Welcome to #CommsCamp 🙂
Here is a link to download the latest worksheet which includes weeks 3,4,5.
It covers our strategic communications capability diagnostic tool, which you can print off and mark up (alternatively we have an electronic version here: https://mucklemedia.co.uk/services/our-communications-wheel/)
Look forward to seeing you on Thursday!
With Muckle Media, Managing Director Nathalie Agnew and guest speaker, General Manager at Eleven PR (Sydney) Fiona Milliken.
The second #CommsCamp webinar series focuses around ‘strategy’, which saw us exploring strategy as long-term thinking and planning in years rather than days and weeks. We spoke broadly on this topic and various tools you can use but also took a closer look at one specific area ‘purpose led communications’ with expert advice from this week’s guest speaker Fiona Milliken.
The word ‘strategy’ is often overused and misapplied
Strategy can be a difficult thing to get your head around even though we come across it on a regular basis. We often see the word being overused and misapplied, brands will talk about having all different kinds of strategies, and whilst we can apply strategy to lots of things we’ve found that quite often it’s not actually a strategy but more of a ‘tactical plan’. We explained the difference, which our guest speaker Fiona Milliken succinctly describes as ‘strategy is thinking in years, not day or weeks’.
Tactics are important for achieving the strategy, but you need to elevate your plan and identify how communications can provide a long-term view of where you want to go. Think to yourself ‘what are the core pillars for achieving the end goal?’. This is exactly why we don’t talk about content or channels until much later in our planning process, these are generally tactical ways to deliver on a strategy.
Understanding your proposition in the market
A lot of what we discuss in this session feeds back into insights, if you don’t have these and don’t understand your customer or you position in the market it’s going to be really difficult to create a solid strategy. Nathalie explains ‘if you get the insights right, then the strategy will almost create itself and should be right in front of you’.
We divide proposition into two sections, value proposition and customer profile. Value proposition focuses on your organisation and what it can offer. Something to consider here is the ‘gain creators’, this is the benefits you can give to others and on the opposite level we have ‘pain relievers’ which are the issues you solve, you tend to see this a lot in start-ups who had found a gap in the market.
The customer profile should align with your value proposition, think about your customer and the pain/challenges they might face. This can help later on with thinking of some creative campaigns. Fiona pointed out ‘customers are wanting brands that have similar values and beliefs to them and see how they can make a difference’.
Purpose can’t purely come from communication, it needs to sit across an organisation
Although they’re not a new thing we’re starting to see a lot more purpose led strategies, Fiona explains ‘ in its simplest form, it’s using the power of a brand to create a better world’.
From years of experience, Fiona has found that customers aren’t making decisions based on products, services or even price anymore, they’re actually interested in what the brand has to say and with lots of big issues in the world at the moment, now is the perfect opportunity for brands to be an engine for good and make positive changes.
Fiona believes that every brand should have a purpose, but not every brand needs a social purpose. It’s not for specific sectors or verticals but more about the decision the brand makes itself. Some things to consider for a social purpose are brand heritage, what’s your brand’s beliefs and values, this should come from the bigger brand strategy and be seen in everything you do. If you think of ways to use this creatively it can be a really strong business tool.
Nathalie added ‘there are various versions of what they call the ‘hedgehog’ to help you find a way to identify purpose and is also worth applying to yourself as a communicator’. The hedgehog combines what you are passionate abut, what the world needs and what you can sell.
Checking in
It’s important to regularly check in with your colleagues and employees to ensure that the strategy is working. Some things you might want to consider are preconceptions or misconceptions, what success looks like, what’s held you back and how can you get there? And as Fiona concluded ‘Have fun with it! Being authentic is really important, make sure it’s at the heart of your strategy’.
#CommsCamp runs every Thursday 09:30 – 10:30 via Facebook Live & live updates on Twitter.
With Muckle Media, Managing Director Nathalie Agnew and guest speaker, Former Head of Insights at Ralph Lauren Shruti Ahuja.
The first stage of Muckle Media’s communications planning wheel is ‘insights’, which was the topic of last week’s #CommsCamp session. We discussed the different tolls and data sets that can be used to identify insights and interviewed Shruti about finding what she calls the ‘golden egg’. This is essentially an amazing piece of data or insight from which we can build a purposeful communications campaign.
