meanwhile, focused on ensuring that the innovation story is relevant to consumers. “Rather than talk about AI and the technical dimension of new product development, we prefer to talk about the problem we are trying to solve and the nature of the solution we are bringing to the table.”

In conclusion, Baxmann said: “I can’t stress enough how much potential there is for companies. There’s a wide spectrum of opinions on this, but I would like to take a look at what’s possible today. We are at a stage of narrow AI, very basic tasks that machines can accomplish. We’re a long way away from true AI taking away our jobs, but machine learning can help us sort through all the data out there, and augment what we do as humans.

“What we have to do as communicators is know our consumers and that’s where AI can help, because it give us real insights into and detailed data about our consumers. We can spend the time on higher-value tasks that the machines can’t do.”

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https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/in-pictures-2018-in2summit-emea https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/in-pictures-2018-in2summit-emea news@provokemedia.com In2Summit EMEAIn2 Innovation SummitEvents In Pictures: 2018 In2Summit EMEA Photos from the 2018 In2Summit EMEA, which took place in Amsterdam on 23 May. Fri, 25 May 2018 05:36:59 Z 2018-05-25T05:36:59Z https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/in2summit-agencies-must-have-bigger-better-brains-to-add-value-to-clients https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/in2summit-agencies-must-have-bigger-better-brains-to-add-value-to-clients maja@provokemedia.com In2 Innovation SummitPhilip Morris InternationalOmnicomNewsIn2Summit EMEAIn houseEdelmanAgency In2Summit: Agencies Must Have ‘Bigger & Better Brains’ To Add Value To Clients New Philip Morris communications lead Marian Salzman says smart thinking and specialist skills will attract greater spend. Fri, 25 May 2018 05:27:07 Z 2018-05-25T05:27:07Z AMSTERDAM — Agencies need to “go in deeper and plan to be around longer”, according to Philip Morris International SVP Communications Marian Salzman, who joined the tobacco company in her first in-house role last month after nine years at Havas, latterly as North America CEO.

Salzman was speaking this week at the 2018 In2 Innovation Summit EMEA in Amsterdam, on a panel discussion entitled ‘Does the Agency of the Future Exist?’ She said there was an opportunity for next-generation agencies to be an extension of the client: “I want someone who is thinking about my business the way I am, but with a bigger and better brain.

“Time gets in the way in agencies: I’d rather they came back with an innovative solution than selling me eight hours a day. We need to stop thinking of agency as a service offer and start thinking about how you really partner with your client.”

Salzman said she believed disruption of the agency model was close: “When agencies start to think: ‘how do we make it worth their while to increase our fees? How do we flip our business model?’ it’s a transformative moment. I’m happy to buy genuinely bright, super-engaged, high-calibre specialists and dramatically deep insight in health, for instance, and as we move away from paid advertising and need more of us in the earned world, I see transactions coming up like clients buying small specialist shops to bring that expertise in-house.”

And she added, on her move from agency to in-house: “I always thought I understood what clients wanted, and five weeks into the job, I know I was so dead wrong. As an agency person I was always saying ‘let’s be strategic for a moment’, and as a client that’s the last thing I want.”

The other speakers on the panel were David Gallagher, Omnicom’s international president of growth and development, Edelman MD of global clients Michelle Hutton, and Katarina Wallin Bureau, partner at new European communications and business strategy group BoldT, who said as communications becomes ever more important, the evolution of the traditional agency model was a priority: “One of the biggest things we are grappling with is ‘time or consultancy?’ As communicators, we have the potential to help clients tackle global problems and with that comes huge responsibility. We need to fundamentally rethink the agency service model.”

Wallin Bureau, who spent several years at Burson-Marsteller, suggested aping the management consultancy model would add greater depth of understanding among agency teams: “In PR agency, teams of junior consultants have 8-10 clients each and it’s impossible to get under the skin of what clients’ issues really are. In management consulting, as a junior consultant you have one client and spent 3-4 days a week with them; you live and breathe their business and have a completely different understanding of the problem.”

At Edelman, Hutton said there were three agency models the firm was currently looking at: “Organisation and structure, and how from a business perspective we drive growth; what our people want, and what will inspire and engage them; and what clients will need from us in the future and how we invest in that and get ahead of the curve. We’re constantly experimenting and taking risks, but it’s a journey.”

Hutton said she thought the main source of disruption in the industry would come from technological innovation: “We’re exploring a smarter, better data offer, looking at investment and development opportunities that will be central to our future growth. We’ve recruited around 600 people over the past little while in our creative, digital, planning and strategic capability and we’re working hard to integrate them into the business, although data and analytics can be based anywhere in the world. It comes at a cost but we’re trying to play the long game to bring the level of specialism into the business that is important to clients.”

In answer to a related question around the growing number of ‘virtual agencies’ made up of experienced freelancers, Gallagher said: “It’s definitely the start of something. Virtual agencies seem to work well, they recognise a need in marketplace, as a lot of agencies have trouble hanging onto people in the peak or middle of their career. Some will stay virtual and some will be absorbed into bigger agencies.”

For all the current conversation around potential new agency business models, Gallagher warned that disruption was more likely to be imposed on the industry from outside: “I think the agency of today will continue to be the agency of tomorrow is because it’s a good, flexible business model where big, small and medium can co-exist, barriers to entry are low and you can practice it anywhere at any scale. But we are due for major disruption, and that’s usually not done by establishment players.”

He gave two examples of recent developments that could disrupt the traditional PR agency model: Spry, a mobile app developed by two former Porter Novelli execs that allows SMEs and agencies to quickly commission PR content from freelancers, and Maslansky + Partners’ Dynamic Response — an interactive tool that uses data and patterns from aggregated crisis and issue responses to help communicators quickly formulate messaging when a crisis hits.

Hutton said she had concluded that experimentation around the right agency model came down to leadership: “I’m hopeful that as an industry we can really embrace change, but fearful because it still looks like it did when I started out. Successful agencies need leadership more than ever. We need people who are brave, bold, who have a vision for how to evolve and change and disrupt. Gone are the days of running agencies through a spreadsheet. Never has good, solid, emotionally-driven leadership been so importa

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https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/'purpose-is-not-lipstick'-sue-garrard-breaks-down-unilever-strategy https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/'purpose-is-not-lipstick'-sue-garrard-breaks-down-unilever-strategy arun@provokemedia.com PurposeEventsIn2 Innovation SummitIn2Summit EMEANews 'Purpose Is Not Lipstick' — Sue Garrard Breaks Down Unilever Strategy Unilever SVP shares three lessons for building a purpose-based business at the 2018 EMEA In2 Innovation Summit. Thu, 24 May 2018 05:05:29 Z 2018-05-24T09:22:36Z AMSTERDAM — Purpose must be a driver of profit, said Unilever SVP of sustainable business development and communications Sue Garrard yesterday in a keenly-anticipated session at the 2018 In2 Innovation Summit in Amsterdam.

