tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90043801178565262232011-03-11T05:32:34.887ZA personal view of the UK public relations consultancy sectorRichard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-20245470233974211772010-10-12T15:03:00.001+01:002010-10-12T15:06:07.516+01:00

I am now posting at Carrot's blog - Ofspin. Many thanksRichard

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-91672511793547552152010-07-28T15:13:00.000+01:002010-07-28T15:14:55.115+01:00

A nice overview of UK social media from SimplyZesty.

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-43074179734140255292010-06-03T12:00:00.003+01:002010-06-03T12:06:46.858+01:00

It seems that I am not alone in believing that newspapers charging for content is necessary. No less than the guru himself, Steve Jobs, made the same point at D8.“Anything that we can do to help the New York Times, the Washington Post and other news gathering organisations find new ways of expression so they can afford to get paid so they can keep their news gathering and editorial operations

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-58284890822824740322010-05-28T14:34:00.004+01:002010-05-28T14:41:28.778+01:00

I have read dozens of articles and read tens of Tweets on how bad a mistake News International is making by putting up a pay wall on the Times and Sunday Times next month. I’m not so sure.I am sure that clubs, offers and advertising can generate good revenues for the biggest news sites but why oh why do we all assume that readers are not willing to pay directly for good quality general content

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-68151857944366828872010-05-26T09:18:00.004+01:002010-05-26T09:28:05.471+01:00

Thanks to David Brain, Edelman

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-6474344162830215692010-02-21T15:55:00.006Z2010-02-21T16:09:53.288Z

This post originally appeared on the blog of my fellow Carrot partner Kate Hartley. It provides a thoughful view on the evaluation of digital PR and what is possible and what is not.The PRCA invited me to give a short presentation for one of its series of ‘Expert Briefings’ yesterday, this time on measuring digital, hosted by Ketchum Pleon. Up in the firing line with me were Fernando Rizo, head

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-13188677287849668592010-02-04T09:14:00.003Z2010-02-04T09:37:10.744Z

I'm don't own a Toyota, and the implications of the faulty accelerator pedal on Toyota's UK customers and their reputation are not fully clear as yet, but I have been impressed by Scott Brownlee who has been the face of Toyota in the UK around this crisis. It seems that I have not been able to turn on the radio or watch a news programme in the last 24 hours without seeing him interviewed.

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-19766120449153284442010-02-01T14:52:00.001Z2010-02-01T14:54:48.444Z

Contains strong language

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-28230977734761620842010-02-01T13:41:00.002Z2010-02-01T13:46:32.128Z

This post was first published on the blog of my colleague Kate Hartley. Food for thought.We're always being asked to demonstrate what return on investment we can promise to clients - and from various conversations I've had with colleagues in the industry, we're not the only agency to be asked. If a client spends 5k with us, what will they make back?It's an almost impossible question to answer -

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-33518194043372242792009-11-25T11:20:00.007Z2009-11-25T11:41:30.276Z

It comes as no surprise to me that a survey of 1000 CEOs, Whitehall permanent secretaries and media leaders - The Thought Leadership Index by TLG -has identified that radio is the most influential medium. Television came second, print third, and online fourth. These results might reflect the average age of those surveyed, but as someone with a radio in almost every room at home (including the

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-46895965180056262392009-11-12T12:15:00.002Z2009-11-12T12:20:07.480Z

I was stuck by a report in The Telegraph today that Lord Mandelson maybe taking on the role of unofficial information minister for the Government. This could include video briefings via the Downing Street website and weekly on-the-record briefings with journalists.Putting party politics to one side, I welcome any developments that make the process of Government more transparent and easier to

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-81904698559326835812009-10-13T11:24:00.003+01:002009-10-13T11:30:49.001+01:00

I have to agree with Ross Furlong’s comment on a PR Week survey published today that agencies often get ‘pumped and dumped’ in the pitch process. The survey surmised that getting paid for pitch ideas is a good thing, with 83 percent of respondents in favour of payment for thinking.The PR Week piece does not mention if the survey was of in-house PRs or agency but this is not a new debate on the

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-46569288460108892302009-09-29T14:21:00.002+01:002009-09-29T14:27:54.706+01:00