You can never know enough about your audience
You can never know enough about your audience, particularly at the moment when things are changing constantly! The first piece of advice was to profile the audience as deeply as possible, and once that’s done profile some more. Shruti describes insights as a piece of information that can help make smarter decision for a business’s function, it goes beyond sharing numbers and should tell a clear story – perfect for the natural storytellers in communications teams! There are endless avenues you can explore to find these insights, a good starting is looking at adjacent markets you’re in. This could provide you with learnings of best practice in a different way to your industry.
Look at existing audiences first
Another easy to access alternative would be looking at demographics from existing customers but be cautious as the customer you’re going after might not be the same as the one you already have. Other examples could include focus groups, paid research, government data, forums and competitor analysis to name a few. There are also numerous tools to help you interrogate public and search engine data, such as ‘Answer The Public’, which provides free real time access to common search terms for a topic of your choice.
Use data to tell a story
As Shruti and Nathalie both mentioned, data needs to tell a story and with big spreadsheets it can get lost amongst the figures. So, once you’ve gathered insights, it’s important to cut the information and check the insight is correct and not just a coincidence.
Consider audience profiles or personas
You can then use these insights to think about who you’re targeting, this could involve things like segmentation, creating your dream customer or making a persona (which Nathalie feels is making a comeback!). For example, creating your ideal customer as a person and thinking about their behaviours e.g. what does Sally enjoy doing? What social networks does she use? Who does she live with and what does she do on the weekend? It can help you envision who exactly it is you are targeting. Shruti adds that a great way of creating insights on a budget would be starting with an audit using tools available to hand and look at diversifying your current audience.
Finding the ‘golden egg’
Once you’ve got this really detailed profile of who you want to target with your message, it makes it much easier to shape and mould. A lot of market insights can be found in similar places as the audience insights, but some additional platforms include trade magazines, thought leadership and industry experts. By blending predicted industry trends and audience insights you will ultimately find the ‘golden egg’.
Follow a process
It’s beneficial to follow a three-step process – review, audit and decide. This will help you create more focused campaigns that reach the right audience with the right message. Insights act as a critical friend to your communications team and help give clarity to your plan. In this day and age, it’s imperative that you continue to follow new market and audience insights and update your communications strategy accordingly.
Keep learning
And as Shruti concluded ‘Having a passion for data is so important, you need to be analytical and think outside the box. Keep learning and finding out what is new in the market.’
#CommsCamp runs every Thursday 09:30 – 10:30 via Facebook Live & Live updates on our Twitter page.
Welcome to #CommsCamp 🙂
Here is a link to download the second worksheet.
It covers our strategic communications capability diagnostic tool, which you can print off and mark up (alternatively we have an electronic version here: https://mucklemedia.co.uk/services/our-communications-wheel/)
There are also two pages to help form audience and sector insights which we discussed in last week’s session.
Look forward to seeing you on Thursday!
Welcome to #CommsCamp 🙂
Here is a link to download the first worksheet.
It covers our strategic communications capability diagnostic tool, which you can print off and mark up (alternatively we have an electronic version here: https://mucklemedia.co.uk/services/our-communications-wheel/)
There are also two pages to help form audience and sector insights which we’ll discuss further on the call.
Look forward to seeing you on Thursday!
-Scotland’s most northerly mainland whisky distillery unveils its name – 8 Doors Distillery-
Whisky enthusiasts are being given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, through a limited edition launch offer, to buy into Scotland’s most northerly mainland Scotch distillery, which today (6 October) unveils its name as ‘8 Doors Distillery’.
8 Doors Distillery is a new Scotch whisky micro-distillery and visitor centre set to open in John O’Groats in 2021, after planning permission was granted in March this year. The £1 million project will establish the first whisky producer in the Caithness village since 1837. It is a dream come true for its founders, local husband and wife team Kerry and Derek Campbell, who have developed a passion for Scotch over many years.
The new Highland Single Malt Whisky will be produced using the purest John O’Groats’ water extracted from a borehole on the distillery site. Its flavour profile will be deeply influenced by the local climate and its situation right beside the sea – hence its strapline ‘Whisky. From the Edge’.
With its limited edition launch offer 8 Doors Distillery is giving whisky lovers the opportunity to help create a new whisky legacy, saying the journey starts with the 874 Founders Club and the 874 Club.
