< Previous40 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk PUBLIC RELATIONS Someone once said, according to Hollywood anyway: “Fight and you may die. Run and you will live, at least a while... they may take our lives but they will never take our freedom!” I am writing this at the end of June ahead of a BIG announcement by Boris on the end of lockdown. I think of this as ‘Freedom Day’ for many people and businesses. So, in the spirit of William Wallace, I am looking for Bravehearts. You see, I want you to think of the publicity game as a battleground. I want you to imagine your competitors are all out there, vying for media attention. We’ve all fought, we’ve scraped, we’ve done our best to get by, to survive, even in some cases….to thrive. For many, choices have been taken away from them. Projects withdrawn, contracts ignored, doors closed. However, throughout all of this, there have been opportunities, especially in the press. Tonnes upon tonnes of them and the problem is, your competitors have been taking them! Not a day has gone by that I haven’t had a lead come in from a journalist DESPERATE for comment on how a business is coping with some key aspect of doing business in this bloody battle against the C-word and lockdown. It is how the ‘new media’ works. They are no longer fettered by print runs and page counts. They are driven by clicks, a desperate need to show ‘reach’ to their potential advertising partners or to compete against their rivals for share of voice. However, businesses are missing out on these opportunities for two reasons: 1. They probably don’t know about them unless they have a PR chap or chappess manning the media fort for them. 2. They don’t have the time or resources to respond. Or, maybe there’s a third reason. A worrying one. Maybe they don’t see the value. They are thinking too short term. They perceive lead generation as seeking someone who will buy NOW. The issue is of course that not many people are ready to buy NOW, they Bravehearts required if you want to win the media war and your freedom! By Greg Simpson, founder of Press for Attention PR and Enterprise Nation Champion for Nottingham. 40-41.qxp_Layout 1 03/07/2020 15:48 Page 1www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 41 PUBLIC RELATIONS need nurturing. But people want the quick fix. The instant win. The sofa chat with Lorraine or the FT front page! They spend far too much wasted effort playing Fantasy Fleet Street to generate coffee table coverage but far too often, with the media, they aren’t seeing the bigger picture. The opportunity down the line. This is how the media works - relationships. Just like sales leads, they require nurturing. They need the free stuff from you that doesn’t lead directly to a sale - otherwise known as an advert. They need soundbites. They need case studies. They need explanations of tricky jargon or legislation. They need analysis of data. They need opinions - lots of them. They want to spark debates. Ultimately, they need YOU. However, for too many people, it seems like a lot of hard work for no immediate return. Well, ‘’suck it up Buttercup’,’ as our American cousins might say. Media relations is hard work. Just like anything worth having is. You need to play the long game so that when you have something to sell, the media is on your side. They will remember how useful you have been to them; they will take your call or open your email and not discard it after 5 seconds - approximately the time you have to impress them normally. They will see you as a comrade in arms, not a sales team trying to leverage them. In the battle for freedom, you need allies. You need to marshal your resources and find the small wins, gain some media ground bit by bit. Slowly gain the position you need, the vantage point where you can see the opportunity coming over the horizon. Then you can clash your spears on your shields, then you can start chanting. Then you can let go your battle cry. So come on Bravehearts, who’s with me? Who wants to put in the hard yards now over the bumpy battlefield of Bannockburn? PS mooning the enemy is strictly optional. 40-41.qxp_Layout 1 03/07/2020 15:48 Page 242 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk CORPORATE HOSPITALITY It has been months since most of us gathered in person with clients and other professionals to celebrate, network, or communicate. With England gradually exiting lockdown it is worth contemplating how, when the final government go ahead is given, to create events and experiences that are enjoyable and effective while protecting the safety of guests, employees and anyone hired in association with an Post-COVID event planning With lockdown winding down and restrictions easing, East Midlands Business Link presents some initial considerations for event planning. 42-44.qxp_Layout 1 03/07/2020 15:49 Page 1www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 43 CORPORATE HOSPITALITY event. Though there are plenty of differing views on how corporate hospitality will re-emerge post-COVID, here Business Link presents some considerations for those holding events and those hired to organise them. “Safety first” is likely to be a key mantra for hosts and delegates brave enough to be amongst the first to organise and attend corporate events. Those behind the event and fine-tuning details - as well as the venue, host, and caterer - will need to consider completing risk assessments for the event’s operation. Certainly, one will need to certify venues have strong hygiene regimes, whether holding an event in-house or externally. Rooms should be cleaned between events, and frequent disinfection of high traffic touch points including door handles and shared objects like payment terminals implemented. In addition it is essential that hand sanitiser (containing at least 60 