STOP PRESS, We’re on the move!

As I sit at my lonely little desk with just my computer and a few files left on it, I’m already reminiscing about what I have experienced during my time here. No, it’s not my last day but MOVING DAY. Yes, WEPR are upping sticks and heading over the M4 to Taffs Well to newer and bigger offices.

As you may or may not know, I’ve only been working for Warwick Emanuel a short time but already it feels like home, and my colleagues, part of my family. There’s the front office where I sit (and occasionally gossip) with my colleagues, Victoria and Hannah. The back ‘boys’ office with quiet Stephen, louder Gwyn and even louder Reece. The ‘bosses’ are up with the gods on the top floor in their shared office, next to the boardroom where I had my interview, and weekly conference call with my clients. Finally there is the kitchen which I visit several times a day for my caffeine fix, next to the family bathroom, complete with shower! It’s a funny office, previously a house on Llandaff north’s Station Road, but it’s was OUR office and that was all that mattered.

The process of moving house is stressful enough, believe me I’ve just done it, but the prospect of moving an entire office with 10 years worth of experience, must have filled Elizabeth and Wynford with dread. Here at WEPR we host many press offices, each one needing its own telephone line, so the practicalities of moving those without too much disruption seemed impossible! But we’re doing it, and we’re coping. As I type the telephone man is unplugging my phone, labelling it (as Stephen’s randomly) and packing it away. All the phones have now been switched off and we are all battling to keep a busy press office running smoothly using the press office mobile, personal mobiles and e-mails.

As I look round the room, it looks so much bigger, and darker – probably because they took all the lights down yesterday and we’ve been plunged into dreary natural light ever since. The files have all come down from the shelves and the shelves removed, showing off an impressive chimney breast which I had never noticed before. Hannah’s desk has been packed up as she’s off with a client in North Wales. This leaves just Victoria and me and the whirring printers. Oh and the little white radio blasting out Radio 1.

Whilst I feel sad to be leaving, and a tad frustrated as I had finally worked out the quickest way to work, I’m also happily anticipating what the new office will bring us. Previously a chapel, and next to a graveyard, I’m really hoping not too many spooky goings on. (I live in an old hospital, so have enough of that going on at home!) It’s also means a change to seating arrangements and whilst I’m still ‘keeping’ Hannah, Victoria is deserting us for Gwyn, Reece and Carol, whilst we’re getting Elizabeth and Stephen. And Wynford has opted for peace and quiet and an office of his own. Some days, I can’t blame him!

And so it is with a final glance round to check we haven’t forgotten something important, like the kettle, and the WEPR office is in transit, on its way to its new home and a new future! I for one can’t wait! Now, where’s my journey planner?

From Monday 23 May, you’ll find us hard at work in our new offices at:

93 Cardiff Road, Taffs Well, CF15 7PL

Our telephone numbers will remain the same.

 

The privilege of power

We can all be accused of taking things for granted sometimes. It might be our partners, or the bus being late, or the fact that it’s highly likely to rain on the Bank Holiday Weekend when you are planning to hold a barbeque. In this day and age when we can surf the web in seconds, watch 3D television and make phone calls from almost anywhere in the world, it can be easy to forget just how technologically advanced we have become and just how much we rely on electricity in our day to day lives. This morning I was given a gentle reminder.

The first sign that something was amiss in my home was the little error message that flashed up when I switched off the burglar alarm. Assuming that it was nothing important I made my way into the kitchen and filled up the kettle to boil. The ‘on’ light failed to display; this was a disaster.

I checked the lights, there were off too. Confident in the fact that “it must be a fuse” I grabbed a torch and headed for the panel under the stairs. But nothing had been tripped. My pre-tea brain was addled by this quandary, what to try next?

A cursory glance out of the window at neighbouring houses indicated that no lights were on anywhere else either, so it must be the entire area. I decided to call the local network distribution company, but the base unit of our cordless landline was dead. So was the wireless router for the internet. I rummaged in a drawer to find the new slimline Yellow Pages but the number was not included.

