…helping to organise the Midlands largest Twestival! More info here…
posted on February 7, 2009 by Ellie Lovell in Archive, Birmingham, Me, Social Media
…helping to organise the Midlands largest Twestival! More info here…
posted on October 8, 2008 by Ellie Lovell in Advertising, Archive, Marketing, PR
I was very amused this morning to find some flyers had been delivered to myself and a few colleagues in the Communications Office at work, although it seems there may be a bit of an identity crisis!
Daryl Willcox Publishing, who apparently provide “online services for media relations specialists” say “you’ve got the story, we’ve got the contacts” but it seems they haven’t got the contacts…
The flyers were addressed as follows:
For a company that claims to have the contacts – this doesn’t give me great faith in their services. Not only do they get the names wrong but surely they could have figured our genders out?!
Suffice to say the flyer will go straight in the bin (after we’ve all laughed about it and i’ve named and shamed them).
Lesson – get the basics right!
posted on September 24, 2008 by Ellie Lovell in Archive, Birmingham, Media, News, Social Media
Just an example of how Twitter can be/is used by (on the ball) journalists…
I was just about to head to bed and noticed danjones101 mention that he was stuck on a train for four hours because of a gunman on a train track. I did wonder to myself where @danjones101 was and what was happening, but then I noticed the Birmingham Post twitter a link to their news article on it… then journalist BhamPostJoanna twitters @danjones101 to get the story.
Will be interested to see if Dan Jones is quoted tomorrow…
EDIT: And in the time it took me to write this, danjones101 replied to BhamPostJoanna with contact details and BhamPostJoanna has emailed him.
EDIT (Thurs am): I sent BhamPostJoanna a link to this blog entry on Twitter and she replied with this:
You can read the article in full on the Birmingham Post website: “Rugby gunman hunt leaves passengers stranded”
posted on August 29, 2008 by Ellie Lovell in Archive, Marketing, PR, Social Media, Video, Warwick, Web, work
This afternoon I arrived home from a four-day conference in Brighton – the CASE Europe Annual Conference 2008. For those who don’t know, CASE is for Marketing, Communications, Fundraising and Alumni professionals in the Higher Education sector.
I haven’t got time to write about it all now (I need to catch up on some sleep and rest my brain) but I thought I would just list the sessions that I attended this week so that I could recap/reflect/review them in the future…
Why universities need to engage with the media
Tara Brabazon, Professor of Media Studies, University of Brighton
How do university leaders prevent the “wisdom of crowds” – of blogs, podcasts and social networking sites – from whimpering into mediocrity and banality? Since 9/11 there has never been a greater need for intelligent commentary by scholars to rebuild citizenship and a commitment to social justice. Join Tara to discuss the need to understand the impact of digitisation on the societies we serve.
Developing a brand-focused digital strategy
Helen Aspell, Head of Digital Marketing, University of Southampton; Dean Russell, Digital Marketing Consultant and James Souttar, Senior Brand Consultant, Precedent
Explore how the changing landscape of digital technologies will shape the agendas of brand development into the future. This session will present the results of the recent collaboration between Precedent and the University of Southampton, demonstrating how the adoption of technologies can be made easier with a consistent approach based on business objectives and audiences.
Consumer buying behaviour and the Higher Education decision-making process
Claire Brown, Director of Student Recruitment and Admissions and Matt Smith, Head of Student Recruitment Marketing, University of Liverpool
As prospective students adopt an increasingly consumerist approach to their decision-making in Higher Education it is important that universities understand their key choice criteria and how this may vary throughout the UCAS Cycle. Linking Kotler’s five stage consumer decision-making model to the UCAS cycle, this session reveals research which can be utilised to inform a recruitment marketing communications strategy.
Old school v new cool: How prospective students use traditional, modern and social networking media when picking their university
Eleanor Simmons, Associate Director – Higher Education, Opinionpanel Research
With the media available for prospective students to use when deciding which university to apply to ever increasing, this presentation looks at the role of modern and traditional media and the most recent addition: social networking sites.
