The WPP Ford team have this week been promoting the launch of the new Ford Transit Custom. The upgraded world’s favourite van starts production in late 2017 and sets the scene for Ford’s next major commercial vehicle innovation, the introduction of the zero-emission capable Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) scheduled for 2019. Championing Ford’s green credentials that help tackle air quality issues, the team secured coverage across leading trade media, including Green Fleet, Logistics Business, Commercial Fleet/Fleet News and International Fleet World.
The NHS in England has a great network that connects industry, academia and healthcare leaders to spread and share innovation. Dan Berry from H+K Smarter, our behavioural science team, led a workshop for the NHS innovation network for all of South London. The event, held at one of London’s biggest hospitals, St Thomas’, introduced their chief executive and 50 of the organisation’s leaders to behavioural science approaches. Dan presented proven ways that apply the latest insights from behavioural science to improve patient engagement in their own health and make the best use of scarce NHS resources.
Helen Roberts and Isobel Knight from the Energy and Industrials team went to Bethnal Green Academy this week to participate in the careers fair that was taking place. Here they spoke to children from year ten and above about PR and communications as a career path, which was not something that any of them had considered before!
The Tech team’s three musketeers Neha, Hannah and Sonia went to the Good Broadcast session, ‘How to land national broadcast coverage’ on Tuesday 11th July. They listened to Jess Bulman, Planning Editor for ITV News and Tom Cheal, Deputy Managing Editor at LBC discuss brand mentions on national broadcast outlets, how to ensure you story isn’t ‘lost on air’ and how to get the best out of broadcast interviews. Their key learnings were that juniors need to up the ante when it comes to understanding the nuts and bolts of their pitches; interesting filming opportunities are a must if you approach a broadcast journalist; and beware of spokespeople going cray-cray with the brand mentions on air – they won’t be invited back.
This week Candace continued her series of presentations on key trends in communication coming out of the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Designed as inspiration and education for internal audiences and clients, including Anglo American, she identifies three areas reflected in the festival content program and the Lion winning work:
#Unstereotype, which takes its name from the Unstereotype Alliance, the movement to eliminate gender stereotypes in advertising
Force for Good, which reflects purpose-led brands taking a stand on equality, the environment, and other issues in society
Human Tech, which covers the amazing things tech makes possible in brand content and storytelling