It seemed to take an eternity to locate the phone number using the internet on my Iphone, but it was probably just seconds. My battery was indicating dangerously low, but there were no means to fix this. When I finally made it through a pre-recorded message informed me that the power was off in our area but should be restored within the hour. Not really a consolation when I had to get to work.

The kettle issue was resolved when I realised that water could be boiled on the gas hob (nothing will hold me back from a cup of tea in the morning) but alas, the boiler refused to start without the electricity supply. It was whilst I was gently weeping with frustration and bracing myself for a freezing cold (and fast) shower that I heard the sound of the printer whirring back to life. Power had been restored! It was sweet music to my ears.

It took just half an hour without electricity to remind me just how dependant we are these days on energy and utility companies, and a reliable power supply. There is little more disheartening than waking up in the morning to find that you don’t have any running water, or that you have overslept because of a power cut during the night.

These days we take it all for granted and consider a fully functioning network to be expected, but there are many countries where electricity or running water is rare and a privilege for many.  Whilst travelling around Australasia I spent two weeks on the island of Bali where many budget guest houses offered a tub of water and saucepan as a means of washing, and a warm shower was considered to be an expensive luxury. One night it rained heavily and the whole town was plunged into darkness, but the guest house owner explained that this was common when it rained. Can you imagine if the same happened here? Most of our evenings would be spent by candlelight.

As technology progresses and more of our household goods, and vehicles, become reliant on an external source of power, we become even more dependent on our utility companies and the service we provide.

We all love our gadgets and electrical items, but the rise in the popularity of consumer electronics has put great demand on our electricity supply and it is now estimated that 45 per cent of the UK’s electricity will be needed to power them by 2020. Industry experts suggest that there may be just 50 years of natural resources left on the planet and are constantly looking at new ways to generate power to ensure that we continue to have the supply that we need.

Even the water which we take for granted in Wales has the potential to become a precious commodity if the weather patterns continue to change and we don’t take steps to conserve it whenever we can.

When I go home this evening I’ll prepare an evening meal, make a cup of tea, watch a bit of television and brush my teeth before I go to bed, knowing that it’s a privilege to be able to do all of them simply at the flick of a switch or turn of the tap.

Victoria Whittal-Williams | Senior Account Manager

And so I begin……..!

It’s 16.34pm on Monday 21^st March 2011, and I’m about to finish my first day at Warwick Emanuel PR & Film. I find first days a bit strange, they usually fly by but generally consist of not a lot. I’m not quite sure what I’ve achieved today. I’ve done a lot of reading, most of which has failed to go in, stuffed some envelopes and made a cup of coffee. The rest of the time was spent trying to get round which client is which and what exactly they do as well as encouraging my computer to work, and listening to it persistently saying ‘No!’ In fact my internet is still down which has left me feeling a little bit like I’ve lost my arm, not helped by the fact my blackberry battery has died, so I can’t even update my friends on Facebook!

I do have to admit, not just because my new bosses will be reading this, that I’ve really enjoyed my first day. Everyone has been so friendly and made me countless cups of tea and answered all of my, mostly tedious, questions with enthusiastic answers. But in my past this has not been the case. I remember starting one job in a large company and not enjoying such a pleasant experience; my boss rolled in 2 hours after I was told to start, HR forgot about me and my colleagues were less than friendly (I later found out one of my colleagues had interviewed for my position and was unhappy to be sat next to the person who had got it!) They later thawed and we became quite good friends but I will always remember feeling quite miserable when I should have been excited about the new challenges I was about to face. It didn’t help that my previous company had been so welcoming, so much fun, and many of those colleagues are still really good friends!

