The annual PR Week ‘Top 150 consultancy tables’ have been published for 2024.
DTW has been ranked as the fifth largest corporate and financial PR agency outside London and in the top 40 specialists in the UK.
We’re rocketing fast towards a General Election and with less than two weeks of campaigning left (sigh of relief all round!) the polls are predicting a significant Labour victory.
But what does that mean? And what should you be doing now to prepare for what looks certain to be life under a Labour or Labour led government with Kier Starmer as Prime Minister?
Understanding Labour’s agenda – mission-driven government
Labour has been seriously preparing for government for some time. With talk of ten-years of national renewal and re-building Britain, a central part of Kier Starmer’s pitch to the country is to deliver stable government after the turbulence of recent years under the Conservatives.
At the heart of that is what Labour calls “mission-driven government”.
In its own words from the manifesto Labour defines that as “raising our sights as a nation and focusing on ambitious, measurable, long-term objectives that provide a driving sense of purpose for the country.”
That both outlines Kier Starmer’s personal and political philosophy and is designed to set out a very different tone to ‘the chaos’ of the Conservative government.
Labour has five wide ranging missions that sit at the heart of its manifesto:
Each mission covers a range of policies Labour wants to deliver in a joined-up manner. You can agree or disagree with the politics but what is undeniable is Labour has set out a clear plan – and this plan presents a huge opportunity for membership organisations to both engage with government and show leadership with employees, partners and members.
Organisations can show their value by taking the opportunity to understand, engage and help shape and contribute to the implementation of this new look national agenda.
Engaging with Labour’s agenda
So what should you be doing?
Labour’s first 100 days are going to be unusual as we don’t typically have summer elections, but they will be hitting the ground running. The party’s pitch to voters makes a big play of certainty and stability, and its 133-page manifesto (the missions are the most important bit) outlines its plans.
Don’t wait for July 4th to be over to start planning your next steps.
Featured image from The Labour Party
Join us on 20 June 2024 at Memcom’s tropical summer party for an exclusive DTW session for Memcom members on ‘How to ensure your campaigns hit the spot: engaging with members and government in a post general election world’
It’s great to see that exciting things are happening down at Teesworks – the UK’s largest industrial zone – with the enormous SeAH Wind Ltd factory going up at pace.
DTW was invited on a tour of the site as part of a supplier event organised by Teesworks and Decerna, supported by Tees Valley Net Zero and Tees Valley Supply Chain.
It was a great day, giving local businesses the opportunity to network and see first-hand the progress that’s being made on the Teesworks site, with the SeAH Wind factory already stretching 800m, with another 100m still to be built.
Work is also progressing to get the site ready for BP’s blue and green hydrogen plants, along with the installation of British Steel’s electric arc furnace at Lackenby.
The potential for the Tees Valley jobs and skills market is huge. The investment will lead to the creation of thousands of jobs in the long-term, along with business opportunities for thousands of people involved in the supply chain.
The career possibilities for our young people, who are currently at school, college or university, and those who are even younger, are going to be significant.
Investment on this scale doesn’t happen overnight, so it may be a while before we reap the full benefits, but it certainly looks like progress is being made on site.
Thanks to Decerna for the great presentation and advice about the importance of sustainability in any business growth plans, along with information about applying for a free carbon reduction plan and £2k grant to improve the carbon emissions of businesses in the Tees Valley. We certainly plan to take advantage of that.
The annual Sustainable Aviation Fuel Supply Chain conference may have been held at the QEII conference centre overlooking Westminster Abbey in London – but there was another location that stood out at the event – the Tees Valley.
DTW were at the event as part of the Tees Valley Supply Chain, exhibiting alongside the Tees Valley Combined Authority and other businesses based in the area keen to expand their role in the sector.
Last year the government provided almost £40m of funding to five Tees Valley based firms who are looking to lead the way in creating Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
All five were in attendance talking about ambitious plans for the future on sites ranging from Billingham through Wilton and on to Teesworks.
It’s clear from last week’s event that there is interest in the area from other operators who are looking at sites for projects, so that number could grow.
There is no doubt the sector is scaling up massively to help the UK and the global aviation sector meet what is a huge Net Zero challenge.
With Government ministers attending, and high-level commitment and investment from Boeing, Airbus, Virgin, BA as well as government, this event showed how vital the SAF sector is to the future of the aviation industry.
There is clearly the potential for Tees Valley to play a huge part in meeting the government target of SAF making up 10% of all aviation fuel used by 2030. The message from industry was clear – the UK Government’s Jet Zero Strategy and funding is hugely welcomed, but in order to meet the national targets it’s just the start.