Speaking in a front of a packed audience, Garrard revealed three keys to building a genuine purpose-based business, starting with the imperative of ensuring that purpose is good for the business, rather than a "sexy thing to do."

"Purpose is not lipstick, it’s the DNA in your business," said Garrard. "The narrative out there is that there is a tension between profit and purpose. You absolutely have to start by knowing what your business case is."

If you are unable to demonstrate how purpose can drive profit, added Garrard, then you are left with CSR. "We closed our CSR department because we could see it was a counter to creating systemic change," added Garrard.

Garrard pointed to Unilever's 'sustainable living' brands, which have outgrown their peers, thanks to the "new contract" between business and citizens. "Sustainable living brands have grown 50% faster than the rest of our portfolio. If you get the substance of it right, that old dilemma — is it profit or is it purpose — melts away."

In particular, she used Vaseline as an example of her second lesson — 'build your brands'. 

The third key, said Garrard, is to 'listen to your people', in Unilever's case its 40k employees engaging in the company's ‘Have Your Say’ project, about the future priorities for the Unilever Sustainable Living Plan. "They have become undoubtedly just the most incredible asset for our business."

Meanwhile, Garrard admitted that Unilever's biggest challenge in terms of its purpose strategy lay in convincing the investment community. "The finance guys are there to keep the bar high around business delivery and to keep looking into how you can translate that into something investors can price in, which I still think is our biggest challenge."

Addressing that, she noted, requires genuine collaboration across sustainability, marketing and communications. "The more you see that as creating mutual strength, rather than competition, the better it is."

Finally, in terms of avoiding the charge of 'greenwashing', Garrard advised companies to "embrace NGOs."

"Ask them what you can do better. Mean that seriously," she said. "This is all about motive and intent and people can tell that a mile off."

"Secondly, be brave about how transparent you are," she added, noting that people feel alienated by companies that are not being totally honest with them. "That’s why open source absolutely everything."

And, accept that you will get criticised, she warned. "You won’t get criticised anything as much for being honest as you will for being misleading," said Garrard. "Showing the wrinkles is believable and it helps people to give you credit where you deserve it."   

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https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/unilever's-sue-garrard-to-receive-individual-achievement-sabre https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/unilever's-sue-garrard-to-receive-individual-achievement-sabre pholmes@provokemedia.com Individual Achievement SABREUnileverSue GarrardSABREPeopleNewsIndividual AchievementIn2Summit EMEAIn2 Innovation SummitEventsAwards Unilever's Sue Garrard To Receive Individual SABRE, Speak At EMEA In2Summit If you were drawing up the perfect blueprint for a 21st century CCO, Sue Garrard’s resumé would be a great place to start. Mon, 30 Apr 2018 12:49:36 Z 2022-04-22T08:36:15Z AMSTERDAM — If you were drawing up the perfect blueprint for a 21st century CCO, Sue Garrard’s resumé would be a great place to start: time spent in both advertising and public relations agencies, experience in public service and government work, a track record providing candid counsel to CEOs in the public and private sectors.

All of that, in addition to the impact she has had on Unilever’s sustainability commitment and broader corporate reputation, make Sue Garrard an obvious choice to receive our SABRE Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement, which will presented during the annual SABRE Awards dinner in Amsterdam on May 23.

Garrard will also feature at the In2Summit, which is held the same day as the awards dinner, in a session entitled "Being a Responsible Business: Inside Unilever's Approach to Growth, Purpose & Greenwashing."

Garrard is currently executive vice president, sustainable business and communications at Unilever, where she is responsible for embedding the company’s ambitious “Unilever Sustainable Living Plan” into the business and ensuring progress against its 70-plus time-bound targets.

The company has ranked first in the personal products sector of the 2017 Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and has been named a global leader in corporate sustainability, on last year's “A List” for climate, water and forests by CDP, the non-profit global environmental disclosure platform.

“At Unilever we have put a lot of effort and reputational capital behind our big bet that consumers want their favourite brands to be more than just responsible and will increasingly prefer brands that connect with their personal values and concerns,” she explains. “Or, to put it more simply, people want brands to do more good, not just do less bad.

She is also responsible for teams in 180 markets who engage with governments and key external stakeholders; lead employee engagement; handle the media; and are accountable for issues and crisis management.

“Consumers are becoming much more aware of the positive difference brands can make to social and environmental issues and also the difference they themselves can make through their everyday shopping choices…. This creates a growing need for brands to generate content that resonates with their consumers’ values.”

The firm’s external relationship building also paid dividends last year, when an unsolicited bid from Kraft Heinz was rejected with the help of an array of stakeholders who rallied around CEO Paul Polman’s leadership of the company.

Garrard joined Unilever in 2011 and was responsible for forming the global communications function, defining its role and purpose, and building it into a strategic function. Her role was extended to include sustainability in 2014.

Garrard is also a founder and trustee of a not for profit organisation called “Blueprint for better business.” established in 2014, that seeks to help CEOs build purpose into their organisations and use it as a driver of better behaviours, employee motivation and customer trust.

Garrard’s most recent role prior to Unilever was as director general for customer strategy and communications at the Department of Work & Pensions. This was during the onset and height of the global recession, when shee was responsible for developing insights to address how to help people find work during the recession. Garrard was also responsible for developing communications approaches to help address the looming pensions crisis/

Before that, Garrard held Board level positions at public affairs and PR agency Fishburn Hedges and at the highly acclaimed advertising agency AMV. Garrard started her career as a civil servant in the Department of Energy, most latterly on the team that privatised British Gas, and was the marketing lead for the ‘Tell Sid’ campaign.

Until 2013 Garrard was also a non-executive director of the Serious & Organised Crime Agency. 

Tickets for both the In2 Summit and the SABRE Awards dinner are available here.