Being back in a office, surrounded by chatting colleagues and busy phone lines seems like a different world from my last position, where I worked from home (occasionally in my pyjamas) and the only communication I got was via Twitter or Facebook. In the beginning I loved the flexibility of being at home, I didn’t have to rush up, or sit in morning rush hour traffic to get to work. I could cook my own lunch and pop the washing on while I was waiting for it to cook, and I could work in the evenings if my son was ill, or I had to go to the dentist. But the novelty quickly wore off, as the cabin fever increased, and work no longer finished at 5, but carried on until bedtime and into my weekends until I was frequently over servicing the company!

It was actually refreshing to get up this morning, figure out what I wanted to wear and rush off to the station to catch my train to work. It bought back memories of time spent with a PR agency a couple of years ago in London, when I had to get the tube from Paddington to Liverpool Street. Whilst the other commuters were no doubt dreading that Monday morning trip into work, I was so excited and buzzing from all the smells and noises I encountered along the way. Whilst Cardiff Central station is a million miles away from Paddington tube, and the sights much more familiar than when visiting London town, the excitement was still there!

And so this is it, the end of day one! My desk is a little bit more cluttered than when I arrived this morning, I know a lot more about the people I’m going to be working with and which clients I will be responsible for, but there is still that feeling of newness, still so much for me to learn and lots of exciting challenges for me to face. I’m sure in a few weeks it’ll feel like I’ve always worked here, but right now I’m quite enjoying being the new girl!

Posted by Caroline Hammond | Senior Account Executive

New Year, new changes

Is it really February already? Where did January go? It seems like only yesterday that I was wishing people a ‘Happy New Year’ (actually, it was. I hadn’t seen them for months) and now 2011 is already whizzing by and will be over before we know it.

The start of a new year traditionally signals the start of new hobbies, resolutions, lifestyle or job, and here at Warwick Emanuel PR & Film we are no different.

We have already started this year with two new members of staff, Hannah and Reece, there are two WEPR babies on the way (nappy sponsorship opportunities will be available), we have got some lovely new clients and will shortly be moving to new offices, too.

Obviously some things remain the same; Wynford still enjoys the occasional holiday and a small glass of wine, Elizabeth likes to buy a nice pair of shoes from time to time and we all still try to find any excuse to celebrate (anything) with a slice of cake.

As a company it is safe to say that we like all things ‘new’ and enjoy embracing whatever changes come our way, whether they are completely unexpected or have been planned for an eternity.

The PR world in particular is a fairly fast paced industry to work in and you need to keep up with the latest developments, and acknowledge opportunities as they arise, otherwise you would just get left behind. Staying ‘the same’ is just not an option.

So as 2011 progresses, let’s pretend that every month is the start of something new and exciting and celebrate the changes as they happen!

Posted by Victoria Whittal-Williams | Account Manager

Making a comeback…

Everyone seems to be doing it nowadays, first there was Take That announcing a comeback tour, Boyzone quickly followed suit and now I am making a comeback to WEPR (admittedly the final one is not in the same league as the first two, but important nevertheless).

After a brief work experience stint here at WEPR in the summer I am now back as Junior Account Executive. WEPR certainly made an impression on me when I was here back in August but I had no idea I had made such an impression on them!

After my week at WEPR I moved to London for more work experience where I worked with two different PR firms for three months. My time there was certainly an experience. Originally from south Wales I felt like a small fish in a very big pond, but nevertheless, I survived the two hour tube commute daily (normally nestled in a strangers armpit due to the sardine style of tube travelling they have adopted there). London is a great place to establish yourself in the PR industry but I must admit, when WEPR got in touch, I jumped at the chance to start calling it a place for a ‘weekend break’ (rather than my home).

So, my first week at WEPR has been great. I have enjoyed such luxuries as driving to work, actually having a lunch break and not having to pay around six pounds for a coffee in the morning. The WEPR team have welcomed me with open arms and I’ve spent the last week meeting clients, writing press releases, organising an event and generally getting stuck in – thank you to the WEPR team for trusting me so early on!

