Social Communications

Earlier this week Twitter rolled out its new 280 character limit to all users, meaning we now have double the room to compose our tweets. It’s a controversial move and hasn’t been met that warmly by everyone - especially those who, like me, have spent many years pining for an ‘edit’ button on published tweets.

Regardless of your opinion though, the update has arrived and it is going to undoubtedly change the way we use Twitter.

However, I would always argue that change is good, and I’m sure it won’t be long before we’ve all forgotten the days of 140 characters and have gone back to moaning about the lack of an edit button.

Could the 280 character limit impact Twitter negatively? Of course it could. Twitter’s USP for years have been its brevity, forcing users to be creative in how they communicate their message and making the news feed incredibly easy to scan.

But it is also going to impact Twitter positively, and it will be interesting to see which impact overrides the other.

There are three key things I think the 280 character limit is going to bring about that will be really positive for the platform:

1. It will be easier to tweet about complex topics. This is particularly good news for a number of our clients. Communicating your message to people who do not have previous knowledge of it is, as we all know, key to any kind of growth. 280 characters gives us just a little more room for clarity. 2. It will allow tweets to come across as more personable. This is great news for businesses and brands because coming across as personable is how trust and loyalty are built on social media. I believe it’s one of the most valuable things about social media platforms and I think change will only increase it. 3. It will change what Twitter is for, and that’s exciting. Exciting because we (Twitter included) probably don’t know what it will be for yet, and exciting because it also paves the way for new platforms to pop up and fill the gap left behind.

I am looking forward to helping clients make the most of this new 280 character opportunity and to seeing what sort of ripple effect it has over the coming months. I still want that edit button though.

I’m sad to say that words like ‘private sector’, private investment’ and ‘profit’ are still seen as offensive words by many when it comes to improving the NHS, building houses, and providing essential services we all rely on. I suggest we call on Douglas down the road to help us out.

Yes, the Budget is almost upon us, Chancellor Hammond has promised it to be a radical one, and debate is heating up in the press about how we should spend taxpayer cash. Upping our spending on infrastructure in line with the OECD average of 3.5 per cent, borrowing more to build houses, slashing the deficit, there are important choices to be made and the list goes on.

The renewed focus on building infrastructure is a huge opportunity for us to explain how the private sector can successfully help benefit our areas, improve the lives of ordinary people and solve some of society’s problems in a world of limited tax payer cash and resources. This is especially important as ideas from the left involving higher tax and bigger government continue to gain traction.

Frankly, the government needs to up its game here by coming up with a simple and compelling message, cut the jargon, and talk to people in plain English. Sounds like a no-brainer right, but it’s still not happening.

We in the private sector too need to engage meaningfully with the ‘ordinary person’. A big way we can do that is by ‘humanising’ our comms effort. Now forgive me for stating the bleeding obvious, but we need to get ‘real people’ advocating the good work that is going on and explaining how it is benefiting them. We need to do everything we can to find these people, and treasure them. Whether it’s the patient or nurse talking about that shiny new, privately-funded surgery cutting waiting lists and providing better healthcare services, or the family talking up their new housing-association funded home, in their new neighbourhood with the new school for the little one, and all that greenspace. We need them.

Let’s interview, photograph and film the hell out of them and plaster them in bite-size chunks all over our websites, press releases, twitter, Facebook and Instagram. That’s how we will truly humanise private sector brands, and begin engaging with our audiences in a meaningful and positive way. Douglas, we need your help.

I left University in the summer of 2009 and like many of my peers, had very little idea of how to kickstart my career.

If someone had said to me, eight years later you will be working as a PR professional in the heart of the North of England, I probably wouldn’t have believed them!

That is why I am sharing my story in this #SkilledNorth week as we way of championing the skilled opportunities in the North.

After three years studying politics at University, I had the Houses of Parliament in my sights. However, I knew I needed to gain work experience to help me stand out from the thousands of other graduates vying for a position in the mother of parliaments.

Having grown up in the South West, I moved back to my family home and volunteered on the campaign trail leading up to the 2010 General Election. I gained valuable experience and developed new skills that would set me up for the next step in my career journey.

When the electorate had cast their vote and the new intake of MPs arrived in Westminster, I proudly earned employment as a Parliamentary Assistant in the House of Commons.

It was a dream come true - every day as I crossed Westminster Bridge on my commute to work, I had to pinch myself that it was real.

That was why after three years in post, it wasn’t an easy decision to leave. Working in the heart of the capital, with the job opportunities in the public and private sector, many of my colleagues questioned my decision.

