Super Thursday, as its known within the publishing industry, is the busiest day in the publishing calendar – the day that more books come out than on any other. With only around 300 published on October 14 2021, Super Thursday was the lightest in years. But while fewer titles were released, last year’s line-up was extremely strong, with the likes of Billy Connolly’s first full memoir, John le Carre’s final novel, a raft of cookery titles from household names such as Jamie Oliver, Nigel Slater (and not forgetting Peter Sawkins and The Hebridean Baker, which we at Muckle Media successfully launched) competing for best seller status.

With so many high-profile books jostling for position at the top of the charts, it is the job of the publishing PR to create clever, creative campaigns to cut through the noise and ensure that the book and author receive as much publicity as possible, in turn creating all important sales.

PR has always had a large role to play in the promotion of books. Once, publishers used to pay for space in bookshops (such as 3 for 2 offers), but there are fewer opportunities like these nowadays. And as books tend to have a small target audience compared to a mass public audience which some brands enjoy, advertising isn’t an option which many publishers invest in. Authors need a competitive edge which gets them in front of their target audience, so PR is an extremely effective tool for increasing awareness and therefore sales.

An average of 180,000 books a year are published in the UK making the competition for review space in newspapers and magazines fierce. The publicist therefore has to look for effective and imaginative ways in which to promote the book and the author and ensure that the correct audience is being targeted. Interviews, podcasts, events, competitions, opinion pieces, Q&As, social media… the ways in which a PR can promote an author and their new book are vast.

TV and Radio are hugely important when it comes to increasing book sales. We at Muckle Media experienced this first-hand when we were promoting Great British Bake Off 2020 winner, Peter Sawkins’ new book, Peter Bakes, this summer. After securing Peter an interview on the much-coveted BBC Radio 2 Zoe Ball show, Peter Bakes jumped from number 44 to number 3 in Amazon’s Baking Best seller list and whizzed down to number 49 on Amazon’s overall best selling book chart. And after securing The Hebridean Baker a baking demonstration spot on This Morning, we were thrilled to see his book leap from number 27 to number 4 on Amazon’s best selling charts, demonstrating again that the proof is certainly in the pudding that PR is an extremely powerful tool when it comes to book sales.

Here are our essentials for a successful book campaign:

1. Ensure you have the right collateral ready before you reach out to media – an AI (advance information) sheet, images of the author and the book cover, advance copies (digital versions are fine), and importantly – have you read the book?!
2. Know who your target audience is and identify the best media to reach that audience. Be creative and think outside the box!
3. Be available for interviews and events – even the most successful authors go on book tours. In the year before his death, Charles Dickens gave a series of readings around Britain.
4. Be active on social media and connect with relevant followers

Scotland played host to the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow earlier this month and there was no way you could miss it as it took over news agendas, social channels and general conversation.

Designed to bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the need for change was made clear but what is the desire for these changes and what does this mean for consumer brands?

While brands measure success in various ways, a common theme is always going to be profit. Sustainability, along with ethics, are values we now see running through the culture of some consumer brands but others are still almost exclusively focused on the bottom line and the numbers.

The pandemic is thought to have already shifted consumer behaviours as people realise they need less stuff and instead want more experiences and according to YouGov, who surveyed 2,000+ UK adults earlier this year, sustainability came out as a key consideration for consumers today, with 32% claiming to be highly engaged with adopting a more sustainable lifestyle.
As many as 28% of those surveyed went as far as to say that they have actively stopped buying products due to ethical or environmental concerns. If you focus in on generation Z alone (24-year-olds and under), that number jumps from 28% to a massive 45%. Gen Z are the future and as wealth transfers to this younger generation, sustainability and ethics need to become standard practice and brands will need to exhibit transparency to appeal to this newer consumer.

With every generation, sustainability will only become more and more ingrained in purchasing decisions. Most brands have started the conversation and taken some action regarding their sustainability credentials (and they’d be mad not to) but it is clear they must take meaningful action now to make their products more sustainable and build accountability into their values. If they don’t, their survival time is likely limited (which is a better outcome than the planet’s survival being limited).

We saw some brands make commitments at COP26 and only time will tell what legacy comes from the conference but it’s clear that consumers are now watching and they have never been so conscious of their spending decisions so brands need to take notice.

EasyJet’s attendance at COP26 saw them announce their desire to be the first to fly passengers in hydrogen-powered Airbus aircrafts from 2035 and British fashion brands including Burberry, Stella McCartney and Mulberry took part in a fashion show at the global event, pledging their commitment to making changes for the good of the environment.
While organisations look at ways to meet their consumers increasingly environmentally conscious needs, and promote these credentials to their existing and potential customers, it’s important that ‘greenwashing’ is not a part of the communications process.