One of the highlights of my first week was the social media training that Katie gave us and it was an insight into just how much social media has become a massive part of our lives (and PR as an industry). I began to doubt my own technical abilities so I logged into my Twitter account (which admittedly I had forgotten the password to as I hadn’t used it for so long) and started ‘tweeting’ and ‘following’.

So nowadays we are having to ‘google’ things, ‘tweet’ (and often ‘retweet’) and ‘facebook’ our friends every now and then to stay ahead of the game. It is true that our vocabulary is evolving almost as fast as technology and I refuse to be left behind, so hopefully sooner rather than later I will have mastered Twitter so that I can take full advantage of it!

Progress updates to follow…

Posted by Hannah Thomas (Junior Account Executive)

I’d like to thank my parents…..

Last week was a glamorous one in the Warwick Emanuel PR & Film household with not one, but two glitzy awards ceremonies to attend.

On Thursday we held the first ever Wales Blog Awards.

Established in partnership between Media Wales and Warwick Emanuel, the event was established to celebrate the explosion of blogging in Wales and took place at Chapter Arts Centre’s Media Point. It was the first year we ran the event, which received plenty of positive feedback and, what’s more, due to the success of the awards it looks like it’ll be an event to build on and continue for years to come.

Contrary to Andrew Marr’s beliefs, the Blog Awards wasn’t just full of pimpled inadequate geeks, those in attendance were well turned out and articulate. The full list of winners on the night can be seen here. A special mention should of course go to Ruth Davies whose poignant blog The 7 Journey, documenting life after the death of her husband, won the award for Best Blog – receiving plenty of coverage in print, broadcast and, of course, online media.

The event itself was extremely laid back and informal (no ball gowns here!) and in great contrast to the next night – when us WEPR-ettes made our way to the Holland House hotel in Cardiff, to attend the annual Wales / Cymru PRide awards.

Run by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations Cymru, the PRide Awards aim to “recognise excellence in PR and communications”.

It was dinner jackets and ball gowns all the way for the evening which began with a sit-down three course meal, a charity auction featuring prizes such as flying lessons and finally the awards ceremony itself, hosted by ITV presenter Matt Johnson.

WEPR was nominated for nine awards this year and we swept the board winning six awards for our campaign work, including four gold and two silver awards for our work on behalf of The Valleys: Heart and Soul of Wales campaign, Dwr Cymru Welsh Water’s stand at the Royal Welsh Show, Envirowise’s Public Sector Waste Minimisation Campaign, Welsh Water’s Dirty Dozen campaign and a Construction Youth Trust programme – The Real Apprentice, which WEPR delivered on behalf of Connaught Partnerships.

OK, it’s not quite the Nobel Peace Prize, but awards ceremonies are a great way of recognising hard work, whether it’s a chilled-out ceremony rewarding local people blogging as a hobby, or a glitzy affair to recognise Wales’ best PR bods.

There were a few sore heads on Saturday of course, but no major injuries to report (at WEPR we can party with the best of them you know!).

-       Katie Chappelle, digital media manager

For more information about Warwick Emanuel PR, log on to www.wepr.co.uk

Blogging along

The excitement is growing at the WEPR household – later today we’re holding the first ever Wales Blog Awards.

We couldn’t help but notice the growing number of people blogging in Wales and an award ceremony to recognise that is something our very own Wynford  has talked about for a while.

Teaming up with Ed Walker, the online communities editor at Media Wales felt like a natural way of making this event happen. We also enlisted the  judging help of Hannah Waldram – the Guardian Cardiff’s beat blogger – and award sponsors for each category.

We invited bloggers to nominate their own blogs, or blogs they enjoy reading and then published a long-list of entries, which we hope will grow over time and become a real directory for Welsh blogs and bloggers.

We already knew that blogging has become an important part of the media mix, but we were struck by the high quality of some of the entries – many of which are written in the writer’s spare time. We found that bloggers can make a huge difference, not only to their local community, but some also tell a very personal journey which readers can identify with and find comfort from, even when on the other side of the world.