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https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/2018-emea-in2summit-sabre-awards-set-for-amsterdam-on-23-may https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/2018-emea-in2summit-sabre-awards-set-for-amsterdam-on-23-may news@provokemedia.com AwardsSABRE AwardsNewsIn2Summit EMEAIn2 Innovation SummitEvents 2018 EMEA In2Summit & SABRE Awards Set For Amsterdam On 23 May Fifth EMEA In2Summit will include In2 SABRE Awards and precede the 14th EMEA SABRE Awards ceremony that evening in Amsterdam. Early bird tickets now available. Tue, 20 Mar 2018 12:53:07 Z 2018-03-20T12:53:07Z LONDON — The Holmes Report's fifth EMEA In2 Innovation Summit will take place in Amsterdam on 23 May.

The 2018 event will again feature the In2 SABRE Awards at lunchtime, and will precede the 14th EMEA SABRE Awards ceremony that evening. Both events take place at the Maritime Museum in Amsterdam. 

As in previous years, the EMEA In2Summit will focus on the future of marketing and communications at a time of considerable disruption, featuring next-level speakers from in-house and agency sectors. Companies interested in partnering with the event can contact us.

The conference has featured such names as YouTube star Jamal Edwards, Unilever’s Heather Mitchell, TBWA’s Amelia Torode, Electrolux’s Mattias Radstrom, Prime’s Tom Beckman, Sanofi’s Celine Schillinger and Telefonica's Nicola Green in previous years. 

Tickets, for both the conference and awards, are currently available here at early bird discount rates, which will expire on 20 April. Programme and speaker details will be unveiled soon.

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https://www.provokemedia.com/sponsored/article/from-brand-awareness-to-brand-transformation https://www.provokemedia.com/sponsored/article/from-brand-awareness-to-brand-transformation Weber Shandwick http://www.provokemedia.com/agency-playbook/agency-profile/weber-shandwick In2Summit EMEAIn2SummitWeber ShandwickSponsored From Brand Awareness To Brand Transformation We’re at the tipping point of social media engagement, where consumers shift from liking and sharing content, to actually buying stuff from brands, direct from that content. Wed, 07 Jun 2017 16:37:57 Z 2017-06-07T16:37:57Z Ferris Bueller once said: “Things move pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it”. Thirty-one years later, things are moving quite a bit faster round here.

The world is changing at alarming velocity, but there’s good reason to take pause and look at where the communications industry is heading. We’d argue that PR has never been in a stronger position and is poised to be an even more influential partner for brands and organisations.

The digital and social media revolution has led to a growing appreciation of the value of reputation and engagement, and rising concern over declining trust in business and institutions. To be a successful CMO now, you need to understand every aspect of PR a lot more than even five years ago, from employee relations to consumer engagement, from crisis management to social responsibility.

But comms is still a fraction of global marketing spend. Campaigns are still focused on awareness, however you measure it. If PR is to be a true, sustainable partner to CMOs it has to pay close attention to businesses’ need to evolve and transform.

Weber Shandwick’s panel session at The Holmes Report’s EMEA In2 Innovation Summit in London on 23 May took a deep dive into the growing influence of PR as brands tackle the business challenges of the future.

Not least of these is the content-to-commerce revolution: we’re at the tipping point of social media engagement, where consumers shift from liking and sharing content, to actually buying stuff from brands, direct from that content.

Introducing the panel, Weber Shandwick UK & EMEA CEO Colin Byrne said: “It’s the most exciting time ever for our industry. We’ve surfed the wave of social media, burst the banks of the media relations silo and attracted talent from media, advertising and TV. We’ve had a fast journey in terms of our rising influence over the past 10 years.

“We’ve grown in creativity and self-confidence. But we’re still focused on awareness, likes and shares, and if we are to deliver to the new breed of CCMO super-clients – those who have responsibility for communications, marketing and advertising and want full integration – we have to start demonstrating ROI in terms of real sales.”

Ben Wood, Director of Agencies, EMEA at Facebook, agreed that the time is ripe for content that collapses the space between engagement and transaction, from dynamic advertising that understands consumer intent to allowing consumers to interact with products.

He said: “It’s an unbelievable creative opportunity to escape from ‘social jail’ – our unhealthy focus on likes and shares and how long something has been watched for – and focus on the real transactional data that lets us see how we are helping clients build their brands. It’s about telling stories, engaging consumers and driving them to transaction. The opportunity for PR is to take more ground in creative execution and amplification, all built on consumer insight and what drives motivation and engagement.”

Marcus Dyer, MD of Weber Shandwick’s mobile and digital specialists Flipside, said: “We see likes and engagements as scaffolding – the means rather than the end – and we’re increasingly looking at the transaction piece. Before we’ve played in the space where we make people aware of products and feel good, but now we’re smashing that content side together with commerce. Our job is to reshape content to tighten that link with sales”.

For Dyer, the job of comms now is to reshape content so it tightens the link with sales. For instance, putting high quality video on platforms with touch ID so you can learn about products and buy straight away without going to the website or getting your credit card out.

The nature of what that Holy Grail content should look like is up for discussion, but third party influencers are key, especially for younger consumers, who want to hear from content creators as they see them as more believable, authentic, credible and expert than journalists.

PR’s traditional strengths in messaging and storytelling underlines why the industry is in a strong position to hold brands’ hands through the content-to-commerce shift. As Johan Seidefors, Marketing Director at leading Swedish media group, Bonnier Broadcasting (soon to be joining the Spotify team) said: “It pretty much all comes down to communications in the end. It all starts with the consumer you want to communicate with, and PR has always been the best at understanding that relationship.”

He had one caveat, however: there’s still too much emphasis on one-off, short-term creative campaigns: “As sales become a shorter distance from the message, it’s about building more long-term communications platforms, and knowing what you want to accomplish in a business sense, rather than individual campaigns.”

So what does PR need to do to move from brand awareness to brand transformation? Charlotte Witte, Senior Director, Weber Shandwick Prime believes that as industry after industry is being disrupted, with huge pressure on brands to stay ahead, it’s about understanding the changing role of the new breed of CMO.

She said: “They are much more focused on the new business stream and growth agenda: in effect, they are turning into Chief Growth Officers. For us, it’s about tapping into that agenda and hacking our communications toolbox to help them solve business problems. They are looking for a new type of lead agency, with broad competence, that understands society, business and the media”.

With the pace of change in business, fuelled by technological innovation, increasing exponentially, there may not be much time to stop and look around. But taking stock of our next move as an industry is key, if PR is to keep growing in influence and get its hands on a greater share of brand marketing budgets.