Action is needed in terms of the appropriate legislation being passed, clarity is needed on the SAF Revenue Certainty Mechanism, and, on Teesside, access to the developing CCUS project is hugely important.
Big thanks to the Tees Valley Combined Authority and the RTC North team, who run the Tees Valley Supply Chain programme, for inviting DTW to be part of the team at the SAF event.
Tees Valley’s attractiveness in terms of skilled labour, manufacturing heritage, available land, a proactive combined authority, the developing CCUS network and a supply chain full of expertise and passion that is ready to engage make this an exciting time to be involved.
There is a real win-win opportunity here for the SAF sector and the Tees Valley to both benefit from jobs and investment as the UK tackles a key part of the Net Zero challenge.
What will be key for businesses coming to the area is engaging effectively with stakeholders of all kinds – potential employees, suppliers, partners as well as politicians and the media.
Want to find out more?
You can read more about our seven simple principles for effective community engagement, and if you’re looking for comms professionals who know the infrastructure and regeneration sector, then drop us a line by emailing letstalk@dtw.co.uk and we’ll be happy to help.
Awards season is upon us (well the shortlisting at least) and I was thrilled to be invited to join the judging panel for the @PRCA HQ Dare Awards this year.
Armed with my trusty spreadsheets and a whole lot of fantastic entries, I got down to the challenge of sorting through each category and picking out and scoring the best of the best. It was no easy feat – the competition was fierce!
But I was proud to be a part of the judging team for some pretty exciting categories, like Large Consultancy of the Year, Public Sector Award, Rising Star of the Year, and Team Culture and Community Award. And the entries did not disappoint.
There were some great examples of creativity, innovation and dedication to employee well-being, business growth and impact across a number of entries. It was clear that there are plenty of teams who are pushing boundaries and helping set the standard for excellence in the industry.
The rising star entries had impressive individuals who are set for great things within the PR industry – the future looks exciting!
To all the entrants across all categories – good luck! You’ve already achieved so much just by being a part of these awards. We know how valuable it is to win awards, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you all.
Thanks for letting me be part of your awards journey.
Lorna.
DTW has once again secured the prestigious Communications Management Standard (CMS) awarded by the Public Relations Communications Association (PRCA). This achievement marks our 11th year of successful CMS accreditation.
The standard is, to quote the PRCA “the hallmark of PR excellence”. It combines elements of ‘ISO9001’ and ‘Investors in People’ with criteria specific to a PR and communications consultancy.
It’s great to have a well-defined framework that is tailored to our profession, and one that we can use to evaluate ourselves every year. Having professional management standards in place gives our clients, management, and staff peace of mind and serves as proof that DTW is a well-run business. This also reinforces our commitment to delivering exceptional results, upholding ethical practices, and maintaining the highest levels of professionalism.
We are inspected and evaluated annually on three of the nine core areas that consultancies are assessed on. This year’s shortlisted assessment included:
PRCA CEO James Hewes commented: “This marks DTW’s 11th year of completing its CMS. The assessment delved into three key areas: client management, financial management, and business planning. For client management, for example, a comprehensive client survey conducted in January covered various aspects such as quality, creativity, trust, strategic input, and DTW’s role as a ‘trusted partner’ in the eyes of clients. The survey results were shared with both clients and team members and will inform a target of increased client satisfaction by 2025.”
Big thanks to Jan for all her support in picking up the lions share of the work and working closely with the PRCA team.
Thanks for reading
Lorna
Planning a campaign? How well do you really know your target audience?
One of the most important things we help our clients with on campaigns is understanding who their audiences are and where they can find them to connect and engage.
With new trends and channels popping up all the time, it can be challenging to keep track of where your audience hangs out. But investing time in research to understand their preferences and behaviours is key when making data-led decisions to inform a marketing strategy which delivers results.
There are lots of different ways to identify and understand your audience. For example, it might be based around geography, profession, a community of interest – it really depends on your objectives.
One of the most valuable methods can be to look at age.
With that in mind, let’s look at some of the latest demographic insights to help you win this game of hide and seek with your audience!
I’ve picked up the latest trends around three key age groups:
Gen Z are over Google
Looking to get discovered by Gen Z? Consider focusing your strategy around social. According to Global Web Index (GWI), the number of Gen Z using social platforms for product research has surged by 35% since 2015. Instead of relying on traditional search engines, they’re turning to blogs, vlogs, pinboards, and video sites. To capture their attention, consider partnering with relevant influencers, investing in paid social advertising, or ramping up your organic content strategy on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Millennials lead the way for podcasts
You don’t have to spend hours in the recording studio to benefit from the power of the podcasts, especially when it comes to millennials. Compared to other generations, this group spends over an hour each day listening to podcasts – that’s twice as long as baby boomers and 25% more than Gen X. With 11% of millennials discovering new brands and products through podcast ads, you can reach them when they’re in a state of active listening. Do some research into podcasts that relate to your brand, don’t be afraid to get niche, and consider placing ads with them to generate high quality engagement.