However, I’d spent a number of years visiting Yorkshire and thought I could have a good quality of life and a rewarding career. But it wasn’t until I began my job search that I knew this to be true.

Doing my research, I found there were multinational businesses with headquarters in cities like Leeds and Bradford, SMEs that were world leaders in their sector, government departments that employed thousands of people and Local Authorities that were delivering major economic growth across the region.

All of which provided enticing career prospects.

I was fortunate to secure a communications role with the Leeds City Region LEP. It was here that I developed my knowledge of the regional economic agenda and began to further build my skills and experience.

I’d secured a job that was rewarding, fulfilling and provided opportunities for me to grow. But what topped it off was the quality of life I could suddenly afford. Living just twenty minutes from Leeds city centre, I had a home in Yorkshire’s beautiful countryside within commuter distance of some of the North’s major cities including Leeds, Bradford, York and Manchester.

Now almost five years after packing my bags and migrating North, my southern accent may remain strong but I’d like to think of myself as an honorary northerner!

I have now taken the next step in my career by joining Social Communications and I am in no doubt that this growing company will help me build the skills I need to continue climbing the ladder as a PR professional, and I look forward to what I can give back in return.

In this #SkilledNorth week, I am taking the time to celebrate the skilled opportunities the North provides for a prosperous career and demonstrate how this is helping create a true Northern Powerhouse.

I began my work placement at Social Communications in August 2017. Over the course of 6 weeks I was given a comprehensive introduction to the professional world of PR and gained first-hand experience of working life in the cities of Leeds and Manchester. Though not without its occasional challenges, my experience was truly enjoyable and imparted several transferable skills which are invaluable in any profession.

Through taking part in daily exercises such as a morning newspaper roundup, followed by a short, daily news briefing for a client, I improved my ability to quickly process and repackage information. The constraint of a 70-word limit forced me to be concise in my writing and later work on press releases for local trade media enabled me to practice writing in a journalistic style. As I was frequently given several tasks to complete throughout the week, with various deadlines, I also often had to practice effective time management. I quickly learned the importance of communication and making sure the relevant parties were informed if I became overwhelmed by my workload or was struggling with a specific task.

Although I previously hadn’t really thought about working in the North after university, working at Social Communications has opened my mind to the possibilities available, in applying for graduate jobs in the Northern cities. The experience has also led me to seriously consider PR and public affairs as career paths which make the best use of the verbal and analytical skills imparted by my degree in Philosophy and Literature. The work I undertook was always engaging and varied and my only hope for the future is that I will be able to work in as dynamic and generally pleasant an environment as that which I experienced in my time at Social Communications.

A few months ago, I chaired a panel session discussing skills and what needs to be done in this area to grow the economy. The panel discussed how, although we have seen a welcome fall in unemployment, the country needs to better develop a pipeline of skills and talent that matches the future growth of our economy.

In Yorkshire, we have a wealth of talented individuals that are helping spur business growth and ensure our economy continues its growth trajectory. We also have educational centres of excellence that are helping to develop the pipeline of skills to meet future business demand. 

In this #SkilledNorth week – an initiative led by the government’s Northern Powerhouse team to shine a light on the abundance of talent and skills across the North – it’s time to champion our educational institutions and recognise the work they are doing to create and retain talent in the North.

In Huddersfield, the Process Manufacturing Centre is a good example of how collaborative working across the public and private sector is meeting the business demand for skills. Leeds City Region has the UK’s largest manufacturing base and this employer led initiative sees local businesses donate equipment for students to have real life experience working with modern machinery and learn skills tailored specifically to the sector.

Leeds College of Building is the only specialist further and higher education construction college in the UK and is encouraging more young people to explore careers in construction- a hugely important sector if we are to meet our housing needs.

Leeds City College is bringing forward a new £60m campus in Leeds and is at the forefront of tackling the skills agenda across a number of sectors and provides both further and higher education courses and apprenticeships aimed to complement the needs of business.

The University of Leeds is developing Nexus, a new £40m research and innovation centre to open next Summer. It will be a hub for the local innovation community as well as national and international organisations looking to innovate, be more productive and grow.

The newly launched National College for High Speed Rail, with campuses in Doncaster and Birmingham, is a specialist education and training institution dedicated to the future of the UK’s railway industry. With major national infrastructure projects such as HS2, Northern Powerhouse Rail and Crossrail 2 in the planning, highly skilled engineering and manufacturing expertise will be critical to our country’s economic prosperity in the future and it is educational centres like the National College that will enable the north to help meet this skills demand.