 
By Maja Pawinska Sims, Editor, EMEA]]>
https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/5-'people-centric'-pr-marketing-lessons-from-in2summit-emea-2017 https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/5-'people-centric'-pr-marketing-lessons-from-in2summit-emea-2017 arun@provokemedia.com In2 Innovation SummitIn2Summit EMEAEventsNews 5 'People-Centric' PR & Marketing Lessons From In2Summit EMEA 2017 The 'age of rage', people vs politics, CMO challenges, snake oil and human insights come to the forefront at a compelling Innovation Summit in London. Fri, 26 May 2017 08:23:31 Z 2017-05-26T08:46:49Z Our EMEA Innovation Summit on 23 May proved to be one of our best conferences yet, blending some highly-charged lightning talks with heavyweight panels to deliver plenty of thought-provoking insight during the half-day event, in front of a packed auditorium at London's Ham Yard Hotel.

In2Summit EMEA 2017: Photos 

All of that meant there was a lot of information to process. So, as always, here are five lessons that we have distilled from the event, all of which revolved around the idea that people — rather than companies, processes or even algorithms — remain the most important currency for an industry in the throes of fundamental disruption.

(1) Can the 'age of rage' benefit companies?
"If you feel there’s a mob at your gates, then let them in"
In an impassioned lightning talk, inVentiv Health's Duncan Arbour pointed out that the healthcare industry was one of the earliest to become subject to marketing regulation, thanks to its work in promoting such products as snake oil. Yet, as Arbour noted, the snake oil approach to marketing still exists in many industries — now lubricated by the cascade of fake news. As APCO's Brad Staples discussed, companies must be quick and honest if they are to navigate the fake news landscape. And Arbour thinks they must go even further amid the 'age of rage' that is putting reputations at risk.

"Look at your own roles as communicators – do you act as an enabler to increasingly old-fashioned ways of doing business, or do you act as a regulator? Because believe me, here’s a lesson from healthcare: regulate yourselves before regulation comes to you. More than ever, brands – in all sectors – need to demonstrate that they’re not just for their audiences, but that they’re with their audiences. If there’s a mob at your gates then don’t assume they want to batter you. They just want a better you."

(2) People, not politics, drive purpose
"Speaking to contemporary issues is to be commended rather than being fearful of addressing them"
Arbour added that companies which are successfully bridging the gap between themselves and their publics do so via their people — "Employees are now the most trusted spokespersons a brand can have. So use them as fully as you can. And if you can’t, well, that probably means you’re part of the zero hours, gig economy. Good luck with that." And, in a time of division and polarisation, brands should be seeking to bring people together, said Amnesty International communications director Osama Saeed Bhutta while discussing how companies can develop genuine corporate purpose. While Bhutta believes companies should be commended for addressing contemporary political issues, his counterparts on the panel — Pizza Hut's Gareth Hopley and Amaya's Eric Hollreiser — were more reticent about this idea. Instead, they pointed out that any corporate purpose must begin within, in a manner that employees can hold their employers accountable for.

(3) Business people are humans too
"Don't ask people to vote. Ask them to be a voter."
Any attempt to truly turn employees and customers into advocates, though, must begin with a proper understanding of human behaviour. In an enthralling session led by H+K Strategies' Matt Battersby and Dan Berry, delegates were led through the latest in behavioural thinking, particularly in terms of how "non-rational" decisions drive behaviour. Businesses making decisions are just as susceptible to influence as judges that refuse to grant parole as lunch nears (because they are hungry), calling for communicators to understand such concepts as reciprocity, social norms and actors. 

(4) PR people need to learn a new language
"Marketers love data, love numbers, and love charts"
As for PR people themselves, Weber Shandwick EMEA CEO Colin Byrne kicked things off by noting that the PR industry is too focused on awareness metrics like retweets, clicks and views. To truly prove its value to bigger CMO budgets it must shift that mindset towards driving commercial returns. To do that, said Unilever head of global hair care PR Heather Mitchell, PR people need to learn to speak the language of marketers, who "love data, love numbers, and love charts." With content and commerce combining on platforms like Facebook, the opportunity is clear, particularly for marketers who understand the value that the public relations perspective can bring to their evolving roles.

(5) The PR industry must face up to the threats
"If nothing good comes back we'll work on it in house"
Metrics are not the only challenge that should concern PR people. In a more sobering presentation, WE Communications' Alan VanderMolen discussed "shit that should worry" the PR industry, including the "acute agency personality disorder" that is seeing some firms attempting be all things to all people. Traditional agency models, meanwhile, got short shrift from HSBC social media head Abby Guthkelch, who noted that her fast-paced content requirements cannot be serviced by the typically rigid, hierarchical model. Meanwhile, VanderMolen also wondered why comms people were so visibly missing from recent crises such as United Airlines, Pepsico and Dove — surmising that their absence bodes ill for the importance and value of the public relations function.

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https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/in-pictures-2017-in2summit-emea https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/in-pictures-2017-in2summit-emea news@provokemedia.com In2Summit EMEAIn2 Innovation SummitEvents In Pictures: 2017 In2Summit EMEA Photos from the 2017 In2Summit EMEA, which took place in London on 23 May. Fri, 26 May 2017 07:09:05 Z 2017-05-26T07:09:05Z https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/in2summit-emea-'traditional-pr-agency-models-don't-always-work' https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/in2summit-emea-'traditional-pr-agency-models-don't-always-work' jade@provokemedia.com In2DigitalTalentIn2 Innovation SummitIn2Summit EMEASkillsNewsHSBCGlobal Communications Report In2Summit EMEA: 'Traditional PR Agency Models Don't Always Work' A panel of leading clients challenged agencies to evolve their talent and models to keep up with the fast-paced content demands of the digital world. Thu, 25 May 2017 09:46:04 Z 2017-05-25T09:46:04Z LONDON — "Traditional PR agency models don't always work," delegates at this week's In2 Innovation Summit were told by HSBC global head of social media engagement Abby Guthkelch. 

Guthkelch was referring to the fast-paced content demands from her digital operation at HSBC, which now number 27 staff. She noted that she now prefers to work in-house or with content production firms, because the traditional agency structure is not agile enough to meet her needs.

"Traditional agency doesn't always work, it works on a case by case basis," said Guthkelch. "We'll throw out a brief and see what comes back to us, if nothing good comes back we'll work on it in house."

Guthkelch added that, despite the dramatic shifts in the media landscape, PR professionals need to retain a focus on core communications skills, such as honing the right message for the right audience, particularly when it comes to navigating through social media noise.

