Comments on: Getting good PR out of the big freeze http://www.emilycagle.co.uk/2010/01/getting-good-pr-out-of-the-big-freeze/ Thoughts on public relations, social media, marketing Wed, 24 Aug 2011 09:32:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Jeremy Bramwell http://www.emilycagle.co.uk/2010/01/getting-good-pr-out-of-the-big-freeze/comment-page-1/#comment-1080 Jeremy Bramwell Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:35:58 +0000 http://www.emilycagle.co.uk/blog/?p=2223#comment-1080 I have to share this with you because during the week of the snow I became Twitter’s favourite weatherman whilst 'working from home'. I heard about a Twitter generated realtime snow map app. and decided to create my own take on it which quite unintentionally became a cult hit. Very much powered by it's topicality that day. My 'real' uksnow weather map has been viewed a massive 10,000 times on Twitpic and was re-tweeted 300 times on Twitter, becoming a top 1000 Meme on the day it was posted. If you've not seen it here it is http://twitpic.com/wriw1 Of course, my boss being a PR genius turned it in to a piece of self promotion for IAS. And we all had fun snowballing, making snowmen and sledging, well I did anyway. I have to share this with you because during the week of the snow I became Twitter’s favourite weatherman whilst ‘working from home’. I heard about a Twitter generated realtime snow map app. and decided to create my own take on it which quite unintentionally became a cult hit. Very much powered by it’s topicality that day.

My ‘real’ uksnow weather map has been viewed a massive 10,000 times on Twitpic and was re-tweeted 300 times on Twitter, becoming a top 1000 Meme on the day it was posted.

If you’ve not seen it here it is http://twitpic.com/wriw1

Of course, my boss being a PR genius turned it in to a piece of self promotion for IAS.

And we all had fun snowballing, making snowmen and sledging, well I did anyway.

]]> By: David Grindlay http://www.emilycagle.co.uk/2010/01/getting-good-pr-out-of-the-big-freeze/comment-page-1/#comment-1079 David Grindlay Fri, 22 Jan 2010 14:30:29 +0000 http://www.emilycagle.co.uk/blog/?p=2223#comment-1079 As a local authority, many eyes were focussed on our response to what was the worst cold weather spell we had experienced for 30-40 years. In particular, how were we coping in continuing to provide important services as well as main transport routes open. Our local media were given comprehensive statements about the situation and our response. As well as elected members reassuring the community, technical officers were made available for interview and key facts and figures drawn up and issued. Our website was updated with detail information two or three times a day with information on weather forecasts, activities undertaken that day as well as routes that were being prioritised. This lasted for approximately four weeks including updates on both Christmas and New Year's Day. While many local authorities were panned by their local media, we received some great coverage in each of the four editions during the cold weather. Statements were carried in full, editorials were in moderate praise of our response given the circumstances. Local radio carried interviews with our Roads manager. The statements were made to reflect current mood relative to what was the media perception of the most current 'weather issue' was at the time - eg icy pavements, care of vulnerable people, supplies of grit and how we prioritised our gritting programme. We tweeted on several occasions reminding people to check for the regular updates. Our website saw regular traffic looking for our updates and there were great human interest angles to be had (see links below). We left off other news so that our home page would show the succession of updates without interruption. Overall with a little bit of imagination and planning, we got through the emergency as well as the media frenzy for all things weather! http://bit.ly/7gQosN and http://bit.ly/572AVS (shortened) As a local authority, many eyes were focussed on our response to what was the worst cold weather spell we had experienced for 30-40 years.

In particular, how were we coping in continuing to provide important services as well as main transport routes open.

Our local media were given comprehensive statements about the situation and our response. As well as elected members reassuring the community, technical officers were made available for interview and key facts and figures drawn up and issued.

Our website was updated with detail information two or three times a day with information on weather forecasts, activities undertaken that day as well as routes that were being prioritised.

This lasted for approximately four weeks including updates on both Christmas and New Year’s Day.

While many local authorities were panned by their local media, we received some great coverage in each of the four editions during the cold weather.

Statements were carried in full, editorials were in moderate praise of our response given the circumstances. Local radio carried interviews with our Roads manager.

The statements were made to reflect current mood relative to what was the media perception of the most current ‘weather issue’ was at the time – eg icy pavements, care of vulnerable people, supplies of grit and how we prioritised our gritting programme.

We tweeted on several occasions reminding people to check for the regular updates.

Our website saw regular traffic looking for our updates and there were great human interest angles to be had (see links below). We left off other news so that our home page would show the succession of updates without interruption.

Overall with a little bit of imagination and planning, we got through the emergency as well as the media frenzy for all things weather!

http://bit.ly/7gQosN and http://bit.ly/572AVS (shortened)

]]> By: Julian Lewis http://www.emilycagle.co.uk/2010/01/getting-good-pr-out-of-the-big-freeze/comment-page-1/#comment-1068 Julian Lewis Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:43:25 +0000 http://www.emilycagle.co.uk/blog/?p=2223#comment-1068 Emily, You are spot on. The snow gave us the chance to write something that was interesting and non geeky which is not a common thing for an IT Support Company. I was impressed with PR & Twitter Guru Nigel Morgan who contacted me via Twitter to say I had a story that people would want to read. So good PR practice is to keep an eye on events and great PR is pointing that out to people who may have missed it! Also great use of Twitter by Nigel to get some business! Thank you for mentioning us in your blog, now that I am following you on Twitter I look forward to getting to know you better. Regards Julian Lewis – MD Positive Computing – Reading – London – Bristol http://www.positivecomputing.com Emily,

You are spot on. The snow gave us the chance to write something that was interesting and non geeky which is not a common thing for an IT Support Company. I was impressed with PR & Twitter Guru Nigel Morgan who contacted me via Twitter to say I had a story that people would want to read. So good PR practice is to keep an eye on events and great PR is pointing that out to people who may have missed it! Also great use of Twitter by Nigel to get some business!

Thank you for mentioning us in your blog, now that I am following you on Twitter I look forward to getting to know you better.

Regards
Julian Lewis – MD
Positive Computing – Reading – London – Bristol
http://www.positivecomputing.com

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