Gen X want to feel seen
As a generation that can sometimes get lost between baby boomers and millennials, Gen X can often feel ignored by brands and organisations. This creates a great opportunity to grab their attention by featuring people from the Gen X generation within your campaign creatives. A recent survey by Wavemaker highlighted influencer marketing as a trend that makes this audience tick, with campaigns featuring Gen X creators resonating 73% more with Gen X audiences and driving a 43% increase in website visits. If influencer marketing isn’t in your marketing mix, you could take inspiration and use testimonials and photography of your Gen X members or customers when connecting with a Gen X audience to capture their attention and help them identify with your campaign.
Baby boomers are the new gamers
Think gaming is just for kids? Think again. Baby boomers are the new gamers in town, with a 22% increase in daily gaming activity over the past two years. They’re by no means the most avid gamers (that title goes to Gen Z), but this is a trend not to be ignored. To reach this older demographic, consider placing ads on puzzle-based or action-adventure games. You might be surprised by the level of engagement you can achieve.
So, as we can see, demographic segmentation is a great starting point to understand your audience. But to take things to the next level and really get to know them, try to go beyond age brackets; delve into their values, beliefs, interests, and behaviours to create a real connection. For instance, if you’re targeting health-conscious millennials, you might look specifically at health and fitness podcasts whilst also partnering with local health centres and gyms to meet them where they are.
Spending time building a clear picture of your audience can have a real payoff for your strategy. Staying informed about evolving trends and channels and combining demographic and more in-depth data can allow you to create a campaign which really resonates and delivers meaningful results.
Having planned some much-needed refresh and recharge time, last month Lorna and I unleashed our inner superheroes – taking the opportunity to completely disconnect from work and re-energise.
We juggle busy work schedules with family life, but one thing we’ve always done is schedule time for a little self-care. For some that might mean relaxing and doing nothing. For us, it’s the opposite!
From Ibiza DJ and Sax duo Lovely Laura and Ben Santiago to Café Mambo and Symphonic Ibiza, we partied away in Skeg Vegas (Skegness) to the feel-good tunes of the White Island, pretending we were in sunnier climes.
We spent our mornings walking along the beach catching up on anything and everything, then mid-afternoon we hit the dance floor, busting moves with tins of beans, dinosaurs, and Power Rangers, to name a few.
Tracking around 40,000 steps a day (quite a bit more on Sunday) we felt like we’d done several gym workouts with all that dancing. It wasn’t a relaxing break, but it was just what we needed.
What’s this all about? It’s the importance of down time. Taking time out to have fun – whatever that may be – and recharging. Then getting back to work refreshed and productive, with increased focus and fresh ideas. It’s good for your mindset, good for your happiness, and good for the business.
And the costumes? Well, that’s just us celebrating being awesome!
So, embrace your inner superhero and make time for a little fun to recharge in your own way. Stay tuned for more tales from our escapades in the future…
Thursday’s excellent Northern Transport Summit organised by DevoConnect featured the phrase ‘for the North’ so often that it sometimes felt like a Game of Thrones episode from the heart of Winterfell.
I just have one plea – lets talk more about these plans and proposals under the banner of ‘for the UK’ because the solution is the same.
What the UK needs to drive successful long-term sustainable growth is a more balanced economy, a better connected North and certainty and trust in decisions made by politicians.
The infrastructure investment that was proposed and talked about at the #NTS2024 summit can help deliver growth for the whole UK, it’s not just about what’s good for the North.
I’d like us to just change the conversation a bit.
We need to ensure policy-makers and politicians in Whitehall and Westminster realise proper investment in the North is in the whole UK’s interests and not a subsidy or charity handout.
As Northern Powerhouse Partnership’s Chief Exec Henri Murison said about transport improvements – the investment is about generating economic outcomes and growth. It’s not just having better transport as an end in itself.
Back to the summit. It was a great event. Meaningful devolution to city-regions is enabling elected and empowered Metro Mayors to lead and collaborate. This is ensuring that the North – in its many and varied parts – can play a really effective role in delivering national growth.
Change is happening
PS – for the record the summit was held at Manchester Airport, not Winterfell, and no-one talked about winter coming at any point – quite the opposite.
A breath of fresh air to see elected politicians and those working with them talking sense with such purpose, clarity and passion.
And the trains to Manchester from Durham even ran on time in both directions with seats available. The gods of the seven kingdoms were truly smiling on us all.
Photo credit: HBO / Game of Thrones
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