These Colleges, and the world class Universities we possess in this region, are an important part of the answer to our growing skills deficit. Alongside Yorkshire’s 12 Higher Education institutions, which between them produce over 55,000 graduates each year, Yorkshire has much to be proud of in terms of training, developing and unleashing skills and talent.

However, there is growing recognition that business cannot sit back and expect our educational institutions on their own to lead the charge. Businesses must be part of creating and retaining talent in the North. UTC Leeds, a new specialist school focusing on engineering and advanced manufacturing, opened in September 2016 with huge support from industry, the University of Leeds, Leeds Chamber of Commerce, Leeds City Council and partners from across the region. This school will prepare young people to take up the apprentice vacancies, employment opportunities and engineering degree places available in the region and beyond.

As the government shines a spotlight on skills across the Northern Powerhouse, it is imperative we in Yorkshire don’t hide our light under a bushel. Instead, let us champion our educational institutions and celebrate our skilled workers and ensure Yorkshire continues to play a leading role in creating a prosperous Northern Powerhouse.

London is bursting with journalists, TV channels, radio stations and therefore PR practitioners, but it is my Northern roots and a thriving communications industry that has kept me in Manchester. Transitioning into PR after six years in the financial services might seem unusual but I am hoping it will become clear as to why I embarked on such a challenging career change. 

Supporting our client, the National College of High Speed Rail (NCHSR) in the launch of their new campus, I journeyed to Birmingham in my second week on the job.

NCHSR offers learners the “hands on skills” needed for a career in engineering. The college has a strong commitment to diversity and a core value to attract more women into the sector, preparing students to join the workforce by using new technology and training to demolish the current gender imbalance. Social Communications promotes the organisation and its people, who are truly trying to change people’s lives and the economy for the better. 

We’re the people behind the curtains, building connections and meeting new people. We invited the media prior to the launch, outlining the structure of the day and “pitching” to explain why their listeners and viewers would be interested in knowing more. Learners, project managers, government officials and the chief executive Clair Mowbray were all briefed by us ahead of their media interviews– strange territory to most people. It’s our job to ensure the college is painted in the positive light it should be and showcase the journey the organisation has taken to tailor education for the future generation in rail industry. 

Networking and knowing a lot about a lot is part of our job. We need to communicate with a wide variety of audiences and plan everything to the very last detail. The media and our clients have busy agendas. We make contingency plans and ensure we fit interviews around everyone’s tight schedules to the very last minute, there is no time to sit on decisions – we need to be “thinking on our feet”.

Returning home and watching the BBC and ITV news, I had a sense of pride in what the college and Social Communications had achieved together. We secured radio coverage across several regional stations and presence in recognised industry magazines – our work has encouraged learners to apply for a place at the NCHSR.

A “day in the life of a PR account executive” at Social Communications would include attending client meetings, executing communication plans, pitching to the media, reporting and doing a lot of writing. Very often our priorities change to support our client when they need us – we need to be flexible and resilient. 

I’m quickly learning that no two days are the same at Social Communications but I’m loving the opportunity to learn by doing. Whether it’s an exciting day out of the office managing a big media launch like the one in Birmingham or writing press releases and pitching to the media from our Manchester HQ, I’m delighted that I’m developing my career right here in the North. With neighbours like Boohoo, Kellogg’s, Siemens and MediaCity just a stone’s throw away, it’s a great place to pursue a career in the PR and media industry.

The end goal of the Northern Powerhouse is create greater wealth and prosperity for the UK. 

It has been couched, so far, as a regional issue. While the focus is on the North and immediately supporting the populace of the North in its collective endeavour to become both competitive and complementary to the economic behemoth that is London and the South East, we should not forget the logical conclusion is a “better” UK.

The fundamental aim has been to increase GDP in the city regions of Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, Hull and Newcastle. Quickly it was realised the three levers to do this would be:

to invest in infrastructure 

to better support businesses in their efforts to thrive

and to develop a better skilled and more productive workforce.

While accepting this is dumbing down to a certain degree, the first two are, in simplest terms, about hard cash. We need to spend more in better ways on infrastructure in the North and we need get more growth capital into businesses quicker and support them to access global markets more effectively. The latter poses more questions; the skills issue is the toughest to develop a different future.

In the four years I was at Yorkshire Business Insider a conservative estimate is that I engaged with more than 3,000 business owners and managers. This includes interviews, forums, surveys and award ceremonies. I’m confident, at least anecdotally, that 90 per cent of those openly considered “skills” as a barrier to growth.