"It's about knowing your audience, knowing who they are, what will resonate with them and what will turn them off," she said. 

Guthkelch was speaking during a panel entitled 'The Skills Challenge: Shaping the PR Professional of the Future.' Moderated by Arun Sudhaman, the panelists shared their thoughts on what skills are required to thrive and survive in the fast changing industry.

In addition to Guthkelch, the panel featured Kristina Eriksson, global communications director, Financial Times and Andreas Winiarski, partner at Earlybird Capital. 

The panel discussed a variety of topics, including what works for their own teams, what millennials bring to the workplace, and what skills they search for in a new hire. 

"I look for people with the same values, who are agile, flexible, can write and speak well, and who can simply make complex messages into understandable English," said Eriksson. "People need to see communications as a part of marketing."

Guthkelch noted that it can be tough to find the right people with the right skills sets. "I'm constantly looking for people with passion, the drive to do better. But it's not one size fits all because we're working with various audience types," she said.

Guthkelch added that although specialists have a place on a team, they need to understand where their role comes into play on an integrated team. "We have some specialists but the majority are generalists," she said. 

Sudhaman asked how the panel sees skill profiles changing on their own teams. All were in agreement that the skills new hires come in with vary greatly, and that millennials, Generation Z and applicants from other young generations are drastically different from those before them. 

"I've seen a lot of change. Everything our communications team does has completely changed," said Eriksson. "Yesterday, someone new asked 'How do I take the next step in developing myself?' I struggled with my answer because everything is changing so quickly I wasn't sure what advice to give." She said she suggested taking an additional marketing course, and pointed out that as PR people they're mainly focusing on relationships. 

Eriksson added that millennials and members of Generation Z are a different breed. "They're less loyal and much more demanding of a social purpose. The younger crowd wants to feel they're doing something very important and have a restlessness about them," she said. "Making their development happen at the rate they want it to happen is difficult."

Winiarski said he sees startups as a good fit for your talent. For him, personality in new hires comes before skills and experience. "When I have applications I meet the person first then look at the CV and discuss it. In the end it's about personality. Of course, experience is very important, but that's something that can be gained," he said. 

Winiarski noted the importance of hiring constructive naysayers. "So many people tend to just agree and say yes. It's important to have a different perspective," he said. 

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https://www.provokemedia.com/podcast/article/podcast-purpose-fake-news-behavioural-insights-from-in2summit-emea https://www.provokemedia.com/podcast/article/podcast-purpose-fake-news-behavioural-insights-from-in2summit-emea news@provokemedia.com In2Summit EMEAIn2 Innovation SummitPodcastEcho Chamber Podcast: Purpose, Fake News & Behavioural Insights From In2Summit EMEA The C-Suite Podcast interviews three speakers from this week's In2 Innovation Summit in London. Thu, 25 May 2017 07:40:17 Z 2017-05-25T07:40:17Z Subscribe via: iTunesFeed  

A cross-posted episode from the C-Suite Podcast at our 2017 In2Summit EMEA in London earlier this week. Russell Goldsmith spoke with three of the event's speakers: Gareth Hopley, Head of PR and Communications at Pizza Hut Restaurants talked about Purpose Driven Brands; Brad Staples, APCO Worldwide's CEO discussed how corporate communicators can best navigate a fake news world; and Matt Battersby explained the concept of applying the Science of Human Behaviour to the Art of Communications.



The Echo Chamber podcast is produced by Markettiers and sponsored by March Communications, producer of the Hacks & Flacks podcast

Subscribe via: iTunesFeed  

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https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/in2summit-emea-brands-must-address-contemporary-issues https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/in2summit-emea-brands-must-address-contemporary-issues jade@provokemedia.com EventsNewsCorporatePurposeIn2Summit EMEAText100In2 Innovation Summit In2Summit EMEA: Brands Must Address Contemporary Issues Communications pros agree that purpose in branding needs to be genuine and begin internally. Wed, 24 May 2017 07:12:44 Z 2017-05-25T05:26:53Z LONDON — In a time of division and polarisation, brands should be seeking to bring people together, said Amnesty International communications director Osama Saeed Bhutta at the In2 Innovation Summit in London yesterday. 

Bhutta noted that once a company finds its purpose, it can be used to bring people together. "Find ways to contribute that kind of good. Being relevant and speaking to contemporary issues is to be commended rather than being fearful of addressing them," he said. 

Bhutta was speaking during a panel entitled 'Purpose Driven Brands in an Era of PR Nightmares' sponsored by Text100. Moderated by Paul Holmes, the panel engaged in a lively debate on the effects of purpose driven branding on consumers and employees, and methods of unearthing a brand's purpose. 

"Purpose is more important than ever," said Tara O'Donnell, Text100 UK MD. "But brands need to remember the difference between purpose and external brand positioning. I think they're easily confused."

In addition to O'Donnell and Bhutta, the panel featured Gareth Hopley, head of communications, Pizza Hut; and Eric Hollreiser, VP of corporate communications, online poker brand Amaya.

"We all need to have a purpose in this, from customer values to internal mission values. Hopefully most organizations have that whether they're in communications or not," said Hollreiser. He added that evolving a company's purpose, particularly in a  time of internal challenge and change, can lead to a better understanding of an organization's core values.

The panel discussed various ways to unearth a brand's purpose, with each panelist sharing their experience from within their companies. They all agreed that finding purpose must start internally with employees before being applied externally. 

"The purpose has got to be genuine and start internally. You can't start with the image you want to bring to customers, people see right through that. You can have 101 different marketing ideas and campaigns, but you've got to connect back to the true purpose," said Hopley. 

O'Donnell said that after helping clients hone in on their purpose, it was an interesting and revealing experience to apply it within the agency. She said it gave them a lens through which to make decisions confidently. 

Hollreiser, who helped Amaya review its mission and values approximately a year ago, pointed out that a brand's mission and values need to reflect not just who the company is, but the employee base as well. "To bring purpose to life we must start internally, find the genuine heartbeat and from there you go to the creative agency and say, 'how do we help customers understand that?'" he said. 

Holmes asked the group how a brand incorporates purpose within products that don't seem incredibly purposeful. "You mean how do you create a purpose around pizza? Well, we didn't make it just about the pizza," said Hopley.

He explained when Pizza Hut went through a "near rebranding" five years ago, they searched for their purpose. "We went through a ton of ideas, and finally realized we just want people to love eating and working at Pizza Hut, and boom, we discovered that was our purpose," said Hopely. 