‘Greenwashing’ is essentially a tactic we have seen adopted by some organisations who understand the importance of the sustainability message but instead of taking real action they are using their marketing and PR to trick consumers into thinking their products are more environmentally friendly.
This is not a smart move and as we’ve seen with brands who have done this before, it will come back to bite them and ultimately showcase them as a brand that is not trustworthy. It is therefore vital that organisations actually commit to greener values and carefully consider how they communicate their efforts to avoid backlash. Transparency is now too important for any brand to ignore.

We’re delighted to announce that we have been appointed by the National Trust for Scotland to support its PR on a retained basis.

We will be supporting on a number of activations and announcements throughout 2022 and beyond for the National Trust for Scotland, including the launch of its new 10-year strategy. Muckle Media was appointed to the brief after a competitive pitch process.

Muckle Media Founder, Nathalie Agnew, said: “National Trust for Scotland has long been one of our dream accounts and winning the opportunity to work with such an esteemed charitable organisation is a huge honour for us. Heritage, the environment, and conservation are important topics of huge relevance right now, so we look forward to supporting the brand to communicate its leadership position in this space. There are lots of exciting developments at the National Trust for Scotland over the coming year and we can’t wait to work with them to make sure 2022 is its most successful year yet.”

Director of Customer & Cause for the National Trust for Scotland Mark Bishop said: “The National Trust for Scotland is at a pivotal point in our charity’s development, as we look ahead to our centenary in 2031. We look forward to working with Muckle Media to connect even more people with the work we do to protect all that makes Scotland special, the beautiful places in our care and their many stories.”

This forms part of our continued growth throughout the year with a number of new client wins and recently announced the opening of our new Aberdeen office, that complements Muckle Media’s existing offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness.

For more information on Muckle Media and the services it offers please get in touch [email protected]

We are pleased to announced the promotion of current employees, Linsay Brown and Chris Batchelor, to Director, following a period of continued growth. The two will work closely with agency founder, Nathalie Agnew, across client servicing, new business and agency culture.

Linsay Brown joined the agency as an Account Director in 2018, leading on consumer PR accounts including Thistles shopping centre and Gordon & MacPhail. Linsay has been heavily involved in growing the team, with a focus on embedding a positive culture and supporting employee wellbeing, and delivered the successful Returners to Communications programme earlier this year.

After joining Muckle Media in February this year from London-based agency Pretty Green, Chris Batchelor has supported the agency’s new business with several high-profile client wins throughout the year, alongside overseeing a successful brand refresh and relaunch.

Commenting on the changes to the team’s structure, Muckle Media Founder Nathalie Agnew, said: “Chris and Linsay have both played a key role in Muckle Media’s success over the past twelve months, so deserve this recognition and promotion. As we work towards further exciting growth plans I look forward to working alongside Chris and Linsay in their expanded remits.”

Linsay Brown, commented: “Over the last few years the agency has grown rapidly and it has been fantastic to be part of the team behind this. We’ve brought on new team members, won a wealth of new business and focused our efforts on making Muckle Media one of the best communications agencies to work for and with. We have big aspirations for the agency and our team, and I look forward to working with Nathalie and Chris to bring these to fruition.”

Chris Batchelor added: “After moving to Edinburgh earlier in the year after nearly 10 years working at a number of agencies in London, Muckle Media couldn’t have made the switch easier. Not only do we have a talented and supportive team, but we are also delivering high quality work which is reflected in our growth. I’m excited to see what the future holds for Muckle Media as we continue to push ourselves to deliver for both existing and future clients.”

For enquiries please contact: [email protected]

Linsay Brown, Head of Lifestyle PR at Muckle Media

In my role at Muckle Media I’ve had the privilege of meeting a number of young practitioners, students and those interested in a career in PR but unsure where to start. And I often have the same conversation with them, as they struggle to find the ‘right’ career path to start them off on the best possible trajectory.

Someone looking at where I am in my career to date might think I had it sussed and that I’d started the ‘right’ way and progressed up the career ladder at the ‘right’ time. But it wasn’t all plain sailing and in fact at one point I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do and was completely floundering. I’ve since learned that that’s completely normal but for some reason it’s something a lot of people don’t talk about.

I left high school at 16 after completing my Highers, unsure of what to do but certain that another year at high school wasn’t right for me. After going back and forth for a while I decided to try journalism, since writing had always been an interest of mine and something I’d done well with at school. I started at the Glasgow Metropolitan College (now the City of Glasgow College) having enrolled on the HNC in Practical Journalism course.

I had a fantastic time during that year and grew up very quickly, however it’s also where I was told by one particularly attuned lecturer that journalism simply wasn’t right for me. He was completely right and after chatting it through with him I realised I wasn’t going to be the right fit for the industry – but where did that leave me? It was he, Brian, who advised me to try PR as he thought it would be the perfect industry for me.