The issues are extensive, and the challenges permeate through from primary school through to what one very senior engineering executive described to me as “the age tsunami”.

The scale of the challenge will not be met by throwing money at it, we are talking about social and cultural change. Just for good measure, if you throw in the fact that many commentators now suggest the jobs we expect to be driving the economy forward in as little as only ten years don’t even exist today, a seemingly insurmountable problem becomes an impossible task.

Yet, that isn’t the case. Yes, it is certainly a big problem but looking at it one dimensionally ignores the best-practice examples already in existence. It discounts the quality of the many schools, colleges and universities and it dismisses the very many examples of thriving and successful businesses which are not only creating jobs but shaping their employees, growing their own talent and developing a blueprint for a better future for themselves, their businesses, their employees and by definition, the North and the UK.

So it is welcome that this hasn’t been lost on “that lot” in London. Only this week the Government is spear-heading its “Skills Week” campaign aimed at highlighting and showcasing the best the North has to offer.

This week of activity aims to showcase the talents and skills of people working and living in the North, publishing content on a newly created Northern Powerhouse LinkedIn page, and sharing content which demonstrates the growth and development of skills in the North.

I am hoping that by the end of this week we’re all a little more confident and we’re all a little more sure that we actually have the answers which make us realise that the #SkilledNorth we seek is not an impossible task at all.

By Janelle Hardacre, Senior Account Manager, Social Communications

Last week we proudly sponsored the LGCommunications Public Sector Communications Academy in Leeds, a two-day event on being fit for the future and equipped with the skills required to make a difference in a changing world.

What a brilliant start to my Social Communications journey. I took so much away from the conference, not least an appreciation of the breadth of creativity and talent working hard to deliver standout communications and engagement activity in ever evolving and high-pressured times.

I’ve had a week to reflect on what I learnt and to share thoughts with colleagues about what we can do right now at Social Communications to strengthen our work and the outcomes we deliver for our clients.  Here’s a few I’ve been sharing with the team.

Failing to plan is planning to fail

I am definitely a planner. Whether it’s booking a holiday or answering a client brief, planning properly helps me to structure my thinking. (Control freak? Moi?) It was great to learn more about the OASIS campaign planning approach at the conference, the steps used in all government communications to ensure they are effective, efficient and evaluated. It stands for Objectives, Audience Insight, Strategy, Implementation and Scoring. We’ve been rolling out this approach across the agency and it’s already paying dividends.

Having clear objectives at the start of activity, whether it’s the overarching strategy or a small project, keeps us focussed on tactics which will help us achieve these, rather than distractions like ‘urgent posters’ for an event in two days. Having an understanding of our audiences and the sources they are influenced by means we are concentrating our energy in the right places. Evaluation is something I’m very passionate about, too. As a PR, the end result for me is not the coverage, but the outcome, whether that be sales leads or changes in behaviour.

‘Speak fluent human’

This is a bit of a catch phrase at Social Communications, but the importance of using plain language is a theme which came through very strongly on both days of the conference. In essence, if you can’t explain your campaign or story to your mate at the pub or your Mum, what chance have you got of capturing the hearts and minds of local people? We’ve all been applying the ‘Mum test’ to our copy this week and it has certainly helped us to ditch the jargon and tell a compelling story.

We are all leaders

In a fantastic panel session on 100 years of government comms, Ruby Bhattal, from Nottingham City Council, asked members of the audience to raise their hand if they were in a leadership position. A fair few people tentatively did so, before Ruby made the point that every single person working in public sector communications is a leader. Everyone has leadership qualities and the best teams harness this to build credibility and trust with people at all levels. This really resonated with me personally and chimed with the culture we foster at Social Communications. By nurturing creativity, thinking commercially, building trust and focussing on results, we are going to deliver the best outcomes for our clients.

We pride ourselves on our people skills and our ability to tell stories that resonate with all audiences. I’m excited to be part of this talented team of leaders and look forward to partnering with public sector organisations to tell their stories whether that’s in a pub garden or at a Parliamentary reception.

The former editor of Yorkshire Business Insider, Adam Lovell recently joined Social Communications as Associate Consultant. He shares some thoughts on moving into the communications world.

Following a decade in journalism it was a certainty I would find myself working for a communications agency in some form or other; everyone does it, eventually.

A large part of me has always resisted the temptation. Partly out of ego, of not wanting to be another “former editor” now working in PR – the poacher turned gamekeeper analogy always sat uncomfortably.