per cent alcohol) is provided throughout a venue, which will be appreciated by guests, particularly at entrances and exits, and one might offer disinfection wipes. Meanwhile toilets must be sanitised regularly, and it should be ensured that there are enough supplies to support hygiene, with adequate soap, paper towels and no-touch bins. Good, clear, prior communication with guests will also be vital for a successful event, to build confidence and brief attendees on safety protocols, explaining what is being done to prevent COVID-19 transmission and noting symptoms of the virus to educate people on whether they should stay home. Delegates must be informed of what is expected of them, for example no handshakes, frequent hand washing for twenty seconds, and making use of hand sanitiser. These measures should be sent to your attendees in the run up to the event, but also be highlighted on your ticket page prior to purchase. Further, an announcement may be useful at the start of a gathering to remind people of protocols, along with extra signage to reinforce them, especially in highly visible locations, such as entrances and bathrooms. Depending on the state of the two meter and one meter plus rules, one will additionally need to deliberate how to 44 Á 42-44.qxp_Layout 1 03/07/2020 15:49 Page 244 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk CORPORATE HOSPITALITY physically distance guests to make them comfortable and safe but still able to communicate as required by the type of event. Events are likely to consist of smaller numbers to accommodate this, presenting a chance to create a more intimate VIP offering. Furniture will need to be spaced out and bigger venues used to reinforce distancing too. Staggered and controlled event access is a sound idea as well, to avoid crowding at entrances, and to reduce unnecessary contact online sign in could be employed. As with registration, using digital tools as much as possible is solid advice, for instance sharing catalogues or brochures as pdfs instead of physically. Moreover guests should be advised not to share stationary, various utensils etc. to minimise potential spread of the virus. Hosts will also need to keep an accurate list of attendees for potential outbreak situations and it will be important that only those registered actually go to events to facilitate tracking if an issue relating to the virus occurs. Organisers should also ensure to notify attendees how their information will be collected and utilised for contact tracing if required. Apps that manage registration and participant information and enable real time check-in would be useful here. When it comes to staff working the event, one might give waiters and welcomers PPE and implement temperature checks. Meanwhile if food is involved, serve yourself options are expected to be reduced in favour of table service and pre-packaged meals. Of course corporate events are diverse, and will thus see different measures required, and difficulties faced, for instance seminars and roundtables, typically running with smaller delegate numbers, will perhaps adapt more easily than conferences. If rescheduling or organising a new event post-coronavirus, it is now likely that the end of 2020 and start of 2021 will be busy with the numerous gatherings that were postponed from March onwards. This could see a lack of available dates, venues, caterers, cleaners, and entertainment during this time. The emotional state of delegates will also factor into when one will schedule events. Ultimately there will be a plethora of new considerations for businesses holding events post-COVID that will, at least in the short term, redefine them. For example one will need to address how to enforce rules that will reinvent networking in the name of safety while providing a positive experience. As we transition back to physical events, more virtual-physical hybrids may appear, with smaller in person numbers and live streaming coinciding to accommodate cautious delegates and enable a larger audience. In the meantime virtual events will continue to be key for corporate hospitality, however the question arises, will these soon lose their novelty, or become a mainstay for businesses, who may opt to permanently move certain events online, especially as digital offerings begin to embrace more creativity, with organisers becoming adventurous with the experience they provide, sending drinks and food to doors and making use of virtual reality tours. © Shutterstock /fizkes 42-44.qxp_Layout 1 03/07/2020 15:49 Page 3Subscribe now and receive Business Link every month, delivered to your door Delivery Details Name: ............................................................................................ 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Payment Details ONLINE www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk/subscribe MAIL Armstrong House, Armstrong Street, Grimsby, North East Lincolnshire DN31 2QE EMAIL subscribe@blmgroup.co.uk 1 Years Subscription £33.60 2 Years Subscription £63.00 3 Years Subscription £81.90 1 2 3 Subscription Options VISA MASTERCARD CHEQUE It’s the best value around EXPIRY DATE CARD NUMBER SECURITY CODE (CVC NUMBER) LAST 3 DIGITS TERMS & CONDITIONS: Your subscription will start with the next available issue. Minimum term of 12 months / 1 Year 2 Years 3 Years Please charge my: 45.qxp_Layout 1 03/07/2020 15:49 Page 146 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk AUTOLINK © Shutterstock /Nejron Photo slow lane Stuck in the 46-48.qxp_Layout 1 03/07/2020 15:51 Page 1www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk East Midlands Business Link 47 AUTOLINK Aside from some small but encouraging early signs towards the end of May, it was June that brought the first real ray of hope for the automotive industry. Firstly, luxury