8 Doors Distillery is collaborating with renowned whisky master John Ramsay to create its exclusive launch products. John brings with him over 40 years’ experience in the whisky industry, having being involved in the making of some of Scotland’s most well-known whiskies including The Famous Grouse, The Glenrothes and The Macallan.
Kerry and Derek see their limited edition launch as the first step in an incredible journey to realise their distillery dream. They have named the 874 Club after one of the greatest journeys in the UK – the 874 miles between Land’s End and John O’Groats.
The 874 Founders Club offers the exclusive opportunity to become a member and buy one of a limited number of 50 litre and 250 litre Founders Casks. The 874 Founders Club cask packages will be available for sale exclusively through Whisky Hammer for an initial period of one month until 5 November.
Those who join the 874 Club will receive a collection of three bottles from some of the first casks laid down and can purchase these packages directly from 8 Doors Distillery.
Both packages come with a host of benefits including a members’ card entitling the individual and a friend to free tours for life. Founders Club members will also be permanently recognised with their name on the Founders Display within the distillery.
The inspiration for the 8 Doors Distillery branding comes from the story of Jan de Groot, from whom the village of John O’Groats takes its name. Mr de Groot, a Dutchman who once plied a ferry from the Scottish mainland to Orkney, built his legendary house in the area during the reign of James IV (1488-1513). Mr de Groot’s seven descendants quarrelled about succession, so he decided to build an octagonal house with eight doors – one for him and each of his seven sons – and an eight-sided table so that nobody could sit at the ‘head of the table’.
The distillery on the 32,670 square feet site will have the capacity to produce up to 60,000 litres of whisky each year. The distillery and visitor centre will be housed in one large building and whisky will be matured in an on-site bonded warehouse.
The founders are also taking advice from Ian Evans of whisky consultancy Distilled Experience who is a former Operations and Compliance Director with William Grant & Sons.
Kerry Campbell, co-founder of 8 Doors Distillery, said: “The creation of our 8 Doors Distillery in John O’Groats and our limited edition launch is part of a dream come true for Derek and me. We have a long-held passion for whisky and for the local area in Caithness where we both grew up. We’re so pleased to be able to bring them together with the development of our distillery and visitor centre.
“We love whisky, and for us it’s more than just having an exceptional liquid in the glass. It’s the stories that go alongside it, the memories of special occasions and get-togethers with family and friends. If we can be part of creating not only a fantastic whisky but also great memories for people who drink our whisky that would be amazing.
“We couldn’t think of anywhere better than John O’Groats to make whisky, partly thanks to the climate which we believe is perfect for distilling and maturation, and the great people who live here. Since we’ve announced our plans to the build the distillery we’ve had lots of local support. And we’re delighted to be working with such industry experts as John Ramsay and Ian Evans for our launch products.
“We believe our limited edition offer provides an unmissable opportunity for whisky lovers across the world to join our 874 Club and be part of the creation of a new Scotch legacy. It truly is whisky from the edge.”
“And we’re pleased to be working with another independent Scottish family-run business, Whisky Hammer, as part of our launch campaign. We’ve had direct experience of their premium service and passion for the whisky that passes through their doors so we can’t think of a better partner to launch our founders casks with.”
John Ramsay said: “It has been wonderful to collaborate with Kerry and Derek at 8 Doors Distillery to help them realise their dream of a whisky that reflects the unique environment of John O’Groats. Having worked in the industry for many years, it’s great to be involved in producing the first whisky from Scotland’s most northerly mainland distillery.
“8 Doors Distillery is particularly exciting for me as it’s the first Scotch whisky project I’ve been involved with since I retired in 2009 after 43 years in the industry. When I met Kerry and Derek and found out more about their desire to create a distillery in John O’Groats I wanted to get on board.
“One of the things that really appeals to me is their commitment to producing a whisky that involves maturation as much as distillation. They realise the importance of high-quality casks.
“We are developing a flavour profile that brings to life the local climate and the influence of the sea. Once the spirit has been matured on-site in carefully selected first-fill casks from Spain designed to our specifications, I believe we will be bringing something original to the world of whisky from this remote part of Caithness.