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https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/in2summit-emea-'business-people-are-humans-too' https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/in2summit-emea-'business-people-are-humans-too' arun@provokemedia.com In2 Innovation SummitIn2Summit EMEANews In2Summit EMEA: 'Business People Are Humans Too' Public relations people must understand "non-rational" human behaviour if they hope to change it on behalf of their clients. Tue, 23 May 2017 16:48:42 Z 2017-05-23T16:48:42Z LONDON — A more sophisticated understanding of "non-rational" human behaviour can help PR people develop more successful campaigns, heard delegates at today's EMEA In2 Innovation Summit in London.

Making the point that "business people are humans too", H+K Strategies executives Matt Battersby and Dan Berry explored how decision-making is rarely a rational, fact-based process. Instead, a number of factors underpin human behaviour, driven by the sheer volume of information that people are confronted with everyday.

Understanding those factors can help PR people develop better campaigns, said Battersby. As an example, delegates took part in an experiment that demonstrated the value of 'anchoring'. When asked to estimate the value of a bottle of champagne, delegates more often chose a higher cost after being presented with a higher numbered ball beforehand.

Susceptibility to influence also plays a big role, said Battersby, noting that judges are less likely to grant parole before lunch when they are hungry.

A number of other areas can also help to drive smarter communications campaigns:

- 'Reciprocity': Berry used this to illustrate how the NHS drove higher organ donation commitments, by using language which framed the issue in terms of helping people that would also help you. "Returning the favour," said Berry, "appeals to not-rational thinking."

- 'Social norms': Another NHS example used language such as "the great majority of practices prescribe fewer antibiotics than you" to persuade doctors to prescribe less medicine.

- 'Actor': "Don't ask people to vote," said Battersby. "Ask them to be a voter. If I ask you to be someone today its much harder to turn down." Hence Facebook's decision to use 'I'm a Voter' as its social button. Another element of this relates to identity, explaining the success of campaigns such as 'Don't Mess with Texas'. 

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https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/in2summit-pr-people-and-marketers-need-to-learn-each-others'-language https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/in2summit-pr-people-and-marketers-need-to-learn-each-others'-language pholmes@provokemedia.com In2 Innovation SummitIn2Summit EMEAWeber ShandwickUnileverPrimeNewsMarketingFacebookContent In2Summit: PR People And Marketers Need To Learn Each Others' Language Public relations people need to learn to speak the language of marketers, who “love data, love numbers, and love charts,” Tue, 23 May 2017 09:44:19 Z 2017-05-23T09:44:19Z LONDON—Public relations people need to learn to speak the language of marketers, who “love data, love numbers, and love charts,” Unilever head of global hair care PR Heather Mitchell told the EMEA In2 Innovation Summit in London this morning. But PR people also need to help their marketing clients think like public relations people: “We were trained to think like journalists and that’s even more important now.”

Mitchell was speaking on a panel, sponsored by Weber Shandwick, focused on “Cracking Content to Commerce: The CMO Challenge.”

Moderating the discussion, Weber Shandwick’s EMEA region CEO Colin Byrne had cited his agency’s chief communications officer research, which most recently showed a 30% increase in the number of CCOs taking responsibility for advertising and marketing, and suggested that “the age of the CMO-CCO is here.” As a result, he suggested, “We have to move beyond brand awareness to brand transformation and to sales.”

Charlotte Witte, a partner at Weber Shandwick’s Prime, agreed that the marketing function of being disrupted and said: “We are seeing a new type of CMO who is part of the growth and innovation agenda for a company. They are becoming chief growth officers. And it is one of our challenges to help them in that new role. As a PR firm, we have such a broad competence in understanding the business, the media environment, and society as a whole, I think we can play a big role in that.”

Marcus Dyer, managing director of mobile and digital consultancy Flipside, agreed. “We have always played in content, but commerce was always slightly disparate. But those two hemispheres are now being smashed together on platforms like Facebook where you can go from viewing a video to purchasing the product with the touch of your thumb. We have to think about how we reshape the content for that environment.”

As an example, he cited a series of content pieces created by Diageo, 20-minute films that air on Amazon Prime and are built around the spirits’ companies “World Class” bartender training initiative. “They can now link that content to Prime Now so you can have product delivered to your home within an hour of watching the show,” said Dyer.

Added Ben Wood, director of agencies at Facebook, “We want to bring the point of engagement and the point of transaction much closer together. It’s a journey that agencies of every type need to come on.”

But Mitchell was optimistic about what public relations can deliver in this changing environment: “Content means a lot of things to a lot of people. Everyone is trying to land grab a little bit and take ownership of content. We really feel that the best content comes from people outside the brand. People want to hear from influencers, not from us. Reporters and bloggers and influencers are credible, they are considered experts. We focus on partnering with the right people and—particularly in fashion—making it easier for consumers to click to buy.”

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https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/hsbc-john-lewis-ft-join-emea-in2summit-lineup-in-london-on-23-may https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/hsbc-john-lewis-ft-join-emea-in2summit-lineup-in-london-on-23-may news@provokemedia.com SABRE AwardsNewsIn2Summit EMEAIn2 Innovation SummitEvents HSBC, John Lewis, FT Join EMEA In2Summit Lineup In London On 23 May Senior marketing and comms execs join heavyweight lineup that already features Unilever, Amnesty, Brightstar and Earlybird Capital, to address how brands respond to the 'age of rage'. Fri, 12 May 2017 08:44:06 Z 2017-05-12T08:48:25Z LONDON — Senior marketing and communications leaders from HSBC, John Lewis and the FT have joined the heavyweight speaker lineup for the fourth EMEA In2 Innovation Summit, which will take place in London on 23 May. 

The half-day conference will focus on the role of public relations in the modern business, questioning how the industry can finally demonstrate its capabilities to marketers and shape the skills required of the PR professional of tomorrow.  There will also be a specific focus on how brands navigate rapid disruption in the influence and engagement world, against a backdrop of Brexit, fake news and rising populism.  

The programme will also feature a live behavioural science experiment, designed to help delegates understand why people make decisions, and how these can be influenced by a variety of communications factors.

The 2017 event will again feature the In2 SABRE Awards at lunchtime, and will precede the EMEA SABRE Awards ceremony that evening. The daytime conference takes place at the Ham Yard Hotel, while the evening awards ceremony again returns to the Roundhouse.