My pretentions aside, I’ve also always felt the professional disciplines acquired and honed through a career in journalism are transferable to business generally, maybe it is my pretentions again but I’ve always considered a “strategic” role would be a better fit.

From my early days in newspapers where I caught the tail end of the halcyon days of decent expenses, multiple daily editions and maniacal-but-gifted editors, to the latter part of my career at Yorkshire Business Insider as editor, compere and awards host, I learnt about disseminating information, communicating, managing people, making decisions and being inquisitive, empathetic yet single-minded and driven – all the attributes you’d want from an advisor.

And that is what a good communications partner should be, an advisor. That is what the team at Social Communications are doing – not simply firing out press releases and trying to bag blanket coverage. As important as that ultimately is, it has to be more.

I am combining my role as associate consultant with being a freelance journalist and event host and working with pan-Humber law firm Pepperells. I work closely with business owners to create, develop and deliver strategic partnerships aas well as with the board of directors on growth and change management projects.

At Social Communications there is a strong focus on strategic projects which are aligned to economic development, with clients whose work supports wealth creation and drives prosperity.

It is clear Social Communications enjoys a national reach which they combine with an intimate, local focus. This blend of knowledge and understanding together with experience and expertise makes for an exciting prospect - not just for the team but more importantly for their clients.

It comes at an exciting time as the firm undergoes a rapid expansion across all its office bases; Leeds, Manchester and London. I look forward to welcoming the many new faces that will soon be part of the Social Communications family.

Social Communications, the full service public affairs, communications and creative agency has appointed Ray Sadri as Account Director to work out of its growing London office – doubling its total amount of staff across the UK over the last year.

Ray brings over 11 years of government press office and broadcast journalism experience with him, and will be responsible for boosting client communications and media profiles as well as helping grow and lead the London team. Joining from the Department for Transport press office where he led the aviation, roads, and technology press desks, Ray was also an award-winning newsreader and current affairs reporter at BBC and commercial radio.

Social Communications London Managing Director, Ben Ruse, said: “Ray will be a great addition as we grow our London team, and his wealth of experience will be invaluable as we move further into the transport and major infrastructure sphere.”

Social Communications London Account Director Ray Sadri said: “I’m excited to be joining and helping grow the dynamic and punchy Social Communications team in London. They work on some interesting and topical projects in the world of transport, housing and infrastructure, all of which helps benefit society in some way – be it improving the lives of people, empowering communities or driving up consumer standards. I look forward to getting stuck in.”

Starting up just under five years ago, Social Communications is already a fast growing and thriving full service agency, now with over 25 full time staff, a healthy portfolio of clients and a string of awards.

If you’re passionate about consumer and B2B PR, can manage a number of campaigns at once and get a kick out of seeing your client featured in national and local media, as well as handling digital and social media channels, then Social Communications would love to hear from you.

Social Communications is a full service public affairs, PR, marketing and creative agency with a highly experienced team of ex-journalists, communications professionals, consultants and creative sparks.

We have a strong portfolio of clients across the property, retail, housing and construction sectors – proudly promoting, defending and developing brands across the UK. 

Due to a very high-profile account win in the private retirement housing sector, the Manchester office of Social Communications is looking for an Account Manager to manage the PR for a client’s multi-locational PR campaign and project work to promote several new housing schemes, as well as working closely with our in-house marketing and creative teams.

Key Responsibilities of this exciting role include:

Writing and issuing media releases, features and blogs on each of the schemes

Attending client meetings and their sites across the UK 

Preparing client reports 

Monitoring and executing social media and digital campaigns alongside our Social Media Manager

Working with the creative team to help enhance the campaigns 

Using your existing excellent media contacts to ensure coverage across all media 

Event management

Assisting with the production of the client’s publications, such as HTML newsletters

Commissioning market research;

Liaising with the media and pitching high-quality content to journalists

Monitoring the media, including newspapers, magazines, journals, broadcasts, newswires and blogs, to source opportunities for the client

Collating, analysing and evaluating media coverage

Co-ordinating location photography across the UK 

Assisting with any issues management including on social media

We are looking for a PR professional who has worked in-house or within an agency for at least 2 years and has experience in consumer sales PR.

Desirable Skills:

Excellent writing skills and ability to adapt style for different audiences from stakeholders to consumers

A speedy worker who can write quickly and accurately 

A strong understanding of the media, editorial requirements and what makes a story, plus the ability to pitch to journalists

Creative thinker

Ability to build relationships internally and externally, at all levels 

Strong organisational and time management skills 

Ability to manage other team members and freelancers 

Strong administrative and project management skills 

Ability to work to deadlines

Benefits: You will be entitled to a number of benefits working at Social Communications including an iPhone, free fruit, an excellent holiday allowance, including a day off on your birthday and a competitive salary. 