So tonight is the night. All shortlisted bloggers have been invited along to the informal event and providing there are no disasters – it promises to be an exciting evening.

-    Katie Chappelle, digital media manager

For more about Warwick Emanuel PR, log on to www.wepr.co.uk

Did you review before you flew this summer?

Ah, the thrill of a summer holiday. A distant memory for many by the time September is upon us once more, fading more quickly than the golden tan it took great lengths to achieve (baking in the sun for hours and ignoring the health warnings in the process).

There was once a time when holidays were planned and booked with little more than a friend’s recommendation, the aid of a travel brochure and advice of an agent, who had probably never even left the UK. 

The reputation of a hotel or resort was rarely questioned in the public domain, unless they happened to fall foul of Holiday Watchdog, and many a dubious establishment benefitted from the blissful ignorance of their target customers.

This changed dramatically with the rise of the consumer’s champion, the internet, No longer could a horrid hotel hide behind the façade of a glossy brochure and carefully planned website gallery (omitting the half finished swimming pool and peeling paint). 

With the rise of the web came the chance for disgruntled guests to air their grievances, or happy honeymooners to share their highlights through a vast choice of forums, review sites and feedback forms. Suddenly there was nowhere for Fawlty Towers to hide anymore thanks to the rise of the citizen journalist.

Web 2.0 has given the ordinary traveller the chance to become their own Judith Chalmers or Michael Palin by uploading their articles, videos, photographs and opinions, and created a two way means of communication for holiday makers.

In a recent survey a quarter of travellers questions admitted checking online reviews to check the opinions of strangers before they book a hotel or holiday these days, instead of solely basing their decision on the information provided by their target destination.

The results also found that nearly half of travellers aged over 45 are using websites to recommend or warn fellow travellers by posting a review of their travel experiences online.

Tripadvisor is the first port of call for many, collecting over 35 million views and opinions since its launch a decade ago, currently attracting over 25 million users each month and offering its services in 14 different languages.

Some hotels have been quick to recognise the power of social media and monitor conversations and reviews to engage with their customers, with negative reviews being quickly answered with responses and apologies from the establishment.

 Of course, there is always the danger that the glowing review you read online could have been placed there by a well meaning hotelier or member of staff, but these fakes tend to stand out when they are surrounded by contrasting reports. Tripadvisor founder Stephen Kaufer even suggests ignoring the best and worst reviews to focus on the middle ground instead.

While complacent hoteliers preying on naïve customers may suffer from negative reviews, there are also a large number of independent guest houses that benefit from the site as a free marketing vehicle. They may not have the impressive marketing budgets that large chains possess but a top ranking on Tripadvisor could prove to be just as valuable.

Holiday makers are also turning to social media networks, such as Twitter, for holiday advice such as ‘where can I find a nice hotel in Barcelona?’ to ‘can anyone recommend a good book for the beach?’ One Tweeter I know even ended up with an impressive upgrade at a Spanish hotel after they mentioned they were planning to stay there online.

Social media tools have provided an affective means of two way communication between destination and traveller, and it’s clear to see that they are here for the long haul.

Sunbathers make the most of their mobiles to Tweet about their trips from the side of the pool and returning home no longer involves just unpacking your suitcase and dropping off a camera film to be developed at Boots. There are reviews to be written (I even start drafting mine while I am still away) and photographs to be uploaded to Facebook and Flickr for the world to enjoy as well.

Slideshows have never been more enjoyable, and thanks to the ‘skip’ button you don’t have to disguise your jealousy, feign interest or endure the boring shots of sunsets either.

 Posted by Victoria Whittal-Williams | Account Manager

Blog archive – ‘I don’t give a Hoot’ – a personal view of a flap about nothing

This blog entry was originally posted on 10th August 2010

The proposed opening of a new restaurant in Cardiff has got an awful lot of people in a ‘flap’ at the moment. Since the new St David’s 2 shopping centre opened a number of eateries have established a base in the area, so why the fuss about one more?