Now, I have to be honest, my understanding of PR stretched to what I’d seen on reality shows like The Hills – ultra glamorous, constant parties and meeting celebs. Not quite the reality I know now! From that conversation with Brian I started to plan (after, I’m not afraid to admit, a while floundering and being completely unsure I’d ever find the right career for me) and applied to study PR and Media at Queen Margaret University, alongside arranging a meeting with a PR practitioner at a national PR agency to learn more about what the industry was really like.

While ultimately my career path was the more traditional one, it wasn’t quite the cookie cutter path we’re sold a dream of growing up. I actually didn’t set foot inside my university during the second half of fourth year, instead I started an internship during the January of my final year and was kept on, juggling my dissertation with working part time but gaining real experience that I believed (and now know) would teach me more.

PR and the wider communications industry is a bit of a strange one. It’s not one we’re told about during our school years as a potential career path and it’s also not one everyone understands – I can’t count the number of times I’ve been asked ‘but what is it you actually do?’. However, it holds incredibly rewarding roles and a fantastic community of practitioners ready to hold your hand and help you navigate your career.

It’s important that we stop focusing on what has traditionally been seen as the ‘right’ career path and instead figure out the right career path for everyone as individuals. For some people completing sixth year at high school, then going on to University and completing a degree before applying for a permanent role is the right path. For others, schemes like our Kickstarters Traineeship programme [hyperlink to info on MM website] are better. Some people learn better through learning the theory behind what we do, while others do better with gaining hands-on experience and learning on the job.

Ultimately, it comes down to you as an individual. Are you passionate about a career in PR and Communications? Do you have the drive to learn more and better yourself? Are you inquisitive and eager to find out more about the industry and clients? Are you willing to put yourself out there and tell an agency or company why you’re the right fit for the job, regardless of what it says on your CV?

It’s time we focus on the people behind the CV and that’s something I’m glad to say we do at Muckle Media. And remember, the people within the industry are just that, people, they’re willing and often eager to help those interested in finding out more about it. Don’t be afraid to approach someone and ask to go for a coffee to learn more about the realities of working in PR. That’s what I did, and I know I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t.

With the continued boom in the gaming industry spanning over the past decade, we’re beginning to see more brands, celebrities and influencers find new ways to collaborate with games to have their fair share of the growing market and use their mass popularity to reach an engaged audience.

Earlier this year, we saw luxury swiss watchmakers, Tag Heuer, partner with Nintendo to launch their Super Mario range of smart watches. Initially a limited-edition product, it has been rumoured to mark the beginning of a long term partnership between the two brands. The Tag Heuer Connected x Super Mario watch marked one of the only times in history that a luxury watchmaker has collaborated within the gaming realms. Albeit an unpredictable partnership, it was refreshing to see a luxury brand do something with such a mainstream brand. With the rise in smart watch users Tag Heuer found a way to remain a staple in luxury timepieces but adapt to a more modern form of watch that will appeal to the younger generation who in turn will be their new target market in a few years to come.

Straying from physical collaborations, in game partnerships have been the most prevalent crossovers we tend to experience. These are often seen as easy wins like the time you could buy Snoop Dogg’s announcer voice over as DLC in Call of Duty Ghosts. It was a harmless addition to the game which had its novelty but the idea that it was anything more than a chance to gain a bit of hype and money for the game most would consider false. Still didn’t stop many, myself included, from buying it.

However, the main game that we’ve seen to continue to invest so much of their money, time and efforts into collaborations is online game Fortnite. Love or hate the game it’s something that everyone has at least heard of. Over the years, they’ve had massive collaborations with the likes of Marvel in the leadup to Avengers Endgame. Fortnite introduced their free to play game mode allowing players to play as an Avenger against villain Thanos. This was one of the rare times that a game has opted for free access in a collaboration and with the success and spike in playership it’s something that they have continued to push.

With Covid-19 shutting down all major festivals, concerts and live shows over the last year, Fortnite innovated their collaborations as they set up in game live concerts with the likes of Travis Scott and Ariana Grande. This was a unique approach as many other companies would have put a high profile event like this behind a paywall but it seems Fortnite prefer the exposure to keep a retained playerbase.

Video game collaborations are only going to continue, with the recent decade showing a tried and tested market. It’s only right to assume that these crossovers are only going to be bigger and better as time goes on. It’s almost impossible to predict the future of collabs, and with Fortnite setting a precedent of offering free access to said partnerships it will be interesting to see if similar games follow suit.

Muckle Media launches Aberdeen office, COP26 practice and design studio

Thursday 14th October: Muckle Media, the creative communications agency, has opened its first office in Aberdeen. Based at neospace, the North East of Scotland office will be jointly led by newly recruited PR specialist and senior account manager, Jess Murphy and studio manager and designer, Claire Emslie.