The Social Communications team is gearing up for two jam-packed days in Birmingham this week at the National Housing Federation Annual Conference and Housing exhibition.

We’re proud to have worked with innovative housing organisations since our inception and having attended the conference in previous years, we know it will provide another excellent opportunity to look back over previous 12 months and plan ahead to achieve the shared goal of ensuring everyone in the country has the opportunity to live in a home they can afford.  As part of the conversations this year we’re expecting some reflection on the political landscape following the snap General Election but most significantly a forum to reflect together on the fire at Grenfell Tower.

The theme of the conference this year is innovation. We’re particularly intrigued to hear more about the Changing the Future campaign which will look at how the housing sector can use innovation to drive transformation and deliver ideas that change the world. We’re constantly impressed by the talent and creativity in the sector and look forward to seeing some ideas turn to reality as part of this initiative.

Speaking of talent, we’re looking forward to the Young Leaders Experience which will give us the chance to meet the next generation of housing leaders, who will no doubt have some fantastic world-changing ideas of their own. Plus, we’ll be taking advantage of lots of networking opportunities for both our clients in housing and those in other sectors. Who knows what collaborations could be born at this year’s conference?

All that, plus a fantastic line up of speakers including three Government ministers, influential national journalists and of course, housing leaders.

By Victoria Starkey – Account Manager, Social Communications East

It’s been six months since I joined the Social Communications team. 

From reading about the launch of this new Public Affairs and PR agency in Leeds to researching Social’s clients, sectors and projects - I quickly realised this was a company I wanted to work for. 

Having spent my career to date working in the public sector - first in the House of Commons working for an MP and then at the Leeds City Region LEP and West Yorkshire Combined Authority - the prospect of moving into the private sector felt like quite a daunting career move at first. 

Of course, I’d worked with agencies before and have a detailed understanding of the regional business and political landscape which I knew would stand me in good stead. But nevertheless, I arrived on day one with nervous anticipation…

Fast forward to now and I’m well and truly settled into agency life!

I’m supporting a fantastic, diverse range of clients and part of a team that is going from strength to strength.  

From the get go, I worked with clients that required the full spectrum of communications and PR support. Everything from the launch of a major transport campaign and supporting an exclusive London client launch through to helping the consultation of a significant regeneration project and assisting on a national crisis communications issue.

I couldn’t have imagined that in such a short space of time I would gain so much experience and be working with some of the industry’s best.

This is in part due to Social Communications’ enviable list of clients across the property, energy and infrastructure sectors. Having the opportunity to work with these clients to help shape and inform campaigns of national significance is hugely rewarding. But it’s also down to the fact Social Communications attracts some of the brightest and best communicators around. Well, I would say that, wouldn’t I! 

You only need to pay our offices a visit to feel the genuine buzz for what we do. This marriage of a dedicated, fun and creative team working on some of the most nationally significant and important issues of our time, has made it a truly enjoyable and fulfilling first six months in post. 

And what’s better - with a number of new account wins in the transport infrastructure and construction sectors, we continue to grow our Yorkshire team. We are now looking for a bright and enthusiastic PR Senior Account Executive to join the Social family.

Social Communications is a full service public affairs, PR and creative agency with offices in Leeds, Manchester and London. We are a highly experienced team of ex-journalists, communications professionals, consultants and creative sparks.

Since our Leeds office opened at the end of 2016, we have grown quickly with a strong client basis across the property, retail, energy, housing and construction sectors – proudly promoting, defending and developing brands across the region and beyond. 

Due to a number of new account wins in the transport infrastructure and construction sectors, Social Communications is looking for a PR Senior Account Executive to join our Leeds office. This is an exciting opportunity to work with our experienced Yorkshire team covering campaigns and projects, as well as working with a growing list of retained clients. 

