Stretch-Wrecker: How to annoy your other half

I’ve been way too busy to update my blog I’m afraid, not very good for someone who is meant to be leading by example, however my clients have been taking priority recently!

So… what do you do when you’ve worked hard on something?? Yes, that’s right you take a big old stretch! If you’re tired as well, then you often add in a bit of a yawn too. It feels good doesn’t it?

Imagine your dismay when someone intrudes your stretch or interrupts your yawn!! I’m afraid the consequence is a feeling of utter despair, there is no satisfaction, your muscles feel like they have been cheated and you will never get back that same yawn, no matter how hard you try!

It’s evil, however this action has been coined as ‘stretch-wrecking.’  I rudely carried out stretch-wrecking on my other half this weekend and I have not been allowed to forget it since but by god it’s funny! Seeing the disappointment on somone’s face is, I am afraid, absolutely hilarious!

All you need to do to be a pro stretch-wrecker is the following;

1. pick the perfect time, when your victim is wanting a full arms out, legs out stretch

2. wait for the yawn (usually when the arms are at nearing their highest point)

3. Inflict the poke to the side of the body

Tip: Whilst putting the finger in the mouth of the yawn gives you the same desired effect, you may well end up without fingers, so I would suggest the poke under the ribs method.

UK Manufacturer helps to achieve fuel optimisation on British Ships

I am so pleased that one of my clients, Titan Enterprises has provided a unique flowmeter to help reduce fuel consumption on British ships. The UK Manufacturer has provided a key element to the new technology created by Royston Diesel and I think it’s important to inform you all about the work carried out to supply innovative technology, which is intended to go global.

With the cost of fuel at an all time high, many companies are concerned about the impact it may have on success, profit and effectiveness. Fleet owners and operators require ways to identify where problems occur, monitor fuel consumption and rate performance in terms of which ships are proving most profitable

Problem: Major shipping companies need to somehow monitor performance and reduce fuel consumption. This would only be possible by implementing a new monitoring system. What is a routine job for some companies, such as deploying Tugs to bring a container ship into dock is proving too expensive due to the speed at which they travel and the power they use to direct larger ships. A monitoring system needed to be installed to measure ‘best speed’ and ‘best economy’. This way the optimal trade off between consumption and speed will be attained without wasting fuel.

Resolution:

Royston Diesel based in the North East of the UK is committed to offer diesel engine support to companies across the globe. They are experts in the field and are devoted to providing care aspects for customers. One of Royston’s major clients and industry leader wished to incorporate a technology to advance measurement within towage and emergency response operations. Robin Shaw, Technical Manager at Royston therefore developed a new concept in conjunction with the University of Newcastle which would provide a solution and an aid for engine performance.

Following three years of research and innovative invention, The “Enginei” monitoring system was born which is a new fuel and engine monitoring system, presenting logged engine and fuel consumption data. The Enginei system, which can be fitted to any engine from the smallest, older generators to the newest high speed engine manufacturers, provides recorded engine data sent over satellite to a web based management dashboard. Sensors monitoring engine parameters such as exhaust temperatures, boost pressure and oil pressure, log engine performance and can be downloaded via USB onboard or sent remotely via satellite to show any worrying engine trends before they become an issue. This helps the onboard crew and office based technical staff to make informed decisions and reduce the time and cost associated with vessel maintenance and vessel downtime.

Titan’s Involvement: An essential part of the monitoring technology is a flow meter provided by Titan Enterpises Ltd. With over 40 years of experience in supplying flowmeters for a variety of industries, Titan was able to deliver a key element in the offering which met all specifications to measuring the flow of Diesel.

After an extensive study of the available flow meter technologies, Royston placed an order with Titan Enterprises Ltd for one of its unique stainless steel flowmeters. Stainless Steel is the preferred material for marine applications which are subject to approval by classification societies such as Lloyds Register. Royston initially ordered just two OG4 Stainless steel flowmeters with female BSP threads for evaluation and following a quick implementation stage, they then placed a much larger order for use on 15 different ships including tugs and oil tankers, with the intention to roll this out across a much broader fleet by the end of 2010.