Daniel Milne, co-founder of Whisky Hammer, said: “We’re excited to team up with Kerry and Derek at 8 Doors Distillery, and expect demand to be high for their exclusive 874 Founders Club cask packages. It’s great to see people with such a passion for Scotch bringing something new to the world of whisky. We would urge anyone interested in being part of this legacy to visit our site as soon as they can.”
Highlands and Islands Enterprise is investing up to £198,000 in the new venture. Keith Muir, the agency’s head of business growth in Caithness and Sutherland, said: “This is a fantastic development, and it is great to see a project coming forward even in these difficult times that will be of real benefit to the tourism sector and to the local community.
“We are delighted to be able to help this local young couple fulfil their dreams of creating a new distillery in John O’ Groats. We look forward to the launch of 8 Doors Whisky and wish Kerry and Derek every success.”
Anyone interested in buying exclusive 8 Doors Distillery casks (available from midday on 6 October) or bottles (available from morning of 6 October) to create a new Scotch legacy should visit:
As Harry and Meghan hit the headlines with their announcement that they plan to stand back from senior royal duties, Buckingham Palace don’t appear to have been involved or potentially even aware / in agreement with the announcement, so what can family businesses learn about PR during a challenging succession?
Here are our five key takeaways:
Even when families don’t agree it’s important that the external communications is aligned and pre-planned in a way that everyone agrees with. The way the royal announcement was managed, with Harry and Meghan making their announcement followed by a very reactive statement from Buckingham Palace saying that discussions were still at a very early stage, means it appears that either the palace wasn’t consulted at all or there was disagreement regarding when and how this would be announced and Harry and Meghan jumped the gun and made their statement. Perhaps working with a mediator or adviser could have helped to address the issues earlier and agree a longer-term plan that everyone was happy with.
According to ITV News, the Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William were not told that the announcement was coming, leading to shock in the royal family as the news was shared. Whenever making important announcements it’s key to consider all important stakeholders, from family members and employees in a family business through to trade unions and key customers. While posting a statement to social media might feel like an easy way to reach everyone at once it is rarely the best strategy for a joined up, strategic communications announcement. Use the most appropriate channel for each audience, considering face-to-face, telephone, video conference, all hands meetings and email before mass audience channels such as social and traditional media.
Whether it’s the royal family, a local business with a loyal customer base or a multinational family business, it’s important not to surprise people. When it comes to succession, a lot can be done early on to sow the seeds of future leaders, both within the family and externally. Setting out publicly a long-term plan for leaders to leave a business is also effective to avoid the element of surprise.
Although it appears the story was leaked which led to Harry and Meghan releasing their statement, where possible you should have as much information available as you can by the time an announcement is made. Set out w clear timeline for when the changes will come into place and address as many potential questions up front as you can. Where succession is involved make it clear who will be picking up the duties. If the announcement has to be reactive and details haven’t been agreed, make that clear and communicate a timeline for further communications.
Always consider what the announcement could mean in one, five and twenty years. Family businesses often have very long-term views and it’s important an announcement isn’t made in 2020 that causes a headache for the business leaders in 2040. If you’re going to commit to something or release a projection is it achievable and what could change in the future to impact that? Sometimes positioning a new initiative as a trial or pilot is a great way to leave options open.
Get in touch!
Love them or hate them – what do you think about Harry and Meghan’s news and what learnings can your family business take away from their approach to sharing their story? Tell us what you think @mucklemedia
Relative PR, a new public relations and communications agency, is being launched today for family-owned enterprises looking to grow and future-proof their businesses.
Thought to be the world’s first specialist in family-owned brands, the new agency, headquartered in Edinburgh, has been set-up by the team behind the award-winning Muckle Media PR consultancy. It will focus on the specific requirements of family-owned businesses, which are the lifeblood of the UK economy. The agency will share offices with, and run alongside, Muckle Media, which delivers creative communications campaigns, and Muckle-owned agency Platform PR, which supports brands with community engagement.
In a competitive marketplace, family-owned businesses must be able to tell stories that highlight their roots and heritage, while positioning themselves as modern, innovative firms.
Relative PR will work closely with family-owned businesses across a range of sectors to develop and deliver effective communications. It will provide a combination of strategic communications advice to family boards and management teams, as well as practical and tactical support to help deliver effective PR programmes.