Jess and Claire will work closely with Muckle Media’s wider Scottish management team to grow the agency’s client base in Aberdeen. Alongside launching into a new city, Muckle Media is also launching two new offerings, with the creation of a design studio led by Claire Emslie and a new practice dedicated to COP26 communications in the run up and following COP26 in Glasgow.

Jess Murphy joins the agency from her recent role as PR and communications manager at Aberdeen Inspired, the city centre business improvement district (BID), prior to this Jess worked in various PR agencies and also as a reporter at the Press & Journal.

Claire Emslie joins the agency from being a self-employed creative running her own online design business. Prior to this Claire worked as a communications coordinator for drilling and engineering contractor KCA DEUTAG.

The new Aberdeen office will complement Muckle Media’s other offices in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness, which serve public, private and third sector brands in the UK and overseas with creative PR services.

Jess sees a great opportunity for Muckle Media in the Granite City as the North East economy bounces back, she said: “I am delighted to be joining Muckle Media during a hugely exciting period of growth. I’ve been following the company for a number of years and admired their creative campaigns, ambition and team ethos.

“As the North East continues to work through the recovery phase, promoting your business and its offering in the right way has never been more important and Muckle is well placed to deliver that. It’s a brilliant time to join the team and I’m looking forward to helping build up the Aberdeen base.”

Claire is excited by the prospects of continuing to build out Muckle Media’s capacities as a full-service communications agency with a design offering. She added:

“I am looking forward to being part of this significant growth period for Muckle Media as it expands into Aberdeen. I believe clear communications, supported by strong visual elements helps organisations stand out and reach their potential, so I’m thrilled to take on the challenge of launching a new design offering, and developing the studio to build out the capacities in this area.”

The new office has already opened and Muckle Media is actively recruiting additional communications specialist colleagues in Aberdeen and across wider Scotland. To find out more visit www.mucklemedia.co.uk. The COP26 team can be contacted at [email protected]

With watchdog organisations and individuals ready to call out brands for greenwashing, how certain can we be that what brands are conveying to the public is a true representation?

It is the responsibility of a communications professional and the brand to work together and make sure interaction with the public is done honestly and ethically. Before we could even fully understand what PR was, we knew it was our job to communicate the truth or in some instances, know when not to say anything at all.

It calls into question if the language we use around environmental sustainability should be more closely regulated. No governing body has the capacity or financial backing to monitor or interject the issue of greenwashing on the scale of which it is happening. A recent report by the Changing Markets Foundation found that 60% of sustainability claims by fashion giants were in fact instances of greenwashing (https://www.edie.net/news/7/Report–60–of-sustainability-claims-by-fashion-giants-are-greenwashing/).

Unfortunately, as greenwashing isn’t necessarily lying, not much can be done to stop it. Though, public exposition and mass boycott is often used to discourage others from doing it. An example Scottish climate activist, Laura young (@LessWasteLaura), offered to explain how greenwashing can work, al be it a bit extreme, is that fossil fuels are technically a natural product harvested from the very earth itself, so what’s to stop oil companies from selling their product as *Natural!?* *cue picture of an oil drum surrounded by green leaves*. Well for one, there must have been a clever individual who came up with the idea for the messaging in the first place, and two, a full comms team working hard to sell that messaging to the public.

Communications professionals have the privilege of being a barricade, a gateway that can either allow or prevent messages from going out into the world. We have the ability to prevent clients from deceiving the public through our choice of language.

The longer companies get away with greenwashing, the longer we postpone actual change being made. Organisations will continue to be destructive if they aren’t held accountable and consumers will continue to buy non-sustainable products and services if they don’t know any better.

It’s therefore our responsibility to ensure we have an in-depth understanding of our clients, who they are and what they do. Not to be mistaken for who they say they are and what they say they do.

It’s our role to unpick the language clients are feeding us and get to the bottom of the real meaning behind the words.

Natural, organic, eco-friendly, green (that’s a personal favourite).
From suggestive pictures with no meaning behind them *exhibit a – H&M ‘Conscious collection’* to companies with one sustainable product at the face of their dirty operation. This is all within the realms of communications and all completely avoidable if we choose to question the message we are portraying and ultimately stop anything misleading from leaving the drafts. For further troublesome green-sheen tactics, please refer to Green Impacts 10 signs of Greenwashing: https://www.greenimpact.com/tips/environmental-marketing-greenwashing-tips-for-staying-out-of-trouble/

If we truly want to turn things around and begin to reduce self-destruction inflicted on our planet, then it is up to us, the comms professionals to work alongside clients to eliminate forms of greenwashing. . Ultimately, making a positive impact on the environment comes down to influencing behaviour change, so there is a role for comms professionals to play here in making that happen.