The meter performance on diesel is 0.5 to 50 litres per minute with accuracy of ± 0.1%. The 316 steel material is fitted with Hall effect magnet detector and is used in a vast array of applications, varying from highly critical jet engine oil to diesel generator fuel consumption. Titan’s flowmeters are already used as fuel performance test measures for offshore rescue boats and the French Navy. Other versions are used for hydraulic test rigs and aggressive chemicals.

In order to advance the usage of the flowmeters within The Enginei, Titan will be supplying flanged meters to Royston which will make the servicing and assembly even more straightforward for engineers.  No stranger to innovation, Titan Enterprises launched a breakthrough in flowmeter technology this year. The patented technology uses ultrasonic technology measuring low flow. The high accuracy and usb interface makes it one of the talked about products around this year.

For more information visit http://www.atratoflowmeters.com/ or get in contact with me and I can tell you all about flowmeters!! …. yes I had to do a lot of learning!

Getting Preston Back On Track

Who said PR isn’t glamorous? This week I went to visit where the new Preston Tram’s are going to be manufactured!

I attended PPSI with Andrew Kirkham, MCK Associates and we were able to take a sneaky peek at the designs for the proposed Trams for Preston.

The PR department at Stage9 Marketing will be responsible for providing media support, whilst also implementing a clear strategy to promote the launch of the demonstrator line and the eventual Guild line.

The PPSI workshop based off New Hall Lane in the city, has provisions for the new-look trams to be specially built for Tram Power (the company behind the Guild line project) and contractors are also on board awaiting the planning approval. It’s actually really exciting, for once strong plans are in place to offer sustainable, environmentally friendly and cost-effective transport for Preston – a system which will link all areas of the city.

Once the demonstrator line is up and running, Tram Power can start work on the first of the lines, all which is achievable by 2012. The Guild line will start around Red Scar Industrial Estate in Longridge and pass Deepdale Retail Park on the way into the the city centre.

PPSI itself is a hidden gem of Preston, I found out that they currently hold Rupert Murdoch’s printing machines!! They store his machines and also supply printing press machines for the New York Times. I couldn’t believe my ears so I crept round the corner to look at them and I was amazed, the machines are so vast that they can print more than 60,000 newspapers in 60 minutes.

Unfortunately, due to changes in the media the industry is dying and the work now focus’s on repairs, however this means that one of the production rooms will be ready to build the new trams.

Printing Press International really do embrace innovative manufacturing approaches for global companies and I still can’t believe this work takes place right in the heart of Preston. I’m delighted that the idea of the Trams are now developing and action is being taken, I’m even happier to declare that the manufacturing will take place in the city itself, I’m confident that this will provide enormous benefits to Preston.

A story of the Recovery Guy and the Council Man

Oh my goodness gracious me…does anyone else think that breakdown cover is a given? Well apparently it isn’t. Today I met a man who drives a recovery van who actually goes out of his way to make things difficult for people.

This morning, I was travelling on the M55 following a breakfast networking event and my car (he’s called Louis by the way) lost all power and I had to manoeuvre him across three lanes to the hard shoulder, luckily avoiding a truck! I rang my insurance company who put me through to breakdown and was assured that someone would be with me within half an hour. After being told off by numerous people who care about me, it was clear I had to step out of my car and move along and over the barrier to safety. First of all, I was in a dress and secondly some sort of monsoon had descended upon me! After staying in my car for about 20 minutes I finally decided to get out and be safe whilst waiting for the recovery van. I got drenched. Plus why do lorry drivers have to beep at girls in dresses with no coats!!!??? Fools!