Is the infrastructure struggling to cope? Will it threaten the livelihood of smaller independent restaurants? Has it been offered a 24 hour drinking licence? The answer to these questions is ‘not necessarily’. What’s ruffling people’s feathers is the fact that it is American chain Hooters which wishes to set up camp here.

For those of you who are not aware of the brand, Hooters is a series of all-American beach-themed bars which specialise in fried food, trays of chicken wings and sport on big screens. Oh yes, and waitresses serving food and drinks wearing skimpy shorts and vest tops.

And that is the problem.

The prospect has created a multi-opinionated debate dissecting the pros and cons of allowing what is often seen to be a ‘tacky’ establishment to build its nest in an area where great efforts have recently been made to improve its image.

There is also the fear that the uniform of the waitresses is nothing more than sexual exploitation and that the chain’s arrival would be a blow for equality in the city.

Members of the previously relatively unknown Cardiff Feminist Network have already started a campaign against the opening of the restaurant and plan protests if it is given the go ahead.

Sally Hughes, organiser of the group has said, “Hooters is just about ladies dressed up in promiscuous clothing; it’s just another form of exploitation. The fact it’s right in the heart of the city is diabolical. This would be a step backwards for Cardiff and give the wrong image of the city.”

These sentiments are echoed on the group’s blog, Facebook group page and other women’s websites throughout the country and beyond, despite the public defenses of women who already work happily for the company.

On the other hand there is also a great deal of support for the opening of the restaurant and the economic benefits that it could bring to the city – the creation of up to 80 new jobs in particular.

Rival Facebook groups have been created to campaign for Hooters to come to Cardiff and some local councillors have been quick to defend the possibility of a franchise opening in the city.

In stark contrast, there were no protests when American clothing brand Hollister opened a store in St David’s 2 earlier this year using male models dressed only in board shorts and flip flops to advertise their stock. Instead the shopping centre found its Facebook page inundated with frenzied speculation about the arrival of the company’s first store in Wales.

The topic is causing a flutter throughout local community websites, the media and social media networks, with interest and support for Hooters and Cardiff Feminist Network gathering by the day.

Sally Hughes admits that her group has attracted 40 new members since launching its campaign under a week ago, whilst the online coverage for Hooters has probably generated enough advertising for the chain to survive without paying for it for the next six months.

No doubt the battle will continue until the outcome of the application is decided, but whatever the outcome, it looks likely that each of them will be victorious in the online war.

- Victoria Whittal-Williams, account manager

Blog archive – Cardiff Bloggers out in force

This blog entry was originally posted in May 2010

Last night saw the second Cardiff Bloggers meet up, organised and hosted by YourCardiff and the Guardian Cardiff.

Around 50 bloggers of all abilities showed up; from those who are interested in starting a blog to those who are already running well-established sites.

The speaker was Rachel Thomas from the Save the Vulcan campaign, which is working to save the historic Vulcan pub on Adam Street from demolition, to make way for a car park. The campaign uses a blog, social networking sites and traditional media channels to get their messages heard. Rachel also talked about her experience of running the Save the Pantmawr Inn campaign, which was successful in saving that particular pub from demolition.

Rachel was a passionate and interesting speaker and demonstrated how powerful blogs can be.

Warwick Emanuel PR & Film sponsored the event again, which meant that anyone who registered got a free drink on us. As a company, we recognise the value of blogs and encourage anyone leading a campaign – whether they be a one man band or a group – to engage in not only blogging, but also social networking and online PR, which is why we support events like this.

The Cardiff bloggers meet up looks like becoming a bi-monthly event and I encourage anyone with an interest in blogging to come along! The first Valleys bloggers meet up is also taking place on June 9th, in Pontypridd.

We’ll also be announcing the launch of the Wales Blog Awards very soon – something we’re extremely excited about. Watch this space for more details!

- Katie Chappelle, digital media manager