Relative PR understands the challenges and opportunities of operating within a family-owned business from work with multi-generational brands and will use its knowledge to help firms grow their sales through impactful and creative communications.
Nathalie Agnew, founder and managing director of Relative PR, and Muckle Media, said:
“We’re launching Relative PR to provide a whole range of communications advice and support to family owned businesses. These businesses are the lifeblood of the UK economy, with two-thirds of firms in the UK family owned, generating more than a quarter of UK GDP.
“Many family owned firms that have passed through the generations are embracing change and understand the need to compete with emerging brands. We will work with family owned businesses to help successfully managing their public relations and wider communications to ultimately maximise their market share.
“We aim to help businesses write their story of the future, building upon the past and securing business growth for generations to come. In essence, we future proof their story.”
In October 2018, Muckle Media was named Outstanding PR Consultancy at the Chartered Institute of Public Relations PRide Awards.
200kg replica ship cake to be presented to HRH The Prince of Wales by 3D Cakes
A 140cm tall x 160 long replica cake of the HMS Prince of Wales has been presented to Prince Charles in a special ceremony this week (Tuesday 10 December).
The cake which was created by award-winning Scottish cake designers 3D Cakes and took over 300 hours to make, was presented as part of the commissioning ceremony of the HMS Prince of Wales in Portsmouth.
3D Cakes, which has shops in Edinburgh and Glasgow, was appointed by the Royal Navy through the Ministry of Defence to create the replica ship which weighed over 200kg and was made using over 8kg of flour and 190 eggs.
The firm, which is the most awarded cake company in Scotland, has won 11 national awards and was awarded overall Cake Designer of Year at the The Scottish Wedding Awards 2019.
David Duncan, founder and designer of 3D Cakes said: “Two years ago we created a cake for the commissioning of HMS Queen Elizabeth and we are honoured to have been asked to do the same again for HMS Prince of Wales.
“We love the opportunity to get creative and have relished the challenge. We baked the cake in our Edinburgh shop and have transported it to Portsmouth before making some final touches – such as adding a floating aircraft near to the crest. The two ships are sisters, but we’ve ensured there are some differences this time around. We’ve recreated the crest of the ship at more than a meter high, standing upright on the back making it much more dramatic. Half of the ship is then sailing out of the crest. It’s of similar scale but even more detailed than before.
“We are really proud to be commissioned for a second cake and delighted to have created it from our Scottish base.”
3D Cakes which is home to the David Duncan Sugarcraft School offers cake masterclasses across both the Edinburgh and Glasgow stores and creates thousands of wedding and occasion cakes every year. 3D Cakes delivered more 2,500 wedding cakes across Scotland in 2019 from Inverness to The Borders.
-ENDS-
Notes to editors
For more information or interview requests contact Muckle Media on [email protected] or call 0131 228 9713
Muckle Media celebrated four wins at the PRCA DARE Awards last night, taking home the Medium Consultancy of the Year, Industry Leader of the Year, Rising Star of the Year, and Internal Communications Campaign of the Year gongs.
The creative communications agency with offices in Edinburgh and Inverness collected the awards at the coveted black-tie awards ceremony at the Kimpton Hotel on Charlotte Square in Edinburgh.
The Medium Consultancy of the Year award was open to agencies with between 11-25 staff and celebrated excellence in financial performance, staff and client retention/acquisition, innovation and implementation of creative ideas.
The Rising Star Award went to senior account executive Fiona Reyner, who has shown a fantastic can-do attitude and delivered strong results as a trusted advisor to a number of consumer clients since joining Muckle Media as an intern just over two years ago.
The Industry Leader of the Year award went to Nathalie Agnew, who founded Muckle Media in 2012 after holding senior roles in global London based agencies.
The Internal Communications Campaign Awards went to Muckle Media’s campaign for Heriot-Watt University, securing a record number of downloads for the internal communications platform MyHWU.
Muckle Media’s work was also shortlisted for the Consumer Relations Award for the team’s work with Benromach Distillery, promoting whisky to a global audience and the Low Budget Campaign in support of the agency’s work with Simple Minds guitarist Ged Grimes, who launched a curated Gaelic music soundtrack to accompany the release of the video game The Bard’s Tale IV.