Key Responsibilities of this exciting role include: 

Writing and issuing media releases, features and blogs 

Writing and delivering presentations to enhance regional PR for clients  

Liaising with the media and pitching high-quality content to journalists

Monitoring the media, including newspapers, magazines, journals, broadcasts, newswires and blogs, to source opportunities for clients

Attending client meetings 

Preparing client reports 

Monitoring and executing social media and digital campaigns with our Social Media Manager

Working with the creative team to help enhance campaigns and projects 

Building on your existing media contacts

Assisting with the production of client publications, such as HTML newsletters

Commissioning market research

Collating, analysing and evaluating media coverage

Coordinating location photography for clients and/or Social Communications

Undertaking research for new business proposals and presenting to potential new clients

Assisting with crisis management including on social media

Skills:

PR agency experience preferable 

Good writing skills and ability to adapt style for different audiences 

A strong understanding of the media, editorial requirements and what makes a story, plus the ability to pitch to journalists

Creative thinker

Ability to build relationships internally and externally, at all levels 

Strong organisational and time management skills 

A self-starter, can work independently and as part of a co-ordinated multimedia team 

Strong administrative and project management skills 

Ability to work to deadlines 

Benefits:

You will be entitled to a number of benefits working at Social Communications including an iPhone 6 and an excellent holiday allowance, including a day off on your birthday.

Contact:

Are you looking for your next career move? Social Communications are an exciting central Manchester-based ‘complete communications’ agency, and we have an opportunity for a new Account Executive or Senior Account Executive to join our multi-channel marketing team and play a key role in our exciting next chapter of development and growth.

About Social Communications

Social Communications is a complete communications agency. Working across the UK from our offices in Manchester, Leeds and London, we bring a new approach to PR and engagement in the fields of property and infrastructure, offering an impressive and enviable range of communications services including:

Public Relations

Public Affairs

Marketing Communications

Design & Content

Branding

Social Media

Digital Marketing

Video & Photography

Our ability to deliver has been recognised with award wins including PR Moment’s ‘Best New Agency 2014’ and ‘Public Affairs Agency of the Year 2016’. For the last two years we have been named in Prolific North’s ‘Top 50 PR Agencies’ list, rising fifteen places to #25 in 2017.

Social responsibility is central to our company ethos, and we work hard to foster a supportive, collaborative, enjoyable environment for our staff which promotes health and well-being.

Job Description

Job Title: Account Executive / Senior Account Executive (depending on candidate experience) Reports To: Account Director / Chief Marketing & Operations Officer

The Account Executive / Senior Account Executive will join an existing, fully integrated marketing team – comprising client services, creative, social media, content and video – all of whom work closely, collaboratively and seamlessly with the wider PR and public affairs agency teams.

The role will be to support the AD and CMOO and team both internally and with direct client contact across a wide range of B2C and B2B clients.

Main Responsibilities

Marketing, Project Management & Client liaising (initially / in time):

Experience of the full Marketing Mix (Online & Offline)

Able to evaluate & deliver campaigns across a full media mix

Understand all channels (both existing and new) and all the appropriate comma within them

Able to Project Manage / support AD through all elements of the multi-channel / ‘complete communications’

Liaising directly with relevant clients and contact to take new activity briefs

Commercial (initially / in time):

Creating, managing, monitoring and updating budgets/ cost estimates for specific campaigns and individual projects

Responsible for day to day budget management, monitoring all job costs, and obtaining approval before spend is committed  

Service Excellence (initially / in time):

Ensure regular contact with the client providing updates on services and outstanding work

Responsible for ensuring the trafficking of all projects through the production process are effectively handled

Desired Skills & Experience

The successful candidate will ideally have a marketing related degree, with placement and 1-3 years’ experience in an integrated / multi-channel agency or multi team/ project client role.

Genuine enjoyment, drive and passion for career development in a multi-channel marketing communications agency.

An ambitious self-starter looking for fast career progression with a real desire and inquisitiveness about where multi-channel marketing is going.

Hands-on, collaborative and supporting style and personality, willing to help out and support the wider team and get immersed and involved.

Can-do attitude with a positive attitude to taking on responsibility.

Being a team player is an absolute requirement, as this is a strong element of the agency culture.

Benefits

The successful candidate will be entitled to a number of benefits working at Social Communications including a competitive salary, good holiday allowance, a day off on your birthday and free fruit delivered each week. We will work with you to help build multi-channel marketing skills.

Social Communications

2nd Floor, 24-26 Lever Street, Manchester, M1 1DW

Please send your CV to [email protected] and [email protected]

I can’t help but notice people’s eyes glaze over when I start talking about Local Government reform. However, it is a topic which, in its own way, has the potential to affect us all just as much as a General Election or Brexit.

Local Government reform might not be an exciting topic, but as long as Councils across the UK retain their status as Local Planning Authorities, it is one which everyone involved in property and planning should pay very close attention to.