CRM for student recruitment – A practical session on how to successfully select and implement CRM
Stephen Macdonald, CEO, Azorus and Susan Vercruysse, Assistant Register, Ryerson University
CRM can appear a daunting technology acquisition when in reality it is a platform to market your institution to today’s web savvy generation. Hear how Ryerson University, a Canadian university operating in an environment similar to the UK, has differentiated itself and gained a competitive advantage by delivering services over the web.
Crisis v “no comment” – how universities tackle the ethics of today’s media
Tara Brabazon, Professor of Media Studies, University of Brighton; Ann Mroz, Editor, Times Higher Education; Peter Slee, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Student and Staff Affairs), Northumbria University; chaired by Ian Rowley, Director of Communication and Strategy, University of Warwick
Today’s media is 24/7 leaving Vice-Chancellors and their hard working press officers no let up from the constant demands for comments in newspapers, broadcast and online communications. In a world of no fixed deadlines three experts debate how to get the best out of the media and whether it is ever safe to turn off your Blackberry.
Internet search – the journey has only just started
Richie Jones, Creative Technology Director, Yucca
This session will deal with how people use search, how this has changed in the Google Age and what the future of search could be. We’ll survey paid search (PPC) and natural search (SEO), looking at how the two can be used strategically, and ways to rapidly improve your website.
Successful University brands and reputation
Professor Chris Chapleo, Senior Lecturer, Human Resource and Marketing Management, Portsmouth University and Justin Shaw, Director of HE Practice, Communications Management
What makes a “successful” brand in higher education? In this session Chris and Justin will present findings and discuss the implications of new Portsmouth University research into perceptions (within and outside the sector) of successful university brands. Delegates will also be able to explore reputation drivers for their universities as part of this session.
Harnessing technology to enhance your marketing and recruitment processes
Maggie Frantz, Head of Operations, Hobsons
This session will explore how universities in the UK, US and Australia are using technology to engage more effectively with prospective students. Maggie and a representative from a partner university will explore how CRM systems and innovative use of Web 2.0 technologies can enhance your marketing and student recruitment activities, to convert enquirers into enrolled students.
Closing Plenary
Leadership and team-building in a transcultural marketplace
J. Frank Brown, Dean, INSEAD
The ability to build teams is a necessary skill for a leader. In the international context, building teams with a global point of view is imperative. How do we help the people we work with to transcend the boundaries of discipline, context and country? And what results can we expect if we succeed?
posted on July 21, 2008 by Ellie Lovell in Archive, CIPR Diploma, Entertainment, Family, For Blog's Sake, Me, PR, Warwick
So I have resigned myself to the fact that, like April, July is going to be pretty much…
We received our CIPR planning assignment on Monday 30th June and progress so far has been slow. It’s a pretty tricky assignment and being busy with work I just haven’t made much headway with it so it’s time to knuckle down!
I have lots of things to look forward to in August so that should keep me motivated. I’m making a note of them here so that when I am struggling with the assignment and feeling miserable I can remind myself of the fun to come!
EDIT: this list is not exhaustive – I shall be adding to it!
So, bring on August when I will feel more like this…
EDIT: I also feel that August might need a theme tune so am open to suggestions…preferably in the form of links to YouTube please!
posted on June 30, 2008 by Ellie Lovell in Archive, CIPR Diploma, PR
This is the second essay of my CRT assignment for my CIPR Diploma, graded a Distinction. The first essay on PR and the Blogosphere is also available on my blog.
“Propaganda is not neutral, it aims to further the aims of the propagandist.” (Wright, 1991).
Discuss this definition of propaganda in the light of “ethical propaganda” campaigns, such as public safety or public health campaigns in your country.
There is a great deal of uncertainty when it comes to propaganda: Some PR practitioners will recoil at the suggestion that they are propagandists. Other public relations experts will argue that propaganda is an integral part of public relations practise. So who is right and why is there such confusion over propaganda? “One of the few things that can be said with any certainty about propaganda is that there is little consensus concerning what it is, how it is used, who uses it, how it can be assessed and whether it is effective or not” (Elkes, 2001). This paper examines the meaning of propaganda, the characteristics that distinguish it from other forms of communication, the techniques employed by propagandists and the theory that is applied to these techniques. It also aims to consider more recent uses of propaganda for health campaigns and considers whether propaganda can be ethical.