First ever poll of how the world sees the world SourceWire has an interesting news release about the Anholt-GMI Nation Brands Index which is good news for Sweden (first) and the UK (second) but disappointing for the USA which isn't even a runner-up. It is interesting to note that the UK scored highly on governance with the UK government as "trustworthy" in stark contrast to the US government which is described as "dangerous" and "dishonest".

25.5.05 14:06 Permalink / 1 Comment / comment

Great competition Not so much a good PR idea but a great viral campaign from Dutch airline KLM. Check out this no strings attached competition. Send it to your friends and as they play you get another chance to enter (note I haven't looked at how they check - email, IP address, cookies, whatever!). From Tom Watson MP, a Lord Commissioner of Her Majesty's Treasury no less. Which in reality is a Government Whip ensuring that backbench MPs behave themselves. It's great to see that the UK's first blogging MP is continuing to blog as he climbs the Parliamentary ladder.

24.5.05 09:12 Permalink / 2 Comments / comment

TUC research reveals that UK compensation culture is a myth Tonight's Yorkshire Evening Post runs a news story about how fewer than 1 in 10 people injured at work receive compensation for their injury. A good story for the TUC that helps to combat the negative perception that Britain is rapidly developing a US-style compensation culture. My PR idea is that this story also presents a good opportunity for a personal injuries lawyer to pitch themselves at the media as an expert commentator. An interesting extra twist could be to reveal that in fact even in the USA the compensation culture isn't as bad as portrayed in the infamous 'Stella Awards'. The highly respected American Association of Trial Lawyers has extensively researched the cases and found that they were false and nothing more than urban myths. according to

20.5.05 13:43 Permalink / 1 Comment / comment

Letters - the forgotten PR tool? Letters to the editor are a surprisingly effective public relations tool that many practitioners too frequently forget about. A good example of using a letter effectively is this one in today's Guardian from Tom Kelly of Thames Water Utilities. It picks up on a topical news story (yesterday's Environment Agency report that said disposable nappies are just as 'green' as traditional terry nappies). Kelly quite simply reminds readers that they shouldn't flush disposable nappies down the toilet because it can not only block main sewers but even more likely customers' own pipes.  Brilliant. Demonstrates that Thames Water Utilities wants to be a responsible company and also potentially saves them money through less blockages.  Note for our American readers. Nappies are diapers.

20.5.05 11:33 Permalink / 2 Comments / comment

Charity gives money to fatcat business leaders A headline that's almost guaranteed to grab attention. A story in Third Sector magazine highlights a fabulous fund-raising idea by Kent Air Ambulance, which has offered regional business leaders a crisp £50 note. The twist is that they are challenged to compete with each other to see how they can use their entrepreneurial skills to turn £50 into a fortune for the charity. Brilliant. Simple and effective. One for the ideas bank.

18.5.05 13:46 Permalink / 3 Comments / comment