Anyway, I was picked up after about 45 minutes… I’m not a girly girls (I drive a Lupo GTi) however, I did expect to be greeted with a friendly smile, especially as I was shivering at this point. The gentleman (who wasn’t very gentlemanly) took my keys shouted questions across to me and proceeded to tell me that my car was ****** and it would cost loads to get it fixed, “best get it to a garage love” he said.

Hmmm “I’d hope you’d help me get it to a garage?” I replied”As that’s why I pay for breakdown cover!” to which the guy said “Well I’m only meant to take you home but I guess I’ll av to!”

Really appreciated his kind words at this stage … harummph

As I was driven at about 30mph on the MOTORWAY to the garage back near home the guy told me all about his work and how he once left a woman with a 7 month old baby at a BP garage because she had limited insurance and didn’t have any cash on her. I didn’t know you could get limited breakdown cover actually, apparently the mother of the baby had to pay £200 to get her car recovered and back to Sheffield from Blackpool. When the recovery guy asked her for cash up front, she replied “I don’t have the correct card to get the money out” so…. HE LEFT HER!

This was not the only horrendous story I heard from him. He proceeded to tell me how he’d been given a parking ticket once for parking on double yellow lines as he was on a job. He went to the council to appeal to get this eradicated due to his line of work and they declined as it had already been legally issued.  The following month, the council worker who informed recovery guy of the rules regarding the parking ticket, broke down. It was recovery guy who was called out to pick him up.

Recovery Guy: “Do you remember me?”

Council Man: “Yes!”

Recovery Guy: “Well as you have broken down on this road, Iwould have to park on double yellow lines to recover your vehicle, therefore I cannot help you!”

Council Man: “Please tell me you are joking” said Council Man

Recovery Guy: “Nope!”

The council man pleaded with recovery guy, and eventually he proceeded to reluctantly help Council Man. However, recovery guy informed me that he literally “bounced” council man’s car onto the van to teach him a lesson. He also then “ragged” the car into the garage, denting it very slightly in order to get revenge.

Now, recovery guy was obviously distracted by telling me these horrid stories as I managed to get my louis dropped off at the garage and then also recieved a lift home. And yes, I do still wonder if the mother and her 7 month old baby are still at the BP garage. Seriously how does recovery guy sleep at night and have I found a career which is more destrcutive than traffic wardens?? I think so!

Please remember, generally people who have broken down are usually late for something, it’s always a bad time for it to happen and almost always it’s raining… recovery workers need operate in a kind and personal manner, rather than making a situation worse.

Thanks!

I need to vent..

Now I’m not a branding expert, my expertise lie in PR and social media, however it does allow me to state that I know how to make people, brands and business owners look good and there is one brand who I believe have got the essentials completely wrong.

Calypso have launched a new range of drinks titled Aquajuice. Now, whilst their products are normally targeted towards the younger generation with “disneyjuice” and “juice shots” the brand’s newest drink has left me in a complete bubble of confusion.

I don’t know who’s idea it was, however the theme for this new drink is surfing. Whilst surfing is becoming extremely popular, it just doesn’t mirror the brand!

I think I’m correct in saying that in 2007, Calypso forged links with the young surfing community in the UK, don’t get me wrong, I think this is a great idea as anything supporting UK sports is welcomed in my opinion. However I don’t really get how the design of the bottle, matches the new website, nor the target audience. It reminds me of a logo used on armbands. The drink looks cheap, not very 2010, not very surferish…. in fact there is nothing is new about the design at all.

The website, which was launched with the help of Madhouse (usually VERY good at what they do) looks awkward, the colours don’t match the branding and the main body of the website is of an older surfer, which is in no way shape or form matching their support of the younger generation. I just don’t get it!

The drinks firm hopes the new design, surfing theme and games will encourage its target audience of 8 to 16-year-olds to spend more time on the site. For me, it is only when you click on the external “Surf Anywhere” site that it kinda fits. Please don’t launch this properly until you look at it again Calypso, sort the webpage out and your packaging!