The speaker lineup features:

  • Heather Mitchell, head of global PR, digital engagement and entertainment marketing at Unilever Hair Care.
  • Abby Guthkelch, head of global social media engagement, HSBC
  • Osama Saeed Bhutta, communications director at Amnesty International
  • Emer Timmons, CMO and president of strategic sales, Brightstar
  • Pamela Herries, head of internal communications, John Lewis
  • Andreas Winiarski, partner at German VC firm EarlyBird Capital
  • Kristina Eriksson, global communications director, Financial Times
  • Johan Seidefors, marketing director at Sweden's Bonnier Broadcasting
  • Eric Hollreiser, VP of corporate comms at Amaya/Pokerstars
  • Colin Byrne, EMEA/UK CEO at Weber Shandwick
  • Brad Staples, global CEO, APCO Worldwide
  • Alan VanderMolen, international president, WE Communications

Tickets, for both the conference and awards, can be booked here. 

The event is being backed by numerous partner firms and organizations, including Weber Shandwick, H+K Strategies, Text 100, WE Communications, APCO Worldwide, inVentiv Health, Porter Novelli, Muck Rack and ICCO.

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https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/2017-emea-in2summit-to-focus-on-brands-in-the-'age-of-rage' https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/2017-emea-in2summit-to-focus-on-brands-in-the-'age-of-rage' arun@provokemedia.com SABRE AwardsNewsIn2Summit EMEAIn2 Innovation SummitEvents 2017 EMEA In2Summit To Focus On Brands In The 'Age Of Rage' Senior speakers from Unilever, Amnesty and more join fourth EMEA In2Summit lineup in London on 23 May. Tue, 02 May 2017 17:47:47 Z 2017-05-08T09:25:49Z LONDON — Senior marketing and communications leaders from Unilever, Amnesty International and Early Bird Capital have joined the lineup for the fourth EMEA In2 Innovation Summit, which will take place in London on 23 May.

The 2017 conference will focus on the role of public relations in the modern business, questioning how the industry can finally demonstrate its capabilities to marketers and shape the skills required of the PR professional of tomorrow. Those concerns are only heightened in an 'age of rage' that is typified by rising populism, fake news and enhanced corporate purpose expectations.

The programme will also feature a live behavioural science experiment, designed to help delegates understand why people make decisions, and how these can be influenced by a variety of communications factors.

The 2017 event will again feature the In2 SABRE Awards at lunchtime, and will precede the EMEA SABRE Awards ceremony that evening. The daytime conference takes place at the Ham Yard Hotel, while the evening awards ceremony again returns to the Roundhouse.

Confirmed speakers include:

  • Heather Mitchell, head of global PR, digital engagement and entertainment marketing at Unilever Hair Care.

  • Osama Saeed Bhutta, communications director at Amnesty International

  • Andreas Winiarski, partner at German VC firm EarlyBird Capital

  • Colin Byrne, EMEA/UK CEO at Weber Shandwick

  • APCO global CEO Brad Staples

And many more to be announced soon.

Tickets, for both the conference and awards, can be booked here.

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https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/weber-shandwick-leads-the-way-with-four-in2-sabre-awards https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/weber-shandwick-leads-the-way-with-four-in2-sabre-awards news@provokemedia.com In2Summit EMEAIn2 Innovation SummitAwardsEventsWeber ShandwickSABRENewsGeelmuyden Kiese Weber Shandwick Leads The Way With Four EMEA In2 SABRE Awards Clients of Weber Shandwick, including its Swedish operation Prime PR—will take home four In2 SABRE Awards during our In2 Summit in London next month. Mon, 24 Apr 2017 08:12:10 Z 2017-04-24T16:46:58Z LONDON—Clients of Weber Shandwick, including its Swedish operation Prime PR—will take home four In2 SABRE Awards during our In2Summit in London next month. Norwegian independent Geelmuyden Kiese and its clients will take home three trophies.

The In2 SABREs recognized work that demonstrates innovation and insight, with a particular emphasis on data and analytics and the digital realm. They will be presented during the In2Summit on 23 May, at the Ham Yard Hotel in London.

“Across the EMEA region, public relations consultancies and their clients are using a wider range of tools and channels to engage with consumers and other stakeholders,” says Paul Holmes, who chaired the SABRE jury. “We are seeing work across paid, earned, shared and owned channels, using increasingly sophisticated data and analytics tools and plan and measure their work. This year’s winners faced some tough competition.”

Other multiple winners include Ketchum and Burson-Marsteller, with two trophies each. A complete list of winners can be found here.

Tickets for our EMEA region In2Summit on May 23 can be reserved here. Tickets and tables for the EMEA SABRE Awards ceremony, the same night at London’s Roundhouse,  can be reserved at the same time.

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https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/2017-emea-in2summit-sabre-awards-return-to-london-on-23-may https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/2017-emea-in2summit-sabre-awards-return-to-london-on-23-may arun@provokemedia.com SABRE AwardsNewsIn2Summit EMEAIn2 Innovation SummitEvents 2017 EMEA In2Summit & SABRE Awards Return To London On 23 May Fourth EMEA In2Summit will include In2 SABRE Awards and precede the EMEA SABRE Awards ceremony that evening in London. Mon, 06 Mar 2017 09:15:00 Z 2017-05-02T10:28:37Z LONDON — The Holmes Report's fourth EMEA In2 Innovation Summit will take place in London on 23 May.

The 2017 event will again feature the In2 SABRE Awards at lunchtime, and will precede the EMEA SABRE Awards ceremony that evening. The daytime conference takes place at the Ham Yard Hotel, while the evening awards ceremony again returns to the Roundhouse.

As in previous years, the EMEA In2Summit will focus on the future of marketing and communications at a time of considerable disruption, featuring next-level speakers from in-house and agency sectors. Companies interested in partnering with the event can contact us.

The conference has featured such names as YouTube star Jamal Edwards, Unilever’s Heather Mitchell, TBWA’s Amelia Torode, Electrolux’s Mattias Radstrom, Prime’s Tom Beckman, Sanofi’s Celine Schillinger and Telefonica's Nicola Green in previous years. 

Tickets, for both the conference and awards, will be available soon.

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https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/5-things-we-learned-at-the-emea-in2summit-in-berlin https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/5-things-we-learned-at-the-emea-in2summit-in-berlin arun@provokemedia.com In2 Innovation SummitNewsIn2SummitEMEAIn2Summit EMEAIn2Events 5 Things We Learned At The 2016 EMEA In2Summit In Berlin Storytelling, neurological triggers, communities and virtual reality take centre-stage at another entertaining Innovation Summit. Fri, 27 May 2016 13:51:19 Z 2016-09-14T07:18:24Z Our third In2 Innovation Summit in EMEA was another fascinating affair, bringing together a top-notch lineup of marketing and communications leaders to The Station in Berlin.