That’s why my interest is drawn towards Cardiff Bay this week, where Welsh Government Minister Mark Drakeford has launched a consultation on reforms to the system used to elect Councillors to every Welsh Council. Contained within this consultation document is the proposal for a change which might appear relatively small – but it is one which could have massive implications, not just in Wales, but in England too.

Through this consultation, the Welsh Government is proposing to give each of Wales’ 22 Councils the power to change from the current ‘First Past the Post’ system of voting for Councillors to the Single Transferable Vote (STV). This is a change Scotland made in 2007. 

Rather than delving into the technicalities of how Councillors are elected, you can understand the impact STV has on Councils by looking at what happened in Scotland upon its introduction. 

In 2006, pre-STV, out of Scotland’s 32 Councils, 20 were controlled by a single party / unified group of independents. By 2007, that had fallen to five. Overnight, 15 Councils switched from stable, single party control, to coalition or minority administration. Planning Committees which had previously seen Labour majorities for decades were suddenly made up of Councillors from across the spectrum – and Council Leaders who had formerly had a tight grip on the functioning of their authorities found themselves either sitting on the opposition benches, or forming sometimes unpalatable coalitions.

That is not to say moving to STV is a bad idea – minority led Councils often enjoy better decision making, given the increased scrutiny a party is placed under when it is no longer assured of victory in key votes in the Council Chamber.

Nevertheless, many people reading this blog will have experienced working in No Overall Control Councils, and you’ll know it certainly poses its own challenges – with unstable Planning Committees, Councils taking longer to make decisions and Council Leaders regularly losing their posts. All of which add to the risk of Planning Applications being derailed.

So this is a big deal for Wales, and something those of us working on development projects in Wales should pay very close attention to. But even if your interests lie to the east of Offa’s Dyke, I’d encourage you to keep an eye on these proposals. Out of the four nations of the UK, Northern Ireland has used STV in Local Government for many years, Scotland adopted it in 2006, and Wales looks relatively likely to follow suit by 2018. 

England, and its penchant for First Past the Post and single party Councils, suddenly starts to look a bit out of place. I certainly wouldn’t bet against STV, with the inevitable slew of Councils falling to No Overall Control it would bring, coming to England by 2030.

Award-wining agency Social Communications is looking for a junior account executive (and social media support) to join our expanding PR team in the Manchester office, set in the heart of the city’s Northern Quarter.

The successful applicant will help produce exciting and engaging work for our expanding range of clients; including property developers, a national college, housing associations and major high-street retailers.

This role covers a wide range of activities, including helping to manage and publicise events, maintaining positive profiles on social media channels, writing web content and copy, researching and preparing traditional press releases and selling-in stories to media across the regions and trade publications.

The work is varied, stimulating and fast-paced. On a day to day basis your activities can include:

Building lists of contacts and media organisations

Researching information and drafting press releases

Daily media monitoring and online news review

Monitoring and scheduling social media content for Social Communications and some clients across channels such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn

Drafting blog posts on behalf of team members and to highlight wider company activity

Update weekly spreadsheets using social media manager 

Proof reading new content planners, strategies and scheduled content in Hootsuite each week

Monitoring, analysing and reporting on PR and social media activities and results

Assisting with event management including researching invitees and collating responses

The qualities you will need are:

Excellent communication and writing skills

Proficiency in editing, and proof reading with attention to detail 

Good knowledge of social media platforms 

Passion for the PR industry and commercial awareness

Strong admin skills, able to juggle several tasks at once

Creative thinking and initiative

Ability to handle pressure and prioritise

You’ll be an excellent communicator with a good knowledge of grammar, enthusiastic, and confident in social situations – our company works with a wide range of people from the general public to the chief executive of major organisations. You will also have a good knowledge of social media platforms and be using at least three on a regular basis.

We like to work with people who think a bit differently and who are confident in sharing their ideas within a team.

Requirements

BA(Hons) or equivalent 

Examples of any written work including blog pieces, contributions to media titles – be it student newspaper or magazine, etc

Any examples of any social media experience, such as blog writing are desirable but not essential. 

Any previous work experience or internships undertaken at a PR agency would also be an advantage. 

Benefits The successful candidate will be entitled to a number of benefits working at Social Communications including a competitive salary, good holiday allowance, a day off on your birthday and free fruit delivered each week. We will work with you to help build essential PR skills and support with developing social media knowledge. 

Social Communications, 2nd Floor, 24-26 Lever Street, Manchester, M1 1DW

Please send your CV to [email protected] www.social-communications.co.uk @social_comms