Outstanding Small Consultancy
CIPR PRide Midlands Awards 2009
- Voucher listings websites are great. I found one recently for… By Lucas Owen on 23 February 2012
- Girlbands *always* have the worst names which kinda makes me… By Doodvid on 08 November 2011
- Bostin post! By Tom Pipkin on 23 September 2011
- Excellent work - I'll attend the awards if you think… By Lee Poultney on 25 October 2010
- Thanks Alex! Hope all is well with you x By Ruth Pipkin on 16 September 2010
"@edjames1 thank you!"
14 May 2012
"@nicolafm @leekemp @RobertBloxham @katherinelouisa thanks for the birthday wishes y'all!"
14 May 2012
What I’m looking forward to in 2011
06th January 2011. Posted by Ruth Pipkin. Trackback
After what can only be described as eight weeks of ‘mayhem’, Christmas is officially over and it’s the start of yet another year. I do always like this time of year as you can look back at the exciting year that has just passed and look forward to the one ahead. Overall, it was an amazing 2010 at Rewired HQ with new offices, new team members, new clients and even some award wins to top it all off.
The start of a new year is an opportunity to look at what we think will happen in the future and this week, I’ve spent a lot of time reading articles and blogs on predicted trends in PR, marketing, social media and even fashion. With that in mind, I thought my first 2011 blog post should be about what I’m looking forward to.
The evolution of PR
It has been an interesting twelve months for us PRs; with everything from the effects of the recession to the changes in consumer behaviour and rise in popularity of the online world and social media. Personally, I’ve enjoyed the challenges that we’ve faced and think that each and every one provides an opportunity to be innovative and ultimately at the top of our game. There has always been a cynicism about PR but I think that social media, in particular, has opened up communications channels and allowed people to find out that it’s not all about sensationalist headlines and spin doctors.
In 2011, I think PR will continue to change with society and as the recession still affects the way companies and consumers behave, it will mean that we all have to remain relevant. It’s a competitive world out there so whether it’s coming up with creative campaigns to secure a client or doing interesting stunts to secure coverage, 2011 will be a catalyst for getting the creative juices flowing.
Putting a price on ‘online’
It seems that this year will be the one where we see true value being put on the internet, in more ways than one.
With Facebook being valued at $50 billion, there’s talk of them charging users to generate more income. Will this happen? Will people still use it? I’m not so sure, particularly as ‘social networks’ seem to be popping up all over the place.
Another big move will be paid-for online content. The Times took the brave step last summer and came up against some criticism, with internet users being unwilling to pay for news content that they could find elsewhere for free. But surely if all major newspapers follow suit – which seems inevitable in the long run – then this behaviour will change. It’s an interesting situation for PRs too as it makes us prioritise the most beneficial media outlets to our clients.
The final, and to me most important, thing that I hope comes in 2011 is the ability for PRs to evaluate what we’re doing online. There is an industry standard (Advertising Value Equivalent) to review coverage in newspapers, magazines and broadcast press but we are yet to establish an accepted formula. This makes it more challenging to justify what we’re doing online and why, but I hope this changes in 2011.
The unity of ‘online’ and ‘offline’ 
Despite endless references to the internet being the death of ‘offline’ life as we know it, I’m still an advocate of the tangible. Be it reading an actual newspaper in a café on Sunday morning or socialising with real friends in a bar, I still enjoy my life away from Twitter, Facebook and my inbox (although my iPhone is never far away). I don’t think that the online and offline worlds work in isolation… I think they are both as important as each other and provide us all - on personal and professional levels - with new experiences.
Towards the end of 2010, this became a more popular notion and was seen as a real opportunity for brands. Two of my favourite campaigns of the year were Blackberry’s Live and Lost – not just because Example came and partied with us – and Channel 4’s Seven Days, which I hope makes a welcomed return in 2011. I’d imagine that this will continue to provide opportunities for brands this year and help give consumers a new experience.
The influence of the blogger
Bloggers became celebrities in 2010, with red carpet appearances, TV interviews and front row seats being handed to them on a virtual platter. They even started getting their own feature articles in magazines and brands started signing up left-right-and-centre to hold ‘bloggers-only’ events.
But as the world realised that everyone could become a blogger; PRs, marketing managers, brand managers and the media started to question their importance. As the year came to a close, categorising blogs became an important part of any PR campaign and identifying which bloggers actually had influence was essential. Either way, I think the ongoing question mark over ‘who’s more influential: journalists or bloggers’ will be an interesting one to watch.
The rise of the ‘next big thing’
There’s always something new and as we enter into 2011, Kinect and Quora are the buzzwords. I’m still a Wii girl so investing in Kinect will have to wait until I’ve tried it out at a few parties, but Quora is a whole different story.
I’ve being reading up on it and so far it seems to be a mixed response so I think that I’ll just have to jump on the bangwagon and try it out for myself. Is there an App yet….?
Lead up to London 2012
With the London 2012 Olympics a mere 18 months away, I’m looking forward to the build up and hearing more about what they will bring to the country. I’ve sat in many meetings talking about how cities outside of London will benefit and I think, particularly for residents and taxpayers, this is going to be a crucial message to get out there.
The continual rise of celebrity
Something that we can’t get away from is ‘celebrity’ and this year will be no different, particularly with the forthcoming nuptials of Kate and Will. My favourite celeb turnaround of 2010 was Victoria Beckham; I’ve always been a massive fan of 'Brand Beckham' so I was so happy to see people finally taking her seriously with her amazing fashion line… long may it continue.
Who are you tipping to be big in 2011?
Finally, I’m really looking forward to another 12 months in the Rewired office. We’ll be celebrating our third birthday in May so no doubt we’ll be doing it with a bang, but I also can’t wait to carry on working with our fantastic clients and bringing their exciting campaigns to life. Hopefully there will be some new clients, new team members and additional award wins in the future too!