Boris Johnson has always considered himself a purveyor of political optimism. He is neither a master of detail nor someone who relishes the role of governing, per se. But he is an enthusiast and he does have some justification in believing that his enthusiasm rubs off on people – that voters respond to, and respect, … Read more

Billed as a trailblazer designed to level the playing field for consumers and companies, Open Banking when it launched promised only good things to consumers and businesses. Consumers would be able to see all of their money in one place, to budget and manage their finances more easily and shop around for different products and … Read more

Last week, Energy UK published its electricity switching figures showing that over 410,000 customers switched supplier in May. At first glance, that looks like a big figure. But the numbers are 15% lower than in May 2019. Should we be surprised? We know that COVID-19 has hit UK purse strings hard, particularly those on lower … Read more

25 June 2020, London – Hill+Knowlton Strategies (H+K), an international public relations agency, has appointed Tanya Joseph as Managing Director of Specialist Services in London. Tanya brings a wealth of communications experience and expertise from a distinguished career in the private, public and NGO sectors. She will lead a team of specialists across key services … Read more

Welcome back to my weekly series, looking at the key data sources I share internally each week to support our agency leads in developing context-relevant strategies and campaigns. This week, it is notable that although there is a sense of some kind of normal life resuming, the data is starting to show we remain a … Read more

Social media was created to connect people, but for many, it has been felt to have the opposite effect. The growth of technology is in parallel with an increased sense of disconnection as our always-on lives speed up. In 2018, usage averaged 136 minutes a day, with the Royal Society for Public Health describing it … Read more

Welcome to my weekly series, looking at the key data sources I share internally each week to support our agency leads in developing context-relevant strategies and campaigns.  For a few weeks now, we have seen data sets pointing toward many audiences being ready for a new discussion (whether that be “the” or “a” new normal) … Read more

What I’ve taken from the first 72 hours of our return to stores  When we deem something ‘non-essential’, it usually means we’re really not that bothered about it.  We could take it or leave it.  At best, it’s a nice to have, right? Turns out, if you take ‘non-essential retail’ and, quite rightly in a … Read more

Originally published in PRWeek. With every crisis there comes an opportunity. What has been given surprisingly little airtime is how the pandemic has led to an absolute field day for cyber criminals feeding off the recent uncertainty and increased dependence on digital. The surge in home working has increased the use of potentially vulnerable services, … Read more

When the lockdown was first announced in the UK, many of us thought it could be nice spending time at home and saving money. However, after reaching the end of Netflix and quickly developing cabin fever, we were pining for new ways to enjoy ourselves. Thankfully, tech companies have been quick to react and provide … Read more