Check out the link below to see why I have an issue…

http://www.calypso.co.uk/

A Girl’s Guide to Surfing!

Last year I developed a real interest in surfing. I must admit at first it was because I wanted to say I’d done it, however I’m now totally hooked!

That must sound strange for someone who is from Preston where there is no sea, sand or surf…or life guards for that matter, furthermore, I don’t really have the skin to become a surfer chick, being a red head!

Originally, I hit the beach on a couple of occasions, had a few lessons which were to no avail and found it incredibly difficult to manoeuvre the  huge foam hire board over the smallest of waves, however I seem to be spending every free weekend chasing the surf and I LOVE IT!

I’m the type of person who can’t completely relax at the weekend and I often feel quite low if I stay inside for too long, being at the beach with the sand in my feet and wind in my hair just feels so right!

It’s only recently though, that things have started to click… I’m now standing up pretty much every time I catch a wave, paddling stronger and even changing direction. Granted I still don’t have that golden surfer chick tan and I still can’t take my wetsuit off without getting all hot and bothered but persistence truly is the key. That and hanging out with like-minded people.

There is honestly no better feeling than going down to the beach late evening watching the sun set and riding a wave into the shore. Understandably being Emma-Marie I took things one step further and booked a holiday to Malibu, Ca. And yes, I do realise that the waves here may be a tad higher than Devon and Cornwall but I honestly don’t care!

Anyway for those girls who love sport and want to try something different, don’t be afraid to try surfing. It doesn’t matter if you live far away from the beach, nor does it matter if you are male or female…  put it on your list of things to do before you die!

I’ve also put a few pointers below for the “surfer-slang” that I learnt this weekend in Devon. I have however added one myself though at the bottom! Coined I phrase indeed!

Board: Short for surfboard.

Choppy: Ocean wave conditions that are rough not smooth.

Clean: Good conditions, good waves, and good surfboards.

Leash: The urethane cord used to attach a surfboard to a surfer

Swell: Waves and size of swell is how big they are

Set: A series of outside breaking waves

Pop-up: Getting to ones feet, after catching the wave.

Pearl: A wipe out where the nose of the surfboard goes under the water – This makes you feel very stupid indeed!

“Tumbledryer” when you don’t concentrate, a wave crashes over you and you feel like you are being spun around and around in circles. The result is a very dizzy return to the surface and ALOT of unattractive snot on your face.

Social Media impinging on Practice or a Necessary Change for Public Relations?

Has Social Media challenged the way Public Relations is practiced or are PR professionals becoming the new medium for the real time age?

Not satisfied with newspapers, magazines and lunchtime news bulletins, people are becoming increasingly aware that information is available through forms of social media…and fast! We’ve moved into a “real time” age where, if an event happens; comment, opinion and pictures are readily available. It’s difficult for some media outlets to keep up with this and so many are looking to twitter, blogs and you tube first.

For PR experts this is something we have had to grasp very quickly. The scope for attaining results for clients is vast as long as we utilise social media correctly. Not only can we reach key influencers but it empowers our clients to engage in communication with their customers. Press releases, promotions and up and coming events can be online within minutes, without the help of newspaper editors or advertising. It is of course important that we understand the new technologies available and use them correctly, it is apparent that a small number of workers in similar industries do struggle to grasp the usage of this new form of managing relationships with the public.

A study carried out by McCann Erikson showed that 3 out of 5 respondents used social media on a regular basis, especially in their line of work but almost 1/4 found the advances difficult to keep up with.

In 2008 just 66 percent of respondents said that blogs and social media have enhanced the practice of PR., however in a dramatic shift, Social Media is now winning over the sceptics, by this year, 81% agreed that it had enhanced the practice.