A lively mix of panel discussions and lightning talks left many delegates with plenty of food for thought, illustrated by the #in2summitEMEA hashtag. To help distil the learnings from the conference, here are five things that emerged with particular resonance from the day's discussions:

1. Conventional storytelling is not exactly dead

We can all accept that the traditional messaging model is rapidly going extinct, and not before time. But, as Kaspersky Lab's head of strategic projects Rainer Bock pointed out in a discussion that was adeptly moderated by Allison+Partners UK MD Jim Selman, the loss of control must count as an opportunity to engage in genuine storytelling rather than the fictionalised notion of brand control. "As long as the PR pro was controlling storytelling we were not able to be great storytellers," said Bock "We lost control so why not tell amazing stories instead of self-congratulating bullshit." The key requirement, as former Mirror online editor Shiraz Lalani pointed out, is that "people have to be adaptable — and immersed in the world around them."



2. Neurological triggers hold plenty of promise


Another reason as to why storytelling retains specific power comes from the way the human brain reacts to information. In a highly entertaining lightning talk, behavioural biologist and H+K Strategies Denmark CEO Bo Øksnebjerg broke down some easy neurological triggers that can help your next campaign. For example, the 'Ikea effect' suggests that people will engage with something far more if they do it themselves. And concepts such as 'social proof' need to become standard thinking for today's communicators, along with more common elements like humour and positive reinforcement.

That type of thinking holds true not just for consumer brands, but even for an organisation like the European Central Bank. Deputy director-general of communications Thierry Bracke was candid about the bank's issues when it comes to "selling the Euro" amid a climate of rising Euroscepticism and criticism of Eurozone economic policy. As Bracke noted, rational arguments — punctuated by weighty, jargon-heavy reports — are one thing, but a more emotionally-resonant approach is needed to truly engage and persuade people.

3. Internal challenges are as big as external ones

Pressure from outside sources is often viewed as one of the key drivers of change in the communications world. But internal factors are probably just as important, as delegates learned at the conference. Stack Overflow EMEA marketing head Natalia Radcliffe-Brine pointed out that there remains concern about the loss of control involved in modern storytelling techniques, particularly when brands commit to crowdsourcing. "There is a challenge with other stakeholders in your business," said Radcliffe-Brine. "You do have to articulate stories differently. That’s why it’s really important for the communicators within a company to really understand that you have a consistent brand message." 

Meanwhile, Telefonica UK director of reputation and communications Nicola Green spoke eloquently about how board members are her 'internal clients.'  "PR objectives need to be aligned with business objectives, driving a business benefit",," she noted. "I have to make sure each of the board members understand the value that PR is bringing."


4. Communities are more valuable than consumers

At Stack Overflow, Radcliffe-Brine relies heavily on the company's community of developers to help shape her story. "The benefits are we as marketers and communicators don’t have to be the sole source of stories anymore," she points out. "Obviously it does make it more difficult when you cannot control things, but the benefit is when you work hand in hand with the community."

That kind of thinking is already well established in the political arena — digital strategist Jimmy Larsson from the Swedish Social Democratic Party has found plenty of success using digital platforms like Snapchat to engage with younger people. And an excellent example from the consumer world comes from Nike+, described by WE Communications international president Alan VanderMolen (in a nod to Shakespeare) as "a transformational epic that started in 2006 and continues to move with its actors — non-linear and realtime."

But it is also becoming increasingly critical in the rather more rarefied world of luxury brands, where influencer marketing and digital experiences are creating an opportunity that many companies are still probably too risk-averse to truly grasp.


5. Are brands ready to make virtual a reality?

The hype around virtual reality is making it the latest must-have for today's marketers, even as they interchangeably use the term with augmented reality, 360-video and mixed reality. Weber Shandwick's Adam Clyne and Patrick Chaupham noted that immersive brand experiences are now a reality, with 500m in VR headset sales expected within the next decade. The technology, however, should not distract from the more important consideration — quality content remains a must. "Virtual reality is about driving an immersive emotional connection," said Chaupham. And that, unquestionably, is something that all brands would do well to keep in mind.

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https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/in2summit-emea-senior-marketers-digital-pioneers-to-convene-in-berlin-on-25-may https://www.provokemedia.com/latest/article/in2summit-emea-senior-marketers-digital-pioneers-to-convene-in-berlin-on-25-may news@provokemedia.com SABRE AwardsIn2Summit EMEAIn2 Innovation SummitEventsNews In2Summit EMEA: Senior Marketers & Digital Pioneers To Convene In Berlin On 25 May 2016 EMEA Innovation Summit will feature top-tier speakers from the European Central Bank, Economist, Telefonica, Glossybox, Saudi Arabia's Economic Cities Authority and more. Mon, 09 May 2016 08:56:55 Z 2016-05-10T19:55:44Z
The 2016 event will again feature the In2 SABRE Awards at lunchtime, and will precede the EMEA SABRE Awards ceremony that evening. All of the events are taking place at The Station in Berlin.

Confirmed speakers include a mix of senior marketers, political specialists and digital pioneers, including:
  • Thierry Bracke, deputy director general of communications, European Central Bank, who will discuss the challenges involved in 'selling the Euro', amid rising scepticism and scrutiny
  • Telefonica director of communications and reputation Nicola Green, in a session on how the 'new CCO' requires new skills and thinking
  • Economist Group global MD Nick Blunden on how the title's marketing and brand strategy
  • Imad Hashem, vice secretary-general of Saudi Arabia's Economic Cities Authority, who will discuss community-building with Jimmy Larsson, digital strategist at the Swedish Social Democratic Youth Party
  • Glossybox global communications SVP Sachar Klein on whether conventional storytelling is dead
  • Kaspersky Lab head of strategic projects Rainier Bock, a 'cyborg' who has a chip implanted in his right hand.
  • Stack Overflow EMEA marketing head Natalia Radcliffe-Brine
Along with sessions on virtual reality, behavioural science, and the impact of emerging markets. The full programme is available here, while you can register for tickets, and for the SABRE Awards that evening, here.

Event sponsors include Hering Schuppener, Allison+Partners, TRACCS, TVC Group, Weber Shandwick, WE Communications, H+K Strategies and Hotwire.]]>