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Category: PR

Surrey’s latest chartered PR practitioner!

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Chartered CIPR PractitionerI was delighted to learn recently that as an accredited practitioner who has kept up my CPD I was able to attend a Chartership day and get Chartered. I recently completed the Masters Level Diplomas in PR and internal communications which gave me confidence to put myself forward for the assessment – but must admit when the preparation work arrived and as the day got nearer, the nerves started to kick in. It is that on the spot aspect of assessment, a bit like a French oral test or a driving test, which is particularly challenging. But nothing ventured I thought….

The day itself was equally interesting and rigorous. Five of us per group in three 90 minute sessions on leadership, strategy and ethics. It definitely wasn’t for the unprepared. We had a case study to review ready for discussion and then the topic was widened to get our opinions and our own examples from Practise. Not everyone passed on the day but there is the opportunity to go back a second time and retry.

Those of us who were successful really felt as though we had achieved something high level. It was great to meet a variety of senior, interesting professionals from all areas of the PR industry and really committed assessors who put us through our paces. I hope to stay in touch and continue the conversation with all of them.

More than that, it felt fantastic that as an industry we have evolved the services that we offer so that we are more accountable and what we do is more measurable – more than ever, we have to prove ourselves and achieve measurable success. We are not perfect of course – there is always more to learn and develop. We need to keep listening to the changing needs of our clients and develop our skills and competencies and share experiences. We are challenged more but the role of a PR Practitioner is more interesting and more rewarding than ever.

Mandy Brooks MCIPR certificateTo all Fellow Practitioners, when you’re ready, definitely get Chartered and to all clients and potential clients looking forward to sharing the benefits with you and to inviting you to our 21 year birthday celebrations soon……..

 

LUSH’s Fight Against Animal Testing: Brilliant marketing or a PR stunt too far?

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On Friday, LUSH erupted with its controversial ‘Fight Against Animal Testing’ campaign video to promote the issue of Animal Testing in the cosmetics industry, urging people to go into its stores and sign the EU petition against animal testing.

The campaign video depicts passers-by’s reactions to a display in Lush’s Regent Street store of a woman undergoing laboratory testing, illustrating what animals experience when new cosmetics products are tested on them. The video also has interviews with Lush members of staff, communicating their support for the ‘Fight Against Animal Testing’ campaign and EU petition. Clearly this is something Lush is extremely passionate about, which is why it’s making such a strong stand against it.

View the clip here: Lush Fighting Animal Testing 

Here’s some responses on the YouTube video and Twitter…

“I care about animal testing, I don’t buy animal tested products. But i am seriously disappointed in Lush – this performance should have been trigger warned.” – channelclaire

“My boyfriend and I have 2 rabbits and are fostering one right now, We’re both in tears watching this. What an AMAZING performance, that woman has such courage to do such a thing. Thank you all for fighting for animal rights. There’s still hope in this world. :)” – kristee2008

Lush attempt to raise awareness of animal testing by performing violence against women. Distasteful. – stavvers

“I always liked Lush. Now I like them even more” – Starkardur

Reactions to the promotional video seem to have really divided people. It’s a shocking and emotive video, designed to move viewers into action – signing the petition in the Lush stores. Lush’s campaign has truly gone viral – it was trending across the UK on twitter, it’s hit a range of news sites and it’s had people from all over the world commenting on its YouTube video. The campaign is proof that online marketing is now the best way to spread the word quickly, creating a huge buzz around a brand or issue.

Lush’s promotional video is a marketing tactic that has undoubtedly communicated one of the key values of the Lush brand – transparency is an essential part of any business. Good on Lush for staying true to what they believe, and campaigning passionately for the cause. But at this level of extremity, where people are even criticising the video for suggesting cruelty to women – is it doing as much harm as good? Are they turning away potential customers and possibly even loyal customers with their bold statement?

It’s a choice that brands have to make – how far do you go to communicate your values? Lush obviously decided that the campaign Fight Against Animal Testing was at the heart of the brand and as a result, decided to create something controversial around the topic. They key is to remember your target audience and communicate your brand values in a way that is most appealing to them. And don’t forget to be consistent when communicating your values – the more consistent you are, the more your audience will associate that value with your brand.

At brookscomm we have over 20 years of PR & marketing expertise and a proven track record of providing an integrated communications strategy. We can help you boost your business, email hello@brookscomm.com or call us on 01483 537 890. 

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