In conclusion, get to grips with the new ways of implementing social media into your PR campaigns, there is so much information and advice out there. To me, the only real challenge is getting clients to share the vision and communicating to them exactly how social media operates. Once there are concrete ways of displaying value to clients, as opposed to using traditional media coverage, the real benefits will come through.

Lancashire Business Week

Members of the private sector gathered together for Lancashire Business Week. A series of events took place across Preston in order to listen to key speakers and discuss the future of Lancashire, in particular the transition of Preston to becoming a well known city!

Yes we have a great football team (I know that’s debatable) but Preston also houses some hidden gems, assets which currently aren’t being utilised. In order to really create a clear identity for Preston and promote this to the rest of the UK, we need to form a consensus on what the city can offer, residents need to be proud and businesses need to invest in it’s future.

Stephen Hodgson, Partner at Marsden Rawsthorn delivered a fantatstic viewpoint and being a Preston man himself, his thoughts really rang true.

“Despite attempts to encourage businesses to move to the centre, little action has taken place in Preston for over 30 years! This is mainly due to previous disagreements between County Councils and Preston City Council and it is therefore important to regain confidence in order to progress with any strategic plans.

“Marsden Rawsthorn itself moved away from the city centre to Fulwood in order to be near good transport links, the purpose built offices boast parking spaces which were not available in the centre. Out of town developments are the only areas which have moved forward in recent years such as Deepdale Retail Park, The Capitol Centre, Uclan and out of town Business Parks. This highlights the many issues with the City Centre. Firstly it is only the main players on the high street who are gradually increasing in confidence and more needs to be done to ensure many more see the benefit of a city centre location. Secondly, though developers are active they will not commit to any ownership until there is clarity from both the council and the Government and finally the infrastructure of Preston needs to be addressed. Access to motorways and key routes in and out of the city centre needs to improve in order to encourage businesses to move into the city. In addition existing assets unique to Preston should be utilised. The Miller Arcade, Winkley Square and the Flag Market are just a few to mention, these are unique to the town and should be well connected to the High Street.

If plans for regeneration are to ever move forward, local perception and needs should be taken into account. The funding is there but only for the right deal, one which is right for Preston.”

To conclude the week of discussions and presentations, Marsden Rawsthorn hosted a “What’s Next for Preston” debate which finally highlighted some forward thinking and people in attendance created a “can-do” approach.

All we need to do now is communicate this to all those living in the area, lets get people talking about The 2012 Guild, lets events planned which will attract thousands of people and lets get our heads together, rather than debate over the bus station for another 5 years!

Proud Preston!

For further information on Marsden Rawsthorn services, visit http://www.marsdenrawsthorn.com/

Lib Dems Must Put PR First

So David Cameron has failed by not delivering in terms of a straight win, Gordon Brown’s inappropriate smiling and ‘bigoted woman’ error led to a failure to gain public support but personally I feel the real failure here was Nick Clegg’s inability to manipulate the media.
I don’t think the Liberal Democrats ever thought they could get their feet in the door at Number Ten, however they did intend to gain around 120 seats and ensure that this time, the party would be a force to be reckoned with. It was all going so well for the face behind the policies, so what happened?
With the force of social media and the increase of availability in news over 24hours, the playing field for this election was well and truly open for the three main party leaders to abuse. Clegg, wishing to break the mould of British Politics seemed to start a revival for the Lib Dem’s on the live election debates, winning the first popularity poll. Not only was the debate a new aspect of willing for our votes but alikened to “The x Factor” it was a genius way of engaging with younger voters. In addition, all three of these debates would obviously create the front pages of the newspapers the following morning. The first of these read: “Big Guns Trained on Nick Clegg after TV debate triumph – The Times” “King Maker Clegg Wins the TV War of Words – The Daily Mail”
It was clear that many would then try to cloud the waters and it soon became apparent that Clegg’s hard work on the debates would be damaged by allegations of accepting cash from party donors but this still didn’t really affect the polls. But whilst Brown and Cameron continued to fight and deliver diminishing advertising attacks on each other, Clegg stepped back and the momentum he gained, slowly slipped away.
Cameron’s campaigners had informed the press of his urgency to visit as many constituency’s as possible, even through the night, whilst Brown continued to announce his plans to get Britain through the drain of the current economy – what did Clegg do? He spent time with his family. Whilst his PR team thought this would demonstrate his passion for a normal family life it also highlighted the fact that the man who reigned victorious in the run up to the election had suddenly run out of steam.
To make matters worse, when we all woke up to a political mess on Friday May 6th Clegg woke up to not only a disappointing election outcome but also the prospect of all eyes being on him as the Conservatives look towards him up for a coalition.
We all have to wait to see whether the Liberal Democrats can now learn from their inability to use the media correctly and put spin on whatever choice they come to. A challenge, which at the moment seems impossible. Forming an association with the Conservatives will anger all those who voted NO to a Conservative government and let’s not forget how many people actually voted for Labour, despite thirteen years of making wrong decisions!
So whilst we are all discussing the possible CON-DEM Nation of the UK’s new Government, I really hope that whoever is handling Clegg’s PR has a few brain cells!