Nathalie Agnew, Managing Director of Muckle Media, said:
“We’ve had some exciting activity in early 2019, including the launch of our new sub-brand agency Relative PR which serves family owned businesses with specialist communications. Our wins tonight are testament to the fantastic team we’ve built up across our office network. Particular congratulations go to Fiona Reyner who was named Rising Star.”
Muckle Media is also the current holder of the CIPR Outstanding Public Relations Consultancy award, which is won in October 2018.
Find out more about Muckle Media here – www.mucklemedia.co.uk
A full list of winners can be found here – https://prcadareawards.com
Angus MacDonald OBE, who has built and sold five significant businesses whilst based in the Highlands, will share his inspiring entrepreneurial journey with the Highlands’ business community at a free event at Inverness College on Thursday 30th May.
MacDonald first established his reputation in the 1990s in his 20s, building and selling a data company to a Californian FinTech business, this was followed by scaling and selling two financial publishing companies for a combined value of over £91m. In 2018/19 he sold an education company and recycling business for £60m. In 2014, he was awarded an OBE for services to the Highlands, and in 2017, was crowned Spear’s UK wide Entrepreneur of the Year.
The event will provide an opportunity for attendees to strengthen their business acumen, develop strategy from MacDonald’s insights, and pose questions to him during a Q&A session. They will also be able to connect with other local business owners and like-minded peers.
Speaking ahead of the event, Angus MacDonald OBE said “I love business, believe that opportunities abound, and I want to encourage younger generations to share this ethos, particularly in the Highlands. I will still be doing this when I am 85, increasingly with a core focus of encouraging local businesses to develop and flourish.”
Sandy Kennedy, chief executive of Entrepreneurial Scotland, will chair the event and is at the forefront of leading a movement to progress business in Scotland himself. Commenting on the event, Kennedy said: “my goal is to develop and inspire Scotland’s business minds to become the most entrepreneurial society in the world.
“At Entrepreneurial Scotland, we manage a rapidly growing membership of some of the country’s most successful business owners, including many in the Highlands and Islands. This free event is a great opportunity for entrepreneurs, business owners and those interested in entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship to come together and hear Angus’ story.”
The event is free to attend on Thursday 30th May, more details can be found here:https://www.entrepreneurialscotland.com/events/evening-withangus-macdonald
Date: 30th May
Start 5.30pm for 6pm – 8pm
Inverness College UHI, 1, Inverness Campus,
Inverness , IV2 5NA
Complimentary refreshments will be provided
Muckle Media are delighted that their client, The Crowne Plaza Edinburgh – Royal Terrace has partnered with premium Edinburgh based Crighton Pet Services to offer dogs a bespoke getaway while owners enjoy exploring some of the capital’s hidden gems.
Four-legged friends will be able to escape to the Edinburgh hills, seaside or woodlands with Steven Crighton, founder and owner of Crighton Pet Services.
Crighton has over 1,000 kilometres worth of professional dog walking experience, walking up to 20 dogs per week and will customise each experience to suit the individual dog’s personality, size age and breed.
The dogs will be collected directly from guests’ hotel rooms at the Crowne Plaza and dropped off again after a wash and brush up. Owners will be able to take time to relax and explore Edinburgh, safe in the knowledge that their pet will be having the time of their life. They can then choose between arriving home to greet them or staying out a little longer.
The Crowne Plaza will provide a welcome letter on arrival, highlighting all the local bars, cafes, shops and attractions that are dog friendly as well as amenities to make sure each four-legged guest feels at home.
These include a memory foam dog bed at the hotel and a dog bowl with a welcome treat. There is also doggie beer available in the bar and lounge, where dogs can join their owners through the day and evening.
Commenting on the launch, Kieran Quinn, General Manager of the Crowne Plaza, said “We are thrilled to be extending our services to four legged guests. Edinburgh has a wealth of options for national and local visitors who return to explore the capital year on year.
“The city’s easily accessible beaches and hills, combined with rich history, makes it a picturesque location for humans and dogs alike. We keep our guests at the heart of everything we do, and what better way to enhance their experience than inviting their dogs along to share it.”
For more information on Crowne Plaza’s Ulti-Mutt experience visit: https://www.ihg.com/crowneplaza/hotels/gb/en/edinburgh/edite/hoteldetail