car production has largely resumed in the UK, spearheaded by Rolls-Royce and Bentley. Mid-range manufacturers have also tentatively resumed production with Ford and Honda opening production sites whilst keeping in line with social distancing measures. Secondly, the beginning of June brought with it the re-opening of car dealerships. For the industry, this couldn’t come a moment too soon with the pandemic having led to a twenty-year low in the sales of new cars and the industry experiencing its worst May car sales since 1952. Despite this move towards normality, the automotive industry is still in in dire straits. British car makers Bentley and Aston Martin have both announced efforts to cut their workforces to help cut costs to better weather the effects of the pandemic. But as the nation’s largest automotive company, Jaguar Land Rover cutting more than 1,000 UK agency staff dealt one of the biggest blows those employed by the automotive industry have so far faced. The severe measures were announced after the car maker lost £500 million in three months as a direct result of coronavirus. It isn’t only agency and production staff at car makers themselves that are losing their jobs. Despite the fact that dealerships are once again allowed to open, the near three-month lockdown has had a profound – likely lasting – effect. For example, car dealership chain Lookers announced it was cutting 1,500 jobs and closing twelve dealerships only a few days after it was permitted to reopen. It serves to show that although the re-opening is a very much a good thing, it isn’t enough to save the automotive industry alone. After all, those jobs have been shut and those branches are still being closed. Unfortunately, it isn’t only the current workforce that’s being impacted by coronavirus, but presents a risk for future employees – specifically apprentices. The automotive industry was once fertile ground for apprentices to flourish, but that’s now at risk. Recently, the Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI), the professional association for individuals working in the motor industry, repeated its call for a two-year pause on the Apprentice Levy clawback. In early June, Prime Minister Boris Johnson From manufacturing right through to retail, it’s altogether a grim state of affairs for the automotive industry with COVID-19 the most profound crisis it has ever faced. With production resuming and dealerships re-opened, we explore the future of motoring. 48 Á 46-48.qxp_Layout 1 03/07/2020 15:51 Page 248 East Midlands Business Link www.eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk AUTOLINK announced that 16-24-year olds should be guaranteed an apprenticeship route. In response, Steve Nash, CEO of the IMI, said the announcement “is tremendously positive for the future of apprentices. We know more detail is to come later this month and in July, but we sincerely hope that the impact of COVID-19 on current and future apprentice recruitment plans is fully understood.” Apprenticeship recruitment in the automotive industry has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic. IMI figures reveal that seventy-one per cent of employers stated that the likely number apprentices will fall in 2020 compared to 2019. A drop of as much as sixty-five per cent is expected in the number of apprentices recruited this year. The planned numbers are now only a third of 2019 levels. Moreover, only nine per cent said their apprentice recruitment plans will not change as a result of COVID-19. IMI’s ongoing research also found that training providers are also predicting a fall of on average thirty-eight per cent in their intake for 2020/21 compared to 2019/20. With such a sharp drop in apprentice employment and recruitment, larger employers anticipate that their unused Levy funds will be taken back by government. And this will create a dearth of funding just as the sector will be emerging from the COVID-19 downturn. With this in mind, Mr Nash wrote to Gillian Keegan, MP, Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State for Apprenticeships & Skills requesting that the current clawback applied to unused Apprenticeship Levy funds is halted for a two-year period. As of writing, he has yet to receive a reply. “We hope government takes heed of the fact that seventy-one per cent of employer respondents to our research agree that a pause on the Apprentice Levy clawback would improve their prospects of employing apprentices. And that has to be a key factor to support the Prime Minister’s worthy ambition,” he said. The coronavirus pandemic not only brought with it a unique set of challenges for the automotive industry to overcome, but confounded existing issues that it was already enduring. Over the last few years, the industry was dealing with both the diesel crisis and Brexit. Needless to say, the motoring sector at large is going through a transition period right now and will almost certainly undergo major changes in the years and decades to come. Indeed, one academic predicts that in the next ten to fifteen years, the industry will experience more dramatic changes that have happened over the past one hundred years. © Shutterstock /MikeDotta 46-48.qxp_Layout 1 03/07/2020 15:51 Page 3FEATURES Print & Packaging Spotlight Business Services Supply Chain Management Anaerobic Digestion & Biomass Accountants Review Getting Back on Track REGULARS Commercial Property Corporate Hospitality Motoring Watch out too for the latest news from across the region in every sector Next month in August 2020 - Deadline 15th July Visit us at www.e astmid landsb usiness link.co. uk where you’ll find the latest news as it breaks – and why not subscri be to our newsle tters so you can have. the latest news emaile d to your inbox 49.qxp_Layout 1 03/07/2020 15:52 Page 1Next >