CIPR spreads their wings at the Sandbox

I attended a great event last night at The Sandbox in Preston. The title was CIPR’s “The Future of PR” event. I must admit it was very different to what I expected, yet I did get a lot out of it and realised though PR is a very complex industry, those who are the cogs within the machine share the same concerns and views.

Upon on arrival, it seemed to be just another networking event and having had one of the busiest weeks so far at Stage9 I did think I might get a cold glass of white wine (you know the crisp white wine with the condensation on the outside of the glass that shouts… “YES, you deserve this!”) I didn’t get my wine, I just got orange and crisps so things weren’t looking good really.

Following a few convos we were addressed by a lady I think was called Zulma. Despite my initial concerns, this woman was good, in fact brilliant and very witty. She led us all into a discussion using a huge cinema screen and wireless keyboards which was really quirky and new. It allowed us to answer simple questions such as; “What’s your favourite colour?” to “What do you think the relationship is like between PR professionals and journalists? Much to my amusement we all said words such as…’essential’ ‘love-hate’ and my personal fave ‘husband-wife!’

This was a really interesting way of discovering what a group of people thought about a particular topic. What made it even more impressive was it was easily quantifiable, meaning the facilitator was able to collate how many people said the same thing, we could even vote for our favourite answer.

We then moved on to “The World Cafe” which was basically face to face discussions around tables regarding PR’s importance and what challenges it may come up against. Normally this would be a burdening task but it was really colourful – the chewits and coloured pens on the table may have helped.

In summary it was worthwhile to discuss topics with like-minded people and also air completely different views. To culminate the event we went back to the keyboards. At this point I think everyone was tired as we did start to get a little ‘comical’ with our entries which kind of went like this:

Q: What have you learnt from this evenings experience?

A’s:

The coffee break was the best bit

Everyone hates PR people

Max Clifford is a ****

PR professionals can’t actually spell

and

Who ate all the chewits.

In the end, I’m not really sure if I learnt enough about exactly what will happen in the future for the PR Industry, I definitely didn’t have any news to bring back to the office other than the Sandbox is actually an amazing facility. BUT I did meet some lovely people and I’m really impressed that for once a group of people in PR, marketing and communications could get together and share their experiences – trust me this never usually happens.

The common cause for concern for all of us was that no one was taking care of the industry, people are forever going round thinking we are all drinking champagne and sharing snobbery about celebrities when really we do a bloody good job at changing and managing opinion whilst gaining incredible results for our clients.

Maybe CIPR could move forward with this in terms of PRing the PR industry?? If we are so good at changing opinion, shouldn’t we start to promote ourselves and then people will start to understand why PR is good for business, however they will only be able to do this with our collective support

Over and out, happy Friday by the way!