Whether you believe that the end of the recession is in sight or it is a dead cat bounce, being able to add new clients and fees is crucial for any agencies success.I got an email from new business agency Rainmaker a few weeks ago pushing the results of the annual Rainmaker survey which highlights what clients like, and don’t like about how agencies approach and sell to them.It is well worth a

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-65544878527733024812009-09-24T11:26:00.003+01:002009-09-24T11:38:52.916+01:00

Very pleased to see that Porter Novelli has won the won PR Week's 'The Big Idea'.In her video interview for PR Week (above) Porter-Novelli's associate director Shilpa Saul said that she felt that PR was best placed to provide media neutral communications because it demands real understanding of audiences; the creation of two way dialogue and on-going communications.Seems she was right.NSPCC

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-68211424498482302432009-09-21T12:21:00.002+01:002009-09-21T12:24:57.074+01:00

I’m going to be watching the results of PR Week’s initiative – The Big Idea - with interest. It’s the first time that I can remember a public pitch for a media neutral campaign for a major organisation such as the NSPCC, with all the major communications disciplines involved.Now I know I’m hugely biased, but I would have thought that Porter Novelli would be able to demonstrate that PR really is

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-28506534756782829882009-08-19T20:55:00.002+01:002009-08-19T20:58:46.394+01:00

Thanks to Jon Silk at PR Geek

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-31275558086871758772009-07-30T15:21:00.001+01:002009-07-30T15:23:25.410+01:00

What the F**K is Social Media: One Year LaterView more documents from Marta Kagan.Thanks to http://mediasnackers.com

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-4265991479730170852009-06-03T14:55:00.002+01:002009-06-03T14:58:17.525+01:00

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10chttp://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=227365&title=be-a-f@#king-person-dealer-orthedailyshow.comDaily ShowFull EpisodesEconomic CrisisPolitical HumorWe all know that things are tough in the automotive industry but it seems that some companies have simply forgotten that they are dealing with people. Chrysler's dealer comms leave a

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-24117419652334823952009-05-28T15:37:00.003+01:002009-05-28T15:41:20.924+01:00

Thanks to Todd Defren, Shift Communications www.pr-squared.com

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-11304342588406285162009-05-28T08:55:00.003+01:002009-05-28T09:03:03.595+01:00

I was at an ICCO meeting last week before attending the Paul Holme’s Sabre Awards at the amazing City Hall, Stockholm.Part of the ICCO meeting was a round table discussion from attendees representing PRs from 20+ countries around the world – South America, Europe, Africa and North America.It was interesting to see that many of the changes we have seen in the UK market in the last 12 months have

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-414569741956399052009-05-08T09:27:00.003+01:002009-05-08T09:46:45.809+01:00

When a company or an organisation gets something wrong they have two choices from a communications perspective - put their hands up and apologise or continue to plod on defending their mistake.Two great examples of these different approaches in the last 24 hours – one serious one not serious.Joanna Lumley’s hijacking of an impromptu press conference with immigration minister Phil Woolas yesterday

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-36708789905446261092009-04-28T15:29:00.001+01:002009-04-28T15:35:22.461+01:00

Hat tip:@ScottHider

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-17585707154759170902009-04-28T11:55:00.001+01:002009-04-28T11:58:36.996+01:00

The psychology of reputation is not something I had given a huge amount of thought to in the past, but I was given food for thought at a Shillings’ breakfast briefing (Communications strategies in a downturn - understanding the drivers and the key trends for 2009) this morning. It included a presentation by Dr Kevin Money from Henley Management College.Kevin suggested that we are all driven by

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-3223651653886977012009-04-03T14:44:00.004+01:002009-04-03T15:11:29.297+01:00

I am a huge fan of President Obama's oratory, and his wife Michelle demonstrated similar talents yesterday in a speech given at a London girls' school.Her message was simple - a good education opens doors, and good educations take hard work. And, once you've made it in your own career, it is your duty to help some one else in their education and the road to success.Not fashionable messages, but

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9004380117856526223.post-61278424768744633212009-03-30T14:50:00.003+01:002009-03-30T14:53:28.574+01:00

I’ve watched two very different approaches to the defence of MPs expenses claims in the last few days. It would seem that none of the political parties have got this right (probably something to do with the fact that MPs from all sides have their noses firmly planted in the expenses trough) but some have being doing it better than others.Eric Pickles’ laughable defence of his claim for a second

Richard Houghtonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08955191801862175231noreply@blogger.com0